Whether you are a home user or power gamer, it is important to get a desktop that best suits your lifestyle. Here's what to look out for.
Like most consumers, you probably have an idea of how much you want to spend on a desktop. But how do you ensure that you get exactly what you need? The different shapes and sizes, wide range of configurations, and seemingly constant arrival of new and faster processors all make for a difficult decision. To help you find the right mix, we've outlined five common user types.
User types: Family |
Student | Power
user | Couch potato | Business user
Family 
Although
a PC can play many roles in the home, most families will be best served by a
mainstream model. Spending around AU$1,200 to AU$1,700 (add a couple hundred dollars if you
want an LCD instead of a CRT display) will net you enough power to quickly run
productivity apps, view and edit vacation photos, manage MP3s, and even play
many of today's games. Be sure to add a DVD burner and a large hard drive if you
have a DV camcorder.
KEY FEATURES:
| Pentium 4 or Athlon XP processor two or three rungs down from the fastest model |
| 256MB or 512MB of DDR memory |
| 80GB or 120GB hard drive |
| Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 or 5600 or ATI Radeon 9200 or 9600 graphics card |
| CD burner and--in many cases--a DVD-recordable drive |
| 17-inch CRT or 15- or 17-inch LCD |
| 2-piece or 2.1 speaker set |
| Windows XP Home |
| Microsoft Works Suite |
Student 
With
college costing what it does, price is of primary concern for students and
parents already footing the bill for tuition, book (and beer) money, and a PC.
More students are turning to notebooks for taking notes in class and writing
papers in the quad, but a desktop is still a common sight in dorms. Unless you
are on the seven-year plan, a budget system should have sufficient performance
and features to get you from orientation to graduation.
KEY FEATURES:
| Fast Intel Celeron or slow Pentium 4 or midrange Athlon XP processor |
| 256MB of DDR memory |
| 40GB or 60GB hard drive |
| Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 or ATI Radeon 9200 graphics card |
| CD-RW drive |
| 17-inch CRT or 15-inch LCD |
| 2-piece or 2.1 speaker set |
| 10/100 Ethernet port for plugging into the campus network |
| Windows XP Home |
| Microsoft Works Suite |
Power user 
Serious
gaming, graphic design, and video editing all require a high-class PC with an
equally high price tag. Look for a fast processor, lots of speedy memory, and a
top-notch graphics card. If you plan to transfer and edit home movies, you'll
also need a massive hard drive, a FireWire port, and a DVD burner.
KEY FEATURES:
| 3.2GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition or 64-bit AMD Athlon 64 FX-51 processor |
| 512MB or 1GB of DDR400 SDRAM (PC3200) |
| 120GB or 200GB hard drive(s) |
| Nvidia GeForce FX 5950 Ultra or ATI Radeon 9800 Pro graphics card |
| DVD-recordable drive |
| 19- to 22-inch CRT or 18- to 21-inch LCD |
| 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 surround-sound speaker system |
| Windows XP Pro |
| Microsoft Office, DVD-authoring program, free game bundle |
Couch potato
Like
your entertainment to be more passive than interactive? Then you are a candidate
for a Media Center PC. You'll get a fully functional PC that can moonlight as a
TV and a digital video recorder. New models with compact or all-in-one designs
are great for small apartments and dorm rooms. And the software and the remote
let you control entertainment features without getting off the couch.
KEY FEATURES:
| High-end (not necessarily the highest) Pentium 4 or Athlon XP processor |
| 512MB of DDR memory |
| 120GB or 200GB hard drive(s) |
| Midrange ATI or Nvidia graphics card |
| TV tuner card (or ATI All-in-Wonder graphics card) |
| DVD-recordable drive |
| 17- to 21-inch LCD |
| Wireless keyboard and mouse |
| Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 (or Sony's Giga Pocket DVR software) |
Business user
Graphics
are less of a concern for most businesses. You'll want a system with enough
power for multitasking your daily office chores, and the money you save on the
graphics you can put toward a flat-panel display and a better warranty.
KEY FEATURES:
| Pentium 4 or Athlon XP processor |
| 256MB or 512MB of DDR memory |
| 40GB or 60GB hard drive |
| CD-RW drive |
| Integrated graphics |
| 17-inch LCD |
| Windows XP Pro |
| Microsoft Office or Works |
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