OK, MS has asked for a review on general advice on computers. I’m no computer nerd and I fully realize that there are more qualified people here and several will find this review too basic. To those ubermavens(Uber- German:’super’ Maven-Hebrew: Expert), I request you to skip this. This is for basic level folk!
Right, you want to buy a desktop computer( I’ll write a laptop review some other time), or upgrade your existing system: Broadly, computers can be divided into:
Computers that run Windows Operating Systems(OS), and are commonly termed’PCs’
Computers that run the Macintosh system(Apple computing):or’Macs’ Not to be confused with the patty kind placed between buns and served in placed with golden arches:-).
In India, almost everyone uses PCs, though Macs are starting to make a presence and are advertising their Stability, User-friendliness and other attributes. They are usually a lot more expensive. and a lot more software is written for PCs. despite that they have a devoted following and I have often been tempted by the’dark side’ but never seemed to have the bucks for a Powerbook, though they have now come out with a stripped down version that has only the CPU and you have to provide your own monitor, keyboard, mouse etc. Might be a choice if you are upgrading.
In Windows, XP home is best value for money. can’t find any difference from XP pro. Cost 3.5 K, if you actually buy it!
Most of us wind up assembling our computers. You can do it yourself, if you know what looks like what. Open any PC and you should be able to. All you need is a screwdriver and a bit of common sense.
Why assemble?
Cost: used to be much cheaper than branded, but now is close. So if you like your clothes branded and your TV branded, then, by all means, go for a branded PC
Customization: You can really customize your branded PC. But these days a lot of PC manufacturers are letting you do the same for their branded ones
So, maybe both are equivalent.
Components:
Processor(CPU):
Choices:
Intel Pentium, Celeron, Itanium etc
AMD: 64 bit Athlon, 32 bit Athlon
Others; Motorola etc
For practical purposes, you are limited to Intel or AMD. The Processor is the heart of your PC and which one you buy depends on your need. If you want to play 3 D games with lots of FX, you need a faster one. AMD processors are said to have better graphics capabilities, so maybe an AMD is your processor if you want to game.
64 bit is a quantum leap in processor capability- a geometric progression, but the software available for it to really rock is still limited(why else isn’t intel pushing their 64 bit chip!).
My advice is: Buy the fastest you can afford. Several people will say, ’Why buy that 2.4 Ghz processor, when all you want to do is use Word, PowerPoint and write reviews on MS?’ True. But extra horsepower is always useful sometimes(as in a car), and it is good to have it on standby. Some software might be more demanding
Celeron architecture is different, The clock speed of the processor may be high, but the efficiency of the processor may be less. In general, Celerons are fine, but may squeak in high end tasks(Video, Gaming etc). Nowadays, Intel is trying to de emphasize the CPU clock speed, and are just assigning numbers to the processors. If you can wait, Intels 64 bit processor is due by the year end according to some websites. A 64 bit will not offer you any advantage running programs designed for 32 bit, but you are actually preparing for the future(which is very difficult for computers)
RAM:
This is VERY important. The standard bundle used to be 128 RAM and is going upto 256 nowadays. The RAM(Random Access Memory) is a prime determinant of the speed of your PC, sometimes more so than the CPU. Again, most people say “128 is enough for almost anything” I strongly disagree. I followed this advice and finally had to see the difference when I added 256 more to my system.
The more RAM, the better. 256 will cost you @ 2000 rupees and is well worth it.
Most PCs have 2 or more RAM slots on the motherboard and if you put in 2 256 chips, that should be fine(for a while!).
Brand: Hyundai’s Hynix is supposed to be good
Motherboard:
This is where all these things come together… Intel original motherboards are being pushed a lot, but generic brands like Mercury, Vesta etc are cheaper, and from several reports are quite good.
The 845 series used to be standard, but now the 915 series is in vogue, apparently offering other chips that enhance graphics and gaming. Again, if you have the money spend it.
BIOS:
Basic Input Output system: Usually is from Phoenix, is the basic startup system of your PC, with come with the MB
Hard Disk
This is where all your data is stored permanently. 40 Gb used to be standard, now it is 80. Did you know that Bill gates is supposed to have said once, that’500MB of HD space should be enough for anyone’? How times change!
Will cost you around 4K.
Seagate is the one usually recommended. Look for disks that whirl at 7200rpm, as they are inherently faster. And don’t forget to defragment your HDs once a month a least(more on that later). Please always remember to partition the HD into at least 3 . And never store you data(My docs etc) on the same partition you have the OS.
I suggest: 7 G for the OS( you should ideally have 2-3 Gs to spare)
15G for Program files(don’t store them to the default C drive. If your OS crashes, and Windows is guaranteed to do that at least once a year), you shouldn’t have to load all your programs again, So store them in D
The rest for whatever. Keep C exclusively for the OS
I also recommend using a backup program like Norton GHOST(General Hardware OS Transfer. I think!), to quickly back up your PC, if it crashes. Keep the ghosts in D or E. Or on DVD They will be pretty huge, but they can be worth it
USB Ports:
I recommend at least 4. Try to get then place at least 2 in front, unless you like messing around in the dust behind… You need them for everything. Printer, Scanner, Camera, PDA etc. ort buy a USB hub(only 150 bucks)
CD RW, CD R, DVD etc:
You can get a CD writer for less than 1000 nowadays., I spent 4500 on a Sony 24x.It still is great.The Numbers?:The first is the write speed, the next is the erase-write speed and the last is the read speed. 52x-32x-52x is std. A DVD writer is even better at 4 K, but maybe it will come down further soon, so wait(it was 8K 6 months ago)
Cabinet:
Need a large enough one for the fans for the CPU. Get one with USB slots in front and a card reader if possible.
Monitor:
CRT(Cathode Ray tube) or LCD(Liquid crystal display). LCDs look great, take less space and are said to have less radiation, but cost much more. But you can get a 15 in LCD for around 9. I prefer the color and brightness(AND cost) of CRT. Go for 17 inch, it costs only 1 k more and is worth it. Samsung 753 series is really good. So is LG, Sony etc. I also like the Compaq monitors.
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