Hardware Upgrade Tip of the Day #5



*1.   SCAN WITHOUT A PC
 
Microtek has introduced its MicroDeck scanner, which it calls a 
"stand-alone scanning appliance." The MicroDeck includes a 
built-in 100MB Zip drive, so without any PC attached you can scan 
images directly onto a Zip disk. A scanner like this makes a 
great workgroup tool. Several users can scan images without 
tying up a PC.



*2.   UPGRADING YOUR HARD DISK DRIVE--PART 1 OF 4
  
For less than $200 you can buy a 10GB hard drive for a desktop 
system. Prices for even larger drives rate high on the bargain 
scale. By upgrading your hard drive, you can easily make room for 
new software, digital photographs, databases, and much more. For 
an older desktop PC, the question is not really whether you should 
upgrade your hard drive, but when. Over the next few days I'll 
mention some tips that will make your hard drive upgrade go 
more smoothly. 

First, check your PC's BIOS before you buy a new hard disk drive. 
An older BIOS may not automatically recognize a disk partition of 
several gigabytes. You can usually still perform the upgrade using 
the utility software your hard drive upgrade kit supplies, but 
this might be a good time to ask your PC maker for a BIOS upgrade 
anyway. With an updated BIOS, your upgrade will be easier, and 
you'll likely gain other system benefits.


*3.   UPGRADING YOUR HARD DISK DRIVE--PART 2 OF 4
  
If you plan to replace your hard drive with a new one rather than 
simply add a second hard drive, you'll be copying files from the 
old drive to the new one. In that case, clean up your old hard 
drive before you begin the copy process. It's a little like 
moving from one house to another. Why would you want to cart all 
your old junk with you to a new location? Get rid of old software 
you no longer use and delete old data files. You can perform this 
cleanup manually or use a software utility to help you find 
seldom-used files.


*4.   UPGRADING YOUR HARD DISK DRIVE--PART 3 OF 4
  
Before you replace your current hard drive, consider the file 
system you want to use. Depending on your operating system, you 
may want the newer FAT32 file system so you can take advantage of 
smaller cluster sizes and larger disk partitions. Windows 95 
OSR2.1 and Windows 98 both support FAT32 as well as the older 
FAT16. Read your system's documentation or browse technical 
articles on the Web regarding the pros and cons of switching file 
systems. You may decide to start fresh with a new drive and a new 
file system.


*5.   UPGRADING YOUR HARD DISK DRIVE--PART 4 OF 4
  
If you've upgraded a hard drive in the past, you'll find the 
process much faster this time. In terms of usability, hard drive 
kits have come a long way. Now most include decent documentation 
as well as utility software that eases the frustration 
of upgrading.  

If you've never installed a hard drive before, you'll want to set 
aside a few hours to perform this upgrade. Even with the usability 
improvements, a hard drive upgrade is one of the more difficult 
ones you can perform on your PC. You'll have to fit your hard drive 
into a drive bay (which may involve using rails), as well as 
partition and format the new disk.


*6.   DO YOU NEED A DOCKING STATION?--PART 1 OF 5

Do you really need a docking station for your notebook? Not 
necessarily. In the old days, notebook users required a docking 
station to bring their systems up to the level of a desktop in 
terms of components and power. With faster processors and a host 
of new technologies, this is no longer the case. Over the next 
few days I'll explain some of the reasons why you might forego a 
docking station for your system. 

First consider the networking component of a docking station. In 
the past, all network adapters were full-size hardware add-in 
boards. You couldn't fit one in a notebook even if you wanted to. 
So for a notebook, you needed a docking station if you wanted to 
connect your system to the office LAN. Now, however, you'll find a 
host of network adapters that plug directly into your notebook. 
Many are PC Cards (aka PCMCIA cards) that offer both modem and LAN 
connection features.


*7.   DO YOU NEED A DOCKING STATION?--PART 2 OF 5          
  
Extra storage is another reason users opt for a notebook docking 
station. A docking station may offer a spare floppy drive, a 
removable storage drive, or even an extra hard drive. However, on 
modern notebooks storage is less of a concern. Even notebook hard 
drives now come in multiple-gigabyte versions, and you can 
purchase versions of the Zip and SuperDisk removable storage 
drives specially designed for notebooks.


*8.   DO YOU NEED A DOCKING STATION?--PART 3 OF 5          
  
People commonly buy docking stations to get better audio, but now 
notebooks can use USB speaker systems. These systems offer crisp, 
clear sound for most standard applications and even for 

common games.


*9.   DO YOU NEED A DOCKING STATION?--PART 4 OF 5          
  
USB technology gives notebooks access to a wide range of 
peripheral devices, including printers, scanners, and digital 
cameras. In the old days, many of these external devices required 
hardware interface boards, forcing notebook users to dock into a 
station if they wanted to take advantage of them. Now, though, if 
your notebook is USB capable, you can just chain these devices 
directly off your notebook.


*10.   DO YOU NEED A DOCKING STATION?--PART 5 OF 5          
  
Docking stations usually give notebook users quick access to a 
standard desktop monitor, as well as a full-size keyboard and 
standard mouse. However, these ports are now stock components on 
most base notebook units, so you have the capability of using a 
desktop monitor, keyboard, and mouse without the station. 

With the latest notebook processor chips and RAM expandability, 
you can configure your notebook so it's as powerful as an average 
desktop system. If you use the notebook's ports wisely, you don't 
need a docking station to take advantage of all the other devices 
that make up a powerful computer.
