by Ron King
There are many choices available to today's writers. From the cheapest to the most expensive the choice is entirely yours. Writing software can make your life easier and more organized. Whether you are an established writer or just starting out there is writing software available for you.
First, you need to figure out what features you are looking for in the writing software. You do this by first accessing your needs as a writer. What kind of writing do you do? Do you write screenplays, novels, technical writings, or a blend of things? Knowing what you are going to need from the writing software will make it much easier to pick out. From writing poems, to advertisements, to novels there is writing software out there for you. Here are a few that you can consider:
Write That Down is software that is geared towards agents, publishers, freelancers, and screen writers. The application has tabs for contests, publications, submissions, accounts, and many more. It offers things from both sides of the writing world, for the writers and publishers. This may be a little too much for some.
The Wizard of Words software works well for pretty much any writer. It has many different types of formatting, such as novels, short stories, articles, term papers, etc. If you are a book writer, the repair editing wizard can be quite helpful; it will reformat anything you need it to. The Wizard even has different tools for things such as query letters, mass mailing of letters, and book proposals. This software requires Microsoft Word 97 or higher.
Style Writer is a style and grammar checking software. It checks your writing in comparison to over 35,000 common language problems. You can change the type of writing it is checking and it changes to the document type. It has 15 specialized features that will help you in your writing ventures. You can add and delete the grammar and style advice. It will trace your progress and show you as you learn to stop making these mistakes on your own. When you install the software it melds itself with your own word processor.
Writers Block is a replacement for Microsoft word. This software is a word processor and spread sheet rolled into one. It allows you to write in blocks and then arrange them how you want. It has a power panel in which you enter the writing for the current block. It hangs above other programs so you can easily read from one page and type into the power panel.
Rough Draft is a free download program. Well, they would welcome donations but that is your choice. It is comparable to Microsoft word but is more user friendly. It has special modes for plays and screen writing. And it has an instant back up feature. Unfortunately, it does not have a grammar checker, tables, pictures, or footnotes.
A popular choice for written media publishing is Adobe Page Maker. You can type your text right into the formatted layout and has a new data merge feature that you can merge previously saved spreadsheets or other databases to create new projects.
That is just a brief overview of a few of the writing software products that looked interesting to me. During your writing journey, search for writing software that have multiple purposes, such as those software titles that create congressional letters, name generators, poetry, and jokes. Whether you are an inspiring new writer, an accomplished novelist that has been writing for years, or maybe a publisher or editor there is software out there for you.
goarticles.com
7/29/07
PowerPoint 2007 ：Beyond Photo Slideshow Maker
by KingMarsh
PowerPoint 2007 ：Beyond Photo Slideshow Maker Most people would agree that PowerPoint is a great tool to create stunning photo slideshows. Creating a slideshow by "Import and Export" may be the common way used. But with enhanced graphic ability in PowerPoint 2007, you have more easy-to-use features to edit and customize photos. In this article, we will talk about some clever tips to use PowerPoint 2007 as a photo editor rather a simple slideshow maker. 1. Image Borders Using different style of borders around the edge of an image makes the images to catch more attention from the audience. PowerPoint gives you handy access to create interesting border lines for your images. You can either change line color, line weight or even line style.
First, insert an image to a PowerPoint slide. PowerPoint 2007 -> Insert Ribbon -> Image Icon Browse to your picture folder, insert an image for editing.
Second, Click the image and then go to the Format Tab. Format Tab-> Picture Border Under Picture Border, select a theme color, choose a line weight and then find the line dash style you want. When done, you will see a line border around you image.
2. Image Frames Something like image borders, frames also easily pretties up your image. PowerPoint expands the concept of style to Quick Style Functionality and offers a beautiful frame gallery for you image.
When you insert an image, click the picture to activate the Format Tab. Then you can see the Frame Gallery in that tab. You can select a Picture Style from the gallery in the image below to apply a frame, shadow, 3-D rotation, and other effects to selected images.
3. Recolor an Image If you are a Publisher user, you should have experienced with the recolor feature. In PowerPoint 2007 , you can do it in much the same way.
When you select a picture, you can find this Recolor Tool in the Format Tab of Picture Tool. You can apply the color style you want to your image, from Dark variation to Light variations.
4. Create Auto-shaped Images The next good thing with PowerPoint 2007 is that you can change the shape of any image. Your image can be resized in any auto shapes. You have a lot of variations, from basic to complicated. You image is not longer in a rectangles. You can cools them up so quickly and easily!
5. Add a Theme PowerPoint template gives your presentation a uniform look and feel. That is the same reason we use theme for our photo slideshow.
A theme not only gives a color scheme to your photo slideshow but also formats fonts, effects, effects and background styles and more. Once you specify a theme, all the elements in the slideshow will be changed to match that theme. If you are not satisfied with the color scheme, more theme color options are available for you choose from so you are able to create a theme in different color scheme. Of course, you can even change the fonts and effects of a theme.
With these tips to create a wonderful photo slideshow, now you may like to expand its audience by publishing to web. Here are some tips to share a PowerPoint slideshow on web with success. 1. Save as an HTML Webpage (Static Slideshow) PowerPoint 2007->Save As -> Web Page 2. Convert to Flash Slideshow for Sharing on Blog or a Webpage (Animated Slideshow) http://www.sameshow.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2141
3. Specify the Default Fonts for Web-Based Slideshow 4. Change the Title for a Web-Based Slideshow 5. Change the Target Screen Resolution for Web-Based Slideshow 6. Optimize Your Slideshow for a Specific Browser
goarticles
PowerPoint 2007 ：Beyond Photo Slideshow Maker Most people would agree that PowerPoint is a great tool to create stunning photo slideshows. Creating a slideshow by "Import and Export" may be the common way used. But with enhanced graphic ability in PowerPoint 2007, you have more easy-to-use features to edit and customize photos. In this article, we will talk about some clever tips to use PowerPoint 2007 as a photo editor rather a simple slideshow maker. 1. Image Borders Using different style of borders around the edge of an image makes the images to catch more attention from the audience. PowerPoint gives you handy access to create interesting border lines for your images. You can either change line color, line weight or even line style.
First, insert an image to a PowerPoint slide. PowerPoint 2007 -> Insert Ribbon -> Image Icon Browse to your picture folder, insert an image for editing.
Second, Click the image and then go to the Format Tab. Format Tab-> Picture Border Under Picture Border, select a theme color, choose a line weight and then find the line dash style you want. When done, you will see a line border around you image.
2. Image Frames Something like image borders, frames also easily pretties up your image. PowerPoint expands the concept of style to Quick Style Functionality and offers a beautiful frame gallery for you image.
When you insert an image, click the picture to activate the Format Tab. Then you can see the Frame Gallery in that tab. You can select a Picture Style from the gallery in the image below to apply a frame, shadow, 3-D rotation, and other effects to selected images.
3. Recolor an Image If you are a Publisher user, you should have experienced with the recolor feature. In PowerPoint 2007 , you can do it in much the same way.
When you select a picture, you can find this Recolor Tool in the Format Tab of Picture Tool. You can apply the color style you want to your image, from Dark variation to Light variations.
4. Create Auto-shaped Images The next good thing with PowerPoint 2007 is that you can change the shape of any image. Your image can be resized in any auto shapes. You have a lot of variations, from basic to complicated. You image is not longer in a rectangles. You can cools them up so quickly and easily!
5. Add a Theme PowerPoint template gives your presentation a uniform look and feel. That is the same reason we use theme for our photo slideshow.
A theme not only gives a color scheme to your photo slideshow but also formats fonts, effects, effects and background styles and more. Once you specify a theme, all the elements in the slideshow will be changed to match that theme. If you are not satisfied with the color scheme, more theme color options are available for you choose from so you are able to create a theme in different color scheme. Of course, you can even change the fonts and effects of a theme.
With these tips to create a wonderful photo slideshow, now you may like to expand its audience by publishing to web. Here are some tips to share a PowerPoint slideshow on web with success. 1. Save as an HTML Webpage (Static Slideshow) PowerPoint 2007->Save As -> Web Page 2. Convert to Flash Slideshow for Sharing on Blog or a Webpage (Animated Slideshow) http://www.sameshow.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2141
3. Specify the Default Fonts for Web-Based Slideshow 4. Change the Title for a Web-Based Slideshow 5. Change the Target Screen Resolution for Web-Based Slideshow 6. Optimize Your Slideshow for a Specific Browser
goarticles
7/28/07
Adware - Is Your Software Safe?
by Peter Stewart
When developers were first releasing their software for free they realized that they could recover some of the cost of development while still keeping their software free.
This became what we know as adware today. Although the term has become confused with malware and spyware it differs in very important ways.
The theory on adware was that by embedding ads within a piece of software, the developers could monetize their programs. The way adware was implemented differed from application to application.
Quite often ads were displayed at the the top of the software, not unlike what we see on the web today. Other options included popup windows which would pop up when opening or closing the program or just every now and again.
The slightly more obnoxious programs would download advertising that would then embed itself on the computer.
All of this in itself was not a terrible thing. Users could benefit from great software that was well maintained. Developers were motivated to improve their software to increase the revenue from the ads.
But sneakier methods started being used.
Ad spaces were being put into the software by advertising companies, and a few of these were using their commercials to send user information back to themselves. They could then analyze these to serve better ads to the users of the software.
The problem was that users were not aware of all this happening. The advertisers were doing this without the knowledge of users, and sometimes the developers.
This lack of disclosure also led to the situation where people were downloading these new programs, but without the knowledge that at the same time they were installing other adware onto their computer.
Nowadays there are much fewer programs that are ad enabled than there were a few years back. This is partly due to suspicion on the part of users. Software that does incorporate advertising into the software incorporates only static ads that don't change.
If you want to be sure, check how the software is labelled.
Shareware is most often evaluation only. You need to register and pay after the evaluation time, or choose not to pay and get ads in the software.
Freeware should be completely free and doesn't need an evaluation period. It might have advertising, but more common nowadays are voluntary donations which help support the software.
The safest route is to just do a little homework before downloading software, and don't download anything suspicious.
http://computer-buying-guide.com
When developers were first releasing their software for free they realized that they could recover some of the cost of development while still keeping their software free.
This became what we know as adware today. Although the term has become confused with malware and spyware it differs in very important ways.
The theory on adware was that by embedding ads within a piece of software, the developers could monetize their programs. The way adware was implemented differed from application to application.
Quite often ads were displayed at the the top of the software, not unlike what we see on the web today. Other options included popup windows which would pop up when opening or closing the program or just every now and again.
The slightly more obnoxious programs would download advertising that would then embed itself on the computer.
All of this in itself was not a terrible thing. Users could benefit from great software that was well maintained. Developers were motivated to improve their software to increase the revenue from the ads.
But sneakier methods started being used.
Ad spaces were being put into the software by advertising companies, and a few of these were using their commercials to send user information back to themselves. They could then analyze these to serve better ads to the users of the software.
The problem was that users were not aware of all this happening. The advertisers were doing this without the knowledge of users, and sometimes the developers.
This lack of disclosure also led to the situation where people were downloading these new programs, but without the knowledge that at the same time they were installing other adware onto their computer.
Nowadays there are much fewer programs that are ad enabled than there were a few years back. This is partly due to suspicion on the part of users. Software that does incorporate advertising into the software incorporates only static ads that don't change.
If you want to be sure, check how the software is labelled.
Shareware is most often evaluation only. You need to register and pay after the evaluation time, or choose not to pay and get ads in the software.
Freeware should be completely free and doesn't need an evaluation period. It might have advertising, but more common nowadays are voluntary donations which help support the software.
The safest route is to just do a little homework before downloading software, and don't download anything suspicious.
http://computer-buying-guide.com
7/26/07
Windows Vista - Is It Worth Upgrading?
By: Sharpy
I decided to purchase Windows Vista Home Premium for one reason and that was because of the improved parental controls. I have a problem where my son spends so much time on the computer he has started to lose his social skills. Not to mention the fact that once I go to bed he gets up and starts playing games on the pc until 3 or 4 in the morning.
So the advanced parental controls in Windows Vista really appealed to me, especially the time controls. This is where you can allocate time slots for each account. So as soon as I installed it, the first thing I did was to specify what times he is allowed to access the computer. For this reason alone, the cost of upgrading was well worth it.
Well that's my reason, but what is the rest of Vista like?
Well Vista arrived, via the postman, on Tuesday morning. Once unwrapped, you are presented with a very nicely packaged box. Not sure this level of packaging is required, when you consider you'll probably only use it once or twice before the next upgrade to the Windows family is released.
So after backing up all my critical data, I put the Vista disk into my machine. It started checking my PC and came up with a message that I had to rename a data file and uninstall Nero. So once this was done, I had to start Vista again. This time it passed the checks and I spent the next four hours twiddling my thumbs! It is not a quick process let me tell you that!
However, once the four hour upgrade had been completed, I was ready to check out all the new features!
The way Windows Vista presents itself is absolutely stunning compared to older versions. Two things I really like are the Windows sidebar and the screen switching button (Areo Feature).
The screen switching button is great, as when you have a number of screens open you can press it and Vista shows all the screens in a 3D cascade in the middle of the screen. It looks great and is really useful.
The sidebar is also equally as good. The sidebar is a collection of small info gadgets that are fixed to the side of the screen. On mine I have an analogue clock, a calender, a local weather panel, cpu usage meter, latest $ to £ exchange rates and yahoo news. Other gadgets can be added, and I believe more can be downloaded via the web. This is an excellent utility as I always found it difficult to find out the date when working at the pc under older windows versions.
Another good addition is the ability to review what programmes are in your start menu. As I've had my pc for over a year there were programmes in there which I very rarely use and it is really easy to turn them off using this utility.
The start menu is much slicker than it used to be on XP. On clicking the start button, you are presented with similar information to that of XP but it is organised much better. All the programs in the All Programs menu are now listed sequentially in a scrolling box as opposed to expanding right across your screen as in XP. The usual shortcuts are also there, like control panel, recent files, etc...
Windows Mail is much improved. Essentially Microsoft has taken Outlook and integrated it right into Windows Vista. Mail can be checked at a click of a button. The features of Windows Mail have not been scimped upon, with 99% of Outlooks features available, i.e. calender, tasks, etc...
Windows Explorer has changed quite substantially and it is so easy to find the files you are looking for. As you drill down through the directories, a link to each directory/subdirectory is displayed above the main window so going back on yourself is very much simplified. Also the used/free space on each drive is shown in a bar above the drive letters, much like a progress bar when downloading something off the web. My Documents, My Pictures, My Music are now given a specific short cut link at the top of the Explorer Window, which makes finding your media files really easy. Also Microsoft have dropped the 'My' part of the directory name. Something which always used to bug me!
Security is much improved. When you try to install anything, Windows pops up a question confirming you requested this action. Should help to stop some of those Trojans I guess.
Having used Internet Explorer 7.0 on XP and now on Vista, I can see why I had so many problems with XP. The 7.0 update was designed to integrate into Vista and this is plainly obvious when you use it for the first time. Pages load faster and IE is much more stable in Vista. I used to get 2 or 3 crashes a day in XP.
Other updates include, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows DVD Maker, Windows Meeting Space, Sync Center, Ease of Access Center, and some great new games. I haven't had chance to play with these new additions yet, except a few games of Mahjong, but on the surface they look really good.
