Buying a Computer For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers))

Find out where to shop and what to look forHandheld? Flat-screen iMacR? PentiumR 4 with warp speed processing? Here's how to chooseThose computer megastores can be intimidating, so take five - five easy steps toward finding the computer that does what you want it to! Veteran For Dummies author Dan Gookin supplies checklists, questions, and answers that help you discover what you need, what you want, where to find it, and how to buy it.The Dummies Way * Explanations in plain English * "Get in, get out" information * Icons and other navigational aids * Tear-out cheat sheet * Top ten lists * A dash of humor and fun" Buying a Computer FOR DUMmIES 2 Buying a Computer FOR DUMmIES 2 Copyright 3 About the Author 4 Publisher’s Acknowledgments 5 Contents at a Glance 6 Table of Contents 8 Introduction 18 About This Book 18 And Just Who Are You? 19 Icons Used in This Book 19 Where to Go from Here 19 Part I: Understanding the Whole Ordeal 20 Chapter 1: Buying a Computer (Step-by-Step) 22 The Five Steps to Buying a Computer 23 Step 1: Figure out what you want to do with your computer 24 Step 2: Look for software 25 Step 3: Find hardware 27 Step 4: Shop for service and support 28 Step 5: Buy your computer 30 Don¡ ̄t Sit Around Waiting to Buy! 30 Chapter 2: Basic Training 32 Basic Parts 33 Console 33 Monitor 34 Keyboard 35 Beyond the Basic Parts 35 Mouse 35 Speakers 36 Modem 37 Printer 37 Scanner 38 Network options 39 Peripherals and other 39 expansion options 39 Chapter 3: Computers from A to Z 40 What Is a Computer? 40 The traditional desktop computer 41 The Macintosh option 42 Laptops for every kind of lap 45 Palmtop computers 47 Gaming consoles 47 Workstations and servers 48 Mainframes 50 ¡° How Much Will This Cost?¡± 50 Chapter 4: Introduction to Hardware and Software 52 Hardware: The Hard Stuff 52 The microprocessor ( the main piece of hardware) 53 Basic hardware 54 Software, the Other Hard Stuff 55 The operating system 55 Applications and other programs 56 Putting It All Together 57 Part II: Hardware and Software Overview 58 Chapter 5: All about Mr. Microprocessor 60 The Microprocessor Rules 60 The name game 60 Families, names, and flavors 61 The measure of power 63 Zooooom! ( Microprocessor speed) 63 Some Microprocessor Q& A 64 ¡° What does ¡®[ blank] or greater¡ ̄mean when talking about a microprocessor? 64 .° Are all Pentium processors the same?” 65 “Should I buy an upgradable microprocessor option?” 65 ¡° What¡ ̄s the cache?¡± 66 “Is the Celeron a good Pentium compatible?” 66 “Should I buy a non-Intel CPU if it saves me money?” 66 ¡° What is Socket 7?¡± 67 ¡° What¡ ̄s the ¡® heat sink¡ ̄?¡± 67 ¡° What is ¡® hyperthreading¡ ̄?¡± 67 “Do computers with dual processors run faster than computers with single processors?” 67 Chapter 6: Memory Stuff (Temporary Storage) 70 Say Hello to Mr. Byte 70 Memory Madness 72 Behold the chip! 72 The size of the thing ( capacity) 73 Fast memory and faster memory 73 Goodbye, Mr. Chips! 74 Some technical memory terms 75 Main Memory versus Video Memory 77 Banks o¡ ̄ Memory ( RAM) 78 How Much Memory Do You Need? 79 Chapter 7: Disks of Every Type (Permanent Storage) 80 Why Disk Storage? 80 What is a disk, and what is a drive? 81 Types of drives 82 Capacity 83 Hard drive speed 84 CD- ROM drive speed 85 Cache or buffer memory 86 Fixed or removable? 86 The mystical drive controller 87 Disk Driving Your 88 Computer System 88 Picking a hard drive 89 Your shiny, removable storage 90 Gotta have a floppy drive too 91 The Zip disk alternative 92 Chapter 8: Monitor and Graphics Stuff 94 The Graphical System 94 The Monitor Part 95 CRT or LCD? 96 Judge me by my size, will you? 98 I¡ ̄ll take two, please 99 The Graphics Adapter Part 100 Video RAM 101 The 3- D thing 101 How it plugs in 102 Read them labels! 