How to Buy a Computer

8/14/2019 How to Buy a Computer

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How to Buy a

ComputerBy Heman LeeFor use by the Asian Community Center

How to Buy a Computer workshop


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ContentsHow to Buy a Computer ........................................................................................... 1

Windows or Mac? ................................................................................................. 1How Much Do You Want to Spend? ..................................................................... 1Desktop or Laptop ................................................................................................. 1What about Horsepower? ...................................................................................... 2How Much Memory .............................................................................................. 2Hard (Drive) Decisions .......................................................................................... 2Go For a Large LCD Monitor ................................................................................ 3What About Software? .......................................................................................... 3Vista comes in different flavors ............................................................................. 3Optical Drive (DVD/CD) ...................................................................................... 4

Additional Features ............................................................................................ 4Vista or XP ............................................................................................................ 4Method of purchase ............................................................................................... 5Where to Buy? ....................................................................................................... 5Accessories and Peripherals ................................................................................... 6Inkjet Printer .......................................................................................................... 6Laser Printer .......................................................................................................... 6Multi-Function Printer ........................................................................................... 6Webcam ................................................................................................................ 6Trackball (Alternative to a Mouse) ........................................................................ 7Ports ...................................................................................................................... 7High Speed Internet ............................................................................................... 7HOW TO SPEAK GEEK WHEN LOOKIN AT COMPUTER ADS? ................... 8PC Buyers Check List ............................................................................................. 12Form Factor ......................................................................................................... 12CPU - Processor .................................................................................................. 12OSOperating System ....................................................................................... 12RAM ................................................................................................................... 12Productivity Software .......................................................................................... 12Security Software ................................................................................................ 12Warranty * Service .............................................................................................. 13Monitor ............................................................................................................... 13Optical Drive ....................................................................................................... 13Hard Drive ........................................................................................................... 13Hard Drive Partition ............................................................................................ 14Video Card .......................................................................................................... 14Media Reader ...................................................................................................... 14Modem ................................................................................................................ 14Interface .............................................................................................................. 14Sound Card .......................................................................................................... 14


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How to Buy a Computer.doc 1 4/17/2009

How to Buy a Computer

Windows or Mac?

You may have friends, relatives or neighbors trying to pull you into the "Windows

vs. Mac" holy wars. In my opinion, the choice of operating system really doesn'tmatter. From a beginner's perspective, each has point & click interfaces that arepretty easy to use. Both will take you to the same Internet, and enable you to sendand receive email. Both offer word processing, and the documents they create areinterchangeable. Because Windows-based computers make up 90% of the market,they are cheaper. It's the law of supply and demand in operation. And in some areas,it may be hard to find technical or repair support for Apple Macintosh computers. Soif you're budget-minded, and you don't have any friends willing to help you withMac issues, I suggest you go with a Windows-based PC.

How Much Do You Want to Spend?

A good entry-level computer with monitor can be purchased for under $500, andsometimes you even get a printer in the deal. So what should a newbie look for interms of speed, monitor, memory and hard drive specs? It doesn't have to be all thatconfusing...

Price

Range

Application

$500 - $600 Basic functionality for internet, word processing and businessapplications.

$600 - 1000 Do more multi-media applications, such as digital photography andphoto editing.

> $1000 Video editing, Hi-resolution 3D gaming

Desktop or Laptop

Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Desktops generally start at alower price and offer more in terms of hard drive capacity and memory options.Also, additions and repairs for desktop computers tend to cost less. The obviousdownside is that desktops take up a lot of physical space. Laptops, on the other hand,are mobile units that you can carry anywhere.


