Computers have come a long way, but in many respects are still the same as they were years ago. There are a few fundamentals to remember when getting a computer that apply across the price range, whether you're getting a laptop, notebook or desktop computer. These few tips will save you a lot of headaches.
Being at the head of the pack is a costly place to be. So, if money and your budget are any concern to you, then don't chase the latest fads. The newest stuff carries a huge price premium when older products have not yet passed their prime. Wait a few months for excitement to die down and see what happens, you might have saved yourself from making a big mistake. Getting the biggest thing from a few months back will get you a lot more for your money.
Research before you buy. Don't get a computer or add extras to a computer without getting the facts first. Sales staff are just that, salespeople, they will do their best, but often know only a little more than you do about what you plan to get. The Internet is a great place for information, you can dig as much or as little as you like.
Computers are more about the internals than the externals.
As with the computer in general, the CPU is a costly component. The fastest processor will cost you more and value for money goes down as the speed goes up. Up to the middle of the range in speed you will get the most speed per dollar.
More RAM is a good thing. Having the latest super-duper CPU won't help if your computer runs out of memory. Memory is essential for Windows and all the programs that run on it. When Windows starts it puts lots of things it needs in memory, and they stay there. All the other programs you start also use some memory and keep it until they stop, the more programs you want to use at the same time, the more memory you'll need. Just make sure you get 512MB or more for Windows XP and 1GB or more for Windows Vista.
A nice case is a good thing, but computers are mostly functional and often aren't seen much. Are the USB and sound ports at the front for easy access and are they placed in an easy to reach position?
Hard drives should have enough space. I find 120GB enough, but you might need more if you save videos on there. RAID1 will keep a constant backup of your data, so if one hard drive fails, the other hard drive still contains a copy of everything.
The key to good graphics is the graphics card. The latest games require them cutting edge cards, so get one to suit what you want to play. Games constantly push the demands on the graphics card, and if you want to keep up, you will be upgrading often.
Finally, the monitor is what you will stare at while using the computer. Bigger screens, with higher resolutions, get more information on the screen. LCD is the norm, 19 inch or bigger, wide screen if possible is what I recommend.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
A beginner's guide to VoIP
Maybe you've heard something about the possibility of making phone calls using your new broadband connection, perhaps you've even heard that it could save you a bit of money on your phone bill. Well, for those not yet up to speed on the subject perhaps it's time to find out a bit more about the brave new world of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
Basically, VoIP is a burgeoning technology that allows your voice to be carried over an Internet connection. It works by breaking your speech into blocks of digital data and carrying it over the Internet (in much the same way as an e-mail) to be reassembled into speech at the other end.It's a technology that has started to become more widespread now that more and more people have got access to a high-speed Internet connection -whilst it's possible to use VoIP with a dial up connection this obviously means that you wouldn't be able to use it without losing the use of your normal phone line.
The proliferation of broadband connectivity opens up the possibility of increasing numbers of us running both VoIP and a traditional land-line in parallel, an arrangement that should give you the best of both worlds. It isn't necessarily advisable to ditch your regular home phone just yet.
So, how true is the claim that VoIP calls are free? It's certainly the case that when making PC to PC calls there's no reason why it should cost any more than sending an email(i.e. nothing). Should you want call anyone who's only got a traditional land-line however, a gateway will have be opened between the two separate networks, for which you'll be charged. This probably means that you'll have to pay a fixed monthly fee to your VoIP provider or (maybe a better option for infrequent users) on a Pay As You Go basis.Overall VoIP certainly has the potential to provide a considerably more cost-effective communication service.
It's a relatively recent development that VoIP is beginning to be marketed as a genuine alternative to your conventional land-line; this has meant that there are now plenty of providers trying to present it as more of a familiar, approachable product for those still attached to the idea of a regular phone. In many cases, if you sign up for a monthly deal, perhaps in conjunction with your broadband service, providers will supply you with a free adapter, meaning you can simply plug your regular phone handset straight into your modem. And if you don't mind abandoning your handset then you'll probably want to get hold of a headset, talking directly into your computers built in microphone is likely to give diminished sound quality.
All in all then, it appears VoIP could well represent the future of telecommunications and it's quite possible to envisage it rapidly becoming a thoroughly attractive option for anyone who already has a broadband connection.
