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Like with many other things in the world of printing, laser printers have come a long way in the past few years. They have gone from being found almost exclusively in offices to being offered at $100 for a home user. Although they are better for a lot of people, some have a hard time imagining themselves buying a laser printer for their home. A lot of people have the idea that laser printers are just the big clunky machines in their offices where the toner cartridges cost a f…
Laser Printers
Like with many other things in the world of printing, laser printers have come a long way in the past few years. They have gone from being found almost exclusively in offices to being offered at $100 for a home user. Although they are better for a lot of people, some have a hard time imagining themselves buying a laser printer for their home. A lot of people have the idea that laser printers are just the big clunky machines in their offices where the toner cartridges cost a fortune. However, if you are someone who prints out a large amount of documents and is tired of always having to buy new black inkjet cartridges, laser printers can be the solution. Once you get past the initial sticker shock of buying laser toner cartridges, you will realize the numbers for an entry level laser printer versus an inkjet printer look something like this:

Typical toner cartridge – $50-$60
Page yield – 2,000-3,000 pages
Average cost per page – 2-2.5 cents per page

Typical inkjet cartridge – $20-$30
Page yield – 400-500 pages
Average cost per page – 4-6 cents per page

Although these are just averages and may not seem all that different, in general if you are printing documents, it will probably cost you twice as much to run an inkjet printer than a laser printer. It is better to think of things in the long term when it comes to laser printers, because only then will you truly appreciate their value. If you buy a laser printer and then a backup toner cartridge at the same time, by the time you will have finished that second cartridge, you would have gone through roughly 10 inkjet cartridges.

So if you aren’t into printing color, then you are probably better off going with a laser printer over a standard inkjet printer. You will appreciate the speed and low maintenance of a laser printer, while also saving money on printer ink in the long run.

Cyber security is not at all that difficult. Once you have incorporated it into your system then it is just like riding a bicycle or can be as normal as walking. All you need is to learn how you can make it work well and build a good habit to make cyber security consistent.

By doing this you can have a better chance of keeping your confidential information protected from attacks from virus or similar applications or from hackers. This way you can keep your personal information safe from other persons who would like to access them and use them for personal gain or protect them from applications that can erase or corrupt your files.

Part of building a good habit would be to identify how your information can be accessed and who would be the most likely people who can gain from accessing your confidential files. It’s like identifying the usual suspects in a criminal line-up. I’m not saying that the people you know cannot be trusted but it helps to be extra cautious. You brother might not do something untrustworthy by his friends might and if they have physical access to your computer then your files are at a risk of being hacked.

Lock your computer with a good password. Use combinations of letters and numbers, upper case and lower case, and even use codes. Avoid using the usual birthdays, social security numbers, bank PINs, account numbers, favorite superheroes, favorite food, etc. Use unique passwords and make one up for every system that requires authentication. Do not use the same password in all your confidential files.

To protect your computer from outside hackers, the best thing would be to disconnect your computer from the network when you’re not using it. No anti-virus application or firewall systems provide 100 per cent protection. The best way would be to remove yourself from the network when you’re not using your computer to reduce the risk of being attacked.

When you do go online, make sure that you have your firewall on and your anti-virus application active. Also look into your security settings. Your emails, web browsers and even other applications have specific settings which increase the security allowing them to block attacks from virus, malware and spyware. Study the security settings and select one which permits you to maximize the use of the application but at the same time offer you a good deal of security to keep your files protected.

Also, do not forget about power surges and other technological problems. Even though, the virus and hacker threats are real and sometimes the priority, people also forget that sometimes power surges or breakdown of computer hardware can cause loss of data or have files corrupted and rendered unusable.

To have added protection therefore, it would be wise to install some uninterrupted power supply that protects your from power surges and allows you to back up or shut down your computer properly preventing possible corruption of files and applications.

And speaking of backing up, it would be great if you would regularly back up your files just in case the unthinkable happens. May these be personal files or files you need for work, having a good back up is always a good thing to have.

You see, once you have a system you will develop a good habit in cyber security which can help reduce the risks of losing files or your confidential information being hacked.

