TECH Computer tech question.

[tm1439m]

This thread has nothing to do with brands of computers. To suggest any brand of computer on this thread would most likely indicate that you have not read the thread before posting a comment, or you just want to be heard.

One exception might be if a certain brand of computer has an option that others do not.

Mac is not an option here. We do not want one so please refrain from telling me how good they are and besides you would fall into the first paragraphs category.

Now for the purpose of this thread.

It is really quite simple.

I have lost touch with the current terminology of computer specifications.

It is my desire to hopefully get some basic knowledge by some of you who are up to date with what is going on in the computer world.

Life used to be simpler. but now with the duel core , cor 2 duel, I5, I7 , and you name it I am a bit lost.

If someone with a good understanding of the current terms used to describe a computers abilities could chime in here and give a little advice as to what is available and your opinions as to what options you would suggest I would greatly appreciate it.

I would not hold anyone accountable for a suggestion as I realize we all have our own opinions and I will form my own based on information I acquire doing research before purchasing our new computer.

Money is not a consideration here in this thread. Knowledge of current technology is all that I hope to gain.

I have not mentioned the intended use because I do not want to get into which brand as stated earlier but rather current technology only. It will not be used for gaming. Office type work only but online via virtual private network. Lots of programs running at once.

Thanks in advance to anyone who cares to help.

 

[Jonas Parker]

This thread has nothing to do with brands of computers. To suggest any brand of computer on this thread would most likely indicate that you have not read the thread before posting a comment, or you just want to be heard.

Thanks in advance to anyone who cares to help.

Considering your tone, I really DON'T think I want to help.

 

[fairbanksb]

Considering your tone, I really DON'T think I want to help.

What a guy.

 

[tm1439m]

Considering your tone, I really DON'T think I want to help.

That's cool. No problem.

It is not about my tone but rather all the time spent clouding up a thread with stuff that clearly does not pertain. What I can not understand is way you feel compelled to comment when you have nothing to contribute.

The last thing I wanted to do was offend anyone so tell me exactly how it should have been worded to make things clear but so as not to offend your sensibility.

Your comment is exactly the reason I made it so clear as to what I was looking for here. If that offends you move along.

And no offense here, I am just trying to be as clear as possible. Every time I start a thread I have to spend the majority of my time dealing with things that do not pertain so I just made it clear what I wanted in hopes that a thread I started could actually stay on course and possibly turn into something that could be helpful to some of us dummies out here in Nerd-ville. Most times it is a result of people commenting before actually reading or understanding what a thread is even about.You were not forced here and I will not hold you here against your will.

Later

 

[Double_A]

I'm not sure I clearly understand what your asking for.

Are you asking what are the differences and advantages of the various microprocessor chips used in consumer computers commonly sold today?

For instance, It use to be simple with the progression of Intel's 286, 386, 486, Pentium I, Pentium II etc.

 

[tm1439m]

I'm not sure I clearly understand what your asking for.

Are you asking what are the differences and advantages of the various microprocessor chips used in consumer computers commonly sold today?

For instance, It use to be simple with the progression of Intel's 286, 386, 486, Pentium I, Pentium II etc.

Basically that's it. Now we have all new technical terms (as opposed to say 5 or 6 years ago) and I am not exactly sure what are the better options. I have an electronics degree but have fallen behind in the computer world.
This is my preliminary research time.

We will be waiting for a while to make the purchase and I am just trying to get familiar so when the time comes we can make at least a basic educated choice in what to buy.

 

[Hacker]

I always begin by asking "what do I want the computer to do?"

Sub-questions:

• What kind of applications and software?
• What hardware will support and execute the software that I want to use?

If you want general information about the state of the art, I suggest that you peruse various sites on the Web . . . you will get more comprehensive information than what will be posted here.

 

[Binkerthebear]

Mac is not an option here. We do not want one ...

Mac it is then !

 

[tm1439m]

I always begin by asking "what do I want the computer to do?"

Sub-questions:

• What kind of applications and software?
• What hardware will support and execute the software that I want to use?

