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buying a new computer
Picking your PC -
Updated January 2009
There comes a point in time
when we must decide to
purchase a brand new
computer. That leaves
many various options open to
each of us. From your
operating system to the
amount of memory you need,
to the size of your screen,
I've got some answers for
you. If you have
questions on this list,
please call me at the show,
24/7 at our toll-free number
of (888)Nerd888.
Question 1 - Windows, Mac,
or Linux
Windows
-
If you
already run Windows,
learning the other stuff is
hard enough as it is...
Don't go to Mac or Linux
unless you qualify under the
caveats below
Caveats:
FIRST - Note that you should
try these other choices out
before you try them.
You may find that you are
best sticking with Windows.
Mac
- If you
are in intensive graphics in
the professional industries,
AND your company uses Mac's
for those graphics.
Additionally, if you have no
experience with a computer,
everyone you know is on a
Mac, and you can get helpful
support from friends who are
Mac savvy...
Linux -
Only if you have very little
money, and are willing to
completely sacrifice your
support options in the hopes
of saving money for a few
lattes. OR, if this is
your 5th computer, but then
again, why buy it? Use
your oldest computer as a
test bed for Linux and
experiment away...
when you've grown tired of
it, you can go back to
Windows or try a new Linux
distro.
Question 2 - Desktop
or Laptop
Desktop
-
I've
owned just shy of a dozen
laptops, and like them very
much. At the same
time, I use my desktop PC's
75% of the time or more...
A laptop is vulnerable to
all sorts of abuse that your
desktop will never see.
Additionally, it'll run at
least $200-300 more than a
comparable PC, and the
expected life expectancy of
the thing is 2/3rds of the time
of a desktop.
Caveats:
If you
KNOW you need a laptop, who
am I to argue with you.
College students will like
the flexibility to take to
class or the coffee shop,
but will also miss their
ability to play the highest
horsepower
gamer favorites like Crysis,
Oblivion, or Call of Duty 4.
Business users will usually
need something to travel
with.
Question 3 - Brand
Choosing a brand is
something that is sometimes
more of a preference than a
"must-do". From past
history, I've had good luck
with some brands, and not so
good luck with others.
So-called "white box"
vendors, the companies that
make them for you "cheaper
and better" than Dell, are
not cheaper, and not better.
Go for a company with an
established reputation for
quality. In either
laptop or desktop (in my
order of preference),
Dell,
HP (and
Compaq),
and
Sony
all
make very nice computers
that will last you a while.
Due to significant issues
with a lack of customer
service, I no longer recommend
Toshiba.
Caveats:
If you want a Mac, there is
no other brand than the
Apple. If you want
Linux, go for the same
recommendations as Windows.
The
remaining questions apply to
Windows based only...
If you chose otherwise,
you'll need specialized
advice or have distinctly
different options.
Question 4 - CPU (the main
chip)
The power
of your CPU is distinctly
subject to the whim of
your budget.
Intel Core 2 Duo is the
standard by which all others
are comparing themselves,
and is a wise choice.
Quad-Core CPU's are too much
price still (as of January
2009). If you go with the AMD Phenom or Athlon 64 chips,
you're going to do fine,
especially on a budget.
Avoid the Celeron or Sempron
based computers, unless your
budget just can't handle it.
Don't buy the latest and
greatest super-chip either.
Caveats:
Unless you're
running something highly
demanding, you don't need
the chip that was announced
last week.
Question 5 - RAM
(Memory)
Easiest
answer... Right now,
choose
2GB of
RAM,
on either XP or Vista.
If you're running some
higher end stuff on Vista,
you might choose 4GB, but
it's not a requirement.
If you're running less
memory, this is one of the
first places to improve.
Question 6 - Hard Drive
(Storage Space)
Even the
low end computers are coming
with 160GB to
250GB
hard drives. Unless
you are doing video editing,
you won't likely need more
drive space before your
computer needs replacing.
Even if you're dealing with
a lot of MP3's... you
can fit 10,000 songs into
about 40GB. If you've
got more than this much
music, you already know
you're obsessing, and can
think about a larger hard
drive.
Question 7 - CD, DVD,
high-definition (HD-DVD or Blu-Ray)
A
dual-layer DVD writer
is standard on most machines
now, and will be about all
you need. Blu-Ray is
still an expensive option,
and it's suggested that it's
not worth it quite yet.
Question 8 - Video graphics
card
On your
budget machines, you can go
with integrated or "shared"
graphics, but they chew into
your RAM. Gaming and
video will be slower, and
you'll really need a
separate card. If
you're spending over $600 on
a desktop, or $800 on a
laptop, then you need to get
a decent card. You
want
NVidia
or ATI,
nothing else. Don't
spend more than $100 on a
video card without knowing
specifically that you need it for sure
(from the specs on a
specific video game package
like "Crysis").
Question 9 - Screen size
Desktop -
What you can afford.
Consider dual monitors for
more "screen real estate" at
a cheaper price.
Two 19" widescreen
monitors will cost
you a little less than a 24"
widescreen monitors, but
give you a combined display
area of 32" wide, instead of
20".
Laptop -
The smaller the laptop, the
smaller the screen. If
you want a light laptop,
without the drives, that's
small, you'll have to have a
small screen. The
standard size is
15.4".
If you want all of the
extras, like a DVD drive,
floppy drive, and so forth,
you'll get a larger screen.
Don't bother with the larger
17" screens unless you're
looking for the power and
aren't traveling much.
If the laptop is merely to
save space on a college
student desk, perhaps the
17", but that's pushing it.
Question 10 - Cache, Front
Side Bus, Memory Speed
Don't
worry about these specs.
As your computer price goes
up, these specs will follow.
They are good for comparing
oranges-to-oranges, but
these are usually not
options, so much as
features.
If you have any
questions regarding this
guide, give us a call at
888-637-3888 and Benjamin
will schedule for you to ask
your questions when we're in
the studio!
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