Friday, May 30, 2008
Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Last weekend I went with my son Tom to go see the new Indiana Jones movie. All of the reviews seem to have nailed it. The story is beyond silly. The action is what you go to these movies for and that won't disappoint. It was interesting to see that Indy's love interest is not some twenty something starlet that would have looked totally out of place. Instead, he meets up with Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) who first appeared in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The movie takes place in the 1950's when the Communist menace was all the rage. Indy takes up the cause and plays the good American after his earlier fighting of the Nazis. Politics and social commentary are often parts of adventure films. It doesn't surprise me that the film is full of stereotypes. As a spoof of 1950's B movies the action never ends. The movie is fun and don't expect anything more. We had a good time and I would expect you to as well. 
School Leaders Get Advice on 'Green' Computing
Here is an aticle I came across by Laura Devaney with regard to schools going "green". I'm interested to hear how you are adapting to this.
With energy costs soaring to record levels, taking steps to reduce energy consumption isn't just good for the environment--it's also essential for the fiscal health of schools. At a recent webinar on "green" computing, panelists discussed several ways school leaders can reduce the power consumption of their technology systems...and ways they can use technology to cut other energy expenditures, too.
Information technology (IT) energy usage "will double in the next four years, and there are some easy things in the world of IT that we can do to attack this problem," according to Andrew Verdesca, marketing manager of energy-efficient technologies and services for IBM.
Verdesca used his company as an example of how a wide range of organizations can foster eco-responsibility. IBM offers a program, called Big Green Innovations, that helps school systems, corporations, and other enterprises design more energy-efficient data centers and reduce energy consumption. IBM also operates asset-recovery programs for buying back and disposing of used IT systems.
"eWaste can't be ignored--1 billion computers will become potential scrap by 2010, and only 45 percent of U.S. companies have eco-friendly disposal plans," Verdesca said.
He said diagnosing the power consumption of your current IT systems is the first step in figuring out which systems are taking up the most energy--and determining which systems can be placed in idle mode when they are not being used.
It's estimated that, in an entire data center, the actual IT systems account for 45 percent of energy use, and power and cooling apparatuses account for 55 percent, Verdesca said. It's also estimated that only 20 percent of an IT system is being used, and the remaining 80 percent is not being used.
"Seizing control of the wasted spaces in systems" is a step in the right direction, he said.
Darrell Walery, director of technology for the Consolidated High School District 230 in Illinois, makes use of conference calling and online meetings to save on gas consumption and paper costs, and the district is upgrading certain online communications channels to save on these expenses as well.
The district is using an intranet and Microsoft SharePoint technology for posting information, which helps reduce the amount of storage space employees need on their individual machines and cuts down on the number of eMail messages that are printed out, Walery said.
"We're educating our users to...think about doing things a little bit differently," he added.
Using server virtualization technology, the district has consolidated 11 servers onto two hard boxes, and all its computers are shut down at a specified time. In addition, all monitors go into "sleep" mode after 20 minutes to reduce power consumption.
"Many [solutions] have very little or no cost and just require behavior changes, so your district can start doing things in a slightly different way," he said.
Converging various IT systems on a single district network can save on energy costs, said Jim Schul, chief information officer for the Harris County, Texas, Department of Education. And internet-based instruction is another "green" option for schools.
"Virtual delivery is now taking off, and not just in the professional development area, but also in classrooms, which we're very excited about," Schul said.
Opting for virtual instruction could prompt districts to reconsider their school construction and building-size needs, he said.
For example, a fully equipped school that houses 2,000 to 3,000 students can cost upwards of $100 million. "If we start to virtualize a lot of our instruction, we might not need a $100 million high school--maybe we need a $75 million high school, because all of our students might not be present at the same time, meaning [we could reduce our] heating and cooling, maintenance, bus, and other energy costs," he said.
Rural schools in particular are affected by today's high gas prices and energy costs, because some students might ride an hour or longer on their way to school. Provided that students have access to technology at home, virtual schooling can help cut gas and electricity consumption, Schul said.
