What to Look for in a New PC:

By John Hood

I’m looking at a new PC, what should I get?  Who makes a good one?

That’s a hard question to answer, mainly because computers are so competitively positioned in the market, that no reputable dealers make a truly “bad” PC.  There are some good places to shop and compare for a good one:

www.pcworld.com is the “Consumer reports” for PC geeks.   Check the reviews section for the unit you’re interested in, or if you’re not sure, look at the “Top 20” lists.  These are machines that have been recommended after rigorous testing and comparison.

http://reviews.cnet.com/ does the same thing. 

A computer recommendation depends largely on what you are using it for:

** If you are replacing an older unit Pc with a newer one, and have the monitor, mouse and keyboard, consider a :barebones” system.  Basically you are buying the computer box only and loading on the software yourself.  These can save you a lot of money.  Google search for “Buy Barebones PC” and see what you come up with.

Milwaukee PC www.milwpc.com also sells computer boxes alone, called “replacement packs.”   I own one of these and think highly of it.  

** If buying a second PC for a family member: Used PC’s are a good bet, however, note that these computers are often a few years in to their effective service life, and parts will wear out.  Keep such a computer backed up.  Avoid buying a used computer that hasn’t been reconditioned.

** If you are buying a PC to do school work, or work work at home, you are going to need a higher-end, faster machine.

** If you are buying a computer to do games or graphics, you will need something that is very fast, and has very capable video and sound.

**Expect to pay about $800 for the computer (includes mouse and keyboard) about $150 for a good monitor, and $100 for a printer/scanner combo.

A note on Operating Systems:

Many computers are sold with either WindowsME or WindowsXP Home Edition.  Do yourself a favor and lay out the extra cash to buy Windows XP Professional.  It WILL make a difference to you.

What about Linux?

Installing Linux instead of Windows is an interesting choice.  Linux is smaller, more stable, more flexible, and less expensive.  However it has not yet captured a general market niche and remains (so far) the realm of the computer tech’s and hobbyists.  If you have a computer  hobbyist in the house who wants to try it, by all means do.  But for general users, I’d steer clear for now.

What’s the difference between OS Software (Operating System??) & Software.  If I just buy the OS Software will that give me the same things we have here at work – i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc?

That’s an important question because the answer is a resounding “No”.  Many people think that Windows includes Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.  It does not.

The OS software (in this case MS Windows XP Pro) has the structure to make the computer do things, but not a lot of tools to actually do them: No spreadsheet, just a calculator, a word processor, but it doesn’t have spell-check, no browser, no email, all that has to be added.

 The base MS Windows install is like buying a one of those new “unfinished” homes you see on T.V.  The furnace works and the plumbing and electrical are installed and hooked up, but there aren’t any fixtures.  No shower, toilet, no sink, not even lights or electrical sockets for the fridge, washer/dryer and T.V.    The STRUCTURE is all there, but there aren’t any applications of the structure to make it livable.

 It’s the same with MS Windows. It gives structure to your computing experience, but you have to buy (or download the freeware) applications to make it “livable” to fit it out for you. 

OK, that’s the downside.  The upside is that you have the power of choice for what applications you want to have on there. 

Is broadband worth paying the extra money for?

There is nothing wrong with dial-up if it’s inexpensive and reliable.  If al you are doing is checking email, doing word processing, and maybe surfing the web once and a while.  Dial-up can be just fine.

If, however, you are working from home, or have a tight schedule, or have multiple users, going with broadband (cable or DSL) makes sense.  I have never heard anyone complain about switching to broadband.  I have never heard complaints about with cable or DSL.  Both seem pretty stable and fast.

Is wireless worth it?

Wireless is nice if you can get it.  But you will need to be willing to spend the extra time setting it up so that it is secure.  Wireless networking represents a security weakness and there are people who will exploit it.  If you want the convenience of being able to access the web from anywhere you want in the home or business, go wireless.  If you care about your privacy and the security of your information, I’d stay away.

A table of computer terms and what they mean:

