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Did I Choose the Most Cost Effective Notebook ?
Dec 5th
Did I choose the best laptop ?
Keys to choosing the best laptop computer :
Who is thelaptop user? When choosing a laptop computer, it is important to understand who will be using it.., school student, college student, professional businessman ,office worker, etc.
Where will the laptop be used? For heavy mobile users such as college students and professionals, size, weight and battery life are very important. So when looking over the reviews and relevant specs, keep those factors in mind. The average high school student uses a laptop from room to room in their house, and have loads of access to AC power most of the time. So for these users, the factors listed above may not be as critical.
How will the laptop be used? The more mobile the user, the more durability is needed. Heavy users ie sales reps spend a great deal of time start and shutting down their laptops every day. an average large user will open and shut their notebook computer 5 times a day. Although that may not seem alot of wear and tear, there is also the issue of general handling. Heavy users will be travelling from location to location, in and out of cars,on and off planes etc on a constant basis. This increases the likelihood of damage to the laptop computer, via dropping, bumping and banging, drink spills on the keyboard, etc….
Should I buy a service contract for my laptop? the answer is YES. When you think about carrying around a fragile piece of electronics costing $1000 or more, the price of a typical service contract is a bargain. for a relatively small price £50 per portable computer, its worth it to for you peace of mind.
.How much should I expect to pay for a laptop? It used to be hard to find a quality laptop under £600; however, this is no longer true. There are several companies with fantastic offers, starting around £300. The options / upgrades you select have a large impact in what you can expect to pay. Having a list of what you want in a note, such as memory, speed, hard drive size, burners, etc..will help when you go shopping. Although online portable computer manufacturers allow a great deal of customization, the general public are easily serviced with a “off the shelf” standard portable computer.
What Laptop Brand Should I Select? the worlds your oyster in this respect with the amount of portable computer manufactures out there,with different colours and sizes its everyones personal choice , I myself find that compaq have all the features which service my needs.
Laptop computer www.discount-notebooks.net
David is the owner of www.discount-notebooks.net which has all the latest computers fo all your gamingneeds . htp://www.discount-notebooks.net
How Much Does It Cost To Start An Internet Marketing Business?
Dec 5th
When entrepreneurs find out it costs money to start an internet marketing business they are flabbergasted. The whole reason you get a job is to make money, not spend it.Because of this, many people begin to wonder whether it is even possible to start an online business for free.
It is not possible,unfortunately,to start your own business for free. For an extremely low price you can get one up and running. There are just two costs you will face when starting a business; the cost for a domain name and the cost for a hosting company.
The domain name acts as your identity as this is what people put into their browser to find your web site. You want to take the time to find a domain name that has keywords in it that you intent on targeting and a name that is short and sweet. This will make it much easier for internet surfers to remember your domain name.
Domain names are extremely cheap if you look in the right places. There are close to eight million results that come up when you type in cheap domain names into the Google search bar. Some of the top domain companies like GoDaddy.com offer domain names for as low as $1.99.
The other charge you will have with your internet marketing business is a hosting charge. Your hosting company is the company that makes your site live. This is the company that makes it so visitors can come to your site and actually see what you have built.
Much like domain names, hosting is very cheap as well. Some of the cheaper hosting companies include HostMonster, HostGator and GoDaddy.com. HostMonster and HostGator even offer a free domain name with hosting while GoDaddy.com offers hosting for fewer than five dollars.
Outside of your domain name and hosting, there are no other charges you have to worry about. Anything else you decide to pay for is on you. You can opt to pay for advertising, for content writers, or for graphic designers. After all, no one is an expert at everything. Whether you lack the time or the skills to fully develop your internet marketing site on your own, look into hiring professionals to help you out.
You can start an internet marketing business for extremely little investment. You can have a web site up and running and ready to develop for just five dollars.
Walt Gemmell is the owner and webmaster of http://www.wcgem.com,the site for home business opportunities, free online income training and start up ideas for home business. Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Walt_Gemmell
Tips to Reduce Cost on a Notebook
Nov 29th
The technology used for manufacturing laptops and notebooks are advancing at a neck-breaking speed. Since companies are spending a fortune on the hi-tech research and development of the laptops, their prices can`t drop beyond a limit even if their sizes will. Laptops or notebooks are still being considered as high-end and expensive products. This article will guide you how to reduce you cost while buying a new notebook.
Here are some tips to consider for reducing the cost of that new notebook:
Overall Brand Quality:
Don`t compromise too much on this aspect. Bigger brands tend to offer better services. Hence, if you skimp on this aspect, then might have to take a big risk. However, there are some sites available on the internet that offers effective tools to find the best deal.
