The Star Wars Catch
There's a couple of catches to the 50% off Star Wars promotion. First, you have to be a member of Borders Rewards. Not a member? No worries, membership is free and it only takes about a minute to sign up online (a little longer at the store). Second catch: the coupon excludes LEGO products (Borders sells Star Wars Lego toys?), previous purchases (duh), special orders, shipping, magazines, comics, CDs in California stores (what the heck?), audio book downloads, music downloads, vinyl LPs, video games, eReaders, and certain eBooks.

Wow! Christmas arrived early for Star Wars fans in the USA. Not a Star Wars fan? That's OK, Star Wars books and movies make excellent gifts for a geek dad, mom, child, or Wookiee.

[Disclosure: My wife rolls her eyes whenever I say, "The Force is strong in my family."]

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I think the new ePrint platform is something dads and moms will like for several reasons. First, if you can email it, you can print it. Second, you don't have to install drivers or configure your printer for the network. Third, you don't even need a computer to print a file. Now, dads and moms can print directly from their web-connected device (smartphone, iPad, netbook, etc) to any ePrint-enabled printer.

Printing in the Clouds
Thanks to ePrint, geek dads and moms can store documents or files in the cloud and print directly from the cloud when needed. In case you are wondering, when I mention cloud, I mean documents that are located online somewhere — like Google Docs, Picasa, and Calendar. Most people don't actually know where their online files are located. As far as they know, the files could be located on a server in the clouds. With ePrint, users can access Google Docs, Picasa, Calendar, and other apps directly from their printers. No local proxy PC or web appliance needed.

ePrint Platform
The ePrint platform consists of web-connected printers on the hardware side and print apps on the software side. Every HP ePrint printer ($99 and up) will have an email address that enables users to print via email. Geek dads and moms also can send documents to print through a HP ePrint mobile app on their smartphone device to a home, office, or public print location (hotel, FedEx Kinko's, etc).

Print Apps
Currently, print apps include:

• Yahoo! and msnbc.com for daily news
• Crayola and KoL.com for coloring pages and fun family ideas
• Picasa Web Albums for printing photos from a user's personal account
• PBS KIDS literacy, math and science activities
• Facebook for printing from a photo album or listed events
• MapQuest for maps and directions
• Artsonia for images from the world's largest kids art museum
• Arrival Guides – travel guides for hundreds of destinations around the world
• Live Nation for access to concert tickets and promotions

More apps will be available later this year.

eQuestions for ePrint
ePrint sounds great for people with smartphones, but the technology is new and I still have some questions about the platform. For instance:

• Can old HP printers be upgraded for ePrint? Probably not, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

• ePrint supports Microsoft Office documents, Adobe PDF's and JPEG image files, but what about other types of files? For instance, can dads and moms print financial reports from QuickBooks and Peachtree?

• In the event someone publishes your printer's email address, can the printer's email address be easily changed? And what happens when you sell the printer to someone else? Does the new owner have to pay a fee to change the printer's email address?

• Can you still print the old fashion way (via USB, Ethernet, or WiFi)? I assume yes, but I've been wrong about this type of stuff before.

[Disclosure: I own an old HP LaserJet printer. It has a parallel port, but no RJ45 or USB port. It's also not WiFi enabled. I still love it even though my print server died and I can't use the LaserJet anymore because computers no longer come with parallel ports. Now, it's a really big paper weight.]

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And because we're geeks, we treat a computer like a family member and give it a kiss good-bye before we ship it off for adoption:

[Disclosure: I received a dual monitor computer system for review from Lenovo. However, I'm not keeping it. The PC will be given away on this geek dad blog. Giveaway details and dates have not been finalized.]

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Brain
The brain of a computer is the CPU. It is also referred to as a microprocessor (processor for short). In the case of the Lenovo ThinkCentre A63 Tower Computer (6674-APU), the CPU is a triple-core AMD Athlon II X3 435 2.90 GHz processor. Triple-core means the microprocessor has three processors integrated on the chip. And no, a triple-core processor isn't three times as fast as a single-core processor. This is because each core has to share resources with each other. In addition, the performance of a multi-core processor depends on the ability of the software to run in parallel on multiple cores.

Memory
The memory of a computer consists of RAM (short for random access memory) and a hard drive. RAM is the computer's short term memory. Every time the computer is turned off, the information stored in RAM is essentially erased. If you need to retain information, you have to store the information in the computer's long term memory: the hard drive. The Lenovo ThinkCentre A63 I'm reviewing has 2GB of RAM and a 250GB serial ATA (SATA) hard drive. You can increase the computer's memory by adding more RAM (two DIMM slots on the motherboard) or another hard drive (four SATA connectors on the A63).

Digestive System
Our digestive system breaks food down into a form our body can use as nourishment and energy. A computer also needs energy, but the power from a wall outlet is not in the form a computer can use directly. That's where the power supply comes in. It acts like a digestive system by converting the 120V AC power from a wall outlet to low DC voltages that the computer can use (usually 3 to 12V). The stomach of the ThinkCentre A63 is a 280W power supply. In general, the higher the wattage, the more load (DVD drive, hard drive, graphics, etc) the power supply can handle.

Nerves and Blood Vessels
The cables and wires inside a computer case are the nerves and blood vessels of the computer. Some of the wires are used as blood vessels to transport energy to the various components of the computer system. Other wires are used as nerves to transmit data to different parts of the computer. There are also etched lines on the motherboard and chips. An etched line is a computer bus. It is used to transmit data.

Mouth and Ears
The mouth of the computer is the speaker and the ear is the microphone. Speakers can be a stand-alone system or built into the monitor. In the case of the ThinkCentre A63, the speaker is integrated into the case (there are also two audio jacks for external speakers — thank goodness kids can only have one mouth). The A63 does not have a built-in microphone, but it does have two microphone jacks (one in front and one in back).

Sweat Glands
Computers run hot. VERY HOT. Unlike humans, computers cannot cool down by perspiring. Instead, they rely on heat sinks and fans to cool off. In the Lenovo system, there are three fans: (1) Heatsink and fan on top of the CPU, (2) fan at the back of the computer case, and (3) fan at the back of the power supply. Without the fans, a computer will overheat and act erratically (lock up, reboot itself repeatedly, refer to itself as HAL, etc).

[Disclosure: I received a dual monitor computer system for review from Lenovo. However, I'm not keeping it. The PC will be given away on this geek dad blog. Giveaway details and dates have not been finalized.]

