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Now that you have made the decision to turn an small area in the family room into a work area, precisely what is the second step? The primary decision you need to make is what kind of computer to buy. Your choices are desktop, laptop, tablet.
Desktops were the original PC. The advantage of desktops is that they can have the fastest components. Not only that, but the hardware is typically easily accessible, so you can upgrade it later, instead of getting a brand new desktop. You could upgrade the video card, or add more memory. Desktops also usually contain six or more USB ports, whereas laptops only have two or three. The most powerful CPUs and GPUs need big cooling fans, and these can only fit inside a desktop. These computers also support numerous monitors. While desktops today are much lighter than they used to be, they are still not portable. They are designed to reside on your desk. A desktop is ideal if you need a fast computer for autocad. Excellent desktop manufacturers are Alienware, Zotac, and Xi3.
Once you have decided upon a desktop computer, then you may choose to upgrade is a graphics processor. The images shown on your monitor are generated by the video processor. The computer processor comes with integrated graphics, but a video card that you can install discretely will yield better performance. Graphics cards have amazing processors that create much heat, therefore they need large cooling fans. As a result they are not small. But graphics cards are easy to install. If you do graphics design, you want the screen to update as rapidly as you work. As a result you will find it essential to have a powerful video processor. Give some thought to the speed of the video processor, the amount of RAM, and the RAM speed when selecting a card. Reliable graphics card brands are XFX and Diamond.
A laptop computer is smaller and portable compared to desktops. Laptop computers used to be less productive than desktops, but these days, laptops can be nearly as useful as the traditional desktop, for basically all except the most complex programs. One drawback of laptops is their small size, and chips installed in them have to operate at lower temperatures. This means that laptop computers can not have big fans that are needed to operate the largest CPU’s. It is typical to find a rotational hard drive in a laptop. Additionally, there are fewer USB ports. The components are compact, and upgrading after you own the computer may be difficult. You sometime are able to upgrade the hard drive. What you get is portability. If you take your work with you, then this is a good option. Reliable laptop manufacturers are Gateway and Lenovo.
Once you have picked your computer, you will want to acquire a nice monitor to use with it. Your computer transforms its programs and puts images on the monitor, so choosing a modern monitor is important. In addition, you
should plan to obtain a nice monitor to prevent eye strain. Pick a monitor based on its resolution and size. A monitor that is considered 2160p has 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution The bigger the monitor the more expensive it is. A good quality monitor is adjustable, so that you align it to an angle that is very comfortable for you. For your home office obtain a monitor that is big. Desktop computers can typically power more than one monitor. You may choose to acquire one big monitor or two or more smaller ones. Some laptops that have discrete graphics and an HDMI port can also power a stand alone monitor. If you are a gamer, then you need to take into consideration the pixel response rate of the monitor so there is zero ghosting. Excellent monitor vendors are BenQ, LG, and Philips.
Another very important office tool is a printer. Consider if you require color printouts, and how frequently. How fast do you hope the printer to output pages? Will you also need a copier, scanner and fax machine? Do you print photos regularly? For the highest quality and most rapid throughput, buy a laser printer. For color printouts, they are expensive. If you print in color on a consistent basis, and want to keep the costs low, get an ink jet printer. You can usually find them marketed as an all-in-one office machine, serving as a scanner, copier, and fax machine. Another type of printer you can opt for is a photo printer. These machines can print photos as nicely as mail order photo printing services. The downside is that the ink cartridges and the photo paper are not cheap. Excellent printer suppliers are Canon, Konica Minolta, and Samsung.
