Buyers Guides

Choosingyour perfect computer – a Guide and a Jargon Buster

1.    How to choose your perfect computer inthree easy steps.
2.    Computers for students
3.    General all round computers
4.    High performance computers
5.    Ultra portable laptops
6.    Netbooks
7.    Recommended accessories
8.    Jargon buster


Guide to choosing your computer

1.How to choose your perfect computer in three easy steps.

Step one – laptop, desktop, or netbook?

Beginby deciding which type or form of computer will best suit yourneeds. The first choice is between a desktop, a laptop, also known as anotebook, and a netbook. Links to these appear on our home page.

Laptopsare also known as notebooks and are not to be confused withnetbooks. Laptops can now perform most tasks and are now reasonablypricedalthough for the same money you still get more power in a desktop.However, alaptop allows more freedom to use your computer in different locationsand withwireless networking you can surf the net using broadband without beingtied toa phone socket.

Netbooksare cheaper, smaller and lighter than laptops and have built inWi-Fi. However, they are not as powerful as laptops and don’tcome with a DVDdrive so you would need to buy an external DVD drive to watch moviesand so on.

So,before you choose, please consider the type of computer that suitsyou best now and with some thought to the future. Take account ofportability,versatility, power, speed, price, size and weight.

Moreinformation on the comparative advantages of a laptop or netbook andthose of adesktop along with a typical specification for a desktop may be foundin the“Computers for students” section below

Step two – what features are important to you?

Onceyou have decided the type then you need to choose the kind offeatures or specification  you need. To help you we haveoutlined fivegenerally accepted classes of computer grouped according to use orfunction.The five groups outlined below are: computers for students, generalall-roundcomputers, high performance computers, ultra-portable computers, andnetbooks.Within each group is a typical specification for the group –type of processor,memory, screen size and so on. This is meant as a general guidelineonly, astarting point. You may wish to vary individual specifications orcomponents orto upgrade them all with a thought to“future-proofing” your choice. Forexample, you may want a faster processor, more memory, or a differentscreensize.

Step three – an easy way to find exactly what you want.

Onceyou have an idea of the type and the general features you have inmind then it is time to choose your new computer from our huge range tomatchyour own personal needs and preferences. Some of the more popularmodels oflaptops and  netbooks come in different colours –red, blue, pink, whiteand of course, black. The case colour is only one of many choices youcanselect using our “Refine your search” facility.First select a link to laptops,desktops or netbooks on our home page. This will take you to the“Refine yoursearch” box along with a full listing of laptops or whateveryou’ve chosenwhich are currently in stock and available for delivery. Each time youselect afeature the computers that match your choice will be listed. Thisprocess isvery fast and you should end up with the computer that’sabsolutely the rightone for you and at a price that is very difficult  if notimpossible tobeat anywhere online.

Pleaseread on for information that may help you choose.
 
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2. Computers for students

Thiscategory covers a wide range of computers from those suitable forschoolchildren to those suitable for college and university students.

Computersfor school children - we would recommend either a desktop or a small,light,easily portable and inexpensive netbook. Costs are broadly similar butin termsof power and features you’ll get more for your money with adesktop. However,netbooks are convenient and “cool”. Please read on.

Computersfor college and university students - some college and universitystudentsprefer a laptop or netbook, some prefer a desktop.

Theadvantages of a laptop or a netbook for students is simply theirportabilityand size. You can take them to lectures, seminars, the library, thecoffee shopor bar, or on the train and bus. They will also take up less space inyourroom. Their convenience and style is probably attractive to all ages.Somemodels come in different colours, for example, red, blue, pink orwhite. Somehigher-specified laptops are an acceptable alternative to a desktop.

Theadvantages of a desktop are lower costs, including repair costs, withgenerallymore power and speed for your money. They are also less prone to damageandtheft, and are more comfortable to use.

Oncosts,it is much easier to get a cheap and reliable desktop than to get acheap andreliable laptop. Cheaper laptops tend to be heavier and thus moredifficult tocarry around. As mentioned, you will normally get more for your moneywith adesktop in terms of power, speed, and features.

Desktopsare cheaper and easier to repair. For example, if you spill a drink onyourdesktop keyboard it may cost you a lot less in terms of hardware andconvenience than it would on a laptop keyboard. Some desktop keyboardsnow comewith drain holes to help solve the problem of spillage.

