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Buying a Computer for Dummies PDF

289 Pages·2003·3.508 MB·English
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Buying a Computer FOR DUMmIES ‰ 2004 EDITION by Dan Gookin Buying a Computer For Dummies®, 2004 Edition Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River Street Hoboken, NJ 07030 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2003 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permit- ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8700. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447, e-mail: perm [email protected]. Trademarks:Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley &Sons, Inc., and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WAR- RANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTA- TIVES OR WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION. YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A PROFESSIONAL WHERE APPRO- PRIATE. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CON- SEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER DAMAGES. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2003105669 ISBN: 0-7645-4077-7 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1B/RX/QX/QT/IN is a trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. About the Author Dan Gookin got started with computers back in the post-vacuum- tube age of computing: 1982. His first intention was to buy a com- puter to replace his aged and constantly breaking typewriter. Working as slave labor in a restaurant, however, Gookin was unable to afford the full “word processor” setup and settled on a computer that had a monitor, keyboard, and little else. Soon, his writing career was under way with several submissions to fiction maga- zines and lots of rejections. His big break came in 1984, when he began writing about comput- ers. Applying his flair for fiction with a self-taught knowledge of computers, Gookin was able to demystify the subject and explain technology in a relaxed and understandable voice. He even dared to add humor, which eventually won him a column in a local computer magazine. Eventually, Gookin’s talents came to roost as a ghostwriter at a computer book publishing house. That was followed by an editing position at a San Diego magazine. During this time, he also regularly participated in a radio talk show about computers. In addition, Gookin kept writing books about computers, some of which became minor bestsellers. In 1990, Gookin came to IDG Books Worldwide (now Wiley Publishing, Inc.) with a book proposal. From that initial meeting unfolded an idea for an outrageous book: a long overdue and origi- nal idea for the computer book for the rest of us. What became DOS For Dummies blossomed into an international bestseller with hun- dreds of thousands of copies in print and in many translations. Today, Gookin still considers himself a writer and a computer “guru” whose job it is to remind everyone that computers are not to be taken too seriously. His approach to computers is light and humorous yet very informative. He knows that the complex beasts are important and can help people become productive and success- ful. Gookin mixes his knowledge of computers with a unique, dry sense of humor that keeps readers informed — and awake. His favorite quote is “Computers are a notoriously dull subject, but that doesn’t mean that I have to write about them that way.” Gookin’s titles for Wiley Publishing include the best-selling DOS For Dummies, Word For Windows For Dummies,and the Illustrated Computer Dictionary For Dummies.All told, he has written more than 80 books about computers. Gookin holds a degree in commu- nication from the University of California, San Diego. You can e-mail Dan on the Internet: [email protected]. Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Acquisitions, Editorial, and Production MediaDevelopment Project Coordinators: Dale White, Project Editor: Rebecca Whitney RyanSteffen Acquisitions Editor: Greg Croy Layout and Graphics: Kelly Emkow, Joyce Haughey, Stephanie Jumper, Jacque Technical Editor: Lee Musick Schneider Editorial Manager: Carol Sheehan Proofreaders: John Tyler Connoley, Media Development Supervisor: AndyHollandbeck, Susan Moritz, RichardGraves KathySimpson, Brian H. Walls, Editorial Assistant: Amanda M. Foxworth TECHBOOKS Production Services Cartoons:Rich Tennant, Indexer: TECHBOOKS Production Services www.the5thwave.com Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies Richard Swadley,Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Andy Cummings,Vice President and Publisher Mary C. Corder,Editorial Director Publishing for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele,Vice President and Publisher Joyce Pepple,Acquisitions Director Composition Services Gerry Fahey,Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey,Director of Composition Services Contents at a Glance Introduction ......................................................1 Part I: Understanding the Whole Ordeal .............3 Chapter 1: Buying a Computer (Step-by-Step) .......................................5 Chapter 2: Basic Training .......................................................................15 Chapter 3: Computers from A to Z ........................................................23 Chapter 4: Introduction to Hardware and Software ............................35 Part II: Hardware and Software Overview .........41 Chapter 5: All about Mr. Microprocessor .............................................43 Chapter 6: Memory Stuff (Temporary Storage) ...................................53 Chapter 7: Disks of Every Type (Permanent Storage) ........................63 Chapter 8: Monitor and Graphics Stuff .................................................77 Chapter 9: Keyboard, Mouse, and Joystick ..........................................87 Chapter 10: Expansion Options .............................................................93 Chapter 11: Modems, Networking, and Sound ..................................101 Chapter 12: Special Issues for Notebook and Laptop Computers ..........................................................................111 Chapter 13: Your Computer’s Operating System ..............................119 Chapter 14: Everything You Wanted to Know about Software (But Were Afraid to Ask) .....................................129 Part III: Finding Your Perfect Computer ..........141 Chapter 15: Shopping for Software .....................................................143 Chapter 16: Matching Hardware to Your Software ............................157 Chapter 17: Surveying the Shopping Landscape ...............................167 Chapter 18: Tips for Online Shopping ................................................179 Chapter 19: Searching for Service and Support ................................185 Chapter 20: Buying the Computer .......................................................191 Chapter 21: Helpful Hints for Computer Setup ..................................197 Part IV: Living with Your Computer ................209 Chapter 22: Time to Get a Printer .......................................................211 Chapter 23: Moving to Your New Computer ......................................221 Part V: The Part of Tens .................................229 Chapter 24: When to Buy, When to Sell, When to Upgrade .............231 Chapter 25: Ten Common Mistakes Made By First-Time Computer Buyers ............................................................................237 Chapter 26: Ten Warning Signs ............................................................241 Chapter 27: Ten Other Things You Should Buy .................................245 Chapter 28: Ten Tips and Suggestions ................................................251 Index.............................................................255 Table of Contents Introduction ......................................................1 About This Book ........................................................................1 And Just Who Are You? .............................................................2 Icons Used in This Book ............................................................2 Where to Go from Here .............................................................2 Part I: Understanding the Whole Ordeal ..............3 Chapter 1: Buying a Computer (Step-by-Step) . . . . . . . . 