What is Internet

The Internet, sometimes called simply "the Net," is a worldwide system of computer networks - a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers). It was conceived by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the U.S. government in 1969 and was first known as the ARPANET. The original aim was to create a network that would allow users of a research computer at one university to be able to "talk to" research computers at other universities. A side benefit of ARPANet's design was that, because messages could be routed or rerouted in more than one direction, the network could continue to function even if parts of it were destroyed in the event of a military attack or other disaster.
Today, the Internet is a public, cooperative, and self-sustaining facility accessible to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Physically, the Internet uses a portion of the total resources of the currently existing public telecommunication networks. Technically, what distinguishes the Internet is its use of a set of protocols called TCP/IP (for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). Two recent adaptations of Internet technology, the intranet and the extranet, also make use of the TCP/IP protocol.
For many Internet users, electronic mail (e-mail) has practically replaced the Postal Service for short written transactions. Electronic mail is the most widely used application on the Net. You can also carry on live "conversations" with other computer users, using Internet Relay Chat (IRC). More recently, Internet telephony hardware and software allows real-time voice conversations.
The most widely used part of the Internet is the World Wide Web (often abbreviated "WWW" or called "the Web"). Its outstanding feature is hypertext, a method of instant cross-referencing. In most Web sites, certain words or phrases appear in text of a different color than the rest; often this text is also underlined. When you select one of these words or phrases, you will be transferred to the site or page that is relevant to this word or phrase. Sometimes there are buttons, images, or portions of images that are "clickable." If you move the pointer over a spot on a Web site and the pointer changes into a hand, this indicates that you can click and be transferred to another site.
Using the Web, you have access to millions of pages of information. Web browsing is done with a Web browser, the most popular of which are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. The appearance of a particular Web site may vary slightly depending on the browser you use. Also, later versions of a particular browser are able to render more "bells and whistles" such as animation, virtual reality, sound, and music files, than earlier versions.

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is an office suite of interrelated desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. Microsoft Office was introduced by Microsoft in 1989 for Macintosh,[1] with a version for Windows in 1990.[2] Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of Office contained Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint. Additionally, a "Pro" (Professional) version of Office included Microsoft Access and Schedule Plus. Over the years, Office applications have grown substantially closer with shared features such as a common spell checker, OLE data integration and Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications scripting language. Microsoft also positions Office as a development platform for line-of-business software under the Office Business Applications (OBA) brand.
The current versions are Office 2007 for Windows which was released on January 30, 2007,[3] and Office 2008 for Mac OS X, released January 15, 2008. Office 2007/Office 2008 introduced a new user interface and new Office Open XML document formats (docx, xlsx, pptx). Consequently, Microsoft has made available, free of charge, an add-on known as the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack to allow Office 2000-2003 for Windows and Office 2004 for Mac editions to open, edit, and save documents created under the new formats for Office 2007.
According to Forrester Research, as of June 2009, some version of Microsoft Office is used in 80% of enterprises and the latest Office versions hold roughly 80% of those installations.[4]
However, at present, there is a degree of criticism of the new Ribbon interface introduced with Windows Office 2007, which some commentators say compares unfavourably with the classic interface.

Ms Paint

Paint (formerly Paintbrush for Windows) is a simple graphics painting program that has been included with all versions of Microsoft Windows. It is often referred to as MS Paint, Microsoft Paint or simply Paint. The program opens and saves files as Windows bitmap (24-bit, 256 color, 16 color, and monochrome, all with the .bmp extension), JPEG, GIF (without animation or transparency, although the Windows 98 version, a Windows 95 upgrade, and the Windows NT4 version did support the latter), PNG (without alpha channel), and TIFF (without the multiple pages). The program can be in color mode or two-color black-and-white, but there is no grayscale mode. For its simplicity, it rapidly became one of the most used applications in the early versions of Windows—introducing many to painting on a computer for the first time—and still has strong associations with the immediate usability of the old Windows workspace.

Dos

An acronym for Disk Operating System, in a general sense, DOS refers to just about any operating system. More commonly, it describes the operating system Microsoft developed in 1981 for IBM's line of personal computers. Though syntactically distinct, DOS shares similarities with a Unix shell. It has a command-line interface and analogs to many common Unix commands. However, DOS is a 16-bit, single-user operating system that does not support multi-tasking. It is far easier to administer than Unix, but less powerful. Compared to graphical interfaces such as Windows and Mac OS X, it's also not particularly user-friendly.
With the development of Windows, MS-DOS has faded in importance. However, you can still run some DOS commands at the command prompt in current versions of Windows, which can be useful in situations where a graphical interface is less efficient. See What are some examples of common DOS commands?
Several DOS alternatives and/or enhancements are available, including FreeDOS and DR-DOS. FreeDOS is a version of DOS that is freely distributed under the GNU General Public License. Though not completely compatible with MS-DOS, it will run many DOS programs. For more information, visit FreeDOS. DeviceLogics, Inc. produces an MS-DOS compatible product called DR-DOS. It sports advanced features, including multi-tasking capabilities. For more information, see DR-DOS.
For forums of discussion about DOS, consult the Usenet newsgroups in the comp.os.msdos.* hierarchy.

