Thinking of Buying DigiCam

THINKING OF BUYING NEW DIGITAL CAMERA

Finally you managed to amass enough money to buy new digital camera which you want it for so long. Digital camera which will now save your time and money to develop a film. But when you see the range of available brands and models in the market you are confused which digital camera you want to go with? Well, don’t worry its human nature we like to have variety of options to choose from; but when it’s come to choosing one of it, we get confused no matter what. It happened with me too; so I will let you know how I overcome it. For that you need to ask some questions to yourself such as, do you want to become a travel photographer? If you do, then a camera with high optical zoom is best for you. Or do you simply want to capture happy moments with your family? If yes, then a basic digital camera will serve your purpose. Are you going to print all your images in large sizes? If yes, then a high resolution camera is the best option for you. Are you going on a long vacation and looking for a camera that can capture and store hundreds of images? If yes, then a camera with a high storage capacity is what you need. Just ask yourself these basic questions to find which digital camera best suits your needs.

Now, let us understand some terms used in Camera Specifications:

Resolution: This is the first thing you will have to consider. Digital camera’s resolution is calculated in terms of ‘mega pixels’ or MP. The higher your camera’s resolution is better the quality of the images. However, the price of a camera is closely related to its resolution. So generally, the superior the resolution, the higher the price of the camera is going to be.

Storage Capacity: While buying a digital camera, check out its storage capacity. Most digital cameras are available with extended external storage capacities. This means you don’t have to download all your existing photos onto your computer every time you want to click a picture. Many times, camera manufacturers offer free memory cards with digital cameras as part of a package. More the storage capacity, more number of pictures you can click.

Lenses: Look out for lenses with good optical zooms if you want to capture distant objects. A wide angle lens is a blessing if you are going to click a photo of a large group and you are just backed up against a wall. Macro lens is a must for capturing close-up photos. Some of the best digital cameras either feature a macro-mode or separate macro lens.

Battery Consumption: When choosing your digital camera, either looks for ones with ‘lithium batteries’ or ‘rechargeable batteries’.

Burst Rate: The ‘burst rate’ of a digital camera specifies how fast a camera can capture an image. If you are looking for a digital camera to shoot sporting activities or if you are interested in fashion photography, choose digital cameras that have higher burst rates.

ISO: Multiple ISO options are handy when shooting in poor light. Look for digital cameras that allow you to change the ISO and give you as many choices as possible. A camera with ISO equivalents of 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 will give you more flexibility as opposed to cameras with less ISO variations.

LCD Preview: A digital camera with an LCD preview feature is neat. It gives you a fair idea about the image and will help you to adjust your position accordingly. Although the battery consumption is much greater in a camera with a bigger LCD preview monitor, so try and find the balance.

Good Luck with your new Digital Camera and have fun clicking; but I must warn you it is very addictive. Beware!!!

www.TheAmitabh.com

Buying LCD TV

If you have decided to buy a LCD TV but could not decide on brand, model or confused that if your selected brand or model is good enough.

Don’t worry, all you have to do is educate yourself by comparing LCD TVs of different brands and models and compare their specification. If you are not clear about the technical terms mentioned. I have listed some of them here.

Screen Size: Screen size is measured diagonally. There are many screen size available in the market, you need to decide on your room size and your budget.

Native Pixel Resolution: LCD flat panel sets have a number of pixels on the screen surface that is called as Native Pixel. You need to look for as high a native pixel count as possible. Most LCD TVs offer at least a 1280x720 native pixel resolution. This is the minimum pixel count you should settle on. Some larger screen LCD TVs now offer 1920x1080 native pixel resolution, which certainly is even more desirable, but costly.

Scaling:

Scaling is a process where a television's video processor will match the resolution of the incoming signal to its native pixel resolution. This means that lower resolution signals will be up-scaled, but the processor will downscale higher resolution signals so that they can be displayed at the TVs native resolution. That is the reason you need to buy HD Ready TV. Poor scaling can result in poor display results, such as jagged edges and inconsistent detail. It must also be noted that results also depend on the quality of the incoming signal.

