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Christmas Shopping for the Techno-Geek
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I thought it might be fun (and a little informative) to talk about some of the technology that is out there for school and home use.
I tried to find all price ranges and a lot of choices, from the very practical to the "wish list" item. It's really interesting to see just what is out there--and what is coming. Next year at this time many of these things will be "out of date." Hope you enjoy the list!
Be sure to shop around. The brands I list are just what I'm familiar with--check around to find the best products to suit your needs!
These are just some suggestions--talk to many different people to make the best decisions.
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USB Storage Drive - Great stocking stuffer!
These are great!
I've told my classes about them. They hold data and files in amounts vastly superior to any floppy disks, and it's not necessary to constantly burn disks to move information. They come in varying sizes. For students, I'd recommend 128k. They can then hold multiple files as well as graphic and sound files, which can take up space. 128k drives cost around $20, but they plug into any computer with a USB port. I own two of them with a little more storage, and I now feel I couldn't do without them. These are a great way to skip the hassles of formatting floppy disks and suffering trauma when they won't read or open files. There are many different brands, and they can be bought at any retail store, as well as places like Staples or Best Buy.
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Go wireless!
If you have a laptop at home or a desktop and a laptop, consider this great option! Look Ma, no wires! I have this at home, and I love it. The router will run around $50-60. If you need a wireless Ethernet card for the laptop, it's another $40-50. You can shop around for different brands, but for Linksys, definitely go to the G system rather than the B--it's a little more powerful. I bought mine at Wal-mart--most retail stores will have them. Some newer laptops already have a wireless connection, so check that out first.
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I get a lot of questions from my students about CD burners. Honestly, a good one can be purchased for $50-60. The new focus is on DVD burners.
There are even models that burn in double layers--they hold twice as much information--up to 8.5 GB. DVDs are a wonderful way to archive information. The jury's still out whether the + or - format will be the standard for burning, so look for a model that does both.
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Internal burners start at about $80; external burners run around $200.
If you're like me, I've loaded all my available internal ports, so I bought the external burner--the advantage is that I can hook it up to multiple computers with a USB or Firewire cable. We bought one for school, so all the teachers will be able to plug it in to their computers--eliminating the need to always use one computer to burn CDs or DVDs. DVD is a good choice if you want to burn family videos and pictures--lots of storage and good quality.
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I own a Kodak EasyShare, and I absolutely love it. It allows me to take high-quality pictures I can edit later for posting on the web or printing. I paid around $200 two years ago, and the camera
also can record video. It has compact flash cards that work like floppy disks to store pictures and video. The flash card plugs into my computer to transfer the pictures. Nothing to it!
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This one is for the parents.
We've heard of CD changers you can hook to your stereo? This is the next generation. There are different models out there--this is one of them. Shop around to get the best deal. It holds over 300 CDs and DVDs to hook to your entertainment system. If you are interested in something like this, make sure you get one that plays VCD and CD-R files, too--those are the CDs and DVDs you make yourself, like from family video and picture files.
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As far as the big purchase, computers, are concerned, do a lot of looking around. Don't depend on one authority or one company or retail store to tell you what you need. As a rule, retail gives the best
deals.
Some companies also have better customer service than others. Check with people you know. You should not have to pay high costs for service. There are reasonable people both locally and in larger, well-known companies that will not try to take advantage of you.
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I've owned Dells, Packard-Bells, Hewlett-Packards, eMachines, and even Radio Shacks. All have advantages and disadvantages. Here are some things I look for when buying a computer:
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- Buy the best processor you can afford.
Everything else can be easily upgraded. It's like buying a car--you buy the engine for the life of the car--it's possible, but not likely, that you'll replace it later.
- What software comes installed on the machine?
Try to make sure Microsoft Office is on there somewhere. The kids will need Microsoft Word and PowerPoint for school, and later the other aspects of the package. You can buy it later, but it will run you $150-$500 for a student version or the full program.
- Memory is needed! However, if you find a great deal on everything else but not as much memory, realize you can add it later.
Memory is what allows you to run more "stuff" at the same time, which makes the computer run faster. Memory is relatively cheap, and it's not expensive to add. Look for machines that are upgradable in memory--the machine shouldn't be maxed out when you buy it.
- Look for more storage space, not less.
You may feel that you'll never use it all, but you will. I remember when 6GB was a good-sized hard drive. I have three drives right now, a total of 200 GB of storage, and I sometimes need more space. That's a little extreme, but you can always use the space--programs also take up more and more of it.
- Get a burner--whether CD or DVD.
You will find a use for it eventually--I'd go DVD now. Definitely don't buy a computer that doesn't at least have a DVD player. I'd go for the DVD burner--you can still burn and use CDs. Many computers have two drives--one DVD and one CD.
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The best advice I can give--shop around! It's like buying a car. The more people you talk to, the more you find out what's out there. It's worth it to take the time to learn.
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Other things to think about:
- Think about springing for the DSL or cable connection. Dial-up may be cheaper, but I guarantee you'll make up the cost in the time you'll save not waiting for sites to load.
You can surf faster and more efficiently with a better connection. I think it's really worth it. Plus, audio and video streaming is commonplace--you can't do that effectively in dial-up.
- Printers are cheap! I'm big on all-purpose machines that can print, scan, and copy.
They are really handy. Many have fax machines as well, and slots to plug in memory cards from digital cameras and video cameras to move files. HP has some really good machines. I'd recommend staying away from top-loading printers. I've never had good luck with them. I think gravity is against you--they jam.
- Beware of "package deals."
Some are really great, but others may throw in a printer or extras that really don't save you money. A cheap printer that doesn't do what you want it to do really isn't a benefit. Many times you can adapt packages and substitute better models. Some deals also feature year-memberships to certain internet services. Some areas around here don't support those services, and you might get a better deal locally anyway.
- Rebates are nice, but only if you do the paperwork.
Keep track of those, and make sure you follow up on them. Sometimes some companies "forget" to come through. Make sure you remember to check those things out after the fact.
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