Where Can I Find The Best Case Mods Online and Save Money?

Are you captivated by the stunning Case Mods you've seen online but shell shocked at some of the prices.

What is a case mod, some of you may ask? Have you every wanted to spice up that boring bland box you call your computer?

Well you can and there are lots of people online with fantastic clever ideas on themes, gee whiz lights, sounds, and much much more. Here is a list of top places where you can get information, buy stuff, and chat with others about your ideas.

If you want great case mod information you should go to the Best Case Scenario;

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/

There you will get great advice on do it yourself case mod projects that will save you money. You will find "well written and photographed case modding worklog that allows us to follow a modder's project in a step-by-step fashion".

If you want to buy great case mod items at low prices you should go to:

http://www.case-mod.com/store

Their statement sums up what the site is about; "A unique shopping experience for the Hardcore PC Enthusiast! Along with providing an excellent selection of high quality items and offering exceptional and personal customer service, Case-Mod.com has found many unique ways to save you money and make your shopping experience an enjoyable one."

If you want case mod forums and galleries go to;

http://www.casemodgod.com

Do it yourself case modding projects. "If you want guides to dozens of creative modding projects, this is your site"

These sites have great advice and products on all kinds of case mod ideas.

Now First-Ever Star Wars PC (more info at http://www.maxsvr.com/case-mod-information/)

Alienware now has a line of Star Wars PCs. In addition to stunning Star Wars graphics on the case, the systems also come with spectacular Star Wars skins and Wallpaper. (more info at http://www.maxsvr.com/case-mod-information/)

According to Alienware;

"As possibly the most popular movie franchise of all time, Star Wars has appeared on countless products and become an indelible part of pop culture. Despite all of that, however, there has never been a PC that Star Wars fans could call their own. Until now. The first-ever Star Wars PC, the Alienware Aurora: Star Wars Edition, has arrived, bringing together one-of-a-kind Star Wars style and award-winning Alienware power to forever transform your computing experience."

The Star Wars graphics on both the "light side" and the "dark side" versions look as impressive as it gets. (more info at http://www.maxsvr.com/case-mod-information/)

Kevin Taylor is a freelance writer/webmaster and lives in Toronto, Canada. <a target="_new" href="http://www.maxsvr.com/case-mod-information">http://www.maxsvr.com/case-mod-information</a>

5 Ways To Backup Your Data...

The data on your hard drive is the most critical item inside your computer, and the only item which can not be replaced. It may be an unwanted hassle and expense to replace a defective memory module, monitor, or processor, but there is no replacing data once lost.

In addition to the possibility of a simple hard drive failure, the threat of internet borne worms and viruses has become an increasing risk to data loss or corruption. Although you may not be able to provide absolute protection to your hard drive, there are various ways that you can ensure that the data on your hard drive is protected. Five methods of backing up your data are summarized below?

1. USB Flash Drives

Although I am not recommending that flash drives be used for the actual data storage, they are a convenient means of transferring data from one computer to another. Important files can be quickly loaded onto a device such as the MINIDISK-512-DGRY-CS USB 2.0 Flash Drive, and transported to another computer for safe keeping. Installation and operation is extremely simple, and other than perhaps having to install a software driver, the use of a USB flash drive is a matter of having an available USB port on your computer. Just about every computer produced over the last several years has USB ports included, with more modern systems supporting the USB 2.0 standard. USB 2.0 allows for data transfer rates of up to 480 MB/s, which is a tremendous improvement over the original USB speed limit of 12 MB/s, and allows a user to fill their drives with data in a relatively short period of time.

Although the storage capacity of flash drives has increased greatly over the last year or so, users are still limited to common sizes of 512MB and 1GB. Mass storage is obviously not an option, but even 512MB may be enough to backup your &quot;My Documents&quot; folder, several albums of MP3s, or other important files to be stored elsewhere.

2. CD and DVD Writers/Re-Writers

The falling prices of CD and DVD writers/re-writers have made them a staple of just about every modern computer. These devices can typically be found installed in a computer case, but external devices supporting USB 2.0 or Firewire are available for greater flexibility and ease of installation.

A combination drive, such as the NU Technology DBW-521, will provide the user a high speed CD reader/writer, as well as a DVD reader, for under $40. The extremely low price of the drive (and the blank media) makes for an inexpensive means of creating data backups, and the re-writable media increases the convenience by allowing the same disc to be erased and reused many times. The main limitation of using a CD writer for data backups is that the discs are generally limited to a capacity of 700MB per disc. Not nearly enough for a full backup, but adequate for archiving key files.

The popularity of DVD writers/re-writers has surged thanks to dropping prices, and they are pushing the stand alone CD burner towards extinction. DVD media affords the user far more storage capacity than a CD, and DVD burners can generally burn CDs as wells as DVDs. The recent availability of double layer DVD burners, such as the Sony DW-D22A-DO-N, represents a large boost in the capacity of writable DVDs, taking the previous limit of 4.7GB per disc and nearly doubling it to 8.5GB.

With proper storage, CD/DVD media can provide long term storage that can not be jeopardized by hardware failure. The data on a CD or DVD can easily be read by just about any computer, making it a good choice for archiving files that aren't excessively large.

3. External Hard Drives

As the name might imply, external hard drives are generally the same type of drive you might find inside your system, but housed in a smaller, external enclosure of its own. The enclosure will feature at least one data interface (such as Firewire, USB, or Ethernet), and the capacity is only limited by the size of hard drives presently available and the user's budget.

The Ximeta NetDisk is an example of an external hard drive that provides a user the option of connecting an additional 80GB, 120GB, or 160GB of storage to their system by using either a USB 2.0 or Ethernet connection. Installation for such a device is rather simple, and may involve the installation of some basic software, as well as making the necessary connections between the computer and the external enclosure.

The capacity of external hard drives makes them ideal for backing up large volumes of data, and many of these devices simplify the process by including software (or hardware) features to automate the backup.

For example, some Seagate External drives feature a &quot;one-button&quot; backup option right on the case.In addition to being a convenient method of backing up large volumes of files locally, most external hard drives are compact enough to be portable. The inclusion of a common data transfer interface, such as USB, allows an external hard drive to be connected to just about any modern computer for data transfer, or for more than one computer to share the external hard drive as a back up.

4. Additional Hard Drives

By simply adding an additional hard drive to you system, you can protect yourself from data loss by copying it from your primary drive to your secondary drive. The installation of a second hard drive isn't difficult, but does require a basic understanding of the inner working of a computer, which may scare off some users. We do offer a &quot;how-to&quot; section on our site for many tasks such as installing a hard drive into a computer system.

To take the installation of a second hard drive to another level of security and reliability, the hard drives may be installed in a RAID array. RAID stands for a Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks, and can be configured in several manners. A thorough discussion of RAID and all of its variations would be an article all by itself, but what may be of interest to this discussion is what is known as RAID 1. A RAID 1 array requires two hard drives of equal size to be installed on a RAID controller, which will then mirror one drive to the other in real time. Many motherboards now come with RAID controllers onboard, but the addition of a PCI slot controller card, such as the Silicon Image Sil0680, is an inexpensive purchase that will add RAID to any system. With a RAID 1 array in place, if one hard drive should ever fail, the system won't miss a best by continuing to run on the remaining good drive, and alert the user that one drive may need to be replaced.

5. Online Storage

Online services, such as Xdrive, allow users to upload their files to a server for safe keeping. Although it may be convenient to have the data available wherever an internet connection is available, there are a few limitations.

The services generally charge a monthly fee relative to the amount of storage space required. At Xdrive, for example, 5GB of storage costs $9.95 per month, which can quickly add up to more than one would spend on any of the other options discussed.

Security is supposed to be very tight on these services, but no matter how secure it may seem, it is still just a password keeping prying eyes from your potentially sensitive documents.

The speed of your internet connection will also weigh heavily on the convenience of your backup, and no matter what type of connection you have; it can't compete with local data transfer rates.

Final Words

Although not a comprehensive list of options available for backing up your data, the five items listed provide some simple and relatively affordable means to ensure that your data is not lost. Data loss is an extremely frustrating and potentially costly situation, but one that can be avoided.

http://geeks.com/pix/techtips-11-04-04.htm

Jason Kohrs
<a target="_new" href="http://www.geeks.com">Computer Geeks</a> <a target="_new" href="http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips.htm">tech tips</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips.htm">computer advice</a>

Bluetooth Can Be Cracked!

Nothing is completely safe today. Adobe has recently released a patch for a security hole in different graphical software, so why should Bluetooth be safe?

... and Bluetooth isn't safe off course! ;)

Two researchers of the Tel Aviv University School of Electrical Engineering Systems say they have discovered a technique for taking control of Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. After you've established a connection with an other cell phone, the attacker can easily make calls with your phone. If there is a Bluetooth connection with a PC, the hacker can even transfer data between his Bluetooth device / cell phone and the hacked computer. Bluetooth can be very dangerous as you can see! Even when the handsets have security features switched on, your cell phone isn't save at all!

Avishai Wool, senior lecturer and Yaniv Shaked, graduate student and both researchers of the Tel Aviv University School of Electrical Engineering Systems have published recently a paper about three methods for forcing a repeat of the pairing process, "Cracking the Bluetooth PIN" ( http://www.eng.tau.ac.il/~yash/shaked-wool-mobisys05/ ). In this paper, a passive attack is described, in which an attacker can find the PIN used during the pairing process. The eye-opening conclusion of these two researchers: "Our results show that using algebraic optimizations, the most common Bluetooth PIN can be cracked within less than 0.06-0.3 seconds. If two Bluetooth devices perform pairing in a hostile area, they are vulnerable to this attack."