Mobile phones are gaining popularity over the years. As compared to other products, the phones did not experience a decrease in demand. Since mobile devices are now manufactured equipped with a lot of new features, people can’t seem to get enough of them and so they don’t hesitate to replace their old phone models.

In fact, some mobile phones are already like computers. The personal computers on the other hand are now available in pocket pc wherein it is a small version of the personal computer which users can carry anywhere. PDA phones and pocket pc are quite in-demand in the market today and perhaps you need to look into their features.

Here is a list of the popular PDA phones and pocket pc sold both in offline and online stores:

• Palm TX – this is a handheld device with built-in Bluetooth or Wi-Fi technology. If you’re looking for a wireless mobile device, this may be able to meet your demands. Now, whether you’re at home, in the office, or perhaps in the campus, café, restaurant, or hotel, you can check your email by browsing the internet through the Palm TX. If you want, you can carry some of your files like Excel, Word, or PowerPoint with you so that you can work anywhere.

Because of the larger colored screen which can rotate from portrait to landscape mode, you can view presentations, web pages, photos, videos, and spreadsheets. If you need to unwind after a tiring day at the office, you can listen to your MP3 music or even read eBooks.

• Palm Z22 – Are you among the individuals using paper planners? You can now take advantage of today’s technology by using the Palm Z22. It is an affordable and user-friendly device. It is one of the PDA handheld phones that can help you in keeping track of your daily schedules and your contact information. Now, you don’t need to flip through a lot of pages in order to know your tasks or schedules.

This time, you don’t have to enter the planner info twice. By using the Palm Z22, all your important info and schedule should be there and by simply updating for a couple of minutes, it is already saved to your computer. All data are synchronized through the Palm Z22.

• HP iPAQ Pocket PC (hx2490) – this device is 802.11b and is integrated with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. If you adore wireless communications, this is the thing for you. Credent Technologies supports the ProtectTools software in the pocket pc.

PDA phones and pocket pc have similar features but each model offers unique features as well. So if you want to purchase PDA phones or pocket PCs, you need to determine the unique features of the handheld devices. After doing that, that is the only time that you can choose between a PDA phone and a pocket pc. Both the handheld devices are priced reasonably depending on the features it offers.

Do your work in researching about the various features on the internet so that you can arrive at an informed decision. There are various considerations in choosing the appropriate PDA or pocket pc and it would depend on your current status, whether you’re a student, a professional, or a businessperson.

Also, don’t forget about your budget because this is the biggest factor that can affect your decision.

With the world’s technological advances, a lot of problems are given appropriate solutions. Information is widely needed therefore, information granted. The fad of getting into the waves of gaining power to achieve minute by minute communication and information combined. A computer is just the tool for that but for the inventors of Pocket PC, a computer is not enough to always be online, there is a need for portability.

Pocket PC Defined

A PPC or Pocket PC is a kind of hardware specification that is made like a handheld-sized personal computer. It is a computer’s scaled down version that can be used in offices and in homes. With its size, people can mistake it as a small diary or an ordinary mobile phone.
Although, PPCs have almost all the commands and applications your local personal computer can have. PPCs have the capability to run software applications that is most likely to be sophisticated. Usually, a Pocket PC weighs for just about 110-170 grams or around 4-6 ounces which can be a perfect fit for your pocket.

Aside from the permanent Microsoft operating system, Pocket PCs can have the ability to run other alternatives like Linux, NetBSD, Android and other forms. Currently, more than a thousand applications are adhered by the Pocket PC, most of which are known as freeware. Pocket PCs compliant to Microsoft can also be used together with numerous add-ons like barcode and RFID readers, cameras, and GPS receivers.

Brief History

Pocket PC is the evolution of computers which are considered as calculator sized. Calculators that are keystroke-programmable and can do scientific applications and simple businesses that became available during the 1970s. It was during the 1990s when the origination of an earlier version of PPC was formed. This device was small and handheld that had organizer facilities and is known as Palm Pilot. When 2000 came in, Microsoft introduced a more sophisticated pocket-sized version of the Windows operating system.

