Our resident gnome of the digital garden answers your technology questions from a horticulturalists point of view.

 

Dear Green Geek,

 

We are planning to purchase a new computer. I know nothing about RAM, ROM, bits or bytes. I just want to run my business. What should we look for?

Best regards,

 

Confused Shopper

When shopping for a new computer, the first thing you need to think about is what software you need to run.  If you have Apple Mac software, you are pretty much limited to Apple’s computers and so your purchasing choices are nice and easy. If you have software that runs on Microsoft Windows, then you can purchase a PC from a kazillion different vendors, and so your purchasing options are more complicated.

If you are planning to run simple office-productivity software, like work processing, spreadsheets and an account or billing solution, then you really do not need a very powerful computer.  However, if you plan to work with graphics, photos or video, then you will need all the power you can get.

When deciding on a computer’s specifications you should look for the following information:

 

CPU, or Central Processing Unit.  This is the “brain” of the computer. These brains are rated by how fast they are using gigahertz (GHz).  The bigger a CPU’s GHz, the faster it is. In addition, some CPUs are now have multiple ‘brains’ (or cores) inside them, which means they can do two or more things at once! Both Intel and AMD make CPUs and in my experience, both firm’s chips are as good as each other, so don’t get suckered into a debate which vendor rules. It’s a bit like that old Ford versus Holden argument.  If you are looking for a simple office computer, a single core CPU running at anything above 2GHz will be fine.  For a graphics computer, you should look for a dual-core CPU running at a minimum of 2.8GHz.

 

RAM, or Random Access Memory.  This is your computer’s short-term memory. It is a little-known fact that how much RAM your computer  has is the single biggest factor in determining how quickly applications run under Windows.  The more RAM, the faster.    These days, RAM is measured in Gigabytes (GB). A simple office computer will need a minimum of 1GB of RAM, or 2GB if you are planning to run Windows Vista. Actually, I’d recommend 2GB as standard, since any new software you purchase is likely to want more and more memory.  For a graphics system, get as much memory as you can – for Windows XP and Vista the maximum is 4GB. Trust me, the extra $180 bucks for the memory will be well worth it!

 

HDD, or Hard Disk Drive.  This is your computer’s long-term memory. Like RAM, hard drives are measured in Gigabytes (GB). For a typical office computer, a 40GB hard disk is fine.  However, if need to store photos or movies, then you should get a much bigger hard drive – at least 200GB, and preferably 500GB or better.   You can never have too much disk space, so it pays to get as big a drive as your budget allows. You will also hear about IDE and SATA drives. IDE and SATA are different ways that hard drives connect to your computer. SATA is faster than IDE, and most new computers are moving to the SATA standard.

 

Monitor, or Screen.  Most computers are now sold with LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors. These use less power and last longer than the fat old monitors of the past.  Just like TV sets, computer monitors are measured by the diagonal width of their screen and normally quoted in inches.  A 17” monitor should be considered the entry level for an office system, while a 19” monitor is more than enough for most office and graphics work.  A 22” or bigger screen should only be considered by the greedy or those dealing with very complicated applications, like Photoshop.

 

OS, or Operating System.  These days, many computers are coming with Windows Vista preinstalled. If you are not running any legacy (older) applications, then Vista is fine. However, if you have existing application that you wish to move to the new computer, I suggest you ask for Windows XP to be installed instead of Vista. In future, we may not be able to get XP, but it’s best to try.

 

Most of the other bits and bobs on computers are more of less identical, or so close as to not be worth thinking too much about. In general, you should make sure that your computer has a DVD rewritable drive and a minimum of four UBS2 ports, and a “1394” port for graphics computers.

 

Now you know what you are looking for, you have to make a decision on where to buy the computer from. There are two options: go for a name-brand computer, like Dell, or buy a custom-built computer from a local computer shop or technician. 

 

This is a hard choice. Getting support in remote locations from name-brand vendors is next to impossible, so forget about getting any ‘on-site support’ from them. If there is a problem, you will be packing up the computer and sending it away via courier. However, you may also find it difficult to find a local computer technician. My advice is that if you already have a good relationship with a local computer technician or shop, get your computer there. The chances are you will get just as good a deal with more attentive service. Plus it helps to keep the cash in the local community, which is also a benefit!