Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Joe Malin]

I agree that two monitors is very useful for structured FM. 


 Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
jmalin at tuvox.com 
www.tuvox.com
The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.

-Original Message-
From: framers-bounces+jmalin=tuvox@lists.frameusers.com
[mailto:framers-bounces+jmalin=tuvox.com at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf
Of Mike Wickham
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 5:46 AM
To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: Re: Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

>Also: Two screens are almost a necessity. They will soon enough save a 
>lot of time. Especially when using Structured FM.

Two screens are great. I bought a dual-head Matrox card after many
recommended that brand. One problem I ran into, though, is that Windows
XP doesn't natively support assigning separate profiles to two monitors
attached to the same graphics card. It assigns the default profile to
both-- not exactly good for a color management workflow.  Two separate
cards might be a better choice.

Re: Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Bodvar Bjorgvinsson]

All very good suggestions. One thing comes into mind though. I have a
very good experience with Dual Processor PC. Comes in handy when
PDF-ing large documents. It will only clog one processor, so you have
the other free for doing other stuff in the meantime.

Also: Two screens are almost a necessity. They will soon enough save a
lot of time. Especially when using Structured FM.

My gear is:

Dell Precision 450 with a CD-reader and a CD/DVD-writer, and 2 HDs,
dual screen graphics card.
Epson Perfection 3170 Photo scanner
DELL Trinitron 21 screen
DELL 17 LCD screen.

All at least 2 years old but working perfectly. So anything on this
level and better is good.

HTH

Bodvar



On 3/9/06, Art Campbell [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 I'd go for as fast a processor as fits in the budget, 1M RAM minimum,
 2+ recommended (I can't run FM and PS reliably and simultaneously
 without it). Also, two hard drives, one for the OS and applications
 and the second for data and the PS scratch disk (per Adobe's
 recommendation). Most all the video cards on the market will provide
 more than enough processing power for anything you'd do; my only
 requirement there would be dual monitor support (and, naturally, dual
 monitors).

 Art



 On 3/9/06, Rita Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
  I haven't been keeping up with the list lately, so forgive me if this
  topic has been discussed recently. (I know it has been discussed
  periodically in the past, but I assume that standards have changed some
  since then.)
 
  I work as a contractor at a government site, and we've been asked to
  submit a wish list for upgrading our computers. Does anyone have any
  advice on the current minimum standards in DTP for RAM, disk space,
  graphics card, video card, processor, etc.? I have Windows XP and, in
  addition to FrameMaker and various plugins, the major programs I use are
  Windows Office 2003 (XP?), SnagIt, WordPerfect Office 11 (for legacy
  documents), and Acrobat 7. We currently have Photoshop and some other
  graphics programs on a common machine, but I could be adding some of
  these to my machine in the future.
 
  I'm working at home today, and so I don't recall all my the specs on my
  computer at work, but I know I'm pathetically low on RAM (384MB--have
  been begging for more for 2+ years). Fortunately, I've gotten by with
  that because most of our documents have been small. However, I'm
  currently converting a huge document (1200+ pages) from WordPerfect to
  FrameMaker and adding color photos and graphics, and I know I'm going to
  need more computer power.
 
  Any advice would be appreciated.
 

 --
 Art Campbell [EMAIL PROTECTED]
   ... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 Vincent
and a redheaded girl. -- Richard Thompson
  No disclaimers apply.
  DoD 358
 ___


 You are currently subscribed to Framers as [EMAIL PROTECTED]

 Send list messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED]

 To unsubscribe send a blank email to
 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 or visit 
 http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/bodvar%40gmail.com

 Send administrative questions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit
 http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.

___


You are currently subscribed to Framers as [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Send list messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED]

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
or visit 
http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/archive%40mail-archive.com

Send administrative questions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit
http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.

