Re: (OT) - Buying advice for new PC (desktop)
- From: Robert Jones <rjones0@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:26:44 -0700 (PDT)
In addition to the comments made by others, I suggest that you try to
get hold of a copy of "Computer Shopper" published in the UK, there
may be another different magazine of the same name in the US. It
nearly always contains some basic advice with minimum requirements,
together with several reviews of various types of computer, several of
which are also available in the US. Having said that, the big names
are usually pretty reliable, though there are several good smaller
suppliers. It is probably a good idea to review several US magazines
to get an idea of what's available and features provided and
desirable. A local library would probably have copies.
I would suggest that for a long lifetime of use, that you don't get a
too basic version as it will probably need replacing sooner due to
lack of ability to keep up with upgrades. TV tuners, webcams and
internet phone facilities may be helpful.
I would suggest you ensure that you check the types of port provided,
e.g. USB, Firewire, and anything else you think may be helpful.
Generous RAM and hard disk capacity are also useful for accommodating
upgrades. USB Flash drives are better for portability of smaller
amounts of data.
I personally use 3 external hard drives for backups, each of 500Gb
capacity, which are kept separately, e.g. one at home, one in the car
and one at another address. Norton Ghost seems to work reasonably
well as a backup utility, but no doubt there are others. Internet
backup services are also available, but can take a very long time and
a lot of bandwith for larger volumes of data. I suggest your sister
keeps the programs and data separate, since the programs once backed
up, wont need doing again till the next upgrade, and the volume of
data for regular backups will be smaller. Data kept on external hard
drives, etc should be password protected with encryption. The
computer's own drive should also be encrypted if possible, I believe
the latest versions of Windows makes this very easy to accomplish,
though you must remember to keep the passwords securely, both to
ensure that no one unauthorised gets them and that she doesn't forget
them. It might be a good idea for her to let you have a copy of her
list, which you could encrypt with your own password.
If you have some good recommendations for local independant suppliers,
then they can be much more responsive and flexible. Warranties
usually come with some form of maintenance agreement for the first
year or three, some are better than others, some will collect and
return, while others expect you to send the computer yourself. Some
have return to base warranties, while others will attempt to make
repairs onsite, but usually cost more. You would generally get a
better price for online purchases, but local may be more convenient
and responsive for advice and repairs. Telephone hotlines can be
expensive.
If your sister has any special peripherals, e.g. scanners, printers,
cameras, etc, then it is advisable to ensure that they will continue
to work and that any special ports that they need are available on the
new machine.
Robert
.
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