Everything You Need to Know Before Buying a Computer

Common sense talk- money saving solutions

Dr. Jan Pittman VanderpoolEmail: vanderj@wlac.edu

PC (Windows) Versus Apple (MAC)PC MAC

Cost X

Available Software (Business)

X

Available Software (Home) X

Ease of Use X

Reliability X

Vulnerability (viruses, etc.) X

Desktop versus Laptop (Notebook)Desktop Laptop

Cost (relative) X

Performance (raw power) X

CPU X

Portability X

Screen Size & Clarity X

Permanent storage X

Memory X

Definitions-Desktop

• Desktop computer-May consist of five or more components;– Main frame which houses the CPU, memory, permanent

storage, DVD or CD drive, video adapter, sound adapter, Ethernet connector, keyboard, mouse, speakers and display

– Non-portable configuration whose components may weigh more than twenty pounds

• Review sites– http://reviews.cnet.com/desktop-computers/– http://www.pcworld.com/products/computers/desktops.

html

Definitions-Laptop (Notebook)

• Personal computers designed for mobility in five broad categories as defined by size & weight;– Netbook/Subnotebook: <10.5" x <1.5" x <1.3" @ <3.5 lbs– Ultraportable: 9-11" x 8-10" x <1.5" @ 2.0-5 lbs.– Thin and light: 11-15" x <11" x 1-1.7" @ 5-7 lbs.– Desktop Replacement: >15" x >11" x >1.5" @ >7 lbs.– Luggables: >18” x >13” x >1.5” @ >12 lbs.

• Review sites– http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/– http://www.notebookreview.com/

Definitions-CPU

• CPU(Central processing unit)- This is the brains of the computer and its power is generally measured in clock speed (cpu cycles). Today’s CPU’s clock speeds will exceed 2 GHz on desktops and 1.6 GHz on laptops.

• Caveat-Rated clock speeds are not linear measurements- a 3.0 GHz P4 is actually less powerful than a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo

Definitions- Memory

• Memory (RAM)- non permanent storage measured in megabytes (MB) or preferably, gigabytes (GB). Desktops should have at least 2 GB of RAM while laptops may have 1 GB but should have 2 GB of RAM

• Caveat- Windows XP can only recognize 3.28 GB of RAM. Anything more is wasted. Windows 7 (32 bit) can recognize 4 GB and Windows 7 (64 bit) can recognize 192 GB

Definitions-Storage

• Permanent Storage (Hard drive) – Unlike RAM, data stored in permanent storage remains after the power is turned off. Storage, like RAM, is measured in gigabytes (GB). Desktops should have at a minimum 500 GB of storage while laptops may suffice with 250 GB

• Caveat- If you plan to store pictures, videos or music, you should opt for as much storage as possible (terabyte plus)

Definitions-Display

• Desktop display (monitor) – New systems should have an LCD flat panel display of at least 19” diagonal with a minimum resolution of 1280 x 1024. Higher is better.

• Laptops display – Depending upon the size laptop the screen dimensions will vary from 7” to 19” (too heavy) Minimum resolution of 1280 x 1024

• Caveat- The video card must have its own fast processor and enough memory to support active screens

Definitions-Display• Screen size

– The screen size is the measurement of the displayable area of the screen from the lower corner to the opposite upper corner of the display (7”-20” notebook, 15”-30”+ desktop)

• Aspect ratio– The aspect ratio refers to the number of horizontal pixels to vertical pixels in a display. Traditional

displays used a 4:3 aspect ratio. Most new widescreen monitors use either a 16:10 or 16:9 aspect ratio.• Native resolution

– All LCD screens can actually display only a single given resolution referred to as the native resolution. This is the physical number of horizontal and vertical pixels that make up the LCD matrix of the display..

• Contrast ratio– Basically a higher contrast ratio will mean that the screen will tend to have deeper blacks and brighter

whites.• Connectors

– Most LCD panels have an analog and a digital connector on them. The analog connector is the VGA or DSUB-15. The common digital interface is the DVI connector.

• Stands– Many people don't consider the stand when purchasing a monitor but it can make a huge difference.

There are typically four different types of adjustment: height, tilt, swivel and pivot.