Texas recently passed a law requiring school districts to reduce their energy bills by 5 percent, and the panelists urged school leaders to begin implementing energy-saving plans so they can lead by example and be prepared if, or when, other states begin imposing similar energy-usage mandates.
"Going green is a long-term investment. …Who knows how high energy costs will be 20 years from now?" Schul said. "Think out of the box for eco-friendliness."
"It's just a matter of education and letting people know there's a different way to do things," Walery said.
"Education is critical in this whole area," Verdesca agreed.
With energy costs soaring to record levels, taking steps to reduce energy consumption isn't just good for the environment--it's also essential for the fiscal health of schools. At a recent webinar on "green" computing, panelists discussed several ways school leaders can reduce the power consumption of their technology systems...and ways they can use technology to cut other energy expenditures, too.
Information technology (IT) energy usage "will double in the next four years, and there are some easy things in the world of IT that we can do to attack this problem," according to Andrew Verdesca, marketing manager of energy-efficient technologies and services for IBM.
Verdesca used his company as an example of how a wide range of organizations can foster eco-responsibility. IBM offers a program, called Big Green Innovations, that helps school systems, corporations, and other enterprises design more energy-efficient data centers and reduce energy consumption. IBM also operates asset-recovery programs for buying back and disposing of used IT systems.
"eWaste can't be ignored--1 billion computers will become potential scrap by 2010, and only 45 percent of U.S. companies have eco-friendly disposal plans," Verdesca said.
He said diagnosing the power consumption of your current IT systems is the first step in figuring out which systems are taking up the most energy--and determining which systems can be placed in idle mode when they are not being used.
It's estimated that, in an entire data center, the actual IT systems account for 45 percent of energy use, and power and cooling apparatuses account for 55 percent, Verdesca said. It's also estimated that only 20 percent of an IT system is being used, and the remaining 80 percent is not being used.
"Seizing control of the wasted spaces in systems" is a step in the right direction, he said.
Darrell Walery, director of technology for the Consolidated High School District 230 in Illinois, makes use of conference calling and online meetings to save on gas consumption and paper costs, and the district is upgrading certain online communications channels to save on these expenses as well.
The district is using an intranet and Microsoft SharePoint technology for posting information, which helps reduce the amount of storage space employees need on their individual machines and cuts down on the number of eMail messages that are printed out, Walery said.
"We're educating our users to...think about doing things a little bit differently," he added.
Using server virtualization technology, the district has consolidated 11 servers onto two hard boxes, and all its computers are shut down at a specified time. In addition, all monitors go into "sleep" mode after 20 minutes to reduce power consumption.
"Many [solutions] have very little or no cost and just require behavior changes, so your district can start doing things in a slightly different way," he said.
Converging various IT systems on a single district network can save on energy costs, said Jim Schul, chief information officer for the Harris County, Texas, Department of Education. And internet-based instruction is another "green" option for schools.
"Virtual delivery is now taking off, and not just in the professional development area, but also in classrooms, which we're very excited about," Schul said.
Opting for virtual instruction could prompt districts to reconsider their school construction and building-size needs, he said.
For example, a fully equipped school that houses 2,000 to 3,000 students can cost upwards of $100 million. "If we start to virtualize a lot of our instruction, we might not need a $100 million high school--maybe we need a $75 million high school, because all of our students might not be present at the same time, meaning [we could reduce our] heating and cooling, maintenance, bus, and other energy costs," he said.
Rural schools in particular are affected by today's high gas prices and energy costs, because some students might ride an hour or longer on their way to school. Provided that students have access to technology at home, virtual schooling can help cut gas and electricity consumption, Schul said.
Texas recently passed a law requiring school districts to reduce their energy bills by 5 percent, and the panelists urged school leaders to begin implementing energy-saving plans so they can lead by example and be prepared if, or when, other states begin imposing similar energy-usage mandates.
