HP Proliant Servers: Growing With Your Business

As a business grows, many things change, and soon those Excel spreadsheets give way to an actual accounting package. The company picnic wherein you used to know everyone, turns into a large gathering with faces you don't quite recognize anymore. Then, sooner or later, IT begins to outgrow the servers they are on, needing bigger, faster and more. Working for a company that is growing in size can be very rewarding, but it also comes with challenges. Fortunately, thanks to HP's Proliant line of servers, IT needs do not have to be one of those challenges.

Tower systems, rack systems, blades - as technology grows with your company, the size and type of servers in your business grow as well. Many companies start off with modest needs. A server for accounting, and perhaps one or two for file sharing. As more employees come on board, and sales increase. Soon those towers in a small closet turn into a small computer room with a rack. Thereafter, that small computer room then turns into a small data center. In the blink of an eye, or the turning of a fiscal year, that small data center has now turned into multiple data centers with blade systems that begin to expand as your parallel needs also expand.

With the HP Proliant line, no matter what your size, or what your growth potential, you can stick with a platform that grows with you. No more constant retraining of IT personnel on new system configurations, or trying to get a hodgepodge of systems to work or fit together in a rack system.

Proliant HP servers, from the smallest to the largest blade chassis, are designed to not only perform, but also use common system management features to help keep your IT systems working. Also, they work no matter if you are a company of ten, or an international corporation with tens of thousands.
It is not only the commonality in the platform that is appealing to many businesses, but also the design features. HP Proliant systems are designed to exceed the most stringent of energy efficiency standards in the marketplace today. Some models boast ninety-two power efficiency ratings; and all models are designed to use less energy than comparable models from other manufacturers.

Proliant servers are also engineered to perform - so no matter if they are in a small office in Nebraska, or a large factory floor in North Carolina, you will spend less time maintaining them and more time getting your investment back. When something does go wrong, HP's award-winning technical and product support can help you get back up and running with a minimal disruption to business flow.

It's not uncommon to walk into any IT shop and see a mixture of servers from various manufacturers. Wouldn't it be nice to simplify all that - to know that your IT systems are designed to work together, grow together and perform together? After all, IT shouldn't be a deciding factor in which direction the business goes in, it should assist the business grow through better use of resources and process automation. HP Proliant line offers just that. HP Proliant is a system of award-winning, intelligently designed, efficient, state-of-the-art servers that can support your business no matter how big, or how far, your business may grow.

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Kensington Expert Trackball Mouse Review: Don't Buy a Trackball Mouse Until You Read This! Part 1

Kensington Expert Trackball Mouse Review

I've been using this Kensington trackball on my desktop for a little less than a year now (I'm using no less than 4 logitech vx revolutions on my various laptops!) and I can say that with a few exceptions most aspects of it are amazing!

First of all trackballs in general are simply phenomenal in comfort. Your friends may gape and wonder why anyone is still using a trackball in this day and age, but the advantages are undeniable.

You should buy a trackball in general because...

o Saves desktop space - you don't have to wave your hand around on a cluttered desk as with a mouse.
o Pain free - Your wrists, and joints ache less since trackballs are so ergonomic. This equates to more productivity!
o Programmable - A lot of mice are too but not the cheaper ones.
o Really hard to lose - unlike wireless mice.
o Cool factor - Trackballs look cool partly because they are somewhat of a rarity. A trackball shows you take care of yourself when computing. There's a reason why graphic artists prefer trackballs over mice.

On top of those general benefits, my Kensington Expert Trackball always surprises me with it's precision. With my Logitech VX revolution - which I also consider to be one of mankind's best inventions, I'm always hunting for the right place to put my cursor to click on a button, or to find a scroll bar etc. With the Kensington Expert Trackball, I realize that I don't do that at all. The pointer always goes where I want it to go. Without fail. If I need to make an adjustment, I just need to wiggle my index finger a bit and I'm golden. Funny thing is, I don't even notice how comfortable that precision is until I revert back to using a mouse, especially if that mouse is of lesser quality.

You should buy this Kensington Expert Trackball because
o Once you get used to it, it's really one of the most comfortable computing experiences you will ever encounter.
o It's really different and intuitive.
o It will help you do whatever you do faster and more efficently

More on the Kensington Expert Trackball in part 2 of my review. See you there.

Trudy is a multi-sport enthusiast who likes producing movies with her sport camcorders, running a blog as well as hiking and skiing with her dog Taffy. My experience in computing has taught me that having the right equipment for the job makes or breaks the pleasure factor in the undertaking. Time is gold, save your time and energy scouring the internet looking for the best trackball mouse and take a look at my recommendations.

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Remanufactured HP Q6000A and Q6001A Toner Cartridges - Good for Students

It's a known fact and no one can deny it that today's economy has affected everyone in the world. From businessmen to employees and from institutions to students, all have suffered the consequences of the economy consistently going down. It's because of that people are losing their jobs and students are unable to go to college for higher education. As businessmen are unable to earn the required profits, they have to let go of employees they can't afford.

Students on the other hand are disappointed that if they even take some loan, how they will pay back as there is no guarantee if they will get a good job after completing their education.

As businesses are looking for alternatives to reduce their overhead cost as well as any extra burden, the same way students should be wise and look for ways that can help them reduce their expenditure and allow them to save money for education. Even if you are already going to college, then it will be a wise decision to keep your expenses as low as possible. Spending unwisely on expensive things will only make your life harder and you will find it difficult to cope up. Plus, you may not have the money for your bills if you spend without thinking.

