The Salvation Army-Cleveland Temple Corps

Tips for Buying a Computer

Prepared by:

Permeil Dass

Community Computer Center Director

When you go to the stores or look through the computer ads you will be bombarded with a ton of numbers and computer lingo. This sheet should be helpful in becoming familiar with the terminology. Just like when you buy a car, the car dealer asks what are you looking for. One response is, a V-6 engine, four door, import, anti-lock brakes, power steering, etc. To some people this does not mean a whole lot when people rattle off names and numbers, unless you are one of those knowledgeable car people. Well, same thing happens at the computer store. These names and numbers are called the SPECs (short for specifications) of the computer.

SPECs

• Hard drive size: A hard drive is the long term memory of your computer. It stores all of your files and computer programs. The unit of measurement for memory is called a byte. Below is a chart describing some of the terms you will hear in reference to a hard drive. Most home users can get away with a 2-2.5 GB hard drive.

• RAM: RAM (which stands for Random Access Memory) is a very important part of the computer. RAM is like the short term memory of your computer. When you open up programs the information is copied from your hard drive to the RAM. So the more memory your RAM has the more programs you can be using at the same time and the faster your computer will work. You should try and buy 64 MB RAM, but no less than 32 MB RAM.
• MegaHertz: The MegaHertz (or MHz for short) determines the speed of your computer, how fast does it process information. The larger the MHz number the faster your computer will run. Recommended number is 200 MHz at the least. Also, MMX has recently been available, which makes your computer run a bit faster and enhances video images. If you are going to play a lot of games or do video conferencing than this will be an extra feature you may want to look into.
• CPU: CPU stands for Central Processing Unit. The CPU is the heart and brains of your computer. A computer is named after the type of CPU is contains, for instance 386, 486, or Pentium (which is a 586). CPU plays a large factor in how fast your computer goes. We recommend you buy a Pentium I, II, or III. Note Pentium is a brand name and there are other brand names available that are usually cheap like AMD.
• Monitor Size: When deciding which sized monitor to buy, the important question to ask is not what the size of the monitor is but what is the viewable size of the monitor. For example, a 15" monitor may only display 13.5" on the monitor, whereas another 15" monitor may have a viewable size of 14". They sound like they are the same, but they are not. Also, try to buy a monitor with the most dots per inch for better quality and one that can display 32 BIT colors.
• CD-ROM Speed: When buying a CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory) for your computer you should buy at least 10X. A faster CD-ROM drive does not make a huge difference. Recently, CD-Rs (Compact Disk-Recordables) have appeared on the market, which allow you to store information on to a CD and DVD drives. These are quite pricey right now and is something you can do without if you are a beginner.
• Modem Speed: If you want to connect a computer to the Internet you will need a modem before you plug your computer into the telephone line. Modem speed is very important to determine how fast your Internet connection is. It is recommended that you buy a 56K modem. Note, your ISP should be able to provide you access close to 56K. Your modem should allow you to also fax directly from your computer.

• Plug and play: When you buy a new part for your computer, Plug and Play allows you to simply plug it in, answer a few questions, and immediately begin to use it. In other words, Plug and Play helps you to install hardware easily.
• Anti-Virus: If the computer does not come with Anti-Virus software to protect against viruses.
• Upgrade: You should ask how upgradable is the computer. How many empty expansion slots does it have and how many free ports does it contain. An expansion slot is inside of the case and is where you add expansion cards. Expansion cards lets you add new features to a computer such as: graphics, sounds, modems, etc. Ports are sockets in the back of the case where you can plug things into. You should buy a computer that has a port for a printer, mouse, keyboard, headphone, microphone (if it’s not internal), and joysticks (if you will be using the computer for games).
• Bus: The bus is the part of the computer that carries information between the different parts of the computer. The higher the bus width (how much information can the bus handle) and bus speed (how fast is the information transferred) the better the bus.
• Software: You can save quit a bit of money when buying a computer that already has software installed on it. Almost all computers will have Windows ’98 on them already as well as a few others.
• VGA: Video Graphics Array, minimum standard for a monitor, can only display 16-Bit colors and a resolution of 640X480.
• SVGA: Super Video Graphics Array, a type of monitor that displays more colors at a higher resolution.
• DRAM: Dynamic Random Access Memory, video adapter memory.
• VRAM: Video Random Access Memory, a higher end video adapter memory.
• Sound Cards: Your sound card should be Sound Blaster-Compatible and at least 16-Bit.
• Memory Cache: Cache is like the short term memory of the short term memory. Information stored in a cache is emptied relatively soon. There is internal and external cache. Internal cache is faster than external cache. Internal cache (or primary cache) is built right into the CPU chip and stores information that was recently used by the CPU. External cache (or secondary cache) is found on the motherboard and also store information recently used by the CPU. Either secondary or primary cache is faster than RAM.
• Printers: It is recommended that you buy a color ink jet printer, which can hold two cartridges if possible (one for the color cartridge and one for the black cartridge). You may want to consider whether the printer is cable of scanning. Scanning allows you to put pictures (from your photo album or magazines) into the computer. The faster the speed of the printer and the higher the resolution, the better the printer. Speed is measured in ppm (pages per minute). Resolution is measured in dpi (dots per inch). You should try and get a printer with a resolution of at least 600 dpi. Make sure the printer can handle envelopes.
• Name brands: You can buy a computer that is a name brand like Gateway, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, etc. or you can buy a custom built computer from a local business. You can ask to have all of the name brand computer parts put into your computer, but the outside case will not have a brand name. This way tends to be a bit cheaper, just make sure the company will be there in the future when you need to use your warranty and has been around for at least 15 years. Most computers are equivalent. Gateways have been known for the superior customer service.
• Warranty and Service: The most important thing you have to consider when buying a computer is the warranty and service agreement. A warranty should be at least 3 years. Make sure you know who you are purchasing from to ensure that the business will still be around a few years from now when you need service.