Operating System

• Windows is the predominant operating system found on PCs– Windows XP-released October 30, 2001 and is currently

the most widely installed PC operating system (est. >400 million worldwide)

– Windows Vista-released January 30, 2007 and has been plagued by problems ever since its release

– Windows 7- released October 22, 2009 purportedly to fix all past mistakes (installed on all new, major brand computers)

• Mac OS X-current version code named Snow Leopard

Manufacturers• PCs are manufactured (assembled) by either 1st tier, 2nd tier or whitebox companies

(53% of all systems sold)– 1st tier companies

• HP www.hp.com• Dell www.dell.com• Toshiba www.toshiba.com• Lenovo www.lenovo.com

– 2nd tier companies• Acer www.acer.com• Sony www.sony.com• Sharp www.sharp.com

– Whitebox companies• Your local computer store

• Caveat- Buyer beware; smaller stores may not be there when you need them but conversely, may be able to provide you with personalized service when you want it

iPad vs. Kindle

From $489.00 - $829.00 From $259.00 - $489.00

Kindle-Fact SheetSlim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines

Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback

Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered wirelessly in less than 60 seconds; no PC required

3G Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle; no annual contracts, no monthly fees, no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots

Global Coverage: Enjoy 3G wireless coverage at home or abroad in over 100 countries. See details. Check wireless coverage map.

Paper-Like Display: Reads like real paper without glare, even in bright sunlight

Carry Your Library: Holds up to 1,500 books

Longer Battery Life: Now read for up to 1 week on a single charge with wireless on, a significant improvement from the previous battery life of 4 days

Built-In PDF Reader: Your Kindle can now display PDF documents natively. Native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go.

Read-to-Me: With the experimental Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud to you, unless the book's rights holder made the feature unavailable

Kindle Fact Sheet cont.

Large Selection: Over 480,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read, including 105 of 112 New York Times® Best Sellers, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs. For non-U.S. customers, content availability and pricing will vary. Check your country.

Out-of-Copyright, Pre-1923 Books: Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are available to read on Kindle, including titles such as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, and Treasure Island. Learn more

Low Book Prices: New York Times® Best Sellers and new releases from $9.99. When traveling abroad, you can download books wirelessly from the Kindle Store or your Archived Items.

Free Book Samples: Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy

iPad Fact Sheet

• Watch the iPad video • All of the built-in apps on iPad were designed from the ground up to take advantage of the large Multi-

Touch screen and advanced capabilities of iPad. And they work in any orientation. So you can do things with these apps that you can’t do on any other device.

• Safari• iPad is the best way to experience the web. View whole pages in portrait or landscape on the large Multi-

Touch screen. And let your fingers do the surfing. Learn more• Mail• There’s nothing like the Mail app on iPad. With a split-screen view and expansive onscreen keyboard, it lets

you see and touch your email in ways you never could before. Learn more• Photos• A vivid LED-backlit IPS display makes viewing photos on iPad extraordinary. Open albums with a tap. Flip

through your pictures one by one. Or play a slideshow and share your photos. Learn more• Videos• The 9.7-inch high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching HD movies, TV shows, podcasts, music

videos, and more. Learn more

iPad Fact Sheet cont.

• Videos• The 9.7-inch high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching HD movies, TV shows, podcasts, music

videos, and more. Learn more• YouTube• With the YouTube app designed specifically for iPad, videos are even easier to find. And on the amazing

iPad display, they’re more fun to watch. Especially in HD. Learn more• iPod• Reach out and touch your songs. View your album art full-size. iPad makes music look as good as it sounds.

Learn more• iTunes• Millions of songs, thousands of movies and TV shows, and so much more. Browsing and buying are just a

tap away. Learn more• App Store• You’ll find more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, and iPad can run almost all of them. Including

everything from games to productivity apps. Learn more• iBooks• Reading is a joy on iPad. Text looks crisp and bright. Pages turn with a flick. And you can buy new books

from the iBookstore. Just download the free iBooks app to get started.1 Learn more

iPad fact Sheet cont.

• Maps• See more of the world with iPad. Find locations easier than ever with street view, satellite

view, or new terrain view — all using Google services. Learn more• Notes• With its large display and onscreen keyboard, iPad makes it easy to jot down quick notes and

keep important information on hand. You can even email yourself reminders. Learn more• Calendar• Work, home, and everything in between. Your schedules are easy to read and easy to manage

on iPad — even all at once. Learn more• Contacts• With Contacts on iPad, you can see much more than just names and numbers. And you can

do more with them, too. Learn more• Home Screen• With just one press of the Home button, you have access to every app on your iPad.

