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Benefits of
a Computer
Some
people are afraid of computers. Other people dislike them
but use them anyway as a necessary tool. Our staff analyst
for the technology sector wonders how people get along without
a computer. He is on his fifth computer, having purchased
his first one in 1984. Rather than asking what is the cost
of a computer, you should ask what is the cost of not having
and using a computer. That's right, what is the real cost
of opportunities you miss out on because you don't have a
computer. Without a computer you pay more for goods and services,
and you receive information later than others do. That costs
you money out of your pocket every day. So how much does
acquiring a computer cost? Generally you'll pay less than
a $1,000 unless you get really carried away. A nice laptop
computer will cost twice as much as a desktop unit but will
give you geographic flexibility that is useful at the office,
your vacation home, on business trips, or at your in-laws.
If you take advantage of the on-line service subscription
rebates of up to $400 offered by many company you can actually
get a reasonable decent desktop computer and monitor for only
$200-$300. (You're usually best off upgrading the monitor
to a better model for $100.) These offers require a 3 year
contract with an online service provider like MSN (Microsoft
Network) or Compuserve at a cost of approximately $22 per
month, but you need an online service anyway to access investment
services and the Internet. There are complete "off-lease"
computer systems available for $195 that would prove adequate
for most people. As far as computer hardware goes, a 400
Mhz or faster processor, 64MB of memory, and a minimum 5 gigabyte
(GB) hard drive and you're off to the races. People
fear the unknown. Books like "Windows for Dummies",
or "The Internet for Dummies" are excellent tools
that walk the computer novice through computer and Internet
use.
What can you do with a computer? You
can receive the Stock Traders Press on Tuesday evening on
your home PC rather than catching it the next morning on your
office fax. You can receive real-time stock quotes and make
trades without even worrying if your broker is at lunch or
taking the day off. Some online brokerage services are charging
as little as $5 per trade, but the order needs to be entered
online with your computer talking to the brokerage house's
computer. You can do more online research if you have the
time. Log on to a companies web site and get a feel for their
business before you invest in their stock. You can do your
taxes using tax software and file your return electronically.
Make long distance and international phone calls for free
using your computer and the Internet. You can buy airline
tickets at a lower cost than most travel agents offer, and
you can receive email directly from the airlines offering
last minute airfare opportunities up to 70% below regular
fares. Look at vacation homes on-line without waiting
for the brochure to arrive via "snail mail". Take
incredibly sharp snapshot pictures with a digital camera and
view them a couple seconds later right on your computer screen.
No more waiting for film to be processed. Leave your car in
the garage; you don't need it to go pick up your photos. Take
a picture of a newborn child or grandchild and have it arrive
on a family member's computer on the other side of the country
within a couple minutes of taking the picture. Try that with
film. Using your computer you can video conference with business
associates, or with friends and family at the holidays. Receive
email messages, documents, faxes, or pictures anywhere in
the world. To say that we've just scratched the surface of
how you can benefit from owning a computer is to compare a
common honey bee to a Boeing 747.
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