What it’s called	What it stands for	What it means	What you want
CPU or MB	Central Processor Unit or Motherboard	Horsepower!  How long you have to sit there while “Please wait” displays.	Measured in “Mhz  - (megahertz)  or Ghz. (gigahertz .  note “1 ghz” is one thousand “mhz”)  “The faster, the better.”  Get the fastest processor you can afford, and then some.  You can save money on other components.  This one’s essential. “AMD” motherboards are slightly faster than Intel motherboards.
RAM	Random Access Memory	Workspace – How may applications you can have open at once	“The more the better.”   However, RAM is very easy to upgrade, so you can always add more later. It should either say “DDR” or “SDRAM.”   DDR is slightly faster
HD or HDD	The Hard Drive	Storage Capacity –the size of the disk	Measured in GigaBytes or “Gig” Hard drives are not that hard to upgrade, but moving data from one to another is a pain.  Start with the largest you can get.
CD-ROM, CDR, CDRW DVD DVDRW	CD-ROM= Compact disk read only memory. CDR=CD-wRiteable. CDRW=CD- Writable/ReWritable DVD DVDRW- DVD Writable/ReWritable	Recording stuff on CD’s or DVD’s.	These are rated in Read speed Write Speed and Rewrite speed as in, “8,8,24”= That’s “write speed”= 8x normal, “read/write speed”= 8x normal, “read speed”= 24x normal.
Video Card, Video Cache, VRAM,  MMX, or video acceleration	VRAM (Video Random Access Memory)	It makes the monitor image run smoother. Cuts down time waiting for the screen to refresh.	Measured in “mb” “Meg” or Megabytes. The more, the better.  Avoid “S3” brand video cards if you are planning on gaming on this PC.  “OpenGL” video game technology doesn’t support it.
Modem	Modulator/DeModulator	Translates phone signals into PC signals	If you are getting “RoadRunner” or other very fast internet access you won’t need a modem, it will be provided.  If you are “Dialing up” your internet account, you will need one.  Look for “56K V90.” Compatable. Ask if it’s a “WinModem” if it is, that’s not good. While serviceable, winmodems can be a pain.  You often need to tinker with the settings and they may not work as fast.  Buy “Hayes”, “USRobotics” “Motorola” or “Cardinal” if they are available.  Avoid  Lucent WinModems.
NIC	Network Interface Card	Allows you to plug your computer into an Ethernet network or broadband internet.	This should be 10/100 Ethernet.  You can ask for Wireless, but is more expensive..

Some things to do to ensure a positive computing experience:

1:If you are having the computer built, ask the builders if they would “create a second partition on the hard drive for backup and recovery.”  If they ask you how big a partition, 25% of the available hard drive space is good.  This second partition acts as a “shadow “hard drive. You can back up documents to it, and create recovery files on it, so if your computer crashes, you have something to recover from.

2:  Your new computer will need to be set up, configured, ‘tweaked’ and tested before you can use it effectively.  If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, find a “computer geek” to come and install your computer and software and set it up.  Have them show you a little about how it works, especially antivirus (see #3) and ERU (see #4).   Many computer people do this as a sideline job, or many volunteer.  Pay them or bribe them for it (cookies work well).  It is always worth the money.  An older, used computer - that has been properly configured - is a LOT better than a spanking new, blazingly fast, computer with the wrong set-up.  The thing is, you won’t know the set-up is wrong until something goes wrong with your computer.

3: Your computer will probably come with some sort of Anti-Virus program on it.  Install this program. Learn how it works.  Learn as much about your anti-virus software as you do about your email system.  You have to update the anti-virus “definitions” or protection files, at least once a month, or once a week if it’s connected to the net like roadrunner.   These updates are usually something you have to pay for.  $30 a year or so.  It is always worth the money.  Do not skimp on this.   

Not running anti-virus updates and scans, is one of the biggest mistakes a new computer user can make, and it is also the most common mistake.  Most virus software will not repair an active virus infection.  They only help you avoid getting them.  Waiting until you’re infected to install or upgrade anti-virus software, is like installing a house alarm after the burglars have ransacked your house.

Which Anti-Virus program is best?  Any of them area  lot better than none at all. The two biggest are Norton and McAffee.  There are also freeware anti-virus products that advertise as being “just as good” found at places like WWW.Download.com   It’s up to you.  But whatever you decide – do it!   If it’s not on your PC when you buy it, buy it separate and install it.  Do not avoid this.  The time and money are well worth the peace of mind.

4: Backup your stuff:  There are two things you want to back-up: the system configuration and your data files.

Backing up the system configuration regularly (once a month) can save you hours, days, even weeks, or headache and heartache, not to mention your job, marriage or friendships.

Every Windows version from Windows98 on up, comes with a program called “ERU” or “Emergency Recovery Utility.” It creates a backup copy of MSDOS.SYS, CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXECBAT, WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, USER.DAT, and SYSTEM.DAT.  These files are what your system needs to start up successfully and run the way you have it set up.  You will find the ERU program in Start Programs, Accessories, System tools.  If it’s not there, go to the Microsoft site and download it, install it and run it.  Run it again every month.  Having a current “ERU” file can really save your *ahem* neck.  Windows 2000 switched from using ERU to a system recovery disk.  Make one, and keep it updated.

Backing up your data - Look at “Microsoft Backup” It’s also under Start, Programs, Accessories, System tools.  It comes free with every Windows 95 and above.  Learn how to backup and restore your files.   Practice and become comfortable with it. Or you can skip this and simply copy the data you need to another media.   Back up weekly or at least monthly.  Be fanatical about this.  Anyone who has had a file or a computer die on them has been very glad they did regular backups.  Not backing up your data is the next most common mistake for new computer users.