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Consumer Reports – Desktop Computers
The desktop computer has become just another appliance you use every day. Sales of replacement – Not first-time purchases – now drive the computer market. Fully loaded desktops selling for less than $ 800 are common, even between brands established.
What's Available
There are dozens of companies competing to put a new desktop at home. Dell, eMachines, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard (which merged with Compaq in 2002), IBM, Sony and all machines that use Microsoft's dominant Windows, OS. eMachines, recently merged with door liaison, specializes in the budget price of Windows models. Apple is the exclusive manufacturer of Macintosh models. Little by mail and store brands serve the budget-minded buyers.
Price: U.S. $ 400 to $ 3,000.
HIGHLIGHTS
The processor houses the "brains" of a computer. Its clock speed, measured in gigahertz (GHz), determines how fast the chip can process information. In general, the higher the speed clock, the faster the computer. But not always, since different chip families attain different efficiencies. Manufacturers of Windows machines in general, use 1.6 to 3.8 GHz with one of the following names: Intel Pentium or Celeron or AMD Athlon or Sempron. Celeron and Sempron are lower cost than the higher-priced processors as chips in many aspects. Intel now assigns "processor numbers" to its chips, to focus on clock speed. Apple Macintosh machines use from 1.25 to 2.5-GHz PowerPC G4 or G5, which are manufactured by IBM. Apple has announced it will begin a transition to Intel processors in 2006.The architecture of the system of some families of chips that allows them to be as fast or faster than others, with higher clock speeds, so speed comparison of the figures can be misleading.
All brand name computers sold today have at least 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM, or random access memory, computer memory used while running. Video RAM, also measured in megabytes, RAM is essential for secondary smooth video images, and play.
The disc long drive is your computer's data storage system long term. Given the disk space requirements of today's multimedia games, photos digital, and video files, bigger is better. You'll find hard drives ranging in size from 40 to 300 gigabytes (GB).
A CD-ROM has been the norm in most computers for many years. Now commonly supplied is a CD-RW (rewritable CD) drive, also known as a burner "" that lets you create backup files or make music compilations on compact disc. A DVD-ROM brings the whole body or action-packed movies multimedia games with full-motion video on the desktop. It complements the CD-RW in the midline and higher end systems, allowing you to copy CDs directly from the two units. A DVD will also play CDs and CD-ROM. Combine Combo CD-DVD-writing and playing in one unit, saving space. The latest of this family, quickly becoming a common option is the DVD-drive, allowing transfer of home video footage on a DVD, or store as much data as six CDs. There are three competing, incompatible DVD formats – DVD-RW, DVD + RW and DVD-RAM – as well as units that can create double-layer DVDs that store twice. Some Units can write more than one format, but everyone can make a disc that will play on DVD players.
Fast disappearing is the floppy drive, where 3.5-inch floppy disks inserted. Apple Macintosh and a growing number of computers do not have a drive built in, as it only allows you to read or store quantities relatively small data. Many people use a CD-RW disc like a big "" drive to carry files. Many computers already come with a camera memory digital card reader that can also serve to transfer the file. You can also get external drives or use a USB memory module that has a lot more a floppy disk.
Cathode-ray equipment (CRT) or flat panel liquid crystal (LCD) contains the screen and displays the images sent from the graphics card – internal circuitry that processes the images. Monitors come in sizes (measured diagonally) that van 15 to 21 inches and more. Seventeen-inch monitors are the most common. Apple eMac and iMac comes with a function of the monitors. Your Mac mini comes without a monitor. LCDs are now the most popular, taking up less space and use less power than CRTs. Better LCD displays can use a digital video interface (DVI), which is found in many new PCs.
Critical components of a desktop computer are usually housed in a case called a tower. A minitower is the typical configuration. More expensive machines have a Midtower, which has room additional updates. A Microtower is a space-saving alternative is usually less expensive. All-in-one computers, such as the Apple iMac has no tower, everything except the keyboard and mouse is built on a small box that supports the monitor. Apple Power Mac line of computers has a tower. The latest model Apple, the Mac Mini, has a design that saves space, but puts all the monitor, keyboard and mouse into a case about the size of a hardcover book. A "PC entertainment "- one with a built-in TV tuner – comes in a case that is more like an audio or video component, made to adapt to another home entertainment devices.
A mouse, a small device that fits in your hand and has a "tail" of wire that connects to the computer, move the cursor (the pointer on the screen) through a rolling ball or a light sensor on its underside. The alternatives include a trackball, which is rolled with the fingers or palm of the hand in the direction you want the cursor to go, a notebook that lets you move the cursor by sliding a finger, a tablet, which uses a penlike stylus for input, and a joystick, used to play computer games.
Most computers come with a standard keyboard, but one can also buy one for separately. Many keyboards have CD (or DVD) controls to pause playback, change tracks, and so on. Many also have the keys to facilitate get line, from a search, launching programs or e-mail recovery. There are also wireless keyboards that allow move as you type.
Multimedia equipment for home use have a sound system that amplifies high-fidelity music CDs or music files downloaded, synthesized music, game sound, and DVD-movie soundtracks. Loudspeaker systems with a subwoofer have deeper, powerful bass. Surround sound systems can turn a PC into a home theater. Some computers come with a microphone for recording, or you can add.
PCs come with a modem to allow dial-up connection to the Internet. Parallel and serial ports are traditional connections to printers and scanners. Universal Serial Bus (USB), seen on all new computers are designed to replace parallel and serial ports. FireWire or IEEE 1394 ports are used to capture video from digital video cameras and other electronic equipment. An Ethernet port or wireless network card allows you to link multiple home computers to share files, a printer or a connection to broadband Internet. An S-video output jack allows you to run a video cable from your computer to a television, allowing you to use the unit DVD of the computer to watch a movie on a TV instead of your computer monitor.
HOW TO CHOOSE
First, decide whether to update his current team. Upgrading rather than replacing it might make sense if your additional needs are modest – a second hard drive, for example, because you're leaving no space for digital photos. Adding memory or a CD burner is usually more cost effective than buying a new machine. If your PC has become unreliable, your list is more demanding, or if there is software that must run that your system does not correspond to a new PC is the logical answer.
Consider a computer laptop. A desktop computer usually costs hundreds less and is easier to update, expand and repair. It usually offers better ergonomics, as a more comfortable keyboard, larger screen and enhanced audio. But a portable depth consideration if portability and compactness are priorities.
Choose the type correct desktop. Most manufacturers offer several lines at different prices. Budget computers are the least expensive, but are suitable for routine work. Workhorse computers cost a few hundred dollars more, but are faster, more versatile and updateable. All-in-one models are most of components in a single case. And in entertainment or media PCs include TV tuners and programs that give them the functions of a DVR. They generally provide a remote control for easy operation.
Select the brand. Our studies have shown significant differences in reliability and technical support between the team marks. And some brands are generally more expensive than others. These factors may help decide which of the two teams in the same equipment is the best buy.
Choose between preconfigured and custom made. You can buy a PC off the shelf in a store or through the Web, configured with the features and options fields from manufacturer to average users. Or consider buying a desktop that is configured to order, either online or in a store. When you configure a computer to order online, onscreen menus typically show all the options and let you see how a change in one option affects the overall price.
Copyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union U.S., Inc.
For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.
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