How Many Computers Do I Need?
ItÆs 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the phone rings and
a
distraught voice says, "My computer is broken. I canÆt
open
any of my work files. I need a technician first thing
in the
morning. IÆm due at the bank at 11 a.m."
Fact or fiction? ItÆs a real call I received when
working as
a tech support person for one of the worldÆs biggest
computer companies.
The caller ran her own business from home and the
computer
wasnÆt just used for business accounting and typing.
She
actually ran a desktop publishing business!!!! LetÆs
not get
started on the fact that she hadnÆt backed up her work
or
that she had allowed her children to play games on the
computer that was the cause of the computer failing to
work.
Fact was that a computer technician was not going to
be with
her first thing in the morning and tech support did
not
cover data recovery (always read the service
agreement).
When do I need a second computer?
Where is this story leading us? Straight in to the
idea that
more than one computer can be a lifesaver. There are
plenty
of situations where a second computer makes sense. How
about
when:
1. Children want to use the computer.
2. You use a computer for critical business work.
3. Business computing on the road.
4. Downloading information from the Internet.
5. Trying new programs and applications.
6. College or education assignments.
Children are to computers what Mt Vesuvius was to
Pompeii.
They can get anything working without the need for a
manual
but they have no concept of the havoc they can conjure
up.
If you use a computer for any important task whether
its
business, education or the family photos have two
computers
one of which children are band from. At the end of my
conversation with the business lady I explained that
my sons
are both banned from my work computer. She called me
an
Ogre, I explained that my computer was working and had
been
without problem for the last 18 months.
New or Used?
Do you need an expensive second computer? Probably not
unless your work involves music or graphic files.
Computer
dealers always want you to buy the new state of the
art mega
computer with warp drive that just happens to be the
most
expensive. At the college where I work most of the
networked
computers are Pentium III and IÆm writing this on a
Pentium
II. If you have an old computer get it out of the
attic,
dust it off and load up the operating system. You now
have a
second computer for no cost.
All you need to complete the perfect picture is to
load just
the basic programs you need. On this computer (running
Windows 98) I have MS Office 2000 (Word and Excel
only), MS
FrontPage, Adobe Acrobat, Paint Shop Pro and my Epson
printer utilities. Stable? You bet, the computers been
working fine for over 12 months and gets used every
day.
DonÆt have an old computer hanging around in the
basement?
No problem. The solution is going to be a little more
expensive but should not cost the earth. The most
important
thing to remember is that you probably donÆt need a
top of
the line computer.
Try friends, garage sales, classified ads or used
computer
stores. You should be able to pick up a good Pentium
II or
III. But be careful check the price of a new basic
computer
with slightly older technology. Some people think that
the
computer they paid $1,500 for two years ago is still
worth
the same amount.
Finding Space.
Is finding space for an extra keyboard, mouse and
monitor an
issue? The solution is simple and should not cost more
than
$40-$60. What you need is a KVM switch and cables from
any
good computer store. This will allow you to use just
one
mouse, keyboard and monitor to control two or more
computers
One final note. Having a hundred computers is no use
unless
you -
BACK UP ALL OF YOUR CRITICAL FILES.
About the Author:
Robert has successfully survived 20 years in business
and
now enthusiastically embraces the internet as a tool
for all
entrepreneurs. Through his No-Bull newsletters he aims
to
cut through the hype and help you find the benefits
contained within the internet. Find out more at
www.netbusinesscollege.com.
=====
Robert Cox
www.netBusinessCollege.com
www.science-fair-guide.com
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