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Best Solid State Drives

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:00:47 +0000

Solid state drives are still quite expensive when compared to traditional hard drives but they offer a much faster overall performance and lower power consumption. With hard drive pricing and availability still impacted from the floods in Thailand last year, solid state drives are becoming a more attractive answer for PC upgrades. If you happen to be thinking of upgrading your desktop or laptop to use a solid state drive, check out my selections for the best solid state drives based on value, capacity, reliability and performance.

Best Solid State Drives

Best Solid State Drives originally appeared on About.com PC Hardware / Reviews on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 at 09:00:47.

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Readers' Choice 2012 - Best Tablet Computer

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:03:14 +0000

Over a period of two weeks, readers of About.com had the opportunity to nominate who they felt was the Best Tablet Computer last year. This was the company that did the most in terms of producing high quality tablets over the course of 2011. The nominations are now tallied and the finalists are ready to be voted on. Between February 22nd and March 21st, readers will be able to cast their vote on who they think is the best. Voting does require a login or email address and can be done once per day, so be sure to come back and vote every day!

The winners will be posted announced on March 30th, 2012.

Readers' Choice 2012 - Best Laptop Computer

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:02:11 +0000

Over a period of two weeks, readers of About.com had the opportunity to nominate who they felt was the Best Computer Laptop Computer last year. This was the company that did the most in terms of producing high quality laptops over the course of 2011. The nominations are now tallied and the finalists are ready to be voted on. Between February 22nd and March 21st, readers will be able to cast their vote on who they think is the best. Voting does require a login or email address and can be done once per day, so be sure to come back and vote every day!

The winners will be posted announced on March 30th, 2012.

Readers' Choice 2012 - Best Computer Company

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:01:46 +0000

Over a period of two weeks, readers of About.com had the opportunity to nominate who they felt was the Best Computer Company last year. This was the company that did they best job overall with their products and support in the past year. The nominations are now tallied and the finalists are ready to be voted on. Between February 22nd and March 21st, readers will be able to cast their vote on who they think is the best. Voting does require a login or email address and can be done once per day, so be sure to come back and vote every day!

The winners will be posted announced on March 30th, 2012.

What Is A Solid State Drive?

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:00:33 +0000

Image Courtesy Intel

If you have been in the market for a laptop recently, you may have seen mention of solid state drives. This is particularly true if you are looking at the new class of ultraportables called Ultrabooks. So, what exactly is a solid state drive and how does it compared to a traditional hard drive? Find out more in my technology article that looks at the differences between the two and why you might opt for one technology or the other in your next PC.

What Is A Solid State Drive?

Microsoft's Tablet Strategy May Confuse Buyers

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:00:35 +0000

Laptop and desktop sales are down but tablet sales are huge. Microsoft has always been the dominant player in the computer operating system market but they failed to get any traction in the early tablet market. They are looking to change this with their upcoming Windows 8 operating system with its radically new user interface. They are making some significant changes that may well help them capture a good part of the tablet market. The problem is that their goal of a unified OS may actually end up causing confusion with tablet consumers. Find out more in my latest opinion piece regarding Microsoft's recent announcements about the tablet version of their next OS.

Windows 8 Tablet Conundrum

Computer Deal of the Week - HP Pavilion g6

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:00:14 +0000

Image Courtesy HP Inc.

It seems like finding a laptop computer for under $400 is getting more difficult these days. Much of this may be due to the hard drive prices going up since the flooding in Thailand last year. If you are searching for an affordable laptop though, the HP Pavilion g6-1d26x at BestBuy for just $380 might be something to consider. The laptop is based around the AMD A4-3305M dual core processor with 4GB of DDR3 memory, 320GB hard drive, dual layer DVD burner, 15.6-inch display, Radeon HD 6480G graphics, 802.11b/g/n wireless and Windows 7 operating system. It may lack the general performance that an Intel Core i3 laptop can provide but it does have better overall graphics capabilities.

Disclaimer: All deals are those advertised by the retailer in question and may have rebates or other conditions of purchase for the products. Please be sure to read all disclaimers from the seller before purchasing.

Tablet PC Processor Guide

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:00:03 +0000

While the processors for desktop and laptop computers is fairly easy to understand, the tablet PC market is much more complex. Much of this has to do with the tablet market being in its very early stages but it also has to do with the various software that runs on them as well. Comparing a tablet based on Windows is going to be very different from Android. In order to sort out much of this confusion in the tablet PC market, I have put together a guide to tablet PC processors to try and assist buyers in picking out the tablet that will best match their usage.

Tabet PC Processor Guide

Digital Storm Support Profile

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:00:06 +0000

Digital Storm has been a performance system builder since 2002. Over the years, they have earned a number of awards from various sites and publications for their products. Since each of their systems is a custom build, no two users will likely have the same PC. This means that support for the products can be a bit more challenging. Find out what support options the company offers to customers having issues in my latest profile.

Digital Storm Support Profile

Included in the profile are various avenues that users have for support, some published ratings of the their product support, tips and advice. In addition to this information, I have also added a poll so that readers can share their opinion of the company's support. If you have used their support and would like to let others know of their experiences for better or worse, please vote in the survey and share your experience.

How would you rate Digital Storm's support?

View Results

Lenovo's 21-inch Media Focused All-In-One PC

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:00:46 +0000

Image Courtesy Lenovo

Lenovo has a large number of options for those looking to get an all-in-one desktop system. I have previously looked at the larger 23-inch IdeaCentre B520 setup that is one of the few all-in-ones with a strong 3D graphics processor built into it. If that model is a bit too big or expensive for you, Lenovo also offers another that is based around a 21.5-inch display. Does this smaller version offer the same level of features as its bigger counterpart? Find out in my review of the Lenovo IdeaCentre B320 all-in-one PC.

Lenovo IdeaCentre B320 21.5-inch All-In-One Review