Just because it’s most expensive doesn’t mean it’s best

Let’s try these steps in this order.

First, shutdown Windows and turn the computer off and remove the battery. Then put the battery back in and plug things in again. See if that fixes the problem. In this step we are checking to make sure the battery is making a good connection inside the computer. Removing it and putting it back in may fix that.

Second, if it doesn’t work, then watch this video and try the fix:

If that doesn’t work, the odds are (please know that I can’t be sure from a distance, all this is a guess) the battery is dying. So you’d want to eventually replace it.

Turns out, after an exchange of emails with Ruth, she really did need a new battery.

When I walked into my hotel room, a drink of water sounded good. There was a pint bottle of the stuff next to the TV.

The price tag was $7. I would drink out of the sink faucet before paying that much for water.

I am pretty sure $7 water was invented by a high-tech marketing guy. Many of us end up buying the tech equivalent of that overpriced bottle of water. If you buy that $7 water, you get a nice refreshing drink. If you buy the high-tech equivalent, you get a fine device. In both cases, you’re paying way too much.

Today we’ll talk about a system for buying consumer electronics — computers, HDTVs, digital cameras, camcorders — that will let you enjoy your purchase without feeling like a sucker. We’ll start with the best buying tip I know. My friend the rich guy taught it to me one night at a restaurant. I was ordering some wine and, before I could say Châteauneuf, he stopped me.

He said the top-priced bottles are there for people who want to show off. The cheapest bottles are there for folks willing to forgo quality to save a few bucks.

The sweet price spot with both wine and most consumer electronics is generally in the middle. Unless you are designing a nuclear submarine in your basement, the fastest machines are usually overpriced and over-equipped. The cheapest computers are underpowered. For ordinary users, the best buy comes in the middle prices.

It’s the same story with digital cameras, printers and scanners. The law of diminishing returns starts to kick in when you get to the highest-priced models. The cheap stuff is, well, cheap.

There are ways to both get bang for your buck and a good product. Start this way. When you get ready to buy your next gadget, keep your wallet in your pocket for a while.

Sit down with old-fashioned paper and pen. Make a list of what you want to accomplish with the new gadget or computer. Also, come up with some sort of a budget figure for how much you can spend. Having a good idea of what you want to accomplish and what you can spend makes reading the reviews of the gadgets competing for your dollar a lot more sensible. For instance, if battery life for your laptop computer is a big deal, you’ll be able to check that out and eliminate all those machines that have average or worse running time on a single charge. By doing this, you can narrow your list considerably.

Now it’s time to eliminate even more of the competition. Cross out all the gadgets that exceed your budget figure. You’re not going to enjoy that new computer or HDTV if it means dining on pork ‘n’ beans. The number of items that remain on your list of possibilities is a lot smaller now.

I’ve had good luck with CNET (www.cnet.com) when it comes to reviews. Consumer Reports, both the magazine and the website for subscribers, is also good. For digital cameras, there’s the excellent Digital Photography Review at www.dpreview.com.

These sites are precise enough for knowledgeable shoppers but easy enough for a beginner to understand for a beginner.

You’ve made a good start in your search to get a good deal and a good product. Now, there’s a final step. That’s to put everything aside for a week or so. After the week, when you’ve cooled down a little, decide whether you want to make the purchase.

The idea here is simple. Never buy water while you are thirsty.