Desktopsare not carried around and so are less prone to damage or theft,although theyare difficult to take home for the weekend!

Lastly,desktops are generally more comfortable to use as they have biggermonitors andfull size keyboards.

Atypical specification for a student desktop or laptop allowing internetuse,audio/visual editing, and gaming would be:

-2.1GHzProcessor

-15.4inch Screen

-3GBRAMMemory

-250GBofHard Drive storage

-DVD+/-RRAM Optical Drive

-DedicatedGraphics Card

-Wi-Fi

Pleasesee section 5. below for a typical specification for a netbook forstudents.
 
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3. General all round computers

Sometimesreferred to as a family or a home and home office computer.These are cheap and are well equipped to perform office tasks such asyou wouldget with Windows Operating systems – word processing,spreadsheets, anddatabases along with email and internet use, and watching DVDs.

A typical specification would be:
-1.8GHz Dual Core Processor
-15.4 inch Screen
-2GB RAM Memory
-160GB of Hard Drive storage
-DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
-3 x USB ports
-Integrated Graphics Card
-Basic software appropriate foryour needs (e.g. Microsoft Works)

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4. High performance computers 

Theseare for the serious user and may be equipped for gaming,entertainment, videos or photo editing, music, or as a replacement foryourdesktop.
They are comparable to desktopsystems in terms of features and raw powerbut in a portable format. They tend to be heavier than other laptops:Mostpeople choose a 17” screen although some prefer a15” screen.
The high performance refers tothe power and speed of the processor (CPU),the brains of the system, and related random access memory (RAM). Harddrive ormemory storage capacity is also important for storing large files suchasmusic, high resolution photo, videos and more sophisticated softwarewhichneeds a lot of space.
Optical drive capacity is neededfor making your own videos and for backingup large amounts of data. The best laptops now have blu-ray drives soyou canwatch high definition (HD) films.
 
A typical specification would be:
-2.4GHz Processor
-17 inch Screen
-4GB RAM Memory
-300 to 640GB Hard Drive storage
-Blu-ray drive or DVD/RW
-256 or 512MB dedicated GraphicsCard
-Wi-Fi

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5. Ultra portable laptops

Forthe portable worker size and weight are a priority but you may haveto sacrifice some speed, power and features or to pay apremium.  .

A typical specification would be:
-2.1GHz Processor
-12 or 13 inch Screen
-3GB RAM Memory
-250GB Hard Drive storage or aSolid State Drive
- DVD+/- R RAM Optical Drive
-Dedicated Graphics Card
-Wi-Fi

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6. Netbooks

Netbookscan be thought of as a mini-laptop but they are in fact adifferent class of computer from standard laptops. The small, low costnetbooksmake them ideal for those who require Wi-Fi capability whilst on themove andfor parents who want an affordable laptop for their children. Theygenerallyhave less powerful processors than laptops, use Linux or XP operatingsystemsand do not have a built in CD or DVD drive. Some netbooks may haveSolid Statedrives instead of normal Hard Drives. They generally offer less storagecapacity– 16GB on some netbooks – but they are more stable,less prone to damage andare a lot faster than conventional Hard Drives.

A typical specification would be;
-1.6Ghz Intel Atom Processor
-8 to12inch Screen
-1GB RAM Memory
-160GB Hard Drive or 16GB SolidState Drive
-Linux or XP Operating System
-Wi-Fi

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7. Recommended Accessories

Once you have chosen your laptopor netbook it may be worthwhile toconsider the following, generally inexpensive, accessories;
-   a protective case or bag to protect it whilst on themove and to make it easier to carry
-   some people prefer to use a small laptop mouse ratherthan a touchpad
-   small external speakers especially if you listen tomusic or video
-   good anti-virus or security software
-   external DVD Drive for netbooks
-   external Hard Drive for backing up data

There are other accessories butwe think these are the ones you may get themost benefit from.

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JargonBuster – a glossary of terms

3Gis a mobile telephone technology that allows wireless internet accessat broadband speeds.

Bluetoothuses short-range radio signals to wirelessly connect externalperipherals such as keyboards and headsets to your computer.

Blu-rayallows you to take advantage of High Definition (HD)technology. 

DVIout portsallows you to connect an external digital monitor or projector to yourlaptop. 

