1) If I were to upgrade the processor from 2.4 to 2.6 GHz, would the additional .2 GHz make a life changing difference, i.e., would it be worth the additional cost?

2) I would like to download my voice files onto a disk and do my transcription while saving onto another disk, which would mean I need two CD/DVD type drives (I am a bit leery of keeping anything other than programs on the hard drive as I have had crashes in the past). Would I be better served to download to the hard drive and make a CD/DVD backup, then save onto a CD/DVD as I did the work? That would eliminate the cost of the additional drive, but would the savings really be worth it, and if they would be worth it, then how much memory should the hard drive have to do this well? An afterthought - can I listen to a voice file on a disk and save to the same disk as I do the work?

3) Now - the sound card. I want really, really good sound - the best possible - for these voice files. I have had the Audigy 2 card recommended, but while looking into the notebook customizations at Dell I see this option is not listed. A phone call to Dell confirmed this. I would like to have the option of being mobile but clear sound is important. Does the sound card really make a huge difference when using the WAV pedal?

4) Finally (for this post anyway) the other media options. Graphics and such are not a particular concern are they? Other media options will in no way enhance the sound, will they? How about the jukebox option?

Well, that being said I think I will leave it all in the hands of those more knowledgeable than I. (What I don't know can and does, fill volumes - many, many volumes.) Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for all your help. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but I think mine is picking up a little here and there with researching and questions and perhaps can still be salvaged. There is hope. Thank you again for your assistance. I look forward to learning more from your replies.

1) No, it's not worth it to upgrade from 2.4 to 2.6 GHz. That's just a blip on the screen. Phooey. Better to get more RAM, any day of the week.

2) I would suggest (if you can afford it) two optical drives (one DVD, one CD-RW, if you want) because two drives are so nice to have. And you want a CD-RW drive because you need some form of backup, and CD-RW is just perfect for that.

I think if you have a 40 GB drive on your main computer, you'll have plenty. 20 GB is probably plenty, for many people. I can't imagine that the voice files that you'll be using in your day-to-day work will use that much space. I do not know how large the sound files you are using will be, but the average dictation files I've seen (in my schooling) are a few MBs each, usually? Or let's be super generous and say 20-40 MB each? How many 20-40 MB files do you work on at a time? Surely not enough to fill up a 20-40 GB hard drive, right?

However, for security reasons, I've heard that an external HD (it's in a box that connects to a port in the back of your computer) is a good way to go. That's what I've chosen to do. I have an external firewire drive (it connects to my Firewire port) and I am planning on using it as my "backup" drive (I just copy files to it from my C drive) and I will probably also save my work files on it (when I finish my course and get a job!). I can then unplug this hard drive from my PC when I'm away and lock it up somewhere. I've heard that this is a way to keep those files secure--have them on a separate drive and just lock that drive up somewhere else when it is not in use!

3) I am not an expert in sound cards, but I think that any decent sound card will be fine. We want to have good sound, definitely, but we are not talking about SurroundSound here, and a high-end stereo system. I have a feeling that the Audigy card that Dell recommends is fine.

3) Graphics are not a huge concern, but if you ever get a nice big montior, (and you might! Hey!) you want a video card that will work well with it. I think (just guessing) that you'd be safe with a 32 MB video card. Though I have a 16 MB video card on my older Dell and my Mac, and they can handle a higher resolution monitor at millions of colors just fine. You should try to aviod "integrated video" if you can. Sure, sometimes it's fine, but it's, well, often kind of cheap.

If I were you, just off the top of my head, I'd recommend that you NOT get the lowest-end Dell. I looked at those recently and they cut too many corners.

One final thing: make sure you get at least 256 MBs of RAM (memory). 512 MB is better. Much better. (I have 1 GB of memory , but then I work with graphics a lot and I'm a geek.) But 512--I think that's a nice amount, and you won't have to worry about "upgrading" RAM for a while if you just get 512 now.

I think that getting more RAM is far more important than the negligible speed bump in processor speed that you were considering. One thing I do know for a fact about computers: RAM is good. RAM RAM RAM. Repeat after me: RAM RAM RAM!!!

Hope this helps!

