Do you Really Need a New
Computer? Everything
you need to know to
decide.
Hank Feinberg and Jim Anderson
Rockland PC Users Group
Is your computer running
very slow?
Are you thinking of buying a new
computer for the holidays?
What do you really need today
and what will you need 3 years
from now?
How do you get the most computer
for the least amount of money?
Get free software to tell you
everything in your computer
Including
Hardware
Memory
Licenses,
Software
Learn how easy it is to transfer
your files from your old
computer to the new one.
Have you considered what you will do
with your old computer?
What will you do about
your personal and confidential information
on it?
Find out how to protect yourself
from identity theft,
how to properly and where
to dispose of your
old computer.
Step 1
What is in your computer?
To find out what is in your computer
Download and use this Free Program
SIW
System Information for Windows
"Everything you want to know about your PC".
http://www.gtopala.com/
http://www.gtopala.com/siw-download.html
Back up your data on to a portable hard drive.
Back up programs
Memeo
http://www.memeo.com/
What do you want to do with your computer
1. Personal use
E-mail
Word Processing
Financials Spread Sheets
Taxes
Stock Trading, Research
Picture Editing
Internet - Research
2. Business Use
3. Graphics
4. Gaming
Have you done the following to
tweak your computer
and clean your hard drive and registry?
Back up before you do anything.
Registry cleaning – CCleaner
Old program fragments
De Frag Hard Drive
Delete unused programs – Use control
panel
Clean up your start up menu
Archive old files not used
Sources - Internet or Direct
Fry’s- Outpost
Geeks
Tiger Direct
Newegg
Abes of Maine
Comp u plus
Dell
Gateway
Wholesale Clubs
Costco
Sam’s Club
BJ’s
Stores
Circuit City
Office Depot
Staples
Best Buy
Micro Center
Wal Mart
$199 Linux PC from Walmart
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/
product.do?product_id=7754614
It looks like their second batch has sold out
Minimum Specs from Microsoft for
Windows XP
800 MHz CPU
512 MB RAM
10-20 gig Hard Drive
CD drive
Minimum Specs from Microsoft
Windows Vista
2 GHz CPU
2 GB RAM
DVD drive
Add-in DirectX 9,
256MB RAM Aero-capable video card
(to use Aero 3-Ddesktop)
Minimum Specs for
Linux (Ubuntu, SUSE, RedHat)
800 MHz CPU
512 RAM RAM
CD drive
10- 20 Gig Hard Drive
10/100 Ethernet Network Card
(broadband Internet service)
current ATI or
nVidia video card and drivers
(for 3D desktop effects)
Free Operating System and Software
Ubuntu Linux
http://www.ubuntu.com/
Free Open Software for Windows
http://theopendisc.com/
Minimum
Acceptable
Better
Intel Pentium
III (or
equivalent)
1.5 GHz or
faster
Intel Pentium
IV (or
equivalent)
2.5 GHz or
faster
256 MB
512 MB
1 GB or 2 GB or
more
Free (Unused) Hard
Disk Space:1
20 GB
40 GB
80 GB or more
Operating
System:
Windows 2000
Profession
al
Windows XP
Home
Windows XP
Professional
Windows Vista3
Microsoft
Office 2000
Microsoft
Office XP
Microsoft
Office2003
Microsoft Office
2007
Processor:
RAM:
Office Software:4
Best
Intel Core 2 (or
equivalent)
2.5 GHz or faster
You should have at least
120 GB of hard drive space as a minimum.
If recording and/or editing digital video, you
need at least
200 GB of hard drive space
All Operating Systems should have all critical
updates and security patches..
Several Additional points
• Clean out unused files
• Update and run your virus and malware
programs first
• Back up before doing anything after steps 1&2
Buy from a long established business in case
you have to return it. Be careful about service
contracts. Not always what they seem to be.
• If you dispose of your computer give it to PC
ReNew so we can give it a second life with a
needy Rockland family.
For Additional
Information
• Check our Website www.rpcug.org
• Come down to our meetings the
second Tuesday of each month at the
Palisades Center Mall 4th floor Rasso
Room at 7:00PM
• Go to our Windows workshop for
expert advice
Available September 24, 2007
Buy a Laptop for a Child,
Get Another
2 for $400
Linux OS
http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/ways-todonate.php
Happy Chanukah!
Merry Christmas!
Greetings of the Season
to all
and have a Great 2008!