The Control Panel is one area where Microsoft have really improved things, everything is now organised more sensibly into various categories, i.e. security, system & maintenance, user accounts, appearance & personalisation, network and internet, etc...
Perhaps the biggest addition is the Media Center. This allows you to view all your pictures and videos either on your desktop or onto a linked TV. You can also watch, pause and record live TV if you have a TV tuner in your machine.
Conclusion
I'm a bit of a gadget freak and love anything new. This is why I bought XP when it came out and now Vista. I have to say though that Vista is without doubt a massive improvement on XP. Everything about the operating system is so much more stable and it's packed with useful utilities and gadgets.
So is it worth the investment? You bet it is!
articleclick
I decided to purchase Windows Vista Home Premium for one reason and that was because of the improved parental controls. I have a problem where my son spends so much time on the computer he has started to lose his social skills. Not to mention the fact that once I go to bed he gets up and starts playing games on the pc until 3 or 4 in the morning.
So the advanced parental controls in Windows Vista really appealed to me, especially the time controls. This is where you can allocate time slots for each account. So as soon as I installed it, the first thing I did was to specify what times he is allowed to access the computer. For this reason alone, the cost of upgrading was well worth it.
Well that's my reason, but what is the rest of Vista like?
Well Vista arrived, via the postman, on Tuesday morning. Once unwrapped, you are presented with a very nicely packaged box. Not sure this level of packaging is required, when you consider you'll probably only use it once or twice before the next upgrade to the Windows family is released.
So after backing up all my critical data, I put the Vista disk into my machine. It started checking my PC and came up with a message that I had to rename a data file and uninstall Nero. So once this was done, I had to start Vista again. This time it passed the checks and I spent the next four hours twiddling my thumbs! It is not a quick process let me tell you that!
However, once the four hour upgrade had been completed, I was ready to check out all the new features!
The way Windows Vista presents itself is absolutely stunning compared to older versions. Two things I really like are the Windows sidebar and the screen switching button (Areo Feature).
The screen switching button is great, as when you have a number of screens open you can press it and Vista shows all the screens in a 3D cascade in the middle of the screen. It looks great and is really useful.
The sidebar is also equally as good. The sidebar is a collection of small info gadgets that are fixed to the side of the screen. On mine I have an analogue clock, a calender, a local weather panel, cpu usage meter, latest $ to £ exchange rates and yahoo news. Other gadgets can be added, and I believe more can be downloaded via the web. This is an excellent utility as I always found it difficult to find out the date when working at the pc under older windows versions.
Another good addition is the ability to review what programmes are in your start menu. As I've had my pc for over a year there were programmes in there which I very rarely use and it is really easy to turn them off using this utility.
The start menu is much slicker than it used to be on XP. On clicking the start button, you are presented with similar information to that of XP but it is organised much better. All the programs in the All Programs menu are now listed sequentially in a scrolling box as opposed to expanding right across your screen as in XP. The usual shortcuts are also there, like control panel, recent files, etc...
Windows Mail is much improved. Essentially Microsoft has taken Outlook and integrated it right into Windows Vista. Mail can be checked at a click of a button. The features of Windows Mail have not been scimped upon, with 99% of Outlooks features available, i.e. calender, tasks, etc...
Windows Explorer has changed quite substantially and it is so easy to find the files you are looking for. As you drill down through the directories, a link to each directory/subdirectory is displayed above the main window so going back on yourself is very much simplified. Also the used/free space on each drive is shown in a bar above the drive letters, much like a progress bar when downloading something off the web. My Documents, My Pictures, My Music are now given a specific short cut link at the top of the Explorer Window, which makes finding your media files really easy. Also Microsoft have dropped the 'My' part of the directory name. Something which always used to bug me!
Security is much improved. When you try to install anything, Windows pops up a question confirming you requested this action. Should help to stop some of those Trojans I guess.
Having used Internet Explorer 7.0 on XP and now on Vista, I can see why I had so many problems with XP. The 7.0 update was designed to integrate into Vista and this is plainly obvious when you use it for the first time. Pages load faster and IE is much more stable in Vista. I used to get 2 or 3 crashes a day in XP.
Other updates include, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows DVD Maker, Windows Meeting Space, Sync Center, Ease of Access Center, and some great new games. I haven't had chance to play with these new additions yet, except a few games of Mahjong, but on the surface they look really good.
The Control Panel is one area where Microsoft have really improved things, everything is now organised more sensibly into various categories, i.e. security, system & maintenance, user accounts, appearance & personalisation, network and internet, etc...
Perhaps the biggest addition is the Media Center. This allows you to view all your pictures and videos either on your desktop or onto a linked TV. You can also watch, pause and record live TV if you have a TV tuner in your machine.
Conclusion
I'm a bit of a gadget freak and love anything new. This is why I bought XP when it came out and now Vista. I have to say though that Vista is without doubt a massive improvement on XP. Everything about the operating system is so much more stable and it's packed with useful utilities and gadgets.
So is it worth the investment? You bet it is!
articleclick
Windows Vista - Is It Worth Upgrading?
By: Sharpy
I decided to purchase Windows Vista Home Premium for one reason and that was because of the improved parental controls. I have a problem where my son spends so much time on the computer he has started to lose his social skills. Not to mention the fact that once I go to bed he gets up and starts playing games on the pc until 3 or 4 in the morning.
So the advanced parental controls in Windows Vista really appealed to me, especially the time controls. This is where you can allocate time slots for each account. So as soon as I installed it, the first thing I did was to specify what times he is allowed to access the computer. For this reason alone, the cost of upgrading was well worth it.
Well that's my reason, but what is the rest of Vista like?
Well Vista arrived, via the postman, on Tuesday morning. Once unwrapped, you are presented with a very nicely packaged box. Not sure this level of packaging is required, when you consider you'll probably only use it once or twice before the next upgrade to the Windows family is released.
So after backing up all my critical data, I put the Vista disk into my machine. It started checking my PC and came up with a message that I had to rename a data file and uninstall Nero. So once this was done, I had to start Vista again. This time it passed the checks and I spent the next four hours twiddling my thumbs! It is not a quick process let me tell you that!
However, once the four hour upgrade had been completed, I was ready to check out all the new features!
The way Windows Vista presents itself is absolutely stunning compared to older versions. Two things I really like are the Windows sidebar and the screen switching button (Areo Feature).
The screen switching button is great, as when you have a number of screens open you can press it and Vista shows all the screens in a 3D cascade in the middle of the screen. It looks great and is really useful.
The sidebar is also equally as good. The sidebar is a collection of small info gadgets that are fixed to the side of the screen. On mine I have an analogue clock, a calender, a local weather panel, cpu usage meter, latest $ to £ exchange rates and yahoo news. Other gadgets can be added, and I believe more can be downloaded via the web. This is an excellent utility as I always found it difficult to find out the date when working at the pc under older windows versions.
Another good addition is the ability to review what programmes are in your start menu. As I've had my pc for over a year there were programmes in there which I very rarely use and it is really easy to turn them off using this utility.
The start menu is much slicker than it used to be on XP. On clicking the start button, you are presented with similar information to that of XP but it is organised much better. All the programs in the All Programs menu are now listed sequentially in a scrolling box as opposed to expanding right across your screen as in XP. The usual shortcuts are also there, like control panel, recent files, etc...
Windows Mail is much improved. Essentially Microsoft has taken Outlook and integrated it right into Windows Vista. Mail can be checked at a click of a button. The features of Windows Mail have not been scimped upon, with 99% of Outlooks features available, i.e. calender, tasks, etc...
Windows Explorer has changed quite substantially and it is so easy to find the files you are looking for. As you drill down through the directories, a link to each directory/subdirectory is displayed above the main window so going back on yourself is very much simplified. Also the used/free space on each drive is shown in a bar above the drive letters, much like a progress bar when downloading something off the web. My Documents, My Pictures, My Music are now given a specific short cut link at the top of the Explorer Window, which makes finding your media files really easy. Also Microsoft have dropped the 'My' part of the directory name. Something which always used to bug me!
Security is much improved. When you try to install anything, Windows pops up a question confirming you requested this action. Should help to stop some of those Trojans I guess.
Having used Internet Explorer 7.0 on XP and now on Vista, I can see why I had so many problems with XP. The 7.0 update was designed to integrate into Vista and this is plainly obvious when you use it for the first time. Pages load faster and IE is much more stable in Vista. I used to get 2 or 3 crashes a day in XP.
Other updates include, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows DVD Maker, Windows Meeting Space, Sync Center, Ease of Access Center, and some great new games. I haven't had chance to play with these new additions yet, except a few games of Mahjong, but on the surface they look really good.
The Control Panel is one area where Microsoft have really improved things, everything is now organised more sensibly into various categories, i.e. security, system & maintenance, user accounts, appearance & personalisation, network and internet, etc...
Perhaps the biggest addition is the Media Center. This allows you to view all your pictures and videos either on your desktop or onto a linked TV. You can also watch, pause and record live TV if you have a TV tuner in your machine.
Conclusion
I'm a bit of a gadget freak and love anything new. This is why I bought XP when it came out and now Vista. I have to say though that Vista is without doubt a massive improvement on XP. Everything about the operating system is so much more stable and it's packed with useful utilities and gadgets.
So is it worth the investment? You bet it is!
articleclick
I decided to purchase Windows Vista Home Premium for one reason and that was because of the improved parental controls. I have a problem where my son spends so much time on the computer he has started to lose his social skills. Not to mention the fact that once I go to bed he gets up and starts playing games on the pc until 3 or 4 in the morning.
So the advanced parental controls in Windows Vista really appealed to me, especially the time controls. This is where you can allocate time slots for each account. So as soon as I installed it, the first thing I did was to specify what times he is allowed to access the computer. For this reason alone, the cost of upgrading was well worth it.
Well that's my reason, but what is the rest of Vista like?
Well Vista arrived, via the postman, on Tuesday morning. Once unwrapped, you are presented with a very nicely packaged box. Not sure this level of packaging is required, when you consider you'll probably only use it once or twice before the next upgrade to the Windows family is released.
So after backing up all my critical data, I put the Vista disk into my machine. It started checking my PC and came up with a message that I had to rename a data file and uninstall Nero. So once this was done, I had to start Vista again. This time it passed the checks and I spent the next four hours twiddling my thumbs! It is not a quick process let me tell you that!
However, once the four hour upgrade had been completed, I was ready to check out all the new features!
The way Windows Vista presents itself is absolutely stunning compared to older versions. Two things I really like are the Windows sidebar and the screen switching button (Areo Feature).
The screen switching button is great, as when you have a number of screens open you can press it and Vista shows all the screens in a 3D cascade in the middle of the screen. It looks great and is really useful.
The sidebar is also equally as good. The sidebar is a collection of small info gadgets that are fixed to the side of the screen. On mine I have an analogue clock, a calender, a local weather panel, cpu usage meter, latest $ to £ exchange rates and yahoo news. Other gadgets can be added, and I believe more can be downloaded via the web. This is an excellent utility as I always found it difficult to find out the date when working at the pc under older windows versions.
Another good addition is the ability to review what programmes are in your start menu. As I've had my pc for over a year there were programmes in there which I very rarely use and it is really easy to turn them off using this utility.
The start menu is much slicker than it used to be on XP. On clicking the start button, you are presented with similar information to that of XP but it is organised much better. All the programs in the All Programs menu are now listed sequentially in a scrolling box as opposed to expanding right across your screen as in XP. The usual shortcuts are also there, like control panel, recent files, etc...
Windows Mail is much improved. Essentially Microsoft has taken Outlook and integrated it right into Windows Vista. Mail can be checked at a click of a button. The features of Windows Mail have not been scimped upon, with 99% of Outlooks features available, i.e. calender, tasks, etc...
Windows Explorer has changed quite substantially and it is so easy to find the files you are looking for. As you drill down through the directories, a link to each directory/subdirectory is displayed above the main window so going back on yourself is very much simplified. Also the used/free space on each drive is shown in a bar above the drive letters, much like a progress bar when downloading something off the web. My Documents, My Pictures, My Music are now given a specific short cut link at the top of the Explorer Window, which makes finding your media files really easy. Also Microsoft have dropped the 'My' part of the directory name. Something which always used to bug me!
Security is much improved. When you try to install anything, Windows pops up a question confirming you requested this action. Should help to stop some of those Trojans I guess.
Having used Internet Explorer 7.0 on XP and now on Vista, I can see why I had so many problems with XP. The 7.0 update was designed to integrate into Vista and this is plainly obvious when you use it for the first time. Pages load faster and IE is much more stable in Vista. I used to get 2 or 3 crashes a day in XP.
Other updates include, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows DVD Maker, Windows Meeting Space, Sync Center, Ease of Access Center, and some great new games. I haven't had chance to play with these new additions yet, except a few games of Mahjong, but on the surface they look really good.
The Control Panel is one area where Microsoft have really improved things, everything is now organised more sensibly into various categories, i.e. security, system & maintenance, user accounts, appearance & personalisation, network and internet, etc...
Perhaps the biggest addition is the Media Center. This allows you to view all your pictures and videos either on your desktop or onto a linked TV. You can also watch, pause and record live TV if you have a TV tuner in your machine.
Conclusion
I'm a bit of a gadget freak and love anything new. This is why I bought XP when it came out and now Vista. I have to say though that Vista is without doubt a massive improvement on XP. Everything about the operating system is so much more stable and it's packed with useful utilities and gadgets.
So is it worth the investment? You bet it is!
articleclick
7/25/07
Free laptop overheating repair tips
by yenyen2
Free Laptop overheating repair tips
One of the most common problems that we encounter with laptops today is battery damage and overheating. It is interesting to note that these two are very much interconnected. So it would do you well if you try to solve one of them in connection to the other one.
Laptops will suddenly turn-off if the battery gets too hot for its thermal sensor. There are a lot of types of batteries but nevertheless rest assured that they will get the same problem if you do not take care of possible overheating causes. Some types like the Lithium Ion battery will break down if its discharge point is below a certain level.
Obviously, you need to take notice if the laptop overheats as this will lead to a battery problem. Firstly, if you hear your CPU fans operating with a very loud noise then suddenly shuts down without any warning then most probably you have the heat sink clogged.
The best way to do this is to use a show vacuum to suck out the dirt in the fan and the heatsink first. This would probably save you a lot of money by not even having to open the laptop for repair. If this will not work, then that's the time you should consult your laptop technician.
Or another tip for this problem although it's recommended to use the vacuum first as suggested, is to use the canned air and just blow this inside the laptop through its openings. This might not work though if your heatsink has been already clogged.
In case this happens, you can try opening the case of the laptop so you can get hold of the CPU fan and the heatsink. Though, the heatsink can be reached via different means depending on your model. After you disconnect the fan cables, it is now safe to remove the fan to check if it makes an unusual sound. Try to see if it makes a sort of grinding sound and if it does then it might be a good idea for you to replace it already. It would be great too if you can remove the old thermal grease from the CPU and putting in some new grease for better performance and less overheating incidents.
