I take the recommendations I give to clients very seriously – especially when making a major investment in a new computer — Windows or Mac. None of the references listed below are business or affiliate partners of mine. I don’t make a dime on telling you where to buy your computer from. I am a service provider. Let me get the easy part out of the way first — Apple Macintosh computers (aka Macs). I usually steer clients toward B&H Photo Video of New York City (an authorized Apple reseller) or the Deals section of Apple’s website. Both are listed below. You’ll get your new Mac shipped right to your door, complete with new factory warranty and the opportunity to buy the extended Apple Care if you so choose. There aren’t really any retail discounts on Macs. Apple keeps a pretty tight lid on keeping prices close to MSRP. The Deals section of their website represents orders that were canceled or returned to Apple. I’ve bought 4 of my last 5 Macs this way. There is no Deals section in a physical Apple Store.

As far as the Windows world is concerned, laptop models I can wholeheartedly support are Dell Latitude E5430, E6430, E6530, E5530, E6530, Signature laptops sold from the Microsoft Store, and Lenovo Thinkpad T430 T530. Desktops I can wholeheartedly recommend are in the Dell Optiplex line — model # in the 300’s and higher. Microsoft’s Signature series is a new recommendation from me. These are computers made by companies like HP, Dell, Asus, Acer, etc, with one key difference. Like the Lenovo and Dell models I recommend, the Signature PC’s do not come loaded with crap software. Crap software or bloat-ware are the free trials and all the unnecessary programs that you will find on a computer sold at a big box store like Best Buy or Staples, even many times directly from manufacturers. Buying a Windows PC within the walls of my recommendations is a decision that you will appreciate month after month and especially when things go wrong. Buying from these options doesn’t have to cost you more than a big box store either.

Windows Computers

Latitude Laptops | Dell
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/landing/latitude-laptops?c=us&cs=ussoho1&l=en&s=soho&~ck=mn

OptiPlex Desktops | Dell
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/landing/optiplex-desktops?c=us&cs=ussoho1&l=en&s=soho&~ck=mn

Dell Outlet | Refurbished Computers, Laptops, PCs & More | Dell
http://www.dell.com/outlet

Laptop PCs | ThinkPad T Series Computer | Portable Powerhouse | Lenovo | (US)
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?action=init&current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=19C791A03AF24034A0011B825513BCED#.UN-BhLYmxUk

Microsoft Signature Computers
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/list/parentCategoryID.44066900/categoryID.50787200?Icid=Computers_ExpertPicks_Notebooks_Image

Lenovo Outlet | Lenovo | (US)
http://outlet.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/outlet_us/LenovoPortal/en_US/special-offers.workflow:ShowPromo?LandingPage=/All/US/Portals/Outlet#.UN-BkLYmxUk

Macintosh Computers

B&H Photo Video Pro Audio – Computers & Solutions
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/browse/Computers-Solutions/ci/9581/N/4294542559

Refurbished Mac Computers – Refurbished Notebooks & Desktop Computers – Apple Store (U.S.)
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac