Senin, 03 Mei 2010
Wireless Ethernet: A Viable Business Opportunity for the IT Consultant
During 2002, many vendors were rushing to market 802.11a (up to 54Mpbs) wireless Ethernet products that were supposed to be the next wave in wireless networking. However, at the same time, an “in-progress” standard called 802.11g may supplant both the original 802.11b and newer 802.11a standards. So frankly, the “safest” bet for now may be to seek out wireless Ethernet hardware that supports all three standards: 802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11g.
Wireless Ethernet as a Business Opportunity
As an IT consultant you should be aware that wireless is a great business opportunity for savvy computer consultants. However, since there is a fairly large installed base of 802.11b (11Mbps) products already, and most 802.11a products are not backward compatible with 802.11b products (although many vendors are rushing to market with hybrid 802.11b/802.11a products), this 802.11a standard faces an uphill battle in the marketplace.
The Bottom Line about Wireless Ethernet
While wireless Ethernet will likely overtake wired Ethernet (Category 5) as the dominant small business networking standard at some point in the future, the “when” and “how” is still very unclear. In the meantime though, many small business computer consultants are still finding wireless Ethernet to be a tremendous marketplace opportunity.
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Minggu, 02 Mei 2010
Big Brother Is Not A TV Show
Big Brother Is Not A TV Show
Monday, 1 Oct 07
As an old cop, I have witnessed George Orwell's "1984" come of age. I recall an incident in 1970 when an agent had gotten some particularly juicy information on a target. A chill went up my back as he proudly and boldly proclaimed "big brother is here" as he strutted down a corridor laughing.
I thought, 'boy the people just don't know'. Truth was, little did any of us know. Most of us did not know when Martin Luther King, Jr was under surveillance for political reasons nor when Brit Hume of Fox News Channel was being shadowed for political gain.
Big Brother thinks of us in real simple terms as pigs. Let the Tennessee Mountain Man tell you how to catch wild hogs. First you find a trail where they travel or a place where they feed. Second you plant some food there everyday. At first the hogs will avoid the area because of the human scent and free food. After all they are bred to forge for themselves, and smart enough to fear people.
After a few days they can resist the easy food no longer despite the danger. Now you put up a short stretch of fence. The pigs are again standoffish for a few days but not long. Now you build a stretch of fence at a 90 degree angle appended to the first. Give the hogs a few days to become acclimated and build another stretch of the fence.
This is done until there is only a small opening for the pigs to get in and out and they will. Finally on a pre-selected date close the gate and you have a enough wild ham, shoulder, bacon, sausage, and pork chops to feed your family and all your friends for awhile.
Long before President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society there were other men with similar dreams stoking the feed lots, dangerous men like Mussolini, Marx, Hitler, and Stalin. There are equally dangerous men today like Bin Laden and Ahmadinejad operating under the guise of fundamentalist religion
.
Someone has said we must learn from history or we are condemned to repeat it. So the question becomes have we learned.
Have we learned anything when we quietly endure our own government stripping away our personal rights and civil liberties in the name of national security while the highest court in the land stands idly by? Have we any privacy when Google can photograph us almost at will and claim it is their right to do so? When our cell phone company knows where we are within a square mile or so right now? When the black box in our car records where our vehicle has been and when and more?
Do you feel secure in your home when your ISP monitors your e-mail and your surfing, and Microsoft clandestinely enters your computer and does who knows what? When the satellite positioning device in your hand, in your car or in your boat can and will tell anyone where you are at given anytime? When traffic cameras and even highway toll centers record where you are, when , and what you are doing? Such data is being subpoenaed and used in civil court today.
How about when you go into a lounge, casino, mall, large office or residential building, store or church and realize you are being monitored by people watching your every move on hidden cameras. Those cameras are recording what they see...you and me. When you walk down the street or go for a walk in the park do you ever consider your every step is being recorded by cameras in police cars, cell phones, and private businesses and residences as well as the police department where staff monitors those cameras 24/7/365?