What’s in a Pocket PC?

Sophistication of commands made possible at the palm of your hands – this is what PPC is all about. It functions as an extension of your desktop PC where you can use Microsoft software applications even if you’re far away from your home PC. It’s accessibility ranges from all updates of data that may include appointments and emails. Pocket PCs are very much available. You can purchase it in different designs and features with various memory sizes. Upgrades like increasing the memory size are possible with the purchase of add-on memory cards.

With regards to the lives of batteries, it can last for 4 – 8 hours or even more. When the battery is down, charging can be easily done. Sizes of screens also differ depending on the preference of the person purchasing the PPC. The normal variety of PPC screen sizes ranges from nine to ten centimeters if measured diagonally. Majority of PPCs are touch screens.

The ability to connect via the Internet is also possible through Bluetooth or WiFi that gives you the opportunity to browse in web pages to compose, send or read emails no matter where you are.

With the Pocket PC at hand, you can go anywhere you want and still be able to communicate, do work or simply do whatever it is you have to do. Conducting business matters can be made possible even if you’re still on your way to work or is stuck in heavy traffic.

There is an increasing number of nurses all over the world. It seems that a lot of college students are attracted to this profession. You can even find online nursing degree courses for those who want to study and earn a diploma at home. If you’re a nursing student or if you’re already a full-pledged nurse, you can benefit a lot from the nursing software that you can get for your pocket pc.

Pocket PCs are among the coolest gadgets offered in the market. A lot of people are already purchasing it because it can meet their individual needs. For the nurses who own a pocket pc, this is good news for you. There is now nursing software being offered in the market.

The software is not only intended for nurses but also for the doctors as well. The software can help them in treating their patients effectively because they can immediately access the information of the patient. The software programs offered very from each other and here are some of the most popular nursing software used in the medical industry:

• NurProc – you can find more or less 500 procedures in this software program. The procedures are very clear because they are presented in a step-by-step manner of instruction. The equipments needed in conducting the procedure is also listed there. It also contains info about the preparation, the implementation, and possible complications of the procedure.

• RNDx Tests – if you’re still a nursing student, you can greatly benefit from this software because it’s like a textbook. You can even use the software when you’re having theory classes. That way, you can easily integrate your laboratory data and diagnostic facts. The saved info can then be used as clinical settings reference.

• Lippincott – nursing students undergo practices and if you’re already in this stage, make sure you have Lippincott installed in your pocket pc. The software offers guidelines for about 150 procedures in the nursing area. Navigation is quite easy because the all the info are arranged alphabetically and are cross-referenced.

• Nursing Bullets (Fryer’s 3000) for the NCLEX-RN – this particular software encompasses the areas of the NCLEX-RN. It includes metal health and psychiatric nursing, medical and surgical nursing, maternal and neonatal nursing, and the pediatric nursing. It will much easier for students to prepare for long exams through the software. Key facts are randomly presented for ease of use.

Every day, week, or month, there are new drugs being introduced in the medical market. As a nursing student, there is a need to familiarize yourself with these new drugs, their specific side effects, and how the drugs interact. If you have a pocket pc, it will be much easier to just scroll down the various info’s offered by the software. If you want all the nursing info to come in handy, download nursing software and install it in your pocket pc.

Usually, this kind of software requires you to pay certain fees and so you need to have the proper budget allocation. You can get the software even when you’re still a student because you can continue using it when you’re already working. It’s quite different when you’re already in the working place. You will be dealing with actual medical situations that call for immediatttention. If you have the software, you’re always prepared.

With the popularity of online shopping today, the importance of cyber security becomes essential to everyone. Shopping, even in the real world, involves money and where there is money, there go the criminals. And since much shopping is now happening in cyber space, these criminals lost no time in following the money trail targeting online shoppers.

Online shopping became fashionable when people discovered one is free from stress and fatigue caused by crowds and traffic. There is also the convenience of searching whatever it is you want from your home, at your most convenient time, and paying for it without waiting in line. All of these with just a few click of a mouse.

