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IN THIS CHAPTER

❯❯ Seeing what you can do with computers

❯❯ Getting an overview of hardware

❯❯ Appreciating software

❯❯ Choosing a desktop computer

❯❯ Choosing a laptop computer

❯❯ Selecting a version of Windows

❯❯ Determining your price range

❯❯ Understanding displays

❯❯ Exploring storage options

❯❯ Choosing features for faster performance

❯❯ Connecting to the Internet

If you’ve never owned a computer and now face purchasing one for the first time, deciding what to get can be a somewhat daunting experience. There are lots of technical terms to figure out and various pieces of hardware (the physical pieces of your computer such as the monitor and keyboard) and software (the brains of the computer that help you create documents and play games, for example) that you need to understand.

In this chapter, I introduce you to the world of activities your new computer makes available to you, and I provide the information you need to choose just the right computer for you. Remember as you read through this chapter that figuring out what you want to do with your computer is an important step in determining which computer you should buy. You have to consider how much money you want to spend, how you’ll connect your computer to the Internet, and how much power and performance you need from your computer.

Understand All You Can Do with Computers

Congratulations – in your life you’ve been witness to a remarkable revolution. In just a few decades, computers have moved from being expensive behemoths that lived in corporate basements to being personal productivity and entertainment tools. They’ve empowered people to connect around the world in unprecedented ways, and they’ve made common tasks much easier to handle.

The following list walks you through some of the things your computer will enable you to do. Depending on what activities are important to you, you can make a more-informed purchasing choice.

❯❯ Keep in touch with friends and family. The Internet makes it possible to communicate with other people via email; share video images using built-in video recorders or webcams (tiny video cameras that capture and send your image to another computer); and make phone and video calls using your computer and Internet connection to place calls with services such as Skype. You can also chat with others by typing messages and sending them through your computer using a technology called instant messaging (IM). These messages are exchanged in real time, so that you and your grandchild, for example, can see and reply to text or share images immediately. Part 3 of this book explains these topics in more detail.

❯❯ Research any topic from the comfort of your home. Online, you can find many reputable websites that help you get information on anything from expert medical advice to the best travel deals. You can read news from around the corner or around the world. You can visit government websites to get information about your taxes and Social Security benefits, and go to entertainment sites to look up your local television listings or movie reviews.

❯❯ Create greeting cards, letters, or home inventories. Whether you’re organizing your holiday card list, tracking sales for your home business, or figuring out a monthly budget, computer programs can help. For example, Figure 1-1 shows a graph that the Excel program created from data in a spreadsheet.

❯❯ Pursue hobbies such as genealogy or sports. You can research your favorite team online (see Figure 1-2) or connect with people who have the same interests. The online world is full of special-interest discussion groups where you can talk about a wide variety of topics with others.

❯❯ Play interactive games with others over the Internet. You can play everything from shuffleboard to poker and even participate in action games in virtual worlds.

❯❯ Share and create photos, drawings, and videos. If you have a digital camera or smartphone, you can transfer photos to your computer (called uploading) or copy photos off the Internet (if their copyright permits it) and share them in emails or use them to create your own greeting cards. If you’re artistically inclined, you can create digital drawings. Many popular websites make sharing your homemade videos easy, too. If you have a digital video camera or smartphone and editing software, you can use editing tools to make a movie and share it with others via video-sharing sites such as YouTube or by email. Steven Spielberg, look out!

❯❯ Shop online and compare products easily, day or night. You can shop for anything from a garden shed to travel deals or a new camera. Using handy shopping site features, you can easily compare prices from several stores or read customer product reviews. Many websites, such as www.nextag.com, list product prices from a variety of vendors on one web page, so you can find the best deals. Beyond the convenience, all this information can help you save money.

❯❯ Manage your financial life. You can do your banking or investing online and get up-to-the-minute data about your bank account, credit card balances, and investments. And, if you’re online savvy, you can do this all without fear of having your financial data stolen. (See Chapter 13 for more about online safety.)

