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Buying a computer - how to decide...
The computer world is in constant flux, continually advancing and improving. Some things about them remain unchanged for a while, but may radically change in a flurry. Below are comments on a computer you might be buying soon, with the caveat that the comments made here are relevant, or were relevant, and may actually remain relevant for a time - expect change.
For many people, buying a computer can be an intimidating task. There are so many choices - for home or business, notebook or desktop, name brand or clone, new or used, standard or full-featured, MAC or PC, payment in cash, credit or lease - these are but some of the questions that come to mind. To make the purchase of a computer simpler, here is a methodology that should guide you to making a good choice.
Note : while much of what is written here applies to the purchase of a MAC, this information is really geared toward the purchase of a PC. Generally speaking, MACs are more reliable than PCs are. MACs are also more expensive than an equivalent PC, and subsequent purchases of software and peripherals will also be more expensive than their PC counterparts. MACs have a narrow range of models to choose from, and supporting products are also fewer in number. MACs are the choice of those who work in the computer graphics and art industries, and of many schools, although PCs are making gains in both these areas. A person who uses a MAC at work or school will want a MAC at home - but may choose a PC because of price, because of product selection, or because they will be sharing the computer with non-MAC users.
For a peek ahead at a particular topic or computer component, click on one of these subjects...
: 5 steps : component computers : notebook computers : name brand or clone : reliability and speed : where to shop :
: keyboards : pointing devices : monitors : computer cases : motherboards : CPUs : RAM memory : video cards :
: operating systems : floppy drive : ZIP drive : hard drive : CDROM : CDRW : DVD : DVD-RW : audio :
: modems : networks : USB : external data drives : printers : scanners : cameras : computer environment : power surge protection :
: supplies : hardware drivers : new, versus refurbished or used : payment method :
First, what will you want to do with your new computer?
This is the most important question you can ask yourself. Knowing what you'll want the computer to do virtually describes the computer you will need. If you don't know the answer, visit your friends that have computers, and see what they are doing with theirs. Popular uses include :
Accessing the Internet...
Playing games (off-line)...
Simulations (all entertaining and educational)...
Word processing...
Bookkeeping (for yourself or others)...
Working with graphic images...
Time and resource management - organizing yourself by...
If nothing here strikes you as interesting, forget the whole thing and take a southern vacation instead.
If everything here interests you, buy a high-end computer with lots of storage and processing capacity, buy a CD writer and DVD player with it, buy all the software you will need to run everything on it, and buy the numerous peripherals you will need for it to input your data and output your work (printer, scanner, camera, game adaptors, headset microphone, etc.). Designate a large room in your house and have it ergonomically outfitted with its own electrical circuitry, proper lighting, multiple phone jacks and cable outlets, audio and video equipment, desks, tables, shelving, comfortable chairs, and a coffee maker. Quit your job, as you will need to give this your full time attention for the next five years to learn what there is to learn. Say goodbye to your family and friends. And lastly, be prepared to re-buy most of the computer equipment you just bought on a six-month cycle - as technology doesn't stand still, and whatever you buy now has already been redesigned and improved upon, and will no longer be in the marketplace in half a year.
If, as with the most of us, only certain things here interest you - and you have no desire to let a computer take over your life...
Step 1) Write a list of the things you would like to use a computer for. Include things that you may already know how to do, and things that you would like to learn how to do. Put the list in order - most important thing first. Talk each item over with someone knowledgable who is currently doing this with their computer. Jot down what they think are the minimum and optimum software and hardware requirements to accomplish the task, then, if you have an opinion, jot down what you think you'd need to accomplish similar tasks yourself. Sum up the requirements to see which software and computer components you need, and how good each program and component has to be.
Step 2) Look at all your software and hardware options. Do not get stuck on brand name software or hardware. Alternatives can cost a great deal less than the mainstream products, and often work just as well. Software should be settled upon before hardware - it is the software programs that call for the hardware to do the work. Hardware facilitates the work, making it interactive and viewable.
Take a look here to see just how much software you can get for an extremely reasonable amount of money...
Step 3) Think in terms of how much per year the computer is going to cost you (as you should when purchasing a car or other large item). Base your calculation on these anticipated truths : that a new computer in this day and age will probably last five years, that you will need to upgrade the software once, perhaps twice, to remain current during this time, and that you will probably need repairs or upgrades in the amount of 40% of the value of the computer during this time. If you want the Internet, its going to cost you an additional $25 per month for dial-up and $45 a month for high-speed.
For example, if you pay $1800 for a new computer (including software, printer, scanner, digital camera, etc.), you will probably spend $1800 + $500 + $720, totalling $3020 to keep it up and running with relatively current hardware and software for six years. This computer is costing you about $500 a year to operate. By comparison, buying a two-year old computer for $600, if it will do what you want it to, would shave more than $1000 off your initial capital outlay, then would cost about as much to run it through its remaining four years. This may be a good choice for some, who want to keep their capital investment down. In another comparison, buying a four-year-old computer for $200 may be the best idea for those who have never had a computer before, or those who have limited computer needs.
Step 4) Consider warranties and support services. Minimum warranties for new machines or new components should be : 1 year for printers, hard drives, removable media data drives, keyboards and mice; 1 year for cases, processors, motherboards, expansion cards and memory modules; 3 years for monitors. Used computers that are running well when you get them will probably run well for a long time after that. Computer troubles seem to plague newly assembled (new or used) components rather than those that have been together for a while. Computers are not cars - keep in mind that 95% of computer problems are related to software - not hardware, and no software ever comes with a warranty or performance guarantee. A car in tip-top mechanical shape will run beautifully, while a computer in tip-top mechanical shape might not even start.