However, the Internet is also a convenient place for cyber criminals as well. They target the online shoppers, fraudulently obtaining information they can use for their own financial gains. These criminals use the three most common ways in attacking the online shoppers.

Unprotected computers
Unprotected computers are easy target for viruses and other malicious codes used by cyber criminals to gain access to the information inside it. On the other end, online vendors have to protect their computers, too, against attackers who may access their customer databases.

Fake sites and email messages
In the virtual online world, a site (or an online store) can be faked by these criminals, with no one the wiser. These fake sites mimic the legitimate ones and inherit the business, at least until they are caught or noticed.

Charities had been misrepresented before, especially during natural disasters or holiday seasons where people pour in donation money and aid. Most often, though, these attackers collect information for their own illegal use.

Cyber safety measures
Maintaining an up-to-date anti-virus program, a firewall and anti-spyware is always the three-pronged first line of defense in cyber security. They protect you against viruses and Trojan horses that may steal or modify your data and make your computer vulnerable. Spyware may also give the attackers access to your data.

Updated browser
Browsers are the gateway between your computer and the Internet. They must be updated first. Also, open the option of automatic updates to your computer so that the operating programs and utilities are up to date.

It is likewise important to check the default settings of your computer and apply the highest level of security. This will preempt the attackers to use default setting of the programs. This applies primarily to browsers, email clients, etc. because these are the connectors to the Internet.

Reputable vendors
This is where care should be taken because cyber criminals are very good at mimicking the sites of legitimate vendors and make it appear genuine. You need to verify their legitimacy before supplying any information. Keep the phone numbers and the physical addresses of these vendors which you can use in case of problems.

Security features and private policies
As always, passwords and other security features add protection, if correctly used. Check the site’s privacy policy before giving out personal or financial information. You have to understand how your information are stored and used.

Encrypted information
Make sure the information you give out are encrypted. To check if it is, see if it includes a URL that begins with “https:” instead of “http:” and a padlock icon. If the padlock is closed, the information is encrypted. Know where the padlock icon is located in your favorite browser because some attackers use fake padlock icons to trick users.

Use your credit card
Credit card charges have laws that limit your liability in case of fraud. This may not be the case for your debit card. Because debit cards draw money directly from your bank account, unauthorized withdrawals could leave you penniless. Needless to say, a record of your purchases should be kept aside. Report immediately any discrepancy.

Shopping online is truly a time-saving, hassle-free, and fun way of buying whatever you want on the Internet. The presence of the ubiquitous cyber criminals stalking at every cyber corner necessitates the need of cyber security as well.

It is everyone’s responsibility.

In today’s digital age, cyber security is as important, if not more so, as actual security guarding a real piece of company property. However they may differ, they both have safeguard strategies that need to be implemented to the letter to be effective.

The following are some guidelines for use in cyber security:

Up-to-date anti-virus software
This is a given: all computers must have anti-virus software. The anti-virus software is specifically created and designed to protect your computer against known viruses.

There is one caveat, however. New viruses are created almost daily. There is a need, therefore, to update your anti-virus program on a regular basis to recognize these new variants of viruses.

Like flu shots, only that they are done more often, these regular updates can help stop these viruses. These regular updates are antidotes for these man-made vermin.

Firewalls
Firewalls are virtual defensive fortifications to protect your computer from the outside world. They filter unauthorized data from elsewhere, mostly the Internet, while allowing authorized or ‘good’ data to enter your computer.

All types of firewalls are available in most computer stores, and some computer manufacturing companies bundle them together with their computers that you purchase.

Emails
The simplest rule is this: if you don’t know the person who is sending you an email, be very careful about opening the email and never open any file attached to it.

Sometimes, you may have a vague idea who the sender is, but you should still be careful.
Some tell-tale signs include unusual hyperlinks and/or urgent messages to open the attached file. Some of your friends may have been conned and unwittingly forwarded you a virus-laden email.

When in doubt, delete. Your friend will understand.

Passwords
Passwords were created to be your virtual key to computer data. Like real-life keys, passwords are only as good if they are difficult to ‘duplicate’ or guessed.

