Equipment, Supplies and Services for Your Business 6
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
If you have access to the web at work or through a friend, read reviews posted on the Internet as well. CNET (http://www.cnet.com/) and ZDNET (http://www.zdnet.com) both carry reviews, as does PC World's Internet edition of their magazine (http://www.pcworld.com/). Due to the time it takes to get a magazine into print, new product reviews will usually appear on magazines' web sites before they appear in the printed publications.
How often will I need to replace or upgrade my computer?
It's not unusual to have to upgrade or replace a computer every two to three years, particularly if you want to use the latest software and hardware add-ons. It's not unusual for one-person businesses to spend $2,000 or more per year on computer hardware and software upgrades, replacements, and new purchases. Businesses that require the latest multimedia capabilities usually need to spend more to stay current. Businesses that just use their computers for word processing, routine spreadsheets, mailing lists, or other business tasks that don't change much from year to year, may be able to upgrade less frequently.
Should I upgrade a computer or replace it when it's outdated?
The answer to that question will depend on the going price for new computers and the current price of memory, hard drives, parts, processors and labor. In 2004, it was usually more economical to buy a new computer than to upgrade an existing desktop or laptop if the existing computer needed more memory, a bigger hard drive and perhaps an update to the operating system. Yet another consideration is whether you have a backup computer system available to you. If you only have one computer and it is two or more years old, the best decision will usually be to buy a new computer and keep the old one as a spare in case the new one breaks down. Or, you might want to network the old computer to the new on and use it for extra storage space, or to store backups of important files.
How much memory do I need to get with the computer?
When it comes to memory, the more the better. I would not recommend buying a computer with less than 256 megabytes (megs) of memory. Better would be 512 megs of RAM. That gives you enough memory on a PC to open multiple programs at once. This is useful if you are working on projects and need your word processing software, a spreadsheet , and say, an art program open all at one time. Some people even listen to Internet radio while they work.
How big should the hard drive be?
Like memory, the bigger the better. If you won't be using your business computer for multimedia, you can probably manage with a 40 meg hard drive. If you do use multimedia in your work, or plan to store a lot of art work on your computer, you should look for a computer with an 80 meg or bigger hard drive.
I don't have a lot of room in my apartment. Is it a good idea to get one of those flat panel monitors?
Flat panel monitors take up much less space than conventional monitors. (And they look a lot nicer on a desk, too.) Thus they are desirable if space is tight. You can often get a 15-inch flat panel as part of a package deal when you buy a new computer from a discount store. A 15-inch monitor, however, is pretty small. In fact you can get laptop computers with displays bigger than 15 inches. If you want a flat panel monitor look for deals where you pay only a small extra amount to upgrade to the 17-inch size monitor. Those make viewing easier on the eyes. If money isn't of much concern, go for the 19-inch flat panel. If you watch for discount offers, you can probably find that size for about $699 after rebates.
Could I use a notebook computer instead of a regular desktop computer?
Yes. Today's notebook computers are extremely powerful and many models are available with 40 to 60 meg hard drives. Some have display screens that are quite big, too. The biggest drawback may be the cost if you don't need the notebook to travel. Notebooks can cost $500 to $1,000 more than comparable desktop computers.
If you plan to spend a lot of time each day using the notebook computer, you may want to add on a separate keyboard and a monitor. That way you can use a monitor with a bigger display area than the notebook and place the monitor and the keyboard at whatever height and angle is most comfortable for typing and viewing.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