Re: Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Paul Findon]

On 9 Mar 2006, at 16:43, Rita Lewis wrote:

I work as a contractor at a government site, and we've been asked to 
submit a wish list for upgrading our computers. Does anyone have any 
advice on the current minimum standards in DTP for RAM, disk space,


My new Mac arrived this week: I went for a Power Mac G5 with dual-core 
2.3 GHz CPU, 4 GB of memory, 500 GB SATA hard disk, 16x DVD (double 
layer), GeForce 6600 (256MB), and 30-inch Cinema Display. USB 2.0, 
Firewire 400 and 800, and Gigabit Ethernet come as standard.


The display is a real beauty. With 2560 x 1600, I can open several FM 
docs at a very readable size and still have room for all the palettes. 
Speed-wise it's a major jump from my 1 GHz PowerBook, and I can run 
FrameMaker, Illustrator CS2, Photoshop CS2, InDesign CS2, Dreamweaver 
8, Mail, Safari, and a whole bunch of other apps simultaneously and Mac 
OS X doesn't even bat an eyelid, and there's still over 1 GB of memory 
free. CPU usage hovers around 5% with all that lot open. That's the 
power of UNIX I guess.


I recently built a couple of Windows PC for the kids to play their 
games on. (I enjoy building PCs in my spare time but don't enjoy using 
them. Built my first in 1990. In another life I was an electronics 
engineer.) I went for a Shuttle barebones box. Dropped in a 3 GHz 
Pentium 4, 2 GB of memory, 300 GB SATA hard disk, Shuttle DVD drive 
(matching silver fascia), GeForce 9600 Pro. Installed Win XP SP2 and 
had to spend some time configuring all the kids games to run in Windows 
2000 Compatibility mode, but the kids are chuffed to bits. We're not 
yet at the age where frame rate matters and the GeForce 9600 is perfect 
for Reader Rabbit and the like.


I don't like computer noise pollution so replaced the main fan and two 
in the PSU with quiet models, swapped the Northbridge fan for a nice 
big Zalman heatsink, and suspended the hard disk. It's now deafeningly 
quiet, so much so that you wouldn't even think there was a computer in 
the room.


Now if only I could do something about the fans in my Power Mac G5...

Paul

___


You are currently subscribed to Framers as [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Send list messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED]

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

or visit 
http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/archive%40mail-archive.com

Send administrative questions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit
http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.

Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Bodvar Bjorgvinsson]

All very good suggestions. One thing comes into mind though. I have a
very good experience with Dual Processor PC. Comes in handy when
PDF-ing large documents. It will only clog one processor, so you have
the other free for doing other stuff in the meantime.

Also: Two screens are almost a necessity. They will soon enough save a
lot of time. Especially when using Structured FM.

My gear is:

Dell Precision 450 with a CD-reader and a CD/DVD-writer, and 2 HDs,
dual screen graphics card.
Epson Perfection 3170 Photo scanner
DELL Trinitron 21" screen
DELL 17" LCD screen.

All at least 2 years old but working perfectly. So anything on this
level and better is good.

