dacs.doc electric

Buying a Second Computer

by Mike Kaltschnee

LIKE MOST of DACS readers, I constantly get asked at parties, supermarket, and family gatherings for advice on buying a computer. So I've decided to help you out by writing an article you can hand to the someone who's asked you for advice, or if you are the one looking, make some sense of the confusing assortment of computers available today.

My dad, who finally caught the computer bug, decided he wanted a new. "state-of-the-art" model. He used to get my old computers, starting with an Apple ][e when I bought my first PC. He started using it for business, and then got an old XT from me and used that until a few years ago. Not caught up in the speed race, the XT was fast enough to type letters (and still is in my opinion). Now schools and other organizations won't even take them as donations, so most of them wind up in landfills. His company bought him a color 486 notebook computer with sound, and he was hooked on Windows 95. It was downhill from there.

Dad has been yearning for a computer for a while, shopping for several months and learning such exotic computer jargon as "EDO RAM," "SCSI," "PCI Bus," and "X2." I'm not going to explain all of this stuff here, but if you want a great resource for all of your jargon- and computer-buying questions, check out http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/newpc/. What I'm going to do here is to try to share the advice I gave him, and to give you a few tips on things to look for when you go off to buy a computer.

Wait before buying!

First, I told my dad to wait, something unusual in the computer business. I always try to keep my hand on the "pulse" of the industry, and I knew that there was going to be a huge price break at the beginning of the year. Sure enough, a few months after we broke the $1,000 barrier for a new Pentium computer, we broke $799. I wouldn't recommend one of these computers unless it was a second for the kids or if price was really a concern.

The reason I told him to wait was I knew that this would bring the prices of the higher-end computers down. Sure enough, the price break on the type of computer he was looking for was more than $400 -- just for waiting a week. These price breaks tend to happen in the Spring, around Spring Comdex, summer during PC Expo, and November, around Fall Comdex. The biggest happens around the end of year, just after Christmas.

Even with computer prices breaking $1,000 for a complete system with CD-ROM, printer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 16MB of RAM, Windows 95, and a ton of software, you want to spend at least $1,500. This is a break over my previous recommendation of $2,000. My dad wound up spending around $2,500, but he went for the 17-inch monitor, Pentium II, a three-year additional comprehensive service plan (total of four years), and video in/out support. He spent more than he expected but got a killer machine that should last him about two years (with upgrades) until he needs another.

One thing I tell everyone is to expect to buy a new computer every two years. No matter what you buy now, you'll wind up replacing it if you use it often. If you don't, you'll be able to get away with buying one every three years. If you have kids, you might even need to upgrade every 1.5 years (you can "hand down" the older computers to younger kids, like clothing). There is also the issue of what Windows 98 will require when it ships this summer.

To buy a computer today, you'll need to consider the following:

PROCESSOR: You can get a Pentium 166 computer for $799, but it may not even run the current games. It'll process words fast enough, but if you can afford it, get yourself a Pentium II MMX (the MMX means it has the multimedia support you'll need) at the very least.

MONITOR: Get a 17-inch one if you can afford it. The size difference is not only easier on your eyes, but you can do more things at once. The price difference should only be a couple of hundred dollars and is worth every penny in two years of reduced eyestrain.

RAM: Memory for your computer. You'll need at least 16MB but get 32MB if you can. It's not expensive to buy, but you may spend as much on the installation as the cost of the RAM. If you plan on using Windows NT, get 64MB.

VIDEO: This is increasingly becoming the reason things run slowly. Windows requires a fast video card, and most of them now come with 4MB of RAM. Get a 3D graphics card if you can.

HARD DISK: The prices of these permanent storage devices are dropping so fast I can't keep up. Staples is selling a seven gigabyte hard drive for $299. We paid several thousand dollars for a seven gigabyte drive about two years ago. Get at least two gigabytes, if not four or five. You'll need the space.

SOFTWARE: Almost every computer comes bundled with free software. Forget the junk, look for Microsoft Office or Works. Make sure it comes with an encyclopedia, a game or two, and educational software if you have kids.

CD-ROM: The faster the better. Get a 20-speed or faster, and you'll appreciate the difference. Most software and games come on CD now, so you'll get a lot of use out of a fast drive and will save a lot of time.

MODEM: Make sure you get a 56K modem, and make sure you can upgrade it when the new standards come out. Get a US Robotics if you can (they've never failed me).

BRAND: This is making more and more of a difference. I asked CompUSA what computers were being returned. I knew about Packard Bell but didn't expect to hear about Compaq (low-end models only). You can ask your friends, co-workers, and family about their experiences, too. I like HP and Sony on the low-end, and Dell, Micron, and Compaq on the high-end.

SERVICE CONTRACTS: Get one. My dad bought Sony's because he knows that inevitably something will break or go awry. Even though he has a son for technical support, I'm not always around. Hard drives fail, monitors go fuzzy, and you'll make the couple of hundred dollars back the first time you call (just in lack of frustration).

Other things to beware of include restocking fees (ask, some are 15% of your purchase price!), deals that sound too good to be true (no free lunch in this business), and fly-by-night companies. This industry has been around long enough that if a company is really deceitful, they're long gone.

A couple of things to remember: First, prices change so fast that you don't have to buy "today." Don't ever look back, because the prices will drop next week (if you wait, you'll never buy a computer). Next, when you go shopping for that next big ticket, take along a friend who knows computers to decipher what the salesperson is saying. And always pay by credit card in case you get ripped off.

By the way, if you do get asked if you know anything about computers, you can always use my response: "Computers? No, I'm a sanitation engineer! Who told you that?"

