The answer to this question can often be found by asking your self two key questions:

1. What software do I want to run?
2. What do I want my computer to do?

If you are satisfied with your current software and simply want more speed when you use the Internet, do some word processing or run Quicken, more RAM and a larger hard drive can greatly extend the life of your machine. If, however, games are your life, expect to upgrade something every year or two and completely replace your computer within three years. If you're using your computer for business, you will probably need to upgrade it when you upgrade your operating system or your application software. A business computer may last for five to eight years.

Why does running new software require you to upgrade your hardware? Older Pentium computers came with as little as 16 megabytes (MB) of RAM. Most new software requires much more than that in order to run. Some new programs require Windows 98 and Windows 98 needs much more memory and hard disk space than Windows 95 or Windows 3.1. Adding more RAM and a larger hard drive can solve these problems (but they may not make it run faster).

Cost is also a factor. The price of memory for new computers continues to drop. For example, when this was written the price for 256 MB of new computer RAM was less than $60 (about a quarter of what it was six months ago). On the other hand, 32 MB of RAM for an older machine can cost $100. A new larger and faster hard drive, can be installed for between $200 and $300.

$400 on an upgrade (memory and hard drive) may seem like a lot when a good quality new system can be purchased for $600 - $800. However, if it can keep your computer going for another year or two, it may be an excellent value. There is a limit, however, to how long you can upgrade an older system. At some point, you will need to replace it.

Computer architecture changes every three to five years. New video cards won't fit in older computers. A new motherboard may not fit in your case. New processors need larger power supplies and components such as modems and sound cards require different kinds of slots. Adding DVD's and CDRW's requires more power than older power supplies can provide.

At Quid'·nunc, we are committed to seeing that you get the best value for your computer dollar. We will help you make an informed decision about whether to upgrade or replace your computer. We will work with you to see that you get the resources you need to run your software effectively and do the work you want to do, be it more RAM, a new hard drive, or a new computer.

There are several ways to network your home or small business computers:

One way is by direct cable connection. If you only want to share files between two computers, or play a two-person network game, you can connect the computers using the serial ports, the parallel printer ports or the USB ports.

A faster way that is more reliable is to install a network card into each machine, and connect them by ethernet cable. If you have more than two computers or if you have a DSL (high speed internet) connection or cable modem, you will also need a "hub." The hub is a kind of router, keeping track of addresses for incoming and outgoing computer activity.

Quid'·nunc sells all the necessary networking hardware. Even better, our in-house staff of professional, experienced technicians can install your network. They will configure your network software, and do any troubleshooting necessary so that your home or small business network works perfectly the first time! We will be happy to send a technician to assess your needs and give you a quote. Please call us at 206.932.8795 for an appointment.

The West Seattle Senior Center likes this
machine so much they ordered eleven of them!

Because we believe this is such a great solution for students of all ages,
we're offering a back-to-school Q-Flex special
that includes:

• An Intel Celeron 800 MHz processor/CPU
• 128 MB RAM
• 20 GB hard drive
• 15" Viewsonic monitor
• Lexmark printer
• Microsoft Word and Microsoft Works

All this for the spectacular price of $999.99, including sales tax!

Of course, you can also configure the Q-Flex to your liking with a faster processor, more memory, a larger hard drive, a larger monitor, and the printer of your choice. Prices for different configurations vary, so stop in and let us give you a quote.

All titles over $20 (except used software) are currently on sale. Throughout the month of September, you can take 50% off the marked price of any Macintosh title priced at more than $20. In October, the discounts may be more!

The biggest inventory reduction will be in games and other entertainment software. We will carry primarily second and third-line titles, allowing us to offer a reasonable variety of titles at bargain prices (think of us as the Admiral Theater of Mac software).

We will continue to offer books and magazines, the current Macintosh operating system and utilities that customers need. In addition, we will still offer used software and we encourage you to turn in your old titles for credit. We will also accept special orders.

If you are shopping for children's software, you will be pleased to know that many of the software publishers continue to make hybrid CD's that run on both Macintosh and Windows computers.

I want to thank the Mac users who have been such loyal customers over the last seven years. I hope you will find that Quid'·nunc is still a fun place to shop for things you can't find in other computer stores.