Buying a Computer

by Sandy Berger

Buying a new computer can be a confusing and intimidating task for the average person. There is the matter of the CPU, the RAM, and the CD-ROM to name just a few of the many "mysteries"/components. So people often ask, "How do I know which components to look for in a new computer?" Computers have changed quite a bit over the last ten years, but the answer to that question hasn't changed at all. To determine what you need to buy, you must first determine what you want to do with your computer. 

What do you want to do today? 
Do you want to surf the Web, crunch numbers, play games, work with photographs, watch movies, or create and play music on your computer? Each of these activities requires different strengths and components in your computer. To complicate things, you may want to perform two or three of these tasks or possibly dabble in them all. 

Obviously, a discussion of the various computer components and the specialties of each could take up an entire book. As a matter of fact, several books on this subject have been written, and it may not be a bad idea to pick up a book or two and get familiar with the terminology of the computer world. In lieu of that, why not glance through Techionary of computer terms and a few of the tutorials  that I've written for this Web site? 

Once you've become a little familiar with the computer terminology, think for a while about what you want to do with your new computer. And don't forget to consider what you may want to do with it next month or next year as well. Just to give you something to think about, I'm going to list some of the main activities of today's computer users. I'll also provide you with the computer equipment necessary for each activity. 

Surfing the Internet 
Surfing the Internet requires the fastest modem you can get. If a cable Internet connection or DSL line is available in your area, you should definitely consider this type connection if your plans are to spend a lot of time on the Internet. Even infrequent Internet visitors should consider nothing less than a 56K modem, which is the fastest modem currently made for a regular telephone line. 

One of the best places to get information about various Internet connections available in your geographic area is a local Internet Service Provider. Find one by using the yellow pages, local newspaper, or recommendations from family and friends. 

If you are only interested in e-mail and Internet browsing, you may not even need a computer at all. In the next few months, several different types of Internet Appliances will be appearing in the marketplace. Stay tuned to my Web site for reviews on these appliances as they appear. 

Gaming 
Although when asked, most people do not list playing games as one of the major things that they want to do with their computers, but computer users find that they really do enjoy playing games on their computer. Just about any PC will have adequate resources to play a quick game of solitaire or a simple roulette game. Serious game playing, however, like airplane simulations, golf games, and shoot 'em up games, require some heavy-duty power in a computer. For a serious gamer, a fast video board and good monitor are essential. Creating realistic backgrounds, animation, and sound for today's games also taxes the computer's memory and computational power. Gamers should get the most powerful CPU (i.e. Pentium III) and the most memory (RAM) they can afford to go along with a necessary fast video board and good monitor. 

Number Crunching 
Will you be using your computer for spreadsheets or number crunching? Heavy computational work like this requires extra RAM and a powerful CPU. But you won't have to worry about your video card. 

Graphics 
Working with graphics is similar to gaming because drawing on the computer screen requires a good video board and monitor. Doing Auto CAD designing or PhotoShop type graphics also requires a strong CPU and extra RAM. Graphics files are hefty, so a large hard disk is also needed to store them. Most graphic developers and artists will find that they also need a backup storage device for these large files, such as a zip drive, tape backup, or writable CD-ROM. 

Movies 
Most folks when asked will say they don't want to watch movies on their computer. Yet once they have seen the quality that a DVD drive and large computer monitor bring to a movie, they may change their mind. (Most DVD drives can also play CDs, so a DVD drive can take the place of a regular CD-ROM drive.) 

If you want to create movies, connect to a video camera, and/or edit videos, consider a good CPU, extra RAM, and a Firewire port, which is a fast connection for video. 

Photographs 
If you are planning to e-mail photographs, put your photo collection online, or use a digital camera, you will want to consider purchasing a good color printer to print out your photos. You may also want to purchase a scanner to transfer photos into your computer. A writable CD-ROM will be a welcomed addition as a place to store photos. 

Music 
You and your computer can make beautiful music together. If you want the best sound quality, get the best sound card and speakers that you can afford. You won't necessarily need the best CPU or the most RAM, but don't skimp too much in these areas, as playing music will also use a lot of system resources. If you want to create your own music CDs, a writable CD-ROM is a necessity. 

For Everyone   

The Starting Point 
If you have determined what you want to do with your computer, the above information should help you decide on necessary components when selecting a new computer. But how can you specify the size or power of a component without having a starting point? Just as a base, an average computer might be described as a Pentium II with 64 MB RAM. When selecting a hard drive, a 5-10 GB hard disk along with a fast modem would be suitable to most users today. 

So use these specifications as your starting point, add the size or power necessary to the components to take care of your special interests, and join us in the PC world. You'll soon agree computing is a lot of fun.