Desktop PC

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A desktop PC (personal computer) comes in two configurations: desktop and tower. The former has a wider footprint that requires sufficient desk space to lie flat with a monitor placed on top. A tower is an upright version that can either be placed on top of your desk or on the floor.

Desktop PC Computer

How do you use the computer?

Are you a gamer? Will you use your PC for home accounting, e-mail or web surfing? Do you plan to start a home based business? These are important questions to answer because they will determine the type of desktop PC you’ll buy. Retail outlets are filled with a bewildering array of choices offered in packaged deals or mix-and-match components. If you want the best bang for your buck, then a package deal would be the best choice. Before you plunk down hard-earned cash, check out the units and research beforehand.

Shop the retailers

Go to the retailers and look. The information you can gather at retail outlets will depend if the sales people are on commission or not. Some non-commissioned salespeople don’t have the knowledge and it may take a few trips to the same outlet before you meet one who does. In this case geeks are good people, but their enthusiasm must be controlled or they’ll be quick to spend your money. Commissioned salespeople with a sale-hungry glint in their eyes will steer you to the units that provide the largest commissions.

Examine each package carefully. How its displayed in the store may not be the way it works in your home or office. Buying Computer Monitors requires direct eyeballing. In both cases use patience. Deals change weekly. Keep an eye on those weekly Sunday supplements and compare.

Value added desktop PC packages

E-Machines, HP, Compaq and other manufacturers offer “value added” packages which consist of bundled software and low-to-high-end configurations designed to meet the needs of specified markets such as basic email, web surfing and music to video, gaming, graphics and business. Media configurations can be used for games, music and video that have front ports where digital camera flash memory cards can be plugged in and downloaded.

Sometimes package deals offer a printer, but before you decide you’ll need to know how much printers will cost you How To Buy A New Printer.

Features you must have

  • RAM 512 MHz minimum is required for Windows XP operating systems. 1GB is better. Graphics software and games usually require more
  • Hard Drive. 80GB is sufficient for most applications. Larger 100GB+ hard drives are available, better for storing music downloads, sound and video
  • Additional drives: CD-ROM for data burning and storage, DVD-ROM for watching movies, CD drive/burner for listening to and burning music on your PC, External Floppy drive if you have a supply of floppies that must be converted to CD-ROMs
  • Processor speeds: nearly all models have similar processors providing about the same speeds. If you plan to work with large databases or view videos you’ll need the fastest processor you can get
  • Extra internal card slots and disk-drive bays needed for future expansion
  • Pre-installed software: Windows XP Home edition operating system, Microsoft Money and Microsoft Works suite containing word processing, spreadsheets, and several templates for general tasks

Desktop PC spyware and virus protection

Your new PC will come bundled with Norton or MacAfee limited subscription anti-virus programs which can protect you against some virus infections, but are limited on spyware. Have the retailer install Microsoft’s Service Pack2. Once you fire up your desktop PC, you’re be vulnerable to spyware attacks , so install reliable Free Spyware Removal Tools and get AVG Virus Protection, because no one anti-virus program can protect your PC from every kind of virus lurking out in cyberspace .

  • Peripherals and hardware: modems, sound and video cards, speakers.


Buy your desktop PC from reputable retailers

Legitimate retailers will provide you official copies of Windows XP you must register at Microsoft’s Web site in order to qualify for future system updates. Swap meet retailers and some online sales sites offer systems for a good price but include burned copies of Windows XP. Without an original, Microsoft won’t support your system. You’d have to purchase an OEM XP from another retailer.

Choose retailers with liberal return policies in case your purchase fails to please once you get home.

Warranties

Manufacturers will offer limited 90-day to one-year warranties. But desktop PCs are vulnerable to voltage spikes, surges and brown-outs. Buy an extended warranty that covers all of these random acts. Also buy quality surge protectors for additional protection.



 


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