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QUESTION:

I'm ready to buy my first computer and have decided on a Pentium III model. When I went shopping, I discovered several computer models from different manufacturers offering an Athlon processor instead. Furthermore, this processor is made by a company called AMD and not Intel. Is this something I should consider or stay with the big name brand?

ANSWER:

Advanced Micro Devices or AMD has been around for a long time and has done well making Intel compatible microprocessors. Previous chips made include the AMD K5 and K6-2 which are still available and offer speed and features comparable to Pentium and Pentium II chips respectively. But the Athlon you mention is AMD's latest offering and is comparable to Intel's fastest generation of Pentium III chips.

The three considerations you should make concerning another brand of CPU are speed, compatibility and cost. Comparing the Athlon to the Pentium III is fairly straightforward. Speed is rated in megahertz (MHz) and without splitting hairs, a 500MHz Pentium III is comparable to a 500 MHz Athlon. Currently Athlon is available in 500, 550, 600, 650 and a blazing 800MHz version. In fact, AMD introduced their 800MHz chip before Intel made it to market with theirs. Compatibility is about as close as you can get. AMD claims the Athlon should run anything that runs on an Intel chip. And as far as cost is concerned, unless you're building your computer from scratch, you aren't going to be buying an Athlon off the shelf. However, computers with an Athlon inside tend to run a little less. But this shouldn't be the deciding factor in making your CPU brand choice.

So your concern really shouldn't be which brand microprocessor to buy but rather how fast a system you want. And since MHz ratings are so closely matched between both manufacturers, my suggestion is to go for a sublime balance of a computer system that fills all your needs, one that offers the most features you want and best accommodates your wallet.

QUESTION:

What is a Java applet?

ANSWER:

Java is a programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. With it, programmers can write small applications or Java applets that run within your Internet browser. Unlike HTML which is used primarily for web page displays (although the latest versions can do some pretty impressive things), Java applications can perform even more complex interactive functions. And since they run on your computer, they require no further online time once downloaded unless their function requires it. For some outstanding examples of graphical applet, surf on over to www.anfyteam.com where you'll see a variety of animated images and menus. One of my favorites is the rotating cube. Suspended as if it were in a zero gravity environment, you can spin its sides with the mouse. Each side of the cube displays a link. Rotating the cube and clicking on the desired side sends you to the linked web site. You have to see it to believe it. Others include a wheel menu, rippling watery effects that can distort an image or an entire web page and a smoothly animated book page flip that helps to make even the dullest material fun to view.