Hardware Upgrade Tip of the Day #14



*1. KEEP YOUR HARDWARE WORKING WHEN YOU UPGRADE 
YOUR OS--PART 1 OF 5          
  
Now that Windows 2000 is in beta, let's review ways that will 
help you keep all your hardware devices running while you're 
upgrading something as significant as an operating system. No 
matter how good a job Microsoft does with compatibility testing, 
there will still be compatibility issues that may surface during 
your upgrade process. Over the next few days, I'll mention some 
ways to protect your hardware investment.  

First, if you haven't already done so, create a complete list of 
all your hardware devices (hard drives, video cards, sound cards, 
modems, CD-ROM drives, printers, and other internal devices and 
peripherals), complete with model numbers and current driver 
software names. This list will help you check for potential 
compatibility problems--based on the compatibility testing that 
others have done--before you actually perform your upgrade.


*2. KEEP YOUR HARDWARE WORKING WHEN YOU UPGRADE 
YOUR OS--PART 2 OF 5          
  
Carefully pore over any Readme files and other documentation for 
the operating system that you plan to upgrade to. Look for known 
hardware compatibility problems. You'll likely find a rather long 
list of known conflicts, and some of these will also reference 
workaround solutions. Printed manuals may contain such 
information, but the installation CD's Readme file will probably 
offer the very latest hardware-related news. Match this list 
against the hardware your PC contains (using the list you created 
as a result of our previous tip).   

What should you do if you find a match (and a hardware 
compatibility problem)? First, check the severity of the 
conflict. Sometimes it's just a minor issue and the hardware and 
operating system can both still co-exist and function. If it's 
something more serious, check with the manufacturer of your 
specific hardware device. The manufacturer will probably already 
be aware of the problem and be working on a solution.


*3. KEEP YOUR HARDWARE WORKING WHEN YOU UPGRADE 
YOUR OS--PART 3 OF 5          
  
Software drivers are the number-one way in which manufacturers 
solve conflicts with operating systems and other software. 
Browse your hardware manufacturer's Web site and check for 
updated drivers for your devices. Before you download new 
drivers, double-check that you're choosing the drivers that are 
targeted for your specific model of hardware device AND that the 
drivers are meant for the operating system that you plan to 
upgrade to. You'll only introduce additional problems if you 
install the wrong drivers on your PC.


*4. KEEP YOUR HARDWARE WORKING WHEN YOU UPGRADE 
YOUR OS--PART 4 OF 5          
  
Back up! Back up! Back up! Make a full-scale, full-system backup 
before you upgrade your operating system. And finally create that 
emergency start-up disk that you've been meaning to make for the 
last 12 months. You may need both of these items in a dire 
recovery mode.  

You might even want to practice restoring a few files from the 
backup medium to your hard drive. Many people make backups but 
don't even know how to use them. You don't want this operating 
system upgrade process to be your first dive into the deep waters 
of backup/recovery.


*5. KEEP YOUR HARDWARE WORKING WHEN YOU UPGRADE 
YOUR OS--PART 5 OF 5          
  
Plan your operating system upgrade for a noncritical day. If you 
do stumble across a hardware conflict that you weren't warned 
about, you may need much longer than the typical 30 or so minutes 
of installation time. And have all relevant technical support 
numbers close at hand.


*6. WEBTV GETS SMART          
  
The newest WebTV boxes from Sony and Philips Magnavox will offer 
SmartCard slots. It's a little unclear exactly how users will use 
these slots, but you can be sure they're going to be a channel 
for exporting data (as well as importing data, perhaps) from your 
WebTV box to a PC. Stay tuned for more details on this new 
hardware feature.


*7. SHINING A LIGHT ON LCD DISPLAYS--PART 1 OF 4          
  
No need to expound at length on the positive aspects of the new 
flat LCD displays for desktops. Most people are aware that these 
futuristic-looking displays are lighter, brighter, sharper, and 
offer a much smaller footprint than many of their CRT cousins. 
What aren't so obvious are the negative aspects of these 
displays. Over the next few days, I'll mention some things you 
should be aware of before you start shopping for a flat panel 
LCD display for your desktop. 

First, you'll find both analog and digital LCD displays on the 
market. The digital varieties do not work with standard graphics 
adapters. They require special digital graphics adapters that you 
must pay extra for.


*8. SHINING A LIGHT ON LCD DISPLAYS--PART 3 OF 4          
  
The Web designers and graphics artists that I know refuse to work 
on anything smaller than a 21-inch display. Unfortunately, most 
of us would have to rob a bank before we could afford an LCD 
desktop display of that size. Most of the inexpensive lower-end 
LCD panels come in 15-inch or 17-inch size (across the diagonal). 
This means that these cool panels may be best suited for those of 
us who run standard business applications or simply browse the 
Web, rather than create content for it.


*9. SHINING A LIGHT ON LCD DISPLAYS--PART 4 OF 4          
  
Mobile users who make presentations on notebook computers already 
know about LCD displays and their limited viewing angles--here's 
the scoop for the rest of us. Most CRT monitors can be viewed as 
clearly from the side as from the front. LCD panels (both 
notebooks and the newer desktop models) vary widely in this 
ability. Many look as if they are growing darker and murkier in 
proportion to how far off center you're observing the screen. Is 
this really an issue? Perhaps. If you frequently demonstrate 
software to others gathered around your display, this might 
become a problem. Also, if your phone or other frequently used 
device is just off to the side of your computer, you might find 
this behavior annoying.


*10. ANOTHER RIVA TNT2 BOARD          
  
ELSA joins the pack of new graphics board developers with its 
NVIDIA RIVA TNT2-based Erazor III AGP graphics accelerator. The 
Erazor III offers 4X and 2X AGP modes, as well as 32 MB of 
memory for processing 2D and 3D graphics. The Erazor III starts 
at about $190. 

Visit ELSA's Web site at
http://www.elsa.com  

Remember, not everyone needs a graphics accelerator with such a 
high level of performance. If you're just running standard 
business applications and don't often encounter 3D graphics in 
presentations or games, you're probably better off with a more 
inexpensive card--or just better off keeping your current 
graphics board.