Do you really think that is bad? Consider the poor souls who became trapped in the pig pen and forgot how to care for themselves. All too often those forever uneducated folk trapped in poverty in the public housing projects skeezing and pleasing skeezers while chasing their next fix know only how to take what they want at the point of a gun. Especially when the nanny state cannot or will not provide.
Now that you are sufficiently paranoid about Big Brother maybe it is time to seriously reflect on what kind of world and country we want to live in tomorrow, and how we get there from a land adrift so far away.
tmm
Monday, 1 Oct 07
As an old cop, I have witnessed George Orwell's "1984" come of age. I recall an incident in 1970 when an agent had gotten some particularly juicy information on a target. A chill went up my back as he proudly and boldly proclaimed "big brother is here" as he strutted down a corridor laughing.
I thought, 'boy the people just don't know'. Truth was, little did any of us know. Most of us did not know when Martin Luther King, Jr was under surveillance for political reasons nor when Brit Hume of Fox News Channel was being shadowed for political gain.
Big Brother thinks of us in real simple terms as pigs. Let the Tennessee Mountain Man tell you how to catch wild hogs. First you find a trail where they travel or a place where they feed. Second you plant some food there everyday. At first the hogs will avoid the area because of the human scent and free food. After all they are bred to forge for themselves, and smart enough to fear people.
After a few days they can resist the easy food no longer despite the danger. Now you put up a short stretch of fence. The pigs are again standoffish for a few days but not long. Now you build a stretch of fence at a 90 degree angle appended to the first. Give the hogs a few days to become acclimated and build another stretch of the fence.
This is done until there is only a small opening for the pigs to get in and out and they will. Finally on a pre-selected date close the gate and you have a enough wild ham, shoulder, bacon, sausage, and pork chops to feed your family and all your friends for awhile.
Long before President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society there were other men with similar dreams stoking the feed lots, dangerous men like Mussolini, Marx, Hitler, and Stalin. There are equally dangerous men today like Bin Laden and Ahmadinejad operating under the guise of fundamentalist religion
.
Someone has said we must learn from history or we are condemned to repeat it. So the question becomes have we learned.
Have we learned anything when we quietly endure our own government stripping away our personal rights and civil liberties in the name of national security while the highest court in the land stands idly by? Have we any privacy when Google can photograph us almost at will and claim it is their right to do so? When our cell phone company knows where we are within a square mile or so right now? When the black box in our car records where our vehicle has been and when and more?
Do you feel secure in your home when your ISP monitors your e-mail and your surfing, and Microsoft clandestinely enters your computer and does who knows what? When the satellite positioning device in your hand, in your car or in your boat can and will tell anyone where you are at given anytime? When traffic cameras and even highway toll centers record where you are, when , and what you are doing? Such data is being subpoenaed and used in civil court today.
How about when you go into a lounge, casino, mall, large office or residential building, store or church and realize you are being monitored by people watching your every move on hidden cameras. Those cameras are recording what they see...you and me. When you walk down the street or go for a walk in the park do you ever consider your every step is being recorded by cameras in police cars, cell phones, and private businesses and residences as well as the police department where staff monitors those cameras 24/7/365?
Do you really think that is bad? Consider the poor souls who became trapped in the pig pen and forgot how to care for themselves. All too often those forever uneducated folk trapped in poverty in the public housing projects skeezing and pleasing skeezers while chasing their next fix know only how to take what they want at the point of a gun. Especially when the nanny state cannot or will not provide.
Now that you are sufficiently paranoid about Big Brother maybe it is time to seriously reflect on what kind of world and country we want to live in tomorrow, and how we get there from a land adrift so far away.
tmm
Why Marijuana Should be Legal
Many Americans feel that Marijuana is helping fund the war on terror, but making a war on drugs and keeping Marijuana illegal has not stopped millions of Americans from smoking pot everyday. So what is the answer?
First, why is Marijuana illegal? In the 1930's William Randolph Hearst, who had significant financial interests in the timber industry testified to congress on the evils of marijuana, saying things like it make people insane and commit acts of cannibalism? at this time very few even knew what it was and to stop people from going insane Congress decided to make it illegal.