Some of the guidelines are: Don’t share your password, don’t use your same password in more than one place, and most importantly, create a password that is difficult to guess.
Here are some time-tested rules in password-making:

1.) Passwords should have a minimum of 8 characters, and should be as meaningless as possible.

2.) Use all kinds of types possible – lower case, upper case, numbers, symbols, special characters, etc.

3.) Change your passwords regularly, every three months, for example.

4.) Never give out your password to anybody.

Back-up Data
Experienced computer users know one primary rule: always back up your data. Small amounts of data can be stored on disks and on CDs if they are more than the disk can handle. For computers in a network, the usual backup is through the network data storage system. The overall idea is that if anything happens to your primary data, you can always retrieve them from somewhere.

File sharing
Another big no-no for experienced computer users is sharing them with strangers. Your computer operating system may allow file sharing from other computers in your network or from the Internet. This is one sure way of infecting your computer. Be sure to turn off and disable file-sharing if it is not needed.

Disconnecting from the Internet
Cutting your computer’s connection with the Internet when not in use lessens the possibility of accessing it. If your computer has no firewall or updated anti-virus protection, someone could harm it.

Update security patches
Just like your anti-virus program, there is a need to regularly update your other computer programs. Sometimes, bugs are discovered in your regular programs that can be an entrance to your computer for any malicious person to attack and infect.

Software companies create patches for these and post them in their sites. They can be downloaded and are automatically patched up into your program in question.

Regular security checkups
Like a car’s multiple systems, a computer security programs need regular checkups, too. Sometimes, you may discover that a program is outdated through simple oversight. Some security settings have to be adjusted according to your present needs. Twice-a-year evaluation is good enough.

Security awareness
Like preparing for emergencies in real life, it is good policy to make sure that family members or probably your employees would know what to do during computer emergencies.

They must at least be aware of proper computer security practices – how to update virus protection programs, how to download patches, how to create proper passwords.

Cyber security, like any real security, needs everybody’s help for it to succeed and avert those dreaded computer attacks.

The United States is the leader of all nations not for nothing. The government of President Barack Obama has announced establishment of a top-level government office in the White House to handle specific cybersecurity functions and initiatives. The announcement of the new post is apparently aimed at protecting the country’s information networks and infrastructure.

The new office would be led by an appointed special advisor, to be called the Cybersecurity Coordinator. He would be part of the National Security Staff. The new office would be tasked to produce and manage national strategies for boosting, strengthening, and improving computer defenses. The proposed Cybersecurity Coordinator’s office would work together with the Office of Management and Budget in keeping federal bodies maintain focus in keeping up national cybersecurity posture.

The cybersecurity czar would be vested specific powers and authorities. Aside from being an adviser to the president, the cybersecurity coordinator would also gain full backing from the Office of the President. He would have an extraordinary and guaranteed access to the president especially when there are pressing issues about Internet security challenges. If cyber attacks would transpire, the coordinator would also emerge to manage appropriate and needed government response.

The creation of the new office is expected to be a pioneer in cybersecurity practices in global countries. At present, almost all developed and developing nations are recognizing the need for concrete Internet security measures. However, governments are yet to institute organizations and agencies that would be specifically tasked to handle online security measures and issues. The US is again leading the pack. It is expected that sooner, other countries would aggressively follow suit. Many regions are also acting together to identify common cyber threats and issues. In the coming few years, more measures are expected to address pressing IT security concerns.

The Obama administration’s move is expected to serve as a model for other national governments in addressing security problems across the virtual world. The US move is seen as a proof of commitment to the overall online security of national networks and individuals’ (and businesses’) computer systems. Among the immediate and actual priorities of the initiative are creation of national strategies, establishment of frameworks for unified responses to cyber incidents, promotion of national awareness about cybersecurity, development of strong relationships between public and private sectors, and bolstering of research and development regarding cybersecurity.

