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	Frequently asked Computer, Etc Questions

This page has not been proof read, etc, grammatical errors may be lingering. I hope I can answer your questions, but be sure to notice the "last updated date" in the section.

Can you come to my house to fix my computer? No. I don't do this anymore and I am out of practice anyway.

Why do I need to protect my computer on the Internet? How? You should protect your computer while on the internet because there are a lot of people out there who think it's "cool" to exploit security holes in computers and see if their virus can make worldwide news. There are a few simple steps that everyone should follow to protect themselves on the internet. Here is what I always suggest: Install the latest version of AntiVirus software once per year, and obtain virus definition updates at least every two weeks. Install a personal firewall and install the updates as often as they are available. Install Privacy software to make sure you're not transmitting sensitive information from your computer. If you have broadband internet access, setup a router, which acts as a firewall. Keep up to date with Windows Updates Be careful what you download and install. Install a Spam Blocker. Optional. This is more for anoyance reduction than anything else. Install a Popup Blocker. Optional. This is more for anoyance reduction than anything else. You can get good free blockers, so it's worth it. The router acts like a very good firewall. My computer is behind a router and has Windows Automatic Update installed, so I feel safer with my "always on" broadband connection than I would on a dial-up connection. You can't set up a router on a dial-up connection, and a dial-up connection is too slow to keep up to date with windows updates unless you diligently check. To illustrate, during August 2003, there was a hacker scare because a virus was exploiting a security hole in Windows where it was able to break in through port 135. Routers don't handle incoming requests unless the owner specifically enables that, so I was safe for that reason. Additionally, my automatic updater had already downloaded the fix three weeks prior. Recommended software for Internet security: Norton Internet Security Suite (CompUSA, $70 before rebates) NIS includes AntiVirus, Firewall, Privacy, AntiSpam, popup blocker, ad blocking, parental controls FREE downloads: AntiVirus: Avast! Firewall: Windows XP Service Pack 2 OR ZoneAlarm Spyware protection: Windows Defender (beta, but still good) Popup blocker: Windows XP Service Pack 2 OR Google Toolbar AntiSpam: I have no experience with free spam blockers. You can try a google search I don't really recommend McAfee products as I've always had difficulty with them, but if you insist, there is a McAfee Internet Security Suite available from CompUSA for $70 before rebates. Routers cost as little as $60-80 depending on the model, store, etc. Section Last Updated: 9/1/06

What should I do about viruses? You should have anti-virus software installed on your computer and it should automatically update itself no less frequently than once per week. Recommended Software: Norton AntiVirus ($30 at walmart): Unfortunately, automatic updates are only good for a year, after which point I recommend purchasing the latest version of the product instead of renewing your "LiveUpdate." Avast! (FREE): While I have no experience with this product, I have heard many good things about it I am aware that McAfee makes an AntiVirus product and you can try that if you want, but I have had problems with it and do not recommend it. You should consider installing a complete Internet Security Suite. Symantec (Norton) offers one for $40 more than just the AntiVirus, and another section in this page lists some free software available for download. Section Last Updated: 9/1/06

What is a firewall and do I need one? A firewall blocks network activity from one area of the network to another area. In other words, it blocks intruders from gaining access to your computer or home network. The best firewall that you can own is one that is a separate piece of hardware, and a router is the best thing to own if you have a broadband Internet connection. Even if you have a router installed in your network, installing a personal firewall adds a little extra protection. These generally require you to authorize all programs that access the internet. If you are paying attention when warnings appear, you can catch some programs running that shouldn't be accessing the internet. Windows XP Service Pack 2 includes a personal firewall and if you have Windows XP, you probably have already installed it as part of an automatic update. See if your Control Panel includes a "Windows Firewall" icon. If not, you can downlown load it from WindowsUpdate. ZoneAlarm also has a free firewall program available for download. If you purchase a firewall application, chances are that you also intend to buy Antivirus. Be sure to purchase from a company that offers an Internet Security Suite in order to save you money. I recommend Norton (Symantec) and they offer a Security Suite for $70 (before rebates). McAfee also offers an Internet Security Suite, but I've had problems with them in the past so I do not recommend them. Section Last Updated: 9/1/06

