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Help in Choosing Your Next Computer

The time has come for a change, your computer has outlived its usefulness with its slow loading applications.

Searching for that Perfect Computer can be about as frustrating as picking a childrens dvd at blockbuster.

For starters you?ll need to work out what you want from your computer. Are you a”game” man or are you someone who likes to just surf the internet and occasionally do some book keeping with simple word processing software?

If you?re into video games you?re going to want a machine that can handle the high level of graphics and superior sound quality. On the other hand if you?re not into all that stuff you can probably get by with a cheaper system,.Although you may have to spend more in the future on up-grading it

There are two basic routes you can take when purchasing a new computer.

1) Purchase a “recognised” Name” Computer 2) Purchase a “Clone” Computer

A ?BRAND-NAME? computer is one that is manufactured by a company that is recognizable by name.ie toshibaetc

Some Advantages/Disadvantages of ?Brand-Name? computers include:

Advantages:

Customer Support- always a comfort to a custoner, as all major makes have a service which you can rely on.

Warranty- Having a warranty is always nice since it acts as a type of safe gaurd for you.

In case a part on your computer should fail you should be able to get the item fixed at zero charge just as long as the warranty has not expired.

Read and understand a company?s warranty policy BEFORE you buy a computer from them.

Additional Support- Most brand-name computer companies are also able to provide you with web sites that may provide you with current software updates, user manuals, or basic troubleshooting help.

Disadvantages

The use of name brand parts- this term refers to products that are unique to an individual company and that company only.

So if a part was to malfunction on your computer after warranty and you needed to replace it you could not just go to your local computer store and purchase any old part even if it was intended for the same function as the item that failed.

You would be forced to buy their part at probably a more expensive price

Having to buy component parts usually involves the need to place an order which is time consuming

People with a on-line based business would probably not be too happy with that situation at all.

Integrated/On-board parts- In the computer world when you hear the word integrated or on-board it means that a particular part such as the modem or sound port where you plug in your speakers, is built-in or part of the computer main board (Also known as the Motherboard).

This means that if any of these parts should fail, you can?t just remove them from the computer and replace them with a new part. They are usually soldered directly to the main board and are stuck there.

A ?CLONE? computer is a clone or a copy of its brand-name counterpart with the exception that instead of company specific or proprietary parts, the items used to make a clone computer are from several different companies instead of only one.

Let?s say that if you were to go to a local company that builds ?clone? computers, and you tell them what you need, chances are they don?t use parts that are specific to only that type of computer like the brand-name computer companies do.

This is a good thing because it means that they will probably use components that are interchangeable with many different brands and are easy to come by if needed.

Some Advantages/Disadvantages of ?Clone? computers include:

Advantages:

Cost- compared to brand-name computers the clone will generally be easier on your pocket book when purchasing one with similar features as its brand-name counterpart.

This is most likely due to the money that is saved by not offering the high-end customer service.

Easily Accessible Replacement Parts- Since the clone computer was built with parts that are not any one company specific, you can buy parts for the clone computer that can be used even if the brand is different.

NOTE: Before you buy any parts, consult the manual that should have came with your computer to make sure you get the correct part.

Disadvantages:

Warranties- Unless you purchase a service plan you will typically not have as an attractive warranty as you would with a brand-name computer company.

Whatever you do just make sure you understand how long the warranty is for and as to what kind of repairs the warranty covers before you make the purchase.

Customer Support- With brand-name computer companies you are usually provided with a 24-hour toll free number that you can call if you have questions or concerns with your computer.

Clone computers are more than likely not going to have a 24-hour help service, but rather you will be forced to only be able to call during regular business hours.

Also, it is more than likely that there will not be any one website that you can go to in order to find out information concerning troubleshooting questions you may have.

For service it may be necessary to take the computer back to the store that you bought it at or you may have to do some research on the individual parts that went into the computer and visit the manufacturer?s website for troubleshooting tips.

laptop computers

dave is the owner of a new on-line computer shop www.discount-notebooks.net

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The newly-released iPod classic has a serious design flaw that very few people are aware of: the metallic silver back half has been re-designed to prevent it from being removed. On earlier iPod models, like the previously-released 5th Generation Video iPod, one could separate the two halves using a do-it-yourself iPod battery replacement kit or, in a pinch, a metal screwdriver.

On the iPod classic, however, a series of small metal teeth have been added to the design. These teeth surround all four sides of the interior of the iPod classic and, once the two halves of the player are pressed together during assembly, the clips engage and that’s it – the unit is sealed up like an Egyptian tomb. This makes it very challenging to replace an iPod classic battery.

With earlier iPods, if the LCD cracked, or the hard drive failed, or the battery stopped holding a charge, the average consumer could either perform the repair themselves or send it to a third party iPod service company like ipodjuice.com to do it for them. Now that these newer models are being designed with close-once-and-never-open-again cases, this drastically reduces the possibility that you will be able to repair your iPod on your own without having to engage Apple. And as most people know by know, iPods seem to fail or need service shortly after the warranty expires.

It will probably be a few months before this issue surfaces to the general public. It’s quite likely that the saavy consumer will conclude that, in the long run, it may be better to keep their older model iPod up and running since they have self-service options available for them instead of upgrading to newer iPod model that can never be repaired.

There are a few iPod battery installation companies out there that are working on ways to open the new iPod classic without destroying the back half of the player in the process, but only time will tell if they will be successful or not.