One thing that can help you as a student a lot is the remanufactured HP q6000a toner cartridge or HP q6001a toner cartridge. See, in college you will have to use your printer a lot. You will have to print out your assignments and you will also have to print out your presentations. This requires a lot of printing. Hence, you will have to buy toner cartridges from time to time. The bad thing about toner cartridges is that they are not cheap to buy. Yes, they are really expensive and you may not have the money to buy them every time you need one.

This is why remanufactured HP q6000a and HP q6001a toner cartridges help students reduce their cost and save money as these remanufactured toners are not expensive at all. You should be able to save at least 40% or 50% on each purchase, allowing you to buy 2 instead of 1. These toner cartridges are cheap in terms of price, but they are not cheap at all when it comes to quality. Yes, their printing quality is optimum and you will surely enjoy the results.

So, as a student, be wise and spend your money wisely. Going for remanufactured toner cartridges is the ultimate solution.

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Laptop Trends 2011 - What to Expect From Laptops in 2011

All computer experts say 2011 is going to be a huge year for tablets, while personal computers will undergo a fall in demand. Is it true that laptops cannot offer more than they already have? Are tablets going to take over laptops in 2011? Is there more room for innovation of notepads? Find out what the 2011 laptop trends promise.

In 2011 laptops will be ultra portable. The weight of portable computers is now heading below 4.5 pounds and is expected to follow a steady downward rate. Apart from becoming extremely light, these gadgets are becoming smaller by the year. If you want to be in line with the trends this year, you may want to opt for a 10-inch or 11.6-inch notebook. In fact, experts say that the 11.6-inch screen is the new 10-inch screen, so you can readily enjoy a larger screen and great portability at the same time.

A number of new devices have the innovative Fusion APU processor by AMD. This processor is the product of adding GPU to CPU. What to expect from this in terms of performance? This technology is just getting to users, so projections are difficult to make. The chip maker AMD promises improved performance and longer battery life, over 9 hours. Laptop manufacturers, on their side, claim that the new processor will result in the reduction of manufacturing costs and, in turn, in a reduction of end prices. These will be great advantages to have, but only time will show whether the projections will turn into reality.

Another series of new processors that has been widely anticipated is the second generation Intel Core. Again, the promises are for faster and better performance. Time will show whether the performance is as good as expected.

With considerable market competition from tablets, portable multimedia players and smartphones, laptops promise to offer more entertainment in 2011. A number of laptop manufacturers have announced the introduction of their own home networking entertainment systems. These will allow for various media devices to be connected together, so that media is shared between them.

Even though in 2011 laptops will be far from offering 3D entertainment, the screen pixel resolution will increase considerable. Some new models will boast with 1366 x 768 pixel resolution and even 1600 x 900 pixel resolution. May be not this year, but perhaps in 2012, we will be able to enjoy a portable computer with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution.

As in 2011 laptops are becoming smaller, lighter and more portable, some manufacturers have addressed the safety concerns. It is much easier for a small device to slip from your hands, so some of the makers have come up with a protective technology. It is designed on the basis of an accelerometer and aims to protect the hard drive in case you drop your computer or bump it to the desk.

2011 promises to be an exciting year for laptops and gadgets in general.

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Points Kept in Mind Before Purchasing a Sound System

If you wish to purchase a best set of speakers perfect for you than you should have to research a little in the market, which can gives you a long time benefit. The first and most important factors you should decide is the power and power and wattage of the system. If the system you purchase consumes power unto 30 - 40 watts, then it might be a excellent an excellent purchase for you. the system's power can only be checked and identified by its wattage and power consumption.

The subwoofer of speakers also has a separate wattage, so keep it in your mind as well. Purchasing a subwoofer thatt consumes 50 watts is really a very good deal but if your room is large enough to justify it,then.The power output of a system is the total of all speakers. So, if there are two written with an output of ten watts each then the total for the system is equals to twenty watts.

When you go to the market to purchase your system, you will come across some sets (2.1, 5.1 or even 7.1). A 2.1 speaker set. A 7.1 set consists of 7 satellite speakers with a subwoofer. Of course there are a lot of things you should kept in your mind before choosing a set, such as connectivity. They may have the choice to connect via USB or Bluetooth.

Size may also become a problem for you. you should keep the size of your room in your mind before purchasing a set. For computers there are three-piece and two-piece sets. If you want a huge and energetic sound then you should purchase a 3 piece set, because 2 piece set lacks a sub-woofer.

The function of sub-woofer is to provide you a quality bass you want when listening to music. You will also have to decide that which type of external controls is best for you.You should also keep it in you mind that the speaker set also have an easy-access volume control (button) so that you can control it at your will. Some of the systems have wired control but some have wireless control. Computer speakers have a very energetic sound but you have to effort a little harder to purchase the system suitable for you.

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Ricoh Laser Printers: Savings, Speed and Superb Printing Performance

Printing everything on paper can be very expensive and time-consuming. In the past, printing using dot matrix models used to take a lot of our precious time and deliver adequate results. But in today's modern world, the continuous development in computer technology paved the way for the invention of laser - fast, efficient, user-friendly and ready for all kinds of printing needs. With the increasing need for high performance laser printers valued at a great price, various companies are competing for cost-effectiveness, speed and the right blend of features to offer. Ricoh, a highly reputable company in the world of digital technology, released their own line of laser printers. Ricoh printers can either be a monochrome or color printer, each model unique when it comes to the features they offer to users.

