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- Pick your platform (Windows or Macintosh):
- Get the kind of computer which most of the people in your
circle of friends has, so you can rely on some of them for advice and
support.
- If the computer will be used by your school-aged children,
get the kind of computer they already use at school. If the school uses
Macintosh computers, get a Mac; if the school uses Windows PCs, get a PC. What
your kids do their schoolwork on, they should do their homework on.
- If you intend to use the computer primarily for graphics
applications, get a Mac. Computer aided page layout (otherwise often referred
to as "Desktop Publishing", a misnomer) was born on the Mac, along with most
common graphics applications like AdobePageMaker and Illustrator, Quark Xpress,
and Microsoft PowerPoint. The reason is simple: the Mac is better suited to it.
The Mac has the graphics routines in ROM with the extensions in the low level
kernel, not tacked on to a graphical shell on top of a text based OS as in
Windows, et al.
- If you need to use both Macintosh and PC software, get both a
Macintosh and a PC. Despite some noble efforts by a variety of companies to
produce hardware or software which allow you to run programs for one platform
on the other, none are as reliable or as fast or as convenient as just having
the two computers.
In addition, many people think that they need to run
software for the two platforms, when what they really need is the ability to
use data created on the two platforms. If this is what you need, get the
computer which will otherwise fill your requirements, and get the MINOR
utilities and converters so that the the applications you have will work with
data files from the other platform. Windows PCs don't come with a utility for
opening Macintosh disks, but
Mediafour Corp.
has MacDrive 2000 ($49.95) which does it. The Macintosh operating system
will mount PC diskettes when they are inserted, and can be configured to assign
appropriate program icons to data files on disks.
Most applications can open
data files created in equivalent programs on the other platform. If the
necessary converters are not available on the original program disk(s) they are
probably available on the program's web site. As a last resort, you can try the
converters from DataViz.
- There are three main components which will constitute your
entire interface with the computer. If one or more of these is not entirely
satisfactory, you will have unpleasant (if not unhealthy) experiences with the
computer. You would do well to consider these comments as important as all the
rest put together.
- The Monitor - Get a good one. High resolution, high refresh
rate, and large size all contribute to pleasant, productive and efficient use.
T C Solutions recommends
NEC-Mitsubishi and
Sony monitors.
Some time ago, an organization I work
with occasionally, purchased a brand new Pentium computer for an employee. It
was the first Pentium in the organization and cost them a significant amount of
money. Because the computer was so expensive, they did not have enough money
left over to buy a decent monitor, so they got a cheap one. In fact the monitor
was so bad that the user couldn't stand to look at it for more than an hour or
two per day. She left the organization because their perception of what she
should have been able to do with the computer differed from her tolerance for
it. If they had gotten a slower computer with a better monitor, more work would
have been done faster, and several people would have been a lot more
satisfied.
- The Keyboard - Aside from individual preferences for the
position of the Ctrl, Alt, and Backslash keys, different keyboards have
different feels. Some keyboards have a mushy feel while others are more snappy.
Some keyboards require more effort to press the keys than others. Some
keyboards just take up a whole lot of extra space, while others can coexist
quite nicely on a crowded desk. The good thing about keyboards is that they are
relatively inexpensive, so if you aren't happy with the one you have, you can
simply try another.
- The Mouse - The number of buttons is not important. If you
get a mouse for your PC which includes more than 2 buttons (or 1 button on a
Macintosh), you are likely to spend as much, or more time configuring the
additional buttons as you might save in using them. The most important feature
is the shape of the mouse. The wrist at rest is straight, and any prolonged
forced deflection from the at-rest position will, over time, cause Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome, a Repetitive Strain Injury. A relatively flat mouse (like the
Apple product) will allow the wrist to stay closer to its rest position, than a
more bulbous mouse (like the
Microsoft product.) Perhaps a more suitable alternative
for you, might be a trackball (like the
Logitech product) or a touchpad (like the
Cirque product), which may allow you to keep your wrist
more straight, but they will probably require some getting used to.
- Laptop computers cost between 50% and 150% more than
equivalent desktop (or tower) computers, they are less expandable, and less
upgradeable. Although records show that laptops are slightly more reliable
than desktops, this additional reliability comes at a very high price. Don't
get a laptop unless you absolutely must compute while on the move. If
you just need to compute in two different locations, you will probably be more
satisfied with 2 desktops than with 1 laptop.
- If you decide to get a laptop, the three components which
constitute your interface with the computer are even more important than on
desktops. If you don't like the keyboard on your desktop, throw it out and get
another. If you don't like the mouse on your desktop, throw it out and get
another. If you don't like the display on your desktop, budget for a
replacement. If you find that you don't like the keyboard, pointing device, or
display on your new laptop, you'll have to put up with it until you can afford
another laptop.
Try it before you buy it. Don't just get the recommendations
of others. Prepare to spend an hour or two (or more) at a computer dealer with
a broad selection of laptops, and try them all. Don't worry about the
individual prices yet, just find the components you like best, and then find a
laptop you can afford that includes them all.
