Going online:
How to get started By Paul
Bannister • Bankrate.com
Getting started on the Internet isn't as tough as it looks.
You'll need the right computer and associated software, and a healthy serving of help from the best available computer guru.
"Ask a neighbor, a computer consultant or a friend
to help," says Bary Sherman, North American CEO of the Institute
for Business Technology, a San Diego consultancy that offers
corporate clients personal effectiveness training.
"If you get a guru, someone who knows most of the answers, you'll avoid headaches. In computers, all answers are known -- we just don't always have the right questions!"
Of course, knowing a few facts about computers won't hurt, either. Here's a look at what you'll need in a computer to handle family finances:
CPU
The heart of the computer is its Central Processing Unit, or CPU,
and it determines how fast the machine will be.
Older computers still have slower CPU's called 486's, but newer models have Intel Pentium, Intel Celeron or AMD Athlon or Duron chips, all of which come in different speeds and types.
Speeds range from 1.6 GHz (gigaherz) to 3.2 GHz and,
just like a car, the faster they are, the more expensive they are.
You'll typically pay between $450 to $1,500 for a mid-range desktop
computer, and $650 to $2,000 for a laptop, which has the advantage
of portability, but the disadvantages of generally having a smaller
monitor as well as a higher price.
"If you use your computer for writing letters, researching
things on the Internet or doing basic desktop publishing, you really
don't need much more than a $500 desktop machine," says Sherman.
The downside of budget computers is that they 'age' faster as more complex programs call for more speed and memory than they have. A budget computer's life can be only a year or so before you get frustrated with its inability to keep up.
If you plan applications like video editing or graphics, or if you play video games that call for more power, you'd best look at the more expensive computers that use the faster Pentium IV or AMD Athlon XP systems.
A good, mid-range computer would be a Pentium IV with a 2.4 GHz processor and 40 gigabyte hard drive, while the pricier, top of the line 3 GHz or faster Pentium IV or Athlon machine with a 100 gig hard drive will let you do it all, from video conferencing to graphics or video editing. Price: about $2,500, and a working life of about three years.
Research online for prices and performance features
at consumer sites like InfoHQ
or Everythingcomputers,
operated by computer guru Bob O'Donnell, author of "Personal Computer
Secrets." For low prices, you can check out big-box retailers' Web
sites. Depending on your spending philosophy, this may be a time
you want to spend a little more with your corner computer store
where you may need more personal advice or repair help in the future.
Memory
You'll need to consider how much system memory (RAM, or
Random Access Memory) you'll need. It should match the speed of
the rest of your hardware and it's important for the performance
of the whole system.
When you start a program, it's loaded from the system's filing cabinet, the hard drive, into the RAM and takes up space there. When the program is closed, the RAM space is freed up for other uses. The more RAM you have, the more programs you can run simultaneously.
If there isn't enough RAM available, the hard disk is called into play and the computer's overall performance is slowed.
It's best to have at least 128 megabytes of RAM on your new computer, and upgrading for around $30 to 256 MB or doubling that to 512 MB will add excellent speed and performance.
(continued on next page)
|