Internet Protocol Address

This number is an exclusive number all information technology devices (printers, routers, modems, et al) use which identifies and allows them the ability to communicate with each other on a computer network. There is a standard of communication which is called an Internet Protocol standard (IP). In laymans terms it is the same as your home address. In order for you to receive snail mail at home the sending party must have your correct mailing address (IP address) in your town (network) or you do not receive bills, pizza coupons or your tax refund. The same is true for all equipment on the internet. Without this specific address, information cannot be received. IP addresses may either be assigned permanently for an Email server/Business server or a permanent home resident or temporarily, from a pool of available addresses (first come first serve) from your Internet Service Provider. A permanent number may not be available in all areas and may cost extra so be sure to ask your ISP.
Domain Name System (DNS): This allows the IP address to be translated to words. It is much easier for us to remember a word than a series of numbers. The same is true for email addresses.
For example, it is much easier for you to remember a web address name such as whatismyip.com than it is to remember 192.168.1.1 or in the case of email it is much easier to remember email@somedomain.com than email@192.168.1.1
Dynamic IP: One that is not static and could change at any time. This type of IP is issued to you from a pool of IP addresses allocated by your ISP or DHCP Server. This is for a large number of customers that do not require the same IP all the time for a variety of reasons. Your computer will automatically get this number as it logs on to the network and saves you the trouble of having to know details regarding the specific network configurations. This number can be assigned to anyone using a dial-up connection, Wireless and High Speed Internet connections. If you need to run your own email server or web server, it would be best to have a static IP.
Static IP: One that is fixed and never changes. This is in contrast to a dynamic IP which may change at any time. Most ISP's a single static IP or a block of static IP's for a few extra bucks a month.
IP version 4: Currently used by most network devices. However, with more and more computers accessing the internet, IPv4 IPs are running out quickly. Just like in a city, addresses have to be created for new neighborhoods but, if your neighborhood gets too large, you will have to come up with an entire new pool of addresses. IPv4 is limited to 4,294,967,296 IPs.
IP version 5: This is an experimental protocol for UNIX based systems. In keeping with standard UNIX (a computer Operating System) release conventions, all odd-numbered versions are considered experimental. It was never intended to be used by the general public.
IP version 6: The replacement for the aging IPv4. The estimated number of unique IPs for IPv6 is 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 or 2^128.
The old and current standard of IPs was this: 192.168.100.100 the new way can be written different ways but means the same and are all valid:

Biso

BISO - Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (US National Park Service)
BISO - Board on International Scientific Organizations (Washington, DC)
BISO - Business Information Security Officer
BISO - Bringing Into Service Objectives (Sprint)
BISO - BIstructural ISOtropic (coated fuel particle)

Card Reader

Card reader is the generic term for an input device that reads flash memory cards. It can be a standalone device that connects to a computer via USB or it may be integrated into a computer, printer, or multifunction device. In fact, most multifunction printer/scanner/copiers now have built-in card readers.Most card readers accept multiple memory card formats, including compact flash , secure digital, and Sony's Memory Stick. Some card readers accept various other formats such as XD, SmartMedia, Microdrive, and Memory Stick Pro Duo cards.The purpose of a card reader is, not surprisingly, to read the data from a memory card. When you place a memory card into a card reader, it will often show up on your computer as a mounted disk. You can then view the contents of the memory card by double-clicking the card's icon. This icon typically appears on the desktop of Macintosh computers or inside "My Computer" on Windows machines.Since memory cards most often contain pictures from digital cameras, a photo organization program may automatically open when you insert a memory card into you card reader. This provides an easy way of importing your pictures into your photo album. If you don't want to import photos using the program, you can simply close the program and the card will still be mounted on your computer.Once you decide to remove the card, make sure you unmount or "eject" the disk before physically removing the card. This will help prevent the data on the card from becoming corrupted.

Power Cable

A power cable is an assembly of two or more electrical conductors, usually held together with an overall sheath. The assembly is used for transmission of electrical power. Power cables may be installed as permanent wiring within buildings, buried in the ground, run overhead, or exposed. Flexible power cables are used for portable and mobile tools and machinery.

Universal Serial Bus

A Universal Serial Bus Cable, normally referred to as a USB cable, is primarily used to connect a USB device to a host. Common hosts include computers and video game consoles. While there are multiple USB standards, cables that are fully compliant with USB 1.1 specifications will work with USB 2.0 technology and vice versa. USB cables can be identified by the USB-trident on top of the plug overmolds of type A and B connectors.

Best Single Core Card - ATI Radeon HD 5870

ATI has stunned the graphics world with the latest graphics processor, the Radeon HD 5890. This is the first graphics processor to fully support Direct X 11 in Windows 7 and provides some absolutely stunning performance in a package that doesn't use more power than their previous HD 4890 processor. The cards also have a unique EyeFinity feature that allows graphics and games to span multiple monitors providing a breathtaking gaming experience. Production of the new processor has been extremely limited making it very difficult to find one available. Since performance between the various brand cards is so close, I don't name a specific make and model. Expect prices of $400 and up.

