By. Ajeet Khurana
These days we look at the word "hardware" and think, "computers". If you are one of those people, let me tell you that this article on hardware talks about purchasing pipes, plumbing, wires, power tools and so on.
If you are looking for new pipes for your bathroom, don't just buy the first set of pipes that you see in a hardware store window. Remember, these are not clothes you are buying. Clothes can be replaced for a relatively low expense. However, even if just one pipe decides to burst, you would definitely have to spend a fortune on plumbing. Wouldn't it be better to save yourself that money and buy yourself a set of pipes that have a greater staying power instead?
Durability and usability are two factors that are of the utmost importance when it comes to hardware products. So when it comes to even a measly difference of rates, be more partial to a hardware store that charges more. At least until you are absolutely certain that the cheaper hardware store owner is offering a product of equally superior quality.
The best thing about going to an Acme hardware store, or to some other hardware store that has a good reputation, is that you are assured of the quality of the product you are buying. I'm sure you don't want to have to return to the hardware store again and again simply because the things that you bought to plug the leak in your room or below the basin, were not up to the mark.
Whenever a person goes shopping, he or she looks around for products that fulfill some specific basic requirements. The same concept holds true whether you are shopping at an Acme hardware store, or simply at the unnamed hardware store near the bus station.
So what do you look for in the products that you buy from a hardware store, whether an Acme hardware store or otherwise? I for one, look for a decent brand name that will be more likely to give me products of a superior quality. If I am looking to spend good money on some top-class power tools, I make sure to go to a hardware store that is reputed for products of good quality.
I also make sure that the hardware products that I buy rate high on usability. After all, what would I do with expensive garden tools if my garden comprised only a few smallish flower pots?
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Software vs. Hardware Business Models
by. Phil Morettini
Much of my consulting practice centers on working with early stage software companies. But I have substantial hardware market experience in my background, and I do take on consulting assignments with hardware companies.
So what are the differences and similarities between successful software and hardware businesses?
CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS
One of the larger differences is that software companies generally require much lower capital to reach profitability and continued growth. This is primarily because of the lack of need to invest in expensive semiconductor development tools, semiconductor masks, manufacturing plants/equipment, manufacturing engineering personnel, unfinished goods inventory, higher cost of finished goods inventory, etc. So except for startups backed by substantial institutional capital, it's much easier to startup software companies compared to their hardware counterparts.
MARGINS
Another important area where software companies have an advantage is in margins—both in the area of typical gross margins, as well as the potential for higher net margins. This is primarily due to the negligible cost-of-goods-sold for most software companies.As a result, it easier for software companies to get to profitability, and if a large market is found, sustain profitability. Remember, throughout this article I am talking "on average". There are hardware businesses with excellent gross margins (dominant semiconductor companies come to mind) as well. But in general, this is an area where the advantage goes to software.
PRICING
The big difference here also is related to product cost. The major difference comes down to product cost, which in the long run creates a floor for anyone who would actually like to make a profit. While optimal pricing of hardware or software should be based upon a value-based approach—with market segmentation as the key However, I rarely find this to be the case in my consulting practice—whether the company markets a software or hardware product.
In the hardware business, you tend to see a lot of simple pricing models that are cost-based. For software businesses, the negligible product cost can be the other end of the proverbial double-edge sward when it comes to pricing. In a competitive market, you may see competitors in software markets literally "give away" the initial product, and rely on the upgrade stream to make a profit downstream. This can strain the profitability of the entire segment, and in severe circumstances, can suck all the profit from the market. You see this scenario most often started by weaker competitors, or in markets where switching costs are high. While hardware pricing can be even more competitive generally, it is less likely for a weaker competitor in a hardware market to introduce a "zero-margin" program. This is because it is often tougher to hang onto a customer in the second generation (if the market has commoditized), and the market leader often has a gross margin advantage—making it an ill advised maneuver other than as an attention-getting, short-term promotion.
DISTRIBUTION
The advent of the Internet has created a major difference in distribution between software and hardware companies, where there was very little difference in the past. It has made direct distribution much more practical for small software companies, in markets where a simple download is practical. For those companies which aren't direct-only, distribution is similar for hardware and software companies. Traditional distribution through third parties tends to be very similar, although higher inventory costs are still a burden that hardware companies need to manage more closely, both for in-house finished goods and those held by the channel.
DEFENSIBLE STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE
This is an area in which software and hardware markets have both similarities and large differences. Both hardware and software companies value patents as a form of providing a sustainable competitive advantage. But in my opinion, the inherent malleability of software makes patent protection less useful in software than in hardware. It is easier to "find another way" of accomplishing the same end result when you are dealing strictly in software code. It's also easier to segment in software markets, creating a targeted, niche version of a software product for a specific segment, nipping at a market leader without drawing their fire. It's much harder for a small hardware company to differentiate itself this way. On the other hand, the market leader that establishes itself and creates a large volume business, creates the important competitive advantages—cost efficiencies and brand recognition are the huge, defensible advantages. So I believe this point comes down to scale—in software markets, it's easier for a small competitor to overcome the scale of larger competitors, and develop a niche strategic advantage. While in hardware, the large competitors can use scale to create the ultimate competitive advantage.
LOCALIZATION REQUIREMENTS
This is an area in which hardware companies normally have an advantage. They usually have simpler user interfaces, and sometimes utilize symbols extensively in their interfaces, greatly reducing translation requirements into local languages. Hardware companies do have to deal with some physical differences in standards, such as electrical—but these have stabilized over time, and are often handled in the standard product.
Conversely, software user interfaces are usually language intensive and more complex, with thicker user manuals. This requires software companies to live with higher localization costs and longer lead times to market worldwide. The exception to this is complex software sold to highly technical users, where English is often used as the standard language.
POTENTIAL FOR DOMINANCE
I'm going by mostly by empirical evidence here. It seems that there have been a lot more hardware companies who have dominated there respective businesses, for a longer period of time than in software. For every Microsoft (and there's really only one of those!) it seems there are many more examples like Intel, Cisco, IBM, HP, Dell, etc. Hardware markets tend to commoditize more easily, but with standardization on a couple of leading brands. It's hard to make money in the long run in hardware unless you are one of the top two or three players. Large hardware markets are also relatively larger in revenue than large software markets, allowing market leaders to more fully utilize their profit and cost advantages over competitors, by spreading marketing costs over large product volumes. So if you're looking to build a truly dominant company, the odds are greater in hardware—although you probably are still better off heading to Las Vegas, and putting your life savings on roulette red!
There are many more ways to contrast and compare hardware and software companies, but I will end it here. What other points would you add?
Much of my consulting practice centers on working with early stage software companies. But I have substantial hardware market experience in my background, and I do take on consulting assignments with hardware companies.
So what are the differences and similarities between successful software and hardware businesses?
CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS
One of the larger differences is that software companies generally require much lower capital to reach profitability and continued growth. This is primarily because of the lack of need to invest in expensive semiconductor development tools, semiconductor masks, manufacturing plants/equipment, manufacturing engineering personnel, unfinished goods inventory, higher cost of finished goods inventory, etc. So except for startups backed by substantial institutional capital, it's much easier to startup software companies compared to their hardware counterparts.
MARGINS
Another important area where software companies have an advantage is in margins—both in the area of typical gross margins, as well as the potential for higher net margins. This is primarily due to the negligible cost-of-goods-sold for most software companies.As a result, it easier for software companies to get to profitability, and if a large market is found, sustain profitability. Remember, throughout this article I am talking "on average". There are hardware businesses with excellent gross margins (dominant semiconductor companies come to mind) as well. But in general, this is an area where the advantage goes to software.
PRICING
The big difference here also is related to product cost. The major difference comes down to product cost, which in the long run creates a floor for anyone who would actually like to make a profit. While optimal pricing of hardware or software should be based upon a value-based approach—with market segmentation as the key However, I rarely find this to be the case in my consulting practice—whether the company markets a software or hardware product.
In the hardware business, you tend to see a lot of simple pricing models that are cost-based. For software businesses, the negligible product cost can be the other end of the proverbial double-edge sward when it comes to pricing. In a competitive market, you may see competitors in software markets literally "give away" the initial product, and rely on the upgrade stream to make a profit downstream. This can strain the profitability of the entire segment, and in severe circumstances, can suck all the profit from the market. You see this scenario most often started by weaker competitors, or in markets where switching costs are high. While hardware pricing can be even more competitive generally, it is less likely for a weaker competitor in a hardware market to introduce a "zero-margin" program. This is because it is often tougher to hang onto a customer in the second generation (if the market has commoditized), and the market leader often has a gross margin advantage—making it an ill advised maneuver other than as an attention-getting, short-term promotion.
DISTRIBUTION
The advent of the Internet has created a major difference in distribution between software and hardware companies, where there was very little difference in the past. It has made direct distribution much more practical for small software companies, in markets where a simple download is practical. For those companies which aren't direct-only, distribution is similar for hardware and software companies. Traditional distribution through third parties tends to be very similar, although higher inventory costs are still a burden that hardware companies need to manage more closely, both for in-house finished goods and those held by the channel.
DEFENSIBLE STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE
This is an area in which software and hardware markets have both similarities and large differences. Both hardware and software companies value patents as a form of providing a sustainable competitive advantage. But in my opinion, the inherent malleability of software makes patent protection less useful in software than in hardware. It is easier to "find another way" of accomplishing the same end result when you are dealing strictly in software code. It's also easier to segment in software markets, creating a targeted, niche version of a software product for a specific segment, nipping at a market leader without drawing their fire. It's much harder for a small hardware company to differentiate itself this way. On the other hand, the market leader that establishes itself and creates a large volume business, creates the important competitive advantages—cost efficiencies and brand recognition are the huge, defensible advantages. So I believe this point comes down to scale—in software markets, it's easier for a small competitor to overcome the scale of larger competitors, and develop a niche strategic advantage. While in hardware, the large competitors can use scale to create the ultimate competitive advantage.
LOCALIZATION REQUIREMENTS
This is an area in which hardware companies normally have an advantage. They usually have simpler user interfaces, and sometimes utilize symbols extensively in their interfaces, greatly reducing translation requirements into local languages. Hardware companies do have to deal with some physical differences in standards, such as electrical—but these have stabilized over time, and are often handled in the standard product.
