Computers have evolved in the last few decades from archaic scientific calculators with lots of strange symbols on the buttons to point and click machines that a four year old could master. People still claim to be ‘computer illiterate’ these days but such people probably have not investigated the new types of machines. You no longer have to program a computer to get a response and machines are extremely user-friendly these days. Spending just thirty minutes with a computer could probably turn the most self-confessed ‘computer illiterate’ into someone who understands how to get around the internet, find new friends in chat rooms and find all kinds of interesting information online.
To use a computer nowadays, you need to learn how to turn the machine on, push a few buttons and use a mouse. Computers of this generation nearly seem to run themselves! These thousand dollar computers require very little knowledge from the part of the user.
If you do not want to use a keyboard or mouse, you can set a computer up to be voice activated. You can purchase voice command software which lets you speak to the machine and tell it what to do. This is very new technology that is still being developed, but is already being used in some consumer service systems.
When you last paid a bill over the phone, did you speak to a human or an automated machine? The chances are it was a computer which responded to the commands you gave it. You would have given your full name and perhaps a credit card number. If you have done this, you have used computer technology, perhaps without even realizing it!
If you are new to the world of computers and do not have or want to use voice commands, what about touch commands? Touch command software means you can touch objects on the monitor to tell the computer what to do. This kind of system is used a lot in ATM machines, known as ATM kiosks, around the world. They are also used in health monitoring systems and at employment centers.
You do not need either a keyboard or a mouse for a touch command enabled computer. You just need to touch the boxes on the screen to tell that computer what you want it to do. The programming which makes it respond is advanced and sophisticated, but for the person using the touch screen, it is an easy system to master.
When we are talking about operating computers, we usually mean more than touching screens or talking on the phone, but this does prove how far computer technology has come in only a few decades. Computers are so much more user-friendly now too. You will eventually need to learn how to use a mouse and keyboard if you want to get a home computer, work with a cash register or booking system, but it is fine to try out easier ways first to familiarize yourself and get more confident.
A lot of the software around today is designed with newbies in mind, so that anyone can send an email, connect to the internet or download a song in mp3 format a few hours after plugging your new machine in for the first time.
Article Source: http://articlecrazy.com Cheap Laptops: Things that You Must Know Before Buying
By: Adam Jaylin
Laptops are no more status symbols but have become an item of necessity. And the market is brimming with a thousand versions of them. Some laptops are too expensive to afford, on the other hand we have also seen some very cheap laptops in the recent times. In fact, there was a big buzz regarding Nicholas Negroponte's one laptop per child who planned to manufacture $100 laptop for children in the developing countries.
The above analysis is presented to acquaint you with the wide price range that can be seen in respect to the variety of laptops available in the market. So when you are planning to buy a laptop, especially a cheap laptop, you shouldn't face any difficulty in finding a few of them in the market. However there are some points that you must take care of while choosing a laptop over the others available in the market.
First, it must be understood as to why you are buying a laptop. Is it out of necessity or because you simply want to add another gizmo into your already existing long list? Whatever may be the case, you need to take care of a few prerequisites before finalising your buy. The foremost feature that needs to be considered while buying a cheap laptop is the size of the hard drive. Remember the hard drive is catalytic in evaluating the efficiency of the laptop, so it should always be bigger and in consonance with your usage and requirement.
Then comes the memory. The memory of a laptop should be somewhere close to 1GB so that you can save a large amount of data into it. And if the need arises, you can as well make it bigger as per your requirement. The processor of the system should also be taken into consideration while evaluating a laptop. The processor makes a program run faster so the speed of the processor shouldn't also not be less than 2ghz.
There are several other things that should be kept in mind while buying a cheap laptop, like the broadband facility, USP port for camera or music player. These features may vary according to their respective manufacturing brands. Thus, by considering all these features, you will be in a better position to judge the capability of a laptop.
Article Source: http://amazines.com
Where to Buy?
Look at your local computer store first, they may have some good deals and offer local support. Office supply and electronics stores such as Staples, Office Depot, and Best Buy are good options to explore too. If you're comfortable buying online, check out
Dell.Com - Shop Powerful & Affordable Dell PCs for Home, Office & Small Business!
Apple.com - Buy a customized iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, or Mac Pro.
HP.Com - $150 Off + Free Shipping & Printer With All HP Computers. Ends Soon!
Lenovo.com - Lenovo ThinkPad, ThinkCentre and the NEW Lenovo 3000 family include desktop and notebook computers built to meet needs of business.
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