Expert: Bobbert - 7/12/2011

Question
My company may need to replace 1 or 2 computers in the near future. Currently one is in the shop and another is faltering.  We currently have (in office) 10 computers (Including 1 as a backup), networked (various brands). Our work is heavy on excel (using 2003), word, quick-books.  We also use Adobe for our P.D.F.'s.
Our systems are currently working on xp professional. The system on am typing on has a 4 CPU 289 ghz. 279 ghz (?) and 200 gb ram.
What should type of processor, ram and speed would interface best with our older system and programs?  We are looking for a computer that will have some longevity, yet cost is is a major selling issue.

Answer
I'm having trouble understanding exactly what you're after - the specifications you've provided for your current computer are absolutely impossible values for modern equipment (even for most supercomputers). It will be easier for both of us if I know what equipment you have, or at least what Windows believes you to have. Can you open Computer Properties and tell me what it says about your system? To do this, right click on My Computer and select Properties - there will be some licence information that will have your name (or your company's name), and some strings of numbers and letters (I don't need any of that), and some information that will talk about RAM/Memory and the CPU - look for words like "Intel" or "AMD".

Regarding your usage scenario, you shouldn't have any problems with any modern computer running those applications - none of it is exceptionally demanding. Regarding work with "older systems", it also doesn't matter - Windows is fairly universal and the hardware in one machine has no bearing on another machine (you could hook up original Pentium 1 era equipment and it would "play nice"). I would suggest migrating away from Windows XP as you can, as it is considered end-of-life from Microsoft's perspective (so between now and 2014, updates and support will taper off, making it vulnerable to numerous attacks and exploits; additionally, Windows Vista and Windows 7 offer numerous features that may help you with business tasks (like scheduled back-ups and improved search features)). If you want to update your office suite, but don't have the money for the newest version of Office Pro, try OpenOffice.org - it will be fully inter-operable with Office, is free, and generally runs "lighter" than the graphics heavy Office Pro suite. http://www.openoffice.org/

Regarding equipment "faltering", can you elaborate more on this? It may be a very simple fix that you can perform - regarding the system "in the shop", what is wrong (or what are you being told is wrong) with it? Again, it may be a very simple fix (generally nothing on a computer costs more than maybe $100-$150 to entirely replace, especially the type of equipment you're likely using (meaning equipment without specialized hardware for scientific or engineering research)).

If you can get back to me with more information about your current equipment, and perhaps some budget constraints, I'll be able to provide you with more information.

-bob