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May 2002 EduNotes
EduCyber is pleased to present the May Edition of EduNotes. In this issue
you'll learn whether you could benefit from a network, whether you should
consider an alternative to Windows or Mac OS, and get the scoop on the
new kinds of memory. Also, don't miss the opportunity for a free computer
inspection (details below). Enjoy and as always, send feedback to edunotes@educyber.com.
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Does your computer need an upgrade? Not sure? Give us a call. We'll provide
a free onsite inspection of your system. Then we'll provide you with recommendations
as to whether it should be upgraded, replaced or if it is running as it
should. Call us at (720) 275-4646 to schedule your free inspection.
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Do I Need a Network?
If you've got two or more computers, the answer is yes. The real question
then becomes, what kind of a network do I need? There are two kinds of
networks, client-server and peer-to-peer. The client-server network is
generally bigger and the server software is expensive. The peer-to-peer
network is ideal for small networks and is relatively inexpensive. Generally
speaking, if you have 2 to 5 computers you probably want a peer-to-peer
network and if you have 10 or more computers you need a client-server
network. The 5 to 10 computer range can go either way depending on what
you need or expect from the network.
A client-server network allows the network administrator to manage things
like user accounts, backups printers and shared directories from a single
location. A peer-to-peer network, on the other hand, needs to have user
accounts set up on each computer and there is, by definition, no central
location for managing the network. Instead of setting up user shares on
the server, each computer has its own shared directories set up. When
your network grows to more than five computers, this can quickly become
unmanageable or extremely time consuming.
A peer-to-peer network is great for sharing printers amongst two or three
computers or if one computer has the files that two or three other computers
need to access. In the long run, a peer-to-peer network is far superior
to a "sneaker-net" (running files back and forth via floppy
disks). Floppies are notoriously unreliable, leaving the data you put
on them at risk of being irrecoverable. Networking your computers can
be done at a relatively low cost and the gains (vs. sneaker-net) quickly
pay off.
Another benefit of networking your computers is the ability to share a
fast Internet connection. If you have a cable or DSL (or even an ISDN)
Internet connection, you can share that connection with all the computers
on your network. This works with either kind of network and is far cheaper
than having separate accounts and separate dedicated phone lines for dial
up accounts.
The hardware for setting up a peer-to-peer network can be had for as little
as $110 (one hub, three network interface cards and three cables). Depending
on installed operating systems and computer configuration, the time to
set up this network would take from two to five hours. A Client-Server
network is considerably more expensive to set up and install but the gains
in productivity also quickly add up.
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Costly Upgrade?
Tired of the high cost of software? An upgrade to Windows XP costs about
$200. An upgrade to Office XP costs between two and three hundred dollars.
Mac OSX 10.1 costs around $150. Office v.X for the Mac costs around $500.
Where does it all end?
If you're willing to give up some of the point and click functionality
that comes with Apple and Microsoft software, you might be ready for Linux.
Linux can be had for free over the Internet or you can pay around $60
for the Linux operating system and for about $170 you can get a version
of Linux (Mandrake) that includes Sun's StarOffice 6.0, an office suite
that is compatible with Microsoft Office Documents.
The cost savings alone might be enough to make you want to take a closer
look ($170 for a complete operating system and office suite vs. $600 for
a complete version of MS Office and Windows or $650 for a complete version
of OSX and MS Office.) But the stability of the system might lead you
to take an even closer look. Tired of blue screens or system freezes?
Linux is a very stable operating system with 1000's of people around the
globe working to make it even better. In fact, this OS is so stable that
Steve Jobs and Apple chose it as the basis or kernel for the OSX operating
system in the new Apple computers.
Though its opponents have been decrying the "open source" movement
which brings us free or very cheap software, it has been making steady
inroads into our computing lives. Ironically, since nominal fees have
been added, more companies have been willing to buy in to it. Open source
means the source code is available to anyone who wants it. This in turn
means that anyone can customize or change the code - unlike Microsoft
which refuses to share its code. Among the many benefits of this open
source is that there are literally thousands of developers around the
world. If a bug or flaw is discovered, many people can work on a fix immediately.
While it's still not the answer for many, Linux and other open source
products are working their way into mainstream use. Within the next five
years Linux could become much more important (and even more user friendly).
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Memories
Am I losing my memory or has the world of memory changed radically? It
appears as though computer memory is undergoing a major shift in order
to keep up with the ever faster processors. It would do little good, after
all, to have a super fast CPU but a system slowed by the speed of the
RAM (memory).
But there are two different technologies competing for the memory slots
on computer motherboards. One, DDR SDRAM (for Double Data Rate Synchronous
Dynamic Random Access Memory) is cheaper and is based on the older SDRAM
or DRAM technologies. DDR SDRAM is considerably faster than the older
SDRAM but slower than the new technology. Look for DDR SDRAM on new lower
end computers.
The newest technology is RDRAM (for Rambus DRAM). RDRAM is not based on
the old SDRAM or DRAM technology and enables the memory to communicate
with the CPU at speeds of up to 800 MHz. Rambus memory can be found in
the high end models like Dell's Dimension 8200 or Gateway's 700 Series
computers.
Which is best for you? That depends on your needs and your budget. For
a home computer or a computer that won't be used constantly, the DDR SDRAM
should be more than sufficient. If you do a lot of graphic work or if
you absolutely need the latest and greatest then you'll probably want
to make sure your computer has RDRAM.
Please note that the motherboards for these different kinds of memory
are made differently so you won't be able to get a computer with DDR SDRAM
and then upgrade it to RDRAM.
While these new kinds of memory are still expensive, the memory used in
most existing computers is growing ever cheaper. If you have 64 MB of
RAM or less on your computer, this is an ideal time to upgrade to 128
MB or more. Give us a call if you'd like some assistance.
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© 2002 EduCyber, Inc. This newsletter is brought to you by EduCyber,
Inc. Permission is hereby granted to redistribute all or part of this
newsletter as long as this copyright message is included. http://www.educyber.com
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email us at edunotes@educyber.com.