Computer Information You Need To Know

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This is a great older article on computer technology. It is probably from around the mid to late nineties. It has a great retro feel to it. But it also feels very dated and goes to show how quickly technology in this field moves. I hope some one out there enjoys this article.


This is a series of reports to help you understand the world
of computers and to determine how they can bring many benefits to your
personal life and home business. So, if you want to read the entire series
and learn along with us - you'll need to contact THE PUBLISHER right away
to make sure they mail you copies of the entire report series.

Getting Familiar with the PC Computer:
Before you purchase your new computer, you must first understand a little
about them. There are 2 parts needed to complete a computer system -
The HARDWARE and the SOFTWARE. The hardware is what you carry home
when you purchase one. Hardware consists of the following components:

� CPU (Central Processing Unit). This is the square part of your computer
system that houses the floppy disk drive and hard drive.

� Monitor. This is the television-type screen of the computer you use to
type and create your work on.

� Keyboard. This is the typewriter-like keys you use to type in
information and commands for your computer to understand.

� Printer. This is what you use to print out your data (letters, mailing
lists, and everything else.)

� RAM (Random Access Memory). The amount of information your monitor can
hold at one time is called RAM. Computer memory is measured in bytes
and megabytes (1,000 bytes = 1 megabyte and is expressed: 1MG.)
The more RAM your monitor has, the better. Be sure and get a minimum
of 1MG of RAM for your monitor to run most of the software on the
market today; preferably 4MG if you can afford it.

� Hard Drive. Your hard drive is a gigantic storage tank for all your
software. It's impossible to operate any software on the market today
(unless you just want to play simple games) without a hard drive.
A hard drive takes the place of floppy disks. You copy information
from your floppy disks to your hard drive and it stays there - even
when you turn your computer off at night. The size of a hard drive
is measured in MG's (megabytes). A standard size hard drive to purchase
to run most of the software on the market today would be 120MG.
Anything less means you will have to purchase more floppy disks as you
fill up your hard drive, which will slow up your operation considerably.

The second part of your computer system is the SOFTWARE. Without software
your computer will just sit on the desk and look at you. It's like buying a
toaster without an electric cord. Without a means of plugging the toaster
into the electric socket, the toaster will not work. Without software, a
computer will not work. Therefore, don't be surprised when you spend $500
to $3,000 for a computer and find out you have to invest another $200 or
more for the beginning software.

Shareware programs are very popular with new computer buyers to reduce this
cost - but you do need to invest some money in a good word processing package
(like WordPerfect� or Word for Windows.) If you purchase a new computer,
normally most of your beginning software is supplied to you from the factory
and if your first computer is purchased from an individual advertising in the
paper - they normally give you free software too. But be prepared to buy
specific software for your specific needs now or soon because your individual
needs may differ.

When you start pricing computer systems you will find they range considerably
in price. This is because you can mix-and-match all the custom qualities
available to you in almost any way to fit your particular budget. Since most
beginners don't know enough about a computer or how they'll effect their
lives, it's sometimes impossible to mix-and-match to your particular needs
when you don't even know what they are. A good mail order publication for
computer bargains is the Grapevine Journal, PO Box 488, Bluff City TN 37618
but perhaps the following will help:

Like a television set, monitors come in black/white or colour. If you want to
save $150 or more, just specify that you want a black/white monitor.
To further confuse you though - both black/white and colour monitors also
come in a variety of types. Each type determines how clear and definite
things appear on the screen. Different types include VGA, Super VGA, CGA,
EGA, PGA, MDA and Hercules. The industry standard at this time is Super VGA.
It's compatible with almost every type of software. It's clear and easy on
your eyes and very affordable. You can purchase a Super VGA colour or a
Super VGA black/white.

To complete your computer system purchase, you'll need to choose the right
printer for your needs. Since there is such a wide variety to choose from
with prices ranging from $120 to $6,000 we need to look at what each one is,
and how much it costs to operate and maintain.