Laser printers made by Ricoh are produced with a great focus on printing proficiency, cost reduction, time saving and environment-friendly innovations. These Ricoh printers are compact but very powerful. These laser printers offer different options that can provide the much needed solution for your everyday printing needs, whether it is quality or quantity that your company is after. Ricoh's All-In-One (AIO) print cartridge solution is the answer to the continuously increasing supply expenses. Users can choose from a Standard Yield or High Yield AIO, the former introducing more savings on supply expenses and the latter focusing on the cost of every printed page. Another great offering of Ricoh printers is the speed, concentrating on the printer processes that take too much time. Most printers take too much time to warm-up and prepare for bulky printing tasks, then go on with another time consuming printing process. With Ricoh printers, users can expect a warm-up time of only 20 seconds and first print speeds of 8 seconds. In addition, Ricoh laser printers can produce as much as 75 pages per minute in black and white and can accommodate printing in paper sizes of 11" x 17".

Ricoh printers offer high quality outputs with their modern printer processors that can sustain bulky and heavy print outs, plus a long queue of printing jobs. Users can also opt for an additional hard drive and other security features to increase the productivity of their printing tasks.

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Popular Computer Monitors - Features to Look For

The topic concerning popular computer monitors comes under consideration when people opt for assembled computer systems wherein they need to hand pick each component as opposed to the sealed computer set which is inclusive of everything. Owing to the market being inundated with computer suppliers of every magnitude, nowadays it is possible to acquire an assembled computer at an affordable rate with the price of the monitor being only a small fraction of the total cost.

To individuals who are in favor of an assembled system, a strong recommendation would be to shortlist popular computer monitors on the basis of certain attributes as these are more likely to balance quality and performance with an affordable price.

Computer monitors are of two types namely CRT (cathode ray tube) and LCD (liquid crystal display) and while the former is older and cheaper, the latter is a contemporary and economical in terms of space. Both varieties are popular amongst computer buyers as their purchase depends on factors like budget and available space.

Another factor which determines the popularity of computer monitors is the size of the screen and although the standard size in vogue today is a 19-inch, a larger monitor like a 21-inch or a 23-inch is definitely preferable. The reason underlying this preference is that as compared to a small screen a large screen facilitates side-by-side comparison of documents and allows the user to keep track of several applications at the same time.

Many computer monitors are judged on the basis of their response time and some are adjudged as per their contrast ratio as well. In this regard, the computer monitors which are popular amongst multimedia users and professionals are ones which boast of a combination of high contrast ratio and low response time. An ideal ratio in this regard which would enable the user to differentiate between color shades would be 1400:1 while the response time required for updating screen images must not go beyond 2 milliseconds.

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Rugged Portable Computer Systems Give Our Side the Advantage

I have a good friend who supplies different types of devices for the defense industry. While he has worked primarily in research and development from the beginning of his time with the company, over the past few years his responsibilities have transitioned to sales and marketing. It makes sense, to have someone who understands the equipment from conception to production represent those products at trade shows and with potential buyers.

He did a demonstration for us at a local event and showed us some of the rugged computer systems and communication devices that they have on the market. While they do have some things that are exclusively marketed to our government, I was surprised to learn that most of their items were for sale to anyone or anything that could afford the price. With enough wealth, a person could equip and create a small army with what my friend has to offer.

What I found particularly impressive was the animated presentation that they created, showing how a combination of their tools could be used to save hostages from a terrorist situation. From tracking devices places along roadsides, invisible to the naked eye, to satellite based tracking systems that could see inside buildings and access the condition of the hostages as well as the preparedness of the terrorists, all transmitted to military grade laptop computers and hand-held units. Of course, in the end, the hostages were rescued, and it was all due to the intelligence conveyed to these rugged portable computer systems.

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Promotional Flash Drives - The Most Demanding Device in the Market

There are mainly two types of items given away as promotional gifts in respect to usability are concerned. While one type of gifts that are given away is locked up inside the drawer like a piece of crap, the other category are like by people and helps in serving useful purposes. It is not a matter of concern whether the gift is heap in price or not. However, the thing that matters is the usage of the item by the receiver.

While giving away gifts for promotional purpose, it is always needed to be seen that people get to use them on a daily purpose. These gifts are given to promote a product or the brand name of accompany. Therefore, locking these items inside the drawers will not solve the purpose of getting the company name being highlighted before a large category of people.

Although there are a lot of items that can be used as promotional gifts, but uniqueness of the product is always appreciated by the receivers. One such unique product is the promotional flash drives. These items have created a revelation in the market of electronic data transfer devices. Previously, data transfer took place through the help of floppy devices and compact discs.

However, the usage of floppy device is not preferred nowadays due to several limitations. The floppy discs are more prone to being damaged. Moreover, they does not hold large amount of data. They are also more expensive.

However, such is not the case for flash drives. The flash drives functions mainly through the help of universal Serial Bus. As a result they are also known as USB memory sticks. The major advantage of these devices is their shapes and sizes. They are extremely portable to carry and taken from one place to another. Moreover, they have more capacity of data holding if compared to floppy or CD discs.