Conversely, software user interfaces are usually language intensive and more complex, with thicker user manuals. This requires software companies to live with higher localization costs and longer lead times to market worldwide. The exception to this is complex software sold to highly technical users, where English is often used as the standard language.
POTENTIAL FOR DOMINANCE
I'm going by mostly by empirical evidence here. It seems that there have been a lot more hardware companies who have dominated there respective businesses, for a longer period of time than in software. For every Microsoft (and there's really only one of those!) it seems there are many more examples like Intel, Cisco, IBM, HP, Dell, etc. Hardware markets tend to commoditize more easily, but with standardization on a couple of leading brands. It's hard to make money in the long run in hardware unless you are one of the top two or three players. Large hardware markets are also relatively larger in revenue than large software markets, allowing market leaders to more fully utilize their profit and cost advantages over competitors, by spreading marketing costs over large product volumes. So if you're looking to build a truly dominant company, the odds are greater in hardware—although you probably are still better off heading to Las Vegas, and putting your life savings on roulette red!
There are many more ways to contrast and compare hardware and software companies, but I will end it here. What other points would you add?
Monday, June 30, 2008
Pos Hardware
By. Tony E. Mcday
POS is a short form for point of sale. POS hardware is basically used at trade or retail level, a checkout counter in a shop, or changeable sites where a deal occurs in this type of environment like restaurants, hotels, stadiums, casinos, as well as retail environments. POS hardware uses computers and dedicated workstations that are connected with money records, barcode readers, ocular scanners and magnetic band readers for correctly and right away capturing the business. POS hardware includes label printers, cash drawers, Barcode scanners, pole display, card swiper or reader, POS Monitor, POS Touch Screen and receipt printers. To use POS hardware, retailers need to know about them.
A vital element of POS hardware is the cash drawer. It is used to store Money, credit card receipts and other paperwork. Cash drawers receive a signal from the computer or receipt printer. The cash drawer should be compatible with the rest of the system if purchasing the POS hardware separately. Cash drawers should be strong and survive the steady opening and closing. Pole display is an elective POS hardware. It is a lighted display used to display the transaction totals, sum tendered and to display feature modified messages or to show advertisement.
POS Monitors may be a flat-panel LCD monitor or a standard CRT monitor; the LCD monitor may be more expansive than the standard but takes up less space at the checkout counter. POS Touch Screens are easy and faster to use than traditional keyboards and monitors and save counter space. The keyboards serve as a main POS hardware. Keyboards could differ in complexity and technology. They range in choices from a standard 101-key model like you may have on your home PC to industry-specific POS keyboards. Where special functions are required like Grocery stores and restaurants, only programmable keyboards are used.
Bar code scanners are used at many shops and restaurants for checking out the price of the product. They can be of a different size and technology. Hand-held scanners are the most common in use for the small retailers. Bigger stores with important checkout doings may require an embedded scanner, which mostly can be seen in supermarkets. Barcode scanners read a series of numbers and the barcode, decode the information, and send that information to the computer. Credit card readers or swipers may be included in the POS hardware. The Credit Card Reader is used for credit card reading. In addition to credit and debit cards there are some devices, which can work with gift cards and other loyalty programs, these are called signature capture devices. These devices help in making more efficient transactions and lessen the costs and errors linked with deposit documentation.
Conversely, receipt printers are used to print a documentation of the transaction for the customer. Receipt printers may be a Serial dot-matrix printer or a Thermal receipt printer. Dot matrix printers are normally cheaper than Thermal receipt printers but not as durable. However, Thermal receipt printers are very expansive and are suitable for long use.
POS is a short form for point of sale. POS hardware is basically used at trade or retail level, a checkout counter in a shop, or changeable sites where a deal occurs in this type of environment like restaurants, hotels, stadiums, casinos, as well as retail environments. POS hardware uses computers and dedicated workstations that are connected with money records, barcode readers, ocular scanners and magnetic band readers for correctly and right away capturing the business. POS hardware includes label printers, cash drawers, Barcode scanners, pole display, card swiper or reader, POS Monitor, POS Touch Screen and receipt printers. To use POS hardware, retailers need to know about them.
A vital element of POS hardware is the cash drawer. It is used to store Money, credit card receipts and other paperwork. Cash drawers receive a signal from the computer or receipt printer. The cash drawer should be compatible with the rest of the system if purchasing the POS hardware separately. Cash drawers should be strong and survive the steady opening and closing. Pole display is an elective POS hardware. It is a lighted display used to display the transaction totals, sum tendered and to display feature modified messages or to show advertisement.
POS Monitors may be a flat-panel LCD monitor or a standard CRT monitor; the LCD monitor may be more expansive than the standard but takes up less space at the checkout counter. POS Touch Screens are easy and faster to use than traditional keyboards and monitors and save counter space. The keyboards serve as a main POS hardware. Keyboards could differ in complexity and technology. They range in choices from a standard 101-key model like you may have on your home PC to industry-specific POS keyboards. Where special functions are required like Grocery stores and restaurants, only programmable keyboards are used.
Bar code scanners are used at many shops and restaurants for checking out the price of the product. They can be of a different size and technology. Hand-held scanners are the most common in use for the small retailers. Bigger stores with important checkout doings may require an embedded scanner, which mostly can be seen in supermarkets. Barcode scanners read a series of numbers and the barcode, decode the information, and send that information to the computer. Credit card readers or swipers may be included in the POS hardware. The Credit Card Reader is used for credit card reading. In addition to credit and debit cards there are some devices, which can work with gift cards and other loyalty programs, these are called signature capture devices. These devices help in making more efficient transactions and lessen the costs and errors linked with deposit documentation.
Conversely, receipt printers are used to print a documentation of the transaction for the customer. Receipt printers may be a Serial dot-matrix printer or a Thermal receipt printer. Dot matrix printers are normally cheaper than Thermal receipt printers but not as durable. However, Thermal receipt printers are very expansive and are suitable for long use.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Windows Vista - Hardware Compatibility Issues
By. Anmol Taneja
Early up-graders to Windows Vista are reporting annoyance by the loads of software and hardware incompatibilities coming to the fore as they use Windows Vista. For the record the Redmond, Wash., software giant launched Vista and a companion update called Windows Vista Application Compatibility Update to the market on Jan 30. Seems like they expected a lot of issues with the system because they made sure that Vista patches were available on the net even before the Compact disks of the operating system left the factory.
That update, KB929427, makes good some of the more challenging application incompatibilities, but the nightmare is far from over, for the early bird upgraders. There is nothing new about
compatibility issues when a new operating system is launched, however, Vista is not only has a number of incompatibilities with existing applications but also lacks many drivers for critical hardware components and hardware peripherals. Support for Vista hardware is compounded by the fact that most vendors have not created drivers of their hardware that is compatible for Vista making support more of a headache. This is understood when it comes to peripherals such as printers and scanners but so far as critical hardware components such as hard drives, chipset controllers and video cards are concerned the lack of compatibility will crash the system. The manufacturers of primary components of the computer hardware system are just not ready with their wares to support Vista.
Early adopters of Vista have the following problems to contend with:
*
* They will face a drastic lack of available drivers vendors leading to conflicts in applications.
* New peripheral hardware components will lack compatible Vista drivers and the old components drivers will simply refuse to work in most cases.
* New security feature often flags existing applications as suspicious and interrupts service
The OS automatically recommends which Vista versions is best for each PC's configuration. This will cause small businesses to download different versions of Vista.
SO in the ultimate analysis, Vista may seem attractive in it’s packaging but it still has far to go.
Early up-graders to Windows Vista are reporting annoyance by the loads of software and hardware incompatibilities coming to the fore as they use Windows Vista. For the record the Redmond, Wash., software giant launched Vista and a companion update called Windows Vista Application Compatibility Update to the market on Jan 30. Seems like they expected a lot of issues with the system because they made sure that Vista patches were available on the net even before the Compact disks of the operating system left the factory.
That update, KB929427, makes good some of the more challenging application incompatibilities, but the nightmare is far from over, for the early bird upgraders. There is nothing new about
compatibility issues when a new operating system is launched, however, Vista is not only has a number of incompatibilities with existing applications but also lacks many drivers for critical hardware components and hardware peripherals. Support for Vista hardware is compounded by the fact that most vendors have not created drivers of their hardware that is compatible for Vista making support more of a headache. This is understood when it comes to peripherals such as printers and scanners but so far as critical hardware components such as hard drives, chipset controllers and video cards are concerned the lack of compatibility will crash the system. The manufacturers of primary components of the computer hardware system are just not ready with their wares to support Vista.
Early adopters of Vista have the following problems to contend with:
*
* They will face a drastic lack of available drivers vendors leading to conflicts in applications.
* New peripheral hardware components will lack compatible Vista drivers and the old components drivers will simply refuse to work in most cases.
* New security feature often flags existing applications as suspicious and interrupts service
The OS automatically recommends which Vista versions is best for each PC's configuration. This will cause small businesses to download different versions of Vista.
SO in the ultimate analysis, Vista may seem attractive in it’s packaging but it still has far to go.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The Mac as a Java Development and Execution Platform
By Harry Johnson
Nobody can deny that Apple manufactures very handsome machines but there are endless debates about whether they perform better than equivalent machines running Linux or Windows.
Mac used to be very behind and took more than a year to come up with a JDK. I was hearing my friends complain that Eclipse and IDEA were running very poorly.
Java applications on Mac OS X can be supplemented with a number of exclusive runtime properties to enhance their user experience. These properties can be specified via command-line, or, in the case of a packaged '.app' Java application, they are typically specified in one of two files: MRJApp.properties, and Info. List.
Mac and Linux have real shells (a pleasure to use), Windows is a bit behind there, but the DOS console has become good enough with XP that I didn't mind it too much.
Mac has finally become a credible Java platform, but it took its sweet time (and I can't help but laugh when I remember Steve Jobs saying he wanted Mac OS to become the best Java platform five years ago...).
Apple offers the Mac OS Runtime for Java (MRJ) 2.2, which is compatible with the 1.1.8 release of Sun's JDK. A PowerPC Mac with Mac OS 8.1 or later and at least 40 MB of RAM is required to use this version of MRJ. A Just-In-Time compiler from Symantec is part of the distribution as well.