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As some geek dads know, Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, and XP has built-in support for multiple monitors (see my how-to instructions for dual displays). However, not all desktop computers have the hardware to support multiple displays. Your computer needs two Video Graphics Array (VGA) connectors, two Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connectors, or one of each. That's one of the things I like about the Lenovo ThinkCentre A63 tower computer and ThinkVision L1951P LCD monitor — they have two video ports (VGA and DVI). [Note: the Lenovo ThinkVision LCD displays also come with both VGA and DVI cables.] If your PC only has a single video connector, you will need to upgrade the video, buy a second video card, or purchase a USB to DVI/VGA adapter.

If you have a spare monitor and a computer with multiple video ports (like a laptop), follow the Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, and XP instructions below to set up two monitors on a single computer.

How to Instructions for Setting Up a Computer with Two Monitors

Microsoft Windows 7

• Right click on your desktop
• Click Screen resolution
• Under Multiple displays, select Extend these displays
• Click OK

[Note: if the mouse can't move from the left screen to the right screen, then drag the icon for screen #2 to the left of the icon for screen #1. Then click Apply.]

Microsoft Vista

• Right click on your desktop
• Click Personalize
• Click Display Settings
• Click on the icon for monitor #2
• Check the box for Extend the desktop onto this monitor
• Click OK

Microsoft XP

• Right click on your desktop
• Click on Properties
• Click on Settings
• Click on the icon for monitor #2
• Check the box for Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor
• Click OK

[Disclosure: I received a dual monitor computer system for review from Lenovo. However, I'm not keeping it. The PC will be given away on this geek dad blog.]

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Lenovo ThinkCentre A63 tower computer and ThinkVision L1951P LCD monitors

The Lenovo tower computer system is cool — especially the dual displays setup. Unfortunately, this geek dad can't keep the Lenovo computer — I have to give the PC away to a lucky dad or mom. The computer system I'm giving away consists of a Lenovo ThinkCentre A63 tower PC (6674-APU) and two 19" ThinkVision L1951P LCD monitors (2448HB6). As configured, the price of the dual-monitor computer I'm giving away on my dad blog is about $1029. BTW, the Lenovo A63 computer is perfect for an entrepreneur or a small business.

The details and dates of the computer giveaway has not been finalized. In the meantime, check out the specs of the PC and LCD monitors below.

Lenovo ThinkCentre A63 Tower Computer (6674-APU)

• AMD Athlon II X3 435 45nm processor 2.90 GHz (1.5M total cache)
• AMD RS760 + SB710 chipset
• 2GB DDR3 memory (1066 MHz/1333 MHz with 2 DIMM slots)
• 250GB serial ATA hard drive
• DVD RW drive
• Windows 7 Professional 32-bit operating system
• Two video ports (VGA, DVI) [this is a really cool feature — daddy likes!]
• Marvell Yukon 88E8057 Gigabit Ethernet with RJ-45 port
• ATI Radeon HD3000 DX10 graphics
• Realtek high definition audio
• Full-size keyboard (USB)
• 400 dpi optical wheel mouse (USB)
• Eight USB 2.0 ports (2 front, 4 rear, 2 internal)
• Serial port (2nd serial optional punch out port via cable)
• Two Front audio ports (headphone, microphone)
• Three rear audio ports (line-in, line-out, microphone)
• Two PS/2 ports (keyboard, mouse)
• Full-height PCI slot
• Two full-height PCI-e x1 slots
• Full-height PCI-e x16 slot
• Two 3.5" internal bays
• One 3.5" and two 5.25" external bays
• Mini tower case (15.8in x 8in x 17.3in) with 280W power supply
• On-site warranty (one year parts, one year labor)
• Greenguard certified

Lenovo ThinkVision L1951P LCD Monitor (2448HB6)

• Full 19-inch wide (481 mm) viewable image size
• Native resolution of 1440 x 900
• 250 cd/m² brightness
• 1000:1 contrast ratio
• 16:10 aspect ratio
• 5 ms response time
• Analog and DVI-D video signal connectors (love the dual monitor ports)
• Tilt and height adjustable (nice!)
• 27 preset modes
• 20 user programmable modes
• Kensington lock slot for security
• Energy Star 5.0 compliant
• TCO 5.0 compliance
• Supports High Definition Content Protection (HDCP)
• Power consumption: 18 watts typical (23 watts max)
• Up to 30% less power consumption than conventional monitors of the same size and resolution
• 50% less mercury content than conventional monitor of the same size and resolution
• Three year rapid replacement warranty

[Disclosure: I received a dual monitor computer system for review from Lenovo. However, I'm not keeping it. The PC will be given away on this geek dad blog.]

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In the broadband speed test, moms and dads are randomly assigned either the Ookla or M-Lab test. I'm not sure what the differences in the tests are, but the results do vary slightly between the Ookla or M-Lab test in Internet Explorer and Firefox

Ookla broadband test with Internet Explorer (Thursday 9pm)

M-Lab broadband test with Internet Explorer (Thursday 9pm)

Ookla broadband test with Firefox (Thursday 9pm)

M-Lab broadband test with Firefox (Thursday 9pm)

FCC Consumer Broadband Test Overview

• Download Speed
  The speed at which data is sent from the testing server to your computer
• Upload Speed
  The speed at which data is sent from your computer to the testing server
• Latency
  The time it takes for data to be sent from your computer to the testing server and back (the round trip time)
• Jitter
  The variability in the delay between your computer and the testing server

Note: the FCC requires the street address from where dads and moms are connecting to the Internet because it uses the data to analyze broadband quality and availability on a geographic basis.

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What is Connectify?
Connectify is an easy to use application that can turn a laptop (or desktop computer with wireless capability) into a Wi-Fi hotspot. Thanks to Connectify, geek dads and moms can wireless connect to the Internet without a wireless router. Cool! It's also free. Double cool! The software isn't limited to computers. Dads and moms can also connect Wi-Fi enabled devices like a cell phone or a Wii console. In my test, our Wii console detected the Connectify Wi-Fi hotspot, but couldn't connect to it for some reason (I'll get it working eventually).

What's so special about Connectify?
With Connectify, dads and moms can network Wi-Fi devices together without a wireless router. Thanks to the virtual hot spot created by Connectify, parents can shared files, folders, drives, and Internet connection. On the road, users can save money by sharing their Internet connection (instead of paying for each wireless device they want connected). And if dads and moms already have a wireless router at home, they can use Connectify as a repeater to extend their wireless range. Nice!