"Going green is a long-term investment. …Who knows how high energy costs will be 20 years from now?" Schul said. "Think out of the box for eco-friendliness."
"It's just a matter of education and letting people know there's a different way to do things," Walery said.
"Education is critical in this whole area," Verdesca agreed.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Bringing Down the House
Last weekend I went with my son Tom to go see the new Indiana Jones movie. All of the revie
I recently read the book Bringing Down the House, by Ben Mezrich. After being in Las Vegas a couple of times this past year I was feeling like I needed to figure out a way to get rich so that I could spend more time at the gaming tables. This book is a fictionalized account of some MIT students that used their math skills to beat the casinos at blackjack. The book is supposed to be non-fiction, but a couple of recent articles and interviews with people portrayed in the book have made it clear that the story is for entertainment, not facts. Even so, it is quite interesting to see how a group of nerdy kids can become expert at card counting. Working in teams, they hit the casino and have some members counting cards at a table while others come in and take advantage of a positive run with high bets and walk away when the cards are about to turn. The methods they use are not for the casual player. Minimum stakes for a night of cards was more than $10,000. Not every night was a winning night. Still the book describes weekends with profits of $50,000 to $100,000 and more. The characters take great pains to describe how their activities are perfectly legal. Yet the casinos wage war against them banning them from one casino after another. The players felt as if they were Robin Hoods, liberating money from big corporations. Instead of giving the money to the poor though, they kept it for themselves to buy big screen TVs, hugely expensive dinners and buy luxury condos. A movie adapted from the book came out earlier this year. It had very little interest and is probably out in DVD now.
The book was an easy quick read. I wanted my kids to start counting cards so that I could retire. They just looked at me like I was nuts. What else is new?
Enjoy!
Dennis
Grant Opportunities
I haven't posted any grants for a while. Here are a couple that should be of interst.
Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
Organization: The Graffiti Hurts® National Grant Program
Eligibility: Government Agencies
Value: $2000
Deadline: June 5, 2008
The Graffiti Hurts® National Grant Program aims to help communities kick-start or add to a local graffiti prevention program. Grant funds may also be used for a one-time project that has the potential to help reduce graffiti in the community.
Grants of $2,000 will be offered in three categories - community under 100,000 population, community between 100,000 and 300,000 population and community over 300,000 population. The funds must be used for projects that begin by Fall 2008 and are completed no later than December 31, 2009.
Proposed projects can address graffiti prevention and education, rapid removal, or help to enforce local anti-graffiti laws.
Contact: http://www.graffitihurts.org/grant_program/2008/grant-application.pdf
Verizon Foundation Education Grants
Organization: Verizon Foundation
Eligibility: Government Agencies
Value: $5,000-$10,000
Deadline: November 01, 2008
Proposals will also be considered from elementary and secondary schools (public and private) that are registered with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Specifically, we help people to:
Increase their literacy and educational achievement
Avoid being an abuser or a victim of domestic violence
Achieve and sustain their health and safety
Contact: http://foundation.verizon.com/grant/guidelines.shtml
Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
Organization: The Graffiti Hurts® National Grant Program
Eligibility: Government Agencies
Value: $2000
Deadline: June 5, 2008
The Graffiti Hurts® National Grant Program aims to help communities kick-start or add to a local graffiti prevention program. Grant funds may also be used for a one-time project that has the potential to help reduce graffiti in the community.
Grants of $2,000 will be offered in three categories - community under 100,000 population, community between 100,000 and 300,000 population and community over 300,000 population. The funds must be used for projects that begin by Fall 2008 and are completed no later than December 31, 2009.
Proposed projects can address graffiti prevention and education, rapid removal, or help to enforce local anti-graffiti laws.
