Explore the World of Software 2: Kids, Adults, Educational

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Text File | 1991-04-02 | 17.7 KB | 318 lines

████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ PURCHASING AND UPGRADING A PC YOU'RE ON THAT SINFUL PATH! ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ Buying a new or used computer is always THE traumatic event. It seems to be easier if you merely NEED one for a definite office or productivity goal such as financial analysis or compiling a mailing list of customers. In that case, you can be logical and evaluate among several machines and take your time. If, however you WANT one because it sounds interesting and you feel a little lost when everyone at the neighborhood block party is discussing CPU WAIT STATES, you have some serious research ahead! ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ COMPUTER CLASSIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMNTS MOTHER NEVER TOLD YOU . . . ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ In the IBM world of clone PC's there are three camps of desire and capability. On the low end of price and performance are PC's using the oldest processors such as the Intel 8088 and 8086 chips. An alternative CPU is the NEC V-20 chip. Basically these machines are referred to as "XT" class machines. Advantages, disadvantages and primary use for XT machines? XT's are affordable. A basic machine with a couple of floppy drives, monitor and keyboard can be obtained for $500 to $700. The XT class machines are useful for small and home office work or light hobbyist use such as word processing and accounting where speed is not of great concern. Generally XT class machines, as with all IBM clones, can be upgraded by the gradual (or immediate) addition of hard drives, color monitors and even faster processors. As a curious aside, PC-LEARN is programmed and edited entirely on an XT class machine. In a sense computing power does not derive from the machine, but HOW you use it! When is an XT not a good buy? If you intend to do CAD drafting or high resolution graphics an XT is not a wise choice. If you ever intend to run the OS/2 operating system or Microsoft Windows which are advanced operating and display standards, XT machines are not a good idea. Finally, if you intend to EVER expand the machine to color graphics such as an EGA or VGA standard or install large amounts of memory an XT is probably not an ideal choice. One step up the ladder in performance and price is the AT class machine which runs an Intel (or alternate manufacturer) 80286 CPU chip. The machine is usually 2 to 4 times faster than an XT class machine for perhaps $300 to $500 more in price. For most people an AT class machine is probably the right choice since it can not only run OS/2 but also run all earlier programs at greater speeds. These days AT class machines are somewhat the standard in most office environments and usually are sold with hard drives and additional memory as standard equipment. Generally adding additional upgrade equipment such as EGA monitors and laser printers is a good investment with an AT machine but a poor idea with an XT class machine. The AT class machine also uses a 16 bit bus structure for rapid data flow while the older XT class machine uses a more primitive 8 bit bus. AT class machines run graphics and CAD programs relatively quickly. Hard drives operate quickly on an AT class machine with its larger 16 bit bus. For most folks an AT will last quite a few years and expand nicely with extra peripherals as time goes on. When in doubt, select a reliable AT class machine and you probably will be able to live with that choice for many years. Still higher up the food chain are 80386 and 80386SX CPU equipped machines which are still faster and provide a few more whistles and bells. They can run all software which XT and AT class machines run, only FASTER. They are the machines of choice for office LAN networks, intensive graphics, CAD programming, compilers and other number intensive programs. Curiously, though, the bus remains 16 bits wide in some of these machines and there is no "OS/3" operating system, so the performance you derive here is mostly speed with nothing earthshattering in the additional whistles and bells department. For most users, a "386" machine is mostly an office computer which a home or hobby user might admire but rarely need. What are some basic questions and requirements in purchasing a system? Start with the BASIC needs. Does the computer come with ALL the parts you will need such as monitor and graphics card? On many bare bones systems this is extra. How is the feel of the keyboard? A fast CPU and hard drive are fine, but it's the KEYBOARD you will deal with daily! Are the accessories from the same manufacturer? Is the item available for immediate shipment or is a backorder the option of the moment? When will it be shipped? Has there been a recent price increase? What warranty covers the product? Is there a different warranty for the printer? Who provides the service? What is the vendor's return policy AND refund policy. Is there a restocking charge? Is there a discount or change in price when dealing by check or charge card? How long has the vendor been in business? Still more technical. What speeds are available on the CPU? 10 mhz is standard on XT's with 12 to 20 mhz on AT's and 33 mhz on 80386 machines. How many free slots are available on the internal motherboard for expansion with future upgrade circuits? Five to eight expansion slots is desirable except on small laptop computers. Is there both a serial and parallel port? Is a clock chip included? How big is the hard drive? 