How to Buy a Computer - Part 1

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Some Sage Advice:

(Apologies to Macintosh and UNIX people - I am limiting this to IBM-PC
types at this time.)

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. 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 586
computer. Even a 486 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 propietary 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 u
pgrade it.

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 a Pentium II computer:

 - For ordinary office applications, surfing the web, and basic
   computer games, a Pentium class processor running at 120 MHz or
   above should prove adequate.

 - If the software you are running is disk intensive (does it read and
   write to the disk files a lot?), then a 120 or 133MHz 586 or
   Pentium computer will probably be satisfactory for your needs. What
   is really needed is a faster hard disk drive. I suggest getting one
   of the new SCSI III drives (Small Computer Systems Interface) that
   transfer at up to 40MB a second. You may spend from $300 to $500
   more for your SCSI III hard drive and a new controller card, but
   you will save from $750 to $1000 if you bought a low-end Pentium II
   computer with slower EIDE hard drive technology instead.

 - Folks involved in 2D graphics, cutting edge gaming, Desk Top
   Publishing, or the like should consider a Pentium or Pentium II
   class processor that runs at 200 MHz or better and has an MMX
   instruction set.

 - Professionals that need to do CAD, 3D modeling, engineering
   modeling, or other power applications should consider the fastest
   processor they can afford. The Pentium Pro is optimized for 32-bit
   applications and doesn't do well with older 16-bit applications so
   it's best used with those power applications and for network
   servers if MMX is not needed. The Pentium II is newer and I've not
   tested it enough to know it's limits but it appears to run both
   16-bit and power 32-bit applications well and has MMX for those
   that need it.

* Memory is another area of concern. Most applications will run
 acceptably on a computer with 16 Mb of RAM, but you will be happier
 with 32. If you're running more than one or two major applications or
 multitasking many applications at once then 32Mb is necessary.
 Windows 95 can't  effectively use more than 64 MB, so if you are
 running high-end 32 bit software that can, you should consider
 running it under Windows NT or OS/2 Warp using a Pentium Pro or
 Pentium II for maximum performance.

* Hard Disk Storage needs vay widely. While most office computers will
 never even fill up a 2 GB hard drive, home users often have more
 demanding needs. Many games will take away that disk space 50 MB 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
 home user, 2 GB is beginning to push the comfort limit and 4 GB would
 be a wiser choice.

 - If you need more storage than that, consider installing a SCSI III
   adapter that will allow you to chain up to 7 or 14 devices. SCSI
   III allows faster disk access and less CPU resources than EIDE 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 EIDE dives, however.

* The keyboard and the 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 Millenium
 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 stabalizing now. In 1998 you should be safe
 buying a 56Kbps modem. Most telephone lines can't go that fast and
 the Federal Government currently limits your speed on those that can
 to 53Kbps. 56Kbps technology only allows high-speed in one direction
 and uploading is at the lower speeds (28.8Kbps or 33.6Kbps.) Unless
 you need a 56Kbps modem right now just get a 33.6Kbps. There are
 other options (ISDN, xDSL, cable modems, satellite, etc.) but none is
 universal at this time so if you have a special requirement talk with
 your consultant.

* 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 16X or 20X speed drive. Even an 8X will do
 for most uses. If you're running applications off a CD-ROM then get
 the fastest that the applications can support. Some applications on
 some slower computers won't run properly if the drive is too fast.

* For general-purpose Sound get a 16-bit Sound Blaster 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., need to talk with a consultant.

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Prepared by Peter Conrad Cumminsky, consultant, ASEE, CET, Team OS/2
(707) 987-9484
Visit my Computer Taming web site at http://www.angelfire.com/biz/taming/

(C) Copyright 1993-1998 [email protected]

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