Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005PE

I've made sure to have both a good laptop and desktop for the past fifteen years. The laptop is the computer I use when teaching CorelDRAW Unleashed Training Boot Camps and other remote training projects. In the office, I always use my desktop. While I have yet to take the leap and get a netbook, it is something I'm seriously considering in the near future.

Why a netbook? There are trips when I'd like to be able to check my e-mail and surf the Web. Yet I don't want to have to carry around the full weight of my laptop. If I would need to use CorelDRAW, I'd need the laptop.

I decided to start doing a little research on the subject so that I can make the right choice when I'm ready to buy. After a little research, the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005PE was the one that moved to the top of my list. Is it perfect? Of course not. All netbooks come with tradeoffs. Yet those tradeoffs are necessary in order for the netbook to be so small.

Do you have a netbook that you prefer? Leave a comment and let me know which one you would choose.

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Multifunction Printers

I still have separate devices in our office for scanning, printing and faxing. Sure, the fax does have the ability to print. Yet it is only black and white. Most users want to simplify their office and merge all of those devices into one. Today I'll look at a couple of different all-in-one devices.

First, let's look at the Canon Pixma MX7600. This printer has good speed and a ton of features. When independent organizations reviewed the quality, it was rated as providing superior output. Now, look at the HP Photosmart Premium All-In-One. It's quality was rated as very good so it is just a step below the Canon model on quality. Yet it is a tad faster and has desirable features such as wi-fi support. It also costs a bit less. Either of these is very good printers so I'll let you research them both and decide which best your needs.

One area where users typically don't research enough is the total cost of ownership. We all know that replacement ink cartridges are much higher than we would like. Let's say that over the life of a printer that you'll print 10,000 pages (maybe more or less). How much will it cost to not only purchase the printer, but also the supplies to print that many pages. The printer with the lowest initial cost can often cost more over its lifespan. Of course the printer manufacturers like when you don't do your research. That's why they price the printer so low in the first place. Next time you are making this kind of a decision, do the math and see what is the best deal for you in the long term.

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CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 Hardware Requirements

Now that CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 has been released, I've been bombarded by questions via phone and e-mail. As today is our designated "hardware" day for the blog, I'm going to focus on answering some questions related to the hardware requirements for CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5. If you have more questions on today's topic, please post as a comment to the blog rather than e-mailing me. That way I can post a comment that answers the question for everyone. In the upcoming days, I'll address other areas on days most appropriate to those topics. Let's first look at the system requirements that Corel has listed for CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5.

• Microsoft® Windows® 7, Windows Vista®, Windows® XP, with latest service packs installed (32-bit or 64-bit editions)
• Intel® Pentium® 4, AMD Athlon™ 64 or AMD Opteron™
• 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended)
• 750 MB hard disk space (1 GB for typical installation without content). Up to 6GB needed to install extra content
• Mouse or tablet
• 1024 x 768 screen resolution (768 x 1024 on a Tablet PC)
• DVD drive
• Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 7 or higher

Let's start with the biggest hardware requirement. You need a PC. If you have a Mac, you will need to install Windows on it to run CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5. Mac users, I am simply the messenger so please don't shoot me as I have nothing to do with this decision. If you do run it on a Mac, Corel won't officially support it. That said, it does seem to work quite well using Boot Camp or Parallels to run Windows.

As I said, you must have Windows. Specifically it will run on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. It will work on both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors of Windows. Corel does specify you need all of the latest service packs for Windows. While it isn't spelled out, CorelDRAW does require the latest release of the .NET services which are part of more recent service packs.

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 is a 32-bit application and there is no native 64-bit version available. While that could certainly change, I wouldn't expect to see a native 64-bit version until at least the next release since it is a major overhaul.

Next up is the processor. I'm guessing most of your couldn't name what processor you have so this requirement is a bit of a mystery to you. Let's forget the processors listed and let's talk about the real requirement. You must have a processor that supports the SSE2 instruction set. If you don't, you won't even be allowed to install CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5. I told you how to find out if you had SSE2 in a post last weekend on the CPU-Z Processor Information Utility. Just so you know, these instructions have been available in processors for five years or more. Why is this a requirement? CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 has supported for multiple threads. This means a feature can take advantage of multi-core processors or even hyperthreaded processors to perform a function much faster. A perfect example is the Save feature. As soon as you start saving a file, you can immediately start doing other things as the save is performed in the background. How many times in the past have you sat there staring at the screen waiting for a file to finish saving? I know it happened way too often for me. My computer (described in detail) has four cores each of which can run two separate threads. When CorelDRAW saves, it can now split the load in eight ways.

Next up, it says 512 MB of RAM is required and 1 GB is recommended. Sorry, those numbers are unrealistic. While they might technically be the minimum, I think you need a minimum of 2 GB to even consider using any graphics software these days. Personally I'd recommend any new computer to have a 64-bit operating system and as much memory as possible. For much on this subject, read my post Memory and CorelDRAW. In that post, you'll notice I talk about the useless Memory setting in CorelDRAW X4. It has been removed and already a few users are concerned that it isn't there. As I've said many times, it didn't do anything!

As we move down the list, the requirements says you need a minimum of 750 GB of hard drive space. If you buy the boxed version, the full install takes around 7 GB of space. So while you can skimp, I sure hope you have a lot more space available.

You have to be able to point, so you need a mouse or tablet. Corel has added touch support though this is something very few users will be using in the near future since it is rare that someone has a computer with touch support. Just like CorelDRAW X4, you must have a DVD drive as the boxed version includes the software on a DVD. I can't imagine a computer without a DVD drive, but I covered a very good (and inexpensive) Samsung DVD Drive recently.

The last requirement is Internet Explorer 7 and honestly this is something Corel shouldn't require. Many users prefer other browsers, such as Firefox or Opera. Yet CorelDRAW relies upon Internet Explorer to load any Web content.

***

I'll answer one other question that isn't related to hardware as I've been bombarded with questions about this. In the latest newsletter, I provided a coupon code (UNLEASHEDFEB) to save money on CorelDRAW X5. The code included does absolutely, positively work as shown in the newsletter. I have placed a test order myself. The folks at Corel who provided me with the coupon have also tested it. Make sure you type it in all caps, lowercase won't work. Other than the letters, do not include quotes or parenthesis. Should you copy and paste, you might get an extra space. That will cause it to fail so make sure to remove anything other than the code itself. If you live outside of North America, it might not work. I honestly don't know. If you live in North America and it isn't working, the only suggestion I can give you is to make sure you entered it as described above and keep trying. Like I said, I tried it myself and I know it does work.

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Kodak Zi-8 Pocket Cam

A big craze these days is pocket HD video cameras. The camera that made them popular was the Flip's MinoHD. Kodak's Zi-8 raises the bar much higher. Kodak offers a removable battery, Flip doesn't. Kodak allows you to adjust the microphone level or even use an external microphone where Flip doesn't. Kodak allows you to play back footage in slow motion, take still pictures and use you own SD cards. Flip can't do those either.

Keep in mind that this is a pocket camera. Even so, it creates good quality video. It certainly won't match that from a high-end HD camcorder, but those don't fit in your pocket. If you are wanting to shoot some spontaneous HD video, you'll want to give this camera a long look.

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Canon EOS Rebel T2i

In the world of Digital SLRs, there are different ranges of products. The Canon EOS Rebel T2i is on the lower end of the spectrum as far as price, but the features compare favorably with many mid-level cameras.

Available either without a lens or with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. The sensor captures a full 18.0 megapixels. It has an ISO range of 100-6400 allowing you to shoot in bright or dim light. You can even record HD movies at 1920x1080 resolution. If you've been considering moving up to a DSLR from a point and shoot camera, this camera should be on your short list. Give it a look and I think you'll be impressed!

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Samsung DVD Drive

Sometimes I talk about hardware that is really cool. Other times it is quite frivolous. Today I'm going to talk about something rather pedestrian, yet something very important.

First off, do you have a DVD drive in your computer? Look at the thing where you insert the shiny discs and see if you see a DVD logo on it. The reason I bring this up is because there are users who don't have a DVD drive and they are becoming increasingly important. CorelDRAW X4 was only supplied on DVD. Ditto for Adobe's latest couple of versions. Nearly all of the disc-based products from Unleashed are on a DVD. I bring this up because occasionally a customer will call with trouble reading our discs. The problem turns out that they only have a CD-ROM drive.

