Hardware Requirements

Unlike the software packages previously discussed, desktop publishing packages (and graphics software packages) require a considerable amount of resources.

To give you a better idea of what we are talking about, the following are hardware requirements:

. Microprocessor\At a minimum, you will need a 486 sixteen-bit microprocessor or equivalent. A Pentium or 586 (or equivalent) is even better.

Do not plan on using PCs based on 286 and 386 microprocessors. These machines simply do not have enough computing power to handle DTP chores efflciently.

Monitor\ You will need a high-resolution 19-inch monitor. When doing desktop publishing and design work, laying out pages on most standard 12-inch and 13-inch screens can be tiring and difficult. The monitor and associated graphics card should be at the IBM-standard video-graphics array (VGA) level or better.

Secondary storage\ ^{Large hard disks are} essential for DTP work. Desktop publishing files tend to get very large, and you will soon accumulate many active files on the computer's hard disk. A minimum of 500 megabytes of hard disk capacity is recommended. Hard drives with 850 megabytes to 2 gigabytes are even better.

Mouse or trackball\ You will also need a mouse or trackball pointing device to move the cursor position on the monitor screen.

Printer\ Although the dot matrix printer is inexpensive and capable of printing graphics and letter quality text, it is insufficient for many DTP applications. A laser printer is the better choice when it comes to preparing quality text and graphics.

Scanner\ With desktop publishing systems, you will naturally want a desktop scanner to capture photographs, art work, clippings, and other forms of art work.

More and more DTP functions are being added to word processing packages. For some applications, this will eliminate the need for separate DTP packages. However, you will still need a scanner, a mouse, and a compatible laser printer.

UTILITIES

Software utilities further enhance your computer's capabilities and make it run more efficiently, whether it be a mainframe, mini, or micro. Once a computer user like yourself becomes familiar with the system and applications software you are working with, you want the system to do more and do it faster and more efficiently. Utilities can satisfy some of this need for more computer power, overall performance, internal security, file and data management, and backup capabilities. Utilities strive to fill some of the voids left by applications or operating system software. For the most part, utilities are meant to work in conjunction with your existing software.

In the past, an individual had to be a technical expert when it came to setting up the necessary control parameters for a particular utility program (a sort, merge, selective print, and so on). Quite often, they were complicated to run. Some of these utilities were stand-alone programs occupying a niche not filled by applications programs. The traditional mainframe utility programs, such as sort, merge, and print, have given way to desktop organizers and file managers that are now geared for individual use on a personal computer. Today, most microcomputer users initiate a wide variety of software utilities and are not even aware they are doing so. Some of the more popular utilities have been incorporated into the disk operating system as well as applications programs as commands.

DOS includes such utilities as COPY, SORT, FORMAT, BACKUP, RESTORE, TYPE (to print files), DIR (to list files in directories), RENAME (to rename files), CLS (to clear your monitor's screen), and many, many more. Utilities such as spell checkers, dictionaries, thesauruses, and grammar checkers are often included in word processing packages. Many applications programs include keyboard enhancing programs that allow you to store frequently used words and sentences you can then access with either a single keystroke or combination of a few keystrokes (also known as hot keys). Then, there are mouse utilities that allow you to program the right and middle mouse buttons for particular tasks.

While utility programs are getting easier for us to use, selecting the best one to accomplish a particular task can be somewhat difficult. If you look around to see what utilities are available, you will find there are thousands of various types on the market to choose from. To introduce you to the types, we have organized the various utility software/programs into eight categories: keyboard enhancement, desktop organizer, backup, file management, file maintenance, DOS shell, printer, and virus utilities.