by Lawanda Gooch

When it comes to buying a computer there are several things one must understand before purchasing. The first thing that needs to be determined is whether or not you need a new computer. If your old computer is painfully slow or you can’t run the latest software, chances are its time to go computer shopping. Another option is to upgrade your existing system. We will deal with upgrades in another article. These days computers are becoming faster and cheaper at an escalating rate. So it has never been a better time to look for that perfect system for your home or office. We will deal with four basic questions you need to ask your self before you buy.

The best way to determine this is to decide how the system will be used. Will it be used in the home, for business, or for both. A lot of people don’t give it much thought but the ideal system varies by how it will be used.

• Home Office Systems – Home office systems have all the uses of home systems plus require the ability to be able to handle business applications and high end graphics programs used in home businesses. The home office systems would have basically the same configuration as the home systems but with a faster CPU to handle more sophisticated business software

• Business Systems – Business systems range from the low-end of a 1Ghz Pentium 3 to a high end of 1.5Ghz Pentium 4 (and higher) Business systems typically have 20-40GB (or more) of disk space, 256 of memory (RAM), a network card, business software (i.e. a word processor, a spreadsheet program, and a desktop publishing application) as well as mission critical software. A sound card may or may not be necessary, it depends on the user.

• High-End Systems – High end systems are geared towards users with intensive multimedia needs, such as a computer hobbyist, an avid game user, or those who need to create digital photos, 3D graphics, video, or audio. These machines are usually the fastest machines available to the public, such as the 2.0Ghz Pentium 4, with 512MB of memory, hard disk drives with more than 30GB of space, DVD players, high end graphics accelerator cards with video memory between 32MB and 64MB, and advanced audio cards.

The next thing you need to do is decide what attributes you want your computer to have.

This is easily determined by answering a few questions.

• What are your multimedia requirements? Will you need a DVD player or just a CD-ROM.

Are you going to need to transfer data to CD-ROM if so you will want a CD-RW(CD writer)

• How much storage space will you need. If you plan to install a lot of software you will need more storage space.

• What is your level of computer knowledge? -If you are relatively inexperienced or don't want to spend a lot of time dabbling with the computer, It would be wise to choose a manufacturers with that are strong in customer support and technical assistance.

• How long will you keep the computer? If you plan on keeping your system for a long time (over 2 years). You should try to find a system that can be easily upgraded. We will discuss upgrades in another article.

Below is a standard list of attributes available for most systems:

• Diskette drive - a standard storage useful in saving information and transferring from one PC to another. Most computers have the standard 3.5'' drive.

• CD drive - a storage device that uses Compact Disks (CDs). The drives come in various speeds measured relative to an audio CD player. Most new systems have speeds between 50 and 52X. Some CD drives are CD-RW, meaning they can read, write, and erase CD information (requires special CDs).

• Central Processing Unit (CPU) - the brain of the computer. Two major determinate of the power of the computer are: type of CPU, and clock speed. Types of CPUs are Pentium, Celeron, Pentium III, Pentium 4, etc. Major manufacturers include, AMD* and Intel. The CPU sits on the motherboard.

• DVD - a storage device that can read DVD video disks, as well as CD audio and software.

• Expansion slots - an opening in the motherboard for additional cards PCI, AGP, or ISA connections. Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) is an interface that provides quick communication with the CPU and plug-and-play capability. Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) is a high speed port designed for 3D graphics and has the ability to use main memory for graphics. Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) is a standard interface that is not as fast as PCI or USB.

• Monitor - the display for the computer.

• Network interface card (NIC) - an expansion card that allows connection to local networks (LANs). The most common type of protocol is ethernet.

• Memory - a working storage area for data such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Common types of memory include: DIMM, and SDRAM. Dual in-line memory (DIMM) is a type of memory card that support 64-bit and higher buses and has 168 pins. Synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) is a memory type that is faster than DRAM by timing the memory in synch with the CPU.

• Ports - connectors to external devices. Examples include serial, parallel and USB. USB is expected to replace serial and parallel. Most new computers have 2 USB ports.

• Modem - the communication device that transmits data over data lines. A basic modem today transmit data up to 56.6 kps over standard phone lines. Faster modems use special phone lines, cable or satellites to transmit data.

• Sound Card - an expansion card that provides audio capabilities

• Graphics Accelerator - a video card with its own processor designed to handle high end graphics.

• Service and Technical Support - the type of support provided by the manufacturer or retailer provide after the sale. Try calling the telephone support number to test how long you are put on hold. Are there higher levels of support that can be purchased? If something goes wrong with the computer, where can it be taken for service?

Decide the type of computer you need and the attributes you want and then narrow your search down to about 2 or 3 models.

Consider price, availability, selection, and convenience. Nowadays online or mail order are easy ways to purchase a computer system so these may be options to consider.