I just got another couple of computers for $200 (CPU only), and they work great. They have 650 Mhz processors and 128MB of RAM (upgraded to 256 for the one and 512 for the other). As long as the RAM is up in the 256-512 range, they work really well. They do everything I need them to (they are processing and delivery computers rather than regular use computers), and they were really inexpensive!

You may want to check out your local discount electronics store, if you have one. I find mine to tell it like it is instead of going for the sale. You can probably pick up monitors, speakers, CPU...the complete package at a fraction of the cost.

It really helps though to know what you are talking about before you go in there...that way you know what you need.

Okay, back to shopping. Your information really is helpful and I had planned on hitting the local computer stores with a "what can you do for me" list of options, I just wanted to sound like I was headed somewhat in the general direction of knowledgeable before I went in. Compared to what I knew two months ago - I'm a computer genius. But I still have miles to go before I sleep. I really would like to be a geek some day. Could it happen in this life time?

Thank you again.

You may want to do a little research on what operating system you want to end up with. You may decide Windows XP Professional is the way to go, and that may be a negotiating point with them. You also want to be sure your word processor is on there or know where your options for that are. Most are coming with WP now, but you can get "Works Suite", which includes a full version of Word, for under $100. To buy Word alone costs several hundred (I think...this is from memory. Too bad we can't upgrade our memory!)

Thank you again. It is good of you and Bear Clover to take your time to help me with my shopping dilemmas.

I have a newer model of an ASUS brand motherboard in my PC. I have had ASUS for the last two computers, and so far have been happy. If you are going to computer stores and are thinking about having them custom build something, ask for the model of motherboard they are going to use and then look that model up on the Internet. Look for reviews of it, etc.

I have never custom-built a computer and never intend to, but I can decipher reviews enough to figure out that something is a piece of crap or pretty decent. I'm sure you can too! So if you are intending to get something custom-made, do ask about all the parts they are using, the prices, and double-check these prices online.

If you are going with a brand-name computer (like Dell or Compaq or something) they will have their own motherboard, etc. I don't really know much about what parts these different computer manufacturers use on their comptuters, but obviously an in-depth check on reviews of the specific computer you are thinking of buying would be a good idea!

I got an OEM version of WordPerfect Office 11 on the Internet for very cheap. I've seen the prices range from $36-50 for WP Office 11. And I've bought an OEM version of MS Word XP on eBay for about $30. I also found a full unregistered version of WP Office 8 on eBay for very cheap, and it works on my older Dell (733 MHz, XP Pro) just fine.

I have heard mediocre things about Windows XP Home. My "PC Guru" (who advises me on all things PC) warned me against XP Home, and recommends XP Pro. I've heard this recommendation made elsewhere as well. I don't know exactly what the reasons are, but I figured I'd be rather be safe than sorry. So XP Pro it is for me. So far, so good.

Good luck to you! If you can get 1 GB of RAM, you probably won't regret it some day, but I think 512 is probably enough for now, for the kind of office/MT work you are planning on doing. Unless you are also going to use your PC to edit video or do graphics with Photoshop, or something...

My old Dell is plugging away fine with 256 MBs of RAM, but it's just my "backup" PC and I will never do much more with it other than word processing. My newer PC has 1 GB because I have hopes of doing lots of other stuff on it as well. I have a Mac with 1 GB of RAM and a total of 160 GB of hard drive (which I am quickly using up). I use the Mac for graphics, so I need the extra hard drive space and RAM.

Sorry, I do tend to ramble! I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you are planning on doing some multimedia stuff with your PC, in addition to the MT work, you'll need a different configuration--a more expensive configuration. Even if you don't think you'll be doing anything other than MT work on this PC, it doesn't hurt to get a PC with a motherboard that allows for "growth" (processor upgrade, RAM upgrade, extra PCI slots so you can add extra USB cards or goodies like that) and so forth.

[ 08-05-2003: Message edited by: Bear Clover ]

Thanks Bear Clover. I had not even thought about the mother board but I had wondered about the good brand/bad brand of computers, i.e., after all, isn't it true that "parts is parts"? Now I know some parts are better than others and with the little that I know about computers I had already formed the idea that the mother board is an important part. I just had not realized that it should be considered in my ultimate purchase (sometimes it takes me a while). As far as checking reviews on different computers do you know of a place where I can do that? (I am internet challenged as well in that I do not surf, I tend to slosh and with my 64 mb lockups frequently get stuck. Most of the time I don't find what I'm looking for.)

