Buying A Laptop?

Just four years ago, when I bought my last Laptop, laptops cost an average of more than €1,000, but now Laptop computers commonly break the €400 price point during advertised specials. While the portable offering of Apple computers start at €1,099 and €1,999 for iBook and MacBook Pro hardware, the PC landscape has more variation of included hardware and ultimately capabilities.

Albeit a bit more expensive, Apple has made the purchase decision easy, with few platforms and customization options for hardware that not only runs Windows if you choose to buy it, but also Apple’s advanced and fast operating system, OS-X. Pronounced O-S-Ten, the system supports software suites compatible with Microsoft Office file formats, without their systems being susceptible to viruses and driver crashes that Microsoft is prone to.

Notebooks today come in three price and size categories. They start with mid-sized 5-7 pound basic models with 13" to 15" screens, even larger desktop replacements with 17" to 20" screens, and 3-pound sub-notebooks with 8" to 13" screens. The notebooks in the lower price range may be enticing to your pocket book but lack sophisticated video capabilities for games and 3D interfaces supported by Windows Vista.

Just as your new printer comes with "low capacity ink" cartridges when you buy it new, inexpensive laptops even have fewer battery cells, which limit the amount of running time while unplugged. This means you will need to stay near a power outlet or buy a second battery. It is usually worth the cost to upgrade the battery when you custom order the system, but I have seen extended capacity batteries at the consumer electronics stores as of late.

If you are into gaming, Dell has a line of XPS notebooks with Dual SLI video capabilities, great for driving their internal 17" LCD with video games or High Definition programming at 1080p. HP’s multimedia offering, the HDX, has a huge 20.1" LCD screen, Blu-Ray DVD playback and a pocket for the wireless remote next to the keyboard. At 15.5 pounds, I doubt you will want to lug this monster into class, but it would easily make the trip to a LAN party or a spring break stuck at your parent’s house. I can imagine that if you bought either of these laptops as a college student, you would not have the extra money to take a vacation over spring break, as these machines run within the €2,000 price point, and beyond.

I have used a very capable sub-€500 Compaq notebook for several years before I bought the €1,200 ultra-mobile wide-screen DELL SRS with a backlit keyboard on which I typed this story. Lenovo, owners of the IBM Thinkpad brand, now offer a similar lightweight PC called the X300 which has a few more capabilities and ports than the Air. But at €3,000 the product is much pricier as it comes with a Solid State Drive (SSD) which is small in capacity at 64GB, but offers quick access as well as a longer life expectancy than a hard drive with its fragile moving parts. As a writer, I have always been impressed with the Thinkpad keyboards, and their low-cost IdeaPad line is something to take a serious look at for a low-cost capable system.

As you can see, there are plenty of price points, operating systems and capabilities to choose from in the notebook space, so take a look at the sidebar for tips on buying your next Laptop/Notebook.

Articles Relating To Technology

http://teachingtechnology.suite101.com/article.cfm/teachers_use_technology_in_classroom_control

New classroom technology can be an asset in effective classroom management techniques.

The article tells how Jeff Paulson – an elementary teacher, instructional coach, and educational consultant – works with teachers to improve instructional practice. He examines how if students are offered technological goals, such as games or activities involving the classroom technology it will avoid the students energy being aimed at misbehaving.

The article also looks at his use of technology in learning in the classroom. He uses Wikipedia, develops Podcasts etc with his students, making learning far more interesting for his students and leaving them with less idle time to misbehave.

A third grader introduced himself to Paulson a few years ago on registration day by writing down the web address of his YouTube video site. Paulson remembers this as one of his first wake-up calls to the relevancy technology can bring to student learning. “Just like adults,” Paulson remarks, “children are motivated to write when they know someone else is going to experience it. They have this innate need to create. And who wants to create or write something if it’s not going to be published?”

Technology – in the right instructional hands – gives students a culturally relevant way to publish their own writing, including text, audio, video, and multi-media. “It is differentiated, it is immediate, and it also provides a forum for feedback, by allowing readers to comment,” remarks Paulson.

Technology Article Of Interest

http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=3830&cn=66

This Article takes a look at the ever-inreasing problem of internet addiction in our communities and world-wide. It takes a look at how approximatley ten years ago the only people involved in the internet were paid professionals and now look at what we have all become?! Internet addicts to the point where it has taken over parts of our lives. The article discusses how Internet Addiction based on its superficial similarity to common addictions such as smoking, drinking, and gambling impacts on peoples lives.

In a true addiction, a person becomes compulsively dependent upon a particular kind of stimulation to the point where obtaining a steady supply of that stimulation becomes the sole and central focus of their lives. The addict increasingly neglects his work duties, relationships and ultimately even his health in his drive to remain stimulated. In some cases of addiction (such as addiction to alcohol or to heroin), a phenomenon known as tolerance occurs, wherein more and more stimulation is required to produce the same pleasurable effect. A related phenomena, withdrawal, can also occur, wherein the addicted person comes to be dependent upon their source of stimulation and experiences dramatically unpleasant emotions.