Basically, VoIP is a burgeoning technology that allows your voice to be carried over an Internet connection. It works by breaking your speech into blocks of digital data and carrying it over the Internet (in much the same way as an e-mail) to be reassembled into speech at the other end.It's a technology that has started to become more widespread now that more and more people have got access to a high-speed Internet connection -whilst it's possible to use VoIP with a dial up connection this obviously means that you wouldn't be able to use it without losing the use of your normal phone line.
The proliferation of broadband connectivity opens up the possibility of increasing numbers of us running both VoIP and a traditional land-line in parallel, an arrangement that should give you the best of both worlds. It isn't necessarily advisable to ditch your regular home phone just yet.
So, how true is the claim that VoIP calls are free? It's certainly the case that when making PC to PC calls there's no reason why it should cost any more than sending an email(i.e. nothing). Should you want call anyone who's only got a traditional land-line however, a gateway will have be opened between the two separate networks, for which you'll be charged. This probably means that you'll have to pay a fixed monthly fee to your VoIP provider or (maybe a better option for infrequent users) on a Pay As You Go basis.Overall VoIP certainly has the potential to provide a considerably more cost-effective communication service.
It's a relatively recent development that VoIP is beginning to be marketed as a genuine alternative to your conventional land-line; this has meant that there are now plenty of providers trying to present it as more of a familiar, approachable product for those still attached to the idea of a regular phone. In many cases, if you sign up for a monthly deal, perhaps in conjunction with your broadband service, providers will supply you with a free adapter, meaning you can simply plug your regular phone handset straight into your modem. And if you don't mind abandoning your handset then you'll probably want to get hold of a headset, talking directly into your computers built in microphone is likely to give diminished sound quality.
All in all then, it appears VoIP could well represent the future of telecommunications and it's quite possible to envisage it rapidly becoming a thoroughly attractive option for anyone who already has a broadband connection.
The Best Page Layout and Design for Content Websites
I was chatting to a veteran print publisher, who had been producing magazines for over thirty years.
He shook his head in despair, as he told me that every year he sees new magazines hit the newsstands with the publications' titles placed vertically on the magazine cover.
"Whenever I see this," he said, "I know it has been produced by a new publishing company that does not understand the industry. Anyone with any experience of periodical publishing knows that publications with vertical titles fail, or at least have to change quickly to survive. The market has taught us this lesson hundreds, if not thousands of times, but still people make the same mistake.
"This message is just as relevant to website layout as it is to magazine design. The web has been around for long enough that rules and best practise have emerged from years of trial error by thousands of website owners. You can either go with the flow and be grateful that you can learn from the experience of others, or you can swim against the tide and try to convince the market that you are right and they are wrong.
I would suggest that swimming downstream is far easier and will give you a much greater chance of success.
To understand which layouts work you only need to look at the industry gorillas. These are the online content publishers who have been around for years, and who have tested just about every layout combination. Good examples are some of the most read websites on the Internet including:
- BBC (www.bbc.com)
- The Financial Times (www.ft.com)
- The Economist (www.economist.com)
- The Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com)
You will quickly start to recognise elements of the page layouts which are common across all these sites. Just as with print newspapers and magazines, these are the layouts that have proven to sit most comfortably with the reader and with the way online users want to consume content.
The key design and layout elements which should remain constant are: Masthead across the top - the masthead is where the logo goes and usually imagery that supports the subject matter on the website.
Left hand column should contain all the primary navigation,which should remain constant across the whole website. It should list all the main categories of the website, so users can find their way around from every page.
Right hand column on the homepage should provide navigation to individual pages in the site which you want to highlight. Or it can be used for small applications, such as email newsletter sign-up, scrolling news headlines, links to the forum, etc. This column tends to disappear on the content pages to leave more space for the article and images.
Top menu bar - some sites have most of their navigation in the top menu bar which goes across the page under the masthead (take a look at www.guardian.co.uk orwww.forbes.com as examples). I don't like this for two reasons. First it restricts the number of menu links that you can have. Second it usually means that the site has flash based drop down menus to enable them to accommodate more links. Flash menus are not user friendly. They force your reader to search for links to the content they are looking for. Don't make your user work for their answers. Also search engines find it harder to index sites with flash menus.
Bottom menu bar - This strip at the foot of every page tends to contain links to the sites terms and conditions, privacy statement, site map, etc.
