How to Buy Technology
Presented by
Sharper Training Solutions, Inc.
Questions:
info@stsico.com
Website:
www.stsico.com
Newsletter:
www.computerkindergarten.com
What type of System?
PC (Windows; IBM Compatible)
PC or Mac
Mac (Apple; Macintosh)
 Popular in schools
 Lower priced
 Widely used in homes and  Widely used in
graphics, music and
businesses
advertising industries
 More software available
 More training, publications
and help available
Desktop System or Laptop/Notebook?
Laptop
 Is Mobility Important?
 Compute on the go
 Use the PC in different
rooms of your home
 Wireless
Desktop or Laptop?
http://tinyurl.com/2l9qyp
Desktop
 Portability is not an issue
 Multiple users in the
household using one system
 Usually more easily upgraded
and has more expandability
 Better performance at a lower
price
…Don’t Forget the Tablet!
Tablet
 Highly Mobile
 Compute on the go
 Wireless
 Touchscreen
 Great for reading books,
emailing, navigating the
internet, and playing
games.
 Not as customizable
Why are You Buying a Computer?
What will your primary use be?
 Email
 Internet
 Basic Applications (word processing)
 Digital Photography
 Digital Video
 Business Applications
 Home Office
 Gaming
 Animation, Illustration
Which to Buy?
Gamers: High End
Illustrators and Multimedia Producers:
High End
Business Applications (Word, Excel): Mid
Range
Home users (Internet Applications - Web
Surfing, Email): Mid Range; Budget
Bargain Hunters: Budget
Questionnaire - What Computer Should I Buy?
http://tinyurl.com/2t5ym9
Decide on System Components
Processor or CPU
Memory RAM (Random Access Memory)
Hard Drive
CD / DVD Drives
Monitor
Modem / Network Card / Wireless
Graphic /Sound Card
Processor
 Microprocessor, CPU or Central Processing Unit
 The Brain of the Computer
 Carries out all commands
Manufacturers:
 Intel
 AMD
What is a processor?
http://tinyurl.com/3wm3r
Processor Speed
Ghz (Gigaherz)
Clockspeed
Instructions that the microprocessor can
execute per second
Budget CPUs: 2.4 to 3.0 GHz
Mid-range: 2.8 to 3.2 GHz
High-end: above 3.4 GHz
Processor speeds
http://tinyurl.com/2s56pz
Current Choices
Budget Processors:
Intel Celeron D
AMD Sempron
Intel Pentium 4
Mid-Range Processors:
Intel Core 2 Duo
AMD Turion
AMD Athlon
High-End Processors:
Intel Core 2 Extreme
Memory
Types and Mechanics of Memory:
http://tinyurl.com/33uyeh
 RAM; Random Access Memory
 Memory contains the programs that are currently
being run and the data the programs are operating on.
 1 character = 1 byte
 1 thousand bytes (1,024) = 1 Kilobyes (KB)
 1 thousand Kilobytes (1,048,576) = 1 Megabyte (MB)
 1 thousand Megabytes (1,073,741,824) = 1 Gigabyte
(GB)
 1 thousand Gigalbytes (1,099,511,627,776) = 1
Terabyte (TB)
How Much Memory?
Memory allows you to process
multiple tasks
Budget: 1 GB
Mid-Range: 2 GB to 4 GB
High End: + 4 GB
Upgradeable
The More the Better!
Hard Drive
Hard Disk; Disk Drive; C Drive
Primary location where data is permanently
stored. Main storage location.
Budget: 125 GB
Mid-Range: 250 to 500 GB
High End: 500GB to 1 TB or more
How hard drives work
http://tinyurl.com/3xvooz
Monitor
 Type
CRT
LCD
LED
Flat Screen (LCD)
Flat Panel (LCD)
Widescreen (LCD)
 Size & Viewable Area
15” - 17”
19” - 21”
+ 21”
 The Bigger the Better!
Modem
Dial Up
Ethernet / NIC
DSL / Cable Modem
Wi-Fi Wireless
3G/4G Wireless Network
How Will You Go Online?
