The workstations built by SCTech consist of mainly Intel parts. Using Intel parts allows us to build a very inexpensive system that is very reliable. Typically, these systems consist of:
Why use these Parts you ask? Outlined below is the reasoning we applied as a result of our experience setting up practises.
The range of Intel celeron processors has proven itself to be more than
sufficient to run all the applications you will encounter in a medical surgery.
A Pentium 4 processor costs a significant amount
more than the Celeron. The money
required to go from a Celeron to a Pentium 4 is better spent on even more
RAM or better printer.
The Motherboard should utilise an
"all in" chipset that integrates the functionality of the Video Card, Sound Card, and Network Card onto the motherboard. Such boards
are available for the Celeron and cost significantly less than a board with external video, sound and network systems.
Integrating these subsystems onto the motherboard reduces the possible points of failure in the system and results in a more reliable computer.
Using a larger than "standard" amount of RAM is the best way I can see to
enhance the useful lifetime of your systems. Having a lot of RAM means the hard disk is not being
constantly used to "swap" information out of RAM that will no longer fit. This also
means that your machine will perform much better when you have multiple applications
running as it will not be using the slower hard disk to emulate RAM (Hard disks
typically transfer information at about 10 Megabytes per second while RAM
typically transfers it at about 800 Megabytes per second).
IBM manufacture the world's fastest and most reliable hard disk drives and
come with a 3 year manufacturer's warranty. Their prices are similar to
those charged by other less well known manufacturers so I see no reason to not
use the best.
Panasonic make a very reliable and inexpensive FDD. Floppy drives will
probably not be used in the surgery as all the machines are linked by a very
high speed network.
Windows ME is the latest progression in the home operating systems produced by Microsoft. It keeps the basic controls of the Windows 98 SE operating
system while adding the new desktop features introduced by Windows 2000. Windows 2000 would be inappropriate to add here as there are some issues
with the way in which medical director changes file permissions on the server when Windows 2000 is installed on the client machines.
The Samsung Monitor is one of the clearest available in the 15" range. The only one clearer is the Sony FD Trinitron Monitor. However, the Sony is nearly double the cost of the Samsung and I do not believe the quality difference would be sufficient.
The Phillips LCDs have multimedia and USB capabilities as does the Panasonic. I can
match the prices
quoted locally for the Phillips and the Panasonic is only marginally more
expensive. I feel the Panasonic is a better monitor and you should remember that the Philips has the OPTION of a USB HUB, it does not include
one as standard. Both the Keyboard and the mouse I have mentioned can run off USB meaning you can plug both these into the monitor, making the typical
tangle of wires found behind the PC a thing of the past.
The Microsoft Peripherals (Keyboard and Mouse) are preferable to the "no-name" brands of keyboard and mouse as they come with a full warranty (1 year on the keyboard and 5 years on the mouse). Also, the extended functionality provided by these peripherals is provided natively by the operating system and, as a result, does not require dodgy 3rd party software to enable their functionality.
The MACASE KA-K80 Case is a case with an extra fan for case cooling included by default. It's also one of the better reputed brands of case and is known for having good quality power supplies. A cheap case is very likely to fail. We replaced all the initial cases we provided to Kenmore bar 1. I believe this is a result of their opting for the less expensive cases initially. The change here is a result of the change from AT power supplies (which you have to manually turn on and off) to the ATX power supplies (which are able to be turned off using software and on using devices such as the keyboard). The ATX cases are MUCH more sensitive to power surges and electrostatic shocks.
A UPS is essential for workstations and servers alike in today's world of "unclean" power. A UPS provides you with both a clean source of power that ensures your ATX power supplies will last as long as possible as well as the ability to continue normal operation in the event of a "brownout" or short blackout.