The central column contains the content. On the homepage this can be a combination of an introduction to the website and teasers to articles. On the content pages, the articles and images sit in the central column.
Search top right on every page - this is the search box used to search the content of the website. This is a less rigid placement than it used to be, but you can't go wrong if you place it top right.
Time and date - usually placed on the right hand side under the masthead. This is optional, but does give readers the impression that the site is up-to-date.
Within this layout there is a great deal of flexibility to add your own personality and styles, particularly when you overlay your design on the basic page structure. However,at all times your number one goal should be constant; that is to make your website simple and intuitive, for every reader that visits. To achieve this learn from those sites that have a lot of experience.
Don't be the person that puts a vertical title on the front cover!
He shook his head in despair, as he told me that every year he sees new magazines hit the newsstands with the publications' titles placed vertically on the magazine cover.
"Whenever I see this," he said, "I know it has been produced by a new publishing company that does not understand the industry. Anyone with any experience of periodical publishing knows that publications with vertical titles fail, or at least have to change quickly to survive. The market has taught us this lesson hundreds, if not thousands of times, but still people make the same mistake.
"This message is just as relevant to website layout as it is to magazine design. The web has been around for long enough that rules and best practise have emerged from years of trial error by thousands of website owners. You can either go with the flow and be grateful that you can learn from the experience of others, or you can swim against the tide and try to convince the market that you are right and they are wrong.
I would suggest that swimming downstream is far easier and will give you a much greater chance of success.
To understand which layouts work you only need to look at the industry gorillas. These are the online content publishers who have been around for years, and who have tested just about every layout combination. Good examples are some of the most read websites on the Internet including:
- BBC (www.bbc.com)
- The Financial Times (www.ft.com)
- The Economist (www.economist.com)
- The Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com)
You will quickly start to recognise elements of the page layouts which are common across all these sites. Just as with print newspapers and magazines, these are the layouts that have proven to sit most comfortably with the reader and with the way online users want to consume content.
The key design and layout elements which should remain constant are: Masthead across the top - the masthead is where the logo goes and usually imagery that supports the subject matter on the website.
Left hand column should contain all the primary navigation,which should remain constant across the whole website. It should list all the main categories of the website, so users can find their way around from every page.
Right hand column on the homepage should provide navigation to individual pages in the site which you want to highlight. Or it can be used for small applications, such as email newsletter sign-up, scrolling news headlines, links to the forum, etc. This column tends to disappear on the content pages to leave more space for the article and images.
Top menu bar - some sites have most of their navigation in the top menu bar which goes across the page under the masthead (take a look at www.guardian.co.uk orwww.forbes.com as examples). I don't like this for two reasons. First it restricts the number of menu links that you can have. Second it usually means that the site has flash based drop down menus to enable them to accommodate more links. Flash menus are not user friendly. They force your reader to search for links to the content they are looking for. Don't make your user work for their answers. Also search engines find it harder to index sites with flash menus.
Bottom menu bar - This strip at the foot of every page tends to contain links to the sites terms and conditions, privacy statement, site map, etc.
The central column contains the content. On the homepage this can be a combination of an introduction to the website and teasers to articles. On the content pages, the articles and images sit in the central column.
Search top right on every page - this is the search box used to search the content of the website. This is a less rigid placement than it used to be, but you can't go wrong if you place it top right.
Time and date - usually placed on the right hand side under the masthead. This is optional, but does give readers the impression that the site is up-to-date.
Within this layout there is a great deal of flexibility to add your own personality and styles, particularly when you overlay your design on the basic page structure. However,at all times your number one goal should be constant; that is to make your website simple and intuitive, for every reader that visits. To achieve this learn from those sites that have a lot of experience.
Don't be the person that puts a vertical title on the front cover!
Getting the most from your broadband connection...
So you signed up for your broadband connection which probably is DSL or Cable. Computer's all hooked up and the web pages are loading faster than ever before! Life is good on the information highway, but along comes a second desktop PC or laptop. Now what??? Easy! Just go online or down to your local electronics store like Bestbuy or Circut City and pick up a wireless router.
My personal favorite is D-Link, but Linksys, Buffalo, and Netgear will also do the job quite well. Once you get your wireless router it's time to set it up. From your DSL modem or Cable modem there will be an ethernet cable that plugs into the back of your PC into a ethernet port. Remove that end and plug it into the "WAN" port or "Internet" port on the back of your wireless router.
