Re: Help needed for total computer loser...
- From: "Bob Knowlden" <nkbob@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2006 23:14:45 -0400
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/choosing2.mspx
(comparison of Home and Pro). In my opinion, if you don't understand the
differences, you don't need Pro. (I've been using Home for several years at
home. They give us Pro at work, for the networking features.)
Home is also $100 cheaper. The upgrade version (retail) can be had for less
than $100, but I would only recommend getting it if you can come up with
"qualifying media" so that you can do a clean installation with the upgrade.
(That's what you'd need to install XP on a new hard drive, with no previous
operating system installed. The XP upgrade works just like the full version,
but you'd need to insert a CD of "qualifying media". I use a CD-R copy of my
retail Win98 upgrade CD. An OEM version of Win98, as might come from Dell,
may not serve.)
I'd recommend a DVD burner, rather than a CD burner or a "combo" (CD
burner/DVD read-only) drive. 16X DVD burners are cheap, and they'll also
burn CDs. I suggest buying one mail order (www.newegg.com,
www.monarchcomputer.com, and others) rather than getting it a place like
Circuit City. (On the other hand, my current drive is a Lite-On from Office
Max. After a rebate, which I've received, it cost less than $30 for a full
retail package.)
Internal drives are less expensive than externals. They may not be difficult
to install; other than plugging in the power and IDE cables (both are keyed,
so you can't do it wrong), the only concern is having a single jumper on the
rear of the drive in the correct position (master or slave). If your PC is
an appliance type (Dell, Compaq), the installation of an internal drive may
involve attaching rails to the drive rather than the more obvious direct
mounting screws, but the drive then just slides and clicks into position. If
you've never done this, it may be good to get help from a knowledgeable
friend. (The trick is finding a friend who is knowledgeable, rather than
just believing that he/she is. Patience and caution are also good.) If the
machine is a Dell, their online support (support.dell.com) is very helpful
in describing exactly what needs to be done to add a drive. Other
manufacturers (like HP) may give more generic (less model-specific)
information on their web sites, but it ought to be adequate.
If you're not up to installing an internal drive, an external could be good.
You may be disappointed in its performance if the old PC doesn't support USB
2.0, though. (USB 2.0 is nominally more than 40X the speed of USB 1.1. USB
1.1 isn't fast enough to keep up with a DVD or CD burner. It'll still work,
but slowly.)
You could also pay someone to install an internal drive, but that would
probably cost more than the drive itself.
Speaking of broadband, I suggest not installing software from an internet
service provider unless it's absolutely necessary. (I once had a rather bad
experience with some software from EarthLink. It made a number of undesired
changes in Windows, mainly to simplify EarthLink's support.) I use Comcast
(cable modem), and with an Ethernet connection to the modem, no additional
software was required. I had to set some simple network settings and enter
the names of the Comcast mail servers, but that was all.
Don't let it intimidate you. If you've mastered the complexities of
Microsoft Office, the guts of a PC are childishly simple in comparison.
Address scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.
"kozadoo" <kozadoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:88A840D7-B4CF-4508-A43F-1A844840454F@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi - apologising in advance for this 'beginners' post...
I'm an expert in all things Office (I'm a secretary) but when it comes to
installing anything or changing anything at all on my home PC I am a total
loser so I need help! The company I worked for was recently bought over
so
my boss gave me one of the computers - he told the IT Manager (who hates
me
btw!) to install everything I need but he just gave me Windows 98 (ggrrrr)
and then I installed Microsoft Office XP 2002 edition (which I pinched
from
said IT Manager) myself.
So I desperately need to upgrade and also want a CD burner. I just want
to
be able to do basic things like install broadband, play games, sort out
digital photos, create and run a website, do Office things, and burn CDs.
My
questions are:
- should I go for Home or Professional edition? and,
- given my limited knowledge with installations, would I be better off
buying an external CD Burner?
Any advice or help would be much appreciated!! Many thanks!
--
Hopeless
.
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