Buying a Computer

1
Buying a Computer

• What do you what to use it for?
• Home
• Business
• Academics
• Games
• Multimedia
• Upgrade vs. Replacement

2
Factors

• Cost
• Speed
• Number of Processors
• Hard Drive Capacity
• Memory Size (RAM)
• Graphics Capability
• Network Speed

3
Key Decisions

• Mac or Windows or Linux? (Operating System)
• Desktop or Laptop or Netbook or Tablet?
• Peripherals
• Network
• Disk Size
• Memory

4
Obsolescence

• Functional Obsolescence
• No long does what you want it to do
• Technical Obsolescence
• Something better has replace it

5
Hard Drive vs. RAM

• RAM Random Access Memory
• Hard drive electromechanical device with
• magnetic storage
• RAM electronic no moving parts
• RAM faster
• Hard drive cheaper
• Hard drives are persistent, non-volatile

6
Cache Memory

• Cache Memory electronic, but faster but RAM
• More expensive
• Closer to the processor speed
• Small amount of cache memory
• Memory is three levels
• Disk, RAM, cache
• Often built into the processor