Everything You Need to Know

Before Buying a Computer

Common sense talk- money saving
solutions

Dr. Jan Pittman Vanderpool

Email: vanderj@wlac.edu
 PC (Windows) Versus Apple (MAC)
PC MAC
Cost X
Available Software X
(Business)
Available Software (Home) X
Ease of Use X
Reliability X
Vulnerability (viruses, etc.) X
 Desktop versus Laptop (Notebook)
Desktop Laptop
Cost (relative) X
Performance (raw power) X
CPU X
Portability X
Screen Size & Clarity X
Permanent storage X
Memory X
 Definitions-Desktop
• Desktop computer-May consist of five or more
components;
– Main frame which houses the CPU, memory, permanent
storage, DVD or CD drive, video adapter, sound adapter,
Ethernet connector, keyboard, mouse, speakers and display
– Non-portable configuration whose components may weigh
more than twenty pounds
• Review sites
– http://reviews.cnet.com/desktop-computers/
– http://www.pcworld.com/products/computers/desktops.ht
ml
 Definitions-Laptop (Notebook)
• Personal computers designed for mobility in five
broad categories as defined by size & weight;
– Netbook/Subnotebook: <10.5" x <1.5" x <1.3" @ <3.5 lbs
– Ultraportable: 9-11" x 8-10" x <1.5" @ 2.0-5 lbs.
– Thin and light: 11-15" x <11" x 1-1.7" @ 5-7 lbs.
– Desktop Replacement: >15" x >11" x >1.5" @ >7 lbs.
– Luggables: >18” x >13” x >1.5” @ >12 lbs.
• Review sites
– http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/
– http://www.notebookreview.com/
 Definitions-CPU
• CPU(Central processing unit)- This is the brains
of the computer and its power is generally
measured in clock speed (cpu cycles). Today’s
CPU’s clock speeds will exceed 2 GHz on
desktops and 1.6 GHz on laptops.
• Caveat-Rated clock speeds are not linear
measurements- a 3.0 GHz P4 is actually less
powerful than a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo
 Definitions- Memory
• Memory (RAM)- non permanent storage
measured in megabytes (MB) or preferably,
gigabytes (GB). Desktops should have at least 2
GB of RAM while laptops may have 1 GB but
should have 2 GB of RAM
• Caveat- Windows XP can only recognize 3.28
GB of RAM. Anything more is wasted.
Windows 7 (32 bit) can recognize 4 GB and
Windows 7 (64 bit) can recognize 192 GB
 Definitions-Storage
• Permanent Storage (Hard drive) – Unlike RAM,
data stored in permanent storage remains
after the power is turned off. Storage, like
RAM, is measured in gigabytes (GB). Desktops
should have at a minimum 500 GB of storage
while laptops may suffice with 250 GB
• Caveat- If you plan to store pictures, videos or
music, you should opt for as much storage as
possible (terabyte plus)
 Definitions-Display
• Desktop display (monitor) – New systems should
have an LCD flat panel display of at least 19” diagonal
with a minimum resolution of 1280 x 1024. Higher is
better.
• Laptops display – Depending upon the size laptop the
screen dimensions will vary from 7” to 19” (too
heavy) Minimum resolution of 1280 x 1024
• Caveat- The video card must have its own fast
processor and enough memory to support active
screens
 Definitions-Display
• Screen size
– The screen size is the measurement of the displayable area of the screen from the lower corner to the
opposite upper corner of the display (7”-20” notebook, 15”-30”+ desktop)
• Aspect ratio
– The aspect ratio refers to the number of horizontal pixels to vertical pixels in a display. Traditional displays
used a 4:3 aspect ratio. Most new widescreen monitors use either a 16:10 or 16:9 aspect ratio.
• Native resolution
– All LCD screens can actually display only a single given resolution referred to as the native resolution. This is
the physical number of horizontal and vertical pixels that make up the LCD matrix of the display..
• Contrast ratio
– Basically a higher contrast ratio will mean that the screen will tend to have deeper blacks and brighter
whites.
• Connectors
– Most LCD panels have an analog and a digital connector on them. The analog connector is the VGA or DSUB-
15. The common digital interface is the DVI connector.
• Stands
– Many people don't consider the stand when purchasing a monitor but it can make a huge difference. There
are typically four different types of adjustment: height, tilt, swivel and pivot.
 Operating System
• Windows is the predominant operating system found
on PCs
– Windows XP-released October 30, 2001 and is currently
the most widely installed PC operating system (est. >400
million worldwide)
– Windows Vista-released January 30, 2007 and has been
plagued by problems ever since its release
– Windows 7- released October 22, 2009 purportedly to fix
all past mistakes (installed on all new, major brand
computers)
• Mac OS X-current version code named Snow Leopard
 Manufacturers
• PCs are manufactured (assembled) by either 1st tier, 2nd tier or whitebox companies (53%
of all systems sold)
– 1st tier companies
• HP www.hp.com
• Dell www.dell.com
• Toshiba www.toshiba.com
• Lenovo www.lenovo.com
– 2nd tier companies
• Acer www.acer.com
• Sony www.sony.com
• Sharp www.sharp.com
– Whitebox companies
• Your local computer store
• Caveat- Buyer beware; smaller stores may not be there when you need them
but conversely, may be able to provide you with personalized service when you
want it
 iPad vs. Kindle

