SERVE WHAT YOU LEARNT

A CHILD FINANCE MANAGER

2008-08-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

HOW TO BE HAPPY

1. Pursue Achievable Goals

2. Keep Genuine Smiles

3. Share with Others
4. Help Thy Neighbors
5. Maintain Youthful Spirit

6.keep cool under pressure

7.Forgive the Annoyance of Others

8.Have a Few Pals

9.Cooperate and Reap Greater Rewards

10.Treasure Every Moment with your loved ones

11.Have High Confidence in Yourself

12.Respect the Disadvantaged

13.Surf the Net at Leisure

14.Take Calculated Risks

15. Understand "Money Isn't Everything

16.Get Along with the Rich, the Poor,

the Beautiful, & the Ugly

2008-08-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

BSE INDICES

For the premier stock exchange that pioneered the securities transaction

business in India, over a century of experience is a proud achievement.

A lot has changed since 1875 when 318 persons by paying a then princely

amount of Re. 1, became members of what today is called Bombay Stock

Exchange Limited (BSE).

Over the decades, the stock market in the country has passed through

good and bad periods. The journey in the 20th century has not been an

easy one. Till the decade of eighties, there was no measure or scale that

could precisely measure the various ups and downs in the Indian

stock market. BSE, in 1986, came out with a Stock Index-SENSEX-

that subsequently became the barometer of the Indian stock market.

The launch of SENSEX in 1986 was later followed up in January 1989

by introduction of BSE National Index (Base: 1983-84 = 100).

It comprised 100 stocks listed at five major stock exchanges in India - Mumbai,

Calcutta, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Madras.

The BSE National Index was renamed BSE-100 Index from October 14, 1996 and

since then, it is being calculated taking into consideration only

the prices of stocks listed at BSE. BSE launched the dollar-linked version of

BSE-100 index on May 22, 2006.

With a view to provide a better representation of the increasing

number of listed companies, larger market capitalization and

the new industry sectors, BSE launched on 27th May, 1994 two

new index series viz., the 'BSE-200' and the 'DOLLEX-200'.

Since then, BSE has come a long way in attuning itself to the

varied needs of investors and market participants. In order to

fulfill the need for still broader, segment-specific and sector-specific indices,

BSE has continuously been increasing the range of its indices.

BSE-500 Index and 5 sectoral indices were launched in 1999. In 2001,

BSE launched BSE-PSU Index, DOLLEX-30 and the country's

first free-float based index - the BSE TECk Index. Over the years,

BSE shifted all its indices to the free-float methodology (except BSE-PSU index).

BSE disseminates information on the Price-Earnings Ratio,

the Price to Book Value Ratio and the Dividend Yield Percentage

on day-to-day basis of all its major indices.

The values of all BSE indices are updated every 15 seconds

during market hours and displayed through the BOLT system,

BSE website and news wire agencies.

All BSE Indices are reviewed periodically by the BSE Index Committee.

This Committee which comprises eminent independent finance professionals

frames the broad policy guidelines for the development and maintenance

of all BSE indices. The BSE Index Cell carries out the day-to-day

maintenance of all indices and conducts research on development of new indices.

2008-08-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

BOMBAYSTOCK EXCHANGE

Bombay Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange in Asia with a rich heritage, now spanning three centuries in its 133 years of existence. What is now popularly known as BSE was established as "The Native Share & Stock Brokers' Association" in 1875.

BSE is the first stock exchange in the country which obtained permanent recognition (in 1956) from the Government of India under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act 1956. BSE's pivotal and pre-eminent role in the development of the Indian capital market is widely recognized. It migrated from the open outcry system to an online screen-based order driven trading system in 1995. Earlier an Association Of Persons (AOP), BSE is now a corporatised and demutualised entity incorporated under the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956, pursuant to the BSE (Corporatisation and Demutualisation) Scheme, 2005 notified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). With demutualisation, BSE has two of world's best exchanges, Deutsche Börse and Singapore Exchange, as its strategic partners.

Over the past 133 years, BSE has facilitated the growth of the Indian corporate sector by providing it with an efficient access to resources. There is perhaps no major corporate in India which has not sourced BSE's services in raising resources from the capital market.

Today, BSE is the world's number 1 exchange in terms of the number of listed companies and the world's 5th in transaction numbers. The market capitalization as on December 31, 2007 stood at USD 1.79 trillion . An investor can choose from more than 4,700 listed companies, which for easy reference, are classified into A, B, S, T and Z groups.

The BSE Index, SENSEX, is India's first stock market index that enjoys an iconic stature , and is tracked worldwide. It is an index of 30 stocks representing 12 major sectors. The SENSEX is constructed on a 'free-float' methodology, and is sensitive to market sentiments and market realities. Apart from the SENSEX, BSE offers 21 indices, including 12 sectoral indices. BSE has entered into an index cooperation agreement with Deutsche Börse. This agreement has made SENSEX and other BSE indices available to investors in Europe and America. Moreover, Barclays Global Investors (BGI), the global leader in ETFs through its iShares® brand, has created the 'iShares® BSE SENSEX India Tracker' which tracks the SENSEX. The ETF enables investors in Hong Kong to take an exposure to the Indian equity market.

BSE has tied up with U.S. Futures Exchange (USFE) for U.S. dollar-denominated futures trading of SENSEX in the U.S. The tie-up enables eligible U.S. investors to directly participate in India's equity markets for the first time, without requiring American Depository Receipt (ADR) authorization. The first Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) on SENSEX, called "SPIcE" is listed on BSE. It brings to the investors a trading tool that can be easily used for the purposes of investment, trading, hedging and arbitrage. SPIcE allows small investors to take a long-term view of the market.

BSE provides an efficient and transparent market for trading in equity, debt instruments and derivatives. It has a nation-wide reach with a presence in more than 450 cities and towns of India. BSE has always been at par with the international standards. The systems and processes are designed to safeguard market integrity and enhance transparency in operations. BSE is the first exchange in India and the second in the world to obtain an ISO 9001:2000 certification. It is also the first exchange in the country and second in the world to receive Information Security Management System Standard BS 7799-2-2002 certification for its BSE On-line Trading System (BOLT).

BSE continues to innovate. In recent times, it has become the first national level stock exchange to launch its website in Gujarati and Hindi to reach out to a larger number of investors. It has successfully launched a reporting platform for corporate bonds in India christened the ICDM or Indian Corporate Debt Market and a unique ticker-cum-screen aptly named 'BSE Broadcast' which enables information dissemination to the common man on the street.

In 2006, BSE launched the Directors Database and ICERS (Indian Corporate Electronic Reporting System) to facilitate information flow and increase transparency in the Indian capital market. While the Directors Database provides a single-point access to information on the boards of directors of listed companies, the ICERS facilitates the corporates in sharing with BSE their corporate announcements.

BSE also has a wide range of services to empower investors and facilitate smooth transactions:

Investor Services: The Department of Investor Services redresses grievances of investors. BSE was the first exchange in the country to provide an amount of Rs.1 million towards the investor protection fund; it is an amount higher than that of any exchange in the country. BSE launched a nationwide investor awareness programme- 'Safe Investing in the Stock Market' under which 264 programmes were held in more than 200 cities.

The BSE On-line Trading (BOLT): BSE On-line Trading (BOLT) facilitates on-line screen based trading in securities. BOLT is currently operating in 25,000 Trader Workstations located across over 450 cities in India.

BSEWEBX.com: In February 2001, BSE introduced the world's first centralized exchange-based Internet trading system, BSEWEBX.com. This initiative enables investors anywhere in the world to trade on the BSE platform.

Surveillance: BSE's On-Line Surveillance System (BOSS) monitors on a real-time basis the price movements, volume positions and members' positions and real-time measurement of default risk, market reconstruction and generation of cross market alerts.

BSE Training Institute: BTI imparts capital market training and certification, in collaboration with reputed management institutes and universities. It offers over 40 courses on various aspects of the capital market and financial sector. More than 20,000 people have attended the BTI programmes

Awards

The World Council of Corporate Governance has awarded the Golden Peacock Global CSR Award for BSE's initiatives in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The Annual Reports and Accounts of BSE for the year ended March 31, 2006 and March 31 2007 have been awarded the ICAI awards for excellence in financial reporting.
The Human Resource Management at BSE has won the Asia - Pacific HRM awards for its efforts in employer branding through talent management at work, health management at work and excellence in HR through technology

Drawing from its rich past and its equally robust performance in the recent times, BSE will continue to remain an icon in the Indian capital market.

A child finance manager

2008-06-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

1. LIFE BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

2. AFTER THE INTERVIEW
3.DISCUSSING IT WITH MOM
4. GOT THE OFFER LETTER
5. FIRST DAY at WORK

6. WORK ASSIGNED

7. INTRODUCTION CALL WITH THE CLIENT

8. ERROR IN CODE, OH GOD WHY ME?

9. FIXED IT, cool

10. ISSUE SIMULATED AGAIN, WEIRD

11. FIXES APPLIED AND working

12. THINK I NEED TO MARRY SOON

13. HOO , HR GIRL HAS ACCEPTED TO MARRY ME

14.WOW MY LIFE IS GOING TO BE SETTLED

15. MARRIAGE DAY

HOW TO BE HAPPY

2008-06-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

HOW TO BE HAPPY

1. Pursue Achievable Goals

2. Keep Genuine Smiles

3. Share with Others
4. Help Thy Neighbors
5. Maintain Youthful Spirit

6.keep cool under pressure

7.Forgive the Annoyance of Others

8.Have a Few Pals

9.Cooperate and Reap Greater Rewards

10.Treasure Every Moment with your loved ones

11.Have High Confidence in Yourself

12.Respect the Disadvantaged

13.Surf the Net at Leisure

14.Take Calculated Risks

15. Understand "Money Isn't Everything

16.Get Along with the Rich, the Poor,

the Beautiful, & the Ugly

TOURISM CHENNAI

2008-06-11T23:23:00.000-07:00

Chennai Tourism

Location : In Tamil Nadu, India.

Significance : Capital of Tamil Nadu.

Climate : Tropical

¤ Chennai, The Capital City of Tamil Nadu

Chennai, one of the metropolitan cities in India, is often called the cultural capital of India for its deep-rooted traditions and long heritage. The city is a true reflection of this country's diversity. Chennai has flourished into a charming and welcoming city, in a time span of just over 350 years. This city encourages all forms of development, both modern technology and the traditional arts and crafts, and embraces a series of paradoxes.

Sprawled over an area of 200 square kilometers with the Bay of Bengal on the east, the city is the gateway to the rest of South India. There are abundant green patches found amidst the high-tech, high-rise buildings.

Chennai, the fourth largest city in India has a population of around six million. From pre - Independence days to present, the people of Chennai have played an important role in constructing India's political destiny.

¤ Attractions At Chennai

Chennai is situated by the side of the Bay of Bengal and had been the British trading post for years. Amongst the must visits, well highlighted by Chennai tourism is the second longest beach in the world - Marina Beach.

This beautiful golden beach has shimmering sands that invite innumerable tourists especially during the evenings. The British East India Company's St. George Fort is a famous landmark of Chennai. Another colonial structure in the city of Chennai worth visiting is the Santhome Cathedral. For the religious minded people, visit to the Kapaleeshwar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parthsarthy Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna is a must. For animal lovers Guindy National Park and Snake Park of Chennai offer memorable experiences.

Chennai also has the National Art Gallery that offers a good collection of old paintings and sculptures. The Theosophical Society is another must visit here. The lush green gardens with different shrines of various faiths attract tourists and pilgrims alike to Chennai. Being a metropolitan city, Chennai celebrates most of the festivals though during the festival of Pongal the place becomes a perfect destination to visit. The ideal time to visit Chennai is between the months of November to February.

An added attraction in the list of Chennai attractions is the Tidel Park, the home for the Information Technology Industry. It is spread over 1.28 million sq.ft. of built up area. The Tidel Park is an architectural marvel and houses several large national and international software companies in its premises.