HTH

Bodvar



On 3/9/06, Art Campbell  wrote:
> I'd go for as fast a processor as fits in the budget, 1M RAM minimum,
> 2+ recommended (I can't run FM and PS reliably and simultaneously
> without it). Also, two hard drives, one for the OS and applications
> and the second for data and the PS scratch disk (per Adobe's
> recommendation). Most all the video cards on the market will provide
> more than enough processing power for anything you'd do; my only
> requirement there would be dual monitor support (and, naturally, dual
> monitors).
>
> Art
>
>
>
> On 3/9/06, Rita Lewis  wrote:
> > I haven't been keeping up with the list lately, so forgive me if this
> > topic has been discussed recently. (I know it has been discussed
> > periodically in the past, but I assume that standards have changed some
> > since then.)
> >
> > I work as a contractor at a government site, and we've been asked to
> > submit a wish list for upgrading our computers. Does anyone have any
> > advice on the current minimum standards in DTP for RAM, disk space,
> > graphics card, video card, processor, etc.? I have Windows XP and, in
> > addition to FrameMaker and various plugins, the major programs I use are
> > Windows Office 2003 (XP?), SnagIt, WordPerfect Office 11 (for legacy
> > documents), and Acrobat 7. We currently have Photoshop and some other
> > graphics programs on a common machine, but I could be adding some of
> > these to my machine in the future.
> >
> > I'm working at home today, and so I don't recall all my the specs on my
> > computer at work, but I know I'm pathetically low on RAM (384MB--have
> > been begging for more for 2+ years). Fortunately, I've gotten by with
> > that because most of our documents have been small. However, I'm
> > currently converting a huge document (1200+ pages) from WordPerfect to
> > FrameMaker and adding color photos and graphics, and I know I'm going to
> > need more computer power.
> >
> > Any advice would be appreciated.
> >
>
> --
> Art Campbell art.campbell at 
> gmail.com
>   "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 Vincent
>and a redheaded girl." -- Richard Thompson
>  No disclaimers apply.
>  DoD 358
> ___
>
>
> You are currently subscribed to Framers as bodvar at gmail.com.
>
> Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com.
>
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com
> or visit 
> http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/bodvar%40gmail.com
>
> Send administrative questions to lisa at frameusers.com. Visit
> http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.
>

Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Paul Findon]

On 9 Mar 2006, at 16:43, Rita Lewis wrote:

> I work as a contractor at a government site, and we've been asked to 
> submit a wish list for upgrading our computers. Does anyone have any 
> advice on the current minimum standards in DTP for RAM, disk space,

My new Mac arrived this week: I went for a Power Mac G5 with dual-core 
2.3 GHz CPU, 4 GB of memory, 500 GB SATA hard disk, 16x DVD (double 
layer), GeForce 6600 (256MB), and 30-inch Cinema Display. USB 2.0, 
Firewire 400 and 800, and Gigabit Ethernet come as standard.

The display is a real beauty. With 2560 x 1600, I can open several FM 
docs at a very readable size and still have room for all the palettes. 
Speed-wise it's a major jump from my 1 GHz PowerBook, and I can run 
FrameMaker, Illustrator CS2, Photoshop CS2, InDesign CS2, Dreamweaver 
8, Mail, Safari, and a whole bunch of other apps simultaneously and Mac 
OS X doesn't even bat an eyelid, and there's still over 1 GB of memory 
free. CPU usage hovers around 5% with all that lot open. That's the 
power of UNIX I guess.

I recently built a couple of Windows PC for the kids to play their 
games on. (I enjoy building PCs in my spare time but don't enjoy using 
them. Built my first in 1990. In another life I was an electronics 
engineer.) I went for a Shuttle barebones box. Dropped in a 3 GHz 
Pentium 4, 2 GB of memory, 300 GB SATA hard disk, Shuttle DVD drive 
(matching silver fascia), GeForce 9600 Pro. Installed Win XP SP2 and 
had to spend some time configuring all the kids games to run in Windows 
2000 Compatibility mode, but the kids are chuffed to bits. We're not 
yet at the age where frame rate matters and the GeForce 9600 is perfect 
for Reader Rabbit and the like.

I don't like computer noise pollution so replaced the main fan and two 
in the PSU with quiet models, swapped the Northbridge fan for a nice 
big Zalman heatsink, and suspended the hard disk. It's now deafeningly 
quiet, so much so that you wouldn't even think there was a computer in 
the room.

Now if only I could do something about the fans in my Power Mac G5...

Paul

Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Mike Wickham]

>Also: Two screens are almost a necessity. They will soon enough save a
>lot of time. Especially when using Structured FM.

Two screens are great. I bought a dual-head Matrox card after many 
recommended that brand. One problem I ran into, though, is that Windows XP 
doesn't natively support assigning separate profiles to two monitors 
attached to the same graphics card. It assigns the default profile to both--  
not exactly good for a color management workflow.  Two separate cards might 
be a better choice.