103 Chapter 9: Keyboard, Mouse, and Joystick 104 Keyboards 105 Mice and Other Nonfurry 106 Pointing Devices 106 Joysticks and Game Controllers 108 Chapter 10: Expansion Options 110 Connecting Stuff by Using Ports 110 The USB port 111 The Firewire port 112 The printer port 112 The serial port 113 Mouse and keyboard ports 114 The joystick/ MIDI port 114 A Full House of Cards 115 Why you may need expansion slots 115 Types of expansion slots 116 Chapter 11: Modems, Networking, and Sound 118 Say Hello to Mr. Modem 118 Modems are measured by their speed 119 Your typical, everyday 120 dial- up modem 120 Faster modems: Cable, DSL, satellite 121 Networking Computers 122 Networking hardware to get with the computer 122 Networking hardware to buy after the purchase 123 Sound Off! 124 The bleeping circuitry 124 Tweeting and woofing 125 Adding a microphone 126 Chapter 12: Special Issues for Notebook and Laptop Computers 128 Laptop Considerations 129 Special ( expensive) microprocessors 130 Disk drives 130 A battery of issues 131 The skinny on laptop weight 132 The anti- mouse 132 Laptop communications 133 Security issues 133 Laptop Expansion Options 133 ¡° I¡ ̄ve seen these ports before!¡± 134 The PCMCIA port 134 Chapter 13: Your Computer’s Operating System 136 Understanding Operating Systems 137 Working with you 137 Controlling the software 138 Controlling the hardware 139 Operating System Survey 140 Windows XP, Home,and Professional 140 Mac OS 141 Linux 142 Palm OS 144 The antique, the immortal,and the dead 144 Chapter 14: Everything You Wanted to Know about Software (But Were Afraid to Ask) 146 Doing the Internet 147 Browsing the Web 147 Getting your e- mail 147 Productivity Software 148 Word processing 148 Databases 149 Home- budgeting software 149 Spreadsheets 150 Graphics 152 Recreation and Education 153 Games 153 Education 153 Utility Programs 154 Programming 155 Software for Nothing and Almost Free 155 Public domain software 156 Freeware or open source 156 Shareware 156 Demo software 157 Beware of illegal or pirated software 157 Part III: Finding Your Perfect Computer 158 Chapter 15: Shopping for Software 160 How to Buy Software 160 Taking a test drive 161 Other sources for test- driving 162 How Helpful Is the Software? 163 Types of help you find in software 163 Don¡ ̄t forget support! 164 After You Find What You Want. . . . 165 Stuff you find on the software box 166 Filling in the form: Example 1 167 Filling in the form: Example 2 168 At last: The software worksheet 171 Chapter 16: Matching Hardw are to Your Software 174 The Hardware Worksheet 174 Filling in the worksheet( step- by- step) 176 Choose an operating system 176 Pick a microprocessor 176 Calculate your memory needs 177 Calculate your hard drive storage 178 More storage decisions 179 Other hardware stuff 180 A Sample for You to Review 181 Chapter 17: Surveying the Shopping Landscape 184 Reading a Computer Ad 184 Finding computer advertisements 185 Dissecting an ad 185 Recognizing common tricks used to make an advertised price look really cheap 187 The myth of the free ( or almost free) computer 188 Some Q&A Before You Rush Out to Buy 188 ¡° Should I get a quote?¡± 188 ¡° Can I haggle?¡± 189 “Should I get a discount off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price?” 189 “Isn’t there any way to get a deal on a computer?” 189 “Is it better to buy from a noncommissioned salesperson?” 190 “What about buying a used computer?” 190 ¡° What about refurbished stuff?