Business Software Buying Guide

The Basics: Business Software

Whether running a household or a small business (or both), business software and productivity software makes many of the jobs easier. Whether its financial or accounting software, databases, software suites, presentation software, or word processors, these tools make your tasks run more efficiently.

If you are just starting to organize your affairs on a computer, you should evaluate your needs. Many standalone programs can also handle minor tasks, such as spreadsheet-like tracking or desktop publishing, that would save on buying a whole software package. Also make sure of the capabilities of the software suite on your computer, if you have one preloaded.

Personal finance software keeps track of your expenses and income so that you can plan your financial future. These programs handle such details as managing investment portfolios, printing checks, scheduling and making online payments, comparing loans, shopping for mortgages, investigating insurance options, and organizing tax records. The latest editions of these programs can store financial information on the Internet. Two programs stand out: Microsoft’s Money and Intuit’s Quicken. You might find other financial programs offered for sale on the Internet or through mail-order catalogs, but none of them match the features provided in these two.

ATI Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition Expert Review

ATI’s Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition is their current flagship graphics board. With 256MB of GDDR3 memory and extremely high clock speeds, the XT Platinum won’t necessarily lead to more frags in your gaming, but it will definitely make them look prettier.

The core clock speed is 540MHz and the memory clock is rated at 590MHz (with dual data rate leading to an effective clock of 1.18GHz). That kind of power is going to need some serious cooling, and the XT Platinum has it built in. The large red fan on the side of the graphics processor means the card will take up two slots inside a computer, so you need to make sure you’ve got the room for it. The fan is a bit noisy when you first boot up the system, but it powers down to barely audible levels and is fairly quiet even when gaming for extended periods.

There are DVI and VGA connections (one each) on the back of the card, letting you hook up your system to two displays (ATI includes DVI-I-to-VGA adapters for analog displays). There’s also integrated HDTV support, so you can output the signal to an HDTV monitor for extremely high-resolution gaming.

Keyboards and Mice Buying Guide

The Basics: Keyboards and Mice

When we speak of input devices, we’re usually referring to keyboards and mice, although there has been a variety of other peripherals that have tried to break into this genre over the years. However, the lion’s share of the input device market continues to be owned by mice and keyboards.

That said, mice and keyboards come in all shapes and sizes. New technologies and features are continually added, changing the way you interact with your system, but the basics have mostly stayed the same. In the past, mice and keyboards connected to a computer via PS/2 ports, but most new input devices are USB. You can still find some input devices that ship with a USB-to-PS/2 converter, or you can purchase a converter separately if you want to connect a new mouse or keyboard to an older machine.

Keyboard range from basic, no-frills models like the ones that ship with budget PCs, to high-end ergonomic wireless boards that let you program all sorts of functionality into shortcut keys. Even the most basic keyboards include a number pad, usually on the right side, for faster entry of numbers. You’ll also find a row of function keys across the top that can be used for accessing menu features without a mouse. More advanced (but by no means top-end) features include multimedia controls and programmable “hotkeys.” There are keyboards that are geared towards specific users, such as digital photo editors or gamers. Some models include built-in wrist rests and USB ports.

Desktop Computers Buying Guide

The Basics: Desktop Computers

New first-time computer buyers used to buy desktops for menial tasks like word processing, checking e-mail and Internet browsing, or managing checkbooks and recipes. It’s become much simpler for the consumer to use their new computer as a multimedia machine, managing photos, music, and even movies with a DVD drive. Dedicated game players will likely want a faster computer with more memory, but most entry-level computers (at entry-level prices) have enough speed, memory, and storage to handle all these tasks. Powerful computers are becoming more affordable, and many budget models will let you burn CDs, run sophisticated operating systems, and play the latest video games right out of the box.

It’s never been easier or less expensive to buy a state-of-the-art personal computer. It wasn’t long ago that computer manufacturers were striving to come up with a sub-$1,000 PC. For a while, there were even stripped-down, basic machines on the market for less than $500, though the poor profit margins on these systems have pretty much forced them from the market. The winner here is, of course, you. Options for the PC buyer abound like never before. Keep in mind that “basic” is a very relative term. Even the most basic PCs these days provide features and performance that are astonishing.

BenQ FP231W 23-inch LCD monitor Expert Review

The BenQ FP231W is an attractive 23-inch LCD monitor that offers a lot of bang for the buck.

It features a variety of connection options, including composite video, S-video, D-sub (analog), DVI-D (digital), audio, and USB ports. If you have multiple computers and need to save some desk space, you can share the FP231W between a pair of PCs or a Mac and a PC. The FP231W can tilt and swivel and the height is adjustable, so you can find just the right angle for comfortable viewing.

The wide format makes the monitor easy to work in multiple applications simultaneously while still being able to see most or all of every open document. An optimal LCD resolution of 1,900X1,200 dpi provides clear images and crisp text, even at small font sizes. The wide viewing angle of 176 degrees helps reduce color shift and image blurring when viewing the display from off-center.

A row of seven control buttons on the right side of the monitor includes Power, Enter (accesses the on-screen display menus), Up (increases the selected adjustment, and also serves as the hot key for the LCD brightness control), Down (decreases the selected adjustment, and also serves as the hot key for contrast), Input (switches the input signal from one computer to another), and Exit (returns to the previous menu or exits the on-screen display).

The seventh button, called iKey, automatically adjusts horizontal and vertical positioning. The on-screen menu is colorful and easy to navigate.

The FP231W has four USB ports, so you can use it a USB hub and free up ports on your computer. One of the four ports is dedicated to webcam use, and its location at the top of the monitor makes it awkward for any other purpose. The FP231W 23-inch LCD monitor’s package includes power, D-sub, and DVI-D cables, a setup card, a user guide, and a CD-ROM with drivers and utilities.

The 16-millisecond response time works to eliminate ghosting in fast-moving images, including video and action games. Image quality and sharpness of the BenQ FP231W are above average, although color fidelity may not quite meet the needs of graphics professionals.

Pro: Above-average image quality. Pleasing collection of features, including multiple input options, tilt, swivel, and height adjustments, as well as picture-in-picture. Includes analog and digital cables.
Con: Color fidelity falls a bit short for high-end graphics work.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

BenQ America Corp.
53 Discovery
Irvine, CA 92618
949-255-9500
http://www.benq.com

Laptop Buying Guide

Possibly, the greatest mistake that unhappy notebook owners made was to buy their mobile computer without determining its use. In other words, they knew that they wanted a laptop but never got around to asking themselves what they wanted their portable computer to do. I certainly hope that this article will help you avoid unnecessary frustrations

This time, ask yourself…
What will I be using notebook computer for?
(Btw: you’ll notice that I emphasize on asking yourself questions. I have found that being curious before I spend my precious money usually saves me from making decisions that might be fatal to my bank account. Besides when someone asks himself or herself “why?”, it forces them to come up with logical reasoning instead of acting on emotional impulses)

Why do I say “for the next three years?”

Because this is the usual maximum lengthy of a laptop warranty. Believe me, owning a computer that is not covered by some sort of warranty is almost the same as living without medical aid. You simply have to be extra careful or lucky and able to afford to have your laptop repaired when something goes nasty. For instance, did you know that the cost to buy a new laptop screen is so high that it’s much better to consider purchasing a new unit?

Where were we?