College Graduates, Unemployment, and the Opportunity Cost Comparison

Eric Sherman
Intro to Info Proc
Computer Concepts Assignment

While I have many needs for a computer, I think there are a few things that I would need in a computer if I were to shop for one today. First, I would need the Home premium version of Microsoft Windows 7, so that I can use Windows Media center to play music and watch videos and stream Netflix through my computer. Another important item I would have to have is Microsoft office 2010. I would of course need this for typing papers for school and completing homework assignments for this class, I would just need the standard version. For leisure, I like to use the computer to play video games and record music. So I would like a computer with a good video card, and enough RAM to support recording programs with linear and non linear editing programs (AcidFX, Cool Edit, etc.) It would also have to come with Norton Antivirus so that I can help protect my files while using the computer. I would also like a good sized flat screen monitor, a printer and basic speakers. I set a budget of $1,200 for my new PC, but less would be preferred. In order to run Windows 7, I would need a processor with at least 1 gigahertz (GHz), but preferably much faster than that. I would need at least 1 gigabyte RAM for the 32-bit version, or 2 gigabytes for the 64-bit version. The hard disk space I would need would 16 GB for 32-bit or 20 GB for the 64-bit. The last requirement to run Windows 7 would be a DirectX 9 Graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver (Microsoft, 2012). I ran a dxdiag, on my home computer to figure out how much video memory I would need to run the video games that I play, and it says I use about 4148MB, I figured a Gigabyte would be a nice round number. As far as the processor goes, I’ve had good experience with Intel Core and AMD phenom (quad core), so I would like for my new computer to have either one of those. I3 does not have the GHz I need so I would need an I5 processor or higher, and AMD I would need AMD phenom X4 processor. I used the website http://www.newegg.com and http://www.google.com/shopping for all of the pricing. After comparing 3 different computers, I decided to go with the second option, the iBUYPOWER Gamer Power PC. Not only was this the best price, it provided me with the fastest processor of all 3 computers that were compared. Now with buying this computer, I had to look at different accessories to meet my requirements. The monitor is very important accessory to a computer, and found that with this PC, I could buy a bigger monitor then the ones that came in the other 2. I did have to get my own Anti-Virus software, Firewall, and Speakers for this PC. In the end it is almost $200 dollars less expensive than the other 2 choices, my performance is higher, and my monitor is bigger. One thing with this computer that I had to do without is the reputation. I would have felt like I had a more reliable PC if I went with Asus or Sony. I would also have to do without the touch screen feature on the Sony, but from a “business” standpoint, I feel like I made the right decision.