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Q. Do you make equipment recommendations?
A. Yes, we do. When purchasing a new
computer, we strongly recommend avoiding the "pre-packaged" computers, such as
those from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Gateway, TigerDirect, etc. It's not that
their equipment is shoddy, but that service on this equipment can be extremely
hard to come by. In addition, they will decide for you which operating system
to install, usually at the behest of MicroSoft. Computers now being delivered
by these packaged-computer companies come with Windows XP. Trust us, you DON'T
want that software on your computer!
Instead, locate a reliable local company that builds
computers to order. They can usually build a computer for you in a day or
two...cheaper and with better components! And YOU get to pick which operating
system you want. (We recommend Windows 2000 Professional, which is based on
the old, reliable Windows NT platform).
Q.
Should I get a PC or a Mac?
A.
This is the first and most fundamental decision you'll need to make.
Basically, if all you plan to do with your computer is graphic design work
and perhaps Internet/E-mail appli-cations, the Macintosh may be best for you. Otherwise, choose an IBM-compatible Personal Computer (PC).
The Macintosh computer was created specifically to address the needs of the graphic
artist, and it does it superbly. Later in the life of the Macintosh line, Apple Computer discovered
that they were way behind the curve when it came to any other types of computing requirements.
They have tried valiantly to catch up, but in our opinion have failed in the effort.
The fact is that, while some computer software comes in both PC and Mac formats, the
vast bulk of the software on the shelves of America's retailers runs on a PC. If for no other
reason, we lean heavily toward that platform.
It is true that the newer Mac's can "emulate" a PC, and will run some (if not all) PC
software. However, based on several decades of experience with "emulators," we strongly
recommend using the PC rather than emulating a PC on a Mac.
Q. Do I need to concern myself about components?
A. Absolutely...it's what's inside that counts.
All computers look pretty much the same on the outside, but your satisfaction
will be determined by what's inside. Quality parts are what happy computing is all
about. Of course, even the finest components will sometimes fail, but choosing the
manufacturers of the individual parts will help avoid disastrous consequences. That's why we recommend a "custom built" computer rather than one off-the-shelf.
Here are
our current recommendations for the most important parts of your computer:
Motherboards: ASUS
Hard drives: Western Digital; IBM
Floppy drives:
TEAC
Processors:
AMD
Sound boards:
SoundBlaster
Mouse:
Imsi;
Logitech
CD R/W: Hewlett-Packard
Special considerations:
Intel has had the lion's share of the processor market for a long time. But they are being
overtaken by AMD and others. We prefer the AMD chip, for several reasons:
1. The AMD chip is less expensive, while functioning at least as well as the Intel chip
2. The Intel Pentium II
and III processors have problems handling Borland Pascal programs, which
do not appear to have difficulty on the AMD chip.
Avoid IBM chips (sold under the name Cyrix), as they are known for locking up
frequently.
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