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The Eyes of Your Computer (Infotech, p. 27)

Buying a Computer

When buying a new computer, it's easy to become confused by the sheer volume of technical decisions that you'll have to make. First, you should take a moment to think about the sort of applications you'll want to run on your new PC, as these will help to decide which features your system will need.

If you only intend to run basic tasks - browsing the web, sending emails, running office-type software like Microsoft Word - then the good news is that most computers, even at the budget end of the market, will be able to cope with your requirements.

An entertainment PC can handle those basic jobs, too, but might also be used to watch TV and movies, listen to music, play some games, perhaps share music and video files across a home network. Systems like this need a little more in the way of hardware power, like a larger hard drive to store all your music and movies, as well as a big screen, a good sound card and speakers, but they still don't have to be too expensive. Many entertainment PCs are all-in-one PCs these days.

If you want to play the latest games with the best possible performance, then you'll need a gaming PC. This can be much more expensive, as not only will you need a quality screen, a good sound card and speakers, but you'll also require a powerful graphics card, fast hard drive and a decent processor.

And if you're not a gamer, but need to run some heavy-duty software - editing HD videos – then you'll need a high-end performance PC. This should include a powerful CPU, plenty of memory, and a large, fast hard drive, so expect a sizeable bill. But you may not need the large screen or powerful graphics card of the entertainment or gaming systems, which will help to keep prices down a little.

With the basic applications of your new computer resolved, it's time to think about the type of system that might be appropriate: a netbook, tablet, laptop or desktop?

Netbooks are compact notebooks with small screen (typically 10 to 12 inches), and components that are more about saving battery life than delivering raw power. So expect a slow CPU, only a little RAM (1 to 2GB, usually), no DVD drive, not too much hard drive space, and so on. This is all that you need for basic web browsing, emailing and similar tasks, though. Their small size makes netbooks extremely portable (most are only around 1-1.5kg), battery life is usually very good at 4 to 10 hours.

Laptops can seem bulky by comparison to their tiny netbook cousins: they might be more than twice the weight, with larger screen, and more powerful CPUs, which means battery life may struggle to reach 3 hours in some cases. Of course they can also handle much more powerful applications, though. If you'll be spending hours typing on the system then you'll appreciate the larger keyboard. The built-in DVD drive makes it easier to install software and create backups, and high-end laptops can even deliver very acceptable gaming performance.

If you don't need a computer you can carry around, though, a desktop will be your best option. These are larger, but deliver more power for your money, and are generally much easier to upgrade or reconfigure. So if you decide you need better gaming performance, say, you can just buy another graphics card at a later date, something that won't be possible at all with most netbooks or laptops. But if you've already got a list of preferred PC manufacturers then it might be more interesting to think about the hardware that your new computer should include - and there's plenty to consider.



In the past, one of the first questions to ask about your new PC has been how much memory you'll need. These days, though, even many budget PCs come with 4 or 6GB of RAM. If you're short of cash and only want to run very basic programs, perhaps to browse the web or send emails, then you might just about get away with 2GB. Maybe. But opting for 4GB will help to improve your system's performance, so avoid skimping on memory if you possibly can.

If you're buying a more high-end system, though, you might also want to consider the type of memory it should include to deliver the best results. It's a similar situation with hard drives. If you're buying a budget PC then you should look for the highest capacity you can afford; at least 750GB is recommended, although even many budget PCs now include 1TB drives.

If you've more cash to spend, though, it's worth paying more attention to the technical details. And if you've a big budget, then solid-state drives (SSDs) deliver the best performance around, though their capacities are low.

Then of course there's the issue of your computer's processor. The good news here is that even the cheapest PCs now include CPUs with two cores, essentially separate processors that allow you to run multiple tasks at the same time.

Understanding the features you need (and the ones you really don't) will both save you money and help you choose the best PC that will serve you well for years to come. Your systems' extended life means you won't have to go computer shopping again for a long time.

The Eyes of Your Computer (Infotech, p. 27)


Date: 2016-01-03; view: 642


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