2.5” Hard Drives (IDE) (Laptop):

If your laptop is running low on hard drive space, you can typically replace it yourself with an “off the shelf” 2.5” hard drive and end up saving a bundle.  I’ve had excellent luck with the Hitachi (formerly IBM) TravelStar brand 2.5” hard drives.  These drives are also used by many major laptop manufacturers (such as Dell and IBM).  Hitachi is the first hard drive company to offer 2.5" hard drives that are 7200 RPM and have an 8 MB cache.  These first appeared in the late spring/early summer of 2004.  These fast, little drives will hold their own against most 3.5" EIDE drives.  You usually can’t find 2.5” hard drives at local retailers, but http://www.newegg.com/ and http://www.insight.com/ carry them.  IBM’s storage division recently merged with Hitachi so the drives may be listed as Hitachi, IBM, or Hitachi/IBM. 

Name-Brand Computer:

My favorite name-brand computer company is Falcon Northwest.  You may not have heard of them.  They are small computer company located in Medford, Oregon that has been in operation since the early 1990s.  They make both desktop computers and laptop computers.

Falcon has premiere service.  They are the only computer company that I'm aware of where all of your calls (whether for tech support or sales) are handled by an American.  The problem with the foreign sales and tech support is the language barrier and miscommunication that frequently occurs.  This isn't the case here.  Also, if you call Falcon more than once, you will typically get the same representative who will know you by name.  That's unusual in today's environment.

Falcon is a boutique operation.  They only produce a small quantity of computers, and each one is "hand-crafted'.  The hardware is top notch, and Falcon tweaks every driver and program setting for maximum performance.  This combination makes for some of the fastest and most reliable computers available.

You're going to pay more for a Falcon.  You don't want to order one if you just need a cheap computer to use for email and web browsing.  However, if you want a computer that will run fast and reliably for several years that's backed by excellent American support, this is the one.

Laptop Computers:

Todd Liljenberg of TechOne created a great laptop buyer's guide which you can read here.  This guide offers a good explanation of various features to look for when purchasing a laptop.

My favorite laptop is the FragBook family from Falcon Northwest.  See the "Name-Brand Computer" section for details about Falcon Northwest.  The bottom line is that Falcon has the best service and their laptops are among the fastest available.

I have a FragBook DR (Desktop Replacement) model laptop.   Normally, you sacrifice speed when you choose a laptop over a desktop computer, but that's not the case here.  It's truly a desktop replacement with a full desktop Pentium 4 processor, 1 GB of low latency Corsair dual channel RAM, and dual 7200 RPM 60 GB hard drives (Hitachi TravelStar, 8 MB Cache).  This laptop is fast!  Also, the hard drives are mirrored for better reliability.  In addition, it has a large 17.1" wide-aspect ratio monitor.  The keyboard actually has a fully functional numeric keypad that doesn't require the use of the function key to access it.  If the FragBook DR was a car, it would be a Hummer H2.  To have all of this power and comfort, you sacrifice battery life and portability.  This unit weighs over 10 pounds and will suck a 12-cell battery dry in about 45 minutes.

Jody got a FragBook TL (Thin and Light) model laptop.  It has a Pentium M processor, 1 GB of RAM, a single 60 GB hard drive (7200 RPM, 8 MB Cache), and a 15.4" monitor.  It doesn't have the same level of performance as the FragBook DR, but it's still very nimble.  The advantage to this model is that it's half the weight of the DR model and is much easier to carry around.  It can also run for a few hours on a battery instead of just 45 minutes.  This is the better unit to get if you have to carry your laptop around on a daily basis.