If all else fails then take it to the service provider if you still have the warranty, but its still a good idea to try this tip first before spending that hard-earned money of yours
onlineconomy.wordpress.com
Free Laptop overheating repair tips
One of the most common problems that we encounter with laptops today is battery damage and overheating. It is interesting to note that these two are very much interconnected. So it would do you well if you try to solve one of them in connection to the other one.
Laptops will suddenly turn-off if the battery gets too hot for its thermal sensor. There are a lot of types of batteries but nevertheless rest assured that they will get the same problem if you do not take care of possible overheating causes. Some types like the Lithium Ion battery will break down if its discharge point is below a certain level.
Obviously, you need to take notice if the laptop overheats as this will lead to a battery problem. Firstly, if you hear your CPU fans operating with a very loud noise then suddenly shuts down without any warning then most probably you have the heat sink clogged.
The best way to do this is to use a show vacuum to suck out the dirt in the fan and the heatsink first. This would probably save you a lot of money by not even having to open the laptop for repair. If this will not work, then that's the time you should consult your laptop technician.
Or another tip for this problem although it's recommended to use the vacuum first as suggested, is to use the canned air and just blow this inside the laptop through its openings. This might not work though if your heatsink has been already clogged.
In case this happens, you can try opening the case of the laptop so you can get hold of the CPU fan and the heatsink. Though, the heatsink can be reached via different means depending on your model. After you disconnect the fan cables, it is now safe to remove the fan to check if it makes an unusual sound. Try to see if it makes a sort of grinding sound and if it does then it might be a good idea for you to replace it already. It would be great too if you can remove the old thermal grease from the CPU and putting in some new grease for better performance and less overheating incidents.
If all else fails then take it to the service provider if you still have the warranty, but its still a good idea to try this tip first before spending that hard-earned money of yours
onlineconomy.wordpress.com
7/24/07
How to Secure Your Computer
By: B. Bashir
According to a Software security and Antivirus company Symantec, it only takes 20 minutes for an unprotected computer to be attacked once it gets connected with the internet. Computer security cannot be compromised because if your computer is insecure then all your data, software and hardware are at risk. There are several methods that are used to combat with the security threats. The known threats to a computer are viruses, spyware, adware, malware, Trojan horses, internet security threats, accidental files deletion and data corruption, unauthorized access to compute and the hackers’ attacks. Following tips tells that how to deal with the computer security threats.
Install Up-to-dated Antivirus Program
One of the most important security step and preventive measure is to install an up-to-dated antivirus program and scan your computer regularly with it. An antivirus programs acts as protective shield for your computer against the virus, spyware and other internet threats.
Install Firewall
A firewall is a protective boundary that protects your computer from the unauthorized access and from the hackers’ attacks. If you haven’t enabled a firewall software or hardware on your gateway computer then anyone can get into your computer.
Install Anti spyware
Installing a good anti spyware program eliminates the chances of data corruption, Windows registry corruption, slow computer booting, browser’s hijack and applications failure. The combination of Antivirus + Anti Spyware + Firewall program is a very good choice.
Update your operating system with service packs and patches
Services packs and the security patches fix the security holes and other vulnerabilities in the operating systems. If you are using Windows based operating system then there is automatic update option in the control panel of the Windows and you can set schedule updates of the operating system from the Microsoft’s website.
Beware of suspicious emails and attachments
Suspicious emails and email attachments is a very common cause of the viruses. The best safety measures it not to open the suspicious emails from the unknown source.
Uninstall Unnecessary Programs
For getting the optimized performance from your computer, uninstall all the unwanted programs and delete temporary internet files. You will notice increased performance of your computer.
Deploy Encryptions
Another important security measure is to prevent your important files with the encryption. Also for protecting your important data from accidental deletion, make your files to read only.
The above mentioned tips provide the best safeguard against the known offline and online threats.
articleclick.com
According to a Software security and Antivirus company Symantec, it only takes 20 minutes for an unprotected computer to be attacked once it gets connected with the internet. Computer security cannot be compromised because if your computer is insecure then all your data, software and hardware are at risk. There are several methods that are used to combat with the security threats. The known threats to a computer are viruses, spyware, adware, malware, Trojan horses, internet security threats, accidental files deletion and data corruption, unauthorized access to compute and the hackers’ attacks. Following tips tells that how to deal with the computer security threats.
Install Up-to-dated Antivirus Program
One of the most important security step and preventive measure is to install an up-to-dated antivirus program and scan your computer regularly with it. An antivirus programs acts as protective shield for your computer against the virus, spyware and other internet threats.
Install Firewall
A firewall is a protective boundary that protects your computer from the unauthorized access and from the hackers’ attacks. If you haven’t enabled a firewall software or hardware on your gateway computer then anyone can get into your computer.
Install Anti spyware
Installing a good anti spyware program eliminates the chances of data corruption, Windows registry corruption, slow computer booting, browser’s hijack and applications failure. The combination of Antivirus + Anti Spyware + Firewall program is a very good choice.
Update your operating system with service packs and patches
Services packs and the security patches fix the security holes and other vulnerabilities in the operating systems. If you are using Windows based operating system then there is automatic update option in the control panel of the Windows and you can set schedule updates of the operating system from the Microsoft’s website.
Beware of suspicious emails and attachments
Suspicious emails and email attachments is a very common cause of the viruses. The best safety measures it not to open the suspicious emails from the unknown source.
Uninstall Unnecessary Programs
For getting the optimized performance from your computer, uninstall all the unwanted programs and delete temporary internet files. You will notice increased performance of your computer.
Deploy Encryptions
Another important security measure is to prevent your important files with the encryption. Also for protecting your important data from accidental deletion, make your files to read only.
The above mentioned tips provide the best safeguard against the known offline and online threats.
articleclick.com
7/23/07
Hot Tips For Keeping Your Computer Cool
by Sazali
A computer's worst enemy is heat. Too much heat can cause hard drives to fail prematurely and entire systems to become slower and less stable. A hot day can combined with inadequate or malfunctioning cooling inside a PC can, in fact, spell the end of a computer altogether.
But there are steps you can take to keep your PC cool enough in a heatwave. By paying attention to how much heat stress your PC may be under, you'll not only extends its lifespan but enjoy more trouble-free computing during the time you own it.
Danger signs. How can you tell if your PC is suffering from heat-related stress? The best way is to take its temperature directly. Because overheating is a fairly common concern among system manufactures today, many PC's provide temperature readings either through the BIOS or through system software. Occasionally temperatures for a CPU - the main processor in your computer will rise higher than 60'C, but usually such temperatures should not normal. If they are, your computer will likely slow down, as performance throttling safeguards kick in, or become unstable.
Keeping it cool. There are plenty of steps your can take to keep your PC cool. Firstly open up your PC from time to time to make sure all internal fans are operating. Open the case while your computer turn off. When the case is open, turn the computer back on and make sure that all internal fans spin up and operate consistently. You should see two or three internal fans in your average computer usually one fan is over the central processor. Try to locate your PC in a cool room or a cool place.
goarticles.com
A computer's worst enemy is heat. Too much heat can cause hard drives to fail prematurely and entire systems to become slower and less stable. A hot day can combined with inadequate or malfunctioning cooling inside a PC can, in fact, spell the end of a computer altogether.
But there are steps you can take to keep your PC cool enough in a heatwave. By paying attention to how much heat stress your PC may be under, you'll not only extends its lifespan but enjoy more trouble-free computing during the time you own it.
Danger signs. How can you tell if your PC is suffering from heat-related stress? The best way is to take its temperature directly. Because overheating is a fairly common concern among system manufactures today, many PC's provide temperature readings either through the BIOS or through system software. Occasionally temperatures for a CPU - the main processor in your computer will rise higher than 60'C, but usually such temperatures should not normal. If they are, your computer will likely slow down, as performance throttling safeguards kick in, or become unstable.
Keeping it cool. There are plenty of steps your can take to keep your PC cool. Firstly open up your PC from time to time to make sure all internal fans are operating. Open the case while your computer turn off. When the case is open, turn the computer back on and make sure that all internal fans spin up and operate consistently. You should see two or three internal fans in your average computer usually one fan is over the central processor. Try to locate your PC in a cool room or a cool place.
goarticles.com
7/22/07
How To Choose Laptop Case
by Pisan K.
If you have even a passing interest in the topic about things to consider when buy laptop case, then you should take a look at the following article. This enlightening article presents some of basic information as well as fundamental element that you can use to decide whether the laptop case is good to buy. I could confirm that the knowledge presented below can give you a real advantage. To make sure you're fully informed about this topic, it is strongly recommended that you should keep reading. However, according to loads of information about this topic somewhere else on the internet, so you may be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you're learning from the following article.
Laptop computers is now have become part of people every day life, it is expensive and need intensive maintenance and care as you have to carry your laptop and travel with you. Unfortunately, when people are buying laptop cases, they usually ignore important things to be considered. This probably due to most of laptop cases normally accompany with the laptop that they buy and they can get the laptop case for free. However, I strongly recommend that if you have more budgets available, you should buy another one to increase protection for your laptop. This is because normal laptop case could protect your computer, that's for sure! Regular cases are soft and their purpose is to help you carry the laptop while protecting it from common injuries, but not to protect it from hard bumps or drops or any others of this kind. The following details give you the important criteria that you should consider when buying laptop case. They probably not the exact guidelines that can apply to all model of laptop case, but I have gathered from the most common characteristics that good laptop case should have.
Firstly, you should consider waterproof. Water is the most important obstacle that you have to keep your laptop away from it. You have to make sure that the surface of laptop case could let the water away quickly. If possible, you can ask sale staff to test for waterproof but in most case you are not allowed to do so. Second, you should consider resistant to chemical agents. Even though there is not often that your laptop is damaged by chemical agents, unless you are the person working in environment that has chemical on daily basis. However, our laptop case may be accidentally touched with chemical agents so you should look for kind of laptop case that can protect you from them. Especially if you want to buy leather laptop case, it is also good if the leather surface is coated by waterproof and chemical resistant film. Thirdly, you have to consider the laptop case that flexible in terms of interior space. A good laptop case must keep the computer inside it in a fixed position, to not "jump" up and down, protecting it from extra hits. Here are the top three criteria that you have to consider when you buy laptop case. There should be more information about this topic but I have picked up only highlighted ones.
laptopcaseonline.com.
If you have even a passing interest in the topic about things to consider when buy laptop case, then you should take a look at the following article. This enlightening article presents some of basic information as well as fundamental element that you can use to decide whether the laptop case is good to buy. I could confirm that the knowledge presented below can give you a real advantage. To make sure you're fully informed about this topic, it is strongly recommended that you should keep reading. However, according to loads of information about this topic somewhere else on the internet, so you may be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you're learning from the following article.
Laptop computers is now have become part of people every day life, it is expensive and need intensive maintenance and care as you have to carry your laptop and travel with you. Unfortunately, when people are buying laptop cases, they usually ignore important things to be considered. This probably due to most of laptop cases normally accompany with the laptop that they buy and they can get the laptop case for free. However, I strongly recommend that if you have more budgets available, you should buy another one to increase protection for your laptop. This is because normal laptop case could protect your computer, that's for sure! Regular cases are soft and their purpose is to help you carry the laptop while protecting it from common injuries, but not to protect it from hard bumps or drops or any others of this kind. The following details give you the important criteria that you should consider when buying laptop case. They probably not the exact guidelines that can apply to all model of laptop case, but I have gathered from the most common characteristics that good laptop case should have.
Firstly, you should consider waterproof. Water is the most important obstacle that you have to keep your laptop away from it. You have to make sure that the surface of laptop case could let the water away quickly. If possible, you can ask sale staff to test for waterproof but in most case you are not allowed to do so. Second, you should consider resistant to chemical agents. Even though there is not often that your laptop is damaged by chemical agents, unless you are the person working in environment that has chemical on daily basis. However, our laptop case may be accidentally touched with chemical agents so you should look for kind of laptop case that can protect you from them. Especially if you want to buy leather laptop case, it is also good if the leather surface is coated by waterproof and chemical resistant film. Thirdly, you have to consider the laptop case that flexible in terms of interior space. A good laptop case must keep the computer inside it in a fixed position, to not "jump" up and down, protecting it from extra hits. Here are the top three criteria that you have to consider when you buy laptop case. There should be more information about this topic but I have picked up only highlighted ones.
laptopcaseonline.com.
7/21/07
Microsoft Certification: Your Career Is Waiting!
by Scott Elliott
Microsoft, a leader in the IT industry, has developed a number of certification programs for professionals working in the business. The programs allow you to decide which certification is appropriate and best suited for your career. There are over 2 million IT professionals with Microsoft certification. You can join their ranks and greatly enhance your professional career with Microsoft Certification. It's important to note that Microsoft has restructured their programs to be very targeted.
Microsoft provides plenty of support as you study for your various certifications. The training includes classroom training, self-study kits, computer-based training, online classes, and books, and certification guides. You can take advantage of the way that you learn best. Depending on the career path you have chosen, you will find a certification that matches your skill set. Microsoft plans to, over time, introduce exams that rely on simulations and performance items.
You start by taking the appropriate entry- level certification. Prepare yourself with the most suitable Microsoft Certification Guides. You need to choose the right guide. A list follows of the various Certification Guides you can choose from. Match you expertise with these guides.
MCSE certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) is an industry standard targeted at the IT professional and provides the skills and training needed to design and implement infrastructure functions based on the Microsoft Windows® 2000 platform and Microsoft server software such as MCSE Messaging and Security.
MCSA certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) is for IT professionals who need skills and knowledge to administer system environments based on desktop and server operator systems. This training focuses on managing and troubleshooting system environments. With this level of certification you can now prepare for specializations like MCSA Security and Messaging.
MCDST certification (Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician) is for students who need the right skills and training to troubleshoot ordinary hardware and software issues in Microsoft Windows environments.
MCAD.NET certification (Microsoft Certified Application Developer ) provides you with the skills and knowledge that allows you to develop and maintain department level applications for Web clients, desktop client, components, and back-end data services all the way from development to maintenance.
MCSD.NET certification (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developers) is for IT professionals with the skills and knowledge needed for developing and designing leading edge business solutions by using various Microsoft tools, platforms, technologies and architectures. This certification allows you to develop custom .NET-based applications. This training encompasses everything from analysis to design, development, testing and maintenance using Microsoft development tools, technologies, and platforms. You become an expert on all aspects of the application life cycle.
MCITP certification (Microsoft Certified IT Professional Database Administrator) is for IT professionals who need to plan, administer, deploy, support and maintain databases created by using various Microsoft products.
MCITP certification (Microsoft Certified IT Professional Database Developer) gives you the skills and knowledge to plan, deploy, support, maintain and optimize IT infrastructures and databases created by using Microsoft products such as Windows Application Developer, Web Application Developer, or Enterprise Applications Developer.
MCPD certification (Microsoft Certified Professional Web Developer) distinguishes expert professionals who are Windows application developers, Web application developers, and enterprise application developers. Experts with these skills can build targeted applications using different platforms in the Microsoft.NET Framework 2.0.
MCPD certification (Microsoft Certified Professional Developer) is for students who need to distinguish themselves as an expert in comprehensive Windows application development, enterprise application, and Web application development using platforms that use the Microsoft.NET Framework. This certification is a stepping- stone to other Microsoft certifications.
