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Subject:Re: PC hardware requirements for TWs From:"Metzger, Lucinda" <cmetzger -at- DUKANE -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 19 Jun 1998 16:22:30 -0500
Sarah, I've got a Pentium w/ 64 MB RAM and a Millenium II video card w/
4 MB WRAM to run my Ventura 7, CorelDRAW, Corel Photopaint, etc. and it
AIN'T ENOUGH. (I don't have a sound card and speakers simply because I
don't need it for my job.) It sure would be nice to have a machine that
could handle my big files. It would also be nice to have a 21" monitor
instead of the 17" I've got (but hey, the 17" is much better than the
standard-size one I had to use for a few years).
Your boss's comment got my dander up because I had to fight for what I
have now, yet the developers at my company have much faster computers,
and are able to effortlessly acquire hardware upgrades and huge
monitors. Now, I've never done any software programming so I really
can't say how much more memory-intensive that is than what I'm doing.
But it really irks me that I've had such problems convincing people that
my applications require a computer that's more sophisticated than the
ones being used by my non-tech-writer coworkers who are light users of
MS Office.
In my opinion, my PC should be as powerful as the developers' PCs.
>----------
>From: Sarah Kling[SMTP:sarahk -at- WHOEVER -dot- COM]
>Sent: Friday, June 19, 1998 3:59 PM
>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject: PC hardware requirements for TWs
>
>Fellow techwriters,
>
>I am interested in finding out the PC hardware my fellow techwriters are
>using to run industry-standard applications such as FrameMaker, Photoshop,
>Illustrator, Paint Shop Pro, RoboHelp, Doc-to-Help, and the like.
>
>For instance, what is your processor speed? How much RAM do you have
>installed? Do you have a soundcard and speakers?
>
>Also, does anyone know of Web resources that publish information related to
>this subject?
>
>I am asking because I need to make a business case for keeping the P300/128
>MB RAM Dell that I currently have. My boss has informed me that I have a
>"developer's machine" and will therefore be downgraded to a P166/32 MB RAM as
>soon as new developer is hired. I run desktop publishing, graphics, winhelp,
>and HTML help applications.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>--Sarah