¡± 190 “You didn’t say anything about the swap meet” 191 Where to Buy 191 Your locally owned and operated computer store 192 National chains 192 The megastore 193 Mail- order brand names 194 Mail- order pieces¡ ̄ parts 194 Chapter 18: Tips for Online Shopping 196 Buying on the World Wide Web 196 Finding a place to buy 197 Placing your order 198 Comparison shopping 200 Sleazy tricks used by online retailers 200 Tracking Your Order 201 Chapter 19: Searching for Service and Support 202 How to Find Service and Support 202 Service Questions 203 ¡° How long is your warranty?¡± 203 “Do you fix the computers at your shop?” 203 “Can you fix my computer at my home or office?” 204 Support Questions 204 “Can I phone someone to ask questions?” 205 ¡° Do you offer classes?¡± 205 Support Issues for Buying on the Internet 206 190 207 Chapter 20: Buying the Computer 208 A Review of the Five Steps 208 What to Spend ¡° Extra¡± Money On 209 When Do I Get My Computer? 210 Don’t Ever Put a Deposit on a Computer! 211 Hey, Bud! You¡ ̄re Ready to Buy 211 A few last- minute buying tips 212 The final step is to . . . 212 Chapter 21: Helpful Hints for Computer Setup 214 Check the Shipment 215 Setting Up the Computer 215 Open the boxes 215 ¡° What can I toss out?¡± 217 ¡° Should I keep the boxes?¡± 217 Putting It Together 218 Where will Mr. Computer live? 218 Preparing to plug things in 219 Setting up the console 219 Attaching the mouse and keyboard 220 Attaching other devices 220 Setting up the monitor 220 Plugging in other stuff 221 Finishing up 222 Turning the Thing On 222 What to turn on first? 222 Turning it off 223 Breaking It In: The Burn- In Test 223 What¡ ̄s Next? 223 Dealing with software 224 Dealing with other hardware 224 Understanding Your System 225 Part IV: Living with Your Computer 226 Chapter 22: Time to Get a Printer 228 Different Printers for Different Printing 228 Printer speed 229 The print quality 229 How much? 230 Laser Printers Go “ Fwoom Pkt Shhh!.± 231 Ink Printers Go “ Thwip ,Sft- Sft- Sft, Clunk!.± 231 Buying the Printer 232 What does your software say? 233 Printer shopping 233 Printers do not come with cables! 233 Printers don’t come with paper, either! 234 Buy some extra ink 234 Setting Up the Printer 235 Printer pieces¡ ̄ parts 235 Connecting the printer cables 236 Telling your computer about the printer 236 Chapter 23: Moving to Your New Computer 238 Moving Over Hardware 238 Antiques: Don¡ ̄t bother 239 Monitors 239 Disk drives 239 Memory 240 Expansion cards 240 Printers 241 Modems 241 Other peripherals 241 Transferring Your Software 242 Reinstalling applications 242 Moving over data 243 Eliminating the preinstalled bonus crap 244 Part V: The Part of Tens 246 Chapter 24: When to Buy, When to Sell, When to Upgrade 248 Unlike Wine and Cheese,Computers Don¡ ̄t Age Well 248 Should You Upgrade? 249 Which hardware to upgrade first 249 My $. 02 on upgrading your microprocessor 250 Upgrading software 251 Upgrading your operating system 251 Should You Sell Your Beloved Computer? 252 Buying a Used Computer 253 Chapter 25: Ten Common Mistakes Made By First-Time Computer Buyers 254 Buying Hardware before Software 254 Dropping Brand Names 255 Shopping for the Cheapest Computer System 255 Being Unprepared for the Sale 255 Forgetting Some Extra Items 255 Not Paying by Credit Card 256 Not Reading the Setup Manuals 256 Forgetting That Software Is Expensive 256 Buying Too Much 256 Not Counting Learning Time 257 Chapter 26: Ten Warning Signs 258 Industry “ Standards” versus the Ads 258 Out- of- Date Stock 259 Money Down Required 259 Missing Pieces 260 No Address in the Mail- Order Ad 260 Salespeople Too Busy to Help 260 Salespeople in the Store Ignore You 260 No Classroom 261 No Software Documentation 261 Chapter 27: Ten Other Things You Should Buy 262 Mousepad and Wristpad 262 Power Strip 263 Surge Protector 264 UPS 