All of the Falcon FragBooks come with a sharp, brushed aluminum briefcase that really protects the laptop while it's being carried.  In addition, all FragBooks have a "perfect pixel" warranty where FragBook will replace the LCD display as soon a single pixel goes bad.  Most other manufacturers won't replace the monitor until at least 8 pixels have gone bad.  An optional feature is that you can have the laptop painted with the auto paint of your choice.  I had my computer painted with Volkswagen beetle metallic green.  Jody had her laptop painted with Cadillac mother of pearl.  Every computer from Falcon comes with a true Microsoft Windows operating system CD, not just a factory restore CD for the OS.

You don't want to purchase a FragBook if you need a computer right away, because they have about 30 day lead time and even longer if you get it custom painted.  Also, you pay more for a FragBook than the average laptop.  If you just need a cheap laptop for checking email, don't get a Fragbook.

Desktop Computer:

This is a tough category.  Personally, I haven't purchased a name-brand desktop computer in a couple of years.  Over the past several years I've watched the quality and service from all of the major computer manufacturers go downhill.  Instead, I buy the components and assemble the computer myself.  This way, I make sure that each component is high quality and that no corners have been cut.  I usually purchase all of the the components through www.newegg.com.

If you don't have the time or inclination to build your own, but you want a high quality, high performance national brand computer with excellent support, there's Falcon Northwest. For details about Falcon, see the "Name Brand Computer" section.  You will probably pay more for a Falcon than you would for a more well known brand, though. 

If you need a inexpensive computer, performance isn't a critical issue, and you don't mind foreign tech support, then any other name brand will do.  In this class of computer manufacturers, I can't really recommend one over any other because they are all about the same.

Desktop Computer (Local Brand):

Local brand computers are sometimes known as “white box” systems.  A local company buys all of the components and assembles them into a full computer system.  This is a popular way to purchase a computer but there are some pitfalls to watch out for.

Stay away from system boards that have integrated video cards.  An integrated video card shares the system memory (RAM) with the processor.  The problem is that the performance of the processor slows down because it frequently has to wait on the video card to finish before it can access RAM (and vice versa).  Get a system with a non-integrated video card that has its own video memory.

Get a video card that uses a chipset from NVIDIA, ATI, or Matrox. 

Get a large enough power supply.  If you are purchasing an Athlon-based system, get at least a 350-Watt power supply.  Pentium-based systems should get at least a 300-Watt power supply or better.

Get a hard drive with at least an 8 MB cache built into it and that is at least 7200 RPM.  This provides faster performance.

The downside to “white box” systems is that most of them are built with cheap, slow components.  This is because most local computer companies are trying to compete with the big name brands on price.  You can get a fantastic system but you will probably end up paying more than you would for a name brand system. 

If you have your system built by a knowledgeable vendor, you can specify the components that you wish to purchase and have a fantastic computer built.  A properly custom-built system can out perform any of the computers from Dell, Compaq, HP, etc.  A custom-built system usually uses only industry-standard parts, which makes it easier to repair faulty components or upgrade components later on.  Systems built by Dell, Compaq, etc. tend to use proprietary power supplies and other components.

There’s the question of warranty with a local company.  They have a harder time matching some of the warranty policies that Dell offers such as 24-hour phone support.  On the bright side, the local company will generally provide American tech support.  Even though Dell and the big boys can offer 24-hour tech support, you're usually dealing with a technician that's overseas and frequently hard to understand.  Then there's a question of the local company being around to honor the warranty.  Even if the local company offers a multi-year, on-site warranty, will the local company will be in business tomorrow?  If the local vendor goes out of business, at least the computer is built with industry-standard parts, which will make it easier for the consumer to replacement parts for.

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS):

I only purchase UPSs from American Power Conversion (or APC).  There are several families of UPSs with APC’s product line.  Some are very inexpensive, but are also of lesser quality.

The two families that I prefer are the Smart-UPS family and the Back-UPS Pro family.  Both of these families offer intelligent battery management.  This feature will prevent the UPS from using battery power when the power sags for a split second.  I suspect that it utilizes large capacitors to accomplish this.  The UPS will eventually resort to battery power if the power has sagged long enough.  This feature prolongs the life of the battery.

