Computer Upgrades The Most Important Question

Writen by Michael Quarles

Of all the concerns you may have about your computer, there is one that overrides all of them. Can it do the jobs you need it to do?

If your main needs are a machine for balancing your checkbook, doing a little word processing, and surfing the web, then almost any computer of recent vintage will do. Actually, these tasks won't be much of a challenge for it.

But let's say you've got a mini-DV camera, and want to try your hand at editing some of the video you've shot. When you turn to your trusty PC, doubt begins to cloud your mind. The only line out from the camera is a firewire, but there's no firewire port on your computer. And it seems kind of slow compared to your friend's new machines. Will that cause problems? What about those giant size video files? Is there enough space on the hard drive?

Whoa! All those questions might have you ready to look for a new computer. But I'd say you can probably address each problem with the PC you have.

Start with the firewire port. If you have a PCI slot open, adding a firewire card is as simple as plugging one in. There's not much more to it than that. Speed can be improved in most computers by adding extra RAM. This also is a simple matter of plugging memory into the appropriate slot. If you need more hard drive space, you can get a bigger drive, or just add an extra one. Installation isn't that hard.

Now, look again at your PC. Can it do the jobs you need it to do? The odds are it can. Perhaps with the help of an upgrade or two you can take yourself to a whole new level of computing.

Michael Quarles is the author of Building a PC for Beginners. His website is www.monkeyseemonkeydobooks.com.