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Think of these as computer supplies rather than computer parts. Like the light bulbs in your house, they must be replaced periodically.

Introduction

The USB flash drive is the technological, logical and honorably worthy successor to the floppy disk drive. It is removable so that you can transfer the data it stores from one computer to another, simply by removing it from one and plugging it into another. Flash drives use a standard type-A USB connection, and are “plug and play,” in the sense that as soon as you plug one into a computer, the computer recognizes that it has just acquired another drive, which it usually designates as “drive E.” On the other hand, it is always possible to format the flash drive, and even to partition it like a hard disk on a PC or a Mac. Also, they don’t mind at all being formatted in Linux or Unix.

Normally, the flash drive’s data becomes immediately accessible, just as though you had inserted a floppy disk into a floppy disk drive. Although the flash drive acts just like any other disk drive, to call it a drive is a misnomer, because it has no moving parts, and so nothing is being “driven.” Although it relies on solid-state circuitry, nonetheless, the name “drive” has stuck. Flash drives are to be distinguished from the Flash Cards used in digital cameras or MP3 players. Other names for flash drives are: Thumb Drives, Jump Drives, Pocket Drives, and Pen Drives.

These “drives” are almost all compatible with both Universal Serial Bus specifications 1.1 and USB 2.0, which replaced 1.1 in 2001, so they should run on any PC or Mac that actually has one or more USB receptacles or slots into which they may be plugged, which is most of the computers out there today. To determine whether your PC’s USB slots are 1.1 or 2.0, open device manager and expand the Universal Serial Bus section. There should be an “Enhanced” USB host controller present if USB 2.0 is in place.

On the older machines, most flash drives just default to the USB 1.1 specs., and so run a bit more slowly. As a practical matter, fast USB host can in actual practice achieve transfer rates of up to 30-40 Mbs. per second, while the older specification permits a (theoretical) maximum of only 12 Mbs. per second, but in practice tends to function at just about 1 Mb per second. To upgrade to the faster speed, if you have a free slot you can just pop in a USB 2.0 PCI card, which will do the trick.

Uses

Uses are as varied as your imagination. These Swiss army knives are often favored by system operators and network administrators, who load them up with configuration information and software that they use for system maintenance, troubleshooting, and data recovery. People in the PC repair field use them to transfer recovery and antivirus software to infected PCs, while allowing a part of the host machine’s data to be archived in case of emergency. If you plan to use one for this purpose, be sure that it can be set with write protection. Not all drives are write protectable, but if you are going after a virus, this is a very important feature.

Many people use flash drives to carry applications that run on a host computer without requiring installation. Flash drive vendors support U3 by offering API to flash drive-specific functions. A free, open source, software platform called Portableapps allows U3-like functionality on non-U3 drives. The Mozilla’s Firefox, and the Opera browser, each have a configuration for flash drives. There is also a Creative MuVo, a small solid-state digital audio player that comes in a flash drive form.

To boot ailing operating systems is another use. Much like the way used in LiveCD, one can launch any operating system from a bootable flash drive, known as LiveUSB. In Windows Vista, the “ReadyBoost” feature allows use of some flash drives to augment system memory, which makes it one of life’s cheapest possible system upgrades.

An increasingly popular use of flash drives is for people to carry their entire medical history, lists of ailments, medications, allergies, etc., on their key chains for hospital use should a medical emergency arise.

Of course, the most common use is to transport and store personal files such as documents, pictures, music and video.

Buying considerations concern:

Capacity – the 32 and 64 Megabytes are being phased out. Go for a larger drive instead.

Speed – This is usually quoted either in Megabytes or Megabits per second to read and to write. There are 8 Megabits in one Megabyte.

Physical size – they range from the size of 3 “C” batteries down to that of a pack of gum, or even smaller. This is important because of the fact that USB slots are usually very close to each other, so a physically large flash drive could block another USB slot. You can, of course overcome this problem with an adapter.

Design – Most units have protective covers for the USB plug. Some fit on key rings or have small cables to fit with lanyards or to hang from hooks, etc.

