chip insider june 2011

7/31/2019 Chip Insider June 2011

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MANAGING EDITOR

Hatim Kantawalla

DEPUTY EDITOR

Jamshed Avari

SENIOR FEATURE WRITER

Kamakshi S, Priyanka Tilve

FEATURE WRITER

Kushal Mamoowala

COPY EDITOR

Sameer Desai

PROJECT COORDINATORS

Rajesh D'Souza, Gautami Chalke

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

Nirmal Biswas

SENIOR DESIGNER

Hemali Limbachiya

ILLUSTRATORS

Sachin Pandit, Chaitanya Surpur

COLOR CORRECTION

Sanjay Shelar

HEAD OFFICE

Intelligent Computing CHIP,Infomedia 18 Limited,

'A' Wing, Ruby House, 2nd Floor, J.K. Sawant Marg,

Dadar (W), Mumbai - 400 028. INDIA

Phone: (91 22) 3024 5000, Fax: (91 22) 30 03 4499

SMS US

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CONTENTS

PC CONFIGS

4 PLUG AND PLAYThe best specifications for custom

gaming PCs, plus some preassembled

alternatives.

8 WORKING ON THE MOVEComputing options for professionals

who are constantly on the move.

12 CREATING DIGITAL ARTMachines best suited for those who

create art on their PCs.

16 FINAL CUT PRO-FESSIONALSThe perfect specifications for video

editors, and some product options to

complement them.

20 BUILDING BRIDGESSystems and configurations best suited

for architects and engineers.

24 MUSIC MANIAThe best specialized setups for audio

editors and musicians.

28 BASIC PCS FOR THE HOMEThe ideal components for a basic home

PC, plus portable alternatives.

32 PCS FOR STUDENTSPortable PCs light enough to carry

around on campus, yet powerful enough

for all your projects and assignments.

36 THE TV SUBSTITUTEThe ideal config for a home theater PC

with some great products to match.

TECH TALK

40 SUPERSPEED CONNECTI-VITY WITH USB 3.0Everything you need to know about the

latest connectivity standard.

43 THE LATEST IN GRAPHICSPROCESSINGVishal Dhupar from Nvidia tells us all

about the newest graphics tech.

45 NETWORKADMINISTRATOR: AT THEHELMPursue a challenging and fulfilling career

in network administration.

48 FREQBOT: A CELLPHONEPOWERED OMNI-DIRECTIONAL ROBOTA unique robot that can be controlled via

a standard cellphone.


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If you go out computer shopping these days, thesheer amount of technology that is currentlyavailable is sure to overwhelm. If you decide totake opinions from others, you may end up with

some good suggestions, but they may only add to

the confusion. So how do you arrive at the best

setup to suit your needs? Whether youre a gamer,

a digital artist, an animator, a movie maker, a

musician, an engineer, or a student, you can

customize a system to suit your needs perfectly.

But before that, you need to know exactly what

you require out of your PC.

If you are not very hands-on and would rather

not build your own PC, knowing the right set of

specifications and components is enough to help

you pick a system that will let you get the job done

and last you for a few years without needed an

upgrade. Size, form factor, weight, and portability

are also major determining factors and the

importance of these factors varies for each user.

From the various components that make up the

system, to their prices, and the various brands on

offer, youll find everything here. Be it a future-proof machine or something on a shoestring

budget, you will find everything you are looking

for. For those looking for high-end gear, we will

also give you the low down on all the latest tech

advancements making their way into markets

now. You can find a rig to suit nearly every budget,

and with so many options to choose from, make

sure you do your homework, so you can make an

informed decision and build your dream machine.

KAMAKSHI [email protected]

FOREWORD

From the variouscomponents that

make up thesystem, to their

prices, and thevarious brands onoffer, youll find

everything here.


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SachinPandit,

ChaitanyaSurpur

PLUG AND PLAY

GAMING RIGS

Since the advent of advanced gaming consoles, PCs mighthave lost a lot of ground as the best gaming device.Nonetheless, PC gaming is still a big market and users canenjoy the newest and best games on their PCs as long astheyre equipped with the high-end hardware demanded bytodays games.

B Y K U S H A L M A M O O W A L A

PC CONFIGS

JUNE 2011 INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT


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Processor Intel Core i7-2600K 17,000

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H67A-D3H-B3 5,700

RAM 4 x 2 GB OCZ DDR3 1600 MHz 10,000

Hard disk Western Digital Caviar Black 2 TB SATA 12,000

Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 30,000

Optical drive LG WH10LS30 10X Blu-ray Burner 14,300

Monitor LG W2486L 24-inch LCD 14,500

Keyboard Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard 4,400

Mouse Logitech G500 Gaming Mouse 4,500

Headset Logitech G35 Surround Sound Headset 6,500

Sound card Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 4,200

PC Case Antec Twelve Hundred V3 Black Steel ATX 7,000

Power supply unit Corsair CMPSU-750TX 6,310

Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium 5,200

Cooling System Asetek 570LX Liquid Cooling system 9,000

Other Gamepad, Joystick -

IDEAL SPECIFICATIONS Rs 1,50,610

BRAG PC DB10Rs 1,17,000Intel Core i7-2600K , 8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz,2 TB SATA HDD, P67 Based Chipset, NVIDIAGeForce GTX 580, 2 4-inch Full-HD LCDdisplay, water cooling system.

ALIENWARE AREA 51ALXRs 2,93,800Intel Core i7-990X, 12 GB DDR3, 2 x 1 TBSATA-II 3.0Gb/s HDD, 2 x NVIDIA GeForceGTX 58 0, 24-inch Dell LCD monitor, ALX

Spawce Black Aluminum Case.

BRAG PC RB11Rs 1,06,500Intel Core i7-870, 8 GB DDR3 1333 MHz, 2TB SATA HDD, P67 Based Chipset, NVIDIAGeForce GTX 580, 2 0-inch LED display, highperformance air cooling.

ALIENWARE M18XLAPTOPRs 1,94,240Intel Core i7-2920XM, 16 GB DDR3, 2 x 750GB SATA 3.0Gb/s HDD, 2 x NVIDIA GeForceGTX 460M, 18 WLED Screen, add-on

Logitech keyboard and mouse.

gamSam is a hardcore gamer. He loves playing games ofall genres ranging from action games like Call of Dutyand Assassins Creed, to racing games like Shift 2:Unleashed and even sports games like FIFA 11. Mostlyplaying online, Sam is always aiming to reach the topof the rankings ladder for whatever game hes playing,

which means he needs a crisp and uninterruptedgaming experience.

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP INSIDER SUPPLEMENT JUNE 2011


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gamerMost games that are developed forconsoles like the Playstation 3 and Xbox360 are also available on PC. Then thereare games dedicated for PC gaming.The latest games are sure to test the power of

your GPU and require advanced input devices

made specifically for gaming, along with a fair bit

of raw processing power.

INSIDE THE HOODA hardcore gamer would expect to be in front of

his monitor for hours, playing games without

interruptions. For such usage, a PC needs

strong hardware that takes such loads without

overheating.

PROCESSOR:To get the best gaming experience,

you should equip your machine with a

powerful processor, like the new Intel

Core i7 range of processors. The quad-

core processor is capable of handling the

heavy load that a hardware-intensive

game requires. The onboard graphics

chip can only handle low level graphics.

GRAPHICS:To get the best graphics on offer, you

can aid your CPU with a high-end

graphics card. The Nvidia Geforce GTX

580 is the best graphics card available.

It comes with 1.5 GB GDDR5 memory

and clocks up to 1600 MHz. The GPU

also supports 3D, features an HDMI

port, and houses its own cooling fan.

Two Geforce GTX 580 cards can be used

in combination using SLI technology to

share the video rendering.

MEMORY:Your PCs RAM also plays a key role in

your gaming experience. New games

require a minimum of 2 to 4 GB of RAM, to run

your game at the lowest settings. For more power-

hungry games, you need 8 GB of RAM. DDR3 RAM

at 1600 MHz can handle heavy loads and still give

you a lag-free gaming experience.

STORAGE:Storage is also important for a gamer hoping to play

multiple games on his PC. Most new games require

10-15 GB of free space for installation. This could be

a minimal installation that still accesses your hard

disk for a great deal of data, which could slow down

the game. Both Western Digital and Seagate offer

hard drives in 2 TB and 3 TB capacities, which offer

enough storage space for multiple games.

MOTHERBOARD:In order to put all this great hardware together, you

would need an equally powerful motherboard that is

also future-proof, should you choose to upgrade your

PCs components. The Gigabyte GA-H67A-D3H-B3

with the Intel H67 chipset has 6 PCIe & PCI expansion

slots, multi-GPU support, 8 SATA ports, USB 3.0 and

2.0 ports and most importantly is capable of housing

the Intel i7-2600K processor.

COOLING SYSTEM:Having your machine process such great amounts

of data for lengthy periods means most of the

components will heat up to a fairly

high temperature. Most high level CPUs

and GPUs are equipped with their own

cooling fans, but it is still advisable to use

thermal cooling or a liquid cooling system

to ensure your machine doesnt overheat.

