Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!rutgers!bellcore!faline!thumper!ulysses!andante!alice!apdoo From: apdoo@alice.UUCP (Alan Weiss) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Need advice on buying a Mac SE Keywords: HELP! Message-ID: <8221@alice.UUCP> Date: 20 Sep 88 14:10:17 GMT Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill NJ Lines: 23 My wife is about to take the plunge and computerize her business. She is an accountant, primarily tax but does some payroll and cash accounting, has her own business which is fairly small (maybe 20hrs/wk), and has pretty much decided on a Mac SE. Now we don't know much about these machines, and so are looking for advice on what to buy. Money is definitely a limitation. So, can you help us by advising us on what (and why) to get or not get like: 1. What type of printer? Reliability and price are the main parameters of interest. 2. What type of hard drive? The built-in Apple 20M, or another manufacturer's? 3. Is the standard 1M RAM enough? I strongly suspect that it is, but if not, try to convince me and please tell me what type of expansion is necessary. 4. Where to buy it? We live in New Jersey near New York City...what are the tradeoffs buying from a discounter in New York such as 47th street photo? 5. What software is more-or-less essential? For example, is a backup utility program included with a hard disk? She will be getting a tax and a payroll program, but is there anything else that she really ought to have? And what is an appropriate and reasonably priced word processor? 6. Is there anything else we ought to know or ought to be asking? Please help if you can. Mail the answers if you would, I don't read this newsgroup. And thanks in advance, Alan Weiss ATT Bell Labs (201) 582-4590 ...!research.att.com!apdoo or trace path