By JONATHAN BLUNDELL
Daily Light staff writer
There’s always a fear when purchasing new computers or technology that the product will be out of date before you get home.
But new online software, released yesterday by GoldenRam, hopes to take the worry and fear out of upgrading your PC.
The online ActiveX software, UpgradeDetect, will perform a detailed inspection of a computer system, analyzing more than 3,000 pieces of data down to the chip level. After analyzing your system the software will compile a complete report, listing suggested upgrades and including exact part numbers from which to choose.
Users are now one click away from a detailed list of possible upgrades for their PC compatible machines.
“The dirty secret of the computer industry is that corporate profits are based on users believing that the ‘state-of-the-art’ computer sold to them a few years ago is now outdated and worthless,†Betsy Scherzer, a spokesman for GoldenRam, said. “It is a selling cycle called ‘planned obsolescence’ and while it is keeping computer manufacturers happy, it sends mixed and often erroneous signals to consumers. For most PC users, their current system is more than adequate when properly configured. Furthermore, the cost difference between upgrading an existing system and buying a new one is substantial.â€
The software works fine on a Windows XP machine, but tests in the office look like Mac users, including users of new systems with Intel processors, are out of luck. With the list, users can simply click-to-buy upgrades of preference and purchase add-ons like warranty protection, phone support and on-site installation.
With my Toshiba Satellite Laptop, UpgradeDetect recommended a RAM upgrade from my current 512 MB to 1 GB as well as internal and external hard drive upgrades.
The prices are about average for most of the parts bought online, but bargain shoppers can simply take the information and do a quick search on Froogle.com to search for the best deals — of course then you lose the assurance that you’re buying the correct part for your machine.
The site works great if you know what hardware requirements you need but for the computer novice, the options may get a bit confusing.
There’s nothing to tell you what your best options for upgrading are.
You’ll need at least a basic understanding of computer hardware to use the site to its fullest potential.
With Microsoft’s new operating system Windows Vista expected to be released early next year, many system owners will be looking to make major upgrades to run the graphic heavy OS, but while running the software for my laptop, no options were given for possible graphic card upgrades.
Currently Microsoft is recommending a PC with a minimum processor running at least 800MHz, 512 MB of system memory and a graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.
Many industry insiders are suggesting that users double those requirements to run the OS properly.
For a premium system, Microsoft recommends a 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor, 1 GB of system memory, a graphics processor that runs Windows Aero, 128 MB of graphics memory, a 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space, DVD-ROM Drive, audio output capability and Internet access capability.
A DirectX 9 class graphics processor that supports a WDDM Driver, Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware, 32 bits per pixel and at least 64 MB of graphics memory is recommended to run Windows Aero, the high-end graphics portion of Windows Vista properly.
Users getting ready for Windows Vista will be best served using the UpgradeDirect site in conjunction with Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, available at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/
getready/upgradeadvisor/default.mspx. Otherwise, with a basic understanding of computer hardware and knowledge of basic system requirements for certain tasks, UpgradeDirect can become a highly useful tool.
To access the free software or for more information, visit UpgradeDirect.com. Jonathan Blundell is a staff writer with the Waxahachie Daily Light. He may be reached by e-mail at j.blundell (at) waxahachiedailylight (dot) com
