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MIO 168RS GPS PDA
By: The Editor
The MIO 168RS is both a GPS gadget and a full-featured PDA. It's powered by an Intel XScale 300MHz CPU with 64MB of SDRAM memory, and runs Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition. It has a 3.5-inch TFT Active Matrix LCD display with 240x320 resolution in 64K colors as well as a tiny speaker and microphone. (continued...)
You're driving 60 miles per hour. Ahead there's a fork in the road. Do you go left or right? If you move to the left lane, just in case, can you get back into the right lane if you've made the wrong choice? Maybe you should have asked directions when you got gas? There'll be signs, no? That's when you hear an assertive female voice next to you say, "Stay right." It's not your mother, wife, girlfriend, sister, or daughter. It's Mitac's MIO 168RS and it helps you without guilt or recriminations.
The MIO 168RS is actually a dual-use appliance. It's both a Pocket PC and a GPS device. It's powered by an Intel XScale 300MHz CPU with 64MB of SDRAM memory, and runs Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition. It has a 3.5-inch TFT Active Matrix LCD display with 240x320 resolution in 64K colors as well as a tiny speaker and microphone. There's no Bluetooth or WiFi. The 168RS attaches to your PC via a USB connection and has an SD memory slot. Conceptually, it's the computer you owned back in 1997 except now it weighs just 5.2 ounces, fits in your hand or in the portable cradle you can install in your car, and comes with the usual list of Pocket PC on-the-go mobile applications.
It's voice, however, comes from the GPS side of its brain. Mitac touts the MIO 168RS as being ready to go on the road right out of the box. That's a bit of hyperbole. Mitac probably means that the setup is simple and there are no forms to fill out or subscription fees to be paid. In fact, the only frightening thing about your introduction to the MIO 168RS will probably be its USB cable "which branches off into a USB connector for your computer and a power brick that plugs into a wall outlet. The reasoning is simple: The MIO 168RS needs to be charged. Rather than perforate the case with yet another hole, both AC electrical and USB data lines are contained in the same hybrid connector that tucks in at the bottom of the unit.
You'll also need an available USB port for the SD card reader supplied with the MIO 168RS. Technically, the 32MB SD storage card Mitac gives is for general-purpose data storage. More specifically, it holds the mapping data and even though Mitac has divided the country up into digestible segments, there's not much left of that 32MB when you've loaded one. If you're going to use the MIO 168RS predominately as a Pocket PC that's also GPS enabled, a larger capacity SD card is an immediate need. On the other hand, it's worked fine as a GPS device with occasional Pocket PC duties using the 32MB card.
Doing GPS work, the MIO 168RS suffers from the same malady as similar units -its trip algorithm will point you to the safest route it knows. Forget about back roads and shortcuts. You're heading for the highway unless the trip is so ridiculously short that you shouldn't have used the MIO 168RS in the first place. How bothersome can that be? A 15-minute jaunt to the local consumer warehouse turned into a 40-minute expedition, sometimes in the opposite direction. On the bright side, the MIO 168RS has been accurate to about 30 yards when announcing, "You've arrived at your destination."
When you disregard any of its instructions, the MIO 168RS auto-corrects its trip plan within a second or two and then suggests new directions to get you back on its track.
Although there are several possible map views available (2D, 3D, day, and night), it's not advisable to watch the continually updated tracking on the LCD screen as you drive along. While the MIO 168RS does display local landmarks (parks, cemeteries, etc.), it knows nothing about the car in front of you that might suddenly hit its brakes. If you happen to miss the verbal instructions, a quick glance at the screen should suffice. A large red arrow indicates your next direction. Even then, don't panic. You'll receive several verbal alerts beginning long before you need to take action "in some cases as far as five miles before anything should be done.
You will need to print out the User Manual, a PDF file on the installation CD. The MIO 168RS will automatically recognize where you are as soon as you flip up the GPS antenna. But tell it where you want to go, setting waypoints if you're stopping anywhere in between, saving a route, or accessing a previously stored route, all require a set of instructions that aren't quite intuitive until you've used them a few times. Other than that, the MIO 168RS is a stellar performer. And with retail pricing as much as 20 percent below MSRP, it's among the least expensive trip insurance plans you can buy.