However, Microsoft recently came out with the Microsoft Color Control Panel 
Applet for XP, available here: 
.
 
It lets you assign separate profiles and, if you put a link to the applet in 
your Startup folder, with the /L switch, it seems to load both profiles 
correctly. (Be sure to turn off Adobe Gamma or other programs that load 
profiles.)

Mike Wickham
Pleco Press, Inc.
"Aquarium books endorsed by fish!"

RE: Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Joe Malin]

I don't know that minimum standards exist anywhere.

My recommendation is not to forget RAM. I have 1Mb of RAM on my work
computer, which I consider insufficient. Anything less than 1GB of RAM
with Windows XP is *insufficient*. Any other speed improvements you
make to your computer are worthless unless you have enough RAM. I
personally think 2GB is the minimum.

Most everything else on a computer you'd buy today will be sufficient. 

You don't need a fancy graphics card; the standard out there even for
laptops is more than sufficient. I currently have a graphics card that
supports 1600x1200 at 32-bit color and 120dpi. Tt produces amazingly
clear graphics but most of its power is wasted. The $400-600 graphics
cards you may see out there (and there are plenty) are for gaming, where
the key need is *speed*. You don't need speed unless you plan to be
playing games on your work computer.

By the way, a graphics card and video card are the same thing.

Go with flat screen. They use less energy, last longer, work better, and
take up less space. Nowadays they're roughly the same price as a tube
monitor.

Hard disk space is ridiculously cheap at this point. I would go with a
100GB Serial ATA drive. Serial ATA is the successor to IDE, and supports
higher transfer speeds. IDE is on its way out. Do get a drive with a
very short seek time (= 8ms) and a large buffer (8-16MB), both of which
improve the apparent speed of your drive.

Don't forget a DVD writer. I use my DVD writer at work to do nightly
backups from Retrospect onto DVD. You may also want to consider having a
second hard drive onto which you make backups. I do that at home, and
then transfer the backup images to DVD. Retrospect is roughly $100 and a
bit complicated but it has features no other backup program can offer.

The standard CPU these days runs at roughly 2Ghz. That's all you really
need. My work computer is an Intel Pentium 4 at 3 Ghz, and trust me we
don't spend lots of money on computers!

Make sure your computer comes with USB 2.0. Get yourself a 1GB USB flash
drive, which are now less than $100. Use it to transfer files. Even CDs
are obsolete with flash drives, and of course floppy drives are way
passe.


 Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
www.tuvox.com
The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf
Of Rita Lewis
Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 8:44 AM
To: framers@lists.frameusers.com
Subject: Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

I haven't been keeping up with the list lately, so forgive me if this
topic has been discussed recently. (I know it has been discussed
periodically in the past, but I assume that standards have changed some
since then.)

I work as a contractor at a government site, and we've been asked to
submit a wish list for upgrading our computers. Does anyone have any
advice on the current minimum standards in DTP for RAM, disk space,
graphics card, video card, processor, etc.? I have Windows XP and, in
addition to FrameMaker and various plugins, the major programs I use are
Windows Office 2003 (XP?), SnagIt, WordPerfect Office 11 (for legacy
documents), and Acrobat 7. We currently have Photoshop and some other
graphics programs on a common machine, but I could be adding some of
these to my machine in the future.

I'm working at home today, and so I don't recall all my the specs on my
computer at work, but I know I'm pathetically low on RAM (384MB--have
been begging for more for 2+ years). Fortunately, I've gotten by with
that because most of our documents have been small. However, I'm
currently converting a huge document (1200+ pages) from WordPerfect to
FrameMaker and adding color photos and graphics, and I know I'm going to
need more computer power.

Any advice would be appreciated.

In addition to replying to the list, I'd appreciate a cc to my
individual account to expedite receipt of any messages.

Thanks!