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What about Horsepower? CPU

The CPU (central processing unit, or "processor" for short) is thebrain of your computer. In general, the faster the better. There aretwo major brands of CPUs, Intel and AMD. Usually AMDmachines will be cheaper that their Intel counterpart. Processorspeeds are measured in gigahertz (GHz) and as of this writing, the

fastest models available operate at about 4 GHz. Entry-level machines start at about1.5 GHz and are more than adequate for web surfing, email and word processing.The Current CPU technology is the multi-processor architecture. Basically it ismultiply CPUs on the same chip. The Intel version is marketed as the Core 2brand refers to a range of Intel's CPUs. 64-bit dual (2) and quad (4) core. Thecomparable AMD technology is call X2.

How Much Memory (RAM)When we talk about computer memory we mean RAM memory.

So how much you need? Don't confuse RAM with hard drive(file storage) space. RAM is the temporary (volatile) workingmemory that your computer uses to perform calculations andmanipulate files. When you turn on or boot your computer theOS that resides on the hard drive is load into RAM. When youopen a document, it is copied from the hard drive into RAM. As

you and your word processor work on the file, the modified copy exists only inRAM. When you save the file, it is copied from RAM back to the hard drive, orpermanent storage. And as with CPU power, the more RAM you have, the betteryour computer will perform.

RAM Application

2GB Minimum for Vista. Web surfing, word processing3GB-4GB Digital photo editing, power user. Small business server

4GB-8GB Video editing, Hi-resolution gaming

Hard (Drive) DecisionsThe hard drive is your permanent file storage. All of your personal files, such asword processor documents, photos, music, and emails are stored here, in addition to


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software packages and the operating system is stored on the hard drive. Most newPC's come with a hard drive that's 200 gigabytes (GB) or larger. I recommend youstart with a hard drive of 250 GB or larger, but consider doubling that if you plan tokeep lots of photos, music or videos on your computer.

Go For a Large LCD Monitor

Here's the formula: Larger Monitor = Less Eyestrainand Less Scrolling. I recommend a 19-inch monitor, oreven a 22-inch or larger, if you don't mind spending abit more. Don't worry about brand names here; they'reall pretty much the same

What About Software?

Most of the software you need, will come pre-installed on your new PC. The currentoperating system is Windows Vista. Windows Vista does come with a fewapplication programs like Internet Explorer (for web browsing) and MS Mail (foremail) and WordPad (for word processing) Additional software may also be loadedon your new PC know as TrialWare. TrialWare allows you to sample theprogram with some restrictions. In most cases there will be a time limit of 30 days,before you have to purchase the program.

Look for a computer that comes with anti-virus software pre-installed. If yoursdoesn't come with any anti-virus package, check with your Internet service providerto see if they offer anything for free. Failing that, you can download the free AVGpackage.

Vista comes in different flavors

Windows Vista Home Basic is ideal for homes with basic computing needs like e-mail, browsing the Internet, and viewing photos. Easy to set up and maintain, itenables you to quickly find what you're looking for on your PC and the Internet,while providing a more secure environment to help protect you from anunpredictable world.Windows Vista Home Premium is the preferred edition for home desktop andmobile PCs. It provides a breakthrough design that brings your world into sharperfocus while delivering the productivity, entertainment, and security you need fromyour PC at home or on the go. It has all the basic version's capabilities in addition tomany more features including: DVD authoring, HDTV support, touch-screencapabilities and premium games. The Windows Vista Home Premium is stronglyrecommended if you really need a budget operating system.Windows Vista Business is the first edition of Windows designed specifically tomeet the needs of small businesses. Windows Vista Business Edition - This edition


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is comparable to Windows XP Professional. Aimed at the business market, it hasfeatures such as: fax support, a web server, dual processor capabilities, file systemencryption and dual CPU support. It can also handle most types of hardware andsoftware. It is a very capable version of Vista, and strongly recommended if you canafford it, and need an operating system capable of handling all of your heavy-dutyand business needs.

Windows Vista Enterprise - This edition is basically an upgrade from WindowsVista Business. It offers even more features such as: UNIX application support,multilingual support and BitLocker Drive Encryption.

Optical Drive (DVD/CD)

Most computers will have a CD/DVD burneras a standard feature. Usually it will haveDual Layer support (DL), which means itcan read and write DVD that support DL.