5 The Five Steps to Buying a Computer .....................................6 Step 1: Figure out what you want to do with your computer ...............................................7 Step 2: Look for software ................................................8 Step 3: Find hardware ....................................................10 Step 4: Shop for service and support ..........................11 Step 5: Buy your computer ...........................................13 Don’t Sit Around Waiting to Buy! ...........................................13 Chapter 2: Basic Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Basic Parts ................................................................................16 Console ...........................................................................16 Monitor ...........................................................................17 Keyboard ........................................................................18 Beyond the Basic Parts ...........................................................18 Mouse ..............................................................................18 Speakers ..........................................................................19 Modem ............................................................................20 Printer .............................................................................20 Scanner ...........................................................................21 Network options ............................................................22 Peripherals and other expansion options ..................22 Chapter 3: Computers from A to Z . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 What Is a Computer? ...............................................................23 The traditional desktop computer ..............................24 The Macintosh option ...................................................25 Laptops for every kind of lap .......................................28 Palmtop computers .......................................................30 Gaming consoles ............................................................30 Workstations and servers .............................................31 Mainframes .....................................................................33 “How Much Will This Cost?” ...................................................33 viii Buying a Computer For Dummies, 2004 Edition Chapter 4: Introduction to Hardware and Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Hardware: The Hard Stuff ........................................................35 The microprocessor (the main piece of hardware) ...............................................................36 Basic hardware ..............................................................37 Software, the Other Hard Stuff ...............................................38 The operating system ...................................................38 Applications and other programs ...............................39 Putting It All Together .............................................................40 Part II: Hardware and Software Overview ..........41 Chapter 5: All about Mr. Microprocessor . . . . . . . . . . . 43 The Microprocessor Rules ......................................................43 The name game ..............................................................43 Families, names, and flavors ........................................44 The measure of power ..................................................46 Zooooom! (Microprocessor speed) .............................46 Some Microprocessor Q&A ....................................................47 “What does ‘[blank] or greater’ mean when talking about a microprocessor?” ............................47 “Are all Pentium processors the same?” ....................48 “Should I buy an upgradable microprocessor option?” .......................................................................48 “What’s the cache?” .......................................................49 “Is the Celeron a good Pentium compatible?” ...........49 “Should I buy a non-Intel CPU if it saves me money?” ................................................................49 “What is Socket 7?” ........................................................50 “What’s the ‘heat sink’?” ...............................................50 “What is ‘hyperthreading’?” .........................................50 “Do computers with dual processors run faster than computers with single processors?” ..............50 Chapter 6: Memory Stuff (Temporary Storage) . . . . . . . 53 Say Hello to Mr. Byte ...............................................................53 Memory Madness ....................................................................55 Behold the chip! .............................................................55 The size of the thing (capacity) ...................................56 Fast memory and faster memory ................................56 Goodbye, Mr. Chips! ......................................................57 Some technical memory terms ....................................58 Main Memory versus Video Memory ....................................60 Banks o’ Memory (RAM) .........................................................61 How Much Memory Do You Need? ........................................62 ix Table of Contents Chapter 7: Disks of Every Type (Permanent Storage) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Why Disk Storage? ...................................................................63 What is a disk, and what is a drive? ............................64 Types of drives ...............................................................65 Capacity ..........................................................................66 Hard drive speed ...........................................................67 CD-ROM drive speed .....................................................68 Cache or buffer memory ...............................................69 Fixed or removable? ......................................................69 The mystical drive controller ......................................70 Disk Driving Your Computer System .....................................71 Picking a hard drive .......................................................72 Your shiny, removable storage ....................................73 Gotta have a floppy drive too ......................................74 The Zip disk alternative ................................................75 Chapter 8: Monitor and Graphics Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 The Graphical System .............................................................77 The Monitor Part .....................................................................78 CRT or LCD? ...................................................................79 Judge me by my size, will you? ....................................81 I’ll take two, please ........................................................82 The Graphics Adapter Part .....................................................83 Video RAM ......................................................................84 The 3-D thing ..................................................................84 How it plugs in ...............................................................85 Read them labels! ...........................................................86 Chapter 9: Keyboard, Mouse, and Joystick . . . . . . . . . . 87 Keyboards .................................................................................88 Mice and Other Nonfurry Pointing Devices .........................89 Joysticks and Game Controllers ............................................91 Chapter 10: Expansion Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Connecting Stuff by Using Ports ............................................93 The USB port ..................................................................94 The Firewire port ...........................................................95 The printer port .............................................................95 The serial port ...............................................................96 Mouse and keyboard ports ..........................................97 The joystick/MIDI port ..................................................97 A Full House of Cards ..............................................................98 Why you may need expansion slots ............................98 Types of expansion slots ..............................................99

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