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With the economy in a downturn, businesses are thinking twice about travel expenses, especially for meetings and presentations. As a substitute, many are turning online to Web conferencing. While relatively less expensive than most trips, these services are still costly. San Jose, Calif.-based RHUB (Real-Time Collaboration HUB) Communications is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the situation with its line of Web conference appliances.

We’ve had the low-end model TM-200 installed in the Test Center for a few days and are very impressed with the ease of installation and quality of performance it brings to the table.

At 9 x 6 x 1.4 inches and weighing 2.4 pounds, the TM-200 is slightly larger than a SOHO router and is nearly effortless to install. A small grey box with five status LEDs in the front, the back has only an RJ-45 Ethernet connection, the AC adapter jack and a nine-pin serial connector. There is also a pin-hole reset button. Connection consists of running a network cable between the LAN and the device and plugging in the power adapter. The serial connector is for a console cable reserved for support uses.

Once installed, all we had to do was log on to the device from a Web browser on the network and finish the configuration. Although the management console is very intuitive, the administrator manual does a good job of explaining, with illustrations, the three types of deployment: Outside the Firewall; Inside the Firewall and accessible by users outside of it; and Inside the Firewall and not accessible from outside of it. We chose the second, which offers the most usability.

While not necessary, reviewers set up a free, hosted DNS with DynDNS.com and followed the directions embedded in the configuration screen of the console. After that, we created user accounts, forwarded the necessary ports on our router (also explained simply in the administrator guide) and did a quick read of the user manual to see what the appliance is capable of.

Within minutes, we had a meeting up and running with attendees being able to see everything on the host’s computer screen that they wanted us to see.

In this type of meeting, called an interactive meeting, it is just as easy for the host to turn over control of his or her PC, or turn over hosting duties to another person in the meeting.

Another meeting type is a seminar, where the host can’t turn over control. One big difference between RHUB’s implementation and its competitors’ is that users only have to download and install a client on the TM-200 if they are hosting. Attendees can use any Web browser, on any operating system.

Besides interactive meetings and seminars, the meeting can also be configured as remote control, which allows the host to take over control of the attendee’s computer as soon as they join the meeting, and remote access, which allows the host’s computer to be controlled unattended. Respectively, these meeting types are great for support technicians and accessing a work computer from home or the road. In testing, they all worked without incident.

All meeting types give the host the option of creating a password that attendees need to enter and can be scheduled in advance or started impromptu. Pre-populated e-mail invitations can be sent out to attendees with a URL and access code if desired. Additionally, all RHUB appliances include audio conference call service at no extra cost. Although it is not a toll-free number, this is a nice feature that makes the appliance a complete, one-time purchase product.

Including the $995 TM-200 model, RHUB currently offers four different models of the appliance, the larger two of which are 1U rack-mount chassis. The most basic TM-200 has a default capacity of two meeting rooms and ten concurrent users between them, and can be upgraded to a maximum of four rooms and 20 users. The largest of the devices starts with 50 meeting rooms and 200 concurrent users, expandable to 200 rooms and 2,000 users.

RHUB estimates that the products pay for themselves in three to five months compared to subscription-based competitors, and after some quick Web shopping, we would tend to believe it. The extremely easy installation and almost flawless operation make it a no-brainer for any company needing the services it provides.

Note: This article comes from ChannelWeb, 2/6/09

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We have seen a lot of government website design trends come and go over the years. I think we have finally seen the fascination with blended photo banners start to fade just like the images they contain. It appears as if the “green” movement has made its way into website design, as we experience a shift toward natural tones and earthy designs. So what can we really expect from government website designs in the future?

The Photo Element
One of the most predominate changes in design we have noticed over the past year is the transition to shorter, simpler banners instead of large banners with blended photos. This change has allowed cities/counties to showcase one large image (or a slideshow of large images) in the content area of the homepage, which creates a cleaner, more modern appearance.

The City of Alliance, Nebraska incorporated a short banner throughout their site that has given them room to include a slideshow that allows visitors to interact with the website. This interaction is an important aspect of the design as it adds more interest to the homepage and entices users to look around the rest of the site.

The City of Montrose, Colorado also developed a short and attractive, yet functional banner. This freed real estate on the homepage to place a stunning image of an area attraction. This automatically draws the attention of site visitors and lures them in to explore more of the site. In addition, with the smaller banner the City doesn?t have to worry about a large banner pushing content on internal pages down below the “fold.”

The Background Element
There is a charming trend that is beginning to use the background image of the website as a forefront design technique. Adding subtle design elements in the background is gaining popularity as it offers another dimension to the website. In addition, when those visitors with higher screen resolutions view the site, they will see more than just a website with a blank background. However, caution is advised when using this technique; the goal of the background image is to help direct the visitor?s eye to the content. You don?t want the image to be so bold that it distracts from your overall goal of conveying information.

The City of Claremore, Oklahoma created a stunning image of train tracks and the setting sun in which they laid their website overtop. By deliberately positioning the website below the setting sun and at the base of the tree, your eye is directed straight to the areas that are most important. The City of Billings, Montana also used this technique to successfully frame their website using a mountain lake.

The Human Element
We are seeing a trend towards simpler designs that include the human element. The addition of these elements?hand-drawn fonts, sketches, Polaroid images, torn edges, etc?are giving personalities to otherwise emotionless websites, just as a hand-written note conveys more emotion than an email.