Rita
(Cross-posted to FreeFramers and FrameUsers)
___


You are currently subscribed to Framers as [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Send list messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED]

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
or visit
http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/jmalin%40tuvox.com

Send administrative questions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit
http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.
___


You are currently subscribed to Framers as [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Send list messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED]

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
or visit 
http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/archive%40mail-archive.com

Send administrative questions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit
http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.

Re: Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Art Campbell]

I'd go for as fast a processor as fits in the budget, 1M RAM minimum,
2+ recommended (I can't run FM and PS reliably and simultaneously
without it). Also, two hard drives, one for the OS and applications
and the second for data and the PS scratch disk (per Adobe's
recommendation). Most all the video cards on the market will provide
more than enough processing power for anything you'd do; my only
requirement there would be dual monitor support (and, naturally, dual
monitors).

Art



On 3/9/06, Rita Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 I haven't been keeping up with the list lately, so forgive me if this
 topic has been discussed recently. (I know it has been discussed
 periodically in the past, but I assume that standards have changed some
 since then.)

 I work as a contractor at a government site, and we've been asked to
 submit a wish list for upgrading our computers. Does anyone have any
 advice on the current minimum standards in DTP for RAM, disk space,
 graphics card, video card, processor, etc.? I have Windows XP and, in
 addition to FrameMaker and various plugins, the major programs I use are
 Windows Office 2003 (XP?), SnagIt, WordPerfect Office 11 (for legacy
 documents), and Acrobat 7. We currently have Photoshop and some other
 graphics programs on a common machine, but I could be adding some of
 these to my machine in the future.

 I'm working at home today, and so I don't recall all my the specs on my
 computer at work, but I know I'm pathetically low on RAM (384MB--have
 been begging for more for 2+ years). Fortunately, I've gotten by with
 that because most of our documents have been small. However, I'm
 currently converting a huge document (1200+ pages) from WordPerfect to
 FrameMaker and adding color photos and graphics, and I know I'm going to
 need more computer power.

 Any advice would be appreciated.


--
Art Campbell [EMAIL PROTECTED]
  ... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 Vincent
   and a redheaded girl. -- Richard Thompson
 No disclaimers apply.
 DoD 358
___


You are currently subscribed to Framers as [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Send list messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED]

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
or visit 
http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/archive%40mail-archive.com

Send administrative questions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit
http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.

Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Rita Lewis]

I haven't been keeping up with the list lately, so forgive me if this 
topic has been discussed recently. (I know it has been discussed 
periodically in the past, but I assume that standards have changed some 
since then.)

I work as a contractor at a government site, and we've been asked to 
submit a wish list for upgrading our computers. Does anyone have any 
advice on the current minimum standards in DTP for RAM, disk space, 
graphics card, video card, processor, etc.? I have Windows XP and, in 
addition to FrameMaker and various plugins, the major programs I use are 
Windows Office 2003 (XP?), SnagIt, WordPerfect Office 11 (for legacy 
documents), and Acrobat 7. We currently have Photoshop and some other 
graphics programs on a common machine, but I could be adding some of 
these to my machine in the future.

I'm working at home today, and so I don't recall all my the specs on my 
computer at work, but I know I'm pathetically low on RAM (384MB--have 
been begging for more for 2+ years). Fortunately, I've gotten by with 
that because most of our documents have been small. However, I'm 
currently converting a huge document (1200+ pages) from WordPerfect to 
FrameMaker and adding color photos and graphics, and I know I'm going to 
need more computer power.

Any advice would be appreciated.

In addition to replying to the list, I'd appreciate a cc to my 
individual account to expedite receipt of any messages.

Thanks!

Rita
(Cross-posted to FreeFramers and FrameUsers)

Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Joe Malin]

I don't know that minimum "standards" exist anywhere.

My recommendation is not to forget RAM. I have 1Mb of RAM on my work
computer, which I consider insufficient. Anything less than 1GB of RAM
with Windows XP is *insufficient*. Any other "speed" improvements you
make to your computer are worthless unless you have enough RAM. I
personally think 2GB is the minimum.