If you want general information about the state of the art, I suggest that you peruse various sites on the Web . . . you will get more comprehensive information than what will be posted here.

I am usually good at picking the right computer for our needs. We have owned like 11 over the years. I used to keep up with them and go looking at options almost weekly so when that big day came along I was ready to make the proper choice to give us what we needed.

For the last about 7 years I have been running my own business and have had little to no time to keep up with the current trends. I am now putting myself through a crash course. We are going out in a bit here and looking for the first time in a while. Maybe I will have some more educated questions when we return.

The older I get the less I even want to go out of the house other than to go into my own yard or head for the woods.

You are correct I may have more luck just searching the web for info.

You tube may have some videos as well to help.

 

[fairbanksb]

I always begin by asking "what do I want the computer to do?"

Sub-questions:

• What kind of applications and software?
• What hardware will support and execute the software that I want to use?

If you want general information about the state of the art, I suggest that you peruse various sites on the Web . . . you will get more comprehensive information than what will be posted here.

I agree. Check out PCWorld mag. or one of the many others. As fast as technology changes any computer you buy will probably be outdated in a year.

 

[NONTYPICAL]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/hardware-20-very-best-kit-list-for-sepoct-2010/9658?tag=mantle_skin;content

Here is a list of the best high-end and mid-range and budget components currently available. So if you’re thinking of buying, building or even upgrading a PC, this list is a must-read for you!

 

[Double_A]

1st priority get as much Ram as possible, as in some machines it is difficult to install especially some laptops.

Get 4gb minimum ram

Microprocessor chip, many times you do not have an option. In my personal opinion ALL are plenty powerfull enough, UNLESS, you are a heavy game player OR you do video editing. If you do then this is usually a moot point as you already know from your fellow gamers what you need.

Which leads to Graphic cards/Chips, I'll defer to someone else in this area as I know nothing about this.

Hard Drive, most laptops I've seen have a minimum of 300gb HD in laptops and 500gb in desktops. Most likely you'll find 1000gb (1tb) in desktops. This is not as critical as Ram as it is easy & cheap to purchase & connect big external Hard Drives with USB and NO setup. ETA: Another point, an external drive allows a small backup of files in case of crash.

LCD screen, hey it's your eyes and fatigue can be an issue so buy the best monitor you can afford. The monitor can be plugged into a laptop. Right now I'm running a Laptop with a 12" screen. BUT, I have a 21" LG Flat panel monitor with LED backlighting.

 

[tm1439m]

 

[Tristan]

Well, I'm a bit behind on the new intel lines as well; I've been using AMD with great satisfaction for several years. I'm thinking of perusing the hardware websites as well to re-educate myself.

I think as far as AMD goes that it's still a pretty logical progression from single core (sempron models) to dual core (Athlon II) and more than two cores, the Phenom line with 3, 4 or 6 cores.

If you are working with large volumes of data, a second hard drive can divvy up the work across two spindles - like when doing video editing. In certain specialized configurations, many drives can be used to achieve the best performance, such as database operations or using a disk array to spread the data over three or more spindles. Generally speaking, consumer grade hardware is using SATA (Serial ATA) and most commonly available is SATA 300, with SATA 600 on the way.

If performance is very important vs. cost, then you may want to look into solid-state 'drives' (which aren't really hard disks, just mimic them) as their transfer rates are generally much higher than regular hard disks. One of these used as the boot/software installation disk coupled with a data drive can make some installations more responsive.

In standard hard drives, usually the higher the RPM's, the faster the disk can get data to the processor, so a 54-5800 rpm disk is somewhat 'slow', the 7200's better, and the 10,000 rpm devices among the 'best'.

More and especially 'faster' memory is better, generally speaking; but if you're buying off the shelf name brands that will already be decided for you.

- Tristan

 

[Fritz_The_Cat]

Considering your tone, I really DON'T think I want to help.

I agree.

