Description: 1. Buying a ComputerThe Cheapskate's Way. First Computer versus Second Computer. Unlimited Possibility = Unlimited Expense. Generations: How Much Computer Is Enough for You? What Are You Trying to Accomplish? Buying a Computer for Your Small Business. Buying a Computer for Your Family. Buying a Computer for a Writer. Buying a Computer for an Internet User. Buying a Computer for a Nonprofit Organization. Do You Need Windows 95 (or Windows 98)? Windows or Mac? Buy Now, or Wait? The Network Computer: For Individuals, a Pig in a Poke? New, Refurbished, or Used? Summary. 2. Buying a New Computer: Where, When, and How. Name Brand or Generic? How Do You Evaluate a Vendor? What Are People Saying? Poor Customer Service Reputations. Ask the Right Questions. Processor and Bus Speed. Memory. How much memory do you really need? Hard Disks: Know When to Say When. Floppy, Keyboard, Mouse, and Operating System. Useful Software. Peripherals. Expandability. Warranty and Support. New Systems under $1,000Finally! The Packard Bell C115. Everex Explora 995. Compaq Presario 2200 with the Cyrix Media GX. Where to Buy: A World of Market Channels. Superstores: How Super? Warehouse Clubs. The Direct Channel. Buying on the Web. Comparing Many Sellers at Once. Targeting an Exact Configuration or Price Point. Hallelujah! The Better Business Bureau Goes On-Line. Buying Generic PCs. Build It Yourself, from Scratch? Should You Ride Bare-bones? Computer Shows and Swap Meets. You're Not Finished When You Get the Box Home. Summary. 3. Refurbs, Preowned, and Just Plain Old. Big Savings in Refurb Systems. Refurb Reliability. Is Your New Computer a Refurb in Disguise? The Refurb/Used Computer Jargon Hunt. What Brands Show Up as Refurb? Where to Get Refurbs. Manufacturer Outlets. Systems Coming Off Lease. IBM Credit Corporation. GE Capital. Rentex. Retail Refurbished Computer Outlets. Computer Renaissance. Where the Refurb Vendors Get Their Stuff. Government Surplus. Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service. Say Uncle: U.S. Customs Auctions. Other Government Sources. On-Line Auctions. On-Line Auction Tips and Tricks. Buying Used. The Late, Lamented. Just Too Old. Evolutionary Dead Ends. Commercial Sources for Older Used PCs. The Internet Clearinghouse. Finding Private Sellers. On-Line Classifieds. Buying Used Computers from a Private Seller. The Cheapskate's Twelve-Step Program for Evaluating a Used PC. Nonprofit Computer Recycling Programs. Summary. 4. Software Onthe Cheap. What Do You Already Have? Windows 95 Applets: A Gold Mine. The WordPad Word Processor. The HyperTerminal Communications Program. Microsoft Fax Software. Microsoft Exchange. Microsoft Paint. Microsoft Phone Dialer. Calculator. Microsoft Games. Windows 3.1 Applets: An Umm Silver Mine. Windows Write. Windows Paintbrush. Windows Terminal. Windows Cardfile. Macro Recorder. Freebies That Come with Dos 6.x. Big News: DOS Is Now Free. GEOS: Faux Windows on Your Ancient XT. Cheap Commercial Software. Academic Software: Brilliant, If You Qualify. Dirt-Cheap Business Applications. Get the Works: Integrated Software. The Cheapskate's List of Useless Software. The Learning Company (Formerly Softkey). Essex Interactive. Software Upgrades: When Are They Worth It? Rebates: How Manufacturers Have Their Cake and Eat It, Too. Why Does This Rebate Exist? Buying Software by Mail. Alternate Sources. Buying Previous Version Software. USoX. Seven Pointers for Buying Used Software. Free Software on the Web. The Microsoft Web Site. Symantec: It's Always Something. Turn Your PC Into a High-Powered Workstation. Summary. 5. Peripherals and Upgrades: What's Worth It, What's Not. The Limits to Upgrading. Memory: The Universal Upgrade. The Mysterious Memory Market. What Memory? I Forget. Where to Buy Memory. Used Memory. Memory Sources. Hard Drives. Do You Need a New Hard

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