The goal of this article is to show that, considering equivalent metrics and similar system configurations, different systems can perform better than others due to a variety of factors. Garbage collection, a common cause of tuning headaches, was not optimized for these tests and might yield different results for the Java boxed objects sort. Windows XP wasn't optimized for thread performance. These tests were aimed at processor and memory performance, discarding other factors. Choosing a given configuration is an exercise in testing and choosing the appropriate metrics, not one of choosing the best brand, fastest processor, or the coolest machine.
Mac OS X provides the standard JDK command line tools for developers. Therefore, when launching an unpackaged Java application from the command line, the two required properties listed above in Table 1 should not be used, in favor of the standard command-line specification of the class path and main class.
To provide a coherent set of Java software packages for Mac, satisfying all quality requirements of other applications. To establish an efficient and robust policy for Java software installation.
Go to the Following Mac Sites:
http://www.dvwarehouse.com
http://www.macmart.com
http://www.sellamac.com
Go to http://www.dvwarehouse.com, they offers Used Mac Computers, A great inventory on Apple Parts; Plus one of the largest selection of Digital Video Solutions for Broadcasting, Editing and Production work.DV Warehouse strives to make itself the ultimate destination for computers and production gear with a wide selection at warehouse prices. DV Warehouse now serves over thousands of customer's everyday and is among one of the most-visited websites in the world.
Nobody can deny that Apple manufactures very handsome machines but there are endless debates about whether they perform better than equivalent machines running Linux or Windows.
Mac used to be very behind and took more than a year to come up with a JDK. I was hearing my friends complain that Eclipse and IDEA were running very poorly.
Java applications on Mac OS X can be supplemented with a number of exclusive runtime properties to enhance their user experience. These properties can be specified via command-line, or, in the case of a packaged '.app' Java application, they are typically specified in one of two files: MRJApp.properties, and Info. List.
Mac and Linux have real shells (a pleasure to use), Windows is a bit behind there, but the DOS console has become good enough with XP that I didn't mind it too much.
Mac has finally become a credible Java platform, but it took its sweet time (and I can't help but laugh when I remember Steve Jobs saying he wanted Mac OS to become the best Java platform five years ago...).
Apple offers the Mac OS Runtime for Java (MRJ) 2.2, which is compatible with the 1.1.8 release of Sun's JDK. A PowerPC Mac with Mac OS 8.1 or later and at least 40 MB of RAM is required to use this version of MRJ. A Just-In-Time compiler from Symantec is part of the distribution as well.
The goal of this article is to show that, considering equivalent metrics and similar system configurations, different systems can perform better than others due to a variety of factors. Garbage collection, a common cause of tuning headaches, was not optimized for these tests and might yield different results for the Java boxed objects sort. Windows XP wasn't optimized for thread performance. These tests were aimed at processor and memory performance, discarding other factors. Choosing a given configuration is an exercise in testing and choosing the appropriate metrics, not one of choosing the best brand, fastest processor, or the coolest machine.
Mac OS X provides the standard JDK command line tools for developers. Therefore, when launching an unpackaged Java application from the command line, the two required properties listed above in Table 1 should not be used, in favor of the standard command-line specification of the class path and main class.
To provide a coherent set of Java software packages for Mac, satisfying all quality requirements of other applications. To establish an efficient and robust policy for Java software installation.
Go to the Following Mac Sites:
http://www.dvwarehouse.com
http://www.macmart.com
http://www.sellamac.com
Go to http://www.dvwarehouse.com, they offers Used Mac Computers, A great inventory on Apple Parts; Plus one of the largest selection of Digital Video Solutions for Broadcasting, Editing and Production work.DV Warehouse strives to make itself the ultimate destination for computers and production gear with a wide selection at warehouse prices. DV Warehouse now serves over thousands of customer's everyday and is among one of the most-visited websites in the world.
Computer Repair Prices: Control for the Customer
By Joshua Feinberg
Computer repair prices are ruled by both the competition and the owner's specific needs. But in reality, consumers should not have very much control over prices. If you present the customer with choices about computer repair prices, he will feel like his needs are being better met. And a satisfied customer will bring more future business.
Choosing The Service
Most customers will enjoy being able to choose whether or not to have repair services done. But many times a simple visit you as a repair expert will end with advice to fix something, which means the consumer will need to spend more money. If you review the computer repair prices with the client and let him choose whether or not to move forward, he will feel he has control over the situation and be more likely to both accept and be happy with the service.
Choosing The Package
To give customers even more control, you should be prepared to offer them various packages. Computer repair prices might be based on an hourly rate, so you could offer your customer this option. Then offer a second deal that includes a package that covers four service visits within the year. The second might seem like a better deal to the customer, and he might take it. If neither sounds appealing to the client, try offering a parts or repairs discount to him as part of the second option.
The Key Is An Informed Decision
Honesty is the key element in computer repair prices. As a responsible professional, you must inform the client of every billing policy. Most consultants will charge forr one hour of work, minimum, even if the job is only a 10-minute one. If you are out-in-the-open with your clients they know they are making informed decisions.
Your prices should be designated based on your customers' needs. Keep in mind what they will see as a good value and base your price on this idea. The complete satisfaction of your clients is what is most important, and if they think they have received a good deal, you have done your job.
Copyright MMI-MMVII, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
About the Author
Joshua Feinberg helps computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for Joshua's free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training at
Computer repair prices are ruled by both the competition and the owner's specific needs. But in reality, consumers should not have very much control over prices. If you present the customer with choices about computer repair prices, he will feel like his needs are being better met. And a satisfied customer will bring more future business.
Choosing The Service
Most customers will enjoy being able to choose whether or not to have repair services done. But many times a simple visit you as a repair expert will end with advice to fix something, which means the consumer will need to spend more money. If you review the computer repair prices with the client and let him choose whether or not to move forward, he will feel he has control over the situation and be more likely to both accept and be happy with the service.
Choosing The Package
To give customers even more control, you should be prepared to offer them various packages. Computer repair prices might be based on an hourly rate, so you could offer your customer this option. Then offer a second deal that includes a package that covers four service visits within the year. The second might seem like a better deal to the customer, and he might take it. If neither sounds appealing to the client, try offering a parts or repairs discount to him as part of the second option.
The Key Is An Informed Decision
Honesty is the key element in computer repair prices. As a responsible professional, you must inform the client of every billing policy. Most consultants will charge forr one hour of work, minimum, even if the job is only a 10-minute one. If you are out-in-the-open with your clients they know they are making informed decisions.
Your prices should be designated based on your customers' needs. Keep in mind what they will see as a good value and base your price on this idea. The complete satisfaction of your clients is what is most important, and if they think they have received a good deal, you have done your job.
Copyright MMI-MMVII, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
About the Author
Joshua Feinberg helps computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for Joshua's free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training at
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Computer Printers Offer Infinite Variety, But Toner Can Put a Strain on Your Budget
By. Chris Robertson
If you're old enough to remember daisy wheel printers, you know just how far technology has advanced when it comes to computer printers. We've come a long way from the days when a daisy wheel would strike an ink ribbon and produce a letter on a page, and even from the days when a dot matrix printer would use its 24 pins to, line by line, produce a sheet of text.
Types of Printers
These days, of course, there are many different options when it comes to printers. For home use, many people continue to rely on inkjet printers, which are a relatively cost-effective way to print in both color and black and white. Other people opt for laser printers, which offer better speed and quality than inkjet printers. While they have dropped in price, color laser printers are often cost-prohibitive for home use, which is why many people choose inkjet printers for color.
Toner-based laser printers are the printers of choice for most office applications. With the increase in in-house graphic design and desktop publishing, small printing jobs can be performed more cost-effectively with a color laser printer than sending them out to be printed on an offset press.
Some offices - particularly those that wish to produce high-quality printed material - have turned to solid ink printers that use wax-based four color thermal transfer printing. Using solid ink CMYK colors mimics the effect of color separation on a printing press, which produces richer, deeper colors. Likewise, dye sublimation printers are often used for photo-quality reproductions, and are often marketed as photo printers.
Printer Manufacturers and Pricing
There are a number of first-rate printer manufacturers. Hewlett-Packard (HP), Epson, Canon, Brother, Apple, and Xerox all manufacture laser and/or inkjet printer. It's been interesting to watch the pricing strategy of printer manufacturers, which is generally to charge a minimum for computer printers, while charging an exorbitant amount for Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or brand name toner. This phenomenon is similar to the strategy employed by video game console manufacturers, where they barely recover the cost of manufacturing the console in the purchase price, but then charge dearly for the actual video games.
Avoiding Getting Gouged with OEM Toner
Although printer manufacturers would lead you to believe that brand name toner is the only toner that works in their printers, the truth is that high quality remanufactured toner or Reflexion toner works just as well. You can buy toner that is compatible with Hewlett-Packard (HP), Epson, Canon, Brother, Apple, and Xerox printers at a fraction of the price.
So, enjoy the low prices and high quality of brand name printers, but don't get gouged by the high price of toner. Always remember that there are alternatives that work just as well!
If you're old enough to remember daisy wheel printers, you know just how far technology has advanced when it comes to computer printers. We've come a long way from the days when a daisy wheel would strike an ink ribbon and produce a letter on a page, and even from the days when a dot matrix printer would use its 24 pins to, line by line, produce a sheet of text.
Types of Printers
These days, of course, there are many different options when it comes to printers. For home use, many people continue to rely on inkjet printers, which are a relatively cost-effective way to print in both color and black and white. Other people opt for laser printers, which offer better speed and quality than inkjet printers. While they have dropped in price, color laser printers are often cost-prohibitive for home use, which is why many people choose inkjet printers for color.
Toner-based laser printers are the printers of choice for most office applications. With the increase in in-house graphic design and desktop publishing, small printing jobs can be performed more cost-effectively with a color laser printer than sending them out to be printed on an offset press.
Some offices - particularly those that wish to produce high-quality printed material - have turned to solid ink printers that use wax-based four color thermal transfer printing. Using solid ink CMYK colors mimics the effect of color separation on a printing press, which produces richer, deeper colors. Likewise, dye sublimation printers are often used for photo-quality reproductions, and are often marketed as photo printers.