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Pocket PC Tips and Tricks -- Storage
Increase The Storage SizeMost modern Pocket PC's come with a large amount of internal memory, or at least one would assume so. However, after using the device for some time, you find out that you never seem to have enough memory. Because the built-in storage can not be easily upgraded, there are other ways of enhancing the PDA storage capacity - Compact-Flash ("CF") or Secure Digital ("SD") cards.
(continued...)
Most modern Pocket PC's come with a SD slot; some also have a built-in CF slot. SD memory cards are now sold with up to 2GB of storage, and CF cards come with up to 8GB. If your Pocket PC has both an SD and a CF slot, it is usually a good idea to buy an SD memory card. Reason being, even with add-ons like GPS or camera cards becoming more available for the SD format, there is a bigger selection (and cheaper prices) in CF cards.
Before buying a storage card, make sure you order one with enough space. This is especially true when you are using your Pocket PC as an onboard navigation system. It comes in handy to have enough storage space so you can store larger maps on the device.
Want to learn more tips and tricks? Download Spb Pocket PC Tips & Tricks!
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Computer Virus Basics
By: The Editor
Computer Infections can be broken up into 4 main categories which are explained in detail below:
VirusesComputer Viruses are small pieces of software that attach themselves to real programs. An example would be a virus that attaches itself onto windows explorer. Each time you run the program windows explorer the virus will also be executed and perform the function that it was meant to perform. This can be several things such as damaging files on your computer, or erasing them all together. This is also the time in which the virus will try to spread itself onto other programs and even other computers! (continued...)
Worms
A worm just like a virus is a small piece of software. However worms rather then relying on an external program to function, will run themselves over computer networks and security holes to spread. The worm will scan the network from it’s host computer until it finds another computer that it can attach itself to. It will then continue this process to replicate. Because this type of infection runs by itself it can have devastating impacts. The Mydoom worm is estimated to have infected over a quarter million computers in a single day when it first launched back in March 1999.
Trojan Horses
A Trojan horse is a computer program that claims to be one thing, but is actually another. For example you might receive a Trojan horse that is disguised as an image, but when you go to open the file, it will do whatever it is that it was written to do.
E-mail Viruses
Email Viruses are very common. They work by spreading themselves through email messages. Once they infect a computer, they will then go ahead and replicate themselves by automatically mailing out again to everyone in the victim’s e-mail address book. Several of these virus’s have raced through the internet. Examples of email virus’s are the Melissa Virus, and the ILOVEYOU virus.
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More Must Have NoteBook Accessories
By: The Editor
A Good Notebook BagForget those that are bundled with your notebook computer. Get
yourself a good notebook bag that is well-padded both on its
load-bearing straps, and 100% around the notebook itself.
Aren't all notebook bags built the same?
The answer is NO. There are countless bag types and variations.
Not all of them have your comfort and protection of the notebook
itself in mind. Most of them sacrifice style for substance, which
is worse than not having a notebook bag in the first place. (continued...)
The best way to determine which notebook bag is the one for you
is to bring along your notebook while shopping. Put it in the bag
and ensure that it doesn't slip and slide around - generous
spaces DO NOT mean better protection! You want it to be snug.
Carry the bag with your notebook in it. Simulate a light
jog. Why? Experience tells me that's how you'll most
likely travel through the gates of airport hell. If the straps
start digging in those shoulders, start looking for alternatives.
A good strap should cushion those shocks as the bag bounces off
your shoulders while doing your airport jog.
Note also how the notebook bag opens up for main access. Again,
if you're a frequent traveler you'll want to have one that's easy
to retrieve and store your notebook for security checkpoint
purposes. The best are usually top-loading ones secured by either
a zipper or a flap. We recommend the flap versions because they
usually have an additional layer of cushioning right around the
top for the notebook, and secure well but open fast with magnetic
snaps/buttons.
The zipper types have none, and your poor notebook will get
whacked full-force if the bag topples head-long off an airport
luggage cart. Trust me on this bit: I've had enough times my
notebook took a tumble that way, and seen many other helpless
souls literally spill their notebooks' guts across airport gates
... Not a nice sight.
