Technology advances at an ever increasing pace but quite often purchasing the latest and greatest or the biggest and fastest can be a total waste of money. Technology geeks (I can say that because I am one myself) go out and buy the latest gadgets at the highest prices because they all have some new fangled function or a re sporting the latest colors or designs when they haven't really used all the functionality of the one they already own. When it comes to the family Pc however I think the technology giants like Intel, Amd, Hp and Dell for example are all missing the point when it comes to your average consumer. A majority of computer users do not play games on their computers (they probably have a play station or a Wii), nor do they use massively processor hungry applications like computer aided design packages or finite element (fea) calculation packages. If we listen to all the advertising blurb that computer vendors and suppliers seem happy to ply us with, we would all believe we need multiple core machines , but reality couldn't be further from the truth.
And if the processor manufacturers were entirely, open they would also tell you that there are still today very few programs that can even take advantage of the multithreaded capability of today's breed of processors. The truth of the matter is that Pc technology and power is far outreaching the users real needs, lets face it, you probably have more raw processing capability sat in the average home than they had to send man into space in the early days! One fact that is undeniable though is that when you go and buy your next Pc with all its raw computing power you will probably still need to by something extra to make it work efficiently within a short space of time. A well rounded and efficient computer or laptop isn't just about the processor speed, granted that does help but only up to a point. A good analogy would be why buy a sports car that is capable of over a hundred and fifty miles and hour when the most you will ever do is 90? Equally , with your average car a good all round performer will be the sum of all its components , tires, suspension etc. not just the power of the engine.
But what good is a 150 mph engine if the tires are only rated for 70mph. The same thing will apply to the common Pc, but where there are consumer laws governing the sale of automobiles the same level of strictness does not apply to computers . And quite often what you buy may not be quite up to the job. Of course, what we are referring to is the amount of computer memory in your laptop or Pc. As Pc power increases programs get more complex, and as they get more complex they use more computer memory.
The more programs you install even if only working in the background i.e. anti virus programs, music programs and system utilities the more memory is used and so on. Simply put the more memory the programs have to access, the faster and more efficiently the Pc will work. This is all well and good but the problem occurs when your computer runs out of memory and has to start using the hard drive as extended memory instead.
This is magnitudes slower performance wise than the system memory and will not stop your Pc from working but will certainly slow it down, sometimes to the point of almost stopping. It's a bit like putting a block of wood under your cars gas pedal, it will still accelerate but just not as quickly as it is really capable of. Budget driven customers often rely on the advice of the Pc reseller but quite often they are more interested in making a quick sale than giving sound advice. After all lets face it, a little additional memory should not cost more than $50 - $100 extra and is a worthy investment if you plan to keep your hardware for more than a year, or have more than a handful of programs you want to load up.
Are computer resellers all to blame though? Expert opinion would say not , the computer manufactures should set a minimum level of memory in new systems given that they are well aware that budget machines memory levels are arguably barely adequate. The positive side to all this is of course that there is a massive market in after sales computer memory which seems to grow ever stronger because of the need for more memory in a machine. Computer memory upgrades are easily obtainable fortunately and something which you can do yourself. You can do an online memory scan to ensure and guarantee that the memory is indeed correct for your system and fit it yourself when it arrives a few days later if ordered on line. Or you can contact you local computer repair professional who can also perform this inexpensive task if you have already purchased a new Pc or if your existing system is running slowly. If you are thinking of purchasing new hardware then do yourself a favor and make sure you get a memory upgrade if you are purchasing a budget machine.
If the salesperson does not give you the option ask for it. You will be the person that benefits in the long run.
Buying a new computer may not be necessary when all you need is a simple computer maintenance or a memory upgrade. Memory upgrades are quite often all that is needed to speed up a slow computer and you can even do a memory scan on-line to ensure you are buying the right memory.