What's the catch?
It's free, but there are a couple of catches. First, Connectify only works with Windows 7 (the WiFi devices don't need Windows 7). And second, some hardware don't work properly with Connectify (consult the list of supported cards and devices).

How do you set up Connectify?
It's simple:

• Download and install the software
• Select a mode (Ad Hoc or Access Point) [Note: Access Point mode allows you to share a Wi-Fi connection from the same Wi-Fi card that you are using to access the Wi-Fi network. Ad Hoc mode needs the Internet connection to come from another connection such as Ethernet cable, cellular, or a second Wi-Fi card.]
• Name your Wi-Fi hotspot
• Create a secure password for your virtual hotspot
• Select your Internet connection (no Internet sharing, local area connection, or wireless network connection)
• Click on the Start Hotspot button

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What is Novosoft Handy Backup?
Handy Backup is software for data backup. The software automatically backs up data to DVD, CD, FTP site, network drive, or online storage. Sorry Mac users, Handy Backup only works on the Microsoft Windows operating systems.

What are the features of Handy Backup?
Some of the features of the standard version (giveaway) are:

• Automatic backup and recovery
• Backup Outlook/Windows Mail
• Windows Registry backup
• Backup as Windows service
• Individual files and folders backup
• Backup to storage devices: HDD, CD, DVD, Blu-ray, HD DVD, FTP, network drives
• Backup to external drives (USB, FireWire, and Flash backup)
• Integrated Remote Backup Service

How much does Handy Backup cost?

• Handy Backup Standard (home and small office backup): $39
• Handy Backup Professional (small and medium business backup): $99
• Handy Backup Server (enterprise backup): $599

How do I purchase a license?
You can buy Handy Backup from Novosoft's online order page.

Can I try it before I buy it?
Yes, you can download Handy Backup and try it out for free for 30 days.

[Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation or merchandise (other than the giveaway prizes) from Novosoft for writing this post.]

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What is it?
The HP TouchSmart 600 PC is a cool looking, multi-touch gadget for moms and dads (it's like a giant size iTouch). The all-in-one computer features full HD display, integrated webcam, wireless LAN, and Bluetooth. Currently, there are two series in the TouchSmart 600 family: 600t and 600xt (same as 600t, but with a faster processor, bigger hard drive, discrete graphics, HDMI and game console connectivity).

How much does it cost?
$1,249.99 for the 600t (base configuration) and $1,649.99 for the 600xt (base configuration).

What are the highlights?

• Multi-touch PC features motions such as pinch, rotate, arc, flick, and press and drag let dads and moms zip through applications and photos
• Integrated hardware and software technology, like HDMI, audio/video inputs, Windows Media Center, and TouchSmart Live TV (with optional TV tuner), give users a range of options for viewing video, recording TV, and playing game consoles (like xBox) on the HP TouchSmart 600
• Windows 7 fast start up and shut down gives users easier access to their HP TouchSmart 600, which includes a long list of touch-enabled apps like Twitter, Hulu, Netflix, and Pandora
• Windows 7 Home Premium features make it easy for HP TouchSmart 600 users to navigate the system quickly to easily find the documents they use most often:
  • Snap (resize open windows by dragging)
  • Pin (like tacking notes on a bulletin board)
  • Shake (click a pane and shake the mouse to make every open window except one instantly disappears — jiggle again to bring the other windows back)
  • Peak (x-ray vision to peer past all open windows straight to the Windows 7 desktop)
  • Jump Lists (take parents right to documents, pictures, songs, or websites)
• Premium quality speakers produce a crisp, clear sound for enjoying music and video — Windows 7 Play To feature also allows moms and dads to play media through networked PCs, TVs, or stereos around the house
• Five Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7 games and applications allow parents to interact and learn multi-touch gestures in a more fun and intuitive way:
  • Microsoft Surface Globe (hands-on, world-exploration application based on Microsoft Bing Maps)
  • Microsoft Surface Lagoon (screen saver and interactive water simulation — use fingers to manipulate the water and have the school of fish respond)
  • Microsoft Rebound (a game in which you use fingertips to move Tesla balls with an electrical field between them)
  • Microsoft Garden Pond (guide origami pieces to peaceful areas on the pond )
  • Microsoft Blackboard (intricate game of physics in which players solve a puzzle by creating a fanciful machine on a blackboard)

What's so cool about it?
I think the coolest feature of the HP TouchSmart 600 PC is Windows Touch. One-finger touch functionality has been available in previous versions of the Windows operation system. But Windows 7 features multitouch technology. Why limit yourself to one finger when you have ten or more fingers? If you want to zoom in on something in Windows 7, you can place two fingers on the screen of the TouchSmart 600 and spread them apart. To right-click a file, touch it with one finger and tap the screen with a second. Cool!

What are the HP TouchSmart 600 PC specs?

• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core 2 Duo processor T6500 [2.1GHz, 2MB L2, 800MHz FSB] (600t)
• Intel Core 2 Duo processor T6600 [2.2GHz, 2MB L2, 800MHz FSB] (600xt)
• 23" diagonal 1080p Full HD widescreen with 16:9 aspect ratio
• 4GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [2 DIMMs]
• 320GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive (600t)
• 500GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive (600xt)
• NVIDIA GeForce G200 (600t)
• 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT230M, and game console connections (600xt)
• Slot-load SuperMulti DVD Burner
• Wireless-N LAN card and Bluetooth
• Internal antennas for 802.11 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• 6-in-1 memory card reader, 5 total USB, audio
• Integrated high-performance 2.0 speakers (no external speakers)
• HP low-profile, wireless keyboard and HP wireless optical mouse
• A built-in, adjustable-tilt webcam and mic
• Removable feet for wall mounting (bracket and adapter sold separately)

Is there a video of the HP TouchSmart 600?
You can see a YouTube video of the HP TouchSmart 600 PC in my previous post about the TouchSmart 600 computer.

How do you win a HP TouchSmart 600?
There are seven ways to enter the HP TouchSmart 600 Computer Giveaway. You can enter up to seven times, but only once in each category. No marriage proposals, bribes, or sad stories please (the winner will be randomly selected). Please leave a separate comment for each entry. The content management system will automatically assign a number for each comment. If you use a single comment to let me know you entered all seven categories, you will only be assigned one number (entry) for the giveaway. Random.org will be used to randomly select a winner. I will only notify the winner once. The winner has two days to email me their info. After 48 hours, I will select another winner. The deadline to enter is Wednesday (December 23, 2009 Pacific time).

