Top 5 Things to Include on Your Home Theater PC

You have the big,flat panel HDTV and the home theater sound system. Have you connected your computer to that incredible home theater display and sound? If not, it may be time to fuse your computer with your home theater system. Here are the top five essential pieces of computer hardware to include in any home theater's computer system.

The Top 5: Large hard drive.It will take a lot of hard-drive space on your computer to store all the music, movies and TV shows you enjoy. If you are using digital video recording software, you will be able to record and store TV shows and movies for playback later on. Plus, high-definition programming will take up more memory than standard-definition recordings. You may want to install one or more hard drives, 500GB or larger. Data storage is essential for a home theater computer. Video graphics card.Having a good video graphics card will ensure that you don't get any skipping or blurring when your computer runs a video game or a movie on your home theater system. The graphics card processes all the image information so that your computer's CPU can focus on other tasks. Look for a graphics card with a fast processor speed and memory of 512MB or higher. Sound card.. A sound card is similar to a graphics card in that it takes the load of processing data off of your computer's CPU; only it processes sound information. You'll want at least a 5.1 surround-sound speaker system to take advantage of your computer's new sound processing power. You may also need to consider a sound card that supports high-definition sound transmission through HDMI cables. There's no point in having high-quality sound on your home theater computer if the sound quality is lost through a standard-definition transmission cable. Blu-ray disc drive.Blu-ray is the industry standard for high-definition video. It is quickly becoming the center of serious home theater systems. Make sure your home theater computer can at least play Blu-ray discs. You can install an internal Blu-ray drive or connect an external one. If you feel creative, get a Blu-ray drive that can burn Blu-ray discs. You can make compilations of your favorite high-definition video clips and even burn and watch your own home movies onto Blu-ray. Wireless keyboard and mouse.Very few keyboards and mice have a cord long enough to reach from your home theater center to your couch. Look for a wireless keyboard and mouse that can sit on a side table or coffee table, enabling you to browse the Internet and control your home theater computer from across the room. Some keyboards and mice have multimedia buttons that act as shortcuts to your media player, web browser and other frequently used programs. If your home theater is dark, especially during movies, you may need a backlit keyboard and mouse for use when the lights are off.

Tips on Increasing Your Computer Speed

If you're computer is sluggish or slow or if you just want to make sure you maintain your investment, you may want to know some basic tips on computer maintenance. You can take several simple steps you to avoid common computer problems that can affect your computer speed. Keep your system healthy and running smoothly with these basic tips on increasing computer speed.

What You Need to Know: Upgrade your Internet connection.Your computer speed may not be the problem; it may be your Internet connection or networking devices that are slowing things down. Slow Internet response isn't always related to slow computer speed. Check your connection speed using an online Internet connection speed tester. You should not need to download any software to do this. Also, check that your router, modem or other networking devices are up to date. Clean up your registry. The registry contains information about all the files on your computer, even ones you have removed. Clearing the registry of old files can help enhance your computer speed. You may need to read up on how your computer's registry works before you alter anything. You can also download a registry cleaning tool from a trusted Website. Protect against spyware and viruses. Installing antivirus and anti-spyware software is one of the best things you can do for your computer. This software will identify and remove known viruses and spyware as well as help you identify safe Websites and screen your downloads. Spyware and malware can affect computer speed by using your computer resources for unauthorized tasks or even ruining other programs. Make sure your software is up to date and scan your computer often. Defragment your hard drive. Data is stored on your hard drive wherever there is free space. Sometimes, files for one program can be spread out in different places. Defragmenting your computer's hard drive moves files to make them easier to access. Your computer speed will increase and more space will open up on the hard drive. Clean up unwanted files and folders. If you have old files or folders that you don't need, you may want to delete them from your computer's hard drive. You can improve your computer speed by cleaning up these files. Turn off some startup programs. Many programs run simultaneously on your computer, and not all of them are necessary. Programs that start up automatically when you turn on your computer can reduce computer speed. Read your help file or user manual to learn how to remove unnecessary programs from your system startup. Increase your speed by reducing the number of programs running automatically. Install additional RAM.Computer speed is limited to what your computer hardware can support. Random access memory (RAM) is where your computer temporarily stores data for calculations. The more RAM your computer has, the bigger its capacity to do multiple tasks. Adding additional RAM can significantly increase your computer speed. Retire your old computer.If you computer has faithfully served you for several years yet computer speed has become a progressive problem, it may be time to replace it. Computer components degrade over time, and system requirements for new software require more memory and computing power. As time goes by, computer speed will naturally decrease. If you can't upgrade your memory or hard drive, it may be time to replace your system entirely. This is a big step that every computer owner encounters sooner or later, and it may be the only option for increasing computer speed.

How to Set Up Multiple Computer Monitors

You can add a lot of virtual workspace with two computer monitors to spread out your computer desktop, and most computers can easily accept dual monitors with very little setup. Whether you want more monitors & displays for games, video editing or just a larger workspace, these simple steps will help you set up your new displays.