The drives aren't expensive. The Samsung SH-S222 that I recommend is less than $40. If you are even a little bit handy with a screwdriver, you should be able to install it yourself. For those intimidated with installing it, find a geek friend to do it for you. Not only would replacing the CD-ROM drive allow you to read DVDs, you will probably also be upgrading to a much faster drive. It may also be that the upgrade is worthwhile for those who already have a DVD drive to get a fresh drive and/or faster speeds.

All I can tell you is that more and more software will be shipped on DVD-ROM discs so it is something you really need to get in your computer sooner rather than later.

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Thermaltake BlacX Duet

I've talked about external hard drives in the past and I've even talked about a simple connector for hooking up a loose hard drive. The Thermaltake BlacX Duet connects to your computer via either USB 2.0 or eSata and allows you to slide either one or two loose drives into the unit. This makes it very say to connect anyones drive to your computer quickly or simply to buy a new hard drive and connect it to your system for transferring files. And it costs less than $50!

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Yamaha 2-Way Indoor/Outdoor Speakers

Last week I told you about the small mixer I am using to provide microphone and computer output for our CorelDRAW Unleashed Boot Camps. There was one other piece of the puzzle that needed to be solved. The training room did not have speakers in the back of the room. Luckily I had thought far enough in advance to wire the room for rear speakers so there were already connections for plugging in speakers. The key was finding the right speakers for our training room needs.

Luckily I already had a good idea what speakers would work great. About a year ago I had gotten for speakers for myself and I thought they would be a good fit for the training room as well. Not only would they look great in the room, they also sound great. I went with the Yamaha NS-AW350W 2-Way Indoor/Outdoor Speakers in white. Even the price was right. These speakers are easy to mount indoors or outdoors and only required drilling four holes. I had them installed in about ten minutes and the sound in our training room is perfect.

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Behringer Mixer

I went to a concert last weekend. As concerts go, it was a pretty small venue. Yet there was a massive mixing board in use. I'm going to talk about a mixing board, but certainly nothing that complicated. For fourteen years I have been teaching CorelDRAW Unleashed Boot Camps and I hadn't used a microphone. By the end of the third day, my voice would get a little bit scratchy.

Two months ago I decided to solve the problem by getting the Behringer 802 8-Input Mixer. It allows me to plug in a nice condenser microphone that I've had for years. It also allows me to plug in the sound from the laptop I use for teaching. I can adjust the two inputs however I like and then send the mixed audio signal to an amplifier. All of this for under $60 and it is very small if portability is important. Behringer makes much bigger mixers and they make some that are even smaller. I found this one to have the right features at a great price. Check it out!

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Tripods

I've mentioned before that I took a number of photography classes in the past year. My instructor made a very important comment about tripods that I'm going to share with you. People buy really expensive digital cameras and then they buy the cheapest tripod they can find. If you use a cheap tripod and it falls over with your camera attached, how much will it cost to replace or fix the camera? So I'm going to focus on quality over price when I discuss tripods.

If you want one of the best tripods available, the Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 is a very good product. One of the cool things about the Manfrotto tripods is that you can attached different heads. I really like the Manfrotto 322RC2 Joystick Head (many people refer to it as the pistol grip). It is so easy to maneuver your camera into any position you desire with the pistol grip head. The "C" in the product name indicates the tripod is made with carbon fiber making it very light and very strong. If you want something similar that costs less, look at the Manfrotto 190XDB. It costs a lot less and weighs a bit more since it uses aluminum instead of carbon fiber.

I also find it handy to have a small tripod for tabletop use. The Manfrotto 709B is a great choice for table top use. Another really cool tabletop tripod is the Joby GP3 Gorillapod. The Gorillapod line features very flexible legs that allow you to use it in many places where a regular tripod wouldn't work. See if one of more of these tripods are something you need to properly support your camera and to help in taking great photos.

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My Favorite Hardware of 2009

Is the year and the decade really coming to a close? It seems like it wasn't that long ago that we were all worrying that the world would melt down with Y2K problems. Now we are worrying more about the terrorist who melted his underwear on a flight. I thought it would be fun today to look back at some of the hardware products I've mentioned this year.

Probably the biggest post this year was Foster's Dream Computer is Being Built. In that one post, I described each of the parts I chose when I built a new computer three months ago. Of course I had to change my selection on the power supply a week later to the Cooler Master Power Supply. This post is especially important as these were all products where I put my own money behind each of the products listed.

While it isn't hardware, I've also gotten numerous questions from loyal readers about Windows 7. Most of those questions are wondering if CorelDRAW can be used on Windows 7. The short answer is that both CorelDRAW X3 and X4 will work just fine on Windows 7 (even the 64-bit versions). Older versions of CorelDRAW will have problems. If you are still using something older than CorelDRAW X3, you really should consider an upgrade as CorelDRAW 12 is now almost six years old!

If you are wanting to take still or video images, I've recommended several good cameras this year. For video, the Canon VIXIA HF S11 Camcorder is excellent. For those wanting a point and shoot camera, the Canon PowerShot 940IS 12.1MP Digital Camera is a great choice. I just ordered one for myself and can't wait until it arrives. If you are looking for a nice DSLR, check out the Canon 7D DSLR. To go along with your camera, you might want to get some good lights. The Photo/Digital Video Lighting Kit is a very nice system and has proven quite useful to me. You might also want to check out the Knome Dome Mini Slave Wide Plus if you want a remote flash. For getting all of your pictures into the computer, I told you about a memory card reader.

Wanting to add more music to your life? I also talked about the latest generation of iPods. They come in all sizes, shapes and colors so there is something for everyone. Of course you'll also want to get some really good headphones and that was covered last summer.

While the computer and electronics hardware is great, we also talked about some other things that might be fun to have. Probably the coolest was the gas powered blender I talked about last summer. Just thinking about it makes it feel a lot warmer outside. After enjoying that blended drink, you may want some coffee. I told you about Senseo Coffee Machines as well. I use one every day to make myself a cup of joe and even use it to heat water for tea and cocoa. If you have an interest in the stars, we talked about some really cool telescopes.

Those were some of my favorite hardware posts of 2009 and I'm already researching some great products to tell you about in 2010. Of course I also like to hear from you about hardware you want to know more about or even a great product you want to share with others. Post a comment and let us all know about it!

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Canon PowerShot 940IS 12.1MP Digital Camera

Santa Claus only has one more day to get his sleigh loaded down with goodies for his Christmas special delivery. That means I have one last suggestion for your wish list before the holiday. While you can't beat the quality of a Digital SLR camera, it is also handy to have a point and shoot camera for times when you don't have all of your gear with you. I know that I'd love to find a Canon PowerShot SD940IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera in my stocking! Just from the name, you can tell it shoots up to 12.1 megapixels. It also has a 4x optical zoom that also shoots wide angle. Want to shoot HD movies? It does that in 720p and connects via HDMI to your television for playback. And it only weighs four ounces. All in all, it is a very nice camera to carry in your pocket!

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Garmin GPS

When I first moved to Phoenix 20 years ago, I really don't know how I ever figured out where I was going. I couldn't visit Google Maps before my trip to print out directions. If I got lost along the way, I couldn't use a cel phone to call and get help. And I definitely couldn't use a GPS to lead the way.

In the last few years, my cel phone has really helped. I've also lost count of how many maps I've printed over the years. Yet it was the recent purchase of a GPS that is really enlightening for me. Even the most remote locations can quickly be found. I did some searching and went with the Garmin nuvi 1490T due to its beautiful screen. I even got lucky and got a smoking deal thanks a Black Friday sale. After using it for a couple of weeks, I love it. If you can live with a slightly smaller screen, check out the Garmin nuvi 260W as it cost significantly less money. Regardless of which model you choose, you will be thrilled to having someone who directs you right to your destination.

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Knome Dome Mini Slave Wide Plus

Regular readers will know that I've really been studying photography in the past year. Last week I took a class on taking holiday portraits and we focused heavily on the use of various types of strobes. My favorite is the Knome Dome Mini Slave Wide Plus. The idea is that you place the Knome Dome (or two or three) at various places throughout the area you wish to light. When the flash on your camera goes off, all of the Knome Domes will automatically go off. Maybe you are shooting portraits of a group of people. The flash on your camera would add a shadow on the wall behind the people. Place a Knome Dome or two behind them and they will light the wall and keep the shadows to a minimum.

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Digital Photo Frames

Regular readers will know that Wednesday posts cover "Hump Day Hardware" and I'm getting away from some of the normal computer accessories and talking about cool electronic toys for the holidays. Today I'm going to look at digital photo frames.

These day it seems like almost everyone has at least one digital camera. This had led to an explosion of photos and yet there is no way we can display all the pictures we take. That's where a digital photo frame comes into play. It is an LCD screen with some sort of way to store hundreds of images that play back as a slideshow. Digital photo frames come in all kinds of sizes and a variety of price points. You'll find to find out the screen size, the number of pixels, the amount of built-in memory, the ability to plug-in a separate memory card and whether you like the look of the device.

In looking over the frames that are available, I selected two different sizes from Samsung. I'm a proud owner of several Samsung products and each of these frames had an excellent sale going on. The Samsung SPF-87H is an 8-inch screen with 1 GB of built-in memory. They claim it can hold 3000 pictures, but I can't imagine ever putting even 1000 images on a frame. Right now it is only $79.95. If you want something a bit bigger, go for the Samsung SFP-107H. It has a 10 inch screen and the same 1 GB of storage with a price tag under $125.

Keep in mind that you don't have to store just "photos" on these frames. You can use it as a way to display your portfolio. Just export various projects from CorelDRAW to a high-quality JPG and put those files on the digital photo frame. Or maybe you load up the frame with family photos and give it to a relative as a present. I wouldn't be surprised if someone wanted several frames to display in different rooms.

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Denon AV Receiver

As I mentioned last week, I'm going to be listing some fun toys in the weeks leading up to the holidays. While I might list something computer related, most likely it will not have anything to do with computers.

These days it is fashionable to have some sort of a home theater set up. I have one in my living room and we also have one in our Boot Camp Training Theater. Recently I've been upgrading some of the equipment in the Training Theater. That including buying some new speakers for the rear of the room and an audio mixer to blend sound from the computer with a microphone. I'll talk more about that equipment in a future post. The biggest upgrade was getting a new AV receiver to replace one that was nearly twenty years old. The old receiver was definitely showing its age and would shut off from time to time.

I was already familiar with Denon's AV receivers as I use one in my personal home theater. So when it was time to find a replacement for the Boot Camp Training Theater, I started the search with the latest from Denon. The needs for the training theater were fairly minimal. We don't need a lot of power. The speakers are a 5.1 system. And while we will have multiple audio and video inputs, there aren't a lot of sources. I settled on the Denon AVR-590 Receiver which exceeded our needs even though it is at the lower end of Denon's line. In fact, it has enough features that it will allow us to make some further upgrades to our equipment a bit later.

The 590 puts out 75 watts per channel to five speakers. It also has three HDMI inputs and one HDMI output. There are two more composite inputs and one composite output. If you look at the product page, you'll see a photo of the back panel along with a list of all inputs and outputs. Amazon also claims the receiver hasn't been released yet. This is simply because Amazon doesn't have any in stock. Other buying options are available if you want to purchase one. In fact, I ended up buying one listed as "used" even though it was actually new.

If you are looking for more power, more inputs, more outputs or additional features; Denon most likely has what you need in one of their other models. The Denon AVR-790 supports 7.1 sound and boosts the power to 90 watts per channel. Want more power? The Denon AVR-890 boosts the power to 105 watts per channel. And the Denon AVR-990 takes it to 120 watts per channel. If you really want a top end AV receiver, the Denon AVR-4310ci boosts the power to 130 watts per channel and adds an amazing list of additional features. I'm sure one of these receivers is perfect for you.

Remember that Corel is running Black Friday deals on CorelDRAW and many of their other products. If you take advantage of the deal on CorelDRAW by using the link provided in the latest Graphics Unleashed Newsletter, I'll make the deal even better. See the newsletter for the details.

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Canon 7D DSLR

It seems like everywhere I go these days, the signs of Christmas are quite evident. So in my next few Hump Day Hardware posts I'm going to talk about some toys that you might want to get yourself as a present. We'll start out with a great new DSLR from Canon, the Canon 7D. The link goes to the version with a 28-135mm lens, but you can also buy it without a lens.

Inside you'll find an 18.0 megapixel CMOS sensor to capture high-resolution photos. So that your shots are clear, there is a 19 point autofocus system. It also can shoot video in HD. For those who like to shoot in low light, you can set the ISO as high as 6400.

If you are in the market for a DSLR, this is definitely a camera that should be on your short list!

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Canon VIXIA HF S11 Camcorder

I'm trying to make a decision on whether I want to include video of myself in future products. If the decision is to include that video, I'll need to get a good camcorder. That has led me on a search for a really good HD camera. If I were to buy today, I'd get the Canon VIXIA HS S11 Camcorder. It can store 6 hours of HD content or 24 hours of SD content using the 64 GB of internal storage.

For those who need more storage space, you can also use SDHC cards to add more. The sensor captures full 1080p (1920x 1080 pixels) for amazing clarity. The one knock on the camera mentioned by reviewers is that the battery only lasts about 90 minutes. I don't see that as a big problem. If you are going to need to shoot for a longer amount of time without the ability to plug in, just buy another battery or two or three. I hope to make my decision in the next month and I'll follow up in a future post if I end up getting this camcorder.

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Last week I wrote about the Linksys WUSB300N-RM Wireless Adapter. A loyal reader asked if the adapter would work with Windows 7 since there were no recent driver updates on the Linksys Web site. I decided to give it a try on my Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit) machine and it worked just fine. So if you were concerned that you couldn't get Windows 7 drivers for this adapter, you don't need to worry any longer.

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Linksys WUSB300N-RM Wireless N USB Adapter

These days it is pretty common that a new laptop will contain some sort of wireless adapter. Yet that doesn't mean that it supports the latest technology. What about connecting your desktop computer via wireless? In any of those situations, it is a good idea to have a wireless adapter that connects via USB.

Both of the situations ring true for me. My laptop doesn't support 802.11n and it doesn't work very well if it is more than 50 feet from a router. I also have a desktop computer that isn't near an Ethernet port. That led me to a search for USB wireless adapters and I think I found a great mix of a powerful component at a very reasonable price in the Linksys WUSB300N-RM Wireless N USB Adapter. The "RM" in the name stands for refurbished which helps to keep the price down to only $24.99. At that price, I didn't hesitate to get one for both my laptop and desktop. It also could be handy if you have a guest in your office (or your home) who needs to connect to your wireless network. One of my friends always keeps a USB wireless adapter handy for guests in his home.

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ATI Radeon HD 5870

There is a new speed king when it comes to video cards. Even better, the speed comes at a lower price. There are a variety of cards based on the ATI Radeon HD 5870 and all sport the same price of $399. Of those posting comments, the only negative seems to be the large size of the card at 11.5 inches long. So if you are going to get one, make sure you have room in your computer for it.

My preference in video cards has always been to get one from nVidia simply because their drivers have always had a "better reputation" than those of ATI. Of course this is all very subjective so I can't make a personal judgment since I've not used an ATI card. If you are in the market for a new card, look at what is available and see what works best for you. Definitely this is a card that should be on your short list.

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Samsung Dual LCD Digital Camera

Most often when new digital cameras come along, they don't offer any big new features. It might have a better lens or more megapixels. Samsung has added a unique new feature to their latest cameras. There is an LCD screen on the front of the camera as well as on the back.

The smaller LCD on the front of the camera can be used to help with self portraits, it can display a countdown timer or it can even play a cute animation to keep youngsters smiling. Throw in 12.2 megapixels, a zoom and wide angle lens and it makes for a nice point and shoot camera. If you are in the market for a new point and shoot camera, give the Samsung TL225 a long look.