If compared with the data holding capacity, then it can be said that these USB flash drives are much cheaper in price than its competitors are. There are many cheap USB memory sticks available in the market. These devices also last for more period than the CD and Floppy discs available in the market.

Although not known by many, but a flash drive can be used also to speed up your personal computer. They act as external ram in certain Windows version of Operating Systems.

Nowadays, the television sets, music players, and video players all feature the faculty of having USB ports. These are sued to insert the USB flash drives to view for video files or listen to music file contained in the drives.

Companies like SanDisk, Transcend, HP, Kingston and Mercury are some of the leading producers of USB flash drives in the market. They produce for both cheap and expensive categories of these flash drives. A wide range of designs is also available to get them gifted to people.

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Samsung SP-P400: Rising High Among Pico Projectors

Small But Terrible Samsung SP-P400B Mini Projector

Pico, tiny, micro, mini pocket projector, they all mean the same thing. Unfortunately, not all models behave in the same way. One is different among the others in terms of lifespan, contrast ratio, wide-angle image capacity and many others.

Truly indeed, while the term pico literally means 'one trillionth', we cannot underestimate the potential and capacity of Samsung P400 projector. This tiny piece is so small but it is able to give you an 80-inch diagonal image with a 56-inch screen height. Small but terrible indeed.

In reality, prices for pocket projectors may range from more or less $100 to $1000. But if you are someone with a long-term vision, aiming to get a pocket projector that can lasts for 30,000-hour lifespan with unprecedented quality and mercury free, you would not be mistaken when you choose the Samsung P400 dlp projector.

This amazing Samsung P400 projector uses an LED to project their image instead of the conventional lamp that is found in most other digital projectors. LED technology has come along in leaps and bounds in the last 2 years with a number of television and projector manufacturers offering sets with this technology inside. For most pocket projectors, the lamp life is 10,000 to 30,000 hours which is a considerable amount of time.

While some pocket projectors also features a built-in power source using a rechargeable battery, the Samsung P400 led projector also has built-in speakers that play loudly, so no matter where your travels take you, you'll be able to enjoy room-filling sound even if you don't have other speakers on hand. For students, businessmen, salesperson, gamers or for simple fun, pocket projectors also come with at least a composite input to allow laptops, PCs, game consoles and pretty much any device that can output video, to send an image through them.

Ultraportable projectors like the Samsung P400, are so small and lightweight that they can be used in any situation. You never have to worry about carrying around a big, heavy bag with power cords and a projector in it. Just whip one of these Pico Projectors out of your pocket and start projecting in a matter of minutes.

It will be interesting to see how far the technology can go with these devices.

Yet it would be enough to say that, among the pocket projectors available in the market today, you cannot afford to miss the Samsung SP-P400b projector

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Refurbished Desktop Computer Reviews

These days, desktop computers are basically are the cheapest items in the market and are excellent value for money before a research done prior to purchase. There are lots of customers who like to purchase a new desktop computer instead of refurbished desktop computer. Because of the evolving of stigma with new technology, refurbished computers have now become viable option. The consumer expectations have also been increased in these recent years and the manufacturers have also raised the quality standards for refurbished products. They have introduced a new process of replacing key components and isolating problems. I have read lots of reviews, but these computer reviews say that most of the manufacturers want their customers to order the products in better interest. Most of them expect that refurbished computers should come with physical defects and scratches.

There are some refurbished desktop computers which look like new ones as they come in good or mint conditions. Most of these computers are returned by customers and most of these PCs work perfectly alright without any problems. The customer didn't like the computer for some reason will decide to return and buy a new one and in such cases, the manufacturers have to sell these PCs as refurbished. All desktop computers go through same approval process and testing new alike and renovated. Refurbished PCs are not old computers. Buying one of the refurbished computers doesn't mean that you are getting an old machine, while they are becoming faster with more information holding capacity on bigger hard drives. The technology which is used in these PCs might be one year old, so you are getting memory specifications and processing power which is similar to new models.

These computer reviews say that those who are looking for refurbished desktop computers check online, do some word processing, play games, balance your checkbook, you would like to invest in one of the renovated models. Most of these computers are upgradeable so you can add bigger hard drive, memory and quicker or faster processor. Internet is a useful tool for sharing the engaging stories and researching the ancestry. The small home offices or small and medium size enterprises can also benefit from refurbished desktop computers as most of the companies cannot afford to buy a new PC. These types of computers undergo a lot of testing to make sure that there are no problems with from their previous owners such as the hardware parts are being tested and are replaced if any issues.

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Save Money for Future With Remanufactured HP Q3960A and Q3961A Toner Cartridges

We all like to save money to ensure that when we need some money for something, we won't have to ask anyone. Plus, having some money in your bank account also gives you some peace of mind and surety that you don't need to rely on others or that you won't have to beg others when a need will arise and you will badly need the money. So, it is always advisable to save some money. Now, the problem is that even though we like to save some money, the problem is today's economy that is not even allowing people to earn enough to pay their bills.

If you will go to someone and tell him to save as much as possible, he will look at you as though you are joking. This is a reality folks that we all have to face. However, just thinking about and crying over it won't make the life any better. What we need is a practical solution that will allow us to save money now for the future, so when we will need something, or if an adversity will strike, we won't have to feel worried at all. To achieve this, what we need to do is to reduce our costs. Reducing our monthly expenditure will allow us to achieve this goal.

