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July 13, 2007
Dear CNET members,
Happy lucky Friday! While today is Friday the 13th and an unlucky day for some, I consider today lucky because I'm surrounded by you, the community folks who always have each other's backs when it comes to offering help. People e-mail me all the time to thank me for this newsletter, but you know, the real people who we should be thanking are you, the participants. So a big hats off to you for your willingness to help out others, offer your tips and opinions (even if your opinion is just to say "Buy a Mac.") If it weren't for you, this newsletter would not be possible, and I appreciate you all! Now let's touch upon this week's topic from Fredrica, where confusing processor names and speeds have her head spinning!
Well, Fredrica, I'm sure you're not alone on this topic, because trying to figure out what's what in regard to CPUs can be a mind-boggling experience, especially if your interests aren't keeping up with the processors' times. One thing came up, however, while reading many members' answers: many of them mention while processor speed is an important factor, knowing how you are going to use your computer and what budget you have in mind will play an important part in choosing a processor that's right for you. Because while you may desire the latest and greatest, your computing needs may not even require the power the processor offers, so it may be a waste of money. (Example: Using a Ferrari to make runs to the supermarket.) Anyway, this week we received some great member advice and opinions--some more technical than others--some as simple as can be; we even have PC buying advice, all good stuff. So to start you off, I have hand-selected a few for you to get your feet wet. And I'm hoping that these and all the posts in the thread will help give you a better understanding of all this processor mumbo-jumbo so you can make the right buying decision. And if you have further questions, swing by the thread and ask away! Good luck to you! Have a great weekend, everyone!
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Member Question of the Week
I'm in the market for a new computer and there are too many
to count in the market. I pretty much have the basic
understanding of PC components, but what throws my mind for a
spin are the processors available. There are names for the
processors such as Athlon, Athlon 64 X2 dual-core, Intel Core
Duo, Core 2 Duo, Celeron D, and the list goes on and on--ugh,
enough for me to grow more gray hairs! There has to be some
sort of simple explanation to all this madness, right? Can
you help me out? I don't want anything too technical to
digest, but I do want to know what I'm buying and how it will
perform. Should I just look at the speed of the processor,
like GHz, and not worry about the names, because I know a
2.4GHz processor is going to be faster than a 2GHz, or am I
wrong? Please help me out with this confusing aspect of
selecting a processor. Much appreciated.
Submitted by:
Fredrica C.
Vote for the most helpful answer
 Below are the answers we've selected for you to vote on. Click on the title to read the answer by the member.
Here are the selected submissions grouped in one post.
Time to vote! Now that you've read our members' answers, which would you consider the most helpful? Click on the button to weigh in on the decision.
 Answer by KEITH KRESSIN
Answer by Bubba_Gump
Answer by Joosh88
Answer by Zouch
For the member whose answer was voted the
most helpful by our community, we will send
this member some cool CNET branded gear.
 Previous week's Q&AThe votes are in! Below is the answer voted most helpful by our community to last week's question.
Hello. I recently moved into a three-story townhouse, and I
want to improve the signal from my Linksys wireless router so
that on each area of the floors we can get a decent signal (some
areas are either too weak or nonexistent). It would be great
if I could get the signal in my yard as well. What is the
best location to place the router in? Is there hardware or
software that I can use to improve the signal? There is one
shared wall in our unit. What special considerations should I
be aware of in terms of security? Thank you.
--Submitted by:
John of Chicago
John, wireless networking can often end up seeming more like black magic than science when it comes to troubleshooting range and coverage problems. Wireless signals are affected by the distance between the router and the receiving computers, the type of wall and ceiling construction, objects in the room and interference from many other electronic items that could be in your home or a close neighbors. Depending on these and other factors, it is not uncommon to experience wireless ranges from as little as 20 feet to well over 100. But have no fear; with a little time and patience, anyone can put together a good, reliable wireless network with limited resources...
(read more)
--Submitted by:
Dana (CNET member: waytron)
Congratulations to the winner!
Community Buzz
 Each week we take a look at topics discussed in the forums.
Have fun and enjoy!
More from the forums
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Check out next week's question:
I keep getting bombarded with ads about HDTV. When I go to a store that carries them (for example, Best Buy or Costco) I find that the clerks really don't know much about them. I came across one that looks interesting, but the description is nothing if not confusing. Perhaps someone can help me untangle the technical gobbledygook. For example: the set I was looking at is a 42-inch HD LCD set with a resolution of 1,920x1,080. It is compatible with 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. I think i means interlaced (like my analog TV set) and p means progressive. What is the significance of these designations, as a practical matter? Is i or p defined by the TV station or is that a choice of the receiver? It is said to be compatible to NTSC (I recognize that), ATSC, and QAM (what are these?), and are there other systems out there that need to be covered? What is Media Connectivity? Someone needs to publish a document that ordinary mortals can read and understand. Any suggestions?
--Submitted by:
Nat C.
We feature a new question every Friday, and if you have the answer for our member, you can submit it above. If your submission is picked by our members as the most helpful answer, you'll receive some cool CNET branded gear.
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