Good Questions, Short Answers

Every couple of years I decide to answer some questions that I often receive that do not really require a full column to answer.  They are some good questions but they just have short answers.  So today we will look at a couple of them.

The first question, "Do you recommend a desktop or notebook computer?"  WOW, good question, but it really depends on what the person needs it for.  If you need to save space and have portability the answer is the notebook.  If you run some high-end graphics or massive spreadsheets you may want a desktop; however, many notebooks can handle those as well. 

To make matters more confusing there is a relatively new type of computer on the market called an AIO, All-In-One.  AIOs usually have a large monitor (23 inches +) and all of the desktop hardware built into it.  The hard drive, DVD drive, USB ports, etc. are found all around the edge of the thicker than usual monitor.  The only external parts are the keyboard and mouse.  You don’t really even need those two items since the monitors with Windows 7 are touch screen so you can tap, type and touch to your heart’s delight.  Yes, they are currently more expensive.

The first question above usually leads to the next, "Which PC manufacturer do you suggest?"  At this point in time I always suggest Dell.  Just be aware that if you buy them online the sales person’s job is to talk you into more "things" to add on to the system.  That way it gets that pretty introductory price up for profits.  Just head in knowing what additional software you need and if you need higher quality speakers than the ones that come with the system.

Next I receive, "OK, how about the netbook? You wrote about them when they first came out. Are they any good?"  The really short answer is, "Yes".  The longer answer is that I wrote about them after I bought mine for Christmas, 2008.  I loved it then and I love it now.  I am using it now at a local "pastry" shop to write this column.  I use it almost exclusively when I am running around outside of my home or office.   

I hear many computer professionals saying that they are not as good as a good notebook and they are basically only used for email and web surfing.  Well, since I actually use one, I would have to vehemently disagree with that assessment. 

I run Microsoft Office 2010 with all the applications on it. The applications I run on my home system. I run on my netbook.  Keep in mind too that my netbook was the first version of the Acer Aspire One with a hard drive.  There have been many advances since that time so now they should be even better.  The only thing I have done to mine is to add more memory.  When I purchased it, it had .5 GB of RAM. I have since upgraded it to 1 GB and it runs great.  Keep in mind that I do not play any labor intensive games and netbooks do not have a DVD drive…yet.