Information on a new vaccine available to girls to help combat cervical cancer
Tips on what to use and avoid for babies at bath time
How to buy a family computer
Buying a computer can be confusing at the best of times. With our brief computer shopping primer, we can help you wade through the techno gobbledegook to find the right computer for your family
First, sit down with the family and ask the following questions. The answers will help you understand your needs and get you a few steps closer to that new computer:
What do you want to do with your computer?
Play games? Explore the Internet? Run educational programmes? All of the above? Knowing what you expect from your computer is key.
For example, if your primary reason for buying a computer is to run word-processing programmes and send email, your requirements will be vastly different than if you intend to play MP3 music files and the latest 3D video games on your system.
But here’s a tip: once you get online and start sending email, then photos over the Internet and printing T-shirts, your needs will quickly change. So don’t sell yourself short. Assume your needs will grow and plan accordingly.
One good idea is to read the boxes of the software you’ll be running. There you’ll find what the ‘system requirements’ for each particular programme are.
For example, the requirements for the popular Star Wars Pod Racer game read ‘Windows ’95 or ’98; 166 MHz or faster CPU required, 200 MHz recommended; 32MB RAM required, 64 recommended; 4MB 3D-compatable Graphics Accelerator required; 16-bit sound card required or better; Quad speed or higher CD-ROM drive required; joystick recommended’.
If Aunt Nattie had actually read these requirements before she bought this game for her son’s birthday, she would have known it wouldn’t run on her children’s 486 non-3D system. (See what we mean about your needs changing quickly? Children’s games are the power-hungriest of the lot.)
Consider all options
Would you like a sound system with quality speakers? Video and realistic graphics? Do you want a printer? Colour or black and white? How above a scanner or digital camera?
1 | 2 | 3 | next
printer friendly
send to a friend
Created: 05/02/2004 Updated: 05/02/2004
Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Horoscopes| Message Boards | Quizzes | Newsletters | Join
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB
