Hardware Upgrade Tip of the Day #6



*1.  SPACE-SAVING PC SPEAKERS
 
Benwin-Kwong Quest LLC has introduced what may be the ultimate in 
space-saving PC speakers. Its Flat Panel BW2000 speakers are 
ultraslim--about the depth of a thin pad of paper. They come with 
cables that separate them by 15 feet, so you can even move them 
off your desk if you want. The speakers, recently discounted, 
currently sell for $99. The company's Web site is 

http://www.benwin.com


*2.   GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR TIPS--PART 1 OF 5
  
If you plan to play DVD movies on your PC, you may be able to 
save yourself a card slot. ATI Technologies now offers the Rage 
Fury graphics accelerator board. What's new and interesting about 
this product is its inclusion of DVD support. This means you don't 
need a separate DVD decoder board to play back DVD movies on your 
computer. You'll find ATI at  

http://www.atitech.ca


*3. GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR TIPS--PART 2 OF 5
  
You may have purchased a low-end PC with AGP accelerated graphics, 
but can you really upgrade the system with a newer AGP graphics 
board? Maybe, maybe not. Some PCs have their AGP graphics chip 
hardwired into the motherboard. If there is no AGP slot available, 
you will not be able to upgrade to a newer AGP board down the road.


*4. GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR TIPS--PART 3 OF 5
  
Some graphics cards now include everything but the kitchen sink. 
You'll find cards that offer TV tuner and video capture features 
in addition to the standard 2D and 3D graphics acceleration. Many 
users wonder if the graphics performance suffers in these 
all-in-one cards. Not really--if you demand the very best in 3D 
gaming acceleration, then you may want to stick with a 
high-performance specialized graphics board, but for general 
all-around use, these combination graphics cards are a fairly 
good deal. Plus they save you the card slots you would consume if 
you installed separate boards to perform the additional functions.


*5. COOL FEATURES FOR PROJECTORS--PART 3 OF 3
  
For traveling, a projector's weight becomes vitally important. 
Look for a projector that weighs under 9 pounds or so including 
the case, cables, and power supply. You're probably already 
carrying a notebook computer, so you'll want the projector unit 
to weigh as little as possible when you take the show on 
the road.

Keep in mind that all these additional features will probably cost 
more money. Decide which features are most important to your 
presentations, then try to find a reasonably priced projector that 
includes them. However, image quality is still the most important 
quality, so get a demonstration of any projector you're 
considering before you buy it.


*6. GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR TIPS--PART 4 OF 5
  
Intel's recently released NX440LX motherboard has some 
restrictions on the length and height of the AGP graphics 
accelerators it supports. Check into these restrictions when 
upgrading your video. Read more about this topic at Intel's 
Web site  

http://www.intel.com 

and the AGP Forum Web site 

http://www.agpforum.org


*7. GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR TIPS--PART 5 OF 5           
  
Thinking about an upgrade to one of the new LCD flat panel 
displays for your PC? Then don't buy a graphics board before you 
shop for displays. Several of these flat panel products are 
complete solutions that include both a specialized graphics card 
and an LCD display. Shop wisely by first deciding whether you want 
your next display to be an LCD flat panel.


*8. DVD SOUND DETAILS          
  
DVD supports the sophisticated 5.1 channel surround sound called 
Dolby Digital--but what exactly is this technology and how does 
it work? For an in-depth tour through Dolby Digital, browse the 
Dolby Labs Web site at  

http://www.dolby.com


*9. PC SPEAKERS AND OFFICE RADIO IN ONE          
  
Cambridge Soundworks now offers a Model 88 product that does 
double duty as a radio and as a set of PC speakers. Although the 
unit is in one piece, it includes two stereo speakers and a 
subwoofer. There's a wireless remote control as well. The Model 
88 costs $188.


*10. COOL FEATURES FOR PROJECTORS--PART 1 OF 3          
  
The latest wave in computer-based presentations is portable 
projectors. These devices have dropped in price several thousand 
dollars in the past two years. Their wall-size images make it much 
easier for groups to see what you're presenting. Price and image 
quality remain the most important factors when you're deciding 
which model to purchase, but you should consider other features. 
I'll mention some over the next few days. 

First of all, look for a projector that has a zoom lens. This 
feature lets you adjust the size of the image by simply zooming in 
or out. Some models have only a single fixed-focus lens, which 
requires you to move the projector back and forth to change the 
image size.  
