Hardware Upgrade Tip of the Day #4



*1. PRINT DIGITAL CAMERA PICTURES WITHOUT A PC--PART 1 OF 4

Several new PC products let you print digital camera pictures 
directly from your camera without the hassle of downloading 
images to your PC. Products in this category include Syntran's 
CamPrint and Polaroid's ColorShot. Over the next few days I'll 
mention some tips about buying and using these new products. 

You'll find Syntran at

http://www.syntran.com

and Polaroid at

http://www.polaroid.com 

First, check the compatibility of your camera with these print 
devices before you buy. Digital cameras come in quite a variety, 
and these devices do not work with all cameras.


*2.   PRINT DIGITAL CAMERA PICTURES WITHOUT A PC--PART 2 OF 4

Inventory the media types your digital print device supports 
before you buy. If you commonly store images on Zip disks, 
SmartMedia cards, and/or CompactFlash memory cards, you'll want 
these options on your print device. Some of the products support 
only one type of media, while others give you several choices.


*3.    PRINT DIGITAL CAMERA PICTURES WITHOUT A PC--PART 3 OF 4

Carefully read the printout options on any digital print device 
you are considering. Some restrict you to smaller-size prints; 
others give you several size options. You might even encounter a 
product that lets you add special effects to your photos or print
out multiple copies of a photo. Decide in advance whether or not 
these features are important to you.

Correction: The Hardware Upgrade Tip for March 11 incorrectly 
reported that USB monitors do not require a video graphics card. 
All USB monitors do require a video graphics card. We apologize 
for this error.


*4.   PRINT DIGITAL CAMERA PICTURES WITHOUT A PC--PART 4 OF 4
 
Paper is as important for digital photography as it is for 
standard photography. Find out about the paper your 
direct-connect digital photo solution supports. You'll probably 
enjoy your photographs more if you can print out images on 
high-quality photo-stock paper.


*5.   THE END OF THE ISA BUS--PART 1 OF 5
 
Prepare yourself. Analysts and PC manufacturers predict that many 
if not all new PCs in the year 2000 will ship without ISA bus card 
slots. What does this mean for hardware upgraders? Plenty. Many 
upgraders port devices from older to newer systems when they 
purchase a new PC, basically salvaging useful booty from the 
wreckage of an out-of-date system. Without ISA slots in newer 
systems, this transfer will not be possible. Over the next few 
days, I'll help you prepare for the coming ISA-free world.

First, inventory the devices you currently use that actually rely 
on ISA technology. You may find internal video cards, modems, 
and/or peripheral devices like scanners that use the ISA 
interface. Keep this list handy as you go about planning which 
devices to upgrade in the months ahead.


*6.   THE END OF THE ISA BUS--PART 2 OF 5

You won't need to upgrade all your ISA devices simply because next 
year's new systems won't include ISA slots. For example, video 
graphics cards are a standard component of new PCs. So if you do 
buy a new system in the year 2000, it will include a non-ISA video 
card. You won't need to port your current card to your new system.

On the other hand, peripherals such as scanners, label printers, 
and the like do not generally come packaged with new PCs. You 
should ponder the possibility that these ISA devices may not make 
the trip with you when you buy a new system down the road.


*7.   THE END OF THE ISA BUS--PART 3 OF 5
 
You can still find ISA-based products on store shelves today. Are 
these products a wise investment? Only if you plan on using your 
current PC setup for several more years and you have no need to 
keep current with the latest technology. A smarter move would be 
to opt for a product that uses a more modern interface, like USB 
or FireWire. These newer buses will stay current for the 
foreseeable future, and you'll be able to port the devices to a 
non-ISA PC down the road.

Read product boxes carefully when you shop. You might find the 
interface information included in the smallest print.


*8.   THE END OF THE ISA BUS--PART 4 OF 5

Say your current PC is filled with ISA technology and you have no 
hope of replacing all your devices before you buy a new system. 
Don't fear. In the home environment, there is still a chance you 
can leverage these devices even if you do buy a non-ISA PC.

Home networking products let you connect two PCs and share devices 
between them. Thus, if you purchase a non-ISA PC in 2000, you 
might consider networking your older system and your new PC. This 
would allow you to continue using your older ISA-based products. 
You can find home networking kits that connect two PCs for 
under $200.


*9.   THE END OF THE ISA BUS--PART 5 OF 5
 
If the end of the ISA bus is near, what about the future of 
interfaces such as IDE and SCSI? Don't worry. All ndications are 
that these two interfaces will be around for a long time. Both 
have evolved over the years to stay current with faster data 
transfer rates.


*10.   HIGH-TECH PC SHARING

Leave it to engineers to figure out a more efficient and effective 
way for two users to share the same PC. With Vega Technologies' 
$149 Buddy System, you no longer need to go for a coffee break 
when someone else wants to use your PC. The Buddy System comes 
with a hardware add-in board and an external box, into which you 
plug another monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Once installed, both 
users can work applications, browse the Web, and perform other 
work simultaneously on one PC. This sharing solution works best if 
your PC is a fast one (200MHz or faster), although Vega's minimum 
system requirements are only a 100MHz Pentium with 16MB of RAM. 
The Buddy System is also a way to get some more use out of the 
monitor, keyboard, and mouse from your old 386-chip boat anchor. 

Vega Technologies' Web site is at

http://www.vegatechnologies.com