Sound Card

An expansion board that enables a computer to manipulate and output sounds. Sound cards are necessary for nearly all CD-ROMs and have become commonplace on modern persona computers. Sound cards enable the computer to output sound through speakers connected to the board, to record sound input from a microphone connected to the computer, and manipulate sound stored on a disk. Nearly all sound cards support MIDI, a standard for representing music electronically. In addition, most sound cards are Sound Blaster-compatible, which means that they can process commands written for a Sound Blaster card, the de facto standard for PC sound. Sound cards use two basic methods to translate digital data into analog sounds: FM Synthesis mimics different musical instruments according to built-in formulas. Wavetable Synthesis relies on recordings of actual instruments to produce sound. Wavetable synthesis produces more accurate sound, but is also more expensive.

Mp3 Player

MP3 is a digital audio file compressed using a standard defined by the Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG). Officially known as "MPEG-1, Layer 3", MP3s can use as little as 10% of the storage required by the CD format. An MP3 player is a device for playing MP3 files.
MP3 players come in many sizes and capacities. The smallest MP3 players use a type of memory known as flash; unlike conventional memory such as that found in a desktop computer, flash does not lose stored information when the power is turned off. Flash is very compact and uses very little power, allowing for extremely small designs with long battery life.

A Machine Without Brain

Software is a general term for the various kinds of programs used to operate computers and related devices. (The term hardware describes the physical aspects of computers and related devices.)
Software can be thought of as the variable part of a computer and hardware the invariable part. Software is often divided into application software (programs that do work users are directly interested in) and system software (which includes operating systems and any program that supports application software). The term middleware is sometimes used to describe programming that mediates between application and system software or between two different kinds of application software (for example, sending a remote work request from an application in a computer that has one kind of operating system to an application in a computer with a different operating system).
An additional and difficult-to-classify category of software is the utility, which is a small useful program with limited capability. Some utilities come with operating systems. Like applications, utilities tend to be separately installable and capable of being used independently from the rest of the operating system.
applets are small applications that sometimes come with the operating system as "accessories." They can also be created independently using the Java or other programming languages.
Software can be purchased or acquired as shareware (usually intended for sale after a trial period), liteware (shareware with some capabilities disabled), freeware (free software but with copyright restrictions), public domain software (free with no restrictions), and open source (software where the source code is furnished and users agree not to limit the distribution of improvements).
Software is often packaged on CD-ROMs and diskettes. Today, much purchased software, shareware, and freeware is downloaded over the Internet. A new trend is software that is made available for use at another site known as an application service provider.
Some general kinds of application software include:
Productivity software, which includes word processors, spreadsheets, and tools for use by most computer users
Presentation software
Graphics software for graphic designers
CAD/CAM software
Specialized scientific applications
vertical market or industry-specific software (for example, for banking, insurance, retail, and manufacturing environments)
firmware or microcode is programming that is loaded into a special area on a microprocessor or read-only memory on a one-time or infrequent basis so that thereafter it seems to be part of the hardware.

Web Cam

A webcam, or web camera, is the loosely used term for any camera that generates images that can be accessed by and displayed on the world wide web through a server. A webcam is essentially just a camera that is connected to a computer, either directly or wirelessly, and gathers a series of images for remote display elsewhere. Webcam technology is widely used by all sorts of people for all sorts of different reasons.

Wireless Lan

A wireless LAN (or WLAN, for wireless local area network, sometimes referred to as LAWN, for local area wireless network) is one in which a mobile user can connect to a local area network (LAN) through a wireless (radio) connection. The IEEE 802.11 group of standards specify the technologies for wireless LANs. 802.11 standards use the Ethernet protocol and CSMA/CA (carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance) for path sharing and include an encryption method, the Wired Equivalent Privacy algorithm.

Router

A router is a device in computer networking that forwards data packets to their destinations, based on their addresses. The work a router does it called routing, which is somewhat like switching, but a router is different from a switch. The latter is simply a device to connect machines to form a LAN.

Local Area Network

A local area network (LAN) supplies networking capability to a group of computers in close proximity to each other such as in an office building, a school, or a home. A LAN is useful for sharing resources like files, printers, games or other applications. A LAN in turn often connects to other LANs, and to the Internet or other wan.
Most local area networks are built with relatively inexpensive hardware such as Ethernet cables, network adapters, and hubs. Wireless LAN and other more advanced LAN hardware options also exist.

MicroPhone

A microphone, sometimes called a "mic", is a device that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, tape recorders, hearing aids and in radio and television broadcasting.
The invention of a practical microphone was crucial to the early development of the telephone system. Emile Berliner invented the first microphone on March 4, 1877, but the first useful microphone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. Many early developments in microphone design took place in Bell Laboratories.
In all microphones, sound waves are translated into mechanical vibrations in a thin, flexible diaphragm. These vibrations are then converted by various methods into an electrical signal.

Laptop

A laptop computer, usually called a notebook computer by manufacturers, is a battery- or AC-powered personal computer generally smaller than a briefcase that can easily be transported and conveniently used in temporary spaces such as on airplanes, in libraries, temporary offices, and at meetings. A laptop typically weighs less than 5 pounds and is 3 inches or less in thickness. Among the best-known makers of laptop computers are IBM, Apple, Compaq, Dell, and Toshiba.
Laptop computers generally cost more than desktop computers with the same capabilities because they are more difficult to design and manufacture. A laptop can effectively be turned into a desktop computer with a docking station, a hardware frame that supplies connections for peripheral input/output devices such as a printer or larger monitor. The less capable port replicator allows you to connect a laptop to a number of peripherals through a single plug.
Laptops usually come with displays that use thin-screen technology. The thin film transistor or active matrix screen is brighter and views better at different angles than the STN or dual-scan screen. Laptops use several different approaches for integrating a mouse into the keyboard, including the touch pad, the trackball, and the pointing stick. A serial port also allows a regular mouse to be attached. The PC Card is insertable hardware for adding a modem or network interface card to a laptop. CD-ROM and digital versatile disc drives may be built-in or attachable.

Computer

Computer

A computer is a device that accepts information (in the form of digitalized data) and manipulates it for some result based on a program or sequence of instructions on how the data is to be processed. Complex computers also include the means for storing data (including the program, which is also a form of data) for some necessary duration. A program may be invariable and built into the computer (and called logic circuitry as it is on microprocessors) or different programs may be provided to the computer (loaded into its storage and then started by an administrator or user). Today's computers have both kinds of programming.
Most histories of the modern computer begin with the Analytical Engine envisioned by Charles Babbage following the mathematical ideas of George Boole, the mathematician who first stated the principles of logic inherent in today's digital computer. Babbage's assistant and collaborator, Ada Lovelace, is said to have introduced the ideas of program loops and subroutines and is sometimes considered the first programmer. Apart from mechanical calculators, the first really useable computers began with the vacuum tube, accelerated with the invention of the transistor, which then became embedded in large numbers in integrated circuits, ultimately making possible the relatively low-cost personal computer.
Modern computers inherently follow the ideas of the stored program laid out by John von Neumann in 1945. Essentially, the program is read by the computer one instruction at a time, an operation is performed, and the computer then reads in the next instruction, and so on. Recently, computers and programs have been devised that allow multiple programs (and computers) to work on the same problem at the same time in parallel. With the advent of the Internet and higher bandwidth data transmission, programs and data that are part of the same overall project can be distributed over a network and embody the Sun Microsystems slogan: "The network is the computer."

Bluetooth Keyboard

In old days people talks about magic and magic things which becomes so small to keep in pocket and when comes out from pocket becomes large in size, as same thing is shown in the movie “The Mask” also the character gets so many things out from his pocket. Well that’s all about fiction that no one take it as reality. But believe me science and technology is a true magic of modern era. You can’t think to have a keyboard in your pocket, but now you can have keyboard in your pocket because the magic of science had made it possible. So have a glimpse of this futuristic Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard.

This tiny Bluetooth device is really a future magic; it projects a laser keyboard on a flat surface you can easily type on that with simulated key click sounds.
Just take it out from your pocket and compose your email or other stuff on your Bluetooth enabled PDA or Cell Phone. In size it’s little larger than matchbook with 63 keys and full size QWERTY layout, the Virtual Keyboard can reach the typing speed same like standard keyboard.
It comes with the following features:
It can be connected to PDAs Smart phones and Computers using Bluetooth
It is able to project a full size keyboard onto any flat surface
It also allows the convenience of regular keyboard typing in a tiny form factor
It has a rechargeable battery that lasts for 120 minutes of continuous typing
It has tiny size only 3.5 inches high
It is compatible with PalmOS 5, PocketPC 2003, Windows Smartphone, Symbian OS, and Windows 2000/XP. Limited Mac OSX Support.

Digital Projector

A digital projector, also called a digital projection display system, is a specialized computer display that projects an enlarged image on a movie screen. Such devices are commonly used in presentations.
There are two main types of digital projection display systems. The older, less expensive type employs three transparent liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panels, one for each of the primary colors (red, green, and blue). The light transmittivity of each pixel varies depending on the image data received from the computer. The light from a lamp is directed through the LCD panels, collimated using a lens, and projected onto a screen. The overall construction of the device is similar to that of a slide projector, where the "slide" consists of the three LCD panels placed close together near the focal point of the projection lens. Advantages of LCD technology include efficiency, ease of brightness and contrast adjustment, and high image resolution.
A newer, more expensive scheme is known as Digital Light Processing (DLP), a proprietary technology developed by Texas Instruments. In a DLP display, tiny mirrors are used instead of transparent panels. Each mirror represents one pixel. The light, rather than passing through the panel, is reflected from it. The mirrors move back and forth, varying the amount of light that reaches the projection lens from each pixel. Color is obtained by passing the light from the lamp through a rotating wheel with red, green, and blue filters. This subjects the mirrors to light at each of the primary colors in a rapid rotating sequence. The result is a color-modulated image that the human eye sees as natural color. Advantages of DLP technology include light weight, high contrast, and lack of pixelation.
2) The term digital projector is sometimes used for a program that facilitates the viewing of three-dimensional (3D), interactive, full-motion audio-visual files on a personal computer. Versions are available for both IBM-compatible and Macintosh computers, and can be downloaded from the Internet. They can be used as plug-ins for popular browsers for viewing animated Web-page content. For optimum performance on the Internet, a broadband connection should be used because of the high-speed, interactive nature of the content, and because the transmitted files are often large.

