Hardware articles

Choosing a Computer Repair Specialist (04/29/2012)
... That being said, there are a few questions you should ask and qualifications you should look for when calling a computer repair specialist. Service Charges Perhaps the first thing on your mind when calling a computer repair technician is how much they charge. Many service technicians hesitate to disclose this information, but it is as vital as everything else. When calling around to find a technician that will solve your problem, you may not want to look for the cheapest place to get your computer repairs done, but you want the best price for the quality of work that is performed. For example, one computer specialist could charge twice that of a different one, but also take twice as long and perform the same amount of work....

How Does a Printer Work ~ The printing process ~ Types of Printers (04/27/2012)
... Some printers, however, use gravity as a way to hold and begin the print process. These printers hold the paper vertical in a chute above the print components. Regardless of the feed device, each printer requires some mechanism to feed the paper into the printer. The paper transport path Paper moves through the printer by making contact with several sets of rollers that work much like the paper feeder. Registration rollers are synchronized with the print process so the paper doesn’t lag or enter the printer too soon....

Types of DRAM (04/25/2012)
... With EDO memory, the memory controller can read data from a memory block while listening for the next instruction. This capability increases performance, because the memory controller does not have to wait for the next instruction after reading a block of memory; while it is reading one block of memory, it is receiving the next instruction. With FPM RAM, the reading of one memory block and listening for the next instruction would be done in multiple steps. Burst Extended Data Output Burst Extended Data Output (BEDO) is a bursting-type technology. The word burst refers to the fact that when one memory address is requested and that address is retrieved, the system bursts into the next couple of blocks and reads those as well....

An Overview of IDE Devices ~ IDE versus EIDE devices ~ The Master Slave Concept (04/25/2012)
... There are also controllers on the motherboard—two perhaps (the primary IDE controller and the secondary controller). Originally, IDE was only available in the flavor of hard drives, and the hard drives had a maximum capacity of about 528MB. Another important limitation with IDE is that there could only be two devices in a chain. SCSI is stronger in that respect: it supports at least eight devices in a chain. IDE devices have a transfer rate of about 10Mbps and may have cache on the drive itself....

Why To Shutdown Your Computer Properly Each Time You Are Not Working on It (04/23/2012)
... Although updates to the computer can be downloaded while the computer is running they cannot be fully installed until the computer has been shutdown and rebooted. Necessary programs such as Anti virus and spyware require that the computer be rebooted before they can be completely installed. When using a Windows machine, a lot of minor issues can be fixed by simply shutting down and restarting the machine. Computers also need to be shutdown to protect the RAM, each time the computer is shutdown the memory is wiped clean. Whenever a program is opened it uses up RAM and when the computer is shutdown it is then deleted from the RAM....

Some Information about the Most Common Computer Ports (04/22/2012)
... They used nine wires in cable to connect two devices together. This enabled them, at any given time, to deliver eight bits of data. However, because there was no way to accurately control the flow of the signal down each of the wires in the cable, it was recommended that the length of the cable be less than six feet. This became more of a factor when bi-directional communication was implemented over the parallel port. The standard for bi-directional communication was delivered in the IEEE-1284 specification, which allowed for high-speed communication over the parallel port....

Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) ~ How to Install SCSI Host Adapter in Windows 2000 (04/22/2012)
... The other major benefit of SCSI is the number of devices that are supported in the SCSI chain, or what is known as the SCSI bus. Original SCSI supports up to eight devices in the chain, but one of those devices is the SCSI card that’s added to the computer to give you the capability to use SCSI. Remember that IDE only allowed two devices in the chain, and EIDE supports four devices, so with SCSI you are not only allowed to have more types of devices, but you are also allowed to have more of those devices! Original SCSI supports up to eight devices in the chain, but if the exam asks how many devices can be attached to a SCSI bus, the answer is seven (the test makers assume that the SCSI card is already there). Remember to watch the wording of the questions closely. The last benefit of SCSI is performance....

What kind of adapters do you choose to connect your iPod to your car (04/22/2012)
... Some direct audio inputs adapters are designed around iPods and supply a cable that will plug into the bottom of your iPod. These adapters will charge your iPod and allow for control from your vehicle's radio. The only downfall to these interfaces is that they have to be installed by a qualified person, and they cannot be taken from car to car. A wired FM modulator is connected directly in line with your radio's antenna. This allows the modulator to interrupt the FM signal coming from your vehicle's antenna....

Types of Memory (04/21/2012)
... EEPROM A new implementation of ROM is called Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), or flash ROM. The manufacturer writes the software instructions into the ROM chip, but you can update these instructions by running special software provided by the manufacturer. The special software is usually provided on a disk or can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s Web site. EEPROM has become the typical way to update your system BIOS. When my 486SX25 was designed, for example, it was not “aware” of my brand-new 6GB hard disk that I had purchased and planned to install in that computer....

Understanding the Computer System Resources (04/10/2012)
... The I/O address is a special port address that represents a pathway between the CPU and the device. So, for example, if the processor needs to send information to LPT1, it can send the information to pathway 378-37F, which is the pathway address that is leading to LPT1. I like to think of these pathways as tunnels; each device has its own tunnel that extends from the device to the processor. If the processor needs to send information to the sound card, it knows that if it sends the information down I/O port address 220, then the sound card will receive the information. Conversely, when the processor receives information from I/O port address 220, it knows that the information comes from the sound card, because that address is assigned to only one device....

The LCD Monitor: A Thin Multimedia Collaboration Client and a New Paradigm for Collaborative Visual Communications (03/10/2012)
... To make thin clients attractive to enterprises, firmware included with the thin client enables centralized management and control over the operating system and applications running on them. Thin Clients Can See! With the migration toward thin client technology in the LCD monitor industry in full swing, manufacturers still need to further differentiate their offerings to gain market share in the enterprise computing market. This can be achieved by turning the LCD display itself into the enterprise communications epicenter by enabling real-time audio and video communication and essentially transforming it into a personal video conferencing system. This is happening today from two sides of the industry: from LCD manufacturers and room video conferencing equipment vendors. In March, 2007, industry leader Samsung unveiled an LCD display that delivers these capabilities at the CeBIT 2007 exhibition in Hannover, Germany....

The Technology In a LCD Monitor (03/10/2012)
... Because there is no liquid crystal between the aligned polarizing filters, light which has passed through the first filter will be blocked by the second polarizer. The surface which is in contact with the crystal is treated to align it in particular direction. The direction of alignment is defined by direction of rubbing. Resolution, in terms of horizontal and vertical size expressed in pixels, is native supported for the best display effects. This is one of the things that sets LCD monitor apart....

What is computer and types of computers (03/05/2012)
... A "mainframe" is a large, high-powered computer that can perform billions of calculations from multiple sources at one time. Finally, a "supercomputer" is a machine that can process billions of instructions a second and is used to calculate extremely complex calculations. Computer Basics Computers are showing up everywhere you look, and even in places you can't see. Computers check out your groceries, pump your gas, dispense money at the ATM, turn the heat on and off, be in charge of the way your vehicle runs. They're everywhere! They're everywhere! In fact, the computer is rapidly attractive, if it hasn't already gotten present, as tightly woven into the fabric of our lives as the automobile....

Maximize Your Printer Investment with HP Maintenance Kits (03/04/2012)
...com will protect your printer investment by maximizing your printer's performance while minimizing down time. Maintaining the health of your printer will extend the life of the printer and quality of your print jobs. Contact Market Point's technical support team for free assistance with any installation or content questions. A Trusted, Reliable Vendor for HP Maintenance Kits When a vendor is an expert in the operations process, it translates into efficiency and reduced cost. A dealer should use online technologies that allow provide Maintenance of the kit 24* 7 and also it helps to searches for products, real time ordering and tracking, web quotes, automated returns, and communications....

The new NoteBook HP Presario (02/21/2012)
... The Compaq Presario S3000NX is an affordable PC that gives consumers the power and speed to enhance productivity, conveniently burn their own music CD collection or quickly and easily surf the Web. At an estimated street price of $449 after a $50 mail-in rebate,(2) the Compaq Presario S3000NX features an AMD Athlon XP 2000+ processor to support daily computing tasks, 256-MB DDR memory, a 40-GB hard drive, a 48x CD-RW drive, 32-MB integrated graphics and an open AGP slot.(1) The S3000NX desktop PC is expected to be available in retail stores and on hpshopping.com beginning April 6. For consumers demanding a powerful machine and fast performance at a competitive price, the Compaq Presario S3200NX features an AMD Athlon XP 2400+ processor, 256-MB DDR memory, a 48x CD-RW drive, a 16x DVD-ROM drive, 32-MB integrated graphics and an open AGP slot....

What you should know before buying a laptop (12/29/2011)
... Just before you select a computer Ask yourelf some basic questions 1. What are the reasons for me buying a laptop? 2. What is my budget? 3. Where can i buy one? (if you choose to buy online, there is a chance of saving some bucks but you might have to wait for the delivery) Once you have made the purchase decision you should start collecting some baisc information on the various models and features offered by different brands. Laptop Brands and Features You’ll find that various different series of laptops are custom built keeping in mind the needs of customers....

Troubleshooting Computer after Dusting (12/09/2011)
... Did you remove any adapter card, like modem, video card, or any other? Just to verify check all the adapters to see if they are properly inserted into the PCI slots, a lose adapter won't prevent from a computer to power up but just in case check all of them. If they are inserted properly let move to the next possible problem. Did you remove the processor and cooling fan to clean it? In case you did, make sure the processor and cooling fan are inserted the right position. If by accident you damage the processor while reinstalling it back that means you have to buy a new one and the reasons why the computer won't start. Did you disconnect the Hard Drive? This won't prevent to power up but will prevent to load up your operating system, check the power and IDE cables and make sure they are connected properly....

LCD Technologies (06/19/2011)
... A polarizing filter creates polarized light by allowing light of a particular polarity (or axis of oscillation) to pass through. Polarization is key to the function of LCDs. To make an LCD, light is first passed through one polarizing filter to polarize it. A second polarizing filter, set to pass light at right angles to the polarity of the first, is put on the other side of the liquid crystal. Normally, this second polarizing filter stops all light from passing....

Line Printers (06/19/2011)
... Higher addressability allows the printer to place dots on paper with greater precision. The minimal character matrix of any printer measures 5 x 7 (horizontal by vertical) dots and is just sufficient to render all the upper and lower case letters of the alphabet unambiguously-and not aesthetically. The dots are big and they look disjointed. Worse, the minimal matrix is too small to let descending characters ("g," "j," "p," "q" and "y") droop below the general line of type and makes them look cramped and scrunched up. Rarely do you encounter this minimal level of quality today except in the cheapest, closeout printers and machines designed solely for high speed printing of drafts....

Thermal Inkjets (06/19/2011)
... The technology-not to mention speed and resolution-have improved substantially since then. The proprietary name BubbleJet used by Canon for its inkjet printer derives from this technology, although thermal bubble design is also used in printers manufactured by DEC, Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark, and Texas Instruments. The heat that makes the bubbles is the primary disadvantage of the thermal inkjet system. It slowly wears out the print head, requiring that you periodically replace it to keep the printer working at its best. Some manufacturers minimize this problem by combining their printers' nozzles with their ink cartridges so that when you add more ink you automatically replace the nozzles....