Support services really don't come into play for experienced users, and may be too much trouble to access for users who have experienced users nearby that they can call on. Waiting times and long distance charges can make "service" uneconomical and difficult to get at the best of times. Support via the Internet, whether it be found at an original manufacturer's site or any other tech support site, is often the quickest way to solve a problem (outside of problems with accessing the Internet).
Step 5) Knowing something about what you are shopping for can only help. Below are some explanations and guidelines to consider when comparing different computers while deciding what to buy...
"Component" computers are typically openable, user-friendly machines that contain easily repaired hardware and cabling. Component computers offer great flexibility - in power and function - at an economical price. There are a variety of "form factors" (shapes and sizes) to choose from (colours, too), and including any internal component or connecting to any external peripheral is usually easy and straight forward. No matter what kind of component computer you get, you will need a keyboard, a pointing device, and a monitor to go with it - the keyboard and pointing device for input, and a monitor for output. (Keep in mind that what you buy you will have to live with for a while, so take time and care when selecting these three particular components.)
"Notebook" computers are all-in-one units that contain compact versions of what you would get in a component computer, along with an integrated monitor, keyboard and pointing device. Notebooks are small, but generally aren't in any way less powerful than their full-size counterparts, though they are usually quite a bit more expensive. Internal components are often unique to a given machine, so upgrades and service can cost more. Notebook keyboards, pointing devices and screens are not particularly ergonomic, although options can be purchased (external versions of any of these components) to improve the situation. While notebooks are helpfully portable, they do tend to get stolen and broken. Notebooks come with all the usual ports, so external peripherals are in no way specialized.
Name brands and clones... Name brand computers like Dell, Compaq and Hewlett Packard have a lot going for them, but clones (generic computers assembled from name brand components) can be a better choice. The arguments are similar to those comparing MACs to PCs - cost of replacement parts, flexibility, availability of service - these are areas where clones make for a better choice. Reliability does not come into play if the clone you purchase comes from a reputable dealer. Reputable clone dealers also offer warranties and, if you buy locally, your service is typically performed locally.
Reliability and speed... Computers are made up of a variety of components that are intended to, but may not always or ever, work happily together. A computer can be no more reliable than its least reliable component. If one component is failing or not working correctly the whole system suffers - often to the point that nothing works at all. Hopefully the computer you get will have had some qualified attention paid to it during assembly.
As to speed, a computer can accomplish no task faster than the components involved can handle it. Let's examine this statement for a moment or two.
Let's say that you have the absolute best consumer computer in the marketplace today - but your task is to format a floppy disk. Will this overpowered computer running the latest version of Windows do it faster than a forgotten 10-year-old 286-AT running good old DOS 3.3? Actually, no it won't - it can't... (and if you did it from a powered down start, the AT would be done in half the time!)
Want a more realistic example or three? Will an isolated event in a computer game that takes three seconds of real time to occur - like the countdown of a clock or timer - will this event go faster on a modern computer than on an older one? It can't, really... Will the download of a 2 GB file from the Internet on an older computer with a DSL connection go faster on a modern computer with the same DSL connection? Not really, not noticably... Will the writing of a CDROM in a 16X CD burner in an older computer go faster on a modern computer with the same CD burner? Not really, not noticably...
The point illustrated here is that input and output operations in a computer dictate the overall performance, while not typically making full use of a computer's processing capacity or speed. You don't need an extremely fast computer to do average tasks. Programs for which you should pay for extra processing power and faster internal devices include : highly visual game software, number-crunching drawing and calculating software, and audio- and video-editing software. If it is not your intention to get into any of these program types, you can reduce your overall computer requirements and save some serious money.
Software plays a part in both reliability and speed. If the operating system (software) or a driver (software) for a given device misuses or under-utilizes a given device, overall performance suffers. If an executed program is old or is poorly written, it will under-utilize the system, and overall performance suffers. Unfortunately, you can expect these two instances to be the norm, rather than the exceptions.
Ready to shop? Where do you go? Let me offer some opinions... Wal-Mart sells computers - like they sell vacuum cleaners, but they'll have good prices. Radio Shack sells computers - but they aren't cheap. Future Shop sells computers - that they bought months ago in large volumes for today's sale. How about the neighbourhood computer whiz? - he builds them in his parent's basement, but he's off to college in the fall. Business Depot - not a bad choice at all. Let your fingers do the walking with Dell - another good choice. A reputable clone dealer that's been around for a while - a third good option.
Keep all this in mind as you look over the comments and descriptions of the components below...
The keyboard should be of decent manufacture so it lasts two or more years. Sometimes described as an enhanced 101-type, the keyboard should have a numeric keypad, a dozen or more function keys, and a Windows Start button. The keyboard is typically wired to the computer, but you can choose a wireless type. Ergonomic keyboards that have been designed to reduce strain for those who type a great deal, are also very good for those who only type on occasion. "Internet" keyboards have programmed buttons that turn multi-input requests into single-key functions (i.e. a button that "gets" your email) which some users find helpful.
The pointing device has become an important tool in handling computer input. While virtually everything can be done with the keyboard, this device is sometimes the better tool to tell the computer what you want to do. Typically a "mouse", these devices control a moveable cursor on screen that can be positioned over graphical hot spots to execute computer functions. Once in the correct cursor position, the user can ask to have a function performed by simply clicking the buttons on it, in correct combinations.
Mice typically have a motion mechanism (a ball that is moved by the friction created when dragging the mouse over a flat surface) and two or three buttons. Optical mice have no ball - they register motion by bouncing light off whatever surface the mouse is moved across (with some surfaces being better than others). Mice can also have "scroll wheels" - useful for scrolling through long documents. Mice can be wired or wireless, and ergonomic mice of a great many designs exist also. An alternative mouse design comes with a movable ball on its top - these are convenient for those who do not like moving the mouse all over their desks - they simply roll the ball with their thumb or fingers to move the cursor accordingly, while keeping the mouse in one place. All mice should be tested for comfort and suitability.
