Christmas, Technology, and You?

Isn't it exciting to get a brand new laptop for Christmas? It's even more exciting when you turn it on and it works, right? Better still when you hit the "Programs" button and you find out you can do all kinds of things with your new laptop. You are having a ball, who wouldn't, and what is best about this is; because it is a laptop you can take the fun with you. Desktops are not portable, but, in this article we will show you a couple of ways that they can be relatively portable, so, if taking it with you is your only concern in making a laptop purchase, and you'd rather have a desktop model, this article will help you with that decision. This article is also about the idea of giving when your budget has taken a hit, as many budgets have; and so, doing it on less is your option, we're going to talk about my favorite subject, refurbished units, because I believe in them from experience; and they are helpful to the budget that is facing a strain. So you should see something in here that is interesting and helpful and that's our approach to saying "Merry Christmas."

"I'd like one of those in Pink..." imagine how strange that would have sounded to a telephone dealer in 1960! All phones in 1960 were black, had round dials, and, were attached to a wall. Some of you (hopefully some of you) reading this article weren't born in 1960, so this is history to you. Today to get a cell phone, digital picture making camera carrying, mobile communication unit, in just Pink is almost too easy, isn't it? So times have changed, for the better in so many ways. One of the most inventive ways that times have changed has to do with totally mobile devices, which have computer ability, of which there are many; this article isn't about those, but they are a factor, the main decision there is, do I want to have the ability to move, constantly, or, compute heavily? Most of the totally mobile devices still lack the laptop or desktops ability to compute heavy programs.

Laptops now come in so many different styles, wide screen 17" with HD, full surround sound, all available Microsoft programs, and, all for less than $600! So with that as a given, what do they lack that a desktop can provide? There are some drawbacks to laptops, so, let's get into that quickly for you.

First, because cool chip technology is still being built, they tend to get hot. One solution which has worked well in my home is the cooling pads which provide additional ventilation to the system. A second issue in laptops is that the batteries tend to get slogged down over time, the only solution that has made sense for me is to get another battery. The third complication in laptops is the amounts of RAM which they come with, this needs to be checked at the outset as many sales units have a smaller RAM allowance, thus keeping the price down, when in fact, if you consider what you need, and here my sense is never less than 1GB given todays graphic uses; you can add that into the cost for less up front with the manufacturer than if you wait and try to add it yourself later.

Desktops are always going to be my favorite, but they are, while powerful, and easy to enhance with additional RAM and Hard Drives and even replacement chips; they aren't portable. What may help you is understanding some simple facts of life in computing and mobility. Many current system of email are fully web capable, Windows has gone to the "Live," version, Yahoo is certainly usable, Google is never to be ignored, Google's "i Google" portal system isn't hard to use at all, and in fact, one of my favorite shows, "The Chris Voss Show" deals with Google enhancements frequently. These types of network available, Internet available platforms allow you to leave material in them, when you reach your destination, you simply sign on and go to work on it. Many of you who are so savvy know this as pretty basic, but you'd be surprised at how many folks haven't thought about the Internet email systems, or, search engine based sites, as storage systems that can be signed into from other locations. Lets go one step further in this, let's say you don't want to trust a public platform; which for many isn't an option, for very few dollars you can sign on to a public based host system, with encrypted security, which will allow you access from any locale. If you'd like to find one and are not sure how to go about doing that, please feel free to contact the author of this piece for assistance.

This brings us to an all time favorite, how to buy systems yet save money, yet get the best product. This is called refurbished and they are wonderful units. In my home we have six such units, they are all over three years old, and they've worked splendidly since day one, "why," you wisely ask, "aren't they used?" Yes they are, but here is the wonderful part of refurbished units, most of the ones which come off the sales room floor have been hammered on, crashed, slammed, you name it, then they are taken back to the issuing center, or to an expert Geek, who then makes them just like new. The beauty is, they have stood the test of time, they electrically are capable of taking all the different volts and watts you can throw at them, and, the additional wonderful side to them is, they are still under warranty. Hard to beat a top name product that already broken in, has been totally revamped and made even faster than it was from the factory; and now, you get to have it for anywhere from 40 to 70% off the list price.

Christmastime is about giving, but it is also about joy, and one of the greatest joys that one can share with someone who wants to use a good system, is a new computer or laptop, or, one which looks and acts as if though it is, new. My hope is that this article while not technical in nature will provide some guides for you and that you will truly have a wonderful holiday season.