MCTS.NET 2.0 certification (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) is designed fir IP professionals who target specific technologies and demonstrate in-depth knowledge of .NET 2.0 and other specialized Microsoft technologies.
MCTS.NET 2.0 certification (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) is for IT professionals who work with enterprise environment databases. It provides students with in-depth training and skills for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 product.
MOS certification (Microsoft Office Specialist) is designed for IT professionals who need the skills and knowledge to understand and use the advanced features of Microsoft Office software.
MOS MI certification (Microsoft Office Master Instructor) qualifies you to teach MOS courses. Microsoft Certified Architect Program is designed for IT professionals who can apply successful frameworks and methodologies to create an architecture from beginning to end, through the IT life cycle.
CLC certification (Microsoft Certified Learning Consultant) is a credential for expertise in designing and delivering customized learning solutions for other IT professionals.
MCBDA certification (Microsoft Certified Database Administrators) are trained to design, implement and administer Microsoft SQL Server databases.
MCT certification (Microsoft Certified Trainers) are instructors who are qualified to deliver Microsoft training courses. MCTs are authorized to deliver Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) or Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN).
http://www.it-certification-guides.com IT Certification Guides for Microsoft Certifications.
Microsoft, a leader in the IT industry, has developed a number of certification programs for professionals working in the business. The programs allow you to decide which certification is appropriate and best suited for your career. There are over 2 million IT professionals with Microsoft certification. You can join their ranks and greatly enhance your professional career with Microsoft Certification. It's important to note that Microsoft has restructured their programs to be very targeted.
Microsoft provides plenty of support as you study for your various certifications. The training includes classroom training, self-study kits, computer-based training, online classes, and books, and certification guides. You can take advantage of the way that you learn best. Depending on the career path you have chosen, you will find a certification that matches your skill set. Microsoft plans to, over time, introduce exams that rely on simulations and performance items.
You start by taking the appropriate entry- level certification. Prepare yourself with the most suitable Microsoft Certification Guides. You need to choose the right guide. A list follows of the various Certification Guides you can choose from. Match you expertise with these guides.
MCSE certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) is an industry standard targeted at the IT professional and provides the skills and training needed to design and implement infrastructure functions based on the Microsoft Windows® 2000 platform and Microsoft server software such as MCSE Messaging and Security.
MCSA certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) is for IT professionals who need skills and knowledge to administer system environments based on desktop and server operator systems. This training focuses on managing and troubleshooting system environments. With this level of certification you can now prepare for specializations like MCSA Security and Messaging.
MCDST certification (Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician) is for students who need the right skills and training to troubleshoot ordinary hardware and software issues in Microsoft Windows environments.
MCAD.NET certification (Microsoft Certified Application Developer ) provides you with the skills and knowledge that allows you to develop and maintain department level applications for Web clients, desktop client, components, and back-end data services all the way from development to maintenance.
MCSD.NET certification (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developers) is for IT professionals with the skills and knowledge needed for developing and designing leading edge business solutions by using various Microsoft tools, platforms, technologies and architectures. This certification allows you to develop custom .NET-based applications. This training encompasses everything from analysis to design, development, testing and maintenance using Microsoft development tools, technologies, and platforms. You become an expert on all aspects of the application life cycle.
MCITP certification (Microsoft Certified IT Professional Database Administrator) is for IT professionals who need to plan, administer, deploy, support and maintain databases created by using various Microsoft products.
MCITP certification (Microsoft Certified IT Professional Database Developer) gives you the skills and knowledge to plan, deploy, support, maintain and optimize IT infrastructures and databases created by using Microsoft products such as Windows Application Developer, Web Application Developer, or Enterprise Applications Developer.
MCPD certification (Microsoft Certified Professional Web Developer) distinguishes expert professionals who are Windows application developers, Web application developers, and enterprise application developers. Experts with these skills can build targeted applications using different platforms in the Microsoft.NET Framework 2.0.
MCPD certification (Microsoft Certified Professional Developer) is for students who need to distinguish themselves as an expert in comprehensive Windows application development, enterprise application, and Web application development using platforms that use the Microsoft.NET Framework. This certification is a stepping- stone to other Microsoft certifications.
MCTS.NET 2.0 certification (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) is designed fir IP professionals who target specific technologies and demonstrate in-depth knowledge of .NET 2.0 and other specialized Microsoft technologies.
MCTS.NET 2.0 certification (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) is for IT professionals who work with enterprise environment databases. It provides students with in-depth training and skills for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 product.
MOS certification (Microsoft Office Specialist) is designed for IT professionals who need the skills and knowledge to understand and use the advanced features of Microsoft Office software.
MOS MI certification (Microsoft Office Master Instructor) qualifies you to teach MOS courses. Microsoft Certified Architect Program is designed for IT professionals who can apply successful frameworks and methodologies to create an architecture from beginning to end, through the IT life cycle.
CLC certification (Microsoft Certified Learning Consultant) is a credential for expertise in designing and delivering customized learning solutions for other IT professionals.
MCBDA certification (Microsoft Certified Database Administrators) are trained to design, implement and administer Microsoft SQL Server databases.
MCT certification (Microsoft Certified Trainers) are instructors who are qualified to deliver Microsoft training courses. MCTs are authorized to deliver Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) or Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN).
http://www.it-certification-guides.com IT Certification Guides for Microsoft Certifications.
7/19/07
Notebook For The Business User
by Roberto Sedycias
Notebook is a fantastic business tool, especially since modern businesses requires global accessibility which means, for many, a lot of travel.
The notebook is designed to provide optimum technical performance whilst being compact, transportable and user friendly. However, the intended use of the device will affect which type is right for you. Many people are surprised to find that the notebook of their choice does not quite work to their advantage as expected. If used solely for business then the device chosen needs to be able to deal with a high level of information, produce reports, have internet access and be compact and portable. These are standard features, but the shape, size and built in attachments can affect the productivity. The notebook is only an effective tool if it meets the requirements of its user.
If the notebook needs to be mobile for business trips then weight is certainly an issue. The larger the screen chosen then the larger the device in general. This will make the item heavier and more difficult to transport. Decide whether the screen size is really an issue. If you use the notebook for presentations, it is unlikely that these will be presented direct from it. It can be linked up to a screen for better viewing, requiring only the addition of a video output jack. For personal use, a smaller 12 to 14 inch screen should be more than sufficient, and will certainly keep the weight to a minimum. It will also make it more compact and so much easier to transport; especially on aircraft.
Many people are unaware that an inbuilt CD/DVD system also increases the weight of the notebook dramatically. This is an important feature only if the device is used for games and watching films, but if not then this can be an unnecessary requirement. A business only notebook could be purchased without this feature inbuilt, making it much lighter and therefore more portable. The DVD writer can be bought as an attachment, which can then be left behind when surplus to requirements.
Another important issue to note is that notebook relies on a battery and that its size and usage needs to be taken into consideration. If the device is used for business and needs to have information transported regularly through travel, then it is best to choose one that states it is for `mobile` use somewhere in its description. All notebooks are designed to be mobile, but the notebook stating it is for mobile use will use less power. This means that the device will preserve your battery for longer. This also means that it will produce less heat, making it even more business user friendly.
A final option for the business notebook user is a sub-notebook. These are provided with most of the extras detachable so that you can leave them at home when not required. They are much smaller and lighter, and the screen is very small. This makes the keyboard very small also, but increases the portability a great deal. Of course, this is only a viable option if the size does not affect the functionality of the it.
When selecting a notebook, the choices made are personal. However, it is worth considering the information given above so that you can make an informed choice and save disappointment later.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
polomercantil.com.br/notebook.php
Notebook is a fantastic business tool, especially since modern businesses requires global accessibility which means, for many, a lot of travel.
The notebook is designed to provide optimum technical performance whilst being compact, transportable and user friendly. However, the intended use of the device will affect which type is right for you. Many people are surprised to find that the notebook of their choice does not quite work to their advantage as expected. If used solely for business then the device chosen needs to be able to deal with a high level of information, produce reports, have internet access and be compact and portable. These are standard features, but the shape, size and built in attachments can affect the productivity. The notebook is only an effective tool if it meets the requirements of its user.
If the notebook needs to be mobile for business trips then weight is certainly an issue. The larger the screen chosen then the larger the device in general. This will make the item heavier and more difficult to transport. Decide whether the screen size is really an issue. If you use the notebook for presentations, it is unlikely that these will be presented direct from it. It can be linked up to a screen for better viewing, requiring only the addition of a video output jack. For personal use, a smaller 12 to 14 inch screen should be more than sufficient, and will certainly keep the weight to a minimum. It will also make it more compact and so much easier to transport; especially on aircraft.
Many people are unaware that an inbuilt CD/DVD system also increases the weight of the notebook dramatically. This is an important feature only if the device is used for games and watching films, but if not then this can be an unnecessary requirement. A business only notebook could be purchased without this feature inbuilt, making it much lighter and therefore more portable. The DVD writer can be bought as an attachment, which can then be left behind when surplus to requirements.
Another important issue to note is that notebook relies on a battery and that its size and usage needs to be taken into consideration. If the device is used for business and needs to have information transported regularly through travel, then it is best to choose one that states it is for `mobile` use somewhere in its description. All notebooks are designed to be mobile, but the notebook stating it is for mobile use will use less power. This means that the device will preserve your battery for longer. This also means that it will produce less heat, making it even more business user friendly.
A final option for the business notebook user is a sub-notebook. These are provided with most of the extras detachable so that you can leave them at home when not required. They are much smaller and lighter, and the screen is very small. This makes the keyboard very small also, but increases the portability a great deal. Of course, this is only a viable option if the size does not affect the functionality of the it.
When selecting a notebook, the choices made are personal. However, it is worth considering the information given above so that you can make an informed choice and save disappointment later.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
polomercantil.com.br/notebook.php
What You Should Know Before Buying A Computer
by Peter Smith
Anyone who already owns a computer has a good idea of what his or her computer needs are. However, people new to the world of computers can get lost in the multitude of choices. Here you will find some tips to what a newcomer to computers should do and why.
1. Purchase Basic Peripherals
First your computer must include all the basic peripherals. There are four major components to most computers, these are the; mouse, keyboard, monitor and the CPU unit. You will have to purchase a computer that includes all of these components, and then at home all you have to do is to plug the components into their designated sockets. Many computers also come with color-coding, so that each component is easily identified and assembled into one computer.
2. Determine What The Computer Will Be Used For
Basic components as described above will be adequate for a computer intended for performing simple word-processing and spreadsheet tasks, sending email or surfing the internet. If on the other hand the computer is used in your multimedia career, you will require the use of a digital camera, printer, tablet, digicam and a scanner. If again your career is in music, you will require a set of quality speakers and microphones.
3. Create A Budget And Stick To It
Decide how much you can afford to spend on a new computer. Remember to purchase a computer where all the basic peripherals can be included in your budget when you first start out.
4. Shop By Comparing The Various Models With Each Other
Comparison-shopping is useful when choosing a computer, e.g. you may want to go with the fastest modem and processor as well as the largest hard drive and dynamic memory that fit into your budget. Having a computer with large spare reserves will cut the price to upgrade the computer system at a later stage.
5. Buy Brand Name Items
When purchasing a computer you want a model from a computer manufacturer with a good and long market presence and with a reputation of quality service and products. The manufacturer must also be financially viable since computer manufacturers tend to have a very high turnover. Only the best manufacturers make it over the long run. You want your manufacturer to be able to fulfill its servicing, warranties, trades and returns. Brand name computers are a bit more expensive, but it is in your best interest to buy well known brands.
6. Where to Buy a Computer
Once you have determined what you require in a computer as well as what kind you want, all that is left is to decide where to buy the computer. Computers are available from several sources such as, online stores, computer store outlets, used computer stores, auction sites and your local yard sales. It is highly recommended to buy your computer from a physical store, where you can see the computer and ask questions before purchasing. Buying a new computer from a physical store offers the benefits of store warranties and services as well as trades and returns.
Follow these suggestions and you will find the best computer hardware for your needs. All that remains now is to move on to the software you require for your computer.
goarticles.com
Anyone who already owns a computer has a good idea of what his or her computer needs are. However, people new to the world of computers can get lost in the multitude of choices. Here you will find some tips to what a newcomer to computers should do and why.
1. Purchase Basic Peripherals
First your computer must include all the basic peripherals. There are four major components to most computers, these are the; mouse, keyboard, monitor and the CPU unit. You will have to purchase a computer that includes all of these components, and then at home all you have to do is to plug the components into their designated sockets. Many computers also come with color-coding, so that each component is easily identified and assembled into one computer.
2. Determine What The Computer Will Be Used For
Basic components as described above will be adequate for a computer intended for performing simple word-processing and spreadsheet tasks, sending email or surfing the internet. If on the other hand the computer is used in your multimedia career, you will require the use of a digital camera, printer, tablet, digicam and a scanner. If again your career is in music, you will require a set of quality speakers and microphones.
3. Create A Budget And Stick To It
Decide how much you can afford to spend on a new computer. Remember to purchase a computer where all the basic peripherals can be included in your budget when you first start out.
4. Shop By Comparing The Various Models With Each Other
Comparison-shopping is useful when choosing a computer, e.g. you may want to go with the fastest modem and processor as well as the largest hard drive and dynamic memory that fit into your budget. Having a computer with large spare reserves will cut the price to upgrade the computer system at a later stage.
5. Buy Brand Name Items
When purchasing a computer you want a model from a computer manufacturer with a good and long market presence and with a reputation of quality service and products. The manufacturer must also be financially viable since computer manufacturers tend to have a very high turnover. Only the best manufacturers make it over the long run. You want your manufacturer to be able to fulfill its servicing, warranties, trades and returns. Brand name computers are a bit more expensive, but it is in your best interest to buy well known brands.
6. Where to Buy a Computer
Once you have determined what you require in a computer as well as what kind you want, all that is left is to decide where to buy the computer. Computers are available from several sources such as, online stores, computer store outlets, used computer stores, auction sites and your local yard sales. It is highly recommended to buy your computer from a physical store, where you can see the computer and ask questions before purchasing. Buying a new computer from a physical store offers the benefits of store warranties and services as well as trades and returns.
Follow these suggestions and you will find the best computer hardware for your needs. All that remains now is to move on to the software you require for your computer.
goarticles.com
7/18/07
What to get for college: desktop or laptop?
by Liang
This is taken from my article on www.collegesoup.net
The case for a desktop: Basically, desktops give you better performance for the buck. Budget desktops start at around $300-$400 (LCD monitor included) while the cheapest laptops will cost you at least $100 more. Desktops are easier to upgrade manually than laptops, and are harder to steal. They also tend to be more reliable than laptops, which are moved around often and are more prone to failure. Desktops also support multiple monitors easily, which may be important for hardcore programmers. Finally, serious gamers may prefer high-end desktops for the performance, especially when it comes to supporting the newest graphics cards. Overall, desktops give a better deal for raw computing power and better reliability, with support for multiple monitors.
The case for a laptop: The main advantage of laptops is portability, which can be a huge plus for college students. Moving in and moving out out a dorm, house, or apartment with a laptop are obviously much easier than with a desktop. Your laptop will take up much less desk space than a desktop, even assuming you have a LCD monitor for the desktop. Most universities are going wireless, so having a laptop to carry around campus means you can get Internet access pretty much all over. You can also use it to take notes in class, and depending on the kind of laptop, some even allow you to use it as a notebook (see Tablets under the Laptop Buying Guide). Laptops are also much less of a hassle to take home for breaks. Overall, the advantages of having a laptop mainly revolve around its size and portability.
