How to Pick the Perfect PC (for You): A Shopper's Guide for Upgrading Computer Software

The recent brouhaha over the Pentium computer chip that couldn't calculate long division correctly is prompting many accountants to ask: "So, what kind of computer should I upgrade to? Is it wise to invest in the best technology?" Although the flaw in the Pentium chip is being fixed, questions triggered by its troubles are valid--especially for accountants who often run mission-critical applications and need computers that are reliable and accurate. Yes, it is wise to invest in the technological best--as long as "best" is not defined as necessarily the latest, the fastest, the most powerful--and the most expensive. Consider this: Since it's indisputable that people are more expensive than computers, one way to use people most effectively is to give them the most effective tools. Thus, the best PC is the one that best serves the needs of its user, which means that the best computer for one person may not be the best for a colleague down the hall. Clearly, the choice depends on the task the computer is being asked to perform. A person who does only word processing needs a lot less computer power than someone who does taxes, spreadsheets and presentations and sends and receives taxes and E-mail via the computer. So before focusing on selecting hardware, find out what each person in your organization will be doing on the computer, then determine the software needed to perform those tasks. To find out how to translate individual needs into specific computer requirements, cheek the software's documentation: It lists the minimum system power--computer generation (386, 486, etc.), minimum random access memory (RAM), whether a special graphics card is required--and how much room it needs to store the program. BYTE BITES Before getting into buying details, here is some basic information for novice shoppers: Nomenclature. The most popular generation of personal computer today is the 486. The number refers to the generation of a computer's main electronic brain--the central processing unit's (CPU) electronic circuits (also called a chip). Each chip is a bit smaller than a credit card. Earlier chip generations are the 286 and the 386. The latest generation is the 586, although the company that first introduced it, Intel Corp., calls its product the Pentium as a way to distinguish itself from any future competitors, which will probably use the numerical designation since Intel owns the Pentium name. Starting late this year or early next year chip makers will be introducing the next generation chip--the 686. Without getting too technical, suffice it to say that each new generation is more powerful--that is, faster and able to do more tasks--than its predecessor. Speed. When the Pentium was introduced in 1993 it broke technical ground on several fronts, with speed being the most apparent to the user. Two things determine a computer's speed: (1) its inherent clock rate--measured in megahertz (Mhz)--which is the speed at which data zip through the electronic circuits, and (2) the size of each individual data bundle it processes. Computers with 386 and 486 chips can handle data bundles that contain 16 bits of information. The Pentium can handle 32-bit bundles, and later-generation chips probably will be able to handle 64- and 128-bit bundles. To understand the advantage of the larger data bundle, think of it this way: A bus with 16 passengers would have to travel twice as fast as a bus with 32 passengers if it were to match the more crowded bus's passenger delivery effectiveness. Computers come in several speeds. A typical designation would be 486-66, which means it's a 486-generation computer that runs at 66 Mhz. Most computers on the market today perform at between 33 Mhz and 100 Mhz. A 33-Mhz rate is sufficient for a machine doing mostly word processing, but add other applications and the higher end of the speed spectrum would be a wiser selection. Premium machines with clock rates in excess of 100 Mhz are available for those impatient ones who blow their horns a nanosecond after the traffic light turns green--and they pay dearly for that extra speed. …