Printer Manufacturers and Pricing
There are a number of first-rate printer manufacturers. Hewlett-Packard (HP), Epson, Canon, Brother, Apple, and Xerox all manufacture laser and/or inkjet printer. It's been interesting to watch the pricing strategy of printer manufacturers, which is generally to charge a minimum for computer printers, while charging an exorbitant amount for Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or brand name toner. This phenomenon is similar to the strategy employed by video game console manufacturers, where they barely recover the cost of manufacturing the console in the purchase price, but then charge dearly for the actual video games.
Avoiding Getting Gouged with OEM Toner
Although printer manufacturers would lead you to believe that brand name toner is the only toner that works in their printers, the truth is that high quality remanufactured toner or Reflexion toner works just as well. You can buy toner that is compatible with Hewlett-Packard (HP), Epson, Canon, Brother, Apple, and Xerox printers at a fraction of the price.
So, enjoy the low prices and high quality of brand name printers, but don't get gouged by the high price of toner. Always remember that there are alternatives that work just as well!
An IT Audits Checklist
by. Joshua Feinberg
IT audits need to be absolutely thorough. The following checklist will help you get through every area you need to check during your IT audits:
1. You need to check PHYSICAL SECURITY during your IT audits and make sure controls are in place physically that keep servers, networking and telecommunications hardware safe and prevent unauthorized access.
2. A LOGICAL SECURITY investigation will check software security to make sure viruses and unauthorized access to important data is prevented.
3. Your IT audit should involve looking at LOGISTICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS to ensure that all the hardware is kept in facilities that will offer the best environmental conditions. The temperature, dust level, furniture, racks and physical structures used to support this equipment should be the best it can be.
4. During an audit you should check CONFIGURATION. Systems should be installed and configured in a way that aligns with all the necessary requirements and standards.
5. A check of SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES will help guarantee that security and systems administrative procedures are clearly outlined for staff and assigned to specific individuals.
6. You should look into HARDWARE INVENTORY MANAGEMENT of the client's company. Hardware should all be inventoried, and all appropriate documentation including warranties and maintenance records should be organized and available.
7. SOFTWARE LICENSING should be in place for the company. During the IT audit you should make sure the client is in compliance will all agreements and has access to them.
8. DATA BACKUP AND DISASTER RECOVERY procedures should be in place for the company under optimal conditions. The client should be maintaining and testing data backup systems on a regular basis to ensure nothing is lost in an emergency.
9. Part of your IT audit should be devoted to checking DOCUMENTATION to ensure that all systems, procedures and policies are being regularly documented and updated. Logs of these systems should be kept by the client.
10. PERFORMANCE AND CAPACITY PLANNING will make sure that all systems are performing at their optimal and required levels in regards specifically to the following factors: uptime; systems availability; data storage availability; bandwidth; and archives of older data files.
11. Part of your job during an IT audit is to check how the client CHANGES MANAGEMENT. All changes to systems hardware or software should be logged, tested and verified before they are implemented and plans should be in place in case they have to be reversed.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Biz Tech Talk. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
IT audits need to be absolutely thorough. The following checklist will help you get through every area you need to check during your IT audits:
1. You need to check PHYSICAL SECURITY during your IT audits and make sure controls are in place physically that keep servers, networking and telecommunications hardware safe and prevent unauthorized access.
2. A LOGICAL SECURITY investigation will check software security to make sure viruses and unauthorized access to important data is prevented.
3. Your IT audit should involve looking at LOGISTICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS to ensure that all the hardware is kept in facilities that will offer the best environmental conditions. The temperature, dust level, furniture, racks and physical structures used to support this equipment should be the best it can be.
4. During an audit you should check CONFIGURATION. Systems should be installed and configured in a way that aligns with all the necessary requirements and standards.
5. A check of SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES will help guarantee that security and systems administrative procedures are clearly outlined for staff and assigned to specific individuals.
6. You should look into HARDWARE INVENTORY MANAGEMENT of the client's company. Hardware should all be inventoried, and all appropriate documentation including warranties and maintenance records should be organized and available.
7. SOFTWARE LICENSING should be in place for the company. During the IT audit you should make sure the client is in compliance will all agreements and has access to them.
8. DATA BACKUP AND DISASTER RECOVERY procedures should be in place for the company under optimal conditions. The client should be maintaining and testing data backup systems on a regular basis to ensure nothing is lost in an emergency.
9. Part of your IT audit should be devoted to checking DOCUMENTATION to ensure that all systems, procedures and policies are being regularly documented and updated. Logs of these systems should be kept by the client.
10. PERFORMANCE AND CAPACITY PLANNING will make sure that all systems are performing at their optimal and required levels in regards specifically to the following factors: uptime; systems availability; data storage availability; bandwidth; and archives of older data files.
11. Part of your job during an IT audit is to check how the client CHANGES MANAGEMENT. All changes to systems hardware or software should be logged, tested and verified before they are implemented and plans should be in place in case they have to be reversed.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Biz Tech Talk. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
Monday, June 9, 2008
Caring For Your LCD Monitor
By. Geoffrey Vaughan
With all the hot new LCD monitors on the market out there most people are not aware of some of the disadvantages and extra care they require to keep them lasting as long as the old CRT monitors could last.
Liquid Crystal Displays are a lot more sensitive then the old Cathode Ray Tubes were. CRT screens are made of a thick glass that can take more abuse then the plastic LCD's.
Cleaning a Crt Monitor was really easy just use Windex or Pledge with a paper towel and it was cleaned. LCD monitors however have an anti-reflecting film coating on the outside of the screen that can be eaten away by ammonia based cleaners. This will make your LCD look cloudy and have blurry regions of your computer. The paper towel and other wood based products can also scratch the plastic as it is less durable then the old glass ones.
To clean an LCD monitor turn it off, simply wet a lint free cloth with water, (ONLY USE WATER) then wipe the monitor. Do not apply the water directly to the monitor as more water could soak/drip into other crevices in your monitor.
Use a screen saver! It might actually save your screen. Imagine that! An LCD monitor is made up of an array (or grid) of tiny pixels that display the colors on your screen. When an LCD monitor is left on for extended periods of time the images of your desktop background or whatever is left open will actually burn into the plastic on the monitor. Now when you change your background to say a solid colour (grey, yellow, pink, work well) it will actually show you an outline of the previous background image ghosted into it. The good news is that this type of damage is reversible. You can reverse the damage by turning your monitor off as much as possible and by running a screen saver that cycles colors and varies the output to the screen. This will eventually go away.
Keep your hands off it! Never ever ever touch a LCD monitor. When you apply any sort of pressure to an LCD monitor you risk damaging one of the pixels. When this happens the pixel will turn permanently black (off) and it will never work again. I've heard before of people trying to massage out the pixel to get it to work but I don't recommend this as you risk damaging more pixels. If your pixel is burnt into a specific colour I've also heard of programs that cycle through all colours and try to fix the problem. If this is the case then its definitely worth the try.
Remember Hands off!
With all the hot new LCD monitors on the market out there most people are not aware of some of the disadvantages and extra care they require to keep them lasting as long as the old CRT monitors could last.
Liquid Crystal Displays are a lot more sensitive then the old Cathode Ray Tubes were. CRT screens are made of a thick glass that can take more abuse then the plastic LCD's.
Cleaning a Crt Monitor was really easy just use Windex or Pledge with a paper towel and it was cleaned. LCD monitors however have an anti-reflecting film coating on the outside of the screen that can be eaten away by ammonia based cleaners. This will make your LCD look cloudy and have blurry regions of your computer. The paper towel and other wood based products can also scratch the plastic as it is less durable then the old glass ones.
To clean an LCD monitor turn it off, simply wet a lint free cloth with water, (ONLY USE WATER) then wipe the monitor. Do not apply the water directly to the monitor as more water could soak/drip into other crevices in your monitor.
Use a screen saver! It might actually save your screen. Imagine that! An LCD monitor is made up of an array (or grid) of tiny pixels that display the colors on your screen. When an LCD monitor is left on for extended periods of time the images of your desktop background or whatever is left open will actually burn into the plastic on the monitor. Now when you change your background to say a solid colour (grey, yellow, pink, work well) it will actually show you an outline of the previous background image ghosted into it. The good news is that this type of damage is reversible. You can reverse the damage by turning your monitor off as much as possible and by running a screen saver that cycles colors and varies the output to the screen. This will eventually go away.
Keep your hands off it! Never ever ever touch a LCD monitor. When you apply any sort of pressure to an LCD monitor you risk damaging one of the pixels. When this happens the pixel will turn permanently black (off) and it will never work again. I've heard before of people trying to massage out the pixel to get it to work but I don't recommend this as you risk damaging more pixels. If your pixel is burnt into a specific colour I've also heard of programs that cycle through all colours and try to fix the problem. If this is the case then its definitely worth the try.
Remember Hands off!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Tablet PC - Know More About It
By. Henery Cruz
With the introduction of Tablet PC to the computing world, Tablet PC is quite famous among different section of the society. Students, journalists, professionals and todays consumers who want to get portable PC are very satisfied with the development of Tablet PC.
Some of the well known brand who manufacturers Tablet PC are the Gateway Tablet PC, the Motion Computing Tablet PC, the Fujitsu Tablet PC, the Toshiba Tablet PC.
There are two types of Tablet PCs configurations:
1. The slate model PC tablet: - This model doesn't have attached keyboard. Like a piece of paper you can use a tiny pen-stylus device to write on the surface of these tablet pcs, where your handwriting is digitally converted and showing up on the screen.
2. The convertible model PC tablet: - This tablet PC look like traditional notebooks, with displays that turns around and folds flat covering the keyboard facing outwards, but when flipped upright, the screen works just like a laptop computer or notebook computer.
Generally the features of Tablet PCs are
- Weight less than 2kg (some slates weight less than 1kg)
- Very compact
- Digitized displays (12-inch)
- No internal CD, CD-RW, or DVD drives
- Slower mobile processors, less memory and smaller hard drives
- Ports are few
- Microsoft Windows XP Home or Professional
As per your requirement you can upgrade the Tablet PC. For instance you can get larger hard drive 60GB or your Tablet PC screen can be upgrade for indoor and outdoor viewing.
With the introduction of Tablet PC to the computing world, Tablet PC is quite famous among different section of the society. Students, journalists, professionals and todays consumers who want to get portable PC are very satisfied with the development of Tablet PC.
Some of the well known brand who manufacturers Tablet PC are the Gateway Tablet PC, the Motion Computing Tablet PC, the Fujitsu Tablet PC, the Toshiba Tablet PC.
