Processors have gotten more complicated over the past few years, and so has RAM--random access memory, which Steve defines as akin to a scratchpad for your computer. It's where the machine stores data it needs right away, including sizable chunks of all the programs it's running. As programs get bigger and you keep more of them open at once, RAM clogs up and performance slows to a crawl--or, in serious cases, the machine chokes entirely.
There are all kinds of RAM to be had, but don't worry about that--the type of RAM you get is far less important than how much you get. And skimping on RAM, notes Steve, is one of the less-acceptable ways in which low-end devices cut costs--some bargain-basement machines offer only 256MB of RAM, which just won't support modern software needs. The Duo recommend getting not less than 512MB of RAM (and gamers, graphics folk or serious multitaskers can plan to double or quadruple that). The upside is that increasing RAM is a great way to get terrific performance improvements for not much money.
And then there's the hard drive, the place you're most likely to store your stuff. (There are lots of additional storage options, but the Duo will get to those in a future show. Tiki heads and sushi will be involved. Check back.) The bargain-basement desktop computer will probably come with an 80GB drive, while the cheapest notebook may have just 30GB of storage. That may sound like a lot of space, but if you start editing video projects, storing your photos, or developing a big collection of music, you may well run out of room.
This is one place where desktops have an edge over notebooks. They have more room inside, so they can hold larger hard drives, which are generally faster. And the bigger desktops often have room inside--an extra bay--for another drive or two if your first one turns out to be too small. But today there's a relatively small penalty for starting out with a hard drive that's too small or a computer (such as a laptop) that can't accommodate a second internal drive, since it's simple to add a hard drive not just on the inside of the box but also on the outside. For that, you can thank recent developments in port, or I/O, technology.
One of the great improvements in computers over the last few years is the speed at which they connect to the outside world--not just to the Internet, but to the assortment of gadgets sitting on the desk. The first really fast port was ethernet, which gives you high-speed networking. Not all that long ago, it was an extra-cost option; today it's on just about any machine you're likely to find. (And yes, even though ethernet can hook up your computer to a variety of nifty stuff such as printers, you want it for your Net connection--in fact, demand for Net connectivity is what took ethernet into the mainstream.)
The next fast port to come down the pike was Apple Computer's FireWire, also known as I.Link and IEEE 1394. Today you'll want FireWire primarily to plug in a digital camcorder or certain external hard drives. And then there's USB 2.0, which is becoming ubiquitous--even Apple includes USB 2.0 on its computers.
USB, however, wasn't exactly a world-beater in its earlier 1.1 incarnation. The 2.0 version looks exactly like the original USB port, but it's 20 times faster--quick enough to make it great for devices like digital cameras, hard drives, thumb drives, and some camcorders, all of which can move lots and lots of data in a hurry. Fortunately, USB 2.0 is compatible with older, slower, first-generation USB devices, though Windows XP will put up an annoying message hinting otherwise when you plug one in.
Steve suggests that not only should you think about which ports you're getting, in the case of FireWire and USB it's good to consider where on the machine those ports are located. Unlike, say, your power cable or the monitor cords, you're apt to plug in and unplug certain USB and FireWire devices frequently. If they're on the back of the machine, you're going to find yourself contorting to get at those drives--and vastly annoyed when you bump other cables out of their sockets in the process.
New machines also feature slots for memory cards from digital cameras, camcorders, or phones. Those give you a handy way of transferring data between handheld devices and the computer without stringing a cable. And most notebooks still include PC Card slots, which let you add upgrades like cards for hooking into the cell phone network (again, for Net-surfing purposes).