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Cooler Master Power Supply

Last week I gave you all of the details of the dream computer I'm building for myself. Everything had been ordered and I was simply waiting for all of the parts to arrive. One of the problems with ordering all of the pieces is that they may not all arrive at the same time. In my case, it was obvious that one of the parts would never arrive. The power supply I chose has been discontinued by the manufacturer and they do not have a model to takes it place right now.

That put me back on the hunt for the proper power supply to give juice to this computer. Since I had chosen a Cooler Master case, I thought it would be a good idea to go with a Cooler Master power supply. That led me to the Cooler Master UCP Series 1100W which was comparable in price to the PC Power & Cooling model that I had previously chosen. Based on pure specs, it also provides 1100 watts rather than the 910 in the previous choice. I wouldn't get too caught up in those numbers as they can vary a bit. Just make sure to have enough watts to comfortable power all of the components and then some.

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The US Federal Trade Commission came out with a ruling Monday stating that bloggers need to properly disclose any freebies or payments they receive from companies for reviewing their products. I believe bloggers are only required to do this starting on December 1, 2009. I thought it was a good opportunity to disclose what I do and don't receive since I've never felt I had anything to hide.

Sometimes I will receive a complementary copy of software from the manufacturer so that I can do a review of the software. For every free piece of commercial software I receive, I probably buy something else. I believed enough in the product to buy a copy for myself before reviewing it. If the product is sold via an affiliate program, I will link to it via the affiliate program and will therefore receive a small commission if you click on that link and purchase the software. It is definitely important to get a commission, but I'm not going to write good things about a product if it isn't any good. Most of the time I simply won't write about something at all if I don't like it. There are too many good products to write about. Of course there are also free products that I review and so there is no money earned by me and nothing for the company to give me.

Today's post is covering a piece of hardware. I purchased this power supply for myself. The link provided to the product at Amazon is an affiliate link for which I receive a small commission if you were to buy the product. Again, I'm not going to write about stuff if I don't think it is any good. I want to write about good stuff. You can decide for yourself if you wish to purchase it and I fully expect you'll do more research beyond what I've said before you make a purchase.

The commissions I receive certainly provide a small payment for the time I invest into writing this blog. They definitely aren't enough to pay all the bills. And I'm not to intentionally mislead you by saying things about a product simply to convince you to buy it. Your trust in more important to me than the commissions. Of course I do appreciate it when you use the links I provide to make a purchase.

As this new law takes affect, I'll try to include a small disclose in any post where such a link appears. Beyond that, I don't think you'll find that anything will change in this blog. It applies mostly to bloggers who flat out receive a payment for writing positive reviews of products and that just doesn't appeal to me at all.

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Foster's Dream Computer is Being Built

Over the past year, I've covered all kinds of parts that you may want to consider in your next computer. I've told you that I would soon be ordering some parts and assembly my dream computer. The parts have been ordered and almost all of them have arrived in the office. Now it is time for me to put them all together. As many of you have asked about what I decided to buy, I'm going to document the list of all the parts I ordered. I'll also link to each of the products at Amazon as well as back to the blog post where we discussed that part where possible.

CPU: Intel Core i7 950 Quad-Corel 3.06 GHz Desktop Processor. We last talked about processors in the New Intel Core i7 and i5 Processors post. I decided to go with one of the more powerful processors available. My goal is also to overclock (run it at a faster speed than rated) the processor to at least 3.5 GHz if I can do so without errors. Heck, I may be able to go even faster.

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme 1366. If you are going to overclock the processor, it is imperative to keep the temperature down. I talked about this in the Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme post last week. Even if you don't plan to overclock your machine, it is important to keep the CPU as cool as possible for optimal performance.

Thermal Paste: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound. I haven't talked about thermal paste before so I'll have to talk about it more in a future post. The paste sits between the CPU and the CPU Cooler and helps to dissipate the heat. It doesn't cost a lot, but is definitely important for keeping your computer cool.

Motherboard: Asus P6T Deluxe V2 Core i7. I last talked about motherboards in January and a lot of new models have emerged since then. Back then I chose an Asus board and I did the same when putting together this machine. The Extreme board was a little bit more than I wanted to spend and had more features than I really needed so I went with the P6T Deluxe V2 and saved $100 over the Extreme board.

Memory: Corsair TR3X6G1600C8D Dominator 6 GB 3 x 2 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz 240-Pin DDR3 Core i7 Memory Kit. I talked about memory in January and prices have already dropped quite a bit. Not only did I get one set for 6 GB of RAM, I got two sets and loaded up the computer with 12 GB of RAM. I'm sure that is more than I need, but it was worth a little extra to put in as much memory as possible.

Power Supply: OCZ Technology PPCS910 910-Watt PC Power Silencer. Power supplies were discussed in mid-February. It it important to have enough power to get juice to all of your components. It is also nice to have your system be fairly quiet. So I chose a different power supply than what I discussed back then.

Video Card: BFG nVidia GeForce GTX 295. I talked about video cards in the Video Cards - Better and Best post in August. I'm not much of a gamer, but I work with graphics all day and wanted one of the best cards available. This card has power to spare and then some.

Sound Card: PCI Express Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series. It has been over a year since I wrote about sound cards. There hasn't been much change in that time and I went with one of the best cards from Creative Labs. Part of the reason I wanted to get great sound is that I do a lot of sound recording and editing when I do my tutorial videos.

SSD Drive: Patriot Torqx 2.5-Inch 128 GB Sata II Solid State Drive. I discussed these lightning fast drives about a month ago in the Patriot Torqx Solid State Drives post. I will be installing Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit on this drive for the fastest performance possible.

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1.5 TB Sata 32 MB Cache. I talked about this exact drive back in March. It is fast and it holds a lot of data. I will partition it into two partitions. One partition will be used to install all of my software and media such as clip art, font and photo libraries. The other partition will hold all of the data that I have created. I don't see any way that this drive will come close to filling up any time soon.

DVD Drive: Samsung Internal Half Height DVD-W Supermulti Sata 22X Lightscribe. The drive I got is a very close cousin of the Samsung DVD burner I discussed in March. I believe it is a slightly updated model and it cost less than half as much as the one covered in March.

Blu-Ray Drive: Pioneer BDR-203 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer. I talked about an LG Blu-Ray drive in July and decided to go in another direction when I bought this drive. Basically I felt the Pioneer drive had equal performance at a better price. Now some might wonder why I got two separate drives for burning discs. I like having two drives since it is easier to copy from one to the other. I doubt I'll use Blu-Ray much in the near future, so I got the much less expensive DVD burner since it is probably all that I need in the short term.

Media Reader: MD3 Media Dashboard. I told you about the MD3 Media Dashboard about a month ago. It looks great and it provides slots for all of the popular media cards along with even more USB ports and eSata ports. I'm excited to finally be able to insert my media cards directly into the computer rather than having to plug a USB device in to do it.

Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840 Aluminum ATX Full Tower Case. All of these components have to go into a case and this one seemed like the perfect choice. It has very good ventilation and plenty of room for all of the components I've chosen. It may not be the least expensive case, but it is definitely one of the best.

Keyboard: Microsoft Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000. I last covered keyboards about a year ago and this was the keyboard I'd recommended. This exact keyboard is attached to my current computer and I was ready to get another one for the new computer since I really love it.

The total bill was $2830.87 for the components listed above. I will be using my current monitor, scanner, speakers and a few other gadgets. Some of you will consider this expensive, but I feel the time I save with a powerful computer is worth the extra cost. You have the list of components and you can decide where you can cut corners or where you want to get something even more powerful than what I chose.

Once everything is up and running, I'll revisit this topic and talk about how it was assembled and how it is performing. Feel free to post a comment on what you think of this machine. What do you like about it? What would you change?

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Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme

Two weeks ago I talked about the latest Core i7 and i5 processors from Intel. Each of the processors is set to a stock speed and is certified to run well at that speed. Yet it is very easy to make changes in the computer's BIOS to run the processor at a faster speed.

The problem with running a processor at a faster speed is that it will get warmer. Heck, it will get downright blistering hot. The hotter it gets, the more likely it is to create errors or to fail completely. That's where today's piece of hardware comes into play. The Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme is a very high-end heatsink designed to keep the processor as cool as possible. This allows you to run the processor faster than its rated speed while still keeping the processor at a safe temperature. Of course you are still limited in just how fast you can go, but it is faster than the stock speed. I provided you with a link to Amazon and you'll find that listed seller has the price at more than twice the list price. Check out the More Buying Choices link for more reasonable pricing if you decide to purchase through Amazon.

