Has your old computer become a clunker? Time to replace it! Different needs require different types of computers. Here’s some advice to help you choose the right one for your needs.
You have finally bitten the bullet and are planning to buy a new computer, and face a few issues. Cost, of course, is almost always foremost, but usage is almost as big an issue, bigger in some cases. People keep questioning why someone would upgrade a computer when they have such powerful processors, massive storage capacity and a huge amount of memory. Then you talk with someone that manipulates images and processes photos and they always seem to want more.
However even people that do graphic-intensive tasks often want a secondary system that might have fewer features but has something else they might desire, such as portability or as a low-cost system for a backup at home. Then there are the PC wars pitting Macintosh user versus PC user…and let’s not forget the ultra-light road warrior who might be looking at a netbook. Overall, it is a huge area and so we will try and touch on a few products representing all groups.
Netbooks
Netbooks have a range of pro and con features: On the upside, this class of system is very light, has a long battery life and is as portable a system as a user could want. On the flip side, they do not have the bells and whistles even most entry level notebooks have, and are underpowered when compared to some of the massive performance systems available today it still has powerful processing capabilities. Read our Netbook Buying Guide 2011.
Still, for an on-the-go person, or as a backup computer to in a home or office, nebooks fit in nicely with a price tag that even a college student can afford. A classic in this family is the Acer Aspire One, a 10.1-inch netbook that should meet any casual users’ needs. Powered by an Intel Atom N570 Dual-Core 1.66GHz processor it features 1GB RAM and a 25-GB hard drive.
The one inch thick device weights in at 2.65 lbs and has a 10.1 inch WSVGA Acer CrystalBrite LED-backlit Display with a maximum resolution of 1024 x600 dpi. It has 64MB of video memory and features an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150. It has built-in 802.11 b/g/n support as well as 10/100 Ethernet.
Macintosh Notebook Computers
For the mobile users, and even the non-mobile (since notebooks are increasingly users’ first choice regardless of usage), Apple offers a variety of options. At the entry level it has the
At the high end of the Macintosh notebook world is the Apple Macbook Pro with a 15.4 inch display. The computer features a 2GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 microprocessor that features Intel’s 2.9GHz Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 technology to give performance an extra boost. Models come with 4GB of memory that is expandable to 8GB, a 500GB hard drive and a SuperDrive DVD burner.
It has built-in 802.11n wireless and supports for wired Gigabit Ethernet. The display is a 15.4-inch backlit LED display with 1440 x 900 native resolutions and for users that need additional display support it has a Thunderbolt port that handles a range of peripherals such as an Apple LED Cinema Display. It has a number of features that someone using it for tasks such as editing HD video or image processing will find speed the job, including an AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256MB GDDR5 SDRAM graphics card.
At the entry level Apple offers the MacBook Air with an 11.6-inch display. The unit is powered by an Intel 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB memory and an all flash 64GB solid state hard drive. Its backlit LED display has a native resolution of 1366 x 768 and it features a nVIDIA GeForce 320M with 256MB DDR3 SDRAM integrated video card.
Macintosh Desktops
Apple has long had a love affair with the graphics and imaging space and vice versa. One of its top offerings graphics-heavy computing is the Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation. A high-performance desktop system, the computer comes in a range of configurations. The one highlighted here is the entry-level offering powered by Intel’s 2.8GHz Quad-Core ‘Nehalem” processor that includes Turbo Boost to speed processor performance and includes 3GB of memory, a 1TB hard drive and a18x SuperDrive and it supports the option to add up to four 512GB solid state drives that have twice the access speed of a traditional hard disk drive.
The processor features a technology called QuickPath Interconnect that provides it with quick access to the disk, I/O and other Mac Pro subsystems for enhanced performance. It features AMD’s high end ATI Radeon HD 5770 Graphics Card that features 1GB of GDDR5 memory and is designed for graphic intensive jobs such as motion graphics, 3D modeling, rendering, or animation. The computer can be used as a standalone work station or as a small workgroup server.
PC Notebooks
On the PC notebook side the options are much wider due to the range of developers involved in this space. A nice entry level system is the Toshiba Satellite L655D-S5164BN. Powered by an AMD Phenom II Quad-Core Mobile P960 1.8 GHz Processor, it has 4GB memory that is expandable to 8GB and a 640GB hard drive along with a DVD SuperMulti drive.
Its 15.6-inch widescreen TruBrite TFT display has 1366 x 768 native resolution and is supported by AMD’s ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 Graphics with 256MB-1917MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory.
For a higher end notebook, which often means a larger screen, try the Hewlett-Packard Envy 17-2070NR notebook with a 17.3-inch display. The computer has a 2GHz Intel Core i7 processor with 6GB memory expandable to 8GB, a 1TB hard drive and a Blu-ray drive.
The 17.3-inchFull HD HP Ultra BrightView Infinity LED display has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 and is powered by an AMD Mobility Radeon HD 6850M with 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM graphics card. It has multiple battery options for a longer unattached work life and supports 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless computing as well as 10/100/1000 Ethernet.
Desktop PCs
For the power user that cannot get enough horsepower, Cerise Computers might just be addressing your needs. This is very much not an everyman computer line, but incredibly powerful machines for users that have high volume tasks that will strain any system. The Cerise Computer Eight Core 1500GB RAID 5 Workstation is a power user’s tool. With two Quad Core Intel 2.66GHz Xeon Harpertown processors it comes with 4GBs of memory. It features a dual storage solution; a 500GB hard drive for the operating system, Microsoft Windows XP 32 Bit Professional Edition, and programs and then a 1500GB RAID 5 storage system providing a very safe storage environment for works created on the system. For the uninitiated RAID stands for Rapid Array of Independent Disks and it divides, stores and duplicates data on multiple drives in a single storage unit for greater security. If one drive fails the data is still stored on the system and is rebuilt.
The by special order only system comes with a 20x DVD/DVR drive and comes with a Quadro FX1700 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Workstation Video Card. In addition it ships with Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 for Windows.
A users looking for an entry level, low cost desktop system would be rewarded looking at one such as the Acer AX1920-UR20P. This desktop PC has a 3.2GHz Dual-Core Pentium Processor with 4GBs of memory. It features a 1TB hard drive and a 16x DVD/DVR drive. It features Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD and supports 10/100/1000 Ethernet but does not have integrated wireless support. It'A nice beginner computer with a huge storage capacity and plenty of power for a general system user.