ON THE DESKThe best hardware inside your cabinet will

not be able to give you the best gaming

experience without the best peripherals

at your disposal. Gaming keyboards, mice

and controllers, monitors and headsets

all play a major role in optimizing your

gaming experience.

INPUT DEVICES:Gaming keyboards like the Logitech G15

let you to program complex commands

to a single key; USB ports allow you

to attach more peripherals; and LCD

displays show your saved profiles. The

Logitech G500 gaming mouse gives you

programmable buttons, and it can detect

the smallest of movements for better

accuracy. You can also get a variety of

gamepads and joysticks for games from brands

such as Razer, Steelseries and Roccat.

MONITOR:PS3 and Xbox 360 games are best enjoyed on large

HD LCD TVs. The same also applies to PC games,

which are capable of even higher resolutions. You

can take advantage of the crisp HD output of your

graphics card with a high-end LCD or LED monitor

that supports resolutions of 1080p and higher. A 22 or

24-inch monitor is recommended for an immersive

experience. To take advantage of 3D features, make

sure the monitor supports 3D technology.

FOR MODEST BUDGETSIf you feel that enjoying games

shouldnt cost an arm and a leg, you

can build a custom rig with a lower

configuration that will still let you enjoy

your games on medium settings. Intel

Core i3 or i5 processors are suitable to

run most games and even the latest

games list Intel Core 2 Duo and AMD

Athlon II processors in the minimum

requirements. As long as you have a dual

core processor higher than 2.4 GHz, you

should be able to run most of the latest

games. You can also work with 2 GB of

RAM, though you will be unable to run

other applications in the background. If

you do intend to use reduced RAM, then

you must support it with at least a 256

MB GPU to reduce the load. Graphics

cards based on GeForce 400 series or ATI

Radeon 5400 and 5500 series GPUs are

cheaper alternatives to high-end cards.


PC CONFIGS


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Processor Intel Core i5-2537M

Motherboard -

RAM 4 GB DDR3

Hard disk 500 GB

Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GT540

Optical drive Iomega SuperSlim Portable writer

Screen 11.6-inch HD LED

Keyboard -

Mouse -

Speakers -

Sound card Integrated

PC Case -

Power supply unit -

Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium

Cooling System -

SPECIFICATIONS

ALIENWARE M11X

Rs 50,100

The Alienware M11x is a relatively cheap gaming laptop that can beeasily customized as a good gaming machine. This setup is suited to acheaper budget and will be able to run most new games.

Processor Intel Core i5-2500K

Motherboard Zotac H55-ITX WiFi Mini-ITX

RAM 4 GB DDR3

Hard disk 1 TB

Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460

Optical drive DVD-R SuperDrive

Screen -

Keyboard -

Mouse -

Speakers -

Sound card -

PC Case SilverStone SG05

Power supply unit -


Cooling System Asetek LC 120mm Liquid Cooling

SPECIFICATIONS

V3 GAMING PC MOVERs 53,800

The V3 Gaming PC is equipped with hardware that can support mostnew games. A strong Intel Core i5 processor, ample storage, andsufficient RAM, along with a liquid cooling system make it a greatbudget gaming PC.

Processor Intel Core i5-2500K

Motherboard Intel HM57 chipset

RAM 4 GB DDR3

Hard disk 500 GB

Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GT435M

Optical drive DVD-RW

Screen 17.3-inch WLED

Keyboard -

Mouse -

Speakers JBL Waves MaxxAudio

Sound card -

PC Case -

Power supply unit -


Cooling System -

SPECIFICATIONS

DELL XPS 17 LAPTOP

Rs 42,630

The Dell XPS 17 is a great mid-priced gaming laptop. The large17-inch screen, Nvidia Geforce graphics, JBL sound and the Intel Corei5 processor are perfect for running games at low or medium qualitysettings.


PC CONFIGS


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dummyname

dummyname

WORKING ON THE MOVE

BUSINESS EXECUTIVE RIGS

The netbook and notebook market has been a boon for those whowish to work on-the-go, and if a large part of your professional lifeis spent outdoors, you need a rugged portable solution with decentbattery life that also lets you multitask with ease.

B Y K A M A K S H I S

SachinPandit,

ChaitanyaSurpur

PC CONFIGS



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9PC CONFIGSFI

Processor AMD Phenom II X2 560 5,480

Motherboard Asus M4A88T-M/USB3 6,060

RAM Strontium 2 x 2 GB DDR3 - 1333 MHz 2,400

Hard disk Seagate Barracuda 720 0.12 1 TB 3,450

Optical dive LG GH22 SATA 22x DVD-writer 1,200

Monitor Benq E2220HD 9,960

Keyboard and mouse Logitech Classic Desktop MK100 725

PC Case Cooler Master Elite 330 2,250

Power supply unit Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 350W 1,680

Operating system Windows 7 Professional 10,690

IDEAL SPECIFICATIONS Rs 43,895

DELL VOSTRO 230SRs 45,375Intel Core 2 Q8400, 2 GB DDR3, 500 GBSATA 3.0Gb/s HDD, E1709W 17-inchWide Screen Flat Panel LCD Monitor, 16XDVD+/-RW drive, One year data warranty.

APPLE MACBOOK AIRRs 79,900Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB DDR3 , 128 GB SSD,13.3-inch high-resolution widescreendisplay, AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

2.1, Two USB 2.0 ports.

LENOVO THINKPADX201 3323AB1Rs 64,300Intel Core i3-380M, 3 GB RAM, 50 0 GBHDD, 12.1-inch LCD, Integreated Graphics,Bluetooth, Ethernet, 3 yr warranty.

SONY VAIOVPCS133GN/BRs 52,990Intel Core i3-370M, 320 GB HDD, 3 GBDDR3, Intel HD Graphics, HDMIOut,1 Yr

International warranty .

Anup is a young business executive and a lot of hiswork involves on-site visits and client meetings. Heneeds his data handy at all times. He also needs toupdate a centralized CMS with client and sales details.What kind of system should he go for?

exec



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execuWhen you are working against tightdeadlines, the time spent in office isntalways enough to get the job done. Itsalso important to not let excess time spent outsidethe office affect your productivity. From video

conferencing and email to word processing and

spreadsheets, portable computing devices allow

you to do all this on-the-go. Although a notebook

would be the best tool to use, a desktop PC can

suffice if you dont move around a lot. Some users

also make do with a netbook or a high-end tablet.

THE REQUIREMENTSMost organizations offer a standard set of

specifications that you can look for and suggest

a configuration and brand according

to a fixed budget. Whether youre

picking components, peripherals or

any software, make sure that there

is adequate support available even if

you are on the move. Other essential

factors that you should consider are

the portability and build quality of the

device as well as the amount of warranty

offered by the manufacturer.

UNDER THE HOODBe it a desktop system or a laptop, the

hardware requirement remains more

or less identical for the business user. While youre

deciding on your systems make up, also consider

custom applications that your organization would

require you to install and new processes that will

be subsequently introduced.

PROCESSOR:As a business executive, most of your work will be

centered around office productivity tools, which

are not very heavy on the processor. A good dual

core processor like the AMD Phenom II X2 560 can

help you switch between applications, process data

and save files with ease.

RAM:Office applications usually tend to hog RAM. So if

you are switching between applications and have

several large files open at once, it can slow down

your system considerably. Since the setup doesnt

perform any graphic intensive work, a 2 x 2 GB

1333MHz DDR3 RAM works fine.

STORAGE:If you are using the device to run promotional

videos or store media kits, you may require a fair

bit of storage space. There also needs to be enough

space to install office productivity applications like

MS Office for all your documents, spreadsheets,

emails, contacts and other customized applications.

Moreover, if your business network lacks a

centralized server to store all the data, you need at

least 1 TB of hard disk space in all.

OPERATING SYSTEM:Because you are using a system that needs to be

accessed on a domain as well, you should go for an

operating system that fits the scenario. Microsoft

Windows 7 Professional will not only offer backward

compatibility to all XP-based applications, but it

also much lighter on your system.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:In an office setting, you would have to

connect to the centralized domain, and

so an Ethernet connection is a mandate.

Apart from that, ensure that you have

output ports that connect to an external

projector if you need to present your

data and statistics. Other essentials that

you need to have on the system include

optical devices like DVD players, data

security features and applications, and

upgrade options, along with USB ports.

ON THE MOVEIf you are using a laptop instead, you would require

a few more things to keep you connected on the go.

CONNECTIVITYIf you are connecting to a network or need to access

the Internet wirelessly, make sure all the required

ports are available on the device. Ethernet, USB and

HDMI ports are quite common, but it is always good

to check the number of available USB ports if you

wish to plug in peripherals, and the connectivity

standard for data transfer speeds on external

storage device like flash drives. Other essential

connectivity options include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

SUPPORT AND WARRANTYSince you will be using your system outdoors

a lot, you should know which possible faults in

your machine are covered under warranty and

what kind of help is available, especially if you are

not technically inclined. You also need to know

the period and nature of warranty. A minimum

of one-year warranty period is crucial. Some

manufacturers tend to have quite a long turnaround

time, which can hamper your productivity, so make

sure you pick a brand that is reputed for its after-

sales service.