Contact: http://www.graffitihurts.org/grant_program/2008/grant-application.pdf
Verizon Foundation Education Grants
Organization: Verizon Foundation
Eligibility: Government Agencies
Value: $5,000-$10,000
Deadline: November 01, 2008
Proposals will also be considered from elementary and secondary schools (public and private) that are registered with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Specifically, we help people to:
Increase their literacy and educational achievement
Avoid being an abuser or a victim of domestic violence
Achieve and sustain their health and safety
Contact: http://foundation.verizon.com/grant/guidelines.shtml
Monday, May 26, 2008
Solid State Hard Drives
Samsung announced last week that they have developed a 256 GB solid state hard drive. The most common size now shipping on noebooks is 64 GB. This also has very high read rates compared to the current crop of drives. These have been listed by Samsung as a sequential read speed of 200 megabytes per second and sequential write speed of 160MBps. Intel has similar drives coming out later this year. No prices have been announced yet.
If you are interested in current drives, I have Crucial 64 GB drives available now for $1499. No moving parts. Almost 0 failures.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Good Eats-Snohomish, WA
A couple of months ago my darling wife Sheri and I were at some friends in near Seattle. We decided to go out to dinner and headed into the town of Snohomish. This is an older town that has made itself into a destination with antique stores and restaurants. The town is surrounded by farms that are quickly being encroached upon by housing developments. The couple of blocks of the old part of town feel relaxed and part of the past. It's a nice getaway. We walked up and down the street to find someplace that would give us a good meal. We looked in a few bakeries, a couple of taverns and a ethnic restaurant of two before we settled on The Repp. This is an older bar with worn wood pine flooring, a bar that takes up 2/3 of the space in the main room and booths with curtains on them for privacy. When we were there we started off with salads. The standard house salad is a must for anyone visiting here. The greens were fresh, the cheese delicious and the vinaigrette dressing quite tasty. The goat cheese fritters were also worth trying as an appetizer. We also enjoyed the roasted garlic and three cheese dip. We didn't realize how hungry we were until we saw the menu. Most of the party had hamburgers that had thick tasty patties made from Kobe beef. These came with blue or cheddar cheese and were a substantial meal. I had the herb roasted chicken with garlic mashed potatoes. A great meal worth traveling for.
Enjoy!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Cat 5 Cables
I have a full collection of cables available. Cat5e, Cat6, Fiber, colors. Stock up now for your summer projects.
USB Flash Drives-32 GB Available
USB memory is better value now than ever before. I was always a firm believer that 512 MB pen drives were more than adequate. I have finally come around on this one. 4 GB is not too large. With solid state drives now available on some notebooks 8 GB, 16 GB and even 64 GB discs are common place. Here are a few prices on standard flash drives.
Crucial Brand
1 GB $9.99
2 GB $12.99
4 GB $20.99
Crucial Brand
1 GB $9.99
2 GB $12.99
4 GB $20.99
Kingston brand
8 GB $49.99
Corsair brand
16 GB $99
32 GB $189
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Computer Specials
Here are a couple of specials that are worth considering.
Go to my website for stock computers. If you don't see what you need, click on the customize your computer links. Custom notebooks, desktops and servers.
Off lease computers are a great way to save money. Let me know what your specs are and I'll see what I can find for you.
HP DC5000 SFF desktops
1 GB RAM
3.2 GHz processor
40 GB hard drive
CD-ROM
Keyboard and Mouse
Microsoft Windows XP-Professional
3 year warranty
$345
off-lease/limited quantities
Mobile Lab-30 notebooks with cart, power strips and access points
Dell D610
1 GB RAM
1.6 GHz Pentium M
60 GB hard drive
DVD-CDRW combo drive
Wireless
Microsoft Windows XP-Professional
1 year warranty on notebooks, 90 days on batteries
$18,999
off-lease/limited quantities
Go to my website for stock computers. If you don't see what you need, click on the customize your computer links. Custom notebooks, desktops and servers.
Off lease computers are a great way to save money. Let me know what your specs are and I'll see what I can find for you.
