Advice on buying a New Computer

There are three things which add considerably to the cost of a new PC.
1. Getting the fastest Processor
2. Getting an Operating System from Microsoft
3. Getting an Office Suite from Microsoft.

Avoiding 1 is easy. Modern computers have more than adequate processing power for all but the most demanding video editing applications and cutting edge game playing.

Avoiding 2 is difficult. Non Microsoft operating system (e.g. Linux) don't have the range of applications, or the ease of use, that Windows has. It is possible to re-use existing operating system and Windows 98 still has some life in it, although you won't get any help from Microsoft if you are still using it. Most users prefer Windows XP. This comes in three versions Home, Pro and Media Centre. Generally I recommend Pro for corporate environments which require extra security and networking support. It is useful for computers that are not always connected to a workplace network (laptops). Media Centre is built around XP Pro, so you get more for less. Most new computers will have Windows Vista installed, unfortunately many users find it difficult to adapt to. Its claim is that it is more secure than all previous versions, but by the time it has asked you for the umpteenth time if you want to do what you want to do, you ignore it and install the trojan anyway.

Avoiding 3 is easy. Either re-use your existing Office Suite or try one of the many alternatives from Sun, Ability or try OpenOffice.

If you are upgrading from an existing computer then I can usually clone all your applications and data onto the new computer and you needn't buy any new software. (Note that some programs are licensed for use on one computer so should be uninstalled from your old machine afterwards).
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General Hardware Advice

Case.
These are either tower or desktop. Unless asked differently I supply a mid sized tower that is designed for ease of assembly and maintenance, rather than for aesthetic appeal and compactness. Cases come with a power supply. You can pay extra for a silent model if you live in the same room as the computer or if you are doing audio work on it.

Processor.
There are two main manufacturers, AMD and Intel. I believe AMD offer better value for money and have been easier to upgrade. Speed is measured in megahertz which are millions of of cycles per second and gigahertz which are thousands of megahertz. Currently CPUs are available from around 3 gigahertz, but you will get mre performance if you have 2 to 4 cores in the processor.

Motherboard.
This is the main board to which everything else is connected. Reliability is the major consideration. All new boards have sound, USB2 and printer ports built in as well as ethernet (network) and some have video. I prefer to keep to the simpler boards, but unless you are looking to high performance video (either editing or game playing) you should consider integrated boards.

Memory
Type and speed are determined by the Motherboard. You should have 512MB to get reasonable performance from XP. Vista eats memory and will run better with 2GB

Hard Drives
All drives are bigger than most users will ever need. Go for speed, silence, reliability and good support. Currently I am using 80Gb drives with 8MB of cache to speed application loading.

Optical Drives.
All stand alone machines need an optical drive. Once CDROMs were all that was available, then CD writers and rewriters. These were superseded by DVD drives and currently DVD-RAM is advised. HD-DVD has come and gone, but Blu-Ray is still at a premium should you want to watch high defintion DVDs.

Floppy Drives
Rarely used nowadays but still included unless you say so.

Audio
I can't find any main boards that don't have a sound card built in. This can be disabled or an additional card can be installed for serious audiophiles.

Graphics
Office work is undemanding on graphics performance, multimedia and game playing wants more serious hardware. Graphics cards cost from £20 to £300 depending on what you want. Expect something that can handle 3D at a reasonable rate.

Connectivity
Once everyone had a modem to connect to the internet. Nowadays it can make your computer a fax machine and an answerphone.
Broadband is usually connected by a USB port, but better solutions are offered through a network card. Modems are cheap and network card are even cheaper.
Mobile connectivity via a 3G modem is now a sensible option, and if you haven't a phone line or if you are on the move then look at this for an option.

Keyboards
I prefer simple layout rather than those with buttons for everything. Tactile feedback and reliability determines what is a good keyboard. Wireless models are available and a choice of beige or black.

Mice
Once upon a time the mouse had two buttons and a roller that got clogged with fluff. Today they should have a scroll wheel and an optical sensor.

Last updated 9/10/08
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Simon Clarke
Computerate
13 Buckler Court
Eden Grove
London
N7 8EF

Phone: 020 7609 4223
Mobile/SMS: 07970238490

simon@computerate.co.uk
www.computerate.co.uk