BUYING A NEW COMPUTER

Gael Miller

3/13/2008

If you are interested in buying a new computer, first some information is required.

Why 

            My children/grandchildren say I need a new one.

            My present computer is 5 years old and not working right.

            I just want something new.

What will you do with it 

            Just e-mail and a little internet

            Internet, e-mail, word, excel and have a lot of pictures that I want to work on with Photoshop.

            All above and want to do movies also.

Each of these three usages would require different capabilities and we will call them user A (basic), B (intermediate), and C (advanced).  Most people would fall in the B category even if they think they are an A because of what could be coming in the future.

General comments on new computers.

You can still purchase computers using the Windows XP operating system on line but anything in the stores would have the Windows Vista operating system.  XP should be maintained by Microsoft through 2010 so it could be purchased.  Vista is the now operating system which will be around for even longer.  As a general statement, Vista requires a more powerful machine than XP because it is a larger operating system.

There are several versions of Vista.  Those most for consumers are Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate.  There are also versions for business which are not well suited for the average user.  Basic is just that, very basic and does not have the real features of Vista that make it better than XP so Home Premium or Ultimate are recommended.

What should you look for 

Do not be overly concerned with the processor in the computer, it can be either an AMD or an Intel manufacture.  Except for the A user, steer clear of the budget chips   Intel Celeron and AMD Sempron.  The processor should be an Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core or with a laptop an AMD Turion or Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile.  There are also quad core processors from both manufactures but are quite a lot more expensive and the average user would not see any benefit from them.

The major item to look for is the temporary memory or RAM.  XP and Vista Basic will be able to operate on 512 megabytes of RAM but more is better.  It is recommended that all computers have a minimum of 1 GB or ram (1000 mb) and it is recommended that this be doubled to 2 GB if the budget will allow for it.  The computer should also be able to accept additional RAM in the future if it is needed.

Any computer you purchase now should have a DVD burner but this has become standard on most computers.  This will allow you to write to both DVD s and CD s to save data and information.  Both XP and Vista have a built in system to write to these media so a separate program is not needed but can prove helpful. 

The hard drive is where the programs and all information is stored permanently so has to be of sufficient size to accommodate you needs.  For a desktop you would probably not be able to find a computer with a hard drive less than about 160 GB and for a laptop less than about 80 GB.  The size of the drive depends on what the final usage will be.

The computer should have plenty of USB ports.  For a desktop there should be at least one port on the front of the tower and enough on the back to total at least 4.  Some laptops can be short on the number but should have at least 3.  There are more uses all the time for these ports so the more the better.  A memory card reader is a nice touch if it will accept the cards from your equipment.

The graphics is about the final item to look for.  Many computers come with the graphics system built as integrated graphics.  This system will use the system RAM and will slow down the computer some.  A better system is to have a Dedicated graphics card with its own memory which should be 128 mb minimum.

Where to buy a computer:

The easiest way is to go to a computer store, look at what they have and buy what you want.  Before doing this, look at the ads in the papers for a few weeks to see what is being offered and what the price would be at different locations.  That way you can take it back if it does not work properly.

The other way is to order it online actually picking out what you want.  This will require some knowledge of what the various options would do for you.  Both Dell and HP have active sites that you can select the build you want and you can also probably purchase one with a XP operating system.  Sometimes, it is good to go through this and print out what you think you want and take that to the computer store to compare what they have to offer that is similar.

Suggested computer:

	A user	B user	C user
Vista system Processor         RAM               Hard drive       Graphics	Basic/Premium Dual core         1 GB min        120 GB           Integrated	Premium          Dual core         1 GB min        200 GB           Dedicated 128	Ultimate Quad core 2GB min 500 GB Dedicated 256