| Shopping for a new computer |
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| Written by Arthur Dellea | |
| Monday, 01 September 2008 | |
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Just in time for the new school year... Whether you need a new computer for home, for school, or for your own business, there's a vast number of computer that you can choose from. Today's computers offer plenty of horsepower at affordable prices. But, don't compromise on too many features to save a few bucks. Features to look for First of all, when you buy a Windows computer it's most likely going to have Windows Vista pre-installed. Windows XP was officially expired this year, and is no longer being sold in new computers. Though Vista had a hard first year, it's safe to say that it has finally become a mature operating system, and in my experience it's 99% compatible with everything that Windows XP could run where software is concerned. I have Vista on my main computer and I've gotten used to it. Because Vista is a bigger operating system, it requires more resources. First, most people recommend 1 GB of RAM in a Vista computer, however, I recommend 2 GB for best performance, and anything above 2 GB RAM is superb, but will increase the price tag. Second comes the processor (a.k.a. CPU). I recommend at least a dual-core processor, which means 2 processors on one chip. Dual-cores offer better performance, think of them as two brains working together at the same time. There are also tri-core processors, 3 processors on one chip, and quad-core, which are 4 processors on one chip. The more processors per chip, the better, but the higher the cost. Processors are rated in Ghz, a dual-core 1.6 Ghz processor is more than enough for most home and small business users. Hard drive space is also a key component. Obviously, you would want to get a new computer with a much larger hard drive than the one that's in your current computer. But to determine size, I would say that you need at least a 250 GB hard drive if you do a lot with music, video or photos, and 500 GB or more would even be better for such purposes. However, if all you mostly do is check emails, track finances, or write and print papers, 250 GB or less would be suited to your needs. Monitor size is basically personal preference. If using the computer is harder on your eyes, a larger screen is better. If you have good eyes and you want to save on desk space, a smaller screen may be better for you. Screen size is also a big part of the cost in laptops, and in desktop package deals. Where laptops are concerned, the larger the screen size, the better on your eyes, but the faster the battery will die when you're running just on batteries, so don't overdo the size of the screen in a laptop unless your needs demand a larger view. LCD (or flat panel) screens are the standard nowadays, they're thin and save a lot of room and energy. Keyboards and mice are also personal preference. Sometimes desktops come pre-packaged with their own mice and keyboards, which may be good or insufficient for your needs. Laptops have a built-in touch pad which is used in place of a mouse, which may take some time to get used to, and sometimes laptop keyboards may be a bit too small or uncomfortable in the compact laptops. Be sure to test these features before you buy, if you can. Speaker selection really depends on how much audio means to you. If everything you do on the computer seldom involves sound or music, then factory speakers may be good enough for you. But, if you're big into music, surround sound, etc, you may need to buy a more expensive set of speakers for a better experience. Overall, laptops come with built-in speakers, which are usually weak and tinny sounding, so at home you may want to buy an additional set of computer speakers that you can plug in when listening to music, etc. Some desktop computers may come with speakers, or have speakers built-in to their monitors, which may or may not be satisfactory. Desktops versus laptops Laptops can cost $500 to $3000+, and desktops are usually $400 to $3000+. Brand is not always the best way to choose, you need to select more on features than on who's label is on the front of the computer. Choosing between a desktop and laptop depends on how portable you need to be. I don't recommend laptops for use as primary every-day computers. If you use a computer every day for home or office use, a desktop is the best choice, unless you're very limited on room. Laptops can be easily packed away when not in use, and are portable, but are usually much more expensive to fix than desktops. Laptops suffer plenty from overheating, battery problems, cracked screens, and trashed hard drives. Laptops are proprietary in design, it's nearly impossible to get replacement parts from anyone but the original manufacturer, and the parts are often very expensive. Laptop batteries may last 4-5 hours after a charge when you first get them with the laptop, but after a couple of years, they may only give you 30 minutes of use at best, and batteries are expensive to replace. Desktop computers come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. Some are desktops, some are towers, some are slimline. I like the average sized or mid-size towers, because they are normally large enough to keep things cooler, but also upgradeable. I personally do not recommend slimline cases, unless there are space issues. Mid-tower cases take up a lot more room, but also have a lot of room inside the case for adding more drives, more cards, more RAM, etc, as your needs grow. Also, larger cases can give you more places to add more internal fans for better cooling in hot environments or under heavy-use conditions. Desktops (a.k.a. Towers, etc) tend to deliver more power and efficiency at a lower cost than laptops, because the larger components are easier to keep cool. When to buy a computer If you take good care of your computer, you can make it last a good 5 to 7 years without needing replacement. The more your computer is abused, and the less you have maintenance done to it, the shorter its life will be. See my recent article on Maintaining Your Computer. I recommend that you call me at least once a year for maintenance. But, despite maintenance (and just like cars), at some point you will need to buy a new computer. Consumer Reports says that the best months to buy computers are July, August, November and December. They also say that you should consider replacing your computer if it is 5 years or older, but it's best to contact me to come and assess your current computer setup before you make a hasty decision. For example, just because a friend or relative says your computer is slow, doesn't mean you need to replace it. If the computer is fast enough for you, then it's fast enough, period. But, let's do a bit of shopping anyways, to see what's available right now... A good selection of desktops... A good selection of laptops...
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 17 October 2008 ) |
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