Seven ways to enter the giveaway:

1. Leave a comment telling me what you think is cool about the HP TouchSmart 600 PC
2. Subscribe to my blog feed or newsletter and then leave a separate comment
3. Follow Daddy Forever on Twitter: @daddyforever and then leave a separate comment (include your Twitter username for verification)
4. Fan Daddy Forever's new Facebook page and then leave a separate comment (include your Facebook username for verification)
5. Tweet ONCE about this giveaway with a working link to this page: http://daddyforever.com/2009/12/21/multi-touch-600t-600xt/ and then leave a separate comment (include your Twitter URL or username for verification)
6. Follow HP on Twitter: @hp_pc and then leave a separate comment (include your Twitter username for verification)
7. Write about this giveaway on your blog or Facebook page with a working link to this page: http://daddyforever.com/2009/12/21/multi-touch-600t-600xt/ and then leave a separate comment (include your blog URL or Facebook username for verification)

What's the catch for international readers?
HP can ship the prize internationally. However, there are countries where HP and it's representative won't ship for various reasons. If HP can't ship the TouchSmart 600 to the winner's country, I will pick another winner. The original winner will NOT be able to ask why, appeal the decision, or pick another winner of their choosing. If you do not agree to this condition, do NOT enter the contest. Sorry, I do not have a list of countries where the TouchSmart 600 won't be shipped.

[Disclosure: I did not receive any products or compensation for writing this post.]

[Disclaimer: By entering this giveaway, you agree to hold HP, Microsoft, and I NOT liable for any problems you may encounter with this contest. Do NOT enter if you do not agree.]

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According to Novosoft, Handy Backup is different from other backup software because it features plug-ins that are designed to backup not only data, but also the settings, playlists, skins, and other specifics of individual applications that you've personalized to your liking. Most software only backs up the data, not the settings. Handy Backup includes plug-ins for popular programs (such as Windows Media Player, Winamp, Adobe Photoshop, Skype, Yahoo Messenger, Outlook, and Windows Mail). And geek dads and moms can even create their own plug-in (as an XML specification) for their special application.

Handy Backup Standard Version Features

• Selective data backup
  Backup individual files and folders such as music, video, photos, My Documents, Favorites, etc.
• Backup presets
  Fast backup of all messages, contacts, settings of MS Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, ICQ, system registry, etc.
• Variety of backup storage media
  Backup to CD, DVD, HDD, LAN, any removable disks, network drives, remote FTP servers
• Backup options
  Enable data compression, encrpytion, verification, and other options for convenient and smooth backups
• Flexible backup scheduling
  Perform backups of your data on a regular basis by assigning a schedule
• Run as Windows service
  Windows service mode allows performing absolutely inconspicuous backups, not requiring the user to be logged in
• Backup Android devices
  Back up data of Android-driven mobile devices, such as the T-Mobile G1 Google Phone

To enter the drawing for the Handy Backup Software (Standard Version), just leave a comment. Two winners will be randomly selected. The deadline to enter is October 31st (Pacific time). In the meantime, you can download Handy Backup and try it out for free for 30 days. The Standard version of Handy Backup is available for only $39. Sorry Mac users, Handy Backup only works on the Microsoft Windows operating system.

[Disclosure: I accidentally disabled the camera feed during NASA's attempt to blow up the moon last Friday. That's why no one saw anything when the rocket crashed into the moon. Sorry, my bad. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention I did not receive any compensation or merchandise (other than the giveaway prizes) from Novosoft for writing this post.]

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A cool ooVoo feature I like is the video special effects (via WebcamMax). It's not very useful, but fun to play with:

With ooVoo, you can record your video calls with your kids and save them for a video scrapbook. Another nice feature of ooVoo is the ability to embed a video chat room in a blog. Personally, that would drive me crazy if strangers kept trying to call me 24×7, but I could see value in a video chat room for a business or a private blog for friends and family.

Like Skype, ooVoo has both free features and premium features (pay per use or pay per month plans). In addition, ooVoo displays an ad banner at the bottom of your screen. You have to pay extra to get rid of the ads.

ooVoo Free Features

• Video calls, 2-way (ooVoo to ooVoo)
• Audio calls, 2-way (ooVoo to ooVoo)
• Record and send video messages to friends or to email address
• Video and audio call with friends who don't have ooVoo
• Basic video effects for video calls
• Text chat and text chat history (ooVoo to ooVoo)
• Embed a video chat room in a website
• Send files up to 5MB

ooVoo Premium Video Features

• Video (and audio) calls – up to 6 participants
• High Resolution Video – 480p video quality
• Record and save video calls
• Record and save audio conferencing calls
• Store and post recorded video calls
• Desktop Sharing
• Send files, up to 25 MB

While ooVoo edges out Skype in video features, Skype still has advantages in several areas. First, Skype has about 443 million users versus about 7.5 million users for ooVoo. Plus you can use Skype on your cell phone and make international calls (ooVoo is limited to US, Canada, and UK). In addition, Skype supports voice conferencing for over 25 people (don't confuse this with video conferencing like I did initially).

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The answer is this: HP is promoting the concept of companion notebooks. The idea is that you would use a high end laptop like the HP dv6 as your main computer (bye-bye desktop computer) and the HP Mini 110 as your netbook (hello ultra tiny notebook) when you're on the go with the kids. As I mentioned in previous posts, the dv6 has a big 16" screen, but it's a bit cumbersome to lug around everywhere (especially if you have little ones with you). On the other hand, the Mini has a small 10" display, but it's extremely mobile (if you're daring you can have your kid can carry it for you). With the dv6-Mini companion notebooks, you can go big at home and small on the road.

I like the idea of a companion notebooks set. However, a problem with a multi-PC setup is keeping track of files on two computers. When you're ready to go mobile with your netbook, you have to remember to copy files (work documents, photos, videos, mp3 and iTune songs, emails, browser bookmarks, etc) from your main laptop over to the smaller notebook. And if you make changes to these files on your mobile netbook, you have to remember to copy them back to your main laptop. This is a major hassle if you have a lot of files you want to sync between the two computers.

This is where software like Syncables Desktop comes in handy. With Syncables, files are synchronized automatically for you. It can transfer and sync content to your desktop, laptop, and USB devices. You can also use Syncables Desktop to publish photos and videos of your kids to sites like Facebook, YouTube, and SmugMug. Syncables Desktop also lets you sync your emails, which is very handy. Having to sync my emails across two computers is the reason why I switched to a browser based email client. Now with Syncables, I can go back to a desktop mail client like Microsoft Outlook if I wanted to.

Syncables Desktop is pre-installed on the HP Mini. But in order to synchronize files with another computer like the dv6, you need to have Syncables installed on each computer. This is the part where I ran into trouble. The installation instructions are buried at the bottom of the welcome screen. If you clicked past the welcome screen without reading it (I do this a lot), you'll miss out on the instructions for installing Syncables on another computer. I clicked on almost every button in the main menu before I found the installation instructions in the Help menu (I should have gone there first, but my kids have made me dumbererer).

To install Syncables on a laptop, you have to copy an installation file to the notebook. Maybe it's just me, but I think it would be more convenient to download the software to the pc instead of manually transferring the install file from the Mini to the dv6 via a flash drive [note: I could only find a download link to Syncables Sampler Edition, which limits syncing to seven files at a time]. [Update: I just found out the reason you can't download the full version is because the software is currently exclusive to HP customers.]

Configuring Syncables is fairly straightforward. As you can see from the screen shot below, all you have to do is check off the appropriate boxes.

In the Sync menu, you can specify if you want to sync back and forth between multiple computers or limit the transfer to one direction. You can configure Syncables to sync once every hour, day, week, or month.

As you can see in the next screen shot, you can specify only one location for each category of files. So if you have documents located in two completely different folders, then you will have to move one of the folder into a sub-directory of the other folder.

You can view the contents of the files that will be shared via the My Computer Library in Syncables. From there, you can also sync manually by clicking the sync button (lower right corner of the screen).

After you are done setting up your computers for Syncables, the software will automatically sync your files for you. In my test, I noticed that the Mini had one photo and one document more than the dv6 after the sync. For a reason probably related to the timestamp of the files, the extra document and photo were not copied over to the dv6 from the netbook. I took care of the problem by re-saving the extra document and photo on the Mini (new time stamp). After that, Syncables correctly synchronized all the files on both laptops.

In summary, Syncables is a nice tool for synchronizing files on multiple computers. Once you followed the installation instructions buried at the bottom of the screen, you'll find the software easy to use. However, you should compared the files count in the My Computer Library on both notebooks to determine if the software is syncing correctly. Syncables Desktop is available for only $30.

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First thing I would like to say is: the dv6t notebook is AWESOME! It's even better than an ice cream sundae with lots of fudge and sprinkles. The dv6t laptop comes with a super cool finger print sensor. I can log into Windows by swiping my finger across the sensor. BTW, the fingerprint sensor also works with toes. I tried it and the toe sensor works great. Now I don't have to worry about Swiper the sneaky fox swiping my fingers to log into my HP dv6. Only kids and my dad would think of using a toe to log into a computer (I wonder if I can use my tongue). Wait, there's more. The dv6 also comes with DigitalPersona software, which enables you to log into your online accounts by swiping your finger or toe.

The HP Pavilion dv6-1299lx laptop features a big 16" display. I've never used a notebook with such a big screen before. The graphics on the high definition HP BrightView Infinity Display is stunning. The 16" screen shows better details than my daddy's 22" desktop monitor. Even though I love the notebook display, I did have a problem with it. The screen is very reflective and it's hard to see clearly in a sunny room. I had to play around with the angle of the display to reduce the glare.

The dv6t notebook features a 2.0 GHz Intel Centrino 2 Processor (Core 2 Duo Processor P7350). For you daddies and mommies who don't know, the Intel Centrino 2 processor gives you the power to run resource intensive software (like those games with super cool graphics and sound effects) while also conserving battery life on your laptop. It's probably overkill, but I can't wait to play my PBS Kids and Nick Jr online games with the dv6. I wonder if the online games will run any faster? I want to check, but my daddy won't let me play them until I'm done writing the review. Sometimes my dad can be such a poophead.

Unlike other laptops that come with only 1 gig of memory, the dv6 I tested came with 4 gigs of RAM. Having 4 gigs of memory means you can run more applications at the same time and it also means Microsoft Windows Vista will run better on your notebook. Speaking of Vista, the dv6 features the Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit operating system. To be honest, until I played with the HP laptop, I didn't even know Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate existed. Apparently, the Ultimate edition offers extra programs and features — like BitLocker Drive Encryption, which prevents a thief like Swiper from breaking Windows Vista file and system protections or performing offline viewing of the files stored on the protected drive. BTW, you can also upgrade to Windows 7 for free when the new version of Windows comes out.

The dv6t I tested has a built-in LightScribe Blu-Ray player. I popped in a dvd and the movie looked great. The audio on the notebook is also awesome. It's the best sounding laptop I've ever used. Even better is the cool mobile remote control. Now daddy can watch movies and listen to CDs from the sofa without having to get up to pause, skip, or adjust the volume. The remote control is perfect for someone like Homer Simpson my dad.

The dv6t notebook keyboard features a full size keyboard — including a separate numeric keypad. Thank goodness. The smaller keyboards found on most laptops drive daddy crazy. According to daddy, using the triple function keys on notebook keyboards is kinda like playing the Twister game with your fingers when you're trying to do something productive. The laptop also has a touchpad with a built-in scroll bar. I like the builtin scroll bar, but I couldn't use the scroll bar to move up and down the programs list in the Start menu.

Other nice features of the dv6t laptop include:

• Wi-Fi (I can't wait to hang out at Starbucks with the other gifted preschoolers)
• "Tap to click" touch pad (you can use the entire pad like a mouse button)
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 (great for playing videos of me)
• 500GB hard drive (plenty of storage space for photos of me)
• Low-light webcam (hey, I'm a movie star!)
• Dual-array digital microphone (I wonder if that means daddy can record me in stereo)
• ProtectSmart hard drive protection (detects if your notebook is being dropped and locks your hard drive to help protect your data)

Also included with the notebook is HP MediaSmart webcam software, which lets you add cool effects like cube, cell, fade, and motion to your photos. Check out these web cam photos (isn't my baby brother cute?):

The dv6 laptop comes in Espresso Black or Moonlight White. The price for the base configuration is currently $650. The notebook includes a one year warranty. I recommend the HP Pavilion dv6t notebook to moms and dads who need a high end computer. However, because of it's 16" screen, the dv6t can be a bit bulky if you like to be extremely mobile with your laptop (the dv6t is a lot bigger than our Barbie and Spiderman laptops).

