Hardware Upgrade Tip of the Day #21



*1. BEFORE YOU UPGRADE--PART 1 OF 4          
  
Sometimes it's obvious when you need to upgrade--you can't play a 
DVD disk on a CD-ROM drive, for example. Other times, people 
perform upgrades when their computer just "seems too slow." These 
less obvious cases always deserve a second look. You may be able 
to eke a little more life out of your PC by doing a little 
cleanup and maintenance. There's no need to spend money 
unnecessarily. Over the next few days, I'll pass along some tips 
and tricks you should try before you upgrade that older computer. 

First, older hard drives are nowhere near the capacity of the 
latest multigigabyte models. However, your system may be using 
space very inefficiently, and you might have more room left than 
you think. Perform a cleanup before you upgrade your hard drive. 
Remove or archive unneeded files and applications. Then perform a 
Scandisk-like operation on the drive to reorganize the data at a 
lower level. Your drive's capacity and overall system 
performance should improve with just this little bit 
of maintenance.


*2. BEFORE YOU UPGRADE--PART 2 OF 4          
  
Feel like you need a new modem? If you aren't running with at 
least a V.90 modem, then you may be right. But at any speed, you 
want to make sure the modem is running at its full capability. 
In Windows, be sure to check the Dial-Up Network connection 
settings for your ISP connection. In Windows 98, for example, 
you'll find your connection settings under 
Start/Programs/Accessories/Communications/Dial-Up Networking. 
Make sure your settings match the upper data transfer limits of 
your modem.


*3. BEFORE YOU UPGRADE--PART 3 OF 4          
  
A processor upgrade can be expensive and tricky, particularly if 
you aren't an experienced upgrader. Sometimes, however, it's 
your only option. With the demands of new software and hardware, 
processors do become obsolete. However, yours might still have 
more ooomph than you think. Double-check the performance settings 
of your operating system. In Windows NT, for example, you'll find 
them within the Performance tab of the System object in the 
Control Panel. Make sure you're running your applications at full 
throttle before you decide to buy a new engine.


*4. BEFORE YOU UPGRADE--PART 4 OF 4          
  
The latest CD-ROM drives offer X speeds that match many computer 
users' ages, while a few years back the X speeds were more in 
line with people's shoe sizes. If your PC sports a 6X, 8X, or 10X 
CD-ROM drive, you may be thinking of upgrading to one of these 
new 40X drives--but think twice. All CD-ROM titles are still 
optimized for playback on about a 4X CD-ROM drive. This means 
you'll notice no improvement in audio, video, or animation when 
you play back the title on a faster drive. The only time CD-ROM 
drive speed makes a difference is when you install software or 
copy files from a CD to your hard drive. In those cases, the 
CD-ROM drive transfers data as fast as it can. 

The real reason to buy a new optical storage drive is to add 
functionality--for example, you might purchase a CD-R recording 
drive or a DVD new media drive. In terms of performance alone, 
odds are your current CD-ROM drive is fast enough.


*5. VENTILATE FOR LONGER PC LIFE          
  
The system fans inside your PC cool off your system's internal 
components by drawing air in through the front of the PC case and 
pushing it out through the back. Unfortunately, if you've 
relegated your PC to the dusty corner beneath a desk, these fans 
may be doing more harm than good. Whatever you do, don't 
disconnect or remove the fans--your system needs this air 
circulation. But for the sake of your PC's longevity, keep the 
area around your PC free of dust, dirt, and smoke.


*6. NEW USB PRODUCTS--PART 1 OF 4          
  
USB continues to be the bus of choice for many hardware 
designers. Over the next few days, I'll mention some of the 
latest products that sport this easy-to-use, hot-swappable 
interface. 

First up is Konexx's Mobile USB adapter--contact the company at  

http://www.konexx.com 

This analog-to-digital phone adapter lets you plug your 
notebook's analog modem into a digital phone line for Internet 
connections and data transfer. The Mobile USB draws power from 
the USB bus. With the adapter you don't have to worry about the 
high-current digital line problems that can damage or destroy 
analog modems.


*7. NEW USB PRODUCTS--PART 2 OF 4          
  
An inferior sound card might cripple your voice recognition 
software by distorting voice input from a microphone. Telex, at 

http://www.computeraudio.telex.com 

now offers a way around this problem--the H-531 USB Microphone 
System. This USB-interface, noise-canceling mike headset needs no 
sound card. Voice input data gets passed through the USB bus, not 
through your mike input jack. Notebook users might find this 
product particularly useful, since the audio components aboard 
most notebooks do not match the quality of those in your average 
desktop computer.


*8. NEW USB PRODUCTS--PART 3 OF 4          
  
Thinking of finally buying that Uninterruptible Power Supply 
(UPS) to keep your computer running 24/7, even in power outages? 
If so, why not include an extra USB hub in the mix? American 
Power Conservation's new Back-UPS Pro gives you just that. It is 
specifically designed for USB-capable Windows 98 systems. Contact 
APC at 

http://www.apc.com


*9. NEW USB PRODUCTS--PART 4 OF 4          
  
Record on the road with Sony's new Spressa USB 
CRX100E/X--contact the company at 

http://www.sony.com 

This CD-RW drive records CD-R media at 4X speed and CD-RW media 
at 2X speed, and also plays CDs at 6X speed. Best of all, you can 
carry the portable unit with you to any USB-capable PC, plug it 
in to the PC's USB port, and start recording. 

The Spressa works with both iMac and PC computers.


*10.   MOUSE-LESS AND FANCY-FREE WINDOWS--PART 1 OF 2 

Are you one of those people who like to keep their hands on the 
keyboard--and off the mouse--as much as possible? (Or worse, got 
your mouse hand in a sling from a recent accident?) Then you'll 
be happy to hear that two seemingly mouse-dependent tasks--moving 
and sizing an open window--can be accomplished without touching 
the mouse. In today's tip, we show you the first of these tasks: 
moving a window. 

Assuming the window you want to move is currently active, hold 
down the Alt key as you press the spacebar, then type the letter 
M. A four-pointed arrow appears on the title bar of the active 
window. Depending on whether you want to move the window left, 
right, up or down, press and hold the corresponding arrow key 
until the window outline reaches the desired destination. (Tip: 
You can use two keys at once, to move a window diagonally.) Press 
Enter to "drop" the window, or press Esc to cancel the move. 

In our next tip, we'll discuss how to size a window using 
the keyboard. 


*11.   MOUSE-LESS AND FANCY-FREE WINDOWS--PART 2 OF 2 

Are you one of those people who like to keep their hands on the 
keyboard--and off the mouse--as much as possible? (Or worse, got 
your mouse hand in a sling from a recent accident?) Then you'll 
be happy to hear that two seemingly mouse-dependent tasks--moving 
and sizing an open window--can be accomplished without touching 
the mouse. In our last tip, we discussed moving the window; 
today, we cover sizing. 

Assuming the window you want to size is currently active, hold 
down the Alt key as you press the spacebar, then type the letter 
S. A pointer (or a four-pointed arrow) appears in the middle of 
the active window. Press the arrow key that corresponds to the 
side you want to adjust, then use the arrow keys to adjust the 
side. Press Enter to keep the change or press Esc to Cancel. 

(Tip: You can also simulate clicking and dragging a window by its 
corner, to size the window in two directions. One at a time, 
press the arrow keys corresponding to the sides that meet in that 
corner. Then, press the two same--or two opposite--arrow keys 
together to adjust both sides at once. Again, press Enter to keep 
the change or press Esc to cancel.) 
