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If you are considering buying a better computer or maybe you need a second computer for your business, here is some advice that will get you more for your money.

Some Sage Advice:

(Apologies to Macintosh and others - I am limiting this to Intel hardware types at this time.)

An important tip on buying a computer is not to buy more than you need, especially in a business. As a computer consultant and Web Site Designer, I do most of my work on a Pentium III computer. Even older Pentium's can keep up with most of what I do. Seriously consider what the computer will be used for, before you decide what type of computer you need.

Don't buy a computer that has a slimline case (very small and not very high) if you can. They generally use a proprietary motherboard which makes it difficult to upgrade and may cost you extra in the long run. Buy a computer with a standard size case -- it will cost you less to upgrade it.

Hardware

Now here's the breakdown of what hardware you need in a new computer:

• CPU type and speed is an important criteria for your next computer, don't be fooled into thinking that you have to buy the latest and greatest:
   
  • For ordinary office applications, surfing the web, and e-mail, a Pentium III class processor running at 1GHz or above should prove adequate.  These can still be found at reconditioned (read used) prices.
     
  • If the software you are running is disk intensive (does it read and write to the disk files a lot?) like large database operations, then a Celeron class computer will probably be satisfactory for your needs. What is really needed is a faster hard disk drive.
     
  • Folks involved in 2D graphics, Desk Top Publishing, or the like should consider a Pentium 4 class processor that runs at 2GHz or better.
     
  • Professionals that need to do CAD, 3D modeling, engineering modeling, cutting edge gaming, multimedia (sound and video) or other power applications should consider the fastest processor they can afford. The Pentium 4 (Supporting Hyper-Threading Technology) class at 3GHZ or better is optimized for 32-bit applications.  If 64-bit applications are in your future then you'll need to look outside the normal channels - I don't have any advice for you there as I've not had any experience with them.
     
• Memory is another area of concern. Most applications will run acceptably on a computer with 128 Mb of RAM, but you will be happier with 256 Mb. If you're running more than one or two major applications or multitasking many applications at once then 512 Mb or more may be necessary.
   
• Hard Disk Storage needs vary widely. While most office computers will never even fill up a 20 GB ATA interface hard drive, other users often have more demanding needs. Many multimedia-intensive applications will take away that disk space Gigabytes at a time, and there is always space being taken with graphics, swap files, temp files, sound files, clip-art and just plain junk. For the average office user, 20 GB is beginning to push the comfort limit and 40 GB would be a wiser choice with a 80-160GB Serial ATA interface for heavy multimedia users.
   
  • If you need more storage, or better performance than that, consider installing a SCSI-3 adapter that will allow you to chain up to 7 or 14 devices. SCSI-3 allows faster disk access and less CPU resources than normal ATA for a performance boost. You'll find more types of devices can be used with SCSI like Scanners and faster Tape Drives in addition to Hard Drives, Removable Drives, CD-ROMs, DVD, Optical, etc. Note that SCSI drives are more expensive than ATA dives, however.
     
• The Keyboard and Monitor are two things you should never buy too cheap.
   
  • The keyboard should be of good quality and comfortable to use. Don't forget the pointing device (mouse, trackball, etc.)
     
  • The monitor should have a large enough screen size for what you plan to do. Don't settle for a monitor less than 15" (measured diagonally) and get the largest and best you can afford. These are your eyes folks. Personally I would opt for a 17" for general use and a 19-20-21" if you do a lot of graphic-intensive work. Some monitor screens are very hard to read. Always test the monitor you expect to purchase to see if it's "easy" on your eyes.
     
• Get a video card that is widely supported, like the Matrox Millennium series, for every-day use. The newer 3D cards are for the gamers and CAD people to figure out as they are in a constant state of flux and different applications support different cards.
   
• Don't forget about incorporating a backup technology to your new computer. You can get removable drives, optical technologies, or tape cartridge drives depending on your needs. If you will be exchanging lots of information with other computers you might want to get the same type for all by using an external SCSI device. Then you only need to put a SCSI controller card in each computer and can swap the external drive between them.
   
  • Stay away from parallel port devices. They are limited by the speed of a parallel port, which can be 20 times slower than SCSI, and you may have problems connecting several devices to one parallel port.
     
• Modem standards are stabilizing now. For Dial-Up you should be buying a V.90 56Kbps modem. Most telephone lines can't go that fast and the Federal Government currently limits your speed on those that can to 53Kbps. V.90 technology only allows high-speed in the download direction and uploading is at the lower speeds (28.8Kbps or 33.6Kbps.) V.92 doesn’t increase the download speed over V.90, but, it does increase the maximum upload speed to 48K bps. This is a 30% increase over the 33.6K bps attainable by today’s V.90 modems. There are other options (ISDN, xDSL, cable modems, satellite, etc.) but each has special requirements - talk with your ISP about them.
   
• A NIC (Network Interface Card) is essential as most of those high-speed options mentioned above will work through the Network and you will most likely already have Network cable run in your Office and maybe even your newer Home.  Even Wireless Networking is a possibility if you are getting a Laptop to supplement your Desktop computer.
   
• A CD-ROM is universally needed these days. Most applications (and Operating Systems) today come on CD-ROM so don't skip this item. What type CD-ROM drive to buy will depend on the type of CD-ROMs you will be using. If you are going to run a lot of multimedia CD-ROMs then you probably should get a 12X to 32X CAV drive. Even an 8X or 12X CLV will do for most uses. If you're running applications off a CD-ROM then get the fastest that the applications can support. Some older applications on some older computers won't run properly if the drive is too fast.  Don't forget a CD-R or CD-R/W "Burner" if you will be making your own CD's.  I won't bring up DVD or DVD-R or R/W as there are still incompatibilities between the different "types".
   
• For general-purpose Sound get a 16-bit Sound Blaster or true compatible with a Wave table. Stay away from clones as some of them are not recognized by all applications that expect a real Sound Blaster. Those of you with special requirements, such as MIDI, Voice Operated/Dictation, Screen Reader, Voice Mail, etc., may need more specialized information to make a decision.
   

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Last modified: Thursday, May 12, 2005