1. Computers Are Your Future © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

2. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 2 Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 Buying and Upgrading Your Computer System

3. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 3 The Right Way Determine your needs Make sure the computer will run the software you plan to use Get Started the Right Way The Wrong Way Buying a computer based on price only Being swayed by salespeople or advertisements

4. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 4 Choose the Right Hardware Understanding the following hardware components will help in making a good decision about which computer to buy.  Processors Processors  Memory Memory  Hard disks Hard disks  Internal and/or external drives Internal and/or external drives  Video cards and monitors Video cards and monitors  Network cards Network cards  Modems Modems  Sound cards and speakers Sound cards and speakers  Keyboards and mice Keyboards and mice  Uninterruptible power supply Uninterruptible power supply

5. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 5 Processors Processors are the most important component. The higher the clock speed, the faster the computer. Processors without L2 cache will run slower than those with L2 cache. Recommendation – 1GHz or faster with L2 cache.

6. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 6 Memory Consider how much RAM will be needed and whether the system has cache memory. Windows and Mac operating systems ’ minimum requirement is 64 MB. The different types of RAM include:  Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)  Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM)  Rambus DRAM (RDRAM) Recommendation – 256 MB or more of RAM

7. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 7 Hard Disks Rule of thumb – Use no more than 25% of the hard disk space for the operating system and applications  Recommendation – 20 GB or more hard drive Rotation speed (RPM) contributes to the speed of the system.  Recommendation – 7200 RPM or faster

8. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 8 Internal Drives CD-ROM drives operate at speeds up to 70x (70 times the original CD-ROM speed). DVD drives can be used for CD-ROM or DVD discs. CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, and DVD-RAM drives can read and write data.  Recommendation – CD-R/RW or DVD-R/RW drive Zip drives can store up to 750 MB of data on removable disks. Sony’s HiFD removable storage drives can hold 200+ MB of data.

9. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 9 Video Cards & Monitors Video cards determine the quality and resolution of the display.  Recommendation – Video card with 8 MB or more of Video RAM. A monitor’s size is measured diagonally from one corner of the screen to the other.  Recommendation – 17” or larger SVGA monitor that supports a resolution of 1024x768 and higher. The monitor’s dot pitch affects the crispness of the image.  Recommendation– Dot pitch of.28 mm or smaller.

10. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 10 Network Cards Network interface cards (NIC) are used to connect a computer to a network. 10/100 mps Ethernet card is today’s standard.

11. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 11 Modems Most computers come with a modem built into the system. Today’s standard modem is 56 Kbps V.90. InternalExternal

12. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 12 Sound Cards and Speakers Sound cards and speakers are needed to hear sounds. A sound card should have wavetable synthesis. For richer sounds, good quality speakers with a subwoofer are needed.

13. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 13 Keyboards and Mice Most computers come with a standard keyboard and PS/2 mouse. Upgrades can be made for ergonomic or wireless keyboards and mice.

14. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 14 Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) A UPS provides power to the computer for a short period of time if the power is lost. They provide enough time to save work and shut down the computer properly.

15. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 15 NotebooksDesktops ProsConsProsCons Display quality Processor speed Mobility Prolonged use Not easily stolen Price Notebook or Desktop?

16. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 16 Mac or PC? Mac Relies on the mouse for program control Excellent for publishing, music, graphics, illustrations, and Web site design More expensive than PCs Less software available Only Apple Inc. produces Macs PC More keyboard shortcut keys than a Mac Excellent for business and engineering purposes Cheaper than Macs More software available Produced by many companies Can run Linux operating system on the same drive Both Easy-to-use GUI interface Major applications available – Word processing, spreadsheets, databases, Web browsing, and e-mail

17. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 17 Color inkjet Monochrome laser Color laserMultifunction Printer cost$50 - $400$200 - $1500$800 - $3300$130 - $700 Ink cost per cartridge $5 - $40$15 - $300 $30 - $200 per color Same as inkjet and laser Speed – Pages per minute 1 -1715 - 35 Same as inkjet and laser Figures are approximate. Based on several printers in each category. Source of information: www.tigerdirect.com Get the Right Printer

18. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 18 ComponentsTop-of-the-LineBargain Bin Special ProcessorPentium® 4 2.4GHzIntel® Celeron™ 1.2GHz Memory256MB PC800 RDRAM128MB PC133 DIMM Monitor19 in. Trinitron®NONE Video Card128MB DDR NVIDIA GeForce4 ™64MB SIS 3D Onboard* Hard Drive80GB Ultra ATA/10020GB IDE ATA/100 Operating SystemMicrosoft® Windows® XP MouseLogitech® Optical USB2 Button PS/2 KeyboardQuietkey® KeyboardPS/2 Internet Keyboard Network Card10/100 PCI Fast Ethernet10/100 Realtec Onboard* Modem56K PCI Telephony56K V.90 Onboard* CD/DVD Drive40x10x40 CD-RW56x CD-ROM Sound CardTurtle Beach Santa Cruz DSPAC97 16 Channel Onboard* SpeakersSurround Sound with SubwooferNONE Warranty1yr Limited + 1yr At-Home1yr Limited Price$1819.00$379.99 *Onboard refers to components built into the Motherboard Top-of-the-Line or Bargain Bin Special?

19. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 19 Wise Shopping Tips Browse Web sites to comparison shop before buying.  No salesperson to sway your opinion  Saves time and money (travel time and transportation costs) Read reviews about computer products in magazines and online. Ask reliable, knowledgeable people about computer products. Get quotes of several systems before buying. Know what components and accessories you want before you buy. Only buy from reliable sources.

20. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 20 Local Stores vs. Mail-Order/Online Companies When buying from a local store, problems can be resolved quickly by going back to the store. Consider the following when ordering through the mail or online.  The company’s return policy  Shipping and handling charges  Technical support Compare similar systems when getting price quotes.

21. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 21 Buying Used or Refurbished Used computers are available through classified ads, auctions, local sources, online, and mail-order catalogs. They are usually cheaper than a new system. Buying used computers is risky.  No warranty or tech support unless refurbished by the manufacturer  The price may be higher than the actual value

22. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 22 ProsCons Name brand PCs High quality at competitive prices. Available from retail, mail-order, and online. Made of proprietary components. Premium price for parts and repairs. Generic PCs Local stores assemble their own systems. Just as reliable as name brands. Usually cheaper than name brands. Repairs are cheaper. Buyer beware! Store may go out of business. No adequate technical support. Name-Brand vs. Generic PCs

23. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 23 3Use a surge protector to protect the system from power surges. 3Don’t plug appliances into the same outlet as the computer. 3Don’t block air flow around the computer system. 3Switch power off when adding and removing cables and components. 3Make sure cables aren’t stretched or mashed by furniture. Caring for Your Computer System

24. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 24 Caring for Your Computer System 3Don’t eat or drink near the computer. 3Follow proper shut-down procedures. 3Defragment the hard disk regularly. 3Run a virus checker frequently. 3Keep the computer, printer, monitor, mouse, and keyboard clean.

25. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 25 Upgrading refers to adding new hardware to the system to improve performance. Upgrading may violate the computer’s warranty. Check the owners manual for hardware compatibility and installation instructions. Wear a grounding strap on your wrist to prevent static electricity from destroying the computer chips. Upgrading Your System

26. Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 4 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, IncSlide 26 Adding Expansion Cards and Upgrading Memory Adding expansion boards:  Insert expansion boards in the correct type of slot (ISA, PCI, AGP)  Gently but firmly press the board into the slot Upgrading memory:  Determine which memory module (SIMM, DIMM, RIMM), type of memory (DRAM, SDRAM, RDRAM), and memory speed (66 MHz, 100 MHz, 133 MHz) your computer uses  Snap the module into place