Be not afraid of greatness

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em"

Friday, October 24, 2008

Resize Images to Save Space


Does your picture collection take up a lot of space in your computer? This is mostly due to the size of your images. When you take pictures using digital cameras, these are often set to high image sizes, which are good if you are doing detailed photography work or graphic design. But these could cost you megabytes of precious disk space.

One solution is to resize your images in a manageable size while considering quality. Note that changing image size actually changes the color information in the image.

There are a lot of graphics editing software you can use to accomplish this but they require a longer time if you plan to process a large batch of picture files.

A better solution is use an Image Resizer, which enables you to resize one or many image files with a simple right-click. With this installed, processing a batch of images is a breeze.

Follow these steps for a more productive picture collection and storage:
  1. Download the Image Resizer here and install.
  2. Once installed, select a picture file (or a group) and right-click
  3. On the pop-up menu select Resize Pictures.
  4. A dialog box like the one below will allow you to set your desired size for your selection.
  5. Click OK to convert. Enjoy!

Guide for Buying Laptops


Laptops provide more flexibility and portability than the standard PC. With many brands on the market today, it is easy to be confused on what to buy. Here are some information you need to know to select the best laptop to suit your needs.

Important Laptop Components

  1. Processor: This is the brain of the computer. All the data is processed here be it any manipulation, calculation or any other formatting. The choice of processor will depend on how you intend to use the laptop. The specifications are directly proportional to pace of executing the different tasks. Higher the specifications, faster will be the speed at which tasks will be executed. Same way, the powerful processor will help perform more tasks better. Core duo the latest technology is faster and more energy-efficient.

  2. Software: These act as the instruction manuals of the computer. They decide the actions of the machine. Some of these softwares come along with laptop. However for better and more comfortable usage of the same extra softwares have to be purchased and installed. To serve your basic needs on the computer you need to have at least the basic word processing and email enabling software.

  3. Operating System: The most important software that enables other softwares and applications to run on your PC is called the operating system. Without this software no applications shall work. Most of the PCS across the globe run a version of Microsoft Windows. They may be either Windows Vista (the latest version of Windows) or an earlier version, such as Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Me, or Windows 98. Apple computers run on an operating system called OSX.

  4. ROM: A chip on the motherboard which stores a permanent set of start-up instructions for your computer is called ROM (read only memory). This chip is fixed when the system is manufactured and all the instructions in it do not erase even if the power is off.

  5. RAM: This is the memory that the computer uses to run its operating system, applications and active data files. Higher RAM enables the computer to run complex programs and more of them at a time. RAM is highly responsible for the overall performance of the system. This memory makes your applications run faster and makes it possible to work with huge files. RAM starts at about 512MB; you can find some that can be upgraded all the way to 4.0GB.

  6. Cache: This memory is similar to RAM but runs at a very high speed. The CPU makes use of it as a storage place for processing instructions. Information in the cache memory is not retained once the power is off.

  7. Hard drive: Computer can take data from the hard drive to process information and also record the data back into the disk after the work is done. The sizes of the hard drive varies from 60GB, that is sufficient for basic computing needs, up to 120GB, ideal for multimedia, home entertainment and games.
Laptops based on your needs:

Below listed are the different user profiles and the kind of laptop that would suit each of them:
  1. Home user:

    Most of the home users now prefer notebooks over desktop PCs. This is because these devices perform equally well and possess equally good features. Besides they can be easily carried to different locations.

    Undoubtedly all laptops would be suitable for home use; however there are two types of laptops that would best serve the purpose, the midsize notebooks, which are budget-friendly, and the desktop replacements, which are packed with features.

    Key features desirable in laptops for home use:

    A memory size of minimum 1GB is recommended for these laptops. A hard drive large enough to store digital photos and videos will be needed. The display should be 14.1 inch or larger. A fixed or swappable DVD burner will also be a necessity. Both wired and wireless networking will be needed. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium or Apple Mac OS X is the operating systems recommended.

  2. Student

    This is the kind of users who have strict budget constraints. Though this is a major factor, they expect a laptop that gives best performance for the money they pay. A laptop that should suit their need will be one that is light enough to be carried around, stylish enough to flaunt but tough enough to bear the wear and tear of each day.

    Key features desirable in laptops for student use:

    A memory size of at least 1GB is needed. A hard drive big enough to hold all those MP3s is needed. A DVD burner is needed as a backup for all those class projects, etc. Wired and wireless network will be needed as you can be in the network equipped classrooms or you may have to make use of the wireless in the other outside locations. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium or Apple Mac OS X is recommended.

  3. Frequent flier

    For those who spend a lot of time traveling, the size and the weight are key factors that have to be taken into consideration while selecting a laptop. These factors are so important that compromising slightly on the features and the performance wouldn't be a loss. Ultraportables are the smallest and the lightest notebooks. They weigh less than four pounds and as thick as a spiral bound notebook.

    Key features desirable in laptops for frequent fliers:

    A memory size of at least 1GB is recommended for these laptops. The display should be of maximum 13.3inch. Both wired and wireless networking will be needed here too. Extended battery is a must for those traveling far. An external CD-RW/DVD drive is recommended. A port replicator will be needed for the desk. Microsoft Windows Vista Business is recommended for this type of laptops

  4. Business power user

    For those business people who make use of the same laptop in office, home and the road, a well balanced system is a must. The laptop has to be capable of delivering a performance that can gel with the wide range of applications that the business would make use of. A thin and light model would be the best option.

    Key features desirable in laptops for business users:

    A memory size of at the least 1GB is recommended. For those using Windows Vista, memory should be 2GB. A midsize hard drive will be enough. The display should be 14-inch or 15.4-inch. A dual-layer DVD burner will be more suitable. Both wired and wireless networking will give the desired comfort in using the laptop. An extra battery is undoubtedly a must for these users. Microsoft Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate are the preferred options.

  5. Multimedia author or gamer

    If you have to make use of the laptop to design a Web site or edit home movies, the device will need a powerful processor, large memory, great graphics, and a healthy hard drive.

    Key features desirable in laptops for multimedia users:

    A memory size of 2GB and a display size of at least 15.4 inch or more is a must in these laptops. To serve the need an advanced graphics card with 256MB or 512MB of its own memory or dual SLI graphics is needed. The hard drive has to be the largest and the fastest, in order to enable the laptop to perform according to your needs. Dual-layer DVD burner, possibly HD-DVD or Blu-Ray compatible is recommended. Multimedia connectors, such as S-Video, HDMI, FireWire, S/PDIF, external keyboard and mouse can make the use more comfortable. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate, or Apple Mac OS X is recommended.
Source: http://www.naaptol.com

Friday, October 17, 2008

Acer Aspire 4730z Windows XP Drivers



It has been a challenge to convert to Acer Aspire 4730z to Windows XP with a bundled suite of Vista device drivers. Following are some links to the coveted Windows XP drivers. Here's another resource link. Download but scan for viruses first.