Re: gift of new computer - should I switch or maintain 2 units

From: R. C. White (rc_at_corridor.net)
Date: 10/18/04 

Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 15:03:08 -0500

Hi, Mary.

Lucky you! That sounds like a very nice new computer! ;<)

A couple of key comparisons between old and new should tell us most of what
we need to know:
Old: Intel Pentium 3 - 930 GHz -- I'm sure you mean 930 MHz
New: Intel Pentium 4 - 2.4 GHz SSE2

The Pentium 4 is much more capable than the Pentium 3, and even if that were
not true, 2.4 GHz is nearly 3 times as fast as 930 MHz, since 1 GHz is a
Billion Hertz, or 1,000 times the speed of 1 MHz, which is a Million Hertz,
so the comparison should be pretty clear.

DVDs will hold 4.7 GB, typically, which is about 7 or 8 times as much as a
CD, which typically holds about 700 MB. Again, a G is about 1,000 M, so the
comparison is clear. With the higher speed, plus the DVD drive's ability to
also easily read and write CDs, you gain a lot and lose nothing with the DVD
drive.

USB 2.0 is only about 3 years old, so your old computer is probably capable
of only USB 1.1 unless you've added a card to it. As you probably know, 2.0
is about 40 times as fast as 1.1, so your new one is definitely better.

Since, as you said, "video editing is processor and hard drive intensive",
your old computer probably would take hours to do a job that your new one
can do in minutes. You would gain much more than "a little processing
speed". You need a good printer, too. Parallel port is plenty fast, but
you may like other improvements built into newer printers.

I'm just one guy with one computer. I've never had a laptop or a network,
so I won't even attempt to deal with those questions.

RC 

-- 
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@corridor.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
"Mary Fowler Leek" <mleek@arkwest.com> wrote in message 
news:OkPfFAUtEHA.904@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
I have been given a:
Dell Dimension 4600 w/ Windows XP home, Intel Pentium 4 - 2.4 GHz SSE2, 512 
mb ram, NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440 (64 mb ram) w/ AGP8X, NEC DVD-RW dvd drive, 
DVD/CD drive, floppy drive, built in network and SoundMax Integrated Digital 
Audio card.
I currently use a:
Dell Dimension 4100 w/ Windows XP home, Intel Pentium 3 - 930 GHz, 512 mb 
ram, NVIDIA GeForce2, CD-RW drive, DVD/CD Rom drive, floppy, network card, 
iEEE 1395 firewird card and Creative SB Live! audio card. This computer is 
networked with an IBM laptop here at home, where we share the DSL internet 
connection.
I have an old monitor attached to the gift computer but this gift computer 
is not networked with our home network. One day, I'd like to work with 
archiving our old video tapes and move the 8mm and Hi8 movies onto digital 
media. Would your advice be to move to the new computer now or just keep it 
in reserve to use with future digital video work? I've no idea how soon I 
can do the video work, probably months down the road. I know video editing 
is processor and hard drive intensive so maybe a dedicated computer would be 
best to use. I would have to either switch the firewire card or purchase and 
install another card in the gift computer if I keep two computers.
Is one computer superior over the other? I'm not sure what I'd gain by 
moving, other than a little processing speed. I'm not certain if my old 
computer uses USB 1 or 2. If USB 1, I guess that would be an advantage to 
moving. It's been so long since I purchased the old computer, I've forgotten 
what USB speed it recognizes. This is what it says in the device manager 
list: Intel(R) 8280 1BA/BAM USB Universal Host Controller.
I do have a color laser that uses a parallel port. It is slow. Would 
purchasing a USB 2 connector switch to use with the printer help speed up 
the printing process? If so, that would be an advantage of changing 
computers.
Would you guys who are technically knowledgable please comment as to the 
benefits of moving?
Is there a problem with running two different Windows XP home installations? 
The person who gave me the computer uses Windows 2000 on his computer.
My sincere thanks for your help.
Mary
mary at arkwest.com

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