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More Articles
Sept. 1998 - "Now is the Time"
Oct. 1998 - "What is the Internet?"
Nov. 1998 - "It's an Email World"
Jan. 1999 - "Little Help from a ..."
Jan. 1999 - "Is the Internet Safe?"
Mar. 1999 - "Desktop Clutter"
Apr. 1999 - "Searching the Net"
May 1999 - "What's in Domain Name?"
June 1999 - "Inernet Chaperones"
July 1999 - "Mind Your Online Manners"
Aug 1999 - " Chasing the Porsche"
Sept. 1999 - "Buying Hardware"
Oct. 1999 - "Buying Software" |
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(This article was originally published in The Tahoe Daily Tribune)
Buying a new computer can be a challenging proposition, mostly
because everybody wants to make it complicated. It’s not, really.
There are a few facts you need to understand first, but from there,
it is easier than buying a car. Aren’t you glad of that?
The similarities between cars and computers are many, beginning
with the level of frustration and hopelessness each can cause.
That’s a story you will pen yourself over time.
All computers come with the CPU (the main box), keyboard and mouse.
The CPU is like your car's frame and is where several vital parts
are stored; the motherboard (engine), processor (transmission),
memory (horsepower), CD ROM and/or Disk Drives (radio with cassette
player), and a few other soldered items whose equivalents are
too numerous or boring to mention.
Why do you want to buy a new computer? Perhaps you are dedicating
an old one to the kid’s room (“After all, honey,” you tell your
spouse, “they need it in their room for homework and I need a
computer too.” Pleading, puppy dog eyes normally accompany this
rationale); maybe new business applications require a newer system
(are you still struggling with a 486sx?), or maybe you are buying
your very first computer. Whatever the reason, much has changed
during the last 2 -3 years, making your timing very good. Prices
have dropped 50 - 60% over the last 18 months.
The competition for Christmas sales will likely spur further cuts
and/or will enhance value add-ons like accompanying printers or
scanners. Beware that many times those “value add-ons” aren’t;
rather, they are either a low quality peripheral or the system
itself is over-priced to pay for those add-ons. In your cost shopping,
remove them from the equation and concentrate on what your are
paying for the computer (either tower on desktop, called the CPU)
and the monitor. You can sometimes get a better deal purchasing
the monitor in a separate transaction.
Essentially, there are two choices in computers: Computers with
Windows operating systems (includes Windows 95 and Windows 98)
and the Macintosh.
The Windows operating system accounts for 85% of the market. Most
businesses that crunch numbers use the Windows format, while print
shops, newspapers, graphic companies, and many secondary schools
use Macintosh.
Which one is best for you? Although there was a time a few years
ago when the systems were entirely alien to each other, that chasm
as closed dramatically. It used to be that the Macintosh was by
far the easiest to operate, but that difference has been closed
as well.
Here’s the rule of thumb: If you spend a majority of time doing
graphics, buy a Mac. If you don’t, purchase a computer that runs
the Windows OS (Operating System). Windows 98 is the present version,
a new one expected next year. You will be able to upgrade at that
time, normally about $100. All present systems (Windows and Macintosh)
are the year 2000 compliant. Most issues with Y2K are with the
larger main frames and switching stations, not with personal computers.
Rick Langford is founder of Tahoe Mall, The Tahoe Net and Cache-World
Email
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