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Let's jump right in. Setting up a computer music lab requires considerations beyond simple bottom-line budgeting. Regardless of whether it is a Mac or a PC system, know the specific audio capabilities before ordering computers for your lab. It's all about the dBs. Keep your eye on the audio fidelity plus audio-optimized hard drives. I recommend only Intel or AMD CPUs for your PC computers. For Macs, you have a variety of options from Power Mac G5 to iMAC and eMAC models, all by Apple. PC Pentium IIIs are heavy-duty with from 500 to 1000 MHZ CPUs and Pentium IVs up to 4+ GHz and faster to handle your software needs in both server and individual workstations.
When ordering RAM, don't be stingy. RAM is cheap and you want plenty of it. A minimum should be 256 or 512 MB. Even though Windows XP only requires 128 MB RAM, it also recommends an additional 8 MB for each Microsoft Office program running simultaneously. Adobe Photoshop wants 128 MB of its own and so on with other programs open. As a result, there's no such thing as having too much memory.
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