One of the best ways of saving money is to make a move to remanufactured products. For example, if you use a printer at home, then ensure that it is compatible with remanufactured HP Q3960A toner cartridge or HP Q3961A toner cartridge. If your printer is not compatible, then it is advisable to get one that will work with these toner cartridges. Now, you may wonder and ask: Why make a move to Remanufactured HP Q3960A toner cartridge or HP Q3961A toner cartridge? How will it help a person reduce the cost and save money?

Well, these remanufactured HP Q3960A and HP Q3961A toner cartridges allow you to save as much as 40% to 50% on each cartridge that you buy. Since the new toners are expensive, getting your hand on remanufactured toners will allow you to save a significant amount of money. What you can do is that you can keep that money on side as your saving. If your printing needs are high and you frequently, buy cartridges, then this move will allow you to save lots of money. So, just like that, move to cheaper and remanufactured products to allow yourself to save money for future.

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The Need of Having Portable Hard Drives

Nowadays it's all about speed and durability particularly in the field of technology. When it comes to data storage, the overall volume of data is increasing at a tremendous rate, especially when you are working with large files such as graphical files, uncompressed video and audio and DTP files.

With such a massive increase in the size of data, the demand for portable hard drives with top speed is more present than ever. There are lots of brands available in the market and every one of them is offering different models with different specification. There are external drives with even a capacity of 2 TB which was considered a very huge volume at some time.

Newer units are coming with Fire Wire interfaces, providing a fast and reliable data transfer speed. For optimal flexibility and portability, the Hard Drives are also equipped with a USB 2.0 and even USB 3.0 connection, so you can connect it to any modern computer that does not have a FireWire interface.

All of these portable hard drives come in a stylish enclosure which will complement the design of your PC or Mac. These drives also feature Sync applications, for synchronizing files between drives and computer, and some of them have an encryption feature which gives access to a pre-defined encrypted partition.

All modern drives are pre-formatted (for Windows), so you're ready to use them seconds after connecting it to your computer. These drives are ideal for both office and home use. Following are some of the uses:

Office use:

* The best storage solution for official documents such as large graphics files, administrative archives etc.
* These drives are ideally suited for AV professionals; to store and edit large uncompressed video and music files
* Synchronize your files between office network and the drive, so that you can always have the latest version of your files available
* Use these external disks to make quick software installations on multiple computers

Home use:

* Store all your personal photo, music, video collection on one location
* Make a backup of your PC/Mac files in your home network
* Make a drive image of a clean OS installation and recover it in case of your computer's hard drive failure

Those who work with digital media always require the ability to store and move around colossal amounts of data. It sounds unbelievable, but for every minute of a finished video, it isn't unreasonable to have a full hour of source material to edit from. It's no surprise that portable hard drives are simply a part of life for many professionals nowadays.

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The Risks of Used or Refurbished Laptops Under $300

In the computer and laptop world, there is a large debate going on as to whether or not a consumer should buy a used laptop or a refurbished laptop directly from the manufacturer. There are problems that can be associated with both methods, but some advantages as well.

If you want to buy a used laptop, there are many places that you can purchase it from. eBay and Amazon, for instance, sell used laptop equipment at inexpensive prices, and are the most popular options to use.

However, buying a laptop through an auction site has the downfall of possibly purchasing damaged equipment. There are, unfortunately, unscrupulous dealers that sell through these sites.

In fact, that is the largest downfall associated with buying used equipment, in general. Whether or not you are purchasing your laptop from an auction site, sight unseen, or buying used equipment through a newspaper locally, if you do not know precisely what you are looking at when you're purchasing the equipment, you run the risk of having to pay a large price later to have it repaired.

When you make a purchase of a refurbished laptop through the manufacturers themselves, you avoid this problem, since the manufacturers will thoroughly check the equipment before it is shipped out to you. Any damage equipment contained within the hardware will be replaced with new, saving you the price of having to pay later.

They also often offer warranties on these refurbished laptops. Some of them even go so far as to offer free shipping, passing the savings on to you. If you purchased through an auction site, the shipping charges would likely be paid by you.

The disadvantage associated with buying a refurbished laptop through the manufacturer is that you will generally be paying a larger price for equipment that you could get used, and when you purchase a used laptop, you can usually get a higher end piece of hardware at a lower price.

Another advantage to buying a refurbished model is, for instance, Toshiba and Asus are the most reliable laptop manufacturers, according to surveys completed by warranty providers. These two manufacturers offer refurbished models on their older equipment, often with laptops under $300.

In the end, the risk is up to you. Aarmed with the knowledge of some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with both, you should be able to make a decision that will leave you satisfied.

This tip is so simple; you can implement it immediately and start seeing results you want! But it doesn't stop there. You can actually take this a step further and increase your understanding using another simple technique. The problem is, I don't have the space here to share it. It is, however, on my website.

So if you want to go further with your knowledge about Laptops Under 300, visit my blog for more powerful information, get the best out your Poker Playing Strategies.