Processor:
It is always wise to pick the fasted processor. This is something you should never plan to upgrade later as doing so will require some addition cost. Compromising on this aspect is a bad idea as this has direct bearing on the speed of your work.
Memory:
You can save some money here because you can always upgrade the memory of your laptop as and when you need so. For example, getting 512 MB in the first memory slot (DIMM) will let you add an additional 512MB (in a second memory slot) later on for a total of 1GB, which means you will still make use of the 512MB that came with it.
Screen:
This is a personal consideration which is based on your use. Usually, older eyes prefer lower resolution of a less expensive screen. However, quite a few notebooks have 1 or 2 native resolutions that look good. But, these are high resolutions and most people over 40 find them difficult to read. Hence, to be on the safer side, you must compare before swipe your credit card.
Hard Drive:
If you want to skimp here, do so in terms of size but not speed. Insist on 7200 rpm and do not be influenced by varying views on this.
Video card:
Using a top video card makes sense when you are into graphics work, enjoying your favorite flicks or using Windows Vista with aero interface. Then you should consider including this top hardware feature seriously. However, if you are not doing any of them, then you might save a lot on this aspect.
Warranty:
Since repairing laptops are an expensive ball game, the longer the warranty, the more secured you are. Hence, if you think you will be able to skimp on this aspect, then it`s purely your call.
Operating system:
This is one area where you can substantially cut cost on you laptop. There is no point in paying extra for Windows Vista Ultimate if you are not going to use its features in your daily application. However, skimping down to Vista Basic would not be a good idea if you are planning to use the cool Aero interface. Hence, compare before you buy.
While buying a laptop, compare its cost with its performance. A laptop could cost you more if it is a high performer. However, you should consider the features you are going to use on a regular basis. It is pointless pay extra for the sake of features that are of little use to your purpose. Hence, consider your needs and pick the features you require to be there in your notebook. This will save you from hesitation and making potential errors while buying a laptop.
This article can be accessed in portuguese from the Article section of page www.polomercantil.com.br/notebook.php
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.PoloMercantil.com.br
Why “cheap” Data Recovery Can Cost You More Money and Your Data
Nov 25th
With so many data recovery companies out there, sometimes it’s hard to determine which one is really best. While many consumers choose a provider based on referrals, or just a general comfort level, others simply shop for the cheapest price, and are taken in by $299 or less data recovery promises. Ultimately, this can cost you not only more money, but most likely your data.
This doesn’t mean you need to send your drive to the most expensive companies either. As many of them are way over priced. What we are talking about here is companies that charge $350 or less for ANY type of recovery (including drives that have physically failed).
To put it simply, data recovery is akin to major surgery. Choosing the cheapest doctor is not always the best path when it comes to something as serious as heart surgery. In regards to data recovery, your life may not be at stake, but your business might very well be. So why should you avoid some of the cheaper data recovery companies?
1) Many use “bait and switch” tactics. They will lure you in with unreasonably low quotes, just to get the work in. Then when you have sent them your hard drive you are told that the damage was much more serious and now the cost for the recovery is going to be 2 or 3 times what was quoted.
2) It’s all about volume. The vast majority of these companies are taking in as many drives as they can, and recovering data from the easiest cases using simple software solutions. If a job requires hard to find parts, or extensive work with some of the more specialized tools of the trade, then they simply proclaim that those drives are “unrecoverable”. Untold numbers of drives that contained vital business data, family photos, etc. have been tossed in the trash by their owners simply because one of these companies told them that their data was unrecoverable. The fact is, unless the platters of a drive are severely scored, or the data itself is heavily corrupted it is almost always recoverable. You just have to put in the time and effort necessary to do it.
3) Watch out for hidden charges. It’s quite common for companies to lure customers in with low prices, only to charge them for parts, additional hourly labor, evaluation fees, etc. Make sure to have in writing, exactly what the charges will be before you send the drive into them.
4) It is nearly impossible for any company to recover data for less than $350. Yes, you read right, it is nearly impossible for any company to recover data for less than $350. That may be a pretty bold statement, but it is absolutely true. Sure you can recover easy jobs that only require simple software solutions, but to recover physically damaged drives, it’s an impossibility and I would challenge any of these low dollar companies to prove me wrong.
The reason for this is not only the time and expertise that is involved but also the equipment, and even the parts. In nearly all cases where a hard drive has physically failed, specific parts are needed in order to complete the recovery. This is not just a matter of finding the same model drive. In most instances you have to find the same model, same country of origin, close to the same manufacturing date, same firmware revision, and a host of other parameters. Unless you have every possible drive variation in stock (which no company does), or you get lucky on Ebay, all of this translates into parts outsourcing, which means a company pays a premium for the parts themselves.