The truth is many paper manufacturers were thinking of changing from using trees to make paper to using hemp because it was cheaper and easier to grow and better for the environment, and Hearst stood to loose millions so he used his influence and testimony to help get marijuana banned in the USA.
So now that we know why it was made illegal, we can realize that not only would making it legal in the United States stop terrorist from smuggling it into the USA, but would give us another option to cutting down of millions of trees every year for paper products that can be made better from hemp.
Hemp has thousands of uses that we are unable to exploit because of its illegal status.
During WWII hemp was used for the rigging on parachutes as well as rope and material for uniforms.
Nowadays Marijuana can be used to relieve pain and some of the effect of cancer treatments and old age.
It has been proven to slow down the spreading of Alzheimer's, relieve the pressure behind the eyes from glaucoma. It also helps relieve migraine headaches and the side effect of cancer treatment.
But until the United States realizes how much money can be made from legalizing it, it will remain illegal.
This is much like the situation with online casinos in the USA. America was sending billions of dollars out of the country and the government needed to do something to keep the money here, so they banned Online Casino and just like online casinos and online gambling I believe one day the government will learn to take advantage of these things instead of just banning them.
Eventually the USA will realize that the best way to stop the flow of money out of the country is not to ban marijuana or online casinos, but to enter the market and compete.
If the USA did what Amsterdam has done the government would make not only billions in Taxes from the sales of Marijuana, but the economy would boom from all the tourism that it would bring in from all over the world.
The truth of the matter is that legalization is inevitable. The attitude of people has changed so drastically over the last 30 years, that eventually when the younger generations start to take over marijuana will eventually become legal because they understand the truth, and that is banning something only makes the market for it stronger.
Sabtu, 01 Mei 2010
Better Typography and More Readable Text in PowerPoint
PowerPoint is, fundamentally, a tool for communication, and the heart of that communication is written words. As many charts, videos and illustrations a presentation might have, without text these add up to little more than a collection of disjointed elements pasted between slide transitions.
Words remain the glue that ties information together. Because of this, good typography is as important -- if not more so -- than any visual element in a presenter's PowerPoint file. (This not to say good presentation is a substitute for weak content; after all, content is king.)
"Typography" is a medium-independent term used to describe how type is presented. This includes everything from mixing fonts to choosing colors and point sizes to laying elements on a page in certain relation to other objects.
Good typography doesn't happen by accident -- it is a skill that is developed through practice and experimentation. Just as there are some general, fundamental guidelines that are as applicable to presentation software as they are to billboards and annual reports, there are a few typographical principles that relate directly to PowerPoint alone. Adhering to these simple strategies can result in a much more polished and professional-looking piece.
1. Fonts should never be less than 12 points in size. Even with substantial magnification over a projection system, people have difficulty focusing on smaller type. This really works against you anytime the audience needs to carefully read something, since most of their effort is spent squinting and leaning forward and not on actually understanding the content. The only exception to the 12-point rule would be small copyright information, dates or watermarks that are not related to the primary content.
2. Bigger is better. Headlines should float around 20-24 pt, larger if needed. Body copy generally works well in the 16-18 range, although 14-point is not uncommon for squeezing a few extra lines in. Headline point size should never be smaller than the content size.
3. Don't be afraid of leading. "Leading" is the term for adjusting the space between lines, and can be found under Format > Line Spacing. This does not have to be drastic; often, a subtle 1.1 - 1.5 can really open up the design on a page and make long blocks of text much easier to read.
4. Stick with the standard font faces that are included on a typical Windows machine. These include Times New Roman, Impact, Arial, Verdana, Georgia and Trebuchet. Using off-beaten fonts that you've installed may make your presentation more visually interesting, but it will cause numerous problems when moving the piece between different computers. While these non-standard fonts can conceivably be moved with your file, the end product is rarely worth the resulting headaches.
5. When choosing fonts, it is often better to stay with sans-serif typefaces like Arial and Verdana. Their blocky, minimal nature makes them ideal for headline applications, where they can be displayed at larger sizes and still retain maximum readability. In PowerPoint, it is even more important to use sans-serif fonts in bullets, paragraphs and other small point size applications. Serif fonts like Times New Roman and Georgia are more decorative, and while they perform superbly in the printed realm (look no further than The New York Times for endless columns of the Times face), study after study demonstrate they hinder reading speed and comprehension when presented on screen.
