October 28, 2008
Military.com|Robin Raskin

If you're old PC is getting sluggish then, despite the crummy economy, it's not a bad time to buy a new one. The prices have never been so low, the features so robust, and the offerings so diverse. But you want to make certain that you buy the machine that's best suited to you.

Here's a guide to get you started on your personal quest of the best of the season.

Desktop Computers:

Desktops are an unbelievable value, many of the traditional designs (small towers with monitors) costing from $500 to $700. For a little more money, you can get something ultra-stylish and meant to be the centerpiece of any home.

For modern desktop design look at The HP Touchsmart. Gamers should look at the new Dell desktops and those who want a solid all around PC for the home might consider HP Pavilion Slimline because of its small form factor, or the affordable Mac mini from Apple.

Notebook PCs

A majority of new PC buyers are looking for good portable solutions. You'll pay a bit more, but your PC is no longer chained to one location. Here's what the portable market looks like this year.

Ultracompact

The new ultacompact notebooks are best for those who use them primarily for email and websurfing, often while traveling, although some light duty office applications are also possible on these machines. Ultracompacts (sometimes called Netbooks)  typically have 8 – 10 inch screens and smaller keyboards. Many don't come with a DVD reader/writer, and tend to be slow on more graphical applications like games. The original Asus Eee PC,  was a bit too small to type comfortably and it ran Linux. Today Asus has a line of Eee PC products. They all use solid state disk technology (no mechanical parts to break) and can run Windows XP or Linux. When you're choosing an ultracompact, the disk technology is a distinguishing trait. For ruggedness, choose the solid state, while for more storage for less money, choose the traditional hard drives. Screens are also a point of differentiation. The 10" screen provides much better visual experience than 7" or 8" screens on the most compact devices. 3-cell or 6-cell battery choices provide up to 5.5 hours of battery life using the power-saving Atom processor.  Another newcomer that looks great is the MSI Wind with its 10 inch screen.

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Business Laptop

If you need to write documents, presentations, or use multimedia on your notebook you'll be better off with a full-sized keyboard and bigger screen. Business notebooks typically have screens from 12" –15" (smaller sizes being more expensive), full-sized keyboard, combo CD/DVD drive, and an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with at least 1 gigabyte of RAM.  Based on how much travel, you'll want to evaluate the battery sizes. Most have 2 or three different sized offerings. Consider the Dell XPS series, HPs dv or tx series, or the Apple MacBook or Sony's CS series TZ series.

Desktop Replacement

If your notebook isn't traveling very often and it's really replacing the functionality of your old desktop there are a few ways to go. You can get a larger-screen sized notebook (typically more than 15 inches), with built in DVD reading and burning capabilities. Typically these replacements are attractive, but heavier with relatively short (if any) battery life. My favorite hybrid is the HP Touchsmart PC a handsome portable PC with elegant styling. SONY's AR series does the trick in a more standard 17 inch notebook form factor.

Whichever type of PC you choose here are some basic specifications that will help you do some comparison shopping.

SPECIFICATIONS

Processor: Core 2 Duo is Intel's latest generation of powerful processors. For the new ultra compact form factor notebooks the Intel ATOM is the latest low power consumption processor. While these processors come with different clock speeds, in the scheme of things, the speed of the processor you buy is not as important as the amount of RAM you purchase.

RAM Memory: 1 GB of RAM is sufficient for most uses; 2GB or more if you use intensive graphics programs, play games or multitask..

Hard Drive Storage: Get a minimum of 120GB; more if you save lots of digital photos or music. Think about either getting a standalone backup system or storing your data online at sites like Symantec or McAfee.

At minimum get an optical drive that is a CD-RW/ DVD combo drive. It lets you view and save to a CD and view DVDs. Preferred is a DVD+/-RW drive does that and also lets you copy DVDs.

Monitor: For desktops get at least a widescreen flat panel monitor. For laptops, screen size will affect the price but think anywhere from 8.9 inches to 17 inches.

Operating System: Macintosh users will get their operating system with the machine. New Windows machines come with Vista. There are a few flavors but Vista Home Premium is the best fit for most consumers.

Wireless Connectivity: At minimum you'll want an 802.11g or n. If you plan to synchronize your phone or PDA to your computer it might be good to get Bluetooth connectivity as well. If you're on the road in poorly connected areas you'll want to add a card from a company like Verizon or AT&T that lets you connect via cellular links just remember that there will be a monthly service charge for usage.

USB Slots: You can never have too many USB slots (minimum of two). A firewire connection might also prove useful, especially if you have a movie camera with FireWire capability.

Multimedia Reader: It's useful to have a multimedia card reader, so the SD or other media card from your camera can be plugged directly into your computer.

About the Author:

Robin Raskin has spent the past 30 years exploring what it means to be a family in a digital world. Most recently she is the founder of Kids@Play and The Silvers Summit, a set of conferences and exhibitions in partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association. She's the former editor of PC Magazine, Editor in Chief of FamilyPC and blogger for Yahoo!Tech. She's been a columnist for USA Today Online and has authored 6 books about parenting in the digital age. Her latest book is The Parents' Guide to College Life.(Random House, 2006). Raskin lectures to groups around the country on topics including internet safety and parenting college-aged kids. Robin lives in an empty nest with her husband, with frequent visits from three far-flung college graduates. An early proponent of social networks, you can find her lurking on most.

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