Do I need to be careful with the software that I download? There is a lot of free and trial software available on the internet. However, there are also a lot of programs that are considered spyware or adware and it's often difficult to tell which software is clean. These programs often collect your internet surfing history (and other more personal information such as e-mail address and sometimes worse) and share that with an advertiser database. Free file sharing programs (Kazaa, BearShare, AudioGalaxy, etc) and free downloadable games are especially known to carry SpyWare in their installation. Many AdWare programs like this will cause a popup to appear seemingly from no where, whereas most popups occur when you open or leave a page. Popup blockers might not detect these types of popups. If you have a few of these adware programs installed on your computer, your computer may run exceptionally slow when starting up and then when accessing the internet. Not to mention you'll have an excessive amount of popup advertisements that you can't get rid of! The safest spyware detection/removal tool for anyone is Windows Defender. I have used the other software (AdAware and Spybot S&D) and I've ended up removing stuff that was not spyware, causing other problems. Another way to look for Spyware/Adware is the brute force method, which I have done and prefer not to. What follows in this paragraph is for advanced users I have started by going through the "Add/Remove Windows Components" in the windows control panel. Whenever I saw something that looked suspicious, I performed a search on the internet to learn what the application was. Since a lot of SpyWare doesn't include an uninstall feature, I also used the msconfig utility that comes with windows (click the start button and select "run"). Upon opening it, I select the "Services" tab and check the "Hide all Microsoft Services" box (XP only). Then I do the same thing by searching the services on the internet. If I am unsure something is SpyWare, I temporarily disable it by unchecking the box next to it. If I know something is SpyWare, I open up the registry, and permanently remove the item. Editing the registry is very dangerous if you don't know what you are doing! If you don't know how to edit the registry, don't. Next it's off to the "startup" tab in msconfig for the same thing. Search Spyware-Guide.com: WARNINGS Look at every item that is returned from the SpyWare removal tool. Some items might be cookies, and those can just be deleted without worry. However, in AdAware and Spybot I've seen many valid programs returned as SpyWare. Removing these programs can cause your computer to slow down even more, and some things to not work at all. Always create a backup of changes that your SpyWare removal tool makes. I've had to rebuild computers because of AdAware changes. Some freeware requires AdWare to be running on your computer. Removing these AdWare programs could cause that software to stop working. Common SpyWare/AdWare or unnecessary software Alexa ATTune CyDoor DLDER Lop.com OnFlow Bonzai Buddy Brilliant Digital Comet Cursor CommonName Gator OfferCompanion Trickler WebHancer more... More Information PC Magazine SpyWare Article (old, before Defender was available) SpyWare Guide Section Last Updated: 9/1/06

What is windows update? Should I be using it? You should most definitely be using Windows update. Critical security patches are constantly being made available through their web site so that your computer can be made as secure as possible. The problem here is if you are on a dial-up connection, these updates can take a long time to download, and since the time you acquired your operating system, there were probably way too many updates to quickly download via a dialup connection. windowsupdate.microsoft.com To take windows update to the next level, be sure to enable the automatic updater (method 4 or 3) which automatically downloads the windows updates in the background while you are connected to the internet. Section Last Updated: 9/1/06

What sort of privacy software is available? I don't know much about privacy software in general, but I imagine it protects your privacy when SpyWare is installed. I think (maybe incorrectly) that having a personal firewall installed would perform similar functions, but it would only block transmissions in general from a given application, not just those that contain private information. If you purchase a privacy application, be sure to look into that company having an Internet security suite that includes the application, which will save you money and further protect your computer. Norton (Symantec) and McAfee offer such a suite. Section Last Updated: 9/1/06

What can I do about all this spam? The best defense against spam is to avoid it. Not mentioned in that article is Privacy software, which could be transmitting your e-mail address from your computer. There are several anti-spam products available today. There are those who look for specific words in an e-mail and then delete the e-mail based on content (filters) and those that require people to authenticate themselves before a message arrives in your inbox (whitelist). Rather than restate information others have done already, check out PC Magazine's review of Anti-Spam Products. I use Norton AntiSpam. It's not terribly customizable, but it works fairly well. I understand there are products that integrate nicely with Outlook and Outlook Express, but I use neither of these e-mail programs. I used to use McAfee SpamKiller, but then it started to stop working for some reason. I don't recommend McAfee products in general because of problems that I've had with them. If you install a filters based anti-spam program, you will still have to set up aggressive filtering to eliminate a lot of the spam. This means that you'll most likely have to analyze the spam that makes it through the filters and add custom filters. Yay, time consuming stuff! If you purchase a Spam Filter application, be sure to look into that company having an Internet security suite that includes the application, which will save you money and further protect your computer. Section Last Updated: 9/1/06