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Tips for Buying a Personal Computer

Today,technology is advancing every day with amazing speed. Just think, buying a computer today with a certain amount and after 4-6 months, you can buy the same configuration 20-30% cheaper. Computer usage is the most important. If this is for office use, documents creation, viewing movies, listening to music, internet navigation or if you are a gaming enthusiast. The best and cheapest way is to buy from online stores, because the prices are lower and you find the best information to date on the configuration and upgrade done to the computer, saving your wasted time, taking advantage of the receipt of the system by postal services directly home.

Configure the system so to be "balanced". For example: a very expensive and powerful CPU, an integrated video card and RAM memory failure are not suitable together. Try to keep parts of the last generation and keep the chance of an upgrade that you could make after a while.CPU frequency determines the speed "of calculation". A faster CPU will perform in a shorter time archiving, compression, rendering..etc. So it is easy to see why it's not wise to "take a fortune" on the processor, if routinely navigate on the internet. Central Processing Units are different types: single core, dual core, triple core, quad core,..etc.For an unassuming computer a dual core processor is sufficient. Also, RAM memory is very important, especially when running multiple programs simultaneously, indicated it would be at least 2GB.

The motherboard is important and you must take care that all components are compatible. You can give up a video card if there is an integrated module. If you use the computer for games, then you really need a better video card. Housing and its internal organization help establish an air flow and cooling components and the Power Supply Unit is properly designed to supply all the components of the computer. The PSU is very important component, because besides that it needs to keep stable voltages and have the opportunity to deliver the currents necessary for the functioning of components, overcurrent protections, overvoltage, short-circuit, etc., it may constitute a source of noise if it is questionable quality.

The hard disk drive is chosen according to the information capacity you want to store and the file transmission speed. If you listen to music and watch movies, is better to invest in a pretty good sound system and a full HD monitor with digital connections.For an excellent functioning of the entire computer, the accessories have also an important role, such as keyboard, mouse and webcam. You can seek advice from several people who have knowledge in the field, but the final decision to choose a personal computer is yours.

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Understanding Three Common Keyboard Styles

C'mon man! There is no such thing as a serial keyboard! Like anyone else, I understand the need to simplify the descriptions of different kinds of technology, but one thing must be reaffirmed: keyboards never plug into a serial port on a computer, normally anyway.

Let's go over a few of the different types of keyboards to help people keep them properly sorted.

AT style, 5 Pin DIN

Both the original PC and the AT keyboard had a round, 5 pin DIN connector. These connectors came from a German standard that arranged the pins in a semi-circular, smiling, pattern. The plugs on these keyboards are larger than those found on newer keyboards (13.2 millimeter diameter) and are thus easily distinguishable.

Motherboards that use the 5 pin DIN keyboard connector were called "AT" form factor boards. Keyboards with this connector seem to be what most people are talking about when they refer to a "serial" keyboard.

PS/2 style, mini DIN

PS/2 keyboards feature a smaller, mini-DIN connector that has six pins. The jacks for these keyboards on computers are frequently marked purple, while the identical-looking PS2 mouse port is usually colored green.

Older keyboards are generally compatible with the PS2 keyboard port and adapters that convert the 5 pin DIN to the 6 pin mini DIN were commonplace at the time when both styles were simultaneously in use.

Motherboards using the PS/2 style keyboard connector are mostly "ATX" form factor boards.

Unlike the older AT style keyboards, PS/2 keyboards usually are not hot-swappable. This means that when replacing one, the computer should first be turned off.

USB keyboards

Technically, USB is a serial port, but this is not what most people refer to when they say "serial keyboard." In fact, most people just call them "USB keyboards." These are the most common keyboard interface right now and are hot-swappable. These keyboards are fitted with the ubiquitous USB connector and are virtually universal in their compatibility with any computer that is equipped with a USB port.

Now that you have the terminology straight, you know that you do not have a serial keyboard, so what kind of keyboard do you have?

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USB 3.0 - Branded USB Memory Sticks

USB 3.0 is here. It may not have arrived with much of a fanfare and its arrival might, in the short term at least, be more interesting to classic early adopters but its arrival is significant and will have a bearing on the promotional USB memory stick market.

The reason why the arrival USB 3.0 is significant is because USB 3.0 flash drives read and write at 10 times the speed of comparable USB 2.0 memory sticks. But there is also a further and more subtle change heralded by the arrival of USB 3.0 and that is the ability of USB sticks to send and receive data at the same time

So, if you want your branded USB memory sticks to carry loads of data and be able to "play" this data quickly then you're going to love USB 3.0. Because they transfer data at 4.8 gigabytes per second they are ideal for handling large file formats like videos, music and digital photos. Running full motion, HD adverts directly from a USB 3.0 stick is going to be easy and will create all sorts of interesting creative opportunities for advertising agencies.

Although support for USB 3.0 started to appear on new PC's in 2010 its only going to start being rolled out on most PC's this year. If your PC is not equipped with USB 3.0 then you won't have to dump your PC or Mac to benefit from the performance improvements but you will have to install a new PCI card to upgrade it to USB 3.0 - this is normally pretty easy to do and the cards will be relatively cheap.

If you don't have USB 3.0 on your PC or Mac but you're given a USB 3.0 memory stick the stick will still work but it'll just work at USB 2.0 speeds.

In the short term the only drawback of using promotional USB 3.0 memory sticks is cost. As with all new "tech gear" its expensive when it first comes out and at the moment there is quite a premium to pay for USB 3.0 sticks. Give it another 12 months and the price differential between 2.0 and 3.0 will start to close rapidly and with 2-3 years all promotional USB flash drives will be USB 3.0.

