Hardware Upgrade Tip of the Day #31



*1. OPTICAL RECORDING DRIVES--PART 1 OF 4          
  
While you can find CD-RW drives in a USB interface, these drives 
generally aren't as fast in recording and playback as the EIDE and 
SCSI interface CD-RW drives. Drives like HP's external SCSI CD-Writer 
Plus 9210e (www.hp.com) can play CDs at 32X, write CD-R media at 8X, 
and record CD-RW discs at 4X. So if you feel the need for recording 
speed, look into an EIDE- or SCSI-based optical drive. You will have 
to deal with a little more installation hassle with an EIDE/SCSI drive 
than you would with a USB drive, but in terms of performance you'll 
find it's worth the extra effort.


*2. OPTICAL RECORDING DRIVES--PART 2 OF 4          
  
The key difference between CD-RW and DVD-RAM optical recording drives 
is storage volume. Like CD-R media, CD-RW discs have an upper limit of 
650MB. With DVD-RAM, on the other hand, you can store up to 5.2GB on a 
double-sided disk. However, you'll pay handsomely for the extra 
storage DVD-RAM offers. Blank DVD-RAM disks cost around $40 apiece, 
whereas blank CD-RW discs cost only about $2. On average, you'll pay 
about 50 cents more per megabyte for DVD-RAM media than for CD-RW.


*3. OPTICAL RECORDING DRIVES--PART 3 OF 4          
  
The recording software that used to accompany optical recording drives 
was a nightmare--often too complicated and frustrating to use. 
Fortunately, the last couple of years have seen major improvements. 
Now even recording novices can quickly make a CD-RW or DVD-RAM 
recording with just a few clicks of the mouse. 

You'll also notice that the MP3 music craze has had an effect on 
recording software. Many CD-RW drives come with packages that help you 
download and store MP3 files from the Internet as well as create your 
own music discs.


*4. OPTICAL RECORDING DRIVES--PART 4 OF 4          
  
You can save around $100, sometimes a little more, by opting for an 
internal CD-RW or DVD-RAM drive rather than an external drive. The 
extra casing and shielding costs more to manufacture, and the drive 
makers pass this cost onto the consumer. If you have a spare drive bay 
and you aren't concerned with using your recording drive on more than 
one PC, buy an internal drive. 

Consider the following issue, however. You may need to use one drive 
to archive the data of several systems you don't have networked, or 
you may want to share DVD-RAM data between two nonnetworked systems, 
one of which doesn't have a DVD-RAM drive--they are still fairly 
uncommon on PCs. In that case, look for an external drive. This will 
let you quickly detach the drive from one PC and reattach it to 
another.


*5. SERVICE AND SUPPORT TIPS--PART 1 OF 6          
  
Even the most competent hardware upgrader must occasionally call for 
help. So over the next few days, I'll pass along tips to help you make 
the most effective use of the service and support your hardware 
vendors offer. 

First, don't wait until you have a problem before you look through the 
service and support information that accompanied your hardware 
product. Before your vendor provides technical support, they may 
require that you register your product or at least activate your 
service and support option by sending in a form via e-mail, regular 
mail, or by calling a toll-free phone number. If you delay until you 
need technical support before you do these preliminary tasks, you will 
have to wait longer for help than you should.


*6. SERVICE AND SUPPORT TIPS--PART 2 OF 6          
  
Before you make that technical support call on a malfunctioning 
hardware device, run through whatever troubleshooting steps the 
product's documentation and online help offer you. If you don't, the 
technician on the other end of the phone line will likely walk you 
through the same procedures to rule out the most common problems. You 
may find that you can solve your own problem and spend less time 
waiting on hold if you just perform those documented troubleshooting 
steps first.


*7. SERVICE AND SUPPORT TIPS--PART 3 OF 6          
  
Before you phone for technical assistance, try searching for help on 
your hardware vendor's Web site. Most hardware companies now offer 
easy-to-use Web-based technical support databases (it saves them money 
not to have to staff a technical support call center). It's very 
unlikely that no one has ever seen your problem before, and there's a 
good chance that your problem has a fully documented solution 
available on the Internet. Browsing the hardware vendor's 
site is often faster than waiting for a live technician over the 
phone. 

Of course, you'll need Web access to go down this avenue, and some 
hardware malfunctions might cripple your computer and stop you from 
accessing the Web. In these cases, you must resort to tried-and-true 
phone support.


*8. SERVICE AND SUPPORT TIPS--PART 4 OF 6          
  
Another alternative to phone-based technical support is real-time 
online chat support. Some companies now offer the ability to chat live 
with a technician rather than talk over the phone. 

The plus side of chat support is speed--for the moment, anyway. You 
often don't wait as long for chat support as for phone support 
(probably because most users still rely on the latter, crowding the 
phone lines). 

The down side of chat support is the list of items you need to make it 
work. First, you must have a Web connection (as I mentioned in the 
last tip, your hardware problem might limit your Internet access). 

You might also need a chat software plug-in module for your browser, 
depending on what type of chat mechanism your hardware vendor uses. 
You should find all the details on the vendor's company Web site. 

Finally, you'll have an easier time if you're a fast typist. If you 
hunt and peck at the keyboard, inability to communicate quickly with a 
Web-based technician may frustrate you. 

Remember, if you don't find satisfaction with chat support, you can 
always go back to the phone.


*9. SERVICE AND SUPPORT TIPS--PART 5 OF 6          
  
When you do finally connect with a technical support staff person, 
describe the details of your problem and all the steps you've taken to 
resolve it. This has two effects: First, it lets the technician know 
what you've already tried so he or she won't cover the same ground. 
Also, it informs the technician about your level of expertise. 

There is nothing more frustrating than having a technician talk down 
to you about computers when you've been using them for years. If you 
are an experienced PC user and you communicate this to the technician, 
you may find the quality of support quickly rises to a more 
sophisticated level. Instead of holding your hand over every step 
("Click the button marked Start"), the technician might just give you 
a quick list of possible diagnoses and the remedies to try.


*10. SERVICE AND SUPPORT TIPS--PART 6 OF 6          
  
If you don't feel you're getting the help you need from a particular 
technician, ask to speak with someone else. Technical support call 
centers are often structured hierarchically, and the first-level 
staffers are the least experienced or knowledgeable about the 
products. By asking to speak with someone else, you'll most likely get 
bumped up to the second-level support staff--they're usually better 
equipped to solve your problems quickly.