HP DC5000 SFF desktops
1 GB RAM
3.2 GHz processor
40 GB hard drive
CD-ROM
Keyboard and Mouse
Microsoft Windows XP-Professional
3 year warranty
$345
off-lease/limited quantities
Mobile Lab-30 notebooks with cart, power strips and access points
Dell D610
1 GB RAM
1.6 GHz Pentium M
60 GB hard drive
DVD-CDRW combo drive
Wireless
Microsoft Windows XP-Professional
1 year warranty on notebooks, 90 days on batteries
$18,999
off-lease/limited quantities
Summer Teaser
Please sign up for regular updates of my blog. The link to the right allows you to be informed as I make updates. Some specials that I offer are very limited.
The weather the last couple of days has been exceptional. Living around here as long as I have, I know this is not something to expect. It was in the mid 80's yesterday and it doesn't seem as if it will cool off too much today. I was able to get my JetSki in the lake before the crowds descended on the boat ramp. We had a few friends over for a nice barbecue and listened to the ballgame. The Mariners even won! Even the Preakness was fun to watch. I am heading down to Seattle today for the game.
My son Tom is home from college. He was hoping to get an internship at some college in math research for the summer, but he was the runner up at most schools. That's quite an accomplishment for a Sophomore. It still doesn't sit well with Tom. He would prefer to be someplace other than Bellingham. There is a job that he is interested in for the summer as an intern with a local advertising company. His newspaper writing , editing and managing skills could pay off here.
I mentioned the Mariners earlier. What a disappointment the early part of the season has been. It looked like the team had everything it needed before the season began. There had been improvements to the pitching staff. There also were some hitters that were going to need to prove themselves. This usually means that they get off to a good start. Not for this Mariners club. Being in last place wouldn't be so bad if they didn't look so helpless getting there. Even Ichiro has gotten off to a slow painful start. It's not too late, but the team better start making a move.
I read a book a couple of days ago called Running With Scissors, by Augusten Burroughs. This book has been out for a few years and a a movie based on it was made a couple of years ago. This is a memoir of Burroughs when he was a pre-teen through his teenage years. His mother was not always stable. Over the years, he was left to fend for himself. At one point, his mother couldn't take care of herself and decided to turn Augusten over to her psychiatrist to become his legal guardian. Dr. Finch the psychiatrist was not your normal doctor. He had an attitude that you should be allowed to do what you wanted. That each of us had pent up anger that was hurting us more than anything. School was unimportant. Experiencing life was. The Finch household was very accepting, but not filled with the structure young kids need. Augusten drifted back and forth between The Finch's house and his mother's various homes. The black humor of learning to survive makes this book enticing. It's interesting to see how we can survive sometimes when everything seems to be against us.
Keep me informed on your technical needs. I am here to help.
Dennis
Acer 22" Monitor
$259
$259
Plextor NAS
$499
Plextor has overcome the problem of small business networks requiring extra storage and back-up: a convenient 400GB Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that comes equipped with extra features. As well as providing instant shared storage across the network, the PX-EH40L includes: a print server that can share a printer over the network when connected to it via USB; and an automated backup scheduler from the NAS to a USB connected external HDD of the same capacity. Additionally, the Professional Network HDD is both secure and flexible: it includes a high security feature so that the administrator can limit access to certain folders; and it can be configured as a dedicated FTP server.
$499
Plextor has overcome the problem of small business networks requiring extra storage and back-up: a convenient 400GB Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that comes equipped with extra features. As well as providing instant shared storage across the network, the PX-EH40L includes: a print server that can share a printer over the network when connected to it via USB; and an automated backup scheduler from the NAS to a USB connected external HDD of the same capacity. Additionally, the Professional Network HDD is both secure and flexible: it includes a high security feature so that the administrator can limit access to certain folders; and it can be configured as a dedicated FTP server.
Friday, May 16, 2008
How to Use Your Projector
6 Tips for Keeping Your Presentation Interesting
Visuals. Visuals. Visuals.
Your audience wants you to show them what you are talking about — literally. Use color graphics, slides, and handouts to get your message across. Research shows that your audience will remember more when you use visual aids to reinforce your words.
