Handy
tips to choose your computer
By Luis Peña
On-line Forty-Niner
Selecting
the right computer for a student can be
a daunting task. But with a little help,
anyone can select the appropriate system
for his or her needs.
 “The
average student would have to evaluate his
needs and try to determine what he wants
to use that computer for if he just wants
to use it for editing or word processing
he doesn’t need that much of a machine,”
said Stephen Eling, assistance specialist
at the North Campus Center at Cal State
Long Beach.
Consumers must face a major choice: PC or
Macintosh.
Eling recommends sticking to the system
you’re used to. If you’re used to a Mac,
use it. If you’re used to a computer, use
that, Eling said.
“I used to work in retail and the biggest
question was ‘Where [are you] going to go
with this computer?’” said Sean Copeland,
an employee with Academic Computing Services.
“Do they want it for games, graphics? I
am a gamer myself and I like to get the
state-of-the-art thing so I can play the
newer games and still have the resources
of a computer to do the normal functions.”
The average computer user primarily doing
word processing can go with a low-end computer,
according to Israel Martinez Zelaya, a computer
information systems major at Devry University
in Long Beach. Zelaya recommends a system
with at least a one-gigahertz Pentium three
processor and Windows 2000 or any of the
Windows XP versions that are currently available,
along with a Zip drive, DVD player, CD burner,
a 20 gigabyte hard drive and a 17-inch monitor.
Copeland would generally recommend not getting
a Mac.
“I am not a big Mac person but in all sense
it’s the greatest platform for graphics
design so if you’re a graphics art major
I definitely say go for a Mac for sure,”
Copeland said.
Zelaya says that iMacs are limited because
they only have one drive built in, they
are slower, they have a restrictive design
so you can not upgrade them and you cannot
customize your own Mac system.
“The only compelling reason to buy a Mac
is because it looks pretty, even the operating
system looks pretty and its lot more expensive
than a PC,” Zelaya said. “I can tell you
one thing you will never see me in a commercial
saying that I converted from a PC to Mac.”
Desktop PCs start as low as $599. Copeland
suggests getting a Dell or a Hewlett Packard
brand computer because of their high quality.
iMacs start as low as $799.
Another option for consumers is customizing
their computer.
“The advantage of building your own system
is that you chose the parts that you want
and you usually end up with a higher quality
system than the one that you would get from
Dell or Gateway.
“You need to have some knowledge of computers
to build your own system so that it works
properly,” Zelaya said.
Copeland advises against e-machines or a
Compaq brand PCs because he saw many of
them returned when he worked at CompUSA.
When considering a computer, a laptop is
convenient, Zelaya said. Zelaya recommends
one with a big screen because it is easier
on the eyes. He suggests a Dell or Compaq.
Copeland advises against getting a laptop
for those who live close to CSULB because
they can use the computers on campus, and
not have to worry about someone stealing
the laptop.
Tim Brooks, a help desk representative at
the North Campus Center, said students may
connect to the Internet for free if they
live in the 562 area code.
The service is a standard 56K modem connection,
Brooks said. Students can call or come down
to the help desk if they have questions.
“The speed of your Internet service depends
on your needs,” Zelaya said. “If you only
do basic research on the Internet, a 56K
connection will be sufficient but if you
like to download a lot of stuff from the
Internet then you will have to go with cable
or Digital Subscriber Line.”
Earthlink is a good service provider with
56K, DSL, cable and satellite service that
connects directly to the Internet without
having to go through a portal that America
Online and the Microsoft Network have, Zelaya
said.
Zelaya does not recommend AOL because of
certain system interferences the program
may have.
Students can also get a free CSULB e-mail
account, Brooks said.
“It’s so easy to get an e-mail account as
long as you’re a registered student with
a valid student ID and current registration
sticker,” Brooks said.
A color printer is something that students
will want. Inkjet printers are a lot more
affordable then a higher quality laser printer.
Inkjets start out at $50 while color laser
printers are in the $1,000 range Zelaya
said.
Students who cannot afford to purchase a
computer can always use the North Campus
Center.
“We have both PCs and Macs and they are
all high end machines,” Eling said.
“We have a very large selection of software.
We have Microsoft Office Visual Studio,
Adobe Photo Shop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver,
Flash, Fireworks, Final Cut.”
Current students, staff or faculty can use
the North Campus Center, Eling said.
The center has mostly Compaqs, with Pentium
four processors, Zip, DVD and floppy drives.
There are also G4 Quicksilver computers
from Apple, Eling said. The center is currently
switching from the old style tube monitors
to new flat panel screens because they consume
less energy and reduce eyestrain, Eling
said.
The center also has eight scanners and a
video station that edits video into the
computer and then back out to tape, Eling
said.
“If you have any questions [about computers]
it’s always good to know somebody that knows
something instead of going out there and
not knowing anything and getting ripped
off by people that think they know everything,”
Copeland said.
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