Become ‘tech’ savvy

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Dear TPH,
I want to buy a new computer and I find all the specifications very confusing. What advice can you give me and others who are also buying their first computer about the features I should have in a new computer such as the speed and memory? Also which is better – a laptop or a desktop?
N.H.

Dear N.H,
Buying your first computer or your second or even the third or fourth is often a perplexing decision to make if you want to make the best decision for yourself rather than the best decision for the sales person at the computer shop. Firstly it's about knowing what you want from your computer and how you intend to use it. Secondly, it's about doing your homework and finding out about the features available in computers these days. Since I am doing all the hard work with the research here, for you, it's about wiping out the dumbstruck and clueless look on your face when you walk in to the computer shop next time and repeating all my 'techy' words in the right sequence.

To start off with your last question, the difference in price and performance between laptop computers and their desktop counterparts is fast disappearing. Desktops often held their ground against laptops in the past because they were more 'ergonomic' and less expensive to upgrade. But 'upgrading' is not an option many of us need to consider these days because computers have become cheap enough for the choice of buying a new computer to be more economical in the long term than to upgrade your existing hardware. So the next time you consider buying a computer, it's more about the wide keyboard layout and bigger screen you can have on your desktop against the portability and high-tech fashion statement of a laptop.

Then again, laptops aren't mere fashion statements or the expensive toys of business executives anymore. They pack power and flexibility that rivals their bulky desktop cousins and afford the added luxury and convenience of portability, which is a big boost to our increasingly mobile lifestyles. If all you need to carry around is a PowerPoint presentation or a couple of digital documents, you will find that a USB memory stick is a lot less expensive, safer and far easier to carry than a relatively bulky laptop computer. Besides, despite the great advancements in performance, limited battery life is still a major drawback for laptops, so it's best not to expect too much in terms of portability with your laptop – at least in a strict sense of the word. Fuel cell technology is expected to offer a big boost to battery life in laptops during the next couple of years, but they are not here yet.

As for the more technical aspects, I can only give you general guidelines without knowing your specific needs and it is not my intention to endorse any brands. First of all I would recommend a dual core processor. Some may argue that most current software aren't capable of taking advantage of dual core processors, but I feel it's just a matter of months and not years until their full power is unleashed. Generally AMD processors are less expensive than Intel and offer similar performance.
The Intel Celeron processors are economically priced but are poor in rendering graphics and multimedia.
It is also best to have at least 512 MB of DDR2 memory (RAM). 1 GB is the average and 2 GB of memory will stand you well if you intend to run heavy applications. The Windows operating system thrives on extra memory and you will achieve significant gains in performance with extra memory.

A DVD burner is a basic necessity these days and make sure your system has a Modem or preferably a network card if you are going to get a broadband Internet connection. Laptops generally have Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) connectivity, but you need that facility in a desktop only if you intend to have a wireless home network.

If you intend to use your computer to run graphics intensive applications opt for a graphics card with dedicated memory – instead of system memory being shared between the processor and graphics card. There is also a range of auxiliary hardware and software that will turn your computer into anything from a recording studio to a print shop.

If you have any specific advice related to this issue, do write in to technopage@gmail.com and we will be happy to help you out.
– TP