 

[Dennis Olson]

Look man, you're kind-of asking something like "what are all the new advances in medicine in the past 6 years?" It's a very broad issue, and frankly, beyond the scope of this forum IMO. If you want the quick lowdown, call the Geek Squad at a Best Buy and just ask. They'll tell you in 3 minutes.

And I'd kind-of appreciate it if you wouldn't start multiple threads on almost identical topics.

Here's what I understand about your needs:

1) You want to buy your wife a Toshiba laptop. No other brand will do, because you nixed all the other major brands in the other thread.

2) You want a primer on current technical specs and nomenclature.

3) Your wife will basically use the Internet, write Word docs and send/receive emails. No games or other high-performance applications.

SO:

Get her a nice $800 Toshiba laptop and be done with it. If you're thinking of speccing-out some cutting-edge PC, you're way over-engineering this problem. All the components in medium-end laptops are current technology.

There, that help?


ETA: Minimum 4GB RAM and Win 7 64-bit O/S

 

[KenGin31]

I perfer HP. The main thing I look at is how long will it last and will it take tomorrows apps. Generally the more it cost the more advanvced the processor will be. If your going to watch videos I would go for the 17" lap top.

 

[denfoote]

The Humble hardware guy will attempt this.

The two things you want in a computer are memory and clock speed. In other words, fast with brains. Everything else is just gravy. To explain this I first need to tell you about the brick wall. The wall is called Moore's Law.

The capabilities of many digital electronic devices are strongly linked to Moore's law: processing speed, memory capacity, sensors and even the number and size of pixels in digital cameras.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's_law

Read this and we'll continue.

OK.
Now everything I'm gonna say will make sense.
We'll get into a little Quantum Mechanics, not much, but you need to know a little something about Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, which is basically "electron electron, who's got the electron". In order to make these buggers faster the designers pack more and more transistors into the chips. The problem is, in order to do that they have to make them smaller. There is a point where kindly old Dr Erwin raises his hand and says "no, you can't do that"!!! You can't specify the electron's position and momentum any more!! You see, the electron has to follow certain paths within the device in order to function, like going from one part to another within the chip. Technologically, with current production methods we are almost at that point.

This leads to the so called dual core processor.
This is just a fancy name for instead of putting one microprocessor on a chip, we've put two and linked them together such that the workload is split between them. One processor does one thing while, at the same time, the other is doing something else. They tell each other what the other is doing and the result is spit out to the rest of the machine. This is called pipe-lining.

As for your desire to obtain a machine that does something that others do not, good luck. Unless you want to invest in one of Sysman's super duper, IBM is gonna take over the world, mega mainframes, ALL consumer desktop or laptop boxes are gonna operate the same way. There are only two, I mean two chip makers: Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). My box has the AMD Athalon II duel core processor. The box right next to the one I bought, on the shelf, had the Intel chip set. Same computer maker: HP.

As for the other component, RAM, all you want to do is get a box with as much of the stuff as it will hold. Most applications nowadays require, at least, 1 gigabyte of RAM to function. My box has 4 Gigabytes of RAM with a main processor running at 3 GHz. Pretty much average for an off the Best Buy shelf in the $500 range. Unless you are going to be crunching a lot of numbers or running Autocad or some other engineering or gaming application, this should be fine.

I hope this helps.

 

[OddOne]

The megaforum called Something Awful (and when I say "mega" I mean it - they've banned more people than we have members!) has a section dedicated to computer hardware and software discussions. They also keep a running thread on what the best "sweet spot" is for a custom-built computer.

As of right now, this is what they list as the best setup:

Quick Picks
Updated 8/28/2010

THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST, NOR IS IT MEANT TO BE.
Everyone's needs in a computer are different. The parts below are a list of the "best values" for the average user who is gaming/doing general desktop work. This list should be a starting point in your research, not a definitive guide to what you should get. Changes, corrections, additions, and comments are always welcome.


Intel CPU

* Intel i5 750 The current best price/performance ratio chip available.