6. Pick font colors that contrast with the background:
* For white backgrounds, black and dark versions of red and blue work exceptionally well.
* For dark backgrounds, like black or rich blues, white is ideal, but options such as yellow or very pale, icy blues can achieve interesting and often captivating color combinations.
* A good visual trick is to use a background color that accepts both white and black font colors. Dark oranges, rich greens (apple green especially) and even certain blues can be excellent choices for the design-adventurous.
* Color combinations to avoid: Black and red, in any situation. Color-similar combinations, such as orange text on yellow backgrounds, or light blue text on dark blue backgrounds.
7. Since PowerPoint works so well with bullet points, it is a presentation technique widely adopted as a means of displaying important information in bite-sized chunks. But consider exploring different typographic solutions for bullets; small changes can often encourage better readability and audience interest. There are several techniques that I have successfully used.
* Consider making the actual bullet a different color than the text. For instance, if your text is black, a medium gray bullet might work well. They serve to primarily guide the eye from line to line, so it is not always critical to make them as visually important as the text.
* Also, making the active bullet line a different color might be a good way to reinforce what you are saying. If each bullet appears manually, dependent on where you are in your speech, this can be a subtle but powerful means of reminding the audience what you are talking about.
* Also, try using different shapes for bullets! PowerPoint's flexible options allows a variety of pre-installed symbols, or even an imported graphic, to be used in place of the rather dry default circles.
8. Consistency. This is, without a doubt, the most important typographic tip in any medium, PowerPoint or other. Design your master template and stick to it. If you use 24-point Arial as a headline font, 16-point Verdana as the body font and a customized set of bullets that change color, use that combination through the entire presentation. And not just sizes and colors, but also positioning. The first sign of amateur PowerPoint is text fields jumping from spot to spot across different slides.
Words remain the glue that ties information together. Because of this, good typography is as important -- if not more so -- than any visual element in a presenter's PowerPoint file. (This not to say good presentation is a substitute for weak content; after all, content is king.)
"Typography" is a medium-independent term used to describe how type is presented. This includes everything from mixing fonts to choosing colors and point sizes to laying elements on a page in certain relation to other objects.
Good typography doesn't happen by accident -- it is a skill that is developed through practice and experimentation. Just as there are some general, fundamental guidelines that are as applicable to presentation software as they are to billboards and annual reports, there are a few typographical principles that relate directly to PowerPoint alone. Adhering to these simple strategies can result in a much more polished and professional-looking piece.
1. Fonts should never be less than 12 points in size. Even with substantial magnification over a projection system, people have difficulty focusing on smaller type. This really works against you anytime the audience needs to carefully read something, since most of their effort is spent squinting and leaning forward and not on actually understanding the content. The only exception to the 12-point rule would be small copyright information, dates or watermarks that are not related to the primary content.
2. Bigger is better. Headlines should float around 20-24 pt, larger if needed. Body copy generally works well in the 16-18 range, although 14-point is not uncommon for squeezing a few extra lines in. Headline point size should never be smaller than the content size.
3. Don't be afraid of leading. "Leading" is the term for adjusting the space between lines, and can be found under Format > Line Spacing. This does not have to be drastic; often, a subtle 1.1 - 1.5 can really open up the design on a page and make long blocks of text much easier to read.
4. Stick with the standard font faces that are included on a typical Windows machine. These include Times New Roman, Impact, Arial, Verdana, Georgia and Trebuchet. Using off-beaten fonts that you've installed may make your presentation more visually interesting, but it will cause numerous problems when moving the piece between different computers. While these non-standard fonts can conceivably be moved with your file, the end product is rarely worth the resulting headaches.