FIGURE 1-1

FIGURE 1-2

Get an Overview of Hardware

Your computing experience consists of interactions with hardware and software. The hardware is all the tangible computer equipment, such as the monitor, central processing unit, and keyboard.

Your computer hardware consists of

❯❯ A central processing unit (CPU), which is the very small, very high-tech semiconductor chip that acts as the brains of your computer. The CPU is stored in a computer tower – or in all-in-one computer models, laptops, and tablets, in a single unit along with the monitor. The CPU also contains other nuts and bolts used to run your computer.

❯❯ A monitor, which displays images on its screen such as the Microsoft Windows screen, a video you watch from an online entertainment site, or a document in a software program. Today, more and more computers sport touchscreen monitors, which allow you to use your finger on the screen to provide input to the computer.

❯❯ A keyboard, which is similar to a typewriter keyboard. In addition to typing words, you can use a keyboard to give the computer commands such as selecting, copying, and pasting text.

❯❯ A mouse, which you also use to give your computer commands. This little device is a more free-flowing way of providing input than your keyboard. You move the mouse around your desk with your hand, which moves a pointer around onscreen. Using this pointer, you can click an item – an onscreen button, for example – that causes an action, or click on the screen and drag the mouse to select text or an object to perform an action on it (such as deleting the text or making it bold). A mouse can be a separate device that is mouselike in shape, or can be built into devices like laptops in the form of a touch button or touchpad.

❯❯ Peripherals, such as printers, speakers, webcams, and headphones. These may or may not come with your computer when you buy it, but your computer does come with slots (called ports) where you plug in various peripherals.

Appreciate Software

Software is what makes computer hardware work and lets you get things done, such as writing documents with Microsoft Word or playing a game of solitaire. You can install software (also known as programs, applications, or apps) on your computer or use a version from an online website. Here are a few basics about software:

❯❯ You use software to get your work done, run entertainment programs, and browse the Internet. For example, Quicken is a financial management program you can use to balance your checkbook or keep track of your home inventory for insurance purposes.

❯❯ The software used to run your computer is the operating system. Some examples of operating systems are Apple OS X for Mac and Microsoft Windows. This book deals mainly with Windows 1 °Creators Update and the programs it runs.

❯❯ Some programs come preinstalled on your computer; you can buy and install other programs when you need them. For example, a computer always has an operating system because the operating system runs all the other programs. Also, some programs are included with a Windows computer, such as WordPad, a simple word-processing program, and Music and Video apps.

❯❯ You can uninstall programs you no longer need. Uninstalling unwanted programs helps to free up some space on your computer, which helps it perform better.

❯❯ Software programs called utilities exist to keep your computer in shape. An antivirus program is an example of a utility used to block or spot and erase computer viruses from your system. Your operating system also includes some utilities, such as those that optimize your hard drive or restore your system if it’s experiencing problems.

Pick a Desktop: Tower or All-in-One?

A form of computer that has been around for quite a while is a tower (see Figure 1-3). A tower is one style of desktop computer that, because of its size, people keep on or near a table or desk. Typically, you keep the tower, which holds the hard drive, processor, and other brains of the beast, on the floor. You work with the computer via a keyboard and monitor that sit on the desk.

Courtesy of Dell, Inc.

FIGURE 1-3

Pros of the tower include space to expand various elements, such as memory, and fans that keep the computer cool while operating. To repair a tower, you open the metal case and replace parts.

Another form of desktop computer is an all-in-one. With this type of computer, the brains are stored in a casing within the monitor, so the entire computer sits on your desk or table.

All-in-ones are often sleek and modern looking, involve fewer cables, and save you from using floor space for a computer tower. However, repairing or customizing the hardware is almost impossible because opening the computer is difficult.

Both desktop towers and all-in-ones take up more surface space than a laptop computer, but if you don’t need portability in your computer or more space, a desktop may be the best choice.

