Back in ancient days, making a mix tape for a girl was the ultimate way to show you cared. The sweet sounds of an Air Supply ballad would let the apple of your eye know you are always thinking about them. If you were to try that in the present time, they'd look at you like you were handing them a bomb or something. Not many people utilize the cassette tape so burning CD's is the new mix tape. Besides picking a better song than Air Supply, there are some things to consider when burning CD's.
You may notice that CD's hold up to 700 MB of data but that can be misleading. If you are burning the songs as data, than you can fit many more songs to a CD. If you are burning CD's to listen to in your radio, you can only fit around 150 MB or 70 minutes of songs. Burning CD's is a relatively simple task with the computer programs that often come standard with a new computer. It is important when burning CD's to buy discs that are labeled CD-RW. These discs are re-writeable as opposed to CD-R, which are recordable.
Burning CD's can be the first step in a long life of love, as long as you take the proper steps.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Buying a New Laptop
It seems that in this day and age, everybody carries their laptop with him or her everywhere they go. Whether you are surfing the Internet, finishing up that novel, or prepared for that solitaire itch to come calling, a laptop can provide many uses. In this day and age, a laptop upgrade can be acquired for a fraction of the money of the past. When buying a new laptop, it is important to recognize the floor and ceiling of your computer usage.
No matter how often or intensely you use your laptop, it is important to have at least 2GB of free space available for installing programs. Although you may not need the extra space at first, it is better to be prepared and your computer will run smoother with room. An important thing to consider when buying a new laptop is the graphics capability. If you are a gamer, top of the line graphics drivers will prevent lagging and add to the overall enjoyment of your experience. If you are buying a laptop from a 3rd party distributor, look past the low price to check system accessories. Many of these computers are offered for less because they are refurbished but they also lack word processing programs and a network card. A high quality laptop should come with a battery, Microsoft Office or similar programs, and a functioning network card. Price is not always the most important thing to look for when buying a new laptop but if you are prepared, there's a deal to be made.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Dell Studio 1555 15.6-Inch Chainlink Black Laptop
I love this laptop. I wanted to get a laptop for school, and shopped around a little bit, I almost got a dell insperon, but Dell was having a sale, and this computer was $100.00 off! So I bought it, and I love it.
The 15.6 inch screen is really nice, you can see a lot, and 720p resolution is actually really good looking on this laptop. I like the glossy screen, but if you are sitting next to a window there might be too much glare.
The HDMI output is a very nice feature because you can hook your computer to your TV and watch movies, or play games.
I dont know if the one on amazon has the included backlit keyboard, but it is a very nice feature. The keys are very hard to see in the dark without it.
It is really fast with 4 gigs of ram, it can convert movies to another format in an hour with the 2.2GHz dual core processor.
This laptop gets warm when you use it, but I have never had it get too hot. It has good battery life. I have gotten 5 and a half hours out of it just surfing the web, and I have watched 2 movies back to back on an airplane, the movies were not dvds (I copied the dvds to my computer beforehand because the optical drive takes a lot of power).
Overall I would recommend this laptop. This was my first laptop of my own, and I am really happy with it.
Pros:
- Truly gorgeous and bright screen.
- Laptop's cheese-wedge-shaped design is great because there's not a large "ledge"
- Good performance, comes with good video card and supports up to 8 GB RAM. I do a lot of 3D modeling and this has made my life so much easier compared to my old machine.
- Second headphone jack makes it perfect for watching DVDs with your buddy while you're stuck in Afghanistan
- Windows 7 works like a champ and looks great
- Facial recognition software (FastAccess) makes login fast, easy, somewhat fun (not sure if Amazon config has this)
- Attractive design, battery has good life but doesn't stuck out like the badonkadonk my wife's HP.
- Laptop speakers that don't suck. Awesome. Also convenient, responsive media controls.
- Quiet keyboard. Not sure if this config has the backlit version, but if so you are in for a treat. Very nifty and useful in low light.
- Easy 1-door access panel on bottom for upgrade action
The 15.6 inch screen is really nice, you can see a lot, and 720p resolution is actually really good looking on this laptop. I like the glossy screen, but if you are sitting next to a window there might be too much glare.
The HDMI output is a very nice feature because you can hook your computer to your TV and watch movies, or play games.
I dont know if the one on amazon has the included backlit keyboard, but it is a very nice feature. The keys are very hard to see in the dark without it.
It is really fast with 4 gigs of ram, it can convert movies to another format in an hour with the 2.2GHz dual core processor.
This laptop gets warm when you use it, but I have never had it get too hot. It has good battery life. I have gotten 5 and a half hours out of it just surfing the web, and I have watched 2 movies back to back on an airplane, the movies were not dvds (I copied the dvds to my computer beforehand because the optical drive takes a lot of power).
Overall I would recommend this laptop. This was my first laptop of my own, and I am really happy with it.
Pros:
- Truly gorgeous and bright screen.
- Laptop's cheese-wedge-shaped design is great because there's not a large "ledge"
- Good performance, comes with good video card and supports up to 8 GB RAM. I do a lot of 3D modeling and this has made my life so much easier compared to my old machine.
- Second headphone jack makes it perfect for watching DVDs with your buddy while you're stuck in Afghanistan
- Windows 7 works like a champ and looks great
- Facial recognition software (FastAccess) makes login fast, easy, somewhat fun (not sure if Amazon config has this)
- Attractive design, battery has good life but doesn't stuck out like the badonkadonk my wife's HP.
