by Lowell Frederick

Created on: June 29, 2008

Computers have become as important as textbooks to students. The kind of computer you purchase depends on your area of study. If you have to give graphic intense presentations a certain type of computer will be best. For creation and storage of text documents another type of computer will suffice. You must take in to consideration the space you have available to set up a computer whether it is a dorm room or apartment. In addition, a computer must fall within the limits of your budget.

First let us look at graphic intense applications. If your area of study requires slide show presentations frequently, it is wise to make memory (RAM) and video cards the priority. Graphics such as pictures take up great amounts of memory. I recommend at least 1 GB (gigabyte) of RAM. Furthermore, a gaming video card will provide the proper requirements to make your presentations run smoothly. Hard disk space is not a priority when using a computer for presentations. If your budget is tight, a smaller hard drive will help keep you within your spending limits. A 40 GB hard drive will house quite a few presentations.

If your primary use of a computer is to create and update databases or text articles, the most important area of concern is software and compatibility. Finding the proper suite of software applications that allow you to do all facets of data basing and word processing will keep you within budget. In addition, you must take in to consideration popular software applications so you can move from computer to computer with very little problems. Memory and disk space can be limited to fit the budget nicely.

There are features and components that every computer should have. USB ports are very important to the college student. A printer, mouse, and memory stick are examples of peripherals that use USB ports. On the contrary serial or parallel ports which require more in depth methods of physically connecting and disconnecting components are troublesome and time consuming. Internal wireless network cards are a necessity as most campuses offer high speed wireless connections. In addition, high speed connection ports should be standard to provide the option of connecting wirelessly or through a category five cable. Internet capable computers are a must for the student of today. The World Wide Web provides massive opportunities for research.

Another major consideration when deciding on a computer for the student is the operating system. There are primarily two choices for an operating

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