Random Picture Day

Just some stuff from the internet.

Remember those lighthouses we visited in July? This is why we went in July, not December. This also may explain how the dead fish came to be stuck in the walkway.

1 gigabyte, then and now (note the little SD card in her hand).

Sorry, only slightly funny.

Save it for the gym, man.

Hey, smile, this is for posterity! Are you smiling? Aunt. . .whoever you are. . .uhhh. . . number 3, a little to the left!


Who's this sign for?

What to Look for When Shopping for a Laptop

Vendor:

• Dell, HP/Compaq, Toshiba, Lenovo (IBM), Acer
  

Processor:

• The speed isn't as important now as it used to be. The most capable are:
• Intel Core 2 Duo (the Core Duo is older but still good).
• AMD Turion 64 X2.

RAM: (Memory)

• 1 GB at least (Windows Vista needs this much)
• 2GB is better. Get all the memory you can afford.

Hard Drive:

• 60 - 100 GB will be the best price/size ratio.
• 120 GB if it’s not much more.

Optical/CD/DVD Drive:

• DVD writer - reads and writes both CDs and DVDs (still a bit pricey on laptops). The terminology is confusing here, there are many formats (DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW are the basics. There are also dual layer versions of each of these). The ideal drive reads and writes single and dual layer versions of all of the above.
• CD-RW/DVD - reads DVDs and reads/writes CDs (most common drive in budget models).

Networking:

• Ethernet (standard on most all laptops) - regular cable network.
• Wireless - look for built-in 802.11b/g (or a/b/g) - again pretty standard. You may see 802.11n on some newer machines - this works too.
• Modem - pretty standard.

Screen:

• 15.4 in. is the most common. Most new notebooks are widescreen.
• 14 - 17 inches are common.

Operating System:

• Most will come with Windows Vista. Avoid Vista Home Basic. Vista Business is very good all around.
• If you want Media Center features (movies, music, etc) get Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate.

Battery:

• This varies a lot. 1 hour is poor, 4 hours is good. 2 - 3 hours is typical.
• Some offer high capacity batteries ~6 hours.
• You can find car/airplane adapters if needed.

Miscellaneous:

• Make sure there is a PC Card slot if you'll need one (for Sprint card, etc.).
• Look for 3 or more USB ports. Some also have Media Card readers (for digital camera cards).
• Tablet PCs are available, the screen folds over the keyboard to be used like a pad of paper.