264 Printer Cable 265 Printer Paper 265 More Inky Stuff 265 Removable Disks 266 CD Caddy 266 A Roll of Paper Towels 267 Chapter 28: Ten Tips and Suggestions 268 Your Computer Has a Clock 268 Get a Second Phone Line 269 After a While, Reread the Manuals 269 Put a Timer on That Internet 270 Get Antivirus Software 270 Subscribe to a Computer Magazine 270 Join a Computer Users¡ ̄ Group 270 Buy a Great Book 271 Remember That You Are in Charge 271 Don’t Let the Computer Run Your Life 271 Index 272 CPU, Ghz, Mhz, DIMMS, RAM, ROM, AGP, ISA, PCI, USB, CRT, LCD, NIC, CCD, CIS, DP, Kbps. What do all of these acronyms mean? Are you baffled by computer technology and technology? Intimidated by computer salespeople who grimace or grin when you say "gizmo?" Buying a Computer For Dummies 2005 Edition gives you the ABCs of buying a computer. You don't have to be able to talk tech; you just have to know what you want and how to get it. This guide turns evaluating the mind-boggling options into a simple five-step process, complete with software and hardware worksheets to help you pick a computer just for you. You'll discover how to: Choose the right software for your needs Pick the right peripherals, including monitor, printer, scanner, modem, keyboard, and more Spend "extra" money strategically to get more computer power for your buck Choose disk drives, including info on CD-ROM, DVD, Floppy, Zip, and flash memory cards Be sure you get support Written by Dan Gookin, the author of DOS for Dummies, the bestseller that spawned the entire line of For Dummies books, plus many other For Dummies big sellers, Buying a Computer For Dummies is updated to incorporate the latest technologies. It covers processor upgrades, flat panel displays, new peripherals, laptops, tablet PCs, wireless systems, and more. You'll find information on: Choosing a digital camera and getting images from it into your computer Getting a network card (NIC) for a broadband modem if you want the fastest Internet connection Making the right decisions: CRT or LCD monitor? Laser printer or ink jet? Wired network or wireless? Software for word processing, databases, desktop publishing, home budgeting, spreadsheets, graphics. and more Essential utilities, including antivirus, anti-spyware, and firewall software It also arms you with important questions to ask a dealer and warning signs to look for in ads or sales pitches. Whether you are buying your very first computer, considering upgrading your current system, or replacing a system that's outdated by today's standards, this guide gets you past the jargon and into the wise buying mode. ASAP. PDQ. Oh, and it also tells you what all of the acronyms at the top stand for! Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included. Find out where to shop and what to look for

Handheld? Flat-screen iMac? Pentium 4 with warp speed processing? Here's how to choose

Those computer megastores can be intimidating, so take five – five easy steps toward finding the computer that does what you want it to! Veteran For Dummies author Dan Gookin supplies checklists, questions, and answers that help you discover what you need, what you want, where to find it, and how to buy it.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

The ideal guidebook for first-time computer buyers and readers looking to buy a second or third computer or upgrade an existing systemIncludes critical information buyers need to make wise decisions, with checklists and tearsheets they can take to the retailer for referenceFeatures at least twenty-five percent new content, including information on the Pentium 4, Tablet PCs, flat screens, DVD-ROM, CD-RW drives, and other technological advances since the previous edition.