5. When choosing fonts, it is often better to stay with sans-serif typefaces like Arial and Verdana. Their blocky, minimal nature makes them ideal for headline applications, where they can be displayed at larger sizes and still retain maximum readability. In PowerPoint, it is even more important to use sans-serif fonts in bullets, paragraphs and other small point size applications. Serif fonts like Times New Roman and Georgia are more decorative, and while they perform superbly in the printed realm (look no further than The New York Times for endless columns of the Times face), study after study demonstrate they hinder reading speed and comprehension when presented on screen.
6. Pick font colors that contrast with the background:
* For white backgrounds, black and dark versions of red and blue work exceptionally well.
* For dark backgrounds, like black or rich blues, white is ideal, but options such as yellow or very pale, icy blues can achieve interesting and often captivating color combinations.
* A good visual trick is to use a background color that accepts both white and black font colors. Dark oranges, rich greens (apple green especially) and even certain blues can be excellent choices for the design-adventurous.
* Color combinations to avoid: Black and red, in any situation. Color-similar combinations, such as orange text on yellow backgrounds, or light blue text on dark blue backgrounds.
7. Since PowerPoint works so well with bullet points, it is a presentation technique widely adopted as a means of displaying important information in bite-sized chunks. But consider exploring different typographic solutions for bullets; small changes can often encourage better readability and audience interest. There are several techniques that I have successfully used.
* Consider making the actual bullet a different color than the text. For instance, if your text is black, a medium gray bullet might work well. They serve to primarily guide the eye from line to line, so it is not always critical to make them as visually important as the text.
* Also, making the active bullet line a different color might be a good way to reinforce what you are saying. If each bullet appears manually, dependent on where you are in your speech, this can be a subtle but powerful means of reminding the audience what you are talking about.
* Also, try using different shapes for bullets! PowerPoint's flexible options allows a variety of pre-installed symbols, or even an imported graphic, to be used in place of the rather dry default circles.
8. Consistency. This is, without a doubt, the most important typographic tip in any medium, PowerPoint or other. Design your master template and stick to it. If you use 24-point Arial as a headline font, 16-point Verdana as the body font and a customized set of bullets that change color, use that combination through the entire presentation. And not just sizes and colors, but also positioning. The first sign of amateur PowerPoint is text fields jumping from spot to spot across different slides.
Where To Learn How To Setup A Linux Email Server
Learning how to setup a linux email server is valuable. The more you can do for yourself for your business’ web presence and email abilities the more money you will save. There will be no need to call in a tech when the email goes down, when you need it installed, or when you need to do simple maintenance like adding addresses or setting up. When you know how to setup a linux email server you are simply giving yourself more power over your own company. If that is something you think you would like to do, then there are a few resources you should consider for educating yourself.
The first place to look for ways to learn how to setup a linux email server is, of course, online. You may be able, through a search engine, to find some free information on the process. However, you may have better look with low-cost ebooks and internet classes that will give you a better quality of education and better guidance. It is not just about learning how to setup a linux email server, but about learning Linux in general so that once it is setup you can fix small problems and make adjustments as needed. However, not everyone enjoys working through the internet on things like this, so it is good that there are other options.
The second option for learning how to setup a linux email server is to visit your local book store. With the popularity of linux, it is not difficult to find instruction books that will walk you through the process of setup as well as troubleshooting. In your local book store, go to the how to section or perhaps a technology section. You will undoubtedly find a number of quality books that will teach you how to setup a linux email server. Find the one that is best for you and take it home. The advantage to a book is that you can have it with you the entire time, at your fingertips, so that you will have a quicker reference.
Thirdly, you can try taking a class at the local tech school or community college. There are many linux programs out there where you can certainly learn how to setup a linux email server effectively. The cost is higher with a class, but you will likely get a more thorough understanding of the program as well as good support as you take on more and more with linux. Additionally, a class will actually end with you having some sort of certification in linux, which means you will not only know how to setup a linux email server, but also how maintain it for yourself and others.
Learning how to setup a linux email server can be of great value to you in your company. You will save money from having others do it, and will likely make yourself more valuable to clients, no matter what your true business is. In order to learn how, you should consider three main sources: online information that you can find for free or pay for, hard copies of books at your local library or bookstore, and classes you can take locally. No matter what you choose, you will be happier once you know how to setup your linux email server.
