Netbooks Versus Laptops

I encountered the following article, felt that readers might find it to be timely and have re-published it (with permission) below. I myself have been considering whether the advantages of a Netbook might influence my next purchase, so I know there are others out there who probably feel the same way. Consider carefully, though, before you make that leap into new technology...

Netbooks Versus Laptops - What You Need to Know Before You Buy, Pros and Cons

Author: Christophe Catesson

Netbooks - What you need to know before you buy Comparing laptops and notebooks, pros and cons

Are the days of the Laptop numbered?

As the world becomes a smaller place, the Internet grows ever larger and more resourceful. Today, we cannot survive without the Internet at our disposal for a very long time. Hence, vast arrays of handheld solutions which promise Internet access are available. While all of them have their uses, Internet on handheld devices is hardly as rich and resourceful as that on a full-fledged PC. Mobile browsers come with limited support, especially for features like embedded video and animation, thus leaving your web experience half-baked. In today's age of extensive mobility, even the much vaulted laptop looks like a lumbering giant. The solution? Enter the Netbook world.

As of today, Netbooks are little more than ultraportable laptops. As the name suggests, it is best suited for surfing the net on the go along with other lightweight allied tasks. It is not fundamentally designed to be a multimedia center or an office workstation and most Netbooks reflect that.

Screen size for Netbooks is generally 8-9 inches. Screen resolution varies according to make and model and is available up to a respectable 1024x600. While the smaller form factor has definite portability advantages, the smaller keyboard and touchpad area can be a real pain for people with large hands. Connectivity in Netbooks is paramount and hence it generally comes with a whole array of USB connectors, an Ethernet connection and the latest available wireless technology. External display devices maybe supported through DVI/S-Video. Optical drives are optionally available.

Under the hood, the processor for Netbooks needs to be a frugal drinker of electricity. As of today, three different platforms are available. The reliable but ageing VIA C7D (HP 2133 miniNote), the popular Intel Atom processor, and the mixed-bag options offered by AMD (Sempron 2100+, Turion64 or the puny Geode LX800). Memory typically comes in the 512MB-2GB range. Storage may be in the form of a SSD (solid state drive) or a simple hard drive. While SSD's are faster, compact and consume less power, they also add a lot to the price tag of Netbooks. As a compromise, some vendors ship their units with a limited capacity (2-4 GB) flash memory which usually contains the operating system, and a standard hard drive for storage.

In terms of software on your Netbook, you can go for Windows XP or Linux. Linux distributions like Ubuntu 8.10 are an excellent choice as they work very well out of the box. Windows Vista performance is generally poor as they require more power.

A checklist while getting Netbooks can be as follows:-

• Power efficiency- The Atom offers the best bet, but the 945 chipset it ships with is old. The newer US15 chipset is expected to be out soon. Keep a lookout
• Memory- 512MB maybe adequate but you are better off with 1GB+
• Video - Look out for the upcoming Ion(Atom+ GeForce 9400) platform for NVidia with HD Playback capabilities
• Hard Drive -SSD's offer performance and efficiency at higher prices
• Price- can be bought within $500 in general

Most major brands like Dell, HP, Compaq and Acer have Netbooks in their lineup. The ASUS Eee Pc, the first one launched, is also a decent choice. What you have to decide is whether you actually need a Netbook. While it offers portability, a rich web experience and lightweight computing capabilities, it is not really a replacement for a laptop or a phone and in general have failed to find a market niche till date.

About the Author:
For more similar articles, visit http://www.bestlaptopsreviews.com, and read about Laptop and notebook reviews and ratings, most popular laptops , industry news, forums.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Netbooks Versus Laptops - What You Need to Know Before You Buy, Pros and Cons

Article: The Hazards of Facebook

I've told you before about the usefulness of the social networking phenomena called Facebook. I still believe that it is a useful tool and serves to give people more of a sense of connectedness. However, there are hazards you need to be aware of when using this software.

First, being connected is good, but master the art of using security and privacy settings. Another post will go into more detail about the mechanics of this, but the understanding the reasons for doing so are important. If you have been using Facebook for long you will know that your list of 'friends' can grow quite long. One associate of mine has over 400 'friends'. These can be immediate family, close relatives, work associates, church people and people who know people whom you know (AKA strangers!). You do not necessarily want everyone in each of these groups knowing everything about your life. Learn how to handle the privacy settings to limit access to your information.