FOR SMALLER POCKETSIf you are working around a tight

budget, you can get a machine with

a dual core processor (an Intel Atom

processor for a netbook will be good

enough) with 2 GB RAM and 250 GB of

disk space. You can opt for a 16x DVD

writer. However, you cannot do away

with the Ethernet port or Wi-Fi and

Bluetooth support.


PC CONFIGS


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PC CONFIGS

veProcessor Intel Core i5-480M

RAM 3 GB DDR3

Hard disk 500 GB

Screen 14-inch HD

Optical Drive DVD Writer

USB Ports 3

LAN Gigabit Ethernet

Connectivity Bluetooth 2.1, WLAN

Sound card Dolby Stereo Speakers

Video card ATI 1GB dedicated graphics


Battery life 8 hours

Warranty 1 year

SPECIFICATIONS

ACER AS 4820TG

Rs 44,495

The Acer timeline 4820TG laptop is cost effective and is perfectfor rugged use. However, you might want to go for a Windows 7Professional; instead of the Windows 7 Home Premium as it wouldnot help you connect to a LAN setting.

Processor Intel Core i3 -350M

RAM 3 GB DDR3

Hard disk 320 GB



USB Ports 1

LA N Gigabit Ethernet


Sound card Mono Speaker

Video card Intel HD Graphics

Operating systemWindows 7 Professional with XPdowngrade


Warranty 3 years

SPECIFICATIONS

TOSHIBA TECRA A11-I5530Rs 49,990

Toshiba Tecra A11-I5530 makes for a compelling package, and itis very comfortable to use outdoors. While the Windows XP Prodowngrade will help you curb costs, the single USB port is the onlymajor letdown.

Processor Intel Core i3 -350M Processor

RAM 3 GB DDR3

Hard disk 320 GB SATA

Screen 14.1-inch widescreen


USB Ports 1



Video card Intel HD Graphics

Operating system Windows 7 Home Basic SP1

Office productivityMicrosoft Office Home andBusiness 2010


Warranty 1 year

SPECIFICATIONS

DELL INSPIRON 14R

Rs 28,400

Dell Inspiron 14R is a high performance system that can be veryhandy even as you grow in your career profile. Moreover, you canalso customize the product to best suit your needs. But make surethat you opt for a Windows 7 Pro instead.



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dummyname

dummyname

dummyname

CREATING DIGITAL ART

RIGS FOR DIGITAL ARTISTS

With the rapid evolution of digital art tools, artistsmight find the need to migrate to newer softwareversions. Here is a setup that will fit your every need.


SachinPandit,

ChaitanyaSurpur

PC CONFIGS



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PC CONFIGSC

artis

Processor AMD Phenom II X6 1075T 10,180

Motherboard Asus M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 9,240

RAM Corsair CMX8GX3M2A1333 8 GB DDR3 7,010

Hard disk Western Digital Caviar Green 2 TB 4,630

Graphics card NVIDIA Geforce GTS 450 1GB GDDR3 6,500

Optical drive LG GH22 SATA 22x DVD-writer 1,200

Monitor Dell U2211H 21.5 inch W UltraSharp Monitor 11,000

Keyboard Logitech Media Keyboard K200 550

Mouse Logitech MX518 1,600

Tablet Wacom Intuos4 PTK-840 28,700

PC Case Cooler Master CM690 5,479

Power supply unit Corsair TX650W 6,250



APPLE IMACRs 79,900Intel Core i5 quad-core, 4 GB DDR3, 2 56 GBSSD, 1 TB SATA HDD, 512 MB AMD RadeonHD 6770M, FireWire 800 port; 4 USB 2.0ports, 21.5-inch LED D isplay.

SONY VAIOVPCF136FG/BIRs 69,990Intel Core i7-740QM, 50 0 GB HDD, 4 GBDDR3, Blu-Ray Disk ROM Drive, NVIDIA

GeForce GT 425M, 16.4-inch wide, e-SATA.

LENOVO Y560-59-055616Rs 56,990Core i7-740M, 4 GB DDR3, 500 GB HDD, ATIMobility Radeon HD 5730 , HDMI, Bluetooth2.1, Rambo Tray in 12.7mm, 15.6 HD LEDGlare.

Sonu is an aspiring digital artist and wants to explorethe full potential of Photoshop and Illustrator to createhis digital paintings. His friend Rajesh, on the other

hand, wants to develop his proficiency as a layoutartist, and is toying with the idea of becoming a Webdesigner as well. Both of them are photographyenthusiasts too. What kind of machine should theysettle for?

DELL STUDIO XPS7100 DESKTOPRs 60,625AMD Phenom II X6 1090T, 6 GB DDR3, 1 TBSATA HDD, AMD Radeon HD 6450, Dell S T

22-inch W LCD,



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ar is sSome of the most important parameters thatyou need to consider for a digital designersmachine are the processor and GPUsupport along with RAM capacity and softwarecompatibility options. Knowing what kind of work

you need to use the system for will help you arrive

at the best possible setup.

TOOLS FOR PRINT DESIGNERSIf you are in a creative field, that needs you to

come up with artwork using digital tools, create

illustrations, designs, font sets, or work on creatives

the Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 (CS5.5) Design Standard

is the ultimate tool to use. Another notable tool that

is quite popular among the designing community

is CorelDraw X5. If Web designing is

your area of expertise, then you can use

the Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 (CS5.5) Web

Premium package. Another option to

look at is the Design Premium suite.

THE IDEAL SETUPWhile Adobes website gives you

a standard set of recommended

configurations, you will not be able

to do anything beyond installing the

applications on your system and run

them individually. The applications

require a more potent system to run

multiple programs simultaneously and

smoothly. Here is a quick look at a system

that will perfectly suit your needs.

PROCESSOR:If you are going to toggle between lots

of processes and need batch processing

on images while porting data from one application

to another, you need a processor that can handle

all the load with the least possible lag. The AMD

Phenom II X6 is a six-core processor, and at 3.0

GHz, it can easily handle multiple processing tasks.

Moreover, the latest of Adobe products require the

OpenGL software and hardware standard, which

accelerates video processing, or image zooming

and rendering for large or complex images and 3D

models as well, which can work flawlessly with a

strong processor.

OPERATING SYSTEM:This purely depends on brand power. If you are

opting for an Apple product, make sure you get a

Mac OS X v10.6 with ample Flash support. As for

Windows users, given the OpenGL standards, any

thing from the Windows 7 family that runs on the

64-bit mode will work for you.

RAM & GRAPHICS SUPPORT:RAM plays a very important role in running

applications smoothly. Most image editing and

composing software requires a minimum of 2 GB of

RAM. Running several applications on 2 GB of RAM

will not be very convenient so you are better off

getting up to 8 GB of RAM for avoiding any system

lag. Since the work is not very graphics intensive,

you dont really need to spend on a high-range GPU.

Although you would require video rendering when

zooming in and out of raster vector graphics and

base level 3D, an OpenGL standard doesnt really

need too much juice. That is what Nvidia Geforce

GTS 450 offers you with a 1 GB dedicated memory,

along with DirectX 11 and Shader support.

DISK SPACE:While youll require at least 8 GB of

hard disk space for installation across

applications alone, you need another 2 GB

of space to run the application and save

files created in it. Also the applications

usually provide heavy output and back

up files. Moreover, certain features like

brushes and filters require you to have

huge amounts of additional space of up

to work without jerks. A 2 TB hard drive

would be ideal for such work. You can

also add SSDs to your system to speed up

data read and write speeds.

DISPLAY:An LCD screen with IPS (in-plane

switching) is perfect for artists as it

offers the best color-contrast ratio. In

these monitors, the liquid crystals are

aligned horizontally rather than placing them at

angles. Thus you get a clear view of the screen from

vertical viewing angles as well. When compared to

the high levels of brightness and contrast offered

by glare type displays, the color reproduction of

the IPS paneled screens seems almost perfect. It is

also good for professionals who are struggling with

space issues on their workstations. Most of these

applications work well on display settings that are

1280x800 or higher, and a hardware-accelerated

OpenGL graphics card that supports 16-bit color

and is DirectX 9-capable.

PERIPHERAL SUPPORT:Some essential peripherals include graphics tablet,

a good scanner and an optical drive. If you need to

trace images and are comfortable with free hand

art, then the Intuos4 PTK-840 tablet is a good option.

It gives near accurate tilt and pen precision.

FOR SMALLER POCKETSIf you are looking for a cost-effective

short term solution, then you can go

for a less powerful system. However,

you would be compromising on your

systems performance and stability. You

can opt for a dual core processor with

3 GB of RAM and a 512 MB graphics

card. You can cut down on the storage

space to 160 GB with a Windows 7

Home Basic 32-bit operating system.

However, you system will be prone to

lag and some applications may not run

smoothly. Also, you will have to ensure

frequent backups and create restore

points to ensure that your machine

doesnt crash.


PC CONFIGS


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FINAL CUT

PRO-FESSIONALS

RIGS FOR VIDEO EDITORSComputers playa major role in

movie making. Allediting jobs need

high performancemachines or the

final touches on a

movie would takeforever.

BYKUSHALMAMOOWALA

PC CONFIGS


SachinPandit,

ChaitanyaSurpur


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PC CONFIGSPC FI

vide

Processor Intel Core i5-2500K 12,000

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H67A-UD3H-B3 5,700

RAM 4 x 2 GB OCZ DDR3 1600 MHz 10,000

Hard diskWestern Digital Caviar Green 2 TBIntel X25-M 160 GB SSD

7,55020,500

Graphics card NVIDIA Quadro 4000 56,100

Optical driveLG 24x DVD RW SATALG WH10LS30 Blu-ray Drive

1,1505,000

Monitor 2 x LG W2486L 24-inch LCD 29,000

Keyboard DV Keyboard 3.0 5,000

Mouse Logitech V470 Cordless Mouse 2,500

Speakers M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 9,000

Sound card Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium 5,000

Power supply unit Ocz Stealthxstream 2 600W 3,000

Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium, Mac OS X 5,200


APPLE MAC PRORs 1,63,440Intel Xeon Quad-Core, 3 GB DDR3, 1 TBSATA HDD, ATI Radeon HD 5770, 18XSuperDrive, Apple LED 27-inch Display

HP PAVILLION ELITEHPE510TRs 1,01,250Intel Core i5 3.3 GHz, 8 GB DDR3, 500 GBSATA HDD, 2 TB SATA HDD, NVIDIA GeForceGT 440 , Blu-ray writer, 16x DVD drive, 2 x

HP LED 27-inch Displays.

APPLE IMACRs 1,07,900Intel Core i5 3.1 GHz, 4 GB DDR3, 1 TBSATA HDD, AMD Radeon HD 6970M, 8xSuperDrive, Apple LED 27-inch Display

APPLE MACBOOK PRORs 1,42,900Intel Core i7 2.2 GHz, 4 GB DDR3, 750GB HDD, Intel HD graphics 3000, 8xSuperDrive, MacBookPro 17-inch Display.

Aditi spends most of her day in front of her monitorsediting and rendering movies and videos, both

professionally and as a hobby. She uses software likeSmoke, Flame, Avid and Final Cut Studio on a regularbasis and has large amounts of video and audio datato work on.



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vi eo aComputers used for video editing need tohave hardware that can support editingsoftware like Avid Media Composer, Smoke,Flame and Final Cut Studio. Moreover, videoediting is generally a lengthy process and editors

can expect to be in front of their machines for

hours together, which means the hardware needs

to be sturdy enough to handle such loads for long

periods of time.

UNDER THE HOODA video editing machine is required to run mutliple

editing software for a lot of video content. The most

recommended machine for such activity would be

an Apple product that has greater connectivity

options like Firewire ports and newer Thunderbolt

ports. Also, Final Cut Studio and Final

Cut Pro are available only on the Apple

products.

PROCESSOR:Having to work with heavy software for

video editing, any good video editing

machine should have a dual core or

quad core processor. Most editing

applications recommend a dual-core 2.4

GHz processor or higher for installation,

and an Intel Core i5 processor suits

these needs perfectly. With an in-built

graphics chip, the i5 processor can

support your GPU for processing high

resolution HD and 3D videos.

GRAPHICS:The graphics card is the most important

component for video editing. With 3D

technology on the fray and HD editing

being the norm, a strong GPU is vital

for efficient editing. Nvidias 3D Vision

Pro gives stereoscopic 3D solutions for

viewing 3D content and better imagery.

The Nvidia Quadro chip supports 3D

Vision Pro and provides enough processing power

for rendering and editing high quality videos.

MEMORY:A machine for editing is required to run multiple

editing software at the same time. Each software

also requires a decent amount of RAM for smooth

operation. Most of the editing software recommend

2 to 4 GB of RAM required for installation, but keep

in mind that this is enough to support just that

specific program. 4 to 8 GB of DDR3 RAM is good

enough to manage multiple running programs and

video rendering without any delays.

STORAGE:High quality videos require large amounts of

storage space and an editor might have to save

multiple edits of a file before the final product.

Editors also often have large libraries of reference

videos and audio that can eat up a lot of space.

Accessing your software and data quickly is also

essential, which is why having a 150 GB to 200 GB

solid state drive for installations is an advantage.

Along with this, you can add up to 2 TB of HDD

storage to save your work.

OPTICAL DRIVE:High definition and 3D movies and videos are often

written or produced on Blu-ray discs, so having

a Blu-ray drive is very important for any video

editing machine. Along with one Blu-

ray burner, it is also advisable to have a

second DVD burner for copying discs and

writing multiple discs.

CONNECTIVITY:A very important feature that is

present only in Apple Mac products is

connectivity ports. Apples Firewire

ports allow for data transfer at a much

higher rate and you can dump video

content much faster, directly from your

camera. Firewire gives you speeds up to

800MB/s and Apple has developed a new

Thunderbolt port that can transfer data

at 10 Gb/s. You could also choose USB 3.0

ports on your PC for upto 5 Gb/s data

transfer rates.

ON THE DESKHaving the right hardware needs

to be supplemented with adequate

peripherals like monitors, speakers

and input devices. A machine for video

editing should have HD monitors, high-

quality surround sound speakers and

the appropriate input devices to expedite the

editing process.

MONITOR:A high definition 24-inch to 27-inch widescreen

monitor is perfect for a large viewing area. LED

monitors are advisable for getting better color

definition and having a 3D compatible monitor

would be ideal. Editors often choose to have a

dual-monitor setup for playing video on one

monitor and executing the editing process on the

second monitor. Two 24-inch LCD monitors should

be suitable for most editing jobs.

FOR SMALLER POCKETSIf you are trying to put together an

editing PC on a tighter budget, you can

opt for a slightly slower quad-core i5

processor, or you can even get yourself

an Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD X2 dual core

processor. These might not be able to

run multiple software at the same time,

but they still fit within the minimum

requirements for most editing software.

Just like the processors, 2 to 4 GB of

RAM will still allow you to carry out your

work, except at a slightly lower rate, and

will reduce your multitasking options. If

you do not wish to spend too much on

internal storage, you can opt for a single

500 GB or 1 TB hard drive rather than

an SSD. You can also get a portable or

external drive for more storage. For

decent graphics, you can opt for an

entry-level Nvidia Qudro series or an

AMD Radeon Firepro series GPU.


PC CONFIGS


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PC CONFIGS

r is sHP 200Q SERIES

Rs 67,700

The HP 200q series is customizable to suit the configuration fora mid-level editing machine. You can choose dual-monitors andincreased storage as per your needs and you can add external storagedrives and optical drives to maximize your output.

Processor Intel Core 2 Duo 3.1GHz

RAM 4 GB DDR2

Hard disk 1.5 TB

Graphics card NVIDIA GeForve 9400

Optical drive 8x DVDRW Optical Drive

Screen Dell LED 24-inch

Keyboard Logitech MK710 Keyboard

Screen Logitech MK710 Mouse

Speakers Dell 22W



SPECIFICATIONS

DELL STUDIO ONE 19Rs 49,800

The Dell Studio One 19 is an entry-level machine as far as editingneeds are concerned. With a Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB RAM, itshould suffice for simple editing tasks and standard quality videos.


RAM 4 GB DDR3

Hard disk 750 GB

Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M

Optical drive Blu-ray + DVD Combo Drive

Screen 15.6-inch HD

Keyboard Standard

Mouse Standard

Speakers Lenovo Stereo Speakers



SPECIFICATIONS

LENOVO IDEAPAD Y570 LAPTOP

Rs 42,700

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 is a fairly handy laptop for editingpurposes. It has a reasonably strong processor, suitable RAM and

enough storage space for editing on-the-go or for small editing jobs.

Processor Intel Core i5-760

RAM 8 GB DDR3

Hard disk 2 TB

Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M

Optical drive Slim-tray Blu-ray player

Screen 2 x HP LED 27-inch

Keyboard HP USB Keyboard

Mouse HP USB Optical Mouse

Speakers Logitech Z506 5.1 System



SPECIFICATIONS



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BUILDING BRIDGES

RIGS FOR ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS

Gone are the days when engineers and architects drew upelaborate floor plans on rolls of paper. Its all digital now,but the nature of the work means that a low-end systemjust wont cut it. These tasks have special requirementsas well as specialized software that will be run on thesesystems.

B Y K A M A K S H I S .

SachinPandit,

ChaitanyaSurpur

PC CONFIGS



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PC CONFIGSIGS

archi

Processor Intel Core i7- 920 14,900

Motherboard Asus Sabertooth X58 12,000

Video Card NVIDIA Geforce GTS 450 6,500

RAM 2 x 2 GB Strontium DDR3 2,400

Hard disk Western Digital Caviar Green 1 TB 3,040

Optical dive LG GH22 SATA 22x DVD-writer 1,200

Monitor BenQ V2400 Eco, 24-inch TF T (LED) 16,960

Input devices Waccom Intuos4 X-Large 46,200

Power supply unit Cooler Master Silent Pro M600 6,785

Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) 6,590


APPLE MACBOOK PRO17-INCHRs 1,42,900Intel Core i7 quad-core, 4 GB DDR3, 75 0GB 5400 -RPM SATA HDD, AMD Radeon HD6750M, Intel HD Graphics 3000.

APPLE IMACRs 79,900Intel Core i5 quad-core, 4 GB DDR3, 256GB SSD, 1 TB SATA HDD, AMD Radeon HD6770M, 4 USB 2.0 ports, 8x SuperDrivewith 4x double-layer burning , Apple LED

21.5-inch Display.

