2. Reading an advert : What they say CPU Intel P-II 450MHz -512KB Intel 440-BX -100MHz 128 MB-100 ATI All-In-Wonder Pro 4MB AGP 2X 12GB Ultra DMA DVD-II ROM 19".26dp SVGA Sound Blaster AWE64V V.90 PCI 56.6K Fax 1.44MB FD - Win 95 Keyboard & Mouse Win 98 -3 year parts & 1year labour Processor : Intel Pentium II 450HMz512 KB Cache memory (Level 2 ) Mother board : Intel 440-BX - 100 MHz ATXVideo card : ATI All-In-Wonder Video RAM : 4MB of SGRAMAccelerated Graphic Port/Path 2X (533 MBps) 12 GB Hard Disk Ultra DMA (33.3 MBps)Digital Versatile/Video Disc 19 inches diagonal screen0.26 dot pitchSVGA (800x600... 1600x1200) Sound card : Sound Blaster AWE64 ValueModem : 57,600 bits per second Floppy Disk : 3”5 1.44 MBKeyboard : 104 KeysWindows 98Warranty

3. Reading an advert : What they don’t say Case, dimensions (unit and the monitor), weights ? CPU Intel P-II 450MHz -512KB Intel 440-BX -100MHz 128 MB-100 ATI All-In-Wonder Pro 4MB AGP 2X 12GB Ultra DMA DVD-II ROM 19".26dp SVGA Sound Blaster AWE64V V.90 PCI 56.6K Fax 1.44MB FD - Win 95 Keyboard & Mouse Win 98 -3 year parts & 1year labour Memory (cache, RAM, video) upgradable to what extend ? Serial and parallel connectors, USB Port, S-Video/Video ports, SCSI... ? Populated bays, and how many 5”25 and 3”5 bays are open for expansion ? How many slots on the mother board and how many open for expansion ? Network card ?Maximum resolution for video card and screen? Power supply ? Three buttons mouse? Plug-and Play? Input and Output phone jacks ? Speakers ?

4. Reading an advert : Obvious conclusion Remember : “What is said is always the best part of it” First step : Make a list of the needs. Second step : Make a list of the corresponding technical requirements Fourth step : Systematically check the configurations against your lists (Spot what you will have to add or what is superfluous) Third step : Make a list of the other general technical features