BE PREPARED BEFORE BUYING SOFTWARE

BE PREPARED BEFORE BUYING SOFTWARE
BY: CHRISTOPHER CURTIS
before you go to the store to buy software write
down your
COMPUTERS SPECIFICATIONS. YOU'LL NEED THE TYPE
and speed
of the processor. how much ram your computer
HAS. WHAT
kind of video card? how much disk space is
available?
USUALLY, THESE THINGS ARE EASY TO FIND ON YOUR
computer.

ON WINDOWS YOU CAN NAVIGATE TO "PROGRAMS
>accessories >system tools." then click on
"system information" and you should see a
SUMMARY CONTAINING YOUR COMPUTERS OPERATING
system, processor, and memory information. next
click on the plus sign to expand the
"COMPONENTS" CATEGORY. THERE UNDER "DISPLAY" YOU
will find your computers video card
specifications. you may also need to know what
KIND OF SOUND CARD IS INSTALLED. SELECT "SOUND
device" to see the name and manufacturer of this
device. under "storage" you can select drives to
CHECK HOW MUCH AVAILABLE DISK SPACE YOU HAVE.
this will be labeled "free space." other
information you may need, depending on the type
OF PROGRAM, ARE NETWORK
and modem specs.

ONCE YOU HAVE SELECTED A PIECE OF SOFTWARE MAKE
sure that it
is compatible with your computer. most software
PROGRAMS
come on cds now and will include their minimum
requirements
SOMEWHERE ON THE PACKAGING. THEY MAY REQUIRE
that you
have a special video card or adapter. it may
REQUIRE THAT YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR TYPE OF
processor, so make sure that your computers
processor is equal or better. make sure you have
ENOUGH RAM TO RUN THE PROGRAM. USUALLY, THEY
will give a minimum and a recommended amount,
but i have always
FOUND THAT IT IS BEST TO GO WITH THE RECOMMENDED
amount.

ANOTHER THING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IS PRICING.
sometimes you can save a lot of money by
purchasing an earlier version
OF A PARTICULAR PIECE OF SOFTWARE. JUST MAKE
sure that it has all the features that you want
and that it is compatible
WITH YOUR COMPUTER. THE BEST PLACE TO LOOK IS ON
the internet. you can compare pricing without
having to run all over town. go to your favorite
SEARCH SITE, AND SEARCH FOR THE SOFTWARE THAT
you are looking for. sometimes you can buy
online for less, but make sure you check the
SHIPPING COSTS.

about the author:
CHRIS CURTIS IS THE OWNER OF C-DOUBLE WEB
development and
has been doing web design and development since
1997.
he began offering affordable web hosting and
design in 1999
WHEN HE STARTED HIS OWN BUSINESS.
http://www.c-double.com [2]

circulated by article emporium [3]
------------------------------------------------