New Windows PC/Laptop

[Fresh_Start]

Yes, I know that everyone loves Apples.  They're fantastic for graphics, sound, and all kinds of cool & fun stuff.  Unfortunately, the mundane business world of long legal documents, spreadsheets, and some archane bond analysis software have me tied to the PC platform.

I need a new desktop & a new laptop.  Desktop is easy - Dell.  I've used them for more than 15 years and am reasonably happy.  HP has a really slim 12" screen laptop that doesn't have an internal CD drive which appeals to me a lot.

So, what do I need to look for (and look out for) in terms of specs for a Windows 7 machine?  (I skipped Vista entirely and have no regrets in that department.)

Minimum processor speed?  

Minimum bus speed?

Is a "dual core" processor essential?  

Is 4 gig of RAM silly? (my first PC had 64K so I have problems with this)

Any special video and/or audio ports I should have?  Video driver specs?

I'm assuming that a 7,200 rpm hard drive with 160GB is a bare minimum for the desktop.  320GB more reasonable.

Oh, and what's the "standard" aspect ratio for monitors now?  I can't remember when I bought this one, but it's more square than anything I've seen at the stores (which have zero technical staff BTW).

Sorry for imposing on you all.  I run a one-man municipal financial consulting business and need to minimize research time if possible.  Thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer.

Chip

[EL34]

In June this year, I scored a Gateway, dual core 2.16ghz  pentium,  2 gb ram, 250gb sata drive, fast buss speed Notebook at www.Newegg.com for $399

It's only a 14" screen Notebook, which may not be large enough for your needs.

This things smkokes all my desktops except one that I built from scratch for music and gaming.

The Gateway model I got is not available now, but I think it's built by ACER.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the major brand names.
But I like Newegg because they have lots of actual user ratings.
I am really happy with this Gateway, so one thumbs up for Gateway here.

[Shrapnel]

I need a new desktop & a new laptop.  Desktop is easy - Dell.  I've used them for more than 15 years and am reasonably happy.  HP has a really slim 12" screen laptop that doesn't have an internal CD drive which appeals to me a lot.

So, what do I need to look for (and look out for) in terms of specs for a Windows 7 machine?  (I skipped Vista entirely and have no regrets in that department.)

Minimum processor speed?  

Pretty much any new processor will be fine. Bleeding edge isn't needed (unlike when Vista came out and demanded near that.)

Minimum bus speed?

The faster the better if you are interested in speed. 533Mhz should be fine though.

Is a "dual core" processor essential?  

Not necessarily, but it don't hurt either. It's getting harder to find single-core CPUs in new machines too.

Is 4 gig of RAM silly? (my first PC had 64K so I have problems with this)

Now days, not so silly, especially if you are going to have those apps all opened at the same time. (My first REAL computer had 16K and upgraded to 64K as soon as I could, so I know the feeling.) Most apps now days are bloatware, not only in features, but in required memory and disk space... they get optimized for CPU speed at most, and rarely ever optimized for space (as CPU designs like equal size chunks to read into memory and not have to fuss over "odd" sizes. ) They also rarely have the best code to do a task (compilers and programmers at fault there) as most programming houses are interested in spitting out apps as fast as possible instead of the best possible.

Any special video and/or audio ports I should have?  Video driver specs?

If all you are going to do is run business apps, almost any card will work. Just try to avoid "shared memory" video as it steals system memory, and because of this is slower. If you need to use 3D CAD or other graphics intensive software... well... the more card the better. As far as video drivers, Most out there will be good. DX9 is a min with Vista, I suppose it to be the same with Win7. I doubt you'll find anything less than DX10 cards now.

I'm assuming that a 7,200 rpm hard drive with 160GB is a bare minimum for the desktop.  320GB more reasonable.

Get as much of this as you can afford, you'd be surprised how fast you can run out of space, especially when dealing with many business documents. 7200RPM is good, 10000RPM could be better, but is more expensive, and heats up even more. SATA is the current way to go.

Oh, and what's the "standard" aspect ratio for monitors now?  I can't remember when I bought this one, but it's more square than anything I've seen at the stores (which have zero technical staff BTW).

Well, from what I see, the 16:9 aspect ratio "widescreen" is pretty much the norm now, but if you're satisfied with an old 4:3 aspect ratio ("regular old TV") monitor you already have, by all means go ahead and use it. If you are going to watch movies on it too, might as well go the 16:9 aspect ratio though.


Best advice, buy the most you can afford, focus on memory, hard drive space, Buss Speed, and CPU speed for biz apps (in that order.) Gamer focus is a little different.

As a side note, HP laptops don't have a great reliability record. (Acer is the Packard-Bell now days.) The highest reliability rated laptops seem to belong to Asus and Toshiba.

[FYL]

Yes, I know that everyone loves Apples.  They're fantastic for graphics, sound, and all kinds of cool & fun stuff.  Unfortunately, the mundane business world of long legal documents, spreadsheets, and some archane bond analysis software have me tied to the PC platform.

