Top 5 must have accessories for your notebook

Today many people carry notebook computers. They are convenient and easy to use. With this ever growing trend come all the accessories that may go with a notebook. Whether you are looking for accessories for yourself or thinking about buying a gift for someone, there are some must have accessories for today’s sophisticated notebook user. The top five notebook accessories are:

Speakers

People often use their notebook for more than just work. When sitting in a hotel with nothing to watch on television or waiting in the airport during a layover, the entertainment value of a notebook is priceless. Having speakers that will attach to your notebook when needed will allow you to play music or watch DVD’s while you wait. Some really cool speakers you might consider are the Sony SRS-T77. Coming in at around $60.00, these speakers are small but powerful. They fold up to be about the size of a CD jewel case. You can find them at Amazon.

Notebook Carrying Case

A carrying case is definitely a must have for those on the go with their notebook computer. For those who are simply looking to have a lightweight protective case, a simple briefcase style is ideal. For the overnight traveler, there is the backpack carrying case. The space allows you to pack for an overnight trip while keeping your notebook safe and secure. This is small enough to be a carry on piece of luggage so you don’t have to worry about checking your bag. When you have a lot of luggage though, the rolling bags are ideal. These allow you to roll your case behind you without having to do any heavy lifting. You can find various cases at Amazon, PCMall and reviews at CNET.

External Hard Drive

For those who use their notebook as a peripheral device for traveling or getting out of the office, an external hard drive is ideal for transferring data between each computer. It is also a great security measure to backup documents in case there is an issue with your desk top or notebook computer and you need to recover documents. External hard drives can be found at CNET, Superwarehouse and Geeks.

GPS Receiver

Do you travel frequently and sometimes get lost? Are you one of those people who do not like to ask for directions? A GPS receiver could be the perfect solution. This handy device will allow someone to get directions to any destination so you never get lost again nor will you have to stop to ask directions. This can be a really great time saver. GPS receivers for the notebook can be found at CNET, Amazon and BestBuy.

Web Cam

For keeping up to date with friends and family, a web cam is a great accessory. You can use it for work or play, to video conference with those who are not with you. Creative Labs has made quality web cams for desk top computers and their Creative WebCam Notebook at approximately $50.00 is a must have accessory. It can be found at Circut City and OfficeMax.

A notebook computer is an incredibly useful tool to have for both business and personal needs. Accessories for the notebook will enhance the efficiency of the computer to allow you to expand its uses. Investing in these top five accessories for the notebook will ensure you have the perfect tool for home and business use.

The newest releases from both Nvidia, namely the GeForce 8800 GTS and GeForce 8800 GTX, and AMD (ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT) are all mouthwatering treats for the avid gamer. However, with prices ranging from $450 to $600 a pop, they are not exactly an easy buy for the avid gamer sticking to a limited budget.

Do not despair, however, if you are one of those hapless gamers who cannot easily cough out $600 for a great, high-end graphic card. There are still some good chips out there worth $200 or less, which may not have features and specifications that are at par with the next-gen chips but can actually perform quite well. This list of good and reasonably priced graphic cards came from PCWorld.com.

1. EVGA e-GeForce 7900 GT KO
   • PCI Express bus
   • 256 MB installed RAM
   • DDR3 RAM type
   • 1,500 MHz RAM speed
   • 580 MHz processor speed
   • Price: $140

Though not exactly the fastest of the graphic cards available out there, this baby still runs fast, even if you beat it up with repeated overclocking. Even if you put it through the fire, it still runs cool and quiet. It is quite a value for its price if you really can’t afford going for the higher-end chips.

2. MSI GeForce NX6600
   • PCI Express bus
   • 256 MB installed RAM
   • DDR2 RAM type
   • 400 MHz RAM speed
   • 350 MHz processor speed
   • Price: $60

This graphics card would work well for the gamer who is really pinching it and who can sacrifice a bit of quality for the price. Not that it is a bad card for its price, though. It can still deliver if you put your games in medium setting. However, it is said to have the tendency to overheat and its fan can generate a bit of noise.

3. Asus EAX1600Pro

• PCI Express bus
• ATI Radeon X1600 PRO chipset
• 256 MB installed RAM
• DDR2 RAM type
• 780 MHz RAM speed
• 500 MHz processor speed
• Price: $90

The Asus EAX1600Pro is another good card for its price, as it can let the user play with most graphic-intensive games without much of a fuss, provided that the game is at medium setting. While this graphic card can play well, if you are used to the performance of a higher-end chip, however, do not expect too much from this one. The greatest problem with this graphic card is that it is very noisy and has the tendency to overheat.

