What specs should I look for in a new computer here in Nov, 2006?

Question

I am not a computer person, not by far. But I'd like to know what specs, as far as RAM, GB, and all that other stuff (?) I should look for in a new computer that I buy my son for Xmas? He is not an "online gamer" but needs a good solid educational use computer to get him through from 7th to 12th grade.

Answer 1

For education purpose, go for P4 Computer with 512 or 1 GB Ram so that it can work fast and with minimum of 80 GB hard disk

Answer 2

A few years ago, such things were important when a PC with Windows XP started with 128 MB memory, 20 GB disk, CD reader and 14 inch screen but CPUs > 200 MHz were generally good enough for general applications and Internet. Personally, I would avoid Pentium 4s in laptops or > 2.8 GHz in desktops as they tend to get too hot (particularly if you live in a hot part of the world). Latest PCs are likely to have a CD/DVD reader but one that can write to CDs/DVDs might be desirable for future use.

Although no games now, they might come later. So, a graphics card with Direct3D (D3D) capabilities might be useful. If you intend to upgrade to the new Windows Vista operating system next year, for the prettiest display pictures, the graphics card needs a D3D capability known as DirectX 9 (Pixel Shader 2.0 or higher).

If you want to connect to Internet via a dial-up line, you should ensure that a modem is included as this appears to be an optional extra nowadays, with most going for broadband.