A Belgian Master student is making a fresh attempt to keep a list with Bluetooth security links on http://student.vub.ac.be/~sijansse/2e%20lic/BT/welcome.html.

Ollie Whitehousen security researcher of @stake, a digital security consulting firm ( http://www.atstake.com ) has written in October 2003 a paper that "examines methods of assessing the security of Bluetooth devices in relation to the protocol's design and implementation flaws" ( http://www.atstake.com/research/reports/acrobat/atstake_war_nibbling.pdf ).

In general, the most critical point is the 'pairing' - connection procedure of two Bluetooth devices. When a Bluetooth device asks you to re-enter the PIN number for re-pairing, once the two devices are re-connected, the hacker can now easily crack the PIN code.

Links:

- http://www.atstake.com/research/reports/acrobat/atstake_war_nibbling.pdf

- http://student.vub.ac.be/~sijansse/2e%20lic/BT/

- http://www.eng.tau.ac.il/~yash/shaked-wool-mobisys05/

For feedback on this article, please visit <a target="_new" href="http://wallies.info/blog/item/145/index.html">http://wallies.info/blog/item/145/index.html</a>

Walter V. is a self-employed internet entrepreneur and founder-webmaster of several websites, including<br /> wallies.info :: A snappy blog about snappy blue things :: blog | wiki | forum | links - <a target="_new" href="http://wallies.info">http://wallies.info</a><br /> mblo.gs :: A snappy moblog community - <a target="_new" href="http://mblo.gs">http://mblo.gs</a>

RAID Disk Recovery

RAID is short for Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks, a category of disk drives that employ two or more drives in combination for fault tolerance and performance. RAID disk drives are used frequently on servers and increasingly being employed on personal computers. Array is the operative word, which also dictates what the cure is going to be, when a RAID disk recovery situation arises.

RAID disk repair, as you may expect is quite a complicated process. But the good thing going for it is the chances for retrieving lost data is higher than with most other types of disks because the typical RAID architecture strategically distributes data randomly across the array. What this sort of architecture demands of recovery professionals is to specialize in the disk???s many different levels.

In a nutshell, these are all the levels that the RAID disk recovery team is up against. RAID 0, 1, 0+1; RAID 3, 4; RAID 5; RAID 10; Hardware RAID including: AMI, Compaq, Dell, Adaptec, IBM, etc.; and, Software RAID including Mac OS; Windows Servers including 2K, XP, NT; Linux, Solaris, Novell, etc.

Just some RAID systems that most RAID disk recovery specialists should all be familiar with are: Quantum Snap Server; Maxtor MaxAttach; Adaptec AAA131; Compaq; Dell Perc Systems; IBM; AMI; Mylex; and yes, many others!

The two most common implementations of the RAID architecture are Levels 4 and 5. Level 4 provides block stripping with a parity check. When a data disk fails, the parity data is used to create a replacement disk. Level 5 provides data stripping at the byte level and also stripe error correction information, which results in excellent performance and good fault tolerance. These two types are certainly the best friends of the RAID disk recovery expert as these are the easiest to restore when the situation arises.

Brad Triggs provides more information on Data Recovery at his website:
<a target="_new" href="http://www.data-recovery-central.com">Data-Recovery-Central.com - RAID Data Recovery</a>

10 Things to Ponder Before Moving Your Office Network

Moving the office network? How hard could it be? Anybody who's ever moved the office network knows the risks and challenges associated with this colossal task. This mighty endeavour is not merely a case of logging-off, shutting down and pulling the plug.

The move requires careful, systematic planning, forethought and a little luck. The following considerations provide valuable guide ropes for hauling serious office technology.

Think of the move as the evolutionary-growth to a better network

An office move can provide the perfect opportunity to re-evaluate your IT systems, introduce new technology and upgrade your equipment.

Consider the future of your company and the flexibility your network will need as your company expands. Assess your needs and work out exactly what you will need to add to provide for your future growth.

Hire a network specialist to fine tune your systems

Obtaining expert advice helps cut corners, taking the guesswork out of what equipment you'll need, design and implementation of the network and the difficulties associated with troubleshooting.

&quot;We take great pride in our work. As a reliable, efficient and highly specialised IT company in London, you'll be afforded the peace of mind that with us, your computers and network are in the hands of professionals&quot; says Andrew Cruise, Managing Director of Hypercubic.

You also get an idea of what the costs will be, including the benefits of on-going maintenance and support. Planning the installation process with a professional takes the load off your shoulders and many thorns out of your side.

Save on downtime

Install the new system over the weekend, this way there will be minimal disruption to the business. Think about how many emails, phone calls and enquiries you will be missing if you move during the week. If the installation takes longer, inform clients or users in advance so they know what to expect.

One businessman reported, &quot;Before we moved offices, we sent an email to all of our clients informing them about the move and provided all our clients with contact details. Our manager received valuable business related calls via his mobile phone thanks to this pre-planning&quot;.

Moving valuable, sensitive equipment requires care

Moving several floor-standing servers or a couple of 42u racks may take more than a fat guy with a slipped disk. Depending on the size of the server lifting the equipment may require hoists, trolleys and ropes.

A removal truck is obviously an essential part of the office move, though extra care needs to be taken concerning packaging.

Prepare for impact

Your delicate robotics need to travel comfortably between cushioned barriers, preventing devices from jarring together. Wrapping the equipment in anti-static bubble wrap shields the equipment against magnetic fields, preventing the loss of valuable data.

Equipment should ideally be placed in computer crates. Each crate should be dedicated to one complete system that is labelled for easy identification.

Think seriously about Insurance

When it involves your bread and butter being stored in digital format, ensure you have a back-up plan in case something happens during the move. Most insurance companies offer various policies for insuring computers against theft and damage.

Find out if your new building has the facilities for your network

Be sure to conduct a site survey and evaluate what your network needs are. This helps to curb overspending on equipment and identifies the best possible locations for installing access points. It also ensures that cable runs meet the local building codes.

Things just work better when cabling is installed before the move

Before the move goes ahead, the new network's cabling and network infrastructure should be in place, conveniently ready for each labelled workstation crate to be placed next to the correct plugs, power leads and phone lines.

Power On: Booting-up the network

Expect a few glitches; problems are inevitable with a new network. Hiring a professional at this point is an invaluable asset. Installation support ensures that the company can deal with any unforeseen teething problems during the initial start-up period.

Lastly, don't even think about doing it yourself

Most companies, before seeking advice from professionals, go down the DIY networking route. Unless you have a qualified team, installing a network can turn ugly and about as frustrating as unravelling 3000 feet of fishing line with one hand.

Hypercubic is a London based <a target="_new" href="http://www.hypercubic.co.uk/">IT Support Company</a> specialising in the installation and support of computer networks. Their IT support technologies help save time and effort, especially when moving a network to a new location.

An Introduction to HD-DVD

High density digital versatile disc is a digital optical media format which is being developed. HD DVD is similar to the competing Blu-ray Disc. It is currently in a format war with the Blu ray disc proposed by the Blu ray disc association.

HD DVD has a single layer capacity of 15GB and a double layer capacity of 30GB. The surface layer is 0.6mm thick which is the same thickness of surface layer as standard DVDs.

HD DVD media is less expensive to manufacture than Blu ray discs which require re-tooling of DVD production lines. Another advantage over Blu ray is the common disc structure with DVDs which therefore allows for full backwards compatibility of HD DVD drives which will be able to play both DVDs and CDs. However it is now likely that Blu ray drives will be backwards compatible with DVDs.

HD DVD provides the large capacity storage needed for all sorts of recorded content, including high definition movies and music as well as computer data and files.

There are two kinds of of HD DVD discs for content, the 15GB single layer disc and the dual-layer disc with double capacity, a full 30GB. Using the latest compression technologies, the 30Bg disc can store up to 7 hours of images. Today' DVD has a capacity of 4.7GB and store only 2 hours of standard definition content.

HD DVD discs have a data transfer rate of 36.55Mbps which allows the 24Mbps data stream of digital television broadcasts to be seamlessly recorded.

Using HD DVD in the every day world will have numerous advantage over other optical media technologies. The resilient HD DVD disc has a protective layer which removes the need for a protective cartridge, allowing the development of slim computer drives. The added bulk of a disc cartridge would have also caused any laptops using a cartridge based optical media disc to increase substantially in size to allow for the extra room the drive would need.

Chuck Red runs website on both Blu ray <a target="_new" href="http://www.blueray-media.co.uk">http://www.blueray-media.co.uk</a> and HD DVD formats <a target="_new" href="http://www.hddvd-media.co.uk/">http://www.hddvd-media.co.uk/</a>

ABCs Of DVD Drive Abbreviations

The number of different formats available in DVD drives can be confusing to anyone in the market for one. The list is much longer, but to address a few of the common formats, we have DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM ,DVD+R DL and DVD?RW. Wow! This list of common formats is long enough, no wonder it's confusing!

What's with all the Formats?!

The reason for various recordable DVD formats is that no one group owns the technology and different groups have chosen to support one technology over another. There is no industrial standard for manufacturers to reference, so for the time being consumers will have a few choices.

The first thing to address is DVD itself, which stands for Digital Versatile Disc. Some may argue that the V stands for Video, but with the capability to store video, audio, and data files, Versatile is definitely the keyword.

Start with the Basics

A DVD-ROM drive is the only one we will address that does not record. ROM stands for Read Only Memory, and refers to the typical drive that can merely read DVDs, as well as CDs (all DVD drives can read CDs). The Lite-On LTD-163-DO-R has attributes representative of your typical DVD-ROM drive, and features a maximum DVD read speed of 16x and a maximum CD read speed of 48x.