¤ Shopping Delight At Chennai

Shopping in Chennai can be an exciting and satisfying experience. There is a wide variety of traditional and trendy merchandise such as carvings on brass, stone, wood and ivory, leather bikinis, bags, shoes, etc, available for you to buy. Traditional items from all over Tamil Nadu can be bought from Chennai like Pattamara Mats and the leaf and palmyra-fiber handicrafts from Tirunellveli, Metal works from Tanjavur, bronze and brass castings and traditional jewellery from Kumbakonam, stone carvings from Mamallapuram and Silks from Kanchipuram. The most popular shopping centers in Chennai are at Rannganatha Street in T. Nagar and Anna Salai.

¤ Nearby Excursions

Chennai tourism offers some good excursion options. There are ancient temple towns like Mahabalipuram and Tirupati (in Andhra Pradesh), traditional townships and villages that specialize in crafts like Kanchipuram, and golden beaches like Covelong.

¤ Reach Chennai

By Air : The Kamaraj Domestic Airport and the Anna International Airport are located at Meenambakkam about 20 kms from the city. Many major international airlines have regular direct flights to Chennai. Domestic airlines operate daily flights to all major cities of the country from the domestic terminal.

By Rail : Chennai is connected by rail with all major towns and cities in India. Main Railway Stationsof Chennai are, Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore. Trains operate from Egmore Junction to different parts of the state while interstate trains originate from Chennai Central Station.

By Road : Chennai is connected by good network of roads with all important places in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. Many private vehicles are also available for domestic and interstate transportation. Some major road distances from Chennai to other cities; Bangalore (334kms), Kolkata (1678kms), Hyderabad (704 kms), Trivandrum(790kms), Delhi (2095 km), Mumbai (1329 kms).

MAMALLAPURAM

2008-06-11T23:17:00.000-07:00

¤ Mamallapuram also Known As Mahabalipuram

Loaction : 60 kms South of Chennai

Area : 8 sq. kms.

Attractions : Arjuna's Penance, Shore Temple and The five Rathas.

Ideal Time to Visit : October to March

¤ Mahabalipuram, A World Heritage Site

Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram is located around 60 kms south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It is a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas. It is believed to have been named after either the demon king Mahabali, or the Pallava king Mamalla. Mahabalipuram has various historic monuments built mostly between the 7th and the 9th century. The most famous monument here is the Shore Temple, which looks absolutely mesmerizing when lit by moonlight. This historical city has been crowned as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Most of the monuments here are rock-cut and monolithic. They represent the early phases of Dravidian architecture wherein Buddhist elements of design can be seen clearly. There are cave temples, monolithic rathas (chariots), sculpted reliefs and structural temples found here. The pillars are of the Dravidian order and the sculptures are excellent examples of Pallava art. The majestic Mahabalipuram, invokes a certain kind of mystery, with its sculptural extravaganza depicting strong artistic temperament of the Pallavas who were the pioneers in South Indian art.

¤ Attractions at Mahabalipuram

Your travel vacations to Mahabalipuram, the beautiful beach city located on a rocky outcrop between the beach and a lagoon is going to be a life time experience. Mahabalipuram is a blessed combination of history, good beaches and hassle-free tourism. It is known for its group of pleasing rathas and the dramatically carved relief depicting Arjuna's Penance. The magnificent Shore Temple, built by king Rajasimha in the 7th century, is an outstanding temple that has the shrines of both Shiva and Vishnu. The Varaha Cave another major attraction which is one of the many rock-cut caves in Mahabalipuram. The Krishna Mandapam, one of the most visited places, has a bas-relief of Lord Krishna lifting the Govardhan hill on his fingertips.

¤ Nearby Excursions

Mahabalipuram travel guide offers excellent excursion opportunities in the city. It makes a complete Golden Triangle circuit of South India along with Chennai and Kanchipuram. People who visit Chennai and Kanchipuram definitely come to this beautiful place also. Kanchipuram, located around 65 km from Mahabalipuram is famous for some of India's finest silk saris. The Kanchi weavers definitely deserve a beautiful ode !This small and dusty town of kanchipuram is popularly called the 'Golden Town of a Thousand Temples'. It is famous for the Kamakshi, Varadarajaswami, and Kailasanathar temples, some outstandingly beautiful temples. Vedanthangal another worth visiting destination is renowned for a bird sanctuary, which is one of India's largest sanctuaries. The Covelong beach here is famous for its golden sand and other historical monuments. The Crocodile Bank at a distance of 14 kms and Muttukadu around 21 kms away from Chidambaram are also worth a visit.

¤ Events and Festivals

On your travel trip to Mahabalipuram participate in diverse festivals celebrated by the locals.Among the festivals celebrated in Mahabalipuram, Pongal is the most important. It is one of the most auspicious festivals for the Tamils. It is celebrated in mid-January every year. The festival is celebrated with gaiety and joy not only in Tamil Nadu but also in most parts of South India. Mahabalipuram Dance Festival is a perfect occasion for the dance lovers, who can enjoy the performances of the artists from all parts of the country. This festival is celebrated in the month of January/February every year. The Shore Temple is the venue of this festival and the music from the musical instruments along with the music created by the natural surroundings provides an overwhelming experience. The Sthalasayana Perumal temple festivals, Masimagam and Brahmothsavam, are held in the month of March.

¤ Reach Mahabalipuram

By Air : The nearest airport from Mahabalipuram is Chennai (Madras), located around 60 km away. One can get flights for almost all major destinations in India and abroad.

By Rail : The nearest railway station is at Chengalpattu, around 29 km away from Mahabalipuram. Trains for Chennai and several other major cities in South India are available from here.

By Road : Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram is connected with good roads to major destinations like Chennai, Tirukkalikundram (Pakshithirtham), Kanchipuram (65 km), Pondicherry and Chengalpattu. Tourists can also hire a taxi from Chennai

MARINA BEACH

2008-06-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

Marina Beach

Marina Beach is among the longest beaches in the world and it comprises of sun, sand and surf. Counted among one of the longest beaches in Asia, it is stretched across a 12-km long area. This beach was given a makeover by Governor Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff in the early 1880's, and is Chennai's major tourist attraction today.

Adjacent to the Bay of Bengal, Chennai has one of the loveliest beaches in India. A walk along the Marina, whether in the morning or evening, re-energizes one. The old buildings dotting the other side of Kamarajar Salai, a main road along the Marina, bring back memories of good old British Raj. The Senate House of the University of Madras and the old buildings now housing government offices, such as Ezhilagam and the Director General of Police office. They wear a mysterious look in the morning when the Sun rises.

Walk along the beach bordered with a green lawn will entice you to go on a leisurely stroll. At the intersections of this promenade stand beautiful statues of Tamil scholars, patriots, and noted personalities. The Statue of Labour is a beautiful sculpture depicting the efforts of a team of laborers who are at strenuous, manual work.

¤ Activities At Marina Beach

Located on the eastern side of Chennai, adjoining the Bay of Bengal is the mesmerizing Marina beach. Watching the sun set and rise from the beach is a fascinating experience.

Bathing and swimming can be dangerous here, as the undercurrent is very strong. But still people come for swimming here. The beach also offers a lot of water sports opportunities, like, para-sailing, gliding, windsurfing, cruising, etc.

In the evenings, the beach turns into a fair ground with various kinds of entertainment and food stalls lining the beach. One can even shop around the beach, buying shell and glass baubles to kites and fruit juices. The Marina, is also the venue for important state functions, accommodate a good number of visitors. There are also facilities of pony rides at the beach site, which attract the children's interest the most.

¤ Aquarium

Aquarium is located close to the Marina beach, which has some of the most exotic collection of tropical sea fishes and fresh water fishes. The aquarium offers a chance to have a closer look at the aquatic life. The Ice House, which was used to store ice brought from Great Lakes in North America, is south to the Aquarium.

¤ Anna and MGR Samadhis

Situated on the beach, the Anna and MGR Samadhis, which are the memorials of the most popular, former Chief ministers of the state; attracts a good number of visitors everyday.

¤ Attractions Around Marina Beach

Beautiful buildings in Chennai such as the University of Madras, Senate-House, Chepauk Palace, Presidency College, P.W.D office and Ice House are located on the beach drive. At the other end of the beach is the new lighthouse. In between, sentinels on the

promenade, are several statues of Tamil scholars and two splendid bits of sculpture- the Victory of Labour and the Mahatma Gandhi.

CAR FINANCE

2008-06-08T02:17:00.000-07:00

FINANCE FOR MY CAR?

Simply put, car finance is defined as money borrowed from an institution for purchasing a car. Car finance normally takes the form of a loan which you must pay back over an agreed period of time. You can finance a new car, or a used car, depending on your particular wants and your financial situation.

GETTING CAR FINANCE

You might be wondering, who will finance for my car? It is actually very easy and you can get your car financed simply by applying for a loan, either with a specialized lending institution, or with a car yard itself. Almost anyone can get car finance, due to the fact that cars are collateral, so the risk to the lender is low. If you don't meet the payments they can simply repossess the car. You can look online for car finance, there are plenty of websites that specialize in financing cars, and many times they have online quotes which will tell you quickly how much a loan will cost. In addition to that, you will be able to compare between many different car finance offers and pick the best one for your situation. Factors To Take Into Consideration While Applying For Car Finance You should always look at the deal you are getting when you apply for car finance. Be careful to look at the interest rate, and try to get it as low as possible. If you have good credit then you should be able to get a pretty good deal on your interest rate. People with poor credit might find it harder to get a good finance deal, but if you keep up with your payments your credit rating will improve and you may be able to refinance your car later. Always check the fine print and see what kinds of penalties are incurred if you miss a payment, or if you want to pay the loan off more quickly. Oddly enough, some finance companies do not want you to pay the loan off more quickly, because it means they cannot charge you as much interest. As a result some companies will charge a penalty if you pay the loan off early. There are some good tools available to help you make a good choice when you apply for car finance, they are called loan calculators, and they can be found free on many car finance websites. These loan calculators can tell you how much you will pay in interest, how much the total cost of your loan will be, and how much you will have to pay monthly. Simply type the data that you have regarding your situation into the calculator, such as how much you want the loan for, how long you want to be paying it off for, and how much the interest rate is, and you will be rewarded with the real cost of your loan. You may be surprised at how deals that look cheap sometimes turn out to be very expensive indeed.

CAR FINANCIERS

The opening up of the Indian economy for foreign direct investment by the major automobile companies in the world has resulted into the introduction of various models of cars. In the last few years India has successfully emerged as one of the major markets for automobiles with indications suggesting the country emerging as one of the top car markets in the next couple of years. One of the main reasons behind this unprecedented growth in the Indian cars has been the availability of easy and simple financing options. Various financiers in India through effective car financing have also played pivotal role in the substantial growth of three wheeler industry in the country. Auto finance rates are not as high as they can not be paid back. With the loans and financial assistance,many consumers have been able to become the proud owners of cars that once many Indians could only have dreamt of. The nearly 10% annual growth of the auto industry has been possible due to the direct and indirect help from various financiers in India. One can avail of auto finance schemes of popular automobile financiers like

1. ICICI Bank, 2. HDFC Bank, 3. Maruti Citicorp, 4. Sundaram Finance, 5. Tata Finance, 6. FISAF, 7. KMPL, 8. Associates Finance, 9. Citibank.

Most of the leading public sector banks even offer loans for cars at reasonably easy terms to be repaid through the Equated Monthly Installment (EMIs).Most of the financiers in India offer car loans for new cars as well as used cars which are not older than 3 years. Used car finance is an effective tool because it helps the people from the low income groups. Car finance ratesmost of the times are kept as per the viability of their payback.Collateral security has also to be deposited in some of the cases. Usually, 85% to 90% of the value of the car is provided as a loan. The rate of interest varies some where around 12% (reducing) annually. Realizing the immense potential, some of the car manufacturers have even tied up with car financiers who provide guaranteed auto finance loans to the customers on all models of cars. And this particular reason has facilitated the growth of car sales in India in a big way. Used car finance,car finance rates,re finance car,guaranteed car finance,auto finance loans,auto finance rate,car financing.

Possible Advantages/Disadvantages of Taking Car Finance

Advantages of taking car finance include being able to actually have a car long before you have saved enough money to purchase one outright. If you keep up with your payments and do not incur any penalties you will be able to enjoy your car, and at the end of the loan period you will have secured an asset.You may also have improved your credit rating, which is important if you'd like to apply for credit elsewhere. Car finance is often the only way for people to own their own car, and there are some very reputable lenders and good deals to be found. Simply ensure that you know exactly what is involved with the loan you choose, and exactly how much it will cost you, whether you're applying for new car finance, or just car finance for an old car.

The clear disadvantage of taking car finance loan is that you will have to pay interest to the institution that is giving you the loan, so you will end up paying more for your car than it is actually worth, especially if you finance a new car. New cars depreciate immediately the moment you drive them off the car lot, so you will effectively be paying for value that your car no longer has. If your financial situation changes and you cannot keep up with payments, you might find yourself loosing your car, and any money you already paid on it. For this reason, car finance is a little risky. You can sometimes get insurance that will cover car payments if you happen to loose your job, however this insurance only covers you being dismissed and may not cover you if you choose to leave, or if circumstances force you to.

TOP 10 LUXURY CARS

2008-06-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here are ten luxury cars that can almost be described as "affordable." Comments from
the editors at Edmunds.com.

1. BMW 3 SERIES

Settle into the supportive driver seat of any of these cars and a world-class suspension, steering and brakes will provide hours of entertainment on twisty two-lane highways. Beyond simply feeling rock-solid when hustled around turns, this car communicates with the driver in a manner that is alien to most cars. And you don't have to give up a comfortable ride to get this kind of athleticism.

2. Audi A4

Whether you're considering the relatively inexpensive base model or you're looking to go all out with the ultrahigh-performance, V8-powered S4 model, all A4s feature exquisite interiors, sharp handling and a clean exterior style with few faults.

3. BMW 5-Series

A unique new steering system and a few hand-me-down parts from the top-line 7 Series further hone the 5's exemplary ride and handling while the continued use of BMW's world-renown straight sixes, along with an even more powerful V8, assures more than adequate straight performance. Even the addition of the cumbersome iDrive system hasn't dampened our enthusiasm for this top-notch sport sedan as it's not only easier to use, it allowed the designers to clean up the interior a bit.

4. Audi A6

A nearly flawless interior, amicable handling and a wide array of drivetrain options make it hard to find fault with the 2004 A6 sedan and wagon. It offers performance on par with many of its peers, a distinctive style inside and out and all the features you would expect from a sedan of its caliber. From the base front-wheel-drive six-cylinder all the way up to the all-wheel-drive V8 model, the A6 lineup is packed to the brim with enticing options.

5. Infiniti G35 Coupe

Often overshadowed by its prominent Z-car cousin, the G35 is a fast, stylish coupe with more than enough personality to stand on its own. Its overachieving V6 engine not only assures lightning-quick acceleration, it purrs with a distinctive exhaust note that turns heads almost as much as the sleek sheet metal. All the latest technology is available in the cabin, but unlike the 350Z the G35 looks the part of an upscale coupe — and it has small, yet functional rear seats to boot.

6. Mercedes-Benz CLK Class

With its swanky body style and numerous luxury and safety features, the recently revamped CLK makes for a cost-effective alternative to Mercedes' luscious CL500 coupe. At roughly half the price of the bigger Benz, the CLK offers a lot more than 50 percent of the senior coupe's goodness.

7. BMW Z4

We're not enamored with its bizarre styling, noisy highway ride or higher pricing, but in every other respect, this is a truly inspired driving machine. Handling is razor-sharp, and the Z4's communicative suspension, steering and brakes make it a delight on curvy roads. Meanwhile, a sophisticated stability control system makes it easy to balance fun with safety.

8. Saab 9-5 Wagon

Carrying on the legacy of Swedish safety, Saab equips the wagon with orthopedic front seats, dynamic head restraints, stability control, a menu of airbags and an IIHS nomination of 'Best Pick' for its performance in frontal offset crash testing. Unlike its Swedish automotive brethren, this wagon has sleek, even sexy styling.

9. Volkswagen Touareg

We can't get over the versatility Volkswagen has packed into its first modern-day utility vehicle. Comfortable interior with high-quality furnishings? Check. Smooth, stable ride quality? Check. Easy to maneuver around town? Check. Low-range gearing, two locking differentials and a level of off-road ability befitting a Jeep? Check. What's the catch? Well, the backseat's average in size, and neither the V6 nor the V8 gets a gold star for fuel economy.

10. Infiniti FX45

Looking for a vehicle that really puts the "sport" in sport-utility vehicle? The FX is it. With sedanlike handling and a sweet-sounding V8, the FX45 offers a near perfect blend of luxury SUV presence and sports car performance. Infiniti's new crossover won't take you too far off-road, or tow your cabin cruiser over a mountain, but if you want to pester people in sport sedans while still enjoying a commanding view of the road from one of the trendiest cockpits on the market, the FX45 can oblige.

MUTUAL FUNDS

2008-06-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Investing in Mutual Funds

What are Mutual Funds?

Mutual funds are one of the most convenient way to invest! Mutual funds allow you to invest your money like an expert without being an expert!

Basically, mutual funds are a way for you to outsource the whole “investing” headache to people who are experts at investing. Simply put, you give the money you want to invest to people who are experts at investing. They will invest your money and make it grow & for this service they charge you a small fee!

Why invest in mutual funds?
Good investing generally requires a good knowledge about the market, economics, world politics and a lot of experience etc. Most people who want to invest their money, do not have the time to follow and learn all these things. For them “Mutual Funds” are the best option. You do not have to worry about anything when investing in Mutual Funds. You just have take out the money for investing. The Mutual Fund managers are people who will do all the work for you and make your money grow!

The actual process of investing in mutual funds is also quite easy. You do not have to do anything except for write a cheque and give it to the mutual fund company. You do not have the hassles of using a “broker” or a “demat” account or anything.

Besides this, there are certain mutual funds that will “really” help you in your financial planning. There are certain mutual funds that are designed to help you invest and accumulate money for your “big buys”! All in all, we highly recommend that you use mutual funds for investing, as you are probably a new investor.

Mutual funds have some risk associated with them. But the risk is not very high. It is generally considered to be a moderately safe investment. However, mutual funds can produce pretty good returns!

One of the best things about mutual funds is that they are “liquid”! What is liquid? To understand what “liquid” means, let us try to understand what non-liquid investments are.

There are some investments that take some time period to “mature”. This means that once you invest the money in the investment, you cannot withdraw it until the time period is up. Once the time period is up, then only will you be able to withdraw the money you invested and the returns produced. These investments are non-liquid. If on the other hand, you can withdraw the money invested and the returns at any point of time, then the investment is considered to be a liquid investment.

Generally, it is good to try and put your money in liquid investments. This is because in case there is a sudden need for money like an operation, an accident etc. you should not have to borrow money. You should have the money available.

Mutual funds are very liquid investments. The process of re-claiming your money in most mutual funds will take a maximum time of 2-3 days.

How to invest in mutual funds?

There are many different kinds of mutual funds. Instead of trying to figure out what is good for you what is bad for you etc, you should get yourself a good mutual fund agent! You just call one of these agents up and tell them you invest in mutual funds. They will help you out with everything that you need to know. You just have to tell them what kind of “financial aims” you have and they will come up with a whole plan for you to reach your “financial aims”!

In case you do not know any “mutual fund agents”, check out this site: Karvy

You can ask for a mutual fund agent from Karvy though this form.

MONEY MANAGEMENT

2008-06-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

How to manage your money?

This guide is mainly written for young people. Boys and girls, who just start earning know little about tax, mutual funds, PPF etc. However, it can still be used by people who already know about money management too. It covers all the basics in an easy to understand, simplified way!

If you know someone who has just started earning and will find this information useful, please do recommend it to them.

Introduction

This guide is a little sad! When you get your first salary, the last thing on your mind is “investing” and “tax” and other such issues. You probably want to use your salary to buy yourself something or spend the money on entertainment, watching movies, partying etc. However, this guide is going to tell you that you need to manage your money. You can enjoy yourself, but you also need to save and invest and use your money properly. So I guess the obvious question is...

Why should you invest?
You will not have to work!

You probably have heard the phrase “Let your money work for you!”. Just incase you do not understand what exactly this means, let us explain. The whole idea of investing is that you create or buy an “asset”.

What is an asset?

An “asset” is something that generates money. Just to give you an example, if you buy a flat for 4 lakh and then rent it out for Rs.3000 a month then you have created an asset. An “asset” that generates Rs.3000 a month.

However, this is just one type of asset. Assets are of many kinds. If you have a “copyright” or patent in your name, for which you get paid a certain amount when anybody uses it, then that too is called an asset. If you own a small pay phone from which you make just Rs.20 each day, then that too is called an asset!

The above given explanation is very crude, but that is the basics of investing. You want to invest the money you make in assets. Assets that generate money. The idea is that once you invest your money in enough assets, you can stop working. All your assets will make money for you. You can then use this money to enjoy life. Or you can use this money to invest in more assets that generate more money! So all this gives us the phrase, “Let your money work for you!” This is the main aim of investing. However, there are many other smaller aims of investing and we have explained them to you next...
Investing for making the "big buys!"

If you are not married yet, then sooner or later you are probably going to get married. After that you will probably going to go in for a house. After that you will probably go in for a vehicle. Then you might want to go for a long vacation. Then you might want to buy a buy a bigger house. Then you might fall sick and have a big operation.

Why are we saying all this? These are events that occur in almost everyone’s lives. All of them are “big buys”! They take up a huge amount of money. If after a few years you randomly decide to do one of these things, then arranging the money for this suddenly will be a problem. If you have a salary of Rs.10-20 thousand and you have to arrange for Rs.2.5 lakh next month, then will you be able to do so? Probably not.

You might say, that now-a-days, loans are easily available. I will just take a loan! I will just buy on credit! BAAAAD IDEAA!! BAD IDEA!!!!

Why is taking a loan a bad idea?

Obvious reason: Assume you have to make a “big buy” of Rs.15 lakh (Like a house etc.) Now, when you take a loan for making the purchase, you will not only have to pay the Rs.15 lakh. You will also have to pay the interest. So you might end up paying Rs.18 lakh for something that actually costs you Rs.15 lakh. 3 lakh more!!!!

If for some reason you think that 3 lakh is a small amount and it is okay to waste it, think not only about the 3 lakh. Think about the earning power of the 3 lakh. The 3 lakh can be invested in an asset that makes around Rs.2,000 each month!

If you told you, “Would you like an extra Rs.2,000 each month for free, for doing nothing?” what will you say? I bet most people will not throw it away. Then why throw away 3 lakh?

Besides this, the other problem with credit is that once you buy something on credit, you get into to habit of taking a lot of things on credit. Now, this point is a little hard to appreciate. However, there are a lot of people out there who get into the habit of buying everything on credit because credit makes it so easy for you to buy things. People love the “Buy now. Pay Later!” idea. They get hooked to it.

There are people who buy a big house, a big car, a big T.V. etc. all on credit. Because of this, they have to pay their monthly installments for all these items and their monthly installments alone take up half of their salary. The rest of their salary, is taken away by basic things like food and other necessities. If any part of the salary remains it goes into the maintenance of the big TV, big house or the fuel for the big car.