Ditch the Podium
Don't get stuck using the podium as a security blanket. Get out in front of your audience and interact with them. You don't have to zoom around the room, but make sure you occasionally move around especially when the audience is large.
Use Eye Contact
You are the presenter and the attention is on you. Make sure you maintain eye contact with your audience. As a general rule, you should make eye contact with an audience member for three to five seconds. Also you should try to make eye contact with all areas of the room, including the back of the room.
Focus on Your Audience
Visuals are designed to provide your audience with reinforcement of your verbal points. They are not supposed to be a presentation crutch.
Be Who You Are
Don't try and be something you are not. Audiences can smell a fake in a minute. Develop your own presentation style and use it!
Skip the Speech
The worst speakers are those who read straight off their notes. Use notes as reminders, but try not to read them. It is far better to speak naturally and use notes to keep yourself on target.
Visuals. Visuals. Visuals.
Your audience wants you to show them what you are talking about — literally. Use color graphics, slides, and handouts to get your message across. Research shows that your audience will remember more when you use visual aids to reinforce your words.
Ditch the Podium
Don't get stuck using the podium as a security blanket. Get out in front of your audience and interact with them. You don't have to zoom around the room, but make sure you occasionally move around especially when the audience is large.
Use Eye Contact
You are the presenter and the attention is on you. Make sure you maintain eye contact with your audience. As a general rule, you should make eye contact with an audience member for three to five seconds. Also you should try to make eye contact with all areas of the room, including the back of the room.
Focus on Your Audience
Visuals are designed to provide your audience with reinforcement of your verbal points. They are not supposed to be a presentation crutch.
Be Who You Are
Don't try and be something you are not. Audiences can smell a fake in a minute. Develop your own presentation style and use it!
Skip the Speech
The worst speakers are those who read straight off their notes. Use notes as reminders, but try not to read them. It is far better to speak naturally and use notes to keep yourself on target.
Bright DLP® projector.
ViewSonic's PJ558D projector features DLP® technology that delivers amazingly crisp digital images. With 2,500LUMENS AND AN ULTRAHIGH 2000:1 CONTRAST RATIO this portable projector lets you deliver multimedia lessons in the classroom or dynamic presentations in the boardroom with stunning visual impact. The native 1024x768 XGA resolution, DIGITAL KEYSTONE CORRECTION AND OPTICAL ZOOM LENS ensure that you'll get the best possible image in virtually any setting. Experience the flexibility of the PJ558D thanks to SUPPORT FOR 720P AND 1080I HD SIGNALS, advanced video features and multiple inputs. It's a lightweight, powerful projector that lets you take your presentations to a new and brighter level in the office, on the road or in schools.
$905.95
$905.95
Crazy Ants Attack Computers
You think you have bug problems? NASA is concerned that they may be overrun by crazy ants.
Here's an article from Sharon Gaudin at Computerworld
Here's an article from Sharon Gaudin at Computerworld
A flood of voracious ants is heading straight for Houston, taking out computers,
radios and even vehicles in their path.Even the Johnson Space Center has called
in extermination experts to keep the pests out of their sensitive and critical
systems.The ants have been causing all kinds of trouble in five Texas counties
in and around the Gulf Coast. Because of their sheer numbers, the ants are short
circuiting computers in homes and offices, and knocking systems offline in major
businesses. When IT personnel pry the affected computers open, they find the
machines loaded with thousands of ant bodies.The ants have been dubbed Crazy
Rasberry ants after Tom Rasberry, owner of Budget Pest Control in Pearland,
Texas. He first tackled this particular type of ant back in 2002. Since then,
the problem has only escalatedThe Johnson Space Center called in Rasberry a
month or two ago in an attempt to keep the ants out of their facilities. Too
late. Raspberry said he's found three colonies at the NASA site, but all have
been small enough to control.'With the computer systems they have in there, it
could devastate the facility," said Rasberry. "If these ants got into the
facility in the numbers they have in other locations, well, it would be awful.
