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What Do I
Need?
Alice asked the Cheshire cat, "Can you tell me which way
to go?" The cat replied, "That all depends on
where you want to get to". Alice said, "It really
doesn't matter, you see..." The cat interrupted,
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go!" - From
Alice In Wonderland.
If you don't know what you will be doing with your computer both
you and your sales person will have a difficult time deciding on
a model. Our suggestion is to buy the best system you afford.
That way you won't have to junk it to get what you really should
have bought in the first place.
Many people buy a very basic computer to handle their finances
and write a few letters. After they have used it a while they realize
that it can do much more and then they wish they had bought something
better. Today's market favors the buyer. A new Pentium or AMD system
running at 1 Ghz or faster costs well under $1,000, including Windows
and some software. Note:
- It doesn't make much sense to buy an older model "discounted"
from a much higher list price when some newer systems list for
less than the discounted price of the older unit.
- Powerful systems are great for software developers, Web designers,
and engineers.
- If you are just surfing the Web a Pentium 200 will work just
fine.
- If you are playing videos you will want a faster system designed
for that purpose.
- If you are a gamer you will want to read the game magazines
for recommendations.
System Classes
The class of system you need will depend on your uses for it. If
you must buy an older system or a used one please note that there
are several processor families, many of which are still quite adequate
for many users.
Pentium I Class - Speeds up to 166 MHz Avoid older Celerons, which
were very slow. Systems with these chips are adequate for Windows
98 and older versions of office suites. These units generally won't
support hard drives larger than 1.6 gigabytes.
Pentium MMX Class - Intel Pentium up to 233 MHz; AMD K5 and K6
chips up to 550 MHz This class of Celeron is a good performer. These
systems should work well with Windows 98, ME, and NT and all but
the newest Office suites. These systems often will not support a
hard drive larger than 8 gigabytes.
Pentium II and III Class - Speeds up to 833 MHz and sometimes faster.
These systems should work well with any version of Windows and most
office suites. Check to see if the system is on the approved list
for Windows 2000 and XP. These systems produce much less heat than
1,000 MHz and faster systems.
Pentium IV Class - Intel Pentium IV and AMD Athlon, with speeds
up to 2,200 MHz (2.2 Gigahertz) and probably faster by the time
you read this. These are top notch chips that run anything. They
also put out quite a bit of heat so you will need a high quality
power supply and plenty of fans.
Deciding on Options
A good rule of thumb is to buy the most powerful system you can
afford, within reason. When choosing your system weigh the value
of each component to you, its cost, and the complexity of upgrading
it later.
- The motherboard and CPU are the most complex and expensive parts
to upgrade. Don't buy an older model, which may not be as upgradable
in the future.
- Hard drives are at rock bottom prices and relatively easy to
upgrade or supplement with a 2nd unit. You may be able to save
some money here.
- Memory is easily upgraded if you have empty sockets for it.
- If your budget is a little tight, skimp on accessories (speakers,
printer, etc.). You can always buy them when you hvae the money
but it can be expensive to upgrade the computer later.
Other Considerations
Your system should come with the original software CDs and licenses,
otherwise you may be using unlicensed software. You should also
receive and drivers for all hardware installed in the system. Avoid
any system that has only a "rescue disk", which erases
all of your data. Avoid any system that includes unlicensed software
"for testing" since you cannot legally use it.
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