USB Tips #1



*1.   TIPS FOR COMPUTER SPEAKERS 

Consumers now face more options than ever in PC speakers--so 
many, in fact, that you may be confused as to what
you need. 

The first choice you face will be interface type. You can now 
buy speakers that use the standard PC audio jacks (from a sound 
card), USB ports, or even the Dolby Digital (S/PDIF) port on a 
DVD playback board. Here's a quick breakdown of the target 
audiences for these different speaker types. 

USB: 
USB speakers best suit those who don't own a sound card or don't 
need high-end audio. Real-world testing has shown that USB 
speakers can't yet match the fidelity of traditional PC speakers 
while playing back games or multimedia titles. Furthermore, USB 
speakers may hiccup occasionally when connected to a system 
running other USB devices (due to USB bus traffic). On the other
hand, nothing beats the convenience of hot-swapping your USB 
speakers from your desktop to your notebook for mobile audio. In 
fact, USB speakers may produce better audio than traditional 
speakers on a notebook. 

Dolby Digital: 
Consider Dolby Digital Surround Sound speakers only if you own a 
DVD-ROM drive. You'll be spending an extra $200 or more for the 
5.1 channels (five speakers and a subwoofer) these speakers 
produce. Currently, only DVD movies and DVD games take advantage 
of Dolby Digital audio. 

Traditional PC speakers: 
Nothing yet matches the fidelity traditional PC speakers produce
for game play. If you already own a sound board, investigate a 
regular speaker system before considering other interfaces. 


*2.   TIPS ON HOME NETWORKING 

Home networking options abound. You can now connect PCs and 
peripherals by various means, including cables, radio 
transmitters, even your home's electrical outlets. 

The cheapest method by far for connecting PCs in the home is 
via cables. You can use USB cables to connect PCs through their 
USB ports, or serial and parallel ports to connect systems 
through Windows' Direct Cable Connection feature. You'll end up 
spending only $20 to $100 for cables of these types. If your 
home PCs all reside in the same room, consider a cable approach 
before all others. You'll end up saving a couple hundred dollars. 


*3.   BUYING COMPUTER HARDWARE FROM ONLINE AUCTIONS--PART 1 OF 3 

Have you noticed the boom in online auctions? They're popping up 
everywhere, particularly online auctions for computer products. 
EggHead.com (http://www.pcmall.com) are just a few examples of 
companies that offer online auctions. 

Why the sudden popularity? Two reasons. First, consumers are 
getting more comfortable with online financial transactions and 
companies find that online auctions are a good way to keep 
products moving out the door. 

Many consumers have reported finding deals on computer equipment
through online auctions. But just as with in-person auctions, 
consumers should protect themselves against ripoffs. 

We'll mention some tips for careful auction shopping over the 
next few days. 

First of all, make sure you use the same safety measures in 
online auctions that you would with any online purchase--namely,
protect your credit card numbers. Either use a secure server or 
use a third-party e-commerce company that will make the 
transaction for you while keeping your credit card information
private. 


*4.   BUYING COMPUTER HARDWARE FROM ONLINE AUCTIONS--PART 2 OF 3 

Auctions can be addicting. If you need proof, just venture over 
to live, in-person auctions in your area. You'll often see the 
same group circulating at every auction event. 

The excitement of online auctions is very similar to that of 
traditional auctions. Bidding moves quickly. Some online 
auctions have one-hour limits on bidding. 

The fast pace of auctions may be overwhelming for those new to 
the scene. Thus, newcomers should spend a few days simply 
observing. Browse the sites that offer auctions for computer 
products and just get a feel for how things work. Read all the 
relevant information about the process at the site you are 
considering using. 


*5.   BUYING COMPUTER HARDWARE FROM ONLINE AUCTIONS--PART 3 OF 3 

Be the same smart shopper at an online auction that you are at a 
regular store: Don't bid for items you don't need, even if a 
product looks like a bargain. 

Also, do your research before you enter the auction. Know the 
products you're interested in, and know how much these products 
go for in stores before you bid for them online. Only enter bids
below the cost you would pay in a store. 


*6.   EASY ACCESS TO HARDWARE DRIVERS 

In case you hadn't noticed, Windows 98 added the Update Device 
Driver Wizard to objects in the Device Manager (under Start, 
Settings, Control Panel, System). Now, for components such as 
your hard disk controller, modem, or video board, you can press 
the Update Driver button to hunt down updated drivers on the Web. 


*7.   ARE YOU USB-READY? 

Do you know if your computer is capable of running Universal 
Serial Bus devices? USB support is a two-fold proposition. Your 
operating system and your hardware both need to support this new 
bus technology before you can install and use USB devices. 

Fortunately, you can check both your OS and your PC by running a 
utility called USB Ready. You can snag a copy of this freeware 
program at 

http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-usb0126%2C00.html 

Once you download and run the program, it will report whether 
or not you're ready for USB. 


*8.   PCI-TO-USB ADAPTER 

If your PC doesn't sport any USB ports, it is possible to add 
some. CMD Technology, at 

http://www.cmd.com 

sells a PCI-to-USB adapter board called the CSA-6700. Provided 
your PC is running version OSR 2.1 of Windows 95 or Windows 98, 
you can install this board and give your system two new 
USB ports. 


*9.   PARALLEL PORT CONVERTER 

Believe it or not, you can take advantage of your PC's USB ports 
without buying any USB devices. Entrega, at 

http://www.entrega.com 

sells USB converters that let you connect your current devices to
your PC's USB ports. The USB-to-Parallel port converter, for 
example, lets you connect your parallel port printer to a USB 
port, freeing up your parallel port for a scanner or other 
device. Entrega also sells USB-to-serial and 
USB-to-Ethernet converters. 


*10.   FASTER HOT-SWAPS 

You've probably heard that USB devices are fully "hot-swappable,"
meaning that you can attach and remove a USB device without 
powering off your PC. What is not common knowledge is that the 
first time you attach a USB device to a port, Windows must go 
through an "initialization" phase where it enters the new device 
information into the Registry. To save time down the road, why 
not connect your new USB device to all available USB ports? That 
way, when you hot swap later on, you won't need to go through 
this process, and you can start using your device more quickly. 
