Take the guesswork out of buying that holiday PC Dec. 10, 2000   By JIM BROOKS Christmas is a time for gift giving, and there's no gift geeks like me would appreciate more from their family than a new computer. Sales of PCs haven't been as vigorous as manufacturers had hoped this fall, which is why now might be a good opportunity to find a nice deal on that computer system you've always wanted. But reading the sales circulars for computers sometimes looks more like a spilled bowl of alphabet soup than anything written in English -- KB, GB, MHz, DVD, LCD, VGA, PCI, SCSI and more. Don't let the jargon intimidate you. Selecting a PC takes a little research, but that knowledge will help you buy a system that will best meet your needs. BUYING THAT NEW PC. Everyone who now owns a computer can offer their opinion of the system they own. If you're going to buy a new computer, don't hesitate to talk to someone with a similar computer, or one made by the same company. 1. Buy as much computer as you can afford. The higher-priced computer systems have more features; faster processor speeds (which mean faster computations and fewer delays when using software). National electronics retailers frequently put computer package deals in their sales circulars, and these are usually pretty good buys. They often include a monitor, printer and some software. 2. If you can't afford the mega-buck computer option, get the fastest PC you can afford. Computer speed is measured in megahertz (and gigahertz, which is faster). A 700MHz PC is slower than a 933MHz PC. Will you see much difference between the two computers in average use? Probably not, unless you're going to run some high-powered graphics or business software. As the man told me as a kid in the high-performance auto parts place, "speed costs money -- how fast do you want to go?" The same is true with computers. 3. Intel vs. other processors, or CPUs. I'm not a believer that the Intel computer chips are the only ones worth considering when purchasing a new PC. In fact, I haven't owned an Intel-equipped PC for years, due mainly to the higher price tag. The CPU chip is the computer's brain. As is the trend in computer hardware, the faster CPUs are more expensive. In general, you can buy a computer with a faster non-Intel CPU for the same money, so it is worth your time to keep this in mind. AMD is the other major chipmaker besides Intel, and their product names include Duron, Athlon, and Thunderbird. 3. Consider what you want to do with your new computer. If you're interested in playing Half-Life or some graphics-intensive game, you'll probably want to make sure your new PC has plenty of graphics firepower. If there's some specialty -- be it music, graphics or editing movies -- you may want to tailor a new PC to best meet the hardware demands those might require. 4. Are you sure you don't want a Macintosh? Macs (and this includes iMacs) are good computers in their own right. In desktop publishing and serious professional graphics applications, Macs still rule. In rural areas, finding software for a Mac might be more of a problem, as some retail software companies still don't put both versions of their software together. The Web offers plenty of access to online software retailers, so that's not a huge problem. My advice is to check one before deciding. If the word "Macintosh" conjures up images of a small beige box with the letters "SE" or "Classic" on it, then you should get reacquainted with the Apple product line. 5. All computers need memory, and it is referred to in computer jargon as RAM. Most desktop PCs sell with 64 megabytes of RAM as standard. I wouldn't buy a computer with less, and personally, I would at least double it if possible. Computers need this memory to run software programs, and you can't have too much RAM (though many computers do have limits to how much you can add). On nearly all PCs, you can always add RAM later, but I would prefer to buy a PC I won't need to upgrade for a while. If you're looking for a way to save money on that new PC, the one area I wouldn't cut is the amount of RAM. 6. Buy the largest (or second-largest) monitor you can afford. A computer monitor is your view into cyberspace, and there's no better way to see it than with a big 21-inch monitor. Unfortunately, I don't have one for my home computer because of the expense -- bigger is better, but also much more expensive, too. Package deal-computers often come with 15-inch monitors (but make sure you read the fine print that reveals the viewing area of the monitor), and these are adequate. But 17-inch and 19-inch monitors are very affordable now. The larger screen size makes a big difference in both reducing eyestrain and in just plain enjoying your computer and its software. 7. Other incidentals deserving mention here include: • CD-ROMS. Every PC now is equipped with a CD-ROM drive, with speed ratings of "40X" or higher. This number relates to the drive's speed, and again, faster is usually better. Many new PCs are being equipped with CD-R and CD-RW drives. Both allow users to "burn," or create their own CD-ROMS. Take some of the guesswork out of buying that Christmas computer CD-R drives write just once to a CD-ROM. CD-RW drives are "rewriteable" -- they can write multiple times to the special CDs designed for these drives, much like you would save files to a floppy disk. DVD-ROMs are also gaining in popularity, but aren't writeable. Right now, you can watch movies on the DVD drive, and some games are starting to be available for them. For my money, the CD-RW drive is the best bet (unless you plan to play movies from your PC). • HARD DRIVES. Hard drive space is measured in gigabytes, and abbreviated as GB. Again, the larger the better. I suggest 15GB is a good minimum, with 20GB or more being my personal choice. • ZIP IT. Iomega Zip drives are handy to have if you plan to share files with other users. They are handy for archiving files, too, and the latest Zip drive disks can store 250 megabytes of information. • VIDEO. Video cards determine the quality of the information displayed on the monitor. Video cards have memory, just like the computer, and more is always better. I would recommend a video card with at least 8MB of memory. This isn't a hard and fast rule, as I'm running 2MB on my home system now (and this is Christmas we're talking about, right? Nothing wrong with wishing.). • KEYBOARD. All PCs come with a mouse and keyboard, and I suggest buyers consider the funky-looking ergonomic split computer keyboard. I complained to high heaven when my employers told me to use a PC with one of these keyboards, and for a day and a half, I might as well have been typing with my feet. Once I adjusted to the keyboard, I became a true believer in them and bought one for my home PC. My only regret is not finding one yet to use on my Mac at work. If you plan on typing a lot, try one. It sure takes out much of the fatigue of spending hours at the keyboard, and even has improved my keyboarding (my high school typing teacher would be proud). • All PCs these days should be equipped with 56k modems and sound cards. These items are pretty standard; if you have some special needs for networking or audio applications, do your homework before buying. For most shoppers, the standard-issue hardware is sufficient. There are numerous other factors that you'll probably want to consider when shopping for a new computer, and if you're like me, the final price is one of the biggest obstacles. As with any holiday purchase, I would recommend any buyer avoid a spur-of-the-moment decision. Ask a friend or family member knowledgeable about computers if there are questions that need answering before you're comfortable making a purchase. While I seldom shop the big electronics stores, they usually have a very good return policy. In the unlikely event Santa Claus makes a mistake, there's always the post-holiday return line. Comments and questions about this column may be sent to jbrooks@myoldkentuckyhome.com, or visit www.myoldkentuckyhome.com on the World Wide Web. | HOME |