Before getting into the different recordable formats, let's address the basics of what the R and RW stand for, regardless of whether there is a + or ? in the middle. R stands for Recordable, which indicates that the disk may be recorded to only once. RW stands for ReWritable, which indicates that the disc may be recorded to more than once, and are generally rated for 1000 rewrites under good conditions.

The DVD-R/-RW format was developed by Pioneer, and was the first format compatible with stand alone DVD players. The group that promotes the technology calls itself the DVD Forum, which is &quot;an international association of hardware manufacturers, software firms, content providers, and other users&quot; with notable members such as Hitachi, Samsung, and Toshiba. The DVD-R/-RW format is based on CD-RW technology and uses a similar approach to burning discs.

The DVD+R/+RW format is a newer format, also based on CD-RW technology, and compatible with a large percentage of stand alone DVD players. The +R/+RW technology is not supported by the DVD Forum, and its main backing comes from a group called the DVD+RW Alliance. The Alliance &quot;is a voluntary group of industry-leading personal computing manufacturers, optical storage and electronics manufacturers&quot; with members such as Dell, Hewlett Packard, Sony, and Phillips Electronics.

The DVD-RAM format is based on PD-RW (Phase-Differential) drives, and actually uses a cartridge to hold the media (just like its PD-RW predecessor). Some DVD-RAM cartridges are double sided, making them ideal for companies to use as system backup, hence DVD-RAM is usually found only in commercial applications, and most end-users won't ever need to use or see this type of drive. The DVD-RAM standard is also supported by the DVD Forum just like the DVD-R/RW format. However, because of its use of a cartridge (limiting it's compatibility), and the scarcity and price of the media used, DVD-RAM is a distant third when compared to the DVD+R/+RW and DVD-R/?RW technology.

The +R/+RW and ?R/-RW formats are similar, and the main difference DVD+R technology has is the ability to record to multiple layers (with its new DVD+R DL format), where DVD-R can only record to one layer (not all +R drives are capable of dual layer burning, but no -R drives are). The Plextor PX-504U is an example of an external DVD+R/+RW drive capable of recording single layer discs in the +R/+RW format, but also able to read discs recorded by a DVD-R drive.

What is DVD?RW?

DVD?RW is not actually a separate format, but the designation given to drives capable of both ?R/?RW and +R/+RW operation. This type of drive is typically called a &quot;Dual Drive&quot; (not to be confused with a &quot;Double Layer&quot; drive) since it can write to both the +R/+RW and ?R/?RW formats. The Samsung TS-H552 is a DVD?RW drive capable of reading and writing every format discussed so far, and then some. It takes advantage of DVD+R DL (Double Layer) technology available with the +R format, allowing the appropriate media to store virtually double the 4.37 GB capacity of a typical single layer disc.

The other main thing to consider with DVD burners is selecting the correct media. Media for DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R and DVD+RW media may all look the same, but they are slightly different in order to match the specific recording formats. The price of media for either format is generally the same, with RW media costing a good deal more than R media of either format. Double Layer media is even more expensive, and is the only way for an owner of DVD+R DL drive to take advantage of the tremendous capacity increase. As the amount of Double Layer drives increase in the market, the price of the DVD+R DL media is expected to fall with increased production of the media. DVD Burners (as these drive are often referred to) can be picky about the media supported, so be sure to choose your media wisely.

DVD in a Nutshell

DVD-ROM : Reads DVD discs

DVD+R : Writes to DVD+R media (will also typically write to CD-R and CD-RW media)

DVD+RW : Writes to DVD+RW media (will also typically write to DVD+R, CD-R and CD-RW media)

DVD+R DL : Writes to DVD+R DL (Double Layer) media (will also typically write to DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD-R and CD-RW media; many Double Layer drives are ALSO dual drives ? that is, able to write to BOTH +R/RW and ?R/RW media)

DVD-RAM : Writes to DVD-RAM cartridges (not in wide use on consumer market ? mainly a business format; can also read PD-RW discs. Will not usually be able to write to any other format including CD-R or CD-RW)

DVD-R : Writes to DVD-R media (will also typically write to CD-R and CD-RW media)

DVD-RW : Writes to DVD-RW media (will also typically write to DVD-R, CD-R and CD-RW media)

DVD?RW : Writes to DVD-RW and DVD+RW media (will also typically write to DVD-R, DVD+R, CD-R and CD-RW media; typically called &quot;Dual Drives&quot; since it can burn to two different DVD formats)

Final Words

This article took a look at the more common formats of DVD drives in order to shed some light on all the choices available. The differences between them all may be subtle, but the compatibility issues can be quite frustrating. The simple answer to anyone considering a drive is to forget about + and ? by themselves, and shoot for universal compatibility with a good DVD?RW with DVD+R DL support.

<a target="_new" href="http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips.htm">http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips.htm</a>

Generation Laptop

In May 2005 U.S hardware history was made.

This was the first time that laptops sold more than desktop computers in a single month. Indeed, Current Analysis, an innovative research firm headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, confirmed that laptop sales leapt to 53.3 per cent of the total PC retail market in May 2005.

Were these figures just a blip on the the computer sales radar? Let your own eyes answer that question for you - Folks using laptops are everywhere! - People checking their emails in coffee shops, students studying interactively in the classroom, business men and women compiling data reports on planes and trains.

So, what current factors contribute to the massive popularity of laptops with the computer buying public?

AFFORDABILITY

Five years ago, you could walk into a computer store with four thousand dollars, and emerge bow legged, carrying a bulky notebook computer the size of a sewing machine - about as cutting edge as grandpa's pipe and smoking jacket. Today you can pick up a Compaq NX6125 from HP, equipped with a biometric fingerprint reader, 60GB hard drive, and an AMD 64 bit Turion processor for less than $1000!

Expect prices for laptops to get even lower in the coming months thanks to intense competition between the two heavyweight processor manufacturers, Intel and AMD. Both companies have introduced mobile chips with speeds that offer desktop performance.

CONNECTIVITY

Laptops with Wi-Fi are no longer an optional luxury. At Mammoth Coffee in Newport, Ohio, more and more business owners are jostling for notebook "office space", - to the modest tune of a blueberry muffin, and a Cafe Au Lait.

Those who dine at fine restaurants at the very least expect a sensory, savory meal, set upon a table with fine silver and white table cloths; superior service; and ambient lighting. Well that's exactly what's on the menu at Trapeze restaurant in Burlingame, California,- along with wireless access service for laptops.

Wireless fidelity has moved effortlessly from the boundaries of home and office to the pristine elegance of posh restaurants. But, will the wireless laptop revolution end here?

Last Mile Communications have even greater ambitions for Wi-Fi notebooks. They hope to use the established infrastructure of the many lamp-posts dotting around merry old England to produce a network of wireless access points.

This ambitious UK company would like convert the street lights so they can be accessed via your laptop to get on the internet. Last mile would also like to put flash memory in the lights so even without accessing the web you could find information about local amenities, and emergency fire, police and ambulance services.

PORTABILITY

Laptops with performance rivalling that of desktop computers used to be knee breakers - Not any more. A stream of high quality ultralights and ultraportables have flooded onto the market in the last few months.

Acer's Red dot award winner,the Travelmate 3000 boasts a widescreen 12.1 inch panoramic display, and the notebook's compact chassis occupies less desktop space than a sheet of A4 paper - weighing just 1.4kg. The Sony T2, a sleek silver ultralight laptop, is equipped with a 60GB hard drive, 1.2GHz processor and weighs just under 1.4kg.

Too big you say? How about Toshiba's Libretto U100? This laptop weighs just 2.16 pounds, has a 1.20GHz Intel Pentium M processor, and sports a hard drive protection system.

Tom Fox writes for the <a target="_new" href="http://www.laptopical.com">Laptops Weblog</a> - Laptopical is a site dedicated to offering relevant news commentary and reviews about notebook computers.

More <a target="_new" href="http://www.laptopical.com/site-map.html">laptop news</a>

A Guide to Refurbished IBM Laptops

IBM boasts a very large array of older and newer refurbished laptops on their website ibm.com. Look for &quot;Notebooks: IBM Certified Used Equipment.&quot; There you can buy any of dozens of models and variations, for hundreds of dollars less than new models. IBM inspects all of their returned laptops (including the batteries, as with most factory-refurbished laptops), makes sure they up and running at top speed, and repackages them for resale.

Most IBM refurbished laptops are ThinkPad A-series or T-series. A-series are heavier, but much more powerful, since they are designed to replace desktop computers. They can handle everything your desktop computer used to handle, plus they fit in your laptop carrying case. A-series models are generally more expensive than those in the T-series.

IBM T-series notebooks are made to be a little more powerful and a lot lighter and smaller than the A-series models. They were introduced to satiate those who were demanding a more portable model, so they could take all of their work with them wherever they went. Since they are a newer series, and because they are starting to replace the A-series, the T-series models are a bit more expensive.

As with most laptops refurbishing factories, IBM offers a three-month warranty and guarantee on all of their refurbished laptops ? including for the battery. Third-party refurbishers also offer a ninety-day warranty, but with no warranty on the battery.

<a target="_new" href="http://www.i-refurbishedlaptops.com">Refurbished Laptops Info</a> provides detailed information on quality, cheap refurbished laptops by manufacturers like Dell, IBM, Toshiba, and HP, as well as refurbished laptop batteries and related products. Refurbished Laptops Info is the sister site of <a target="_new" href="http://www.e-rackmountcomputer.com">Rack Mount Computers Web</a>.