HP Pavilion dv6-1299lx (dv6t) Specs

• 2.0 GHz Intel Centrino 2 Processor (Core 2 Duo Processor P7350)
• Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit with Service Pack 1
• 16.0" High Definition HP BrightView Infinity Display (1366×768)
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 (M96) with up to 2815MB total available graphics memory with 1024MB dedicated
• 4096MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimms)
• 500GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA)
• LightScribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Double Layer
• HP Webcam with integrated digital microphone
• Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN
• 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery
• Remote Control
• 5-in-1 Digital Media Reader
• ExpressCard/54 PC Card Slot
• Fingerprint Reader
• Expansion Port 3

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The HP Mini 110-1036NR is a netbook (Internet notebook), which is essentially a teeny weeny laptop designed primarily for wireless communication and access to the Internet. With a netbook, size is more important than bells and whistles. The HP Mini, as expected, is light (less than three pounds) and small (smaller than my kids' Barbie and Spiderman laptops). It measures about 10" (L) by 7" (D) and is about 1" in height. The screen is only 10.1" (1024 x 576 resolution). HP could have made the screen bigger, but then the mini-notebook would also be bigger and people don't want to lug around a suitcase like they did in the dark ages (back then, a portable computer was the size of a chubby tween).

The HP Mini 110-1036NR, like all netbooks, is not a high end computer. It is loaded with Windows XP Home Edition instead of the more resource intensive Microsoft Vista operating system. The Mini does not include a CD or DVD drive (you will have to install software from the Internet, a network drive, or an optional external drive). The built-in speakers are so-so (no bass) and it's hard to hear the audio when you're near a waterfall (yeah I know, only a geek would want to listen to music instead of simply enjoying the waterfall). The audio in/out jack is shared (might be a problem for people who use Skype with a non-USB headset). The hard drive on the HP Mini is only 160GB and the pc supports a maximum of 1 gig of memory. [Side note: are there any geek dads and moms out there who remember the era of MS DOS? Back in the old days, you had to walk ten miles in the snow to buy a pc that only had a 40MB hard drive and 1 meg of RAM (for you non-geeks out there, that's about a thousand times smaller than the memory of the HP Mini).]

The HP netbook comes with a nearly full size keyboard (92% of standard size) and a touch pad with a built-in scroll bar (how did we live without a scroll wheel in the old days?). I found the touch pad easier to use than other laptops I've tested. Unlike most laptops, the mouse buttons on the Mini are located to the left and right of the touch pad instead of below it. Obviously, HP designed it this way to reduce the size of the netbook. For me, it would have been more convenient if both buttons were located next to the scroll bar. That would make it easier for right handed people to scroll and click (sorry lefties).

The HP Mini 110-1036NR features a 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery (lasted about six hours in my test run), wireless networking (did you know Wi-Fi hotspots don't exist in the wilderness?), and a built-in webcam. I wasn't able to use the webcam out in the wild because I couldn't find a link to it on the netbook. I did find the webcam link when I got home (located in the My Computer folder). It would be more helpful if users could launch the webcam from the Start menu or the desktop screen. Below are some photos taken with the webcam:

The Mini comes with Microsoft Works 9.0, Syncables, Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition (60 day trial), and Symantec Norton Internet Security 2009 (60 day trial). The list price of the HP Mini 110-1036NR is $370 and it comes with a one year warranty.

After using the HP Mini 110-1036NR for several days, I think the Mini would make an excellent notebook for people who are looking for an extremely small laptop. Even though the netbook doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a high-end pc, it has more than enough power for most bloggers, moms, dads, and students. However, the netbook won't suit everyone's needs. For instance, the netbook probably won't work as the primary computer for hard core gamers or graphics artists. For power users, the HP Mini would make a good campion pc for their main system — especially with the included Syncables software for syncing files across multiple computers.

HP Mini 110-1036NR Specs

• Intel Atom Processor N270
• Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 3
• 10.1" Diagonal SD LED Anti-glare Widescreen Display (1024 x 576)
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (shared) with up to 128MB total available graphics memory
• 1024MB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm)
• 160GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA)
• HP Webcam
• 802.11b/g WLAN
• 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery

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Twitter gets bigger and bigger every day. I finally gave up trying to understand people's obsession with Twitter and joined the social networking service. But don't worry, my potential followers (following me is just like joining a cult), I won't tweet about changing the baby's diaper or emptying the trash. Not sure what I'll tweet about…maybe I'll leak some info about a big giveaway coming up (for instance: the giveaway is not limited to North America).

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• One of the more useful things I've done with the HP dv2 is download information about food allergies and save the info to the hard drive. We found out a couple of weeks ago that our baby (Little Disney) is allergic to milk, eggs, and peanuts. By storing allergy information on the laptop, we have access to it when we're at parties and restaurants. A lot of time, people (including my wife and I) just don't know if a particular food item has milk, eggs, or peanuts in it.

• The 12" screen doesn't seem so small when you're using the laptop. After awhile, you get use to it and the screen feels much bigger than it really is. Part of that is because of the HP Pavilion dv2's high resolution (1280 x 800). On the other hand, my 22" desktop monitor seems like a big screen TV when I switch from the notebook to my desktop computer.

• The HP Pavilion dv2-1199's DVD drive plays DVDs better than my DVD player. Sometimes my DVD player has problems with scratches, dust, or complex animations. When that happens, I pop the movie into the notebook and the discs plays without any problems.

• I've been using the notebook as a PDA when I'm on the road. Even though the HP dv2 is a lot bigger than my cell phone, I find the dv2 much more useful (I hate typing with the tiny PDA buttons)

• The internal laptop speakers are not as good as the external speakers on my desktop, but they are better than the audio on the previous three laptops I've used.

• Like most laptops, the keyboard is smaller than normal and it takes a little getting use to.

• If you're new to notebooks, the touchpad also takes getting use to. I actually prefer a wireless mouse with a wheel.

• The dv2's screen is brighter than my desktop's monitor. Graphics also look sharper and more colorful.

More info: HP Home and Home Office Shopping

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The HP Pavilion dv2 is ultra thin (about the height as a quarter), but it's more powerful than my desktop computer. In fact, the dv2 has enough juice to run the 64-bit version of Windows Vista (my desktop runs the 32-bit version of Vista). A 64-bit PC offers added responsiveness for users who run a lot of applications at the same time and switch between them frequently. The 64-bit version of Vista also features enhanced security and increased memory support.

