
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, August 23, 1993                   TAG: 9308210047
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By LARRY BLASKO ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

A PC GOES WELL WITH THE 3 R'S

That stirring breeze isn't the advent of autumn, it's the collective sigh of relief as frazzled parents bundle bored kids back to school.

But going back to school can be an expensive proposition, particularly if you're convinced your child won't do well without a computer. So right up front: if your kid isn't doing well, and you truly believe it's because he or she doesn't have a computer, the real problem is the intellect the child inherited.

That said, here's the prescription for a machine that should last at least five years. Note that there will undoubtedly be faster-better-cheaper PCs developed, but this one should get you through in fine shape.

CPU: Anything in the Intel 486 line that hums at 33 megahertz or better (66 is the current top speed, but the pricing reflects that).

MONITOR AND VIDEO CARD: SVGA (Super VGA) non-interlaced color monitor with at least 512 kilobytes of video memory on the card. One megabyte of video memory is nicer. Many applications, particularly Windows, demand a superior monitor to be appreciated at their best.

SYSTEM MEMORY: At least eight megabytes with at least 64 kilobytes of cache memory. Memory is the work area for the computer. More work area is better. Cache memory is used to speed up some operations. More is better.

DRIVES: At least 200 megabytes for the main hard drive. Software, including MS-DOS 6.0, can double that space by compression, but you can never have too much hard drive capacity. Pay attention to average access time, expressed in milliseconds. Lower is better. Don't buy anything over 19. You'll also want a 3.5-inch floppy drive. Most software today is distributed in both 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch formats, but the time is coming when 5.25-inch floppies will look like 45-rpm records.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: A sound card that handles 16-bit sound and stereo, preferably with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) capabilities. An MPC-compliant CD-ROM drive. (MPC is a marketing organization that sets compatibility and performance standards for multimedia PC products.) Lots and lots of software demands a sound card and CD-ROM publishing because the PC is exploding with everything from reference works to entertainment.

WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE DEAL: Microsoft MS-DOS 6.0, Windows 3.1, a mouse, 124-key keyboard, one-year warranty, system manuals. Many vendors include a package like Microsoft Works, which bundles word-processor, spreadsheet, database and telecommunications. The system should be assembled, tested and delivered with the software loaded and at least four 16-bit expansion slots free.

PRICE: Somewhere between $1,500 and $3,000, depending upon what you ordered and where. Mail-order is generally, not always, cheaper than retail. If you're thinking mail-order, get an issue of Computer Shopper magazine and read the ads. If you're thinking retail, check the ads in your newspaper and visit the stores.

by CNB