Pupils need own computers

Shepherd Chimururi Cool Lifestyle Correspondent—

The introduction of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) oriented new curriculum makes it takes a necessity not a luxury for every pupil to have a computer.Education is becoming more paperless as e-notes and video tutorials are proving to be money savers in day-to-day learning.

The task of buying a personal computer can bring both anguish and financial loss if not handled carefully.

There are several factors you have to consider when buying a machine whether it is from a shop from the streets or at the auction.

First and foremost what matters most is not the price but efficiency of the machine vis-a-vis the type of work you want to use it for. Laptops and tablets offer tremendous versatility, but desktops are both affordable and strong.

One of the core questions every student should ask when purchasing a computer is does it have the processing power, speed, storage capacity and other add ons adequate for your current and future needs?

Here are the basics to consider when purchasing a desktop for your studies.

Brand name is no longer important these days as all brands now have different versions which have different life spans. Perhaps what you have to look at is whether the brand you want to buy has locally availability of spare parts in case of breakdown. Popular brands that have stood the test of time in the Zimbabwean technological terrain include HP, Dell, Lenovo, Compaq and Acer. You would not want a situation whereby you order parts from China or United Kingdom. Buying old versions which still use ps2 and ID system can be cheap in the short term but very expensive in the long term as they are no longer compliant with latest operating systems like windows 7, 8 and 10 and other programmes and gadgets. Refuse to be a dumping ground!

Consider the amount of storage space you need. The size of your hard drive determines what programs you can install, how many files you can store. 300 gigabytes should be adequate for most students. If you store many images or large presentations or like to use your computer for music, videos, games adding additional storage will be critical.

The speed of the computer also comes into play. Working with a yawning slow computer pisses off. Take into account the speed of a processor as it determines how fast a computer is able to complete operations such as loading programmes, processing data or booting up. Processors have two chief components to consider. The first is random access memory (RAM), which dictates how much space processors have to work with when trying to multi-task. Two gigabytes of RAM is a good minimum. The speed of the processor itself is also important. Look for models with at least a dual-core processor. Go for a quad-core processor if you are doing intensive graphical work such as graphic designing, video editing, and photo editing.

Those with fat pockets can go for core i3, core i5, and beastly core i7. These CPUs offer the best performance when it comes to multitasking and multimedia tasks.

For those of you who want to access internet via WiFi make sure the machine has a built in networking card. Most desktops do not have and this means more money. Also look for Bluetooth compliant machine that can be used for sending or receiving data. It is also handy for connecting to wireless mice and keyboards. Presence of a DVD is necessary as you will come across the need to copy or burn data on DVDs. A CD ROM is a non-starter.

I advise you to get a machine with more than four USB ports. This is for obvious reasons such as plugging in an external hard drive, connecting printer, flash, internet dongle, speakers or when you want to plug in a conventional mouse or a keyboard. IDM port is critical element you have to consider as it facilitates delivery of quality videos.

When buying a laptop one thing to consider is battery life.

Manufacturer-quoted battery life is often not indicative of what a laptop can do since there are many variables that affect battery life. These are the screen brightness, the screen resolution, and the tasks that you run. If you run programmes that need lots of processing, or if you stream lots of online video, or if you transfer lots of files over your wireless network, then your battery will drain a lot sooner.

Do not buy blindly. Make sure you consult multiple computer technicians on the best machine. If you do not know any one look for ICT whatsapp groups where information is shared freely. Never rely on the sole recommendations of the seller. Do test it yourself.

Here are some street wise ways of testing a machine. When you want to test battery life you can play music or a video then click on the battery icon at the task bar it will show you battery percentage and the remaining time. Do not buy a laptop that is demonstrated to you while connected to power.

Most people are hoodwinked by shining stickers on a machine. Appearance can be deceiving. Most guys who sell computers put new cases or they polish such that they look really new yet inside it is useless. Some fall for such tech language like P4, i3, i5 etc.

Check the specs. Make sure you shut down the machine and restart it and see the speed of booting and how it enters windows so that you can detect bad sectors. Furthermore, you have to check the capacity of the hard drive by clicking on the windows button at the left side of the task bar the will see the capacity on ‘C’ and ‘D’ drive.

Then you need to do test the hard drive by clicking on the device manager.

When you want to check the speeds of the processor and RAM you click on the window start button and click on “computer” the right click on the blank space the click on “properties” it will reveal the specifications being used by the machine. Buying a computer at the auction is a big risk as they sell as it is. You will only know of any defects when you are at home. Remember auctions do not accept returns or refunds.

Lastly, please buy from reputable shops where you get a receipt. Licensed dealers have warranties or guarantees from the manufacturer. It is not further from the truth to say most computers in the streets especially laptops are stolen gadgets and the law will not be lenient on you. You will go down with the person you bought from. Fact: ignorance is no defence.

Shepherd Chimururi Executive Director — Dzidzo Inhaka Audio Visual Learning; Mobile: +263 772 608 276 Tel: 04 749 302; [email protected]; www.dzidzoinhaka.co.zw