A Review Of The ATI All-In-Wonder X600 Pro Graphics Card by Gary Hendricks
ATI has recently released a slew of PCI Express cards and this baby is one ‘wonder’ of a card. Traditionally, ATI All-In-Wonder cards combine all the features you need to enjoy TV and video games on your PC. Let’s see what features it has and what it is good for. ... I, for one, do not really like to go and overclock a nice graphics board from ATI (or any other brand for that matter). ... Graphics Performance How does the ATI All-In-Wonder X600 Pro perform? ... Well, a quick scan of the Internet reveals that the card gives great scores on all gaming benchmarks.

How to Install a CPU and Heatsink by Gary Hendricks
The most critical part of building your own computer is knowing how to install a CPU and how to install a heatsink. The CPU is the brain of your computer and is the most delicate part. It’s easy to damage, although most CPUs are designed so that they’re nearly impossible to install incorrectly. ... Compare the alignment of your pins with the pattern on your socket and you’ll see that there is only one correct pattern for alignment. ... Check to see if your particular brand of CPU or cooling solution came with a protection plate.

How To Buy A Flash Drive by John Retzer
Whether you call them flash drives, thumb drives, or usb keys, storage devices with flash memory are currently the most efficient, most versatile means of storing and transporting computer data. Offering true plug-and-play functionality, the drives allow you to take large amounts of data on the... Thus, I tend to stick with name brand manufacturers. ... I am constantly losing my caps, and the spares come in handy. ... Some of the newer drives have retractable USB plugs, or swivel designs that eliminate the need for a cap entirely.

A Dozen Ways (Plus One) to Save on Toner and Toner Cartridges by Larry Andrew
There is no question that toner is the most expensive part of owning a laser printer. Statistics show that the average laser printer life span is approximately five years. Over that five-year period, you will pay seven times as much for toner and toner cartridges as you paid for your laser printer. ... Compatible toner cartridges are brand new toner cartridges made by third party companies. ... Most retail stores sell name brand cartridges, which are more expensive. ... Other printers have these two components separated.

Rock Speakers and Planters by Dale Ewans
I think today wherever there's a human being, there's a pair of speakers. Perhaps you can't imagine your living without your home theater system. In the bedroom, you still want to listen to your favorite Cd's. The shortest car ride is unbearable without a decent stereo and a pair of speakers. ... No matter the brand, use direct-burial cable to connect the speakers, because it resists the underground moisture and oxidation. ... Planter and rock speaker manufacturers Planter and rock speakers definitely can bring a dose of exoticism in your backyard.

FAQ About MP3 Players by Edward Shapard
Owning an MP3 player can be a terrific experience. Their compact design, portability and simple customization are just a few of the reasons that these little products are creating a big buzz in the world of technology. The internet makes it very simple for anyone to own an MP3 player because of... The most appealing factor of a refurbished product is that it will cost less than one that is brand new. ... This is a fairly simply process and can be compared to the simplicity of converting a GIF image file to JPEG.

RFID: When You Don't Even Know It's There by Andy Reed
RFID (Radio Frequency ID) enables wireless data capture and transaction processing. Our last column discussed proximity applications, used primarily for access control. This time, we'll take a look at what are broadly defined as vicinity, or long-range applications, used for product tracking,... Not doing so opens the door to knock-off imports that cut into the bottom line, cheap copies hurting the reputation of a well-known brand-name, and use of banned components such as toxic dyes in fabric or children's toys.

How to Buy a LCD Monitor by Vaibhav B
I had been salivating for about an year, desperately wanting a LCD monitor for my computer but the prices were crazy so I decided to wait a while. A couple of months ago while I was in Dubai I decided to buy a LCD monitor because the prices had dropped by then. ... I didn’t want a very expensive model but I wasn’t going to buy a ’’no-name’’ brand either. ... Any other resolution looks washed out and blurry. ... Choose your resolution depending on the size of the screen you buy. ... For me the best resolutions are as follows: 15’’ - 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768; 17’’ - 1024 x 768; 19’’ - 1280 x...

How to Buy a Cheap Laptop Computer by Robert Scheer
When planning to buy a cheap laptop computer, you need to consider factors that go well beyond performance and memory. You need to consider many factors like size, weight, screen dimensions, battery life, keyboard quality, built-in memory, and also certain other options like wireless connectivity. ... Therefore research a lot before buying any particular brand. ... This is much more useful than connecting a mouse via a USB port. ... •Optical drives: Many manufacturers offer laptops with re-writable DVD drives.

Help to Choose your Monitor by Andrew Gates
Making the right choice in a computer display or monitor is an important part of involving yourself in today's web-browsing and multi-media technology. Right now, you are viewing this in a computer monitor (unless you've had someone print it for you and you're reading it on paper because your... Screen resolution. ... The number of pixels a screen displays determines the resolution. ... A resolution of 1024 x 768 has 1024 pixels in the horizontal plane, and 768 in the vertical. ... The higher the resolution, the more detail is displayed.