AMD CPU

* Athlon II X3 440 our current default recommendation for an AMD build


HTPC CPU

* Athlon X2 250 A good HTPC performer
* Intel i3 530 A dual core i5 with onboard GPU.


Intel Motherboard

* MSI P55M-GD41 mATX
* Asus P7P55 ATX


AMD Motherboard

* Asus M4A77TD ATX
* Gigabyte GA-MA770T-USB3 ATX
* MSI 880GM mATX
* MSI 870 G45 ATX


HTPC Motherboard

Note: All listed boards have onboard video that supports HD video decoding
* Asus M4A785-M ATI mATX AMD board
* MSI 880GM mATX ATI mATX AMD board
* ECS H55H Intel mini-ITX board that supports the integrated GPU on the dual core i3/i5 series
* Asus P7H55 Intel mATX i3/5 board that supports the integrated GPU on the dual core i3/i5 series


Memory

* 4 Gigs of DDR3 1333 (with voltage of 1.65v or less)


Graphics

1600x1050 and below:
* Radeon 4770 - A slightly less hot and less powerful 4850 that can easily overclock to 4850 levels.
* Radeon 4850- Our typical recommendation at this resolution.
* Radeon 5750 - Slightly faster than the 4850 and less power-hungry/heat producing. Worthwhile at $125 if other choices aren't available.

1900x1200 and below
* ATI Radeon 5770 - Our minimum recommendation for this resolution.
* Nvidia GTX 460 1GB Our default recommend card for this resolution
* Nvidia GTX 460 768M Slightly less powerful than its 1GB brother, but a great card at the $200 price point.
* ATI Radeon 5850 - Slightly more powerful than the GTX460, but only worthwhile at $260 or lower.


Hard Drive

* Samsung Spinpoint F3 500GB
* Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
* Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB
* Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB


Solid State Drives

* Intel X25M 80GB


Optical

* DVD Burners
* Blu-ray DVD-ROMs


Cases
Budget cases:

* Centurion 541 (mATX)
* Centurion 534 (ATX)
Elite 341 (mATX)
* Gladiator (ATX)

Midrange cases:
* P180 Mini (mATX)
* Lancool PC-K58 (ATX)
* RC-690 (ATX)

High-end cases:
* P183 (ATX)
* Lancool K7B (ATX)

HTPC Cases
Note: There many variables when picking an HTPC case. This list is in no way close to comprehensive.
* Antec Fusion mATX with full-height PCI slots
* Antec M Fusion Slimline mATX
* APEX MI008 Mini-ITX case



Power Supplies

Integrated graphics (X4500/760G/785G/i3 onboard graphics) and video cards with no pci-e connector (ATI x3xx - x6xx cards)
* Corsair 400CX (360W)
* Antec Earthwatts EA-380D (336W)
* Seasonic 300ET (288W)


Cards with a single pci-e power connector (4850/4770/5750, 5770s)
* Corsair 400CX (360W)
* Corsair 450VX (396W)
* Antec Earthwatts EA-500D (444W)


Cards with dual pci-e power connectors (5770s with dual power connectors, 5830, 5850)
* Antec Earthwatts EA-500D (444W)
* Corsair 550VX (492W)
* Corsair 650TX (625W)


Modular (plug in only the cables you need)
* Seasonic M12II 520W (480W)
* Corsair 650HX (624W)
* Corsair 750HX (744W)
* Antec Continuous Power CP-850 with P183 only (768W)



Aftermarket Cooling
AM2/AM3:

* Xigmatek S1283 make sure to purchase the Backplate as well if you have an Intel chipset
* Xigmatek Dark Knight (Come with backplate)
* Sunbeam Core Contact
* Scythe SCBK1000 for small clearance cases


LGA1156 (i5/i7):

* Cooler Master Hyper 212P-GP


TV Tuners

* Hauppague HVR-2250 PCIe dual tuner supporting NTSC/ATSC/ClearQAM
* Hauppague HVR-950Q USB tuner supporting NTSC/ATSC/ClearQAM


Operating Sytem

* Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM Edition
* Win 7 Student Discount site (US) - only requires a valid .edu address
* Win 7 Student Discount site (UK) - only requires a valid .ac.uk address


HTPC Prebuilt

• 
  * Dell Zino
  * Acer Revo
  
  
  LCDs
  In general, most LCDs will be fine for the average user, and price is the biggest driver. You can also check the SA Monitor Megathread for thoughts and suggestions.
  
