this level
child level
UPDATED:
05/28/04
ACCESSORIES (and Cool Toys!)
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- CD-RW (REWRITEABLE)
- CD-RW units are now very inexpensive, many under $100. Speeds are quoted as 32X/12X/48X (the first number is speed writing CD-R media, the second is rewrite speed, and the last is read speed). Speed is in multiples of 150kbps.
- ** With Roxio Easy CD Creator's "Direct CD" software, you can use rewriteable CDs in the same way that you have been using floppy disks, Zip or Jazz drives ... and the CDs are readable in most modern CD-ROM drives.
- Careful shopping can lead to CD-R media at $ 0.15 per disk or
less. CD-RW media is more expensive. If you have to send in
a rebate claim, do it quickly. Some recent ones that I have seen
expire in seven days.
CD-ROM drives still meet most needs for data storage, but DVDs are becoming more common for installing large software applications (if this applies to you, you'll also need a larger hard drive. DVD is also a requirement for movies and high-capacity storage.
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- DIGITAL CAMERA
- Most people do not need more than 2.1 megapixels, and these cameras are much less expensive than higher megapixel numbers. The higher numbers help if you decide to print a small portion of a picture ... but a less expensive way to get there is to buy a 2.1 megapixel camera with a 10x zoom (Olympus C-700, for example ... I got one on sale for $400). UPDATE: In 2004, I got an Olympus C-750 for $400 ... same 10x zoom but with improved electronics and 4 megapixel sensor. The new Olympus C-765 is essentially the same camera (and price) but in a smaller package.
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- DVD-ROM
- For movies or massive data disks (4.5 GB).
- Rewritable versions are available in a number of formats. Do some studying before you buy, unless you have money to burn.
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- GPS (GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)
- Would you believe that the slickest available toy is one of the most useful add-on's
- that I've found for my (laptop or notebook) computer? The GPS is it. The one that I got is an adjunct to and is packaged with DeLorme's "Street Atlas USA" CD-ROM. The GPS is a small plastic package about the size of a small cassette recorder. Built inside is a receiver for signals from a globe-circling series of navigational satellites.
- With the GPS unit plugged into the serial port of a laptop computer perched on the floor under the dashboard of our car, we get a map in a variety of scales, and on that map is a green arrow that shows our progress. There have been at least a half-dozen occasions when it has saved us an hour or more on a trip by allowing us to determine quickly when we have taken a wrong turn ... or to find how to get back on track after missing a turn.
- The package of GPS and CD-ROM can be found easily for $150 or $160 (don't waste too much time shopping ... but it and have fun right away!). If you do get one of these, you'll probably want to buy an "inverter", which plugs into your cigarette lighter and produces AC for your laptop's power supply. The inverter should produce at least 140 watts, and should be available for under $50.
- The new matchbook-size DeLorme GPS unit gets its power via the USB port, a significant improvement over the older version.
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- MODEM
- Get a 56.2 kbps (thousand bit per second) V.90 (standard) data/fax modem for $40-180. Most internet service providers (ISPs) are either at that level or moving in that direction now. 33.6 kbps modems are available for less, and will serve satisfactorily in most cases. If your local telephone lines do not support 56kbps, there is not much point in spending more.!
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- HARD DISK DRIVES
- High-capacity hard drives (100 - 160 GB) are inexpensive. Circuit City had a 160 GB unit on sale recently for under $150 after rebate. That's less than $1 per GB!
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- POINTER
- Optical mice are available for $20 or less (at Micro Center, among others). They are much better than mouseball types.
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- PRINTER
- For high-quality business correspondence, laser printers provide the best result, and Hewlett-Packard sets the standard for comparison (the LaserJet4 and later models produce near-photographic monochrome results, as well).
- Inkjet printers can produce near-laser quality at a lower price. Color inkjet printers have reached the combination of quality and price that everyone should have one, even as a second printer.
- Epson has been the leader in photo-quality printers, but apparently is starting to use microchips in their printer cartridges to prevent use of lower-cost third-party cartridges. Make sure that you don't get this type unless you want to help maintain Epson's profit margins. HP and Canon printers probably give just as good results today.
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- ZIP DRIVE
- Zip drives were a good deal at one time, but CD-RW is now less expensive and more convenient. See article above.
- Looks like a slightly oversized floppy disk, but each cartridge stores 100 megabytes, rather than the normal 1.4 MB. The cartridges come in packs of 3 for $50, or 10 for $100 - 120. The drive itself, available in IDE, SCSI, or parallel port versions, costs $200 (or $125 if you shop around). A 250 MB version is now available for about the same price.
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