Oftentimes avoiding the latest high-end PCs, with the fastest chips, and looking instead at the third-level computers that offer a price point that is the best value for your money is wiser.
The industry is turning out new models so rapidly that the third-level machine is now a Pentium III with a 700 MHz chip. The widely available 800 MHz machines cost a minimum of $1,900; the second-level machines with 733 MHz cost at least $1,600. In contrast, 700 MHz machines with 64 MB of memory and a 20GB hard drive, 17-inch monitor, video card, sound card, 48x CD-ROM drive, internal 56Kbps modem, an office software suite, and anti-virus software cost about $1,300.
AMD and Intel announced 1 GHz chips and Compaq and Gateway have begun production of machines using them. The machines will be priced at a minimum of $3,000 because the chips alone cost $1,300 each when purchased in quantity. This new chip will move the price point up one more level within the next three months.
Most libraries will have few applications that require more than what a Pentium III/700 or 733 can handle.
More significant than the increased processing speed of the chips is the possible increase in data transfer rate between the CPU and peripherals. Intel has announced the release of the final specification of USB 2.0, which is expected to transfer data among devices at a rate of up to 40 times faster than the current specification. Initially, “discrete host-controllers” will have to be fixed on the motherboards or as an off board component, but integrated host controllers are expected to become avail able on PCs in 2001.
