With the rapid pace of technological developments, nothing has become
as ubiquitous as the computer. Everyone's got one. And they are used
for all manner of endeavour, by people of all walks of life. So, do you
simply buy the computer that someone's selling? Or do you do some
homework and figure out what detailed specifications are going to make
some difference to you?
At Myshopping.com.au you can compare the
prices of a wide range of different computers from different vendors and
of different specifications. This guide will help you find what you're
looking for.
Mac or Windows (PC)
At the outset, you
need to decide what you are going to use the computer for. This will
help you make the fundamental decision of whether you should go Mac or
PC. Although, with the advent of the dual core processor (an Intel chip
now used by Mac) the differences are narrowed a little, there are still
some choices that can help you favour one system over another.
Historically, Mac computers have a reputation for greater stability that
comes from a more robust operating system than Windows based computers.
Largely for this reason, Macs have been the computer of choice for the
graphic design industry, the music production industry and the video
production industry. This has prompted the software manufacturers to
make professional software packages for these disciplines that favour
the Mac operating system. Although they have packages supporting the
Windows operating system, they are often less capable.
Consequently,
if you are engaged in these industries and need your computer for this
type of work, you should consider Mac. Mac computers appear to attract
fewer viruses and software malfunctions than do Windows based PCs. On
the down side, there has always appeared to have been limited software
support for Mac systems.
Another decision that may guide your
choice is the aesthetics of the computer. If you have limited available
space, there is nothing quite like the iMacs or the mini Macs for space
saving. iMac's all-in-one desktop units are compact and complete with
all the connectivity you need. However, the look of other brands may be
more to your taste, with many models available in compact packages and
modern colour schemes to suit practically all dйcor. Now that you've
made that basic decision, you can start comparing the apples with
apples.
Mac
Windows XP Home
Windows XP Professional
The Components of Your Computer
The
two factors that determine the price of your computer are size (yes it
does matter) and speed. Either or both of these two dimensions are a
factor of practically every component that makes up the machine.
Naturally the highest price tags go with the combination of biggest and
fastest.
CPU
The heart of the computer is the CPU
(central processing unit). You need to decide which CPU you want driving
your computer. These come from different manufacturers, and the current
development of the technology is called Dual Core, which means that
there are two processors on the one chip. Dual Core technology delivers
more performance with less energy requirements. Intel and AMD are the
two leading CPU manufacturers, and they offer different products under
different names.
Current processing speeds range from about 1.4
GHz (gigahertz) through to 3.46 GHz. But it is not simply just a matter
of speed. There are other considerations. Mac Operating Systems have a
different architecture to Windows and will perform many functions faster
with a slower speed CPU. A dual core chip at 1.4 GHz will deliver a
better performance that a Pentium 4 chip at 1.8 GHz. A 1.4 GH dual core
chip running a Mac with OSX Tiger, will perform better than a 2.0 GHz
Pentium 4 processor running Windows. You need to decide what you want
your computer to do, what your major software requirements are before
you decide on the CPU processor.
However, for everyday use, a
processor faster than 1.8 GHz will deliver excellent performance. As a
rough rule of thumb, choose a Celeron for low cost computing, a Pentium 4
for mid-range budgets, or an AMD Athlon for bigger budgets. You can
compare computers based on Pentium, Celeron, Athlon or Dual Core CPUs by
searching those specifications on Myshopping.com.au and finding
different vendors and brands using different processors.
RAM
This
is where bigger definitely means better performance. RAM is the system
memory that enables the computer to use its programs and swap data
between the hard drive and the program functions. It's important to
match the speed of the RAM of your computer with the speed of the CPU.
The more RAM you have available for your programs to work, the faster
will your computer run. Most computers today come with at least 256 M
(megabytes) of RAM. But memory is a relatively cheap component, and it
costs little extra to upgrade to 512 M or greater.
HARD DRIVE
For a detailed explanation of hard drives, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Hard Disc Drives.
The
hard drive of the computer stores your program files and your data. As
computers have advanced, so has the need for more capacity to operate
programs and store data. People working in media fields tend to work
with very large files and require large storage space. Most computers in
today's market come with a minimum of 40G of hard drive space. However,
this can be upgraded (usually in 20G chunks) to as much as 200G or
more. The effectiveness of your hard drive also can depend on its
physical speed (5400-7200 RPM) and the speed at which it can transfer
data between the computer's RAM and the hard drive. Faster means better
performance.