How can I get rid of all of those popups? Windows XP Service Pack 2 includes a popup blocker for Internet Explorer. You may already have this installed. Or, you can download and install Google's free toolbar which includes a popup blocker. It also makes searching the web a little easier, too. If you're still getting a lot of popups, you probably have AdWare and/or SpyWare installed somewhere on your computer. Click here for more information on SpyWare and AdWare. Section Last Updated: 9/1/06

I am thinking of getting a new computer, what should I get? I'm more of a PC user, so I can't offer much help with Macintosh. As you probably already know, you should get a notebook computer if you can spare a few extra dollars. There are models that weigh a little more than others, and are therefore a little cheaper. If you opt for a notebook as your primary computer, you may want to consider an external keyboard and mouse. Some would say you should get an external monitor, too. However, notebook screens are pretty large these days. When I did my research for purchasing my notebook in 2002, I discovered that IBM ThinkPad was the best, followed by DELL, then Toshiba coming in third. Toshiba included the most features for the money, so I purchased a Toshiba. It's not light, but that wasn't a major consideration for me. I also avoided Gateway due to personal experiences with poor customer service. If you're going to get a desktop, I used to say go with a Dell. However, HP and Acer seem to be doing well these days. Here are some specs worth getting when you acquire a computer: Component Minimum Recommended If you have a couple of extra dollars Comments Computer type desktop notebook just to re-iterate what I said above Monitor 17" LCD 19" wide-screen LCD flat panel If you go with the wide-screen, you'll want at least 19 inches to be the same height as a regular 17" monitor Processor (CPU) just about anything One with a multi-core Just about any processor these days will be good enough for you. I generally discourage the celeron processor (by Intel) as it is not as powerful as the Pentium or Centrino processors, so the computer will seem to have a shorter life. Celeron was developed to compete with AMD. I honestly don't know much about AMD processors, but they're good quality and cheaper. Hard Disk Speed 7200 RPM 7200 RPM Sometimes they try to sneek in a slower 5400 RPM drive, but the hard disk is the slowest part of your computer so for a couple of extra dollars, get the faster drive. Notebooks will often include a slower drive by default Hard Disk Size 60 GB 80+ GB It may seem like a lot, but if you get into digital photography or music collecting/archiving, it will go by quick. Memory (RAM) 3GB 4GB or more The more RAM you have generally means the fewer times the hard disk is accessed. Since the hard disk is the slowest part of the computer, more RAM means a faster PC. Hard Disk speed/size and RAM are the first two things you should consider upgrading when buying a new computer, since these are usually the first two things that you wish you had more of. This RAM figure is assuming that you get a computer with Windows Vista. Windows Vista absolutely requires at least 2GB of RAM from what I've read. Mouse wheel mouse optical wheel mouse Optical is very nice... you don't need a mouse pad and never have to clean it. CD / DVD CD-RW and DVD-Reader DVD±RW with dual layer support You may not use it often, but a CD or DVD burner make data backup a lot easier. Plus, you can create music CDs or home DVD movies depending on what you get. If you're into digital photography, data backup is important because those photos cannot be replaced if your hard disk crashes. Music files can be replaced, but it might cost you money. A single layer DVD can fit about 7 times the data of a CD, or a dual layer DVD about 13 times. 1.44MB Floppy Drive N/A USB flash drive if you transfer data often You can get a 1GB flash drive for less the price of a floppy drive and it holds the same as roughly 700 floppy disks. Every computer these days has a USB port. Network Integrated Hard Wired (10/100) Hard Wired AND Integrated Wireless (802.11g or faster) All computers should have an integrated 10/100 network adapter by default. If not, it's usually cheap enough to include one because chances are you'll want to network the computer someday. If you have broadband internet, you definitely need a network adapter. If you purchase a laptop, both types of network interfaces should be included. Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium Windows Vista Home Premium I really wouldn't be recommending Windows Vista if XP were still available. Vista has a few annoyances, but if you turn them off it's not too bad. There are actually more flavors of Vista than mentioned above, including a cheaper home basic version. But, if you don't know the difference yourself, you're better off getting the slightly more expensive version recommended here. Speakers Small & cheap Space friendly, ex: mountable to the monitor Some computers aren't coming with speakers these days. You don't need much unless you're and audiophile or a hard-core gamer. In that case, you'll want better speakers with a sub-woofer, but the subwoofer takes up valuable foot room. Personal preference and space considerations are the biggest factor here. Computer Hardware specs change frequently, so be wary of the last updated date mentioned below. Section Last Updated: 8/2/08

