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Buying a Computer, Part Four

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Pieces of hardware you should think about buying

Okay, let's go through a list of things you should be buying.

Most computers are sold as a case where you need to specify the processor (and processor speed) and the amount of RAM, and a hard disk size (in gigabytes). There are many different kinds of cases from "towers" that sit vertically on the floor or desk, to "desktops" that sit horizontally on the desk. Be sure to buy a case with at least a 200-watt power supply; anything smaller will limit use of the computer. As far as the rest of the items go, use the method (Katy-Bar-The-Door, ROI-Optimize, Hand-Me-Down, or Cheapskate) that fits this purchase.

If you're buying an Apple iMac, you already have a monitor. If not, you will need to specify the monitor. Keep in mind your use - I would recommend a 17-inch monitor for most uses, a 19- or 21-inch monitor for special purposes. Consider a 15-inch monitor if you just can't afford a 17-inch monitor and you have good eyes. Consider a 14-inch monitor only if no one will use the computer for more than 10 minutes at a time - they'll go blind!

You might also need to specify a video card, if the default card is not powerful enough for you. If you really need more power here, check out the available cards. This market is moving far too fast for me to make any suggestions here.

Don't forget to specify a modem or network card to allow this computer to talk to other computers. For modems, any speed less than 28.8 KiloBitsPerSecond (KBPS, commonly abbreviated to just K) is unavailable, and I would discourage any purchase under 33.6 K. While 56 KBPS modems are now common (and highly recommended in most cases), be leery of them if you have really crummy telephone service from your business -- 56 KBPS modems are pickier about connecting over "bad" phone lines than 33.6 KBPS and slower modems. Usually the 56 K modem will try to downshift the speed if it has trouble connecting, but I have had more problems connecting with my 56K modem than I did with my earlier 28.8K modem. I live in an area with what I would call good service (no noise on the lines, good connections for the vast majority of calls). The problems are not severe, but noticeable. Make your own judgement, but don't work too hard for a slower modem. In practically all cases, a 56K modem will work just fine.

If you need a network card, purchase one compatible with your installed network. Space is too short here to go into network construction (perhaps a later article?), so I'm going to leave my advice on network cards to just "buy one that is compatible". Sorry.

You should consider adding a CD-ROM drive or (these days) a DVD drive. This will be used to bring new data and programs into your computer. If you buy a DVD drive, be sure it is capable of reading CD-ROMs (practically all of them are, but ask, just to be sure).

Finally, I'm going to throw a few things on your list that you might not have thought about. To start with, consider purchasing a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), or, at the very least, a surge protector. While your power may be very stable, strange things have been known to happen. Well known writer Jerry Pournelle wrote in his monthly Byte article about a time when a car lost control close to his home. The car ran into a tower supporting high voltage power lines. The tower collapsed and dropped power lines with 30,000 volts across his local power lines running 220 volts. The result: for a short period (pun intended), his house voltage was 30,000 volts instead of 220 volts! He has quite a few computers at his home, and all were on at the time. The computers tied to surge protectors died (horribly). The ones on a UPS survived with no problems (although the UPS units had to be replaced). If this was your business, which outcome would you rather have?

Also, consider how you will back up your data. While practically every computer is still equipped with a floppy disk drive (an interesting exception: Apple's iMac), the floppy can only store 1.4 megabytes (million characters). While this sounds like a lot, it's actually miserably small these days. Instead, consider an Iomega Zip drive (which can store 100 megabytes), a CD-RW drive (which writes to special CD media and can store about 650 megabytes) or a tape backup mechanism (some which can store upwards of 3.2 trillion bytes (terabytes)). There are plusses and minuses to all of these that are too numerous to go into here - look for a later article on back ups!

Gee, I'm sorry I asked!

Yup, purchasing a computer can be a heart-rending, nerve-racking experience, especially when you have this vague feeling that you're putting your business' future in the hands of some fat guy with a ponytail who is wearing a dirty T-shirt, shorts, and no shoes. The real scary thought is that this guy is making twice what you are!

Well, it does seem to be a difficult decision, but you are essentially getting a partner for your business; an employee who can make you much more productive, but only if you make the right decision. Work hard to pick that helper and it will help you well for a long time.