ESR Meter - The Capabilities To Check Beyond Electrolytic Capacitor

There is something good about esr meter because besides electrolytic capacitor it can be use to measure other type of capacitors such as the non polarity capacitor. From esr meter specification, it is usually mentioned only checking the electrolytic type. When i began to experiment with the Dick Smith ESR Meter i found that it have the capabilities to check other type of capacitors as well.

However it is limited to checking capacitor in the higher value only such as .1uf(104), .22uf(224), 1uf(105) and etc. Lower capacitance value don't get any reading from the esr meter due to it can only read until 99 ohms. Perhaps other esr meter such as the B & K esr meter have the range to check it.

You will even be surprised to see that the dick smith esr meter can check the non-polarity capacitor in-circuit (without removing the cap).

True case example-Monitor came in with display jumping horizontally. You can see a bunch of horizontal black lines across the top display (picture). From experienced it will tell you that vertical section have problem. I begin to troubleshoot the vertical section. Supply voltage checked ok, vertical driver and oscillator IC replaced, all components connected or nearby vertical driver and oscillator ic have been checked ok. By the way I used digital capacitance meter to check the non-polarity cap and esr meter to check the electrolytic cap. The problem is still there and can't be solve!

When i use Dick Smith ESR Meter to compare the esr value of a non-polarity capacitor located near the vertical driver ic, i noticed that there is a big different in the esr value. The good esr value for a .22uf non-polarity cap is between 6.5 to 7 ohm but the spoilt one have a value of 14 ohm! Almost double the value, that's why the display jump. The good thing is i discovered the culprit while the capacitor still in the circuit which mean this esr meter can check non-polarity cap in-circuit. However my recommendation for you is to solder out one leg and check unless you already have the experienced in checking components on board. Replacing the cap solved the display problem.

Conclusion-In order to accurately test a non-polarity capacitor, besides checking the capacitance value and using analog meter to check the charge and discharge to see if it has develop any short circuit when under load, you are also required to check the esr value as well.

Jestine Yong is a electronic repairer and a writer. For more information about electronic repair please visit his website at <a target="_new" href="http://www.noahtec.com/electronic-repair-articles.htm">http://www.noahtec.com/electronic-repair-articles.htm</a>

How to Read CRT Tube Part Numbers

All picture tubes, whether monochrome or color type are identified by a specific code consisting of numbers and letters. The codes are different from each other because different tubes have different characteristics.

For example, a certain monitor colour picture tube may have the designation, M34AFA63X03 that can breakdown into 6 parts: M/34/AFA/63/X/03

Part 1: Application

Computer monitor tubes start with the letter "M&quot; while for a TV picture tube, it start with &quot;A&quot;.

Part 2: Screen diagonal measure in centimeters (cm)

The &quot;34&quot; means the diagonal viewing measure is a minimum of 34cm which refers to 14&quot; tube, 36cm is 15&quot;, 41cm is 17&quot; and so on.

Part 3: Family code

The three letters &quot;AFA&quot; designate a family of tubes that have similar physical and electrical characteristic. These letters are assigned alphabetically beginning with &quot;AAA&quot;, followed by &quot;AAB&quot;, &quot;AAC&quot; etc.

Part 4: Family number

The number 63 shows a specific tube within the family code. A different number is assigned to tubes within the same family that have different neck diameters, for example a single digit would be a monochrome tube, but this two-digit number shows it is colour.

Part 5: Phosphor Type

The fifth symbol gives the phosphor designation. The letter X here corresponds to P22 for colour picture tubes. Colour monitor tubes can have any other single letter (excluding I, O, or W) to designate other phosphor type for various applications. For monochrome pictures, the phosphor symbol is WW, corresponding to P4. Monochrome monitor tubes also can use WW or some other two-letter combination (excluding I and O).

Part 6: Integral neck components

The sixth symbol is assigned only for tubes having integral neck components, such as the deflection yoke. The specs are only apply to a particular tube manufacturer. The primary consideration here is winding inductance. The yoke coils have different sensitivity i.e. deflection per Amp in both horizontal and vertical.

Jestine Yong is a electronic repairer and writer. For more information about electronic repair please visit his website at <a target="_new" href="http://www.noahtec.com">http://www.noahtec.com</a>

A Guide to Refurbished Laptops

Computing freedom, independence, and mobility don't have to come with a hefty price tag.

Manufacturers refurbish laptop computers that have been returned. The laptop might have a scratched screen or other minor blemish. In some cases, the laptop was an unwanted gift or its packaging was dented. The laptop is inspected by the manufacturer, tested for quality, and repackaged for sale at a much lower price.

While many new laptops can cost thousands of dollars, most refurbished laptop computers usually cost less than a couple of grand, and often less than $500. In most cases, they are as good as new and have a very low return rate. They even come with guarantees and warranties, just as you would expect with a new model.

A refurbished laptop can satisfy most people's basic computing needs, such as word processing, running software, reading e-mail, creating spreadsheets, playing CDs, surfing the Internet, and more. Laptops allow access to all these features from anywhere.

All laptop manufacturers offer refurbished laptops, including such popular brands as Dell, IBM, Toshiba, and HP.

Computer prices are affected by type of processor, operating system, modem, and network card; size of the hard drive and RAM (Random Access Memory); and whether there is a CD/DVD-ROM/RW, a video card, a sound card, and zip drive. Prices are also affected by screen size and type of chassis.

The price will be affected by all these specifications, along with how well preserved the chassis is, the name of the manufacturer, and whether you acquire the laptop form the factory or through a private dealer. Private dealers charge less, but beware: not all dealers are up to par with their refurbishing skills. Be sure to go to one that is reputable and experienced.

<a target="_new" href="http://www.i-refurbishedlaptops.com">Refurbished Laptops Info</a> provides detailed information on quality, cheap refurbished laptops by manufacturers like Dell, IBM, Toshiba, and HP, as well as refurbished laptop batteries and related products. Refurbished Laptops Info is the sister site of <a target="_new" href="http://www.e-rackmountcomputer.com">Rack Mount Computers Web</a>.

How To Purchase A Quality Laptop Computers Case

So you finally have that new laptop you have been drooling over for the past 3 months, only there is one problem ?- You don't have a case for it. You've probably already laid down over a grand for the notebook and you're telling yourself that you don't want to spend another $70 for a case. Trust me, this isn't the time to be cheap.

In this article I will go over the importance of getting a quality notebook bag, as well as what sort of features are found on quality laptop cases.

If you consider your laptop to be important or essential, then getting a good, solid case is a must. You may be wondering why? Here are just a few reasons:

- Expensive notebook should be protected properly
- Quality cases have way better outer and inner protection for your laptop
- More comfortable
- Better shoulder protection

If you still need some prodding in the direction of that super duty case maybe the next points will help. Let's go over what distinguishes the good from the bad in notebook bags.

Comfort ? Quality bags have much better shoulder support than cheapies. Your notebook is going to be at least 6 pounds, probably more. Do you really want to break your shoulder just carrying the thing around? You have a lot more choice with quality aftermarket cases as well when it comes to carrying style. In the end you are going to be a lot more comfortable with something that wears well on you.

Protection ? Make sure you don't drop that notebook case that came with your computer ?- You may find your laptop in pieces. Quality laptop cases have great inner and outer protection. Things like reinforced corners on the outside, and air pockets on the inside? It all adds up to piece of mind. If you want, you can even find cases with single or double combo locks.

Storage ? If you want to put extra files or folders into your notebook case you are going to need the space. Quite often, cheaper cases will have just enough room for a notebook and maybe a small folder if you are lucky. When buying an aftermarket case you have a lot more choice in size, and can find something that will hold everything you need it to.

Are you ready to spend a little more money and get that quality case now? Good, but before you do, let's go over a couple more things that are very important.

First, you need to think about what you will be carrying most of the time -- Chances are it isn't just your laptop. What you will be carrying will be a big part of what case you decide on. The more stuff you need to bring along in the bag, the bigger the bag needs to be.

Next, find out the dimensions of your notebook. You need to know this when buying a case. Not all laptops fit in every case, so you need to look for a case that will fit the size of your notebook. Whether you are buying a case locally or online, the main compartment size of the case should be easy enough to find.

Lastly, as you will soon find, there is more than one style of laptop case available. There are the standard cases, ones that look like actual luggage bags, and even backpack style cases. The last one has the added benefit that thieves won't think there is a notebook sitting inside.

Going over exactly what you need in a laptop case, and then purchasing a quality one won't just save your shoulders in time, but possibly your investment too.

*******************************************************
Cody Kahl is creator and writer of Toshiba Laptops Guide ? A site
dedicated to providing only the best <a target="_new" href="http://www.toshibalaptopsguide.com/toshiba-laptop-computers.html">toshiba laptop computers</a> information.
Cody believes in quality, and this free resource proves it.
*******************************************************

Ceramic Disc Capacitor-How to Accurately Test It

The last article I mentioned about electrolytic capacitor breakdown when under load. In this article I will talk about the high voltage resin coated ceramic disc capacitor. In computer monitor, it is frequent used in the screen voltage (G2) line at the crt board. When it fails, it can cause erratic or intermittently raster bright and dim and sometimes no display.

Adjusting the flyback transformer screen control will not solve this problem. You can isolate the problem as whether if it cause by a defective fly back or G2 line at crt board. Remove the G2 wire from circuit and measure the screen voltage with a digital multimeter- it should have a constant voltage (will not vary). If the voltage is not stable suspect the fly back. If it ok then trace the screen voltage circuit. Usually this circuit consist of only resistors and capacitors. Sometimes a defective crt socket might cause this type of problem also!

