Hardware and Software

Hardware and Software

Angela and David need to buy a computer. They plan to use it to

produce letters and newsletters, to create a website, to keep the club

accounts, to record members of the club, and to detail stockists of

tandems in their area. They have never bought a computer before and

have around £1800 to spend on both hardware and software.

Hardware

Main Processing Unit

The work they will be doing on the computer is not the most demanding

for a computer, so the specification of it will not need to extremely

high.

I would recommend a fast, budget processor, like a Celeron or Duron.

These are cheaper than Pentiums and Athlons and for the tasks Angela

and David are carrying out, they will not notice much difference in

performance. A clock speed of 1000-1500Mhz would be sufficient for

their needs.

On the memory front, I would recommend 256Mb of memory, as it is an

amount that would make Microsoft Windows XP and Office XP run

smoothly, and it is also the standard requirement for most modern

software programs. The memory will also be useful as it will allow a

large number of files, in this case web pages and graphics, to be open

at one time.

A motherboard will be needed, and it will need to be compatible with

the processor and memory chosen. There will need to be a sound card

and a video card, and as they will not be using these to use graphics

intensive programs, such as games, I would suggest that they chose a

motherboard with these already built in. into the motherboard to keep

costs down. It will need to contain several different types of ports.

There will need to be around 4 USB ports (for various ...

... middle of paper ...

... Organise an electrical safety check at least once a year

· Use an adjustable chair with backrest

· Use a wrist support

· Take regular breaks from the computer

· Position the computer correctly

· Do not consume food or drink near a computer.

· Adjust position in seat so arms are horizontal, mouse is in easy

reach and eyes are level with top of VDU.

· Follow instructions on consumables like printer ink and dispose of

them correctly.

· Install a screen filter to protect from eye strain

· Keep the screen clean with anti-static screen cleaning solution, not

polish to reduce glare

· Adjust position of computer and monitor to reduce glare from

lighting

Upgrading

· When upgrading the computer, always turn the power off, be gentle,

and take anti-static precautions, e.g. anti-static mat