Learn more

iPad Fact Sheet cont.

• Spotlight Search• No matter what you’re looking for, Spotlight Search can help you find it. Learn more• Accessibility• Universal access is built into iPad. So right out of the box, Apple makes it easy for people with

disabilities to enjoy all that iPad has to offer. Learn more• iWork• The iWork productivity applications that you know and love on the Mac — Keynote, Pages,

and Numbers — have been completely redesigned for iPad.2 So you can create great-looking presentations, documents, and spreadsheets. All using just your fingers. And while they’re easy to use, they’re also the most powerful productivity apps ever built for a mobile device.

• Keynote• Create a presentation with custom graphic styles, elegantly designed themes, stunning

animations and effects, and powerful new features designed just for iPad. Learn more• Pages• Pages has everything you need to put your words into beautiful documents. Including Apple-

designed templates and easy-to-use formatting tools. Learn more• Numbers• Numbers includes over 250 easy-to-use functions, an intelligent keyboard, flexible tables, and

eye-catching charts. So you can create compelling spreadsheets in just a few taps. Learn more

Network Appliance

$100.00 Internet access device http://www.sylvaniacomputers.com/

Netbooks

Typical configuration• Intel Atom N450(1.66GHz)• 10.1” WSVGA • 1GB Memory • 160GB HDD

$199- $459

Notebooks

Windows PC Notebooks Apple Notebooks

$299 & up $899 & up

Notebooks-Configuration

PC

• 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo• 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM• 300 GB Hard Drive• DVD+/-RW-CD-RW• 15 in 1280 x 1024 Display

Apple

• 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo • 2GB DDR3 SDRAM • 250GB Hard Drive /

SuperDrive• DVD±RW/CD-RW• 13.3in 1280 x 800 Display /

NVIDIA

Software

• Productivity-Paid– Microsoft Office-2010 (generally does not come

included with the computer, just a 60 day trial)• Word-Wordprocessing• Excel-Spreadsheet• Powerpoint-Presentation• Outlook-Email• Access-Database

– Adobe Acrobat –PDF maker – Act or Goldmine-Contact manager

Software-Free

• Productivity– Open Office-Microsoft Office open source software

from Sun Micro Systems http://www.openoffice.org/– Adobe Reader 9.1-read PDF files

http://download.cnet.com/Adobe-Reader/3000-10743_4-10000062.html

– Avira-Anti virus http://www.free-av.com/– Antispyware- AdAware

http://download.cnet.com/Ad-Aware-Free-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5

– Registry repair-Spybot-Search and Destroy http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html

Home Software-Pictures

– Adobe Photoshop https://www.photoshop.com/– Web Picture Creator

http://software.informer.com/wpc/– Flickr http://www.flickr.com/– Shutterfly

http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books– Snapfish http://www.snapfish.com/

Home Software-Music Catalog

• Apple iTunes– http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

• Limewire– http://www.limewire.com/

• Rhapsody– http://www.rhapsody.com/home.html

• Napster– http://free.napster.com/

• Kazzaa– http://www.kazaa.com/

Home Software-Movies

• Windows Movie Maker– http://desktopvideo.about.com/lr/windows_movi

e_maker/90641/2/• Apple iMovie

– http://desktopvideo.about.com/lr/apple_imovie/90641/3/

• Free video editing software– http://www.desktop-video-guide.com/top-5-free-

video-editing-software-review.html

Home Software-Music

• Audacity– http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

• Wavosaur– http://www.wavosaur.com/

• Free Digital Audio Editors– http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/25-free-digital-au

dio-editors/

Educators Discount Sites

• Online academic sites– Academic Superstore

http://www.academicsuperstore.com/– Viosoft http://www.viosoftware.com/index.php– Royal Discount

http://www.royaldiscount.com/index.cfm?stateful– Journey http://www.ccvsoftware.com/– Needsoft http://needsoftware.com/– Gradware http://www.gradware.com/

Wholesale sites

• Online sources where retailers shop– Nextag http://www.nextag.com/– Newegg http://www.newegg.com/– Froogle http://www.google.com/products– Ebay http://www.ebay.com/– Geeks http://www.geeks.com/– The Nerds http://www.thenerds.net/– Mac Connection

http://www.macconnection.com/IPA/Home.htm• Refurbished computers

– Overstock http://www.overstock.com/