Technology that's right for the home: B.E. looks at computers, software and electronic gadgets to bring you into the information age.Computing advancements are coming at a fast and furious pace. Unless you've upgraded your unit, the computer (and software and hardware) you purchased just over a year ago may already be obsolete. Multimedia and the Internet have raised the stakes for personal computing Refers to users working on their own computers rather than a terminal to a mainframe. Sometimes, the term refers to using computers at home for work and/or entertainment in contrast to business use only. See personal computer. . Chances are, if you've recently purchased a high-end home computer, a CD-ROM drive A device that holds and reads CD-ROM discs. CD-ROM drives generally also play audio CD discs by sending analog sound to the sound card via a 4-pin cable. For specifications of 10x, 20x, etc. drives, see CD-ROM drives. See CD-ROM, CD-ROM changer, CD-ROM server and CD-ROM audio cable. , modern and a large hard drive (540 megabytes or more) were included as standard features. If not, you'll need to add these things "These Things" is an EP by She Wants Revenge, released in 2005 by Perfect Kiss, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. Music Video The music video stars Shirley Manson, lead singer of the band Garbage. Track Listing 1. "These Things [Radio Edit]" - 3:17 2. in order to take full advantage of what home computing has become. If you don't have a modem with a speed greater than 9,600 bps, you'll need one to send and receive e-mail and faxes, or to subscribe to Verb 1. subscribe to - receive or obtain regularly; "We take the Times every day" subscribe, take buy, purchase - obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction; "The family purchased a new car"; "The conglomerate acquired a new company"; any online services. A 14.4 kbps data/fax modem will probably serve your needs, but a 28.8 kbps data/fax modem is quickly becoming the standard. Generally, multimedia programs and presentations require CD-ROM drives CD-ROM drives, which today typically means a CD-RW drive that is a combo CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW drive, come in a variety of speeds. The original drive (1x) transferred data at 150KB per second. . CD-ROMs have a much higher data capacity than floppy disks, making them best for storing the huge full-motion video Video transmission that changes the image 30 frames per second (30 fps). Motion pictures are run at 24 fps, which is the minimum frequency required to eliminate the perception of moving frames and make the images appear visually fluid to the eye. and stereo sound files needed for multimedia. A double-speed CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). should satisfy most home computing needs. If your PC does not come factory equipped for multimedia, you may need applications that support Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) An ISO/ITU standard for compressing digital video. Pronounced "em-peg," it is the universal standard for digital terrestrial, cable and satellite TV, DVDs and digital video recorders (DVRs). ) for full-motion video; devices such as a 16-bit sound card and speakers for stereo sound. If all of this sounds like a lot--and it is--you may well need to increase your computer's random access memory (RAM, from 8MB to 16MB, for example) or add an external hard drive to enable your system to handle the demands of a multimedia universe. MULTIMEDIA COMPUTERS For a fully equipped multimedia home computer system, you can expect to spend anywhere from $1,800 to $3,000. It's a sizable investment, but no more than upgrading your home system might be. Any number of Macs and PCs are designed specifically for home use. It will take some investigating to find out which particular model fits your needs and budget. Here is a selected list of computers, software and other technology that can enhance the home computing experience: Apple Performance 638CD The 638CD is a mid-range model with most of the necessary multimedia capacities (like the $1,899 630CD). Its higher price ($2,175) is due to improvements including a latter, higher resolution 15-inch monitor; Apple Video/TV capabilities, which make it cable-ready and let you digitize and display video from camcorders and VCRs; Apple Presentation System for outputting digitized video and Mac graphics to tape or a standard video monitor; and a remote control that turns on the Mac or the TV and operates the CD-ROM player. A host of home entertainment, productivity and education titles are bundled with the system. A small (350 MB) hard drive and a low-speed, 2400/9600 bps data/fax modem--not optimal for Internet connections, it allows you only to send faxes--are the 638CD's drawbacks. Apple Computer; 800-776-2333 IBM Aptiva The IBM Aptiva personal computer was introduced in September 1994 as the replacement for the IBM PS/1. The last system was withdrawn in May 2001 without direct replacement when IBM decided to get out of the home market. M51 The Aptiva M51 was created with the needs of home multimedia users in mind. Its full-motion, full-screen video and 3-D surround leaves most other systems wanting. IBM's communication software manages fax, voice and data transmissions deftly, including answering machine and speakerphone functions. The system comes with a combination 16-bit sound board and a 28.8/14.4 kbps data/voice modem, as well as an adapter cord that allows your modem and phone to run from the same jack. The Aptiva's 16MB of RAM will be all