As I continue to put together the pieces for a new desktop PC, I'll definitely have this heatsink on my list of desired parts. I still don't have my list completed, but it is getting very close. I'll document all the parts in a future post when everything is complete.

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iPods, the 2009 Versions

I've talked a few times about how much I enjoy music. Last year I got my first iPod. I had owned other MP3 players and each one had pros and cons. I give the iPod credit for having a very easy to use user interface. I can't say I love iTunes, but it does make it easy to create playlists and transfer music to the iPod.

Last week Apple held one of their much-hyped press conferences to announce the latest members of the iPod family. The model getting the most new features was the iPod nano. Of note was the addition of video recording. Of course it can play back video from the recordings as well as video transferred from your computer. Music is supported in a number of different formats. Seven colors are available and you can pick either 8 GB or 16 GB of storage. If you prefer a smaller sized player with a lot of features at a good price, you'll want to check out the nano.

For those who want something that does more than music and movies, the iPod Touch is the model you'll want. It does nearly everything you can do with the iPhone with the exception of using it as a mobile phone. That includes using almost any of the thousands of apps available in Apple's App Store. Connect using WiFi, surf the Web, check e-mail and you can listen to music and watch movies. The latest version has very few changes from the previous version other than a software upgrade. If you have the 2nd Generation iPod Touch, there probably isn't a huge need to upgrade. The smallest size available is an 8 GB model and the size jumps to 32 GB and 64 GB for those who need more space.

I'm not sure if an iPod will help you get your artwork created any faster, but I think you'll have a lot more fun if you can listen to music while working.

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New Intel Core i7 and i5 Processors

Intel has released a series of new processors that offer lower price points than previous Core i7 processors (see blog post on Core i7 Processors).

The new models of the Core i7 have a double-channel memory interface where the 900 series chips have a triple-channel memory interface. This provides a little less throughput and saves you money since only two sticks of RAM need to be purchased for each RAM increase. The Core i5 processor also eliminates hyperthreading which probably isn't as useful in the entry level market.

Let's look at the specs and pricing for each Core i7 and i5 chips so we can compare.

• Intel Core i5-750, 2.66 GHz, $250 at Amazon (new)
• Intel Core i7 860, 2.8 GHz, $356 at Amazon (new)
• Intel Core i7-870, 2.93 GHz, $695 at Amazon (new)
• Intel Core i7-920, 2.66 GHz, $279.99 at Amazon (released in November 2008)
• Intel Core i7-940, 2.93 GHz, $602.38 at Amazon (released in November 2008)
• Intel Core i7-950, 3.06 GHz, $569.99 at Amazon (released in May 2009)
• Intel Core i7-965 Extreme, 3.2 GHz, $1044.99 at Amazon (released in November 2008)
  
• Intel Core i7-975 Extreme, 3.33 GHz, $999.99 at Amazon (released in May 2009)
  

As you can see, the newer processors provide a slightly lower entry price. In some cases, the newer processors actually cost more than the existing processors. I think part of this is that the new processors have yet to be discounted by Amazon. The good news is that there are more choices available so that you can find the right bang for your buck. Of course we all know that processors will continue to get more powerful and we'll spend less money for that power. If I were buying today, I'd have a tough decision between the Core i7-920 and Core i7-950. I will be buying soon and I'll post the list of my choices once the decisions have been made.

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Hardware Updates

I wanted to provide some updates on two pieces of hardware I recently discussed. Back in June I talked about several different flavors of headphones. Just recently there was an update to the top-notch Bose line. The Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones come with excellent sound quality and a price that matches. One reviewer said "Needless to say, it's the best $300 I have ever spent." I personally haven't tried a set and I probably don't listen to headphones enough to justify them, but I still am a bit envious of those who have them.

Two weeks ago I talked about the Patriot Torqx Solid State Drive. Jeff Harrison recently sent me a link to a video on YouTube that shows just how fast a machine full of SSD drives can be. I don't know whether to call the resulting computer amazing or hilarious. There is no doubt that a machine with 24 SSD drives in a RAID configuration is fast. The video proves that. What it doesn't mention is the cost of 24 drives. I'm guessing a total cost of at least $12,000 for the drives and probably a lot more. Nevertheless, check out the video to see a computer that we wish was on our desks.

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MD3 Media Dashboard

The last three computers that have sat on my desk (or under it) have been computers that I've built myself. I will probably be building a new computer in the next month or two and this has had me searching for the components for my perfect PC. Part of the reason I'll be doing it soon is so that I have a fresh new machine on which to install Windows 7. Once I have my final list of components, I'll post the list so that you can build something similar if you so desire.

One thing I'd really like to have is a way to read memory cards in one of the drive bays. I have the external card readers and they work great. Unfortunately that means a USB port being used and a cord hanging around. I found a variety of card readers that fit into a drive bay, but was particularly intrigued by the MD3 Media Dashboard. In addition to reading all of the common media card formats (Microdrive, Memory Stick, SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, CompactFlash Card), it includes USB ports, a Firewire port, eSATA ports, inputs for microphone and headphones as well as fan controllers and temperature displays. That is a lot of very useful things in one drive bay and it costs less than $40!

Reminder: Just wanted to remind you of the one-day sale on CorelDRAW which is going on only today (August 26, 2009). Details on this sale and other special prices can be found in the Corel Deal Alert post.

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Patriot Torqx Solid State Drives

Traditionally hard drives have featured thin magnetic platters spinning at very high speeds. As the years have passed, the density of data on each platter has grown. Unfortunately there is a limit to the speed at which the platters can spin and a mechanical arm moves over the platters to find the precise piece of data needed at any given time.

In the last couple of years, a new type of drive has appeared on the scene. A solid state drive has no platters and no moving parts. The upside is that the drives are really fast. The downside is that they don't hold as much data and they cost a lot more than a traditional hard drive. There is also a limitation to the number of types that data can be written to the drive. While it is a limitation, it is a high enough number that it most likely won't be reached under normal usage.

If you are going to use a solid state drive, it would most likely be used as a drive for the operating system and then you'd use a conventional hard drive for your data. This gives you speed where you need it most while still giving you a high capacity for data at a reasonable cost.

The Patriot Torqx drives are some of the fastest drives on the market. They connect via SATA and are available in three sizes: 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. Prices range from under $250 to nearly $700. Like I said, they aren't cheap. But they are really fast and could be worth their weight in gold if your hard drive is slowing down your workflow.

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NEXTO eXtreme3 OTG Backup Storage

When out shooting photos, it is quite easy to fill up a memory card. Heck, filling up more than a single card isn't that difficult. That's where the NEXTO eXtreme3 OTG Backup Storage comes into play. This handy device allows you to plug in your memory card and copy the contents to the NEXTO hard drive. When you get back to the office, plug the NEXTO into your computer and download all of the pictures.

This means you don't have to take a computer with you on vacation and/or you have one more place to store your pictures to prevent data loss. The drives come in several sizes. For plenty of space, check out the 500 GB drive. For those who don't need as much space and want to save some money; look to the 320 GB, 250 GB or 160 GB drives. Regardless of which size you choose, you'll feel better knowing that your photos are backed up.

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Video Cards - Better and Best

It has been over a year since I last looked at video cards. Just like computers in general, video cards are constantly getting faster. The theory has typically gone that much of the power of the high-end video cards was wasted unless you were a heavy duty gamer.

Things are starting to change as software is being written to take advantage of the unused power on a video card. So while you may not be excited about getting a great card today, it is something you should consider if you want to upgrade your machine.

I still stand by what I said before about the two major players. ATI makes good cards, but I've never trusted their drivers. For that reason I'm still sticking with nVidia cards in my machines and any machine I recommend to customers. I'll list two levels of cards, better and best. If you are in the market for a bargain, you won't be able to take advantage of the card in the same way as the higher-end cards.

A very good card can be had for under $250. Look for cards based on the nVidia GeForce GTX 275 such as the EVGA GTX 275 which is under $230 after rebates.