Tablets, such as iPad, and Windows-based tablets, such as Surface, offer many computing capabilities, including reading and working on simple documents, connecting to the Internet to send and receive email, playing games, listening to music, and so on. However, they have relatively small touchscreens (with a touchscreen, you provide input with your finger or a stylus); onscreen keyboards, which can be a bit challenging to use; no mouse; and often less file-management capabilities. If you just want to browse the web, read email, and play games, a tablet could be a way to go. If you want a broader range of capabilities with a larger screen size and can live with less portability, a computer is the way to go.

Choose a Laptop

A laptop is portable, weighing anywhere from 2 to 8 pounds. The monitor, keyboard, and mouse (in the form of a flat touchpad) are built into the laptop.

A laptop is sometimes called a notebook computer. Choose a laptop if you want to use your computer mainly away from home or you have little space in your home for a larger computer.

Note that if the monitor on a laptop becomes damaged, you’ll pay quite a bit for a repair, or you can hook the computer up to an external monitor. Because there is less space for fans, laptops sometimes run hot to the touch.

A two-in-one laptop (see Figure 1-4) allows you to either rotate the monitor to rest on the back of the keyboard or remove the monitor so you can use the laptop like a tablet. When you have no active physical keyboard, you have to use the touchscreen feature to interact with the laptop.

FIGURE 1-4

Many of today’s desktops and laptops have touchscreens that allow you to interact with them using your finger or a digital pen. See Chapter 2 for advice on using a touchscreen computer.

Select a Version of Windows

Choosing your computer’s operating system (software that runs all the programs and organizes data on your computer) will be one of your first decisions. This book focuses on computers running the current version of Windows, which is Windows 1 °Creators Update. Windows 10 is a radical departure from previous Windows operating systems, so if you opt for an earlier version of Windows, such as Windows 7, you would need to buy the Windows 7 edition of this book. Note that, depending on your Windows Update settings, updates to Windows may be performed regularly without your instigating them.

Windows 10 comes in several versions, including two versions for home and small business users:

❯❯ Windows 10 Home: Includes apps such as Music, Video, Weather, People, Camera, and more. If you consider yourself primarily a home user, you should consider this version of Windows 10.

❯❯ Windows 10 Pro: Is great for small businesses or if you work from home. This version of Windows has ultimate security features and more administrative tools.

Determine Your Price Range

You can buy a computer for anywhere from about $199 to $5,000 or more, depending on your budget and computing needs. You may start with a base model, but extras such as a larger monitor or larger storage capacity can soon add hundreds to the base price. The rule of thumb is to buy just as much computer as you need.

You can shop in a retail store for a computer or shop online using a friend’s computer (and perhaps get his or her help if you’re brand new to using a computer). Consider researching different models and prices online with the help of a computer-savvy friend and using that information to get the best buy. Be aware, however, that most retail stores have a small selection compared to all you can find online on websites such as Amazon.com and NewEgg.com. Additionally, retail stores sometimes carry slightly older models than those available online.

Buying a computer can be confusing, but here are some guidelines to help you find a computer at the price that’s right for you:

❯❯ Determine how often you will use your computer. If you’ll be working on it eight hours a day running a home business, you will need a better-quality computer to withstand the use and provide good performance. If you turn on the computer once or twice a week just to check email, it doesn’t have to be the priciest model in the shop.

❯❯ Consider the features that you need. Do you want (or have room for) a 20-inch monitor? Do you need the computer to run very fast and run several programs at once, or do you need to store tons of data? (I cover computer speed and storage later in this chapter.) Understand what you need before you buy. Each feature or upgrade adds dollars to your computer’s price.

❯❯ Shop wisely. If you walk from store to store or do your shopping online, you’ll find that the price for the same computer model can vary by hundreds of dollars at different stores. See if your memberships in organizations such as AAA, AARP, and Costco make you eligible for better deals. Consider shipping costs if you buy online, and keep in mind that many stores charge a restocking fee if you return a computer you aren’t happy with. Some stores offer only a short time period, such as 14 days, in which you can return a computer.