Which one you pick depends on your situation. What are you going to use it for? How far do you have to travel to school? What does your budget look like?
For most students, especially freshmen, I would recommend a laptop over a desktop. Unless you're a hardcore gamer or programmer, there isn't a huge gap in performance between desktops and similarly priced laptops for everyday programs like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Word, Excel, IM and so on. Your dorm room most likely isn't going to be huge, and a desktop will take up more space and be much more of a pain to move in and out. Also, laptop prices have been dropping recently, not quite to the level of desktop prices, but you can get a serviceable budget laptop for around $500.
This is taken from my article on www.collegesoup.net
The case for a desktop: Basically, desktops give you better performance for the buck. Budget desktops start at around $300-$400 (LCD monitor included) while the cheapest laptops will cost you at least $100 more. Desktops are easier to upgrade manually than laptops, and are harder to steal. They also tend to be more reliable than laptops, which are moved around often and are more prone to failure. Desktops also support multiple monitors easily, which may be important for hardcore programmers. Finally, serious gamers may prefer high-end desktops for the performance, especially when it comes to supporting the newest graphics cards. Overall, desktops give a better deal for raw computing power and better reliability, with support for multiple monitors.
The case for a laptop: The main advantage of laptops is portability, which can be a huge plus for college students. Moving in and moving out out a dorm, house, or apartment with a laptop are obviously much easier than with a desktop. Your laptop will take up much less desk space than a desktop, even assuming you have a LCD monitor for the desktop. Most universities are going wireless, so having a laptop to carry around campus means you can get Internet access pretty much all over. You can also use it to take notes in class, and depending on the kind of laptop, some even allow you to use it as a notebook (see Tablets under the Laptop Buying Guide). Laptops are also much less of a hassle to take home for breaks. Overall, the advantages of having a laptop mainly revolve around its size and portability.
Which one you pick depends on your situation. What are you going to use it for? How far do you have to travel to school? What does your budget look like?
For most students, especially freshmen, I would recommend a laptop over a desktop. Unless you're a hardcore gamer or programmer, there isn't a huge gap in performance between desktops and similarly priced laptops for everyday programs like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Word, Excel, IM and so on. Your dorm room most likely isn't going to be huge, and a desktop will take up more space and be much more of a pain to move in and out. Also, laptop prices have been dropping recently, not quite to the level of desktop prices, but you can get a serviceable budget laptop for around $500.
7/15/07
Windows Vista - Is It Worth Upgrading?
By: Sharpy
I decided to purchase Windows Vista Home Premium for one reason and that was because of the improved parental controls. I have a problem where my son spends so much time on the computer he has started to lose his social skills. Not to mention the fact that once I go to bed he gets up and starts playing games on the pc until 3 or 4 in the morning.
So the advanced parental controls in Windows Vista really appealed to me, especially the time controls. This is where you can allocate time slots for each account. So as soon as I installed it, the first thing I did was to specify what times he is allowed to access the computer. For this reason alone, the cost of upgrading was well worth it.
Well that's my reason, but what is the rest of Vista like?
Well Vista arrived, via the postman, on Tuesday morning. Once unwrapped, you are presented with a very nicely packaged box. Not sure this level of packaging is required, when you consider you'll probably only use it once or twice before the next upgrade to the Windows family is released.
So after backing up all my critical data, I put the Vista disk into my machine. It started checking my PC and came up with a message that I had to rename a data file and uninstall Nero. So once this was done, I had to start Vista again. This time it passed the checks and I spent the next four hours twiddling my thumbs! It is not a quick process let me tell you that!
However, once the four hour upgrade had been completed, I was ready to check out all the new features!
The way Windows Vista presents itself is absolutely stunning compared to older versions. Two things I really like are the Windows sidebar and the screen switching button (Areo Feature).
The screen switching button is great, as when you have a number of screens open you can press it and Vista shows all the screens in a 3D cascade in the middle of the screen. It looks great and is really useful.
The sidebar is also equally as good. The sidebar is a collection of small info gadgets that are fixed to the side of the screen. On mine I have an analogue clock, a calender, a local weather panel, cpu usage meter, latest $ to £ exchange rates and yahoo news. Other gadgets can be added, and I believe more can be downloaded via the web. This is an excellent utility as I always found it difficult to find out the date when working at the pc under older windows versions.
Another good addition is the ability to review what programmes are in your start menu. As I've had my pc for over a year there were programmes in there which I very rarely use and it is really easy to turn them off using this utility.
The start menu is much slicker than it used to be on XP. On clicking the start button, you are presented with similar information to that of XP but it is organised much better. All the programs in the All Programs menu are now listed sequentially in a scrolling box as opposed to expanding right across your screen as in XP. The usual shortcuts are also there, like control panel, recent files, etc...
Windows Mail is much improved. Essentially Microsoft has taken Outlook and integrated it right into Windows Vista. Mail can be checked at a click of a button. The features of Windows Mail have not been scimped upon, with 99% of Outlooks features available, i.e. calender, tasks, etc...
Windows Explorer has changed quite substantially and it is so easy to find the files you are looking for. As you drill down through the directories, a link to each directory/subdirectory is displayed above the main window so going back on yourself is very much simplified. Also the used/free space on each drive is shown in a bar above the drive letters, much like a progress bar when downloading something off the web. My Documents, My Pictures, My Music are now given a specific short cut link at the top of the Explorer Window, which makes finding your media files really easy. Also Microsoft have dropped the 'My' part of the directory name. Something which always used to bug me!
Security is much improved. When you try to install anything, Windows pops up a question confirming you requested this action. Should help to stop some of those Trojans I guess.
Having used Internet Explorer 7.0 on XP and now on Vista, I can see why I had so many problems with XP. The 7.0 update was designed to integrate into Vista and this is plainly obvious when you use it for the first time. Pages load faster and IE is much more stable in Vista. I used to get 2 or 3 crashes a day in XP.
Other updates include, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows DVD Maker, Windows Meeting Space, Sync Center, Ease of Access Center, and some great new games. I haven't had chance to play with these new additions yet, except a few games of Mahjong, but on the surface they look really good.
The Control Panel is one area where Microsoft have really improved things, everything is now organised more sensibly into various categories, i.e. security, system & maintenance, user accounts, appearance & personalisation, network and internet, etc...
Perhaps the biggest addition is the Media Center. This allows you to view all your pictures and videos either on your desktop or onto a linked TV. You can also watch, pause and record live TV if you have a TV tuner in your machine.
Conclusion
I'm a bit of a gadget freak and love anything new. This is why I bought XP when it came out and now Vista. I have to say though that Vista is without doubt a massive improvement on XP. Everything about the operating system is so much more stable and it's packed with useful utilities and gadgets.
So is it worth the investment? You bet it is!
articleland.co.uk
I decided to purchase Windows Vista Home Premium for one reason and that was because of the improved parental controls. I have a problem where my son spends so much time on the computer he has started to lose his social skills. Not to mention the fact that once I go to bed he gets up and starts playing games on the pc until 3 or 4 in the morning.
So the advanced parental controls in Windows Vista really appealed to me, especially the time controls. This is where you can allocate time slots for each account. So as soon as I installed it, the first thing I did was to specify what times he is allowed to access the computer. For this reason alone, the cost of upgrading was well worth it.
Well that's my reason, but what is the rest of Vista like?
Well Vista arrived, via the postman, on Tuesday morning. Once unwrapped, you are presented with a very nicely packaged box. Not sure this level of packaging is required, when you consider you'll probably only use it once or twice before the next upgrade to the Windows family is released.
So after backing up all my critical data, I put the Vista disk into my machine. It started checking my PC and came up with a message that I had to rename a data file and uninstall Nero. So once this was done, I had to start Vista again. This time it passed the checks and I spent the next four hours twiddling my thumbs! It is not a quick process let me tell you that!
However, once the four hour upgrade had been completed, I was ready to check out all the new features!
The way Windows Vista presents itself is absolutely stunning compared to older versions. Two things I really like are the Windows sidebar and the screen switching button (Areo Feature).
The screen switching button is great, as when you have a number of screens open you can press it and Vista shows all the screens in a 3D cascade in the middle of the screen. It looks great and is really useful.
The sidebar is also equally as good. The sidebar is a collection of small info gadgets that are fixed to the side of the screen. On mine I have an analogue clock, a calender, a local weather panel, cpu usage meter, latest $ to £ exchange rates and yahoo news. Other gadgets can be added, and I believe more can be downloaded via the web. This is an excellent utility as I always found it difficult to find out the date when working at the pc under older windows versions.
Another good addition is the ability to review what programmes are in your start menu. As I've had my pc for over a year there were programmes in there which I very rarely use and it is really easy to turn them off using this utility.
The start menu is much slicker than it used to be on XP. On clicking the start button, you are presented with similar information to that of XP but it is organised much better. All the programs in the All Programs menu are now listed sequentially in a scrolling box as opposed to expanding right across your screen as in XP. The usual shortcuts are also there, like control panel, recent files, etc...
Windows Mail is much improved. Essentially Microsoft has taken Outlook and integrated it right into Windows Vista. Mail can be checked at a click of a button. The features of Windows Mail have not been scimped upon, with 99% of Outlooks features available, i.e. calender, tasks, etc...
Windows Explorer has changed quite substantially and it is so easy to find the files you are looking for. As you drill down through the directories, a link to each directory/subdirectory is displayed above the main window so going back on yourself is very much simplified. Also the used/free space on each drive is shown in a bar above the drive letters, much like a progress bar when downloading something off the web. My Documents, My Pictures, My Music are now given a specific short cut link at the top of the Explorer Window, which makes finding your media files really easy. Also Microsoft have dropped the 'My' part of the directory name. Something which always used to bug me!
Security is much improved. When you try to install anything, Windows pops up a question confirming you requested this action. Should help to stop some of those Trojans I guess.
Having used Internet Explorer 7.0 on XP and now on Vista, I can see why I had so many problems with XP. The 7.0 update was designed to integrate into Vista and this is plainly obvious when you use it for the first time. Pages load faster and IE is much more stable in Vista. I used to get 2 or 3 crashes a day in XP.
Other updates include, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows DVD Maker, Windows Meeting Space, Sync Center, Ease of Access Center, and some great new games. I haven't had chance to play with these new additions yet, except a few games of Mahjong, but on the surface they look really good.
The Control Panel is one area where Microsoft have really improved things, everything is now organised more sensibly into various categories, i.e. security, system & maintenance, user accounts, appearance & personalisation, network and internet, etc...
Perhaps the biggest addition is the Media Center. This allows you to view all your pictures and videos either on your desktop or onto a linked TV. You can also watch, pause and record live TV if you have a TV tuner in your machine.
Conclusion
I'm a bit of a gadget freak and love anything new. This is why I bought XP when it came out and now Vista. I have to say though that Vista is without doubt a massive improvement on XP. Everything about the operating system is so much more stable and it's packed with useful utilities and gadgets.
So is it worth the investment? You bet it is!
articleland.co.uk
Windows Vs LINUX -- Rumble in the Computer
by Domenic Macchione
Anyone who is uses computers today will be familiar with Windows and Linux as operating systems. Some prefer Windows because it is extremely easy to use - both hardware and software - and some prefer Linux because it is much more flexible is use; above all it is open source ware and hence it is free. Those who enjoy Linux are totally baffled as to why people would want to pay for something that you can get absolutely free.
Actually there is a simple and logical answer to this question. When the Windows was launched some 20 plus years ago, it caught like wild fire because it was all of a sudden so easy to use and so convenient to install. The best things that it maintained a constant identity - as the product of Windows, while on the other hand Linux went along under many names, such as Knoppix, Mandrake, SuSe, Windows, and so on. With each name (different companies) Linux as an operating system had slight variations. Hence, it was bothersome for people to keep track, and sometime use Linux due to this aspect.
Then comes the inherent difference between these operation systems. Technically speaking, you will find the GUI is optional in the Linux operations system while it is part and parcel of the Windows. The separation of the GUI directly affects the reliability and speed - not to mention efficiency - of a server and hence here Linux scores over the Windows.
Another major difference is in the way these operating systems handle their command prompts. While Windows uses similar command interpreters for its Windows 9x versions, the NT series have a different style but common to each other. Linux on the other hand, being a UNIX version has the capability of handling multiple command interpreters, which can be a boon, though it mostly favors Bourne Again Shell (BASH). The other interpreters that you will find in Linux are C Shell, ash, Korn shell and so on.
The best and most highlighted difference is the price tag attached to the operating systems. Windows is an expensive to say the least, operating system which comes with a copyrighted license, while Linux is free for all, easily downloadable anytime you want it. The downside here is that Linux has instruction which will tell you what to do - which may be why people are indeed reluctant to move away from Windows; though there are a few low cost Linux versions which come with automation and manuals.
Another plus in favor of Linux is the lack of any security requirement. The viruses, spy wares, malawares and what not you have it are all a product of Microsoft, for Windows. Hence, while you have to use high security firewalls with Windows, you are free from any such headaches with Linux.
Lastly, you have the difference of availability of software. The majority of the software that you find on the market are for Windows and they will not run on Linux unless Windows is somewhere configured as a subsystem which actually goes against the reason of using Linux in the first place.
Hence, till a suitable interface is found where Linux can be compatible with Windows without using Windows itself, have a few clear-cut instructions for first time users and sufficient information on its technicalities, people will prefer Windows to Linux, even if they have to pay to use it.
rebelnetworks.com
Anyone who is uses computers today will be familiar with Windows and Linux as operating systems. Some prefer Windows because it is extremely easy to use - both hardware and software - and some prefer Linux because it is much more flexible is use; above all it is open source ware and hence it is free. Those who enjoy Linux are totally baffled as to why people would want to pay for something that you can get absolutely free.
Actually there is a simple and logical answer to this question. When the Windows was launched some 20 plus years ago, it caught like wild fire because it was all of a sudden so easy to use and so convenient to install. The best things that it maintained a constant identity - as the product of Windows, while on the other hand Linux went along under many names, such as Knoppix, Mandrake, SuSe, Windows, and so on. With each name (different companies) Linux as an operating system had slight variations. Hence, it was bothersome for people to keep track, and sometime use Linux due to this aspect.
Then comes the inherent difference between these operation systems. Technically speaking, you will find the GUI is optional in the Linux operations system while it is part and parcel of the Windows. The separation of the GUI directly affects the reliability and speed - not to mention efficiency - of a server and hence here Linux scores over the Windows.
Another major difference is in the way these operating systems handle their command prompts. While Windows uses similar command interpreters for its Windows 9x versions, the NT series have a different style but common to each other. Linux on the other hand, being a UNIX version has the capability of handling multiple command interpreters, which can be a boon, though it mostly favors Bourne Again Shell (BASH). The other interpreters that you will find in Linux are C Shell, ash, Korn shell and so on.
The best and most highlighted difference is the price tag attached to the operating systems. Windows is an expensive to say the least, operating system which comes with a copyrighted license, while Linux is free for all, easily downloadable anytime you want it. The downside here is that Linux has instruction which will tell you what to do - which may be why people are indeed reluctant to move away from Windows; though there are a few low cost Linux versions which come with automation and manuals.
