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>>>>>>> SO YOU WANT TO BUY A COMPUTER. <<<<<<< Notes comments and Opinions on buying your first computer. Written by: David Postler Copyright 1990 Table of Contents. What can a computer do? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Costs Involved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Basic Computer terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 What type of Computers to buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Some of the Different types of computers. . . . . . . . 5 XT vs. AT computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Basic specifications to look for. . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Disk Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Output Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Monitors and graphics cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Other accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Operating systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Applications Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Commercial vs. Shareware Programs . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Doing It. Actually Buying the computer . . . . . . . . 15 Who do you buy from? . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 16 Learning More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 People who know about my computer knowledge often ask me "What kind of computer should I get?" This is like me asking you "What kind of car should I buy?" Without knowing me and how it plan on using the car it would be difficult to make anything but the most general recommendations. This article will attempt to point out some of the things you shuld consider and do a very basic explanation of computers. I will only scratch the surface of a very large field so I have included some sources to get some more information at the end of the article. The comments in the article reflect MY opinions, other people in the computer field may disagree with these opinions. My advice is, listen to both sides ask questions and make up your own mind. -----What can a computer do?----- There are 6 general areas that a computer can help you with. First is word processing as I write this article it is very comforting to know that the computer will spell and grammar check everything to correct at least the most obvious mistakes. Another advantage is easy storage and copying of information if more than one person would want a copy of this article. I can print it for them quite easily without digging through my files, running to find a copy machine etc. Revisions are a breeze as I can change the text at any time. Spreadsheets bring the same freedom to accounting people. While I do not use spreadsheets myself. Accounting people I have talked to would not be without them as they can easily make projections and graphs and easily correct any mistakes and recall any spreadsheet in storage. Record keeping is a dream on computers, how does keeping a list of people you send cards to and having a list printed at the 1 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 beginning of the month for every birthday and anniversary during the month. You could also print address labels for the cards. You can do this with a computer and a database program! You could also keep track of any collections you have and be able to keep a running total of value for your insurance agent. Graphics are yet another use of computers they can be used for drawing and painting and publishing a newsletter. Very nice artwork can be created with a computer. There are also programs to make certificates and greeting cards for a different occasions. You can also use your computer to write programs. This allows you to customize your computer to work the way you want rather than having to work with whatever is available. Education is another large area for computers there are many education programs for different areas from Bible Study to Vocabulary. Telecommunication is a great way to use your computer for communication with other people. Finally there are many game programs available for a computer to while away/waste your hours. -----Costs involved.----- While a computer can do quite a bit there are some costs involved. First is the direct cost of buying the computer. For a computer with needed accessories expect to spend from $700 to $3000. Spending less is dangerous unless you thoroughly know what you are doing. Spending more is generally a waste of money unless you have a specific job that requires a more powerful system. Another cost often left out of consideration is upkeep. A computer works a lot like a car in that you need supplies and will have repair bills. Also you may need new software and 2 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 accessories. As a heavy user (Several hours/day) I budget about $100 a month for upkeep of my computer(s). If you are careful you may be able to get by for about half that. What I mean by supplies are disks, paper, ribbons, software upgrades, etc. The last cost is time. Often people are amazed and impressed by the ease with which I can use my computer. That ease came through a lot of hard work! Just as the grace and skill of a star athlete comes from practice, practice, practice. You should plan on spending about 50 good learning hours with the computer before you truly become comfortable. While you should be able to use the computer before this it will take that long to make most if not all the beginners mistakes and get working knowledge about your programs. Even after this period you should continue to learn and experiment as the more new things you try the more you will learn. Even today many years after my first exposure to computers I am still learning new tricks and better ways to do things with a computer. There is NO substitute for knowledge and experience with a computer. -----Basic Computer terms.