❯❯ Buying used or refurbished is an option, though new computers have reached such a low price point that this may not save you much. In addition, technology gets out of date so quickly that you might be disappointed buying an older model, which might not support newer software or hardware.

❯❯ Online auctions are a source of new or slightly used computers at a low price. However, be sure you’re dealing with a reputable store or person by checking reviews others have posted about them or contacting the online Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org). Be careful not to pay by check (this gives a complete stranger your bank account number); instead use the auction site’s tools to have a third party handle the money until the goods are delivered in the condition promised. Check the auction site for guidance on staying safe when buying auctioned goods.

Some websites, such as Epinions.com, allow you to compare several models of computers side by side, and others, such as Nextag.com, allow you to compare prices on a particular model from multiple stores.

Understand Displays

A monitor is the window to your computer’s contents. If you’re buying a desktop computer, it will come with a monitor that may or may not suit your purposes, or you might upgrade to a better monitor. The right monitor can make your computing time easier on your eyes. The crisper the image, the more impressive your vacation photos or that video of your last golf game will be.

Consider these factors when choosing a monitor:

❯❯ Size: Monitors for the average computer user come in all sizes, from tiny 9-inch screens on smaller laptops to 28-inch desktop models. Larger screens are typically more expensive. Although a larger monitor can take up more space side to side and top to bottom, many don’t have a bigger footprint (that is, how much space their base takes up on your desk) than a smaller monitor.

❯❯ Image quality: The image quality can vary greatly. You will see terms such as LCD (liquid crystal display), LED (light emitting diode), flat screen, brightness, and resolution.

Look for an LCD or LED monitor (see Figure 1-5) that reduces glare. If you are thinking of purchasing a laptop computer, the monitor is built in, so consider the size and quality of the display as part of your laptop purchase.

❯❯ Resolution: A monitor’s resolution represents the number of tiny dots (called pixels) that form the images you see on the screen. The higher the resolution, the more pixels it contains and the crisper the image. You should look for a monitor that can provide at least a 1,366-x-768 pixel resolution.

❯❯ Cost: The least-expensive monitor might be the one that comes with your desktop computer, and many of these are perfectly adequate. You can often upgrade your monitor when you buy if you customize a system from a company such as Dell or Hewlett-Packard. Monitors purchased separately from a computer can range from around $100 to $3,000 or more. Check out monitors in person to verify whether their image quality and size are worth the money.

❯❯ Touchscreen technology: Windows 10 provides support for using a touchscreen interface, which allows you to use your fingers to provide input by tapping or swiping on the screen itself. If you opt for a touchscreen device, you can still use your keyboard and mouse to provide input, but touchscreen technology can add a wow factor when performing tasks such as using painting software or browsing around the web or an electronic book (e-book).

FIGURE 1-5

Explore Storage Options

In the recent past, most computers came with an optical drive where you could insert a DVD and play a movie or music. If you buy a software program, it may come on a DVD, so you can use a built-in or external drive to install it.

Today, many new computers and laptops don’t include an optical drive for reading DVDs, partially because you can so easily stream video from an online source without ever handling a DVD. Most computers today do have USB ports. USB ports accommodate a USB stick, which is a small plastic coated gadget that can hold a lot of data.

If you want to play the latest optical discs, get a computer with a Blu-ray player. Blu-ray is a great medium for storing and playing back feature-length movies because it can store 50GB or more, about ten times as much as the average DVD.

Recent computers come without DVD capabilities because you can download and install software or play videos and music from the cloud (that is, via the Internet), so it’s possible to get along just fine without the capability to play DVDs. However, some software products still only come on a disc. You can connect an external optical drive to a USB port to load the software on your computer.