On the high end, cards based on the nVidia GeForce GTX 295 are the best. In particular, take a look at the BFG nVidia GeForce GTX 195 card. It costs nearly $500, but the card contains two separate chips and 1.7 GB of on-board memory. Basically it is two of the GTX 275 cards on a single card. Also keep in mind that such a heavy-duty card will need a power supply with enough juice.

You can't go wrong with either of these cards. Both pack a lot of graphics power. One just has nearly twice as much as the other. If you can put that power to use, it is worth the extra cost.

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Gas Powered Blender

Some of you might ask what this has to do with computers and graphics software. Absolutely nothing! Every now and then we all need to take some time away from the computer to enjoy with our friends and family.

I got the idea for the post while watching a television segment on Key West, Florida where a guy had rigged up a blender to the top of an old outboard boat motor. That was pretty elaborate and probably not very portable. A friend of mine has a gas powered blender and it is always the hit of the party. In fact, he usually has the whole party yelling "fire in the hole" right before pulling the starter cord. Heck, we even had a little license plate sublimated with "fire in the hole" so everyone knows the name of the blender.

It will whip up a pitcher of margaritas or daiquiris in no time. For kids or those who don't want alcohol, whip up a smoothie from your favorite fruits. It is a lot more fun when you pull a starter cord and twist the handlebars to get the drink blending.

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LG GBW-H20L Blu-Ray Burner

I remember when my hard disk only held 20 MB of information. A box of diskettes could easily back up the whole drive. A few years later I paid over $2000 for a CD burner. Now even a good DVD burner is under $50. Yet the 4.7 GB capacity of a DVD seems limiting these days.

The next step up the capacity ladder is a Blu-Ray disc while can hold 22.5 GB of data, nearly five times as much as a DVD-ROM. Even better is that a very good drive costs less than $200. Unfortunately the cost of blank discs is still a little high, though we all know that will change as more time passes.

With this much data, speed is very important. The LG GBW-H20L drive is the fastest on the market with its claimed 6X speed. That translates to burning a completely full disc is just over 22 minutes. Of course it can also read and write DVDs and CDs. So while it costs a bit more to get a Blu-Ray burner, it may be worth it if you will need to work with all types of media. Don't tell your boss (or your spouse), but it could also be used to watch Blu-Ray movies when you are taking a break between projects.

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Memory Card Reader

So many devices these days come with some sort of memory card. The two devices that immediately come to mind for me are digital cameras and cel phones. Unfortunately there are a wide variety of memory card types and you might get cards from friends, co-workers or clients that you need to load on your computer. That makes it a necessity to get a memory card reader that can handle all of the most popular memory card flavors. One of the best deals right now is the Kingston USB 2.0 19-in-1 Flash Memory Card Reader. It sells for only $13.99 at Amazon so you can even get one for your laptop and one for your desktop. I keep a card reader in my traveling bag and have another on my desk so I'm always prepared for whatever card type I receive. Make sure you are prepared for the next memory card you receive.

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Another Look at Graphics Tablets

I covered graphics tablets almost a year ago and today I want to look at them in a different light. This comes about because of several questions that have come up in the last few days. As we talk about tablets, I'll answer those questions.

On its most basic level, a graphics tablet is a pointing device just like a mouse, trackball or pointing stick. For me, the tablet is the only pointing device I use on my desktop. Yes, I have a mouse somewhere until the pile of stuff on my desk. I might touch the mouse once a week for a few seconds, but I never use it for daily work. On my laptop, I have a touchpad that I do use from time to time when I am not doing graphics work. But when I do graphics work, I switch to the tablet. There is no reason you can't have two or three pointing devices connected at the same time. You just can't use them all at once.

The first question that came up was how to use the tablet in CorelDRAW (or substitute any other software in the question). Once a tablet has been installed into Windows, you don't have to do anything to use it in any software package. There will be some adjustment if you aren't used to a tablet since the tablet uses absolute positioning and the mouse uses relative positioning. When I made the switch it took a couple of days and that seems to be the normal timeframe.

There is one feature in CorelDRAW that uses the pressure sensitivity available in tablets and that is the Pressure variation on the Artistic Media Brush. While I love using Artistic Media, I rarely if ever use the Pressure variation. Corel PHOTO-PAINT can do more with pressure if it is turned on in Brush Settings. Some users like to use the pressure with their brushes, I tend to avoid it.

The other question was the preferred size. Smaller tablets have lower price tags. So if you don't need a bigger size, I can understand why you wouldn't want to get a tablet bigger than you need. My preferred size is 6" x 8" or 6" x 9". I find anything bigger than that to be too big. The smaller tablets are typically 4" x 6" and I have used this size with great success in the past. But, I prefer a little more size. Other users have larger tablets and they set the tablet up so only a small area of the tablet controls the whole screen. It is just a matter of personal preference. If you have a chance, work with someone else's tablet before you make a buying decision. The biggest must is purchasing a Wacom tablet and not another brand. They are the best and nothing else even comes close!

One user who recently switch made the comment that his mouse finger has stopped hurting after only a single day of tablet usage. This can also be true of your wrists if you have the early stages of carpal tunnel. To me it isn't a question of whether you should get a tablet, but which one you should buy. Graphics Unleashed has a full listing of Wacom tablets on our site that you can purchase online. Find the one that is right for you!

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Photo/Digital Video Lighting Kit

One of my goals this summer was to increase my photography skills. To that end I've completed one course in using a digital SLR and I will be starting another course next week. The quality of my pictures is already showing improvement.

An important thing to consider when taking pictures is to get good lighting. Last August I told you about the Portable Lighting Studio for shooting smaller objects. Just as the name implies, it is very portable. I have one and use it quite often. Today I'm going to focus on something a bit larger. The Pro 100 watt "Cool-Flo" Fluorescent Photo/Digital Video Lighting Kit provides you a total of four 300 watt equivalent lights with two reflective umbrellas and stands. While it is not nearly as portable as the Portable Lighting Studio, it does come with cases for the umbrellas and stands. I ordered a set for myself and am looking forward to doing some shooting with them in the near future.

They are fluorescent lights, so the color is a bit "cooler" than incandescent lights. It is easy to adjust the color temperature in your camera or RAW processing software to compensate for this. You'll also be able to avoid the heat and the electricity costs associated with incandescent lights. The lights are also designed for those who are filming video. So no matter the reason you need the lights, you might want to check this set out.

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Headphones

Earlier this week I had to make a very quick trip to New York City and back. While on the trip, I made a few observations.

The most amusing observation was a t-shirt. Those of you who have been to a Boot Camp have gotten to experience Cave Creek, AZ. It is a small western town on the North edge of the Phoenix metro area. One of the most famous products to come from Cave Creek is Chili Beer. So when I saw someone wearing a Cave Creek Chili Beer t-shirt in Times Square, I got a big chuckle.

Another observation was that the lights in crosswalks are nothing but a suggestion to New Yorkers. If they see an opportunity to cross, they'll do it. Of course the cabbies don't slow down just because there are pedestrians. I always made sure I had a couple of other people crossing with me so I wouldn't be the only victim.

That leads to an observation that deals with the subject of today's post. Both on my flights and on the streets of New York, I saw a lot of people with white earbuds. Many of those people probably had an iPod though I'm sure other models were mixed in here and there. What surprised me were how many users stuck with the awful white earbuds rather than spending a few extra dollars for better headphones. One of the most popular ear buds available are the JBuds which sell for under $20 at Amazon. For a little bit more, the Sony MDR-EX75 ear buds provides even better sound quality. If you want really great sound, check out the Shure sound isolating earphones.

Personally, I prefer over the ear noise-canceling headphones. When I was shopping two years ago for mine, I settled on a pair from Sony similar to the Sony MDR-NC60 headphones. While I've never had the opportunity to hear some for myself, the Bose QuietComfort 3 headphones have gotten rave reviews from some of my friends.

Regardless of which headphones you choose, I think you'll find most anything will give you more comfort and better sound than the headphones that came with your music player. Of course you can also use them with your computer and anywhere else you need headphones.