Plasma

Plasma is electrically conductive and can be manipulated by magnetic fields. It can be found in a variety of everyday contexts, including plasma displays, fluorescent lamps, neon signs, plasma balls, photolithographic etching machines, flames, lightning, aurora borealis, tesla coils, and more.
Plasmas vary widely. Some parameters used for their classification are the degree of ionization, temperature, density of the magnetic field, and particle density. For example, the gas in a candle flame is only very slightly ionized, whereas the air in the path of a lightning bolt is highly ionized. Some plasmas are very low temperature, like the intergalactic medium, while some are very high temperature, like the center of a star.
Unlike gases, which are composed of neutral atoms, charged plasmas have distinct constituents that behave on their own accord. Free electrons are negatively charged. The nuclei, lacking electrons, are positively charged ions. Most plasmas still contain whole atoms which are electrically neutral as well. Since each of these components can behave differently in response to changes in external and internal conditions, a variety of complex wave-like phenomena can emerge.
Plasma phenomena can be observed safely in your own home with the use of a plasma ball. A plasma ball runs an electric field through a charged gas contained within a glass globe. When a person touches the edge of the globe, the plasma responds by sending out visible filaments to the person's finger, demonstrating the tendency of an electric charge to "ground" itself. Complex, fractal patterns can be seen within the ball.

Lcd Monitors

LCD Monitors or Liquid Crystal Display Monitors are entirely flat image area devices that provide distortion free images. Hallmarks of LCD Monitors include such characteristics as rich and bright colors, vibrant images and sensational clarity. At Super Warehouse our incredible selection of LCD Monitors is unmatched. Within individual sizes and types of LCD Monitors you'll also find the entire gamut of specification options like resolution, aspect ratio, brightness, contrast ratio, response time and color support among others. Both analog and digital connectivity options equip you with LCD Monitors that are useful for nearly every environment. We have 22" Widescreen LCD Monitors perfect for use at the office with superior options for graphic designers as well as those designed for the home with gamers in mind. We make it easy for you to compare LCD Monitors with different size classifications such as 15" LCD Monitors, 17" LCD Monitors, 19" LCD Monitors, 26" LCD Monitors, 32" LCD Monitors, 42" LCD Monitors, 52" LCD Monitors, 65" LCD Monitors and others. You'll also find the industry leading brands like Samsung LCD Monitors, ViewSonic LCD Monitors, HP LCD Monitors, Eizo LCD Monitors and many more! Have a Mac? We have numerous Mac Compatible LCD Monitors from brands like Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo and several others as well as a selection of Apple LCD Monitors.

Monitor

A computer monitor is an electronic device that shows pictures. A monitor is usually used to see programs on a computer. The main difference between a monitor and a television is that a monitor does not have a television tuner to change channels. A monitor may be used to watch television if it is connected to a device that has a television tuner. Some models of monitor can be used as a television, and some televisions are used with computers. A monitor has a better display resolution than a television to make it easier to see smaller letters and graphics on.
There are two main types of monitors:
The CRT monitor, which is big and heavy. It is the oldest technology used by monitors. It looks like a television, but has a bigger display resolution and often a higher frequency. CRT stands for cathode-ray tube.
The LCD monitor, which is thin, flat, and lightweight. It is a newer technology than CRTs. The quality can be the same or even better than a CRT, but this type of monitor usually costs more than a CRT.

Laser printers have traditionally been used for business applications because they offer higher speeds and crisper print. They tend to be more expensive than inkjet printers, although prices have dropped considerably -- you can buy a home monochrome laser printer starting at about $100. There are color laser printers as well, but they are priced above the budget of most home and small business users
More sophisticated (and costly) laser printers can include some fancy and useful add-ons, such as the ability to add more paper drawers, or to sort your documents.