Built-in Features – some have a LED that lights up to indicate when data is being transferred.

Compatibility – Almost all will work with Windows 2000, Mac OS 9.0, and Linux 2.4.10 or higher without any special drivers. Most work with Windows 98SE and Mac OS 8.6 with a download from the manufacturer.

Warrantee – Many units have a 1 to 5 year warrantee. Some even come with a lifetime warrantee.

How to Choose

Since this technology is the successor of the floppy disk, and since it comes in a variety of speeds, capacities, etc., you should buy have on hand several of these drives for various purposes. If you are just moving data between computers, the speed is relatively unimportant. If, however, you are using the drive to make a presentation loaded with graphics to an important audience, then be sure you have an extra drive with the same information, and go for the maximum speed and capacity you can afford. One size does not fit all. If you are distributing data to a lot of older machines, then make absolutely sure that your drive is in fact backward compatible (most are, but please be sure).

Like any other kind of drive, these flash drives need to be backed up in some way. However, because these drives are extremely rugged, and due to their lack of moving parts are extremely reliable, you might choose to view the warrantee as a lesser consideration than the other main characteristics. They are virtually impervious to the dust and scratches that afflicted previous forms of portable storage, such as CDs and floppy disks, and top of the line flash drives can store more data than a DVD. The flash drives’ robust nature and low price make them both extremely reliable, and certainly a wholly worthy successor to the now obsolescent though still dearly lamented floppy disk drive. [Moment of Respectful Silence; imagine the smell of lilys and the sound of subdued organ music]

Manufacturers of mobil phones use lots of tricks to force users to stick with them, and this includes creating a wide variety of connector styles and voltages, most of which are incompatible with other manufacturers’ phones. Sometimes, even though the connector may fit, the actual charging parameters may not, which can produce an inadequate charge or even permanent damage to the device. As we’ve been saying in the business world ever since ancient Roman times, Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware!). Carefully check the specs. for both the phone and the charger that interests you, and you should be just fine.

Here at Onhop.com, we never forget who provides the money that lets us butter our parsnips – it is you, the satisfied customer who keeps on coming back because we treated you right. We’re on your side for that very good reason.

Tablets come in two basic forms, slates and convertibles. Convertibles have a screen that tilts 180 degrees, for use in either portrait or landscape mode, and it folds down over a keyboard. Slates have no keyboard except, when placed in an optional docking station or when purchased as an optional accessory. The idea is that you need only to carry with you what you need to get the job done. Now that’s progress.

Early adaptors include music composers, graphic designers, student notetakers, traveling salespersons, realtors, and anyone who works “in the field.” They often find that by eliminating many trips back and forth to and from home and/or office, their tablets save them the purchase price in less than a year.

www.lifehacker.com conducted a survey in February, 2008 that shows quite clearly the rapid trend toward portable computing. It asked users were asked whether they owned a desktop (22.8%), laptop (29.6%), or both (47.6%). The next question was, if shopping now whether the respondent would buy a laptop (58.2%) or a desktop (27.6%) or both (14.1%).

This survey left out the possibility of having the best of all possible worlds without the necessity to struggle with two completely separate sets of files, and all the headaches that brings for problems such as version control.

The new and very sensible solution is to buy a tablet or light notebook PC or Mac, and use it as such in the field, but when in the home or office to plug it into a docking station, which in effect turns it into a full-featured desktop machine.

* Because the files are all on the mobile computer’s hard disk, keeping track of them becomes immensely simpler.

* A tablet PC together with a docking station will typically cost much less than both a desktop and a mobile computer that function wholly separately.

* It’s almost like having your cake and eating it too.

OnHop lists docking stations separately, so please be sure to read about them in their own category on this website.

www.nuancesystems.ca quotes Scott Leforce, President of Realty World of Northern California and Nevada. Leforce, expressing the wave of the future, when he said: “Give your laptop to your kids because you don’t need it anymore; it slows you down.”