Connecting Multiple Monitors: Check for available video ports. If your laptop or desktop computer has extra video ports, such as VGA or DVI, you can easily connect a second computer monitor. Be sure to mark which video port type your computer needs before you buy a second LCD monitor. If the ports on the new monitor and your computer do not match, you will need a cable adapter to connect them. Verify video setting options. Some computers -- especially older models -- have integrated graphics, which may not support dual computer monitors. Check the display settings on your computer to make sure your system can support multiple computer monitors. In Windows, you can reach Display Properties through the Control Panel menu. If your laptop or desktop has ports for extra computer monitor cables, it will probably support a second monitor. Install a video card (optional). If your computer does not already include a video card, or has no second video port for additional computer monitors, you can expand its display capabilities by installing a video card. Most mid-range video cards support multiple monitors and will help your machine handle extra demands on graphics processing. Connect the second monitor. With the computer and monitors turned off, connect the second monitor cable to the extra port on the back of the computer or on the video card. You may need to screw in the posts to secure the computer monitor cable. Then turn on the computer and both monitors. Open the Display Settings menu. Your computer may automatically recognize the new LCD computer monitors. If not, you can adjust the settings through the Display Properties menu, mentioned above. Navigate to the Settings tab, where you should see two numbered boxes which represent your dual computer monitors. Expand your desktop to both monitors. Click on the second monitor box and then mark the "Extend my Windows desktop to this monitor" checkbox near the bottom of the menu window. If these options are not available, you may need to check the connections for both computer monitors. Click "Apply" to finalize the settings and click "OK" to close the menu. You can now move your cursor, icons and program windows from one monitor screen to the other.

Essential Tablet Accessories

While you may often use your tablet on its own, you will likely need a few tablet accessories to access all of its features and keep it in good condition. Tablet accessories can make it easier to charge your tablet, transfer data to and from it or just prevent excessive wear and tear.

Tablet Accessories: Cases: Every portable device is vulnerable to the bumps and scratches that come from being handled or just packed into your bag or briefcase. Different case materials can protect your tablet and give it a different look and feel. A silicone skin or plastic case effectively shields your tablet's body from most impacts and scratches and can provide a little bit of grip that might keep the slate from slipping out of your hands. Folding tablet PC cases usually cover the screen while you're not using it, and some designs fold backward as a stand for the screen as you watch videos. Touch stylus: Touch-control gestures will probably work for most programs on your tablet, but a capacitive stylus -- for use with capacitive-touch LCD screens -- can be a more effective tool for fine controls, like handwriting or drawing. A stylus also leaves no fingerprints behind. Screen protector: Tiny scratches, smudged fingerprints and dusty buildup can start to accumulate on your screen after a while, making your tablet PC seem dimmer and harder to read. A screen protector can help prevent all of these problems as well as reduce glare on the screen. Portable chargers: A lot of tablets charge through your desktop or laptop computer via a USB cable, but that is not always an option. A separate wall-outlet adapter will let you charge nearly anywhere, and a tablet car-charger/adapter makes it simple to charge the tablet's battery during your commute. Connector cables: Depending on your tablet model, you might have several connection ports available for transferring data, video and audio to and from the device. You might need an extra HDMI, USB or Ethernet cable to let you connect to different displays or non-wireless networks you encounter. Cables also allow you to connect to your tablet to your television. Headphones: Unless your device includes onboard speakers, you will probably need headphones to enjoy audio. Headphones are always nice to have on hand for private listening anyway, and a good pair will give superior quality to your music and movies. Keyboards: All tablets let you type on the virtual keyboard within the screen, but many also connect to a separate, full QWERTY keyboard as well. If you type for an extended period of time, you'll appreciate having a full keyboard. Some keyboards also act as chargers, as an added feature.

5 Tablet PC Features to Consider

Tablets are fast becoming the ideal alternative to laptops for Web browsing, games and multimedia functions. If you're looking at tablet PCs, you should know that the comparison points for them are somewhat different from laptops and other portable devices. Here are some features you'll want to keep in mind while comparing similar devices.

Tablet Features: Operating systems: Tablet PCs, like smartphones, use one of several competing operating systems. All of the following operating systems have different versions, which enable different functionality for your tablet, and all feature downloadable apps. Table Operating Systems: Android: One of the most common operating systems for mobile devices, Android gives you access to a huge number of apps and supports open-source development for its software and features. iOS: Apple's operating system for the iPhone, iPod and iPad gives you access to hundreds of thousands of downloadable apps using Apple's signature multi-touch gestures. Windows 7: This version of the Windows OS has multi-touch support for tablet touch screens and many of the standard features you're used to seeing on Windows PCs. BlackBerry OS: This OS notably features easy synchronization with many corporate software suites, including easy synchronization of e-mail, contacts and calendar data. Design: Several tablet designs are on the market currently, the slate tablet design being the most common. You can also find convertible notebook designs that include a keyboard and a swiveling touch-screen, detachable tablets with keyboard docking stations and multi-screen folding-booklet designs. Each design aims to add different functions that will fit the way you work or play in different ways. Screen size and resolution: Along with tablet design, screen shape, size and resolution also vary. While regular computer monitors have mostly conformed to a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is similar to widescreen TVs, tablet PCs vary widely in their ratio of width to height. Screen size (measured diagonally) ranges from 7 inches to 12 inches, with resolutions as low as 800x480 to 1280x800 pixels. Many computer monitors exceed these resolutions, but the smaller screen size means you don't need as high a resolution to get the same picture quality. Weight: Most tablets are very light, though some will weigh as much as a small laptop, depending on the screen size and tablet design; many weigh less than one pound. Storage space: Almost all available tablets have a certain amount of onboard storage, with anywhere from 8 GB to 250 GB, with 16GB to 64GB being the most common. How much storage you'll need depends on the music, movies, games and apps you plan on storing on your device. Many tablets work easily with cloud storage, too, so onboard storage may not be as much of an issue.