Digital Photo Printer

There are many types of digital photo printers available that are made especially for printing photographs. They come in many sizes; many of them are small enough to be carried along with your camera so that you can print photos whenever you need them. Several of these, which include portable printers, connect to your digital camera. This means a computer is no longer needed to print photographs. Some have special slots for a digital media cards. This means you can just detach the card from your camera and attach it directly into the printer. With these printers, you get photos immediately. However these come at a cost. More expensive than normal inkjet printers, they begin at $150 and go up to $300 to $500. At the higher end are the professional ones.
The more expensive are essentially inkjet printers, with six color cartridges. A few use the thermal dye or dye sublimation technology, which melts ink "crayons" onto the pages. While they provide high quality, they are only good for photo printing. Today, color lasers are also used, though they are not as popular. The desktop color lasers are not as good, though they have improved. They are cheaper, and it is possible to get monochrome lasers. Dell offers monochrome Printer 1100; it is also below $100. Scanners available for photographers have add-ons that that allow scanning of film and negatives.
There are few ways you can get more out of your photo printer. Fine-tune to the highest resolution when you want to print the pictures. The picture that is to be printed should not be saved as JPEGs or in any other compressed file format; save the original instead because this will help you get a better picture. You can improve upon the picture that has been taken; if you are taking a test print, decrease image size and load the printer with plain, $2-a-ream paper. Check out the printer software as it may allow printing of many images on one sheet.
Matte-finish photo cards can be used instead of glossy photo paper when printing 4-by-6-inch images. These have a better finish and are cheaper. Some printers like the Canon's i960 printer have a superior color palette. You can install this in your printer if you are not happy with the current printing quality.
If you are printing black and white photos, you could use the color mode and you will get a better finish. Remember to keep the nozzle clear because they may get blocked if they are not used. You could call a professional or use a kit costing about $15. Some printers stay clean if turned on and off once a week.
Some of the best digital photo printers now available are Kodak Professional 9810 Digital Photo Printer, Epson Stylus Pro 4000, Canon Pixma iP8500 Photo Printer, Canon Selphy DS700 Photo Printer, Epson PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition, and Sony PictureStation DPP-FP30. Check out the one that suits you best.
Photo Printers provides detailed information on Photo Printers, Digital Photo Printers, Compare Photo Printers, Best Photo Printers and more. Photo Printers is affiliated with Portrait Photographers.

Power supply

Supplies power throughout the computer. Power supplies convert potentially lethal 110-115 or 220-230 volt alternating current (AC) into a steady low-voltage direct current (DC) usable by the computer. A power supply is rated by the number of watts it generates.
WARNING: Do not open the power supply, it contains capacitors which can hold Electricity (WHICH CAN KILL) even if the computer is power off for a week, if not longer. If you do open it, WHICH IS NOT RECOMMENDED, take all precautions and ensure you work with one arm behind your back to direct the electricity away from the heart. Also ensure that you have no jewelry on (such as a watch or rings). However, again, THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED, and still cannot protect you 100% and is still potentially dangerous. Because of these precautions, no extensive information will be found on this page about opening power supplies.

MotherBoard

Also known as the mb, mainboard, mobo, mobd, backplane board, planar board, or system board. The Motherboard is a printed circuit that is the foundation of a computer and allows the CPU, RAM, and all other computer hardware components to function with each other. Below is a graphic illustration of the ASUS P5AD2-E motherboard and some basic explanations of each of the major portions of the motherboard.

As computers advanced, so did motherboards; below is a listing of the various motherboard form factors and additional information about each of these form factors.
As computers advanced, so did motherboards; below is a listing of the various motherboard form factors and additional information about each of these form factors.
Full-AT

Baby-AT

LPX

Full-AT

XMini-AT

XNLX

Full-AT

(12" wide x 13.8" deep) Matches the original IBM AT motherboard design, which only fits into full size AT or tower cases only. This type of motherboard is not commonly found or used today.
This form factor is no longer produced because it cannot be placed into the popular Baby-AT chassis.
Baby-AT

(8.57" wide x 13.04" deep) Almost the same as the original IBM XT motherboard with modifications in the screw hole position to fit into AT style case, with connections built onto the motherboard to fit the holes in the case.
Specific placement of the keyboard and the I/O slots.
This board also cannot be placed into the slimline case.
LPX

(9.00" wide x 13.00" deep) Developed by Western Digital when making motherboards, which was duplicated by many other manufacturers and is no longer made by Western Digital.
The LPX motherboard riser card contains all of the expansion slots.
Placement of the video, parallel, two serial and PS/2 connections have changed locations.
Full-ATX

(12" wide x 9.6" deep) / Mini-ATX – (11.2" wide x 8.2" deep) The official specifications were released by Intel in 1995 and was revised to version 2.01 in February 1997. The ATX form factor is an advancement over previous AT style motherboards. Therefore requires a new case design. ATX is not an abbreviation, it is actually a trademark which belongs to Intel.
The ATX motherboard has a stacked I/O connector panel mounted on the motherboard.
On a socket 7 ATX motherboard, the socket has been placed a further distance from the expansion slots, allowing for long boards to be placed in easier.
Single keyed internal power supply connector. This is the Molex power connector, ATX 2.01. Standby voltage needs to be greater than 720 mA. The connector now cannot be placed in improperly. While the Molex power connector allows for 5v and 3.3v to be connected, it is recommended that only a 3.3v be connected to the motherboard.
Relocation of the memory and the CPU creating better ventilation and easier upgrade.
Power management possible with proper BIOS support.
NLX (Supports motherboards with overall dimensions of 9.0" x 13.6" [maximum] to 8.0" x 10.0" [minimum]) Implemented in 1998 by Intel and is similar to the LPX form factor; however, includes several new improvements.
Support for the Pentium II
Support for AGP
Support for USB.
Support for DIMM.
Easier Access to internal components
Support for motherboards that can be removed without using tools.

Scanner

A scanner is a hardware device used to input text and/or images into the computer. Below is a description and illustration of some of the types of scanners available today.
Flatbed Scanner - The Flatbed scanner, as shown in the below illustration, is one of the most commonly used and most recommended scanners. This scanner allows the user to place a full piece of paper, book, magazine, photo or any other object onto the bed of the scanner and have the capability to scan that object.
While the Flatbed scanner is an excellent recommendation, expect more desk space to be used than any other option as well expect to pay more for the scanner.
Sheetfed - Another commonly used scanner which allows a user to scan pieces of paper into the computer.
While the sheetfed is a less expensive solution when compared to the flatbed scanner, the sheetfed is limited to 400dpi and the available options which can be scanned.
Handheld - Today, not commonly used scanner option and can be difficult to find at stores. The handheld option allows the user to drag over select sections of pages, magazines, books and other objects scanning only sections.
While a very inexpensive solution, it can be tedious to drag the handheld correctly. While scanning, it will be difficult to have a straight scan as well as if it is moved to slow / fast can cause distortion in the image being scanned.
Cardscan - Excellent solution for anyone interested in scanning business cards for record purposes.
While sometimes surprising, the cardscanners can sometimes be an expensive solution for only having the capability to scan business cards.
INTERFACES
Below is a listing of the various types of interfaces used by scanners.
Parallel - Parallel is one of the more commonly used interfaces. Parallel scanners will be connected directly into the back of your computer and have an available pass through port on the back for your computer printer to be connected to.
See our Parallel Page for additional information on the Parallel port.
SCSI - SCSI is another popular connection for scanners. While the SCSI port will be much faster transferring data than a parallel port, it can sometimes be difficult for some users to install a SCSI card into their computer.
See our SCSI Page for additional information on SCSI.
USB - USB is becoming a very popular interface for scanners as it generally allows the user to connect the scanner and be ready to scan in a matter of minutes.
See our USB Page for additional information on USB.

JoyStick Controllers

Joystick controllers use potentiometric, inductive or photoelectric sensing systems and/or switches to translate joystick motion into an output signal. They are usually made from plastic, nylon, nylon plastic, glass-filled nylon, or stainless steel. Several types of joystick controllers are available. Industrial joystick controllers are used in demanding environmental conditions or heavy-duty equipment such as forklifts, cranes, agricultural machinery, hoist devices, vehicle steering, excavators, and municipal or military vehicles. Precision joystick controllers are used for steering, positioning and speed control in applications such as microscope control. They are also used in camera controls, wheel chairs, surveillance cameras, optical measurement equipment, medical diagnostic equipment, and stage techniques. Game joysticks are used in flight simulators, video games, and remote controls.

Benefits Usb Drive

Serial Bus (USB) technology allows hardware to be simply plugged in and automatically recognized (Plug and Play) while the computer is running, unlike conventional serial and parallel ports. This "hot-swapping" technique is one of several features that USB shares with the faster, more expensive IEEE-1394 FireWire standard.
The user no longer has to be concerned with tiny DIP switches, IRQ conflicts, or internal adapter card installation all of which add a magnitude of error possibility and a magnitude of setup time. Currently, the only operating systems that fully support the USB specification are the popular Windows 98 / 2000 / XP and Apple OS 8.x / 9.x. platforms. Most USB peripherals will provide USB drivers compatibility for these major operating systems.
USB also features simplified communications protocols, which means that host and peripheral interface controllers can be comprised of relatively few components. Typical USB host controllers and peripheral controllers use less than half the total number of components needed by FireWire adapters, resulting in significant cost savings and simplified interfacing.

Usb Drive

The purpose for USB was to provide a universal interface that would eventually replace different types of peripheral interfaces (parallel ports, serial ports, PS/2, etc.), while maintaining wide compatibly with current and future Windows operating systems. Since late 1996, Windows operating systems have been equipped with USB drivers or special software designed to work with specific USB I/O devices complying with the USB 1.0 Standard.
With the introduction of Windows 98, a newer USB 1.1 standard was, for the first time, completely integrated within the operating system. The newer USB 1.1 Standard provided for tighter integration with Microsoft's Plug and Play standard (PnP), making installation of external devices and peripherals virtually hassle free, while still maintaining backward compatibility with existing USB 1.0 devices. USB has since been integrated into every Windows operating system, with the exception of Windows NT.

Mouse

In computing, a mouse (plural mouses, mice, or mouse devices.) is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons. It sometimes features other elements, such as "wheels", which allow the user to perform various system-dependent operations, or extra buttons or features can add more control or dimensional input. The mouse's motion typically translates into the motion of a cursor on a display, which allows for fine control of a Graphical User Interface.

KeyBoard

One of the main input devices used on a computer, a PC's keyboard looks very similar to the keyboards of electric typewriters, with some additional keys. Below is a graphic of the Gamers keyboard with indicators pointing to each of the major portions of the keyboard.