These people can forget about investing and creating assets. They live a hand-to-mouth existence. If for some reason they loose their job, or fall ill and are unable to work, then they will not be in the position to pay their monthly installments and all their big T.V., big car, big house etc. will be taken away from them. In case they expire, they leave the credit burden for their family to bare!

So, do you want to live this way? If you do not then “good financial planning” and “good investing” is the key! In case you forgot the original pint, you need to invest so that you can make the “big buys” that you need to make!
Investing for TAX SAVING!

The major reason why a large number of young people invest is to save tax! In fact, thank God for tax. If tax did not exist, the youth would never even think about investing!

Incase you do not know how this whole “tax saving” and investing thing works, let us explain that first.

You see the Govt. wants us to invest in certain things. Some of the things that the Govt. wants us to invest in are for our own good. The other things are for the good of the nation. So to encourage people to invest their money in the “these things” the Govt. says that, “If you invest your money in these things, you do not have to pay ‘income tax’ for earning that money!”

Incase you are confused, I will just give you are very basic and crude explanation on how income tax is calculated and paid. You see, “income tax” is all about your “income” i.e. the money you earn! You have to basically pay a portion of what you earn to the Govt.

Suppose you do a job and you earn Rs.20,000 every month you will have to pay a part or a “percentage” of that money to the Govt. What is the percentage that you have to pay? That depends on the “tax bracket” you fall in.

What is a tax bracket? You see, the Govt. feels that rich people can afford to give more money towards the development of the country and poor people cannot give much. Also the really poor people cannot give anything at all since they are struggling financially. So the Govt. has decided whether you are “very poor” or “poor” or “rich” or “very rich” depending on how much income you make. If you fall in the “very rich” category than you have to pay a big percentage of your money towards the county. If you fall in the “very poor” category you do not have to pay anything to the country.

This is basically what tax brackets are. The Govt. has decided what percentage of your income you must pay as “income tax” depending on how much you make or which “tax bracket” you fall in.

Now there is a legal way of paying less tax than what you are supposed to pay. And this way is though “investments”. If you invest part of your income into Govt. bonds, infrastructure bonds, life insurance etc. then your income will reduce and you will have to pay less to the Govt though income tax!

However, this is not true for any type of investment. It is true only for certain types of investments as stated by the Govt. Also, if you invest your money in these tax saving things, it does not just “go away”! You actually create an asset. An asset that produces money for your self. So, instead of loosing the earning power of the money by giving it to the Govt. though income tax, you could use the money to create an asset and also save tax in the process.

Again, incase you lost the original point in all the explanation, invest your money to save tax!

What we have told you above, are just the very basics of saving tax. There is a lot more to learn! If you are interested, we suggest you read the book "How to save income tax though tax planning?". You can get yourself the book from ebay.in

If you are new to ebay, do not worry, you can just sign up from here free and buy whatever you are interested in right now! It's quite easy!

Once you are signed-up you can search for "How to save income tax though tax planning?"

We recommend that you buy the book from Ebay.in since it is quite safe & secure. If you are not comfortable with Credit Card payments, there are always other options like DD, money order etc. that you can go in for. Besides that, you can get a very good deal if you buy from ebay!
Inflation..and how it eats your money!

Inflation is an economic concept. What the cause of inflation is, is not important to us from the point of view of this article. What is important to us is the effect of inflation!

The effect of inflation is the prices of everything going up over the years. A movie ticket was for a few paise in my dad’s time. Now it is worth Rs.50. My dads first salary for the month was Rs.400 and over he years it has now become Rs.75,000. This is what inflation is, the price of everything goes up. Because the price goes up, the salaries go up.

If you really think about it, inflation makes the worth of money reduce. What you could buy in my dad’s time for Rs.10, now a days you will not be able to buy for Rs.400 also. The worth of money has reduced! If this is still not clear consider this, when my father was a kid, he used to get 50paise pocket money. He used to use this money to go and watch a movie (At that time you could watch a movie for 50paise!)

Now, just for the sake of understanding assume that my dad decided in his childhood to save 50paise thinking, that one day when he becomes big, he will go for a movie. Many years pass. The year now is 2006. My dad goes to the theater and asks for a ticket. He offers the ticket booth guy at the theater 50paise and asks for a ticket. The ticket booth guy says, “I am sorry sir, the ticket is worth Rs.50. You will not be able to even buy a “paw wada” with the 50paise!!”

The moral of the story is that, the worth of the 50paise reduced dramatically. 50paise could buy a whole lot when my dad was a kid. Now 50paise can buy nothing. This is inflation.

What does this tell us?

Do not keep your money stagnant. If you just save money by putting it your safe it will loose value over time. If you have Rs.1000 in your safe today and you keep it there for 10years or so, it will be worth a lot less after 10 years. If you can buy something for Rs.1000 today, you will probably require Rs.1500 to buy it 10 years from now. So do not keep money locked up in your safe. Always invest money. Always make your money grow!

Whatever you do, do not just lock your money up in your safe and keep it stagnant. If you do this, you will be loosing money without even knowing it. The more money you keep stagnant the more money you will be loosing.
"The power of compounding!"

Compounding is a very interesting and powerful thing. It has great rewards in store for people who invest when they are young. If you invest later in life you will not be able to make use of the great “power of compounding”!

Just to give you an example…assume that there are two people. Ram and Sham.

Ram invests Rs.5000 each month for 10 years from the time he became 25.

Sham invests Rs.5000 each month for “25 years” from the time he became “35”.

Note that Ram invested Rs.5000 monthly for only 10 years. Sham invested Rs.5000 monthly for 25 years! Now, who do you think will have more money when they are 60? Think about it a little! Who do you think will have more money at age 60?

Assuming that their money grows at 15% per year, at age 60 Ram will have Rs.4.6crores!!

Sham will have Rs.1.5 crores!!

A difference of Rs.3.1 crores!! Ha!!

Think about how foolish Sham has been. When he was young and 25 years of age, he had not got married yet. His expenses were low. He had a lot of money extra each month. He would generally blow it off on parties! Later he got married. His expenses grew! He had very little money to invest. Finally at the age of 35 when he again started to have some financial control, he decided to start investing. Since his friend had stared earlier than him, he tried to make up for it but investing for 25 years. (15 years more than Ram!) However, still he ended up loosing 3.1 crore!!

Don’t be a Sham! Don’t make this mistake.

If you are wondering how this can happen, you need to understand how compounding works. Suppose you invest Rs.100 today. It grows at 15% compounded rate every year, then next year you will get Rs.115 i.e. Rs.100 + Rs.15. Why Rs.15? Rs.15 is 15% of Rs.100!

Okay so now one year is passed. You have Rs.115. The next year you will get Rs.132. Why Rs.132? Rs.115 + Rs.17. Why Rs.17 ? Because Rs.17 is 15% of Rs.115!

Now, try to use your imagination. Initially your money will grow at a slow rate. But once the money grows to a big amount the rate of growth will be very very very high! So, basically you need a lot of time to reach a very very high rate of growth. But once you reach the high growth rate then money will just start flowing! And if there is one thing the youth have, it is time!

In fact, you should invest as fast as possible. If you are not earning yet, invest your pocket money!

Just to give you an idea, if you invest Rs.1 now. You let it grow for 30 years at 15% rate, at the end of 30 years you will have Rs.67! So think of it this way. If you want a good amount of money after 30 years, invest as much money as you can invest right now. For every one rupee you invest you will have Rs.67, 30 years from now! So if you invest Rs.5000 now, you will get Rs.3,35,000 30 years from now! So what are you waiting for. Invest the money now when your expenses are low and you have the chance. You have time on your side!

I guess you probably now understand the need for investing. So, let us get right into it…
How to invest? - The basics!

Before we get into specific things that you should invest in, let us take a look at the general procedure of investing. How you should view investments, what are “risk-profiles” etc. These are the basic concepts of investing that will guide you though all your investments.

Step I: Setting Investment Objectives!

As we mentioned earlier, there are many reasons why you should invest. Some of them are “short” or “medium-term” things like the “big buys” that you want to make. Some of them are more “long-term” like “you want to retire at 45” or “you want to become a crorepati at 45” etc. Setting the objectives for an investment before making a particular investment is the first step!

Just to give you an idea, let us take an example. Suppose there is a Mr.Raju and he wants to take his wife for a trip 5 years from now. Now, Mr.Raju has a elaborate trip planned for his wife. He calculated his expenses and it has come to Rs.400,000. Raju is wise and he knows all the bad effects of taking a loan from the bank so he has decided to invest some money every month so that 5 years from now he has Rs.400,000 in hand.

This is Raju’s investment objective. This is what Raju keeps in mind while investing. So Raju finally does the required calculations and figures out that: If he invests only Rs.6,800 every month then after five years, if the money grows at 15% then he will have Rs.587,000. Raju thinks that this is perfect since he can afford to invest Rs.6800 each month.

This is how investments are done. Before you make any investment, you must first decide “why are you making that particular investment?”. Then you will know how much money you need to accumulate and in how much time. Once this is known, you can calculate backwards and you will know how much you need to invest each month to reach your aim.

Don’t just make random investments. This generally gives you the feeling that you are investing a lot but later on you will realize that it was not much since you invested in an unorganized manner! Before making any investment, decide your investment objective. This means that you have to basically decide two things:

1. How much money you want to accumulate?
2. In how much time?

Step 2: What is your “risk-profile”?

In investments there is a relationship between “risks” and “returns”. The higher the risks the higher the returns. The lower the risks the lower the returns. There are some investments you can make which will “double” your money within a very short time. However, these investments are really “dicy” or “risky”. If they do not go as planned, you may end up losing the money you invested.

For example, a friend of yours comes to you and says, “I have a great business plan! I want Rs.40,000 from you and within 6 months I will give you Rs.80,000! Please help me out…” This might work, or it might fail badly. The risk involved is high. However, the return of the investment is also quite high! A 100% rate of return in 6 months!

There are other investments that are very secure. They have very little or no risk involved in them. For example, if you invest your money in a bank that offers a 6% interest rate, then irrespective of what happens, your money will grow at the small rate of 6% each year.

So, basically, before you invest, you first need to check out what is the risk associated with the investment. Is it a risky investment? Can you end up losing all the money you invested? Or is a safe or “sure-shot” investment?

Then you need to see your situation and your “investment objectives”! Can you handle the risk of the investment? Is it crucial that the investment pays off for your objectives to be accomplished? Is the time in which your objective must completed so low that you NEED to take up a risky investment with high returns?

Think wisely about this and your situation and your objectives! If you do not, you may end up losing a lot of money! Think practically and realistically! We are not able to give you more practical information about this because everyone has a different situation and different objectives and can take up a different amounts of risk.

Generally young people can take up more risk. They have time on their side! Even if something bad happens and the risk causes them to loose some money, they can always recover it since they are young. Since young people can take more risks, they can enjoy higher returns also. One more benefit of investing when you are young!

Older people cannot take up so much risk! They do not have time on their hands. If they loose too much money, they do not have that much earning power and they may never recover from the loss.

Next, when we talk about all the possible ways in which you can invest your money, we will also talk about the risk and returns involved in each kind of investment!

TOP 5 ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE

2008-06-02T22:55:00.000-07:00

BitDefender 2008

Manufacturer: SOFTWIN

Rankings:

Rating Breakdown:

Ease of Use

Effectiveness

Updates

Feature Set

Ease of Installation

Help/Support

Overall Rating:

BitDefender 2008 is an outstanding product with a user–friendly interface that will scan all existing files on your computer, all incoming and outgoing emails, IM transfers and all other network traffic.
This latest version of BitDefender has a new Gamer Mode feature that minimizes impact on gaming performance by removing any popups or warnings during game play while still protecting your computer. The software still has all of the reliable features for which Bitdefender is known such as “Privacy Protection” for outgoing personal information, “Web Scanning” while you’re using the Internet and “Rootkit Detection and Removal,” which detects then removes hidden virus programs.
BitDefender has also improved their existing B–HAVE feature that runs pieces of software on a virtual computer to detect code that could be an unknown virus. In addition, a setup wizard makes it easy to customize security settings.

