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Memory and your Operating System


Memory is important-it is the ram that allows you to work with more open program files without your system crashing. (Ram-the temporary storage place of data that flows from your computer and processor. It is lost when you shut down your computer). 

Operating system - How much memory does your operating system need to run efficiently? It depends upon the system you want to use:

XP Professional - 512 MB memory
Vista - 1 Gig of memory
Vista Home - 512 MB memory
Windows Vista - 2 gig
Vista Premium - 1 Gig
Windows 7 - 16 Gig or hard drive space  with (Ram: 1 GB for 32 bit, 2 GB for 64 bit)

Many were skittish about Vista and opted for XP, now comes Windows 7. Microsoft's plan is to retire Vista and XP. Only time, and Windows 7 success will determine if that will happen in the future. 

Those going with Vista or Windows 7, should seriously look to 2 Gig of Ram and a dual processor. If you can afford more memory, get it, it will give you better performance. 


Hard Drive

Your hard-drive has to be large enough to store your operating system, applications, and the additional files that you add to your computer. It is said that many applications can take up to 1 GB of space, while your operating system can take up to 10 GB. And folks, operating systems are not getting smaller. 

Hard drives are getting bigger and it's a good thing. You can find 80 gig - but the common size of hard drive are running 160 on up. Most typical drives are around 160 -320 GB. But they go much bigger.

RPMs of your hard drive is important. If you are going to be using your computer for word processing and surfing the Internet than 5400 RPMs is adequate. 

But if you are going to be using your computer for multimedia, video applications, or data-intensive applications go with 7200 RPMS. The 7200 RPMs will give you faster data read/write speeds to work with.

Tip: If your hard drive is half full and you  find that your computer is beginning to run slowly, then it's probably time to start saving your money for a bigger hard drive. My advice, get as large of a hard drive that you can afford.


Monitor

If you buy a new computer system in many cases the monitor is included in the price. Monitors come in different sizes. For example Dell have monitors from 17" on up. But the life of a monitor is based mainly on personal preference, or let's just say boredom of the user. But the LCD monitors offer you a better viewing experience and it does cause less stress on the eyes. For more information on LCD monitors, check out LCD Monitors-What's Right For You


PC Hardware to Consider

A desktop computer is not of much use to you, unless you have the pc hardware you need to get your job done. So, what are some additional hardware computer accessories should you consider?

As you will see, things are not as simple as it was many years ago.

1) Graphics card- graphics cards are also dependent on need and the money you can afford to pay. As to be expected the higher the cost, higher the quality.
2) Optical Drives-DVDs and CD drives- I prefer the DVD/CD RW combo-saves space.
3) USB ports - the more the better in the back-(more power)
4) Available memory slots-to expand ram memory if needed
5) USB ports on front or top - nice to have. However, remember the front or top USB ports do not have the same power as those in back of the unit.
6) Audio-on the newer systems audio comes on the motherboard.
7) Speakers - Question you need to ask-does the unit have internal speakers or will you need to purchases speakers or does it come with the unit. Or does the monitor come with speakers.
8) Secondary Storage for backup of main drive. Some people have put a second drive on their system that mirrors there original drive. So when one goes down-the other is up and running. Mirroring from one to the other is okay-however, my fear is that if you catch a virus on one, you've just mirrored it to the other drive. For me, I'll go with the second drive as storage only.
9) Floppy or media reader or floppy/media reader combo -  Though the floppy drive is not needed often, you will find some programs that you have to place on your computer still using floppy drives. You have the option of either installing an internal floppy drive or utilizing an external floppy drive. Or, the new option, which I utilize, is a floppy drive with a media reader and USB2.0 all in one. The floppy/media reader combo is really reasonable. 
10) Modem/wireless capabilities.
11) Hard Drive Docks - Allows you to hook up internal hard-drives without opening up your computer.


Secondary Storage

Hard Drive - If you're working online secondary storage is a necessity if your computer goes down. By enlisting the aid of Norton Ghost you can create a complete image of your computer on your secondary storage device-be it a portable hard-drive or a slave hard-drive. (Note: Always make your new hard-drive the main hard-drive, because your old hard-drive (if you're using it for storage) in most cases will be moving at a slower rate). But for storage-it's ideal for what you need and want.

However, you also must remember how long you have had the old hard drive. If your hard drive is about 3 years old-I'd say maybe it's time to replace it.

Flash Drives- Another option for secondary storage is the flash drive. You can find flash drives that are available in capacities up to 16GB, allowing you to store and transport your digital files, documents, music, and photos for use on virtually any PC. And for those watching their pocketbooks, they're reasonably priced.