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Digital Presses

In the last month, I did a whole series of printers. Today we're going to look at some truly massive printers in the form of a digital press. Unless you own a print shop or have a large in-house print shop, this isn't something the average user will be buying. Yet it is something that you should understand as it could be something in use at your print shop.

There are two digital presses with which I am familiar and I'll tell you a little bit about them. I'll also mention another one that has been mentioned to me, though I don't know much about it.

The digital press I know the best is the Xerox DocuColor 5000 as it is what my printer, JC Printing, is using for many of my jobs. It can print as large as a 12" x 18" sheet and uses toner to imprint the pages. Basically it is a very high-end color copier. For short-run print jobs, it is really cost efficient. Files are processed by a RIP (raster image processor) and there are several different models available. In short, you send PDF files to the DocuColor and it gives you back printed pages. A few times I have even run the machine as a favor for my printer and I had less than five minutes of training.

Next up is a machine I saw demonstrated last week. The HP Indigo line of presses has different sized models and I saw both the 5500 and the 7000 in action. One thing I really liked was that they used ink instead of toner. The 7000 allows up to seven colors of ink to be loaded, including spot colors! Yes, it costs significantly more than the DocuColor 5000. I'm guessing that the per page cost is also a bit lower. The key is having enough volume to justify an Indigo.

Several of the printers in attendance at the Indigo demo were talking about the Kodak Nexpress and I have had the suggestion that I should see one in action. For comparison purposes, I'd love to learn more about it by seeing a demo.

If you are in a print shop and have needs for one of these devices, I'm sure you get called by sales reps more often than you like. End users who simply want to educate themselves more on the output process may want to find local printers who have digital presses. Learn how they work so that you can better prepare files for output. Along the way, you might also find that outputting your files on a digital press can save you money. If you have no plans to actually buy a press, let the vendor know up front that you simply are there to learn more. They'll still invite you, but you won't get a sales pitch.

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Hump Day Hardware: Telescopes

I told you a few days ago about my trip to Kitt Peak Observatory. Prior to that trip, I hadn't done much skygazing which is really bad since I have a great view of the night sky from my backyard.

My experience got me looking into the different telescopes available so I could check out the night sky on a more regular basis. In doing some research, a few of them have jumped out to me and so I'm going to pass them along to you. I'm certainly no expert on the subject so I'm open to other suggestions.

The Orion StarBlast 4.5 Equatorial Reflector Telescope provides good quality at a reasonable price. Moving up a bit in price is the Celestron NexStar 114 SLT Computerized Telescope. It is one of the least expensive models that can be programmed to find specific objects in the sky. If you can see the moon, it will take over from there. For those who to get a great view, the Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope is a fantastic choice. It costs a lot more and it delivers better images and more features. One feature that interested me was the ability to connect a digital camera or webcam to capture the view digitally.

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Hump Day Hardware: Wide Format Printers

Last week I talked about Semi Wide Format Printers. They are bigger than a desktop printer, but they don't do the really large sizes. I told you about the Canon ipf5000 that I got and how it is limited to 17" wide. That limitation hasn't stopped me from getting paying jobs making banners with it. It met my needs. But, I am not in the business of making signs. So it may not meet your needs.

Let's go over a few of the things that should influence your decision when choosing a wide format printer. First and foremost is the size. It has to be able to output the size of media needed for your projects. In general, bigger sizes also mean bigger prices. Next, it has to support the type of media you need. Will you be printing on canvas, paper, vinyl, vehicle wraps, backlit displays or something else? I would expect that most devices support the most popular media, but there can be exceptions.

Does the device simply need to print or do you also need it to cut? Those of you doing stickers will definitely need cutting. That isn't as necessary for someone printing fine art on canvas. What types of inks are available and how many colors are supported in the printer? Having more colors of inks can mean more vibrant output. That is a generalization, so it isn't always the case. Different projects can require different types of ink. So make sure you can get the type of ink you need.

As you get into more expensive equipment, it is important to have a dealer and a company that will support the device. If it goes down for even a single day, it can be costly to your business. Even a good device could have a poor dealer in your area. Or a great dealer could overcome a device that isn't as good as another brand. You'll definitely want to research all aspects of this decision. For that reason, I'm not going to recommend any single model or brand. I will tell you the brands that would be high on my list if I were looking for a wide format printer.

I'm really happy with the Canon printer I have now and I would therefore give larger Canon models serious consideration. I have also had some hands-on experience with Epson and Roland models. Both of them delivered good output and very easy to use. There are certainly many other brands from which to choose and I'm sure there are some darned good printers out there that I haven't listed. If you have a model you really like, post a comment with the model and what you like about it.

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Hump Day Hardware: Semi Wide Format Printers

So far I've covered desktop inkjet printers, photo printers and laser printers. Today I'm going to talk about wide format printers. The range of printers in this category is truly wide and there is no way I can cover every variation in a single post. Thus I'm going to focus on a "starter" model that I have here in the office.

I was able to get a great deal on the Canon ipf5000 a while back and I absolutely love it. As wide format goes, it isn't nearly as wide as many devices at only 17". But it can accept rolls of media with a maximum width of 10 feet. I've printers posters on card stock, banners on vinyl and photos on canvas and have gotten excellent results in every case.

One of the reasons that the prints look so good is that the printer accepts 12 separate colors of ink. Two flavors of yellow, magenta and cyan. Three flavors of black. Plus red, green and blue. Keep in mind that sending CMYK data to a printer like this would not take advantage of all the extra inks. So it is important to send RGB data to the printer and allow the driver to get the best color possible.

Next week I'll talk about some of the bigger printers available.

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Hump Day Hardware: Laser Printers

In the last two weeks I've covered desktop ink jet printers and photo printers. Today I'm going to focus on laser printers. Well, almost. The printer I recommend works very much like a laser, but it is really a thermal wax printer. The reason I recommend it is because the cost per page is much lower than a laser printer. I've been using variations on this printer for well over ten years and I've been very happy with the speed, quality, cost and results that I've gotten.

The Xerox Phaser 8560/N is the low end of the line. Most of the guts are the same, it just doesn't have as many features as the more expensive models in the line. Yet it is still a great printer for under $700. While it does cost more than most ink jet printers, you would soon recoup the extra cost of the printer if you run a reasonable volume of pages through it.

One step up is the Xerox Phaser 8560/DN which adds duplexing. For those who need to print automatically on both sides of the paper, give this printer a long look. It is just over $900 and is a real workhorse. Want an extra paper tray, check out the Xerox Phaser 8560/DT. For the top of the line in the series, go for the Xerox Phaser 8560/DX.

Want to add copying, faxing and more to the printer? Then look to the Xerox Phaser 8560 MFP/N. If you have a very high number of prints each month, the Xerox Phaser 8860/DN can pump out pages even faster for a little over $2000.

Xerox also includes the same thermal wax technology is the ColorQube 9200 Series of printers they recently announced. It provides a small digital press for a little over $20,000. That's a lot less than many digital presses, but it isn't made to output as many impressions per month as the bigger presses.

Check out these printers and I think you'll find one of the models will fit right in to your office.

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Hump Day Hardware: Photo Printers

Last week I discussed desktop inkjet printers. Today I'm going to focus on a specific subset of inkjet printers designed for printing snapshots.

Canon released a new model a couple of months ago that gives you good pictures and a very small form factor. The Canon Selphy CP780 (shown at right) would make a perfect companion to take on trips if you need to print photos on the go.

The Epson PictureMate Dash PM260 costs a bit more, but is also a very popular solution in a compact package. If you also have the need to print on CDs or DVDs, check out the Epson PictureMate Zoom PM290. It has an even higher cost, but the ability to print on discs could be worth the extra dollars.

For those who want the best looking screen to preview the photos before printing, check out the HP A826 Photo Printer (shown at left). The 7" touch screen gives you a great view of your images along with controls to easily select and correct the photos before printing.

Any of these four printers will give you good looking pictures. It just depends what other features you desire in a printer that will determine the best choice for you.

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Hump Day Hardware: Canon MP620 Inkjet Printer

One piece of hardware I haven't discussed much in the blog is printers. For the next several weeks I'm going to do a series of different types of printers. Today, I'll cover desktop inkjet printers. In future weeks I'll talk about photo printers, laser printers and wide format printers. If you have a favorite in any of those categories, leave a comment and I'll give it a look before providing my suggestions.

