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To upgrade your computer - or not? (June 14, 2002 1:05 p.m. EDT) - Waiting for your computer boot-up is more agonizing than waiting for Christmas. What's more, downloading an MP3 file takes longer than driving to the store to buy the CD it came from. And the only video game your computer is powerful enough to run is the solitaire program that came preloaded. It's a sad state of affairs. But you're not alone. These days, personal computers seem to become outdated the moment you carry them out of the store. So we asked experts for advice on how long to hang onto your old machine and what to look for when buying a new one. Tim Hanson, owner of a Lakewood, Wash., computer business, points to a principle known as Moore's Law to explain the speed with which new, improved hardware lands on retail shelves. In 1965, Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Intel, observed that the number of transistors that could be crammed into each square inch of integrated circuits was doubling every year. Moore predicted that rate of miniaturization would continue for the foreseeable future. Although the pace has slowed somewhat, data density has continued to double about every 18 months. Case in point: In the mid-'80s, Hanson said, the average personal computer didn't become dated for three years and wasn't obsolete for five. Today, it takes only about a year for a computer to be considered dated, he said. They're dated because programmers crank out software that takes advantage of the latest hardware's capabilities, but the way they write new software leaves owners of older machines out in the cold. "It's terrible; it's absolutely terrible," Hanson said. "They (programmers) want to leave (older machines) behind because, if they write code for it ... it makes their operating system less efficient." But if you're like most computer users, even though your machine won't be state-of-the-art after a few months, "You're going to be satisfied for a long period of time with what you have now," Hanson said. The key to determining how long to hold onto your old computer is to realistically assess how you use it, experts said. If all you do is write and browse the Web, for example, there is little compelling reason to buy a new computer. "A simple upgrade could consist of (buying) a new modem," Hanson said. "If you're an Internet user ... and your complaints are speed, that's all you may need." Similarly, older computers - even models with archaic 486 processors - are still good for word processing, databases, spreadsheets and many other programs used in a typical office setting. Some consumers are blinded by what Douglas Thompson, a computer entrepreneur, calls the "bigger, better, faster syndrome" - the compulsion to own the most powerful system that money can buy, regardless of true need. "A lot don't know why they want a superfast computer when they haven't used all the memory on their current machine," Thompson said. "They just do. But, God bless 'em, I'll build those high-end systems for them until I can't turn a screwdriver." Video gamers may be the most noteworthy of that breed of consumer, because video games demand faster processors and better video cards than many other programs. It's not uncommon for an avid gamer to own a $4,000 machine that's used primarily for recreation, Thompson said. If you've given up on your computer as is, there are a few things to consider before upgrading or buying a new machine. Consumers often find that older machines aren't worth upgrading, because their components aren't compatible with newer ones. Once consumers replace all the individual parts, "you end up with a new computer in an old box that costs more than if you just went to Dell or Compaq and had them build you a new machine," said Bob Poland, who owns Memory Lane Computers. "Upgrading just isn't cost-efficient any more." He recommends building a custom system versus buying a cheap, preassembled one off the store shelf. A good low-frills machine can be built for $900 to $1,500 that still will be easy to upgrade, Thompson said. Here is his checklist of essential components: - Start with a quality motherboard; choose one that supports high-end memory cards. Expect to spend $130 to $325. - Pick a good microprocessor that fits within your budget. Intel's Pentium 4 and AMD's XP processors are state-of-the art this year. - A quality, high-capacity hard drive is a must. "Hard-drive failure is one of the leading reasons people lose data and have their systems crash," Thompson said. - Invest in a high-quality video card if you play lots of video games or run multi-media software. By Ernest A. Jasmin, Tacoma News Tribune Copyright 2002 Scripps Howard News Service Copyright 2001 Nando Media http://www.nando.net/technology/v-text/story/434602p-3476503c.html janet paterson: an akinetic rigid subtype, albeit primarily perky, parky pd: 55/41/37 cd: 55/44/43 tel: 613 256 8340 email: [log in to unmask] smail: 375 Country Street, Almonte, Ontario, Canada, K0A 1A0 a new voice website: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn