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Zach Hope's Articles in Hardware

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Skype Headsets – A Buyer’s Guide Skype has to be one of my favourite applications of the last 5 years. Millions of computer users regularly connect to Skype to enjoy pan global conversations in broadcast quality without paying a penny. No wonder so many people choose to use Skype instead of a regular phone. Instead of saying “I’ll phone you later” I hear people saying “I’ll Skype you later” – this is a sign of just how important Skype has become. The Best Way to Get Rid of an Old CRT Monitor LCD monitors are rapidly replacing the old cathode ray tube (CRT) type monitors. LCD displays (a.k.a. TFT, or flat panel) use substantially less electricity; a typical CRT uses more energy whilst on standby than a LCD does when switched on. Other advantages are that LCDs have a fraction of the weight of CRTs, and they require a lot less desk space. These are the factors that are driving the heavy, clunky CRTs out of the market. How to Quickly and Easily Add a Hard Disk to Your Computer Adding extra storage space can be done with either an external or internal drive. The internal drive sits on your desktop and plugs in via a Firewire or USB cord. USB hard drives are particularly easy to install; all you do is just plug it in and Windows will automatically install the drivers. I like external drives as a way of backing up files. If you keep your hard drive in a different room from your PC, you will be less at risk from thieves stealing your backup files. 30 inch TFT monitors In London we have one of a handful of Apple stores that are dotted around the world. One of the most amazing products in the store is the massive flat panel monitors on display. These are 30 inch monitors and although they are incredibly pricy but I would seriously consider getting one if I had the cash. USB Trip Wires – How to Avoid Smashing Your Camera, Cell Phone, or iPod I have lots of devices that I regularly plug into the USB slots of my PC. There must be millions of people who use USB cables to transfer data to all sorts of portable devices. Although most people don’t realise, they are setting themselves a trap when they plug into the front of their tower PCs. The Ticking Time Bomb that is Your PC Most people who own a computer have it in the back of their mind that they need to backup there important document. What most people are less aware of is why they need to do this. In my experience most would say that it in case your computer gets stolen, a file gets mistakenly deleted, or the PC just breaks down. This is a bit of a broad reason as far as I’m concerned. The biggest reason why I backup is because the average hard disk fails when it is 3-5 years old. The Ultimate Ultraportable It just occurred to me that with the ever-increasing speed of memory cards, surely this is going to be the way people carry their data around with them in the future. This might not sound too groundbreaking to most people but let me explain some of the implications. The Next Generation of Super Hero Hard Drives In the summer of 2007, Custom PC magazine published a feature on solid state drives (SSDs). Also known as flash drives – this technology has already reached the mainstream in the form of USB memory sticks and the iPod nano. However, according to the article these drives will one day replace the conventional hard drive. Laptops or PCs - Which Are Best? I have the luxury of having both a desktop and a laptop, and I would like to share with you the advantages of each. Choosing the right machine for you will depend on what you want the computer for, how many and what kind of applications you will run, and how much you have to spend. How to Clean a TFT Screen In the good old days, cleaning a computer screen was dead easy. The glass front of your monitor could just be wiped over with a bit of window cleaner and an old rag. You could give it a bit of elbow grease if there where any persistent finger prints, and in a couple of minutes it was as good as new. 3 Of the Best Things about Apple Computers Different people have different likes and dislikes. When it comes to computers price often becomes of paramount importance – and there are some fantastic bargains available as a result. On the other end of the scale there is the Apple range. You pay over the odds for the specification, but you also get a little bit of magic.