Not so long ago, you needed to think about only two things when picking a personal computer: processor speed and hard-drive size. But today choosing the right PC is like negotiating a lease on a new car. The spec sheets contain enough fine print and esoteric terminology to keep a legion of lawyers busy for weeks.
This month's Powertools presents all you need to know to shop for a Windows-based PC that will suit your work style. We've included the key specifications for a business PC, so you'll know what to ask for the next time you visit a computer store -- or place an order with your company's MIS department. The good news is that prices for PCs are falling, and you can get more machine for less money: A PC that can tackle business networking and computing tasks costs about $2,000. But whatever the price tag, remember that knowledge is still your best Powertool.
The brains of any computer is the CPU (central processing unit). While there are many components that combine to determine whether your machine is a wiz or a dullard, the CPU is still the first thing to think about when picking a system. I recommend that you get the fastest CPU that you can afford (or that your MIS department will let you get away with), which as of this writing is a 450-MHz Pentium II.
A MHz (megahertz) rating is to a chip what a horsepower rating is to your car, and while some chip manufacturers quote a lot of confusing numbers, the MHz rating remains the benchmark of computing power.
If you want a mid-range business computer, focus on just two processors: the Intel 300-MHz or 333-MHz Pentium II, and the 300-MHz AMD K6-2. (If a very slight performance lag doesn't matter to you, small businesses can save about $200 by opting for the AMD K6-2.) And watch for AMD's more powerful K6-3, scheduled for release by the end of 1998.
Intel's new-and-improved, low-end Celeron chip is fine for home use. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Intel's new speed demon: the Xeon processor. It's fast indeed, but it's intended for computers with multiple CPUs, such as network servers that run Windows NT or Unix.
The Xeon is not going to be the next desktop PC genius. That honor reportedly goes to Intel's next-generation chip, code-named Merced. But Merced's release, delayed several times, is now slated for sometime in 2000. If you're worried about computer obsolescence, wait until Intel introduces its next-generation Pentium II processor, code-named Katmai. Scheduled for release a few months from now, it will boast two speeds: 450 MHz and 500 MHz.
The L2 cache is the fast memory that sits next to the CPU. This memory serves as the system's prognosticator, lining up the instructions that it expects you to send to the processor next. After the processor, an L2 cache (or lack of one) has the greatest impact on a PC's overall performance.
For common mouse moves, such as opening a word-processing file, a 256-KB (kilobyte) L2 cache is fine. The Pentium II comes with a built-in 512-KB L2 cache -- an adequate standard for most business users. But as with money, a larger stash of cache is always better.
Also known as RAM (random access memory), system memory comprises a machine's main temporary-storage space. The greater the RAM, the greater the machine's capacity for juggling applications.
Most business PCs come with 64 MB (megabytes) of RAM. That's enough memory to handle several applications simultaneously, allowing you to run a spreadsheet, to research the Web, and to write a memo -- all at once. But if your company is running the Windows NT operating system, you'll need 128 MB of RAM. And you should get 128 MB if you need a computer that can take on chores such as videoconferencing and voice dictation. The memory boost will add about $200 to the machine's price tag, but more RAM will make those cutting-edge applications run more smoothly.
The hard drive is your computer's electronic filing cabinet -- a long-term repository for documents, such as business proposals, and for all of the software that doesn't run off a CD-ROM.
You might have heard that there are speed differences between hard drives. That's true. But many other factors affect a hard drive's performance -- for example, the type of controller that connects the drive to the rest of your PC. So when shopping for a hard drive, forget about speed and "access time." What counts is size.
It's not unusual to find 14-GB (gigabyte) hard drives in top-of-the-line desktop PCs. But the bar gets raised higher every month -- which is a good thing, because software programs grow more bloated every week. More hard-disk space is never enough.
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