Buying your Hardware or Battlestation

Hey,

Update in progress

lately i see alot of threads about buying a new desktop/server/notebook. Now i just wanted to make a small thread to help in the IT-jungle and show my opinions about hardware.

What do you want to buy, ask yourself this question alot and i mean alot! This decision is basically the basis of which choose you make for a device.

Notebook

If you are buyin a notebook ask yourself this questions:
- What do i need it for?
- Do i need a certain Operating System on it? (Windows, Linux, Mac Os X)
- How good are my IT-Skills? ( Do you like to repair your hardware on your own?)

What do i need it for?

A Notebook is for mobility and fastness, you cant play games really good on the average notebook, but you can let your software run and IM.

Never ever think about buying a Notebook for playing and IM, you will overpay and of course you will not be happy if something doesnt work right or something is defective.

There are also differen types of notebooks.

Now to to show you how they differ from each other and what the pro's and cons of each are.


Handheld / PDA
This are litterly nothing else than a smartphone with out phoning, with todays smartphone you might better think about getting a smartphone if you need something to manage your termins and webmailing.

PDA often use very simply technology and offer Office Applications.

Pros:
- Simple
- Small
- Ultra Protable

Contras:
- Smartphones can do the same job
example:


Tablet
The new computers on the market.

Simple a board has a computer inside.

Pros:
- Great for presentation
- Reading
- Impression of a smart person (except if you try to call someone without a head-phone because it makes you look like you are tring to talk to cut-board)
- Big Display

Contras:
- Expensive (Quality ware of course)

example:

Netbook
Small notebook with less power, but still more than a PDA or a Tablet

Pros:
- Cheap
- Portable
- Often you can change the operating system

Contras:
- Not that lot of power compared to a desktop or a netbook
- Might be hard to write, if you have big hands

example:


Notebook
Average Normal portable computer for IM and Office usage.

You can use a notebook for nearrly everything, but here are some thing you dont should consider to do if you buy a notebook.
- Playing Egoshooters
- homefolding
- Graphic Rendering
- Bruteforcing

Pros:
- Portable Computer (come on what did you expect)
- A lot more power than a netbook
- Great for giving presentations with a beamer

Contras:
- Still not as much power as a desktop
- Repair is a pain and sometimes nearrly impossible
- If repair is out of talking get ready to pay a new one
- Expensive

example:

Desknote

Simply overlook these devieces, imho opinion whenever you think about paying for a notebook that much money you could most likely buy a netbook, a notebook and desktop (Not highend) and still do alot more than just with your 1 pc.

But if you really want to spend the dime go for a professional company like IBM or Apple.

Pros:
- A little more power than a notebook
- Still portable
- Most have docking feature

Contras:
- Expensive
- Still not as flexible as a desktop
- Repair

If you need any help with your configuration please leave a comment and i will try to help you to get a good configuration.

The question (Which Operating System is right? )


This highly depends in which audience you are in.

- The user
If you just want to use the computer without anyproblems and you are not in need for any operating systems (beware of what seo-tools your operating systems runs) go with mac os, to put it simple, this is the easiest operating system out there, it doesnt get easier than that.

If you have some dependicies => os you need to run your programs.

- Admin
Whatever you feel comfertable with, most of admins learnt multple operating systems to begin with.
Also if you are a admin there is a high chance you arent really reading this thread to begin with.

- Dev
If you need to devolep some programs for a plattform, better get used to it, it wont get better, but you always can be sure it will get harder.
Swallow your pride and go trough it. (You might understand that after try to build a hackintosh for a plattform which never was tried before and installing the operating system multiple times, till late at night and then get screwed by a bios update).

- Explorer
Try linux if you have the chance, and try wine on linux too, it's a great tool to use windows programs under linux, but it's never as great as a windows. If you srsly dont know what you are doing, try first with something as Ubuntu, it's easy usefriendly and has a great community.

Glossary:
OS - short for operating system (Windows, Mac Os X, Linux, unix)