Rules for buying a computer
October 26, 1999
© 1999, Douglas E. Welch
No matter where I am, teaching my bi-monthly free Internet classes, running my weekly
seminars, consulting with a client or even walking down the grocery
aisle, one of the first questions I am asked is, "What computer
should I buy?" Since I can't possibly know everything about every
computer on the market I hedge my bets a bit. Instead of telling
them a specific make and model, I try to give them a set of guidelines
that can guide their purchasing decisions for years to come.
The good news
The best news today is that there are a plethora of computers
available that can meet the needs of the average user. Computer
manufacturers have come a long way in standardizing their systems
and increasing reliability. This, combined with the high speed,
large amounts of RAM installed and huge hard disks commonly installed,
insure that any computer you buy today is going to serve you in
good stead for quite a few years. Sure, there might be new technologies
developed, but the computer will not become obsolete before you
pull it out of the box.
What is your pain threshold?
Once you have decided you want to buy a computer you need to figure
out how much you are willing to spend. Don't over-extend yourself.
There are a wide variety of inexpensive computers available so
you need not spend thousands of dollars if all you want is a basic
system to do word processing and surf the net.
Faster, bigger, better
With your financial threshold in mind you can begin scanning advertisements
and electronic stores for a computer that falls within your price
range. Your goal now becomes finding the biggest "bang for your
buck." This means checking computer specifications until you find
the system with the fastest processor, largest RAM and largest
hard drive for your price. Even if you are looking for specialized
options such as DVD drives, USB ports, etc., these three main
criteria should drive your purchasing decision.
Faster
I consider the processor speed, rated in megahertz (MHz) to be
one of the most important aspects of your new computer. You want
windows to pop open, menus to drop down quickly and screens to
redraw quickly. If this is not the case the computer will seem
slow regardless of the other devices in the system. Always buy
the fastest processor you can within your budget.
Bigger Memory
Unless you are going to be using the computer for high-end applications
like computer-aided design (CAD), high-end graphics or video editing,
you won't need huge amounts of RAM memory. As long as you have
somewhere between 64-128 megabytes (MB) of memory your computer
will be fine for 99% of the usual computer tasks. That said, you
want to get as much RAM as possible for your money. This will
allow you to run multiple programs at once and easily switch between
them.
Bigger Hard Disk
Most computers are being sold with such large hard disks today
that this is becoming less of an issue than ever before. A hard
disk between 4-6 gigabytes (GB) should be sufficient for all but
the largest software gluttons. Though, if you are planning on
using the machine for the high-end purposes mentioned above you
might want more. Even so, bigger is still better. No one knows
for sure just how much disk space Microsoft's Windows 2000 or
Office 2000 might require. It is always good to have some extra
disk space just in case.
I have only really touched the surface of computer buying decisions,
but I have found that paying attention to these few simple areas
can help to insure you get a computer that is not only good for
today, but for several years in the future.
Douglas E. Welch is a freelance writer and computer consultant
in Van Nuys, California. He also writes Career Opportunities, a weekly column on high-tech careers and A Gardener's Notebook. You can find more of Douglas' writing on his web page at: http://www.welchwrite.com/
He can reached via email at douglas@welchwrite.com
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