Gold Medal Software 3/Gold Medal Software - Volume 3 (Gold Medal) (1994).iso/misc/ctm9403.arj/ART3

Text File | 1994-02-27 | 7KB | 134 lines

Komando's Year-End Thoughts

It's a fact of life right up there with death and taxes. Any computer
you buy is outdated. The latest technological feat will be surpassed
shortly after it is announced. Further more, there is nothing you or I
can do, or should do, about this Catch-22.

Take those frustrations of keeping up to date with the Intel
X86-architecture and chip numbers. After spending, say $2,000, for the
latest whiz-bang 486-based computer running the newest bells and
whistles laden software, low and behold a faster/smaller/cheaper
computer with fresh software hits the streets. Feeling taken by a
fast-talking salesperson and pretty 4-color advertisements, most
consumers sit back and suffer an extreme case of buyer's remorse.


"I should have waited :-("

The first question that normally pops in is, "Maybe I should have waited
another six months until this computer chip deal settles down a bit?"
Well, this is a good thought but not a practical one. Frankly, the
computer chip evolution is one even Darwin couldn't put on a chart.

By the time the chart was made, it would be outdated. The 486 is hot.
The Pentium, or what would have been called the 586 but wasn't for legal
issues, is here. The "686," "786," "886," and succeeding generations are
in various stages of research and development.


"I've got the power."

There is a light at the end of the tunnel and the good news is, it's not
a train. It was hard to miss the PowerPC and Digital's Alpha-based
computer announcements made this past year. From local news coverage to
CNN, reports missed the real story behind the newest trend in computing.

Many thought it was simply another race around the
faster/cheaper/smaller personal computer track. Rather than getting
caught up in the processor speed and ability to leap different operating
systems and perform multiple software programs in a single bound, look
past the hype.

The PowerPC, especially the 620 Series due in 1994, and Alpha-based
systems break out of the Intel architecture. These systems promise a
whole new world of cross-platform applications. Upgradability is no
longer a promise of things to come. Best of all, the systems bridge the
IBM-oriented and Apple Macintosh worlds so that now, one computer can
speak fluently two different languages.

While still a bit premature for most consumer's use, cynics in the crowd
say, "I'll believe the PowerPC and Alpha when I see it."  You can,
today, at your local retailer which brings us to another story happening
from the United States to Moscow. I'm talking about the computer
superstores filled with literally acres of computer gear popping up like
convenience stores on street corners.


Are the Superstores Super?

The places are stocked with big-name monitors, computers, printers,
software, accessories. For no other reason than for research, I drop in
on these stores periodically. On a recent trip to Florida, I visited one
and found 27 different brands of 486-based computers!

So, as any overwhelmed consumer would, I found a salesperson and asked,
"Which one's the best system for me?" (You always want to add the "for
me" in the question by the way.)

The sweater-clad gentleman in his mid-thirties responded, "They're all
good but these five are on sale."  A better salesperson would have asked
ME, "What do you want to use the computer for?"  No matter what your
budget is, the best computer is one that suits your needs, or in other
words, is suitable for what you are going to be using the computer for,
and may or may not be the latest, greatest and most expensive model.

Nonetheless, the salesperson and I had a pleasant conversation and the
best system for me in this salesperson's estimation seemed to boil-down
to how much I wanted to spend, or commit to monthly under a lease
arrangement. Fortunately, I found another salesperson who was qualified
to ask and answer my questions.


Notebooks Aren't Just For Road Warriors

If you are planning to invest in a new computer in the near future,
check out the notebook/laptop systems. Finally, these computers are no
longer scaled-down versions of traditional desktop computers with a lot
of pieces missing. Over the last year, portable computers grew up and
offer the features, performance and power including large hard disks,
mega amounts of RAM, color, fax/modem communications, and more that was
normally reserved for a desktop.

Beside having only one computer to use however and wherever you are, a
fully-equipped notebook computer can be hooked up to an external monitor
and keyboard. I recommend purchasing a "docking station" for your
notebook. These are relatively inexpensive landing pads that transform a
notebook computer into a desktop computer for your office. A good
docking station should include complete duplication of the ports on the
notebook, offer the capability of connecting a CD ROM, networkability,
and an  integrated battery recharger.

With the advent of powerful portable and mobile computing, comes a new
driving technology that are PCMCIA expansion cards. These credit
card-sized cards offer notebook expansion capabilities such as
additional hard disk space, LAN adapters, SCSI interfaces, digital
paging receivers, fax/modem communications and even Global Positional
Satellite locators. Any future notebook purchase should have PCMCIA
capabilities.

Hardware innovations drive software renovations and with the new and
improved Microsoft, Intel, and others Plug and Play BIOS specifications
and era of 32-bit computing, comes forth Windows NT, OS/2 2.1 and the
soon to be released Windows 4.0. Computing has taken the true
multi-tasking path making it really possible to do more than two things
at once and do them both well.

Granted, computers has it share of vaporware running over sneakernet.
Yet, we are fortunate. We are living in a time when ideas that make our
lives easier become products quicker than ever before in the history of
mankind. We must look past the computer chip numbers, software version
numbers and price wars. If we look, we see our, our children's and their
children's future unfolding in front of us daily and all without a call
to the  "Psychic Hotline."

Another example of Kim Komando's commitment to putting the real power of
computers in user's hands.
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All copyrights apply. This article was reprinted with permission from
Kim Komando.

Kim Komando is a talk radio host, television commentator, syndicated
columnist and author, known as "America's Komputer Tutor."  Be sure to
check out Kim's menu, The Komputer Clinic, found on America Online.