There are two types of Tablet PCs configurations:
1. The slate model PC tablet: - This model doesn't have attached keyboard. Like a piece of paper you can use a tiny pen-stylus device to write on the surface of these tablet pcs, where your handwriting is digitally converted and showing up on the screen.
2. The convertible model PC tablet: - This tablet PC look like traditional notebooks, with displays that turns around and folds flat covering the keyboard facing outwards, but when flipped upright, the screen works just like a laptop computer or notebook computer.
Generally the features of Tablet PCs are
- Weight less than 2kg (some slates weight less than 1kg)
- Very compact
- Digitized displays (12-inch)
- No internal CD, CD-RW, or DVD drives
- Slower mobile processors, less memory and smaller hard drives
- Ports are few
- Microsoft Windows XP Home or Professional
As per your requirement you can upgrade the Tablet PC. For instance you can get larger hard drive 60GB or your Tablet PC screen can be upgrade for indoor and outdoor viewing.
Computer Repair Tips - How to Use Windows ScanDisk
By. Chancer Reese
I love ScanDisk. Honestly, I do. As a computer support specialist with over 18+ years
ndows, then you can use the program.
How to use it in Windows 98/98SE/Me:
1)Close all programs.
2)Click on the "Start" button.
3)Go to "Programs"
4)Scroll to "Accessories"
5)Click on "System Tools"
6)Select "ScanDisk"
7)Now locate and select the drive you want to check (C:).
8)Check the "Standard" radio button.
9)Check the "Automatically Fix Errors"
10)Click "OK" to run.
How to use it in Windows 2000/XP/Vista
1)Close all programs before you begin.
2)Click on the "Start" button then "My Computer".
3)Right click on drive you wish to scan and then click on "Properties".
4)Now you click on the "Tools" tab at top of pop-up window.
5)Click on "Check Now" in the "Error Checking" section.
6)Check the "Automatically Fix Errors"
7)Click "OK" to run.
Testing Options in Windows 98/98SE/Me:
Standard: This option basically only checks files and folders for Windows system errors. This is good for routine maintenance checks.
Thorough: This option is not used often due to time constraints. Don't check "Thorough" unless you can let the machine run uninterrupted for several hours (2+ on larger drives) or overnight. I'm not kidding.
Thorough is used for when you are having severe hard drive issues only. When you have to check your drive for possible physical damage, check "Thorough" and then select, click "System and Data Areas"
Testing Options in Windows 2000/XP/Vista:
The "Standard" function in the older version is now the default. Just with click "Automatically Fix Errors"
To use a thorough scan to check for both system and physical errors, you should also check "Scan For and Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors."
To run scandisk in Windows 2000/XP/Vista you have to have programs closed down, or you will keep getting a error message, "Disk check could not be performed because exclusive access to the drive..." If this keeps happening then if possible restart your computer and press "F8" after PC the logo but before Windows starts. This will let you into Windows "Safe Mode". You can run ScanDisk now but be warned it will take twice as long but will give you the same results.
ScanDisk Test Results:
After processing you should get a pop-up window with the results of your test. The important to look for is "Bytes in bad sectors". This shows the number of bytes that have been marked bad or basically unusable for storage. It's normal to have a small number of bytes in bad sectors (less than 100,000). But more than this or an increased number over time is sign for keeping your file backups up to date and saving for that bigger, better hard drive.
I love ScanDisk. Honestly, I do. As a computer support specialist with over 18+ years
ndows, then you can use the program.
How to use it in Windows 98/98SE/Me:
1)Close all programs.
2)Click on the "Start" button.
3)Go to "Programs"
4)Scroll to "Accessories"
5)Click on "System Tools"
6)Select "ScanDisk"
7)Now locate and select the drive you want to check (C:).
8)Check the "Standard" radio button.
9)Check the "Automatically Fix Errors"
10)Click "OK" to run.
How to use it in Windows 2000/XP/Vista
1)Close all programs before you begin.
2)Click on the "Start" button then "My Computer".
3)Right click on drive you wish to scan and then click on "Properties".
4)Now you click on the "Tools" tab at top of pop-up window.
5)Click on "Check Now" in the "Error Checking" section.
6)Check the "Automatically Fix Errors"
7)Click "OK" to run.
Testing Options in Windows 98/98SE/Me:
Standard: This option basically only checks files and folders for Windows system errors. This is good for routine maintenance checks.
Thorough: This option is not used often due to time constraints. Don't check "Thorough" unless you can let the machine run uninterrupted for several hours (2+ on larger drives) or overnight. I'm not kidding.
Thorough is used for when you are having severe hard drive issues only. When you have to check your drive for possible physical damage, check "Thorough" and then select, click "System and Data Areas"
Testing Options in Windows 2000/XP/Vista:
The "Standard" function in the older version is now the default. Just with click "Automatically Fix Errors"
To use a thorough scan to check for both system and physical errors, you should also check "Scan For and Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors."
To run scandisk in Windows 2000/XP/Vista you have to have programs closed down, or you will keep getting a error message, "Disk check could not be performed because exclusive access to the drive..." If this keeps happening then if possible restart your computer and press "F8" after PC the logo but before Windows starts. This will let you into Windows "Safe Mode". You can run ScanDisk now but be warned it will take twice as long but will give you the same results.
ScanDisk Test Results:
After processing you should get a pop-up window with the results of your test. The important to look for is "Bytes in bad sectors". This shows the number of bytes that have been marked bad or basically unusable for storage. It's normal to have a small number of bytes in bad sectors (less than 100,000). But more than this or an increased number over time is sign for keeping your file backups up to date and saving for that bigger, better hard drive.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
The History Of The IBM Personal Computer
by John Koenig
In 1981 a small engineering team at IBM developed an IBM version of the personal computer, a case study in open architecture hardware. [ht818g200403]
While Apple introduced the Apple II ahead of the IBM PC, it was IBM's product that ignited the era of personal computing. There were a number of unique aspects of the IBM PC that made it different from previous IBM products. In designing the IBM PC, the team at IBM elected to use off-the-shelf parts rather than the usual IBM-sourced components. In another unconventional decision, they publicly released the basic hardware specification to encourage other companies to manufacture and sell IBM compatible boards. Last of all they decided not to exclusively provide the software applications for the product, but instead to encourage third-parties to develop software for the PC and license it directly to customers. Except for a critical piece of code called BIOS, the PC truly was an open hardware architecture. Every major and minor component, enclosures, motherboards, disk, memory, bus, even the CPU would eventually be easily second-sourced.
The consequences of these IBM decisions not only spawned the PC era, but also led to the creation of a new and highly profitable PC software segment. To help complementary hardware designers and software publishers create expansion hardware and software applications, IBM published the essential BIOS code for the PC. The BIOS remained copyrighted by IBM since they intended to use it to prevent unlicensed cloning of the IBM PC. Unfortunately for IBM the BIOS was soon reverse engineered by Compaq and others using a "clean room" process that avoided legal liability for copyright infringement. This gave low-cost makers of PC clones the last technology piece they needed to deliver inexpensive PCs. The resulting explosive growth of PC clone sales and adoption ultimately changed all aspects of computing, creating a wealth of new companies like Microsoft, Intel, Compaq, Dell, and subsequently drove acceptance of the PC architecture into more demanding server applications at the enterprise level.
Within 25 years over a billion PCs were sold. Still the leading computing architecture, the second billionth PC will be shipped sometime in 2008. How could such enormous consequences arise from a few relatively modest engineering decisions? The answer seems simple. Open architectures are vastly more efficient to extend, allowing many more individuals and companies to contribute and participate in accelerating the design, application, low-cost manufacturing and distribution of a product. IBM didn't intend to create an open platform with the IBM PC. It just didn't foresee that the BIOS code would be reverse engineered. In an attempt to regain control, IBM created a new proprietary system bus called the MCA and licensed it for hundreds of dollars. While this approach would prevent others from cloning new IBM PCs without a license, the MCA bus was adopted by virtually no one outside of IBM. Instead, the clone makers created their own standard ISA bus which was soon followed by an even faster EISA bus.
A similarly important milestone in the history of the PC was the introduction by Intel of the Peripheral Component Interface or "PCI" standard. Intel realized they should create a standard bus and support it with low-cost Intel chips. Intel designed the PCI bus to be fast, inexpensive to build, and royalty-free. With Intel behind it, the jockeying between IBM and the clone makers about board compatibility ended. The enormously successful PCI specification and its successors since 1992 are still the dominant local bus system within PCs and servers. Today PCI versions continue to receive wide support from all PC manufacturers globally. The PCI bus from Intel was wildly successful in simplifying integration, further driving down the PC system costs, and vastly improving PC reliability for all consumers and businesses.
In 1981 a small engineering team at IBM developed an IBM version of the personal computer, a case study in open architecture hardware. [ht818g200403]
While Apple introduced the Apple II ahead of the IBM PC, it was IBM's product that ignited the era of personal computing. There were a number of unique aspects of the IBM PC that made it different from previous IBM products. In designing the IBM PC, the team at IBM elected to use off-the-shelf parts rather than the usual IBM-sourced components. In another unconventional decision, they publicly released the basic hardware specification to encourage other companies to manufacture and sell IBM compatible boards. Last of all they decided not to exclusively provide the software applications for the product, but instead to encourage third-parties to develop software for the PC and license it directly to customers. Except for a critical piece of code called BIOS, the PC truly was an open hardware architecture. Every major and minor component, enclosures, motherboards, disk, memory, bus, even the CPU would eventually be easily second-sourced.
The consequences of these IBM decisions not only spawned the PC era, but also led to the creation of a new and highly profitable PC software segment. To help complementary hardware designers and software publishers create expansion hardware and software applications, IBM published the essential BIOS code for the PC. The BIOS remained copyrighted by IBM since they intended to use it to prevent unlicensed cloning of the IBM PC. Unfortunately for IBM the BIOS was soon reverse engineered by Compaq and others using a "clean room" process that avoided legal liability for copyright infringement. This gave low-cost makers of PC clones the last technology piece they needed to deliver inexpensive PCs. The resulting explosive growth of PC clone sales and adoption ultimately changed all aspects of computing, creating a wealth of new companies like Microsoft, Intel, Compaq, Dell, and subsequently drove acceptance of the PC architecture into more demanding server applications at the enterprise level.