----- If you have gotten this far without being frightened off lets discuss a few terms so you know what I am talking about for the rest of this article. Modern computers are composed of chips. For our purposes chips are electronic building blocks. A computer has a CPU (Central Processor Unit) Chip this is the brain that controls how the computer works, there are many types of CPU chips. Most of them will work a little differently. The "ROM" (Read Only Memory) chips also control how the computer behaves, think of them as electronic instincts built into the 3 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 computer. A computer works on information kept in the "RAM" (Random Access Memory) chips this information moves in and out of the computer as needed and is lost when the computer is turned off. The information may either be a "Program" which is a set of instructions for the computer to do something. Or it can be "Data" which is just about everything else such as a letter in a word processing program, a list in a database program, numbers and formulas in a spreadsheet program or a drawing in a graphics program. The programs and data are stored on either a "Floppy Disk" which is a small rectangular object that you place in a "Disk Drive" or "Drive" to read and store information. Most computers also have built into them a "Hard Disk" or "Fixed Disk" which stores a lot more information than a Floppy Disk. It also makes it easier for the computer and you to organize and get at the information. In general you type work in on a "Keyboard" and see the result on a "Monitor" or "Screen". If you want to put your work on paper you will need a "Printer". "Software" is the programs and data needed to make the computer do any work. "Hardware" is the physical part of a computer ie. what you can touch. A relatively new word is "Clone" this is a computer or other item built to work just like a product of a different manufacturer. Those are the main definitions you will need for using a computer other words will be explained later. 4 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 -----What type of Computers to buy.----- There are many types of computers on the market and there is some understandable confusion about what type to buy and who to buy from. Let me repeat my earlier warnings. The advice that follows is my opinion. Computer people are as fanatical about favorite computer types as evangelists are about their religion. With that in mind I have tried to set out my reasons for recommending a particular computer type over another. By type I do not mean brand name, as there are generally at least two manufacturers making any particular component for a computer. Most of the time there are many more than two manufacturers for a particular piece of equipment. Lastly my advice is for a home or small business doing general computer work. If you have a very specific application your choices may already be made as there may be only one type of computer and software combination that will do the job. If you are setting up a large system you should seek the advice of a competent systems consultant. They are not cheap but when you are spending $30,000 and up it may be well worth it. -----Some of the Different types of computers.----- My advice in short is to buy either a PC XT or a PC AT compatible computer. These computers are modeled after machines from IBM and are now the most popular type of computer in general use. Keep in mind that this is a type of computer NOT a specific brand name. Actually most of the personal computers now for sale FROM IBM are not PC XT or PC AT compatible, more on that later. The main reason I recommend an XT or AT compatible is that there is a very large number of similar computers already out there. 5 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 This means that if you want a computer to do a specific job you probably can do it on a XT or AT compatible. The large number of computers encourages many companies to develop different programs and accessories for this type of computer. This gives you many different software packages and accessories to choose from allowing you to choose the package that is the best value for you. Specialized hardware/software also is more likely to be available on a XT or AT compatible. To help explain my choice I will now explain about some of the other computers and why I feel that they are not as good a buy as a XT or AT compatible. The Apple II line of computers have a long and distinguished history and thanks to an aggressive marketing program by Apple they are in many schools. However they have never quite taken off in the business world and compared with more recent computer designs seem to be underpowered. The newest model the IIgs has graphics and sound capabilities to rival any computer out there but no one seems to doing any serious software for it. I am very much of two minds about the Apple Macintosh. On the one hand many people who are knowledgeable about computers and whose opinions I respect like their "Macs". Also the Mac can be set up to be as powerful as any XT or AT compatible. However there are two drawbacks that