I googled for external sound and came up with Soundblaser......

• Speakers ??? - Julie
  • I just plug into my computer, but I use - me
    • If anyone is having sound problems..... - Moving on
      • Wonderful... - Julie
        • I googled for external sound and came up with Soundblaser...... - Moving on
          • The sound is crystal clear. (meant Soundblaster)...... - Moving on
      • Thanks for that tip! I will check on that box. I do use speakers (sm) - MT with hearing issues

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I'm not sure what the name of it is, but you connect to it via USB.  It costs $50.00 and says the sound quality is significantly better than standard sound cards,  you can transfer cassettes and LPs to MP3 files, ....  My main concern is I want an increase in sound quality of my wav files. 

Just wondering if the sound quality is really that much better.  I have notebook computers and the PC cards are $100.00.  I was thinking this might be a substitute for the PC card. 

bigger the monitor the better, but I have a 14" one and have been using it for 6 years.  Absolutely get as much RAM as you can, no less than 512.  You don't need a supersize hard drive unless you want to store music/pictures, but you should have a backup of them because computers have been known to crash and you wouldn't want to lose them.   Most everything now is USB and I would say get a minimum of 2 ports.  You can buy a hub for under $30.00 (saw a 4 port hub today on sale for $10.00) to add USB ports.   I would get one that had wireless capability.   I would also get one that has at least a DVD player if not a recorder.  Usually if they have DVD they have a CD recorder so you can burn songs/pictures.  I suggest the DVD in case you need some down time from caretaking and you want to watch a movie.

I have a Dell and an HP.  My Dell has been a piece of junk from day one.   I've had my HP for 3-1/2 years without any problems other than a software glitch, which wasn't an equipment problem. 

When buying a computer consider repair issues.  With my Dell I had to send the computer to them so I was without a computer for approximately 2 weeks, plus shipping charges of about $30.00.   You can buy an in-home repair policy though.  With my HP I bought it from a local electronics store and I could get in-store service. 

I also would not get a Celeron processor - get either a Pentium or a Centrino  (which is supposed to be really good).  The Celeron is not as good of quality and is usually found in the lower end computers.

I got a catalog from Dell today and I just glimpsed at it, but they had a laptop on the cover for $649 (I think). 

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=1501&sku=26886&engine=adwords!654&keyword=%289+pin+to+usb%29

There one here.  It's almost $30.  There are probably more reasonable ones.  This is just the first one I saw. 

You may want to attach an external monitor (I don't) or use a box of some kind to elevate the computer.  They have boxes at the office supply store in the computer area that have trays for storage or a place to put your keyboard and that is about the right height.  I would also suggest an external mouse.   If you need a new keyboard/mouse I'd go wireless.  If you want to be somewhat mobile, like sitting in the backyard in the shade unhooking and hooking everything up gets to be a pain and if you just want to diddle and not work you can use the laptop keyboard and not have to take the other keyboard and mouse. 

If you are used to a large monitor that is probably your biggest adjustment, the rest is fairly easy and may take some trial and error to get everything worked out. 

I am having problems with my sound on one of my computers.  Several different ExText program have been on it so I don't think it is the program and the sound is just now as clear as on my other computer.  Has anyone switched (disconnected the internal sound care and replaced) to a new sound card?  Did it make a difference. 

Everyone on this board is so knowledgeable, I really appreciate you.  You have helped me many times. 

We have these things going on all the time around us, but we just hear more about them now. And it seems since I have been watching Nancy Grace that there are many more unsolved murders and teens missing.

First, please don't think that I don't believe in helping others because I DO.  What I can't stand is for those you try to help to just take with no appreciation and then turn around and harm those in our community who try to help them.

Just before Christmas while watching the news the top story was of an elderly man who worked doing custodial work at a local hotel.  He was severely beaten and left for dead one night by 4 young males just because he asked them to quit tearing down the hotel's Christmas decorations.  Now when I say left for dead, I mean left for dead.  This man is still in the hospital and is still unrecognizable.  His doctors have said that he will need countless surgeries to rebuild his face ENTIRELY and will need 50 or more screws to hold it together.  Last night it broke that 2 of them were in custody (turned in by family members) and they picked the other 2 up today.  What is do disturbing is at least 1 of the 4 males is a Hurricane Katrina evacuee that had come to our city for shelter and assistance.

It is acts like this that make us weary about who we help and how we do it.  The beating of an elderly man is bad enough by itself but then to tell us it was someone who came to us for shelter and help responsible is just appauling.

I apologize for any typos but it is late and I am tired.  I just needed to sound off before I try to sleep.

I say it over and over again . . . VERIFY.  Do not transcribe what you THINK you hear.  If you don't know it with CERTAINTY, VERIFY it!!!!!

I try to be tactful and kind, but when the same things are done day after day, it isn't easy to be "nice."  I know sometimes I am rather short and to the point, but when some don't learn and don't change anything It becomes very, very frustrating. 

I could fill a book with the not-so-funny errors I see daily.