People often wonder what they need to keep in mind when purchasing a new computer. Click here to see 10 tips for buying a new computer that should help point you in the right direction.

CRT and Flat Panel LCD monitors do essentially the same thing, display the video output for your computer. LCD monitors are newer to the consumer market, so you will pay a bit more for them. Also, as LCD technology is newer, they currently cannot display as high of resolutions as CRT monitors can. Some of the advantages of LCD monitors are that they produce much less heat than CRT monitors, as well as they are lighter and take up less space. CRT monitors are nice for a shop environment because they have glass screens and are easier to clean/more durable than LCD monitors.

DVDs are becoming an important part of any computer system. Today, some PartSmart databases are now being distributed on DVD. Many software products are distributed via DVD as well. A DVD can hold as much information as 7 CDs! Adding a DVD drive to your system is not required for PartSmart, but may be required to load certain databases in the future. A DVD drive will become a valuable addition to your system.

"Memory" usually refers to RAM (Random Access Memory). This is high speed solid-state memory that your computer uses to run programs. When you turn the computer off, any information stored in RAM is lost. There is currently quite a wide selection of memory speeds and connector types on the market today. Usually the people you are ordering your computer from will be able to tell you what type of memory will work best with the motherboard (The big circuit board you plug the processor, memory, and peripherals into.) and processor you have chosen.

Processing speed is usually referred to in GHz (Gigahertz). Generally, the top two or three processor speeds will cost the most, with quite a sizeable price break below that. If you choose the processor that is at the top of the price break, you will generally get a processor that is the best value for the dollar.

No. ARI recommends against using XP Home Edition with PartSmart in a business environment. Certain functions which are needed to properly run PartSmart are not available on XP Home Edition. XP Home Edition also severely limits the network component of Windows, which makes running PartSmart over a network virtually impossible.

ARI, like most citizens of the Internet, certainly recommends that you use virus protection software. This software can prevent you from catching many of the viruses and worms on the Internet. It also helps stop the spread of these threats. It is important to keep your virus definitions up to date when running anti-virus software, as new threats are discovered daily.

We do, however, recommend that you temporarily disable your virus protection software when installing our software. Failure to do this can cause the install to take an incredibly long time as the software will attempt to inspect all of the data being copied from the cd-rom to your hard drive. Once the install is complete, re-enable your virus protection.

There are a few virus protection utilities that ARI recommends:
Norton Anti-Virus: http://www.symantec.com/smallbiz/nav/
McAfee: http://www.mcafee.com/us/default.asp
Grisoft AVG: http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php

A firewall provides varying levels of security between your computer or local network and the Internet. There are firewall solutions that are a simple program that runs on one computer to complete stand-alone hardware solutions that protect entire networks.

The solution you choose will depend on the setup of your network. If you have 1 computer directly connected to the Internet, a software firewall will probably be adequate. If you have a network connected to the Internet, you will probably already be running a router that has a firewall built in. We at ARI certainly recommend some sort of firewall, as it will protect you from unauthorized access to your network and computers.

The best answer depends on why you want to change your system. If you are looking to upgrade or replace a failed component, then repair might be the right choice for you. However, in modern systems, components are often interdependent. Either know what you are doing or seek expert advice to replace a component.

If it's more than a component that you want to replace, we highly recommend that you purchase a complete system from a reputable vendor. Technology improves rapidly these days, and new systems typically use components that work best with each other. See our section on buying a new computer for more advice.

For dealers, three years is a good rule of thumb. Larger companies often replace their employee workstations every two years, and some individuals keep their computers in use until they no longer function at all.

As you replace your PC, make certain that you also update your Operating System (e.g., Windows®) and the applications that you run on your PC. That way, you'll get maximum use out of your system with a minimum of time spent maintaining it.