I've been in this business for 32 years and this is unlike anything I've ever
seen. Anything. When you bring in entomologists from all over the United States
and they're in shock and awe, that shows you what it's like."Part of the problem
is that exterminators have found it nearly impossible to kill the ants. Oh, you
can kill some of them - the first wave, maybe. However, there are so many more
ants coming behind them, that the first wave falls dead in the insecticide and
the subsequent waves merely walk on the dead bodies, keeping themselves out of
the poison and safe from harm.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Laptop Repair Rates
I haven't been able to do any posting for the last week or so. I have a new computer and have spent quite a bit of time loading software and upgrading. One thing I notice is that it generally is a real pain to deal with this sort of thing. Finding the right files you want to transfer, making sure the software is compatible with the new OS, getting the back ups to work properly...all make for long hours with not much to show for it.
I got to thinking about laptops that seem to be showing up in our service department in greater and greater numbers. What is the realistic expectancy of failure for most people? Consumer Reports did a study from 2003 to 2007 and just published their results.
The best brand was Lenovo at 20% failure. The weakest was Apple at 23%. The difference was a statistical equal. All notebooks have about a 20% chance of developing a serious problems in the first year. Here is the chart of the major brands.
3 year warranties are worth the conisderation. NW Computer offers 3 year hardware warranties as standard on our Blue Mountain Notebooks.
Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz T9300 processor, 6 MB L2, 800 MHz
Genuine Windows® XP-Professional
17" TFT WXGA Bright LCD Display
Intel 965PM Chipset
nVidia 256MB Graphics
4 GB DDR2-667 Memory (4GB Max)
200 GB SATA hard drive, 7200 rpm
DVD+/-RW Optical Drive Standard
Intel 802.11a/g/n Wireless LAN
10-Key Number Pad
Modem and Gigabit LAN, 3 USB
1 VGA, 1 S-Vid, Bluetooth
1 ExpressCard Slot, 1 Card Reader
LI Battery & AC Adapter Included
3 year warranty
I got to thinking about laptops that seem to be showing up in our service department in greater and greater numbers. What is the realistic expectancy of failure for most people? Consumer Reports did a study from 2003 to 2007 and just published their results.
The best brand was Lenovo at 20% failure. The weakest was Apple at 23%. The difference was a statistical equal. All notebooks have about a 20% chance of developing a serious problems in the first year. Here is the chart of the major brands.
3 year warranties are worth the conisderation. NW Computer offers 3 year hardware warranties as standard on our Blue Mountain Notebooks.
Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz T9300 processor, 6 MB L2, 800 MHz
Genuine Windows® XP-Professional
17" TFT WXGA Bright LCD Display
Intel 965PM Chipset
nVidia 256MB Graphics
4 GB DDR2-667 Memory (4GB Max)
200 GB SATA hard drive, 7200 rpm
DVD+/-RW Optical Drive Standard
Intel 802.11a/g/n Wireless LAN
10-Key Number Pad
Modem and Gigabit LAN, 3 USB
1 VGA, 1 S-Vid, Bluetooth
1 ExpressCard Slot, 1 Card Reader
LI Battery & AC Adapter Included
3 year warranty
Monday, May 5, 2008
Jim Gilliam
I have been trying to find a decent Jim Gilliam signed baseball for awhile. This is the best that I have been able to find at a price that I could afford. This ball also has signatures by Don Sutton, tommy John, Walt Alston, Steve Yeager and a couple of other guys I haven't been able to figure out yet.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
My Life and Times
I got a few comments from people wanting to keep up with my life. I've decided to start a series with the title "My Life and Times" so you can find these posting easier. Also, I want to remind all of you that you can have notification of new posts sent to you by signing up on the right side of the page.
We are into the merry month of May and the weather is still pretty poor. Every few days we are teased by the sun shining and the temperature rising. Then we fall back into the gray, cold weather we are used to. I know it's bound to improve, but not soon enough. I need to get outside and cut the lawn this afternoon. One of the freaks of nature is the grass grows more when the weather is lousy.