Both of these families offer advanced event logging.  For example, with the Smart-UPS 420, you can have it record the date, time, and voltage level of each sag or surge within a log file.  It’s very educational to go back and see how often the UPS is “picking up the slack” for poor power.  Most people think of UPSs doing their jobs during storms when the power flickers.  However if you check the log file, you will probably notice that the UPS frequently has to make up for power sags in the middle of the afternoon on a bright, sunny day.

I’ve had better luck with the models that have a true serial port rather than a USB connection.  The USB-based units sometimes aren’t able to report advanced information to the computer under Windows 2000.  The serial-port based units within the Back-UPS Pro and the Smart-UPS families always support advanced information no matter which operating system is used.

Software:
 

Windows XP Professional Edition:

Microsoft's most current family of desktop operating systems is Windows XP.  Within the Windows XP family there are several versions including Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional Edition.  My operating system of choice is Windows XP Professional Edition (XP Pro).

Windows XP has the architecture of the Windows NT family, which gives it unlimited system resources.  This means that you can have lots and lots of programs open at the same time without suffering from reliability problems like Windows 95/98/ME.  It supports a large hardware base, too.  It’s mature and has the vast majority of the “kinks” worked out of it. 

Windows XP Pro costs about $50.00 more than Windows XP Home Edition. What does that extra $50.00 give you?  XP Pro has a much more flexible security subsystem.  If the computer is going to be used in a corporate network environment, only XP Pro can cut the mustard.  Also, if you want to create multiple groups in a workgroup environment and set permissions at the group level, you need XP Pro.  XP Pro also has better security management tools.  For example, if you want to setup the Recovery Console utility to automatically login with administrator privileges, you can do so with the "Local Security Settings" utility, where in XP Home Edition, you have to edit the registry directly.

XP Pro includes the IIS web server where XP Home doesn't.  If you are performing web development with a moderate level of sophistication, you can use XP Pro as a test web server or even as a live web server if the site traffic is light to moderate.

In addition, XP Pro includes Remote Desktop capability where XP Home doesn't.  The Remote Desktop allows you to access your computer from elsewhere on the Internet and use it as if you were using your computer locally.  This functionality is similar to other remote programs such as pcAnywhere, Carbon Copy, GotoMyPC, and RealVNC.  You can install any of these other programs on XP Home to give it the same functionality, but they cost extra money (with the exception of RealVNC).  RealVNC will give the same functionality for free but it doesn't allow the copying of files between your local and remote computers where Remote Desktop does.

The bottom line is that if there is any chance that you will be using your computer in a network environment with other computers and you are concerned about security, get XP Pro.  If you are planning on doing any web development beyond a basic static page or two, get XP Pro.  If you think that you will want remote access to your computer from elsewhere on the Internet, get XP Pro.  If you are planning on using your computer at home solely for basic applications such as web browsing, email, word processing, etc. then Windows XP Home Edition will be fine.

This discussion wouldn't be complete without putting in a plug for good ol' Windows 2000 Professional Edition (Win2K Pro).  Win2K Pro was the forerunner to Windows XP.  It too is based on Windows NT architecture with unlimited system resources and wide hardware support.  It also supports network security in a corporate environment and has a built-in web server.  It doesn't have the Remote Desktop, though. Interestingly enough, it's easier to install and configure in a networked environment (such as a Windows NT 4 domain), where XP Pro has a lot more extraneous settings to be tweaked.  Windows 2000 Pro is everything Windows should have been and nothing more.  It's like my old 1991 Isuzu 4-cylinder pickup truck.  The Isuzu was basic truck that rode like a truck.  It didn't have power steering and it was noisy in the cab when you were driving on the highway, but it was super reliable.  For over 10 years, I could count on it to start when I was heading out to work in the morning.  When I eventually upgraded to a Jeep Cherokee (which has a nicer ride), the Isuzu had over 160,000 miles on the original engine and was still running strong.  That's Windows 2000 Pro!  If you are purchasing or inheriting a used computer with Windows 2000 Pro already installed, you don't have to be in a big hurry to upgrade it to Windows XP Pro because you already have the most reliable and easy to maintain operating system on the planet.