Within 25 years over a billion PCs were sold. Still the leading computing architecture, the second billionth PC will be shipped sometime in 2008. How could such enormous consequences arise from a few relatively modest engineering decisions? The answer seems simple. Open architectures are vastly more efficient to extend, allowing many more individuals and companies to contribute and participate in accelerating the design, application, low-cost manufacturing and distribution of a product. IBM didn't intend to create an open platform with the IBM PC. It just didn't foresee that the BIOS code would be reverse engineered. In an attempt to regain control, IBM created a new proprietary system bus called the MCA and licensed it for hundreds of dollars. While this approach would prevent others from cloning new IBM PCs without a license, the MCA bus was adopted by virtually no one outside of IBM. Instead, the clone makers created their own standard ISA bus which was soon followed by an even faster EISA bus.
A similarly important milestone in the history of the PC was the introduction by Intel of the Peripheral Component Interface or "PCI" standard. Intel realized they should create a standard bus and support it with low-cost Intel chips. Intel designed the PCI bus to be fast, inexpensive to build, and royalty-free. With Intel behind it, the jockeying between IBM and the clone makers about board compatibility ended. The enormously successful PCI specification and its successors since 1992 are still the dominant local bus system within PCs and servers. Today PCI versions continue to receive wide support from all PC manufacturers globally. The PCI bus from Intel was wildly successful in simplifying integration, further driving down the PC system costs, and vastly improving PC reliability for all consumers and businesses.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Graphic Cards: How To Choose The Best
By Garry Allen
Do you remember the old computing days when there were no sounds except for maybe a beep occasionally and printers making more noise than a cat on a scratching post or how about monitors that offered nothing more than a green or orange glow?
Well, I do! Thank goodness those days are nothing more than history and now we can enjoy the glow of our high resolution monitors that offers us life-like images on a daily basis. We no longer have to squint at some fuzzy displays but can enjoy almost picture perfect animation on the majority of websites.
Now, these images are nothing more than a mass of barely visible dots, known as pixels, and monitors today can display more than a million pixels but it's up to the computer to interpret how to allocate these pixels in order to create an actual image.
This interpretation process happens on the graphics card and these cards can be upgraded. In fact, many users are tempted to look for the latest and greatest (or should I say expensive) card out there, but there is a better way for choosing just the right graphics card for the job? Here are a few helpful solutions that will help you to determine which the best graphic card for your computer is.
First, before you go out and buy the latest graphic card because you think you need it consider what you will be doing with your computer. If you don't expect to do much more than some internet surfing, some word processing, maybe using your email or doing some chat room or forum activities. Then you most likely won't need any additional graphics support than what will most likely be found on the motherboard with integrated graphic capabilities.
But, if you do plan to work with graphic arts or plan to play a lot of games on your computer you will definitely need to get a graphics card that has a lot of memory as well as a high-speed processor.
A tool you may wish to use is the frame rate measurement which is often a major advertising component for the different graphic cards that are available. Basically this rate refers to the measurement of frames per second or FPS which is nothing more than the rate of complete images a graphic card will display in one second. Now, High end cards will display more than 60 FPS (which by the way is more than twice the amount the human eye can process per second) and therefore provides the illusion of animation and animated scrolling.
If you are going to be doing a lot of graphic work then you will not be contented with the FPS rating. As anyone that does any 3-D imaging on the computer will tell you, FPS will actually do very little to measure the worth of a graphics card for them. In actuality 3-D images are nothing more than triangles, and graphic cards catering to the graphic artist demographic offer a rating that calculates how quickly the card can calculate the triangles and build the frame image.
One thing that really is a concern of everyone is speed. All graphic cards speed is directly influenced by their hardware. If the clock speed and bit rate are low on your computer, then the card will operate much slower than if it were high. In addition the pre-existing hardware also plays a critical role. A high- end graphics card cannot make up for an otherwise outmoded computer system, and a low end computer processor or motherboard will counteract the speed of even the fastest graphics card.
It is apparent that upgrading a graphics card is not so simple a task, and remember bigger is not always better. If you have a somewhat out of date system, it may be a useless attempt to only upgrade your graphics card, since your system most likely will work against any speed increase your card may be able to offer you. In the same way if your needs are very simple (in computing terms) then it might not be worthwhile to spend a lot of money on a graphics card that you will not use to its fullest potential. Hence it is always wise to know what you will require prior to buying, and to be fully aware of your systems hardware and software configurations prior to adding a new component to the mix.
Do you remember the old computing days when there were no sounds except for maybe a beep occasionally and printers making more noise than a cat on a scratching post or how about monitors that offered nothing more than a green or orange glow?
Well, I do! Thank goodness those days are nothing more than history and now we can enjoy the glow of our high resolution monitors that offers us life-like images on a daily basis. We no longer have to squint at some fuzzy displays but can enjoy almost picture perfect animation on the majority of websites.
Now, these images are nothing more than a mass of barely visible dots, known as pixels, and monitors today can display more than a million pixels but it's up to the computer to interpret how to allocate these pixels in order to create an actual image.
This interpretation process happens on the graphics card and these cards can be upgraded. In fact, many users are tempted to look for the latest and greatest (or should I say expensive) card out there, but there is a better way for choosing just the right graphics card for the job? Here are a few helpful solutions that will help you to determine which the best graphic card for your computer is.
First, before you go out and buy the latest graphic card because you think you need it consider what you will be doing with your computer. If you don't expect to do much more than some internet surfing, some word processing, maybe using your email or doing some chat room or forum activities. Then you most likely won't need any additional graphics support than what will most likely be found on the motherboard with integrated graphic capabilities.
But, if you do plan to work with graphic arts or plan to play a lot of games on your computer you will definitely need to get a graphics card that has a lot of memory as well as a high-speed processor.
A tool you may wish to use is the frame rate measurement which is often a major advertising component for the different graphic cards that are available. Basically this rate refers to the measurement of frames per second or FPS which is nothing more than the rate of complete images a graphic card will display in one second. Now, High end cards will display more than 60 FPS (which by the way is more than twice the amount the human eye can process per second) and therefore provides the illusion of animation and animated scrolling.
If you are going to be doing a lot of graphic work then you will not be contented with the FPS rating. As anyone that does any 3-D imaging on the computer will tell you, FPS will actually do very little to measure the worth of a graphics card for them. In actuality 3-D images are nothing more than triangles, and graphic cards catering to the graphic artist demographic offer a rating that calculates how quickly the card can calculate the triangles and build the frame image.
One thing that really is a concern of everyone is speed. All graphic cards speed is directly influenced by their hardware. If the clock speed and bit rate are low on your computer, then the card will operate much slower than if it were high. In addition the pre-existing hardware also plays a critical role. A high- end graphics card cannot make up for an otherwise outmoded computer system, and a low end computer processor or motherboard will counteract the speed of even the fastest graphics card.
It is apparent that upgrading a graphics card is not so simple a task, and remember bigger is not always better. If you have a somewhat out of date system, it may be a useless attempt to only upgrade your graphics card, since your system most likely will work against any speed increase your card may be able to offer you. In the same way if your needs are very simple (in computing terms) then it might not be worthwhile to spend a lot of money on a graphics card that you will not use to its fullest potential. Hence it is always wise to know what you will require prior to buying, and to be fully aware of your systems hardware and software configurations prior to adding a new component to the mix.
Inkjet Refill Process
By Marisa Pellegrino
The process of refilling inkjet cartridges is simple; though, there are a few important steps to remember before beginning. It is wise to perform the refilling process on a protected surface (covered in newspapers) to avoid damage to furniture through spillage of ink. To avoid mixing colors during the procedure it is important to make sure that all syringes are cleaned, and that the proper color is used with the corresponding inkjet cartridge. If there is a difference in the colors from those mentioned in the supplied instruction manual, please be sure to fill the chambers in each inkjet cartridge with the appropriate color.
Steps
To begin the inkjet refilling process, please remove all empty cartridges from your printer. Firmly attach a piece of tape to the bottom of each cartridge making sure that the "ink exit holes" are properly covered. The "filling holes" are located on the upper side of the ink cartridge. They can be found underneath the label.
- Use the tool provided in the kit to punch through and expose the recessed inkjet refill holes. Note: some cartridge sets have ball bearings instead. If this is the case, please push the bearing through the hole into the cartridge.
- Fill the provided syringe with the appropriate color of ink. - Push it into the filling hole of the cartridge as far as it will go (making sure the tip has almost reached the bottom of the cartridge).
- Slowly inject the ink into the cartridge while withdrawing the needle from the refilling hole.
- It is time to stop when ink becomes visible at the top of the hole. Note: remove a small amount of ink from the cartridge so it is not flush with the top of the opening.
- Do not reseal the filling holes.
- Remove the tape from the ink exit holes, and return the newly filled cartridges to the printer making sure to run 1-3 cleaning cycles, and print head alignment tools.
If you have a cartridge with a smart chip, it is important to reset the printer chip to ensure they function properly. This can be done with an Epson chip resetter...
It is important to remember:
- When ink cartridges are empty they must be stored in an airtight bag with a damp cloth to prevent the ink distribution sponges from drying out.
- Cartridges cannot be refilled forever. For best results it is recommended to change your printer cartridges after every 5 refills. - Be sure to avoid touching metal contacts on each cartridge when handling them. Static charges and can damage cartridges rendering them useless.
The process of refilling inkjet cartridges is simple; though, there are a few important steps to remember before beginning. It is wise to perform the refilling process on a protected surface (covered in newspapers) to avoid damage to furniture through spillage of ink. To avoid mixing colors during the procedure it is important to make sure that all syringes are cleaned, and that the proper color is used with the corresponding inkjet cartridge. If there is a difference in the colors from those mentioned in the supplied instruction manual, please be sure to fill the chambers in each inkjet cartridge with the appropriate color.
Steps
To begin the inkjet refilling process, please remove all empty cartridges from your printer. Firmly attach a piece of tape to the bottom of each cartridge making sure that the "ink exit holes" are properly covered. The "filling holes" are located on the upper side of the ink cartridge. They can be found underneath the label.
- Use the tool provided in the kit to punch through and expose the recessed inkjet refill holes. Note: some cartridge sets have ball bearings instead. If this is the case, please push the bearing through the hole into the cartridge.