Second, when dealing with church people (and sometimes family, too) you might find out a lot about other people's lives. Sometimes you don't want to know that much. Recently I have been dealing with some people who I found were leading double lives, one as pious church-goers, and the second as full-on party people with an offensive sense of humor. Some of the things they were getting into made it onto my 'Wall', which caused questions about the company I was keeping. When confronted about it, they grew hostile. Sometimes it is better to distance yourself from such people.

In another instance I joined a legitimate group on Facebook dealing with ministry. However, the kind of ministry this group was involved in offended the sensibilities of someone else I knew. I was told I was "obviously backsliding" because no real Christian would be involved in such a ministry.

Third, Facebook and other social networking sites can take up large amounts of time better spent in other activities. They can suck up your day and leave you wondering what you did. Limit your time to something reasonable and stick to it.

The lesson here is that social networking sites are tools. Like any tool they can be used for good or ill. Be aware of the pitfalls and avoid them as best you can.

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Review: Holiness Data Ministries

Title: Holiness Data Ministries
Format: Website, DVD
Website: http://www.icehouse.net/hdm/

Hard to find classic publications in the Holiness tradition, scanned into electronic format. Also Powerpoint slides of various materials including hymns and songs.

PROS
Huge collection of hard-to-find works.
Available via 'free will' offering.

CONS
Currently available only via DVD

SUMMARY

Need to find a rare text from Samuel Logan Brengle, William Booth or Phineas Bresee? Check here first!

Dorothea and Duane Maxey have been doing this ministry as a work of love since the early 1990's, recognizing that many classic works in the holiness tradition needed to be converted into electronic format in order to be disseminated and saved from disappearance. Currently, they have over 5,000 works available on their DVD. They used to offer their scanned materials on their website, but with the collection growing so large it is available only on DVD now. The Maxeys will send a particular work via email if requested. All services are offered on a 'free will' basis.

It's hard to beat this one! 9.5 out of 10!

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Review: Tiger Census Data Mapper

Title: Tiger Census Data Mapper
Format: Website
Website: http://tiger.census.gov/cgi-bin/mapbrowse-tbl/

Interactive site allowing customized demographic mapping of communities in the USA.

PROS
Extensive mapping capability.
Allows customized overlays.
Freely available to anyone.

CONS
Demographic data is based on the 1990 Decenniel census and 1998 Tiger Line data, so it is a bit outdated, but it is still useful if combined with other sources.

SUMMARY
This site offers some very exciting tools for the churchplanter or pastor. Maps of any area can be generated and modified using custom overlays for various factors, both physical and demographic. The biggest problem is the age of the data, which can still be useful when showing trends in combination with other data sources.

Only because of the age of the data, this site ranks 4 out of 10.

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Review: Community Demographics Report site

Title: Community Demographics Report
Format: Website
Website: http://map.nazarene.org

Interactive site allowing research on demographics of communities in the continental US.

PROS
Fairly extensive reporting.
Allows download into MS Excel sheets for offline research.
Freely available to anyone.

CONS
Only covers the continental USA.
Most stats only available for communities with existing Nazarene churches.
Demographic data based on 2000 census, so it is a bit dated, but still useful.

SUMMARY
This site allows research of demographics in communities with Nazarene churches in the continental USA. The research is based on the 2000 Census, so some of it may be a bit outdated. However, the data is still useful and can show some significant trends, especially when combined with other sources, such as state census data (usually conducted every 10 years at mid-decade). The controls are a little awkward. For a churchplanter looking for data in a new area this is useless, but for a pastor looking in the area of an existing Nazarene church it can be a goldmine.

I give this one a 6 out of 10.


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Review: OpenOffice.org productivity suite

Title: "OpenOffice.org 3.1"
Author: Sun Microsystems
Format; Electronic download
Website: http://www.OpenOffice.Org


PROS
Download is free and unlimited
No license fees
Easy to use
Various languages and operating systems are available

CONS
Some (very) small learning curve for users of other suites.

SUMMARY

Originally called StarOffice and acquired by Sun Microsystems in 1999, OpenOffice is a suite of software products which includes a word processor (Writer), a spreadsheet program (Calc), a presentation program (Impress), a graphics program (Draw) and a database program (Base). It is known 'on the street' as "OpenOffice", but the official name is "OpenOffice.Org" since "OpenOffice" is held as a trademark in the Netherlands by another product.

The suite is "open source", which means that it is maintained and improved by volunteer programmers. The program is available for free download for various operating systems, including Windows and Linux. Best of all it is completely compatible with other large productivity suites, such as Microsoft Office., so you can share files with other users easily. There are no license fees, installation can be on as many machines as you want. The programs were written to be as easy to learn and use as possible, so it bears a great deal of resemblance to other mainstream packages. A user of Microsoft Office will have very little difficulty moving between the two applications.