I am thinking of getting a new printer, what should I get? Selecting a new printer is pretty easy these days, but there are a few questions you should consider when making the decision: How much does the replacement ink cost? This is the most important factor when considering cost! I have seen pretty cheap printers, but their ink cartridges are very expensive. It's up to you... cheaper price now and more money in the long run, or more money now and fewer recurring costs? What kind of cable does it use? Does it come with it? Most new printers use USB cables. I don't think I've ever seen a printer that came with the cable. USB cables are usually $10-20 depending on where you shop and the cable length. How well does it print photos? Fortunately the major manufacturers of printers pretty much have this figured out, so this shouldn't be too difficult to figure out. I've heard very good things about Epson printers. HP seems to print nice photos on standard paper. My Canon MultiPASS F60 prints photos best on photo paper. What happens to the ink when wet? Most ink will smudge, but I've heard advertisements that Epson makes an ink that will not smudge when it gets wet. I don't know if that requires special Epson brand paper, however. When you replace the ink, is the print head (nozzles) replaced, too? Some ink cartridges have the print head (nozzles) built in. While this ensures your print heads are the cleanest they can possibly be, it also adds to the cost. Are the replacement color inks sold in one cartridge for all colors or multiple? I think Canon is the only manufacturer that sells the color ink in separate cartridges. While this seems like a cost savings approach based on some colors lasting longer than others, I have noticed that in the 5 years that I have owned two Canon printers, the colors generally run out around the same time. For this and to save a couple of dollars, I try to buy a multi-pack of all 3 colors. Do I want a scanner or fax, too? I own a Canon MultiPASS F60, which is a printer/copier/scanner housed in one unit. There is also another model that has a fax machine built in. I like my printer. I am able to copy documents easily without needing to turn on the computer, and it takes up less space than if I owned two devices. How big is the printer? My last two canon printers were HUGE, but they were good printers. The older one was on clearance and it ended up that buying it was cheaper than buying a new ink cartridge for my old printer, and my old printer didn't print photos. the new one is huge because it scans legal sized documents. Other printer related questions Do I need to purchase special paper? Yes. You should purchase special inkjet paper. You can find it pretty cheap. I have used generic copy paper and I have ended up with paper dust all over everything. Plus, standard copy paper tends to absorb ink too quickly, causing poor quality. I discourage using copy paper unless you don't care about print quality, and your print head is built into your cartridges. A printer that I owned my first two years of college was destroyed because I used copy paper. At least that's my diagnosis. Do I need to purchase the paper that my printer manufacturer recommends? Probably not. I use generic inkjet paper found at walmart, which works fine for documents. Depending on special claims that your manufacturer makes, you might need to use their paper to take advantage of them. Example: smudge free photos even when wet. I want to be able to print envelopes, do I need a special printer? Hopefully not. Most printers will allow you to do this. My Canon MultiPASS F60 does a very poor job feeding envelopes. Fortunately, I gave my old printer to my dad and claimed his old tiny printer. Section Last Updated: 9/1/06