How is this addiction going to progress as the technology generation begins to age?
Will the internet take over basic conversation?
What will be the outcome of internet addiction?
Who Knows?

Sites useful to my course

Useful sites to my course;

www.psihq.ie

www.careerdirections.ie/CD/DBAllCareerFrame.jsp?id=539

I havent made a post in quiete a while, Ballintle has changed a lot in these recent times, a very evident divide has become apparent in the apartments. There is no longer a strong association with the other block and smaller groups are now dispersed throughout.
I experienced possibly the funniest night last night in Ballintle, and of course it was within a simple group of 3. We had called for a pizza, a whopping 16.5" Mona Lisa from Mizzoni, the strong taste of mushrooms overpowered the steak and pepper sauce and so it seemed that the only place that it belonged was apparently on the floors of Ballintle.
It all began when one of the members asked the host for a plate on which she could put her pizza, his reply was, well a little to rude to put on this. So she lowered her arm back and flung her slice of pizza across the room, hitting the other member who was at the fridge in his own apartment. Pizza started to be crushed into one anothers faces,hair couches and was rapidly being thrown across the room.
People began to play even dirtier then sneezing in one anothers faces and spitting water at one another. It was harmless but enjoyable fun.
Although the cleaning was as anticipated....Horrible. A fun night none the less in Ballintle!

Week...Who Knows or cares anymore?

A quiet week was had by all in Ballintle this week, It opened with a house party in Nutgrove on Monday night, and a few Ballintle members were in attendence.
As each attendee slowly reached their oblivion the drama would begin, The distant sing song remained throughout the night as th guitarist contently played away unbeknowing of the smaller divides. One Particular male tried it on with basically everyone in the house, Guys and Girls...
Others received constant accusations about their sexuality, to the point that they wouldn't score a particular person, even after breaking up their partner especially for this person.
The Ballintle Court tour returned home early tuesday morning, dragging their dignity and hangover behind them.
The rest of the week remained quiet and alcohol free..A movie night provided one other nights entertainment, What would one presume if they saw a bunch of college students watching Finding Nemo on a Wednesday night?!

As Money Becomes a problem

Well inthe beginning partying every night was a must but things have seemed to slacken of quiete a bit!!It now seems drinking in ones apartment is the new going out....
Drinking just becomes too expensive!!
But what does one get when they spend too much time together in a particcular apartment?!
Hmmmmm....
Some become very analy retentive...
Where as others whom were welcomed into a group for once in their life decide to "beat down" on their welcoming party!
Its always the nice guys who get the slaps after an arsehole drinks a 6-pack of Dutch Gold and a hhalf bottle of whiskey!!!....
Altho it seems some of the girls can feel all that "home beering" go to their hips and so this week we have welcomed "The Ballintle Fitness Group"....Participation is optional but viewing is a must!!
I always had a thing for a good looking girl with gymnastic backgrounds!...
The outcome?!Two even more stunning ladies than before!!;)!!

Me Jumpin A Car

Week 4

Well this week in Ballintle court we had a bit of a an episode with a particular person.
She maintained she hated her life, and prevented one of her friends talking to the other. Talk about self-concious?!No i do believe its actually called jealousy!!
She persisted in bringin the rest of the group down. She prevented us from having fun, Yet again jealousy!!
But it was worst of all when she started to claim someone was in love with her because they wouldnt talk to her. Someone in Ballintle Court needs to get over themselves!

Basically to those who don't know, Ballintle Court is Student Accomodation located in monkstown which serves IADT. There are approximatley 25 students living in Ballintle and as with any gathering of a particular number of people drama isn't to far behind....
We all gathered in early September and like all freshers, we were very nervous about a new change of scene and a big transition to a whole new level of both living and education. Therefore the innaugoral 'meet n greet' was, as expected, quiete awkward to be blunt. Particular first impressions were made such as "I'll be moving in on top of you" or the famous grunt that reigns from a particular girl in block 1. Some had began bonding friendships whereas others unknowingly entered relationships full of hatrid.
The first week passeed pretty smoothly and all tenants emerged unscafed but to a few feelings of home sickness as is to be expected. It was upon entering our second week in Balllintle that a crack became apparent in our large student family. The communal cooking and eating of what seemed distant first week was now unheard of.
Particular tenants became very self involved in posting ntes towards their housemates, such examples as "Happy Rules For A Happy House". A split within apartments became very evident to the extent that certain tenants would post Schwastica's(excuse the spelling) on their door where as others took a far more anti-rational approach and just decided to change the locks when a particular tenant returned home for the weekend, leaving that tenant and their stuff, quiete frankly abandoned outside their own apartment.
What happened to the nervous happy family that once bonded together so well? What happened to common coutesy within one's home? What happened to threats with shrades of glass? What happened to us??