Although it is sometimes hard to believe, computers have been a part of our daily lives for thirty something years. Why then, you may ask, am I just getting around to writing a do’s and don’ts list? Well let’s see…

Answer A: I don’t like writing and I just kept putting it off... for twenty-five years.

Answer B: I didn’t want to rush into the article without sufficient experience to

               draw upon.

Answer C: I’m writing the article to vent and in the process saving a tidy sum that

                would have gone to a therapist.

Answer D: all of the above.

Hopefully what follows will make purchasing that new computer a little easier and your computing experience more enjoyable, and while it’s not a “complete” list, it hits the highlights.

A little more than five years ago I decided that Visualville would build “Digital Darkrooms”. Computers designed specifically to meet the needs of photographers.

For the twenty previous years I had purchased computer systems from one of the big builders or had our computers custom built by local companies. Neither situation completely satisfied me; probably too much Type A in my personality.

We began by building computers for our own use, then building for photographer friends and then, through word of mouth, we began to build for others. My experiences, as a builder, over the last five years have led to this article.

Anyone purchasing a new computer has a lot of products to choose from, and whether you buy an Xtreme Digital Darkroom from Visualville or you buy from another builder there are certain things that you should do and certain things you should not.

1. Do buy the most powerful computer you can afford. A powerful computer, properly configured, is the heart of a successful digital workflow.

2. Don’t make price your only consideration. One of my favorite quotes is “You may not always know when you’ve paid too much, but you’ll almost always know when you’ve paid too little.”

3. Don’t buy any computer until you’ve determined your needs. Wants and needs can be as far apart as East is from West. Buying a computer that meets your needs will keep you from spending too much money and wasting too much time.

4. Do let your workflow determine your needs. Spend the time to carefully map, (aka flow chart), how images move through your workflow. What’s the first thing that happens to an image once it is captured, all the way through to the last thing that happens to the image? Not only will this help determine your real needs, it will also help you find and eliminate bottlenecks and redundancies in your workflow.

5. Do some research and ask questions of the builders you’re considering. Why do you use this processor? Why is your computer configuration different than Brand X?  Why don’t you include the Whirlygig 5000 in your computers? If they take offense, or can’t give a reasonable answer, you should probably look elsewhere.

6. Don’t be seduced by advertising that heralds the latest and greatest whiz bang feature or component. Find out if it will make a real world improvement to your workflow or just massage your ego. Just because a new video card is tearing up the gaming world doesn’t mean that it will do the same for Photoshop or any other software in your workflow. A slightly faster processor may not reduce your workload by even one minute at the end of an 8 hour day, why should you pay $300 more for it?

7. Don’t buy into the “all-in-one” computer. Trying to do everything on your new computer is not an efficient use of its power. Writing letters, sending email, surfing the web and balancing your checkbook can be accomplished just as quickly on a five year old Brand X. So don’t throw out the old work horse, find some other work for it to do.

8. Do keep your new workstation running lean and mean. Don’t suck up system resources with unnecessary programs. Install the absolute minimum amount of software needed to run your workflow.

9. Do protect your new investment with a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) they are relatively inexpensive, $50 or so for a UPS that will keep your computer from crashing during a brief power outage, but more importantly it will keep your computer from experiencing over and under, (even more dangerous), voltage conditions that occur throughout the day. My favorite manufacturer of these devices is APC, (Applied Power Conversions).

10. Don’t put your computer on the floor. Computers are incredibly expensive vacuum cleaners. The fans that pull air through the case to cool that hot new processor, video card and hard drive are also pulling all the stuff that settles out of the air, and onto the floor, into your computer. And I’m not even going to mention all the liquids that get spilled on floors. Ok, so I mentioned it.

11. Don’t let your pet sleep, lay or play next to your computer. This is another reason to keep your computer off the floor and on your desktop. One photographer brought her computer in after only two months complaining that it smelled funny. When the case was opened we found the interior full of dog hair. The rear case fans were so full of fur they couldn’t be turned by hand!

12. Don’t use software that isn’t certified and legally licensed. Downloading software from a pirate site, or accepting a “shared” copy, is not only illegal, it’s stupid. Identity thieves and malware authors use these sites and software to walk right in and set up shop in your computer, and the part that must really give them a giggle is… you do all the work for them.

13. Do use Virus and Spyware Protection Software if you’re going to expose your workstation to the internet. I’m completely against the idea of using the heart of your digital workflow to surf the web or exchange emails. That’s what the old computer is for. Even if you take all the precautions available the chances are one in three that sometime during its life your computer will be attacked. But there is one perfect firewall that no genius hacker can defeat… reach over and unplug the internet cable.

Well, that’s my lucky “13 Computer Do’s and Don’ts” I hope you put them into practice. They'll save you time, money and frustration.