I plan on spending more time on the laptop, but this is what I like and dislike about the laptop so far:

Likes

• It's powerful and can run Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
• The 1.60 GHz AMD Turion Neo X2 Dual-Core Processor has 1MB of L2 Cache
• It comes with 4G of memory (RAM) — more than enough for my Photoshop and Windows Move Maker software
• The ATI Mobility Radeon HD Premium Graphics is awesome
• Blu-Ray DVD drive — now I can watch Blu-Ray movies
• Screen resolution supports 1280 x 800
• It's very small and easy to carry around
• The list price is under $700 (that's the same price I paid for my desktop computer 18 months ago)

Dislikes

• The tiny notebook also has a tiny screen (not a big problem for me because I like to connect the laptop to an external monitor)
• You can hear the fan spinning constantly (there's a free BIOS upgrade for disabling the continuous fan setting)
• The DVD drive is external (it would more convenient if the drive was internal, but then the laptop would be bigger)
• Glossy finish — looks great out of the box, but the glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet

In conclusion, I like the laptop and recommend you take a look at it if you're in the market for a notebook. It's light, tiny, and powerful. However, this is probably not the laptop for you if you like to watch DVDs while waiting for the bus, train, or plane.

HP Pavilion dv2-1199 with Moonlight white finish
(also available in Espresso black)

HP Pavilion dv2-1199 Entertainment Notebook PC Specs

• AMD Turion Neo X2 Dual-Core Processor (1.60 GHz with 1MB L2 Cache)
• Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit with Service Pack 1
• 12.1" Diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD Premium Graphics 3410 with M82-SE LP with 512MB DDR2 dedicated graphics memory
• 4096MB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm)
• 320GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA)
• External LightScribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Double Layer
• HP Webcam with integrated microphone
• 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery
• Integrated 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)
• Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth
• 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards
• Altec Lansing with SRS Premium Sound
• Keyboard: 82 key (92% of full size)
• Touch Pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical scroll Up/Down pad
• External Ports:
  • 3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
  • Headphone out
  • Microphone-in
  • HDMI
  • VGA (15-pin)
  • RJ-45 (LAN)

More info: HP Home and Home Office Shopping

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Speaking of Star Trek, sometimes I feel like my life is like a Star Trek adventure. Everyday I find myself in dangerous situations and I'm forced to make difficult decisions. Make the wrong decision and my little universe implodes. BTW, here's my version of the Star Trek prologue:

Parenting…the Ultimate Mental Challenge. These are the struggles of the USS Diaper Genie. Its 18-year mission: to raise strange life forms, to seek out intelligence and good behavior, to boldly go where no parents has survived before.

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First, you'll need an audio cable so you can connect the speaker jack on your pc to the line-in jack. If you have a standard computer, you'll need a cable like the one in the photo. You can get the cable for about a dollar online or at a thrift store.

Next, you'll need to download and install Audacity, which is a free, open source program for recording and editing audio. It works with Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems.

You'll also need to download and install LAME MP3 encoder, which enables Audacity to export MP3 files.

After you have purchased an audio cable and have installed Audacity and LAME MP3 encoder, you will need to follow the steps below:

(1) Connect one end of the audio cable to the line-in jack on your computer. Connect the other end of the cable to the speaker/headphone jack.

(2) In Audacity, click on Edit, then click on Preferences. Make sure "Software Playthrough (Play new track while recording it)" is NOT selected. Otherwise, you'll have multiple audio tracks playing when you are trying to record.

(3) Click the Record button in Audacity.

(4) Click the Play button in YouTube. Note: You won't be able to hear the audio from your speakers because the audio cable is routing the music to the line-in jack.

(5) When the YouTube video is done playing, click the Stop button in Audacity.

(6) Unplug the audio cable.

(7) Click on the "Skip to Start" of track button.

(8) Click on Play to hear your recording.

(9) Remove the portion of the track you don't want (ie – the dead period before the song starts and after it ends). Use the Selection Tool to highlight the part to be deleted at the beginning of the song. Then press the Delete key on your keyboard. Repeat for the portion to be deleted at the end of the track.

(10) Click File, then Export as MP3. Give it a file name and then click on Save. That's it. You're done.

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As far as I can tell, BufferZone does not conflict with other programs. BufferZone works in the background and so far, my wife and daughter has not experienced any problems. Now you too can protect your computer. Leave a comment below to enter a drawing for a copy of BufferZone. Be sure to enter a valid email address. Note: BufferZone works with Windows XP (there's a beta version for Vista).

Here's how the program works (WARNING! Geek speak alert):

BufferZone Pro transparently neutralizes threats, including viruses, spyware, and other types of malicious software, by redirecting their disk, registry and other modifications on your PC to an isolated Virtual Zone (the buffer zone). Any modification requested by a program running in the Virtual Zone is performed within the boundaries of the isolated area and does not effect the PC's actual configuration, data or files.

The software prevents malicious code from silently installing on the system; BufferZone Pro keeps all files, drivers and system resources invisible, protecting them from attacks and preventing them from being exploited in a malicious way.

Because BufferZone Pro separates files and applications, Trojan horses containing key loggers and other malicious code are not able to access sensitive areas of your PC to try and steal passwords. BufferZone Pro automatically and transparently protects trusted files and directories designated as confidential.

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How to Make a Cool Video

Making a fun video is actually fairly easy. I'm on a Microsoft Windows system, so I used a program called Movie Maker. It's free and should have been pre-installed on your pc at the factory. To make a fun movie, launch Windows Movie Maker and follow the steps below. [Note: the screenshots are from a Vista pc and may look different with XP]

Importing Video Clips

(1) Click on "Videos" (under Tasks, Import)

(2) Locate your video clip and then click on "Import"
(3) Repeat Steps 1 and 2 if you want to use multiple movie clips

Trimming Movie Clips
If you are like me, you will want to remove portions of a video clip. To remove a portion of your video clip, follow these steps:

(4) With the mouse, select the clip you want to edit
(5) Click the play button under the video screen
(6) Hit pause at the point you want to trim the video
(7) Click on the "Split" icon to the right of the Play button (Movie Maker will break the clip into two parts)
(8) Select the clip you don't want and press the "delete" button on your keyboard
[trimming movie clips in Movie Maker does not alter the original video files]

Making the Movie

(9) Drag the movie clips into the Video Timeline at the bottom of the screen. You can easily reorder the clips by dragging them to different parts of the timeline.