make it a second choice to XT or AT compatibles. First the Mac has a smaller number of users. This means that software and accessories tend to be more expensive to pay for a company's development costs and sometimes is not available at all. Second you can only buy a Mac from Apple there is no competition to hold the price down. In addition Apple warranty 6 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 policies may make it difficult for you to get service if you have added accessories not approved by Apple to your machine. The Atari ST computers and the Commodore Amiga are very nice computers with excellent graphics and a reasonable price but up to now they have not sold have enough machines to make it worthwhile to write software for them or to develop the range of special accessories that you can get on a XT or AT compatible. Two new types of computers that have been developed to get more powerful performance are IBM's Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) and Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) computers. These computers are somewhat XT and AT compatible. However the cost of the computer and the time involved to set up one leave these computers for advanced users only, at least for now. This is by no means an exhaustive discussion of all computers available. If I have not mentioned a computer type it means that it is a usually a computer that has not sold well or is outside the range of hobbyist computing. Unless you need it for a special application or you want to play with it strictly as a hobby. Leave it alone and stick with XT or AT compatible machines. -----XT vs. AT computers.----- Up till now I have been discussing XT and AT compatibles as if they are the same thing. While they are very much alike and usually can run the same programs there are some significant differences between the computers. The XT Compatibles use an 8088, 8086, or 80186 chip as their "brain" while the AT compatibles use an 80286, 80386 or 80486. The XT is also the 7 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 older design. What this means is the XT is generally less expensive, slower and can do less than a AT. This does not mean that a XT is bad I am writing this on a XT compatible and have no troubles at all doing it. Let's discuss the differences in more detail to give a clearer picture. The XT computer is less expensive because it has been around for a longer time than the AT, many of the components for a XT compatible cost less than AT components, and last many of the most powerful applications cannot run on a XT class machine. The last has meant that many businesses will buy only AT machines to have the capabilities for the future leaving the XT class machines for bargain hunters. Speed on a computer is generally specified by the clock speed. This is measured in Mhz (Millions of Cycles per Second) and the higher the number the faster. Most XT machines will not run faster than 10 Mhz, AT machines can go up to 33 Mhz which by itself is a large speed increase. But the design of the AT class machines allows them to work faster even when they are going at the same speed! It is more technical than that but, I'm trying to keep this simple. Also with the AT being a newer design there are some features on these computers that do not exist on XT machines. Accessory boards for the XT will generally fit an AT machine but boards for the AT will not fit in a XT. In addition very high powered spreadsheet or graphics programs must have the extra horsepower of an AT to run successfully. Lastly while it is not strictly true, AT machines generally have better graphics displays. As you can see there are some differences between XT and AT computers. The question is; "Do you buy and AT or XT?" This depends on how powerful a computer you need. AT class 8 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 machines are more powerful but they are more expensive. XT machines are less expensive but are less powerful. The table below gives some suggestions about what type of computer to use for different applications. Use for Computer Computer Power Required Computer type Graphics work High AT Spreadsheet Medium to High AT Programming Medium AT Database Low to Medium XT Word Processing Low XT Communications Low XT Remember that either type of computer could be used for any use. Buy the computer based on your primary job for it. If you do not have any specific job in mind, buy an AT. The reason for this is that an XT computer has very little resale value. The AT can be upgraded more giving it more of a future than the XT. You may be wondering why I have not mentioned any brand names. The simple answer is that there many of computer manufacturers and mostly they are all the same. My advice is to first be sure that you can get service. If you can get service buy based on performance and value, not brand names. -----Basic specifications to look for.----- Assuming you have decided what type of computer to buy what should you look for? First the faster the clock speed the better. However that the faster the computer the more expensive everything is so you will have to compromise. Second check the amount of memory. This measured in Kilobytes(k) or Megabytes(M). The computer should have at least 640k of memory. If it does not don't bother with it most programs either require this amount of 9 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 memory to run or will run much better with it. Second look for the number of slots on the board. The more slots the more accessories you can install. Another item to check for is if the machine can accept a numeric coprocessor. This is an extra chip that will speed up graphics and spreadsheet jobs. If you are buying an AT compatible then you should check the bus width it is either 8 or 16 bits wide with the 16 bit wide bus being better. If the computer has a special 32 bit bus for memory that is better still. -----Disk Drives.