DELL XPS 8300DESKTOPRs 69,260Intel Core i7 - 2600, 6 GB DDR3, 1 TBSATA 3.0Gb/s HDD, Dell IN1920 24-inchWide Screen Flat Panel LCD Monitor, 1 GBNVIDIA GeForce GT420.

DELL XPS 15Rs 47,900XPS-15 Core i3-380M, 4 GB DDR3, 500 GBSATA HDD, 1 GB Nvdia GT420M, DVD RW,INT6200 WIDI CARD, Windows 7 Home

Premium, MS Office Starter 2010.

Ria is an architect who specializes in designing livingand commercial spaces. She has tight deadlines tomeet, especially for her commercial clients. Alisha isa mechanical engineer specializing in oil and gas. Sheneeds to create elaborate plans for not just oil drilling,out in the ocean, but she also has to design pipelinesthat carry the same. What system should Ria andAlisha opt for?



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arc i eThe most essential component to considerwhen setting up a system for a structuralengineer or an architect is the graphicscard, as most of the applications used by theseprofessionals are extremely graphics intensive.

You would also require a good amount of RAM to

run the system smoothly, as well as ample storage

space to accommodate large work files.

REQUIRED TOOLSOne of the most popular suites of tools that can

help in architectural, construction, structural,

mechanical and civil engineering or real estate

professions comes from AutoDesk. They offer

customized software packages that can be

put to specific use. These include applications

like AutoCAD Civil 3D, AutoCAD Raster Design,

Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise, AutoCAD Map

3D, AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite, Autodesk 3DS

Max, Autodesk Collaborative Project Management,

Autodesk Design Review, Autodesk Navisworks,

Autodesk Quantity Takeoff and Autodesk

FMDesktop, just to name a few.

THE IDEAL SETUPThe AutoDesk website offers setup

requirements for both 64-bit and 32-bit

systems. While 32-bit applications work

on any operating system, go for a 64-bit

setup instead.

A 64-bit version will not only utilize

your RAM better as compared to a

32-bit version, but aid the GPU when

rendering 3D structures. Here is a quick

look at a system that will perfectly suit

your needs.

PROCESSOR:Make sure you go for a processor that

can handle large loads. While Intels dual core

systems support 64-bit applications as well, you

might find them lagging at times. The Intel Core

i7- 920 is a processor that is fast enough to run

several applications smoothly, and the integrated

graphics also quickens the entire rendering

process. The four-core structure with turbo

mode ensures that all the four cores function

simultaneously.

RAM:You will probably use multiple applications for

your designing, rendering and editing processes

so you need a fair amount of RAM. When working

with graphics intensive files, you need at least 4

GB of RAM. Moreover, when using a 64-bit setup

you need more RAM to ensure that the system

runs smoothly.

GPU:Keep in mind the graphics intensive nature of

the applications, you will require a good graphics

card with at least 1 GB memory. A mid-range

Nvidia Geforce GTS 450 GPU with a 1 GB dedicated

memory, with DirectX 11 support and shader

support will be enough to start with.

DISK SPACE:The applications each require up to 5 GB of hard

disk space for a complete installation. Thus, you

will require huge amounts of space, not just to

install and run the applications, but also output

and save the files. A 1 TB hard drive would be

ideal for such work.

ON THE DESK:Once you have zeroed in on the kind of system

you need, you will then have to shif t your focus

on what other peripherals you would

require to make work efficiently. Apart

from a widescreen monitor, you will also

need peripherals like a good precision

mouse and keyboard to draft your work

or just a good pro-level digitizer will be

enough. If you need to make frequent

client presentations, make sure you

have a plotter handy too.

DISPLAY:A 24-inch TFT LED screen like the BenQ

V2400 Eco is well suited for CAD use as

it offers easy viewing of large plans that

you would create. Most applications

work well on display settings which

are 1280x800 and above, and the LED

screen will give you better color display and

sharpness. But a full HD monitor like this will

give your architectural walk-through amazing

sharpness. You can also catch a movie on your

free time, if you need a break. However, if you find

the resolution too low, you can pick a dual-screen

monitor setup instead.

PERIPHERAL SUPPORT:Considering the large output files, you will

need a high end graphics tablet that offers a lot

of working area and generous workspace. The

Waccom Intuos4 X-Large comes with as many as

10 nibs to ensure accurate output. If you need to

print these plans, a standard laser printer will not

suffice; go for a good plotter instead.

FOR SMALLER POCKETSIf you are on a tighter budget, you can

go with a dual core processor like an

Intel Core 2 Duo with a 512 MB graphics

card. You can also opt for 2 GB of RAM

and go for a smaller monitor between

17 and 21 inches. You can cut down

on the storage space to 500 GB, and

go with an additional external hard

drive when required. On the peripheral

front, you can opt for a mid-range

digitizer instead of a big one, or opt for

a keyboard-mouse combo instead.


PC CONFIGS


23/52

PC CONFIGS

sProcessor Intel Core i7-740QMRAM 4 GB DDR3Hard disk 500 GB

Screen 16.4-inch wide

Optical Drive Blu-Ray Disk Drive

USB Ports HDMI Output, e-SATA ,Optical Out


Connectivity Wi-Fi/ BlueTooth 2.1

Sound card Intel High Definition Audio

Video card NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M

Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Battery life --

Warranty 1 year

SPECIFICATIONS

SONY VAIO VPCF136FG/BI

Rs 69,990

The latest F series models from Sony Vaio offer a lot of promise witha power packed set up. Thanks to its f ull HD display and the Blu-RayDrive, your projects and walkthroughs will come alive on screen.


RAM 4 GB DDR3

Hard disk 640 GB

Screen 15.6-inch HD LED Glare


USB Ports --


Connectivity Bluetooth 2.1

Video cardGraphics ATI Mobility Radeon HD5730 Black


Office productivity --

Battery life --

Warranty 1 Year warranty

SPECIFICATIONS

LENOVO Y560 59-052245

Rs 56,500

Lenovo Y560 series offers power-packed configuration list, that tooat very affordable prices. Moreover Lenovo notebooks are best suitedfor rugged usage.

Processor Intel Core i5 2410M

RAM 4 GB DDR3

Hard disk 640 GB

Screen 15.6-inch


USB Ports 3 USB 2.0


Connectivity Bluetooth/ Wi-Fi

Video card 1 GB Graphics

Operating system Windows 7 Basic

Office productivity Office Starter 2010

Battery life --

Warranty --

SPECIFICATIONS

HP PAVILION G6-1004TX

Rs 43,156

HP Pavilion G6-1004TX is a high performance system that can bevery handy even as you grow in your career profile. It comes with anOffice 2010 Starter kit, which doesnt feature Outlook 2010.



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MUSIC MANIA

AUDIO EDITING RIGS

Musicians require specialised PCs for their compositionand editing needs. PCs with high end sound cards andspecial inputs for musical instruments for recording canbe configured for the best music recording.


SachinPandit,

ChaitanyaSurpur

PC CONFIGS



25/52


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The components of an audio artists PC arevery specific to its usage. If you wish tocompose or edit music at a professionallevel, then you need to ensure that you have the

hardware that suits the requirements of software

like Avid Pro Tools, Logic Studio or Nuendo. Using

less demanding software, on the other hand,

can reduce the cost of building a hardcore audio

editing PC.

UNDER THE HOODSoftware applications like Avid Pro Tools and

Nuendo have very specific requirements for

optimal usage. Along with the components to

suit this hardware, you can also add a high-end

sound card that gives you better output and

more input options as well as a digital

audio interface for low latency. Apple

Logic Studio functions only on Apple

machines, so you have no option for

putting together your own PC for this

tool.

PROCESSOR:Both Pro Tools and Nuendo require

a quad core processor and one that

functions at 3.0 GHz or more is

recommended, so the Intel Core i7

series is the best option. You can also

choose an Intel Xeon range processor.

GRAPHICS:Although the GPU does not play a big

role in music editing, a good graphics

processor is required by high-end

software and it also takes some load off

the CPU, giving you faster performance.

The Avid Pro Tools software does not

work without an Nvidia graphics card.

The NVIDIA Geforce GTS 450 is well

suited for such a setup.

MEMORY:Music rendering, editing and composition

demands a large amount of RAM, so it is advisable

to have at least 8 GB of RAM if you are going to

use professional music editing tools. Although

most software state 4 GB to be the mnimum

requirement, it might be difficult to work with

multiple applications or multitask without more

RAM.

STORAGE:Music editing software takes up large amounts

of storage space due to the libraries of stock

sounds and audio clips. Avid Pro Tools requires up

to 32 GB free for all software and libraries to be

installed. Add to that your own library of audio

files and it is clear that you need a lot of storage

space. A 240 GB SSD drive is suitable for booting

and installation of all your software, and coupled

with 4 TB of hard drive space, youll have all your

storage needs covered.

AUDIO:You will require a good sound card for better

sound quality and input options as well as good

speakers for crisp sound. The Asus Xonar Essence

sound card gives you the option of 7.1 channel

sound and high end sound quality via an RCA jack,

Coaxial/Toslink and Aux-in 4 pin connectivity.

ON THE DESKMusicians and audio editors will require

a few peripherals for their specialized

machines to make their tasks easier.

Apart from their musical instruments,

there are Digital to Analog Converters

(DACs) and Digital Audio Interfaces

that you can add to improve the sound

quality of your inputs. There is also the

obvious need for high quality speakers

for clear and crisp sound.

DIGITAL AUDIO INTERFACE:The Apogee Duet Digital Audio Interface

allows you to plug your musical

instrument into its breakout cable

and record music. The hardware is

accompanied by Maestro software, which

allows you to control various aspects

of your audio input. With Firewire

connectivity and very low latency, the

Apogee Duet is great for any musical

artists wanting to record their music.

EXTERNAL DEVICES:Based on your usage, you can also add external

DAC devices to your machine as well as musical

instruments. A DAC (Digital to Analog Converter)

helps generate better sound from the digital audio

information on your PC. Adding a USB or Firewire

DAC to your machine can also give you better

sound.

SPEAKERS:High quality speakers are important and the

Yamaha SP5S 40 Watt Studio Monitor gives you

professional quality sound for your editing

needs.

FOR SMALLER POCKETSIf you are on a tighter budget, you

can opt for a cheaper machine, but

will have to accept that all high end

music editing software might not run

smoothly on it. You can opt for a lower

grade quad-core processor like an Intel

Core i3 or i5. You can also reduce the

RAM to 4 GB and should still be able to

run your editing software individually

and cut down on multitasking. The

storage space is cullable as well, and

you can choose a smaller sized hard

drive and avoid the expensive SSD. If

you do require more storage space, you

can get an external or portable drive

of up to 500 GB. Most motherboards

have integrated sound cards so you

can avoid the high end sound card and

replace the expensive studio monitor

with a good quality headset.

Tools requires upTools requires up

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PC CONFIGS


27/52

PC CONFIGS


RAM 4 GB DDR3

Hard disk 500 GB

Graphics card AMD Radeon HD 6350

Optical drive DVD Writer

Screen -

Keyboard HP PS/2 Standard

Mouse HP PS/2 Standard

Speakers -

Sound card EMU 1212m PCIe


SPECIFICATIONS

HP 8200 ELITE XL510AV-SEB COMPACT

Rs 50,100

This HP 8200 Elite machine is easily configurable to suit your needs.With 500 GB of storage and 4 GB RAM it is a good option for simplemusic editing tasks.


RAM 4 GB DDR3

Hard disk 500 GB

Graphics card Integrated Graphics


Screen 14-inch HD LCD

Keyboard Standard

Mouse Trackpad

Speakers Dolby Stereo Speakers

Sound card Integrated Sound card


SPECIFICATIONS

ACER AS 4820T LAPTOP

Rs 39,900

The Acer Aspire series laptop is a good option for musicians andeditors on the go. With good quality speakers and ample RAM forlighter software, its a great budget option for audio editing.


RAM 6 GB DDR3

Hard disk 1 TB

Graphics card Integrated Intel Graphics


Screen -

Keyboard Dell USB Entry Keyboard

Mouse Dell USB Optical Mouse

Speakers Inspire T12 Stereo Speakers

Sound card Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio


SPECIFICATIONS

DELL INSPIRON 580

Rs 26,600

The Dell 580 is a really affordable option with powerful hardware.Up to 1 TB of storage and 6 GB of RAM means you can use it formost editing software and storing your media. It also supports 7.1surround sound formats.

i ors



28/52

BASIC PCS FORTHE HOME

HOME PCS

Any modern day housewife will spend a fair amount of timeon the PC. Browsing Facebook, Youtube and other socialsites, sharing photos and videos, and accessing email aregenerally the most used services on the home PC.


SachinPandit,

ChaitanyaSurpur

PC CONFIGS



29/52

PC CONFIGSIGS

hous

Processor AMD Athlon II X2 240 3,200

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-MA74GM-S2 3,000

RAM OCZ 2 GB DDR3 1,250

Hard disk Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500 GB 1,900

Graphics card Integrated -

Optical drive Samsung 20X DVDRW 1,100

Monitor Samsung 540N15-inch LCD 7,500

Keyboard Microsoft wired keyboard 600 770

Mouse Microsoft Compact Optical Mouse 700

Speakers Creative SBS A35 2.0 stereo Speaker 500

Sound card Integrated -

Other Webcam, Headset -



DELL INSPIRON 580SRs 29,000Intel Core i3-550, 4 GB DDR3, 320 GB SATAHDD, 16X DVDRW, USB Keyboard, USBMouse, Windows 7 Home Premium

ACER EME 730NOTEBOOKRs 27,000Intel Core i3-330, 1 GB DDR3, 250 GB SATAHDD, 8X DVDRW, 15.6-inch Display, Lipus

Moblin LINUX

HP 500B MICROTOWERRs 22,400Intel Pentium E5700, 2 GB DDR3, 320 GBSATA HDD, 16X DVDRW, USB Keyboard, USBMouse, Windows 7 Home Premium

DELL VOSTRO V230SRs 24,000Intel Pentium E5700, 1 GB DDR3, 320 GBSATA HDD, 18.5-inch Monitor, StandardKeyboard/mouse, DOS

Shilpa is a housewife who enjoys spending her time onFacebook to keep in touch with friends and relatives.She also uses her home PC to store photos, downloadmusic and video chat. Skype, Picasa, Microsoft Wordand other basic software are all that she needs.



30/52

Building a PC for the home use shouldnt betoo hard. For a home user expecting to usesoftware like Skype, Microsoft Word, andPicasa, and browse the Internet, you would need

an average processor and a standard motherboard

with a few USB ports. A standard sized cabinet

with ample RAM and storage space is well suited

for such use.

UNDER THE HOODThe hardware components inside a home PC are

relatively cheap and easy to come by. You should

not have to go through much trouble finding a

decent processor, hard drive and RAM, and a

motherboard suited for these components will not

be too hard. You do not even have to worry about

a dedicated graphics or sound processor as most

motherboards have integrated chips

that can handle simple loads.

PROCESSOR:A dual core processor clocking over 2

GHz is more than capable of handling

your day-to-day usage. AMD Athlon II

X2 is an inexpensive dual core processor

and gives better speed than an Intel

processor at the same price.

MEMORY:Word processing, video chat and

Web browsing software are not very

RAM-hungry and 2 GB of RAM is

fine for running these programs and

multitasking. You can use two 1 GB

memory sticks if you wish to use dual

channel memory for faster performance,

but even a single 2 GB stick is capable of

giving you decent performance.

STORAGE:A home PC would be used to store photos, video,

music and miscellaneous documents. A 250 GB

hard drive gives you more than enough space for

these storage needs along with the space required

for software installations. A SATA 3 Gb/s HDD is

well suited for a home PC, and if you wish to add

more space, you can get an external storage drive

as well.

OPTICAL DRIVE:You can expect to use a few CDs and DVDs with

your home PC, so getting a DVD reader and writer

will be beneficial. The speed of the drive is not very

important and anything over 8X should suffice.

The Samsung 20X DVD RW is a good, affordable

DVD drive for home use. If you wish to copy discs

you can add another drive as well.

CONNECTIVITY:Your home PC will probably be used to transfer

photos from digital cameras and add music to

your PMPs, so look out for 3-4 USB ports on your

machine. You might need more ports if you are

going to use USB input devices, so make sure

your machine is well equipped for connecting

peripherals. You can look out for machines with

built-in card readers for transfering data from

memory cards.

ON THE DESKA basic PC for home use would not require many

peripherals apart form a monitor, standard input

devices like a keyboard and mouse and

a set of PC speakers. Depending on your

intended use, you can add a microphone

or headset, a printer or MFD and external

storage devices like portable hard drives

and USB flash drives.

MONITOR:A PC for home usage should generally

have a 15 or 17-inch monitor for easy

viewing. If you are going to sit at a desk

and use the machine for a few hours, you

will need a big screen for comfortable

viewing. An LCD monitor is a good choice

as it will occupy less space on your table.

INPUT DEVICES:You will not need more than a standard

keyboard and mouse for general use.

Check the connection interface for your

input devices and make sure they are

comaptible with your motherboard.

Keyboards and mice have PS/2 or USB

connectors, so if you wish to have a few USB ports

free, you can opt for a PS/2 keyboard and mouse.

PRINTER:If you are going to use your home PC for writing

basic documents and making flight or hotel

reservations, you can add an inkjet printer to print

out receipts and tickets.

PERIPHERALS:Other peripherals that you can consider include

a good set of 2.0 stereo speakers or a headset for

video chatting. You can also include an external

memory card reader if your machine doesnt

already have one.

FOR SMALLER POCKETSIf you do not want to spend too much

money on your home PC, which you do

not intend to use for long hours, you

can get a notebook or netbook instead.

A notebook with a relatively simple

configuration can come for less than

Rs 30,000 and netbooks are a more

economical option. You can choose a

single core processor like one of Intels

Atom series processors, downgrade to

1 GB of RAM and opt for lesser storage

space to save some money. Keep in mind

though that netbooks and notebooks

have smaller screens, so they are not

fit for prolonged usage. Also note that

netbooks do not have optical drives so

you will have to get an external CD/DVD

reader if you need one.

