Important features Desktop PCs & Mac computers
The processor houses the "brains" of a computer. Its clock speed, measured in gigahertz (GHz), and the chip's design, termed "architecture," determine how fast it can process information. Within a processor family, the higher the clock speed, the faster the computer. But different processor families reach different efficiencies. The lowest-priced systems probably use processors like Pentium Dual-Core, Celeron D, Athlon 64, and Sempron. More common now, however, are dual-processor desktops. Dual-core processor families from Intel (Core 2 Duo) and AMD (Athlon 64 X2) represent newer technologies developed to increase processing power beyond what a single-chip processor can achieve (and quad processors are now showing up). Macs have transitioned to Intel Core 2-series processors. In short, the different types of processors make direct speed comparisons difficult, but any recent processor type will probably deliver all the speed you'll need.
All brand-name computers sold today have at least 512 megabytes of RAM, or random-access memory, the memory the computer uses while in operation. For anyone using Windows Vista or Mac OS X, we recommend at least one full gigabyte of RAM, although 2GB is preferable and becoming more common. Memory upgrades are not expensive.
Windows Vista is available in several versions with different hardware requirements. Vista Basic leaves out several features we liked in this software. Vista Ultimate is costlier, with more features than most home users need. We recommend Home Premium as the right Vista version for most home uses.
All computers have a graphics adapter, which is integrated on the motherboard or on a separate internal plug-in card. In addition to feeding the computer's display with an analog (VGA) or a digital (DVI) connection, a graphics adapter might have an additional output to feed video to an external TV (common), or accept video from an external analog source (rare). But it can always display video from whatever source: a file, a DVD, an external analog feed, or a TV tuner.
All desktops and laptops come with a minimum of integrated graphics suitable for watching TV or playing simple games such as solitaire. If you want to run Windows Vista's new 3D user interface or play more challenging 3D intensive games, such as first-person shooters or role-playing games, we recommend the ATI Radeon X1600, the Nvidia GeForce 7600, or higher.
Video RAM, also measured in megabytes, is secondary RAM that works with the graphics processor to provide smooth video imaging and game play. Serious gamers might need a dedicated graphics processor with 256MB of memory or more.
The hard drive is your computer's long-term data storage system. Given the disk-space requirements of today's games, digital photos, and video files, bigger is better. Sizes commonly range from 120GB to 750GB.
For removable storage, a DVD writer is standard gear. It also lets you transfer home-video footage or digital photos to a DVD disc, or store as much data as six CDs. The newest options are high-definition disc drives, capable of playing either Blu-ray or HD DVD discs.
There are three competing, incompatible DVD formats--DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM--as well as drives that can create dual-layer DVDs that store twice as much. Some drives can write in more than one format, but all can create a disc that will play on stand-alone DVD players. Now arriving: DVD burners designed for high-definition video, which will allow storing 15GB or more on a disc.
We recommend waiting until the two competing versions--Blu-ray and HD DVD--sort out their differences.
Many PCs now come with a memory-card reader for memory cards used in digital cameras. You can also use external drives or a USB memory key to copy files from the hard drive.
The computer's flat-panel liquid-crystal display (LCD) or increasingly rare cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitor contain the display screen and renders the images sent from the graphics processor--internal circuitry that creates the images. Monitors come in sizes ranging from 15 to 24 inches and larger (measured diagonally). Seventeen- and 19-inch LCD monitors are common.
LCD displays are now the most popular, taking up less space and using less power than CRTs. Better LCD displays can use a Digital Video Interface (DVI) connection, found on some PCs with dedicated graphics. You can often obtain a deep discount on an LCD monitor by buying it bundled with a new computer at a manufacturer's Web site.
The principal components of a desktop computer are usually housed in a case called a tower. A minitower is the typical configuration and can fit either on top of or under a desk. More expensive machines have a midtower, which has extra room for upgrades such as additional hard drives. A microtower is a space-saving alternative but has less room inside for upgrading.
All-in-one computers, such as the Apple iMac, have no tower; everything but the keyboard and mouse is built into the monitor. Apple's Mac Pro line of computers has a tower. Apple's desktop model, the Mac Mini, has a space-saving design that puts everything but the monitor, keyboard, and mouse in a case about the size of a hardcover book. Some Macs include a built-in video camera.
A mouse, a small device that fits under your hand and has a "tail" of wire that connects to the computer, moves the cursor (the pointer on the screen) via a rolling ball or an optical light sensor on its underside. We recommend spending a little more for an optical mouse.
Most computers come with a standard keyboard, although you can also buy one separately. Some keyboards have CD (or DVD) controls to pause, play back, change tracks, and so on. Some also have additional keys to expedite getting online, starting a search, launching programs, or retrieving e-mail. There are also wireless keyboards and mice that give you cable-free flexibility in how you work.
Computers for home use feature a high-fidelity sound system that plays music from CDs or downloaded music files, synthesized music, game sounds, and DVD-movie soundtracks. Speaker systems with a subwoofer have deeper, more powerful bass. Surround-sound systems can turn a PC into a home theater. There are connections for an external audio source, (such as a microphone) and for headphones.
There are several different types of ports on computers. PCs come with a modem to allow a dial-up Internet connection, as well as an Ethernet port or wireless network card that lets you link several computers in the household to share files, a printer, or a broadband Internet connection. Universal serial bus (USB) ports provide a connection to many add-on devices. FireWire or IEEE 1394 ports are used to capture video from digital camcorders and connect to other peripheral devices. An S-video or HDMI output jack lets you run a video cable from the computer to a television, so you can use the computer's DVD drive to view a movie on a TV instead of on the computer monitor. Media-center PCs (equipped with TV tuners) can also capture video from a VCR and copy tapes to DVDs.