How can I connect multiple computers to each other? (Home networking) I am not a computer network guy, but I have been known to set up and troubleshoot them. If you have absolutely no plans to connect your computer to the internet, you can get away with a network hub or network switch. Switches are slightly more expensive because they handle network traffic a little differently. However, given the low volume on most home networks, a hub will be good enough. Of course, this all assumes you can wire the computers to each other. If you intend to connect to the internet or you want a wireless network, I suggest purchasing a router. Even if you only have one computer on a broadband internet connection, I suggest a router because they function as a firewall and protect your computer from hackers. Additionally, a router only uses 1 IP address as far as your Internet provider is concerned, so you don't have to pay extra if you want all of your computers to have internet access. When buying a router, I have been recommending Linksys wireless routers. Wireless costs the same price as wired routers, so you're better to purchase wireless and disable the wireless radio in the router. In this case, you just need to make sure the router comes with a built-in switch. The main drawback of wireless routers is that they use the 2.4GHz frequency, which is what some new telephones use. The newest phone technology is 5.8GHz, but they're still fairly expensive. Sometimes the network and telephone interfere with each other. Sometimes you can change the channel on the network (1, 6, or 11) or the telephone, but this doesn't always work. If you live in a dense area such as an apartment complex, wireless might be more trouble than it's worth. Also, wireless networks have different ranges and are greatly affected by walls in between devices. The Linksys models that I have been recommending allow for a firmware update, which allow you to purchase a separate range extender (repeater) that can be used to increase the range of your network. Linksys also states on their web site that they sell better antennas, but I haven't seen them in stores yet. No matter which router you choose, there should be a 4-port switch built into it. Once you have chosen a router, your individual computers will need a network interface card (NIC). Many new destops have a built in ethernet NIC, and I'm seeing a lot of new notebooks coming integrated with wireless networking. If this does not apply to you, you will need to purchase additional equipment. If you need a NIC for your notebook, you will need an available PCMCIA slot or a USB port. There are wireless adapters that connect to each type of port. On your desktop, you will probably need an available PCI slot or an available USB port. PCI cards are the cheapest, but USB adapters are easier to hook up because they don't require you to open the computer. I always recommend that you have at least one computer hard-wired to the network. This will make network setup easier, and you will be able to diagnose network problems much more easily. I generally recommend Linksys over other brands of routers. I've had problems out of the box from other brands, and I've heard several reports of the same. These problems may not apply to normal users, but Linksys has been around for a while. There is a new draft 802.11n wireless standard that is supposed to be faster and have better range than wireless-g, but there are only a couple of routers that support that (9/1/06) and performace is not as good as advertised. It has been recommended by a few sources that people wait until this technology is out of the "draft" phase and performs as advertised. Right now, it's basically a more expensive version of wireless-g. Recommended: Router: Linksys WRT54G PC Network Card (PCI): Linksys WMP54G PCMCIA Network Card (for notebooks): Linksys WPC54G USB Network Adapter (for desktops/notebooks) *: Linksys WUSB54G Wireless Range Extender: Linksys WRE54G * if the adapter is USB 2.0, be sure that your computer supports that Once you have the router set up, and if your Internet provider uses anything other than DHCP (Dynamic IP addresses), you will have to make a couple of changes. If you need to log on to your broadband internet, you will have to configure your router some more. Refer to your routers QuickStart guide for instructions. One nice feature of having a router is that they move the Internet authentication process from your computer to the router, so it's one less step for you. If you are using a wireless router on a hard-wired network, you should disable the router's wireless radio in the settings. For wireless networks, you can stop here and consider your network set up. However, you are leaving your computer wide open for your neighbors to hack in and steal your internet connection. You should always do the following: Rename your SSID (network name) to something unique. This is to help you and others. If you name yourself correctly, your neighbors might be able to spot you and contact you via telephone if there are conflicts. Some people opt to hide their SSID for extra security, but I have had problems with that. Enable WPA security (WPA Personal or WPA-PSK) - This requires a special key to be used on each computer in order to successfully connect to the network. This is entered once into the computer and stored for later use. WEP security is similar in that a key needs to be entered, but it is not nearly as secure as WPA. Some older network devices may require a firmware update in order to use WPA. If your network connects to the internet via anything other than a router, do not use file sharing to transfer files between computers. Hackers can easily get in and destroy your computer if you have file sharing an no router. If you don't use a router, be sure to disable the administrative shares if you use Windows NT, 2000, or XP Pro. If you use a router, you are more secure so file sharing should be safe. To set up your computers so that they can see each other and so you can share files, you should visit http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/getstarted/getsetup.mspx. I have always had to play around to get this to work properly, and I don't want to mess anyone up. Section Last Updated: 9/1/06

