Back-to-school computer buying tips
Find out what your college student will need before you
head off to the store
By Teresa McUsic
tmcusic@savvyconsumer.net
UPDATE: The advice below remains valid, but
technology has changed a bit over the last four years. This
is particularly true in the area of RAM, where splurging now
means 2 Gigabytes (GB) of RAM, rather than 512 Megabytes
(MB). According to Microsoft's Windows Vista Technet page,
the full features of Vista require hardware that includes a
1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, a supported video card with
128 MB of graphics memory, 40 GB hard drive (which was
easily purchased 4 years ago - today's hard drive sizes are
at least 160 GB,) and a DVD-ROM drive. (See,
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905075.aspx
)
Computer processor (CPU) technology has also changed, with
32-bit and 64-bit systems now available. 64-bit processors
can manipulate larger amounts of data, but currently are not
a great advantage for running the most common applications,
since most software doesn't take advantage of the 64-bit
processor's full capability. Processors now also come with
two or more "cores" which is like getting more than one CPU
on a single processor chip. Dual or even quad-core
processors will provide a performance advantage over a
single-core processor, and should be a consideration when
making a computer buying decision.
One other technology change over the past four years is the
growth of wireless networking. While not a requirement,
having wireless capability in a laptop computer can be a
useful feature for a student, allowing access to the
Internet while using the reference materials within the
libraries, or even letting them catching up on e-mail while
having lunch in the Union Building. Many laptops have a
wireless capability included, but this feature can be also
added via a number of internal or external add-on hardware
options.
Philip Baczewski is now Director of Academic
Computing and User Services at the University of North
Texas.
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Special to the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (Posted on Fri, Jul. 25, 2003) Teresa
McUsic's column appears Mondays and Fridays. (817) 460-5514 - Used
with permission.
July is usually mark-down time as computer companies use
aggressive pricing strategies to attract back-to-school buyers.
This month,
industry leaders Dell and Hewlett-Packard Co. announced
back-to-school promotions, leading the way in a charge that should
help shoppers get a bigger bang out of their computers without
breaking the bank.
Just ask Philip Baczewski,
associate director of academic computing services at the
University of North Texas, where in a few weeks, many of the
college's 30,000 students will swarm the campus armed with new
computers.
"There's no reason for parents to
spend $2,000 for their children's computer when a $600 computer
will do everything they need to do," Baczewski said.
The principles
of shopping for a computer are largely the same whether you want a
computer for a dorm room or your home: Identify how you plan to
use the computer and buy a machine with the features and power to
allow you to do it.
For incoming
college freshman, the computer debate often boils down to laptop
versus desktop. At least, that was the most frequent computing
question asked at freshman-orientation sessions this summer at
Texas Christian University, said Walter Wallace, a
computer-support counselor at TCU.
There is no
single right answer, Wallace said, which may frustrate computer
novices. "It all boils down to personal preferences," Wallace
said.
Typically,
laptops are more expensive than desktops in terms of
dollar-for-dollar computing performance. Portability has its
price.
A laptop is
better for taking notes in class, working in the library and
collaborating on team projects. But it's also more easily dropped
or stolen. Desktops are usually anchored in a student's living
quarters. But most are more powerful than laptops and can handle
more tasks and add-on hardware.
With many $500
PC models now equipped with DVD players and with dorm-room space
at a premium, the desktop PC can become a media center, storing
and playing music and movies, providing Internet access and making
class assignments easier to complete.
Laptops are
limited, in comparison, because they are not designed to handle a
wide array of add-on equipment. "You can't do a media center with
a laptop," Wallace said.
Whether buying
a machine for home or school, here is what shoppers should keep in
mind, according to computer experts:
• Remember
the software: Once you buy the hardware, you'll probably want
to invest in software. Shop the software section before you buy
your machine to make sure you can afford both the machine and the
software you want.
• Not
all processors are created equal: Don't judge the
microprocessor on numbers alone. An Intel Pentium, for example,
stores more data for quick use than does an Intel Celeron, meaning
that Pentium chips process information faster than Celeron chips
rated at similar speeds. Like the Pentium, the AMD Athlon chip is
generally considered better than the Celeron.
• Never
enough RAM?: RAM is memory used by the computer to store and
manage active software files. More RAM helps a computer run
smoothly and respond to commands faster. Figure on buying at least
256 megabytes of RAM for a base system. If budget allows, experts
say, a good place to splurge is on a system with 512 megabytes of
RAM.
• Sizing
the hard drive: The hard drive is the equivalent of a
computer's closet: It stores everything not actively being used at
the moment. For most users, the 40 gigabytes offered in most basic
desktop systems is sufficient. Students heading off to college,
however, may benefit from an 80 gigabyte hard drive that will
allow them to store more music and videos on their machines.
• Accessing
the Web: College students need computers with 10/100 slots,
which allow the machines to tap into high-speed Internet services.
Students with laptops should invest in a wireless card using the
802.11b standard. Many universities, including UNT, TCU and the
University of Texas at Arlington, are expanding systems that allow
properly equipped laptops to access the Internet wirelessly in
some buildings.
• Integrated
versus dedicated video cards: For video games, a machine with
the proper video card is important. A dedicated video card
essentially has its own computing resources to process video,
improving the performance of the video game. An integrated video
card essentially borrows processing power from other parts of the
computer, which can hurt the performance of the game and the
computer overall.
For a more
complete discussion of any issue described here, type "buying a
PC" into an Internet search site such as
http://www.google.com/. That will help you find sites
with unbiased PC buying advice and product reviews.
If you're
still overwhelmed, remember that most campuses have computer labs
that students can use to complete assignments.
While it may not be ideal,
students can use on-campus experience to learn what they need in a
computer. Each course of study will have its own computing needs,
so waiting can make as much sense for some as buying now, said
Baczewski, of UNT.
"If you don't know if a computer
is a pressing need or not, let the student come to school for a
semester and find out what the requirements will be," Baczewski
said.
© 2003 Star
Telegram and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
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