From $489.00 - $829.00 From $259.00 - $489.00

 Kindle-Fact Sheet
Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines

Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback

Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered wirelessly in less than 60 seconds; no PC required

3G Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle; no annual contracts, no monthly fees,
no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots

Global Coverage: Enjoy 3G wireless coverage at home or abroad in over 100 countries. See details.
Check wireless coverage map.

Paper-Like Display: Reads like real paper without glare, even in bright sunlight

Carry Your Library: Holds up to 1,500 books

Longer Battery Life: Now read for up to 1 week on a single charge with wireless on, a significant improvement
from the previous battery life of 4 days

Built-In PDF Reader: Your Kindle can now display PDF documents natively. Native PDF support allows you to carry
and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go.

Read-to-Me: With the experimental Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and
books out loud to you, unless the book's rights holder made the feature unavailable
 Kindle Fact Sheet cont.
Large Selection: Over 480,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read,
including 105 of 112 New York Times® Best Sellers, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and
blogs. For non-U.S. customers, content availability and pricing will vary. Check your country.

Out-of-Copyright, Pre-1923 Books: Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are available to read
on Kindle, including titles such as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, and Treasure Island.
Learn more

Low Book Prices: New York Times® Best Sellers and new releases from $9.99. When traveling abroad, you can
download books wirelessly from the Kindle Store or your Archived Items.

Free Book Samples: Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy
 iPad Fact Sheet

• Watch the iPad video

• All of the built-in apps on iPad were designed from the ground up to take advantage of the large Multi-
Touch screen and advanced capabilities of iPad. And they work in any orientation. So you can do things
with these apps that you can’t do on any other device.
• Safari
• iPad is the best way to experience the web. View whole pages in portrait or landscape on the large Multi-
Touch screen. And let your fingers do the surfing. Learn more
• Mail
• There’s nothing like the Mail app on iPad. With a split-screen view and expansive onscreen keyboard, it lets
you see and touch your email in ways you never could before. Learn more
• Photos
• A vivid LED-backlit IPS display makes viewing photos on iPad extraordinary. Open albums with a tap. Flip
through your pictures one by one. Or play a slideshow and share your photos. Learn more
• Videos
• The 9.7-inch high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching HD movies, TV shows, podcasts, music
videos, and more. Learn more
 iPad Fact Sheet cont.
• Videos
• The 9.7-inch high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching HD movies, TV shows, podcasts, music
videos, and more. Learn more
• YouTube
• With the YouTube app designed specifically for iPad, videos are even easier to find. And on the amazing
iPad display, they’re more fun to watch. Especially in HD. Learn more
• iPod
• Reach out and touch your songs. View your album art full-size. iPad makes music look as good as it sounds.
Learn more
• iTunes
• Millions of songs, thousands of movies and TV shows, and so much more. Browsing and buying are just a
tap away. Learn more
• App Store
• You’ll find more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, and iPad can run almost all of them. Including
everything from games to productivity apps. Learn more
• iBooks
• Reading is a joy on iPad. Text looks crisp and bright. Pages turn with a flick. And you can buy new books
from the iBookstore. Just download the free iBooks app to get started. 1 Learn more
 iPad fact Sheet cont.
• Maps
• See more of the world with iPad. Find locations easier than ever with street view, satellite
view, or new terrain view — all using Google services. Learn more
• Notes
• With its large display and onscreen keyboard, iPad makes it easy to jot down quick notes and
keep important information on hand. You can even email yourself reminders. Learn more
• Calendar
• Work, home, and everything in between. Your schedules are easy to read and easy to manage
on iPad — even all at once. Learn more
• Contacts
• With Contacts on iPad, you can see much more than just names and numbers. And you can
do more with them, too. Learn more
• Home Screen
• With just one press of the Home button, you have access to every app on your iPad.
Learn more
 iPad Fact Sheet cont.
• Spotlight Search
• No matter what you’re looking for, Spotlight Search can help you find it. Learn more
• Accessibility
• Universal access is built into iPad. So right out of the box, Apple makes it easy for people with
disabilities to enjoy all that iPad has to offer. Learn more
• iWork
• The iWork productivity applications that you know and love on the Mac — Keynote, Pages,
and Numbers — have been completely redesigned for iPad.2 So you can create great-looking
presentations, documents, and spreadsheets. All using just your fingers. And while they’re
easy to use, they’re also the most powerful productivity apps ever built for a mobile device.
• Keynote
• Create a presentation with custom graphic styles, elegantly designed themes, stunning
animations and effects, and powerful new features designed just for iPad. Learn more
• Pages
• Pages has everything you need to put your words into beautiful documents. Including Apple-
designed templates and easy-to-use formatting tools. Learn more
• Numbers
• Numbers includes over 250 easy-to-use functions, an intelligent keyboard, flexible tables, and
eye-catching charts. So you can create compelling spreadsheets in just a few taps. Learn more
 Network Appliance

