Jeremy Adam Davis

photo credit: barnoid

I used to be a big time computer hardware geek. I built my first computer at 16. I would paint my computers, add lights, fans and even cut the symbol from my favorite Star Wars character (Boba Fett, reprezent) into the side of the computer case.

Like most people doing this sort of thing, I tried to get the best stuff available. If I could get a 2.4ghz processor for only $100 more than the 2.3ghz, I did. If 1gb of memory was only $200 more than 512mb, I got 2gb. I could always find a way to justify getting the best hardware.

Well yesterday that changed and it weirded me out.

Like all people in this blogging/designing world that don’t have a Mac, I want one. Badly. A few days ago the iMacs got some hardware updates. Nothing crazy different, just a little better stuff than what was already in there. As I looked at the different hardware options, for the first time EVER I told myself that I would be completely content with the cheaper version of the 24 inch screen models even though the better version wasn’t a drastic amount different in price.

Here’s how I justified not wanting the latest and greatest, and why I believe that computer hardware for the average consumer is losing its importance.

I don’t need more hard drive space because

The hard drive sizes that come standard on computers are more than enough to install my required programs and hold my music/movie library. I keep most of my pictures/movies/music on a external hard drive anyways so I can carry it with me if need be, but even without that external drive I could use a browser to keep up with my stuff by having

• Pictures get stored on Flickr.
• Videos get uploaded to YouTube.
• Documents go on Google Docs.
• Music come from Last.fm

I don’t need a better video card because

I do my gaming on my Xbox 360 and Wii. There was a time when, at least in my mind, computer gaming was for real gamers and consoles were for wimps. For a while computer games looked better, all the blockbuster games were released on the PC and computer games were the only ones with real online multiplayer capability. Now the tables have turned. I don’t keep up on computer gaming anymore but I can’t think of any big, blockbuster level game that has recently come out for the computer only, except Crysis. The only advantage I see computer gaming having is in the ever growing MMORPG arena, but even those are getting put on consoles. Final Fantasy XI is already on the 360 and a Conan MMORPG is coming for it this year. Also, MMORPGs aren’t games that are very taxing on the computer hardware in the first place. I haven’t heard of people needing to upgrade their computers to get their MMORPG to play.

I don’t need a faster processor because

I believe processors quit being the bottleneck of computer hardware along time ago. For years that was the only metric people based a computer setup around. People would run 3.0ghz setups on 256mb of RAM and think their machine was the best thing around, where a better rounded machine could outperform it on everyday type tasks. Perhaps the former setup could perform better in benchmarks, but certain benchmarks got to a point where they were so tailored to specific CPU vendors that they became a joke. The CPU game is no longer based on CPU speed alone, but now more emphasis is put into the number of cores on the CPU die. I’m curious to see how far this game can be played also. Will a 32 core processor be THAT much better than a 16 core one?

I don’t need a bigger screen because

Seriously can we call them laptops anymore if we are carrying around a 30 inch screen. I’m sure manufacturers are capable of making bigger screens for roughly the same price as previous sizes due to increases in technology, but we aren’t making bigger laps. Computer monitors can still grow in the desktop arena but with dual monitor setups becoming the norm lately, even desktop monitors sizes will reach a max. I’d much rather have two 24 inch monitors than one 48 inch.

I don’t need more memory because

Most setups today come with 2gb installed which is usually enough for most people. This is the only area I would upgrade because I can get another 2gb for under $50. And if I remember correctly Windows XP doesn’t even recognize more than 3gb installed unless you do some tweaking. Even if I didn’t upgrade the memory I believe the 2gb would suffice because most of my computer use is done through a browser. I usually don’t have more than 5 applications open and the only real memory hog is Firefox. Which Firefox 3 is supposed to be much more memory efficient than previous versions.

Who has the right to tell me to shove it.

While I believe this post relates to a large majority of people, I’m not naive enough to think that there aren’t some types of users that don’t benefit from beefier hardware. If you spend your time working with video processing/encoding/ripping/whatever I think you need every ounce of speed and space you can get. I don’t do any extensive Photoshopping but I can imagine that certain filters can drain resources pretty quickly so I’m sure the more advanced graphic designers could use the extra oomph also.

Closing Thoughts

If I made my money by selling computer hardware to the large consumer populace, I’d be pretty worried about my paycheck over the next years. I know there will always be good money in selling hardware to corporation and data warehousing type setups, but I don’t imagine that the average Joe is going to be opting to max out everything on his computer in the future as much as he did just a few years ago. For the most part bigger is still better, but bigger just isn’t as needed as it use to be.

Do you see yourself not caring as much about computer hardware as you once did? Did I forget some crucial reason to still feel the urge to get the latest and greatest hardware? I’d love to hear your opinions about it.