Jumat, 30 April 2010
Best Place To Buy Macbook Cheap -- Finding Hot Deals
There's no doubt in my mind that the new Apple Macbook is one of the best laptops in the market right now. Upon release, I began to scour the internet for some great cheap Macbook deals.
I'll first teach you how to spot one yourself. This applies to any thing that you may want to purchase online.
Things to watchout for:
1) Is it in stock?
There are a lot of online dealers out there allowing you to buy the Macbook online but don't tell you that they don't have it stocked yet in their inventory, so it will actually take some time for you to order. Watch out for these people.
How can you tell? Always look for an authorized dealer. Authorized dealers usually post the information regarding the number of items left in their inventory. If it is a very reputable online site, then it's a safe bet that your future Macbook is ready for shipping.
2) Bonus deals
One of the things people don't know about is that, online dealers usually spice the item up in their online store (if they have a physical one) because they're encouraging online orders! They have to give you a better deal otherwise they would be losing a sale to a physical store such as your local BestBuy.
If you don't get Bonus deals out of it, then you may be better off going to the nearest dealer and actually buy your Macbook there.
3) Rebates
Ahhh Macbook cheap deals should have rebates! Mail-in rebates actually decrease the total cost of your Macbook. So instead of paying let's say $1100, after some time you get your $100 back.
Total cost: $1000...not bad eh?
Again, if there are no rebates... go buy your Macbook somewhere else.
4) Financing Options
A good deal offers a great financing option. Low interest payments per month, 0 payments for a certain period of time, all contribute to the overall Macbook cheap deal. The great thing about financing plans is that you really don't have to spend a big chunk of your cash at one period of time. The idea here is to spread your costs over a relatively longer period of time.
When you do this, you can be productive with your new Macbook, get some cash going, and actually pay for those small amounts over let's say 6,12,18 months?
Where to find all these?
Each and every online store will have different features, different bonuses, etc. One factor to consider is buying from a very reputable website.
I consider Macmall to be the best place to buy a Macbook. When I bought my Macbook I was only able to avail of the $50 rebate but now the rebate is already at $100! What a great deal!
Final Words
The Apple Macbook is one of my best purchases yet. No viruses, no hassles, cool eyecandy, fast and reliable performance, all in one! All my pc-using friends have envied my Macbook for a lot of reasons among them of course is the design of the Macbook, simple, classy, and it doesn't look like all the other laptops out there.
Finally, it's a joy to bring to work. I can type all day long and not feel any eye-strain, I can be sure that my Macbook won't crash on me when I have a big project to do and here's a big plus:
It runs Windows. I can still play games with my friends and switch back to OS X when I want to work! If you're still thinking twice about buying a Macbook. Don't. Stop thinking and just buy it. You'll never regret your purchase.
Super tip:
There's a super tip you can take advantage of right now, I made a site/guide for free so you can purchase your Macbook with ease.
I'll first teach you how to spot one yourself. This applies to any thing that you may want to purchase online.
Things to watchout for:
1) Is it in stock?
There are a lot of online dealers out there allowing you to buy the Macbook online but don't tell you that they don't have it stocked yet in their inventory, so it will actually take some time for you to order. Watch out for these people.
How can you tell? Always look for an authorized dealer. Authorized dealers usually post the information regarding the number of items left in their inventory. If it is a very reputable online site, then it's a safe bet that your future Macbook is ready for shipping.
2) Bonus deals
One of the things people don't know about is that, online dealers usually spice the item up in their online store (if they have a physical one) because they're encouraging online orders! They have to give you a better deal otherwise they would be losing a sale to a physical store such as your local BestBuy.
If you don't get Bonus deals out of it, then you may be better off going to the nearest dealer and actually buy your Macbook there.
3) Rebates
Ahhh Macbook cheap deals should have rebates! Mail-in rebates actually decrease the total cost of your Macbook. So instead of paying let's say $1100, after some time you get your $100 back.
Total cost: $1000...not bad eh?
Again, if there are no rebates... go buy your Macbook somewhere else.