The monitor is often the least considered component in the purchase of a computer, while ultimately being the most regarded component by the user. Features to consider include : overall physical size, viewable screen size, image quality, warranty, service and price.
Your typical monitor is a cathode ray tube type (CRT). CRTs have deep cabinets due to the technology involved. A cathode ray gun must "shoot" electrons at all points of the interior side of the screen for you to see the full image. The cathode ray gun doesn't move - the electron stream is steered and directed by monitor-generated magnetic fields surrounding it. The larger the image, the further the magnetic fields have to re-direct the passing electrons to reach all edges of the screen, the further back in the cabinet the gun must be.
The gun nozzle is roughly equidistant from all points on the screen, hence the CRT screen's curvature. ("Flat" screen CRTs have a flat glass face overtop its curved face, so it only looks flat.) As the image size specification increases the three physical dimensions of size of the CRT increase - large screens are taller, wider and deeper. While narrowing to the rear, a typical CRT is still roughly cube-shaped, so there are limits as to how big a monitor you may be able to sit on a desk.
A screen size of 17" is desirable for most users. This is where the economical price point - screen size for the given dollar amount - is these days. Measured diagonally, the viewable area of a 17" monitor will be from 15.75" to 16.25", depending on the brand and model, and the monitor's age.
A good CRT will allow you to set it to raster frequencies that are greater than the 60 Mhz frequencies associated with most electronic and electrical devices. The higher settings will stabilize the image and reduce the eye fatigue caused by a monitor that is refreshing its image at the same rate that any nearby incandescent lights will be cycling. (A good choice for the refresh rate of a CRT is 72 Mhz.) The dot pitch refers to the size of the individual locations on the screen that can be hit by the rastering gun. The smaller the size, the more locations per linear inch you can hit, the sharper the overall image will be. (A good dot pitch would be .25 or .26.)
No CRT image is perfect. You will need to manipulate a CRT image in many ways to get the best possible image out of it. Controls for brightness and contrast, height and width, colour strength and temperature, and image shape (controlled by manipulating the magnetic fields within the CRT) will all be required. CRTs are subject to the influence of external magnetic fields, hence a degaussing feature is useful also. OSDs (on screen displays) have replaced many of the mechanical controls found in lower quality and older CRT models. CRTs are subject to the same image degradation that aging televisions suffer. The older a CRT gets, the less bright and less sharp the image will become.
An alternative to a CRT is the LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor. LCDs have arrays of crystals that can be made to glow when electrified by controlling circuitry. The images are typically sharp, the screens are typically flat, and the shape of the image is typically distortion-free. The overall dimensions of an LCD are no longer cube-like - an LCD monitor may only be two to four inches deep for an image size that can be many times the size of your average CRT. The improvements in image quality and overall size do not come cheap - an LCD and a CRT with the same viewable image size will differ in price by perhaps more than three times.
LCDs has become cheaper as the technology used in their manufacture is perfected, and more are sold. One current issue with LCDs is the "pixel policy" - the number of pixels that may be misbehaving that the manufacturer will allow within any square inch of the array. Misbehaving pixels can be stuck on or off, or may have any of their component colours (the red, green or blue element) stuck on or off as well. Misbehaving pixels show up as annoying glowing lights on otherwise dark-coloured screens, or as dark spots on what should be light-coloured screens. While only one bad pixel may be quite noticable, the pixel policy of a given manufacturer may allow as many as 20 bad pixels per square inch, so look out - a manufacturer with such a policy will not repair or replace an LCD screen within the "acceptable" limits. The drop in price of LCD screens from 1999 to 2001 occured mostly from the manufacturers retrieving these bad screens from the reject pile and selling them full bore along with their good product.
A typical CRT monitor has a three-year warranty, while LCDs may have less. It pays to find out where you may have to return your monitor for service, and what you might expect to pay for repairs. As a general recommendation, buy a good new monitor, or buy a good used one.
The computer itself, sometimes (mistakenly) referred to as the CPU, or the box, or some other such name, is the true body and brain of your computer system. It is made up of the following components, more or less in the order of their assembly into a complete computer :
The computer case... Dimensional concerns and convenience of access can be addressed in your choice of case type. What goes on inside your computer really isn't limited by case type, but what goes on outside your computer really is (i.e. access to floppies, tapes, CDs, DVDs, ZIP disks, cable ports, etc.). A "tower" is the kind of case that sits upright. A "desktop" usually refers to the kind of case that sits flat - under the monitor or on some other area of the computer desk. Towers can be "mini" - with typically two 5 1/4" device spaces (for CDROMs, tape drives, etc.), "midi" - with three device spaces, or full - with four or more device spaces. Towers of any of these types may have one or two 3 1/2" device spaces (floppy drives, ZIP drives). The larger the tower, the more likely it is to have multiple cooling fans. Towers can be placed on the desktop or on the floor below a desk (where it will be harder to get at, should the need arise). Desktop cases are usually far more limited in what they offer in internal space, but they can also be conveniently small overall - occupying no additional desk space when placed under your monitor.
Cases are typically made of stamped steel, with plastic front plates. The sides are removable, for access to the interior. All the ports will be at the rear. Removable front slot covers permit the installation of the outwardly-accessible devices. High-end cases made of polished aluminum offer better cooling through the metal - since heat is the known enemy of the internal electronic components, in both their longevity and their soundness of performance.
The power supply is considered to be part of the case, and often accounts for most of its value. Bad or low-quality power supplies can account for all kinds of performance troubles in a PC - from the accuracy of processor calculations to the precise mechanical movements of hard drives and other devices.
