If you have a recent model computer then this article probably isn't for you.
This article is mainly for churches which are often "offered" old equipment and need to be wary. These recommendations are specific to a lot of the kinds of software used in churches.
Old Desktops
Time marches on.... If you have a 100 mhz to 600mhz computer this article really can't help you. By 2005 such old computers were "too old" to be cried over, and not worth the money to upgrade. Read our article about recommended system minimum for used/new computers in your lab. By "old desktop pc" I generally mean "a desktop that's older than 5 years old."
Older Laptop/Notebook
Old laptops tend to "act even older" because they tended to be underpowered when brand new compared to a desktop. We recommend staying away from old laptop computers for use in Christian education. By "old" I generally mean "a laptop that's more than 4 or 5 years old."To improve the performance of older equipment do the following:
ADD MORE RAM -- Ram is cheap, get as much as your computer can handle. Even on an old computer, adding another 32mb or 64mb of RAM will help many newer multimedia programs "survive" the rest of your equipment's "old" issues. Go to www.crucial.com and plug in your computer's model number to see how much ram can go on your older computer and what it would cost. Some older computers, however, aren't worth the upgrade money.
Add an inexpensive VIDEO CARD. A $35 videocard from www.tigerdirect.com can make your old 600mhz computer HUM again when it comes to playing games and multimedia software. Videocards come with their own RAM. 32mb is about the least amount they sell them with in 2005.
Turn off your Anti Virus and Security Software on your older computer. You can temporarily disable it to free up more RAM and processing power for a program which isn't running so hot for you.
On older computers, think twice about upgrading the operating system. XP might sound like what you need, but it is FAR MORE RAM HUNGRY than Windows 98 and Me
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