Another plus in favor of Linux is the lack of any security requirement. The viruses, spy wares, malawares and what not you have it are all a product of Microsoft, for Windows. Hence, while you have to use high security firewalls with Windows, you are free from any such headaches with Linux.
Lastly, you have the difference of availability of software. The majority of the software that you find on the market are for Windows and they will not run on Linux unless Windows is somewhere configured as a subsystem which actually goes against the reason of using Linux in the first place.
Hence, till a suitable interface is found where Linux can be compatible with Windows without using Windows itself, have a few clear-cut instructions for first time users and sufficient information on its technicalities, people will prefer Windows to Linux, even if they have to pay to use it.
rebelnetworks.com
7/14/07
Protect Your Work - Lock Your Computer
By: Duke Xenner
Anyone who has put in many hours, or at times even weeks of effort into work, may know what its like to lose a part of that work, but the worst thing you can do is to be the cause of your own loss. When you leave your computer, lets say for a bathroom break, an emergency meeting, or even to discuss something away from your machine, it may be natural to just walk away and do what you have to do, but I know from experience that this is a habit you should engrave into your computer work ethic just the same as being polite to the CEO of your organization. Allow me to go deeper, it will make more sense by example: A while ago, I took a basic CAD (Computer-Aided-Design) class where we learned how to use the software and along the way, the concepts of good CAD-work, understanding of views, and being able to draw anything we saw in any variation. One of the first things my instructor told the class was to lock our computers. "Hold down the 'windows' button, and push 'L'. This will lock your computer and protect your work." Now why would you want protection? Look at condoms and you'll see why...Okay, so you won't get AID's if you don't lock your computer, but those of us who didn't heed the advice of my instructor learned the hard way to lock it up. By good nature, lots of us used to love to walk over to each other's workstations and talk, hang out, and mess around. By the time we came back, one of several things generally happened to our computers: 1. Our directories were cleared out of any and all work we had in them (hours, or rather weeks of hours, of racking your head over something has just gone down the drain), or 2. Our current drawing file was modified (i.e. a few lines being offset, stretched and skewed) thereby throwing off all dimensions, which is especially bad when being graded on dimensions. Even worse is when somebody scales your entire project, so when you actually build a model, instead of a 1/8 scale between the model and full-size, you have a 19/128ths scale. Firsthand experience sucks.3. All of our file names were mixed and mismatched, so when we sat down to work, we faced the unique issue of figuring out each time which of the twenty files is which. Lots of fun when you have an upcoming deadline. 4. Any other creative mischief (i.e. turning the screen by 90 degrees, making windows look retro, or even hiding parts of our drawings so they appear deleted and we appear to be redoing it when we come back) Besides an annoyance ranging from mild all the way up to a promise of an a$s-kicking after class, locking your computer is important for security. From my experience with multiple private networks, leaving your console unattended while in full access can cause many problems for you and the network. One of your peers with lesser access rights may decide to play a joke on another and it doesn't turn out funny to the one it was being played on. He reports it to his boss. If the 'joke' was in any way decided as unacceptable by the boss, guess which two guys lose their jobs? Or even better if there is a visitor from somewhere and suddenly he has access to all of the top-secret files which are sworn by all employees to only stay on facility? Let me express it in one word: espionage. A car just doesn't sell as well when every other major car-maker sells exact knock-offs of it because someone from your company left the assembly plans in easy access.
Windows Button + L
OR
Alt+Ctrl+Delete , then 'k'
For this to work, you must have a password set on your account. If your account is not password-protected, here is how to make it so:(Instructions assume that the user has full admin. access rights)
For Windows XP:
1) Click on the 'Start' menu
2) Click on 'Control Panel'
3) Double-Click on 'User Accounts'
4) Click on your user account name
5) Click on 'Create a Password'
6) Follow the on-screen instructions
RarelyPublished
Anyone who has put in many hours, or at times even weeks of effort into work, may know what its like to lose a part of that work, but the worst thing you can do is to be the cause of your own loss. When you leave your computer, lets say for a bathroom break, an emergency meeting, or even to discuss something away from your machine, it may be natural to just walk away and do what you have to do, but I know from experience that this is a habit you should engrave into your computer work ethic just the same as being polite to the CEO of your organization. Allow me to go deeper, it will make more sense by example: A while ago, I took a basic CAD (Computer-Aided-Design) class where we learned how to use the software and along the way, the concepts of good CAD-work, understanding of views, and being able to draw anything we saw in any variation. One of the first things my instructor told the class was to lock our computers. "Hold down the 'windows' button, and push 'L'. This will lock your computer and protect your work." Now why would you want protection? Look at condoms and you'll see why...Okay, so you won't get AID's if you don't lock your computer, but those of us who didn't heed the advice of my instructor learned the hard way to lock it up. By good nature, lots of us used to love to walk over to each other's workstations and talk, hang out, and mess around. By the time we came back, one of several things generally happened to our computers: 1. Our directories were cleared out of any and all work we had in them (hours, or rather weeks of hours, of racking your head over something has just gone down the drain), or 2. Our current drawing file was modified (i.e. a few lines being offset, stretched and skewed) thereby throwing off all dimensions, which is especially bad when being graded on dimensions. Even worse is when somebody scales your entire project, so when you actually build a model, instead of a 1/8 scale between the model and full-size, you have a 19/128ths scale. Firsthand experience sucks.3. All of our file names were mixed and mismatched, so when we sat down to work, we faced the unique issue of figuring out each time which of the twenty files is which. Lots of fun when you have an upcoming deadline. 4. Any other creative mischief (i.e. turning the screen by 90 degrees, making windows look retro, or even hiding parts of our drawings so they appear deleted and we appear to be redoing it when we come back) Besides an annoyance ranging from mild all the way up to a promise of an a$s-kicking after class, locking your computer is important for security. From my experience with multiple private networks, leaving your console unattended while in full access can cause many problems for you and the network. One of your peers with lesser access rights may decide to play a joke on another and it doesn't turn out funny to the one it was being played on. He reports it to his boss. If the 'joke' was in any way decided as unacceptable by the boss, guess which two guys lose their jobs? Or even better if there is a visitor from somewhere and suddenly he has access to all of the top-secret files which are sworn by all employees to only stay on facility? Let me express it in one word: espionage. A car just doesn't sell as well when every other major car-maker sells exact knock-offs of it because someone from your company left the assembly plans in easy access.
Windows Button + L
OR
Alt+Ctrl+Delete , then 'k'
For this to work, you must have a password set on your account. If your account is not password-protected, here is how to make it so:(Instructions assume that the user has full admin. access rights)
For Windows XP:
1) Click on the 'Start' menu
2) Click on 'Control Panel'
3) Double-Click on 'User Accounts'
4) Click on your user account name
5) Click on 'Create a Password'
6) Follow the on-screen instructions
RarelyPublished
7/13/07
All Car DVDs are Not Equal
by C. S. Mackay
Imagine my surprise when I went looking for a DVD for my car. We were to take our grandkids for an extended road trip and I thought it would help it to a DVD player. The trouble is "monitor". I saw all these good priced monitors and thought that is real great to get the monitor and the DVD for that price. Then I discovered that they really did mean just the monitor. Not the DVD in a monitor, but a monitor.
If you want a monitor with DVD you need to look for a monitor that includes the DVD. Otherwise all you get is a "monitor". So here is some quick information on monitors and what to look for.
The flip down car video monitor is probably the one you are most familiar with. It is mounted to the roof of the car and flipped down when in use. Then is is flipped up out of the way. It is used by the back seat passengers and the monitor usually ranges from 7-12 inches.
The Overhead Car Video Monitors can be attached to the ceiling of the car. Most usually you find them in mini vans, and SUVs because they require some of the head room. It usually fits over the inside light. These can be 7-20 inches in width.
Headrest car video monitors are built into the back of the headrest. You can buy the whole headrest since most of you will not want to cut out a chunck of your present headrest. Keep the old headrests so you can put them back in the car when you trade it in, thus allowing you to keep the head rest for the new car.
Headrest Portable car video monitors are essentially portable DVDs. They can be attached to the back of the headrest and be moved about. These range in size from 5-10 inches. This was my choice because it can be taken out of the vehicle and used in to motel room, the camper, the trailer, a tent...well, you get the idea.
In-dash car video monitors are put in the dash for the entertainment of the front seat passenger. Driver you need to keep your eye on the road. It can be flipped up and down for convenience and space. They are usually less than 7 inches.
The Sun visor car video monitor can be mounted into yur visor or you can replace your original sun visor with it. It is usually 5-7 inches in length.
Mirror car video monitors are made to fit over the rear-view mirro. They are great to be used as a rear view camera. It is very small, usually no more than 4 inches.
Now the most important thing to remember is that you need the DVD with these monitors if you wish to play a DVD. So remember that if you do not want to buy a separate DVD you need to look for a monitor that includes a built in DVD player. They are out there and can be found easily. Just don't be fooled into buying a monitor thinking it has a DVD included.
article source ezelectronicelements.com/
Imagine my surprise when I went looking for a DVD for my car. We were to take our grandkids for an extended road trip and I thought it would help it to a DVD player. The trouble is "monitor". I saw all these good priced monitors and thought that is real great to get the monitor and the DVD for that price. Then I discovered that they really did mean just the monitor. Not the DVD in a monitor, but a monitor.
If you want a monitor with DVD you need to look for a monitor that includes the DVD. Otherwise all you get is a "monitor". So here is some quick information on monitors and what to look for.
The flip down car video monitor is probably the one you are most familiar with. It is mounted to the roof of the car and flipped down when in use. Then is is flipped up out of the way. It is used by the back seat passengers and the monitor usually ranges from 7-12 inches.
The Overhead Car Video Monitors can be attached to the ceiling of the car. Most usually you find them in mini vans, and SUVs because they require some of the head room. It usually fits over the inside light. These can be 7-20 inches in width.
Headrest car video monitors are built into the back of the headrest. You can buy the whole headrest since most of you will not want to cut out a chunck of your present headrest. Keep the old headrests so you can put them back in the car when you trade it in, thus allowing you to keep the head rest for the new car.
Headrest Portable car video monitors are essentially portable DVDs. They can be attached to the back of the headrest and be moved about. These range in size from 5-10 inches. This was my choice because it can be taken out of the vehicle and used in to motel room, the camper, the trailer, a tent...well, you get the idea.
In-dash car video monitors are put in the dash for the entertainment of the front seat passenger. Driver you need to keep your eye on the road. It can be flipped up and down for convenience and space. They are usually less than 7 inches.
The Sun visor car video monitor can be mounted into yur visor or you can replace your original sun visor with it. It is usually 5-7 inches in length.
Mirror car video monitors are made to fit over the rear-view mirro. They are great to be used as a rear view camera. It is very small, usually no more than 4 inches.
Now the most important thing to remember is that you need the DVD with these monitors if you wish to play a DVD. So remember that if you do not want to buy a separate DVD you need to look for a monitor that includes a built in DVD player. They are out there and can be found easily. Just don't be fooled into buying a monitor thinking it has a DVD included.
article source ezelectronicelements.com/
7/11/07
What Is A HDTV Television Set?
by Kozan Huseyin
In a period of time there comes a breakthrough which brings so many benefits to mankind. The television set is such a creation. Ever since the TV sets creation mankind have been on the hunt for better and better TV sets. Now alas High Definition televisions have satisfied the urges of many television addicts.
High Definition televisions or high-definition TV sets are an amazing new technological advancement to the High Definition TV. Ever since coming to the consumer marketplace High Definition televisions have created a craze. Film lovers, sport fans, and anyone who wants the screen to be as real as real life is amazed at what High Definition televisions show on their screens.
Now we may think what is High Definition TV, especially when we have not seen one of these amazing High Definition televisions in the past? The HDTV basics is that you watch TV at high-definition. A High Definition TV has great resolution and sublime digital surround sound. A High Definition TV removes the distasteful black bars that a lot of movie formats come with. Simply put - a High Definition TV is watching wide screen how it is meant to be! Since High Definition televisions have been released, they have been in immense demand. Anyone who wants the best out of a TV set wants to get a HDTV and learn about HDTV. As with all new technologies released there is a lot to learn about all the new specifications and which High Definition TV to buy.
When buying a High Definition TV for home, you want to make sure that you are actually getting a High Definition TV. If you don't want to end up with a television with ordinary visual and audio, then you need to understand the differences between analog and HDTV formats to determine if you really need an upgrade for your watching enjoyment.
::: Features of High Definition televisions :::
Technically, a High Definition TV provide a much better and improved screen resolution. Basically meaning that your High Definition TV, can easily provide you with better picture quality whether you are watching a good DVD film or a documentary it doesn't matter. You simply have amazing picture quality (though the end result depends on your signal quality). The big highlight of High Definition televisions is that you can watch wide screen as it is meant to be, without having parts of the screen cropped. HDTVs simply give a unprecedented picture quality that is crisper and finer than existing TV sets.
A amazing thing with these new High Definition televisions is that they can easily complement other analog based video equipment, such as your camcorders, DVD players, gaming consoles. On a gaming console such as the Nintendo range, you can see a new level of experience with a High Definition TV.
Buying a High Definition TV can be the best buy you can make. The picture quality is simply breathtaking, and will please many whether used for playing video games on the console or watching a $100 million film, you will be pleased with a High Definition TV. One thing to bear in mind with High Definition televisions is that your High Definition TV may be amazing, and offer the best possible picture known to man! But if your provider of the signal (TV company, etc) can't provide a good signal, it doesn't matter your picture quality will be no good. Also when you buy a new High Definition TV to keep in mind to get a flexible High Definition TV, one that has features which you may not use now, but might need in future - such as DVI or HDMI.
http:www.sonysupplier.com
In a period of time there comes a breakthrough which brings so many benefits to mankind. The television set is such a creation. Ever since the TV sets creation mankind have been on the hunt for better and better TV sets. Now alas High Definition televisions have satisfied the urges of many television addicts.
High Definition televisions or high-definition TV sets are an amazing new technological advancement to the High Definition TV. Ever since coming to the consumer marketplace High Definition televisions have created a craze. Film lovers, sport fans, and anyone who wants the screen to be as real as real life is amazed at what High Definition televisions show on their screens.
Now we may think what is High Definition TV, especially when we have not seen one of these amazing High Definition televisions in the past? The HDTV basics is that you watch TV at high-definition. A High Definition TV has great resolution and sublime digital surround sound. A High Definition TV removes the distasteful black bars that a lot of movie formats come with. Simply put - a High Definition TV is watching wide screen how it is meant to be! Since High Definition televisions have been released, they have been in immense demand. Anyone who wants the best out of a TV set wants to get a HDTV and learn about HDTV. As with all new technologies released there is a lot to learn about all the new specifications and which High Definition TV to buy.
When buying a High Definition TV for home, you want to make sure that you are actually getting a High Definition TV. If you don't want to end up with a television with ordinary visual and audio, then you need to understand the differences between analog and HDTV formats to determine if you really need an upgrade for your watching enjoyment.