  The current Intel Price/Performance "Sweet Spot":
  MSI P55M-GD41
  Intel i5 750
  G-Skill 2x2GB DDR3-1600 Kit
  Radeon 5770
  
  OR
  
  The current AMD Price/Performance "Sweet Spot":
  Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P
  Athlon II X3 440
  G-Skill 2x2GB DDR3-1333 Kit
  Radeon 5770
  
  OR
  
  The current "Cheapass/Internet Browsing/HTPC Build":
  Athlon X2 250
  Gigabyte GA-MA880GMA-UDH2
  G-Skill 2x2GB DDR3-1333 Kit

• 
  
  (Links don't paste so be sure to search for the parts by manufacturer and part number. Newegg is tough to beat in the U.S. as far as computer parts goes.)
  
  if you'd like to read the (presently 316 page long ) thread, which is probably not a bad idea, click here.

 

[BassMan]

Short answer: i7 is best, then i5, the i3, then other processors. By best, I mean fastest. For laptops, you probably don't want the fastest, because the fastest generates a lot of heat. Get lots of memory to (but again, in a laptop, that generates heat).

 

[milkydoo]

Limited on time now, but here's a tid bit or two:

If you're shopping for a new computer, you really don't need to play catch up on all of the terminology out there.

Price brackets and legitimate web reviews will guide you to what you need.

What you use the computer for should determine what you buy, and also whether you plan to change style of usage in the future, and whether you prefer to upgrade or buy new systems in the future.

Btw, multi-core cpus are the norm now, and are determined by price brackets.

 

[Chapulin]

A few things to wait for?
Disks:
SATA replaced ATA many years ago, 6G is just getting introduced. 3.5" Sizes are 1.5T to 2T currently. 2.5" sizes are 500G to 750G. I'm waiting for the 2.5T big disk or 1T-1.5T laptop sizes.

Processors, dual cores are fading (except for smartphones) quad cores are common and 6-8 cores will be here soon. Current sizes are 45nm and 32nm are around the corner. Getting back over 3 Ghz will be possible as chips shrink.

USB has a new 3x standard for faster perfomance that seems to be killing the external SATA port.

Laptops are going through a lot of formfactor variability these days. I saw someone with what must have been a 18-24 inch wde case the other day.
The Ipad is creating the tablet market and seems to be preferred over the Netbooks. Every component will run slower in this formfactor due to battery life and heat.

Chap

 

[Sysman]

CPU clock speed and the amount of RAM are important factors. The number of CPU cores is also a major consideration, especially since you say you'll have "lots of programs running at once". Having more cores means you can execute more threads (programs) at the same time. This is important for any Windows machine, even if you aren't running lots of applications at the same time. Windows alone always has several threads running, just take a look at Task Manager...

Closely related to the number of cores is Hyper-Threading. HT allows each core to execute 2 threads (programs) at the same time. The i7 uses HT cores, so a 4 core i7 can execute up to 8 threads at once. The i5 can also have 4 cores, but they are not HT cores, so it can run only 4 threads at a time...

Another hi-end option is the Xeon line. While normally used in servers, it can be used to create a kick-ass desktop. The main difference with Xeon is it has much more on-chip cache memory. They also come with up to 6 cores. But they are expensive, about $1,500 for a hi-end Xeon chip, vs. about $750 for a hi-end i7...



Ed - a couple typos

 

[John H]

The more recent the cpu, i3, i5, i7 Intel and whatever the latest AMD is, the smaller the technology and the less energy that the computer will use for a given computer power. That means a desktop will cost less to run and a laptop will run longer on battery.

