10080 E Domenic Lane
Tucson, AZ 85730
Nov 2007
OS = Operating
System [ version of Windows ]
SP =
Service
Pack
CPU = Central
Processing unit
GPU = Graphics
Processing Unit
GHZ = Gigahertz;
the speed of the CPU. Giga = billion;
hertz = cycles per second
Ram = Random
Access Memory, aka Memory
Byte = A
unit of size.
MB = Megabytes
Million bytes.
HDD = Hard
Disk Drive
IDE Integrated
Drive Electronics; an older type of technology.
Very dependable.
SATA = Serial
ATA; a new technology. Very dependable;
faster than IDE.
GB = Gigabytes. Billion bytes.
Integrated
= Built in; usually implies
lower quality.
CRT = Cathode
Ray Tube; television picture tube technology
LCD = Liquid
Crystal Display
AV = AntiVirus
FW = Firewall
AS = AntiSpyware
Ethernet = A
type of network connection. Ethernet is
the most common network type in homes.
It is the most secure type of
connection for homes.
Wireless = A
type of network connection; often referred to as 802.11. The most common
subtypes are 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g
and 802.11 pre-n. I recommend 802.11
a/g, with
WPA
encryption.
OEM = Original
Equipment Manufacturer
Power Supply = Component
inside computer case that reduces 110 voltage from the wall to a lower
voltage the computer can handle.
Motherboard = Main
printed circuit board.
Turbo
Cache = A term used to describe ram not
present on the video card. In my
opinion, it is a
fancy term
to describe deception.
Considerations
1. Which
version of Windows do you want to use?
The latest
version of Windows "Vista" made its debut Jan 2007. I think that a year from now, using Vista
will be easy. However, at present, there
are still many bugs in the system. Of
the tens of thousands of programs available, only about a thousand are
certified to work with Vista.
Vista
requires a much more robust computer.
Vista requires a DVD player. The
Vista installation program is so large that it will not fit on a single
CD.
Vista likes a
lot of memory / ram. 2 GB seems to be
reasonable. 4 GB is better, but if you
are going to purchase a Windows XP computer with plans of upgrading to Vista,
leave the ram at 2 GB. Windows XP has
problems with more than 3 GB of ram.
The brain of
the computer, the CPU, should run at at least 2 GHZ. Because computers perform actions so quickly,
it seems like they are doing 2 things at once.
In actuality, they are doing part of task "A"; then switching
to task "B"; then back to "A".
The latest
CPUs are dual core. That means that
there are actually 2 brains built into a single CPU. Thus, your computer will run more efficiently
because it really can do 2 things simultaneously.
Vista has the
ability to display images [ still or moving pictures ] with great clarity. But to take advantage of this feature, your
computer needs a video card that has its own processor, a graphics
processing unit / GPU, and its own memory.
There are 15
versions of Windows Vista. Some versions
will be available only from OEMs. Some
will be available only to businesses.
Vista will not
include "Media Center".
"Aero"
is a type of graphics [ visual ] display technology included with the upper end
versions of Windows Vista.
"Aero" requires very powerful hardware.
For more
information about Vista, see
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx
2. Is a real
Windows CD included? Sometimes, a real
Windows CD is needed to repair Windows.
If a real Windows CD is not
included, I can make one for you, if your computer runs Windows XP.
Microsoft will release a major update to Vista,
during late 2007 or early 2008 [ maybe ].
This update is called SP [ service pack ] 1. Vista SP1 will have a tool / program that
will give you the capability of making a Vista installation DVD.
NOTE: for this task, your computer will need a DVD burner.
3. Is
re-installation software included or do you need to create it yourself?
4. Terms of
warranty.
3.a. Is in home service
included? If not, do you send the
computer to the OEM, or do you take it to a
local site.
3.b. If you send it to the OEM, do
you pay shipping? If yes, one way or
both ways?
3.c.
Is the owner [ you ] required to install some of the parts?
5. Are
replacement parts, after the computer is out of warranty, available locally, or
only from the OEM?
4.a. Some OEMs use proprietary
parts, in particular power supplies & motherboards.
6. What is
the maximum amount of ram that the computer can handle? See below.
7. You can
buy Microsoft Office 2007 "Student and Teacher" at stores such as
Office Max for approx $150.00.
8. AntiVirus Software can be purchased for approx $50.00. There are good AV programs available for
free.
9. The
Windows FW is better than no firewall, but not much better. FWs can be purchased for about $30. There are good FW programs available for
free.