President Obama only acted on the pressing calls for heightened Internet security. In the US alone, millions of dollars are now being lost annually due to cyber crimes. Many individuals and businesses are being defrauded across the online media. The move to create a cybersecurity office is aligned with a vision to treat digital infrastructure as an important national asset. Thus, protection of IT infrastructure across the US would be a top national security priority, no less. The Cybersecurity Coordinator’s Office would always ensure networks are resilient, trustworthy, and highly secured.

However, there are restrictions to US cybersecurity measures. President Obama asserted that cybersecurity pursuits of the government would not include monitoring of Internet traffic and of private sectors’ networks. The government still aims to protect and preserve civil liberties and personal privacy that Americans very much cherish.

Commitment to neutrality, Mr. Obama ended, would leave online media as it should always be: free and very much open.

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The printer manufacturing market seems to be a booming one. Manufacturers are no doubt eyeing expansion and coming up with newer products to capture the burgeoning market.
printer, toner, colour printers, monochrome, Lexmark, IT, home users, small offices
The printer manufacturing market seems to be a booming one. Manufacturers are no doubt eyeing expansion and coming up with newer products to capture the burgeoning market. The manufacturers are interested in the colour -printer sector for purely reasons of expansion. There is stiff competition between the makers as all are concentrating to keep the prices low to capture the market. It must be said here that while in the monochrome department Hewlett-Packard co. are the market leaders, the reigning company in the colour segment still remains undecided.

However the future of the colour printer market is purported to be a bright one according to those investing in these companies. The investors are much optimistic, as these printers, using four times the toner cyan, magenta, yellow, and black of a monochrome printer, will produce pictures of a much higher quality. The market, currently a billion dollar industry, will increase manifold.

Adding on to its product range, printing giant Lexmark introduced its c52x series, which included the c524n last June. Earlier there was a huge gap in its colour line up-there was simply the low- end c510 with a capacity of printing about 8 colour and 30 monochrome pictures in a single minute which wasn’t all that fast. There also existed, side-by-side, the high-end c762 which, though having a higher speed, was much more expensive, thereby difficult to afford for the smaller offices and home users. As there was no other product catering to the demands of the users the competitors of Lexmark had an edge over it.

The introduction of Lexmark’s c524n however changed things.
They introduced this product with a very low price range, thereby making it affordable. Offering a dpi resolution of 1200*1200, this network ready colour laser printer has an outstanding colour output and can print up to twenty pages per minute. The very first page may be printed in as little as 13seconds. The model has a monthly maximum duty cycle of 65000 pages, which is quite impressive. The new c524 also reduces the time taken by print jobs considerably as it has a 437.5MHz processor and 128Mbytes of memory. The memory can be expanded up to 576, which decreases the waiting time taken for print jobs. Moreover, colour care technology and Lexmark coverage estimator help in managing the cost involved in using colour toner. The model, weighing 57 pounds, is 17.3 inches wide, 19 inches high and 20.2 deep. With the model also comes a CD consisting of the user guide and the printer software, a power cable, a paper exit extension tray, set up sheet and toner cartridges for cyan, yellow, magenta and black. The product has a one-year warranty period for on site repair.

It goes without saying that that outsourcing of IT and consumer electronic products lower manufacturing costs of the product, which helps lower the prices of the produced good. The question is how low must the producers keep their profit margins in order to stay in the race in today’s colour printing market?

The current analysis lab examined the c524n at a product volume of 1,20,000 units under the assumption that the model was produced in china. An analysis was made of the procurement costs of commodity components, manufacturing costs of fabricated components and location labour rates. The production cost was estimated to be around ?65 / unit. The cost distribution showed the cost of the printer mechanism and its assembly to be about ?1. The electronics and assembly account for ?0. Other costs included laser power supply, consumables assembly, fuser assembly, paper assembly, control panel assembly electronics assembly, final arrangements, etc.

At the time of launching the product, the product was supposed to be priced at ?90. However, Lexmark priced the product at almost half of the originally intended price at some places. To maximize its revenue, the company in a clever move, outfitted the toner with different toner cartridges. The toner content was increased or decreased according to the budget of the customer. The more expensive models containing more toner catered to the demands of the enterprise segment while the lower priced models with low yield cartridges were ideal for small offices and also home users.

