When it pays to use a pro - marketing communications consultants - Column

Home Office Computing, Oct, 1994 by Steve Morgenstern

The speakers offered as part of most multimedia packages are usually relatively inexpensive models that would be priced between $20 and $50 if sold separately. Midrange speakers sell for about $150 to $200, and highend models go for as much as $500.

UPGRADING TO MULTIMEDIA

Assuming you have a system that's fast enough to handle the demands of multimedia, you can upgrade. A good way to do this is to use an external upgrade kit such as those offered by Creative Labs, Media Vision, Sigma Designs, and other companies. You'll need to install a sound card within the computer, with connections to an external CD-ROM and speaker package.

Macintosh. The only thing you need to add to a Macintosh is a CD-ROM drive. Everything else is built in. Optionally, you can get a pair of speakers to supply true stereo sound.

MULTIMEDIA PACKAGES

Since most manufacturers sell complete systems, it's much easier to buy them off-the-shelf than to assemble a system component by component. Look for packages that sport the MPC (Multimedia PC) logo--which insures that all components of the system work together. If you want more power or performance, however, you can usually mix and match components, especially if you buy direct from the manufacturer. Just indicate your preferences, and the manufacturer will assemble a customized system.

To top it off, many multimedia systems are sold with CD-ROM encyclopedias, so you can set up and start reaping the rewards of computing without having to shop for software. Once you've got the system up and running, you can continue to build your digital library, choosing from the hundreds of new CD-ROM titles coming out this fall.

Choosing a Printer

Often the first accessory you'll want for your multimedia computer system is a printer--after all, hanging your kids' latest artwork on the refrigerator isn't the same when it's still on a floppy disk. Sturdy, versatile printers with either color or black-only output are available for well under $1,000.

Color Printers

If your kids are using the computer in place of crayons, consider getting an inexpensive color printer. An entrylevel version, the color ink jet, is ideal for printing both your business graphics and letterhead and your children's artistic triumphs. A decent color inkjet printer sells for about $650. The colors are sharp and bright, appropriate for drawings and color text.

They're not, however, up to the challenge of printing the smooth tones necessary for reproducing photos--for that you'll need one of the more expensive thermal-dye printers.

Also, you'll need to keep eager little hands away from the ink-jet printer. Not only are color printers slower than black-only printers, but ink-jet pages are a bit damp after printing and take a minute to dry without smudges.

Black-Only Printers

If you're planning on using your printer mainly for outputting documents with no color, you can get an excellent black-only ink-jet printer for around $250 or a good laser printer for $650.

Laser printers are faster, have slightly crisper print quality, and can handle almost any kind of paper. Black-only ink jets are less expensive and often much smaller. Both are well suited to printing not only regular pages but envelopes and lables. In addition, replacement black ink cartridges (or laser toner) are cheaper than similar supplies for color printers.