Buying a PC (see Disclaimer
Notice)
First of all - do I get a PC or an Apple Mac?
I am a PC person
but Macs
are traditionally used by designers. I prefer PCs because
they are cheaper, there is so much more software available
(and loads of free stuff too), there are more places
that fix PCs at a reasonable price, they are easier when
it comes to changing the configuration and they use a
mouse with more than 1 button.
Do I need a fast computer?
The overall speed of a PC is determined by the speed
of the processor and the speed of the hard drive. Any
PC you buy these days will be plenty fast and big enough
for normal home use. You will get a Pentium (or equivalent)
processor running at 2.5GHz or higher. The processor
does all the work inside the PC such as running the software,
saving files, picking up e-mail and creating information
to display on the screen. You can go for a higher speed
than the lowest available but you won't notice the difference
(getting a 2.8Ghz instead of a 2.5Ghz only gives you
a 12% increase for which you could pay an extra £50).
The
smallest hard drive available (probably around 40 - 60Gb) will
also be plenty large enough without upgrading. The hard drive
stores all the software, e-mails, downloads, photos etc. so
that when you switch off it is saved ready for when you switch
back on.
What size memory?
Memory is used to store programs and data while the processor
is working on them. Once the computer is switched off
the memory dies but any saved files are still available
on the hard drive. A memory capacity of 256Mb will
be adequate for home use, 512Mb is better if it is not
too much more to upgrade (256Mb is standard now). If
you intend doing any intensive graphics work or want
to run several applications at the same time then 512Mb
would be a minimum.
What about the graphics cards?
The graphics card is the link between the computer and
the display. It generates the graphics on the monitor.
For normal use the standard graphics card supplied with
the computer is fine. If you want to play intensive games
then you will probably want to go for a better and faster
graphics card with 3D capability and more memory.
What type of display?
You generally have 2 choices - the normal CRT (cathode
ray tube) display or the
newer LCD (flat panel) display. It comes down to cost
- the LCD displays are more expensive but they produce
a clearer picture and take up less room. Displays are
categorised by the size of the viewable area. This measure
is taken diagonally across the screen. Now, there is
a problem with the measurement of a CRT display because
the figure quoted relates to the total size of the tube,
some of which may be hidden behind the case. So, generally
speaking, the viewable area of a CRT screen will in fact
be between 0.5" to 1.5" less than quoted. This
is not the case with an LCD screen which does match its
dimension. As a result a 15" LCD can be almost equivalent
to a 17" CRT
and a 17" LCD almost equivalent to a 19" CRT.
So, bear this in mind when deciding what size you want.
A 15" LCD or a 17" CRT are fairly standard now giving
a good screen area for most uses. Going up to a 17" LCD
or a 19" CRT will produce a larger screen area which is
useful for designers and those using large spreadsheets
etc.
CD and DVD Rewriters
CD rewriter are the standard fitting now days and come
with the ability to read DVDs as well. This will allow
you to create CDs of you own for backup etc. Upgrading
to a DVD rewriter allows for the creation of DVDs which
have nearly 10 ten times the capacity of CDs. The choice is
dependant on cost and what your need.
Do I need a modem?
If you want Internet access in Gorefield then you will need
a dial up modem (until around February 2005 when BT claims
we will have Broadband available!). Even after Feb 2005
you will need a modem if you are not going to use Broadband
and you may want one just in case your Broadband connection
fails at any time. The modem supplied will be the fastest
available, there has been little advance in modems lately.
Modems are also useful for sending faxes from the PC.
If you create a document you can use Windows own Fax
software to send it directly from the PC (print it to
the fax) and it arrives at the other end much more
legible than if it had been sent through a fax
machine.
Where do I buy a PC?
I can only mention one supplier here because I
have only dealt with one supplier over the last 4 years.
Dell is
the largest PC manufacturer and I have purchased around
50 PCs from them and had no problems at all. This is
not to say that other people haven't had problems with
Dell or that other PC manufacturers don't provide an
excellent service - I can only speak from experience.
When comparing prices try to get the same specification,
the same software and the same support. Some suppliers
provide lots of software which may look like a good deal,
check to see that you need it all. An important part
of any purchase is the support you are going to get either
by phone or when things stop working.
If the hardware fails then you have 2 options. A 'return
to base' warranty means you will have to send the PC
back to the supplier (some will collect) for repair and
wait for it to be returned. An 'on site' warranty means
that an engineer will call (usually the next day) to
fix the PC wherever it is. A good warranty usually costs
extra (typically about £120 for 3 years 'on site') but
gives peace of mind as the PC is not going to be out
of action for too long. For businesses it is usually
essential to have a good warranty. Telephone support
varies but you should get support if the PC is playing
up and they should help you to put things right. Most
companies do not support Windows as such but do support
any software or hardware that is purchased with the computer.
What other hardware do I need?
If you want to print anything, like letters, e-mails
or photos, then you will need a printer. You can get
good printers these days for less than £100 and for a
little more you can get a photo quality printer. For
general use almost anything will do but for business
or frequent use you will need to pay a little more for
something more suitable. You don't necessarily need to
purchase a printer from the PC supplier, you may get
a better deal elsewhere. If you have a problem printing,
though, and you bought it from your PC supplier the they
are bound to sort it out, if you bought it separately
then both suppliers could end up blaming each other for
the problem!
If you want to copy anything onto your computer then you may
want to buy a scanner. It works like a photocopier except
that it stores the copy electronically so you can insert
it into letters or attach it to an e-mail or, if you
have the software, you can convert the text from a graphic
to text that can be edited in a letter or e-mail. You
can sometimes get a scanner with the PC as a special
offer or you can buy it separately.
Games controllers and joysticks can be fitted to PCs
and there is a vast variety to choose from dependant
on what you want to do.
If you want to use a digital camera then they attach
to the PC easily these days and Windows XP will recognise
it without having to install any extra software.
Just remember - in general, the more reputable the supplier
- the better the service and the better the chance of
getting good after sales and support. Cheapest isn't
always the best. |
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