http://www.splashrate.com/ 2893-72 http://www.splashrate.com/component/content/article/13-macintosh/2893-apple-ipad Well, the iPad is certainly slick. I tried it out at Best Buy where they have a section dedicated to Apple. And it works. It really does do amazing things. But, I ask myself, why would I buy this? I have a computer and I have a iPhone. The iPad just seems to be extra. For now, I've decided not to buy one. But, I have to admit, it sure does look nice. ]]> Tue, 14 Sep 2010 20:59:39 -0400 2742-23 http://www.splashrate.com/component/content/article/13-macintosh/2742-apple-macbook-133-inch-laptop-mc207lla This computer is the best!!! I highly recommend it. It's so easy to use. ]]> Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:18:06 -0400 1536-15 http://www.splashrate.com/component/content/article/15-pcs/1536-acer-computer-5516-5474 If you're looking for a basic laptop, then this is a decent choice. It doesn't stand out from a design point of view, but it does offer decent basic functionality. You can get PC laptops like this from many manufacturers, so don't limit you choice to this one necessarily -- but generally if you are looking for plain jane portability and useability for basic stuff like word processing, spreadsheets, and email, this will work. ]]> Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:17:33 -0400 1548-9 http://www.splashrate.com/component/content/article/15-pcs/1548-acer-aspire-one-aoa150-1178 this netbook is now down to $250 with WinXP. i would buy another at this price and maybe replace the LAN, use Powerline, or use my mobile broadband card. can't beat the price for it's convenience, cuteness, portability and functions. ]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:02:27 -0400 255-6 http://www.splashrate.com/component/content/article/7-productivity-software/255-filemaker-pro-10 The Latest of Filemaker Pro makes this great database software even better. Originally conceived by Apple as a better tool for creating and managing large databases, Filemaker Pro has continued to be improved over the years, and its latest version makes a great product even better. Setting up a database couldn't be easier. On opening, Filemaker gives you the option to use built in templates or to create a new database from scratch. Doing the latter allows you to easily create fields for your database, name them, and specify the type of data that will fill in the fields. To test Filemaker Pro 10, we created four simple databases. Each database contained one "number" field and 11 "text fields. These databases would be used to hold product info for various retail product lists. The type of data ranged from product numbers and prices to URLs at appropriate retailer Web sites. Once we had the fields in the tables created, a job that took less than 15 minutes for all four databases, we simply chose to import the data file for each database. Our data files were in the CSV format and contained a variety of records. The largest contained almost two hundred thousand product records. In trying to manipulate that monster, we found that other tools, such as basic software designed to manipulate CSV files and spreadsheets, including Microsoft Excel and Apple's Numbers were inadequate. The number of records was just too great. In Filemaker Pro, however, the importing experience was fast and painless. Choosing the file in the import dialog allowed us to quickly ensure that that the data to imported matched our fields. We found that no adjustments at this point were needed. Upon clicking the import button, the file was brought in smoothly and quickly with no errors. In no time flat we had an easily searchable database containing the nearly two hundred thousand records. We did the same thing three more times, while leaving the initial large database open within Filemaker. A similar database with over 60,000 records again imported flawlessly. That experience was repeated with files containg over twenty thousand and over six hundred records respectively. No errors occurred at any point and the Filemaker Pro application continued to operate flawlessly and with no degradation in speed during the entire time. Further testing showed that it was fast and easy to switch between databases and to search within the databases. Our tests only scratched the surface of what's possible with Filemaker Pro, but it was enough to convince us that anyone who needs to manipulate large amounts of data should seriosly consider trying out the latest version of this incredible software. ]]> Sat, 04 Apr 2009 18:35:52 -0400 73-5 http://www.splashrate.com/component/content/article/14-pcs/73-hp-xw8600-workstation Like its little brother the xw4550, the xw8600 features horsepower and plenty of it. And, once again, it's packed in something less than the most stylish case. Nevertheless, this HP will handle any business task you can throw at it. All this comes at a price, though. This HP will probably set you back more than $4,000. Ouch! ]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:07:11 -0400 72-4 http://www.splashrate.com/component/content/article/14-pcs/72-hp-workstation-xw4550 We've seen one of these HP powerhouses used as a server in a small business network. That tells you something about its reliability and power. Its case, however, is cutting edge industrial design - circa 1992. Hide this under a desk or in a server room and enjoy it's power where it can't hurt your eyes. ]]> Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:43:03 -0400 27-3 http://www.splashrate.com/component/content/article/12-macintosh/27-apple-imac-white It's been almost three years and the white iMac keeps on ticking. When I purchased it, it was almost the top of the line. A fast Core Duo chip made it run faster than any computer I'd ever owned. An easy upgrade to 2 gigs of RAM has made the iMac a consistent performer to this day. Even have almost three years of hard use, this iMac still satisfies. It runs the latest OS X Leopard software, and all the apps I want with a problem. Using boot camp, it will start up in Windows XP, making this model iMac a Swiss Army knife. I've since begun using both a new MacBook Pro 2.4ghz laptop and a sparkling new 2.4ghz iMac at the office. In the best testament to the white iMac's capability, even though both of these newer machines are far more capable on paper, the older iMac still holds its own -- I don't feel any lack of speed or capability when I work on it as compared to the newer hardware. For intense processing tasks like video editing in Final Cut Pro, I am sure there would be a difference, but for the average home user, will more than suffice. In addition, someone thinking about getting a computer that will drive an entertainment system should think about checking out a use white iMac -- it comes with the awesome Apple Remote and Front Row software that powers iTunes from a distance. Add a TV tuner and this iMac becomes a very capable DVR. For an all around great computer, at a great price, it's hard to beat the first and second generation Intel powered iMacs. ]]> Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:15:14 -0400 11-2 http://www.splashrate.com/component/content/article/14-pcs/11-vostro-220-mini-tower I only recommend this computer if you're looking to do basic web-browsing, email, and microsoft office. 2gb of DDR2 memory is not alot to run my day-to-day tasks, but for a light user it would suffice. The machine looks nice but is definitely bigger than the machines put out by HP. I was pleased with the 250gb harddrive that it comes with out of the box. However, upon opening this bad boy up I was bombarded with the BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) and had to reformat to get it to work properly. Could be a very isolated incident or a sign of the child slave-labor Dell is using to produce these machines. All in all I'd say it's a decent machine for the average home user, but for a business put the extra money into it and get some machines that are more future-proof. ]]> Sat, 14 Mar 2009 03:55:32 -0400 7-1 http://www.splashrate.com/component/content/article/12-macintosh/7-20-inch-imac I've used the iMac for a year and it is a really good machine. It does everything I want. ]]> Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:59:18 -0500