----- There are many other specifications and options and accessories that you need to get a working computer. The first is a hard disk. There are only three things to look for when buying a hard disk. First will the disk work with your computer. Second how many Megabytes can the disk store with the larger numbers being better. I do not recommend any hard disk smaller than 20 mb. Last the seek time is measured in (Micro Seconds) mS with smaller being better. Floppy disk drives are a little more complicated. For most XT and AT machines there are two sizes of disks 5.25" and 3.5" each disk size has two types of disks. All disks mentioned here are Double Sided and either Double Density (DSDD) or High Density (DSHD). DSDD disks will hold 360k(5.25") or 720k(3.5") of data, DSHD disks hold 1.2m(5.25") or 1.44m(3.5"). You will need at least one 5.25" drive as most software is at present distributed on that size disks. If possible you should also get a 3.5" disk as they are the newer and better disks. 10 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 -----Output Ports.----- Your computer will have several different inputs and outputs. In the computer world we call these ports. Besides the monitor and keyboard ports you should have a parallel port. This will allow you to connect a printer. You should also have a serial or RS-232 port this will allow you to connect to all manner of devices including other computers and while you may not use this all the time it is very handy. -----Monitors and graphics cards.----- There are many type graphic systems for your computer. The first is the Monochrome adapter, this adapter will display only text and very limited graphics in black and white. The next level is the color graphics adapter or CGA, this displays in color and is about the cheapest color display available. The next level is the Extended graphics adapter or EGA this adapter is also color and has a higher quality display then a CGA display. The best commonly available is the Video graphics Adapter or VGA. I would recommend that at the least you buy an EGA adapter, and if you are going to do a lot of graphics, buy a VGA adapter even though these are not the cheapest displays. The monochrome adapter will not display any graphics worth mentioning, and the CGA display can be uncomfortable to work with for a long period. There are some other types of display adapters but unless you know what you are doing stay away from them. When buying a display be sure that you can work with it as it is quite possible to get eyestrain from a low quality display. 11 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 -----Printers.----- You should plan on buying a printer with your computer. You stick with a Dot Matrix printer. Dot matrix printers are the most common and moderately priced. The main things to look for are a parallel interface and Epson/IBM graphics compatibly. This will allow you to hook to a "standard" computer and print most graphics. You also should have a "tractor feed" or a "pin feed" these use the holes in computer paper and allow you to print a long job without being concerned about how the paper is feeding through the printer. Regular width printers are less expensive although the Wide carriage printers will handle larger paper for spreadsheets, graphics, etc. If you do a large amount of printing you may want to consider a Laser printer although they are expensive. -----Other accessories.----- There are two other accessories that you should look into. First is a Real Time Clock/Calender. This is simply a watch and calender that is readable by the computer. Without it you will have to set the date and time whenever you turn on the computer for it to be accurate. It is also very helpful in keeping track of files. If you are doing graphics or extensive spreadsheet applications you should consider a "Coprocessor". This is an extra chip that takes some of the load off the CPU by doing some of the math calculations and when doing graphics or extensive spreadsheet recalculations it will speed up the computer greatly. Remember that your software must take advantage of a coprocessor for it to work. However most spreadsheet and graphics programs 12 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 do this already so it is usually not a problem. Unless you have a specific need for them you should not worry about buying other accessories such as a mouse, modem, backup unit, joysticks, etc. If you need them they can be added later. -----Programs.----- Up to now we have be discussing hardware. Just as important are the software programs that you buy with the computer. All computers need software to be of any use! You should spend as much or more time picking the software as you do picking the actual computer. The reasons for this are simple. The software may require you to buy a certain type of computer and accessories for it to be of use, also the software determines to a large extent whether the computer is easy or difficult to use. -----Operating systems.