What should I look for when buying a computer?
February 4, 2008 — Fraser Morrison
Hello to all Dotto Tech viewers. I would like to welcome you to my blog. In my blog I plan to answer some of the frequently asked questions I have received from viewers. I am also open to submissions of questions that people would like answers to. Please keep in mind though that I will only be answering questions that a number of people have asked. The fist one that I would like to address is the age old one of “What should I look for when buying a computer”? Today, more than ever, this is not an easy question to answer due to the large number of choices on the market today.
The other things that I would recommend to look at closely would be hard drive size, sound card make, DVD burner type, and power supply size. For a hard drive I would recommend no smaller than 100GIG. Programs are much bigger these days and require more space to operate. I would recommend a Sound Blaster sound card as it will cause the least amount of compatibility issues. These days almost all machines come with a DVD burner. I would recommend a +/- capable burner so that it is not as difficult to figure out which blank DVD’s are required for use in the burner. And finally I would recommend that you try to get a power supply that is at least 500 Watts. As we add more devices to a computer it does not take long to eat up the available power. With an underpowered unit the computer will start operating strangely and possibly not operate at all.
These are some basic guidelines to follow. I hope that I have helped to make some sense out of the craziness that buying a computer can be.
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Comments
graphics card
just though i would like to add add that a high performing graphics card is a must for anyone planning on playing those high tech games,which keep getting more advanced,and technical.
Graphics Cards
Most games are based on using ATI video cards. I would check out the documentation with the game you are interested in to see what they recommend. Also I would review the documentation for the system board in your computer as sometimes the AGP slots are particular in what they can and cannot take. An example of this would be the voltage the card requires to work. Some take 1.5V while others take 3.3V.
operating system
One of the most important things to consider is the computer's OS. What do you plan on doing with the computer? How much money are you willing to spend? What kind of compatibility issues does a certain OS have with possible hardware? these are only some of the questions one must ask in order to become informed and make the right choice for their needs.
That's why I went MAC ! Think Steve Dotto feels the same
Save a lot of grief, money and time - "Git R dun !" and enjoy he ride
K Gloster
Microsoft Outlook
Bought a cfew months ago a new laptop with VISTA OS.
I can not seem to delete Microsoft Outlook or switch it from being the default e-mail.
I do not want Outlook and use other e-mails and want another company to be the default e-mail. how does one over ride Microsoft!!!!! When I try to eliminate Outlook from the C drive I can't and when I try to remove the automatic default check next to Outlook it will not be removed.
Microsoft Outlook
A possible solution for this can be found at http://www.freeemailtutorials.com/microsoftWindows/setDefaultEmailClient... .
Great computer shopping resource
(If you want an easy way to get the great prices and services on computers, go to www.dell.com/dellchat). Only works if your inside the US though.