There's a problem where some modern worms try to "social engineer" their way into the user's computer by storing themselves in a password-protected, encrypted attachment.  They can slip by the antivirus software because the antivirus application is unable to see what's inside the encrypted file.  The message that accompanies this attachment says something like the user needs to review the file and it provides the password so that they can open the encrypted file.  Once they try to open the attachment and enter the password, the worm automatically executes and jumps out of the attachment and infects the computer.  One neat feature of AVG 7.0 is that you can set it to automatically move password-protected attachments to the virus vault.  This avoids the whole problem.

Another nice feature is that you can configure AVG 7.0 to email you when certain problems occur such as a virus was discovered during a scan.  This comes in very handy when you are maintaining multiple computers such as in an office environment.  You can be alerted to an infection so that you can get it taken care of as soon as possible even if the user doesn't get around to telling you right away.  If the infection is detected in the middle of the night, you can get in early in the morning and get it taken care of right away before the user arrives. 

AVG 7.0 is also very reliable when it comes to downloading and installing virus definition updates on a regularly scheduled basis.  This is a critical feature with any antivirus application in order to be protected against current viruses and worms.

RealVNC:

This is a free remote access program that you can get from http://www.realvnc.com/.  This is an alternative to other remote access applications such as pcAnywhere.  Version 4.x now has the ability to support multiple monitors.

This is my remote access program of choice because it's small and fast, it only requires a single port to be opened on the router per host computer, it works with every configuration that I've tried so far, it always connects on the first attempt, and it's free! 

The default port for RealVNC is 5900, but it's easily changeable so that you can have multiple computers accessible from a single public IP address.  For example, if a small office of 5 computers that share a single public IP address such as 68.56.123.45, you can configure each computer on a different port such as 5900, 5901, 5902, 5903, and 5904.  You then open these 5 ports on the router and point them to the appropriate PC, so when you're outside the office and need to access the first PC, you use 68.56.123.45:5900. For the second PC, you use 68.56.123.45:5901, etc.

pcAnywhere requires two ports to be opened on the router.  One is UDP and one is TCP, which usually requires two entries in the router.  Also, most small business routers are limited to 10 to 30 open ports, so with pcAnywhere you can only have half as many computers available for remote access than you can with RealVNC.

Also, pcAnywhere frequently needs two or three attempts before it successfully connects with the remote computer.  By the third attempt I start scratching my head and wondering whether I'm having the same ol' quirky connection problems that pcAnywhere is plagued with, whether there's a problem with the Internet connection, or whether pcAnywhere is actually running on the host computer.  With RealVNC, it always works the first time.  If RealVNC doesn't connect the first time, I know right away that it's not a problem with RealVNC, but is something else such as it isn't running on the host computer, I typed the IP address incorrectly, or that the Internet connection isn't available for some reason.

One thing that RealVNC won't do is that it won't allow you to copy files between your local computer and the remote computer.  This feature isn't required often, but when it is, I end up having to use my ftp server to transfer files instead.

It also doesn't let you keep a "phone book" where it lets you name each connection and store it in a list.  Instead, it keeps the last ten IP addresses that you have connected to in a drop down list.  I perform remote support for well over 40 or 50 computers.  I can't remember the IP addresses of each computer so I end up keeping a list of the IP addresses and ports in Microsoft Word.

