Difference between Intel, AMD chips not significant

By BILL HUSTED

Cox News Service

Published 9/12/04

Q: I am in the market to upgrade at the end of this year. I am seeing AMD Athlon more and more. Is this as good as Intel? Is it the wave of the future?

— Yvonne Curtis

A: Hi, Yvonne. The truth is that it doesn't much matter which one you choose. The performance difference is so close that you'd have to be a computer yourself to notice any difference. Both AMD and Intel make great processor chips, and I would feel comfortable with either manufacturer.

More Tech Q&A It's better to turn off an idle laptop  Reset wireless router, then write down and save the password  Wrong date/time? Bad battery is likely the cause  Full list "Technobuddy" columns

I've seen various comparison tests in which each chip is given a specific task and graded on how fast it performs the task. AMD wins some, Intel wins others. In both cases, the performance is so close that the time difference could be measured in milliseconds. In the real world, a fast chip from AMD or Intel is more than adequate for anything you wish to do.

I favor the Intel chip, but I don't have any good arguments on why, other than I've always used Intel.

The Intel chip does run cooler than the AMD chip. The cooler a chip runs, the more likely it is to last. But both chips should hold up fine over the long haul. So I'm just expressing a personal bias and not making any sort of informed judgment.

I know Intel isn't going out of business anytime soon, and neither is AMD. So pick your computer based on price and features.

Advice from readers

In the Aug. 15 column in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, you printed a letter from a reader who had problems with his card reader after installing RealPlayer. I have found a way to avoid most of these types of problems.

If you select the standard installation option when installing programs such as RealPlayer, MusicMatch Jukebox, etc., the program automatically changes all your file associations to make itself the default for files it can handle, such as .mp3, .avi, .jpg and others.

You can avoid this by selecting the custom installation feature. This gives you the option of modifying the file association list for the particular program. I usually unselect all the files the program wants to take over. Later on, if I want to use that program to open a file, I use the program's File: Open option to open the file.

Another advantage of using this method of installing applications is that you can select where the app is installed. Selecting the standard installation almost always defaults to C:\Program Files.

I re-partition my physical drives into several logical drives, and I always install applications on my D: drive. This reserves the C: drive for Windows and makes for a lot less work if I ever have to format my C: drive and reinstall Windows. (And who of us hasn't had to do that?)

— Gil Munoz, Roswell

I read with interest your article on getting my BellSouth e-mail remotely and about downloaded software.

There is an additional way to get BellSouth e-mail from anywhere: Use any computer connected to the Internet (library, hotel, business, Internet cafe, etc.) and go to the BellSouth.net Web site. You will need to know your password, but I've picked up my BellSouth e-mail from Germany with no problems.

As to downloaded software, I created a directory under My Documents called "downloads," with various sub-directories to keep organized with all the software I have downloaded. I also keep a file with all the required access codes for reinstallation. I make sure to keep backups of everything under My Documents.

When a program creates a work area, I make sure that is put under My Documents.

It simplifies backups. I can always reload the original programs, whether on CD or downloaded, but my data are more easily protected.

About backups: You can now get computers with USB 2.0 ports and CD-RW or DVD-RW drives. I use a combination of an external, large-capacity hard drive on a USB 2.0 port and CDs or DVDs for backups. It's easy and quick enough that you can carry your backups with you when necessary (like in preparation for a hurricane).

— Walt Morrey, Digital and Analog Design Inc.

From Husted: Both readers offer good advice. One thing to do when using a public computer and a Web-based e-mail client is to clear the cache of the browser on that computer. Otherwise, traces of your e-mail can stick around on a computer used by the public.

I especially liked Walt's way of organizing his files to simplify backups. And putting the access codes in a file is a terrific idea. Just make sure you also store that information on a CD or DVD. Otherwise, if the hard disk containing the access codes crashes, they'll disappear forever.