Navigating the vista of PC buying
I'm frequently asked what kind of PC to buy, a query that takes on added significance as shoppers fish around for holiday bargains. There are no one-size-fits-all answers. The computer you should buy depends on your budget, living or work space, and your expectations on how you'll use the machine.
The choice is further complicated by the fact that Microsoft sells five versions of its roughly year-old Windows Vista operating system. Some buyers don't want Vista at all and are sticking with its predecessor, Windows XP.
And some are eschewing Windows altogether in favor of Apple's Macintosh. It's an appealing option. Check out last week's column (at www.tech.usatoday.com) to learn more about buying a Mac. For the purposes of this column, I'm focusing on buying a Windows machine.
The key issues:
- Matching a system to your needs. Think about the type of user you are and go from there. Cutting-edge, 3-D gamers or complex video editors have different needs than the guy or gal who primarily surfs the Web, sends e-mail and uses a word processor.
Some general observations: For years, I've been telling folks to spring for a bigger hard drive and more system memory, or RAM (random access memory), than they think they'll need.
It seems especially true in the Vista age. Microsoft's operating system is a hog; I generally recommend 2 gigabytes of RAM as a minimum. The good news is that cheap PCs nowadays often come with 250-GB hard drives or larger, which seems generous. But you can rapidly exhaust the space if you load lots of pictures and videos.
Unless you're a power user, don't get hung up over processor speeds, or even whether such chips come from Intel or AMD. "Dual core" processors from either chipmaker are state-of-the-art for many home PCs. Budget machines tend to employ less-robust processors such as Intel's Celeron, whose performance will be wimpy if you run graphically rich games or other demanding applications.
Hard-core gamers should pay close attention to the graphics or video card inside the computer. Choose a card that has its own dedicated memory for video, as opposed to a shared memory solution in which the system taps into the computer's main RAM.
Gamers wanting to take advantage of advanced Microsoft graphics technology called DirectX 10 must have a DirectX-10-capable graphics card, from the likes of ATI Radeon and Nvidia.
- Evaluating the Vista madness. It wasn't enough for Microsoft to release one or even two editions of Vista, as with XP. Vista comes in Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise and Ultimate.
The Enterprise edition is earmarked for the corporate crowd.
Unless you're a budget-buyer with modest computing requirements, I'd also pass on Home Basic. This no-frills edition lacks several features, including parental controls and the pretty Windows Aero graphical interface, whose translucent menus and such are Microsoft's attempt to mimic the Mac environment. Home Basic is the likely version on sub-$400 PCs.
Of the remaining editions, Home Premium makes the most sense for many home users. You can take advantage of Windows Media Center for running slide shows, listening to music and (if the machine comes with a TV tuner) turning the PC into a TiVo-like personal video recorder.
Because your home PC may double as a work computer, you may consider Business, which has more advanced backup-and-restore security features than Home Premium.
If you can't decide between the two, Vista Ultimate gives you the whole shebang - for a price. You might pay an extra $100 to $160 for Vista Ultimate over a machine with Home Premium.
- Vista versus XP? I'm having this debate with a colleague. He says to stick with XP to avoid the sluggishness, software driver hassles and compatibility issues that have plagued Vista. I beg to differ.
To be sure, Vista's problems are frustrating and real. But they are for the most part being addressed, albeit more slowly than some of us would like.
Software produced down the road will certainly be fine-tuned for Vista.
And Vista boasts better security than its predecessor, along with improved search and other welcome features. (We both agree you shouldn't upgrade an existing XP computer to Vista.)
For the record, Microsoft says nearly 7,000 programs and accessories are certified for or work with Vista. And the company says 2.3 million, or 96 percent, of all plug-and-play hardware is compatible with Vista.
If you still prefer XP, Microsoft has extended its availability on new PCs to June 30. Dell, for one, is selling a few new desktop and notebook systems with XP.
- Bells and whistles. There's more to PCs than specs. Aesthetics and extra features count. PC buyers sometimes select models like they do cars - because they prefer one color over another or because the design matches home decor.
Meanwhile, laptop buyers must grapple with a series of issues involving battery life, size, weight, performance and other factors. Need to have extra juice to go cross-country? You might have to sacrifice a lighter machine for one with a longer-life battery - or at least carry a spare battery.
Size matters with desktop PCs, too, a reason some shoppers will appreciate pricey all-in-one PCs such as the GatewayOne or Dell XPS One. The monitor is built into the computer.
Other goodies to look for: built-in webcams, TV tuners, DVD burners that can also play high-definition discs, and slots for digital camera memory cards.
And if you think you're going to live with this PC for a while, make sure you can easily add memory or other components in the future.
Just remember that to get everything on your wish list, be prepared to splurge on a machine whose price will likely crack four digits. Happy hunting, and happy holidays.
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