Many times a tech can't solve this intermittent or no display problem is because their digital capacitance and ohmmeter measured ok on the capacitors. The capacitors in the screen voltage line are usually rated of 102,103, and 472 1kv to 2kv. A 'missed' in checking this capacitors will caused the technician can't solve the problem, unless he direct replace the capacitor. An intermittent capacitor can pull down the screen voltage causing the display problem.

As mentioned earlier, an ohmmeter with 12v output and a digital capacitance with 3v output are unable to accurately check the capacitor that have the rating of 1-2 kilovolt!

If you have the analog insulation tester or meter, the panel will show a short circuit when certain voltage are pump in to check the high voltage capacitor. The voltages that you can select is depends on the brand or model you buy. Some have the range of 50v to 1000v and some have the range from 100v to 500v. It is optional whether you should have one. If you have one then it would be an added advantage for you. The other option that you have is to direct replace the suspected capacitor. In my country, you can get a new one in less than US150.00 or you may bid a used unit from eBay.

As for me, checking the small blue resin coated ceramic disc capacitor that have the capacitor code of 104 50v, besides using digital capacitance meter to check for the value, i also use an analog meter set to times 10Kohm that have the output of 12v to check this type of capacitor. Many times it will revealed the bad intermittent capacitor. You will be shocked to see the capacitance meter checked ok but show a shorted reading when check with analog multimeter.

In the market there is certain brand of analog multimeter that have the range of 100kohm. If you open up the cover, you can't see the 9v battery in it, what you see only the 2 pieces of 1.5v battery. This type of meter can't accurately detect the short in the capacitor because the output voltage is only 3volt!

For those of you who involved in repairing monitor, you will agree with me that checking the flyback internal capacitance- quite often you get the right value 2.7nf with digital capacitance meter but when you switch on the monitor, you will hear a 'tick-tick' sound from the flyback. This is because the capacitor is breaking down when under load. If you did not do anything with the flyback, gradually the internal capacitance will become shorted and you will need to refurbish the flyback.

Jestine Yong is a electronic repairer and a writer. For more electronic repair information please visit his website at <a target="_new" href="http://www.noahtec.com/electronic-repair-articles.htm">http://www.noahtec.com/electronic-repair-articles.htm</a>

Laptop Notebook ? Inexpensive Business Laptops

Laptop Notebook ? Your Portable Office

In much of today's business world, portability and mobility are the keys to success. Having a laptop notebook computer provides business men and women with portable computing capability, and these notebooks help them take their mobile business functionality to a new level.

Notebook Computers Provide Portability to Today's Workers

Advances in computer electronics have brought us to the point where we can take these mobile and portable notebook computers all over the world, conduct business from home with our notebooks, and even connect our laptops to a computer network in Los Angeles from a coffee shop in Atlanta. These notebooks have changed how we conduct business, and in order to keep up with these changes more and more professionals and companies are making the investment of notebooks for themselves and their mobile workforce.

For the small company or individual business owner, the investment needed to buy notebooks and move into the world of portability and mobility doesn't have to be enormous. Some companies, especially larger ones, will make the decision to invest big money in the top of the line notebook computer. Other companies will choose to make a lesser but equally valuable investment in discount or used laptops. As long as the laptop computers meet the mobile business needs, making the smaller investment in notebooks works out great for companies or individuals who are conducting mobile and portable business on a tighter budget.

Want to read more about Electronics? Visit electronicsme.net or electronicsme.com for the latest articles on televisions, digital still cameras, and notebook computers.

Electronicsme: Where electronics are made easy!

Written by the eme team

<A target="_blank" href="http://www.electronicsme.net">Electronicsme.net: Where electronics are made easy! The latest articles on televisions, laptops and digital cameras.</A>

and

<A target="_blank" href="http://www.electronicsme.com">Electronicsme.com: Where electronics are made easy! The latest news, reviews and comparisons of electronics, photography, and computers.</A>

The Merging of Humans and Computers

Soon the human brain will be completely interfaced with the computer. The benefit to mankind will be truly significant. The truth is that Arthur C Clark in his short stories talked about groups of people being connected in real time by neuron transmitting devises below the skin. You might even have all the world's knowledge and latest research all in a chip connected to your brain. Today we see the beginnings of this with teens with cell phones and PDA devices used in Flash Mobs. Such a computer, communication, brain interface would be the next logical step as SciFi meets Moore's Law and MIT completes their latest Media Lab exploit of Nano tech gone wild.

The communication device would be in real time, the &quot;Internet in your head&quot; so you can only imagine the opportunities, business and communication at the Speed of Thought. Instead of trading MP3 Player music on the Internet, you would be trading experiences in 4D, and thought using Nano-Tech computer, which interfaces with the enhanced brain. You could do real-time research with members of certain groups across the ocean and when someone made a discovery, the time to write the white paper or peer review would be instantaneous.

Thus cutting down the research time to next to zero. If you read certain books such as Prescription to the Future; and The 500 year Delta, Futurists book reviews and others working on these issues you can see where we are headed. Some are worried about this but I am rather intrigued on the possibilities for the betterment of mankind. Will computers be smarter than humans? Computers and humans will be one in this case, so we will be equal. Instead of the preverbal file swapping or file sharing, you will be thought swapping. The future is closer than you think, have you considered this?

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; <a target="_new" href="http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs">www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs</a>

Introduction to Dedicated Servers

A dedicated server is a single computer on a web-hosting network that is leased or rented, and dedicated to just one customer. A service provider monitors the computer's hardware, network connectivity, and routing equipment, while the customer generally controls and maintains the server software. Dedicated servers are most often used by those who've outgrown typical hosting accounts and now require massive amounts of data space and bandwidth, those with mission critical web sites, web hosting companies, or those who have special needs. Dedicated servers are housed in data centers, where service providers can monitor them close-up and have hands-on access to them.

The primary advantage of using a dedicated server over a typical shared hosting account is the sheer amount of resources and control available to you, the customer. In many cases, the client is at liberty to install whatever software they desire, giving them greater flexibility and administrative options. Dedicated server clients do not share resources, as those with shared hosting plans do; but rather, are at liberty to use all the resources available to them.

Managed Servers vs. Unmanaged Servers

There are two types of dedicated servers available today: Managed Dedicated Servers and Unmanaged Dedicated Servers.

An Unmanaged Dedicated Server leaves nearly all the management duties of running a server in the purchaser's control. The customer in this case, updates software on their own, applies necessary patches, performs kernel compiles and operating system restores, installs software, and monitors security. With this type of dedicated server, the consumer is solely responsible for day-to-day operations and maintenance. The service provider, in turn, monitors the network, repairs hardware problems, and troubleshoots connectivity issues. Additionally, some service providers offer partial management of services, such as network monitoring, software upgrades and other services, but leave the general upkeep of the server in the hands of the client. An unmanaged dedicated server is best for someone with server management experience.

A Managed Dedicated Server is generally more proactively monitored and maintained on the part of the service provider. When renting or leasing a managed server, the service provider or host carries out the responsibility of software updates and patches, putting security measures in place, performing hardware replacements, and also monitoring the network and its connection for trouble. In other words, when utilizing a managed dedicated server, the host provider will perform both hardware and software operations. A managed dedication server solution works well for the customer with limited server management experience or limited time in being able to perform the duties necessary to keep a server running and online.

Technical Aspects In Choosing A Server

When choosing a dedicated server, there are several things to consider: Operating System, Hardware options, Space and bandwidth.

The Operating System of a server is similar to that on your own personal computer; once installed, the operating system enables one to perform tasks more simply. There are a bevy of server operating systems available today including Linux-based and Windows-based software. The operating system you choose should be directly relational to what operations your server will be performing, which types of software you'll need to install and also, what you're more comfortable with.

Hardware Options are also something to consider when choosing a dedicated server. You'll need to pick a processor that's up to the task, the amount of memory you wish installed, firewall options, and the size of the hard drive.

A certain amount of bandwidth is generally included when renting or leasing a dedicated server. Once you ascertained how much bandwidth you will require, you can adjust that limit with your service provider. The space you'll be given is generally directly relational to the size of your hard drive. Some hosts also give clients the choice of uplink port speed (usually 10Mbps/100Mbps).

About The Author

Emmanuel Eichler

<a href="http://HostLead.com" target="_new">HostLead.com</a> - Webmaster

Business Web Hosting Directory

Used Laptop Computer: Your Quick Purchase Inspection Guide ? Part 2

Used laptop computers are everywhere these days. How can you sift through the mass of available used laptop computers to narrow your search down to the right laptop for you? This is the second part of a series of articles designed to give you a few suggestions for your next purchase.

Assuming you've done the visual inspection mentioned in part one, you're ready to power up the laptop and do some more digging.

Laptop Operating System

Does the laptop you're looking at come with an operating system? If not, it could be difficult for you to fully test the operation of the laptop. One good alternative to a built in operating system is to download and burn a copy of Knoppix. Knoppix is a linux operating system that runs off the CD-ROM drive instead of the hard drive. This allows you to test the laptop even if it doesn't have an operating system installed. You can find Knoppix at www.knoppix.com

Quick Power Up Inspection

Power up the laptop if it already isn't on. Make sure to open the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive that comes with the laptop. Look for USB ports and make sure they are in good repair. Locate the vent for the CPU fan (if it has one ? most do) and listen to the sound it makes. If you hear any whining or grinding sounds, beware. This may be an indication that the CPU inside has not been getting proper cooling which can definitely lead to problems down the road like random crashes, shut downs, etc...

Examine the LCD Screen

Chances are, you're going to be staring at that screen an awful lot. Make sure the colors are stable and that there are no parts of the LCD screen that are washed out or discolored. Replacing an LCD screen is expensive. Better to find a problem with it before you buy it then afterwards.