Buil ing a PC for the home use shoul nt eing a PC r the ho e sh ul etoo har . For a home user expecting to usehar . For home user expecting t useso tware i e S ype, Microso t Wor , anware i ype, Microso t Wor n,Picasa, an rowse t e Internet, you wou neePi o ternet, you woi i

DVD rive for home use. If you wish to copy iscsDVD rive for e use. If you wish py iscs

you can a another rive as well.you can a ano er rive as well.

CONNECTIVITY:CONNEC


PC CONFIGS


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PORTABLE PCS FORHIGHER STUDIES

RIGS FOR STUDENTS PURSUING HIGHER EDUCATION

Educational institutions that impart higher academiccourses often insist on portable computers for all theirstudents on campus. Here is a look at systems that can helpyou study effectively.


SachinPandit,

ChaitanyaSurpur

PC CONFIGS



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PC CONFIGSO F S

stud

Processor Intel Core i7-920 14,900

Motherboard Asus Sabertooth X58 12,000

Video Card Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 7,200

RAM Corsair Value 4 GB DDR3 2,800

Hard disk Seagate Barracuda 720 0.12 500 GB SATA HDD 2,000

Optical dive LG DVD Writer 16x Dual Layer 1,185

Monitor Asus VH197D 18.5-inch LED Monitor 5,800

Input devices Logitech Classic Desktop MK100 725

Power supply unit Ocz Stealthxstream 2 600W 2,885



SONY VAIO EAVPCEA46FG/B/L/WRs 42,990Intel Core i5-480M, 320 GB SATA HDD, 4GB DDR3, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470,Windows 7 Home Premium.

APPLE MACBOOKRs 69,900Intel Core i5, 4 GB DDR3 , 320 GB SATAHDD, Intel HD Graphics 3000, 3.3-inch(diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreendisplay, Gigabit Ethernet port, 2 USB 2.0

ports,Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1.

HP PAVILION DV6-6016TXRs 46,592Intel Core i5 2410M, 4 GB DDR3, 500 GBSATA HDD, 15.6-inch screen, 1 GB Graphics,Windows 7 Home Premium.

DELL INSPIRON 15RRs 42,900Intel Core i5, 4 GB DDR3, 500 GB SATAHDD, Intel HD Graphics, Integrated 10/100Ethernet LAN, 15.6-inch Widescreen HD

WLED screen, 1 year warranty.

Rita is pursuing an MBA and Isha is pursuing herMasters in Engineering. Both plan to study even furtherand they need a laptop for academic purposes. Althoughthey both use a desktop PC at home, they need a fullyfunctional notebook to carry when on the campus. Whatkind of devices should they opt for?



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PC CONFIGS

sProcessor Core i3 350M/370

RAM 3 GB DDR3

Hard disk 320 GB

Ports HDMI


Graphics NVIDIA 420 1GB DedGrp

Sound Integrated

Optical Drive DVDRW

Connectivity Bluetooth 2.1+

Operating System Windows 7 Home Basic

Warranty 1 year

SPECIFICATIONS

ACER ASPIRE 5742G

Rs 35,500

If cost is an issue, the Acer aspire 5742Gis the best option to look at.If offers quite an impressive list of specifications especially for thosewho are on a tight budget.

ProcessorIntel Core i3 Processor 370M,2.4 GHz,

RAM 4 GB DDR3

Hard disk 320 GB

Ports --

Screen 15.6-inch LED

Graphics Integrated

Sound Integrated

Optical Drive --

Connectivity

Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium

Warranty 1 year warranty

SPECIFICATIONS

TOSHIBA L650-I5311

Rs 42,636

Although the Toshiba L650-I5311offers an Intel Core i3 processor,nothing is said about the number and nature of connectivity ports.However it is very rugged for outdoor usage.


RAM 3 GB DDR3

Hard disk 500 GB

Ports --

Screen 15.6-inch HD LED Glare

Graphics Integrated

Sound Integrated


Connectivity Bluetooth 2.1

Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium

Warranty 1 year

SPECIFICATIONS

LENOVO IDEAPAD Z560 59-052666

Rs 38,090

The Lenovo IdeaPad z560 comes in a number of variants, so wehave picked what is closest to our best configuration. If price is aconstraint, you can opt for one with a pre-loaded DOS operatingsystem instead.



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PC CONFIGSP I

cine

Processor Intel Core i3-550 6,830

Motherboard Asus P7H55-M PRO 6,670

RAM OCZ 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM 2,250

Hard disk 2 x Western Digital Caviar Green 2 TB 15,100

Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GT 430 4,000

Optical drive LG Super-Multi Blu-ray Combo Drive 4,800

Monitor -

Keyboard IOGEAR Multimedia Keyboard 2,835

Mouse -

Speakers -

Power Supply Antec NeoPower 650 5,800

TV Tuner card Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 8,680

PC Case Silver Stone LC16B MR220 12,000


APPLE MAC MINIRs 37,900Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB DDR3 , 320 GB SATAHDD, NVIDIA GeForce 320M, 8x SuperDrive.,Mac OS X.

ACER ASPIRE 5750GRs 41,200Intel Core i5, 4 GB DDR3, 500 GB SATA HDD,NVIDIA GeForce GT540M, DVDRW Drive.

BRAG PC SAMBARs 52,000AMD Phenom X4-630, 4 GB DDR3, 4 TBSATA HDD, ATI Radeon HD 4350, Blu-rayDVD Combo drive.

BRAG PC TR7Rs 53,000Intel Core i5-760, 4 GB DDR3, 1 TB SATAHDD, NVIDIA GTX-460 Fermi, DVD Writer.

Karan is a movie buff and loves to recreate thecinematic experience at home. He downloads movies

in high definition and rents DVDs and Blu-rays of hisfavorite movies and watches them in the comfortof his home with a full HD and surround soundexperience.



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cinep iHome theatre PCs or HTPCs are uniquecomputers designed to be silent andcompact giving you the best movieexperience. Most importantly you need yo look outfor a machine that is low on power consumption,

high on graphics, and offers a variety of

connectivity options.

UNDER THE HOODA modern day HTPC must be able to play high

definition videos at 720p or 1080p, stream videos

and play Blu-rays and DVDs. Most importantly,

your PC needs to be inconspicuous, but yet able to

connect to an HD monitor or TV.

PROCESSOR:Your processor should be powerful

enough to run media players, but not so

overpowered that it requires additional

cooling. A dual core processor from the

Intel Core i3 series with its integrated

graphics is perfect for HD viewing and is

efficient with power consumption too.

MOTHERBOARD:After choosing your processor, it is best

to find a compatible motherboard with

a small form factor, but one that offers

GPU, HDMI and SATA support. The Asus

P7H55-M Pro with the micro ATX form

factor gives you HDMI, DVI and VGA

output ports along with PCIe and SATA

ports.

GRAPHICS:If you wish to watch 3D and HD videos,

you need to have a strong GPU. Nvidias Geforce GT

430 graphics supports Nvidia 3DTV Play software

that allows you to watch 3D Movies on your

3D-compatible HDTV. Most compact GPUs are also

available in graphics cards with a fan-less design,

which minimizes noise.

MEMORY:The software you will use will not demand much

RAM. Having 2 to 4 GB RAM will ensure that you

have a smooth movie watching experience. It is

important to note the type of memory technology

your motherboard supports, as different HTPC

motherboards support different forms of RAM,

such as standard DDR3 or SO-DIMM.

STORAGE:Storage is very important for a good HTPC. You need

ample storage space for your movies. You can add

up to 4 TB of hard drive space to ensure that you

will always have enough room for your HD movies.

You can also use a small, but faster SSD for booting

and a 1-2 TB HDD for storage. Make sure you have

the comaptible SATA ports on your motherboard

before buying your storage hardware.

OPTICAL DRIVE:High quality movies are best viewed from Blu-ray

discs, so getting a Blu-ray drive for you HTPC will

improve your viewing experience. It is better to

get a combo drive that reads both Blu-ray and DVD

formats rather than separate Blu-ray and DVDRW

drives that take up more space. The LG Super-Multi

Blu-ray Combo Drive is perfect for such

requirements.

CONNECTIVITY:Having an HTPC that is unable to

connect to an HD monitor or HDTV is

pointless. You need to ensure that your

motherboard and graphics have ports

for HDMI, DVI or VGA. Note that HDMI

is the preferred HD connection interface

as it carries both audio and video data.

DVI, on the other hand, supports only

video data. Add a TV tuner card to watch

television on your monitor.

ON THE DESKFor an HTPC, all you need is a display

and a keyboard as an input device. Apart

from these two essentials, you can get

a remote for your HTPC, to sit back and

control your media.

MONITOR:You can choose to get a HD monitor for your

machine or you can choose to use your HTPC with

an HDTV. Ensure that your display has adequate

ports for connectivity and is capable of at least

1080p resolution. If your PCs GPU supports it, you

could look for a 3D-capable display.

INPUT DEVICES:Having a wired keyboard and mouse will restrict

your distance from your screen. You are better off

getting a wireless keyboard. Using a wireless mouse

is also not essential if you can get a keyboard

with a touchpad or trackball like the IOGEAR

Multimedia Keyboard. It has programmable keys

and a long distance wireless receiver so you can sit

back and control your HTPC from a distance. You

can also consider a programmable IR remote for

your PC.