CD or DVD options - Give some seriousthought to how you'll use your computer. Doyou intend to purchase music or movies fromthe Internet? Most computer will come with a DVD-ROM (Read Only Memory)which allow you to only read or play CD or DVD disk. If you wish to create DVDdisk, you need to get a DVD burner. With the burner, you can copy documents,music or video onto a disk, Most DVD burners will burn both CD and DVD format.For additional cost, a Dual-Layer DVD burner is the best. Until recently, all DVDrecordable drives on the market could only burn to a single layer disc, which limits

capacity to 4.7GB. The dual-layer burner doubles this capacity.

Additional Features

LightScribea laser DVD/CD label burning technology found in many popularbrands of DVD/CD burners, laptops and PCs -- gives people the ability to easilyburn silkscreen-quality photos, graphics, images and text directly onto LightScribeCDs and DVDs. A simple title printed in normal mode will typically take a couple ofminutes. A fuller disc image will take approximately 15-20 minutes. LightScribeCDs are available in gold, red, orange, yellow, blue and green.

Vista or XP

Microsoft Windows Vista is already pre-installed on most retail computer systemthat you purchase at most computer or electronics outlet. In the business sector, XPis still the predominant operating system because of the incompatibility issues.


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Method of purchase

Most mass-produced computers are bought and configured online. Want thepersonal touch, these manufacturers (DELL) provide telephone assistance. Otheroption over the internet are the discounter or refurbish reseller. If you are on abudget these could be a good option, but you need to do your homework. Want in-person personal touch and assistant from a sales person, then go to a retailer.

Where to Buy?Look at your local computer store first, they may have some good deals and offerlocal support. Office supply and electronics stores such as Frys, Costco, Staples,Office Depot, and Best Buy are good options to explore too. If you're comfortablebuying online, check out companies like Dell, Gateway and other vendors tocompare features and pricing.


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Accessories and Peripherals

Inkjet Printer

This type of printers operates by propelling variably-

sized droplets of liquid or molten material (ink) ontoalmost any medium. They are the most common type ofcomputer printer for the general consumer due to theirlow cost, high quality of output, capability of printingin vivid color, and ease of use.Like most modern technologies, the present-day inkjet

has built on the progress made by many earlier versions. Among many contributors,Epson, Hewlett-Packard and Canon can claim a substantial share of the credit for thedevelopment of the modern inkjet. In the worldwide consumer market, four

manufacturers account for the majority of inkjet printer sales: Canon, Hewlett-Packard, Epson, and Lexmark.

Laser Printer

In business, the laser printer is the most common. A black and white laser can costas low as $200 to $300. The advantage of laser is its high quality of output andspeed. The more expensive color laser is capability of printing in vivid photoquality Theirs is a hefty price attached since color lasers go for $500 - $2,000.

Multi-Function Printer

Another popular printer is the All-In-Oneor Multifunction printer which combineprinting, scanning, copying and faxing allin one machine. These printers are cheaperthan buying separate stand-alone devices,take up less space and need only oneconnector cable and one power outlet. One disadvantage is that if your printer stopsworking, so does your fax, scanner or copier.

Webcam

Webcams (web cameras) are small cameras (usually, thoughnot always, video cameras), whose images can be accessedusing the World Wide Web, instant messaging, or a PC videoconferencing application. The term webcam is also used to


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describe the low-resolution digital video cameras designed for such purposes, butwhich can also be used to record in a non-real-time fashion.

Trackball (Alternative to a Mouse)A trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball housed

in a socket containing sensors to detect rotation of the ballabout two axeslike an upside-down mouse with anexposed protruding ball. The user rolls the ball with thethumb, fingers, or the palm of the hand to move a cursor.Large tracker balls are common on CAD workstations foreasy precision. Before the advent of the touchpad, smalltrackballs were common on portable computers, where there may be no desk spaceon which to run a mouse. Some small thumbballs clip onto the side of the keyboardand have integral buttons with the same function as mouse buttons.