I am looking for a digital camera, what should I get? This really depends on what you plan on doing with the camera. First things first, when a camera tells you it has a zoom, only look at the "optical zoom" figure. Digital zoom is very grainy and turned off by default on many cameras. You should only need digital zoom if you must print directly from camera to printer. Even then, you will sacrifice quality when you use digital zoom. $20 camera - indoor shot $20 camera - outdoor shot If you just want to try out digital photography, I've seen $20-60 digital cameras at Walmart & Target. No zoom, no flash, low image resolution (0.8MP max), and low quality. I recently bought a $20 Vivitar ViviCam 3350 and I have to say it is true that you get what you pay for. I just wanted to experiment and have a "disposable" digital camera to play around with. I'm not saying this cheap camera is bad for $20, but it's nothing like a real digital camera, so I would not recommend getting one just to try out digital photography. Here are the main reasons this particular cheap camera should not be your introduction to digital photography: Requires a lot of light. (Good luck with indoor shots!) Very low image quality (640x480 is only good for e-mailing friends) No LCD screen to review images (one of the best features of digital cameras!) Can connect to a computer, but requires special software which is quite difficult to use. (Set up like a scanner) If you definitely want to get into digital photography and you want something small or are on a budget, you can buy a relatively cheap camera, which usually come with a 3x optical zoom. These are about $150-300 and up, although I have recommended $200 models over $150 models before. No Zoom 3x Zoom 10x Optical Zoom 40x Optical/Digital Zoom If size isn't so much of a factor, you have a little more money to spend, and/or you want a camera that will be powerful so you won't get tired of as quickly, a camera with a 10x zoom is the way to go. Some models are only a little bigger than the cheaper cameras, so it's not too bad. Regardless, you'll still probably need a larger camera case. There's more glass in the construction, so these cameras will also be heavier. Many of these cameras will allow you to attach additional filters to as well, which is nice in case you ever want to add a wide angle lens, etc. These moderately priced cameras generally start around $400 and have been spotted at $1000, too! I saw a couple of comparable cameras starting at $300, but they were being discontinued. If you want complete power over your camera and/or are a professional photographer, a digital SLR camera is the way to go. I have seen these starting at $1000. If this is what you're interested in, stop reading... you probably know more about photography than I do! There are also other specialty cameras. I've seen ultra compact cameras that have comparable features to the cheaper models, usually except zoom... and price. :) I saw one camera that was about the size of an altoids box, had all of the features of a basic camera plus a base presumably for charging, transferring images, and it cost $400. Not bad if small size is the most important thing to you. The best thing to do when looking at digital cameras is to go to various stores in your area and play with the different models available. Different stores will carry different models. CompUSA, Circuit City, Best Buy, and Walmart have good selections. Staples, OfficeMax, and others have them, too. Here are a few basic questions that are worth asking when you are looking for a digital camera: Does anyone you know have a digital camera? Since you can't really tell picture quality from the camera's LCD screen, ask your friends for some digital image samples and how happy they are with their camera. What brand is the camera? I think all brands are probably good these days, so long as you've heard of them and they're reputable. How many mega pixels (MP) does the camera have? If you're just going to e-mail photos or post them on the web, you won't even need a 1MP camera. I think a clear 4x6 photo can be printed with 2MP, and an 8x10 photo with 4MP. I currently use 1600x1200 resolution (2MP) and if I want to take a photo for an 4x10 print, I can always change to 4MP on my camera. I could print the 2MP as 8x10 photos, but the quality may be poor. What is the zoom factor? As mentioned above, only use optical zoom. Images can be cropped and resized later on your computer so digital zoom should not be something you base your purchase on. Many of the cheaper cameras only have 3x zoom, while the moderate priced cameras have about 10x. What type of memory card does the camera use and how much does it cost? I have not seen one digital camera that has been packaged with enough memory. Once you play with the camera, you'll realize that the included memory will only allow you to take 16-20 photos, or less. You will have to buy more very quickly. Typically, you will want at least 128MB, but 256MB or more will last you longer so it's worth the extra money. At 2MP on my camera, I can get 180-190 photos on a 256MB card. I wouldn't mind a 512MB card, even. Does the camera require a special memory card for certain features? I have owned three Olympus cameras, which have a panorama feature. I can take up to 10 photos and then later the software will automatically stitch the photos together. However, I must be using an Olympus brand memory card. Worth the extra few bucks? In my case it was. How fast is the camera? Digital cameras are slower than film cameras. Not only do you have to wait for the flash to charge (often negligible), you will have to wait for the camera to power on, and then again while the camera saves a photograph. Furthermore, there is often a delay from the time you hit the button until the time the photograph is actually taken. Many times this is a function of the Automatic Focus, Does the camera have an optical viewfinder? Some cameras only have an LCD screen for taking photos. this eats up batteries, and doesn't allow you to hold the camera up to your face to use as a brace. Fortunately, there aren't many cameras like this any longer. Some of the newer cameras however have electronic viewfinders. When you hold the camera up to your face and look through the viewfinder, you're looking at a mini-tv screen, like a video camera. This is a little annoying, but it lets the camera do more things. Is there a mode dial on the camera? This just allows you to select a photo-taking mode and is much easier than going through electronic menus. Is there a custom mode so that you can save your favorite settings and re-use them? My last camera was the equivalent of one of the cheaper cameras of today. In order to save my normal settings, I had to select "save all settings" in the menu. That meant that if I had the flash set to "off" and the zoom all of the way out when taking a photo, that setting would be saved even after turning off the camera. Fortunately, that little annoyance was fixed in my new camera, which has a myMode function. That allows me to save four sets of settings and easily use them without having _all_ settings saved between uses. What kind of batteries does the camera take? Some of the cheaper cameras still are using AA or AAA batteries. Digital cameras are battery hungry though, so if this is the case I suggest Energizer Photo Lithium batteries, for about $10/4-pack. These last so much longer than normal alkaline batteries. If you opt for rechargable AA batteries, purchase NiMH batteries, as they will last longer than the old NiCd rechargeables. Some of the newer, more expensive cameras are coming with Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) rechargeable batteries which last even longer. However, if your batteries die, you should still have 1-2 spare charged batteries available. Questions to look into with these are how much the spare batteries cost, and how do you charge the batteries? Some cameras include the charger in the camera, which might mean you'll also want to purchase a spare charger. There are benefits to each battery type. AA batteries are easy enough to replace if you run out of a charge, but Li-Ion batteries are much smaller, last longer, less waste, cheaper in the long run. What is the flash range of the camera? Most cameras will not have a very good flash range, but it's worth looking into. What type of lens does the camera have? I don't know much about photography, but those that claimed to have some sort of special lens looked good to me. Mine claimed to allow for extra sharp images, so that really looked good to me. Does the camera allow for an external flash? Will you even use this option? Some cameras have an external flash option, but I hear the affordable external flashes are not user friendly. Also be sure on the kind of flash it uses. Some require really bulky components that many people wouldn't carry around with them. Does the camera take video with sound? If you intend to use this feature a lot, purchase a video camera. Otherwise, it's just nice to have. Some older models only recorded video, not sound. movie quality is generally OK, but not usually good enough for making a DVD. These also eat up memory. Also check if the camera itself plays back sound. Not important, but it's nice. What accessories come with the camera? I already said you will need extra memory, but other accessories should include a lense cap, strap of some sort, 1 set of batteries, A/V cable (if supported) for connecting to a TV, a USB cable for connecting to a computer/printer, and some sort of battery charger (if applicable). Can the camera take panorama shots? Some camera brands (at least one in particular) have a panorama function that will let you take a series of photos and then later their software will stitch them together for you pretty easily. My camera has this function, but I must use their memory card. Can additional filters be used? Some of the moderately priced cameras will let you attach additional filters, wide angle lenses, etc. In order to attach these accessories to my camera for example, I need a cheap attachment and then I can attach anything with a 55mm thread to that attachment. Does the camera support PictBridge? This is apparently a standard method of hooking a camera up directly to a PictBridge enabled printer without needing a computer. Other cameras, such as kodak, have their own printers. Obviously if you have specific requirements in a camera, you'll have more questions that you'll want to ask. When I went through this process in June 2004, I ended up with the Olympus C-765. I purchased it and an additional 256MB Olympus xD card from J&R Music and Computer World and was very pleased with their service. This is my third Olympus camera, and I have been pleased with all of them. To me, Olympus always seemed to be one step ahead of everyone else. Olympus has a nice web site that allows you to choose the camera that's right for you. * information up to date as of 7/2004, the last time glockler.com purchased a digital camera. Prices & features may vary. I am only an amateur photographer, but these are the things I look for.