Choose Features for Faster Performance

Your computer contains a processor on a computer chip. The speed at which your computer runs programs or completes tasks is determined in great measure by your computer’s processor speed, which is measured in gigahertz (GHz). The higher the GHz, the faster the processor. I won’t quote the speed you should look for because these chips are constantly getting smaller and more powerful. However, when you shop, know that the higher numbers give the best performance, so factor that into your decision, depending on your needs.

Computers have traditionally used hard drives to store programs and data. Many computers use a solid state drive rather than a hard drive. The access speed (how fast your computer retrieves data) of solid-state drives is much higher than the access speed of hard drives. If you need a computer that processes information very quickly, look for one with a solid-state drive, but be aware that it will be more expensive.

The data storage capacity (measured in gigabytes) of a solid-state drive is generally lower than a hard drive; therefore, the amount of large files you can store on a system with a solid-state drive may be limited.

Another factor involved in performance is whether your processor has multiple cores. Multiple core means that two or more processors are involved in reading and executing software instructions as you use your computer. Most processors today are multi-core processors, such as the i3, i5, and i7 processor lines from Intel. Those with two processors are dual-core; those with four processors are quad-core; and processors with six cores are hexa-core. The bottom line with cores is that the more cores you have and the faster they are, the faster your computer can process instructions because all the cores can work at the same time, which makes multitasking possible. Multitasking is running several programs at one time, such as playing music, downloading files from the Internet, running an antivirus scan, and working in a word processor. Be aware that not all software is designed to take advantage of multiple core architecture.

In addition to your processor, computers have a certain amount of storage capacity for running programs and accessing frequently used data that can affect performance. You’ll see specifications for RAM when you go computer shopping. RAM, which stands for random access memory, is a measure of the capacity for running programs; the higher the RAM, the more quickly your computer can juggle multiple tasks, therefore increasing performance. RAM chips come in different types, such as DRAM, and the latest version, DDR4 SDRAM, but whichever type of RAM you see in the computer specs, make sure your computer contains at least 2 gigabytes (GB) of RAM memory.

Determine How You’ll Connect to the Internet

You have to decide how you’ll connect to the Internet. You can pay a fee to get a broadband connection such as DSL, satellite, or cable. (Check with AARP to find out if it offers discounted connections in your area.) If you want to set up a wireless connection in your home so you can connect to the Internet or have a laptop and want to access certain public networks called hotspots, you have to be sure to buy a computer with up-to-date wireless capabilities. Here’s how these work:

❯❯ Broadband: These connections typically come through a DSL (digital subscriber line) or cable modem in your home. In both cases, you pay a fee to a provider, which might be your phone or cable company. DSL works over your phone line but doesn’t prohibit you from using the phone when you’re online. Cable runs over your cable TV line and is a bit faster than DSL. Typically, satellite broadband is used in rural areas that don’t offer cable or DSL service. These “always-on” connections mean that you don’t have to dial a phone connection or connect to a wireless network – you’re always connected.

❯❯ Dialup: If you intend to use a dialup connection (that is, connect over your phone line), your computer has to have a dialup modem, either built in or external. Dialup connections can be very slow. In fact, in all but remote locations, dialup has been replaced by more current technology. While you’re using a dialup connection, you can’t use your phone to make or receive calls. I discourage you from using dialup unless you absolutely have to.

❯❯ Wireless: These connections require that you have a computer equipped with wireless capability. You can access the Internet wirelessly through a wireless network you set up in your home, or when you’re near a wireless hotspot (a place that offers wireless service), and many hotspots are available at public places such as hotels, airports, libraries, and restaurants. You can also subscribe to a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) service from a mobile phone provider to tap into its connection or use a technology called tethering to connect via your smartphone’s 3G or 4G connection. Check the computer model you want to buy to be sure it’s wireless enabled. There are various techy standards for Wi-Fi (wireless communications), such as 802.11a, b, g, or n. The very latest standard to look for is 802.11ac, which delivers the best wireless performance as of this writing.

See Chapter 11 for more about setting up your Internet connection.