The motherboard... is a circuit board - the main circuitboard - through which all that takes place in a computer passes. Plug-like "sockets" accomodate all the different device contacts and cable ends. The quality of the motherboard components (transistors, integrated circuits, crystals, etc.) have a lot to do with the overall performance of a PC. In particular, there is a "chip set" through which the operation of all computer parts are managed. Intel is a leading maker of such a chip set, but there are others producing their own high-quality chip sets. A second important feature on a motherboard is the BIOS (basic input/output system). The BIOS resides on a programmable chip (an externally programmable read only memory chip or EPROM) and works in harmony with the chip set.
A modern, reliable motherboard with a sturdy chip set and BIOS is desirable when buying a computer. Its reliablility will handle your performance concerns, while its modernity will handle your compatibility and longevity concerns.
Some motherboards come with additional devices integrated in their circuitry. Commonly, video circuitry, audio circuitry, networking circuitry and modems can be included on the motherboard. One advantage of integrated circuitry is compatability - integrated devices seldom conflict. They have been designed to work together, and they have been tested at work together. Other advantages can be physical size and price. Integrated motherboards can be made smaller than component arrangements and can often be cheaper than components bought separately. The primary disadvantage is service - failure of a single component may mean replacement of all. A secondary disadvantage is flexibility - you can't always get the type or quality of each component that you might want in the variations offered in a given motherboard.
The CPU (or central processing unit)... The CPU is the brain of the computer. It is mounted on a special ZIF (zero insertion force) socket on the motherboard reserved for it alone. Its job is to handle the activity between components of the PC as fast as it can, so the work can proceed. Its value to you stems from its accuracy and its speed - you'll pay for both.
For those wondering why we buy Pentium IV's today, here is the abbreviated sequence of events that led up to this name for a processor... A well-known processor in the late 70's was Intel's 8086. IBM used these in their XT's. In its next incarnation, this chip became known as an 80286, and was used in IBM AT's. The "286" was followed by the (80)386. The 386 was followed by the 486. The 486 was followed by the 586, which took on the market-friendly name of Pentium. Pentium II's followed Pentiums, "P-III"s followed P-II's, and P-IV's followed P-III's. Each level of these processors had increasing frequencies that they could run at - speeds at which they could think - and other performance enhancing features, so you may have heard of a 486 DX2/66, or a Pentium 233 MMX, or a P-III 866 Mz processor. As CPUs have evolved, they have also become "wider" - in the sense that they can process more bytes of data simultaneously than earlier chips. At the time of this writing, a P-IV 2.4 GHz processor is an economical choice for a processor.
In a subjective comparison, Intel's full P-IV would perhaps be the best choice for the average consumer, closely followed by and AMD chip of equal processing power (AMD being a successful competitor with chips that are as good as Intel while being slightly less expensive), followed by an Intel Celeron chip (which has "narrower" processing power), followed by other chip makers like Cyrix.
Heat is the enemy, so CPU's have their own cooling fans. With no CPU cooling, a modern computer will stop working almost immediately to protect itself. Keep in mind that the CPU is the single most expensive component of a computer, representing perhaps 20% of its overall value.
RAM memory... Random access memory chips are an important part of any computer. Information that the CPU uses is collected (input) from data drives and device ports and is stored here, while it is being manipulated and converted, until it is ready to be sent out (as output) to the same, or other, devices or ports. RAM memory is like the scratch pad of a computer. When the computer is on, informaton can be stored here. When the computer is turned off, this information is lost. As components go, RAM memory is quite fast - so the more RAM you have, the faster your computer can go (within limits). The faster the RAM type is, the faster your computer can go (within limits).
RAM has evolved, too. Years ago we would buy SIMMs (single inline memory modules). These were followed by DIMMs (dual inline memory modules). Recently, for P-IV computers, we were expected to buy RIMMs (Rambus modules) to go with the new motherboard designs. RIMMs process a wider stream of information, hence are more desirable for their speed. But, as a reaction to the fact that DIMMs cost less than RIMMs when compared in size alone, and the fact that DIMMs wouldn't fit on the new motherboards, motherboard manufacturers decided to accomodate those computer users who were trying to upgraded to the P-IV CPU while not wasting their investment in the DIMMs they already had. A consumer-friendly DIMM in a modern computer may be the more economical choice, since the DIMM is typically not the component setting the limit on how fast a given computer can go.
EDO SIMMs (Extended Data Out) from several years ago were considered prime in their time. SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory) of a year or two ago, running at 100 MHz or 133 MHz, and can still be purchased today. DDR RAM (Double Data Rate RAM) runs at 333 MHZ, or more than twice the speed of SDRAM. A premium can be paid for DDR RAM that runs at 400 MHz, if desired.
The video card... The quality of what you see on the screen is dependant on both the quality of the monitor and the video card in the computer. The video card produces the image, while the monitor displays it as best it can. How many colours you can see on screen, how refined the image is, how detailed the image can be, and how quickly the image can change are all functions of the video card's quality.
To accomplish its task, the video card has a processor and memory chips on it. The better the processor, the faster it can process instructions from the CPU, the better the result. The more memory, and the faster the memory can be run, the better the result. A good video setting to run on a computer these days is 1024 x 768 with 32-bit colour. This means : 1024 pixels (picture elements) horizontally on screen, by 768 pixels vertically on screen, with great colour variety and depth. With these dimensional settings and a 17" monitor, you will see most of the information on a given web page without scrolling (at least across anyway), you will see most of an 8.5" by 11" page when word processing, and you will see on all screens less clutter and more room. With "millions" of colours, you will see natural-looking images and smooth, even gradations of colour in graphical objects. (If you have poor or aging eyesight, consider a larger monitor rather than falling back on an 800 x 600 resolution that will make objects appear larger.)
Most modern, even average, video cards can handle these settings easily. The difference then, comes down to how fast the called-for image can be put on the screen. For the average user, most video cards will handle this comfortably also. Intense, graphical, three-dimensional games may require more processing speed, as will the delivery of motion video to the screen. Outside of these two instances, there is no need to buy an expensive video card.
