How to buy a PC Brad Leach David Howarth James Sawruk Andrew U

Things to look for when Purchasing a PC First and most important is what environment is the computer going to be used in there are two basic categories with everyone needing their own requirements : Business Home

Definitions Hard drive – what stores from your computer RAM- Memory that help process information and help run programs Processor- The brain of the computer - the device capable of performing operations on data Gigabyte – 1,024 Megabytes Normal storage unit

Definitions Graphics card- Helps computer process graphic information USB- universal serial bus a way to help the computer connect more devices Operating system - A computer program that controls the components of a computer system and facilitates the operation of applications CD/DVD rom- optical drives that allows the computer to read optically stored data

Business use Business computers serve different needs for every business First use in the business is for the user Second is as the server in the business Third is for graphical design for the business

Business user computer For a basic desktop or laptop office computer the following specifications are a good guideline: 1 GB of ram – that will allow for speed but at a cost effective price 40 GB hard drive or more – that will allow for installation of the operating system (files are assumed to be stored on a server) 1.6 GHz – 2.2 GHz Processor (dual core) – this will allow for a fast computer Integrated graphic card if your business is not a graphical design business CD/DVD ROM – For security reasons stay away from a burner 2 USB 2.0 ports – on the front of the tower for easy access to it but 6 is recomended Operating system – Windows XP Professional( SP2), or Windows Vista Business, make sure the computer is VISTA ready. Software – Office applications, spyware, pop up blocker, virus software, a NetOP type program.

Business Power User For a Graphical oriented business 2 GB of ram – this will allow for all the speed needed to run the highly demanding software 120 GB hard drive – this will allow for the use of space needed for this environment 2.6 GHz – 3.0 GHz processor (dual core) – this will allow the computer to run all the demanding applications CD/DVD ROM/burner – The burner might be needed so the user could save some of their projects for use at a later time 2 USB 2.0 ports – on the front of the tower for easy access to it, 6 recommended Graphics card – 256 MB good used for the programs Operating system – Windows XP Professional( SP2), or Windows Vista Business, make sure the computer is Vista ready. Software – Office applications, spyware, pop up blocker, virus software, a NetOP type program, and programs like CAD, Photoshop, or video editing software

Smaller Business Server ( users) This is for a smaller business that will not need as much as a larger one 2 GB of ram – this will allow for a fast operation and data use 500 GB+ storage in RAID array – this will allow for a lot of data storage for smaller files GHz processor – this will help the computer run smoothly CD/DVD ROM drive – will not be used much only for installation 2 USB – ports will be necessary figuring this computer will not be operated on much Operating System – Windows Small Businesses Server 2003 would be the best. It is simple to use and has a lot of help that comes along with it

Large business (50+ users) For large corporations with single or multiple locations that are not HPC corporations 4 GB+ of ram – will be needed for faster use 1 TB+ of storage in a RAID array– will be need for users to save files 3.0+ GHz Processor (s) (dual core) – will be needed for sufficient computing power CD/DVD ROM drive – will not be used much only for installations Operating System – Windows Enterprise Server 2003 or Linux based software system

The second group is home users this one is a little more tricky the user should thing of a few things before purchasing the computer What will they be using the computer for How long before they want to upgrade next How much do they want to spend Do they want to play graphical games Do they want to do any kind of editing like image or movie editing

For the basic computer user described as just some one that want s to use the computer for just basic internet (checking , browsing, and instant messages) 512MB – 1GB of RAM – this depends on how much the user wants to spend also if they want to use Windows Vista 60 GB hard drive – this will allow for the operating system to be installed also with some office application GHz processor – this will allow for a smooth computer use for a good price CD/DVD rom drive and a DVD burner – yeah… Operating system – Windows XP home or Windows Vista Home basic Graphic – Integrated Software – Office applications, spyware, pop up blocker, virus software

For a little more advance computer use photo editing and video editing 1GB – 2GB of RAM – 1 GB if you are going to use XP and 2GB if you are going to use Vista this will help with a smooth operations and fast compiling 120 GB of hard drive – allow to save a lot of images or video files GHz processor (dual core) – allow the computer to run a lot of instructions required for image and movie editing CD/DVD rom drive and a DVD burner- allows the user to burn their pictures and movie files Operating system – Windows XP MCE or Windows Vistas Home Premium Graphics – at least 128 MB DX 9 card but 256 MB would allow for longer use of the card Software – Office applications, spyware, pop up blocker, virus software.

For someone looking to game or do heavy image/video editing 2GB of ram – needed for fast computer use, fast loading times in games, and fast editing 500 GB hard drive – to save a lot of big games and files used for editing GHz (dual core) Processor – for fast computer use and multitasking CD/DVD rom drive and a DVD burner – to be able to burn the large files and movies Operating system – Windows XP Pro or Windows Vista Ultimate Graphics at least 256 MB graphics card DX 10 is recommended for long use Software – Office applications, spyware, pop up blocker, virus software, video editing software, photoshop

References About.com PC Hardware Buyer's Guide: Choosing the Perfect Components by Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Thompson IEEE's computer magazine Interview- Jason H. (help desk at St. Lukes)