10. AntiSpyware
software can be purchased for approx $30.00.
I do not recommend any of the free AS programs, unless you also have Spy
Sweeper or a comparable commercial program also installed.
11. An often
overlooked aspect of computing is data backup.
What are you going to do when the HDD dies or the files on the HDD
become unusable?
12. Intel
& AMD measure their speeds differently.
AMD processors run slower, but have a speed that is "equivalent"
to Intel's speed.
12.a. Dual / Duo core means that the CPU actually
contains 2 CPUs. The
computer can actually do
2 things at once.
13. Memory /
Ram is more efficient if installed in a pair of pieces / sticks. Installing 2 pieces of 1 GB will result in
greater efficiency than a single piece of 2 GB.
Minimum computer recommendations for this
scenario.
CPU – Dual
core, 64 bit, 2.2 GHZ
RAM - 2 GB;
made up of 2 sticks, 1024 MB [ 1 GB ] each.
The latest ram works faster in pairs than singular.
Optical
Drives – One Dual Layer DVD burner.
OS – Windows
XP Home, SP2. Be sure the computer is
"Vista compatible". There are
3 versions of Windows XP.
There are 15
versions of Windows Vista. Some versions
will be available only from OEMs. Some
will be available only to businesses.
Vista will not
include "Media Center".
"Aero"
is a type of graphics [ visual ] display technology included with the upper end
versions of Windows Vista.
"Aero" requires very powerful hardware.
For more
information about Vista, see
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx
Windows Vista
minimum requirements [ Sources:
Microsoft.com & Dell.com ]:
CPU – faster than 1.0 GHZ
RAM
- 1
GB
Optical Drive
- DVD player
HDD - 40 GB
video card - NON – integrated; minimum 128 MB ram on
the video card. "Turbo
Cache" uses ram from the
computer system's
ram. This will NOT work with
Windows Vista Aero.
Dell 1 800
999 3355
HP 1 888
999 4747
Compaq [
owned by HP ] 1 888 999 4747
Gateway 1 888 888
2075
Windows Vista
capable laptops start at approximately $600.00 . If you are interested in such a laptop
computer, I will research the issue.
Laptop – obtain the longest warranty
available. Be sure you understand repair
& replacement terms. If the laptop
is not repaired on site, it will probably be shipped [ perhaps at your expense
] to the OEM. Ask about average turn
around time. Even with a local / onsite
repair, a part may not be immediately available.
Windows Vista
capable laptops start at approximately $600.00 . If you are interested in such a laptop
computer, I will research the issue.
This summer,
I purchased a Lenovo [ formerly IBM ] laptop.
It runs Windows XP, but I will upgrade to Windows Vista, in a year or
two.
The laptop's
specifications:
Operating
System Windows XP Pro SP2
CPU Dual core; 1.8 GHZ
memory / ram 2 x 1 GB; total 2 GB
optical drive Dual layer DVD burner
HDD 80 GB
Video chip Built into motherboard,
which is typical of laptops.
Warranty 3 year, next business day
Price about $2100.00
|
Power
Supply |
minimum 400
Watt, continuous, not peak |
|
CPU |
Dual core;
> 2 GHZ |
|
Ram |
2 x 1 GB;
upgradeable to 4 + GB |
|
Hard disk
drive |
80 GB for
desktop 40 GB for
laptop very
difficult to find these specifications |
|
Optical
Drive |
Dual Layer
DVD burner 2 such
drives on desktop computers |
|
Video card |
256 MB ram
on the card |
|
Network
card or chip |
10 / 100
ethernet. It is hard to find a
computer without a network card. |
|
Wireless /
Wi Fi |
Useful if
you intend to use your laptop away from your home or office. |
|
Floppy
drive |
Useful only
if you have a lot of files on floppy disks.
|
|
Dial up
modem |
Useful for
travel or if you don't have a high speed internet connection. |
|
USB ports |
minimum 2,
which is common on a laptop. Most desktop
computers have 2 or more
on the front of the computer and 4 or more on the rear. |
|
Laptop
battery |
6 or more
cells if you plan to use the laptop disconnected from a wall socket. |
Disclaimer: The material contained in this newsletter is
provided for informational purposes only. No guarantees nor warranties are
expressly given nor implied.
Best of
success.
Sincerely,
Ed Sloup
Presidio Computers, LLC
520 731 6446
www.presidiocomputers.com