Motion Response Time: It is nothing but the ability of the LCD TV to display fast moving objects without any blurring effect. In the past this has been a weakness of LCD technology. However, this has improved now. Check the specifications for Motion Response Time (ms = milliseconds). A good LCD TV should have a Response Time of either 12ms or 8ms, with 8ms being optimum, i.e. lesser the value the better. You need to consider this especially if you watch lots of sports or action films or like to play games on TV. Be wary of LCD TVs that do not list their motion response time.

Contrast Ratio: Contrast ratio, or the degree of variation of the whitest and darkest parts of the image, is a very important factor to consider. If the LCD TV has a low contrast ratio, dark images will look muddy and gray, while light images will look washed out. A good contrast ratio to have in an LCD TV is 1,500:1 or higher. Anything less than 1,500:1, may not provide an optimum viewing experience.

Brightness: Without sufficient brightness your image will look muddy and soft, even in a dark room. Viewing distance, screen size, and ambient room light will affect the need for more brightness capability. A brightness rating listed as 550 cd/m2 or higher is good enough, but don't depend upon the technical number listed, just make sure the screen is bright enough for your needs upon your own visual inspection.

Viewing Angle: Make sure you can view the image on the LCD TV from the sides as well as the from the prime viewing area. LCD TVs typically have a good side-to-side viewing angle, with many going as wide as 160 Degrees, or about 80 degrees from the center viewing spot. If you find that the image begins to fade or becomes un-viewable within 45 degrees from either side of the center viewing spot, then it may not be a good choice where you have a large group of viewers sitting in different parts of the room.

Tuner and Connection Considerations: Almost all LCD-TVs have built-in tuners, if it is not there you have to buy external tuner or set top box. There are LCD TV’s with dual-tuners for PIP functions i.e Picture in Picture function which allows to watch 2 chanels at a time. If they are HD Ready nothings like it. However, it will be useful only if you receive HDTV programming.

Input Connection: Check if the TV has connection for HDMI Inputs, RGB Inputs, S-Video Inputs, Composite Video, Component Video, VGA input.

Speaker: Don’t judge LCD TV with speakers, but try and buy a TV which at least has inbuilt 10W L+R speakers.

These are the only features you need to consider before buying LCD TV. If you find more features in LCD TV specification you don’t understand, don’t bother about them. They are there to just filling up the space.

www.switch2life.com

Comfusion over buying PC

WANT TO BUY A COMPUTER?



Thinking of buying a computer and little confused because of various branded computers available in the market. Or can not decide whether to go for branded PC or assembled one. And if want to go for assembled one then trouble is that you don’t know what configuration you should go for and how different factors affect the PC configuration. Don’t worry this article will help you to some extent.

Having computer today is absolutely a necessity today for your office. Now a days computer allows you to operate your business from sitting at home. Thus saving your time spent in travel as well stress you go through. Or if you have kids then it becomes so much more important to buy a computer for you home. As kids today need as much knowledge and literacy in computer as possible for their brighter future or we can say for even their survival in cut throat competitive world.

Before starting on points to consider to buy a computer, I will like to say that there is every chance after buying a computer in month or so you will find that there are even faster and cheaper computers available in market. So just try and find fastest and best suitable machine with your budget. Because even if technology going to evolve everyday your computer not going to be a junk on table in one day.

Now when we start hunting for a computer, decide if you want to go with branded computer or assembled one. My suggestion will be assemble one as it will cheaper and you can select best components and assemble them together. Only negative point will be for servicing you have to contact different people for different components.

Configuration for computer:- (This will help you select your branded or assembled computer)

Processors (CPUs):
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the brain of your computer. In general, the faster the better. Processor speeds are measured in gigahertz (GHz), the fastest models available now is in the range of 4GHz, but this is for mean hardcore machines. If you are in hardcore animation, gaming industry you can go with it but it will be really expensive. For the basic everyday office or home use processors starting from 1.5 GHz, is good enough. Then you have to make choice between Intel core duo or AMD core duo. General assumption if you want to play games on your machines then AMD processors serves the purpose better. Or Intel is common in use and will be cheaper option than the AMD processor.