Ease of Use:

Softwin has covered all of the bases with BitDefender. This comprehensive product has an attractive, easy–to–use design that is consistent throughout the software and the manufacturer’s website. Because it is simple to use and updates itself automatically, you can install it on your system, then practically forget it’s there—an ideal solution for any user.

BitDefender has an option to display a small window called the “File Zone” on your desktop that indicates how many files the program has scanned in the past few minutes. You can also drag and drop files into the File Zone for an immediate scan. The program prepares a report of each completed scan so you know exactly what your files do or do not contain and you can instruct BitDefender to disinfect or remove any infected files or messages.

You can also customize BitDefender’s security settings for features such as AntiVirus, Antispam, Antispyware and Parental Control.

Effectiveness:

BitDefender’s customizable settings make the program effective for a variety of users. For example, if you receive legitimate commercial email, you can set BitDefender’s spam filters to allow specific or all emails.

Virus Bulletin rated BitDefender a VB100%, the highest honor for anti–virus software.

The VB 100% logo is awarded to anti–virus products that detect all current “in the wild” viruses during both on–demand and on–access scanning in Virus Bulletin’s comparative tests.

Additionally, BitDefender passed the ICSA 2007—a similar test that certifies the software can detect viruses, prevent virus replication, and doesn’t generate false positives.

Updates:

The live update feature checks for product and virus definition updates at either a user–defined interval, manually or default (every hour). When you do a manual check for updates, you can decide which updates to install. When the software automatically checks for updates, it can update the files immediately or at a specified time that you can determine during setup.

Feature Set:

BitDefender creates a summary log of events that shows the last definitions updates, details on any virus the software encounters, the last time you ran a scan, definitions number and more. And new in 2008, Bitdefender has added a Gamer Feature so it won't interrupt you during intense gaming.

BitDefender’s startup guard will tell you if a program is trying to load itself upon start up so you can choose to allow it or not. This software suite also comes with adware and spyware detectors. Though we recommend using an antispyware scanner, as they are designed specifically for this purpose, it is nice to have two programs working towards a common goal, to keep your computer clean.

Ease of Installation:

Installation of BitDefender is a snap. Uninstalling BitDefender was easy as well. We did find some leftover registry entries and directories after the uninstall completed though.

Help/Support:

When you purchase BitDefender you also receive one year of virus signature and scan engine updates. The manufacturer offers qualified technical support live via the Internet and telephone.

There is also an online database with answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and they have an email address–they answered our email within 6 hours. An online forum is also available on the BitDefender support site.

Summary:

BitDefender is easy to use, simple to install, has a great feature set and at $24.95, it won’t break your bank account. Anyone who spends time on the Internet knows the importance of anti–virus software; BitDefender will keep your computer virus–free and running smoothly.

Kaspersky 7

Manufacturer: Kaspersky

Rankings:

Rating Breakdown:

Ease of Use

Effectiveness

Updates

Feature Set

Ease of Installation

Help/Support

Overall Rating:

Kaspersky Reviewer's Comment:

Kaspersky Antivirus is a top of the line program that offers all the protection you will need. With low scan times and high detection rates, as well as an interface that can't be beat.

Ease of Use:

In the past, Kaspersky had issues with their interface and the ease of use associated with it. They have listened to their customers over the years and changed the interface to rival others on the market. Now, simplicity is key within Kaspersky Antivirus. Kaspersky's main menu screen is split into different sections depending on what you would like to accomplish. Protection, Scan, Update, Reports and Data Files, and Support are listed on the left side of the screen with the options pertaining to each in a sub menu or on the right-hand side of the screen. There are also advanced options available through a settings option at the bottom of the screen.

Effectiveness:

Kaspersky Antivirus is one of the most advanced products on the market for virus scanning. Its on-access scanner is extremely fast and doesn't cause any noticeable slowdown of the computer while performing regular tasks such as browsing the web or writing documents or even higher end tasks such as transferring and moving files. The on-demand scanner within Kaspersky Antivirus is very fast as well. Another plus with Kaspersky is its light footprint on your system resources. Memory usage is minimal during the on access scanning times as well as on demand scanning. During a system scan, we noticed about 55MB of memory usage on average with up to 30% CPU usage.

Updates:

Kaspersky Antivirus checks for updates every hour by default. There are other programs out there that also do this but Kaspersky takes it to a new level because of the speed that they respond to outbreaks and release updates. If there is a major outbreak, Kaspersky Labs has an average update release time of less than 2 hours. This is the fastest of any antivirus company at this time.

Feature Set:

Features included with Kaspersky Antivirus are some of the most complete in the market. Beyond protecting your files and email from viruses, Kaspersky Labs took this a step further. They included a scanner that will check all the web pages you visit for viruses as well. This feature is especially useful for people that use Internet Explorer as their web browser due to the history of security holes related to viruses in the Internet cache your computer stores.

Kaspersky Antivirus also includes a registry protector called Registry Guard. This will prevent any unwanted changes to your computer registry.

We were especially impressed with the reporting features included with Kaspersky Antivirus. There are reports available for each scan that is done as well as "live" reports that are generated on the fly for several portions of the program that are scanning all the time.

Ease of Installation:

The installation of Kaspersky Antivirus is extremely simple and posed no problems for us. A single reboot was required to complete the installation.

Help/Support:

Kaspersky Labs offers several support options to help keep your system in top shape. Direct email support, support forums, phone support as well as an impressive FAQ are all available.

Summary:
Antivirus programs are a dime a dozen. Kaspersky makes nearly all of them look like a futile attempt at hanging with the big dogs. Many times Kaspersky has been awarded certification from top organizations such as ICSA and WCL, as well as receiving the TopTenREVIEWS Silver award multiple times. What this all comes down to is that the hard work Kaspersky puts into their products provides us with some of the most elite protection available. Whether you are just a novice or are dining with the digital elite, Kaspersky Antivirus is a great choice to protect your computer from the dark side of the Internet.

3.

ESET Nod32 3

Manufacturer: Eset

Rankings:

Rating Breakdown:

Ease of Use

Effectiveness

Updates

Feature Set

Ease of Installation

Help/Support

Overall Rating:

Ease of Use:

ESET NOD32 Antivirus is a changed product. The base features are extremely simple and easy to use while still being effective. The redesigned interface includes a menu on the left with sub options on the right. Several options exist in the sub options to assist in "drilling down" to what you wish to do.

There is little or no base configuration needed to get the NOD32 Antivirus working after install. If you do require custom configurations though, you have a simple advanced configuration menu that gives you all the options needed to customize NOD32 to your specific needs.

Effectiveness:

ESET NOD32 Antivirus is very effective in detecting and cleaning viruses from your computer. The on-demand scanner is fast and effective while still allowing you to do other things on your computer during the scan. The on-access scanner is almost behind the scenes compared to many other options out there. The only time you will notice what it is doing is when it detects a threat.

Updates:

The standard update cycle for ESET NOD32 Antivirus is once a day if needed. They have the ability to "push" updates if there is a significant threat though.

Their response times for new threats are very fast ranging from 1 to 4 hours depending on the threat.

Feature Set:

Included with ESET NOD32 Antivirus are several layers of protection. Antivirus scanning includes integrated real time email protection, web access protection as well as a rootkit scanner and a spyware scanner. All of these features are included and integrated into the on demand scanner. The email protection included with NOD32 integrates directly with MS Outlook and any standard POP3 email client. It surprisingly doesn't include IMAP scanning. This shouldn't be an issue for most people though since POP3 is by far the most used email protocol in use today for local email clients.

Also included to make this version of NOD32 Antivirus much more effective is the ThreatSense engine. ThreatSense is a system developed by ESET to help identify new and evolving threats and provide faster responses to those threats. Through a service called ThreatSense.Net, ESET is able to give you feedback on how to protect yourself from any threats that may just be propegating themselves on the net.

Ease of Installation:

Installing NOD32 Antivirus is very simple and posed no problems for us. The install took less than 5 minutes and required a quick restart of the testing computer.

Help/Support:

NOD32 Antivirus includes several support options included with your subscription. Included with these options are email support, a well stocked knowledge base and FAQ, as well as phone support available from 6AM-6PM Pacific time.

Summary:
In years past, ESET NOD32 Antivirus has always been praised on the detection ability it brought to the table. Regardless of its abilities to keep your computer safe, it was considered by some to be difficult to use. The new 3.0 version has changed the way customers interact with ESET NOD32 Antivirus. The menu's have all been streamlined to make common functions more easily accessible while keeping the same efficiency that was associated with the older versions.

4.

AVG Anti-Virus 8

Manufacturer: AVG Technologies

Rankings:

Rating Breakdown:

Ease of Use

Effectiveness

Updates

Feature Set

Ease of Installation

Help/Support

Overall Rating:

AVG Antivirus has been an up and coming virus scanner for many years. Its free version is one of the most downloaded files on the Internet in the Computer Security sector. The new interface is clean and intuitive while still remaining useful.
AVG went through a rewrite of their virus scanning engine and included two of their stand alone products with AVG Antivirus as well. AVG Antispyware and AVG Antirootkit were both integrated with the virus scanner. Also revamped was the way AVG Antivirus uses the hardware within your computer. It was changed to make better use of the multiple cores which are common in todays computers. This should speed up scanning as well as reduce slowdowns.

Ease of Use:

Though AVG Antivirus is mostly a hands off program, there may be some instances when you may need to configure some advanced options. For 99% of the population though, the default options will be more than sufficient.

The menu's within AVG Antivirus are very simple and offer all the options and information needed to keep your system safe from Internet threats.

Effectiveness:

AVG Antivirus is one of the most complete programs we have found to date. It includes many new options to make it one of the most effective virus scanners on the market. It is still plagued by horrible slowdowns at times. Even things so simple as just typing an IM can be stopped for several seconds for some reason. If you can get past the occasional slowdowns of your computer, the scanning functionality of AVG Antivirus 8 is top of the line. With the rewrite of the scanning engine, AVG included multi processor support. That dual core processor you bought is actually going to start getting a workout now. AVG also included support for Windows Vista and the 64 bit versions of Windows XP and Vista.

Updates:

AVG Checks for updates every 4 hours by default. You can change this to any interval you wish. The updates section of AVG Antivirus also shows you which virus database version you have as well as when the last update was. It also tells you when the next update is scheduled. All of this information is also displayed on the main menu screen so that you always have the information at your fingertips.

Feature Set:

AVG Technologies, formerly Grisoft, has gone above and beyond with the new release of AVG Antivirus. Included with the virus scanner are a rootkit scanner, spyware scanner, an on-access scanner called Resident Shield, email scanner and a link scanning browser plugin. There is also a portion of AVG Antivirus called Web Shield. Web Shield is a chopped down firewall application that scans standard web ports for any threats encountered while browsing the web. It also includes protection for MSN Messenger and ICQ.

Ease of Installation:

Installing AVG Antivirus 8 was easy and only took about 10 minutes including downloading the additional updates required after installation finished. We had no issues or errors during the install.

Help/Support:

With the name change from Grisoft to AVG Technologies, the support site was updated and saw many improvements over the old design. Support offerings included with AVG Antivirus 8 are a FAQ, email support, phone based technical support as well as including a support section within the program itself.

Summary:

Version 8 of AVG Antivirus is a definite improvement over version 7.5. The scanning features have been sped up and the new interface is a clean and modern take on a time tested product.

Including a link scanner and integrating AVG Antispyware and AVG AntiRootkit provides an even more effective product. An unfortunate problem that has plagued AVG products for quite some time has not been eliminated even though AVG did a complete rewrite of the virus scanning engine. The on access scanner still tends to slow down computers to the point where they are not usable at times. This isn't a constant factor and has been improved significantly, but you will notice it when it happens. Beyond the slowdown issue, AVG Antivirus 8 is a complete product that will help keep your computer clean and safe.

