Are you looking for a projector but have no idea what you’re doing? Do you want to be the talk of your town and have the envy of all your friends every time they see your home theater projector? Are you on a budget and want to find the best projector without spending a fortune? You’ve come to the right place because the Projectors Buying Guide will show you exactly what to look for in a home theater projector! So what are you waiting for? Read on to find the information that you need to be giving the best presentations and watching your favorite films on the big screen – right in your own home!
How Big Should It Be
Home theater projectors usually aren’t that big. A good projector should generally be between 5-7 pounds, be able to fit under a bed, and come in a carrying case. It should not be a massive machine like those old clankity projectors that you remember from high school – the ones on that little cart and the teacher would write on the sheets of translucent paper. No, modern day projectors are much better and are even half the size of most PC towers.
Should It Make A Lot of Noise
Your projector probably will make some level of noise because the fan on the inside of the machine has to spin really fast in order to keep the projector cool. If it overheated, you can say bye-bye to Mr. Projector. Have you noticed how at your computer desk, you can hear a slight high pitched sound coming from the computer? That’s the fan – you probably won’t hear anything louder than this coming from your projector and at many times, you will hardly notice it.
Features
Be sure to get a projector in which you can adjust the lens in order to have ultimate viewing pleasure. Also make sure that you have a bright lens that has a high level of lumens and a high resolution. This is to ensure that you can get maximum quality from your projector as most computers run on higher resolution these days. If your projector does not meet the requirements of the computer that you’re using, the projector will automatically compensate by making the picture a little bit smaller. Normally, you won’t even notice this, however, it might make smaller objects in the film even smaller.
Those are the basics and should get you by when you’re out shopping for your projector. Projectors can range anywhere between $500 and $3000, but a projector on Ebay that costs a good $500-$600 will be more than enough to meet all of your requirements. The more expensive brands are just glamour and un-needed quality – like when you buy a new computer and it has 500 GB of hard drive space. You’ll never use that much. So be smart, be safe, and enjoy your new home theater projector.
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A netbook is a lightweight and small version of the traditional laptop aimed at internet usage and emailing.
2009 has been the year of the netbooks, as new products coming to market from the manufacturers like Sony. Its Vaio P offers wider choices and features and compete with established brands like the Acer netbook.
So if you are planning to buy a cheap laptop this season, here are some options for you.
Acer Aspire One D150
Acer has recently introduced the new 10.1-inch Aspire One D150 at a price point of Rs. 20,999. After the 8.9-inch Aspire One, Acer hits the netbook segment with a 10.1 WSVGA LCD display offering 1024 x 600 pixels resolution and Acer CrystalBrite technology.
It sports the 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, a Intel 945GSE chipset that features Intel GMA950 graphics. Also, it comes with 1GB DDR2 memory which can be expanded to 2GB DDR2 memory, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Acer Crystal Eye Webcam, and USB ports. The notebook has a multi-touch trackpad and a six-cell Li-ion battery which promises up to five hours of battery life.
For a change, Acer includes Windows XP with Service Pack 3 pre-loaded in the AOD150 as compared to Linpus Linux Lite OS available in previous models.
Samsung NC20
The Samsung NC20 is a Netbook that uses the VIA Nano Processor U2250 (1.3+GHz, 800MHz), and includes 1 GB of memory as standard. The 12.1″ screen size is larger than typical for this class of ultra portable PC.
The LED-backlit screen has a glossy display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. An external display can be used through the standard VGA connector.
Other features include a full-size keyboard which is coated with anti-bacterial Silver Nano ions, with standard 18.5mm key pitch between keys, memory slot for 2GB RAM, and standard internal hard drive is a SATA 160 GB, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3 USB 2.0, SD card reader, Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks. It carries a price tag of $549.
Lenovo IdeaPad S10
The IdeaPad S10 is a line of consumer-oriented netbook which offer a variety of colors like pearl white, black, red, blue, and pink. They feature a 10.2″ TFT Active Matrix 1024×600 display with a 80 or 160GB hard disk drive and 512MB or 1GB DDR2 RAM, both of which are easily upgraded via a user access panel on the bottom of the netbook.
Priced at Rs 20,990, the netbook packs 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270 processor and runs on Windows XP Home edition. They support 802.11 b/g wireless networking and come with two USB ports, an Expresscard expansion slot, a 4-in-1 media reader, weighs 1.25 kg, a VGA output, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and an in-built mic.
HP Mini 1109TU
It is a small netbook with 10.1-inch LED backlit widescreen display, 2USB ports, headphone-out and mic combo jack. It weighs just 1.09 kg with a price tag of 21,490 plus taxes makes an ideal choice for the consumers.
HP Mini 1109TU runs Windows XP Home and powered by Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor with Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, 1GB memory capacity and 80GB storage. It also sports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Norton AV and in-built memory card reader.