- Fill the provided syringe with the appropriate color of ink. - Push it into the filling hole of the cartridge as far as it will go (making sure the tip has almost reached the bottom of the cartridge).
- Slowly inject the ink into the cartridge while withdrawing the needle from the refilling hole.
- It is time to stop when ink becomes visible at the top of the hole. Note: remove a small amount of ink from the cartridge so it is not flush with the top of the opening.
- Do not reseal the filling holes.
- Remove the tape from the ink exit holes, and return the newly filled cartridges to the printer making sure to run 1-3 cleaning cycles, and print head alignment tools.
If you have a cartridge with a smart chip, it is important to reset the printer chip to ensure they function properly. This can be done with an Epson chip resetter...
It is important to remember:
- When ink cartridges are empty they must be stored in an airtight bag with a damp cloth to prevent the ink distribution sponges from drying out.
- Cartridges cannot be refilled forever. For best results it is recommended to change your printer cartridges after every 5 refills. - Be sure to avoid touching metal contacts on each cartridge when handling them. Static charges and can damage cartridges rendering them useless.
Computer Consulting Business: Hardware Warranty Services
By Joshua Feinberg
As a computer consulting business, you shouldn't be spending precious time and your clients' limited budgets troubleshooting a malfunctioning monitor or CD-RW drive.
If your computer consulting business is large enough that you have both senior-level and technician-level staff, you're probably already doing a great job of directing workload to the right personnel.
Are You a Company of One?
However, if you are a small computer consulting business, where perhaps you are the "company", it makes sense to let the PC vendor's technical support staff arrange for hardware warranty repairs, using their large networks of national service providers.
Know the Facts about Warranty Service
As a computer consulting business, you will want to know how long the warranty period is, if it covers parts, labor or both and what the promised response and turnaround time on warranty service may be.
Also, determine whether the vendor will try to pressure your clients to do their own service. If so, are your clients prepared to pay your consulting firm to do the labor?
Scheduling Hardware Warranty Service Calls
If possible, try to have your clients' internal gurus schedule hardware warranty service calls to coincide with times when you are at your clients' offices on other related computer consulting business. Or at the minimum, be sure that your clients' internal gurus are there to supervise the third party hardware technicians.
Be Involved
It's really up to you to decide how active of a role your computer consulting business wants to take in coordinating and managing these hardware warranty repairs. In some cases, getting in involved with the full end-to-end responsibility makes sense, including packaging up the defective part to send back.
In other cases, you may be better off training your clients' internal gurus on how to place these vendor tech support calls and supervise the hardware warranty repairs.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Business Computer Consulting .com. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
As a computer consulting business, you shouldn't be spending precious time and your clients' limited budgets troubleshooting a malfunctioning monitor or CD-RW drive.
If your computer consulting business is large enough that you have both senior-level and technician-level staff, you're probably already doing a great job of directing workload to the right personnel.
Are You a Company of One?
However, if you are a small computer consulting business, where perhaps you are the "company", it makes sense to let the PC vendor's technical support staff arrange for hardware warranty repairs, using their large networks of national service providers.
Know the Facts about Warranty Service
As a computer consulting business, you will want to know how long the warranty period is, if it covers parts, labor or both and what the promised response and turnaround time on warranty service may be.
Also, determine whether the vendor will try to pressure your clients to do their own service. If so, are your clients prepared to pay your consulting firm to do the labor?
Scheduling Hardware Warranty Service Calls
If possible, try to have your clients' internal gurus schedule hardware warranty service calls to coincide with times when you are at your clients' offices on other related computer consulting business. Or at the minimum, be sure that your clients' internal gurus are there to supervise the third party hardware technicians.
Be Involved
It's really up to you to decide how active of a role your computer consulting business wants to take in coordinating and managing these hardware warranty repairs. In some cases, getting in involved with the full end-to-end responsibility makes sense, including packaging up the defective part to send back.
In other cases, you may be better off training your clients' internal gurus on how to place these vendor tech support calls and supervise the hardware warranty repairs.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Business Computer Consulting .com. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
PC Hardware: How Ego Can Cost Your Clients
By Joshua Feinberg
Your clients might be tempted to outfit their top managers and producers with the latest and greatest PC hardware. After all, a CFO or senior account manager has a tremendous amount riding on his or her daily performance and productivity. But they need to consider better ways to spend their money.
What Does Your Client Really Need?
Look carefully at clients' software application requirements before you allow their "emotional" needs to drive tech PC hardware purchases. If a client's CFO spends most of a typical day crunching numbers in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and communicating via e-mail in Microsoft Outlook, he or she really has only very basic PC hardware requirements.
Would Their Money Be Spent Better Elsewhere?
As virtual CIO to this client, you may find at least a dozen financial software-related projects you could work on for this CFO that would bring greater bottom-line results than an ego-driven PC hardware purchase.
These consulting projects will be infinitely more profitable to your consulting firm than the slim profit margin on a high-end, commodity-like desktop PC hardware purchase.
What about Notebook PCs?
Also help your clients keep their egos in check with notebook purchases. Your clients can get some really useful multimedia features in high-end notebooks in the $4,000 to $5,000 price range.
But if the CEO of one of your main clients merely wants to access e-mail remotely, you easily could equip him or her with a reliable, high-performance, brand-name notebook for one-third to one-half of that price.
Use Your Knowledge To Help Your Clients
As your clients' virtual CIO and technology visionary, you have an awesome responsibility. Don't allow clients' objective judgments and technology budgets to get seduced by superfluous bells and whistles - especially when these bells and whistles take away from technology spending that can have a much greater impact than PC hardware purchases.
When in doubt, ask yourself this basic question:
"If my client took the $5,000 that was about to be spent on the "Rolls Royce" of notebooks and reallocated the amount toward computer consulting services, what kind of an impact on their business could my firm make with a $5,000 budget for a consulting project?"
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting 101. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
Your clients might be tempted to outfit their top managers and producers with the latest and greatest PC hardware. After all, a CFO or senior account manager has a tremendous amount riding on his or her daily performance and productivity. But they need to consider better ways to spend their money.
What Does Your Client Really Need?
Look carefully at clients' software application requirements before you allow their "emotional" needs to drive tech PC hardware purchases. If a client's CFO spends most of a typical day crunching numbers in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and communicating via e-mail in Microsoft Outlook, he or she really has only very basic PC hardware requirements.
Would Their Money Be Spent Better Elsewhere?
As virtual CIO to this client, you may find at least a dozen financial software-related projects you could work on for this CFO that would bring greater bottom-line results than an ego-driven PC hardware purchase.
These consulting projects will be infinitely more profitable to your consulting firm than the slim profit margin on a high-end, commodity-like desktop PC hardware purchase.
What about Notebook PCs?
Also help your clients keep their egos in check with notebook purchases. Your clients can get some really useful multimedia features in high-end notebooks in the $4,000 to $5,000 price range.
But if the CEO of one of your main clients merely wants to access e-mail remotely, you easily could equip him or her with a reliable, high-performance, brand-name notebook for one-third to one-half of that price.
Use Your Knowledge To Help Your Clients
As your clients' virtual CIO and technology visionary, you have an awesome responsibility. Don't allow clients' objective judgments and technology budgets to get seduced by superfluous bells and whistles - especially when these bells and whistles take away from technology spending that can have a much greater impact than PC hardware purchases.
When in doubt, ask yourself this basic question:
"If my client took the $5,000 that was about to be spent on the "Rolls Royce" of notebooks and reallocated the amount toward computer consulting services, what kind of an impact on their business could my firm make with a $5,000 budget for a consulting project?"
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting 101. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
5 Desktop Computer Hardware Myths Exposed
By Peter Stewart
The big boys in the computer industry want you to continue thinking the way you are. The major desktop computer manufacturers thrive on consumers lack of knowledge and old ideas about desktop computers and computer hardware to drive sales of new desktop computers.
It works in their favor to keep these myths alive, because their business depends on it. So what are they?
Myth 1: You need top of the line computer hardware
Maybe some years ago this might have been true with older computer hardware, but times have changed. When computers were much slower than they are now, the latest version of any computer hardware increased speeds noticeably and allowed new possibilities from your desktop computer.
Those increases from computer hardware no longer yield such a huge increase in performance. With the basic uses of the desktop computer set and been in place for a while now, speed increases no longer result in real world benefits for most desktop computer users.
What was great computer hardware last year is still good enough now.
Myth 2: Computer hardware is the domain of Geeks
When personal computing was coming into its own, you really did need to be a Geek to know what was happening. For those old enough to remember, imagine life without Windows and hacking away at the command line, as used to be the case. Some still do, but I wouldn't want to do that again.
Desktop computers are such commonplace that the basics of computer hardware can be understood and researched with the minimum of hassle. The ball is on the consumers side of the court. You no longer need to be a geek, just a little knowledge that is now readily available.
Myth 3: A faster desktop computer will speed up the Internet
Possibly. If you are running 5-year-old computer hardware this might be the case. But the real reason for the increase in speed is usually not the computer.
Internet speed is related to your connection speed. If you have a dial up connection, it's going to be quite slow. When you upgrade your desktop computer and they throw in a cable internet, or DSL package the improved speed is from the faster connection, not the computer. Both cable and DSL can offer more than 10 times the speed of a dial-up connection. The computer has little to do with it.
Myth 4: To speed your computer up, upgrade!
New computer hardware is a very obvious way to speed things up. Even I have gone for new parts purely for this reason.
But it's definitely not the only way.
Various factors play into overall speed. On a purely physical level, upgrading memory is still a fantastic way to get things to move along a little faster. But apart from this the main things that slows things down on the programs and other stuff you have on the computer.
Over time, as more programs are put on and taken off and changed, things get left behind, and things get forgotten. When your computer starts, many things get loaded into memory and each one of those takes that little bit more of the computers resources. When you switch to a new program and don't remove the old one, the older one will still use resources.
Myth 5: Big brands are the best
Big brands essentially piece together a computer. They pick and choose the pieces to make a computer package. They also choose some software, give a warranty and then sell it to you.
Dell computer company has become well known for its customer service. This is the best part about Dell computers. The downside is there are limited choices. They pick what goes into the computer, which are often quite expensive parts. They are motivated by the suppliers to put more recent parts into their computers, keeping the prices at the same level and maintaining the "to get more, pay more," mentality.
You don't have the power of these big guys, but you have something more. Choice.