CentralProcessing Unit (CPU)is the brain of the computers thatdrives and controls all its functions. It is normally described interms ofspeed and type – for example an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26Ghz ismade by Intel has adual core, effectively two processors on one chip, acting in tandem,and runsat 2.26Ghz speed. Quad core processors are now widely used on desktops.IntelAtom processors are found in netbooks and help increase batterylife. 

Ethernetis a wire-based network technology (see Networking) 

FingerprintSecurityenables the use of your computer to be restrictedto pre-registered fingerprints.
 
Gigabyte (GB)is a standard data measurement unit. One GB contains 1,024megabytes.

Gigahertz(GHz)is a unit used to express the speed of the central processing unit(CPU). 

Graphics(Video) Cardscome in two forms – integrated anddedicated. Integrated performs general functions and is cheaper thandedicatedwhich is intended for gaming and more demanding tasks. 

HardDrive-provides long term memory for data storage. This is where theoperating system and other programmes along with files for video,music,photos, documents and so on, are stored.  A minimum is nowprobably 160GBand it is recommended you buy as much as you can afford. Fasterrotationalspeeds allow quicker access to data and range between 4200rpm and7200rpm. 

HighDefinition (HD)is a general term for the latest high quality digitalmedia content. This includes the HD and Blue-ray disc formats and HD TVbroadcasts. It displays at a vertical screen resolution of 1080 pixelsfor asharper image. 

Linuxis an open source operating system and is a cost effective alternativeto Windows. It can be found on many netbooks and helps keep pricesdown. Youcan use OpenOffice which is the Linux version of Microsoft Office.It’s verysimilar and documents can be exchanged in both formats. Some peoplebelieve youdo not need an anti virus program when using Linux but there are stillrisksinvolved. 

RandomAccess Memory (RAM)is your computers short-term memoryused to store information while you’re using it. The amountof RAM determineshow many tasks it can perform at the same time. 

Megabyte(MB)is a standard data measurement unit. One megabyte contains 1,048,576bytes 

Modemis a device for sending and receiving data via a standard phone lineand used to connect to the internet.  

Networkingrefers to connecting two or more computers so you can share files. Thismay be done using cables (see Ethernet) or radio signals (seeWi-Fi). 

OperatingSystemis the software that both controls the computersfunction and also acts as an interface between the user and themicroprocessor.The vast majority of PC-based systems run on one of the MicrosoftWindowsoperating systems.

Optical Drivesenable the playing of CDs and DVD’s. A DVD drive canstore more than a CD. CD-RW (re-write) and DVD+/-RW allows you to copydata todiscs. Blu-ray allow you to watch HD movies 

Processor– the central processing unit (CPU) is the brain of thecomputers thatdrives and controls all its functions. It is normally described interms ofspeed and type – for example an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26Ghz ismade by Intel has adual core, effectively two processors on one chip, acting in tandem,and runsat 2.26Ghz speed. Quad core processors are now widely used on desktops.IntelAtom processors are found in netbooks and help increase batterylife. 

Screen–the higher the resolution the sharper the image. TFT and Super-TFTprovide a sharper image. Screen sizes come in two formats. The standardone isthe square 4:3 aspect ratio. Many manufacturers are now moving to thesquatterand wider, 16:9 aspect ratio, known as widescreen. This is fine to workon andis ideal for watching movies.  

SolidState Drive– generally you get less storage for your moneycompared with conventional Hard Drives but prices are dropping rapidlyand soonmost computers will probably use Solid State Drives. They are morestable, lessprone to damage and have a much faster response time.. 

Touchpadis a built-in mouse on laptops. 

USB(Universal Serial Bus)allows you to connect peripherals,e.g. printers, and have it automatically recognised andinstalled. 

VGAoutallows you to connect a full size monitor to your laptop. 

Webcamis a camera which allows others to see an image over the internet. Theymay be integrated in your computer so others can see you in front ofyour computer. 

Wi-Fi,also known as wireless LAN,allows you to set up a wirelessnetwork using a wireless router with broadband. The standard 802.11g isthemost common and allows internet use and file sharing. 802.11n is fasterandallows for video streaming. 

WindowsXP-soon to be phased out by Microsoft with the arrival of Windows 7. XPuses fewer resources than Vista so it’s still popular but isincreasingly hardto find on new systems. 

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