It is now time for you seriously to consider buying a tablet PC.

Computer cabinets are fitted with doors and side panels which may or may not be removable.

Cabinets enclose a rack, which is a frame that provides a means for mounting electronic equipment and parts. Cabinets come in a variety of styles, colors, and many contain baffles, fans, and other features. The rack refers specifically to the inside frame that provides a means for mounting electronic equipment, while a cabinet is fitted with doors and side panels. The cabinet must allow air to come in and, after it has done its work cooling the parts that would otherwise overheat, to go out. The cabinet should permit the mounting of a filter to keep dirt, dust, smoke, human and pet hair, etc., out of the computer works. The average computer has two fans, one in the power supply and one attached to the computer chip that constitutes the main processor. Without a filter, the fans will deposit a lot of dirt throughout the cabinet, and onto and possibly even into the drives. This may eventually produce read/write errors, and place those errors onto your backup media as well; lost data is the result. It is also possible that eventually your fans will get so clogged up that they will fail and permit the computer to overheat, slowing performance, producing lockups, and eventually shutting you down completely.

Your cabinet should be tough, and it should have a sturdy locking device so that you can control access to your computer. These two characteristics are especially important whenever critical data needs to be protected. Make sure that the cabinet contains all of the rack capabilities you will require, and that it is rated for the correct wattage of power. Some of them come with the power supply already installed.

Onhop is a good place to get cell phones and their accessories.

We offer a wide range of choices to fit your needs and your budget. You will also find accessories that allow hands-free use, or find Blackberry, Palm, and other smartphone handsets that provide a convenient solution for travelers who need a reliable wireless connection to email, and to use calendars and internet services.

If you have not looked into computer-based telephony lately, we should mention that VoIP (or Voice over Internet Protocol) solutions have improved enormously over the last few years — provided, of course, that you have a broadband (DSL, satellite or Cable) connection. You will notice that many of our offerings are designed specifically to work with a VoIP service called www.skype.com, which is currently the leading provider. You must first download the Skype program, which is free. Then with Skype, computer-to-computer calls will be all and always completely free. Skype’s slogan is: “Talk, listen, watch, read, write to anyone, anywhere in the world without worrying about cost, distance or time.” With Skype, computer to telephone calls are not free, but they are quite significantly cheaper than with the regular long distance providers. In practically no time you will have saved the cost of your Skype-friendly equipment, and from then on the savings will mount year after year.

Of course you can and should check out the ratings given to our offerings by consulting Consumer Reports (www.ConsumerReports.org). You can also access free Consumer Reports online courtesy of your local library (www.accessmylibrary.com). As well, you can consult the Consumers’ Web Watch (www.consumerwebwatch.org), the Consumers’ Union (www.consumersunion.org), and do not forget the Consumer Electronics Net (www.consumerelectronicsnet.com). A happy shopper is an informed shopper, and we want you to be happy.

What should you look for in a computer monitor stand?

If your monitor is a CRT type, look for massive carrying capacity; if your monitor is a LCD type, look for easy adjustability. With a LCD type monitor, because one needs to be looking at it very straightforwardly, you may find you will need to twist it on its stand fairly often to show the screen to another person.

Position your monitor so that light and glare from inside lights or from windows do not reflect from the monitor, which usually means positioning the screen at right angles to the nearest window. If you use a document stand, ensure that it is in much the same position as your monitor, and only slightly off center, so that you can look at either without having to make much change in your own sitting position.

Ergonomically, the best fit between you and your monitor is that the monitor should be about arm’s length away and the top of the monitor should be at eye level, or just slightly below. This is necessary to let you read the screen without having to pull your neck forward or push it back. People who use bifocal glasses, whether progressive or not, will have to experiment a bit to find the correct distance, which will mean that you can read the screen best without having to twist your head out of its normal upright position.