Most everything else on a computer you'd buy today will be sufficient. 

You don't need a fancy graphics card; the standard out there even for
laptops is more than sufficient. I currently have a graphics card that
supports 1600x1200 at 32-bit color and 120dpi. Tt produces amazingly
clear graphics but most of its power is wasted. The $400-600 graphics
cards you may see out there (and there are plenty) are for gaming, where
the key need is *speed*. You don't need speed unless you plan to be
playing games on your work computer.

By the way, a graphics card and video card are the same thing.

Go with flat screen. They use less energy, last longer, work better, and
take up less space. Nowadays they're roughly the same price as a "tube"
monitor.

Hard disk space is ridiculously cheap at this point. I would go with a
100GB Serial ATA drive. Serial ATA is the successor to IDE, and supports
higher transfer speeds. IDE is on its way out. Do get a drive with a
very short seek time (<= 8ms) and a large buffer (8-16MB), both of which
improve the "apparent" speed of your drive.

Don't forget a DVD writer. I use my DVD writer at work to do nightly
backups from Retrospect onto DVD. You may also want to consider having a
second hard drive onto which you make backups. I do that at home, and
then transfer the backup images to DVD. Retrospect is roughly $100 and a
bit complicated but it has features no other backup program can offer.

The standard CPU these days runs at roughly 2Ghz. That's all you really
need. My work computer is an Intel Pentium 4 at 3 Ghz, and trust me we
don't spend lots of money on computers!

Make sure your computer comes with USB 2.0. Get yourself a 1GB USB flash
drive, which are now less than $100. Use it to transfer files. Even CDs
are obsolete with flash drives, and of course floppy drives are way
passe.


 Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
jmalin at tuvox.com 
www.tuvox.com
The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.

-Original Message-
From: framers-bounces+jmalin=tuvox@lists.frameusers.com
[mailto:framers-bounces+jmalin=tuvox.com at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf
Of Rita Lewis
Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 8:44 AM
To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

I haven't been keeping up with the list lately, so forgive me if this
topic has been discussed recently. (I know it has been discussed
periodically in the past, but I assume that standards have changed some
since then.)

I work as a contractor at a government site, and we've been asked to
submit a wish list for upgrading our computers. Does anyone have any
advice on the current minimum standards in DTP for RAM, disk space,
graphics card, video card, processor, etc.? I have Windows XP and, in
addition to FrameMaker and various plugins, the major programs I use are
Windows Office 2003 (XP?), SnagIt, WordPerfect Office 11 (for legacy
documents), and Acrobat 7. We currently have Photoshop and some other
graphics programs on a common machine, but I could be adding some of
these to my machine in the future.

I'm working at home today, and so I don't recall all my the specs on my
computer at work, but I know I'm pathetically low on RAM (384MB--have
been begging for more for 2+ years). Fortunately, I've gotten by with
that because most of our documents have been small. However, I'm
currently converting a huge document (1200+ pages) from WordPerfect to
FrameMaker and adding color photos and graphics, and I know I'm going to
need more computer power.

Any advice would be appreciated.

In addition to replying to the list, I'd appreciate a cc to my
individual account to expedite receipt of any messages.

Thanks!

Rita
(Cross-posted to FreeFramers and FrameUsers)
___


You are currently subscribed to Framers as jmalin at tuvox.com.

Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com.

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com
or visit
http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/jmalin%40tuvox.com

Send administrative questions to lisa at frameusers.com. Visit
http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.

Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Grant Hogarth]

Here's what I would ask for: 

RAM: Corsair 2GB PC3200 DDR Kit (SKU: TWINX20483200PT) ($179)
CPU: AMD Athalon X2 4600+  ($599)
MOBO: K8N Neo4 Platinum MS-7125-010 Motherboard($103)
VIDEO: Gigabyte GeForce 6600 GT Silentpipe II  ($158)
HD:  2 x  Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 300GB (SATA II) ($129 ea.)
DISPLAY: 2 x Samsung SyncMaster 915N 19" LCD Monitor   ($329 ea.)