If you have need of inputting a video signal from outside the computer, or if you have need of outputting the video signal to any device other than your computer's monitor, you will need to look into a more elaborate video card design. Video cards do come with cable TV and other input ports, as well as cable TV and other output ports. Adequate software for manipulation of video signals typically comes with these cards. While the video card manufacturer may tout their product as being all you'll need to edit home videos, etc., beware - videos take up immense storage space and cannot be processed on your typical home PC in the way you are probably imagining. The problem lies in the CPU and hard drive speeds - the computer simply cannot keep up with the generation and storage of frames as they come and go, at rates and resolutions that make them pleasingly viewable.
Video DVDs can be played on a computer system, either with the inclusion of a DVD decoder (hardware solution), or decoding software. A decent video card to start with may help somewhat here.
If the video component is integrated on the motherboard, chances are that the video circuitry is borrowing from the RAM memory of the system. For example, if 8 MB of RAM has been given over to the display function, a 64 MB RAM system would actually be running as a 56 MB system.
The operating system... Correctly assembled to this point, with keyboard plugged in, a computer can effectively be turned on. The BIOS will be activated, and the computer will look itself over. It will happily proceed until it realizes that you have no operating system on any readable device, then it stop there asking you to insert something with an operating system on it. The operating system you will be looking at when buying a PC today will likely be Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows XP. Limit this choice to Windows 98 (Second Edition) or the newer Windows XP. Figure that Windows 98 (first appearing in the marketplace in 1998) may be a bit old for your liking, but it does run well enough and it is capable enough to handle what you'll want to do with your computer today. XP is Microsoft's latest offering, and, in my opinion, may do more than you'll need, in ways you won't like, while taking you into Microsoft's future of controlling "their" software via the Internet. We shall see...
A minimal operating system can come on one floppy disk. You could run DOS (disk operating system) from a "floppy disk" and, in fact, you may need to some day. Windows, though, has much more to it. The installation program alone for it will come on a CD. You are expected to install the operating system onto a "fixed disk" or "hard drive" (both names for a storage device inside a computer) - for its size and its re-writability.
Be sure to get a legitimate copy of the operating system when buying a computer.
The floppy drive... The floppy drive (typically the "A" drive) in a computer can be used for backing up data or transferring data from one computer to another computer. This old technology is not fast, and floppy disks do not hold much, but they are quite useful for copying small amounts of data to and from a computer - letters, address books, small graphics, etc. - and there is no limit to how many floppy disks you can have around. The floppy drive (and system disk) can also be used as the "primary boot device" in systems without hard drives, or systems with hard drives in need of initialization or reconfiguring. Every computer should have a floppy drive.
The ZIP drive... A ZIP disk is a version of a floppy disk that can hold many times the amount of data that a floppy disk can. Each floppy disk can hold 1.44 megabytes (MB) of data, while ZIP disks can hold 100 or 250 MB each. They are useful for copying files off a computer that are greater in size than the 1.44 MB a floppy can hold. Having an internal ZIP drive is a good idea if you are creating sizable files of your own. They are easy to use, and the process is quick and simple (compared to putting data on a CD).
The hard drive... The hard drive you choose will depend on two things really - how much data you expect to accumulate, and how fast you will want to retrieve it. Hard drives need to be at least 200 MB in size to run Windows at all, though this would be considered to be the absolute minimum. If you wish to run just the Internet and a few programs from within Windows, at least 1000 MB (or 1 GB) will be needed. If you wish to run more programs or store larger files like MP3 music files on your hard drive, you'll be looking for something more on the order of 20 GB or more. (The smaller drives mentioned here would be the kind you would only find in a used or refurbished computer. The last time you could buy a new 200 MB hard drive would have been back in 1995, the last time you could buy a new 2 GB hard drive would have been back in 1998, so you won't be looking at anything this small or slow in a new machine.)
Drive speed is determined by how the drive is internally connected to the computer, how fast the drive spins, and how much buffering (storing data in memory) the drive can do when passing data to the CPU. IDE drives are somewhat slower than SCSI drives, but are less expensive, easier to install, and don't require additional hardware. Stick to IDE unless you need SCSI for other devices you want to get. 5,400 RPM and 7,200 RPM IDE drives are common. 10,000 RPM and more are the future. Buffering is a harder factor to weigh in, so stick to the simple choice for now : 7,200 RPM, 80 GB capacity.
Keep in mind that, the larger the hard drive capacity, the greater the data loss should the unit fail. Consider having two drives if you intend to house a lot of data on a given PC, and consider offloading as much as possible to CDs or DVDs.
The CDROM... Having a computer these days without an internal CDROM drive is next to impossible. You wil need the CDROM to read from the CDs of programs and data you will want to use. You can also play music CDs in it while you are using your computer normally, which is a nice feature. CDROMs started out at 1X (1 times an arbitrary speed), and quickly went to 2X, 4X, 8X, and beyond. A brand new CDROM should be 52X. In a used computer, you should hope to have 12X or more. A CDROM can only read data - you need a CDRW (read/write) to create your own CDs.
CDRWs... CDRW drives are CDROM drives with the additional feature that they can write to special CDs as well as simply read from all CDs. CDRWs have a similar history to CDROMs, in that they began at 1X, quickly rose to 8X, then recently achieved speeds of 52X. A CDRW will have a multiple rating for comparison. Since it can perform three functions - all at different speeds - each function is rated separately. A CDRW should at least be able to write CDRs at 8X or more, CDRWs at 4X or more, and read CDROMs at 32X or more. You will see this denoted as 8W/4RW/32R in literature. Slower used ones may be worthwhile, but faster ones would be preferred.