I love baseball. I just finished a book on baseball ballparks, am reading a book about the best pennant races ever and finished another book yesterday by Doris Kearns Goodwin about growing up in Brooklyn being a Dodger fan in the 1950's. Baseball gives me something to think about other than work. This year I was quite hopeful for the Mariner's chances after having a completely different feel for the team after Spring Training. The team was upbeat and had a real positive attitude about what they could do. Some of the trades in the off-season seemed to be very good by adding balance and depth to the team. The season started slow and has now slipped into dismal. When the refrain of "It's only April" slips into "It's only the beginning of May" you know you are in trouble. As I write this, the Mariners are in the midst of loosing a 3 game series to the Yankees. As a fan, there can be very little that is worse. I never would have thought this at the beginning of the season, but it might be time for a management change.
My son Tom is finishing up his finals this week. He'll be home for the summer by Wednesday. Last summer he worked at a local supermarket in the deli section. He was hoping to get an internship this summer with a math program at a college. Even though he applied to a number of schools and had good recommendations, he didn't get in. Tom says he doesn't want to do customer service this year, but doesn't really have anything else lined up. We'll see what he can find next week.
My darling wife Sheri has a new hobby that she has been pursuing recently. Besides Scrabulous and following the Mariners, she has started sewing again. It's fun to watch how excited she gets after going to the fabric store to find cloth and patterns. The one problem seems to be that she is making mostly summer clothes. As you can note from above, this is not a good time to be wearing them. She will have a whole closet full of new dresses and skirts by the time the weather improves. Scrabulous, the online Scrabble game found on Facebook is still her favorite activity.
I have been in meetings for many hours a day recently. That will continue for the next couple of weeks at least. Email me or leave a message on my voice mail and I will get back to you quickly. For immediate help, dial extension 105 to speak with Dave.
We are into the merry month of May and the weather is still pretty poor. Every few days we are teased by the sun shining and the temperature rising. Then we fall back into the gray, cold weather we are used to. I know it's bound to improve, but not soon enough. I need to get outside and cut the lawn this afternoon. One of the freaks of nature is the grass grows more when the weather is lousy.
I love baseball. I just finished a book on baseball ballparks, am reading a book about the best pennant races ever and finished another book yesterday by Doris Kearns Goodwin about growing up in Brooklyn being a Dodger fan in the 1950's. Baseball gives me something to think about other than work. This year I was quite hopeful for the Mariner's chances after having a completely different feel for the team after Spring Training. The team was upbeat and had a real positive attitude about what they could do. Some of the trades in the off-season seemed to be very good by adding balance and depth to the team. The season started slow and has now slipped into dismal. When the refrain of "It's only April" slips into "It's only the beginning of May" you know you are in trouble. As I write this, the Mariners are in the midst of loosing a 3 game series to the Yankees. As a fan, there can be very little that is worse. I never would have thought this at the beginning of the season, but it might be time for a management change.
My son Tom is finishing up his finals this week. He'll be home for the summer by Wednesday. Last summer he worked at a local supermarket in the deli section. He was hoping to get an internship this summer with a math program at a college. Even though he applied to a number of schools and had good recommendations, he didn't get in. Tom says he doesn't want to do customer service this year, but doesn't really have anything else lined up. We'll see what he can find next week.
My darling wife Sheri has a new hobby that she has been pursuing recently. Besides Scrabulous and following the Mariners, she has started sewing again. It's fun to watch how excited she gets after going to the fabric store to find cloth and patterns. The one problem seems to be that she is making mostly summer clothes. As you can note from above, this is not a good time to be wearing them. She will have a whole closet full of new dresses and skirts by the time the weather improves. Scrabulous, the online Scrabble game found on Facebook is still her favorite activity.
I have been in meetings for many hours a day recently. That will continue for the next couple of weeks at least. Email me or leave a message on my voice mail and I will get back to you quickly. For immediate help, dial extension 105 to speak with Dave.
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