I have no difficulty in giving this suite of programs a 9.5 out of 10. Looking for a viable way to save your church money? This is a way to save hundreds of dollars and not sacrifice anything in terms of functionality.

Article: Beware the Banner!

My wife said I had to write this, and she is (of course) correct!

We as pastors and techies in the church are always trying to get things for cheap or free. There is nothing wrong with that and it is a form of good stewardship. Why pay for it if someone is giving it away? Well, the answer for that question is, "There is no such thing as a free lunch". Simply put, there is always a cost. Someone is always trying to entice you to do something and get money from you, one way or another even if it is not immediately obvious. In the world of the Web, this often translates to advertising dollars.

"Pay-per-click" is one such scheme. Every time you see an ad on the web and click on it, someone makes a quick half-penny or so. Add up all those fractions of a penny, and someone just made a nice paycheck. Not so bad, right? Just keep an eye on 'em!

In our first church I set up our website with a free service provider. The site looked good and was a good place to send people who wanted to know more. The site started with an 'enhanced' account with no banner ads for 3 months, which I promptly forgot about. After the three months, with no payments, it reverted to the 'free, banner-supported' format. One day I got a call from one of our church members who went on the website and wanted to know why we were running banners for casinos and gambling! I have heard even worse stories, from people who ended up running a website with banner ads for porn sites. Not the kind of image you want to portray.

Check your free website provider and see how they determine what banner ads might be run on your site. It might be worth the $3 a month to buy the 'banner-free' option.

Just a word to the wise....


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Article: Using "Groups" software effectively

Groups? Groups! What is a Group, anyway, and why should I use one?

Simply speaking, a Group is an online software product that allows people with a common interest to communicate and coordinate activities of one kind or another. What kind of activities? Anything from disease management (colitis and crohns at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/colitiscrohns/), freecycling (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Franklin_County_Freecycle/), sports (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Red_Sox_Chat) or church events (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smallchurches/). You'll notice that each of the groups I've highlighted here comes from the Yahoo!Groups site. There are others, notably Google, but this is the one I choose most often to use.

The benefits to the group using this software is quite extensive. Here are some of the features that you can utilize.

• Calendar function with email reminders
• Archived discussion threads
• Ability to post photo albums
• Email distribution list management (mail one note to the site, which then distributes it to all members)
• Simple flat file database capability...maintain address books, etc.
• Ability to store useful files and documents
• Generate polls and surveys

Sound good? So what can you realistically use this for in your church? There are dozens of ways a church can use this kind of software, from connecting with other denominational churches in your area to connecting youth group members to scheduling Bible Quiz tournaments to facilitating communication on boards and committees. An easy project with immediate benefits is to start an email prayer chain. Within a matter of minutes you can construct the basics needed and invite your congregants who have email to join.

Another easy project would be to use the email distribution capability to send out eNewsletters for your church members with email. The obvious limitation here is that anyone participating MUST have an email address. So even though you might send out newsletters via a Group, you'll probably still send some out in paper format.

A missions trip could connect all the participants with deadlines noted on the calendar and reminders sent out, along with needed paperwork stored on the Yahoo server. That way no one would lose the information needed and be hunting for it at the last minute. A centralized repository would eliminate all of that.

How much does it cost? (I can hear you asking this one.) Obviously, most churches can't afford alot of extra outlay. The good news is that many of these providers cover their costs through on-site banner ads, so there is no cost to the user. All you have to do to be able to use Yahoo!Groups is to sign up for a Yahoo account. This opens up the whole suite of software to you. The people who join your group do NOT have to have a Yahoo ID, just a valid email address.

So what are you waiting for? Give it a try!

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Review: "www.Handheldministry.org"

Title: "www.Handheldministry.org"
Format: Website
Website: http://www.handheldministry.org/index.html

Site offering tips, tricks and ideas for using a handheld device in ministry.

PROS
In-depth reviews for what is available.
Good tips, tricks and ideas.


CONS
Website appears to be badly out of date. Most information is rather old.

SUMMARY
I would give this one an 5.0 out of 10.0. There are alot of great tips and ideas here which are applicable despite the age of the material. However, the site is out of date and no new reviews appear to be forthcoming. Visit this site, glean what you can from it and move on.


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Review: www.Olivetree.Com

Title: "Olive Tree"
Format: Website
Website: http://www.olivetree.com/

Commercial site offering downloads for Mobile Devices, with many free downloads available.