Well, I have to say that you and straws have been invaluable in my computer education and most likely the education of anyone who might be following this post. It may be hard to believe but there are a (very) few people out there who may know as little as or even less than I do about all things electronic. I actually have a freind who is in awe of my computer knowledge. Scary, huh?

I still believe that in my ignorance some day I will push the incorrect sequence of buttons and crash the entire internet. It will be followed by live worldwide media as the reporters break in with up to date coverage that the ripple effect seems to have originated in Florida and that at this very moment authorities are closing in on the actual mastermind who they believe has perpetrated this devious act. There will be helicoptors and an army of law enforcement vehicles, both local and national, hovering over and surrounding my home as I am lead out saying, "But I was only trying to check my email!" Although at this point it may be, "I was only trying to check computer reviews!" Should I say on live TV, "Hi, Bear Clover" or would you rather not be investigated as the partner in crime?

Anyway, I must get going to prepare for my trip into town to pick up tapes. Hopefully those days are numbered by the impending new computer and finally going digital. As I drive I will be mumbling "RAM, RAM, RAM, mother board".

Thank you again, and happy typing/studying.

[ 08-07-2003: Message edited by: CHJ in Florida ]

You are too funny, and you are very welcome! I'm not a techy guru, but you tend to learn things over the years that you might as well pass along.

I think you are right that others will have benefitted from our discussion, and I'm glad you are armed with more information.

Best of luck with your search!

PS--Can I throw one more thing on top of you here? If you find the perfect PC but the RAM is not up to what you want, you can always upgrade it. But the RAM is going to max out at a certain level. On my cheap-but-great computers, the max-out is 512 (two slots with 256 each). This is VERY important to know. You can always upgrade later if you want, but you have to know what you are upgrading to.

CompUSA custom builds computers, and they also have some already on the shelf with "typical" configurations. You may want to check into that. If you already have a printer and monitor, then you don't have to purchase them again...all you need is a, pardon my french please, bitchin' CPU.

About researching parts of the computer: Just type in the part name and number that they give you into google.com. I usually also include the keywords "review" or "reviews" in my search as well, and then look for some techno-geeky review of the computer part. I especially want to look for if they give the part a rating, like how many stars. If it gets one or two stars, then you know it's a lemon!

The motherboard is an important part of the PC, because like straws says, it limits what you can do with the PC later. If a motherboard is old or crappy, maybe it's maxed out on how much RAM it can take, or maybe it won't take a faster processor. In other words, it's as good as it's going to get, and so if you want to upgrade it, you might as well forget it. It's full to the brim already and won't take any more stuff on it.

Also, how many "empty PCI slots" it has is also important. PCI slots are just open spaces for extra cards and goodies that can be added later, if you want. For instance, if your PC doesn't have Firewire and you want to use a digital camera or scanner that only uses to a Firewire connection, you can add a firewire card if you've got that empty PCI slot. And then you can use your firewire camera, or whatever! There are a lot of different cards that will fit into the PCI slots. (For instance, I got a used Dell PC on eBay, that had crappy integrated video and crappy integrated sound. However, since the Dell had several extra PCI slots, the vendor added a nice little Soundblaster PCI sound card, and a nice little nVidia PCI video card, and voila! I've got a really nice upgraded PC!)

Another example--the motherboard I have on my new PC is ASUS A7N8X Deluxe, (Socket A). The shop that worked on my PC offered this motherboard as one they used. I found out from the shop's catalog that "Socket A" meant that it only could use AMD processors (not Intel). I typed in the ASUS brand name and the model number (A7N8X) and read some really good reviews.

As you can see from the website I linked to on ASUS, the information there is full of gooblety gook that made no sense to me. (But I did see that the motherboard has 6 USB ports, and that's good!) So, looking around a bit I did find some reviews that broke it down into information I could at least partially understand. And I definitely got the impression that it was a well-made and much-favored motherboard. And that helped me feel comfortable with this motherboard in my computer. Also, look for reviews that will tell you what the maximum RAM is for the motherboard, how many open PCI slots (a few extra at least is good).