A good alternative to those shoulder-loading bags are the rolling
pilot cases. They are typically bigger than any shoulder-bearing
bags including backpacks, but offer solid protection with a
padded hinge-top opening similar to actual pilot cases. Roller
bags are also less taxing physically, and the generous
compartments in the bag means less luggage pieces to carry while
traveling.
A Heat Dissipating Cooler Or Pad
Heat is the number one notebook computer killer. Today's
notebooks are little thermal generators, with internal
temperatures that rise up to 150 degrees even with built-in
cooling fans.
Those internal fans and heat-dissipating systems work full time
more often than you think. That’s why they are usually the first
components in a notebook to die on you. When that happens, you'd
better not fire up that notebook, as it'll fry even before you
see the start screen.
So help out your hardest working notebook component and extend
its lifespan. Invest in a notebook cooler or a cooling pad.
Notebook coolers typically are low-rise, plastic or metal-faced
pedestals on which your notebook sits. They are equipped with a
fan or two inside, which serves to draw hot air away from under
your notebook, and thus promote a cooler operating environment.
Usually efficient enough to drop up to 15 degrees the operating
temperature, notebook coolers however require power for its fans
and would typically draw its power off your notebook's USB ports.
This could somewhat decrease your notebook's battery operating
time, but so far have proven to be negligible for many users.
Cooling pads normally do not have the fans, and are constructed
from some type of heat-dissipating material or designed a way
that your notebook would have extra clearance at the bottom to
promote natural air circulation. Despite the lack of fans, these
cooling pads do a surprisingly good job of cooling your notebook.
They are also much easier to carry with your notebook because
they are slimmer, lighter, and do not require power to do its job
therefore highly recommended.
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History of Laptop Computers
By: Cody Kahl
Have you ever wondered where the sleek new portable PC’s of today came from? How did they get so small, and so fast? It’s true that modern notebook computers have undergone many changes throughout the years.
In this article I will attempt to put together a rough history and timeline based on the laptop computer. I say rough because no one can really put a finger on who developed the first mobile computer. Anyways, let’s get started!
Computer buffs may not know who created the first laptop, but most will agree that Alan Kay of the Xerox Palo Alto research center was the first to come up with the idea of the portable PC in the 1970’s. Kay envisioned a portable computer much like the ones found today – Something small and lightweight that anyone could afford. (continued...)
Some say that the first notebook that was actually built in 1979 by William Moggridge who was with Grid Systems Corp. It featured 340 kilobytes of memory, a folding screen, and was made of metal (magnesium). This was hardly like the laptop computers found today, but it was a start.
Arguably, the next mobile computer produced was in 1983 by Gavilan Computers. This laptop featured 64 – 128 megabytes of memory, a touchpad mouse, and even a portable printer. Weighing in at 9 pounds without the printer, this computer was actually only a few pounds heavier than notebooks found today.
Gavilan later failed largely due to their computer being incompatible with other computers – Mainly because the Gavilan laptop used their own operating system.
Apple Computers introduced the apple IIc model in 1984, but it wasn’t all that much better than what Gavilan had produced a year earlier. It did feature an optional LCD panel which had on impact on later notebooks.
Finally in 1986 a true laptop was created by IBM called the IBM PC Convertible. I say “true” because unlike a few of the others, this laptop didn’t have to be setup everywhere. And unlike the others it featured two modern 3.5 inch floppy drives, and space for an internal modem! Also found on the Convertible was an LCD screen and basic applications the user could use to create word documents, and schedule appointments.
Maybe most interesting was that the IBM PC Convertible sold for $3500! Of course you would be hard pressed to find that price tag on any laptop these days – (They have gone way down).
Since the late 80’s many manufacturers have come forward to produce new machines that are even faster and more powerful than their previous counterparts. These days the buyer has a lot of choice, and laptops are faster than ever.
About the Author
Cody Kahl is creator and writer of Toshiba Laptops Guide – A site
dedicated to providing only the best toshiba laptop computers information.
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