PROS
Extensive offering including Bible versions, commentaries, study tools and eBooks.
Many free downloads.
Easy navigation to find software compatible with your device.
Wesleyan materials are available as well as Calvinist.

CONS
Some items are for purchase only (to be expected...this is not a non-profit company!)

SUMMARY
I would give this one an 9.0 out of 10.0. In the words of their website, "With Olive Tree's trademark BibleReader software, which comes free with any Bible download, all of these translations are fully searchable. You won't need a concordance since you can look up every occurrence of a word or phrase of Scripture in seconds. With the Palm, Pocket PC, or Smartphone BibleReader, you can create bookmarks, take notes on a verse, and quickly and easily customize your screen layout to best suit your needs."

This is a great tool for the pastor on-the-go. Some of the translations are available only as purchase (such as the NIV for $24.95 or the NCV for $16.00)

This website should be your first stop when looking for Bible software for your mobile device.

Review: "Bible Reader" for PalmOS

Title: "Bible Reader"
Author: AsaiSoft Limited
Format; Electronic download
Website: http://www.AsaiSoft.com

PDA Bible version for PalmOS

PROS

Download is free
Easy to use
Various commentaries and translations are available

CONS

Hard to find; company website has disappeared.


SUMMARY
I would give this one an 8.5 out of 10.0. As one person said, just having the capability of carrying your Bible on an SD card or in active memory on a PDA is almost worth the cost of the PDA! This is an excellent Bible program, the main disadvantage is that it is now a hard-to-find commodity.


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Review: "Facebook for Pastors"

Title: "Facebook for Pastors"
Author: Chris Forbes
Format; Electronic download, PDF
Website: http://ministrymarketingcoach.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/facebook-for-pastors-by-chris-forbes.pdf

Chris Forbes has written a 31-page electronic book on how to use the social networking tool "Facebook" to market the local church. He discusses such things as branding your ministry, using Facebook to 'touch' your congregation, make your connection to people more immediate and personal, how to best use the Profile page and how to use Facebook to promote church events.

PROS

• Download is free
  
• Content is very relevant and timely
  
• Author writes well and the eBook is well done
  
• Associated Facebook account, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18403101472
  

CONS

• Some of the newer features of Facebook are not covered as yet. Hopefully an update will be coming soon.
  

SUMMARY
I would give this one an 9.0 out of 10.0, a truly hearty recommendation for any pastor to read and profit by Chris Forbes experience and wonderful writing. This is especially useful for the bivocational pastor who has to make the best possible use of time, and who is not free to physically drop everything and talk to or see their parishioners.

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Review: www.biblegateway.com

Web Address: http://www.biblegateway.com/

"Biblegateway.com" is a web-based Bible study tool.

PROS:

• There are many versions of the Bible here, including the NIV, KJV and The Message, as well as various other language versions.


• Search is possible on boolean operators for words as well as for specific passages.


• Access is free


• Available wherever web access is present


• Copy and Paste into clipboard is available


• Various other study helps are included, such as Nave's Topical Bible.

CONS

• Not a PC-hosted application. Web access is needed (can't use it if no access is available).


• Boolean searches can turn up too many entries in some cases to easily go through.


• Searches cannot be limited to certain areas of the Bible (NT, OT, Gospels, Epistles...)

Summary

This is an excellent tool for pastors who have internet access available when preparing a sermon or lesson. It is, of course, not available when out of contact with the web, so a PC based application is needed in this case. Also, the lack of ability to limit searches to a specific area of the Bible is a handicap. Nevertheless, this is definitely a good site to bookmark and use when possible!

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Review: www.ChildrensBulletins.Com

Web Address - http://www.childrensbulletins.com/

"ChildrensBulletins.com" is a web-based service that provides the busy pastor with a way to generate activity bulletins for their young parishioners with a minimum of effort. The site allows for customization of bulletins with date, a blurb about the church and even upload a logo. Pre-made bulletins are available for two age groups, 3-6 years old and 7-12 years old. Bulletins can be generated via a lectionary lookup or by scripture passage.

PROS

• Royalty-free copy rights.
• Fast and easy generation process.
• Unlimited generation of bulletins during subscription period.
• Professional looking and personalized.
• Electronic delivery or delivery quarterly by mail
• Reasonable cost ($16.40 per quarter when delivered electronically)
  
• Available in color or black and white versions.
• Free samples are available as well as a risk-free introduction.

CONS

• Not all scripture passages are covered by pre-made bulletins.
• Some passages may be 'out-of-sync' with a particular sermon.

Summary

ChildrensBulletins.Com offers a cost-effective way to provide for the children in your service. For the busy pastor, this service is a time and work saver.