There are three main types of
pointing devices in use on laptops today. The built-in trackball has fallen out
of favor because of reliability problems, and because the ball had to be too
small to use in order to fit in the case. I originally thought the little
joystick type pointer in the middle of the keyboard, popularized by
IBM's TrackPoint equipped ThinkPads, was a great idea,
but after using it for a while, the tip of my index finger started getting
sore. I now believe that the touch sensitive pad is the best the industry has
to offer. You should try it first, however.
Take a hard look at the displays
on various laptops. A few companies make all the LCD displays for every laptop
manufacturer. Your perception of one display may apply to laptops from other
companies, but they may not. In addition, it is difficult to manufacture a
perfect active matrix display, so some manufacturers, in order to save some
money, use slightly imperfect ones. Check the display before you accept the
unit, to see if you can tolerate what the manufacturer considers
"acceptable".
- Many computers designed for home use come with extras of
questionable value. Popular options are "Voice Mail" and "Home Automation"
features, but these "features" require that the computer be left on constantly
in order to provide any benefit. Even with
Energy Star
energy saving features, a computer would quickly use enough electricity to pay
for an answering machine or an
X-10
Powerhouse Home Controller.
- There are four major components which affect your perception of
how fast a computer is:
- The CPU - or Central Processing Unit -- The speed with
which instructions are processed.
- The Clock Speed* - 2.6 GHz
vs. 3.0 GHz vs. 3.4 GHz vs. ...
- The Generation**:
- Pentium D vs. Pentium 4 vs. Celeron vs. ...
- G5 vs. G4 vs. G3 vs. ...
- The Hard Disk & Controller - The speed with which
information is retrieved from, and placed in storage.
- ATA - Quick & simple, but limited. Slower than
SATA. Much slower than SCSI, especially in multitasking situations.
- SATA (Serial ATA) - Faster than ATA, and with greater
potential speed in the future, but less flexible than ATA.
- SCSI - Fast and flexible (They don't use SCSI in servers
just because it's expensive.) Generally the biggest and fastest hard disks, and
the greatest variety of peripherals (i.e.: tape drives, CD-R (CD-Recordable),
CD-RW (CD-ReWriteable) and MO (Magneto-Optical) drives, scanners, etc.). SCSI
peripherals also have the benefit of much lower CPU utilization, which means
that the CPU isn't bogged down managing devices as is the case with IDE or
EIDE. For network servers and high performance workstations, SCSI should be at
the top of your shopping list. In fact, if you plan to use SCSI devices in the
near future, get a SCSI system to start with. T C Solutions recommends
Adaptec SCSI Host Bus Adapters.
- The Display Adapter - The speed with which information is
presented to you. PCI Express is faster than AGP, which is faster than PCI,
which is faster than ISA. More video memory means you can display more colors
concurrently on larger displays, but larger displays with more colors means the
adapter has more work to do, and will generally slow things down.
- The RAM - If the computer can get everything it needs from
fast RAM, then it won't have to go to the slow (by comparison) hard disk as
often. (The Law of Diminishing Returns plays a big part here. 256 MB is a lot
better than 128 MB, 512 MB is better than 256 MB, but 1 GB is only a little
better than 512 MB. (I would like to have a link to more information about the
Law of Dimishing Returns, but haven't been able to find any. If you know of
one, please let me know about it. Send e-mail to
Tom Cavanaugh. Thanks.)
You should take all of these factors into account when
selecting components for your computer. Some manufacturers only put a fast CPU
in the box, and sell it at a lower price because all the rest of the components
are cheap and slow.
*GHz - or Gigahertz - or Billions
of Hertz - or Billions of Cycles per Second - is the measure of the speed at
which the CPU can cycle. Most current CPUs can process most instructions in one
cycle, so a CPU running at 2 GHz may process 2,000,000,000 instructions
in one second. Some more complex instructions may require more cycles, but some
later generation CPUs can actually process multiple instructions
simultaneously, so Clock Speed is not the only measure of a computer's
performance. (Heinrich
Hertz did a lot of research into waves and frequencies, and so the unit of
measure for frequency is named after him.)
**At
the same clock speed, a generation of CPU, will process instructions from 50%
to 150% faster than a CPU from an earlier generation (eg.: a 3 GHz Pentium D is
about twice as fast as a 3 GHz Pentium 4.)
- AMD is making CPUs which, by all accounts (and these accounts
are pretty reliable), are entirely software compatible with Intel's own chips.
If you are willing to bet that there will be no future compatibility problems,
I have no reason to suspect you are wrong. That, however, is the extent of my
endorsement.
- If you can't afford a top-of-the-line CPU, get a
bottom-of-the-line CPU in the same box (with the same memory bus speed). For
example, if you want the 3.4 MHz Pentium 4 but can only afford the 3.0 GHz
model, get the 2.8 GHz model instead. You can upgrade the CPU to 3.4 GHz (or
maybe even faster) later, and any extra you spent on the 3.0 GHz model chip
will be wasted when you pull it out to install the upgrade.
- Computers get twice as powerful every 18 months: today's
state-of -the-art computer will be obsolescent* in
3 years (Three years ago, state-of -the-art was a 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 with 128 MB
RAM and a 40 GB hard disk!) Don't buy any bells and whistles for which you
don't foresee a use, and save your money for the purchase of your computer's
eventual (inevitable) replacement (or upgrade).