----- This is the basic software for any computer. It determines how you organize your disks, how the computer puts data on the screen or printer, how it responds to keyboard. It also handles most of the simple housekeeping and organizing tasks for the computer. Most of the time this software is included with a computer. Most operating system software is made by a company called Microsoft and is called "PC-DOS" or "MS-DOS". There are several versions of this software available I recommend version 3.2 or higher. Digital Research makes a similar program called "DR-DOS" this program seems to work just as well as the Microsoft program. -----Application Programs.----- I could write for days about all the different applications out there for computers and still not cover it all. So I will 13 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 limit this discussion to software that I use on my computer with some additional comments. My operating system is MS-DOS version(s) 3.2 and 3.3. I have already modified my computer to be easy to use so version 4.0 with it's easy to use features has no appeal for me. My word processor is WordStar 5.5 although the rest of the world uses Word Perfect. It is my opinion that WordStar has gotten a bum rap from most people in the computer press, I find it to be an easy to use program and far more friendly than Word Perfect. My programming languages are Quick Basic 4.5 and Zbasic 4.0 and when I am done with this article I am going to get the h___ back to program writing. I use Ward Mundy's shareware program WAMPUM as my database program it is easy to use even though the manual is not. I use no spreadsheet program at present but have heard that Lotus 1-2-3 or a "Clone" program are ok. One last program that we use at work and I like is PFS First Choice. This is an integrated package which has Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Database and more functions all in one program for about $100. Buying a program like this or Microsoft Works can handle many simple computer functions and is often easy to use. -----Commercial vs. Shareware Programs.----- There are three ways of buying software for your computer. The first is commercial software. This is a regular package you go in and pay your money and they give you the software package including the rights to use it. Please note that you do not own the software. Also in almost all cases you cannot legally give the software to anyone or use it on more than one computer at the 14 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 same time. "Shareware" is a name for a different method of marketing software. Using this method you get a copy of the software and try it out in your computer for your application. If you like the software and want to continue to use it you pay a license fee to the program author. It works on the honor system. This software can be passed on if someone should see the software and would like to try a copy. I use shareware and I do send in the registration fees. If you use shareware I recommend that you also send in the registration fees. This also allows you to get help from the author and usually a manual for the program. Also if no one sends in the money then the authors simply will go commercial with their software and you will not get the opportunity to try software first. Lastly there is "Public Domain" or "Bannerware" software these programs are released to the world although with bannerware the author keeps the copyright to the program. There is no charge for using these programs. So, what type of software should you buy? If you need decent manuals and lots of support you should buy commercial software. If you are willing to accept a little roughness around the edges then shareware is a good choice. If you don't care as long as it's free, then use public domain software. -----Doing It. Actually Buying the computer.----- You can buy a computer three different ways. The first way is to buy each component and match them up yourself. I do not recommend this method as it requires a high level of technical expertise, a large amount of time for research and extra money to in the budget in case you make a mistake. The second method is to buy a fully assembled system. This is a very good method as 15 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 the components all already matched for best performance the disadvantage is that you have to take what you are given. The third method is to combine the first and second methods by purchasing a computer that is assembled and then buying the monitor/graphics card and printer. This is about the best method and will allow for expansion for the future. What about buying a portable computer? Portables have many advantages in that they are already assembled and are very compact. The big disadvantages are the limited expansion capabilities and the high cost to repair. My advice is not to buy a portable unless you have a definite need for it. Stick with a desktop unit which has can be expanded and is easier to repair. Another question concerns whether to buy a used computer. Unless you are sure that the computer is compatible with current machines I would stay away from them as it is too easy to get caught in a bad deal. -----Who do you buy from?