But standard laser printers are not effective for desktop publishing or other applications with intensive graphics. For these jobs you need a laser printer with PostScript software, developed by Adobe Systems Inc., which enables you to print photographs and decorative graphics and publish text in a much wider choice of fonts. PostScript capability adds $600 to $1,000 to the price of a laser printer. Some of the newest laser printers can switch between PCs and Macs and between Hewlett-Packard emulation and PostScript automatically.
Laser printers dominate business printing so completely that other types of printers are left only for specialized uses. Impact dot matrix printers cost from $150 to $600; they are noisy and produce poor print quality. Nevertheless, these printers are still useful for printing checks and other forms, especially if you need carbon copies. The print quality of ink-jet printers is far better than dot matrix printers, but it is coarse compared with a laser printer. They are useful for such business forms as invoices. They cost $350 to $600.
Modems: With a modem you can send and receive data over a phone line. Modems can link branch offices with headquarters for electronic mail and enable you to connect to information services.
The best buy in modems is described by a mouthful of jargon: a 2,400 bits per second (bps) Hayes-compatible modem with V.42/V.42bis error correction/data compression. They are available for about $200.
For faster transmission, you could move up to a 9,600-bps modem for about $500, but in the long run you'll be better off with a 14,400-bps modem following the V.32bis standard (and with V.42/V.42bis). But many PCs have trouble running fast modems at full speed. You may need to modify or replace the serial port circuitry in your computer; check with your vendor. All Macs can run fast modems without difficulty.
Backup Devices: Hard drives are generally reliable but are susceptible to various malfunctions that can make them crash -- a failure that can cause a loss of data. To protect yourself from losing data, you must routinely copy all your files to another medium. A cartridge tape drive is a good choice. A low-cost tape drive can put 60 to 120 megabytes on a single tape and costs $250 to $400.
Networks: Networks linking office computers make it easy for users to share files and to send messages to one another through a feature called electronic mail.
Networks often are oversold, though. They may not be worth the price unless your employees share files frequently throughout the day. Talk to owners of other companies who have installed networks to see if it was cost-effective for them.
Small PC networks cost $300 to $600 per computer for the hardware, $500 to $1,000 for the software to run the system, plus the cost of cabling, which is variable. Small Mac networks can be set up for no more than the cost of cabling. For larger networks involving more than about a dozen machines, the price for Macs is comparable with that of PCs, and both systems may need an additional computer called a file server ($2,000 and up) to run them.
HOW TO BUY FOR BEST PRICE AND SERVICE
The prices of PCs vary by a factor of two or more. A 386SX computer running at 16 MHz with a 40-megabyte hard disk, 4 megabytes of RAM, and a color monitor may cost anywhere from $1,125 to $2,500.
Familiar brand names tend to be at the middle to high end of the price spectrum and are generally sold by dealers. Many PC clones in the low to middle price range are available from manufacturers by mail order through ads in PC Magazine, Byte, and other computer publications. These PCs are made by scores of companies whose names you've probably never heard before. Don't let this scare you away. Help is available through the comparative reviews published in the computer magazines. The differences among the top two dozen models -- brand name or mystery name -- in any category are slight, and you probably won't go wrong with any of them.
Macs do not have the same wide disparities in price because Apple is the only supplier; there are no Mac clones. Some price differences are found among the dealers authorized to sell Macs, so it pays to shop around.
Support services are a vital consideration for most small companies. They include help in installing and integrating the computers in your workplace, training employees, and installing a network that enables users to send files to one another and receive electronic mail. If you don't have the expertise on staff, consider dealing with a retailer who can help with these tasks. But be careful: Not all dealers are created equal. Check references carefully, ask the Better Business Bureau about any complaints, and inquire about the dealer's reputation with a local users group. The best mail-order companies offer good technical support by telephone and on-site service if you need it, but you will have to install the equipment yourself.
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A BUYER'S WORKSHEET FOR PERSONAL COMPUTERS
PC or Mac? Either one will work well on business applications. PCs have the advantage if price is the major consideration; Macs win if you use a lot of graphics in your reports or perform desktop publishing. Otherwise, try out both systems and make your choice.
Central Processing Unit At the lowest end are the 8088 and 8086 processors, now obsolete except for basic tasks such as entering data and writing letters. It's best to avoid them. The next step up are the 286 machines, adequate for most business applications but not a wise choice if your computational needs are growing because they don't run the newest generation of software. They will soon be obsolete. Next up are the 386SX machines, the best choice for the vast majority of small and growing companies; long useful life is assured because they run the newest and most