The challenge in the intervening period is to get your creative hats on and think about how you can best use the improvements in speed and interaction offered by these new USB memory sticks.

Phil is part of the team at USB2U. USB2U is a specialist supplier of Branded and Promotional USB Memory Sticks. We offer fast turnaround times, excellent advice and support and free design and mock-ups. If you are considering Branded Memory Sticks or want custom USB memory sticks then please contact us - we 'd be delighted to hear from you.

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USB Cables - Things to Keep in Mind While Buying Them

Now a day this becomes very easy to attach devices with the help of cables. They are fast, redundant and efficient in doing work. In earlier days of computer transfer a data from one device to other was a science but now technology has revolutionize every thing thus reducing human effort and increases productivity in work. It is the story few years earlier when floppy disks was heavily used to transfer data from one place to another but with the help of new inventions like blue tooth and wireless LAN every things seems to change now. LAN cables are so much popular and every company is using it either it is small or a large firm. Now, questions comes what are the best possible solution to buy a redundant and highly efficient universal serial bus cabling for your systems.

First of all you have to what are the possible ways where these cables can be attached in. These cables can be attached to a printer, scanner, computer, digital camera and a laptop. It becomes very easy for you to decide if you find which device you are going to attach this cable. So, you can only select right cable when you have strong knowledge of all different options available in market. The key point is to make a detail analysis of all brands and find which one best suite your requirement. Let's suppose you are going to attach universal serial bus cable to your laptop from a printer. Now, you have to make an analysis of data transfer through these cables. Means how many people are using this single cable. This analysis will tell you what maximum speed you are required in your cable.

Now, comes the time of affordability of your pocket; how muck money you can put into for buying a good quality cable. It is better to buy cable according to data transfer that will flow through this universal serial bus cable. There are very good range of cables available in market ranging from 6 feet, 10 feet and even more. It all depends upon your own personal requirement what best suites you. If you have placed your printer nearby you then 6 feet cable will be enough but if your printer is quite away from your laptop then 10 feet and more distance cables are available in market. Key elements that every one should keep in mind that cable should manufacture with a good material. It should be able to bear high fluctuations of data and can work maximum period of time. So, next time when you plan to buy USB Extension Cable make sure you have made enough research and right cable according to your plan.

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USB Cables Requirement of the Modern Days

Information technology is booming now a days and modern hardware devices are coming within days in market. We are living in era where technology advancement has revolutionized whole globe into small village. Access to information was so easy that we may find everything in minutes with the help of Internet. Internet has become the need of modern era leaving behind all other systems. Information technology has merged all other departments into simple computer machines. Now every information's are in our finger tips. Every single day new machines are coming in market. Modern mobile phones, I Pads, Pd's and minicomputer are some simplest examples of modern devices. These devices are advance in technology and communication that it becomes difficult to understand rapidly changes in these devices. As new devices are coming in market more demand for using universal serial bus connecting cables are arises. Here we will see some features of these cables and how one can change them according to his desire need.

These cables are of many different types all differ from quality and features. Let's first talk about flash cable that is used to connect two similar PC's. A simple type of cable is used to connect two PC's. Normally a connector is used in between 100 Mb's speed data cable. This is very powerful cable in terms of data transfer speed and redundancy. Normally these kinds of cables are used in office environments where data redundancy and speed is require all the time. It is also very interested thing to know that use of universal serial bus port is introduced very later instead of other serial ports. Use of universal serial bus ports has revolutionized the whole game of communication. Now, this became very easy to attach every kind of universal serial bus device to computer with the help of these cables.

Now, let's discuss some other type of devices where universal serial bus port concepts are heavily used. Everyone hear about I Pads, pd as and mini commuter all these devices are connected to PC's for data sharing and transfer. Here USB Extension Cable is used to connect these devices with personal computers. An important element to know about these cables is to understand the use of drivers. Means there are some universal serial bus cable that require driver to pick up where some don't. To understand the specific need of your device is very important because this become very difficult often to find drivers of these cables. So, before buying new electronic device check you have all the require cables and drivers which is required for connecting newly devices to your computers.

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Western Digital My Book World Edition II - 2 TB Network Attached Storage

What it is?

This desktop type of superior hard drive needs the utilization of power adapter to function in the most thorough manner without any technical problems. However, it must be kept in mind that it cannot be operated with a USB cable single-handedly. It needs to have an effective arrangement of USB cable in order to operate flawlessly. Western Digital My Book World Edition II - 2 TB Network Attached Storage gives an additional 2 TB storage space for its users in a stylish, little footstep design.

Advantages

The overall idea is to offer additional storage capacity to users in order to facilitate the functioning more efficiently. It will permit a user to release the case and reinstate a drive as per his requirement and desire any time. The device has been incorporated with superior UPnP for effective performance. With the installation of UPnP into the device the overall procedures related to network configuration becomes extremely easy and expedient.

Western Digital My Book World Edition II - 2 TB Network Attached Storage has 2 TB- 2000GB hard drive storage space for users. This device will be extremely beneficial for those individuals who are engaged in lengthy and complex assignments on the computer and internet. The enhanced storage space will certainly allow users to handle the complex tasks on the computer more conveniently.