Over the years I've owned inkjet printers from almost all of the major manufacturers. The one I've liked the best was from Canon. It is an older model and isn't available anymore. So I looked at what other companies had as well as the latest Canon model and I really preferred the Canon MP620 Wireless All-in-One Photo Printer.

The latest craze is connecting to printers with a Wi-Fi connection and you'll find that in this model. Definitely convenient if you don't want to put the printer right next to a computer. Sure, you can also connect via USB, Ethernet or even Bluetooth. It also has the ability to function as your scanner if you don't want a separate scanner. It is certainly not the least expensive printer on the market, but it is also far from the most expensive. If you are needing a new printer, give the Canon a look. I think you'll really like it!

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Hump Day Hardware: Digital Voice Recorder

There is at least one person in each of our CorelDRAW Unleashed Boot Camps that wants to do an audio recording of the discussion. That means I get to see all different types of voice recording devices. I've even used them myself when interviewing software engineers so that I can properly document their software.

In our most recent Boot Camp, one of the students had a combination pen and voice recorder. I wish I had asked the exact brand, but I didn't. He got it as a present and felt that it would soon be thrown in the junk pile. Just the opposite, he really enjoyed it.

While the pen/voice recorder is very convenient, it doesn't always create the best recordings and can be difficult to control. The Olympus DS-40 Digital Voice Recorder is a very nice option for recording classes such as the Boot Camp. It records up to 136 hours of audio and lasts for 30 hours on a battery charge. It can be purchased for less than $100.

If you need higher quality stereo audio, check out the Zoom H2 Handy Portable Stereo Recorder. The amount of audio you can record is dependent on the quality you choose and the size of the SD card inserted into the device. It costs around $165. One of these three devices should meet your needs if you are needing a portable way to record audio.

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Hump Day Hardware: Slide Scanners

Last week I gave my recommendation for a good desktop scanner. There is no question that every user needs a desktop scanner. You might also need to add a slide scanner to your arsenal if you often need to scan slides or negatives. I'm going to provide you with a couple of different options for good slide scanners.

Two of my favorites are available from CostCo. For less than $130, you can get the PrimeFilm 3600u Film and Slide Scanner. If you want a larger feature list and faster speed, the PrimeFilm 35mm Film and Slide Scanner 3650U is less than $250 at CostCo. One of the best features you get in the latter is the Digital Ice3 technology for removing defects from scanned images. Of course either of those options will require a CostCo membership to take advantage of those prices.

Those two scanners work well for someone who needs to scan film and slides, but wants to keep the price under control. The next two options are in a completely different price range. Of course they also supply a significantly different level of features and quality. The Nikon Super CoolScan 5000 ED Film Scanner sells for just under $1100. I told you it was in a different price range.

For an even more powerful scanner, check out the Nikon Super CoolScan 9000 ED Film Scanner. Not only can it handle 35mm film and slides, it can also handle larger transparent media. Of course this top-notch scanner comes in at just under $2200.

I think most users can find a use for one of the PrimeFilm models, especially at their bargain prices. Only those with the need for the utmost in power who scan large quantities of film/slides will want to look at the expensive Nikon models.

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Hump Day Hardware: Canon CanoScan 8800F

I remember when I first got into the business. Having a scanner seemed like the ultimate toy. Unfortunately they were extremely expensive. So for those times I really had to have something scanned, I visited a friend. A little over ten years ago I bought my first scanner. It was a good model, but certainly nothing spectacular. I got it right off the shelf which meant that some things were missing. At the same time, I saved some money and only had to pay $750 for the scanner.

The good news is that prices have dropped dramatically and the quality of the scanners has improved just as dramatically. Now you can get a scanner far better than what I bought back then and you'll pay under $200 to get it. I purchased my most recent scanner about two years ago and have been very pleased with it. While that model isn't available, a newer flavor is the Canon CanoScan 8800F and it sells for under $180 at Amazon.com.

It seems like everybody focuses purely on resolution when looking at scanners. It is hard to find a scanner that won't give you more resolution than you need. This one can scan at 4800 dpi and I can't think of any reason to scan at that kind of a resolution. If you do, the dust and hairs will be gigantic.

While I don't think you should need any software beyond a TWAIN driver, it gives you a nice package of software covering a variety of categories. It connects via USB 2.0 hi-speed so you will get the scans on your computer plenty quick. You can even scan slides or 35mm film with the included adapters. If you are needing a new scanner, this is a great model to check out.

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Hump Day Hardware: Wacom Intuos4 Tablets

Regular readers will know that I am a huge believer in using Wacom tablets with your graphics software. I've been using tablets since 1993 and Wacom tablets since 1996. Wacom just introduced the Intuos4 line of tablets and you definitely need to take a look at them. If you are already using a tablet, you might find it is time to upgrade. If you've never looked at a tablet, don't wait any longer.

Previous models were sized by a fixed measurement and that differed based on the measurement system used in the part of the world where it was being sold. Now the sizes look more like shirt sizes. You have your choice of Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. Prices range from around $199 for the Small up to around $700 for the Extra Large. Now you might feel it is too expensive. Keep in mind that a good tablet will outlast 2-3 computers. I am still using a tablet over ten years old on my desktop so I'm definitely considering upgrading to one of the new models. While you have to spend the money on the tablet now, you won't have to spend again for a long time. The pen is batteryless and cordless. The tablets have a lifetime warranty. So unless you lose or break the pen, you won't have to spend anything more.

Before I get into all the specifications, let's talk about some of the really important benefits of using a tablet. Do you have wrist pain from using a mouse? I know of users who have had serious pain from mousing all day long. Those users switched to a tablet and the pain was completely gone within days. Whether you have pain now or not, consider a tablet as a way to avoid that pain. After a couple of days of adjusting to using a pen, you'll find it is far more accurate than using a mouse. Have you ever tried to sign your name in a graphics program with a mouse? It will be a complete mess. I won't say that writing it using a pen on a tablet will be perfect, but it should look very similar to what you would get signing on paper. When you learned to draw as a kid, were you handed a bar of soap or a crayon? Most of us got the crayon first and maybe the bar of soap later if we mouthed off or colored on the wall. In short, the pen is a much more natural way of interfacing with your computer.

You don't have to give up your mouse. It can be plugged in and functional at the same time as the tablet. Similarly, the touchpad on your laptop will still work just fine. The key is that you can't attempt to use both at exactly the same time. Often I'll use the tablet to point when on my laptop and then use the buttons below the touchpad to click. Personally my mouse is a desktop decoration. I might use it once a week. I use the tablet 99.9% of the time and I use it in all software. If you feel the mouse is better for Web surfing or word processing, not a problem. Just pick it up and use it.

Now that I've covered the basics of tablets, let's focus on Wacom tablets. They are the best, bar none. If you buy another brand to save money, you are cheating yourself. Sorry, I've tried the rest and they just aren't as good. I've also seen users complain about problems with the other brands. So please don't consider buying a lesser tablet to "try it out". You will be sorry.

OK, so what about the Intuos4? I'm right-handed so the older models were just fine with me. But they weren't always so great for lefties. The Intuos4 line was designed to be flipped so that it works for anyone, no matter which hand they favor. There is only one cord, the USB cord. The pen does not require batteries and comes with a variety of nibs. You get 6 standard nibs, 3 felt-tip nibs, 1 spring-loaded nib and 1 flex nib. In addition to the pen, there is a mouse-like device which also requires no batteries or cords.

The new pen responds to a lighter touch than the old models. To be exact, it requires 1 gram of pressure versus 10 grams in previous models. The number of pressure levels has been increased to 2048 levels from the previous 1024. These improvement should also double the lifespan of the components. Consider my old model is still working well after ten years, I can't imagine being able to wear out the new model.

Along the side of the tablet are eight buttons and a touch ring. The buttons can be programmed to do many things and the touch ring also performs multiple functions.

If you are working with graphics all day, you need a tablet. And if you have an old tablet that just won't die, it might just be time to get a newer more powerful model. A complete list of all of Wacom's tablets can be found on our site so you can compare models and prices.

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