At one time CDRWs cost as much as 12 times that of a CDROM. Today, CDRWs cost less than twice that of a CDROM, and many PCs come with only a CDRW now. If you have both drive types in your computer, you should use the CDRW for writing CDs only, so as not to wear out the CDRW prematurely.
DVDs... A DVD is like an over-capacity CD, which requires a drive capable of seeing the finer data stored on it. A DVD holds roughly 7 times the amount of data that a CD can hold. DVD drives don't look any different than CDROMs and can, in fact, read CDs just as well.
Watching a movie on your computer may not appeal to some, and any other use for a DVD player may not come readily to mind, but the DVD drive is quite versatile and may ultimately replace the CDROM drive in most computers. DVD drives cost roughly twice that of a standard CDROM (see above comments).
DVD R/RWs... DVD writers are in the marketplace now, and are significantly more expensive than CDRWs. Anyone with lots of data though should keep this technology in mind - imagine a single disk containing 300 x 17 or some 5,000 average-sized songs in MP3 format. Interesting, wouldn't you say? Backing up your whole PC to just one or two DVDs has great appeal also (especially to those of us who have lost data over the years for any of many reasons).
Sound on a computer comes in two basic ways - combinations of digital and analog sound reproduction, and synthesized sound. (To read more about this, please see article on PC audio.) Audio hardware handles the generation and conversion of audio signals within a computer. Sound hardware can either be integrated on the motherboard or can come separately on its own expansion card.
Most typical 16-bit audio hardware is comparatively equal and is quite adequate for the typical computer user. Sound quality - what your ear perceives - has more to do with the quality of your speakers than with the quality of the audio hardware itself. If you feel you have an exceptional ear, you may wish to move up a notch to an expansion card with 32-, 64-, or 128-bit audio.
Basic computer-style stereo speakers will do for the average computer user. Getting a speaker set with a third component - a sub woofer for more base - is a good idea if you plan on listening to music files or if you intend to use the computer for full-throated games. There are levels of quality, so you may wish to test the speakers in an environment similar to where you intend to use the computer.
Monitors that have speakers built into their cabinets are quite neat, for those who dislike all the wires and desk clutter.
You'll need a microphone if you want to create voice recordings or if you want to chat in voice mode on the Internet. Some monitor cabinets come with microphones built-in, or you can get one that clips onto a monitor or stands on its own beside it. Many people like the headset style, with earphones - so conversations remain inobtrusive and private.
Audio software provided with your sound hardware will primarily be for playback, but you will be able to create your own sound files if you like. You will need third-party software for full-functioning sound file editing and file-type manipulation. An example of this would be the software to convert CD audio files into MP3s - for this you'll need a "ripper".
Having a computer without sound is really not an option.
A modem is required for any of these three uses : communicating with a remote computer or service, sending or receiving faxes, or connecting to the Internet in dial-up fashion. The first use mentioned here is not something people very often do with their computers these days. In fact, you may never use your computer this way ever. The second use - faxing - is common and practical, with the one exception that faxes generated at your end can only come from document files you create on the computer. If you wish to fax an existing external document, you must have it scanned and converted into a computer file. (Having a scanning device of your own or having a friendly neighbour with one can make scanning external documents practical.) The third use is extremely common, and is something that almost every computer user will at some time do.
Faxing requires a modem that can transmit data at a rate of 9,600 baud or greater. Data connections are user-friendly when they achieve rates of 28,800 baud (28.8K) and more. Modems have a limit of 56K, which only a super-clean phone line connection can make use of. A good dial-up connection will be in the 44K-52K range. In buying a modem, you are looking for a 56K with V.90 communication protocol. Depending on the expansion card slots in the computer you have or intend to buy, the modem will be either 16-bit ISA or 32-bit PCI (preferred). Modems with physical switches that control their operation are sometimes more user-friendly than those that have software switches in older computers. A modem in a new computer will almost definitely be a soft-settable, plug-and-play device.
Some modems come with an audio component to give the user the option of using their computer as a full-featured telephone answering machine. While these modems and their accompanying software work quite well, this ability has never really caught on with most computer users, hence modems with this feature are not common.
Having more than one computer introduces the possibility of connecting them together, or networking them, so data can be transferred from one to the other, and the unique resources on each can be shared (i.e. printers, scanners, etc.). Networking computers is extremely common in the world at large. Networking computers at home is becoming popular, too. There are two data transfer rates for RJ45-type wired connections : 10 megabits and 100 megabits per second, one rate being ten times greater than the other. 10Mbps was common years ago, and has since been superceded by the 100 Mbps rate, and the new standard 1,000 Mbps.
Wiring two networkable devices together can be accomplished with a single cable of the "crossover" type. Wiring three or more networkable devices together requires a "hub" or "switch" - a connection point of commonality. More expensive "wireless" networks can save the trouble of having and running wires. Their data transfer rates are now comparable, and it should be kept in mind that many networks are simply a PC and the Internet, with the Internet only running at a measly 3 Mbps at this time.
Many computer users without one are interested in getting a high-speed Internet connection. These connections, whether DSL or cable, are like network connections - the computer needs a network card installed in it to make the connection either way. A 100 Mbps or a 1,000 Mbps network card is recommended, but not necessitated.
USB, or universal serial bus, refers to a connection type whereby external devices can be connected to a bus in a computer - an inline, multi-noded connection - rather than to a single unsplittable port.
The original USB standard was known as 1.1. Most USB devices are compatible with USB 1.1. The subsequent USB "high speed" standard is known as 2.0. USB 1.1 performs at a maximum data transfer rate of 12 Mbps, while the maximum data transfer rate of USB 2.0 is 480 Mbps. This becomes relevant for external devices that need high transfer rates to perform well, like scanners and external hard drives. It is less relevant for devices like SB mice, keyboards and printers.