PortsMany upgrades and peripherals to computers now connect through externalinterfaces instead of internal cards. Check to see how many and what type ofexternal ports are available on the computer for use with future peripherals. Look forsystems that have both USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 or FireWire ports. It should have atleast six USB 2.0 connectors and one FireWire ports. Many times media card

readers that support various different flash memory cardsfor peripherals are also included.

Surge SuppressorA Surge Protector provides premium power protection forboth home and professional workstations, and all connecteddevices. A good quality unit will provide the most completeprotection from power surges, spikes, and ACcontamination available.

High Speed Internet

AT & T High Speed InternetType: DSLBasic $19.95Express $25.00

Comcast High Speed Internet

Type: Cable$19.99 for the first 3 months, then $55 afterwards.


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Core 2 - brand refers to a range of Intel's CPUs. 64-bit dual-core and 2x2 MCMquad-core CPUs with the x86-64 instruction set, based on the Intel Coremicroarchitecture. The Core 2 brand was introduced on July 27, 2006[3] comprisingthe Solo (single-core), Duo (dual-core), Quad (quad-core), and Extreme (dual- orquad-core CPUs for enthusiasts) branches, during 2007. The newest line of Intelsprocessor is the Core i7.

DDR2/3 SDRAM or double-data-rate two synchronous dynamic random accessmemory is a random access memory technology used in electronic engineering forhigh speed storage of data. The latest type DDR3 which can transfer at 1600 MHz.

DirectX - a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handlingtasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoftplatforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such asDirect3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay, DirectSound, and so forth. DirectX,then, was the generic term for all of these APIs and became the name of the

collection.

DSLDigital Subscriber Line is a technology that provides internet access over thea local telephone network. DSL originally stood for digital subscriber loop, althoughin recent years, the term digital subscriber line has been widely adopted as a moremarketing-friendly term for ADSL. Basically it is a faster way of connecting to theinternet over the standard dialup type modem.

DVD RW - disc is a rewritable optical disc with equal storage capacity to a DVD-R,

typically 4.7 GB.[1] The format was developed by Pioneer in November 1999 andhas been approved by the DVD Forum. Unlike DVD-RAM, it is playable in about75% of conventional DVD players

GHz - Abbreviation for gigahertz. One GHz represents 1 billion cycles per second.The speed of microprocessors, called the clock speed, often is measured in gigahertz.MHz or megahertz (1 million cycles per second) was the previous measure formicroprocessors. Todays computers have reached the GHz range.

Intel - is the world's largest semiconductor company and the inventor of the x86

series of microprocessors, the processors found in most personal computers

LCD - A liquid crystal display is a thin, flat display device made up of any numberof color or monochrome pixels arrayed in front of a light source or reflector. It isoften utilized in battery-powered electronic devices because it uses very smallamounts of electric power.


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IEEE 1394 (Firewire) - interface (although the 1394 standard also defines abackplane interface) is a serial bus interface standard, for high-speedcommunications and isochronous real-time data transfer, frequently used in apersonal computer (and digital audio and digital video). The interface is also knownby the brand names of FireWire (Apple's name) and i.LINK (Sony's name).

IEEE 802.11g - 802.11g, is an amendment to the IEEE 802.11 specification thatextended throughput to up to 54 Mbit/s using the same 2.4 GHz band as 802.11b.This specification under the marketing name of Wi-Fi has been implemented all overthe world. The new standard is the 802.11n which still have not yet beenstandardized.

Motherboard - This is the main circuit board that all of the other internalcomponents connect to. The CPU and memory are usually on the motherboard.Other systems may be found directly on the motherboard or connected to it througha secondary connection. For example, a sound card can be built into the motherboard

or connected through PCI.

Power Supply - An electrical transformer regulates the electricity used by thecomputer.

