subject: Do You Have The Right Office Software For Your Online Home Business? [print this page] If you are starting a home business online, one of the first things you must do is ensure you have an up-to-date computer that can handle your minimum business requirements. Most computers come with basic business software, but if you need to update your software, you may also have to update your hardware, as well.
Most new computers can handle Microsoft Office 2010, which includes nearly everything the home business owner needs in terms of software requirements. But what if you have an older computer with limited software? Certainly, it's less expensive to buy software than a new computer, but can your old computer handle new software?
A quick rule of thumb: if your existing computer has Microsoft 2007, it can handle 2010. Minimum requirements, according to Microsoft are: Intel Pentium III 500MHz, 256MB RAM, DirectX 9.0c graphics chip with 64MB dedicated memory, Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista SP1 or Windows 7. If you're downloading, make certain you know if you need the 32bit or 64bit version. To find out what your computer has, just go into the control panel and look at the system information.
Before making a purchase, take the time to review what you need for your business. Microsoft Office has several different versions, so it's a good idea to know what you need before you make your purchase. If your needs are minimum, there's no reason to buy the Office Professional, which can run you several hundred dollars. Sure, it comes with all the bells and whistles, but you may not use half of the applications.
Another thing to consider is your disc space-Office 2010 requires a minimum of 3 GB of hard drive. That's compared to 2 GB for the 2007 version.
Whenever making any software purchase, you must factor in the age of you computer, its operating system, and how much hard drive is required to make the software work.
