from the New York Times
December 3, 1998
STATE OF THE ART / By PETER H. LEWIS
How to Kick the Tires When Buying a Computer
Pity the consumer who walks into a car dealership and says,
simply, "I want to buy a car." The salesman probably attempts to
help the customer by asking a series of questions. New? Used?
Sedan? Sports car? Sport utility vehicle? Pickup truck? Minivan?
"Well, golly, I don't know, which kind do I need?"
In coming weeks thousands of consumers will go shopping for a
personal computer with an even foggier plan than that of the car
buyer above.
In the commercial spirit of Christmas, which descended on my town
this year shortly after Halloween, I visited a local computer
emporium to pretend to shop for the computer equivalent of a
minivan.
Shopping for a PC was not a pleasant experience.
No doubt there are many knowledgeable, cheerful, courteous,
patient, empathetic salespeople working in computer stores whose
goal is to match consumers with the ideal computers to meet their
needs and budgets. I just didn't find any.
Without further ado, here is some of the advice that I had hoped to
hear from the salespeople, but didn't:
The Internet is the driving force for the computer industry today.
You do not need a fancy computer to connect to the Internet, browse
the World Wide Web, send and receive E-mail, or, for that matter,
to operate simple Windows business applications like word
processing, spreadsheets and scheduling. Any new computer will do.
Even a used computer of fairly recent vintage will do (for example,
an Intel 486).
But software developers are coming out with cool new Internet
applications all the time, including audio and video, and they
almost always require more of everything -- microprocessor speed,
hard-disk space, bandwidth, graphics capabilities and so on. For
the long term, your overall experience will be better with a newer
and more powerful computer, one that can be upgraded.
If you wait, you will always be able to buy a better, faster and
cheaper computer a couple of months from now. By waiting, though,
you will miss the benefits of having a PC today.
For those who cannot wait, rest assured that today's computers are
better than ever and better bargains than ever.
For those can who wait, the new technologies coming in the spring
are very impressive. These include powerful new microprocessors
from Intel and AMD, a new crop of low-cost home PC's and some
special-purpose, low-cost, non-PC information appliances that offer
Internet access with less complexity than a PC.
Procrastinators can also take advantage of price cuts that
typically come in February and March. Apple, for example, is
rumored to be planning to cut the price of the popular iMac to $999
after the holidays and to introduce an improved version of iMac at
the original price, $1,299.
Craig R. Barrett, the chief executive of the Intel Corporation,
said last month at Comdex that he expected to see PC's with Intel
chips for as little as $399 late in 1999. A Korean-backed company
called eMachines is already selling an Internet-ready computer with
Windows 98 but no monitor for $399, or $499 with a 14-inch monitor.
It is based on a relatively feeble Cyrix processor, but its
components are otherwise respectable.
If all you want to do is connect to the Internet, browse the Web,
send and receive E-mail, do some word processing and simple
business applications, balance the checkbook and so on, almost any
new PC on the market today, even the low-end eMachines model, will
meet your needs.
If you want to play the latest games or do fancy stuff with
multimedia, you will lust for more speed and power. Speed and power
cost more, sometimes a lot more.
The cheapest computers are no-name clones, assembled from
bargain-bin components in so-called screwdriver shops. Some of
these PC's are surprisingly good. Others are cobbled together from
discontinued parts.
Several companies, including Gateway, Dell and Apple, now offer
consumers the chance to buy or lease a new computer with Internet
access for as little as $50 a month. No matter how attractive the
sellers try to make such programs sound, consumers are always much
better off buying a computer with cash. But for those who lack cash
and want to get a child or other family member on line immediately,
these programs offer an affordable entry point.
Even so, remember that buying a computer creates a hole in your
wallet that will leak for years to come. There will be more
spending -- a lot more -- for software; hardware upgrades;
peripherals, like modems, printers, scanners and digital cameras;
classes and instruction books; Internet access, and even for
computer furniture.
Brand-name machines, from Compaq, Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard,
International Business Machines and others, usually cost more but
offer the security of technical support, warranties and on-site
service policies. Screwdriver shops often go out of business
without notice. Many people prefer to pay extra for peace of mind.
PC Magazine just released its annual survey results on customer
satisfaction. Only three makers of desktop computers earned an A
grade this year: I.B.M., Dell and Hewlett-Packard. For notebook
computers, the only A's went to Dell and Gateway. Customers were
asked to rate reliability, satisfaction with repair experience,
satisfaction with technical support and repair frequency. The class
clowns were Packard-Bell and AST Research.
But enough general advice. Let's get down to the bitty gritty.
A good salesman will ask, "What do you want to do with the
computer?" before making a specific recommendation. The trouble is
that people who have had limited exposure to computers often do not
know yet what a computer can do, much less what they want to do
with it.
The safe route is to get a midrange machine -- a minivan -- that is
capable of doing most things well today and is capable of being
upgraded later, once a favorite task is identified.
There is not room here to get into the Macintosh versus Windows
debate, except to note that an Apple Macintosh G3 can be set up to
run Windows software as well as Macintosh software. Still, more
than 9 out of 10 buyers will choose a Windows-only machine.
Here are my minimum specifications for Windows-based machines:
Processor: An Intel Pentium II with a speed of 350 megahertz or
higher. Or an AMD K6-2 processor rated 300 MHz or higher. Yes, it
is safe to buy a non-Intel processor. Frankly, lesser chips -- the
newest Intel Celerons, the older Pentiums with MMX, the AMD K6's,
the Cyrixes -- will all do fine for today's common applications.
But the Pentium II 350 and higher and the K6-2 300's and higher
take advantage of a new and improved electronic plumbing system
built into better computers, technically called the 100-MHz
external bus, or PC-100 data bus. Older computers have a 66-MHz
data bus. The faster data bus makes most applications run faster,
and it means that the owner can upgrade to faster processors down
the road.
Memory: Microsoft asserts on its Web site that Windows 98 will work
on a computer with as little as 16 megabytes of system memory (16
MB of RAM, or random access memory). Technically, that is true. But
technically, one can also play a round of golf with a 7-iron and a
putter. The experience is improved by having more clubs. (Except
for my game, of course, which would not suffer noticeably if I used
a Coke bottle, an umbrella and a pool cue.)
As a rule, 64 MB is the practical minimum. Do not buy any computer
with less than 32 megabytes of RAM. Memory is very cheap these
days, so buy 128 MB if you can. Adding more RAM is the single best
improvement one can make to a computer.
Hard-disk drive: As long as software developers keep making
bloatware, you will need a bigger hard drive. Look for 6 gigabytes
(GB) or more.
Monitor: The biggest you can afford.
Modem: It must say V.90.
Backup: The floppy disk is on its way to obsolescence. Consider
spending more for a Superdisk or a newer HiFD disk drive, which
works with older diskettes but offers much greater storage. As an
alternative, get a Zip drive or, better, a CD-R drive (which allows
you to write data onto a blank CD disk) to augment the floppy
drive.
Fun: The low-end machines are not good for games. If games are
important, spend more for a better computer or get a separate Sony
Playstation. A DVD-ROM drive cannot record data, but it is a smart
alternative to a boring CD-ROM drive if you can afford it. You can
still use your old CD's and install CD-based software, and on
higher-end systems you can also watch DVD movies. Yes, you want a
good set of speakers.
State of the Art is published on Thursdays.
Peter H. Lewis at [log in to unmask] welcomes your comments and
suggestions.
______________________________________________________________
Copyright 1998 The New York Times Company
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