F-Secure Anti-Virus 2008

Manufacturer: F-Secure Inc.

Rankings:

Rating Breakdown:

Ease of Use

Effectiveness

Updates

Feature Set

Ease of Installation

Help/Support

Overall Rating:

F-Secure Antivirus is a great product that offers many of the standard functions associated with antivirus software, but also goes above and beyond the bar set by others with efforts by F-Secure to educate the people that use F-Secure Antivirus on general security practices as well as specific threats.

Ease of Use:

F-Secure Antivirus is very easy to use and comes preconfigured with the most effective options for your computers security. The menu's within F-Secure Antivirus are simple and quick to display the options under each of them.

Effectiveness:

F-Secure Antivirus is one of the most effective antivirus programs on the market. Its heuristic scanner is considered by many to be one of the fastest and most complete on the market.

We did have some problems with its on-access scanner though. The test system we used is a pretty fast system. Intel Pentium D 2.8GHz with 1GB of RAM. The on-access scanner would sometimes bring this system to a halt when opening programs or moving files.

Updates:

F-Secure Antivirus checks for updates every two hours. This is fine for most people and shouldn't cause any problems. One issue that we did notice is that one of the updates that was receive required a reboot of the test system. While we had a choice in the reboot, it was odd that it should require a reboot to apply new virus signatures or even minor program updates.

Feature Set:

F-Secure Antivirus comes with the standard protection you would expect from any modern antivirus suite. Both on-access and on-demand scanners are included as well as a spyware scanner that runs with both. An email scanner is also included for those of us using local mail clients like Outlook or Thunderbird.

One feature we especially liked about F-Secure Antivirus was the integrated news on the home menu. The Security News section is full of useful information about which new security threats are out and whether you are protected from each threat.

Ease of Installation:

Installation of F-Secure Antivirus is fast and easy. It took less than 5 minutes to initially install, but required a very long update upon completion of the install. The install itself required a single reboot as well as the update that was download after the install finished.

Help/Support:

F-Secure offers several options for support. They have a "How to" section with several FAQ's included as well as offering a product manual from within the program itself. Also available are phone support and email support. You may find that support for F-Secure Antivirus is difficult to obtain once you get past the self help options. The site is somewhat convoluted and could use a redesign to make it easier and faster to use. To be fair, most people will not need to contact customer support directly if they use the self help options that are available on the support site.

Summary:

With one of the most thorough antivirus engines available, F-Secure Antivirus provides elite protection against viruses, spyware and many other security threats. The added benefit of the support and education portion of their website adds to the overall feeling of protection while using this product. While it isn't perfect, and does have issues with significant slowdowns while the on-access scanner is working, the overall product is effective.

BUYING A PERSONAL COMPUTER (PC)

2008-06-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

Things to Consider Before Buying a Computer:

In the initial stages of determining what sort of computer you need to get, at some point you need to ask yourself, what am I going to be using the computer for? Whether you intend to write papers for class, surf the World Wide Web, or just play computer games, you need to have an idea of what the minimum requirements the computer needs to have. If all you intend to do is just write letters using a DOS based word processing program, a 386 or 486 system with a couple megabytes of memory is more than adequate. If you want to use a Windows version of some word processing program, then your requirements go up a bit, particularly on the amount of RAM memory and hard disk space. If you want to be able to surf the Web and play some of the multimedia on-line virtual reality games, then you need a higher-end system, with more memory, more disk space, and a modem or network card to connect to the Internet.

Once you determine what you need the computer for, the next question that you need to ask yourself is how much money I can afford to spend. If you are looking for a Pentium 4 based system, expect to pay around $800 to $1000 for a good quality system including software and a monitor. You will no doubt see systems advertised for less than this, but there is a good reason why these systems are cheaper and we will discuss this a little later in this document.

Buy as much PC as you can afford. Don't cut corners on the main system unit (monitor, processor, memory, disk space, etc.). If you are short on cash, hold off on the printer or a software application or two that you really don't need right away. Remember, this system is going to last you at least 3 or 4 years or more and you don't want to start running out of disk space or memory in the first week that you have it because you trimmed down the amount of memory or got a smaller hard drive so that you could afford to buy 18 different versions of a screen saver program!

Remember, you get what you pay for. If the price is cheap, most likely the components are cheap. For example, a good brand name 40 GB (Gigabyte) hard drive currently sells for $80 to $100. If a salesman talks you into their in-house brand for $20, make sure you have them throw in an extra set of rubber bands! Or a good quality 17 inch color SVGA monitor will typically go for somewhere in the range of $300 to $600. If the local computer store is selling a high-end model SVGA monitor for only $150, check to see if there is a crank on the side!

If the PC of your dreams comes with Microsoft software, such as Office 2003, here is something you need to consider. Software that is purchased with a new computer has a special OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) license. That OEM license is tied to that specific PC and can not be transferred (uninstalled/reinstalled) on another computer. So, if you replace your new PC in a couple years, you will also need to purchase all of the OEM licensed software. OEM licensed software can only be installed on the original computer the software was purchased with.

If you replace your computer every 3-4 years as I do, you may want to consider purchasing a retail copy of the software rather than buying the software with the new computer. The retail software is available either on-line or from your local computer store. With a retail copy of the software, if you ever replace your computer, you can uninstall the software from the old computer and reinstall the retail licensed software on a new computer. Depending on the application, retail software is going to cost you about 50% more than the OEM software purchased with the computer, but it will save you money in the long run.

Finally, give yourself some room to work. Shoot for a dollar amount but be willing to spend a couple hundred more to get exactly what you want and something that you'll be happy with. If you say I want the best computer graphics workstation made, but I don't want to spend more than $200, I say go buy yourself a 64-pack of Crayolas with some colored paper, because that's all you can afford. Be realistic!

What is the Main Purpose of the Computer:

If you have made the decision to buy a computer, there must be a reason or need that you have to get one, other than I have $1200 burning a hole in my pocket and I need to get rid of it! A good reason for buying a computer would be something like writing papers for a class or keeping track of your finances or business. A bad reason for buying a computer would be something like your best friend has one or everyone else you know has one, because you're probably never going to use it and you end up with a $1200 paper weight.

Computer Terminology:

Before we get into our discussion of computers and components, there are a few terms that I should define first for those that are shopping for a computer for the first time: bits, bytes, megahertz, and gigahertz. These are the most common terms that are used to describe a computer's ability to store information and the speed in which it can process data.

Bits & Bytes Defined:

Computers only work with binary numbers. A binary number, or bit for short, is the smallest unit of information that is used by a computer and consists of one of two different characters, a 0 (zero) or a 1 (one). A 0 would refer to off or false or no, while a 1 would refer to on or true or yes. A simplified example of the use of a bit would be when the computer is booted up, it sends out a signal to the printer connected to the computer to see if it is ready to accept documents. Assuming that the printer is turned on and isn't ready yet, it would respond by sending back a 0 indicating no, I'm not ready. If the printer is ready, it would respond by sending back a 1 indicating yes, I am ready. When you see the speed rating of a communications device, such as a serial port or a modem, the speed will be listed in bps or bits per second. A modem that has a rating of 56K bps (since K refers to thousand, that is 56,000 bps) would have the capability to sending or receiving 56,000 0s and/or 1s in one second.

Since sending out information 1 bit at a time can be rather time consuming for the computer, information is sent as a package of data or instructions called a byte. A byte is made up of 8 bits of information, such as 00000000 or 10101010. Most of a computer's specifications are represented in terms of bytes, such as the computer's memory capacity or the size of a disk drive.

The following table lists the various terms and their associated values:

Term Symbol Value
bit b 0 or 1
byte B 8 bits
kilobit Kb 1,024 bits
kilobyte KB 1,024 bytes
megabit Mb 1,048,576 bits
megabyte MB 1,048,576 bytes
gigabit Gb 1,073,741,824 bits
gigabyte GB 1,073,741,824 bytes
terabit Tb 1,099,511,627,776 bits
terabyte TB 1,099,511,627,776 bytes

Note in the above table that when referring to computers, the K (thousand) actually refers to 1,024 and not 1,000. Therefore, a document stored on the computer's hard drive that is listed as being 10 KB in size is actually 10,240 bytes (10 times 1,024) and not 10,000 bytes. If a computer contains 256 MB of memory, it actually contains 268,435,456 bytes (256 times 1,048,576) and not 256,000,000.

Gigahertz Defined:

The speed of a computer depends on the amount of data its processor can manipulate in a given period of time and the processor's clock speed. The clock speed of a processor is measured by the number of electronic pulses it can produce in a second. Clock speed is built into the processor and is measured in gigahertz (GHz). Since giga means billion and hertz means times (cycles) per second, 1.0 GHz is 1 billion times per second. The speed of older, slower processors was measured in megahertz (MHz). Since mega means million, 500 MHz is 500 million times per second.

The electronic pulses affect the speed with which program instructions are executed because instructions are executed at predetermined intervals, which are timed by the electronic pulses. For example, if we had a computer than contained a processor that was running at 1 GHz and it executed an instruction every 100 pulses, it would process 10,000,000 instructions per second (1 billion divided by 100). If the computer had a 500 MHz processor and executed an instruction every 100 pulses, it would process 5,000,000 instructions per second (500 million divided by 100).

The amount of data that the processor can handle is called the word size and refers to the number of bits of information that can be processed at a time. An Intel Pentium processor can handle 64-bit words or 64 bits (0s and 1s) of information at a time. The older 486 computers contained 32-bit processors and could only handle 32 bits of information at a time. Before you jump to conclusions, a 64-bit processor is not necessarily twice as fast as a 32-bit processor. The 64-bit processor may be more than twice as fast in performing some tasks, but less than twice as fast in performing others. Generally speaking though, a 64-bit processor is faster than a 32-bit processor, which in turn is faster than a 16-bit processor.

We will discuss processing speed in more detail under the Processor Paranoia section below.

Operating Systems and Software Applications:

The software applications that you get for your computer must be compatible. Once you determine which operating system you are going to run on your new computer (assuming that you have a choice) you can then select which software applications to get. Most software applications are available in each of these flavors, so the application does not necessarily determine which operating system you have to use. If you buy a complete computer system from a single outlet store as opposed to purchasing each of the components separately from different outlets, the complete system will most likely come with an operating system preinstalled, such as Microsoft Windows XP or Linux.

Windows 2000

A true multitasking, multithreaded, 32-bit operating system. It combines the best features of Windows 98 with the security, manageability and reliability of Windows NT. Some of the new features include safeguards that prevent important files and device drivers from being overwritten during a software installation, eliminates the need to reboot the computer after installing software applications, can run more applications and perform more tasks at the same time than Windows 95 or Windows 98, provides support for multiple processors and several hundred languages, faster data transfers with Universal Serial Bus (USB) and IEEE 1394 (discussed below), and it is rumored to be 25% faster than previous versions of Windows. There is also a tool that allows you to view a small thumbnail image of a multimedia or graphic file before you open it, a feature called Hibernate that will automatically turn your computer and monitor off at a set time, off-line viewing for files and folders, and Internet Connection Sharing that allows you to connect your Windows 2000 computer to the Internet (via dial-up or other method) and then give network access to other computers in your home. Windows 2000 was replaced by Windows XP.

Windows XP

A multitasking, multithreaded, operating system that will be available in both 32-bit and 64-bit formats. There are two 32-bit versions of Windows XP, Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional. Both versions have the new Windows XP interface, advanced support for laptops, wireless connections, faster bootup and application startup times, advanced power management, a builtin Internet firewall, and support Internet Explorer 6.0 Privacy. In addition to this, the Windows XP Professional version has support for remote desktops, offline files and folders, multiprocessor support, file encryption, enhanced administrative functions (like Windows 2000), and a multi-lingual user interface. There is also a 64-bit version of Windows XP called (oddly enough) Windows XP 64-Bit Edition. The 64-bit edition is targetted at technical users working with high-end multimedia, engineering, and scientific applications. It contains all of the enhancements for the 32-bit versions of Windows XP plus it is optimized to run on the Intel Itanium processor and will initially support 16GB of RAM memory and up to 16TB (terabytes) of virtual memory.