----- Most people suggest that you go to a computer dealer to buy your computer. I disagree! Most computer dealers especially the large chains, are unwilling or unable to provide a reasonable level of customer service. There are a few good computer dealers out there and should find one of the rare creatures then by all means buy from them! How do you spot a good dealer. First when you enter the store look at your watch. If no one talks to you in five minutes leave and don't bother going back. Second look at the prices, if they are all full list it is a bad sign. Talk to the salespeople find out are they knowledgeable, what how long 16 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 they have worked there, are warranty repairs done at the store, are parts stocked and, what kind of help will you get after you buy the computer. Lack of computer knowledge and obvious sales pitches are another bad sign. If a dealer passes all these tests and you own a computer another good idea is to buy a accessory from the dealer and see what happens. These tests will eliminate almost all dealers. So if you don't buy from a dealer then who do you buy from? One very good choice is a discount or department store. These stores don't know much about computers however they don't pretend to either and charge lower prices similar to mail order houses as well as allowing you to see and try the merchandise before you buy it. Often these stores also have liberal return and warranty policies which can help if you run into problems. Mail order is another very popular way to buy a computer the chief advantages are low price and selection. There are some problems with mail order that you should know about. First you cannot see the merchandise before you buy it, second you may have shipping problems, third a small number of manufacturers will not honor any warranties of machines purchased through mail order, fourth if you order from out of state you may have to pay a "Use Tax" on the item in lieu of sales tax, some states are getting quite aggressive in collecting such taxes and refusing to pay could land you in trouble with the tax people. You should buy on value. If the price of a computer is significantly lower than the competitions check it out thoroughly as a common ploy is to lower the price by "unbundling" which is selling everything separately ie price the machine for a certain amount then note in the small print that you have to buy several 17 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 extra items to make the computer work. Caveat Emptor! -----Learning More.----- There are quite a few books out there for a computer buyer or owner to use in helping to make your computer more understandable. I will recommend some books and magazines that I have found helpful in my work for you to buy. For general learning about computers any of the books by Peter McWilliams is a good bet. These books may be hard to find as they were published some years back. This also means that the computer recommendations are also somewhat dated. A good book for today is Running MS-DOS by Van Wolverton, this is the essential book on MS-DOS so buy it. Another series of books that are very helpful are the QUE reference series, these books are not long on explanations but deliver the information you need to be productive fast. Magazines are also very helpful in working on computers I can trace many of my productive work ideas to my magazine collection. For someone getting started I would recommend that you get a subscription to PC Resource. I find it to be a magazine that provides both helpful beginners articles and enough information that even an experienced user will find it helpful. Another magazine to look at is Computer Shopper this is the bargain magazine for the computer world, while it is not necessary to get a subscription to this magazine purchasing a copy before you buy something will give you the street price of an item so you can tell if you are about to be taken for a ride. These are the two magazines that I feel you should get there are many other magazines and while most of them have some good 18 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 features I do not find them as helpful as these PC Resource and Computer Shopper. The last items to get are software and hardware catalogs. One that you should get is the PBS software catalog. It is not only shows you a large selection of shareware it has mini reviews of each package and will also provide you with a broad perspective of what a computer can do. GOOD LUCK IN BUYING YOUR FIRST COMPUTER. Revsion History: 2/4/90 First version written 4/7/90 Minor changes and corrections. 19 Buying your first Computer. By David Postler. 2/3/90 New System Checklist This checklist may be helpful in figuring out the price and specifications for a new computer you are buying. Computer Make and Model _______________________________________ Vendor ________________________________________________________ Computer (CPU) System Clock Speed. _________ Mhz. RAM Memory Amount: (640 k minimum) _______ Coprocessor installed. _________ Is computer AT or XT compatible. Floppy Disk Type: 5.25" 360k, 5.25" 1.2m, 3.5" 720k, 3.5" 1.44m Hard Drive storage: (20 Meg minimum) _______ Graphics adapter type: MDA, CGA, HGA, EGA, VGA, Other. If clone is adaptor type fully compatible with original. ______ Monitor Make and model: _______________________________________ Will monitor display full resolution from graphics adapter. ____ DOS version: _________ Included programs: _____________________________________________ Printer Make and Model: _______________________________________ Graphics compatible with: IBM/Epson FX, HP Laserjet, other. Printer width: ________ Type of paper feed: Friction, Pin, Tractor. Cost of tractor feed: _____________ Cable for computer to monitor: ________ Cable for computer to printer: ________ Spare Ribbon for Printer: _______ Two boxes floppy disks for computer: ________ One large box paper for computer: ________