Is the LCD screen bright enough for your needs? Some used laptops will have LCD screens that are too dim to be practical. Keep in mind that older laptops will often not be very bright in direct sunlight. They should all be bright in normal lighting conditions however.

Joe Duchesne is the President of <a href="http://www.gotocompare.com" target="_blank">Gotocompare.com</a> a site that specializes in <a href="http://www.gotocompare.com" target="_blank">Computer Hardware</a> related information. Gotocompare helps owners find the device drivers, manuals and tech support they need to keep their equipment in tip top shape. Reprint freely as long as the links in this resource box are live and point back to Gotocompare.

Used Laptop Computer: Your Quick Purchase Inspection Guide ? Part 2

Used laptop computers are everywhere these days. How can you sift through the mass of available used laptop computers to narrow your search down to the right laptop for you? This is the second part of a series of articles designed to give you a few suggestions for your next purchase.

Assuming you've done the visual inspection mentioned in part one, you're ready to power up the laptop and do some more digging.

Laptop Operating System

Does the laptop you're looking at come with an operating system? If not, it could be difficult for you to fully test the operation of the laptop. One good alternative to a built in operating system is to download and burn a copy of Knoppix. Knoppix is a linux operating system that runs off the CD-ROM drive instead of the hard drive. This allows you to test the laptop even if it doesn't have an operating system installed. You can find Knoppix at www.knoppix.com

Quick Power Up Inspection

Power up the laptop if it already isn't on. Make sure to open the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive that comes with the laptop. Look for USB ports and make sure they are in good repair. Locate the vent for the CPU fan (if it has one ? most do) and listen to the sound it makes. If you hear any whining or grinding sounds, beware. This may be an indication that the CPU inside has not been getting proper cooling which can definitely lead to problems down the road like random crashes, shut downs, etc...

Examine the LCD Screen

Chances are, you're going to be staring at that screen an awful lot. Make sure the colors are stable and that there are no parts of the LCD screen that are washed out or discolored. Replacing an LCD screen is expensive. Better to find a problem with it before you buy it then afterwards.

Is the LCD screen bright enough for your needs? Some used laptops will have LCD screens that are too dim to be practical. Keep in mind that older laptops will often not be very bright in direct sunlight. They should all be bright in normal lighting conditions however.

Joe Duchesne is the President of <a href="http://www.gotocompare.com" target="_blank">Gotocompare.com</a> a site that specializes in <a href="http://www.gotocompare.com" target="_blank">Computer Hardware</a> related information. Gotocompare helps owners find the device drivers, manuals and tech support they need to keep their equipment in tip top shape. Reprint freely as long as the links in this resource box are live and point back to Gotocompare.

Review: Implementing the Google Search Appliance in an Intranet environment

Our corporate intranet is a non-framed environment with both Lotus Domino and IIS (.Net and classic ASP) applications and content. We have between 300,000-500,000 pages of web content and documents across more than 1200 &quot;sites&quot; on approximately 30 unique domains. We used to have Inktomi's UltraSeek Server 3.0 as our intranet search engine which was beginning to look like its age (purchased in 1998). The Inktomi product did not handle attachments well (DOC, PPT, PDF, etc.), would not crawl our secured sites, and was no longer supported by the vendor. We did a cursory review of the search vendors and were immediately attracted to Google's 30 day trial offer for their Google Search Appliance (GSA). After signing a standard agreement, they shipped us a brand new shiny yellow unit which we could test for 30 days before returning or purchasing.

Product info

The GSA is a &quot;black box&quot; 1U standard rack-mountable server. By &quot;black box&quot; I mean, Google gives you a web interface to administer the device but do not want you to access the Operating System (a heavily Google-customized version of Linux). In fact, the license agreement stipulates that you will not tamper with the hardware or OS of the appliance in any way. The device has no need for a keyboard, mouse or video ? all you need for normal operation is a network cable and standard power input.

The GSA comes in different flavors to fit different needs varying by size of the hardware and correspondingly size of the license. (Licensing is based on the number of URLs crawled by the appliance.) There are 3 different hardware configurations; the GB-1001, GB-5005, and GB-800. These are broken down as follows;

<ul> <li>GB-1001 ? 150K documents for $28K, 300K documents for $50K</li> <li>GB-5005 ? 1.5M documents for $230K</li> <li>GB-8008 ? 4M documents for $450K</li> </ul>

Why Google?

As advertised, the GSA met all of our needs being able to index the large variety of filetypes we have in our environment, access secured content, having a documented API, etc. The Google brand power was another big selling factor. When we told our users that they were going to get a Google-based search engine they knew their days of troubled searching were over. Lastly, the 30-day trial run experience we had with the GSA sealed the deal. The appliance is the easiest enterprise solution I've ever had to install, configure and maintain. We were literally up and running within an hour of opening the shipping box.

Installation

The appliance has two network ports on the back panel; one for normal operation and the other used exclusively for network configuration. To configure the network settings we connected a laptop to the appliance via a special (some pin-outs are non-standard) orange Ethernet cable which is included. The installation process was about as easy as one can imagine for a &quot;black box.&quot;

First we plugged in the normal operation network cable and then the power. The power plug on the appliance IS the power switch; plug it in to turn on and unplug it to turn it off. After plugging it in, we waited about 5 minutes for the appliance to play a tune which is the signal to continue. Next, we hooked up our laptop (already set to DHCP mode) to the appliance and powered it up. After logging in to our laptop and making sure we had the correct IP assigned by the appliance's built-in DHCP server we are ready to configure the network settings. Total elapsed time (excluding rack mounting): 10 minutes.

Configuration

Network configuration, like normal administration, is done entirely through a browser and is a simple 5 step process. The first screens ask you for basic network information; IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS. Subsequent screens collect SMTP server, &quot;From&quot; address for GSA notification messages, time zone, NTP (time) servers and the admin account name/password. The last step is to test a few URLs which you will be crawling to make sure you've done the setup correctly. After a final settings review screen configuration is complete and you can then unplug your laptop and get to the good part; start crawling. Total elapsed time: 10 minutes.

Crawling the site(s)

Using the URL provided, all administration of the GSA is done remotely. After logging in with the ID/password we provided in the previous step, we were presented with the Administration console. We created a new collection to hold our index, put in the &quot;Start crawling from&quot; URL, copied that same URL into the &quot;Follow and Crawl only URLs with the Following patterns&quot; box and we were done. We saved our settings and then clicked the &quot;Start crawling&quot; button. We then went over to the &quot;Crawl status&quot; screen and watched the &quot;Crawled URLs&quot; counter increase. Google advertises that it can crawl about 4,000 URLs in about 15 minutes or so. We found the crawl time would increase significantly if there are documents (Word, PDF, Excel, etc.) linked to from those URLS.

After the crawl is done the collection is automatically indexed and then checked against the Serving Prerequisites (any criteria you wish to use to determine whether to move an indexed collection to production) and the collection will either be moved to Production (and consequently searchable) or be moved to Staging. The Staging area lets you validate new crawls before letting users search against them.

Crawling configuration

After your first crawl you may find the need to go back and tweak the crawling parameters. Google gives you a good amount of control over how sites are crawled, the frequency, how many threads are used, etc. For sites with security, the GSA supports Basic Authentication and an additional security module is available which supports Forms Authentication. The most challenging configuration aspects for us were determining the right combination of URL patterns to exclude from the search. If you are a Domino shop and looking to use the GSA you may need to spend some time getting the crawler configuration just right to support the sometimes convoluted Domino query string parameters.

After we got the crawl parameters tuned and the first complete crawl done we did some testing to see if the crawler grabbed all the content. Browsing our site and testing with some strings buried deep inside the taxonomy we always found the GSA had crawled them accurately. We also did some testing with strings inside PDF documents, PowerPoint presentations and the like. When we did come across something that hadn't been crawled a careful analysis led us to discover that we needed to do some more tweaking of the crawl settings.

Other notable features

Google also gives you a KeyMatch tool that allows you to specify which indexed documents should appear at the top of the results page for a given query. These manifest themselves almost identically to the Sponsored Links at the top of the results page of the Google we all use. A Synonym tool allows you to specify alternate words or phrases for search queries. For example, if someone searches for WCM, you can suggest &quot;Web Content Management&quot; at the top of the results page.

An output format feature lets you control (via an XSLT) the presentation of the search results. You can use this for changing the fonts, colors, logo, header, etc. of the results page. We were able to easily remove the &quot;Cached&quot; feature on the results page with some XSLT modifications.

The Reporting tool lets you run reports on search queries over various time ranges. It will show you the number of searches per day, per hour, the top 100 keywords and top 100 queries for the time period specified.

Downsides

The GSA is not for organizations looking to index their shared network drives as the appliance has no facility for crawling file systems. This is really too bad as many companies struggle with the huge quantities of unstructured content on stored on their networks. Of course, there are a plethora of other products out there for exactly this issue.

Access directly to databases (e.g. SQL, Oracle, etc.) is another area which is off-limits for the GSA as well as any kind of integration with content or document management systems.

Conclusion

The Google Search Appliance (GSA) is an excellent search product for HTTP-accessible content. It gives great control over administrative features such as crawler configuration and results serving and sufficient reporting capabilities as well. Those looking for a solution to integrate directly with a content/document management system, databases, or indexing network drives should look to another product. However, if you have a intranet or intranet site with plenty of HTML-based content the GSA may be just what you need.

Bryan Mjaanes is the creator/editor of <a href="http://www.Intranet101.com" target="_blank">Intranet101.com</a>, a community-based forum for Intranet professionals.