What resolution photographs should I take with my digital camera? From various sources, I have gathered these guidelines for printing using common resolutions: Megapixels (MP) Resolution (pixels) Recommended maximum print size (inches) Absolute maximum print size (inches) * 0.3 640x480 N/A - sharing online only 2 x 3 (Wallet) 0.8 1024x768 N/A - sharing online only 5 x 7 1.2 1280x960 2 x 3 (Wallet) 5 x 7 2 1600x1200 4 x 6 8 x 10 3 2048x1536 5 x 7 larger than 8 x 10 4 2288x1712 8 x 10 larger than 8 x 10 I'm not saying that I recommend using the absolute minimum resolution available for your desired print size, but you should experiment with your camera/printer. Higher resolution images will look better on a print than their smaller resolution counter-parts. But, if you predominately want 4x6 prints and you may want the occasional 8x10, experiment with using the 1600x1200 or 2048x1536 resolution on your camera/printer. I use 1600x1200 resolution and although I can notice a slight quality degradation when printing 8x10, it's not much. If I took the photo to a professional developer, I will probably obtain much better results. Regardless, I plan on keeping my camera at 2MP unless I specifically want a 8x10. That way I can maximize the quantity of photos in memory. For space considerations on your camera's memory card, check this page, which is somewhat accurate depending on the level of compression your camera uses. Again, you have to experiment. I use a high quality mode, 2MP, and have a 256MB card. I can only get 180-200 photos depending on the photo complexity.

