What Type of Desktop Computer User are You?
What Type of Desktop Computer User are You?
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Written by Jason P. Hartz   

Although more and more computer users opt for the mobility of laptops, palm tops, and pocket PC’s, no one can deny the advantage we get from our good old desktop computers. What is good about desktop computers is the fact that it is easier to configure, upgrade, and expand depending on our computing needs. In purchasing the perfect desktop computer, we must consider the type of computer user we are.

Standard Users. Most home desktop computers are used to ease a user’s everyday task from Internet shopping to messaging to word processing. This type of user does not need applications and utilities that can use up a lot of disk space and memory. Any Intel or AMD processor available in the market today will do for a standard user. Since memory and hard disk are not a problem, a 256MB memory usually does the job perfectly and a minimum of 40GB hard disk will suffice.

Business Users. For some people, the convenience of desktop computers does not stop at home. Business professionals use a trusty desktop PC to conduct regular contacts with clients. A spacious hard drive is needed to store important documents and files for future use and a reliable remote storage capability for large volumes of data is a necessity. Business users, therefore, needs a mid-range processor, with at least 800 MHz speed. At least 80 GB of hard drive is needed to install word processing, and database management applications as well as to store huge volumes of files. A CD-RW or DVD-RW adds additional and back up storage for important data.

Creative/Multimedia Users. This type of computer user can be considered as a computer power user as creative endeavors would require a high end processor for a reliable interface (meaning at least Intel Pentium IV or AMD Athlon), 1GB of memory for efficiency, 200GB or more hard drive for storage of large multimedia files, and at least 17 inch LCD monitor for the viewing experience. Creative users need the beauty of technology to create art.

Family Users. Most desktop computers at home have to be versatile enough to suit the needs of each family member. It means that the hard drive should at least store a minimum of 120 GB so that Dad can take home office work, Mom can perform home video editing, Johnny can get the best gaming experience and Cindy can regularly update her blog. Such usage also requires at least an Intel Pentium IV or AMD Athlon, 512MB memory, 128MB video card, and a DVD-RW.

Student Users. Notebooks still suit best for a student user because of being handy and stylish. But with the drastically increasing cost of college education, most parents would opt to get their precious children a desktop computer in their home away from home. A typical student user only needs the features of a standard computer to perform word processing, messaging and research needs. Actually, the need of a student user still varies on her course of study. If you are a student of art, you may need to get a computer that suits your multimedia needs. If you need extensive research and presentation, your computer should be set up that way. The most important thing about a student’s computer is the reliability of the parts. A student’s worst nightmare is when the computer suddenly crash and you have a presentation due tomorrow morning. A mid-range best performing processor, at least 512MB of memory and 80GB of hard disk will do fine.

Now that you know the type of computer user you are, you probably have an idea on what to look for in your desktop computer. The next thing you have to consider is the reliability of the brand you are going to purchase and of course, the affordability of the price. Just remember that you don’t have to settle for less, if your needs require more.