REMOVABLE MEDIA
You will want to have a
CD-R or (CD-RW) drive installed in your computer, and or possibly a DVD
or DVD-R. For reading a CD ROM, all that is required is a CD drive and
for watching DVD movies, a DVD ROM drive. However with a CD-R drive, you
can record your own data and music CDs, and with a DVD-R drive, you can
burn files in a DVD format, allowing you to store movies and data in
far greater quantities. The CD-RW (DVD-RW) drives allow you to use
re-recordable media. Your decision will depend on what you want to use
your media drives for and what you want to store.
Other removable media will possibly include flash card storage, which is usually plugged in via the USB ports on the computer.
MONITORS
For a detailed explanation of monitors, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Monitors.
The
monitor for your computer is integral to its function and aesthetics.
If you are working in graphics you may want to stay with a CRT monitor.
However most bundle offers these days are supplied with LCD monitors,
which have the advantages of smaller space requirements, use lower
energy and offer wider screen images. However they generally are more
expensive (although prices are dropping everyday), can frequently be not
as bright, have limited viewing angles and sometimes require a digital
interface connector.
For graphics intensive work, LCD screens do
not have the same capacity to render colours in gradients as CRT
monitors. Once again, size matters. Bigger screens cost more than
smaller ones.
VIDEO AND SOUND
For a detailed explanation of video cards, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Video Cards.
The
interface between the CPU and the Monitor is provided by the video
card. One of the basic decisions you need to make is whether you require
a 3D or 2D card. Video cards come in two different types: those that
use an AGP (accelerated graphics port) on the computer motherboard and
those that use the PCI bus. Data transfer rate is critical to video
performance. Faster video cards use an AGP, and this proves a faster
data transfer than PCI cards. Most video cards also have their own video
memory installed on the card, a feature that increases a computer's
memory performance. Today, these memories are often 128M or 256M, and
can be more in the higher-end cards dedicated to sophisticated video
work or gaming. Video cards performance is also affected by what is
known as clock speed or clock rate, cards with a faster speed offer
faster performance.
Cheaper computers, and laptops and notebooks,
have an integrated graphics chip included in the motherboard instead of a
discrete video card. This type of configuration is not as powerful or
as fully functional as having a separate video card, which can allow
more comprehensive gaming, the use of multiple monitors and faster and
better rendering of images.
For a computer to reproduce the sounds
recorded in games, movies and music products it requires a sound card.
Quality of sound can be affected by the sound card your computer has
installed. It's important that you know how you want to use the sound
reproduction processes of your computer. If you are a musician and want
to record audio, then you will want to be sure that you have excellent
connectivity, good midi access and at least 16-bit (CD quality) audio
reproduction. Sound cards give you the possibilities of full cinema
surround sound, and the many subtle effects employed by high-end games.
Nearly
every computer comes with a set of stereo speakers. However it pays to
have a good listen to what you're buying. Make sure you listen to
program that you are familiar with (take your own CD along) and compare
the sound in a quiet environment. Many speaker systems for computers
have poor frequency response and are underpowered. For desktop use that
does not involve a quality listening environment this may be
satisfactory. But if you want to listen to music and watch movies for
the full effect, then you need to consider buying a good quality set of
speakers. Use the search facility of Myshopping.com.au to compare
specifications and prices of different speaker systems.
KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
The
choice of keyboard and mouse are personal choices. Sometimes it depends
on what you do on your computer, whether you have formal typing skills
or whether you're a two-finger hack. Serious writers may prefer an
ergonomic keyboard. Keyboards frequently have different clicks and
responses to others. You may prefer an infrared cordless keyboard and
mouse. You may prefer an optical mouse on which you don't have to clean
the rollers. Optical mice have no rollerball, and can be used on most
flat surfaces, but they are more expensive.
CONNECTIVITY
Today,
connectivity is everything. Your computer can have wireless connections
to all of your peripherals: printer, scanner, and other computers.
Having an onboard modem will only be really important if you are using a
dial up internet connection. Broadband modems tend to be peripherals
and you can connect via USB, wireless or firewire. It does pay to
consider how you will connect to the internet and other peripherals.
It's not always convenient to get behind your computer to plug something
in or unplug it. Some sound cards have a front face panel with all the
connections you need. The USB ports on Macs are conveniently located.
Many PC manufacturers haven't caught on to the fact that it's important
for some people to easily access the connections to their computers.
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