For example, looking at just one parts source, I can see that they have a Western Digital 80GB, model WD800JB-00FMA0 with a DCM of HSBACTJCH and a manufacturing date of March 2004. This simple 80GB drive is listed for $215.00. Why so expensive? Because it is exactly what a company may need to complete a recovery.
Now using the example above, how can a company guarantee a recovery price of $299 to a customer for any type of recovery? What if they didn’t have a parts drive on hand? What if the supplier above was the only one that had the drive they needed? You can see how a company would be inclined to deem this particular case “unrecoverable” as opposed to investing a lot of time and money into a job that would generate very little, if any, profit.
In closing, do your homework when it comes to data recovery. Cheap doesn’t always save you money. There are many reputable companies out there. Companies like ACS Data Recovery (www.acsdata.com), Salvage Data (www.salvagedata.com), Ontrack (www.ontrack.com ). Look for companies that put their reputation and profit on the line. This means avoid companies who charge you X amount of dollars just to look at your drive. Look for companies that basically don’t get paid unless they recover your data. If these companies aren’t good at what they do, then they can’t be in business. Just keep in mind how much your data is really worth before selecting a data recovery company, doing so can often help you avoid losing everything.
Dan Fisher is the author of many articles related to data loss prevention and solutions. He resides with this family in Gettysburg, PA.
How Much, What Cost? Making “Going Green” Pay-Off
Nov 23rd
Companies whose product objectives include reducing costs or waste, more reliable equipment management; improved physical asset control or greater situational awareness should investigate the variety of capabilities wireless sensor systems can provide. In addition to the potential savings in energy, there are likely many additional cash benefits to be found.
With 22% of the globe’s energy consumption, the US is the largest energy consumer and lowest energy producer of any developed economy in the world. The result? It is the most CO2 intensive nation in the world with a daily consumption of 6 gallons of oil per person per day or 19 tons of carbon dioxide per capita annually. This is 80% higher than Europe and 94% higher than Japan.
The greatest sources of US energy expenditure are:
• Industrial Energy 35% (chemicals, steel, processing etc)
• Road transportation is 25%
• Residential energy consumption 21%
• Commercial buildings 16%
Over the next decade, those sectors of the economy driven by consumer demand are the ones which will most rapidly increase greenhouse gases – buildings and houses.
The good news is that there are multiple opportunities to improve upon these areas. For example, the demand for energy could be reduced by 25 to 30% through a series of low cost, high return steps:
• Monitor & control of energy consumption specifically heating and cooling in homes and buildings – Smart Grid
• Replacement of incandescent bulbs with compact florescent lighting
• Equipment replacement, choosing high-efficiency water heaters and Energy StarTM appliances when it’s time for new These seemingly small steps save energy and reward investment with a rapid payback of less than 2 years, although many are immediate and some actually pay for themselves instantaneously.
In fact, according to the McKinsey Report “Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much What Cost” 40% of the total options for reducing greenhouse gases do not cost, rather releases money into the economy.
As the recognition not only of the costs of global warming, but also the savings to be realized with replacement and upgrading, become apparent, opportunities abound! There are numerous initiatives and programs supporting environmentally friendly products and solutions which continue to unfold at a breakneck pace. These initiatives are for products designed to be manufactured using greener processes and handled responsibly at the end of their life cycle as well as those specifically designed to aid industries and individuals in reducing their carbon footprint. Products such as Western Digital’s GreenPower hard drives and Seimens hybrid drive system for buses reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions up to 40 percent. Both were developed under green initiatives and are taking their industries by storm.
Green Engineering, what is it?
Clean Energy Act, RoHS & WEEE
WEEE As of August 13, 2005, producers have been required to finance the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of all Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment
RoHS As of July 1 2006 Electrical & Electronic Equipment may no longer be sold in the European Union if it contains any of six banned substance Restriction of Hazardous Substances On March 1 2007 the first phase of Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products came into effect.
The Climate Control Bill introduced by Representatives Edward Markey (D-Mass.) & Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) in May of 2009 introduced the most recent version of the American Clean Energy & Security Act and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17% below 2005 levels by the year 2020. It would distribute up to 85 percent of pollution permits in a proposed cap-and-trade program.
The Carrot & Stick
Cash & Energy Savings Using Wireless Sensor Networks
Industries everywhere are finding ways to save not only on energy and it’s costs but through the use of wireless networks, in numerous other ways too.
According to Oak Ridge National Laboratories, through the use of wireless sensor networks, savings on energy for motors used in industrial processes could improve efficiency by 20%, resulting in significant cost savings. Wayne Manges said: “With electric motor-driven systems accounting for nearly one-fourth of all electricity consumption in the United States, the potential for savings is huge.”
The Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program works with US industry to improve environmental performance and energy efficiency. The ITP is distributing 15 million to support R&D specifically to improve energy efficiency in industrial processes. Already a number of new wireless sensor products are being developed together with the Department of Energy.
Cost savings with wireless systems are recognized in multiple areas including materials and labor where the cost of running wire in plants ranges between $155 and $3,700 per foot. The typical payback for wired systems is 24 months and less than a quarter of that for a wireless equivalent, only six months. Add in the on-going energy savings and the return on investment decision is very clear.
In a large number of industries, companies are recasting their product lines to implement wireless technologies. “We can’t think of any segment of the industry that isn’t going to be impacted by this,” states Honeywell’s CTO Dan Shiflin.
Wireless sensor networks of all varieties are exploding into our world. There is a massive amount of research & development, from academia to start-ups, pushing to create proverbial “better-faster-cheaper” products. A growing number of products are based on an emerging specification “ZigBee”. A majority of utility companies that have settled on a standard have identified ZigBee as their preference due in main to its inherent security capabilities. Real-time data from wireless sensors networks will enable companies to achieve greater productivity and efficiency by continually improving their processes.
Named BP International’s first Director of Technology & Sensory Networks, for the oil company’s Technology Office, Ken Douglas said “You don’t ask people ‘How would you use ZigBee?’ Because they don’t know, but if you ask them: ‘How would you use information that you can now access for the first time?’ They have to think about it for a bit, but then the ideas just starting pouring out.”
In addition to the benefits of ZigBee’s security layers, the mesh network is highly reliable, flexible and can connect a variety of sensors simultaneously including protocols such as OPC, Modbus and HART.
The technologies for green engineering are not only cost effective, if done right, they are cash positive. When it comes to the design and development of products that are energy efficient and eco-friendly, as well as cost effective, wireless sensor networks make “better faster cheaper” energy saving products. Electronic designs using Zigbee products are making home sensors and energy saving devices a reality.It is less expensive when you get smarter, simpler products with better resource utilization while conserving precious resources.
Engineering…great profession…
“Engineering … it is a great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a plan on paper. Then it moves to realization in stone or metal or energy. Then it brings jobs and homes to men. Then it elevates the standards of living and adds to the comforts of life. That is the engineer’s high privilege.”
Herbert Hoover, Civil Engineer, 1929. 31st President
Jody Singleton is the president of Advantage. Incorporated 1993. Broomfield, Co
303-0410-0292
http://advantage-dev.com/Green_Energy.html
Workers Comp Cost: 11 Duties of the Medical Director
Nov 15th
Here’s what to expect from your medical director when handling work-related injuries.
Your medical director, medical department or consultant is a key resource to help interpret medical jargon accompanying work-related injuries or illnesses. Medical personnel can help you to determine the extent of work-related injuries and design transitional duty jobs to get injured employees back to work.
11 Duties for Medical Directors
1. Identify the appropriate contact person to discuss worker injuries and workers’ compensation at your facility. Usually the appropriate person will be the workers’ compensation manager (injury coordinator) or middle manager.
2. Visit company facilities serviced at least once per year.
3. Observe and document the physical requirements for all jobs to determine which of them have the potential to become transitional duty positions.
4. Assess the company’s transitional duty program positions.
5. Telephone treating medical providers BEFORE they prescribe time out of work for an injured employee, to discuss the possibility of transitional duty assignments.
6. Review injured employee’s file to ensure the necessary documentation is completed. If not, talk to the injury coordinator, who should obtain the documentation.
7. Work closely with your injury coordinator to resolve those work-related incidents requiring medical attention or lost time.
8. Observe and note the physical requirements of jobs and transitional duty jobs to provide informed recommendations for transitional duty. This also increases employees’ comfort level with the company’s medical director.
9. Coordinate with injury coordinator and employees’ treating physician to develop transitional duty job descriptions accommodating physical limitations of injured employees.
10. Define and document the boundaries of your role as in-house medical director to ensure delineation between medical director activities and adjuster activities. (workersxzcompxzkit).
11. Determine what medical privacy regulations are relevant to avoid potential violations.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws are different. Consult with your corporate legal counsel before implementing any cost containment programs.
©2008 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com
Free forms are offered periodically at http://www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com/free-workers-comp-form.php
To view Documents by WCK Modules visit http://www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com/documents/Doc-List-by-Module.pdf
Robert Elliott is an executive vice president with Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. Over the past 20 years, he has worked successfully with many industries reducing Workers? Compensation costs, such as airlines, health care, manufacturing, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and many other industries and organizations. Contact him at Robert_Elliott@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com