Tips for Buying Computers

Dec. 7 -- Many shoppers planning to buy computers as holiday gifts needguidance.

CompuBug was lucky enough to secure an exclusive interview withLongnose A. Frimplesnitz, chief technical officer of Jolly ElfElectronics, the computer subsidiary of North Pole-based SantaIndustries.

BUG: Mr. Frimplesnitz, how much should consumers expect to spendfor a personal computer, and what does that amount cover?

LAF: About $1,500 should buy a very acceptable PC or iMac. Andat Jolly, we say that if the computer is going to be used for theInternet, word processing and other home applications, there’s nooverwhelming argument for either system. Generally, look for atleast 128 MB of RAM, a 56-kilobit internal modem, and a 20 to 30 GBof hard drive space.

The Need for Speed?

BUG: What about processor speed?

LAF: That’s one of the most abused system yardsticks, sinceoverall performance is a product of how well all system componentsdo their jobs. Word around the Pole is that salespeople and adcopywriters who use it to mislead consumers should start thinkingabout heating with coal.

BUG: Well, yes, but how about a number anyway?

LAF: In the PC playpen, you’re talking an 800 MHz or so PentiumIII with 256 L-2 cache. In the iMac playpen, that’s a 500 MHzPowerPC G3, with a 512 L2 cache.

BUG: Did you say “cash”?

LAF: It’s pronounced “cash” but it’s really the part of thememory the chip uses as a staging area to increase speed. An L2cache talks to the L1 cache, which talks to the CPU. And, by theway, more cache may speed up some applications but have no effecton others, so don’t obsess about it.

BUG: I notice you didn’t mention Apple’s Power Mac G4 Cube.

LAF: You want design, go see Bill Blass or Halston. Sure, theCube is sleek, but it’s $1,799 and that’s before you spend $499 fora 17-inch monitor. And while I’m thinking of it, if you want toupgrade the memory on an original iMac, you should consider thatwhile Apple wants $400 for 128 MB of RAM, you can find it onlinefor around $80. Get a sense of what’s out there by checkinghttp://www.pricewatch.com, a site that pulls together ads fromvarious retailers.