Other interesting information to look for is whether it has an AGP type slot for video cards. Some motherboards will have "integrated video" (built-in) on an AGP slot, but you can't change it. You can't buy a better video card that fits into the AGP slot and put it there. So what you want to look for (for future upgrading) is a motherboard that can take a separate AGP video card. Sure, there are PCI video cards out there, but when it comes to video cards, apparently AGP is better. (I don't think any other cards are AGP, though--just video.)

Oh, another thing is "bus speed." I don't really know about that too much, but I think it pertains to the overall speed of the motherboard--how fast information can be relayed back and forth between the parts of the computer (?). For instance, my previous PC (what I had before I upgraded the motherboard) had a bus speed of 133. I had to use RAM that would work with the bus speed of 133. When I upgraded to my "new" PC, I got a motherboard that (from what I can tell) has a bus speed (FSB--Front Side Bus) of 400. I think... (I'm starting to get a little clueless here.) Anyway, it's better, and faster. So I could not use the same RAM from my previous PC on this new PC, because the previous PC's RAM worked with motherboards that had 133 bus speed. Does that make any sense? Well, maybe a little?

OK, I'm rambling and sometimes only have a vague clue what I'm talking about (I am sure Mike would be far more capable of explaining it all!) but I hope I've given you a start. If nothing else, just look up the motherboard model on google.com, look for reviews of the motherboard, and see how many "stars" the reviews give the motherboard. At least you'll be warned off some bad lemon motherboards. In my opinion, it's easier and better to splurge a little and buy a higher-end motherboard and save up for some of the other goodies later.

[ 08-06-2003: Message edited by: Bear Clover ]

Thank you both again. Now I must get to transcription while the little one is still asleep (not much gets done when he is awake - too much help), and then time permitting I will look into the computer reviews, etc.

I wanna be a geek. RAM, RAM, RAM, motherboard.

You are never going to get rid of us, are you!

You mentioned your CD drive needing replaced? You can probably replace it as well with one from a computer store like "my" computer store (I've been there so many times they know me by name...I feel like Norm at Cheers!).

I have an external 100mg ZIP drive that I barely use because it is clumsy. I paid something like $100 for it. I can get an internal 100mg ZIP drive for $19 at this store. Their CD drives are something in the same price range as well.

And don't be afraid to crack that case open. I was so scared the first time! Now it's just a matter of which screw to pull out of there first. Just watch where you take things out from and where they need to go back in. Really not to hard.

Should also mention that at "my" store, if you buy the computer there, they will even install the upgrades for you for free! Don't know if they will do that if you bring in the item, but it would be worth a shot.

Of course, none of this helps unless you have a store like "my" store in your area!

[ 08-07-2003: Message edited by: straws ]

Is your "my" computer store one of the chains like CompUSA, Circuit City or Office Depot, or is it a small locally owned operation? I mostly go to Office Depot and the employees they have, although they usually look like they should still be in high school, are extremely knowledgeable and incredibly patient with the clueless. I would like to go to CompUSA more regularly but it is on the other side of the world from me and I'm too lazy to fight 30 minutes of moderate to heavy traffic to get there very often. And in addition, the last time I was there they did not have the push type shopping buggies - not good with an inquisitive toddler who wants to hold one of everything on the shelves. (We have two strollers but buggies are soooo much easier.) Also have you had any dealings with Best Buys? I have a friend who tells me he has bought from them twice and both times had to return the item, although neither was computer related. He has stopped going there at all.

Anyway, I hear monitor sounds and must respond. Thank you again, straws and Bear Clover. I'm not worried about not getting rid of you - the more you want to tell me the better I like it. In the meantime, may your fingers fly!

(I wonder if Mike has gotten a chuckle or two from this exchange of information?)

[ 08-07-2003: Message edited by: CHJ in Florida ]

In all honesty I can't think of anything that I could add to what Straws and Bear Clover have said. Well, maybe just one thing...

If you want to get a handle on the terminology, which is the hardest part about understanding computers, use a computer dictionary. I have a paper one. There's also a good one online here: http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/