Which Type of Computer Should I Buy

General Guidelines

As a general rule, my opinion is that one should get the most computer that they can afford without getting the actual top of the line.

Computer technology changes rapidly and today's super fast and capable computer rapidly becomes outdated. Unless you are interested in swapping your computer frequently, getting a very capable current computer should hold you for at least a few years.

The very top of the line computer demands a premium in price that is generally not worth it and one level below has at least 95% of the capability of the top.

If your budget doesn't allow for this solution, you need to be aware of the tradeoffs in various choices that you will have to make.

Computer type selection

You should first decide if you want a laptop or desktop computer. I've discussed the issues at length in my article entitled Desktop or Laptop? The main question is if you have the need to be mobile even though your computer will cost more and possibly have less capability.

Depending on one's finances, you may opt for used computer or for a blowout special. Great savings can be achieved by taking this route.

However, used computers present support challenges and the risk of early breakdown. Low priced bargain computers may be limited in ultimate capability and need to be carefully evaluated. I hope to discuss these options in greater detail in a future article.

Heavy duty 3D gaming is a whole new world and generally pushes current computer technology to the limits with top of the line powerful and expensive units and is out of the scope of this article.

Component choices

1. Processor
2. Operating system
3. Monitor
4. Memory
5. Hard Drive Size
6. CD and DVD burner
7. Video card
8. Sound and Speakers
9. Keyboard and mouse
10. Media reader
11. Modem
12. Wireless network

Best of luck with your purchase.

Holiday Shopping Through Electronic Machines

Many holiday shoppers were integrated to faster means of shopping at malls and other retail outlets with the introduction of the electronic check-out process and the use of debit cards and credit cards at the cash register. Some people really like the option of getting extra cash because the holiday shopper might be running low on gasoline and they have very little time left over in their day to stop at a bank.

The holiday shopping choices have been thoroughly inventoried by electronic machines that are capable of scanning thousands of products in a store and the retailer knows exactly what quantity is on hand on any product that they choose to sell. Customers enjoy being able to read prices more clearly with the electronic digits that are computerized and legible and are never rang up incorrectly because all discounts are duly recorded by a computer system.

This same computer system allows holiday shopping discounts to be applied at the register and the customer is rarely delayed because a sale price was missed. Some retailers are able to offer more items at sales prices because the electronic machines told them which items in the store were limited and needed to be sold to make room for other merchandise in the back that was waiting to go to the sales floor.

With the introduction of gift cards, holiday shoppers had a new way to give a neat gift to their best friend. The selection of gift cards offered the holiday shopper a unique way to express how they feel because they had unique quotes or photographs on them that could be kept for years. The gift cards were electronic money sources that could be spent on any item that the gift recipient wanted.

Electronic machines have added speed to holiday shopping sprees in many ways. Consumers now have a choice of waiting in long lines at a grocery store or they can choose to use electronic check-out's that scan products at lightning speeds that customers enjoy using very much because they are so very easy to use.

With the use of electronic scanning at the check-out, a holiday shopper customer no longer has to wonder if an item was rang up twice by a store employee or if they made a mistake that they might not become aware of until they unpack the items at home. With electronic scanners at the check-out, customers can check for errors as the item is rang up. If the item is lower than the holiday shopper realized then they also have the option of buying more than one if they see the discount in time. Holiday shoppers like the easy to read receipts and the electronic payment methods that many banking institutions are connected to 24-hours a day.

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Saving Money On Electricity

1. Keep your appliances clean and well maintained. Regular cleaning and maintenance keeps your appliances in top shape, hence, it will perform better and consumes lesser energy. Energy saved is money saved.
2. Have an annual checkup by a qualified service technician. This can reduce the appliance’s operating costs by as much as 20%, extend the life of the system, and improve its safety and air quality.
3. When using air conditioners, it is best to establish your comfort temperature, and then setting your thermostat at that level permanently. This will definitely save on electric bills because the air conditioning unit takes less energy to cool air four to five degrees than it does to cool air eight to ten degrees. 4. Replace any items that may have been 10 years or older already. Old appliances are most likely not at their optimum efficiency. By replacing them, your electric bills may be cut by half. 5. If you experience a power outage, make sure you turn off the switch on your appliances and allow time to pass before turning the appliances on again when the power returns. 6. In refrigerators, do not overstuff compartments with bottles and plastic containers. Cool air must circulate freely to avoid overworking the condenser. Also, try not to leave the door of your refrigerator as open as possible or open longer than what is needed. This will have the tendency to allow the cool air to break out. 7. Always try to look for the “energy saving” logo or notes whenever you buy your new appliances. Buying an appliance with a logo that states it consumes lower energy, it will definitely let you save more money on your electricity. 8. Always use energy saving lights or light bulbs. These energy saving lights or light bulbs usually last up to 12 times longer. Plus, energy saving light bulbs consume less energy. Hence, you will be able to save more money just by saving on electricity. 9. Use energy-saving facilities at home like energy-saving windows or energy-saving appliances. This will lessen the consumption of energy and, thus, will let you save on money. For instance, use a “double-glazed” window instead of the ordinary window. 10. Use insulators at home. This will not let the warm or cool air out, and vice-versa. Indeed, saving on electricity will definitely save more money.

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The latest, and possible best, electronic format

For years, companies have been working on ways to put a newspaper’s full content online the way it was meant to be seen in print. Usually that means converting the newspaper’s production files into Portable Document Format, or PDF. But PayperNews has developed an alternative that it says is easier to use and preserves the look and feel of the real paper, while adding some twists that take advantage of the online format.

"You can have a business model where people can pay for a subscription over the Internet only," says Tom Maessen, chief technology officer of the Dutch-based company.

The problem with PDF has been that the file sizes are unwieldy, especially when pictures are thrown into the mix. PDF reproductions of newspaper pages also tend to be lower-resolution than the actual printed pages, and sometimes the PDF version does not capture all the graphics that are on those pages, Maessen says.

"The only way to get the entire newspaper is to use TIFF-G4," the format used for the four-color press separations, Maessen says. PayperNews’ Digi-dition system scans the digital versions of those separations and, with the aid of human checkers, segments each page into clickable elements. Each small-scale page on the Web serves as a navigation device: When you click on an article, photo, graphic or advertisement, a larger version of that element pops onto the screen.

Even the ads are displayed in sharp resolution, and they can be made clickable to take the reader to the advertiser’s designated Web site. The elements of each page can be archived, then resold for a premium as newspaper clippings via a service called Digi-clips. Those elements also can be recombined to create new products, such as a "Historic Front Pages" book.