Re: PC hardware requirements for TWs

[Rahel Bailie <rbailie -at- CASTLETON -dot- COM>]

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?

Our company standard for tech writers is a Pentium 2, 128MB of RAM, 21"
monitor, CD-ROM. On my new machine, we don't have sound cards or
speakers, but I could get some if I could justify it, but as I don't do
any work related to sound files, I can't really do so.

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.

The developers here don't have machines as powerful as mine. Based on
that comparison, you should be able to demand an upgrade to your
computer! :-) Seriously though, the extra time you'll spend waiting is
worth a lot more than the extra thousand dollars to get you a new
machine. Perhaps you'll need to figure out what software won't run
properly and ask what their contracting budget is. Once you start
sending out critical pieces of work because your lousy machine won't run
the software, then even the most solopsistic manager starts to get the
picture.

Rahel