The product, being suitably priced, was a great success, perfectly fitted to meet the needs of the buyers and the manufacturers and compete with its competitors in the lucrative colour printer market. Lexmark claimed the print quality was Photorealistic. On account of its chemically processed, spherical toner delivering a 1200*1200 dpi resolution and also because the new print head four lasers in one unit with a mirror. The machine enabled Lexmark to take on the enterprise market as well as their competitors, especially Hewlett-Packard.

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If you just need a basic system for work or school related tasks the Acer Aspire 3004WLCi is a solid performer that can handle average use with ease. I would definitely recommend this unit to college students or traveling professionals who need an inexpensive, user-friendly laptop, but who do not plan on using their laptop on batteries very often, or who do not intend on playing many games or movies. For the price conscious consumers out there, this system is definitely worth the money.
system,machine,integrated,acer,aspire,wlci,computer,laptop,aspire wlci,acer aspire,quick review,new laptop
I recently found myself in need of a new laptop. With a tight budget and moderate needs, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to find a product that would do what I wanted and still be in my price range.

As a Network Technician and a Web Designer, I needed a machine that would have enough storage to store all my software, projects for my clients, and still be able to handle an occasional temporary operating system backup from a client’s machine. The qualifying candidate also had to have a decent amount of RAM and a reasonably fast processor to keep up with the demands of multitasking and using Studio MX ’04 on a daily basis.

At first, I checked the auction sites, the refurbished outlets, and the wholesale warehouses. I found a few good deals for under $500, but nothing that would handle the processing load that Studio MX 2004 would place on it. The average machine had 256MB of PC133 RAM, a 20GB HDD, and a 1.0GHz Pentium processor. Not too shabby for a student machine, but for daily service in the fields I work in, not nearly enough space or power to keep up with my demands.

I quickly realized that a new laptop would be needed in order to meet my needs. Realizing that most decent laptops are priced at over $1,000, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot when I started shopping around. However, to my surprise, a local retail chain had a special running on the Acer Aspire 3004WLCi for $600 after a $150 rebate. This was the top end of my budget, but the specs were far more than what I thought I would find in this price range.

Quick Specs:
AMD Mobile Sempron 3100+ (1.8GHz) w/ 256K L2 cache
512MB DDR333 SODIM RAM (expandable to 2GB)
60GB 4200rpm Hard Disk Drive
15.4 Wide Screen WXGA Monitor
CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo Drive
3 USB 2.0 Ports (1 front / 2 side)
Front Audio / Microphone jacks
Integrated Microphone / Speakers
Integrated Audio Controller
Integrated Video Controller (up to 128MB shared)
Integrated 56Kbps Data/Fax Modem
Integrated 802.3 10/100 Ethernet NIC
Integrated 802.11b/g WiFi
Maximum screen resolution: 1280 x 800
External monitor maximum resolution: 2048 x 1536
One type II PCMCIA Slot
AC Power Adapter / 4-cell lithium-ion battery
1.5″Hx14.3″Wx11″D / 6.2lb. w/ Battery
Microsoft Windows XP Home SP2

OK, before I go into the Pros and Cons of this system, let me first say this… As a Network technician, I’m a bit of a stranger to Acer products. I’ve seen them before, but I’ve never used them. In an industry dominated by Dells and HPs, Acer seemed more of an “off-brand” to me. With that in mind, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot for my money. Fortunately, I was not disappointed, but neither was I entirely wrong.

Also, it is worthy to note that before I used this machine, XP Home was trashed in favor of XP Professional SP2 and I went through the system and performed several minor software performance tweaks on the operating system; all of which can be performed using the native Windows XP Pro utilities.

