You don't want to overspend. But don't worry too much. With the right system and the right software, computing with your new PC is guaranteed to be a great experience.

With so many configurations in the PC market, buying a computer is a daunting task at the best of times.

You don't need to know how a computer works, but the more you know about the hardware the less overwhelmed you will feel.

Despite their amazing input, computers work in simple terms. Computers are not "smart." They just work very quickly in evaluating tiny pieces of information.

Basically a computer takes in data, processes it, and returns results based on the instructions that have been hard-wired into the machine's circuitry.

Most of computerdom can be divided into two categories: hardware and software.

• Hardware refers to the actual machine and the parts that make it up.
• Software, on the other hand, is merely a list of instructions stored on media such as diskettes or CD-ROMs, or flashed through the computer's memory. In a common example, you use your mouse and keyboard (hardware) to use your word processor (software).

Without some kind of software, hardware is useless. A computer lacking any programs at all would simply do nothing.

System

Regardless of peripherals or software bundles, a PC is defined primarily by its CPU (central processing unit). Although your choices are many (there are no fewer than seven different processor types), the bulk of the current PC market (mid 2000) falls into two categories: Pentium at the low end and midrange and Pentium II/III at the high end. Nearly all new machines use Intel Pentium processors ranging in clock speed (a measure of how fast the CPU operates each second) from 400 to 900 MHz.

Below are some of the components you might look for when considering buying a home PC.

• A 400 to 500 megahertz processor. Power users should consider Pentium III. AMD and Cyrix make compatible alternatives.
• 512K level-2 cache Secondary or "L2" cache.
• 32 - 64 megabytes (MB) of system memory (RAM) More RAM makes your PC run faster.
• 15" color monitor (17" for power users).
• 6 gigabyte hard disk. Power users should consider 12 GB or more.
• 32X CD-ROM or DVD drive 32X (the maximum rotational speed) is better than 24X is better than 16X, but mostly it's a beauty contest. Also plays audio CDs.
• Floppy diskette drive, or LS-120 SuperDisk combination floppy disk and 120-megabyte cartridge.
• Data and 56k -V90- fax modem.
• Speakers.
• optional Removable mass storage - holds 100 megabytes (Iomega Zip, Syquest EZFlyer) to 2 gigabytes (Iomega Jazz, Syquest Jet). Add $100 to $400.
• optional CD Writer (Burner) or CD Re-Writer . Allows you to save to a blank 650 MB CD. Add $250 to $500.
• Color Ink-jet or laser printer
• Keyboard.
• Mouse, (joystick for games on some models).
• Software bundle. Typically includes Microsoft Windows, integrated software (word processor, spreadsheet), personal finance, reference (encyclopedia), fax, online and Internet access. May include games for adults and edutainment (education plus entertainment) for grandchildren.

It is useful to think of the computer on your desk in terms of several different "layers."

The first, most basic layer is the hardware, the actual box itself.

The next layer is the operating system which supports the third layer - applications.

The applications manipulate and make sense of the final layer - your own data.

Components

Most PCs are pretty powerful today. As a buyer, you are choosing among good deals and better deals. After all, 15 years of natural selection have weeded out the less capable PC vendors, and the configuration you choose is often more important than the specific make or model. There is no single choice that is always better than another. Here are some of the major parts that make a computer run.

The power supply is the vehicle through which electricity is regulated and sent to various components of a computer.

The Motherboard (also called a system board or circuit board) is the most important part of the system. Acting as the foundation of a computer, the motherboard supplies all the electrical connections for the various components, including the CPU and SIMM cards inside the computer.

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the brain of a computer. It is responsible for processing instructions and carrying out users' commands. Other parts of the computer serve the CPU, which is also known as the microprocessor, enabling it to do its job.

Random access memory (RAM) determines how many projects can fit on your desktop at one time. When you run a program, it is loaded from your hard drive into RAM. Ultimately, the more RAM you have, the more applications and files you can have open at once. Remember to save on a hard drive or diskette any work you intend to keep because whatever is in RAM gets erased when the computer is turned off. RAM chips, the physical components that contain the memory, are grouped in rows commonly called SIMMs (or single-in-line memory modules, there are other types as well). These modules are small bars, usually containing eight or nine memory chips. When you want to add more memory to your computer, just plug in one or more memory bars. A memory chip is the integrated circuit that actually contains the RAM.

Read-only memory (ROM) contains the commands your computer needs to activate itself. Instructions in ROM let the computer start when the power is turned on, and, unlike RAM, its contents are retained even when the power is off.

The diskette drive reads and writes information on diskettes which are small capacity storage devices that usually hold up to 1,440,000 characters to 2 gigabyte characters (with the new "Zip" drives). Since you can remove a diskette from the drive and replace it with another, a diskette drive lets you access a virtually unlimited collection of data.

While RAM acts as your desktop, a hard drive (or hard disk or fixed disk) acts as a computer's file cabinet. A hard drive, though more expensive than a diskette, allows the most rapid access to your data and can store millions (and even billions) of characters.

A CD-ROM drive reads information from CD-ROMs, the high-capacity medium used for most multimedia software. The storage capacity of a CD-ROM is 450 times the 1.44 megabyte capacity of high-density 3.5-inch diskettes (approximately 650 MB of data). Most software packages you buy now come on CD-ROMs. Many games and graphics programs require the CD-ROM to run even after they are installed. With a CD-R the PC can write data or music to a blank CD. New users would not likely consider purchasing a CD-R.

An expansion slot is an opening on the motherboard into which a board or card can be inserted, expanding the capability of the computer.

An expansion card is a circuit board that slides into an expansion slot. Use it to add peripherals, such as a sound card or modem, to your PC.

A sound card is an expansion card that lets a computer produce sound. Examples of practical uses for sound capabilities include games, music applications, and interactive educational software.

A video card is a circuit board that translates output instructions from the CPU into data that can be displayed on a computer monitor.

A modem (modulator/demodulation) lets you connect your computer to a standard telephone line so you can transmit and receive electronically transmitted data.

A mouse is the hand-held pointing device that you move around an onscreen pointer.

If there is one recommendation, it is not about a brand or a store but rather about how much you should spend. If you can find your way clear to investing a bit more now, you will save down the road.

Recommendations

If there is one recommendation, it is not about a brand or a store but rather about how much you should spend. If you can find your way clear to investing a bit more now, you will save down the road.

Buy a cheap system today - $1,000 to $1,250 is what may be considered cheap - and within 18 months it may start to feel slow, or the hard disk will fill up, or it may do you fine for years depending on what you do with the computer. You may be forced to decide whether to install upgrade components, replace the system, or just suffer - long before any of the parts have begun to wear out, if you outgrow your computer.

There is never a "best" time to buy a computer.

Will your computer be "obsolete" as soon as you buy it? That depends on how you define the word "obsolete." Will there be better, faster, friendlier computers. Yes. Will that affect what your computer can do? No.

If you buy a computer to do certain tasks, and it performs those tasks to your satisfaction, then it might never become obsolete. Some people still use 286- and 386-based machines for word processing and other light duties. Ask about upgrading options for whatever you are considering and then decide on the purchase.

Eventually, technology will pass your computer by, and the new software on store shelves will require something a bit faster.

When you are in the market for a new computer, use common sense and consider a few basic points.

• Do as much research as you can before you spend your money.

• Talk to friends who use computers

• Make sure your computer can handle the software you are buying.

• What software comes "bundled" with the computer, if any.

• Don't believe everything you hear.

• Look for warranties and return policies.

• Believe you can make a good informed decision.

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