Buying a Second Computer

*by Mike Kaltschnee*
LIKE MOST of DACS readers, I constantly get asked at parties, supermarket, and family gatherings for advice on buying a computer. So I've decided to help you out by writing an article you can hand to the someone who's asked you for advice, or if you are the one looking, make some sense of the confusing assortment of computers available today. My dad, who finally caught the computer bug, decided he wanted a new. "state-of-the-art" model. He used to get my old computers, starting with an Apple ][e when I bought my first PC. He started using it for business, and then got an old XT from me and used that until a few years ago. Not caught up in the speed race, the XT was fast enough to type letters (and still is in my opinion). Now schools and other organizations won't even take them as donations, so most of them wind up in landfills. His company bought him a color 486 notebook computer with sound, and he was hooked on Windows 95. It was downhill from there. Dad has been yearning for a computer for a while, shopping for several months and learning such exotic computer jargon as "EDO RAM," "SCSI," "PCI Bus," and "X2." I'm not going to explain all of this stuff here, but if you want a great resource for all of your jargon- and computer-buying questions, check out http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/newpc/. What I'm going to do here is to try to share the advice I gave him, and to give you a few tips on things to look for when you go off to buy a computer. Wait before buying! First, I told my dad to wait, something unusual in the computer business. I always try to keep my hand on the "pulse" of the industry, and I knew that there was going to be a huge price break at the beginning of the year. Sure enough, a few months after we broke the $1,000 barrier for a new Pentium computer, we broke $799. I wouldn't recommend one of these computers unless it was a second for the kids or if price was really a concern. The reason I told him to wait was I knew that this would bring the prices of the higher-end computers down. Sure enough, the price break on the type of computer he was looking for was more than $400 -- just for waiting a week. These price breaks tend to happen in the Spring, around Spring Comdex, summer during PC Expo, and November, around Fall Comdex. The biggest happens around the end of year, just after Christmas. Even with computer prices breaking $1,000 for a complete system with CD-ROM, printer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 16MB of RAM, Windows 95, and a ton of software, you want to spend at least $1,500. This is a break over my previous recommendation of $2,000. My dad wound up spending around $2,500, but he went for the 17-inch monitor, Pentium II, a three-year additional comprehensive service plan (total of four years), and video in/out support. He spent more than he expected but got a killer machine that should last him about two years (with upgrades) until he needs another. One thing I tell everyone is to expect to buy a new computer every two years. No matter what you buy now, you'll wind up replacing it if you use it often. If you don't, you'll be able to get away with buying one every three years. If you have kids, you might even need to upgrade every 1.5 years (you can "hand down" the older computers to younger kids, like clothing). There is also the issue of what Windows 98 will require when it ships this summer. To buy a computer today, you'll need to consider the following: PROCESSOR: You can get a Pentium 166 computer for $799, but it may not even run the current games. It'll process words fast enough, but if you can afford it, get yourself a Pentium II MMX (the MMX means it has the multimedia support you'll need) at the very least. MONITOR: Get a 17-inch one if you can afford it. The size difference is not only easier on your eyes, but you can do more things at once. The price difference should only be a couple of hundred dollars and is worth every penny in two years of reduced eyestrain. RAM: Memory for your computer. You'll need at least 16MB but get 32MB if you can. It's not expensive to buy, but you may spend as much on the installation as the cost of the RAM. If you plan on using Windows NT, get 64MB. VIDEO: This is increasingly becoming the reason things run slowly. Windows requires a fast video card, and most of them now come with 4MB of RAM. Get a 3D graphics card if you can. HARD DISK: The prices of these permanent storage devices are dropping so fast I can't keep up. Staples is selling a seven gigabyte hard drive for $299. We paid several thousand dollars for a seven gigabyte drive about two years ago. Get at least two gigabytes, if not four or five. You'll need the space. SOFTWARE: Almost every computer comes bundled with free software. Forget the junk, look for Microsoft Office or Works. Make sure it comes with an encyclopedia, a game or two, and educational software if you have kids. CD-ROM: The faster the better. Get a 20-speed or faster, and you'll appreciate the difference. Most software and games come on CD now, so you'll get a lot of use out of a fast drive and will save a lot of time. MODEM: Make sure you get a 56K modem, and make sure you can upgrade it when the new standards come out. Get a US Robotics if you can (they've never failed me). BRAND: This is making more and more of a difference. I asked CompUSA what computers were being returned. I knew about Packard Bell but didn't expect to hear about Compaq (low-end models only). You can ask your friends, co-workers, and family about their experiences, too. I like HP and Sony on the low-end, and Dell, Micron, and Compaq on the high-end. SERVICE CONTRACTS: Get one. My dad bought Sony's because he knows that inevitably something will break or go awry. Even though he has a son for technical support, I'm not always around. Hard drives fail, monitors go fuzzy, and you'll make the couple of hundred dollars back the first time you call (just in lack of frustration). Other things to beware of include restocking fees (ask, some are 15% of your purchase price!), deals that sound too good to be true (no free lunch in this business), and fly-by-night companies. This industry has been around long enough that if a company is really deceitful, they're long gone. A couple of things to remember: First, prices change so fast that you don't have to buy "today." Don't ever look back, because the prices will drop next week (if you wait, you'll never buy a computer). Next, when you go shopping for that next big ticket, take along a friend who knows computers to decipher what the salesperson is saying. And always pay by credit card in case you get ripped off. By the way, if you do get asked if you know anything about computers, you can always use my response: "Computers? No, I'm a sanitation engineer! Who told you that?"

Mike Kaltschnee is a co-owner of DeMorgan Industries Corp., the leading developer of Web graphics and also teaches Webmaster and Internet marketing classes at the Internet School in Naugatuck Valley Community Technology College.