Pros:
The Acer Aspire 3004 WLCi is a reasonably powerful system for $600. Even at the original $750, this system is hard to beat in the performance department. The Sempron 3100+ processor is surprisingly fast and capable. It handled running Dreamweaver MX 2004, Fireworks MX 2004, Microsoft Word 2003, Microsoft OneNote 2003, Firefox 1.5, Internet Explorer 6.0, Opera 8.5, Resize Browser, CPick, Java JRE, NOD32 Anti-Virus, Hotmail Popper, and several system services and minor utilities running in the background simultaneously and didn’t complain or produce any unacceptable sustained CPU usage spikes. This is partly due to the generous and fast 512MB of DDR333 RAM, but even so, the processor surprised this long-time AMD user.

The 60GB hard drive provides an ample amount of storage for average users. It is on the lower end of my requirements, but sufficiently large enough to handle all my installed software, over 12GB of service software needed for service calls, all my client projects, and it still has enough space left over to easily accommodate a 20GB client system backup.

In addition, this system has a very good Broadcom WiFi controller. In my 3 story townhouse, which has excellent insulation, this system can be used anywhere in my home with a signal strength of “Very Good” to “Excellent”.

The system is ergonomically laid out. I have rather large hands, and most modern laptops are entirely too small for me to realistically use for any extended period of time. Usually, within 20 or 30 minutes, my wrists and hands begin to ache from trying to maintain a very unnatural position in order to type the documents I’m working on. Not so with the Aspire 3000 series. These laptops have a relatively large chassis with a keypad that is almost perfect for someone with large hands. I’ve actually found that I can type nearly as fast (roughly 35wpm) on this laptop as I can on my desktop system that has an ergonomic split keyboard (40wpm).

Cons:
If you’re looking for a Multimedia system, or if you plan to do any graphics intensive gaming, keep on looking; this system is not for you. Even with the widescreen WXGA display, this machine is not well suited for watching DVDs. The integrated video controller is only acceptable and the monitor requires a lot of “fiddling” with in order to find the “just right” position for viewing. Furthermore, the glare on the screen of this unit is terrible. I’ve found that in most brightly lit rooms I’m spending more time straining my eyes to see past my own reflection. Also, the viewing angle is unimpressive. If you try to view the screen from anything greater than 15 degrees in any direction, you’re either looking at a washed out or negative variation of the original. I’ve never been a big fan of LCD. I’ve always felt that a high quality CRT always looks better, but this screen is more reminiscent of a LCD of three years ago than a brand new product.

The integrated audio and video controllers are a definite sore spot as well. I’ve always preferred expansion controllers over integrated controllers, but in this price range, I knew I would be stuck with the so-so quality of an integrated controller. No surprise here. As usual, the quality and performance is sub-par with these controllers, but for my needs, they do the job. However, if you plan on listening to any audio playback on this machine, you had better pack a quality set of headphones. The tiny speakers on this machine are terrible sounding. Again, no big surprise.

Now, about battery life. I don’t know who was in charge of defining this aspect of this machine, but they need a checkup from the neck up. Battery performance on this machine is absolutely unacceptable. Unless you tune the system down significantly, it is very difficult to squeeze more than an hour of real usable time out of this system’s battery life. The manufacturer states that it will run for 1.5 hours on the battery. I’ve never been able to get more than an hour out of the unit. In this day and age, this is not acceptable. Fortunately, there are very few occasions when I need to use this system where I’m not close to a power outlet.

My only other major complaint is the lack of expandability of this system. You get two SODIM memory card slots (filled with 256MBx2 sticks from the factory), three USB 2.0 ports and a Type II PCMCIA slot on this machine, and that’s it. No internal expansion capabilities, no firewire, no serial or parallel connections, and you cannot swap out the combo drive easily. Given the price range of this system, I’m really not surprised, but I am a bit disappointed. Fortunately, there are an abundance of USB adapters available that allow me to do whatever is needed.

Summary:
If you just need a basic system for work or school related tasks the Acer Aspire 3004WLCi is a solid performer that can handle average use with ease. I would definitely recommend this unit to college students or traveling professionals who need an inexpensive, user-friendly laptop, but who do not plan on using their laptop on batteries very often, or who do not intend on playing many games or movies. For the price conscious consumers out there, this system is definitely worth the money. In my humble opinion, you get more than what you pay for, but not by much.