[cvillepcnews] Cville PC Newsletter - January 2005
- From: "Cville PC Newsletter" <newsletter@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <cvillepcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 07:59:27 -0500
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THE CVILLE PC NEWSLETTER
January 2005
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Happy New Year! In this issue, I'll be discussing when and how best to
replace an old computer. I will also show you how you can access previous
issues of the Cville PC Newsletter, and search them for specific articles.
BUYING A NEW COMPUTER
What? You didn?t get a new computer for the holidays? In that case, you
are probably thinking about getting one now. So I thought I would devote
most of this issue to purchasing a new computer.
A computer?s useful lifespan is about five years, after which it will have
trouble running new software, and is at risk for hard drive failure.
Upgrading a few components can get you another year or two, but the cost is
usually higher than the average annual cost of a new computer, and there
will still be limits to what the older computer can do. I will only upgrade
my computer to add a new feature, such as a DVD writer drive, but will
rarely upgrade to an existing component, such as upgrading to a newer
version of Windows.
I prefer to purchase from a national company rather than a local one,
because I want the experience to be more like buying a household appliance
than a specialty item:
1. I prefer to buy from a company that puts together computer configurations
based on its experience working with hundreds of thousands of customers.
2. I want my system to be built and shipped with the predictability of a
mass-production system.
3. When my computer needs warrantee service, I want it going back to a
company with sufficient resources to commit quickly and predictably to
paying for a repair or replacement.
I consider Dell computers to be top of the line, based on more than 15 years
of experience with them. They are well built and competitively priced. And
in case you are wondering, I do not receive anything in exchange for this
endorsement. I am simply convinced that this is your best bet for a new
computer.
The best time of year to buy a computer is between January and March. Dell
is running an offer through January 19 for desktop computers starting at
$299 and laptops at $549. Expect to spend a little more if you customize
features as I discuss below. A friend of mine just got a new system for
$404 with free shipping (excluding monitor; requires a rebate). You will
find this offer at:
http://www.dell.com/shopdellbiz
An entry-level system is a great choice for most of us, unless you plan to
play the newest, most graphics-intensive computer games available. I have
found that people feel compelled to step up from the bottom of the line
model to avoid buying bottom of the line, or buy the model being marketed as
a ?multimedia system? simply because they want to store and edit photos, but
do not be intimidated into buying more features than you need. Think of it
this way?if you spend less on your computer, you will be able to justify
replacing it more often. Three advantages to doing this are:
1. You will more often be upgrading to newer features and technology
developed since your last computer purchase, rather than trying to get 10
years out of your system to get your money?s worth.
2. You are less likely to suffer a hard drive crash or other hardware
problem, which become more likely once a computer hits about five years old,
and more of the time you own your computer will be covered by a warrantee.
3. You can use your older computer as a kids computer or as a place to back
up your data.
Consider these customizations when you buy your new computer:
1. Purchase 512 megabytes (MB) of RAM now, or take the standard 256 MB and
expect to add more in a year or two. You will pay about $100 if you upgrade
when you buy your computer, and $70 if you install it yourself later, which
only takes about 10 minutes.
2. Upgrade from a 40 gigabyte (GB) hard drive to 80 or even 120 GB. It can
cost as little as $30 to $50, and over the next few years home entertainment
services and software will require plenty of storage for photos, music, and
video files.
3. Upgrade from a CD drive to a CD writer, a DVD drive, or a combination
CD/DVD writer. A DVD drive will allow you to watch movies on your computer
and play computer software sometimes included with DVD movies. A CD or DVD
writer will allow you to back up data or make music or video discs. Expect
to pay $50 to $100 depending on what you choose. If it costs the same to
get separate CD and DVD drives as it does to get a combination drive, get
separate ones, because they are less expensive to replace if one breaks.
4. Decide whether you want a floppy disk drive, which no longer comes
standard on all computers and will cost $20 to add. Refer to the October
Cville PC Newsletter for the benefits of switching to using a USB thumb
drive instead:
//www.freelists.org/archives/cvillepcnews/10-2004/msg00000.html
5. Decide on other features based on your particular needs. Remember that
state-of-the-art computer games require faster computers and more
sophisticated video cards (consider buying last year?s games, which have
less stringent system requirements). If you want to plug a VCR or older
video camera into the computer, make sure it comes with the correct input
jacks. Those of you planning to watch movies on your computer may want a
larger, widescreen monitor.
6. Finally, if your computer monitor still works and you do not want a
larger or better one, save at least $100 by purchasing the computer without
a monitor. Expect to get a new keyboard and mouse whether you need them or
not.
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
It is easy to access past issues of the Cville PC Newsletter. You can find
them all at:
//www.freelists.org/archives/cvillepcnews
There is a link to each issue, and a search feature that will let you find
an article based upon specific keywords.
That should be enough to chew on for a while! See you next month.
Best regards,
Adam Slate
Senior Consultant
Cville PC
SEND IN YOUR QUESTIONS AND IDEAS FOR TOPICS
If you have a question about your computer, the Internet, or specific
viruses or hoaxes, email them to newsletter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx I will answer all
email, and select those of general interest to publish in this newsletter.
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ABOUT THE CVILLE PC NEWSLETTER: The Cville PC Newsletter is a free, monthly
online publication dedicated to issues of personal computer security,
maintenance, and productivity. Its contents and advice are offered with no
implied warrantee. Unless otherwise noted, Cville PC has no formal
association with any product or service recommended in the newsletter, and
will not benefit materially from your purchase of any of those products or
services. Newsletter-related comments and questions can be sent to
newsletter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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ABOUT CVILLE PC: Founded in January 2001, Cville PC offers personal computer
troubleshooting, installation, maintenance, and training in Charlottesville,
Virginia and surrounding areas. You can contact Cville PC at 434-760-1346,
or info@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Or visit us on the web at www.cvillepc.com, where you
will find information about the company, links to computer resources, and
access to past newsletters.
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