40 meg is considered somewhat standard in size today for most hard drives although smaller 20 meg hard drives are useful for light office use computers. Is DOS included or an extra purchase? What version of DOS? At least version 3.31 is standard today. How many bays are available for extra drives? Two is considered normal. How many floppies? Most computers today have either two floppies OR one floppy and one hard drive. Who makes the hard drive? Seagate and Miniscribe are considered the most durable. Who makes the floppy drive? Teac, panasonic, sony and toshiba are considered excellent in floppy manufacture. Whose bios chip powers the machine? Phoenix, Award and AMI bios chips are all fine. How much memory is installed on the motherboard. 640K is minimum for all machines with AT and 80386 machines usually offered with at least one or two megs of main memory. What utilities and extra software comes with the machine? Any hard drive menu systems or utility software? How is the documentation? Really good or just whatever the manufacturer had translated? Is the warranty 90 days, one year or two years (as some manufacturers are now offering)? What display monitor and card are included (if any)? EGA is quite nice. CGA and Hercules are the bare minimum. Are printer cables included with purchase of the printer? Any spare printer ink cartridges included? How is the keyboard. Springy and clicky with a tactile feel or just mushy and so so? Is the GWBasic programming language included or is this an extra cost. Will the manufacturer throw in a software package suitable for beginners such as Microsoft Works? Is the machine FCC class B certified (the best) or class A (acceptable)? What is the interleave on the hard drive (1:1 is fastest)? Is the keyboard an 84 key type or 101 key type? Is the computer case metal or plastic? How hard or easy is it to pop the cover and install new circuit cards? Does the keyboard plug into the front or back of the machine? The front plug option is a bit more handy. Is the reset and on/off switch on the front, back or side of the machine? Front is again more handy. Does a local computer club/user group buy from the vendor which might provide personal references who can discuss why they bought from that vendor? For those who wish to read published reviews concerning specific brands of computers, printers, monitors, modems and software: the most complete resource is PC Magazine published by Ziff- Davis and available at most libraries and many newstands. PC Magazine editors usually select one or two items within a product classification as their "Editors Choice." The complete index to both PC Magazine as well as their product review index is contained in their on-line modem service PC MagNet. Instructions for reaching PC Magnet by modem are contained in the Utilities section included within each issue of PC Magazine. For product reviews of hardware and software you may wish to download the PC MagNet files PCM.EXE, PCSRCH.EXE and PCM.INF which are quite large. The files occupy more than 2 Megabytes of disk space and require about 1.5 hours of somewhat expensive modem connect time. Alternatively, you can reach the same same index of products on line within PC MagNet by typing GO REVIEWS which allows you to search the product review database directly. A larger database of 130 periodicals and their respective product reviews can be viewed by typing GO COMPLIB from within PC MagNet. Additional product review sources are suggested on page 27 of the June 26, 1990 issue of PC Magazine (Vol 9 No 12.) Page 397 of the same issue contains instructions on reaching and using PC MagNet by modem. If you do not have a modem or a friend with that capability, a low-tech method for reviewing specific computer hardware and software recommendations is to vist a local library which contains back issues of PC Magazine. Glance at the magazine cover for highlights of products reviewed in that issue. If you work your way from the current issue backwards in time for 6 to 12 months, you should find detailed reviews on the equipment you are investigating. Many computer clubs maintain a library of PC Magazine issues and may be a source if your local library does not subscribe to the magazine. Yet another way to constructively shop for computer equipment is to obtain free catalogs which are provided at no charge by reputable computer vendors and manufacturers. See the listing of free equipment catalogs contained in the recommended reading/bibliography section of PC-LEARN elsewhere on this disk. ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ THE FIFTEEN COMMANDMANTS OF COMPUTER CONSUMERISM ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ 1) Does the computer contain sufficient RAM memory for the applications you intend to run and how easy is it to add more memory? 2) Is the computer FCC approved with an FCC sticker? Class A or B? What are the differences between the two ratings? 3) Have you identified the software you will (or might) be using? Can the machine run that software? Is DOS included with your machine? 4) As your needs change in time, will the machine expand or change with those needs? 5) Is the outer case of the computer large enough to accomodate additional expansion circuit boards? How many? 6) Is the power supply sufficiently large for future expansion? What is the wattage of the power supply. Is the fan noise low or NERVE WRACKING? 7) How many and what kind of floppy drives do you need? 8) Is the hard disk (if the machine contains one) certified for use with the internal controller board which operates it? What make? Get it in writing! 9) Is the hard disk set with the correct interleave factor? Prove it! 10) Will your dealer offer superior service after the sale? Who does the service? Where? Any free training classes? 11) Are all warrantees in writing and how do they compare to other dealers warrantees? 12) What kind of monitor will you need and does the video adapater card inside the computer allow for monitor upgrades and will it display the software you intend to use? 13) Are you buying the computer or a sales pitch? 14) Are the internal components industry standard? Especially the floppy and hard drives. What brands? 15) Is the dealer trying to sell you more/less than you need? ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ MUSCLE FOR COMPUTER CONSUMERS - THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ If you are dealing with a mail order supplier, Federal Trade Commission rules apply! Essentially the vendor must ship the order within 30 days of receiving it unless the advertisement states otherwise. If a delay will be experienced in shipment, the vendor must notify you in writing of a definite new shipment date and also offer you the chance to cancel the order with full refund. That notice must include a stamped or self-addressed envelope or card which allows you to indicate your choice. If you do not respond, the seller may rightfully assume you accept the delay. However, the vendor must either ship or cancel the original order within 30 days after the original shipping date which was promised. Any refunds for order cancellation must be made promptly. Even if you accept an indefinite delay, you have the right to cancel the original order at any time before the item is shipped. If you chose to cancel any order, which has been paid by check or money order, the vendor must mail a refund within seven business days excluding weekends and holidays. Likewise if the order was paid for by credit card, the vendor must credit your account within one business cycle following your cancellation request. Store credits and other methods or offers of similar merchandise are NOT acceptable unless you agree. If the original item is not available, a substitute item, even if similar, is not acceptable unless the vendor has your consent. Report violations to the Federal Trade Commission whose phone number is usually listed in the blue pages (government section) of your local telephone book. Tell the vendor you are reporting violations to the FTC and mail the vendor a copy of the letter you wrote to the FTC. This usually brings action quickly! One primary conduit for recourse is the Direct Marketing Association which maintains an action line for problem resolution. First you should attempt to deal directly with the seller, but if a problem is not promptly resolved you may wish to contact the Mail Order Action Line, c/o DMA, 6 East 43rd Street, NY, NY 10017. The first step in any attempt to seek redress from a vendor is to notify that supplier in writing that the item is defective and include a copy of the invoice with information as to model, price, date of order and account number if available. Retain a copy of your letter seeking refund or replacement. Any phone calls should be followed by a letter. Generally do not return the item to the vendor until told how and when to do so, since many have formal return policies and require "return authorization numbers" which are usually issued to you by phone or in writing. The return authorization number accompanies the defective item on its return. Keep a copy of the shipping receipt and packing slip. Any rights to recover postal or shipping costs is determined by the policy of that vendor as is usually stated in advertising and product literature. You may also consider contacting the attorney general for the state in which you live as well as the state in which the vendor does business. This can be MOST effective especially if you send a copy of that letter to the vendor. If the product was paid for with a credit card, you may also retain the right to withold payment or cancel payment which is usually arranged directly with your bank or credit card issuing agency. This is explained under provisions of the Federal Fair Credit Billing Act.