THE CUTTING EDGE : Buying Into the Revolution Without Breaking a Sweat
Buying a computer? Heh-heh, you’re going to get bilked, of course. You’ll pay too much for technology that will be obsolete before you even master it. You know that, right?
Old fears die hard. These days, in fact, it’s almost impossible to get taken to the cleaners when buying a personal computer. The price wars that bloodied the industry over the last 18 months have made it hard to avoid a bargain. Even cheap PCs now put more power and capability at your fingertips than most people will ever use.
Furthermore, obsolescence is in the eye of the beholder. Yes, computer technology advances in gigantic bounds, which will pound the resale value of anything you buy today. But this has always been true of computers, and as long as your machine is doing the work you need it to do, who cares about keeping up with technology fashions?
Finally, technical expertise matters far less than you might believe. Like camera or stereo nerds, you can certainly bone up on the benefits of Enhanced IDE burst transfer rates or the subtle differences between caching controller chips, but it won’t make a jot of difference in how much work you move off your desk or the enjoyment you get from your PC.
The key to getting your money’s worth is homing in on who will use the gear and how. Be as specific as possible. Homework is a generic use. Writing term papers, drawing diagrams and calculating differential equations are specific. Moonlighting is general. Creating spreadsheet budgets, maintaining customer databases and drafting project proposals are specific. Figuring out what you hope to accomplish will help immensely in your quest for the perfect system.
Which Computing Camp?
Many of the rules for buying computers have changed in the last year, mostly for the better. The choice between Macintosh and Windows PCs, for example, is no longer a matter of theology, and the technical advantages of one camp over the other have all but evaporated.
While Apple Computer remains the only maker of Macs, no longer must you pay boutique prices for one. Humbled by a shrinking customer base, Apple joined the price wars last year. Dollar for dollar, Macintoshes now line up squarely against Windows machines.
The Mac’s seductive charm has won a devoted following, but bear in mind that there are 12 IBM-compatible PCs in the world for every Macintosh. If others frequently need to read files that you create, Windows ensures wider compatibility. Exception: desktop publishing, which the Mac still dominates, though this is changing. Also, technophobes and those coming to the computer for the first time will generally be happier with the Macintosh.
Meanwhile, a new generation of computers based on the PowerPC processor will (sort of) run both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. Apple is first out of the gate with the new systems (IBM will soon follow), basing them on its Quadra PCs. But they run Windows in “emulation mode,” which means slowly.
Otherwise, choose between Windows and Macintosh computers according to the software you already know how to use as well as the programs you plan to buy. This may seem obvious, but it’s surprising how often software doesn’t enter the picture until the hardware is already bought. That’s really putting the cart before the horse.
Once you’ve chosen your computing camp, then ask yourself: Should your gadget travel? Can a portable PC suffice as your sole machine?
The convenience of a notebook system is obvious; the drawbacks aren’t. For example, fingers must adjust to cramped notebook keyboards. Also, spend two hours working from a small and shadowy notebook screen, and you’ll develop hallucinations and unusual tics. Some notebooks allow you to hook external monitors and keyboards to them when working at home, or even full-blown docking stations. Such systems do cost more, though.
Under the Hood
Regardless of whether your system travels, each program it runs places different demands on your system, which you’ll want to take into consideration when choosing its configuration. Here generalizations help. Roughly speaking, there are five system subcomponents to consider: processor (CPU), memory (RAM), hard drive, video and peripherals.
Because all data traffics through the main processor, a slow CPU translates into slow system performance (although the reverse is not necessarily true). Graphics, drawing and design programs--including desktop publishing--make heavy demands of all system components. If you plan to use any of these types of programs, get the fastest processor you can afford.
For the Mac, this means the 32MHz 68040; otherwise, bargains abound in slower 68030s. For Windows machines, you’ll want some flavor of the 486 chip, preferably a 33MHz, 50MHz or 66MHz version. Dx means more power than Sx. And don’t give a second thought to the chip’s manufacturer; “Intel Inside” and other advertising slogans are so much marketing gas.
Don’t worry about the new, super powerful Pentium chip; programs that take advantage of its advanced features are at least two years away. And computers that allow you to “upgrade” to Pentium neglect to mention that the upgrade cards typically cost as much as a new computer.
