New computer?

dual screens and appropriate video cards would be a must for me, maybe even three screens... then you can have beerleg up all the time!

I would say one of the top things to look for is dedicated video with no less than 512MB VRAM. I have had newer computers with the latest processors and shared video, but my older systems with dedicated video could run circles around them.

That's a spec you'll want to look for. VRAM = Video RAM = memory dedicated specifically for video tasks. Shared video systems "steal" memory (RAM) from the regular system memory, which affects performance significantly.

My last two computers are home made in the sense that I bought all the parts and had my son the computer tech build and do the setup programming.

I have kept XP Pro software and shop for the motherboards that have the ports I need to connect to my equipment. The first one I built we dropped in the old 3.4mhz P4 and old hard drive (all other parts were new) and it started up without a sputter and has been going fine since last summer.

They are gameing class computers running P4s and more than I need as far as power and speed, so I am in no way stressing what they can do.

Build both for 1k.

Cooling fans will extend the life of your computer. If your mother board is overheating, your computer will crash soon.

If I were going to upgrade, it would be for my personal use and would not expect it to be able to connect to any of my older gadgets with serial ports and some of the usb connections.

Forrest, Carlson Survey 2011 which runs on top of the latest AutoCAD right? I am guessing you haven't been running any recent versions of either program on your 10 year old computer either recently right?

I'm running cs 2007 - stand alone

I brought my computer about a year ago. It handles everything I throw at it, and I paid only $799.00 for it. Here's a pic, I like it because it's a "all in one" and takes up very little space. Specs are: AMD Athlon X2 dual processor @ 1.50 GHZ, 4GB Ram. It's the HP MS 227.

The best investment you can make is a SSD hard drive. Make sure your new computer comes with one. You probably need at least 100GB to serve as your C: drive, where Windows and your software like Carlson will be installed to. Then you can get a large traditional hard drive, 500 GB or however big you want, that will serve as general bulk storage.

I build all of our office workstations and servers myself. It is hard for me to just tell you "get this." If you give me a price point (like no more than $xxx), and a couple of brand names that you trust, I can post you a few web links. If you think you can wait a couple more months, I would do it. Intel is coming out with a new platform right now, and the machines should hit the shelves soon (this was actually delayed by a recall in at the end of January).

The main issue now in 2011 is warranties, and the lack thereof. Everything is 1 year. If I buy all the parts retail and assemble them myself, no only is the computer usually cheaper, but the retail warranties are years longer, and on some parts they are lifetime. That and I can control every little detail.

After playing with this iPad, my next computer will be an apple! Really slick!

Keith:-)

I have read in more then one place that teh SSD HDs are just not ready for operating systems yet. Yes they are blazing fast, but they are really limited as to the number of times that each sector can be written to, which becomes a problem for a windows PC. SSD HDs that are used for operating systems may only last a couple of years - if that before you are going t get large sections of the drive that will become unusable. I want one really bad in my new laptop, but can't risk it for what I will be using it for.

For me, and i3 chip is outdated. Go with at least an i5, and 6 gig of ram.

Carlson 2011 w/iCad really flies on my new PC - and i5 w/8 gig ram, 1gig video ram.

I think the articles you are quoting are outdated man. SSD drives you are buying in 2011 come with wear leveling and spare sectors. Even the most basic articles on a site like Anandtech explains this.

I would recommend at least an i5 processor, 4gb of ram minimum and a dedicated video card of 512mb or more. I buy my machines through Dell Small Business. Dell Small Business (versus regular Dell) provides a better warranty (my laptop came with a 3 year) and better phone support.

I have a Dell small business catalog here somewhere, I did like a few of them.

Two ways to look at it.

#1 Get the best you can afford and you will probably have a PC that will last you for another long spell.

#2 understand that you are going to pay for the latest and greatest and buy a cheap computer every couple years. Even a cheap computer is going to blow the pants off your old PC.

I suggest route #2. Spend your money on a huge flat screen instead.

JRL

If you are shooting for a 10 year life you want a giant hard drive (at least 500Gb) and loads of RAM (8 Gb or more). To take advantage of all that RAM you want 64 bit. And for 64 bit you need Windows 7.

Is there something wrong with Apple computers for survey software application?

Keith

> Is there something wrong with Apple computers for survey software application?

Yes -- very little of it (like almost none) will run natively on a Mac. You may be able to run it via emulator (virtual machine), but why pay for a Mac if you're just going to trick it into running Windows?

Do you have problems with trying to install and authenticate Windows when you upgrade the hardware? I've heard it will refuse if you change too much, forcing you to negotiate with MS to get authorization.

If you have an authentic version of your software licensed in your name as I do for XP PRO, MS has to allow you to load a version of it on your new machine even if it comes from another source, like a download or other disk than what you originally received.

In most cases, a disk will deteriorate and will become corrupted thru improper storage or just simply age.

My son recommended to use the downloaded file as it would contain the latest version with corrections that were not available on your actual disk. Then use the MS site to check for updates to be installed.

My son contacted MS and in a short phone conversation of revealing the ID number of my licensed software it was authenticated immediately. I have been able to install it on several replacement.

They will not let you make an install on too many computers within a short amount of time, like 10 different computers in one day. I think the limit may be 3± of your personal computers, for example your desktop, your laptop and another or so for those in your household.

I'd buy whatever brand gives you immediate, local support. I had a couple times when it was great to be able to grab my computer and, in two hours, have it back on my desk working.
Listen to their advise as to what you need. If you have a trusting relationship, they won't try to sell you something you don't need.
In my case I ended up with a Lenovo Thnkpad T410. It has Windows 7- 32 bit and i5 processor that will run over 3 gigahertz. I use 2008 Civil 3D with Carlson Civil Suite 2011 over the top. It has 500g hard drive. I use three external back-up hard drives always connected. I find it a great way to go.