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Buying Computer
Systems
Planning a
Computer Purchase
 Today
computer systems are consumer commodities much like
appliances and automobiles. And like these consumer
products, the potential purchaser is faced with a daunting
assortment of brands, models, features, etc. Price, of
course, is an important consideration and many of these
choices may have a significant impact on the bottom line.
Faced with so many choices, what should you do?
 Computer
systems, as you have learned, are composed of both hardware and software.
The hardware components are the devices that make up the system:
the CPU, main memory, peripherals such as the video monitor, keyboard,
mouse, storage devices such as a hard drive, CD/DVD drive, and the like.
Software is just as important. Without programs to direct its processing,
the computer is about as interesting as spare parts. Software are
sets of instructions that define what the computer hardware does. A computer
requires both system software (i.e., an operating system) as well
as applications software to be fully functional. Applications software
are the programs that we use to perform specific tasks: word processing,
browsing the Web, sending and receiving e-mail, doing numerical computations,
etc. The point, then, is that computer purchase decisions should be based
on a careful consideration of how both the hardware and software will
be used to meet your needs.
Unfortunately,
many consumers overlook the software and consider only the
hardware when they purchase a computer system. After all,
you must have a computer system first before you can install
or use software applications. But, this may lead to eventual
problems and unnecessary expense, if your software needs do
not match your hardware purchase.
In
the succeeding sections, we will suggest a simple strategy
to use when planning for the purchase of a computer
system.
Making an
Inventory of Uses
A
good starting point for planning your next computer purchase
is to decide: how do you plan to use your computer? Make a
list or inventory of the normal tasks that you plan for your
computer. For example, a typical list might include
- writing and printing papers for courses
- sending and receiving electronic mail
- surfing the Web
- creating charts and graphs for coursework
- making computer art or drawings
- create and publish your own Web pages
These are common tasks; you may others that you would add
to the list. The most important thing is to think about what
your most common or everyday uses will be.
The
next step is to consider what sort of applications software
will you need to perform these everyday tasks. The table
below identifies the type of application that you would
normally use for the task identified.
|
Task
|
Application Software
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document preparation (writing and printing
papers, correspondance, etc.)
|
word
processing*
|
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layout and design of newsletters, magazines,
professional publications
|
desktop
publishing
|
|
numerical calculations, creating graphs and
charts, organizing data
|
spreadsheets*
|
|
mathematical modeling, computations
|
mathematical
software
|
|
keeping records, organizing information,
analyzing data
|
database management
systems*
|
|
digitizing, editing, processing digital
images
|
image processing
software
|
|
creating computer art, images
|
painting
programs
|
|
creating drawings, diagrams
|
drawing
programs
|
|
creating (professional) graphic
illustrations
|
illustration
programs
|
|
creating 3-D computer graphic images,
animations
|
3-D graphics and
rendering programs
|
|
creating animated computer images
|
animation
software
|
|
recording digital sound, creating digital sound
effects, editing digitized sounds
|
sound editing
software
|
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recording and editing MIDI music
|
MIDI
sequencer
|
|
creating and editing digital video
|
digital video
editors
|
|
sending and receiving electronic mail and
messages
|
e-mail client
program
|
|
viewing Web pages
|
Web browser
program
|
|
creating, editing, and posting your own Web
pages
|
HTML
generator
|
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creating electronic slideshows, overheads
|
presentation
software*
|
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creating interactive hypermedia documents for
education, training, etc.
|
multimedia authoring
software
|
*Note: integrated productivity software combines several
of these functions into modules packaged as a single unit.
For example, Microsoft Office and Corel are examples of
programs that combine functions for a lower price compared
to buying separate components.
Based on your inventory of tasks, you can readily
determine what sort of software that you will likely need.
In some cases, a computer purchase will come "bundled" with
specific software; in other instances, you will have to
purchase the software separately. But, it is better to make
preliminary decisions about that software first, before
thinking about the hardware. This is because all software
programs need and use hardware resources. And, it makes
better sense to consider what sort of hardware you will need
based on how you intend to use it.
What Hardware
Requirements are Needed for Your Software
Once
you have determined what applications you would likely need,
you should compare products from software vendors. The goal,
of course, is to find out which products would meet your
needs. But, there is also another important issue. Each
software application has recommended system
requirements. In other words, the software manufacturer
advises you on both the minimum and recommended
specifications that your computer system should meet if you
plan to use their product.
You
should always be sure that your system meets (at least) the
minimum standards for using software that you will depend
upon. If it is does not, then the software may not work
properly or at all. The recommended standards are usually
higher, but meeting these mean that you can expect the
software to work more efficiently and with fewer
troubles.
At
the other end of the extreme, you may find that some
(expensive) computer models have capabilities that extend
far beyond the recommended requirements for using your
software. In these instances, it may be a better choice to
spend less money on another system rather than paying a
premium for power and features that you will not use.
For
example, the popular integrated software package Microsoft Office (including
Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, Powerpoint, PhotoDraw, Frontpage,
and Publisher) requires a minimum of 128MB of RAM if used with the operating
systems Windows 2000, XP, or later. In addition, the programs themselves
take up over 500 MB of hard disk space. An additional 100 MB of disk space
is needed as a reserve for temporary files when the program is running.
It also recommends a CD or DVD drive for installation and a video monitor
with at least Super VGA resolution.
This
means that you would need a system with approximately 256 MB of RAM, a
hard drive with a minimum of 1 GB, a CD-ROM drive, and an SVGA video monitor.
It is very likely that you would want to increase both RAM and disk storage
as well.
You
should also consider your work habits too. If you plan to be using several
software applications on a single task or related tasks, you may want
to have enough memory and disk space to accomodate them all simultaneously.
You should "measure" your system's requirements against the most demanding
software that you plan to use. If you plan to use several programs simultaneously,
these requirements will have to increase accordingly.
What Platform:
Choosing an Operating System
The
most important software program that you use is the system
software called the operating system (OS). It
is also the program that is executing almost continuously
from the time you start your computer until you shut it
down. The operating system not only manages your computer
system hardware, but also supervises the execution of its
processes. In fact, applications software must be chosen for
compatibility with specific hardware, but operating systems
as well. Most software applications are
cross-platform, that means that they come in several
versions. But, you must match the version with its
prescribed operating system.
Another
consideration in choosing an operating system is its user
interface. The interface, of course, is what you see when
you are using the computer. So, you will want to choose an
OS that has an interface that suits your needs, interests,
and tastes.
There
are other factors to consider as well: efficiency, security,
cost, etc. But most of these are technical issues which
usually extend beyond consumer knowledge and concerns. For
more about operating systems, consult the OS
links provided.
continue
This page last updated 5/04
Maintained by Tom Allen.
Furman University
© 2001
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