USB ports can be expanded upon with the addition of a USB hub. One port can become more, and on, and on. New PCs come with multiple USB ports, perhaps up to eight. USB ports can now often be found conveniently on the front of computers as well (rear usually for mice, keyboards, speakers, printers and scanners, while the front is for cameras and data drives).
An external data drive is not exactly a part of a new computer, but is often connected to one. Flash memory drives and USB drives can be used for backing up data and for transferring data. For this article, suffice it to say that USB will be the connection type, and USB 2.0 will greatly enhance data transfer rates.
To learn more about external drives, visit this page on flash drives and this page on external hard drives...
While not necessary, it is hard to imagine a computer setup without a printer. There are three main types of printers to decide between : laserjet, inkjet, and impact.
Laserjets use "toner" - a powdered ink that is fused with heat onto the printed page in a manner that makes it completely resistant to smudging and running. Inkjets use a sprayable ink that will smudge until completely dry, and will run if made wet. Impact printers use a ribbon similarly to a typewriter, with a transferrable ink that is resistant to change.
Laserjets and inkjets print with about the same high levels of resolution these days, while impact printers have very low comparative resolutions. Laserjet print is sharp - lines are straight and edges are smooth. Inkjet output can be very good, but lines and edges may show slight wavering, and ink may flow irregularly on rougher papers. Impact printers print with a head comprised of a rectangular pattern of round or square "hammers" - lines can be straight, but curves will show the dot composition when examined with the naked eye.
Laserjets are relatively quick to produce a page, while inkjet printers are considerably slower, and impact printers are impossibly so - if the printing amounts to anything more than a dozen or so lines of text. Laserjet printers must warm up first, then will pump out successive pages at consumer rates up to 16 pages per minute. Inkjet printers warm up, too, and will take more time to print each page. Impact printers start almost immediately, but their slowness means that they cannot be used practically to print anything but medium-quality text.
Laserjets are very quiet when running, with only roller and faint gear noise audible. Inkjet printers make a lot of mechanical noise when the heads are moving across the page as it prints. Impact printers make a ratchety, screaming sound when printing.
All three printer types can print in black only, or in four-colour process colour (cyan, magenta, yellow, black or "key"). Some inkjet printers today use six colours, or an alternative set of four colours, to improve the printing of flesh tones.
As a guideline... if you need colour output, you will likely wind up with an inkjet printer. If you need crisp black business-like printing, look at laserjet printers. If you need to print on multi-layered forms, you are looking for an impact printer. If you need something more than any one of the printer types can do, you may need a second (or third) printer. A PC can be made to handle up to three different parallel-type printers, and any practical number of USB printers, or some combination of printer types, if necessary.
There is a printer type that combines the features of a printer, photo copier, scanner and fax machine. These can be quite useful in a small business or home environment, when only good quality output is all that's desired. (Any machine that is doing more than one task may not be doing the best that can be done at any of the tasks.) These all-in-one's come in laserjet or inkjet types, in black ink only or in colour.
To get original images into a computer - for viewing, printing, or e-mailing - someone either has to "draw" them with computer software designed for that purpose, or "scan" them in. Consumer scanners come in two formats - hand-held or flatbed. Both work by bouncing light off an image and recording what portion of the light comes back to the sensors in the scanner. Hand-held models need to be smoothly rolled over an image to accomplish this (this can be hard to do). Similar to the front end process of a photocopier, flatbed scanners have a flat glass surface on which you can position your original for scanning by an automatic mechanism that passes along smoothly below. Hand-held models are only several inches wide, while flatbed scanners come in 8.5 x 11 and 8.5 x 14 inch sizes. Having a scanner only really makes sense if it can scan in reasonably high resolutions, in colour.
In choosing a scanner, you want to look at a couple of things. First - how will it connect to the computer, and second - what software comes with it to let me manipulate the image once I have the image scanned? Scanners today come in USB of parallel port styles. USB is a good choice. Software to enhance the images you scan will primarily depend on what brand the scanner is, and how much you spend on it. Assuming you do not already have a graphics software package, a very good software package to get with a scanner is Adobe's Photoshop (LE, if not the full version, 5.0 if not 6.0). Look to spend enough on the printer to get a software package like this.
PC- and digital cameras... A fairly recent addition to the number of things you can do on the Internet is make a video link in much the same fashion as a chat-style text or audio link. A PC camera can enable you to do this. It can also take limited digital photos and moving images for your use. A full-blown digital camera can take photos as you would with a regular film-style camera, with these pictures being downloadable to your computer for use there. For convenience and ease of use, these cameras are typically connected to the USB port of a computer.
The computer environment... Get yourself a large enough desk or table to accomodate all the computer equipment you will have. Get yourself a cabinet or shelving to hold all the supplies you will need. Set yourself up in a well-lighted room with good ventilation.
A power circuit reserved for the computer equipment alone would be ideal. If you intend to have an Internet connection, you will need a phone line for either a dial-up or high-speed DSL account. If you go with high-speed cable, you'll need a cable outlet in the room.
Have a working phone near the computer, so you can see the screen when you request help with it (a wireless phone from another room is fine).
Surge protection... Your computer can be damaged by incoming surges on any wire connected directly, or indirectly, to it. Get yourself a power bar with surge protection that also has input and output jacks for the phone line and the cable. If you have additional wiring like audio connections from a stereo unit, or video connections from a TV or VCR, get surge protectors for these devices also. If you have problems in your area with brownouts or blackout, consider getting a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) which will give you steady power at an optimum rate and a battery unit that will keep your computer running for a number of minutes after the power goes out so you can shut down your system properly.
Supplies... Generally speaking, stay within the parameters set out by the different manufacturers of the computer components. Use the recommended paper types, label types, blank CD types, floppy disk types, etc., but know that you can probably use generic brands of all of these supplies without causing any trouble or voiding any warranties.