MHz - Abbreviation for megahertz. One MHz represents one million cycles persecond. The speed of microprocessors, called the clock speed, is measured inmegahertz. For example, a microprocessor that runs at 300 MHz executes 300million cycles per second. Each computer instruction requires a fixed number of

cycles, so the clock speed determines how many instructions per second themicroprocessor can execute.

NVIDIA Corporation (pronounced /nv.di./), an American corporation,specializes in the manufacture of graphics-processor. The company has become amajor supplier of integrated circuits (ICs) used for personal-computer motherboardchipsets, graphics processing units (GPUs), and game-consoles. Notable productlines include the GeForce series for gaming and the Quadro series for graphicsprocessing on professional workstations, as well as the nForce series of integratedmotherboard-chipsets.

PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect, or PCI Standard (in practice almostalways shortened to PCI), specifies a computer bus for attaching peripheral devicesto a computer motherboard. These devices can take any one of the following forms

PCMCIA - PC Card (originally PCMCIA, or PCMCIA Card) is the form factor of aperipheral interface designed for laptop computers. The PC Card standard (as well as


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its successor ExpressCard) was defined and developed by a group of industry-leading companies called the Personal Computer Memory Card InternationalAssociation (PCMCIA).

Pixel - In digital imaging, is the smallest piece of information in an image. Pixels arenormally arranged in a regular 2-dimensional grid, and are often represented using

dots or squares. Each pixel is a sample of an original image, where more samplestypically provide a more accurate representation of the original. The intensity ofeach pixel is variable; in color systems, each pixel has typically three or fourcomponents such as red, green, and blue, or cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

Resolution - The resolution of a digital image is defined as the number of pixels itcontains. A 5 megapixel image is typically 2,560 pixels wide and 1,920 pixels highand has a resolution of 4,915,200 pixels, rounded off to 5 million pixels. It isrecommended to shoot at a resolution which corresponds with the camera's effectivepixel count. As explained in the pixels topic, shooting at higher (interpolated)

resolutions (if available as an option) creates only marginal benefits but takes upmore card space. Shooting at lower resolutions only makes sense if you are runningout of card space and/or image quality is not important.

SATA - Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) is a computer busprimarily designed for transfer of data between a computer and mass storage devicessuch as hard disk drives and optical drives.

SCSI - Pronounced "scuzzy," the small computer system interface is a method of

adding additional devices, such as hard drives or scanners, to the computer.

SDRAM - synchronous dynamic random access memory which is a type of solidstate computer memory. This type of memory is used in RAM.

USB - a serial bus standard to interface devices. USB was designed to allow manyperipherals to be connected using a single standardized interface socket and toimprove the plug-and-play capabilities by allowing devices to be connected anddisconnected without rebooting the computer (hot swapping).

Wi-Fi - is the trade name for a popular wireless technology used in home networks,mobile phones, video games and more. Wi-Fi is supported by nearly every modernpersonal computer operating system and most advanced game consoles, printers, andother peripherals.


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PC Buyers Check List

Form Factor Mini Tower Slim Tower Tower Ultra Small

CPU - ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo E8600 (3.33GHz, 6M, 1333MHz FSB) [add $320]Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 (3.16GHz, 6M, 1333MHz FSB) [add $220]Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (3.0GHz, 6M, 1333MHz FSB) [add $170]Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 (2.8GHz, 3M, L2Cache, 1066FSB) [add $60] Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5300 (2.60GHz, 2M, L2Cache, 800FSB) [add $20] Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200(2.5GHZ,2MB L2 Cache,800FSB) [Included in

Price] Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2200 (2.4GHZ,1MB L2 Cache,800FSB) [subtract $20]

OS Operating System Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic, Service Pack 1 [Included in Price] Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium, Service Pack 1 [add $29] Genuine Windows Vista Business, Service Pack 1 [add $99] Dell Recommended - Includes Windows Vista Business Assurance Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate, Service Pack 1 [add $149] Genuine Windows Vista Business Bonus-Windows XP Professional downgrade

