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Introduction
In order to obtain maximum benefit from the purchase of a new
computer, it's important to remember that the computer doesn't have to
merely accomodate your existing software and hardware needs. It also
needs to be capable of adapting to future expansion needs. These
recommendations assume that you will be using this as your primary
computer for the next three or more years.
For desktop and portable Windows computers, here are our minimum recommended requirements:
- CPU
- Windows XP, the current standard for home and small office Windows
users, requires a 300MHz or faster AMD or Intel processor. For the sake
of a reasonable useful life, we recommend at minimum an AMD Athlon
running at 1.5GHz or faster; or an Intel Pentium 4 running at 1.8GHz or
faster.
- RAM - While Windows XP can be operated with 128 Mb of RAM, we recommend 512Mb of RAM, with room for expansion to at least 1024Mb.
- Hard Drive
- Depending on which version of Windows XP you are using, a full
installation can take up to 4Gb, and with office applications and other
included software, 60Gb of hard drive space is a safe minimum for most
users. If you plan on working extensively with digital photographs and
digital video, get a hard drive with at least 80Gb capacity.
- USB and Firewire
- We recommend at least two USB ports, and at least one Firewire port.
This combination will ensure that you'll be able to use modern
peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, CD burners, external
hard drives, and so on.
- Networking - In order to
use a DSL modem or connect to a LAN, be sure your computer has a NIC
(network interface card) supporting at least 100-BaseT.
- CD/DVD Drive
- Fast CD-ROM drives come standard on Windows PCs, and we recommend a
drive with the capability to also burn CDs as a minimum. If you are
working with video, a read/write DVD drive is also recommended.
Selecting
the right Macintosh computer is less involved than choosing a Windows
computer, because there is only one vendor - Apple. For maximum
usefulness with OS X, the new Macintosh operating system, we offer the
following minimum requirements for desktop or laptop computers:
- CPU
- A G4 processor running at 800MHz or faster should provide a long
useful life, even though the stated requirement for OS X is essentially
any Mac produced in 1999 or later.
- RAM - While OS
X can be operated with 128 Mb of RAM, we recommend 256Mb of RAM. All
current Macintosh computers can be expanded to at least 512Mb of RAM.
- Hard Drive
- A full installation of OS X can take up to 4Gb, and with office
applications and other included software, 20Gb of hard drive space is a
safe minimum for most users. If you plan on working extensively with
digital photographs and digital video, get a hard drive with at least
40Gb capacity.
- USB and Firewire - All current
Macintosh computers come standard with at least two USB and one
Firewire port. This combination will ensure that you'll be able to use
modern peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, CD burners,
external hard drives, and so on.
- Networking - All
current Macs have a built-in NIC (network interface card) supporting at
least 100-BaseT, which allows you to use a DSL modem or connect to a
LAN.
- CD/DVD Drive - Fast CD-ROM drives come
standard on Macs, and we recommend a drive with the capability to also
burn CDs as a minimum. If you are working with video, a read/write DVD
drive is also recommended.
What's the Cost?
Computer manufacturers are in a highly-competitive market, and
$1,000 spent on a computer six months from now will provide more "bang
for the buck" than $1,000 spent on a computer today. With than in mind,
here are some rough numbers to give you a very rough idea of how much
computer systems equipped according to our minimum recommended
standards cost, as of September, 2005. While less expensive systems
are available, reputable manufacturers build computers with
longer-lasting components, and their support packages are often worth
the extra money.
Windows Computers:
- Desktop - A desktop tower system
meeting the above requirements, with a
1.8 GHz Pentium 4 processor, a high-quality
17" stand-alone monitor, a 40Gb hard drive,
six USB ports, 2 Firewire ports, a CD-RW/DVD-R
drive, productivity and multimedia software
sells for approximately $500.
- Laptop - A portable Windows PC
meeting the above requirements, with a
1.9 GHz Mobile Pentium 4 processor, a
40Gb hard drive, a CD-RW/DVD-R drive,
productivity and multimedia software,
sells for approximately $700.
Macintosh Computers:
- Desktop - An all-in-one Macintosh
meeting the above requirements, with a
high-quality 17" built-in monitor, a 60Gb
hard drive, five USB ports, 2 Firewire
ports, a CD-RW/DVD-R drive, productivity
and multimedia software sells for approximately
$800.
- Laptop - A portable Macintosh
meeting the above requirements, with a
40Gb hard drive, a CD-RW/DVD-R drive,
productivity and multimedia software,
sells for approximately $1,000.
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