What?? Advice on shopping for a PC from a computer store? Isn't that like asking your Postmaster about using UPS or FedEx to ship packages?
We hope our advice here is as straightforward and honest as we always intend to be with our customers. You can be the judge!
First of all, this information applies to Windows ("IBM compatible") machines. Macs are excellent computers, especially for graphics intensive applications. However, we do not handle them we will not comment further at this time.
All of the major PC vendors have a range of offerings from which you can select a system that appeals to you and has the features you need. Unless you choose a bargain basement deal or are talked into buying a lot more than you need, you should be reasonably happy with any selection you make. The information here is background - to help you understand the choices you make.
One gauge for the speed of a computer is its clock speed, measured in cycles per second, also called Hertz. Some of the early personal computers had a clock speed of 4.7 million cycles per second or 4.7 Megahertz, abbreviated 4.7 MHz. Today's newest computers have clock speeds that are well over 1000 Megahertz, called Gigahertz.
The hard drive of a computer is its permanent storage - the place where your programs and data are stored at all times - especially when the computer is turned off. It would probably be better to call it semi-permanent storage because you can remove data and programs by deleting files or uninstalling programs.
The larger the hard drive, the more it can store (obviously). Its capacity is measured in bytes. A byte can hold one character: the letter "a" for example. To give you a feeling for this, a single spaced, typed page contains about 3000 characters requiring 3 Kilobytes of storage.
Today's hard drives have a capacity measured in Gigabytes. How much you need depends on what you will be storing. Word processing, most games and financial management programs don't take much - even a 1 GB (Gigabyte) hard drive would probably be plenty. Storing pictures, faxes and Internet use requires more - 20 or 40 GB would be good for these applications.
In addition to the capacity, the speed of the hard drive affects the performance of your computer - especially when large files (like pictures) must be stored or retrieved. Standard speeds are 5400 RPM and 7200 RPM.
Random Access Memory (RAM) is the place in your computer where data and programs are stored temporarily - while they are being used. In fact, programs can run only when they are in RAM and data can be processed only when it is in RAM. The original IBM PC could manage a maximum of 640 Kilobytes (KB) of RAM but usually had much less. Requirements for RAM today depend on the operating system (Windows 95 required 8 MB of RAM and Windows 98 required 24 MB and both would run better with more) and the kinds of programs you will be running. Graphics manipulating programs, like those for photographs, and games do better with 64MB or 128MB or even more RAM.
Something else that works better with more RAM is multi-tasking - having more than one program open and in use on your computer at the same time - like email, the Internet, word processing, etc. If you don't have enough memory for everything to be present at once, the operating system handles it for you by temporarily saving idle programs and data on the hard drive so the one you're using has access to what it needs. Then, when you activate the idle program, the operating system brings it back into RAM, possibly saving the other (now idle) program temporarily to the hard drive. All of this is transparent to you, the user (you don't have to do anything for it to work), but it takes time, slowing the speed of your system.
Peripherals are devices that are connected to or are a part of you system that perform specific functions like printing and helping you interact with the computer (monitor, keyboard, mouse). You will find discussions of these at other places on this site. The following links will take you there. If you want to come directly back here, you can use your browser's Back button.
| Digital Cameras | Modems | Monitors | Scanners | Printers |
Finally, don't forget that you computer system needs a surge suppressor that will protect everything that goes into you computer. Everything includes your computer, monitor, printer, scanner and don't forget the telephone line that feeds your modem. Power strips may look like surge suppressors but they don't do that job. A good surge suppressor will tell you how many joules it will absorb and will include insurance against damage to connected devices caused by surges. The one we recommend specifies 2820 joules and $150,000 respectively.