Friday, March 05, 2010

Solid State Drives for your office

SSDs or Solid State Drives is a form of storage for PCs, laptops and other computing device. It's one of the newest technologies adopted in computers and many believe it's going to replace hard disk as the standard storage device. Offices may soon use this type of storage device. It's also possible to use this technology early as it could provide advantages to its users.

The biggest advantage of SSDs is durability. Hard disks have plates that move during read/write process. That means every time you save or delete a data, the hard disk will move. SSDs on the other hand, will do the same process without any movement.
Another advantage of SSDs is the longer battery life it can offer to mobile devices. There are currently laptops and MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) which come with SSDs and they work longer on the road compared to hard disks. The advantage of no-movable parts is also used to add more life to mobile devices.

But SSDs are not necessarily the ideal upgrade for everyone. Its main selling point is durability and better battery life but it's still a very expensive technology. A 64GB laptop can be a lot more expensive compared to 500GB laptop. The storage capacity is clearly limited and can be a lot more expensive.

Before considering SSDs for office and small businesses, always consider the price of the technology. There are situations wherein an expensive upgrade is a must but a business can also wait until SSDs become more affordable.

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Digital voice recorder


Computers can easily record a person's voice thanks to the software that already comes with most operating systems. There are situations when a conversation, speech or meeting should be recorded and a computer is nowhere to be found. A laptop will work fine but live recording could easily sap out its battery. For these unique circumstances when meetings have to be recorded, a digital voice recorder can be a good option. While there are hundreds of brands and versions to choose from, here are the factors to consider in selecting the right digital recorder for business.

Brand new or used? - It’s always advisable to consider brand new gadgets for this type of task. Because a digital voice recorder is a small device, it has to be covered by manufacturers warranty because it's more susceptible to damages.
No additional software - there are digital recorders that require software installed before files can be accessed. This can easily hinder users from accessing files in any computer. Choose a digital voice recorder that can be accessed as a mass storage device.

Choose branded devices - aside from warranty from the manufacturer, devices from well known manufacturers are known to be sturdy. There are popular products that are in mid-range prices (£150-£200) but their only difference is the storage capability. Don't worry about this feature because mid-range products can store more than 100 hours of recording.

Be smart in choosing a digital voice recorder. It’s a small gadget that can really help businesses in their documentation needs.