You may natively run Windows on any recent x86 OS X Mac using Boot Camp. A full W7 compatible version is currently available in solid beta form, the RTM is very close. Or you can modify the supplied .msi file and use the current version.

OTOH, you can use a virtualizer such as VMware or Parallels under OS X and run W7 side by side.

Going PC, IMO Toshiba currently ships the best built affordable laptops. Get whatever model fits your fancy and budget, with as much RAM as possible (2 G is a minimum nowadays).

Something like the Satellite A505-S6985 is a nice all-rounder once you remove all the factory-installed bloatware and reconfigure it properly (It's the same problem with all current consumer PC's).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834114719

[Bassmanster]

The stampede to Apple is funny to me, since I have had Macs since '86.  Not complaining though.

Your arcane software is a good reason as any to stick w/ Windows.

I'm running Linux on a dual core but otherwise econobox Dell with an ATI Radeon.  I don't game or do much vid so I'm just happy the ATI will do compiz (a cool 3D workspace switcher).

Linux will run Windows under Wine, but again I'm not trying to evangelize as I type this on my Windows machine at work.

 

[FYL]

Linux will run Windows under Wine

Try VirtualBox.

http://www.virtualbox.org/

[Bassmanster]

Or that.

[Fresh_Start]

The software company says they won't support their program on an Apple, regardless of whether it might work or not.  That ends that discussion for me.

Chip

[PRR]

I ran Win7 beta on a 7-year-old laptop. It mostly ran as well as WinXP on the same machine. I'd boot one or the other, have different wallpaper, find new names on common folders, but not very different.

You can't buy, today, a too-slow CPU or insufficient RAM, they don't sell 'em that lame.

But order 4GB RAM. You may only get use of 3GB, and Win7 will idle under 1GB, but the stuff is cheap now.

You can go over 4GB -IF- you have 64-bit CPU, chipset, and install the 64-bit version of Windows. Driver support in 64-space is still a little iffy. For document preparation and general office work, I'd stay 32-bit for this generation.

I run it on a 30GB partition on a 4200RPM drive. I would not keep my business in such small space, and a faster drive would be nice; but given wall-power, you can't hardly buy anything so small/slow. Non-issue.

Be sure your video card is Win-7 rated. There are several levels of this: to play games (including Win7 Solitaire!) well, you need specific hardware features. Win7 went overboard on eye-candy, which won't help your documents, and occasionally does something dumb with my 2001 vintage video which stalls the whole machine. It is likely that any >2006 video card/chip will be fine; but I'd want specific Win7 compatability, even if I intended on avoiding all eye-candy.

[PRR]

Wide display: 19 inches of wide-screen is less acres than 19 inches of square. That's why they promote the darn things: they look like better buys.

Look at the actual vertical resolution. 1024 is, IMHO, a minimum. I use 600 and 800 displays on netbooks, that's fine, but often a pain. If I have 1024 height, width is a secondary issue. Here, I just boxed myself into a corner, literally, so that any tolerable wide-screen just won't fit. At work, I knew that no affordable wide-screen really gives a full look at two docs at once, so I ran multi-monitors. Two 19" displays spoiled me; four 18"-19" displays was a pain in the neck and a waste of electricity.

Prices are way down. And you spend a lot of time squinting at figures and text. Look in the 21" and 23" classes, be sure 1024 vertical, and take what fits. None of the specs (contrast, milliseconds) really tells you what it LOOKs like. Anyway, while I am no fan of Dell (especially their low-price machines), Dell monitors are mostly quite fine, and you can just take what they suggest with your package.

If you can show small-business credentials, and pay cash (Visa etc), Dell Small Business site prices are VERY much better than their Educational prices, and the machines are better workers than the junk they fob off to the general public.

[PRR]

> what's the "standard" aspect ratio

4:3 (or thereabouts) was normal for most paintings and photography, including movies, right up to the invention of TV.

TV used movies' 4:3 ratio, and people stayed home. So movie producers invented Wide Screen to bring them back into theaters. Every possible ratio was used. When TV finally broke with 1950s roots, a 16:9 ratio became the new "standard", because most non-silly wide movies will play through a 16:9 hole without excess border or crop. For no good reason, PC monitors follow TV practice.

1280x1024 is what you want in a "square" display. 1920x1080 seems to be the equivalent "wide" in 23" class; it will display my accustomed 1024 high, plus a bit on top, plus a good chunk each side. I also see 1920 x 1200 in a 21"-class display.

Beware of 1440x900 in the 19" class. I put these on desks of people I don't love. It seems generous but after a while always feels a little snug. OTOH these sell for $120. You can find 1280x1024 in 19".... these are NON-widescreen and quite serviceable (it's what I have here).

1920x1200 25" displays can be found under $400, maybe under $300. When they fall under $200 I will probably re-work my PC corner to fit one.