Next there should be another ethernet cable in the box that the router came in. Plug that into port one in the back of the wireless router(D-Link) and the other end into the ethernet port of your PC just like it was before you bought the router. Follow the setup wizard that walks you through making the connection plus securing the connection from unwanted intruders. Also if you do have a laptop chances are you'll see something pop-up on your desktop saying something like "wireless network detected". Whichever you have you'll now be able to share that broadband connection with your family.
My personal favorite is D-Link, but Linksys, Buffalo, and Netgear will also do the job quite well. Once you get your wireless router it's time to set it up. From your DSL modem or Cable modem there will be an ethernet cable that plugs into the back of your PC into a ethernet port. Remove that end and plug it into the "WAN" port or "Internet" port on the back of your wireless router.
Next there should be another ethernet cable in the box that the router came in. Plug that into port one in the back of the wireless router(D-Link) and the other end into the ethernet port of your PC just like it was before you bought the router. Follow the setup wizard that walks you through making the connection plus securing the connection from unwanted intruders. Also if you do have a laptop chances are you'll see something pop-up on your desktop saying something like "wireless network detected". Whichever you have you'll now be able to share that broadband connection with your family.
The Pepsi and Coke of broadband
Tired of your slow dial-up connection maybe it's time for something faster! How about DSL, or maybe Cable? Both are much faster than a dial-up connection, and DSL right now is starting at around what dial-up costs. So let’s take some time and see what exactly the difference is and which one will suit your needs.
This is all based on my experience in working in the business for over seven years and using both services. First, DSL which stands for Digital Subscriber Line comes into your home via the phone lines which make installation a breeze in that most homes have a phone jack in every room.
Your local DSL provider sends you a DSL modem, filters, Ethernet cable, and an installation disk. The modem is connected to the phone jack in the wall and there's an Ethernet cable that connects the modem to the computer. The filters go on the phone lines you use for your phones. Since your DSL operates at a higher frequency than your normal phone call they can coexist on the same line. The filters help to keep the buzzing noise down when making calls. Now a day’s most computers come with Ethernet cards built in. After everything’s connected power up the modem and throw in the CD!
Now your broadband cable is a little different in that it uses a Cable modem and comes into your home via a Coaxial cable from the pole outside. Now here's the hiccup in my opinion older homes at least don't have a cable jack in every room so some additional installation my be required, or using a wireless router could make things easier. Usually your Cable Company will bring the cable into the room where your computer resides. Connect a coaxial cable from the jack to the Cable modem and connect the Ethernet cable from the modem to the computer. Power up the modem and throw in the CD!
Performance for raw speed is Cable as long as you don't have a neighbor that is downloading everything under the sun from morning till night! DSL is a more dedicated connection not being shared like Cable. DSL is limited to 15,000 feet from the Company, so call for availability. Both services work extremely well and blow dial-up away!
This is all based on my experience in working in the business for over seven years and using both services. First, DSL which stands for Digital Subscriber Line comes into your home via the phone lines which make installation a breeze in that most homes have a phone jack in every room.
Your local DSL provider sends you a DSL modem, filters, Ethernet cable, and an installation disk. The modem is connected to the phone jack in the wall and there's an Ethernet cable that connects the modem to the computer. The filters go on the phone lines you use for your phones. Since your DSL operates at a higher frequency than your normal phone call they can coexist on the same line. The filters help to keep the buzzing noise down when making calls. Now a day’s most computers come with Ethernet cards built in. After everything’s connected power up the modem and throw in the CD!
Now your broadband cable is a little different in that it uses a Cable modem and comes into your home via a Coaxial cable from the pole outside. Now here's the hiccup in my opinion older homes at least don't have a cable jack in every room so some additional installation my be required, or using a wireless router could make things easier. Usually your Cable Company will bring the cable into the room where your computer resides. Connect a coaxial cable from the jack to the Cable modem and connect the Ethernet cable from the modem to the computer. Power up the modem and throw in the CD!
Performance for raw speed is Cable as long as you don't have a neighbor that is downloading everything under the sun from morning till night! DSL is a more dedicated connection not being shared like Cable. DSL is limited to 15,000 feet from the Company, so call for availability. Both services work extremely well and blow dial-up away!
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