4) Financing Options
A good deal offers a great financing option. Low interest payments per month, 0 payments for a certain period of time, all contribute to the overall Macbook cheap deal. The great thing about financing plans is that you really don't have to spend a big chunk of your cash at one period of time. The idea here is to spread your costs over a relatively longer period of time.
When you do this, you can be productive with your new Macbook, get some cash going, and actually pay for those small amounts over let's say 6,12,18 months?
Where to find all these?
Each and every online store will have different features, different bonuses, etc. One factor to consider is buying from a very reputable website.
I consider Macmall to be the best place to buy a Macbook. When I bought my Macbook I was only able to avail of the $50 rebate but now the rebate is already at $100! What a great deal!
Final Words
The Apple Macbook is one of my best purchases yet. No viruses, no hassles, cool eyecandy, fast and reliable performance, all in one! All my pc-using friends have envied my Macbook for a lot of reasons among them of course is the design of the Macbook, simple, classy, and it doesn't look like all the other laptops out there.
Finally, it's a joy to bring to work. I can type all day long and not feel any eye-strain, I can be sure that my Macbook won't crash on me when I have a big project to do and here's a big plus:
It runs Windows. I can still play games with my friends and switch back to OS X when I want to work! If you're still thinking twice about buying a Macbook. Don't. Stop thinking and just buy it. You'll never regret your purchase.
Super tip:
There's a super tip you can take advantage of right now, I made a site/guide for free so you can purchase your Macbook with ease.
What To Do With An Old Computer System
Anyone who has purchased a computer system has learned how quickly they lose their value, and become obsolete. This rapid devaluation often leads to the dilemma: what to do with an older system, when you’re no longer going to use it? Selling it is most often a waste of time and effort. A computer bought for $3,000.00 on January 1, 2005 and then put up for sale on December 31, 2005 will rarely bring offers of more than $100.00 - $150.00, and even these don’t come often. Older systems are proportionately less valuable.
One quick, easy solution is to donate the computer system to a charity, and write-off what is appropriate. However, charities are quickly becoming more and more skeptical about accepting older computer systems, and less and less likely to surrender receipts (for use with a tax return) for very much money.
Sometimes it is a wise course of action to simply 'cannibalize' the older system for components that will work in other systems. Some components can be switched between older and newer computer systems. These can include power supplies, hard drives, RAM, graphics cards, speakers, keyboards, CD and DVD readers/writers and so forth. If you have a use/need for your old DVD burner in your newer system, you're almost always best off going the 'cannibal' route. But there are some other options, some of which can be quite attractive. Sometimes, the otherwise out-of-work computer system can be set to tending some necessary and/or useful affairs and matters.
Hand-in-hand with cannibalizing is stripping out components and selling them individually. This can be especially beneficial if you recently installed a hardware upgrade to the now defunct system such as a good DVD or CD reader/writer, or a new hard drive. Not only are the components often easier to sell, they will bring more money and ship much, much easier – and cheaper.
DEDICATED FAX SYSTEM
You can turn almost any old system into a dedicated fax receiver at either your home or office. It can be incredibly convenient to have a fax at the house! Anyone who has bought a house or car lately will attest to how nice a fax at the house would be. Remember, the system does not have to be set to always receive faxes. You can turn it on or off as you deem necessary based on your use and needs. All your system requires for this application is a phone line, a modem, and Windows®. The fax service in Windows® must be turned on and configured in order for this to work properly. This is very easily accomplished through the Control Panel of Windows.
HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
Recently, manufacturers of computer systems and components have entered the home entertainment business – with a vengeance. No longer are computers just good for games and music, now you can hook them up to control your TV, cable signals, speaker systems, VCR, DVD player, etc. You can even record to and play from them. The system would need some hardware and software, but not too much, and all of the necessities can be had at reasonable (and quickly dropping) prices. You can learn more about the rapidly growing home entertainment computer systems industry on any number of sites on the Internet. A good place to start is www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/default.mspx.
As you can see, you don't have to throw up your hands and scream when you're offered 5% of what you paid for your computer system a year earlier. There are some other options, some of which can be quite satisfying and rewarding.
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