Memory (RAM):
Most computers now use a type of memory called DDR2. Some high performance one might use DDR3, but this is quite expensive. Avoid systems using DDR1 or SDRAMS as for the amount of memory go for at least 1GB of memory. Memory speed will have immediate impact on performance as well. More the memory faster the PC. When buying computer try to buy as few DIMMs as possible to allow for future memory upgrades if needed.

Hard Drives:-
Hard drives are where all your data is going to be saved so it is also a very important part of your computers. Now days Hard drives going down on sizes and going up on storage space. You must have at least 250GB of hard disk. Almost all of them are running at 7200rpm now.

Optical Drives (CD/DVD):
Most of the systems now comes with DVD writer, CD writers are things of past now. And there is no need to make any adjustment in the budget. As for floppy drives, they are part of ancient history of PC’s, nobody use it anyway.

Motherboard:
Choice of motherboard will depend on the processor you have selected, it has to be compatible with processor. You have to take care that, the motherboard you have selected has onboard video graphic card, sound card as well as there is provision for external video card and sound card in case of high end use. The motherboard should allow you to add LAN card, Wireless LAN, Bluetooth, USB 2.0 connectors. And try to have as many USB connectors as possible as most of the Upgrades and Peripherals of computers use USB nowadays.

Cabinet:
This will have to be compatible with hardware you have selected. Ithas to have SMPS into it to power up the hardware. Then it has to as less bulky as possible and with arrangement for air ventilation so that your PC will be safe from overheating.

Monitors:
Monitor is also a as important part of PC as CPU is. Previously when LCD’s were really expensive people used to go with CRT, but now LCD is the option everyone goes for. If anybody think of CRT he goes for Flat Panel CRT. But LCD is still far better because it gives sharper picture, it is not bulky, it occupies lesser space, and it is easy on your eyes too. As for the size 17 inch is standard size now a days. Just take care to buy a monitor which should be capable of 1024 x 768 resolution, you might use most commonly 800 x 600 resolution. But it is always better to have provision.

Input/Output Interference Peripherals:
Keyboard and mouse has to be the first thing to buy as they will help you to communicate with you PC. There are wired and wireless Keyboard and Mouse available in the market so it will depend on anyone’s personal taste.
Then you can add “All in one printer” in your set up which will help you to print, scan, copy as well as fax your documents.
You will also need LAN card installed in your system to connect Internet. As modem is provided by Internet Provider nowadays so you don’t have to worry about it.
Then there will speakers to listen to music and movies, if you prefer to watch DVD’s on your PC then you can add 5.1 home theatre speaker set in your system.
If you want to use your PC for chatting then you need to have a Headphone with Microphone and Webcam of 2 – 3 megapixel.
You can also add TV tuner card to your PC to watch TV on your desktop computer.

Softwares:
After all the hardware in place you have to think about the softwares as they are essentially decides how you want to use your computer. There are two popular and user-friendly operating systems available in the market, WINDOWS and MAC. Windows has captured most of the PC market than the MAC. As it is more compatible to most of the softaware and it has been used by almost everyone it is better bet as it is lot cheaper than MAC, and it is only because of ‘Supply and Demand’ Rule. Don’t judge quality by there price difference. Although buying MAC is in thing now a days, it is somewhat style statement. As MAC’s other product Apple ipod and iphone becoming really popular. So it’s again personal choice.
Then there are various softwares available to enhance the use of your computer, there is MS OFFICE which contains MS Word, MS Excell, Powerpoint, Outlook etc. to help in your office and school, college work. Then there is Adobe, Corel, Macromedia’s softwares like photoshop, coreldraw, Flash, dreamweaver, etc. to help you with your artistic work.
After installing all the softwares don’t forget to install Antivirus software to protect your PC from Virus specially if you are using Internet.


So in Nutshell go and find suitable PC for yourself and enjoy the limitless possible things your PC can do for you.

www.switch2life.com

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com