Hardware drivers... Be sure to get any drivers (programs) needed to make all the hardware work correctly and in harmony with all the other components in the computer. Products may sit on shelves for long periods of time, and compatability issues may arise. While a plug-and-play operating system may purport to know how to handle a given device, you may preferentially want to have the drivers installed that come with a particular component, or you may not - take a look at which is newer. Problems do not always manifest themselves in the immediate vicinity - an apparent problem with a modem or video card, for example, may be caused by some other hardware altogether, and the reverse may also be true.
New, versus refurbished or used... New computers or components offer the advantages of full warranties, freshness and cleanliness, large capacities and and leading edge technologies. Refurbished computers or components offer the economy of a product already reduced in capital value with an assurance of a 30- or 90-day warranty from a reputable dealer. Used computers, bought from a friend or the want ads, are "buyer beware".
To pick an example... a 20X CDROM from three years ago that still reads data without errors will perform close to, just as well, or better, than a brand new 52X CDROM in most instances. A used 20X may cost you only $15, while a new 52X may cost you $59. Which is the better deal?
When it comes time to figure out just how new and how fast your computer has to be, look at the range of tasks you will demand of it, and the speed at which you'll want these tasks accomplished. Let's look at some more examples...
February, 2003 :
A seven-year-old used computer, Windows 95, 486 DX 33 processor, 16 MB RAM, 3 1/4" floppy, 2X CDROM, 200 MB hard drive, 10 Mbps network card, 28.8 modem, integrated video and sound, internal speakers, with keyboard, mouse and a 14" monitor sells in its entirety for $95. This computer can actually do quite a lot. A computer such as this could be used for simple games, wordprocessing, simple drawing and image editing, and browsing the Internet through either a dial-up or high-speed Internet connection. It will be slow, but everything will happen as it should. You could certainly use it simply for games, homework, viewing average websites, and e-mail. Is this all you need?
A four- or five-year-old used computer, Windows 98, Pentium MMX processor, with 32 MB RAM, 3 1/4" floppy, 20X CDROM, 2.1 GB hard drive, 100 Mbps network card, 56K modem, 8 MB video card, 16-bit sound card, external speakers, keyboard, mouse and 15" monitor sells for $225. This computer can do everything the previous example can do, and do it several times faster. More complex games, more demanding data processing and graphics work, and more comfortable Internet browsing and gaming. While not really ready to accept the task of burning CDs, you can certainly download a few hundred MP3s and play them.
A three-year-old used computer, Windows 98 Second Edition, Pentium II - 333 Mz processor, 64 MB RAM, 3 1/4" floppy, 52X CDROM, 10 GB hard drive, 100 Mbps network card, 56K modem, 8 MB video card, 16-bit sound card, external speakers with sub-woofer, keyboard, mouse and 17" monitor sells for $450. (Note how some components have started to top out in performance.) You could get a CD burner or a DVD player for a PC like this for a couple of hundred dollars more. This is a comfortable level for most consumers to work at - only intense graphics in either games or data processing would really slow this machine down noticably. Digital cameras and scanners are no problem here.
A two-year-old used computer, Windows Millennium Edition, PIII - 867 Mz processor, 128 MB RAM, 3 1/4" floppy, 52X CDROM, CDRW, 20 GB hard drive, 100 Mbps network card, 56K modem, 16 MB video card, 32-bit sound card, external speakers with sub-woofer, keyboard, mouse and 17" monitor might sell for $695. More computer again, above what the average consumer really needs to accomplish their computing tasks. No problem connecting any peripheral, and you could add a DVD player if you wanted to. It would take a long time to fill the hard drive, and you can off-load data onto CDs anyway. Nice machine.
Today's typical consumer model : Windows XP, integrated motherboard (with video, audio and LAN on board), Intel P4 - 2.8 GHz processor, 256 MB DDR RAM, 3 1/4" floppy, 52X CDRW with DVD playback, 80 GB 7200 RPM hard drive, 100 Mbps network card, 56K modem, external speakers with sub-woofer, decent keyboard, mouse and 17" monitor sells for perhaps $1095. Just how much computer do you really need? Buying it like this today should give you two or three years of issue-free running, a one- to three-year warranty would be in full force, and the only thing you might want to upgrade woud be the monitor size or type, as prices continue to fall.
A computer buyer may also consider buying a new, lower-powered computer, with adequate but less expensive components, at a price with considerable savings. Buying a PC with a non-Intel processor, a smaller and slower hard drive, a slower CDRW, for example, may save $200 to $300 on the model described in the paragraph above. A new PC such as this may well do everything the user desires, without noticeable performance loss, and would carry a full one-year warranty. What is not recommended though, is lowering the quality of the user-interface devices - the monitor, keyboard and mouse - for these are the components that the user will see and handle every time the PC is used.
A computer has a useful life of some six or seven years. Consumers who chase the latest technology may find themselves no better off - and poorer - than those of us who carry on with the computers we already have until finally an insurmountable issue of performance or capacity crops up.
Paying for the computer... In paying for a computer, look at your options. For home use, a cheque or cash outright is common. Credit cards make sense if you pay them off before interest is due. Leases make sense if you don't want to lay out the capital, but keep in mind that there may be a sizable amount of interest within the lease, and leasing penalties for missed payments or early buyouts are grossly excessive.
Businesses that buy computers and their components and supplies outright will like the fact that computers depreciate in value quickly so capital costs can be recovered quickly. In Canada, the computer itself will depreciate at 30% per year, while the software depreciates at 100%. Supplies for a computer, like ink and paper, are an outright expense. Businesses seem to like leasing, too, because any interest there is a usable expense against business profits, and a computer can quickly earn the money to pay for itself - so a business need not suffer from the capital outlay.
Hope this helps...
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