� Dot-Matrix Printers. These printers print using a series of dots.
There are 9-pin and 24-pin dot matrix printers. A 9-pin will print
9 dots per inch on your paper, where a 24-pin will print 24 dots per
inch on your paper. Naturally, a 24-pin is going to make your print-out
with more detail and clarity because there is more printing per inch
therefore if there is only a small difference in price _ you should get
the 24-pin. Dot-matrix printers don't cost much to maintain. They use
a printer ribbon similar to a typewriter ribbon at an average cost of
$12 each. The ribbon has about the same life as a typewriter ribbon,
so you be the judge as to how long they'll last you. A dot matrix
printer is a perfect investment if you plan to use your computer for
mailing lists and occasional writing of letters.

There is also a software you can buy called "Emu laser" (purchase from
Tiger Software for $69.95 by calling 1-800-888-4437) that will make your
dot matrix printer think it's a laser printer. The print-out will almost
be of the same professional quality but your printer will print much
slower. (Emu laser is not recommended for older computers with a 8086
or similar processor. A minimum of a 286 or 386-based computer system
is recommended)

� Daisy Wheel Printers. Don't get stuck with one of these. Remember the
old IBM Electric typewriters that used a wheel to type a character
instead of a typewriter key?
This is what a daisy wheel printer uses. You can NEVER print a
photograph or picture and it's not too great at drawing lines and boxes
either. Besides, you can get a dot matrix printer for a much lower
price and print anything you want to!

� Inkjet and Bubble jet Printers. Both of these printers use a WET ink to
print onto the paper. There is no danger in smearing because the ink
dries instantaneously _ however, if the printed page draws moisture or
something is spilled on it, you could have a few problems and have to
print the page again. Although they are not costly to maintain, if you
have a mail order business the chances of ink smearing during the
mailing process is greater. Therefore, inkjet and bubble jet printers
should not be used _ especially for printing labels to apply to the
outside of the envelope.

� Laser Printers. If you plan to do more with your computer than maintain
mailing lists, keep records and write occasional letters; you will want
to seriously look at purchasing a laser printer. A laser printer hardly
ever wears out and is one of the best investments you can make if you're
in for the long-haul. A laser printer is like a mini-computer. It has a
memory board in it and will accumulate an entire page in it's memory
banks BEFORE it prints the page. Just like making sure you have enough
RAM in your computer to operate the software, you need enough RAM in
your laser printer to print a page. How much memory do you need? If
all you wanted to print was a 1-page letter containing only words you
could print it on a laser printer with 512K of memory. However, if you
want to print that same letter with a graphic (cartoon, photograph,
lines, boxes, etc.) you would need more memory in your printer. The
"safe" amount to purchase would be 1MB but we highly recommend 4MB.
This way, you won't be in any trouble when you are trying to print
something that takes up 2MB of memory and you only have 1MG on your
printer.


After you've found the best computer for your needs at a price you could
afford, it's time to read over the manufacturer manuals that come with your
computer. Even if you can't understand them, at least spend time to peruse
the information over once. This step is important in your learning process
and to understand the particular computer and printer you purchased.

If you purchased a brand new computer, the manufacturer has probably already
installed everything on your hard drive so all you have to do is turn the
computer on and work through the on-screen learning tutorial to get you up
and running quickly. If not - and if you're still confused after going
through the tutorial, simply enrol in a computer class in your area.
These classes are not expensive and shouldn't cost more than $10 for a 1-day
class. If you purchased a brand new computer at a computer store in your city
or town, most of them will give you a free lesson or two. Or, perhaps you
know a friend or relative that already has own of their own and can give you
some one-on-one instruction.

Whatever method you choose to learn the basic operations of your computer
system is up to you; but do dedicate the first week or so of your life with
your new computer friend to learning how it operates. This basic training
ground is essential in your growth and the growth of your business.

You Finally Got the Thing Ready to Go - Right? So now you have learned how
to turn the thing on and do a few things. Perhaps you have even advanced to
the point of typing your first letter and have printed it out on your
printer. Great! You are progressing fine.

But now we're up to the costly part of owning a computer - purchasing
additional software. As previously discussed, software is the programs
that you buy in order to make the computer do what you want it to do.

If you want to write a letter, you have to have a word processing software
program (e.g., WordPerfect or Microsoft Word.) If you want to keep records
of your checking account, you will have to buy a separate software program
to do that; and still another separate database software to maintain your
mailing list.