The processor houses the "brains" of a computer. Its clock speed, measured in gigahertz (GHz), and the chip's design, termed "architecture," determine how fast it can process information. Within a processor family, the higher the clock speed, the faster the computer. But different processor families reach different efficiencies. The lowest-priced systems probably use processors like Pentium Dual-Core, Celeron D, Athlon 64, and Sempron. More common now, however, are dual-processor desktops. Dual-core processor families from Intel (Core 2 Duo) and AMD (Athlon 64 X2) represent newer technologies developed to increase processing power beyond what a single-chip processor can achieve (and quad processors are now showing up). Macs have transitioned to Intel Core 2-series processors. In short, the different types of processors make direct speed comparisons difficult, but any recent processor type will probably deliver all the speed you'll need.
All brand-name computers sold today have at least 512 megabytes of RAM, or random-access memory, the memory the computer uses while in operation. For anyone using Windows Vista or Mac OS X, we recommend at least one full gigabyte of RAM, although 2GB is preferable and becoming more common. Memory upgrades are not expensive.
Windows Vista is available in several versions with different hardware requirements. Vista Basic leaves out several features we liked in this software. Vista Ultimate is costlier, with more features than most home users need. We recommend Home Premium as the right Vista version for most home uses.
All computers have a graphics adapter, which is integrated on the motherboard or on a separate internal plug-in card. In addition to feeding the computer's display with an analog (VGA) or a digital (DVI) connection, a graphics adapter might have an additional output to feed video to an external TV (common), or accept video from an external analog source (rare). But it can always display video from whatever source: a file, a DVD, an external analog feed, or a TV tuner.
All desktops and laptops come with a minimum of integrated graphics suitable for watching TV or playing simple games such as solitaire. If you want to run Windows Vista's new 3D user interface or play more challenging 3D intensive games, such as first-person shooters or role-playing games, we recommend the ATI Radeon X1600, the Nvidia GeForce 7600, or higher.
Video RAM, also measured in megabytes, is secondary RAM that works with the graphics processor to provide smooth video imaging and game play. Serious gamers might need a dedicated graphics processor with 256MB of memory or more.
The hard drive is your computer's long-term data storage system. Given the disk-space requirements of today's games, digital photos, and video files, bigger is better. Sizes commonly range from 120GB to 750GB.
For removable storage, a DVD writer is standard gear. It also lets you transfer home-video footage or digital photos to a DVD disc, or store as much data as six CDs. The newest options are high-definition disc drives, capable of playing either Blu-ray or HD DVD discs.
There are three competing, incompatible DVD formats--DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM--as well as drives that can create dual-layer DVDs that store twice as much. Some drives can write in more than one format, but all can create a disc that will play on stand-alone DVD players. Now arriving: DVD burners designed for high-definition video, which will allow storing 15GB or more on a disc.
We recommend waiting until the two competing versions--Blu-ray and HD DVD--sort out their differences.
Many PCs now come with a memory-card reader for memory cards used in digital cameras. You can also use external drives or a USB memory key to copy files from the hard drive.
The computer's flat-panel liquid-crystal display (LCD) or increasingly rare cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitor contain the display screen and renders the images sent from the graphics processor--internal circuitry that creates the images. Monitors come in sizes ranging from 15 to 24 inches and larger (measured diagonally). Seventeen- and 19-inch LCD monitors are common.
LCD displays are now the most popular, taking up less space and using less power than CRTs. Better LCD displays can use a Digital Video Interface (DVI) connection, found on some PCs with dedicated graphics. You can often obtain a deep discount on an LCD monitor by buying it bundled with a new computer at a manufacturer's Web site.
The principal components of a desktop computer are usually housed in a case called a tower. A minitower is the typical configuration and can fit either on top of or under a desk. More expensive machines have a midtower, which has extra room for upgrades such as additional hard drives. A microtower is a space-saving alternative but has less room inside for upgrading.
All-in-one computers, such as the Apple iMac, have no tower; everything but the keyboard and mouse is built into the monitor. Apple's Mac Pro line of computers has a tower. Apple's desktop model, the Mac Mini, has a space-saving design that puts everything but the monitor, keyboard, and mouse in a case about the size of a hardcover book. Some Macs include a built-in video camera.
A mouse, a small device that fits under your hand and has a "tail" of wire that connects to the computer, moves the cursor (the pointer on the screen) via a rolling ball or an optical light sensor on its underside. We recommend spending a little more for an optical mouse.
Most computers come with a standard keyboard, although you can also buy one separately. Some keyboards have CD (or DVD) controls to pause, play back, change tracks, and so on. Some also have additional keys to expedite getting online, starting a search, launching programs, or retrieving e-mail. There are also wireless keyboards and mice that give you cable-free flexibility in how you work.
Computers for home use feature a high-fidelity sound system that plays music from CDs or downloaded music files, synthesized music, game sounds, and DVD-movie soundtracks. Speaker systems with a subwoofer have deeper, more powerful bass. Surround-sound systems can turn a PC into a home theater. There are connections for an external audio source, (such as a microphone) and for headphones.
There are several different types of ports on computers. PCs come with a modem to allow a dial-up Internet connection, as well as an Ethernet port or wireless network card that lets you link several computers in the household to share files, a printer, or a broadband Internet connection. Universal serial bus (USB) ports provide a connection to many add-on devices. FireWire or IEEE 1394 ports are used to capture video from digital camcorders and connect to other peripheral devices. An S-video or HDMI output jack lets you run a video cable from the computer to a television, so you can use the computer's DVD drive to view a movie on a TV instead of on the computer monitor. Media-center PCs (equipped with TV tuners) can also capture video from a VCR and copy tapes to DVDs.
