here's Walter F. Mossberg's Spring recipe for buying a personal computer.
kelly
[The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition] [Personal Technology]
April 15, 1999
Buying a Personal Computer
Is Truly All About Memory
by Walter Mossberg
THE PERSONAL computer is in the process of turning into a zero-cost
commodity item distributed mostly to generate commerce on the Web, a
razor whose underlying purpose is to sell blades.
Personal Technology
In a couple of years, anybody who pays a
significant price for a very basic PC, or any price at all, may be
considered nuts. Even now, the prices keep dropping and the
capabilities of low-priced PCs continue to be more than adequate for
mainstream purposes. The industry is offering a bunch of attractive
name-brand models in the $600 to $1,200 range and an even cheaper tier
of choices from more-obscure brands at $600 or less.
So here's my annual spring guide to shopping for a desktop PC. This
guide concentrates on Windows PCs, because buying a Macintosh for home
is much simpler: just pay $1,199 for an iMac. Your main decision will
be the color.
Processor: The differences between processor brands and speeds in the
mainstream PC market are among the least important issues in buying a
computer today. Yet they are the key specs the industry pushes.
If you set up a pair of otherwise identical PCs and put a 300-MHz
processor from AMD in one and a 400-MHz processor from Intel in
another, most people couldn't tell the difference when surfing the
Web, or using e-mail, word-processing and most other common software.
So my strong advice is to avoid the highest chip speeds, unless you
are a very heavy-duty game player. Celeron, Pentium II, AMD K-6 and
Cyrix processors are all OK. Just get one that runs at 300 MHz or
faster.
WHAT ABOUT Intel's new Pentium III? Well, for hundreds of dollars
extra, it offers a small amount of added horsepower, and some
significant performance gains when using the few software titles and
Web sites that have been specially modified for the new chip. Still,
it doesn't make sense to buy one unless you are a big-time game player
or do a great deal of video creation and editing.
Memory: This is the most important choice you'll make. Get at least 64
megabytes, and 96 or 128 megabytes if possible. It will make all the
difference in the speediness of your PC.
L2 Cache: This is a dedicated memory bank that the processor uses to
speed up its operations. It's a must. On a Pentium II or AMD chip, it
should be 512 kilobytes. On a Celeron, which uses a more efficient
design, 128 kilobytes is enough. Hard Disk: Try for at least a
six-gigabyte size, but you can settle for four gigabytes if your
budget is tight.
Internet: Make sure the PC is well set up for the Internet. Almost all
now have at least a 56K phone modem and built-in Web browsers with
offers of Internet access. If you plan to use a cable modem, try to
buy a PC with a built-in Ethernet networking connection, because cable
modems typically use such hookups.
Video System: Don't be confused by all the video terminology. Just
look for at least four megabytes of video memory, which is usually
separate from the PC's main memory. You'll want more if you're a
gamer.
Monitor: Eyesight matters. So get at least a 17-inch model, for maybe
$350 to $450. For $800 to $1,100, you can get a 15-inch flat-panel
monitor -- an LCD, like the screens in laptops -- that is sharp and
bright.
Mass Storage: Most PCs have a CD-ROM drive, but some boast a DVD drive
that can play both CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs, which have a much higher
storage capacity. I still think there's not enough software on DVD to
justify the extra cost. I do, however, like Zip drives, which for
little added cost let you save and transport large files.
Ports: In addition to the usual serial and parallel ports, look for
two USB connectors. This is a very important new kind of junction for
add-on hardware. If you're planning to transfer a lot of video to and
from the PC, look for an even faster new port called either 1394,
Firewire or I-link.
Brands and Models: All PCs are similar, but unless you're a techie, I
advise sticking with name brands like Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and IBM.
In this group, the low end is Compaq's Presario 2286, a $599 machine
with basic specs. Even though its memory is a bit low, at 32
megabytes, it's great for running America Online and doing schoolwork
and basic games.
[illustration]
Moving up a bit, HP has a new Pavilion model, the 4455, with 64
megabytes of memory, a six-gigabyte hard disk and a 400-MHz Celeron
processor, for $899. Compaq's Presario 5280, at $1,199, has 96
megabytes of memory, a whopping 12-gigabyte hard disk, a Zip drive,
Ethernet for cable modems and a 433-MHz Celeron processor.
A small outfit called Microworkz has caused a stir by announcing a
$299 PC called Webzter Jr. But this machine has no CD-ROM or floppy
drive, and suboptimal memory and hard-disk capacities.
To get close to what you need, you have to move up to the model called
just Webzter, at $499, and there are other costs. The machines aren't
sold in stores, and shipping adds $75. Free phone support is offered
for only two weeks.
Tear out or print out this column and take it to the store, or have it
next to you when ordering from a Web site. Don't buy more PC than you
need.
Copyright © 1999 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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