OK, LET'S BUY A COMPUTER

By Dave Wallace

RIVER BENDER - March 1998

So you've finally convinced yourself that you really need a computer. You've decided that you want a PC to surf the Web, keep up with family members on e-mail and perhaps get your finances and genealogy in some sort of order. The problem now is that you haven't the foggiest notion what to buy. What do all those buzzwords like mega-stuff and giga-bites in the PC ads mean? Let's unscramble some of the jargon.

If you simply want a PC for word processing or storing financial data and have no plans to connect it to a telephone line then read no further. Any old PC will do, even a hand-me-down, and you can probably find a used one for well under $300. But a PC for surfing the Web and running the latest sophisticated software is a different matter. You'll need something really super.

The two most important attributes you need in a PC for surfing the Web and running new software are BIG and FAST. You need BIG memory. Don't look at less than 32 mega-bytes (Mb) of RAM (random access memory - sometimes called DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM). Most new PCs now come with 32 Mb. You want the PC to be FAST as measured in mega-Hertz (MHz) so go for 166 MHz or better. If you can afford it, shoot for 200 - 300 MHz. In a few months 350 and 400 MHz will be available. The more mega-bytes and mega-Hertz, the more the PC will cost.

The latest computer chips are called "Pentium II" by Intel. Similar chips are made by Cyrix and AMD.

Practically all new computer systems are multimedia equipped and usually have everything you'll need except a printer (another $200-300 for inkjet). A general rule is that larger and faster PCs contain larger, faster, better components. Hard-disk drives are measured in Giga-bytes (GB) and CD ROMs are measured in 12X, 24X, etc. I suggest you have no less than a 2 GB hard drive and 12X CD ROM. Occasionally, a company sells the video display monitor separate. If you can swing the price, choose a 17" monitor as opposed to the usual 14" monitor. Increasing the monitor size will add about $200 to the system but well worth the investment.

Many items come with new PC systems such as a modem, mouse, keyboard, speakers, floppy disk drive and software. They're all basically the same. Just make sure the modem is 28.8 Kbs (Kilobytes per second) or faster, that Windows 95 operating system software is installed, and that some sort of combined Word Processor and Spreadsheet software is provided. I use Microsoft's Office 97. You also want a good warranty.

What's all this going to cost? Around $1000 for a basic 166 MHz, 32 MB RAM system. My suggestion is to go for 266 MHz, 64 MB RAM, 4 GB hard drive and a 17" monitor for around $2300. The longer you wait, the more you'll get for your money. But no matter what or when you buy it, plan on your PC becoming outdated a few weeks or months after you buy it. It has been this way for years. Some companies will even give you a credit if the price drops within 30-days after your purchase.

Next month, we'll talk about getting started on surfing the World Wide Web.