Sony Vaio P
Sony Vaio P comes with either a 1.33 GHz Intel Atom Z520 or a 1.6 GHz Atom Z530 processor, and 2GB DDR2 memory with 533 MHz FSB. It has an 8″ LED-backlit display with native resolution of 1600×768 and weighs just 1.4-1.7 pounds. It comes preinstalled with Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Business, dependent on model.
The Sony Vaio P is available in four color options; Black, Red, Green, and White. The other features includes an integrated webcam, built-in GPS, Bluetooth, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, mobile broadband, and an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500 video card but there is no optical drive. Dependent on the model, storage is either a 60GB hard disk drive or 64GB or 128GB solid state drive. At a price tag of $900, user could not call it a netbook.
After much consideration, you’ve finally decided to purchase a laptop computer instead of a bulky desktop. That may have been a tough decision for you, but there’s still one important question you must answer before anything else-what exactly will you be using the laptop for? More specifically, which of the following styles will best suit your needs: all purpose, business power use, or ultra-portability? If you need help deciding, this guide can help point you in the right direction.
All Purpose
All purpose laptops can do it all and are a great choice for most notebook users. They deliver the best mix of performance and features at a reasonable price. Although they are heavy and somewhat difficult to lug around, their power and multimedia capabilities can match those of desktops. With an all purpose laptop, you can competently browse the web, do e-mail, archive your photos, play music, and even watch movies. If you need power but don’t have enough room for a large desktop, then an all purpose laptop is the perfect choice for you. Many entertainment lovers will want to invest in an all purpose laptop. A good brand for notebooks that can handle graphic intensive applications, hold loads of videos and data and come with all the bells and whistles you’ll want are Sony laptops.
Business Power Use
Business laptops are most frequently determined by the manufacturer. They’re more conservative in style, have added security, and use stronger materials around their cases. A good business laptop should have a hard drive big enough to store all your word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and any other important information. Also, it should come equipped with a CD or DVD burner so you can back up your data. Other important features you should look for in a business laptop include: wireless networking capability; portable printer; handheld scanner; and long battery life. Just make sure the laptop you buy is capable of handling all your business needs and in this economy, is a good deal. Toshiba laptops offer all the features above and are a great value for your business, getting the most for your money.
Ultra-Portability
If you want a lightweight laptop to accommodate your traveling lifestyle, then an ultra-portable laptop is the way to go. Ultra-portable laptops defy gravity by integrating every laptop component into the smallest frame possible. The difference between four and eight pounds may not sound like much, but you’ll certainly feel it the first time you have to carry it across town. Of course, there are a few tradeoffs: a smaller screen, less capacious battery, reduced-size keyboard. All in all, ultra-portable laptops have standard features and can perform basic functions, but there may be a slight difference in terms of power. If you want a true ultra-portable laptop and don’t need to store a lot of data or run several applications at once and just want web access then you should look into a netbook, which is an even smaller, lighter portable laptop specifically designed to access the net.
As you can see, it is important that you take time to assess your needs and what you hope to accomplish with a laptop. Doing this helps you determine which laptop style is the best fit for you. Keep in mind that a laptop should be something you are comfortable using and carrying. Be sure to also check out Tablet PC’s, Thin Laptops, and Rugged Laptops in case these are a more exact fit for you.
Prices of LCD monitors have dropped significantly in recent years, but that doesn’t mean the quality has too. Today, you can purchase a low-price monitor without sacrificing features, performance, and screen size. In fact, most LCD monitors offer stunning image quality, style, portability, and space-saving convenience. However, there are certain key features that make LCD monitors different from one another. The following are some important factors to consider when evaluating an LCD monitor:
Size/Weight—For the most part, this depends on two different factors: the space available to you and what you commonly use your monitor for. It goes without saying that if you intend to use your computer for graphic intensive work like fashion designing or 3D animation, then having a large monitor would make more sense.
Resolution—For the sharpest, cleanest image quality, choose only those with the highest number of pixels. But make sure you are comfortable with an LCD’s native resolution before you buy it.
Pixel-Response Rate—The pixel-response rate, also known as response time, is the minimum time necessary to change a pixel’s color or brightness. The time is expressed in milliseconds, and the longer it takes, the slower the monitor’s reactions. Everyone’s preferences on response times are different. If you play a lot of games, it would be worthwhile to invest in one with a much faster response time. However, most people who aren’t gamers cannot tell the difference.
Viewing Angle—The physical structure of LCD pixels can cause a shift in the brightness and color of images if you view them from an angle. Take manufacturer’s specifications with a grain of salt and make your own observations if possible. Also, it’s important to understand that viewing-angle issues become more critical as panel size increases.
Monitor Inputs– The type of inputs found on an LCD monitor dictate the flexibility and multi-use capabilities of the monitor. Some models have both types of input but only accept a signal through one at a time, whereas others can electronically switch between the two.
Buying the right monitor for you is a very personal experience and it requires time to research and evaluate the various models. People have differences on how they angle the monitor, the level of ambient lighting, and some just have different design tastes than others. The trick is to strike the perfect balance between price and functionality, and the best way to begin is to find exactly what your needs are. Hopefully, you now have enough information to make an educated decision.
