Best Consignment Shop Software

[Steve Henning]

Any software program will function at it's best if the PC is in peak operating condition, has a good operating system and sufficient storage capacity, processor speed and memory.

Storage capacity is the amount of space on the hard drive (measured in gigabytes) for information retention. The PC should have at least 3 gigs of free disk space.

Click on My Computer. Right click on C: and select Properties to view your PC's capacity. There should be at least 3GB (gigabytes) of free space.

Processor speed is the 'clock rate' (cycles per second, measured in hertz) at which a computer performs its operations. Intel's Pentium 4 is nearing 4 GHz but 1 GHz is sufficient for most consignment operations. More is better, of course, and shops with 10,000 or more entries should have at least 1.5 GHz. Right-click on My Computer to see your PC's processor, speed and processor type.

The better processors for shops are Pentium IV or AMD (Advanced Micro Devices). It is best to avoid Intel's Celeron.

Memory (or RAM, Random Access Memory) is the PC's work area or main memory where data is manipulated and displayed. Programs generally run ok with 256MB but more memory makes the PC run faster. 512MB is better. 1 gig of memory is great. (Lengthy periods of printing will cause the system to run out of resources. 3 gigs of free space should help to alleviate that.)

An operating system (Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Unix, Linux) is a software that manages the hardware and software resources of a computer. It performs basic tasks like files and memory management and instructions processing.

Windows 95/98/ME are slow to release virtual memory no longer in use (especially if virtual memory is limited). It is best to avoid this operating systems altogether and upgrade to Windows XP Home or Professional.

Based upon our experience of several years, we recommend purchasing new systems and peripherals (printers, etc) from Dell. Most hardware ships with a one-year warranty. If something goes wrong, Dell will have a technician at your door within 2 business days to get you going again. They also guarantee peripherals (like printers). Sales and service are excellent. A Dell Dimension 2400 with 512MB of RAM, XP Home Edition can be leased for about $20/month. (We are not compensated by Dell for recommending them.)

With usage a PC's operating condition deteriorates. Individual files become fragmented (scattered on the hard drive) and the hard drive becomes cluttered with unnecessary files (and programs).
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Steve Henning
877-669-0854
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