Ink Cartridge Recycling 101

Let's take a moment to think about the topic of ink cartridge recycling. In our modern world we just keep throwing our trash away without sparing it a second thought. But where does all this left over trash go? It all goes to the local landfill polluting the land and water table. Is there anything we can do towards &quot;saving the planet&quot;? What if you could help save the planet and make some money doing it? It sounds too good to be true doesn't it? Right now there are companies that will take away your empty ink cartridges and give you money in return!

A number of companies will be more than happy to take those old cartridges off of your hands and give you cash for your troubles. Visionary companies see the benefits of recycling for the planet and also the employment potential of such projects. If there are particular inkjet brands you tend to use like Apple, Canon or Epson the recycling companies will happily buy the empties from you. You can go through a list of cartridges and select the type you have they will tell you how much you'll get in return. The rest is done through e-mail or over the phone. Isn't that a neat way to reduce waste and help the planet at the same time?

Another popular place to find information on recycling inkjet cartridges is at www.fundingfactory.com. They will help your non-profit organization, school, sports team or library achieve their goals in fund raising. Funding Factory offer their servicesa as the biggest free recycling fundraising program in the United States and Canada. They'll give you top dollar for your old cartridges which in turn will allow many schools to reach their potential goals with their fundraising projects. This is a great site and it's free! What a great way to rid yourself of your old ink cartridges.

Ok, so what if you want to do the recycling yourself? There are plenty of options available to you. A number of companies sell kits that are specifically designed to allow you to refill your inkjet cartridge. Prices vary from vendor to vendor - as can quality so buyer beware. A refill kit contains a syringe like instrument, some rubber stops and the replacement ink itself. The "syringe" is filled with ink and inserted into the cartridge to quickly top it up. Some people find this whole process a little too messy. For other people it's a money saver that's well worth the effort. In addition, you are also saving the planet by reducing plastic waste. Refilling your ink cartridges is worthwhile in terms of saving you money and also helping the environment.

One final note is to check with the manufacturer of your inkjet cartridge to see if they operate their own recycling program. At the moment Hewlett Packard, Epson and Lexmark operate a defined inkjet cartridge recycling program whilst Canon are still catching up the rear. Lexmark even go as far as paying for the postage!

This article was provided courtesy of Inkjet Printables.com. On the website you'll find tons of useful information on <A target="_new" HREF="http://www.inkjet-printables.com">cheap inkjet cartridges</A>

Buying / Selecting Computer Components

This is the step takes the most time and consideration. Which parts do I buy? Which are best?

There are many good places to buy computer parts. You can go to a computer retail store in your area. Although they often provide good warranties, you will pay a little more than you would in other places. Sometimes, a lot more.

Case - There are two types of cases, Desktop and Tower. Desktop cases are short and fat (Which can fit under your monitor nicely.) And towers are tall and slim which are usually placed under the desk. Decided which one will fit in to your environment best.

There are two different forms of computer cases. AT and ATX. you need to find out which one you need. AT form cases are used for older computers, Pentium 1 and before. And ATX form cases are used for newer systems such as Pentium 2, 3, 4 and AMD Athlon etc.

Motherboard - The motherboard is the central component in the system. If you want to upgrade your processor / Memory / Video card, you can only upgrade if your motherboard supports it. It is always worth planning a head, So buy the best motherboard you can afford.

Before you select a motherboard consider the following. What processor you want to use with it. What memory does it support. Has it got an AGP slot?? An AGP slot is used for special 3DFX graphic cards. What other expansion slots does it have?? You will need a minimum of 3 PCI slots.

Hard drives run at special speeds. 33mhz, 66mhz, 100mhz and 133mhz, Check if the motherboard supports the speed of your hard disk. If your hard drive runs at 100mhz and your motherboard only goes up to 66mhz, then your hard disk will still run but not at its fastest speed.

Motherboards come in two different forms. AT and ATX, Make sure this form matches the form of your case. Make sure you get a manual with your motherboard, This manual will tell you how to configure your motherboard.

Processor - There are many different processors out but these are the main ones.

Pentium 4 / AMD-Athlon- This processor is the most expensive but the fastest around. This processor is used in systems which need performance such as performance gaming / servers / Web designing. Current fastest processor speed is 3200mhz 3.2ghz

Celeron / AMD-Duron - These processors are a lot cheaper than the Pentium 4 and AMD Athlon. Usually used in mid user systems, such as word processing / surfing the net / e-mail / gaming.

Cirix - Cheapest processors on the market. But are miles behind in performance of Pentiums and AMDs.

You will need to decide on what processor you need, Also make sure your motherboard supports it. Always make sure you buy a heatsink and fan to keep the processor cool. Warning, If your fan is not good enough for your processor, then your processor is very likely to overheat and crash your computer. And in the long run damage your processor.

Memory - Memory is a big part of your machine, Check what your motherboard can take. Buy the fastest memory your motherboard will take. Buy at least 128mb, this is the bear minimum for these days. I would recommend 256mb.

CD-ROM/DVD : Every computer needs a CD-ROM to load software. There are a few different types of CD-ROM. You can buy one that can write data to a CD-ROM. You can also buy a CD-ROM which supports DVD. Check what speed the CD-ROM is. Usual speed is 52x.

Hard Drive- When selecting a hard drive there are two things to consider, how big is the capacity of the disk and how fast does it run. A 20gig drive will be more than enough for most users. Make sure the speed of the hard drive is supported on your motherboard, If it is not supported then the hard drive will not run at its fastest speed, Consider a motherboard upgrade.

Video Card - There are loads of different video cards on the market, when selecting consider these points. Does it fix into an AGP or a PCI slot in your motherboard?? AGP is a special video slot, so buy a video card with an AGP form, Also check your motherboard has an AGP slot. How much memory does the card have? And how fast does it run?? I would recommend getting a video card with at least 32mb of memory.

Sound Card - Just about every computer has sound, I would not recommend spending a lot of money on a sound unless you want your computer to support sur-round sound. Check what slot the card plugs into and if your motherboard has one free.

Keyboard & Mouse - There is no need for much info here. But beware there are two types of connections for a keyboard and mice they are PS/2 and USB, Make sure your motherboard has available connections.

Article <a target="_new" href="http://www.computing-forums.com/computer/buying-the-components-21.htm">http://www.computing-forums.com/computer/buying-the-components-21.htm</a>

Jason Barrett <a target="_new" href="http://www.computing-forums.com">www.computing-forums.com</a>

Laptop and Notebook Theft Prevention

Laptops or Notebook computers are an expensive personal and business asset that are highly sought after by both small time thieves and large complicated theft rings. Keeping your laptop and notebook computers safely in your possession should always be in the back of your mind. Not only are these extremely expensive, they can contain very private personal information or business secrets that can hurt you if the information was ever brought public, or worse yet, sold to a competitor!

Physical theft prevention should be your primary concern when you use laptops, and really most of the information is just common sense. Don't brag, or advertise that you have a laptop in your possession, try to carry your laptop in non-traditional laptop bags that make it obvious you have one. If you can fit it in your briefcase, or in a shoulder bag you are far better off from getting targeted.

Asset tag your electronics devices and peripherals with permanent markings or engravings, large markings that make your laptop unique make your device less attractive because it will become harder to sell.

Always be mindful of where your laptop is at. If you are using the washroom, or a payphone, don't leave it on a table, counter, this includes while you are at restaurants! If you are traveling in rental cars, try to get a car with a lockable trunk, that doesn't have access or a viewable trunk from the outside such as SUV's or hatchbacks. Don't leave items in plain sight that will entice people to steal from your car!

If you are staying in hotels, try to use locking cables to permanent metal settings to secure your laptop if you go out, or ask the hotel to lock it up in their safe if you won't be using it for an extended period of time.

In the event that your laptop has been stolen there is many different organizations that offer products and services that might help in a quick recovery or tracking of the device. Some products install a "call home" feature if the laptop is ever reconnected to an internet connection, or having serialized components that make tracking and recovery easier. Additionally there is some really interesting products that have movement and proximity alarms installed. For instance, you wear a device on your belt, and if your laptop is more than a certain distance from you an alarm will sound loudly. This is used in hopes of stopping criminals who snatch and run with your device!

It's always a very good idea to install some sort of encryption software on your laptop, such as a PGP that will help keep your data private in the event it is stolen. It's always a good idea to plan for the worst and hope for the best!

Remember, physical security mainly consists of using common sense to protect any attractive item that you may own. Be discreet, be mindful of your devices and you should be relatively safe!

Ken Dennis
<a target="_new" href="http://KenDennis-RSS.homeip.net">http://KenDennis-RSS.homeip.net</a>

The Printer Cartridge Game

Think you got a great deal on a printer? Like the rest of us, you probably paid $50 to $75 for a decent Epson or Lexmark printer. What's the catch, you might have asked? Most salesmen would say there is no catch. They'd probably go into a rant about how the printer market has gotten more competitive, driving prices way down. While that's a true statement, it isn't the primary reason for such inexpensive printers these days.

So, why are printers so inexpensive? It's pretty simple ? printer manufacturers need you to buy their printer model so you're forced into buying their outrageously-priced ink cartridges. It's kind of like the relationship between a gasoline company and car manufacturer, except in this situation the printer company is supplying both the automobile and the fuel. Gas companies wouldn't make any money if no one owned an automobile. In the case of printer manufacturers, things are a little different. They don't make any money on selling printers ? they make their money by selling you the replacement ink cartridges.

It makes a lot of business sense when you think about it. A consumer buys a printer every few years, but may buy ink as much as once every three months. Printer manufacturers would much rather have this steady stream of income. Consumers don't factor ink cartridge costs into the equation when they buy a printer. They look at the features and price tag. Sure you're getting a great printer and not paying a lot. But if you use your printer on a fairly regular basis, the cost of ownership over a year or two (thanks to high priced ink cartridges) may exceed $500.