Your pick of parts for your desktop computer will allow you to put together something completely tailored to your needs. Put the money where you need it most, into the computer hardware that makes the biggest difference to you, and in the end getting a desktop computer you will fall in love with, rather than despise.
The big boys in the computer industry want you to continue thinking the way you are. The major desktop computer manufacturers thrive on consumers lack of knowledge and old ideas about desktop computers and computer hardware to drive sales of new desktop computers.
It works in their favor to keep these myths alive, because their business depends on it. So what are they?
Myth 1: You need top of the line computer hardware
Maybe some years ago this might have been true with older computer hardware, but times have changed. When computers were much slower than they are now, the latest version of any computer hardware increased speeds noticeably and allowed new possibilities from your desktop computer.
Those increases from computer hardware no longer yield such a huge increase in performance. With the basic uses of the desktop computer set and been in place for a while now, speed increases no longer result in real world benefits for most desktop computer users.
What was great computer hardware last year is still good enough now.
Myth 2: Computer hardware is the domain of Geeks
When personal computing was coming into its own, you really did need to be a Geek to know what was happening. For those old enough to remember, imagine life without Windows and hacking away at the command line, as used to be the case. Some still do, but I wouldn't want to do that again.
Desktop computers are such commonplace that the basics of computer hardware can be understood and researched with the minimum of hassle. The ball is on the consumers side of the court. You no longer need to be a geek, just a little knowledge that is now readily available.
Myth 3: A faster desktop computer will speed up the Internet
Possibly. If you are running 5-year-old computer hardware this might be the case. But the real reason for the increase in speed is usually not the computer.
Internet speed is related to your connection speed. If you have a dial up connection, it's going to be quite slow. When you upgrade your desktop computer and they throw in a cable internet, or DSL package the improved speed is from the faster connection, not the computer. Both cable and DSL can offer more than 10 times the speed of a dial-up connection. The computer has little to do with it.
Myth 4: To speed your computer up, upgrade!
New computer hardware is a very obvious way to speed things up. Even I have gone for new parts purely for this reason.
But it's definitely not the only way.
Various factors play into overall speed. On a purely physical level, upgrading memory is still a fantastic way to get things to move along a little faster. But apart from this the main things that slows things down on the programs and other stuff you have on the computer.
Over time, as more programs are put on and taken off and changed, things get left behind, and things get forgotten. When your computer starts, many things get loaded into memory and each one of those takes that little bit more of the computers resources. When you switch to a new program and don't remove the old one, the older one will still use resources.
Myth 5: Big brands are the best
Big brands essentially piece together a computer. They pick and choose the pieces to make a computer package. They also choose some software, give a warranty and then sell it to you.
Dell computer company has become well known for its customer service. This is the best part about Dell computers. The downside is there are limited choices. They pick what goes into the computer, which are often quite expensive parts. They are motivated by the suppliers to put more recent parts into their computers, keeping the prices at the same level and maintaining the "to get more, pay more," mentality.
You don't have the power of these big guys, but you have something more. Choice.
Your pick of parts for your desktop computer will allow you to put together something completely tailored to your needs. Put the money where you need it most, into the computer hardware that makes the biggest difference to you, and in the end getting a desktop computer you will fall in love with, rather than despise.
Should You Upgrade Your Hardware PC?
By Tony Gevano
What if you found that your computer is out of date? You probably want to upgrade your computer since you have no choice to do so. Your works depend on your hardware computer upgrade. That's how you going to have a good result.
But before you make any further step, try to learn about your computer. Search all options and ask for advice. Only after this you can go and buy a new component. It's also useful to check if you really need an upgrade.
Sure, it's not funny if you keep your old computer but you still loose data when you do your works. Its just a matter of time before you experience a hard drive problem when you still using your old computer. You dont want to loose your data, right? Of course most people only think of backing up their data after they experience a problem. Don't set yourself up for a data loss disaster. Check what hardware you need for your computer.
If you have problem with your hard disk, such as crash when you do your work, better you have it renewed. Most people upgrade their hard disk to increase the size so that they can use it for games, movies and playing a lot of music. A 20 GB hard drive is sufficient to keep new office and internet applications, and all your files and data. A medium sized hard drive would be around 40 GB and the maximum would be around 60 – 80 GB.
You can choose which perfect for your work. Of course the price is also depending on the capacity of your hard disk. If you are a gamer, you may want to have high capacity hard disk such as that 60-80 GB. But if you just used it for your writing, a 20 GB is more than enough.
Another hardware you may need to upgrade is the RAM or Random Access Memory. This memory keeps data that is being worked on now and may or may not be transferred to the hard drive that represents the long-term memory of the computer. Current processors can perform an enormous number of operations per second. Almost all computer have 64 MB RAM and often 128 MB. If you want to run newer applications on your PC then you must upgrade to 128/256 MB RAM. A lot of people who upgrade from 98 to Win 2000 discover that their computers lock up very often. This is because they don't have enough RAM.
So, those are only some part of hardware you might want to upgrade. There are others such as motherboard, CPU or port which you can upgrade. Your action depend on your need.
What if you found that your computer is out of date? You probably want to upgrade your computer since you have no choice to do so. Your works depend on your hardware computer upgrade. That's how you going to have a good result.
But before you make any further step, try to learn about your computer. Search all options and ask for advice. Only after this you can go and buy a new component. It's also useful to check if you really need an upgrade.
Sure, it's not funny if you keep your old computer but you still loose data when you do your works. Its just a matter of time before you experience a hard drive problem when you still using your old computer. You dont want to loose your data, right? Of course most people only think of backing up their data after they experience a problem. Don't set yourself up for a data loss disaster. Check what hardware you need for your computer.
If you have problem with your hard disk, such as crash when you do your work, better you have it renewed. Most people upgrade their hard disk to increase the size so that they can use it for games, movies and playing a lot of music. A 20 GB hard drive is sufficient to keep new office and internet applications, and all your files and data. A medium sized hard drive would be around 40 GB and the maximum would be around 60 – 80 GB.
You can choose which perfect for your work. Of course the price is also depending on the capacity of your hard disk. If you are a gamer, you may want to have high capacity hard disk such as that 60-80 GB. But if you just used it for your writing, a 20 GB is more than enough.
Another hardware you may need to upgrade is the RAM or Random Access Memory. This memory keeps data that is being worked on now and may or may not be transferred to the hard drive that represents the long-term memory of the computer. Current processors can perform an enormous number of operations per second. Almost all computer have 64 MB RAM and often 128 MB. If you want to run newer applications on your PC then you must upgrade to 128/256 MB RAM. A lot of people who upgrade from 98 to Win 2000 discover that their computers lock up very often. This is because they don't have enough RAM.
So, those are only some part of hardware you might want to upgrade. There are others such as motherboard, CPU or port which you can upgrade. Your action depend on your need.
Build your first computer from hardware scratches
By Andrew Karasev
Wow- if you do it first time and have some asset of time in your disposition – then go ahead and purchase motherboard, your favorite processor, memory, video card (probably it is better to purchase it external for advanced quality). You will also need computer case – first computer should probably go to the cheap one – with USB 2 ports from the front side – the only question – you might want to replace noisy cheap power supply with $50 dollars one. Processor fan – nowadays you will see the variety for all the tastes – get the one with adjustable spinning speed to regulate noise (if you could not place it into the basement of your house – I guess you live in apartment or student dormitory). Let’s go to details:
* Ahead of Generation. It is not a secret that when you build your own computer – you might overpay – in considering to what is available in the stores.. However you usually get ahead of technology. For example – it is still common when Dell/Compaq/IBM computers use PC2700 standard of memory. If you bought PC3200 – you have two years of being ahead of the competition
* Processor. If you build your computer from scratches – you should look into 64-bits processor from the beginning. Get AMD Athlon 64 3400+ at least
* Video Card. For $100 you can get maximum of memory and performance. This is why we recommend to get external videocard
* DVD Writer. RW+/- unfortunately Japanese manufacturers are in the process of decision making on winning standards plus DVD of high density. Get both supported.
* Hard Drive. Decent motherboards support IDE raid and you could experiment with striping (raid 0). Then if you purchase two IDE disks 400 GB each – you will get 800 GB – unbelievable for supercomputers – but you are on your own and cosmopolitan individual – step forward and be ahead of competition.
* Troubleshooting. Understood and respected. First listen your mother board beeps and refer to its documentation. It might not see memory, graphical card, etc. When you are installing memory – be very careful to static electricity issue. When you are attaching your mother board to computer case – the most typical issue is motherboard shorting – so do not be surprised to try your motherboard first outside the case.
Wow- if you do it first time and have some asset of time in your disposition – then go ahead and purchase motherboard, your favorite processor, memory, video card (probably it is better to purchase it external for advanced quality). You will also need computer case – first computer should probably go to the cheap one – with USB 2 ports from the front side – the only question – you might want to replace noisy cheap power supply with $50 dollars one. Processor fan – nowadays you will see the variety for all the tastes – get the one with adjustable spinning speed to regulate noise (if you could not place it into the basement of your house – I guess you live in apartment or student dormitory). Let’s go to details:
* Ahead of Generation. It is not a secret that when you build your own computer – you might overpay – in considering to what is available in the stores.. However you usually get ahead of technology. For example – it is still common when Dell/Compaq/IBM computers use PC2700 standard of memory. If you bought PC3200 – you have two years of being ahead of the competition
* Processor. If you build your computer from scratches – you should look into 64-bits processor from the beginning. Get AMD Athlon 64 3400+ at least
* Video Card. For $100 you can get maximum of memory and performance. This is why we recommend to get external videocard
* DVD Writer. RW+/- unfortunately Japanese manufacturers are in the process of decision making on winning standards plus DVD of high density. Get both supported.
* Hard Drive. Decent motherboards support IDE raid and you could experiment with striping (raid 0). Then if you purchase two IDE disks 400 GB each – you will get 800 GB – unbelievable for supercomputers – but you are on your own and cosmopolitan individual – step forward and be ahead of competition.
* Troubleshooting. Understood and respected. First listen your mother board beeps and refer to its documentation. It might not see memory, graphical card, etc. When you are installing memory – be very careful to static electricity issue. When you are attaching your mother board to computer case – the most typical issue is motherboard shorting – so do not be surprised to try your motherboard first outside the case.
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