Adding Images
I like to add a static image at the end of my videos. To add a static image:

(10) Click on "Picture" (under Tasks, Import)

(11) Locate your photo and then click "Import"
(12) Drag the image to the desire location on the timeline
(13) To increase or decrease the display time, drag the right border of the image in the timeline

Adding Transitions
With Movie Maker, you can easily add transition effects between movie clips. In my video, I only added a "Fan, In" transition before the static image at the end of the movie.

(14) To add a transition, drag the desired transition between two clips on the Video Timeline

Adding a Sound Track

(15) Click on "Audio or Music" (under Tasks, Import)
(16) Locate your audio clip and then click "Import"

(17) Drag the sound clip to the Audio/Music Timeline (below Video Timeline)
(18) If needed, shorten the soundtrack by dragging the right border of the audio clip to the left
(19) Right click on the soundtrack in the timeline and select "Fade Out"
(20) Mute the audio of the video clips by right clicking each clip and selecting "mute" (otherwise you'll hear the original audio from the video you recorded)

Exporting the Movie
To save the video:

(21) Click "This computer" (under Publish to)
(22) Enter file name and change location if needed
(23) Select "Best Quality for playback on my computer" (you can also experiment with different formats)

That's it. It took me longer to write this up than it took me to make the Hawaii 5-0 video.

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You can sign up for a free gravatar at gravatar.com. Just enter your email address (use the same email address as the one you use for commenting), submit some DNA sample, then click on the magical confirmation link in your email inbox. After you enter a password and a display name, you can upload a photo or graphics for your gravatar.

I used my son's photo (above) for my gravatar. I'll going to change it once I find a cooler gravatar. What should I be? A Jedi? How about a Vulcan? Or maybe a superhero like the Silver Surfer.

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© 2008 Online Destiny Ltd : : Daddy Forever is a trademark of Online Destiny Ltd

Iron Man
May 2, 2008
Wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident and then Tony uses the technology to fight evil. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark (Iron Man). Other cast includes: Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Samuel L. Jackson, and Hilary Swank. [Note: Iron Man is one of the few superheroes who doesn't wear tights.]

The Incredible Hulk
June 13, 2008
Upon returning to civilization, Bruce Banner is ruthlessly pursued by The Abomination — a nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match The Hulk's. Edward Norton stars as Bruce Banner (Hulk). Other cast includes: Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, and William Hurt. [Note: Bruce Banner's pants are magical. That's why his pants stay on no matter how big the Hulk gets.]

The Dark Knight
July 18, 2008
Batman continues his effort to bring justice to Gotham's crime and corrupt. This time, The Dark Knight faces a rising psychopathic criminal called The Joker. Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne (Batman) and the late Heath Ledger plays the part of The Joker. Other cast includes: Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman. [Note: Batman is one of my favorite superheroes because he doesn't have any special powers. He can't even fly like Ironman. He's just smart and has lots of cool gadgets.]

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
August 26, 2008
This is a direct-to-DVD animated film. In the DVD, the children of the Avengers, Son of Black Widow and Captain America, Wasp and Giant-Man's son, Thor's daughter, and Black Panther's son must stop the villainous android Ultron. [Note: my children are looking forward to this movie because the new Avengers are kids.]

What movies are you looking forward to seeing this summer?

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The Acer was purchased on sale at Circuit City for $290. I upgraded to a Samsung 19" LCD monitor for $160 more. But I got a $15 gift card for opening up a rewards account and I also used a $15 coupon I received in the mail. The monitor also had a $100 rebate, so my final price was $320 for the computer and 19" flat screen LCD monitor. I also earned enough reward points to quality for a free DVD.

Here are my thoughts on the computer:

What I Like

• It's inexpensive – $320 is a great price for a pc with a 19" LCD monitor.

• Quiet – the computer is so quiet I can't tell it's even on.

• No mail-in rebate – there's no rebate to mail-in if you stick with the basic system. The other $300 systems I looked it involved a mail-in rebate.

• More memory – some of the other $300 systems only had 256M memory (Acer = 512M).

• Bigger hard drive – some of the other $300 systems only had 80G or 120G hard drives (Acer = 160G).

• Cables and jacks are color coded.

• DVD drive – the pc comes with a DVD drive. You can also burn CD's.

• Built-in networking – I didn't have to install a separate network card.

• Computer case is easy to open in case you need to work on the inside of the pc.

• Expandable – there's plenty of expansion slots and bays for upgrades.

• USB and memory slots on the front of the pc.

• Bright monitor – the Samsung monitor is very bright. My other monitor runs dark and I didn't even know about some web graphics problems on my site until I saw them on the Samsung monitor.

• Saves desk space – the flat panel monitor enables me to write on my desk again.

What I Don't Like

• Slow setup – the first time I turned on the pc, I had to wait for it to finish installing/configuring Windows XP.

• Make your own system disks – the pc does not come with any recovery or systems disks. The pc prompts you for CDs and you have wait for the computer to burn the recovery and systems disks.

• Useless manual – I didn't find the manual useful when I had a problem.

• Problem with audio – there's several audi-out jacks. You need to connect the black jack from the speaker to the green audio-out on the pc. In this case, the cables and jacks are not color coded and there's no info in the manual or the support site about connecting it to the green audio-out jack. I connected the black jack from the speaker to the black audio-out jack, which of course produced no sound. I had to contact Circuit City to resolve the problem.

• Only two user account types – this is actually a Windows XP issue and not an Acer problem. There's only two types of user accounts – administrator or limited. I didn't want to give my wife and kids administrator rights, but limited is too limited. On my Windows 2000 system, there's also a power user account type that is not available in XP.

• No bells and whistles – the system does not come with any cool applications.

Princess M uses the computer for playing online games and CD games like Dora, Putt Putt, and Freddie Fish. The pc works fine for those types of games. I'm not sure how it will handle processor heavy games that teenagers and adults like to play (we don't have any of those types of games in our house). My wife uses the computer to surf the web. She is quite amazed at how fast every thing loads in the browser. She loves shopping online and now she can visit more sites in the same amount of time as her old pc. I'm not sure if this actually a good thing. The Acer will also work fine for basic blogging, but you will most likely need a more powerful system if you need to edit videos for video casting.

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