When looking for a monitor stand you first need to determine how high it should be. That is, measure the height of your monitor itself plus the height of whatever furniture it will be resting upon, and then figure out how much it should be raised to meet the exact height requirements just mentioned. Only now will you be able to address the question of whether a particular stand will get the monitor up to the right height. Look at the stand’s detailed specifications, which should tell you whether the height is adjustable, and if so by how much. Do not part with your hard-earned money to buy a stand that will not meet your exact personal requirements.

Now, you could accomplish these relationships with a stack of old newspapers as your stand. So why buy a stand at all? One reason is esthetics. Another is to ensure that your monitor rests safely on a solid platform. The most important reason is to let you reclaim some storage space underneath the monitor, perhaps to store your mousepad and keyboard.

Think of what materials you use most often, and ensure that you store these close at hand, say no more than one foot away (call this zone 1). Materials that you use a lot, but less frequently than those in zone 1, you could store, say, two feet away, in zone 2. Materials and parts you use most infrequently you can store still further away, possibly even so far that you will have to get up from your sitting position to reach them, in zone 3. Zones 1 and 2 will help prevent unnecessary motion, while zone 3 will force you to abandon your fixed posture while you do a bit of stretching and give yourself a break that will help to prevent cumulative trauma to the back, neck and shoulders.

It is best if what the computer monitor stand sits on has rounded corners. Why, you might ask. Well, it has been scientifically determined and repeatedly proven beyond any possible doubt that, worldwide, the absolutely most perfect instrument for finding furniture in a dark room is the human shinbone.

This technology is by now quite venerable and familiar. However, there is one possibly important point that people often overlook. There is a tradeoff between speed on the one hand, and sleekness and portability on the other. The slimline models tend to be only about half as fast as the regular ones. Set your priorities accordingly.

Computer projectors cast a greatly enlarged version of the computer screen onto a movie screen, or even a clear white wall.

The bad news about computer projectors is that they are costly; the good news is that prices are falling. Some are designed to be used in conjunction with home theatre systems. Others are education or business-oriented. Typically, you would use one of the latter to help you illustrate a talk, or to convey information in conjunction with a lecture or speech or talk before a medium or large audience. A multimedia projector can project images from various sources, such as a DVD player or laptop computer. Multimedia projectors can produce such good video quality that many people are replacing their TVs with a projector and screen for an enhanced home theater experience. Multimedia projectors come in three types: Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Digital Light Processing (DLP).

CRT projectors emit images like a TV, consisting of red, green and blue light. They cost nearly twice the price of LCD and DLP projectors. CRT projections should be used in dark rooms; otherwise light will overwhelm the image. They’re big, bulky and hard to move. They can be costly to maintain; if one of the color tubes fails, you will need to replace all three. However, their images are crisp at any resolution and have a full range of colors, including the blackest blacks, and they provide the most authentic cinematic movie experience.

LCD projectors project light images through small, transparent panels. They’re smaller and more portable than CRT projectors. To use such a projector for home theater, be sure to shop for one designated specifically for home theater use. Less expensive office models tend to have lower resolutions.

LCD projectors are much cheaper than CRT projectors. LCD projectors put light through tiny pixels onto a big screen, and the image can sometimes look pixilated or blocky, as though you are viewing it through a screen door. If a pixel burns out it will display as a black or white dot on the screen and the only way to fix this is to replace the whole chip. An LCD Projector’s image resolution is limited by how many pixels its chip has. If it has only a 1024×768 resolution chip and you are watching high definition TV, the image will be less sharp and detailed than that from a CRT projector. They produce a fan noise, and you must replace the light source after each 1,000-2,000 hours of use. They’re compact, lightweight and highly portable, and their power consumption is low. They produce good colors, high contrast, and high image quality in partially lit rooms.

DLP projectors emit light through a transparent chip onto a tiny mirror array, which gives good quality, high definition images. However, they suffer from having a fixed resolution like LCD projectors. They need a replacement light source about every 1,000 hours to keep images sharp, but they work for both office and home theater use and do not suffer “screen door effects” like LCD projectors. DLP projectors are just slightly more expensive than LCD projectors. They use little energy to produce high quality images with vivid colors and high contrast, even in partially lit rooms. They’re more durable than LCD projectors.