Qualities

It can be easily configured to RAID 1 capability without any technical impediments. The other advantage of this device is that it can be easily configured quite conveniently as a middle storage spot in your house that may be compatible with Mac and Windows as well. However, it always recommended safeguarding your computer with mechanical and incessant backup programs in order to avoid any type of unwanted virus or malfunctioned software damaging your computer.

Users can easily store all the digital multimedia features in one important spot so that any body in the family may have easy accesses without any problems. The intrinsic distant access expertise allow a user to access files from any spot and at any time. With the assistance from Western Digital My Book World Edition II - 2 TB Network Attached Storage users will be able to play music and videocassette files on television as per their requirement and craving anytime.

On the other hand, users will be able to play iPod, iPhone and even iTunes music on the desktop or laptop in the house with the help from this productive device.

Customers will be able to access data and other vital information through this device even when outside the house. Mechanical and incessant backup for all the central processing units on your individual network with the assistance from this unique device is one of the most productive features.

Users will be able to save or restore all the damaged data, files and folders in the most diligent manner from this device. Any type of lost file, folder or program shall be restored in its original format with the help from this spectacular device.

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What Is RAM? How Does It Affect Performance?

RAM stands for Random Access Memory. What this means is that your computer can store and access information (bytes) in a memory slot at "random" without touching the preceding data.

So what is the difference between a hard drive and RAM? A hard drive is used to permanently store data (such as documents, pictures, music etc) where as RAM is used to temporarily store information for running programs.

For example if you are playing a computer game, thousands of times a second that game will be storing and recalling data from the RAM in order to run the processes it requires to operate. If you close the game then all this memory will be emptied, and your progress will not be saved. If, however, before you closed the game, you "saved" your status, what this would do would write a file permanently to the hard drive that can be then reloaded by the program at a later date. RAM will also be emptied upon shutting down your computer, resulting in all data stored in it being lost.

The type of RAM you most likely have in your computer will be called "DDR" RAM (DDR stands for double data rate), and is referred to as DDR, DDR2, DDR3 and the newest (and very uncommon at the time of writing) DDR4. The larger the DDR number, the faster the RAM can communicate with the processor, resulting in faster computing speeds.

Operating systems such as Windows Vista were notorious for being very "memory intensive" meaning that simply to run the background operating system a large amount of the RAM was taken up and inaccessible to any other application. This resulted in very slow running speeds, a problem Microsoft attempted to rectify in Windows 7, fairly successfully.

A fairly common modern adaptation of RAM is the concept of "shared" graphics cards. These are usually graphics adaptors that are built into the motherboard of a computer and instead of having their own dedicated memory (like the majority of more expensive PCI graphics cards) take control of large blocks of RAM (usually around 1GB) for the sole purpose of running graphics processing. This again can often result in machines with high amounts of RAM noticing a significant decline in performance as soon as any kind of heavy graphical strain is put on the system (such as running a 3D game).

Simon Friling is the Lead Engineer at Archeon Computer Services

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What Is USB 3? Your Top 5 Questions Answered

You may have started seeing computers, laptops and hard drives advertised as USB 3 at your local online stores. You may be wondering what the deal is with this new designation. We will clear up some of the most common questions asked on our site.

What exactly is USB 3?
USB 3 is the next major release of the ubiquitous Universal Serial Bus created in 1996 by a consortium of companies led by Intel to standardize and simplify the connection of peripherals to personal computers. USB 2 has been a substantial hit with over 6 billion devices in use. With the need for greater speed and bandwidth demands of computer and personal electronics USB2 was running up against transfer speed limitations.

USB 3 was created to address the needs of this higher demand and other requirements of modern computers and peripherals.

Essentially, USB 3 promises these major enhancements

? High transfer rates of up to 4.8Gbps

? Bumped up bus power and increased device current draw to accommodate more bus powered devices

? Power management

? Full-duplex data transfers and support for new transfer types

? New connectors and cables for to accommodate higher speed transfers but maintain backwards compatibility with USB 2.0 products

Will my existing peripherals work with USB 3.0?
The short answer is yes. USB 3 was designed with backwards compatibility in mind. While USB 3 needs new physical connections to take advantage of the new higher speed and power features, the connector size is the same and the four USB 2 contacts are in the same positions. The extra 5 USB 3 connections only come into contact when matched to a proper USB 3 connection.

What is SuperSpeed USB?
SuperSpeed USB is just another nomenclature for USB 3.0. They can be used interchangeably to describe the same thing.

What peripherals can I find using USB 3?
Initially, peripherals that can take advantage of the higher transfer speeds will be the first out to market. Expect to see external hard drives including RAID type systems, flash drives and Blu-ray drives to come with USB 3. As SuperSpeed is still relatively new and more expensive to implement than USB 2, they will initially show up only on high end computers and laptops.

Expect to see other devices such as:
-High resolution web and video surveillance cameras
-Bus only powered displays like DisplayLink's video technology
-Digital video cameras and digital still cameras for much faster download speeds
-Multi-channel audio interfaces

What is the future of USB 3?
USB3 silicon will eventually be integrated into motherboard chip sets like USB2 is currently at which point they will become ubiquitous on almost all computers and laptops. You can expect both Windows and Mac to eventually natively support USB 3 after an initial period of delay. While USB2 will never go away, as many peripherals simply do not need the higher bandwidth and power features of USB 3, you can expect USB 3 to take over for most peripherals where data transfer is a function.

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