Thinking of getting yourself a new digital camera with cool features at a price that will not bust your savings, to take with you on your trips this summer? To get the most out of your money and to probably score yourself a great deal, check out this list of the top five inexpensive digital cameras, compiled by PCWorld.com, one of the leading computer and gadgets magazine on the Internet.

1. Canon Power Shot A460. This baby comes at only $130 at the time of its review, but it is chock-full of useful features compared to the other models available on this price range. It is a 6-megapixel piece with a 4X optical zoom and a choice between eight scene modes. Though fully automatic, this model still allows for a limited range of manual controls. It is small and handy, but it is not possible to tote it along in one’s pocket.
2. Nikon Coolpix L10. If all you want in a digital camera are simple, streamlined features that are easy to use, a size that fits snugly and conveniently inside your pocket, and a price that will not break you, you do not need to look any further. What you need is a Nikon Coolpix L10. With five megapixels and a 3X optical zoom, this piece is good for basic point-and-shoot photography. The images you get are to be expected of cameras of this price range – with a passable color accuracy and clarity, but lacking sharpness. It is very handy, however, and the software is easy to navigate and use.
3. Kodak EasyShare C653. This model produces very, very nice images for a camera in its price range. The colors are pretty crisp and accurate, taken at 6.1 megapixels. And if you are not happy with the pictures you have taken, there is a photo editing and enhancing tool built within the camera itself called PerfectTouch. If you are still not happy about the image you have taken even after using PerfectTouch, delete is just one push of a button away. One of the coolest things about this model is its ability to piece together panoramic shots.
4. Fujifilm FinePix A610. If you are the type who does not want to bother much about setting up controls when taking your photos, the model you ought to get is the Fujifilm FinePix A610. Although it does allow for a number of limited manual settings and presets, it has few controls that make point-and-shoot photography easy. Built with a 6.3-megapixel sensor, the images you can expect are color accurate, though still a little lacking in terms of image sharpness.
5. HP Photosmart M537. This model is the ultimate for people who only want to point and shoot, without much inclination for setting up controls and presets. There are few controls and functions available to begin with. The camera sets its own ISO depending on the available conditions for picture-taking, so you do not exactly know what to expect.

So much has been said about the on-going and probably never-ending Mac vs. PC war. Pro-Mac people have a lot of unsavory things to say about Microsoft and its Windows products. The same can be said about pro-PC people and their attitude with regards the offerings of Apple and its Mac. Now, unless either Bill Gates or Steve Jobs does something incredibly stupid with their respective companies and products that would serve as a major turn off for their fans and supporters, it is highly, highly likely that we would ever even see an end to the Mac vs. PC war.

Who is really to say that the PC is better than Mac, or that Mac is better than the PC? The opinion will always be subjective, shaped by how receptive the respective users are to the computer hardware and software that they are using. One interesting website, however, made an attempt to subject both the Mac OS X and Windows XP to a point system. Guess which got the highest score.

If anyone were to ask us which one is better, we’d say only this: Get both. A Mac and a PC in the same household can make for strange bedfellows, some might say. But hey; whoever said we can’t ever get the best of both worlds? Here are five ways to make the most out of having both a PC and a Mac.

1. If you are thinking of doing serious work on your computer, use your Mac. As John Droz would say, Mac users become more efficient with their time in front of the computer, thereby increasing their productivity. If you want more work done, work on a Mac.
2. If you are thinking of doing serious gaming, play on your PC. Many, many bestselling games out there are made with Windows in mind. The same can be said of many freeware and shareware games.
3. If you do a lot of multimedia stuff, like creating movies and photo editing, do it on your Mac. The iLife suite is simply amazing.
4. If you do a lot of chatting, Mac works just fine with its nice iChat software. The iChat is an AOL Instant Messaging (AIM) service, and it is very cute and easy to use.
5. If you do video conferencing and if you find yourself stuck with dialup connections sometimes, use your PC and the Windows Messenger service. The video conferencing feature of Windows Messenger works well even with slow connections.

In the long run, it doesn’t matter what platform you use. It’s how you use it and what you use it for that count.