How should I print my digital photographs? Many stores are now accepting digital media and will create prints for you if you don't have the equipment or the time to figure out your computer. If you opt to print on your computer, it's up to you and what your camera and printer supports. I like to transfer all of my photos to my computer first, and then print from there. However, some cameras and printers allow you to print directly from the camera to the printer. My camera is PictBridge compatible, so I can hook it up to any PictBridge enabled printer, choose my photo, and click on "print." There are printers available that will generate 4x6 prints using pre-cut 4x6 paper. I need a normal printer, so this would just be an extra expense and another item to sit atop my desk. Instead, I just print to my normal printer with glossy photo paper, and then use the $20 paper trimmer that I bought at Staples for nice clean edges. There are cheaper paper trimmers that are available and take up less space, too. For some information on purchasing a new printer, view the limited new printer section above.

How can I save money by shopping on the web? What I have done in the past was to do my product research ahead of time and choose the product that I want. Then, I look for the cheapest price on the web. In my case, my expensive items are usually electronics, and there are a lot of places on the web selling electronics! Not many can be trusted, though. I like/trust these places for electronics and order from them if I like their price: Walmart K-Mart Target Staples \ Circuit City Best Buy OfficeMAX Amazon Buy.com (although in 2 orders, out of stock items took a long time to get in stock) J&R Music & computer world These are also good shopping sites to look at as well. It's best to search on the product's model number once you've chosen what you want: shopping.yahoo.com froogle.google.com BizRate MySimon PriceGrabber You have to be careful with these places though: Be sure to get a site that has a 30 day return policy with no extra fees. Some places have special rules for certain large/expensive products. A store that has a 5-star rating (yahoo only). Also be sure to look at the actual ratings. I have seen merchants that bribe customers to give them a 5-star rating before the product ships. Look for "awaiting my product" or "gave me a discount" etc If the company calls you after placing the order, consider cancelling right there. Really cheap items might be refurbished. Check the site's policy Check the site's privacy policy If the store has several different storefronts under different names (the sites will look/function very similar), they might be trying to trick people into buying from them. (look for a physical address or phone number) if they trick you this way, how else will they trick you? Don't buy from a site that does not list a physical address, phone number, or e-mail address(es). If you buy and have problems, good luck getting ahold of them! If you want to look for used items, check out eBay. I haven't purchased much stuff from there, but be sure to check the seller's profile before placing a bit, and be sure to see how much shipping will be before placing a bid. Determine your max price, and always check in before the auction expires if you really want the item. I have won auctions when one person outbid another within a minute of closing, and then I snuck in and grabbed it from them. You have to be quick sometimes.