Aaron J Hudson
CIS 100
Dr. Avis O. Anderson
September 22, 2005
College life requires one of the basic essentials that most households have today…the
computer. Whether it’s a pre-assembled desktop, a portable laptop, or a home-built desktop, the
information world is now a necessity to access on a daily basis. Most college students can not
afford the high end computer with all the accessories. Fortunately, the speed at which computer
technology progresses, allows the price of computers to be pretty cheap. The following
information will compare the quality and prices of a pre-assembled Dell Dimension 3000
desktop, a Dell Inspiron 2200 laptop, and a home-built desktop assembled from
www.newegg.com.
The first system is the pre-assembled Dell Dimension 3000 Desktop with an Intel
Pentium 4 processor (2.80 GHz). It contains an 80GB Hard Drive installed with Windows XP
Home Edition, 512MB of DDR RAM, a 56Kbps Data/Fax Modem, and a
16X DVD ROM drive capable of viewing and re-writing DVD’s. Also
included in this package deal is a Logitech wireless keyboard and optical
mouse combination. The abundance of software that comes already
installed is too many to mention, but to name a few would be a 15 month
subscription to Norton Internet Security 2005, SONIC, DVD re-writing deluxe software, and
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Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0. The price for this set up comes to a total of $439.00. If you noticed,
this package does not come with a monitor. No problem, a ViewSonic 15-inch CRT monitor
will add just $113.95 to your total. Your grand total for a pre-assembled PC from Dell, with all
the necessary components is $552.95
The next system to look at is a Dell Inspiron 2200 Notebook, commonly referred to as a
laptop. The processor is an Intel Pentium Mobile (M) Processor (1.60 GHz). The Hard Drive
capacity is only 30 GB of space, obviously smaller than that of the Desktop. Like the Dimension
3000, the Inspiron also comes with Windows XP Home Edition
pre-
installed. Another less attractive feature of this laptop is that it
only
offers you 256MB of DDR RAM vice 512MB. An advantage
would
include the read/write drive. Not only can this laptop play
movies, but it can also re-write compact disks with its 24X CD RW/DVD combo drive. The
Inspiron also eliminates the annoying wiring that comes with the Dimension Desktop with its
Wireless Network Interface Card (NIC) 1470. The capability to get up and go and log on to the
Internet anywhere is a huge plus with college students. The software contained with this laptop
is also plentiful. Although the subscription to Norton Internet Security 2005 is only 3 months,
the Inspiron comes with Word Perfect Office Suite 12. The Dimension Desktop did not come
with any Office Suite. College students will be typing a lot of reports so this software will
definitely come in handy. The hugest advantage of owning a laptop over a desktop is that it is
portable. Your total price for the Dell Inspiron 2200 Notebook is just a little more than that of
the Dimension coming in at $568.00. Not much of a difference to pay for the convenience.
Finally we have another desktop that I put together from a well known website,
www.newegg.com. What I did here is find the necessary components, at the cheapest price
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possible, to build an operational system. These components would include a Foxconn Tower
$31.99, an AMD Motherboard $55.00, an AMD Duron Processor 1.8 GHz $56.00, a Dynatron
Heat sink $8.99, a PQI, 512MB memory module $38.99, a Western Digital, 80 GB Hard Drive
$57.50, an Atrix 500W Power Supply $28.00, a Toshiba All-In-One Drive $37.99, a Wired
Keyboard/Mouse combo $10.25, an AOC 17” CRT monitor $89.00, and last but not least,
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2 $85.95. Though this process seems
like a lot of research and work, the results pays off. The grand total for this home built system is
$499.70. The obvious advantage to taking this route is the price. You spend about $50 or $60
less than the Dimension 3000 or the Inspiron 2200 and you still manage to obtain a usable
system. The not so obvious advantage might be that you actually get to customize this desktop
to your liking and needs. Like the Dimension, the disadvantage to having any desktop is that it’s
bulky. A laptop is much more convenient if you stay on the go.
After describing to you 3 of the older Computer Systems that are able to be purchased
threw the Internet, I have come to the conclusion that it depends on the needs and wants of the
user to determine what is best for him or her. My choice would be to build my own system from
scratch. This way, I can customize the system to my liking and most likely get it done at a
cheaper cost. Like LaGuardia, I am certain other colleges may have a computer or two for the
students to use. Thus, making it feasible to stick with the desktop at home and live without the
laptop for now.
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