Bits'n'Bytes

As heard on CJCD

Episode 25

Without a doubt, the simplest question I get asked most often is one of the most difficult to answer. "Which computer should I buy?" is one of the most difficult questions because the answer is different for everyone. The answer depends on so many different variables it's hard to give anyone a straight answer when they ask. So, here's a few tips I usually tell people when they're in the market for a new system.

First of all, name brand or clone - which one? From HP to Dell, IBM, Toshiba and the no-name brands, all the basic parts of a computer are the same. I find it doesn't really matter any more who makes the system. They all work (and break) pretty much the same. If you get one with all the parts made on a Wednesday afternoon, you may be luckier than someone who buys one made on a Monday morning, but that's about as far as it goes.

Hard drive? Again, you can go with almost any maker. Remember though - the hard drive is one of the few mechanical parts on a computer - it will almost always be the first part to go. Get one with a three year warranty, if you can, and back up your data regularly no matter what kind you get. As for size, that depends on how much you plan to use your computer for storage.

Pentium, Celeron or AMD chip? Personally, I like the Pentiums. I especially like the fact that they slow down when they get too got. AMD's don't have that feature and rely on a shutdown switch on the motherboard to protect it from overheating. Celerons are good if you're a novice user and you don't intend to play high end games on your system. They don't have a math co-processor, so even though they may be promoted as screaming fast, they have to do more work than a Pentium to get the same amount of work done.
Also, if you're going to play some high end games, invest in a good video card with lots of video RAM. If you're not planning on conquering the universe any time soon, stick with whatever the motherboard manufacturer put onboard.

Last thing to make sure of is that you have lots of RAM. Windows XP needs at least 256MB to run properly. That means if you want to run any other programs, you're going to need more than 256MB of RAM. I recommend a minimum of 512MB - and if you can afford to put a gigabyte in there - do it.

Stay tuned next week when I explain the dangers of playing with your system's registy.

I’m Computer Dave, thanks for your time.