RealVNC is very flexible and you can't beat the price.  If you need remote access capability, give it a try.

www.newegg.com

NewEgg is my favorite online retailer.  In my opinion, this is the best website on the planet if you are going to buy computer hardware.  One thing that sets them apart is that they take pictures of each product and make them available in their online catalog.  In fact, they usually take multiple pictures of the product from different angles, pictures of the box that the product is packaged in, and pictures of the accessories that may come with the product.  They allow the rearders to post reviews about the product.  I find the reviews very informative, but take them with a grain of salt because every once in a while a reader posts a bad review when it may be the user's fault that a given product didn't work correctly.  NewEgg's shipping cost is listed next to each product

YesMicro is another great online retailer.  Their website isn't quite as excellent as NewEgg's website.  However, they carry a wider range of hardware.  If I can't find something at NewEgg, this is my second choice.  I've always received the correct parts promptly.

PriceGrabber doesn't actually sell merchandise themselves, but index merchandise available at other online retailers with price comparisons.  When they cross-reference price, they also include sales tax and shipping if you fill in your zip code to give you the "bottom line" price for final comparison.  I use this site all of the time.  I usually search by model number of the product I'm interested in, but you can also search by categories as well.  Users are allowed to write reviews about their experiences with the various online retailers and assign a 5-star rating.  These Ratings are cumulated so that each retailer has an ongoing score.  The ratings for NewEgg and YesMicro are nearly perfect.

Services:

Utilities for Less

Utilities for Less is a one-stop communications shopper.  Tony Ortolano and his associates have years of experience in the telecommunications industry and have a lot of connections.  Tony will talk with you about your needs and then shop out the best package for you from all of the players in that arena.  Tony will come back and present you several options from various competitors.  The best part is that it doesn't cost you anything.  If you decide to take one of the packages that he offers, Utilities for Less will get a commission from the company that you purchase the service from.  If you don't like any of the deals that Tony finds, it doesn't cost you anything either.  I have yet to be able to beat any of Tony's deals on my own.  He's saved us a bundle on our cell phones.  He's helped several of our customers save a bundle on phone service and long distance service. 

Both cell phone bills and regular phone bills are some of the most complicated statements you will ever have to deal with in your life.  It's much easier to understand a statement from your IRA or 401K than it is to understand a phone bill!  You would be surprised how many times that you are being billed for a service that you aren't even using or aware of.  Let Tony take a look at your phone bill and analyze it for you for free.  I've watched him work his magic in person.  About 2 out of 3 customers that I've referred to him have had errors on their phone bill that have had them overpaying for services.

Give Tony a call at 800-881-2800 or email him at tortolano2@comcast.net.  You will be glad you did!

TechOne

TechOne is a computer services company located in Venice, FL that covers Charlotte, Sarasota, and Manatee counties.  Todd Liljenberg (who owns the company) give exceptional service with a personal touch.  When we are too busy to take on new customers, we refer them to Todd.  Also, when we are out of town, Todd is our backup to cover our customer base if an emergency arises that requires immediate, on-site service.  Give Todd a call at 941-266-7438 or email him at tliljenberg@comcast.net.

K&A Audio

K&A Audio is a full service Audio/Video service company.  They sell, install, and service AV equipment.  They also design and install AV cabling.  They offer personalized service that is second to none.  I've had the opportunity to deal with several AV companies and I have yet to find one that comes close to the expertise that K&A offers.  I had the opportunity to work with K&A because they handled the entire AV installation for the new building for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and I can't say enough good things about their work.  They only use first rate equipment as well such as Crown amplifiers and Tascan mixers.

K&A was started by Kim & Anthony.  Kim is from Australia and Anthony is from New Zealand.  Anthony jokes that everybody from that part of the world is surprised that he and Kim became business partners because there's generally a big rivalry between the Australians and the New Zealanders.  Well, they've done great together and during their 10+ years in business, their company has grown to include offices in Sarasota, FL; Edgewater, NJ; Los Angeles, CA; and London, UK.

If you are looking to install a multimedia presentation room in your company or a nice home theatre at your home, give K&A a call.  Call Amanda at 941-925-7648 or email her at aem@kaaudio.com.