If you decide to have someone put a desktop together for you, the more you pay for the power supply, the more efficient it will likely be. The top of the chain today is rated 80Plus gold, which actually means above 90% efficiency from 20 to 80% load.

Tom's hardware site has tons of information for the reading...

http://www.tomshardware.com/us/

John H

 

[Toy Maker]

Computer hardware education

There is a world of info out there...

Two sites I consult on a regular basis to keep up with technology and advancements:

http://www.tomshardware.com/us/
http://www.anandtech.com/

Some good places to shop...

http://www.newegg.com/
http://www.ewiz.com/?src=DC
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/index.asp
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Home.jsp

Good bargain hunting resource....

http://www.techbargains.com/

I build/upgrade my home deskside systems on a regular basis. I'm provided a new laptop thru work every three years which takes care of my portability needs.

My performance benchmark is "no significant degradation" for whatever it is I want to do while concurrently running an antivirus scan, and a reasonable frame rate for gaming.

So upgrades or rebuilds are triggered whenever I believe performance improvements are needed for either OS or games.

About a year and a half ago I upgraded to a 3 Core ~3Ghz AMD and 8 GB memory. It still meets my performance needs running Win7 and games.

A few months ago I upgraded my Graphics card.... been about two years since the last graphics upgrade.

My programming efforts require very little resources. Same for my email and web browsing.

I would love to migrate my storage to one of those new SSDs. Almost instant reboots and program loads would be assume, however since I only reboot when Win7 upgrades require it I can not justify the cost just yet. Sleep mode recovery is pretty fast.

In summary... I get about two years out of a CPU, and Graphics cards, 4-6 years out of my Power supply, still using a a Case I bought probably 10-11 years ago, I hope my memory will last thru 2 CPU upgrades.

I did splurge on a decent mouse, and a backlit keyboard. And the second most important computer component is my comfy chair.

Have fun spec'ing out your new system.

 

[SurvivalRing]

As a home computer user since 1983, I've been thru every generation of hardware since.

You say you don't want to specify your intended uses, as that might color some opinion/choices.

So, let me tell you what I do, and have.

I spend many hours a day on the web, both reading, writing, and responding. I've got very high speed wireless, 25 miles from the nearest town (no satellite web access here...)

I program a lot of code when I'm in the mood.

I have some mighty powerful programs, though rarely do I use more than two at once (Adobe CS4 Master, Edius video editor, etc).

When I think up a new idea for a project (site, gadget, article, etc), I'll make a few paper notes. Then, I've got a few programs for program management of those ideas.

I do game a bit, but nothing online, and mostly realistic sims.

I now wear bifocals occasionaly, so have a 21" lcd screen, which also allows using multiple windows side by side.

I have 5 terabytes of online storage, mostly in external drives (still have two 1.5T's to install in the desktop I'm using this minute) all of which hook up to the desktop via USB 2.0 (yes, bought a card with 5 ports on it for one of the slots)..

I can watch movies, create movies, publish movies, audio, online video, and anything I can think of/create/imagineer. I can master DVD and CD disks easily.

I can publish in any online format- pdf, epub, djvu, flash paper, mpeg, psd, etc, etc. You name it, I can do it.

In other words, I need horsepower, storage, and dependability.

Hardware...

My newest computer is almost two years old, this November. Name brand doesn't matter you say, so I'll just say I want to a manufacturer website, picked a powerful system, and maxed out the areas needed. Horsepower, RAM, storage. At the time, the most my pick would hold, ram-wise, was 4 gigs. Perfect for me. Processor? Dual Quad Core.

I'm VERY happy with it, even though compared to current systems, it's dated.

O/S? Vista home Premium, personally tweaked by me to my liking, and surprisingly dependable so far. I was a LONG holdout on XP, think YEARS, before trying Vista. Ehhh...no big deal.

Laptop, bought in the same order from the same company on the same day, has same O/S, RAM, and duo core processor...again, VERY happy with it.