::: Features of High Definition televisions :::
Technically, a High Definition TV provide a much better and improved screen resolution. Basically meaning that your High Definition TV, can easily provide you with better picture quality whether you are watching a good DVD film or a documentary it doesn't matter. You simply have amazing picture quality (though the end result depends on your signal quality). The big highlight of High Definition televisions is that you can watch wide screen as it is meant to be, without having parts of the screen cropped. HDTVs simply give a unprecedented picture quality that is crisper and finer than existing TV sets.
A amazing thing with these new High Definition televisions is that they can easily complement other analog based video equipment, such as your camcorders, DVD players, gaming consoles. On a gaming console such as the Nintendo range, you can see a new level of experience with a High Definition TV.
Buying a High Definition TV can be the best buy you can make. The picture quality is simply breathtaking, and will please many whether used for playing video games on the console or watching a $100 million film, you will be pleased with a High Definition TV. One thing to bear in mind with High Definition televisions is that your High Definition TV may be amazing, and offer the best possible picture known to man! But if your provider of the signal (TV company, etc) can't provide a good signal, it doesn't matter your picture quality will be no good. Also when you buy a new High Definition TV to keep in mind to get a flexible High Definition TV, one that has features which you may not use now, but might need in future - such as DVI or HDMI.
http:www.sonysupplier.com
7/9/07
Reason for success of iPod
by rosy
Ipod has become famous among all age groups. Apple iPod has become the major need for all the funky and young kids. Guys who are in music profession will surely owe one of the different iPod or sometimes more than one.
The demand for iPod is increasing every day. Apple iPod has today become synonymous with the term MP3 player. Apple could analyze the lack of digital music player and launched a hard drive based Mp3 player in late 2001. This model was titled as Ipod which had classy and striking looks. The iPod earphones has its own identification and is always been blamed for majority of street robberies
Even a normal iPod can store multiple music. It was an achievement from the beginning, but the truth that it was only Mac compatible held back sales slightly, although Apple did in fact see an augment in sales of Apple Macs due to populace wanting to be able to make use of the IPods.
In 2003, the sales boosted even high with the launch of new version of IPod i.e. with iTunes software, that was well-suited on both Macs and Windows PCs. Apple IPod enjoys 90% of the market were as normal MP3 player just shares 70% market as whole.
By launching several versions of MP3 players meeting all the technological advancements Apple has made themselves shine in the world. The latest models display photos and videos as well. Some also give the option to store official hard copy of the documents. iPod mini, iPod nano and iPod shuffle are the three most needed model among individuals. All the three meet the same purpose. iPod Mini - Apple's first iPod by-product was the iPod mini. This product was quite smaller but almost similar to the original one. This iPod was obtainable in many colors and was planned to target unusual market. iPod Nano: in year 2005 apple made an decision to discontinue sales of IPod mini. This iPod mini was replaced by iPod nano. They are smaller than the mini players and feature colored screens. Apple has come under some censure though for the screens on the nano as many customers have criticized that they damage too easily. iPod shuffle: The introduction of first flash drive based iPod began with iPod shuffle. The capacity of these iPod is very limited around 512 MB or 1 GB is available in the market. It doesn't have any display screen. One can easily listen song through it in a random order or can set a playlist in iTunes. The recently launched cars are intended with wharfing ports to make integrating iPods to the in car system easier. Trendy clothes are designed with a special pocket to hold the iPod. Well, other iPod with wonderful facilities are still available in the market but of-course not as fashionable as apple.
http://www.mp3playeraccessories.net
Ipod has become famous among all age groups. Apple iPod has become the major need for all the funky and young kids. Guys who are in music profession will surely owe one of the different iPod or sometimes more than one.
The demand for iPod is increasing every day. Apple iPod has today become synonymous with the term MP3 player. Apple could analyze the lack of digital music player and launched a hard drive based Mp3 player in late 2001. This model was titled as Ipod which had classy and striking looks. The iPod earphones has its own identification and is always been blamed for majority of street robberies
Even a normal iPod can store multiple music. It was an achievement from the beginning, but the truth that it was only Mac compatible held back sales slightly, although Apple did in fact see an augment in sales of Apple Macs due to populace wanting to be able to make use of the IPods.
In 2003, the sales boosted even high with the launch of new version of IPod i.e. with iTunes software, that was well-suited on both Macs and Windows PCs. Apple IPod enjoys 90% of the market were as normal MP3 player just shares 70% market as whole.
By launching several versions of MP3 players meeting all the technological advancements Apple has made themselves shine in the world. The latest models display photos and videos as well. Some also give the option to store official hard copy of the documents. iPod mini, iPod nano and iPod shuffle are the three most needed model among individuals. All the three meet the same purpose. iPod Mini - Apple's first iPod by-product was the iPod mini. This product was quite smaller but almost similar to the original one. This iPod was obtainable in many colors and was planned to target unusual market. iPod Nano: in year 2005 apple made an decision to discontinue sales of IPod mini. This iPod mini was replaced by iPod nano. They are smaller than the mini players and feature colored screens. Apple has come under some censure though for the screens on the nano as many customers have criticized that they damage too easily. iPod shuffle: The introduction of first flash drive based iPod began with iPod shuffle. The capacity of these iPod is very limited around 512 MB or 1 GB is available in the market. It doesn't have any display screen. One can easily listen song through it in a random order or can set a playlist in iTunes. The recently launched cars are intended with wharfing ports to make integrating iPods to the in car system easier. Trendy clothes are designed with a special pocket to hold the iPod. Well, other iPod with wonderful facilities are still available in the market but of-course not as fashionable as apple.
http://www.mp3playeraccessories.net
7/8/07
Introduction To Smart Phones
by Roger Thompson
Smartphones
If you haven't heard of smartphones, we'd like to learn where you've been hiding all this time. Smartphones have been all over the news and chances are, you do know what they are - only you know them under a different name. Smartphones are mobile phones with computer like capabilities and internet search.
What's that? Aha! Yes, you've not only heard of them, you've probably seen them as well. Packed with Internet access, email capabilities, address books, and a whole lot more, cell phones have come a long way since their first debut.
Sandbox devices are tools that come pre-loaded with things like calendars, calculators, and a notepad. What differentiates them from smartphones is that users can add (download and install) additional programs to smartphones and they seemingly become good portable computers for the people who use them. That - and the ability to edit the content that sits on them - is what makes these phones "smart."
Some of the more popular brand names include the Blackberry, PalmSource, Nokia, and Windows CE. Yet the craze is extending to even some unknown company names. Today, it's hard to find a cell phone that doesn't offer some sort of "smart" technology because it's in such a high demand. The convenience of having information at our immediate access is phenomenal - so much so that thousands of programmers have jumped on the opportunity to build unique applications specific to these small machines.
As a result, you can find tons of games, databases, GPS systems, weather reporting programs, and even small encyclopedias on these things - each accessible not at the click of a mouse - but at a few presses of a free thumb. Of course a small keyboard is available for the text-messaging fan or for the poor fellow who can't seem to get away from the office. In the latter case, don't be surprised if you find the entire Microsoft Office suite displayed within a screen no bigger than a matchbook.
Is this a phase? That's highly doubtful. The market for these devices extends from the highly technical and professional all the way to the pre-teen socialite. The product crosses all demographics and thanks to decreasing expense - it sees no economic boundaries as well. The Wikipedia encyclopedia claims that "Out of 1 billion camera phones to be shipped in 2008, Smartphones, the higher end of the market with full email support, will represent about 10% of the market or about 100 million units."
But what is it that makes smartphones so appealing? As I told earlier, smartphones give us the ability to not only carry our data around with us where ever we go, it also gives us the ability to edit that data any place - any time. In today's "reality" based generation, we're always looking for the opportunity to capture and relive a moment. And we want to share that moment with others. At best, smart phones give us the opportunity to express ourselves impromptu with entertaining results.
Attempting to do the same with a bulky regular computer or laptop is to cumbersome. Even some of the smallest peripherals (digicams, digital cameras, etc.) don't give us the same opportunities that smart phones do. Being able to carry around a device for communication, creation, recording, and editing simply compliments the need for today's generation to do more and then do it, faster!
For more information for smart phones like iPhone and accessories check http://phoneishop.com/
Smartphones
If you haven't heard of smartphones, we'd like to learn where you've been hiding all this time. Smartphones have been all over the news and chances are, you do know what they are - only you know them under a different name. Smartphones are mobile phones with computer like capabilities and internet search.
What's that? Aha! Yes, you've not only heard of them, you've probably seen them as well. Packed with Internet access, email capabilities, address books, and a whole lot more, cell phones have come a long way since their first debut.
Sandbox devices are tools that come pre-loaded with things like calendars, calculators, and a notepad. What differentiates them from smartphones is that users can add (download and install) additional programs to smartphones and they seemingly become good portable computers for the people who use them. That - and the ability to edit the content that sits on them - is what makes these phones "smart."
Some of the more popular brand names include the Blackberry, PalmSource, Nokia, and Windows CE. Yet the craze is extending to even some unknown company names. Today, it's hard to find a cell phone that doesn't offer some sort of "smart" technology because it's in such a high demand. The convenience of having information at our immediate access is phenomenal - so much so that thousands of programmers have jumped on the opportunity to build unique applications specific to these small machines.
As a result, you can find tons of games, databases, GPS systems, weather reporting programs, and even small encyclopedias on these things - each accessible not at the click of a mouse - but at a few presses of a free thumb. Of course a small keyboard is available for the text-messaging fan or for the poor fellow who can't seem to get away from the office. In the latter case, don't be surprised if you find the entire Microsoft Office suite displayed within a screen no bigger than a matchbook.
Is this a phase? That's highly doubtful. The market for these devices extends from the highly technical and professional all the way to the pre-teen socialite. The product crosses all demographics and thanks to decreasing expense - it sees no economic boundaries as well. The Wikipedia encyclopedia claims that "Out of 1 billion camera phones to be shipped in 2008, Smartphones, the higher end of the market with full email support, will represent about 10% of the market or about 100 million units."
But what is it that makes smartphones so appealing? As I told earlier, smartphones give us the ability to not only carry our data around with us where ever we go, it also gives us the ability to edit that data any place - any time. In today's "reality" based generation, we're always looking for the opportunity to capture and relive a moment. And we want to share that moment with others. At best, smart phones give us the opportunity to express ourselves impromptu with entertaining results.
Attempting to do the same with a bulky regular computer or laptop is to cumbersome. Even some of the smallest peripherals (digicams, digital cameras, etc.) don't give us the same opportunities that smart phones do. Being able to carry around a device for communication, creation, recording, and editing simply compliments the need for today's generation to do more and then do it, faster!
For more information for smart phones like iPhone and accessories check http://phoneishop.com/
7/5/07
Monitor Blur - The Simple Way To Solve It
by Jestine Yong
Among all the electronic repair articles that I have sent to you, this method is consider a little bit dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. For those who are new in this field I suggest that you only apply it with the help of a senior tech. Study this article carefully and the necessary precautions that one should take before starting to use this trick. However, if you think that you have the courage to try, then go ahead to perform the test.
A 15" Philips 105s7 Monitor came in with the complaint of display blur. Normally the first thing that a technician will do is to tune the focus adjustment knob at the flyback transformer to get a sharp picture back. However, in this case while tuning the focus instead of expecting a sharp picture, you get a brighter raster (white background) with flyback retrace lines across the screen. Usually when you turn the focus knob, only the character get sharper without affecting the raster and this is also true when you tune the screen (G2) knob adjustment, only the raster will have effect but not the focus.
Since adjusting the focus control has effect on the raster, this clearly tells us that there must be something that had gone wrong in the monitor. With this problem, I could only think of 3 areas that I have to check i.e; a shorted flyback transformer divider network, a defective CRT socket and a faulty picture tube. In order to confirm if the flyback transformer divider is shorted or not is very simple. Just use a Monitor blur buster (MBB) and defeat the original focus and screen cable by connecting the focus and screen cable from the Monitor blur buster. Now tune the focus or screen control at the MBB to see if the picture gets sharp or not. If you get a sharp picture we can conclude that is the flyback transformer divider network that is faulty and if the picture stills blur then it can only be the CRT socket faults or a bad picture tube.
In order to confirm if the CRT socket is the cause of the problem, one just has to replace with another working CRT socket to see if there is any improvement in the picture. If it still blur then I believe you are now sure as which one is the true cause of the picture blur problem-it is the CRT or picture tube! If it is picture tube problem, then you may ask, can it be repair or not since a picture tube is a vacuum tube that can't be disassemble? Yes, it can be done but with some precautions that you need to take.
To repair such problem, one must first understand how a picture tube was constructed especially the electron gun. I won't go too details about electron gun but I will let you know that the focus and the screen G2 plate is the nearest and if there are any dirt's or particles that had happened to be between the two plates, then it would surely affect the display (picture becomes blur, dim or too bright with flyback lines).
Once you have certain that the cause of the problem is picture tube, now remove the CRT board from the neck of the picture tube and locate the pins of screen (G2) and focus. If you look at the photo, most of the CRT pin outs is almost the same except to some Sony Trinitron tubes. Connect an alligator clip between the focus pin and cold ground and the G2 pin to the shaft of the flat type screw driver. The reason for connecting the alligator clips in such a way so that the generated Monitor high voltage (about 24 kvdc) can be use to spark off the internal shorts in the electron gun between the focus and G2 plate.
Before you switch on the Monitor, please make sure you disconnect or unplug the VGA signal cable from the CPU otherwise when the discharge begins it may destroy the CPU VGA card. Not only that, please check any surrounding in the Monitor as no extra wires or cables touches the power section, if not it may blow the power supply. As mentioned in the above first paragraph that this method really need you to be extremely careful and alert so that nothing would happen when you start to discharge the high voltage through the anode cap.
If you are ready now, hold the handle of the screw driver (remember, the handle have to be thick otherwise certain of the high voltage may jump across and discharge through your hand) with your left hand and power "ON" the Monitor. Once the high voltage have present (with the rushing sound you've heard), now switch off the Monitor by pressing the front panel on/off button, you then quickly poke in the screw driver shaft to the anode before the high voltage being discharge by the bleeder resistor in the flyback transformer. In other words, we want to utilize that short moment of the high voltage to spark off the shorts in the electron gun before the high voltage being fully discharged.
Normally you will hear a "pop" sound when the high voltage arc through the screw driver shaft at the anode cap. Repeating this for few times and the shorts definetely will go away. Connect the CRT board back and test the Monitor to see if the problem has been solved or not. Assuming the Monitor still blur after few of the discharged, you can always reverse the alligator clips where now you are connecting the G2 pin to cold ground and using the focus point to poke through the anode cap. This will usually clear the shorts away
Remember, the blur problem in this article is totally different from the blur problem (blooming) caused by a defective flyback transformer divider network where you need a Monitor blur buster to solve it. Using the method above I've solved lots of this Monitor blur problem whether it is a 14" or 21" Monitor!
http://www.electronicrepairguide.com
Among all the electronic repair articles that I have sent to you, this method is consider a little bit dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. For those who are new in this field I suggest that you only apply it with the help of a senior tech. Study this article carefully and the necessary precautions that one should take before starting to use this trick. However, if you think that you have the courage to try, then go ahead to perform the test.
