System Requirements
Do you remember a time when your computer ran faster then it does now? Of course you do. This happens over time because as you use your computer and install programs your resources are being taken away for some programs to work properly. You won't notice this overtime until one day... BAM everything freezes.
Think of a computer and compare it to a car. Your car needs to be serviced roughly for an oil change every 3 to 5 thousand miles right? Well computers are similar to cars. You do need to maintenance them every few months or even EVERY month for the best results. If this sounds like too much work.. don't worry, believe it or not most maintenances are taken care of by following a few simple programs and clicks. Understanding how the computer works in relation to what you do on it will not only save you MONEY and TIME, but will keep your machine running for years to come. Now don't get me wrong, technology is and will always be improving.. but if you're like most people you'll definitely want to get the most "bang for your buck", especially if your going to sink thousands of dollars into a brand new computer.
Let's put this in perspective. Let's say your brand new computer has 1.3ghz CPU and about 512MB of RAM. The CPU being the "brain" or the processor for anything you do on your computer, and the "RAM" being the "elbow room" the computer has to work with when you ask it to perform a task such as browsing the Internet. For arguments sake let's say you have Windows XP, the operating system as your windows version. Windows XP has a minimum requirement of 233Mhz processing Speed and a minimum of 128MB of RAM to just SUSTAIN it's vital functions. This means that for your computer to even START, you need the minimum of these requirements. Your 512MB of RAM isn't looking so hot right now. 512MB -128MB = 384MB of RAM left for you, the user.
As you use programs such as Internet explorer, these programs also take chunks away at that number, let's say it takes about 25mb if you have a few windows open, now let's say you have an Instant messenger program running, another 14-20mb taken away, etc, etc. As you can see the more programs you have up and running the less resources the computer has left for you, the user to make use of. The less resources you have, the less the computer can do because it's juggling everything else that's on it's plate. An easy way to fix this problem is to obviously UPGRADE.
This often means doing some research into what you think you'll be using the computer for and upgrade appropriately. Remember that the more RAM and processing power you have, the better your PC experience will be. If your a person who is just going to check email and and browse the Internet, the example above should be sufficient. Now, if you're a mother or a father that would like to get their kids a computer for School work or even PC Gaming, then you would need to understand that these tasks and programs require much more CPU power, RAM and even hardisk space (your hardrive) to run efficiently without slips, freezes, or delays. The Common theme here is, more is better.
Whenever purchasing a computer don't be afraid to spend a few extra bucks on minor upgrades, because when you buy a computer at the store you're buying a computer at a "Stock" uniform setup. This again is in relation to my car argument. If you buy a car at a dealer for a cheap price, you're probably buying a stock model. To get that moon roof, Premium sound system, and other great toys and luxuries you'll have to pay for them. A PC is no different, except that with a computer, these minor upgrades will only increase the computer lifespan and reliability over the long run.
No comments:
Post a Comment