Future? No upgrades needed for now, though I just picked up Windows 7 Professional and Office 2010. Bought my daughter a new laptop last month, and set it up for her with tools and security (killed Macafee on first bootup). W7 looks interesting, but I'll wait til I actually need it before installing.

A couple weeks back, I did go back to the same manufacturer and priced a dream machine with current tech offerings...4 gig turbo boosted processing speed, 16 gig of RAM, the best video card, bluetooth, wireless, storage, etc...of everything offered. Price after the choices? $3600.

Too rich for my blood. For now at least.

Happy with my current hardware setup after these nearly two years, and nary a hardware or software issue with either system.

So, as many have mentioned, any currently built name brand laptop or desktop should fulfill your unknown needs, as long as you max out RAM and Processor choice in the purchase.

Toshiba? Meh...I've had two...didn't like'em.

My systems? Been with the same manufactor (MAJOR brand) for over 7 years, and I've been able to repair, upgrade, etc. with anything I needed found online, such as LCD backlit screen, light up keyboard, etc. No factory repairs needed on THEM yet. Acers and a couple others our family has had? ALWAYS needed factory repair for simplest, and all too often, problems. Acer=total crap.

So. Hopefully this might give you a bit more focus towards your final purchase.

Rich

 

[tm1439m]

Wow. Thanks for all the input. There is a lot of good info here. It is exactly what I was looking for.

Between going out today and reading the comments here, made me realize things are not so different from before. Between my trip today and your comments I have already gained a better understanding.

A few new terms to learn but once you get into it not to hard to understand.

We are thinking of getting a new monitor for now. Then sometime around Christmas maybe get the new computer.

For now the research will continue. The new monitor could be hooked up to her new computer later on as well and she could have both running.

She works through a virtual private network. She is also supervisor of several girls throughout the country. She has email going all day, faxing, instant messaging, and other stuff all while trying to do her own share of typing. She is also in constant contact with the companies they do work for. It takes several programs running to accomplish her work as well.

In watching her work I have realized how much better it would be if she had one monitor running only her personal typing work , the place she makes her most money,which could stay open non stop. Then all the other distractions, such as IM/fax/mentoring/email/supervising, could get their turn on the other monitor. This way she can get more of her personal work done while waiting on responses from others instead of constantly changing windows and then finding where she left off.

I never underestimate the knowledge of the people on this forum. It seems someone always has at least an idea of the direction to go. Thanks for all the input.

ETA: The reason she wants to stick with the laptop is because even when we go on vacation, she still has things to do so a desktop would be hard to drag around.



.

 

[Dex]

You say "several programs" like not everybody is running alot of programs at the same time. Any Windows machine is always running several programs. It's the type of programs that count and unless you are talking about graphic rendering, math or massive database programs your applications don't really count as anything special or different than what the average user does. The non-scientist or non-programmer isn't going to utilize anything more of a system hog than video games, on the average. Since you said that it won't be a game machine you can pretty much be just fine with a decent quality/brand machine.

The question really comes down to what do you want to spend? Buy the most expensive machine you can afford with the highest end components you can afford and you will be fine. The trick is to stay as far ahead of "obsolescence" as possible. It's pretty much impossible to actually be ahead of it because a machine is almost obsolete when you buy it these days.

As an IT professional I haven't bought a machine for personal use in almost ten years and I've done just fine recycling hand-me-downs because I'm not a heavy gamer. Having said that, the last machine I did buy has a 3.01 ghz processor and is still far from obsolete because I invested the money to insure against that. They don't make many 3 ghz machines anymore, if any, because everything is multi core now but I feel pretty good with my machine none-the-less, almost 10 years later.

I am actually getting ready to buy something again but it will be along the new paradigm, a convertible tablet. It's maddening waiting for the generations to come out because nothing available now is up to snuff unless I want to fork out a couple of grand and there is no way I'm doing that with the competition that the iPad has increased in the market. New generations of netbook/convertible/tablets are on the cusp as we speak, it's just a matter of a couple more months that is going to drive me crazy.