 Total: $1955.00 
This also assumes that the current power supply is capable of handling
this.

Prices are based on searches via Tom's Hardware.
[http://www.tomshardware.com]
You could drop to a lower CPU (say a AMD Athalon X2 3800+, which will
save you $200.), or switch to CRTs.

Priorities:
1 RAM
2 Monitors X 2
3 HD X 2


Grant

-Original Message-
From: framers-bounces+grant.hogarth=reuters@lists.frameusers.com
[mailto:framers-bounces+grant.hogarth=reuters.com at lists.frameusers.com]
On Behalf Of Rita Lewis
Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 9:44 AM
To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

I haven't been keeping up with the list lately, so forgive me if this
topic has been discussed recently. (I know it has been discussed
periodically in the past, but I assume that standards have changed some
since then.)

I work as a contractor at a government site, and we've been asked to
submit a wish list for upgrading our computers. Does anyone have any
advice on the current minimum standards in DTP for RAM, disk space,
graphics card, video card, processor, etc.? I have Windows XP and, in
addition to FrameMaker and various plugins, the major programs I use are
Windows Office 2003 (XP?), SnagIt, WordPerfect Office 11 (for legacy
documents), and Acrobat 7. We currently have Photoshop and some other
graphics programs on a common machine, but I could be adding some of
these to my machine in the future.

I'm working at home today, and so I don't recall all my the specs on my
computer at work, but I know I'm pathetically low on RAM (384MB--have
been begging for more for 2+ years). Fortunately, I've gotten by with
that because most of our documents have been small. However, I'm
currently converting a huge document (1200+ pages) from WordPerfect to
FrameMaker and adding color photos and graphics, and I know I'm going to
need more computer power.

Any advice would be appreciated.

In addition to replying to the list, I'd appreciate a cc to my
individual account to expedite receipt of any messages.

Thanks!

Rita

Advice for Upgrading Windows Computer

[Art Campbell]

I'd go for as fast a processor as fits in the budget, 1M RAM minimum,
2+ recommended (I can't run FM and PS reliably and simultaneously
without it). Also, two hard drives, one for the OS and applications
and the second for data and the PS scratch disk (per Adobe's
recommendation). Most all the video cards on the market will provide
more than enough processing power for anything you'd do; my only
requirement there would be dual monitor support (and, naturally, dual
monitors).

Art



On 3/9/06, Rita Lewis  wrote:
> I haven't been keeping up with the list lately, so forgive me if this
> topic has been discussed recently. (I know it has been discussed
> periodically in the past, but I assume that standards have changed some
> since then.)
>
> I work as a contractor at a government site, and we've been asked to
> submit a wish list for upgrading our computers. Does anyone have any
> advice on the current minimum standards in DTP for RAM, disk space,
> graphics card, video card, processor, etc.? I have Windows XP and, in
> addition to FrameMaker and various plugins, the major programs I use are
> Windows Office 2003 (XP?), SnagIt, WordPerfect Office 11 (for legacy
> documents), and Acrobat 7. We currently have Photoshop and some other
> graphics programs on a common machine, but I could be adding some of
> these to my machine in the future.
>
> I'm working at home today, and so I don't recall all my the specs on my
> computer at work, but I know I'm pathetically low on RAM (384MB--have
> been begging for more for 2+ years). Fortunately, I've gotten by with
> that because most of our documents have been small. However, I'm
> currently converting a huge document (1200+ pages) from WordPerfect to
> FrameMaker and adding color photos and graphics, and I know I'm going to
> need more computer power.
>
> Any advice would be appreciated.
>

--
Art Campbell art.campbell at 
gmail.com
  "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 Vincent
   and a redheaded girl." -- Richard Thompson
 No disclaimers apply.
 DoD 358