Linux

Free, 32-bit, multitasking, Unix-based operating system. Unlike the other operating systems listed here, Linux will run on a wide variety of platforms, from the old Intel 386 to a Sun Sparc. Although there are many sites that will allow you to download a Linux for free, I strongly suggest that you purchase an installation CD from a company like Redhat, it will make the installation a lot easier.

Productivity Software

Besides the operating system, you need to choose which software applications that you are going to need on your new computer. Most computer systems now come bundled with a suite of software applications, such as Microsoft Works,Microsoft Office, Corel Perfect Office, Lotus SmartSuite, or Sun Microsystems StarOffice. These suites of applications typically contain all the programs that you would need to run a small business. Microsoft Office comes with Word (word processor), Excel (spreadsheet), OutLook (calendar), PowerPoint (presentation graphics), and Access (database) in the professional version. Corel Perfect Office comes with WordPerfect (word processor), Quattro Pro (spreadsheet), CorelCENTRAL (calendar), Presentations (presentation graphics), Envoy (Internet publisher), and Paradox (database) in the profession version. Lotus SmartSuite comes with Lotus 1-2-3 (spreadsheet), Word Pro (word processing), Freelance Graphic (presentation graphics), Approach (database), Screencam (multimedia), and Organizer (time management software). Sun StarOffice comes with Writer (word processor), Calc (calculation and analysis), Impress (presentation graphics), Draw (graphics), Base (database), Schedule (time management software), Mail (E-mail program), and Discussion (news reader). Each package has its merits and I can't recommend one over the other. Other than a personal preference for the layout of one application over another, all of these are fine programs.

In addition to the operating system and the business software applications, there are many other categories of software that you may or may not want to use on your computer. Software to access the Internet such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator, graphics applications such as Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, multimedia editing software such as Adobe Premier or RealProducer Pro, and games should also be taken into consideration when choosing the brand and model of computer that you are going to purchase.

Hardware

There are literally hundreds of manufacturers for computers, monitors, printers, and other components. My advice to a first time buyer is to stick with a brand name. Getting that first computer can be very exciting, but the excitement can quickly dwindle to sheer terror and frustration if there are compatibility problems between the components and the software.

The basic components of a computer system are the motherboard (containing the processor and memory), keyboard, mouse, monitor, diskette drive, CD-ROM drive, and hard drive. In addition to these, there are several other types of devices that you may or may not want to include in your computer purchase, such as a trackball, joy stick, modem, tape drive, zip drive, printer, plotter, scanner, sound card and speakers, TV card, video capture card, power supply backup, and surge protector. Whether you need any of these other devices or not will depend on which software applications that you intend to use. Also, if you are short on money when you buy your computer or decide that you need one or more of these items later on, you shouldn't have any problem installing these after the original purchase has been made, just make sure you buy components that are compatible with your system.

I have had the opportunity to work with several different brands and models of computers, devices, and components over the years. The following is a list of computer components and their manufacturers that I have worked with and would recommend to others:

Desktop/Tower Computers:

Compaq, Dell, Gateway, IBM

Laptop/Notebook Computers:
Compaq, Dell, Gateway, IBM, Sony

RAM Memory:
Kingston Memory Products, Simple Technologies

Controller Cards:
Adaptec, Conner, Western Digital

Hard Drives:
Fujitsu, Maxtor, Quantum, Western Digital

Diskette Drives:
TEAC

CD-ROM Drives:
Mitsumi/Panasonic, Philips, Sony

Tape Drives:
Colorado Memory Systems, Hewlett Packard

Zip/Jazz Drives:
Iomega

Monitors:
CTX, IBM, NEC

Video Cards:
Creative Labs, Diamond, Matrox

Fax/Modems:
Practical Peripherals, US Robotics (3com)

Sound Cards:
Creative Labs

Power Supplies:
American Power Conversion

Color Ink Jet Printers:
Canon, Epson, Hewlett Packard

Black Ink Jet Printers:
Epson, Hewlett Packard

Dot Matrix Printers:
Epson, Lexmark

Black Laser Printers:
Hewlett Packard

Color Laser Printers:
Canon, Hewlett Packard

Plotters:
Hewlett Packard

Color Scanners:
Hewlett Packard, Umax

Note, the above lists component manufacturers that I have personally worked with and consider to be of good quality. Manufacturers and/or devices that do not appear in this list are either items that I have not worked with or items that I thought were of lesser quality.

Processor Paranoia

If you've already done some shopping around, you've discovered that you not only have to figure out which brand of computer to buy, but also what's inside. This is analogous to that first car you ever bought. You wanted that Corvette with the souped up 8-cylinder engine, but settled on the Ford Escort with the 4-cylinder engine. The processor is the "engine" that drives the computer, the bigger and faster the processor, the better the performance - generally speaking.

The overall speed of a computer is affected by several things, but most notably the clock speed of the processor and the speed and size of the instruction/data bus. The clock speed is the rate at which the processor processes information and this is measured in millions of cycles per second (MHz) in older computers and billions of cycles per second (GHz) in newer computers. The way that this information gets to the processor is via the instruction/data bus. The instruction/data bus is the pathway for data communications between the computer's processor and the various components in the computer and is analogous to the buses that run in the city. The bigger the bus, the more people that it can carry. The faster the bus travels, the faster you get to where you want to go. Similarly, the computer's bus has a certain size or width called the data path which is measured in bits. The speed of the bus is also measured in MHz just like the processor. The larger the bus width and/or the faster the bus speed, the more data that can travel on it in a given amount of time.

In addition, there is a thing called the cache that affects the speed of a computer. Before we go into detail on how the cache affects processor performance, lets see how a cache speeds up a web browser.

The web browser that you are using right now to view this page also uses a cache to store the text and graphics that you see displayed. This information is stored temporarily in a folder on your hard drive. When you return to this page, rather than downloading the text and graphics again from this site, the browser just loads the information stored in the cache folder. This process speeds up access to web pages and graphics and also reduces traffic over the Internet.

The cache in a computer is similar to the browser's cache in that it is used to store information temporarily so that the computer doesn't have to search around for it the next time that it is needed. There are two basic types of caches that speed up the computers overall performance, disk cache and memory cache.

The disk cache is used to store the most recently accessed information from the computer's hard drive. In addition, it also includes information adjacent to the accessed information that is likely to be accessed. This reduces the time that it takes to read and/or write information to the hard drive.

The speed at which a processor executes instructions depends on the cache memory. This cache memory simply remembers instructions and information that the processor has executed or accessed previously. There are two levels of cache memory and these are referred to by their location and degree of accessibility to the processor. The Level 1 cache (referred to as L1 or primary cache) is located on the same chip as the processor. This close proximity to the processor makes the L1 cache very fast. The Level 2 cache (referred to as L2 or secondary cache) is a separate chip on the computer's motherboard. Although it takes longer for the processor to retrieve information from the L2 cache than the L1 cache, the L2 cache is much faster than the computer's main (RAM) memory. The next time the processor needs to execute an instruction or load information that it has previously used, the memory cache supplies the data. If the information is not found in the L2 cache, the processor moves on to the computer's RAM memory.

Besides the processors that are offered by AMD, there are several models from Intel that are available. From slowest to the fastest there is the Pentium, Pentium with MMX technology, Pentium Pro, Pentium II, Pentium III, and the Pentium 4. If we compared the speed of the Pentium through Pentium III processors, assuming that they all had the same clock speed, it would go something like this. The 200 MHz Pentium processor with MMX is about 28% faster than the 200 MHz Pentium, the 200 MHz Pentium Pro is about 20% faster than the 200 MHz Pentium with MMX, and the 233 MHz Pentium II is about 20% faster than the 200 MHz Pentium Pro (based on Intel's data). The 350 MHz Pentium II, based on the 100 MHz bus, is 20% faster than a 333 MHz Pentium II. A 1.5 GHz Pentium 4 is over 50% faster than a 1.0 GHz Pentium III. Intel also manufactures the Celeron processor (discussed below) and although I don't have any performance data, I would suspect that it would compare to the Pentium or perhaps the Pentium II.

What is MMX Technology? MMX, or MultiMedia eXtensions is a chip level enhancement to speed up any application that uses multimedia, such as slide presentations, games, etc. Based on a technique called Single Instruction, Multiple Data, (SIMD), MMX allows a processor to receive 8 bytes of data, one at a time, and then process each byte individually. Basically what this does is speeds up multimedia and communication software applications such as audio, graphics, video, and data communications.

I have five classes of computers in my office. In increasing horsepower, there is a 500 MHz Pentium III, an 866 MHz Pentium III, an 1.8 GHz Pentium 4, a 2.4 GHz Xeon, and a dual 2.8 GHz Xeon. If I were only using a computer for word processing, creating simple spreadsheets, or E-mail, I wouldn't really notice much of a difference in the speed between these five computers other than the speed an application opens. However, if I were using the computer to manipulate some graphic images, edit sound files, run a statistical analysis package, or compile some programming code written in Visual C++, then I would notice a big difference. So, if you only intend to use the computer for simple tasks such as word processing, E-mail, and maybe an occasional spreadsheet or two, then the type and speed of the processor that you get doesn't really matter.

Until recently, we only needed to decide on the type and speed of the processor that we wanted in our new computer, since most of the Pentium based computers had a data bus with a maximum speed of 66 MHz. With the release of the Intel 100 MHz bus architecture (440BX AGPset chipset), this changed. The Pentium II, Pentium III, and Pentium 4 processors use this new bus standard instead of the older 66 MHz bus. Needless to say, this increased the communication speed between the processor and components in the computer. In the case of the Pentium 4 processor, Intel uses a quad pumping and buffering scheme to increase the bus speed from 100 MHz to 400 MHz.

Celeron

The Celeron is a processor designed for the lower-end computer market. It has some of the characteristics of the higher-end Pentium class processors, but there are two big differences. First, the original Celeron processor used the older 66 MHz data bus. This 66 MHz bus model is still being manufactured today, but there is also a 100 MHz model. The second major difference is in the secondary or Level 2 cache (L2 cache). The first two Celeron processors (266 MHz and 300 MHz) did not contain any secondary or Level 2 cache (L2 cache). The 333 MHz Celeron and later versions contain a 128K L2 cache. Since the Celeron uses the older bus standard and has eliminated the L2 cache, it is cheaper to produce and thus cheaper for computer manufacturers to incorporate in their low-end computers. Also, since the L2 cache is not present in the Celeron, it uses the computer's main RAM memory exclusively to execute instructions. Depending on what you are using the computer for, this may or may not matter to you.

The Celeron processor also runs at a lower frequency and has a lower operating temperature when compared to the other Pentium processors. Since it runs at a lower temperature, it requires a smaller heat sink (used to cool the processor). If a company decided to boost the performance of this processor by increasing the voltage (called overclocking), it would no doubt overheat down the road.

Pentium 4

The Pentium 4 is Intel's latest and most powerful processor, with speeds in excess of 2.0 GHz. There are speed improvements for Internet applications that use streaming media (sound and video), 3D graphics enhancements for games and design applications, image processing including digital photography, digital video and content creation, speech recognition, engineering and scientific applications, and multitasking applications.

This new processor is twice the size of a Pentium III, containing 42 million transistors, and is based on a new micro-architecture called NetBurst. The last time Intel introduced a new micro-architecture was in 1996 with the Pentium Pro. Other enhancements to the Pentium 4 based on this new architecture include 144 new multimedia instructions, better performance for multimedia applications (graphics and sound), dual channel RDRAM memory, 400 MHz system bus, Streaming SIMD Extensions 2 (SSE2), a new advanced Level 1 cache technology (Execution Trace Cache), and a new Hyper Pipelined Technology.