Before buying, you need to answer six important questions:

Which aspect ratio do you want? Aspect ratio is the width-to-height relationship. Movies made before 1953 used a ratio of 4:3, while the current HDTV standard is 16:9, and today there is considerable interest in the dedicated super-widescreen ratio of 2.35:1. If you like to watch the Oldies, choose 4:3, if you want to be with it today, choose 16:9. If you are captivated by HDTV or future oriented, choose 2.35:1. There are some compromise in/between ratios, but why compromise?

What resolution is best for you? A projector’s resolution is the number of pixels it has available to create an image, the higher the better, but the more costly the projector will be. If you can afford it, make sure that the native resolution of the projector matches the native resolution of your computer. The currently most popular home theatre resolution is 1280 x 720, and for most people it is probably the best value-for-money choice today.

How bright should it be? For home theatre applications, 2,000 lumens may be quite enough, but for business applications, if you want to make presentations without turning the lights down, get a projector with at least 2,000 lumens and preferably a good bit more. Don’t be fooled by some manufacturers who overstate the lumen ratings of their machines; read objective lab testing reviews.

How much contrast do you need? The contrast ratio relates to the relationship between brightness and darkness. Many LCD projectors have a contrast ratio of 400:1, which means that the lumen output of a projected white image is 400 times greater than that of a projected black image. This is enough, but just barely. If your eyesight is less than normal, get more if you can afford it.

What are your installation constraints? If you get a CRT model, plan to stick it somewhere and leave it there, and plan simply to rent another type model for specific meetings/talks, etc. Meeting venues often have their own units, which you can simply requisition, but check in advance to make sure. The LCD and DLP models are portable, and can be hauled out for educational or business use, and then brought back home.

What will it cost? There is a fairly wide range here, from under $300 to more than $2,300, so these items are sufficiently costly that you should first read some assessments by neutral and objective reviewers.

• There are many online sources of this information, such as Consumer Reports (www.ConsumerReports.org). You can access free Consumer Reports online courtesy of your local library (www.accessmylibrary.com). Also you can consult the Consumers’ Web Watch (www.consumerwebwatch.org), the Consumers’ Union (www.consumersunion.org), and the Consumer Electronics Net (http://www.consumerelectronicsnet.com/). You can find slightly more technical but still objective reviews at http://www.CNET.com, http://www.PCWorld.com, http://www.ZDNet.com, and http://www.???.com (Tom’s Hardware Guide).

Here are some suggested requirements for a home theater projector, if you can afford them:

Projector Type: LCD Native Resolution: XGA 1024 x 768 Maximum Resolution: UXGA 1600 X 1200 Brightness: 2000 lumens HDTV Projector: HD Ready Aspect Ratio(s): 4:3, 16:9 Projection Distance: 3 - 35 ft Contrast Ratio: 400:1 Horizontal Frequency: 15 - 91 KHz Price: Starting around $800

Business Presentations DLP projectors work well and are portable for multimedia (text, graphics and video) presentations. Buy (or rent) a unit with built-in audio and a remote control. Make sure it is lightweight (3-8 lbs.) since you will also have a carrying case and cables. Most multimedia projectors are Plug-and-Play, but be sure the model you are considering will work with your PC’s operating system. Some projectors are not Mac-compatible or may require extra software to work with a Mac.

Here are suggested requirements for a multimedia business projector, again if you can afford them:

Projector Type: DLP Native Resolution: XGA 1024 x 768 Maximum Resolution: UXGA 1600 X 1200 Brightness: 2000 lumens or preferably better HDTV Projector: HD Ready Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Projection Distance: 4 - 24 ft Contrast Ratio: 2000:1 Horizontal Frequency: 15 - 80 KHz Price: Starting around $1,500

p.s., A computer projector glossary can help you understand the lingo concerning these machines.A good one resides at: http://www.avpartner.com/Glossary.aspx

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