[add $99]

RAM 1GB Single Channel DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz - 1DIMMs [Included in Price] 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz - 2DIMMs [add $10] 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz - 2DIMMs [add $30] 3GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHZ - 1x2GB 1x1GB [add $60] 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz - 2DIMMs [add $140]

Productivity Software Microsoft Works 9.0. Does NOT Include MS Word [add $10] Microsoft Office Basic 2007 (Word, Excel, Outlook) [add $149]

Microsoft Office Small Business 2007(Basic + PowerPoint & Publisher) [add$279]

Microsoft Office Professional 2007 (Small Business + Access database) [add $399

Security Software No Pre-installed Anti-Virus/Security Software add $0 McAfee Total Protection for Small Business 30-day Subscription [Included in Price]


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Special offer - Save $35 McAfee Total Protection for Small Business, 15-months[add $34]

Dell Recommended Special offer - Save $39 McAfee Total Protection for Small Business, 24-months

[add $50] Special offer - Save $24 McAfee Total Protection for Small business, 36-months

[add $75]

Trend Micro PC-cillin with AntiVirus + Spyware removal, 15-months [add $69] Norton Internet Security 2009 15 Month [add $69]

Warranty * Service 1 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 1 Year NBD On-Site Service [Included] 2 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 2 Year NBD On-Site Service [add $39] 3 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 3 Year NBD On-Site Service [add $69] 1 Year ProSupport for End Users and 1 Year NBD On-site Service [add $59] 2 Year ProSupport for End Users and 2 Year NBD On-site Service [add $99] Be sure to select 3 Years of Dell ProSupport for the price of 2Years

3 Year ProSupport for End Users and 3 Year NBD On-site Service [add $99] Dell Recommended Select 3 Years of Dell ProSupport for the price of 2Years

Monitor No Monitor [Included in Price] Select from 17"-19" Monitors Dell 17 inch Widescreen E1709W Analog Flat Panel [add $160] Dell 17 inch E178FP Analog Flat Panel Display [add $160] Dell 19 inch Widescreen E1909WFP Analog Flat Panel Display [add $180] Dell 19 inch E198FP Analog Flat Panel Display [add $180] Dell 19 inch Widescreen 1908WFP UltraSharp Digital Flat Panel [add $210] Select from 20"-24" Monitors

Optical Drive Single Drive: 16X DVD-ROM Drive [Included in Price] Single Drive: 48x CD Burner/DVD-ROM Combo Drive [add $20] Single Drive: 16X (DVD+/-RW) Burner Drive [add $30] Single Drive: 6x Blu-ray Disc TM (BD) Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)

[add $250] Single Drive: 6x Blu-ray Disc TM (BD) Writer Drive (Writes to BD/DVD/CD) [add

$350]

Hard Drive80GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache [Included in Price] 160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache [add $10]250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache [add $20]320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache [add $60]500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache [add $100]


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750GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache [add $170] 1TB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache [add $300]

Hard Drive Partition 40GB Primary Partition [add $10] 60GB Primary Partition [add $10] 50 Percentage Primary and 50 Percentage Secondary Custom Partition [add $10]

90 Percentage Primary and 10 Percentage Secondary Custom Partition [add $10] 80 Percentage Primary and 20 Percentage Secondary Custom Partition [add $10]

Video Card Integrated Video, Intel GMA X4500HD [Included in Price] 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3450 -supports DVI,HDMI Connections [add $70]

Media Reader No Media Reader [Included in Price] Selection made in Bluetooth section add $0

Dell 19-in-1 Media Card Reader [add $30]

Modem No Modem Option [Included in Price] 56K PCI Data Fax Modem [add $30] Dell 1505 Wireless-N Network PCIe Card [add $79] Data/Fax Modem plus Dell 1505 Wireless-N PCIe Card [add $109]

Interface IEEE 1394a Adapter [add $30]

Sound Card Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio [Included in Price] Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition [add $25]

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