Most beginners will ask: "Isn't there just one big software program I can
buy that will do everything?" The answer is NO. This is how software
manufacturers stay in business. Besides, a computer is customized to YOU
and your particular needs. You may be an artist and want to purchase a
software program for drawing pictures on your computer. I, on the other
hand, would have no use for a program like this since I can't draw.
Therefore, it would be impossible to have one great big software program
that could do everything for everybody and meet every need that everyone
would have.

There are some software packages that come as one entire package and claim
to have most of the software needed by a generalized majority (small
business owners, for instance.) One popular, well-known program is
WordPerfect 6.0. Another one is AmiPro. Both of these are excellent packages
and if you can afford the $300 or so investment right now - this would be the
best recommendation for your initial software purchase.

However, if you cannot afford to buy the system and spend another $300 on
software at the present time you can use alternative solutions. There are
a wide variety of medium-priced packages in the under $100 range from such
companies like Pro-Media International, (800) 998-2822 and Micro Warehouse,
(800) 367-7080 or Windows Exchange, (800) 845-1900 to name a few.

You also might want to consider picking up a copy of Windows Magazine at
the newsstand, or order one directly from the publisher at PO Box 5006,
Pittsfield MA 01203-9951. Undoubtedly Windows was already installed by
the factory when you purchased your system. Windows is an "operating
environment" just like DOS is. An "operating environment" simply means
the major software that other software programs need for them to operate
themselves. DOS means "Disk Operating System" but it also performs
maintenance and protection of your system too.



SELECTING SOFTWARE

Invest on your software wisely. Select your software carefully. One easy way
to do that is to purchase SHAREWARE and FREEWARE before investing the
big bucks. WordPerfect software for instance retails for around $300, but you
can purchase PC Write, a shareware word processing software for $5 from
S-Software (800) 243-1515.

BUYING SHAREWARE

There are some disadvantages when purchasing shareware and freeware.
Some of them are really good while some of them are relatively useless.
This is why it's important to rely on a good shareware distributor (a company
that only deals with selling shareware) that is very selective in the programs
they include in their catalogue. One such company is The American Shareware
Network, 250 Arlington St, Marshfield MA 02050, phone (617) 834-9208.

The American Shareware Network carefully installs and operates the software
program before it is listed in their catalogue for sell. They only choose
top-of-the-line programs that are popular and worth the money. They also are
honest in making sure the diskettes they send the programs on are full. Some
rip-off shareware distributors will take a program that will fit on 1 or 2
disks and split them up into 4 or 5 different one. Then they'll charge you
around $2 per disk and make you think you are getting a bargain. In actuality
you would have been better off purchasing from the shareware distributor that
advertises at a price of $3.49 per disk.

Also, don't make the mistake of going crazy ordering lots of shareware.
You don't want to have 100 different software programs on your computer that
do 100 different things. This would make life too confusing and you'd have to
learn them all. You'd never know any of them well enough - just a little bit
about each one. The whole idea here is to try out several different shareware
programs in the particular software category you need before you invest money
into the commercial software programs.


DESKTOP PUBLISHING

You should streamline your needs and the functions you want your computer to
perform. Most of us will be buying a computer for our home-based business.
Therefore, you need to find a good software program that will do the job you
need for your particular situation. If you're going to be a typesetter, try
out a variety of desktop publishing software until you find the one that does
everything you want it to do and more. One fantastic look-alike of the
popular PageMaker software (retails: $549) is a program called Page Plus. In
1993, the price is only $60 - a 90% savings over its counterpart. (Purchase
from Serif, Inc, PO Box 803, Nashua NH 03061 (800) 869-8909.)

In addition, if you will be selling mailing lists, concentrate on a good
database software. If you will be writing and selling reports, concentrate
on finding a good word processing software. If you plan to draw and create
art, find a good CAD or drawing software program.

After locating the right software for your particular business, go through
the same procedure in finding a good business accounting software you feel
comfortable with so you can keep accurate records of your daily business
transactions.

Do your best to narrow the different software programs on your computer down
to as few as possible. This way, you can really learn each one of them and
become an expert much quicker than trying to learn a whole bunch at once -
thus, creating confusion rather than knowledge.


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