*By
obsolescent, I mean that the purposes for which you use the computer will,
after 3 years, progress to the point that the computer will no longer fulfill
those purposes.
- Used computers were found to be unsuitable for some purpose by
their original owners. Chances are, you will quickly find them unsuitable for
your purposes as well.
- Don't buy a home computer for use in an office environment
(even if it does come from Staples or Office Depot.) You may spend a lot of
time disabling the bells and whistles (and the children's stuff and the games)
that come with a computer in order to have it function in your office.
- Numerous computer magazines, most notably
PC Magazine,
routinely survey readers for their experiences with products. Apple, Dell, IBM,
Gateway 2000, and Hewlett-Packard are always among (if not alone as) the top
performers in service and reliability. T C Solutions does not recommend IBM,
but for reasons unrelated to service and reliability. T C Solutions does
recommend
Apple, Dell, and
Hewlett-Packard. (T C Solutions is a reseller of
Dell and
Hewlett-Packard computer
products.)
- Generally, high quality printers and monitors will have a
longer service life than computers. Just because the computer needs to be
replaced doesn't mean that the printer and monitor need to be replaced as well,
if you got good quality to start with. If you are buying your first
computer, spend some time selecting a good monitor and printer; these devices
will probably outlast the computer. For monitors, T C Solutions recommends
NEC-Mitsubishi and
Sony brand products. For printers, T C Solutions
recommends
Hewlett-Packard laser and inkjet printers and
Epson inkjet and impact printers.
- Frequently, I am asked if it might be worth it for someone to
build their own computer from the individual components. Usually, by "worth
it", they mean "cheaper", to which the answer is no. The mass producers of
desktop computers can buy the components in large quantities, and receive
substantial discounts from the original equipment manufacturers. These
companies can then sell the assembled computers for less than you could buy the
individual components.
If, however, they are asking if there is some
intrinsic value in assembling their own computer, then the answer is an
emphatic yes. The knowledge and experience gained by selecting, installing and
configuring each component provides many benefits that are, unfortunately, less
tangible than money saved. What counts though, is the resulting
product.
There are 3 major scenarios which people will follow in designing
and building their own computer:
- State of the Art - Commonly referred to as "The Bleeding
Edge" - The components are usually selected from the best performing, latest
technology. The computer is usually not ever actually complete, because newer
better faster components are constantly becoming available, so the cover isn't
ever installed. Another trademark of this type is that the disk drives are
connected, but are not usually mounted in the drive bays. The major problem
with this type is that the drivers for one new component will usually conflict
with the drivers for another.
If you like to tinker, this is for you. If you
intend to actually get some work done, you should probably leave this to the
hobbyists.
- State of the Market - The components are selected from the
higher performance mature products, and will peacefully coexist, sometimes
actually complementing each other. The system will come together fast, work
reliably, and provide years of top performance. And the owner is not
intimidated by the hardware, and so is willing and able to install newer
components as they mature, extending the life of the initial investment.
- State of the Wallet - The components are selected because
of their low price. Often the manufacturer has stopped (or is about to stop)
supporting the product (if it ever did in the first place) so up-to-date
drivers are hard to come by. Software conflicts abound, and if the owner ever
does get everything working, the next program or card installed will bring the
whole thing to a screeching halt. This type of system will only provide
marginal performance, and only have a short life, if it ever does
work.
Sometimes, the owner will assume that putting a fast CPU in the same
box as all the cheap junk will make everything OK. There are always good
reasons to spend less money, but sometimes it's just not a wise investment.
This is one of those times.
If you should decide to build your own computer, I
congratulate you for your adventurous spirit. Hopefully, you will settle in
somewhere between State-of-the-Art and State-of-the-Wallet. What ever you do,
just don't think you'll be saving any money.
- Leasing your computer(s) provides several financial advantages,
not the least of which: not hobbling your operation with outdated
equipment simply because it's paid for.
A lease is the financing of the
difference between the new cost of the computer and its presumed fair market
value at the end of the lease; you only pay for the part of the computer you
use, plus the finance charges. If you buy the computers, then you are out the
full cost immediately, plus interest (either the cost of your own financing, or
the interest those funds could have earned if you had invested them elsewhere.)
For tax purposes, you can write off the full lease payments (interest and all);
if you buy, you can depreciate the computer over 5 years, or fully depreciate
it the first year, but only the amount you paid, not the interest. In addition,
when a lease is up, the old obsolescent computer disappears, and is replaced by
a new, more suitable computer for the same monthly payment. If you bought the
computer, you might try to keep it in use, slowing down your operation with
substandard equipment.
- I am frequently amazed that people will study their options for
months, then spend $1,500, $2,000. even $2,500 on a computer system (often more
than the total cost of all the appliances in their entire kitchen, sometimes
their entire house!) and they will presume that a $15 "surge suppressor" will
provide adequate protection. Rather than restate what others, more qualified
than I, have said, I will simply refer you to them (isn't hypertext great?). T
C Solutions recommends
Tripp Lite
power protection products.
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