- Laptop speakers that don't suck. Awesome. Also convenient, responsive media controls.
- Quiet keyboard. Not sure if this config has the backlit version, but if so you are in for a treat. Very nifty and useful in low light.
- Easy 1-door access panel on bottom for upgrade action
Acer AOD250-1197 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life
The Acer Aspire D250 is a great netbook PC, and the 1197 flavor contains four differentiators:
(1) Windows 7 Starter OS
(2) 250GB hard disk drive
(3) 6 cell battery (~8 hours' lifespan)
(4) the standard English keyboard layout
..and it comes in blue :-)
Having visited 8 different retail stores and having tried/returned two Asus 1005HA's, I spent a considerable amount of time comparing / contrasting models.
In comparing the Acer Aspire One D250 to the bestselling Asus 1005HA-PU17 and other netbooks:
(1) The D250 is lighter, even with the 6 cell battery. If one were to buy the 3 cell battery (~2 hour life) to save even more weight, it would be in the featherweight category. The Asus 1005HA's battery is so bulky and unbalanced it almost makes the netbook want to teeter-totter around its back legs.
(2) The D250 is quieter. Unlike the 1005HA, the fan does not turn on when browsing the web, running virus scans, etc.
(3) The D250's keyboard is 89% the size of a regular keyboard, and it is smaller than Dell, HP, and Asus 10" netbook keyboards. However, I was able to type my usual 70WPM without issue.
(4) The D250 has _NO_ hard disk vibrations. The Asus 1005HA had hard drive vibrations that were not only noticeable, they ran straight into my wrists and were irritating. Many other 10" netbooks have this problem too. This issue becomes very noticeable when you spend 15 minutes drafting a document or writing an e-mail.
(5) The 1005HA has a slightly bigger touchpad.
Canadian users would be wise to order the 1197 version of the D250 as the U.S. keyboard is much easier to use than the multilingual French/English keyboard. The Shift keys are wide, and the Enter key can be reached easily. Such is not the case with the multilingual keyboard.
My only complaint is that I prefer a matte screen to the glossy screen. It is vulnerable to reflections and glare.
***Notes on Windows 7***
Windows 7 Starter is very comparable to Windows XP. The main feature disabled on Win7 Starter edition is the "Aero" feature, which is standard on Win7 Home Edition or Premium versions. However, the Intel Atom/N270 and Intel 950 GMA chipset lacks the graphics horsepower to run "Aero," even if one were to upgrade Win7 editions. This hindrance applies to any netbook with the N270/950 chipset (Asus, HP 110, Dell Mini), not just the Acer D250. At the time this review was written, upgrading from Starter to Home Premium had a steep price tag -- in the $75 - $80 range. And the "Aero" feature would have to be disabled anyway...
Nevertheless, the Acer D250 is among the best built, the quietest, and lightest of the 10" Intel Atom based netbooks available today. Highly recommended.
(1) Windows 7 Starter OS
(2) 250GB hard disk drive
(3) 6 cell battery (~8 hours' lifespan)
(4) the standard English keyboard layout
..and it comes in blue :-)
Having visited 8 different retail stores and having tried/returned two Asus 1005HA's, I spent a considerable amount of time comparing / contrasting models.
In comparing the Acer Aspire One D250 to the bestselling Asus 1005HA-PU17 and other netbooks:
(1) The D250 is lighter, even with the 6 cell battery. If one were to buy the 3 cell battery (~2 hour life) to save even more weight, it would be in the featherweight category. The Asus 1005HA's battery is so bulky and unbalanced it almost makes the netbook want to teeter-totter around its back legs.
(2) The D250 is quieter. Unlike the 1005HA, the fan does not turn on when browsing the web, running virus scans, etc.
(3) The D250's keyboard is 89% the size of a regular keyboard, and it is smaller than Dell, HP, and Asus 10" netbook keyboards. However, I was able to type my usual 70WPM without issue.
(4) The D250 has _NO_ hard disk vibrations. The Asus 1005HA had hard drive vibrations that were not only noticeable, they ran straight into my wrists and were irritating. Many other 10" netbooks have this problem too. This issue becomes very noticeable when you spend 15 minutes drafting a document or writing an e-mail.
(5) The 1005HA has a slightly bigger touchpad.
Canadian users would be wise to order the 1197 version of the D250 as the U.S. keyboard is much easier to use than the multilingual French/English keyboard. The Shift keys are wide, and the Enter key can be reached easily. Such is not the case with the multilingual keyboard.
My only complaint is that I prefer a matte screen to the glossy screen. It is vulnerable to reflections and glare.
***Notes on Windows 7***
Windows 7 Starter is very comparable to Windows XP. The main feature disabled on Win7 Starter edition is the "Aero" feature, which is standard on Win7 Home Edition or Premium versions. However, the Intel Atom/N270 and Intel 950 GMA chipset lacks the graphics horsepower to run "Aero," even if one were to upgrade Win7 editions. This hindrance applies to any netbook with the N270/950 chipset (Asus, HP 110, Dell Mini), not just the Acer D250. At the time this review was written, upgrading from Starter to Home Premium had a steep price tag -- in the $75 - $80 range. And the "Aero" feature would have to be disabled anyway...
Nevertheless, the Acer D250 is among the best built, the quietest, and lightest of the 10" Intel Atom based netbooks available today. Highly recommended.
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