WebJunction

Here are some items that night be included in a maintenance plan:
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* Log of all current and past computer issues, including whether and how they were resolved.<br>
* Log of all computer updates and upgrades so you can easily check for currency.<br>
Both these two plus the upgrade problems log can all be done with Event Tracker in TechAtlas.<br>
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Also:<br>
* A maintenence checklist or schedule that takes into account the different needs of PACs and staff computers. PAC maintenance will vary greatly depending on the security system used.<br>
* Plan for hardware upgrades (not just replacements). Often just an increase in RAM can add to the computer's life span.<br>
* Don't forget to plan for spending on printers, printer supplies and networking equipment.<br>
* Budget for replacement and add-on hardware, like mice, keyboards, USB hubs or even wifi routers.<br>
* Make sure to plan software upgrades carefully to take full advantage of the<a href="http://www.techsoup.org/stock/libraries/microsoft/default.asp" target=blank>Microsoft US Public Libraries Software Donation Program</a> and it's ordering restrictions.<br>

How do we know what upgrades should definitely be done and which ones we could let slide? Is there a site that explains what we should be looking for in our technology upgrades? It is hard to keep up with all the new technology plus the cost is not always in our budget. How do we decide which priority should be first when upgrading or replacing our computers?

As a less technical response to your question, you may also want to be sure that you have a thorough understanding of what your patrons (a) use the PA computers for and (b) what they expect of them. This will at least narrow your software needs down a bit, and thus inform your hardware needs.

I think the first place to look when considering hardware upgrades is at your software. What do you run now, and what would you like to run in the future? Are you thinking of getting new versions of say Office, or Windows?
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If you look at the system requirements of the software, I would consider those to be bare minimums - often not really adequate to run well. If you have computers that are just barely meeting them, think about upgrading those components.
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This is something you can keep track of with <a href="http://webjunction.techatlas.org/tools/">TechAtlas</a>. If you use it's automated tools to inventory your computers, you can then easily create a report where you plug in the system requirements and get a list of all the computers that don't meet them, and it will highlight the specific components that need upgrading. If you want to get a better idea about what techAtlas can do, take a look at our <a href="/do/Navigation?category=442#ManagingPublicAccessComputing04125">free TechAtlas course</a>.
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As a general rule of thumb, I look first at memory. It is almost always the best bang for your buck with old pc's, and is more important than processor speed. If you are running Windows XP, then 256MB of RAM is a bare minimum, especially once you start running multiple applications at once. 512 MB is better, and in most cases you can see noticeable speed improvements up to about 1 GB.
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There is a good introductory article to the topic <a href="/do/DisplayContent?id=8512">here</a>.But I would also be interested to hear if anyone else has any favorite sites with good and up to date (up to date is the hard part) advice at a novice or intermediate user level.