A 15" Philips 105s7 Monitor came in with the complaint of display blur. Normally the first thing that a technician will do is to tune the focus adjustment knob at the flyback transformer to get a sharp picture back. However, in this case while tuning the focus instead of expecting a sharp picture, you get a brighter raster (white background) with flyback retrace lines across the screen. Usually when you turn the focus knob, only the character get sharper without affecting the raster and this is also true when you tune the screen (G2) knob adjustment, only the raster will have effect but not the focus.
Since adjusting the focus control has effect on the raster, this clearly tells us that there must be something that had gone wrong in the monitor. With this problem, I could only think of 3 areas that I have to check i.e; a shorted flyback transformer divider network, a defective CRT socket and a faulty picture tube. In order to confirm if the flyback transformer divider is shorted or not is very simple. Just use a Monitor blur buster (MBB) and defeat the original focus and screen cable by connecting the focus and screen cable from the Monitor blur buster. Now tune the focus or screen control at the MBB to see if the picture gets sharp or not. If you get a sharp picture we can conclude that is the flyback transformer divider network that is faulty and if the picture stills blur then it can only be the CRT socket faults or a bad picture tube.
In order to confirm if the CRT socket is the cause of the problem, one just has to replace with another working CRT socket to see if there is any improvement in the picture. If it still blur then I believe you are now sure as which one is the true cause of the picture blur problem-it is the CRT or picture tube! If it is picture tube problem, then you may ask, can it be repair or not since a picture tube is a vacuum tube that can't be disassemble? Yes, it can be done but with some precautions that you need to take.
To repair such problem, one must first understand how a picture tube was constructed especially the electron gun. I won't go too details about electron gun but I will let you know that the focus and the screen G2 plate is the nearest and if there are any dirt's or particles that had happened to be between the two plates, then it would surely affect the display (picture becomes blur, dim or too bright with flyback lines).
Once you have certain that the cause of the problem is picture tube, now remove the CRT board from the neck of the picture tube and locate the pins of screen (G2) and focus. If you look at the photo, most of the CRT pin outs is almost the same except to some Sony Trinitron tubes. Connect an alligator clip between the focus pin and cold ground and the G2 pin to the shaft of the flat type screw driver. The reason for connecting the alligator clips in such a way so that the generated Monitor high voltage (about 24 kvdc) can be use to spark off the internal shorts in the electron gun between the focus and G2 plate.
Before you switch on the Monitor, please make sure you disconnect or unplug the VGA signal cable from the CPU otherwise when the discharge begins it may destroy the CPU VGA card. Not only that, please check any surrounding in the Monitor as no extra wires or cables touches the power section, if not it may blow the power supply. As mentioned in the above first paragraph that this method really need you to be extremely careful and alert so that nothing would happen when you start to discharge the high voltage through the anode cap.
If you are ready now, hold the handle of the screw driver (remember, the handle have to be thick otherwise certain of the high voltage may jump across and discharge through your hand) with your left hand and power "ON" the Monitor. Once the high voltage have present (with the rushing sound you've heard), now switch off the Monitor by pressing the front panel on/off button, you then quickly poke in the screw driver shaft to the anode before the high voltage being discharge by the bleeder resistor in the flyback transformer. In other words, we want to utilize that short moment of the high voltage to spark off the shorts in the electron gun before the high voltage being fully discharged.
Normally you will hear a "pop" sound when the high voltage arc through the screw driver shaft at the anode cap. Repeating this for few times and the shorts definetely will go away. Connect the CRT board back and test the Monitor to see if the problem has been solved or not. Assuming the Monitor still blur after few of the discharged, you can always reverse the alligator clips where now you are connecting the G2 pin to cold ground and using the focus point to poke through the anode cap. This will usually clear the shorts away
Remember, the blur problem in this article is totally different from the blur problem (blooming) caused by a defective flyback transformer divider network where you need a Monitor blur buster to solve it. Using the method above I've solved lots of this Monitor blur problem whether it is a 14" or 21" Monitor!
http://www.electronicrepairguide.com
iPhone, Affording Today's Cell Phones Is Tough, Solutions Exist
by John Reed
It has been said that "where there is a will, there is a way." That sentiment is well served by being applied to the purchasing of today's cell phones and other electronic gadgets. The term techo-geek, short for Technology Geek, no longer applies to just the pocket protector using, braces wearing, non athletic, characters pictured in the TV shows and Movies. Now, this once derogatory term can be applied to the masses at large with no negative connotation whatsoever.
We all love our cell phones and PDAs and that love is only getting stronger as or lives demand our input in events at various locations simultaneously. As new technology provides more and more "stay in touch capacity." We quickly fill that capacity with a new task that we add to our list. Technology is only feeding the internal human desire to do as much as possible, as fast as possible, while on the move.
This insatiable desire however, does run into a small snag. Living on the cutting edge of technology requires one to occupy a relatively expensive piece of technology real estate. In layman's terms, it costs a lot of money to have the best technology solutions at your finger tips.
Some would disagree and would point out that the price for hot electronics items drop over time. However, that statement nullifies itself. In the time that one waits for the price to drop other technologies are emerging, and once the price drops it is either inferior technology, technology that has been matched by its competitors or it soon will be inferior technology.
"I think $600 is too high for a phone" says Inez Washington " I was just going to let the price drop then get it, but if I can pay for half of the cost with this toolbar, I will get it sooner."
For those that clamor to have the cutting edge product, it is actually an expensive and futile attempt to capture what can never be caught. Technology is fast moving and it costs money to keep pace with it. The latest phone on the market is the iPhone $600.00 + tax, + monthly service fees worth of sweet enough to eat technology. Just the term iPhone conjures up the picture of walking down the street, listening to music, posting pictures on the internet while making a call to you stock broker concerning the company that you just heard about via an email.
I know many of you missed the most important part of that conjuring example "six hundred dollars?.....+ tax, + monthly service charges. This is the part that is standing in the way of many would-be iPhone owners. The Cell Phone Money Toolbar really helps with this problem.
Many parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts know that this latest launch will have a major impact on the Christmas list and Christmas budget. With the older loved ones asking for a iPhone at $600 and the younger loved one's expecting such gifts as the Playstation 3 at $600. Budgets can quickly get out of hand. Ladies and gents, this is just the beginning and this pricing structure could soon become the norm. How does one purchase an iPhone for one child and ignore the fact that the other child wants a Playstation 3? That problem only stays at $1200 if there are only 2 children to consider in this round of purchasing.
Some people have actually begun working extra hours and cutting back on other things, so that they can afford one of these sweet devices. Some don't have the option of working additional hours so they are scrambling to find a way to purchase one without totally throwing their finances in disarray.
Ten random individuals were asked about the iPhone and some interesting information about peoples mentality toward the gadget was discovered. 10 out of 10 wanted one, 7 out of 10 intended to get one, 5 out of 10 knew where the money would come from to get one, and only 2 out of 10 didn't feel like the $600.00 would be that much of a stretch. When asked why they wanted an iPhone, the most common answer was "because I can do more with it." No specifics, no breaking that statement down, just the marketing, programmed answer of "I can do more with it." That's good enough for me I guess. The iPhone is cool and puts all of your current desires at your figure tips. If we could get it to clean the house or mow the lawn, I get the feeling there would be a lot of relationships that break up right about now.
There are online ways to afford these types of products with out breaking the bank. The Cell Phone Money Toolbar provides users the opportunity to earn the extra money they need for that elusive iPhone. This tool puts the iPhone in the reach of millions of people free of charge. Shy of getting a second job, this is the best way to afford the currently unaffordable iPhone. The Cell Phone Money Toolbar interfaces with TypoBounty dot com. TypoBounty is where companies will pay you to help them find errors on their web properties. The money gained can be used to purchase the iPhone or anything else one desires.
If your goal is to get an iPhone while they are hot it is imperative to offset the cost. If your off spring want to have the power and cool factor of the iphone at their disposal, you can tell them that they can pay for it themselves and not mean it in a bad way. Remember, it is often best to wait for prices to drop, but if your situation does not conveniently allow for that, at least try to shop smarter and supplement your budget to offset the cost of the phone and services.
www.cellphonemoneytooolbar.com
It has been said that "where there is a will, there is a way." That sentiment is well served by being applied to the purchasing of today's cell phones and other electronic gadgets. The term techo-geek, short for Technology Geek, no longer applies to just the pocket protector using, braces wearing, non athletic, characters pictured in the TV shows and Movies. Now, this once derogatory term can be applied to the masses at large with no negative connotation whatsoever.
We all love our cell phones and PDAs and that love is only getting stronger as or lives demand our input in events at various locations simultaneously. As new technology provides more and more "stay in touch capacity." We quickly fill that capacity with a new task that we add to our list. Technology is only feeding the internal human desire to do as much as possible, as fast as possible, while on the move.
This insatiable desire however, does run into a small snag. Living on the cutting edge of technology requires one to occupy a relatively expensive piece of technology real estate. In layman's terms, it costs a lot of money to have the best technology solutions at your finger tips.
Some would disagree and would point out that the price for hot electronics items drop over time. However, that statement nullifies itself. In the time that one waits for the price to drop other technologies are emerging, and once the price drops it is either inferior technology, technology that has been matched by its competitors or it soon will be inferior technology.
"I think $600 is too high for a phone" says Inez Washington " I was just going to let the price drop then get it, but if I can pay for half of the cost with this toolbar, I will get it sooner."
For those that clamor to have the cutting edge product, it is actually an expensive and futile attempt to capture what can never be caught. Technology is fast moving and it costs money to keep pace with it. The latest phone on the market is the iPhone $600.00 + tax, + monthly service fees worth of sweet enough to eat technology. Just the term iPhone conjures up the picture of walking down the street, listening to music, posting pictures on the internet while making a call to you stock broker concerning the company that you just heard about via an email.
I know many of you missed the most important part of that conjuring example "six hundred dollars?.....+ tax, + monthly service charges. This is the part that is standing in the way of many would-be iPhone owners. The Cell Phone Money Toolbar really helps with this problem.
Many parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts know that this latest launch will have a major impact on the Christmas list and Christmas budget. With the older loved ones asking for a iPhone at $600 and the younger loved one's expecting such gifts as the Playstation 3 at $600. Budgets can quickly get out of hand. Ladies and gents, this is just the beginning and this pricing structure could soon become the norm. How does one purchase an iPhone for one child and ignore the fact that the other child wants a Playstation 3? That problem only stays at $1200 if there are only 2 children to consider in this round of purchasing.
Some people have actually begun working extra hours and cutting back on other things, so that they can afford one of these sweet devices. Some don't have the option of working additional hours so they are scrambling to find a way to purchase one without totally throwing their finances in disarray.
Ten random individuals were asked about the iPhone and some interesting information about peoples mentality toward the gadget was discovered. 10 out of 10 wanted one, 7 out of 10 intended to get one, 5 out of 10 knew where the money would come from to get one, and only 2 out of 10 didn't feel like the $600.00 would be that much of a stretch. When asked why they wanted an iPhone, the most common answer was "because I can do more with it." No specifics, no breaking that statement down, just the marketing, programmed answer of "I can do more with it." That's good enough for me I guess. The iPhone is cool and puts all of your current desires at your figure tips. If we could get it to clean the house or mow the lawn, I get the feeling there would be a lot of relationships that break up right about now.
There are online ways to afford these types of products with out breaking the bank. The Cell Phone Money Toolbar provides users the opportunity to earn the extra money they need for that elusive iPhone. This tool puts the iPhone in the reach of millions of people free of charge. Shy of getting a second job, this is the best way to afford the currently unaffordable iPhone. The Cell Phone Money Toolbar interfaces with TypoBounty dot com. TypoBounty is where companies will pay you to help them find errors on their web properties. The money gained can be used to purchase the iPhone or anything else one desires.
If your goal is to get an iPhone while they are hot it is imperative to offset the cost. If your off spring want to have the power and cool factor of the iphone at their disposal, you can tell them that they can pay for it themselves and not mean it in a bad way. Remember, it is often best to wait for prices to drop, but if your situation does not conveniently allow for that, at least try to shop smarter and supplement your budget to offset the cost of the phone and services.
www.cellphonemoneytooolbar.com
7/2/07
Cheap Laptops : Buy a laptops is not easy task
by Fletcher Mak
At the time of buying a cheap laptop, you have to consider many aspects. An average person can't understand the hi-tech language associated to computers like Flat panel TFT, wireless, WiFi connectivity etc. And, laptops are quite expensive and you can't go for impulse buying. You have to do a proper research and then you should go for the laptops which can cater to your personal and business needs.
Before buying a laptop, many people consult sales agent, salesman, and store managers who can assist you in buying a right laptop. However, they will only give you the advice regarding a particular brand with which they are associated with because their advice is related to the commission part.
You can take advice from the people whom you trust like your friends and family members. And, if you don't find it enough then it is better to look into few PC magazines and you need to review the latest technology and the buying trends. These magazines come out with lots of surveys of various upcoming products.
You need to prioritise your needs before buying a laptop. The first and the foremost thing is the 'reason' for which are you buying a laptop. Then comes the 'budget' part, like how much money you can invest to buy a laptop. Lastly, the place from where you can buy a cheap laptops.
You can buy cheap laptops online on the Internet, which can help you to save significant amount of money. You can find many deals on the Internet offering discounted laptops. However, you will have to wait for the delivery of your laptops at your doorstep.
Before buying a laptop, you should consider the different brands of laptops like Dell, Toshiba etc. If you are looking for the cheap laptops then go for the basic ones. With the processor speed, you can find out the basic laptops. The laptops with AMD's Duron or the Intel's Celeron processor are considered to be the basic ones. Apart from this, if you buy a used laptop working in a good condition, then you can save a significant sum of money. So, buy cheap laptops and save your hard earned money.
http://www.goarticles.com
At the time of buying a cheap laptop, you have to consider many aspects. An average person can't understand the hi-tech language associated to computers like Flat panel TFT, wireless, WiFi connectivity etc. And, laptops are quite expensive and you can't go for impulse buying. You have to do a proper research and then you should go for the laptops which can cater to your personal and business needs.
Before buying a laptop, many people consult sales agent, salesman, and store managers who can assist you in buying a right laptop. However, they will only give you the advice regarding a particular brand with which they are associated with because their advice is related to the commission part.
You can take advice from the people whom you trust like your friends and family members. And, if you don't find it enough then it is better to look into few PC magazines and you need to review the latest technology and the buying trends. These magazines come out with lots of surveys of various upcoming products.
You need to prioritise your needs before buying a laptop. The first and the foremost thing is the 'reason' for which are you buying a laptop. Then comes the 'budget' part, like how much money you can invest to buy a laptop. Lastly, the place from where you can buy a cheap laptops.
You can buy cheap laptops online on the Internet, which can help you to save significant amount of money. You can find many deals on the Internet offering discounted laptops. However, you will have to wait for the delivery of your laptops at your doorstep.
Before buying a laptop, you should consider the different brands of laptops like Dell, Toshiba etc. If you are looking for the cheap laptops then go for the basic ones. With the processor speed, you can find out the basic laptops. The laptops with AMD's Duron or the Intel's Celeron processor are considered to be the basic ones. Apart from this, if you buy a used laptop working in a good condition, then you can save a significant sum of money. So, buy cheap laptops and save your hard earned money.
http://www.goarticles.com
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