CD-Rom Drive

The Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) drive has gone from pricey luxury to inexpensive necessity on the modern PC. The CD-ROM has opened up new computing vistas that were never possible before, due to its high capacity and broad applicability. In many ways, the CD-ROM has replaced the floppy disk drive, but in many ways it has allowed us to use our computers in ways that we never used them before. In fact, the "multimedia revolution" was largely a result of the availability of cheap CD-ROM drives.
As the name implies, CD-Roms use compact disks, in fact, the same physical disk format as the ones we use for music. Special formatting is used to allow these disks to hold data. As CD-Roms have come down in price they have become almost as common in a new PC as the hard disk or floppy disk, and they are now the method of choice for the distribution of software and data due to their combination of high capacity and cheap and easy manufacturing. Recent advances in technology have also improved their performance to levels approaching those of hard disks in many respects

AGP Card

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) interface is a new platform bus specification that enables high performance graphics capabilities, especially 3d, on PCs at mainstream price points. This interface specification will enable 3d applications, which not only require sufficient information storage so that the monitor image may be refreshed, but also enough storage to support textures mapping, z buffering and alpha blending. It will allow 3d applications to run faster and to look better on mainstream price point PCs.

Graphics Accelerator

A graphics accelerator is a special type of video adapter that contains its own processor to boost performance levels. These processors are specialized for computing graphical transformations, so they achieve better results than the general-purpose CPU used by the computer. In addition, they free up the computer’s CPU to execute other commands while the graphics accelerator is handling graphics accelerator is handling graphics computations.
Aside from the graphics processor used, the characteristics that differentiate graphics accelerators are:
Memory Graphics accelerators have their won memory, which is reserved for storing graphical representations. The amount of memory determines how much resolution and how many colors can be displayed. Some accelerators use conventional DRAM.
However, the most common use for VGA cards is EDO DRAM with 40 or 50 nino-seconds. Others use a special type of synchronous graphics random access memory, which can operate up to 100MHz by using synchronous interface. In addition, it has 8 column Block Write function and write per bit function to improve performance in graphics systems.
A video card relies on memory to draw the screen. The amount of memory needed by a video adapter to display a particular resolution and color depth is a mathematical equation. There has to be memory location used to display every dot (or pixel) on the screen, and the number of total dots is determined by the resolution. For example 1024 x 768 resolution represents 786,432 dots on the screen.
Bus Each graphics accelerator is designed for a particular type of video bus. As of 1995, most a re designed for the PCI bus.
Register width The wider the register, the more data the processor can manipulate with each instruction. 64 bit accelerators are already becoming common, and we can expect 128 bit accelerators in the near future.

Ram

Ram {random access memory} is the memory your computer uses to store information.
RAM chips store information electronically, so it's must faster for the computer to put information into RAM memory than to write it to disk. Hence, the more RAM you have in your computer, the faster it tends to run.
One thing to keep in mind though. RAM memory is for temporary storage of info. Once you turn your computer off the information contained in those chips is lost.

Hard Drive Capacity

Hard drives come with many different storage capacities, hard drive capacity is measured in bytes, with common capacities being stated in Megabytes (MB) and Gigabytes (GB) .
To understand these figures correctly you need to know the basics of how data is stored/processed in digital systems such as PCs.
Digital data is a series of 1's (ones) and 0's (zeros) which are referred to as bits (Binary digITS), a byte is made up of 8 of these bits, so a single byte of data may look like 01001011 (8 consecutive bits).
1 Bit = either a 0 (zero) or a 1
1 Byte = 8 bits
1 KB (Kilobyte) = 1024 bytes (210)
1 MB (Megabyte) = 1024 Kilobytes (220)
1 GB (Gigabyte) = 1024 Megabytes (230)
1 TB (Terabyte) = 1024 Gigabytes (240)
In the old days it was common to find hard drives with a capacity of just 5MB, nowadays it is hard to buy a new hard drive with less than 40GB, that's 40,960 Megabytes !
Common hard drive capacities these days range from 40GB up to and exceeding 120GB.
As a real world example let's take a color photo, and let's say the photo takes up 500 Kilobytes of storage space on a hard drive, so if you had a 40GB hard drive you could potentially store up to 81,290 color photos.
This is obviously hypothetical due to the fact that on the hard drive you would need your operating system and programs which would take up some of the storage space, but you can see the point.
When you consider that an average letter written in a word processor is around 30KB it becomes apparent that the storage capacity of modern hard drives is massive!

Hard Drive

A hard drive is a mass storage device found in all PCs that is used to store permanent data such as the operating system, programs and user files.
The data on hard drives can be erased and/or overwritten, the hard drive is classed as a non-volatile storage device which means it doesn't require a constant power supply in order to retain the information stored on it (unlike RAM).
Inside every hard drive are small round disk-like objects made of either an aluminum/alloy or a glass/ceramic composite, these are called platters, each platter is coated with a special magnetic coating enabling them to store data magnetically.
Hovering above these platters are read/write heads that transfer data to and from the platters.

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