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Desktop Security Software Risks - Part 2
This is the third in a series of articles highlighting reasons why we need a new model for anti-virus and security solutions. Reason #2: the Desktop Security Software Risks The risks of placing software on the desktop are such that I will...

Internet Security Basics 101
The explosive growth of the Internet has meant that thousands of people are today experiencing the joys of being online for the first time. With growth there always comes pain. Be it your growing pains as a child or the growth and development of...

Registry Cleaner: Protection for Your PC
Your personal computer saves all the processes that are happening within it. The operating system has its own log of these programs running, and changes that are happening within it. What is a registry cleaner? First you must understand what a...

Small Wonders: Single Board Computers
What are Single Board Computers When most people think of computers, the image of a PC or laptop comes to mind. Some may even recall the football field size computers of the 1960's and 70's before the emergence of the PC. Very few people...

Tips for Buying a First Computer
The first question you need to ask yourself is why you need a computer and for what purpose you will use it: * Surfing the Internet * Sending and receiving e-mail * Word Processing * Spreadsheet and Money management * Listening and...

 
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What You Should Know Before Buying Computer Equipment

There are many factors to consider when deciding on which computer equipment to buy. The massive amount of choices can seem overwhelming. This guide can help you compare computer equipment features, and help you to examine and sift through the basic items before you buy a new computer.

If it is a desktop PC, laptop, discount/surplus computer, a refurbished computer or a computer accessory, this quick guide will help you to get the most for your money.

With computer equipment today almost any of them will adequately handle what most people need to buy a new computer for; word processing, basic office, internet surfing and email. Which you can buy for about $1000. or less! But if you are into digital videos, photo editing, music, or manage a large database you will need more than the basic Desktop PC or Laptop. This higher end computer will cost you around $1500-$2000.

(CPU) Processors:
There is always a lot of change in the computer market, but no matter what the upgrades there is always two basic choices to be made when purchasing computer equipment:
1) brand 2) speed. To buy a new computer that handles standard office and Internet tasks any processor will work.

Need more 'power' in your computer equipment? Then the Intel Pentium4 or the AMD Athlon XP (great for graphics and photos which use a lot of memory space) are for you.

If you buy a new computer one or two levels from the top you will only lose about five percent per tier performance but you can save a couple hundred dollars!

(RAM) Memory:
Memory is very important because optimum running of your computer equipment is dependent on enough RAM. The minimum amount should be


256MB, for better performance you should get 512MB. If you can afford to buy a new computer with more, you should. It's worth it because you can keep more applications open and it will easily handle memory hogs like Photoshop and music applications!

Monitors:
When buying computer equipment look for a monitor that is at least 17" with a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels. A Desktop PC with a 19-inch monitor gives you 20 % more screen area. If you can spend $300-$450 on a monitor when you buy a new computer you might want to get a 15" LCD because it has the same viewable area as the 17" CRT and takes up much less space.

Hard Drives (storage):
Most hard drives sold today will provide more than enough storage. The basic computer equipment comes with 40GB or larger, which is plenty for most tasks. But for working with graphics, video, music, or large databases 80GB should be the minimum you settle for. 7200-rpm drives give better performance. But for the best performance get a computer with 8MB of cache.

Warranty and Tech Support:
A one-year warranty on most computer equipment is enough, because most problems seem to happen in the first year. If you want you can get an extended two to three year warranty for around $150. to $200. If you buy a Dell you can get priority call routing to tech support for a year for only $39.

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About the author:

About The Author
B. Archer is a successful author and publisher of http://www.A1-computers.net
A great source of information about computers and computer accessories.