FOR SMALLER POCKETSIf you are on a tighter budget, you can

swap the Core i3 processor for another

dual core processor that can handle the

load of media players with ease. The

Intel Atom D525 is a good substitute

or you can even opt for an AMD Athlon

dual core processor. Keep in mind that

your motherboard with have to be

compatible with your processor. You

can also skip the 3D graphics card if

you get a motherboard with integrated

graphics that provides for HD support.

You can also save money with a smaller

hard drive up to 500 GB in size. You

could skip the Blu-ray drive, but then

you will have to rely more on DVDs for

your movies.


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PC CONFIGS

esProcessor Intel Atom D525Motherboard -RAM 4 GB DDR3

Hard disk 500 GB

Graphics card NVIDIA Ion

Optical drive USB Blu-ray Combo drive

Screen -

Keyboard -

Mouse -

Speakers -

Sound card -

PC Case -

Power supply unit -

Ports USB 2.0, HDMI, DVI, VGA

TV Tuner card Yes

SPECIFICATIONS

XTREAMER ULTRA

Rs 15,500

The new Xstreamer Ultra is a great budget HTPC. With a dual coreprocessor and Nvidia GeFroce 9400 GPU, the Xstreamer is perfect forstreaming and playing HD videos.

Processor AMD E-350

Motherboard -

RAM 2 GB DDR3

Hard disk 250 GB

Graphics card AMD Radeon HD 6310

Optical drive Blu-Ray / DVD RW drive

Screen -

Keyboard -

Mouse -

Speakers -

Sound card -

PC Case -

Power supply unit -


TV Tuner card No

SPECIFICATIONS

ZOTAC ZBOX-AD03BR-PLUS-E

Rs 29,999

The Zotac Zbox is a compact nettop with a decent dual core processorand is fully Blu-ray compatible. It offers USB 3.0, HDMI, DVI and VGAconnectivity making it a great next generation budget HTPC.

Processor Intel Atom D525

Motherboard -

RAM 2 GB DDR2

Hard disk 250 GB

Graphics card NVIDIA Ion

Optical drive 4x Blu-ray, 8x DVDRW

Screen -

Keyboard -

Mouse -

Speakers -

Sound card -

PC Case -

Power supply unit -


TV Tuner card No

SPECIFICATIONS

ZOTAC ZBOX BLU-RAY HD-ID34

Rs 22,500

Classified as a nettop, the Zotac Zbox is a great compact, low-costHTPC. With a dual core processor and Nvidia Ion graphics it iscapable of giving you a great HD video viewing experience.



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USB3.0 is here and promises to change the way we store data on an external

storage drive, even though it may not significantly change the usage of input

devices. Here is all you need to know about the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed standard.B Y K A M A K S H I S

When Intel first declared the launch ofthe USB 3.0 standard in late 2008, it hadmade it very clear that it will not certifydevices as USB 3.0 compliant if they do not live up

to the promised transfer speeds, which is one of

the reasons for the delay in the technology making

it to the market. Here is what the long awaited USB

3.0 has in store.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPTOF USB

First launched in 1996,

the Universal Serial

Bus is a connectivity

standard that is used

not only to establish

connection between

devices and a host

controller, but also to

transfer data.

The user-friendly,

cost-effective nature of

the standard ensured

that it replaced a

variety of other

interfaces, which

include the serial

as well as the

parallel ports.

TECHNICALLYFASTER

USB 3.0 is the long awaited successor to the USB

2.0 standard. USB 3.0, or the SuperSpeed USB as it

is often referred to, offers data transfer speeds of

up to 5 Gbps, ten times that of USB 2.0 and better

device connectivity. The seemingly simple feat

has been achieved using a number of technical

changes, of which the most obvious and interesting

is adding more physical bus parallel to the existing

USB 2.0 bus. In simple words, where USB 2.0 had

four wires for power supply, earthing, and a couple

for differential data, USB 3.0 doubles the number

to eight, allowing it to receive and transmit data

faster. USB 3.0 further uses a bi-directional data

interface as compared to a half-duplex setup

in USB 2.0, so data could flow only in a single

direction at a given point. Using this technique,

the theoretic bandwidth increases by 10 folds.

However, the system has been designed in such a

way that an increase in data flow doesnt consume

any more power than necessary.

ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIESIf you dont wish to shift to USB 3.0, you can still

avail of data rates is faster than USB 2.0. The

external SATA port (eSATA) has now become a

standard on most in PCs and notebooks. While it

offers up to 300 MByte/s, the teething troubles

My Book and My Passport HDD from

Western Digital are USB 3.0 Compliant.

TECH LEXICON: USB 3.0

SUPERSPEEDCONNECTIVITY WITHUSB 3.0

TECH TALK



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Mbps full duplex, which proves that USB 3.0 is at

least six times faster.

Another factor that tips scale in USB 3.0s favor

is that it is faster than both, and also supplies

power, instead of drawing power from the system

itself, making it a greener technology. It also

boasts better power management features, which

means that if devices are not in use, they can

be switched to idle, suspend, and sleep modes,

which in turn will optimize the battery life of not

just devices like laptops and PC, but also other

battery-based USB devices such as cameras and

smartphones.

USING USB3.0 WITH YOURCURRENT SETUP

USB 3.0 is now readily available, but it is hardware

dependent. If you are unable to get a motherboard

replacement, or dont want to incur the high cost

of a PC upgrade, there is still a way out. You can get

a connector for the standard that can go into your

PCI Express port. However, if your motherboard

lacks the port, you have no other choice but to

upgrade.

If you are looking for USB 3.0 compliant setups,

there are quite a few options at your disposal. CES

2010 saw two motherboards by Asus and Gigabyte

that supported USB 3.0. USB 3.0 host controllers are

now being manufactured by the likes of Renesas/

NEC Electronics, Fresco Logic, Asmedia, Etron, VIA

Labs, Texas Instruments and Nvidia. In the same

year, Hewlett-Packard released the HP Envy 17 3D

with a Renesas USB 3.0 host controller. AMD is also

closely working with Renesas to release chipsets

supporting USB 3.0 in 2011. CES 2011 saw Toshiba

announce the USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0 compliant

Toshiba Qosmio X500. Sony also announced a series

of Vaio laptops that will support USB 3.0. Dell has

also incorporated USB 3.0 into its Inspiron and Dell

XPS lines.

On the device front, there are only a handful

options, including products from brands

like Western Digital, Transcend and Seagate.

Transcends StoreJet 25H3P 1 TB USB 3.0 portable

hard drive (Rs 9,900) and Seagates FreeAgent

GoFlex Upgrade Cable USB 3.0 (Rs 5,400) are

already on sale. Western Digital has the My

Passport Essential 500 GB (Rs 4,299), the My

Passport Essential SE 750 GB (Rs 5,499) and 1 TB

(Rs 6,499), and the My Book Essential 1 TB (Rs

4,999), 2 TB (Rs 7,499), and 3 TB (Rs 10,999).

SeaGate's FreeAgent GoFlex Upgrade Cable for USB 3.0 gives you

high data transfer speeds with the FreeAgent GoFlex Desk HDDs.

The StoreJet 25H3P 1TB portable hard drive from Transcend alsocomes with USB 3.0.

You can get an USB 3.0 to your existing system with a connector thatcan be added to the PCI-E slot.

TECH TALK



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Technology is constantly evolving and being on top of the game is the role ofthe Network Administrator. If you wish to have a long fulfilling career in IT,then this is a great profile for you.

B Y P R I Y A N K A T I L V E

CAREERS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

TThe role of a Network Administrator maynot seem glamorous, but rest assured,it commands a lot of respect as he is theone who manages all the computers and ensures

seamless connectivity across the network.

Much like the captain of a ship, he performs a

wide array of duties right from configurations,

firewalls, security, troubleshooting to

managing the resources and implementing new

technologies.

We spoke with Bina Raj-Debur, Regional Head,

Corporate Affairs, India/SAARC, Cisco about the

challenges and opportunities involved in becoming

a successful Network Administrator.

What is the role of the NetworkAdministrator?

The role of a Network Administrator can

range from basic network management to a more

complex role, depending on domain expertise,

experience, complexity of the network and the

individuals potential and aspirations.

The primary role of a Network Administrator

is to manage the components of a network,

including:

Switches, routers, firewalls, Wi-Fi controllers,

Wi-Fi access points, etc

Configuration of network equipment

Management and coordination of network

changes

Troubleshooting and resolving network related

issues

Executing network projects, possibly even

designing networks

In what ways has the role evolvedespecially with the current virtualizationtrend (like cloud) seen in the IT sphere?

The advent of virtualization has transformed

the role of a Network Administrator at two levels.

By reducing the physical complexity of a data

center, it has contributed towards making network

management more efficient and productive.

Secondly, as virtualized environments get more

sophisticated, the Network Administrators role

is evolving from purely operational to one that

requires analysis and strategy to determine

optimal access to business critical applications.

What should a student aiming topursue a career in this field focus on?

A good balance of professional and soft skills

is an essenti

chip insider june 2011

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