Before you buy your next printer, remember to do some research on printers, paying particular attention to the cost and longevity of the ink cartridge replacements. A little research ahead of time can save you hundreds of dollars. We don't recommend Lexmark printers because Lexmark ink cartridges are generally mc more expensive than those of other brands, like Canon or Hewlett Packard. Because Lexmark embeds a special chip right into the cartridge, the cost of buying replacement Lexmark ink is astronomical.

Bill Smith is an expert on printers and printer repair. Check out helpful online printer reviews at <a target="_new" href="http://www.buythebestbuy.com">http://www.buythebestbuy.com</a>

When Good Color Goes Bad...

Even with the popularity of digital technology, and the availability of equipment and software associated with it, many printing firms are still slow to make the changes needed to upgrade their business. More so when it comes to digital photography.

More often than not, most typical printing outfits are no set up to process digital files that bad results do happen. Mistakes are often made such as conversions of files to CMYK doing irreparable damage to the images, and the operator trying to rectify his mistakes by fixing it with a series of layers, selections, masks and adjustments. These further aggravates the already damaged file by introducing new problems like banding, and colors that look muddy, desaturated, neutralized, and unappealing.

But this situation can be avoided and great results can be achieved. If you feel that you are not getting the best output for your digital camera images, here are a few key tips for you:

Tip 1: PROFILES

It's a must to ask your chosen printer whether they honor embedded RGB profiles. This would mean that they have the capacity to handle RGB color separation work. If they don't want to get your RGB file, or they seem like they don't care or understand what you're saying, then it's time for you to go to another printer.

Tip 2: CALIBRATED

Remember to use shops and facilities that regularly calibrate their displays. This can be done with a hardware calibration system.

Tip 3: INK JET PRINTS

To avoid second-guessing where the mistakes rest, it is better to just provide your printer with prints, especially to alert operators to potential problems.

Tip 4: SHARPNESS

Although well-sharpened images look a bit intimidating when viewed in Photoshop, especially at 1:1, your image will print well. Great sharpness is required when you're dealing with coarser screens and uncoated stocks.

Tip 5: FOR POSITION ONLY

Layouts showing FPO images cropped and scaled will help printers provide optimum and sharpened result to your image.

Tip 6: COLOR CHECKER

With each new set up for color reference, one printer suggests that you ask your photographer to do a shot of his Gretag MacBeth "Color Checker" target.

Tip 7: RAW FILES

Ask your photographer if he or she can provide you with digital camera raw files. These raw files will provide you with the greatest latitude and quality in the hands of skilled operators.

The best way to go about this problem is to simply deal with printing companies whose prepress staffs understand the basics of color management. People who know and are experts on the advantages of digital raw camera files, and explain them to you when asked.

If not, then it's better for you to change now.

For comments and suggestions regarding this article please contact <a href="mailto:webmaster@ucreative.com">webmaster@ucreative.com</a> or visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.ucreative.com">http://www.ucreative.com</a>

Printers

Do you feel overwhelmed when buying a computer or a new printer?

You are not alone. With so many products to choose from I know exactly how you feel. The best approach when buying a computer related product is to educate your self. This way you are making your own decisions from your own self-judgment. That's go to be more powerful than listening to a sales guy, who is more concerned about getting commission than you - the customer, obtaining the right product for your needs.

How do you educate yourself? Start of slowly, most people don't want to become experts, they just want a computer or printer to do what is expected. Learn the basics of what computers and printers can offer you at <a href="http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com" target="_new">http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com</a>

Not only will you find reviews guides and here. You will also find how to fix printers yourself. Learn how to set up your firewall correctly knowing you are safe from intruders. Never feel as frustrated as you once did, knowing the truth about computers and printers. Be sure to check out http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com/printer-reviews.html.

Learn the difference between LaserJet and inkjet printers. Learn what the advantages are from certain computer products. With the wealth of information here, you will know other people are willing to help you and can understand where you are coming from.

Don't forget everyone has computer and printer problems. The good news is, what ever your budget is, there is always a solution. Remember if you intend to phone a computer support line, seek a plan of action. Don't let them fob you off with technical meaningless babble!

About The Author

John Gibb is currently the webmaster of several support and guide sites for various specialized topics. His latest addition is <a href="http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com" target="_new">http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com</a>

<a href="mailto:Team@computer-and-printer-reviews.com">Team@computer-and-printer-reviews.com</a>

Preventing Tape Drive Failure

Contrary to popular belief, tape drives are generally robust and reliable. However, there are three common mistakes that people make that dramatically increase the probability of tape drive failure.

Firstly, it is not well known that tape drives is differ considerably in terms of how long they are designed to operate each day. Each tape drive range has a specified duty cycle, which is the maximum percentage of time that the drive should be operational. For example, a drive with a duty cycle of 50% should be operational for no more than 12 hours a day, while a drive with a duty cycle of 100% may run continuously.

Secondly, it is not well known that data must be supplied to tape drives at a sufficient rate in order to keep them streaming, or else the tape suffers from start-stop motion. It's easy to imagine the wear-and-tear this places on the tape, and how the integrity of the data stored on the tape can be severely degraded.

Thirdly, poor handling and storage commonly causes damage to tapes and the drive. It's not a good idea to drop tapes or stack them in a pyramid on the floor; the tapes should be handled and stored carefully. Tape drives should be kept as far away from contaminants as possible; for example, they shouldn't be placed directly on the carpet or kept in dusty environments.

Tapes should always be stored in a different location to the server, in order to prevent a disaster that damages the server from also damaging the backups on tape. At the very least, weekly tapes should be stored offsite. To reduce the chance of fire damage or theft, tapes should be stored in a fireproof safe.

By following these simple tips, your tape backups should run reliably, and you'll avoid the costly exercise of replacing your tape drive.

Linus Chang is a backup expert and the lead developer of BackupAssist -- <a target="_new" href="http://www.backupassist.com/news/tape-backup-software.html">tape backup software</a> that is simple and affordable, and perfect for small and medium businesses. Protect your Windows servers, including SQL Server and Exchange Server, to tape, REV drive, hard drive, NAS and more, at a fraction of the cost of other <a target="_new" href="http://www.backupassist.com/">backup software</a>.

Electronic Schematics Diagram-The Four Commonly Asked Questions

I came across quite a number of questions about electronic circuit schematics diagram.

Most of the question asked are:

a) Do we really need a schematic diagram in order to repair any electronic equipment?

b) Will schematic diagram help us to repair faster?

c) At where we can get a particular schematic diagram?

d) How to read schematic diagram?

Well, the answers is as below:

a)-Theoretically yes, practically not necessary, it all depends on how good you are in electronic repair knowledge. For a beginner it is a 'must' for you to understand about schematic diagram, as you gradually gained more knowledge you will automatically depends less on schematic diagram. You will definitely need a schematic diagram when you come across a new designed or technology. For example, when comes to crt monitor repair i seldom see schematic because i already understood most of the circuitry and section in a crt monitor. The new technology such as lcd or tft monitor makes me have to temporarily relies on schematic diagram. As my knowledge of lcd monitor repair grows, i will gradually depends less on the schematics. May be my situation is different from yours because i'm concentrating only on one type of equipment. I've seen quite a lot of repairers in my country that repair many types of equipment such as tv, video, vcd, dvd, amplifier, hi-fi, fax, laser printer, microwave and so forth. Most probably they need schematic diagram to keep them up to date on each of the equipment technology.

b) If you have a particular schematic diagram for that particular equipment, your troubleshooting time can be reduced to half! Unfortunenately many manufacturer do not release their equipment's schematic diagram. If you depends on too much of schematic you will be stuck on how to repair that particular equipment. Why with schematic diagram you can repair any equipment faster? Because a schematic diagram shown you all the part list, waveform, voltages, explanation how that particular equipment work, block diagram, schematic design, component's part number, electrical schematics symbols, substitution, modification (if have) and electronic schematic symbols and etc. Assuming you have a power supply section blown and you could not recognize the component part number, but with schematic you will be able to find the exact part number and finally repaired the equipment.

c) If you work in the equipment's factory or their distributor you will have the schematic diagram for the model that they sell. Any under warranty unit that comes in you will be able to diagnose and repair the equipment fast. This will increase the company's reputation and customers will recommend to their friends about the quick service of that particular brand of equipment. You also can get schematic diagram in the form of a book from local electronic shops. This is usually a compilation of few brands and model of a specific electronic equipment. Tv or television schematics diagram are easily to get but computer monitor schematics and radio amplifier schematics is a little bit harder to find. If you have the budget get one of the book. Third, as most of us already know that you can download free electronic schematics diagram from the internet. Free tv schematics is easily found on the internet. You may also buy it the 'CD' format. This investment will usually pay back in the shortest time.

d) As how to read schematic diagram, i'm unable to show you thru article because you do need a real schematic diagram in order to make you understand. Reading schematic is not that difficult, provided you have some basic electronic knowledge. I have a few suggestions:

-Ask from a friend who is in the repair line

-Take short courses on electronic repair and ask the lecturer

-Buy books from your local bookstore about the subject "how to read schematic diagram"

-Buy schematic diagram and learn on your own (this will take sometimes but worth it)

-Fix some project kit using the electronic kit schematics given. This will add to your knowledge also.

Conclusion-In order to become a successful electronic repairer you must understand how to read schematic diagram.

Jestine Yong is a electronic repairer and a writer. For more electronic repair information please visit his website at <a target="_new" href="http://www.noahtec.com/electronic-repair-articles.htm">http://www.noahtec.com/electronic-repair-articles.htm</a>