Memory and hard drive configurations are easier to calculate: The more, the better. Any computer you buy today should come with at least four megabytes of random access memory, or RAM. Any less, and your dealer is hiding costs that will magically resurface at the cash register. For desktop publishing or high-end design and graphics work, you’ll want at least 8MB, possibly more. Ditto large databases and spreadsheets, or if you frequently run more than two or three programs concurrently. Almost no one needs more than 16MB, and those power hogs know who they are.
Hard drives, like old garages, run out of space depressingly fast. Even simple documents and spreadsheets come adorned with fonts and charts and other fins and flora that insinuate themselves into larger spaces. Today’s computer games and screen savers shamelessly grab 10 megabytes at a time. The porkiest files contain full-motion video or animation and sound, which is why multimedia programs are stored on compact disc, not on a hard disk. But even stuffy business applications now include video sequences and sound clips. A current glut of hard drives has hammered prices down to about $1 per megabyte. Take advantage of it.
Today’s floor for drive capacity is 120MB. Work upward from there. For heavy desktop publishing, large databases and drawing and design programs, look for at least 200MB. If you plan to produce videos or animation from your PC, or if you use photo touch-up programs, you’ll want at least 500MB. Performance counts too, especially with databases and design programs. Some Windows PCs run their hard drives on “local bus,” which pumps data along a more direct route to the CPU. It helps drive performance somewhat, but don’t pay extra for it.
Local bus was originally designed to goose video performance, which has become the most serious system bottleneck, thanks to graphical interfaces (both Macintosh and Windows). Almost all Windows PCs sold today come with a video accelerator running on local bus. Don’t trouble yourself about which accelerator or which local bus architecture--or even about what these things mean. Just make sure your Windows computer includes this feature; it ensures that your screen can keep up with the rest of your computer.
You’ll also need to decide how many colors your video system supports at which resolutions. For example, most plain-Jane Windows PCs support 256 colors at 640 by 480 resolution (the number of dots of light displayed horizontally and vertically). For desktop publishing, you’ll want a display that supports 256 colors at 1,024 by 768 resolution. Ditto for games and multimedia applications. And look for a monitor with a .28 dot pitch and 70Hz refresh rate. Don’t worry about why.
High-end graphics work and full-motion video require special video cards that can display up to 1.6 million colors. For such work, you’ll want a monitor that’s larger than the standard 14- or 15-inch variety as well.
Video on the Macintosh is simpler. Low-end displays provide 16 simultaneous colors, adequate for spreadsheets and word processing, perhaps, but games will look anemic, and you’ll definitely want more pizazz when working with graphics or multimedia applications. Choices are limited, however. Let your budget dictate which video option you choose, keeping in mind that, as with Windows PCs, you can buy special cards for full-motion video and animation.
Even if you never plan to watch movies on your computer, multimedia has become a preponderant fact of computing--which is why CD-ROM drives are suddenly the best-selling PC peripheral today. Don’t buy a computer without one. Two years hence they’ll be required even to load software onto your system. Problem is, they’re s-l-o-w.
Double-speed CD-ROM drives read text and program code at twice the speed of conventional drives, which boosts overall performance. They’re basically the standard. Triple- and quadruple-speed drives are also available, though practically speaking, they’re only moderately faster than double-speed drives. And they typically cost far more. If you can find a bargain on one, nab it. Otherwise, stick to double-speed.
Computer as Communicator?
Don’t leave the store without a modem, your entree to the information superhighway, even if the cliche does make you carsick. The faster the speed, the happier you’ll be. Faster modems can save you money on your phone bills or connect charges, depending on what you do on-line, and even if you use a flat-rate service, slower transmission speeds can be maddening. These days, 14,400 bps modems (never mind what that stands for) are so cheap you’ve got to have one.
TECH TIPS: What to Look for While Shopping
What do you hope to do with your new computer? Answering that question will make finding the right machine easier.
* Home use: For letters, homework, managing your finances, playing games, using services such as Prodigy, get a 486SX (25 MHz or 33MHz) PC or a 68030 Mac. Either way, get 4 megabytes of RAM and a 120-megabyte hard drive.
* Small business: For word processing, spreadsheets and databases, get a 486SX or DX (50 MHz) PC or a 68040 Mac, either way with 8MB RAM and a 200MB hard drive.
* Desktop publishing, graphics and multimedia production: 486Dx (100 MHz) or a 68040 Mac. In either case, get 16MB of RAM and a 500MB hard drive.
