February 23, 2012

The Specifications of a Tablet PC

iPad Display Item

Image via Wikipedia

When the iPad was released, it opened the floodgates to a new world of tablets. These portable, but powerful, computers have become a popular addition to many offices and homes, with more and more people turning to the tablet computer to address growing computing needs. Still, understanding the specifications of a tablet computer can help you select one that is most likely to meet your needs. Consider the following four specifications when selecting your next hand-held computer.

  1. Size: Remember, that the size of the screen will impact you in two ways. A larger screen may increase the overall functionality of the computer, but it will also make it weigh more. We are really talking about the difference between a 7 inch screen and a 12 inch screen – but the difference can be very large.
  2. Storage: Like any computer, the amount of storage on the tablet you select is critical. Most of today’s tablets offer standard 16, 32, or 64 GBs. Remember, some versions will not allow you to add additional storage.
  3. Battery Life: Carefully review the specifications of the battery on each model you are considering. Some have as many as 12 hours of battery life, with others having considerably less. The battery life will absolutely impact the functionality of your machine, so consider carefully.
  4. Connection: Today’s tablet computers have two different connection methodologies – 3G and Wi-Fi. A model which relies on WiFi will typically cost less money. The 3G models will offer you greater flexibility.
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Filed Under: General, Internet Tips and Tricks Tagged With: , ,

Are the Media Players Worth It?

Windows Media Player 11 running in mini mode(i... 

Image via Wikipedia

There are a lot of websites out there dedicated to selling, or even giving away one media playing program or another. Sometimes it’s because a company wants to show off what it can do in order to promote its other software. On other occasions, it’s about making some money for a truly different, sometimes superior type of media player. However, there are so many solutions out there that it seems a trifle redundant to even use these programs.

For one thing, it’s possible to simply download songs off of Youtube as simple MP3s. When you can play an MP3 with a simple, vanilla version of the media playing software that natively comes with every modern operating system, why would you even need to invest the time into downloading an additional program? Consider that sometimes programs of this nature are just attractively packages trojan horses that deliver malicious code into your computer when you install them, and it becomes clear that sometimes using this kind of software just isn’t worth the ultimate problems doing so can cause.

On the other hand, sometimes you want to play one of the rare songs that Youtube or your prepaid cell phones do not have. In a situation like this, you may only find the song on some kind of crazy foreign site, and it becomes more reasonable to download a new type of media player. In addition to that, sometimes the native player just grates on a person’s nerves, as Windows Media Player undoubtedly does to some devout Microsoft-bashers. Ultimately, it can be a very challenging choice, to either use what came with your system or to just download something new.

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The Peril of Online TV

There was once a time when people simply sat in one spot watching a collection of colored lights flickering this way and that. Back in the old days, TV was a simple passtime that people who had nothing better to do after work would use to pretend they were doing something constructive before they went to sleep. However, when computers and the Internet became popular, this trend could have ended. Unfortunately, that trend has returned with a vengeance.

While the times have gone beyond merely watching a few channels, and the Internet has gone into more sites than a person could visit in a lifetime, there has been a disturbing trend surfacing to bridge the gap between these two ways to engage one’s energy. Nowadays, one can watch TV on the Internet, and be just as slothful in front of a computer as was once the trend in front of TVs the world over. For more and more people, going to websites like Youtube to watch a short video has turned into watching entire series online.

As these series take the time given to them and throw it into the abyss, one has to consider the implications here. When a person has a computer, the purpose is ostensibly to interact and contribute through its use. However, when one uses the massive power of their computer and its connection to the Internet as little more than a means to vegetate and avoid thinking, why did they go online in the first place? The Internet’s greatest power is in allowing human beings to contribute regardless of their station. So simply becoming passive seems like a large regression.

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