Hardware Upgrade Tip of the Day #27



*1. SHOPPING FOR AN INTERNET PC--PART 1 OF 3          
  
PC makers are scrambling to come up with the next big thing. With all 
the competition driving prices lower and lower, PC computer 
manufacturers are no longer making much profit selling standard 
systems, so they're brainstorming like mad to come up with new and 
interesting products to entice consumers.   

One avenue many PC makers are taking is production of Internet or 
Web-ready PCs, such as Dell's WebPC. These small, futuristic-looking 
systems are popping up all over the marketplace. Over the next few 
days, I'll pass along some tips in case you are shopping for one of 
these new systems. 

First, check the price. If systems like Dell's WebPC at 

http://www.webpc.com 

are an indication, you'll pay a premium for the easy setup, stylish 
designs, and all-in-one-box construction. If you priced a similarly 
configured (meaning processor speed, RAM amount, hard drive size, and 
so on) traditional PC, you'll generally find it's the same price or 
cheaper than the Web-ready PC. You'll have to decide for yourself if 
futuristic styling is worth extra money.


*2. SHOPPING FOR AN INTERNET PC--PART 2 OF 3          
  
Before you buy one of the new Internet PCs on the market, investigate 
the Internet service contract that comes with it. Most of these new 
Web-ready PCs include ISP service as part of the deal. These contracts 
often require multiyear commitments--and you might have to pay a 
special fee if you decide to cancel early. 

Compare and contrast these contracts with those from other ISPs. You 
may find the contract the Internet PC includes isn't such a bargain.


*3. SHOPPING FOR AN INTERNET PC--PART 3 OF 3          
  
Many of the new Internet PCs come with a very small system unit--much 
smaller than a standard PC's. While these small-footprint PCs are 
great for saving space on the top of your desk, they aren't so easy to 
upgrade. You'll find few (if any) card expansion slots. And most offer 
no expansion bays for extra internal hard drives, optical storage 
drives, or removable storage drives. 

Before you buy a Web-ready PC, ask a salesperson about its upgrade 
path. If there isn't one, you might want to consider a traditional PC 
instead.


*4. THE END OF ISA IS NEAR--PART 1 OF 5          
  
According to reports, several PC makers should begin phasing out ISA 
expansion slots from their new PCs this year. New card-based products 
generally use the more efficient PCI bus, but ISA slots have lasted 
this long because of legacy hardware support. Unfortunately, the 
often-unused ISA slots have been taking up valuable space inside PC 
system units, and PC makers want to use that space for other 
purposes--or perhaps just slim down the PC case altogether. Over the 
next few days, we'll mention some ways in which the hardware upgrader 
should prepare for the death of ISA. 

First, ask your salesperson about ISA slots in any new PC that you buy 
this year. Don't just assume they will be there as in the past. It's 
doubtful that PC manufacturers will trumpet this change to the PC 
configuration. If you're shopping online, check the complete 
specification sheet, which should describe the number and type of card 
slots.


*5. THE END OF ISA IS NEAR--PART 2 OF 5          
  
With the end of ISA drawing near, it's time to survey your current 
hardware. Open up your PC case and determine how many of your 
card-based products use the ISA bus. Your PC's documentation should 
show you what the ISA slots look like. Make a list of all your ISA 
hardware and then consider which products you might want to use in a 
new PC you purchase this year. If you have no ISA products you want to 
move to a new system, then you have no worries. If you do have ISA 
hardware you want to take along, make sure any new system you buy 
offers ISA slots.


*6. THE END OF ISA IS NEAR--PART 3 OF 5          
  
If you don't see any ISA slots listed in the specification of a new PC 
you're considering, and you need them to support certain hardware, ask 
a salesperson if the store offers custom PC configurations. Some PC 
makers may assist customers by offering special ISA slot riser boards 
that snap in and sit above the motherboard. In general, any special 
customization costs extra, and these ISA riser boards probably will as 
well.


*7. THE END OF ISA IS NEAR--PART 4 OF 5          
  
One way to manage the death of ISA is through networking. If you use 
ISA-based products but your new PC has no ISA slots, consider building 
a very small network (of maybe only two computers). Most networking 
hardware lets you share devices (printers, scanners, and drives) 
between PCs. Thus, instead of junking your old PC, just network it to 
your new system and use it as a device station. The latest SOHO 
networking products let you connect two PCs for about $100.


*8. THE END OF ISA IS NEAR--PART 5 OF 5          
  
Since manufacturers are phasing ISA card slots out of new computers, 
it makes sense to avoid ISA products whenever you buy new card-based 
hardware. You'll still find some ISA products on store shelves because 
some hardware makers simply haven't built new card designs based on 
the alternative data buses. If you find yourself interested in a 
particular ISA product, contact the manufacturer and ask when it plans 
to come out with a PCI-based version of that product. Generally, the 
answer will be very soon--and you may only have to wait a few weeks, 
if at all, for the newer version.


*9. NEW LIFE FOR PROCESSOR UPGRADES          
  
Small office/home office networking products are generating a new 
interest in processor upgrade chips, such as Intel's Overdrive chips 
(http://www.intel.com) and Kingston's TurboChip products 
(http://www.kingston.com). Over a small network, you can leverage 
slower PCs as extra stations for Internet access, game playing, and 
printer stations. So instead of tossing out that ancient PC, consider 
bringing it back to life with a chip upgrade. You don't need to 
upgrade it to today's speed standards--just make it fast enough to 
take advantage of your network.


*10. GRAPHICS BOARD TIPS--PART 1 OF 5          
  
A gap is widening between those who have ordinary PC graphics boards 
and those with high-performance graphics boards. In the old days, 
business users and gamers generally used the same type of graphics 
boards. But today, the high-end boards gamers and video editors use 
come with much more memory, extra features, and a completely different 
chipset compared to boards that target typical Windows users. Over the 
next few days, we'll mention some of the details you'll need to bridge 
the graphics board gap. 

First, almost all the new high-end graphics boards use the AGP 
(Accelerated Graphics Port) interface, not the PCI bus. If you decide 
you need high-performance graphics, first determine if your PC 
supports AGP.