most family users need. The bundled software (1) Applications that are included with new hardware. For example, a new PC often comes with several applications, many of which may be light versions or full versions with no limit on usage. Others may be only 60- or 90-day trial packages. See bundle. includes Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia and Quicken SE. At $2,649, the Aptiva M51--no bargain basement bargain basement sale of old stock at highly discounted prices. [Pop. Culture: Misc.] See : Inexpensiveness machine--provides multimedia to the max. IBMPC Corp.; 800-426-2968 HARDWARE & PERIPHERALS QuickCam/Connectix (Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Mac) QuickCam is a low-cost, completely digital video and still camera for Windows-based and Mac computers. QuickCam plugs right into your PC, and gives you everything you need for instant black-and-white snapshot and videos with sound for $99. Pictures can be imported directly into desktop publishing desktop publishing, system for producing printed materials that consists of a personal computer or computer workstation, a high-resolution printer (usually a laser printer), and a computer program that allows the user to select from a variety of type fonts and sizes, documents and various other applications as well as sent over the Internet. QuickCam can be used with Connectix videoconferencing software that can access LANs or the Internet. Connectix; 800-950-5880 Snappy View Snapshot Play Inc. Clay Inc.'s Snappy Video Snapshot (hardware) Snappy Video Snapshot - (registered trademark) A frame grabber for the IBM PC designed and marketed by Play, Inc.. is a full-color video capture device Video Capture Device (full title Weezer - Video Capture Device: Treasures from the Vault 1991-2002) is the Weezer DVD. It contains footage of a lot of live gigs from early stages of their musical career, right up until 2002. that allows you to take "snapshots" from any analog video The original video recording method that stores continuous waves of red, green and blue intensities. In analog video, the number of rows is fixed. There are no real columns, and the maximum detail is determined by the frequency response of the analog system. source, such as a TV or VCR VCR: see videocassette recorder. VCR in full videocassette recorder Electromechanical device that records, stores on a videotape cassette, and plays back on a TV set recorded images and sound. , with your PC. The Windows 95 and Windows 3.1 compatible unit is capable of producing 24-bit color images at resolutions of up to 1500 x 1125 pixels that rival many desktop scanners and video capture boards. At a cost of $199, Snappy Video Snapshot is an inexpensive source of digital photography that can be used for desktop publishing, PC photo albums, presentations and more. Snappy can also capture moving images--though not as well as still subjects. Play Inc., Rancho Cordova Rancho Cordova (răn`chō kôrdō`və), uninc. residential city (1990 pop. 48,731), Sacramento co., N Calif. A suburb of Sacramento, it experienced rapid growth in the late 20th cent. , Calif; 800-306-7529 Big 5: Five disc Quad-Speed autochanger/Panasonic Panasonic's SQ-TC500N Big 5 is a five-disc quad-speed autochanger See autoloader. that lets you load and access up to five CD-ROMs. It comes with software that switches CD-ROMs in a matter of seconds with a simple point and click. The SQ-TC500N also gets good marks for its compact size. The autochanger installs in a 5.25-inch half-height drive bay and weighs just 2.9 lbs. Suggested retail price is $399. Panasonic Communications & Systems Co., Secaucus, N.J.; 201-348-7000 DeskJet 660Cse/Hewlett-Packard The DeskJet 660Cse is a family-targeted version of the 660 model. The high quality color and monochrome output of this printer make it one of the best in its class with resolutions of up to 600 x 600 dpi. The Cse comes with Print Shop Deluxe (for creating greeting cards, signs, etc.) and a special Kodak Photo CD offer which makes it easy for families to add pictures to their projects. Additional family-friendly features such as two-sided printing for greeting cards and its $399 price tag make it a good choice for family printing needs. Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto, Calif; 800-752-0900 SOFTWARE Kiplinger's Home Legal Advisor/Block Financial Software Kiplinger's Home Legal Advisor provides the home user with over 65 documents and contracts--from living wills to prenuptial agreements--that help iron out complicated legal issues. This program incorporates a word processor that allows you to edit and alter the wording of any document to suit your personal needs. The online help system and digitized version of Kiplinger's Handbook of Personal Law help the user gain a better understanding of personal legal issues, which will save time and legal fees. Suggested retail price is $39.95. Block Financial Software, Kansas City, Mo.; 800-529-5669 FolderBolt/FolderBolt Pro, Kent March FolderBolt allows you to lock entire directories and configure various levels of user-access for those of us who have computers with multiple users. The Windows and Mac-compatible programs let you secure an entire directory as locked, read-only protected, or as a private drop box that also makes secure data communication possible. FolderBolt is an easy way to keep your private files secure and limit access to shared programs. For $55 you can get the Windows version; Mac costs $89. Kent March Ltd., Houston; 800-325-3587 |
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