CD-ROM/ DVD-ROM/ Blue-Ray
Speed factor
12X to 48X +++
CD-R / CD-RW
DVD–R / DVD-RW
CD /DVD Combo Drive
DVD Dual Layer
HD-DVD
Blue-Ray
All About Optical Drives
http://tinyurl.com/36aqlz
Ports
Firewire Port
USB Ports
Microphone &
Headphones
USB / Firewire Printers, MP3 players,
IPOD, PDA, Digital
Cameras, Digital
Video Cameras
PS/2 Port - Keyboard
(Purple), Mouse
(Green)
PS2
Keyboard
Parallel
Serial
Video
Audio
Parallel Port – Printer,
Scanner
Video Port – Monitor,
Projector
$399.99 Staples
HP
 Intel Pentium Dual-Core
Processor 3.20GHz
 2GB RAM
 250GB Hard Drive
 DVD Writer
 Windows 7 Home
Premiun
$1,044.99 Best Buy
Dell XPS
 Intel i7 Processor
 8GB RAM
 1.5 TB hard drive
 Double-layer
DVD±RW/CD-RW
drive
 Windows 7 Home
Premium
 1 GB Video Card
Laptop Considerations
 Size & Weight
 Battery Life
 RAM upgradeable
 Widescreen
 Test Keyboard
 CD / DVD Burner
 Second Battery? Cost
$399.99 (after rebate) Staples
Acer
 Intel Pentium Dual-Core
 4GB Memory
 640GB hard drive
 DVDs and CDs Writer
 Built-in 802.11g/n wireless
 1.3 MP Camera
 Windows 7 Home Premium
$949.99 Best Buy
Samsung
 Intel i7 Processor
 6GB Memory
 750GB hard drive
 Reads and writes DVDs
and CDs
 Windows 7 Home
Premium
$499.99 Apple Store
iPad
 Apple Processor
 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
 Front and Back Cameras
 Multi-axes Sensors
 Touchscreen
 iOS Mac Operating
System
Printer
Inkjet
Laser
Dedicated Photo Printer
All-In-One – Printer/Scanner/Copier/Fax
Machine
How to Buy a Printer
http://tinyurl.com/24gu8o
Printers – Things to Consider
Your Needs
Purchase Price
Print Quality – Photos and Text
PPM – Pages Per Minute
Memory – enough for large jobs
Cost of Ink or Toner
Copies per Cartridge
Specialty Paper – Envelopes, Off Size Paper
$49.99 Best Buy Canon PIXMA Photo
Printer
 Prints up to 22 ppm in
black, up to 17 ppm in
color
 Creates a borderless
4" x 6" photo in as
little as 55 seconds
 Black Ink Cartridge - $20.99
 Color Ink Cartridge - $25.99
$219.99 Staples
Lexmark
Wireless Printer / Scanner / Copier / Fax
 Color print up to 24 ppm
 Built-in Wireless-g
 B/W print to 30 ppm
 48-bit color scanner
 Black Ink Cartridge - $24.99
 Color Ink Cartridge - ??
Digital Cameras
 Resolution
 Storage Space
 Storage Types
 Transfer Method
 Zoom – Digital or Optical
 Viewfinder
 Red-eye Reduction
Best Digital Camera for You - Digital Camera Selector Quiz
http://tinyurl.com/25rwuk
Digital Camera Glossary
http://tinyurl.com/3br3sc
Resolution
 DPI – Dots Per Inch or Pixels
 640 x 480 - suitable for web or emailing
 1280 x 1024 – minimum for printing
 Megapixel (more than a million pixels) - determines
the quality of your photos
2 Megapixels – inexpensive; low-quality prints
3 Megapixels – good quality small prints (4 X 6)
4 Megapixels – excellent quality small prints; good quality
enlargements (8 X 10)
6 + Megapixels - excellent quality enlargements (11 X 14);
expensive
How Many Megapixels Do I Need?
http://tinyurl.com/fv4xx
Storage Space – Memory Cards
Storage Types
 Nonremoveable / Internal Storage
 Secure Digital (SD)
 Compact Flash
 SmartMedia
 Floppy Disks
Memory Cards
http://tinyurl.com/nzv33
Transfer Method
 USB
 Serial Cable
 Card Reader
Zoom
 Optical Zoom - changes the focal length of the
lens
 Digital Zoom - magnifies a portion of the
information that hits the sensor
Optical Zoom vs. Digital Zoom
Using Optical Zoom
Using Digital Zoom
$53.99 Staples
Good for
eBay!
Polaroid
 4.2-megapixels
 1.5" LCD screen
 3x optical zoom
 4x digital zoom
 16MB internal memory
 2 AA Batteries
 Height 2.5 inches
 Width 3.6 inches
 Depth 1.5 inches
$129.99 Best Buy
Kodak EasyShare
 6.1 MP
 3X Optical Zoom 5x Digital Zoom
 2.4" LCD monitor
 No Internal Memory
 Rechargeable Battery (not
included) or 2 AA
 Memory Card Type–MultiMedia
Card (MMC) or Secure Digital
(SD)
 Height 2.6 inches
 Width 3.5 inches
 Depth 1.4 inches
 Weight 5 oz.
$349.99 Best Buy
Sony Cyber-Shot
DSC-N2 Digital Camera
 10.1 megapixel
 3x optical zoom 6x digital zoom
 3" LCD screen
 26MB internal memory
 Rechargeable battery
 Height 2.4 inches
 Width 3.8 inches
 Depth 0.9 inches
 Weight 5.5 oz.
$799.99 Best Buy
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SONY Alpha
10.2 Megapixel
SLR
18-70mm Zoom Lens
2.5" LCD Monitor
No Internal Memory
Rechargeable lithium (included)
Height 3.75" (camera); 3.1" (lens)
Width 5.25" (camera); 2.6" (lens)
Weight 1.2 lbs. (camera only
without battery or media); 8.3 oz.
(lens)
 Depth 2.9" (camera)
Where to Buy
 Big Retailers
 Mail Order
 Manufacturer
Review Websites
 epinions.com
 cnet.com
 PC Magazine
http://tinyurl.com/zhcg8
 Yahoo!
http://tinyurl.com/yotnrc
 PC World
http://tinyurl.com/l2448
 ZDNet
http://review.zdnet.com/
Internet Service Rebates
Don’t Do It !!!!