$100.00 Internet access device http://www.sylvaniacomputers.com/

 Netbooks
Typical configuration
• Intel Atom N450(1.66GHz)
• 10.1” WSVGA
• 1GB Memory
• 160GB HDD

$199- $459
 Notebooks
Windows PC Notebooks Apple Notebooks

$299 & up $899 & up

 Notebooks-Configuration
PC Apple

• 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo • 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

• 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM • 2GB DDR3 SDRAM
• 300 GB Hard Drive • 250GB Hard Drive /
• DVD+/-RW-CD-RW SuperDrive
• 15 in 1280 x 1024 Display • DVD±RW/CD-RW
• 13.3in 1280 x 800 Display /
NVIDIA
 Software
• Productivity-Paid
– Microsoft Office-2010 (generally does not come
included with the computer, just a 60 day trial)
• Word-Wordprocessing
• Excel-Spreadsheet
• Powerpoint-Presentation
• Outlook-Email
• Access-Database
– Adobe Acrobat –PDF maker
– Act or Goldmine-Contact manager
 Software-Free
• Productivity
– Open Office-Microsoft Office open source software
from Sun Micro Systems http://www.openoffice.org/
– Adobe Reader 9.1-read PDF files
http://download.cnet.com/Adobe-Reader/3000-10743
_4-10000062.html
– Avira-Anti virus http://www.free-av.com/
– Antispyware- AdAware
http://download.cnet.com/Ad-Aware-Free-Anti-Malwa
re/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&sub
j=dl&tag=top5
– Registry repair-Spybot-Search and Destroy
 Home Software-Pictures
– Adobe Photoshop https://www.photoshop.com/
– Web Picture Creator
http://software.informer.com/wpc/
– Flickr http://www.flickr.com/
– Shutterfly http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books
– Snapfish http://www.snapfish.com/
 Home Software-Music Catalog
• Apple iTunes
– http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
• Limewire
– http://www.limewire.com/
• Rhapsody
– http://www.rhapsody.com/home.html
• Napster
– http://free.napster.com/
• Kazzaa
– http://www.kazaa.com/
 Home Software-Movies
• Windows Movie Maker
– http://desktopvideo.about.com/lr/windows_mov
ie_maker/90641/2/
• Apple iMovie
– http://desktopvideo.about.com/lr/apple_imovie/
90641/3/
• Free video editing software
– http://www.desktop-video-guide.com/top-5-free-v
ideo-editing-software-review.html
 Home Software-Music
• Audacity
– http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
• Wavosaur
– http://www.wavosaur.com/
• Free Digital Audio Editors
– http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/25-free-digital-aud
io-editors/
 Educators Discount Sites
• Online academic sites
– Academic Superstore
http://www.academicsuperstore.com/
– Viosoft http://www.viosoftware.com/index.php
– Royal Discount
http://www.royaldiscount.com/index.cfm?stateful
– Journey http://www.ccvsoftware.com/
– Needsoft http://needsoftware.com/
– Gradware http://www.gradware.com/
 Wholesale sites
• Online sources where retailers shop
– Nextag http://www.nextag.com/
– Newegg http://www.newegg.com/
– Froogle http://www.google.com/products
– Ebay http://www.ebay.com/
– Geeks http://www.geeks.com/
– The Nerds http://www.thenerds.net/
– Mac Connection
http://www.macconnection.com/IPA/Home.htm
• Refurbished computers
– Overstock http://www.overstock.com/