Hyper Pipelined Technology is used in the new NetBurst micro-architecture increases the length of the Pentium 4 pipeline to twice that of a Pentium III. Consider the pipeline like an assembly line in a factory containing components to build a computer. The first item in the line is the case, followed by the power supply, then the motherboard, diskette drive, hard drive, and so on until you get to the last item which is the software applications. Obviously if there is a limited amount of space on the assembly line to place components, there is a limit to the amount of items that can be used to build the computer. The Pentium III had 10 stages in its pipeline, so there was a limit of 10 instructions that could be waiting in the queue to be processed by the processor. The Pentium 4 has 20 stages, double the amount of a Pentium III and can therefore have more instructions in the queue waiting to be processed and therefore allow for a faster processing speed.

But there is a catch, what if the hard drive was missing in our assembly line? What do you do when you get to the last item which is the software applications that need to be loaded on the computer? You start over. This Hyper Pipelined Technology takes this very thing into account (its called latency) and has a special cache that checks the instructions in the pipeline to make sure everything is in order.

Older Pentium III motherboards can not be upgraded to a Pentium 4 processor. This new processor requires the new Intel 850 chipset as well as a new motherboard design (Intel D850GB).

Xeon

The Intel Xeon is directed at the high-end computer user and incorporates a larger and faster L2 cache and a new Slot 2 design. The Xeon has a 400 MHz bus and a 512 KB L2 cache. The Xeon MP has an additional 12 KB L1 cache (trace cache) and a new L3 cache. This third level cache is located in the processor and is used to provide a larger and faster data path to the computer's memory to reduce memory latency and increase throughput.

Itanium

The Itanium is a processor designed for high-end business use (CAD/CAM designing, large databases, security transactions, etc.). It has a 64-bit architecture which requires software written specifically for it (ex. Windows XP 64-Bit Edition). There are currently two types of Itanium processors available, the original Itanium (733 MHz and 800 MHz models) and the Itanium 2 (900 Mhz and 1.0 GHz models). The Itanium includes an integrated Level 3 cache (L3) which was first introduced in the Intel Xeon MP processor.

What is EPIC? EPIC or Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing is a type of processor architecture specific to the Intel Itanium. EPIC improves the performance of the Itanium processor by using a combination of predication, speculation, and explicit parallelism schemes. Basically, this means it improves the communications between computer's hardware and software.

The following table compares the two Itanium processor models:

Itanium Itanium 2
Speed 733/800 MHz 900/1000 MHz
System Bus 266 MHz 400 MHz
Chipset 460GX E8870
L1 Cache 32 KB 32 KB
L2 Cache 96 KB 256 KB
L3 Cache 2 MB 3 MB

SIMM, DIMM, and RIMM Memory

There are currently three different memory module types, the 72-pin SIMM (Single In-line Memory Module), the 168-pin DIMM (Dual In-line Memory Module), and the 184-pin DDR (Double Data Rate) DIMM and RIMM (Rambus DRAM) slots. The 72-pin SIMM memory transfers information over a 32-bit data path. The 168-pin and 184-pin DIMM and DDR DIMM memory transfers information over a 64-bit data path. The 184-pin RIMM memory transfers information over a 16-bit data path. As far as the type of memory that you install in the computer goes, there are several types and if you are a first time buyer, I would take whatever the computer comes with and not worry about it, it can get rather confusing. Suffice to say that RIMM and/or DDR DIMM memory is going to be the way of the future and that is what you want in your new computer if it is an option.

As for the types of memory that you can install goes, there are memory modules that have either tin or gold plated connectors. The modules with the gold plated connectors are supposed to last longer and be a little more reliable than tin, but I've never had a problem with either type.

Memory modules are available in the following five basic flavors:

DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)
The type of memory that was used in the 386 and 486 class computers. Of the three types listed here, this is the slowest.

EDO (Extended Data Out)
Primarily used with Pentium class computers since there is no significant gain in performance with slower processors. This was the dominant type of memory used between 1995 through late 1996.

SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)
The fastest of the first three types of DRAM memory. This form of memory has a separate clock signal to the control signals and supports burst access modes.

RDRAM (Rambus DRAM)
RDRAM is a type of memory module that was developed by the Rambus Corporation for use with Intel Pentium 4 processors and started showing up in new computers at the end of 1999. RDRAM has a 1.6 GB per second data transfer rate which greatly improves the performance of graphics intensive applications.

DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM)
This is a fairly new type of memory that is being developed to compete with RDRAM memory. DDR SDRAM is a type of SDRAM memory with speeds up to 200 MHz, significantly higher than the current 133MHz (PC133) SDRAM standard.

The Memory Bottleneck
From a purely performance point of view, the speed at which a computer can perform various tasks depends on a number of factors. These factors include things like the speed of the processor, the speed that data can be transferred between the processor and other components inside the computer (bus speed), and the speed of the computer's memory. While processor speeds have continued to double every 18-24 months and there have been improvements to internal bus speeds, computer memory has only seen modest speed improvements in the past few years. There are two schools of thought as to how to fix the memory problem. On one side is Intel with the Rambus DRAM memory solution and on the other side is everyone else pushing DDR SDRAM memory.

The current memory standard at the time of this update for SDRAM is PC133 - memory operating at 133MHz. PC133 is capable of transferring data at 800MBs (800 MegaBytes per second). This is commonly referred to as the peak or maximum bandwidth. Considering the fact that SDRAM is only 75% efficient at transferring data at this rate, the effective transfer rate is limited to an effective or actual bandwidth of 600MBs (800MBs * 0.75).

DDR SDRAM memory (PC266) operates at twice the speed of PC133 (133MHz * 2) and is capable of transferring data at 2100MBs. Since DDR SDRAM is only 65% efficient at transferring data at this rate, the effective transfer rate is limited to 1370MBs (2100MBs * 0.65). Rambus DRAM (PC800) is capable of transferring data at 1600MBs, but since it has a higher efficiency rating (85%), the effective bandwidth is 1360MBs (1600MBs * 0.85) - about the same as DDR SDRAM. Since DDR SDRAM and Rambus DRAM have essentially the same effective bandwidth, the main consideration at this point in choosing one over the other is price - Rambus DRAM is more expensive than DDR SDRAM.

Both DDR SDRAM and Rambus DRAM require a 184-pin memory slot along with a special set of chips on the motherboard to access the memory. Computers with SDRAM memory can not be upgraded to DDR SDRAM or Rambus DRAM. Likewise, computers with either DDR SDRAM or Rambus DRAM can not use each others memory modules or SDRAM memory.

Which type of memory do you need to get? For most people, SDRAM is still the cheapest solution for most computer applications (word processing, E-mail, surfing the Web, etc.). If you plan to use your computer for multimedia applications (image and sound development, graphics intensive games, etc.), either DDR SDRAM or Rambus DRAM is the way to go.

ISA and PCI Bus Slots
When you install new components in your computer, such as a graphics adapter card or internal modem, these adapter cards are installed in a slot on the computer's motherboard called a bus slot. Once installed, the adapter is then capable of communicating with the rest of the computer. There are two basic types of bus slots that are available, the ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) and the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect).

ISA bus slots were developed by IBM back in the late 1980's and it has a 16-bit data bus. There are several manufacturers that still produce these adapter cards today (proprietary cards for scanners, video cards, sound cards, etc.) that require an ISA bus slot in order to be installed in your computer.

PCI bus slots have a 64-bit data bus and since Pentium processors use 64 bits of data at a time (per clock cycle), they are definitely the bus of choice for Pentium computers. The PCI bus currently runs at 33 MHz, but Intel has talked about doubling this. This increased size and speed associated with the PCI bus is important for your multimedia adapter cards (video and sound) in your computer.

If you ever plan to install any adapter cards in your computer that are still using the old IBM standard, then you will need ISA bus slots. Most new computers do come with at least 2 of these. PCI is essential in a Pentium class computers and you definitely want a PCI video adapter and a PCI sound adapter at the very least. Most Pentium class computers contain at least 2 PCI bus slots and the newer Pentium Pro, Pentium II, and Pentium III computers may contain 4 or more. Make sure that you have the appropriate number of slots for the components that you plan to add in your computer in the future.

ATA Versus Ultra ATA
ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) is the official name for the Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) standard that hard drives use to communicate with the rest of the computer via the data bus. The original standard first defined in 1991 called ATA-1 defined the physical, electrical, transport, and command protocols for computer storage devices. There has been several revisions to the ATA standard, from ATA-2 (Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics or EIDE) up to the latest standards known as Ultra ATA or Ultra DMA (ATA-4 and ATA-5).

The Ultra Direct Memory Access (Ultra DMA or ATA-4) standard is an advanced version of the ATA-2 (EIDE) standard, which allows the drive to communicate at twice the speed of the older standard. The speed increase is achieved by reducing some of the delays inherent in the ATA standard and using Direct Memory Access (modes 0, 1, and 2) that allows the drive to access the computer's memory without intervention by the processor. Drives that conform to this standard will be listed as ATA/ATAPI-4, Ultra-ATA, Ultra-DMA, Ultra-DMA/33, or UDMA/33 and support data transfer rates up to 33MBsecond.

The ATA-5 standard has additional DMA support (modes 3 and 4) using a special 80-wire, 40-pin Ultra-DMA data cable. The wires in an Ultra-DMA cable are shielded by a set of proprietary ground wires positioned between each signal wire. These additional ground wires reduces the amount of bus noise between the wires which enhances the hard drive's performance, speed, and reliability. Drives that conform to the ATA-5 standard will be listed as ATA/ATAPI-5, Ultra-ATA, Ultra-DMA, Ultra-DMA/66, or UDMA/66 and support data transfer rates up to 66MBsecond.

The speed at which you can read and write data to a hard drive is based (partially) on the speed in which the hard drive platters spin. Currently there are four hard drive speeds available, 5400 RPM (revolutions per minute), 7200 RPM, 10,000 RPM, and 15,000 RPM.

Serial ATA Table of Contents
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) is a new standard for connecting hard drives in computer systems. SATA is based on serial signaling technology, whereas the older IDE hard drives used the Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) standard since the 1980's.

Advantages of SATA over PATA:

SATA PATA
Cable Length 1 m 40 cm
Conductors 7 40
Voltage 250 mV 5 V
Bandwidth 300 MBs 133 MBs

Due to the thinner (7 wire), flexible, longer cables associated with SATA, computer manufactures have more latitude in the design of a new computer system. The more fragile IDE ribbon cables associated with PATA, often limit the location of storage devices in a computer. Also, due to the width of the ribbon cable, it interfered with the air flow and the overall cooling of the internal components in a computer.

The above image is a comparision of the newer SATA connector at the top and the older IDE parallel connector on the bottom (circled in red). SATA drives also require a special SATA power cable. As you can see, the power cable for the SATA drive is much smaller than the IDE power cable (circled in yellow).

Universal Serial Bus
The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a new industry-wide standard that will eventually replace the hassle of connecting parallel and serial devices to your computer. With USB, you don't need to worry about selecting the correct serial or parallel port, installing expansion cards, configuring the myriad of dip switches, IRQ (interrupt) settings, DMA (Direct Memory Access) channels, I/O (Input/Output) addresses, or the getting the correct settings for the device's software drivers. USB is Plug & Play with a twist, you never have to turn off the computer to connect or disconnect a device. You have virtually unlimited expansion capabilities without ever having to remove the cover off the computer. USB has an industry standard, one-size-fits-all connector that allows you to install and remove devices without opening the computer. Since this connector is hot swappable, you do not have to turn off the computer.

Since there will no longer be the need to install an adapter card inside the computer to connect a device, the installation of new computer components will be much easier. Also, since the USB contains its own power supply, new devices will no longer need AC power adapters (modems, speakers, etc.) as they will run off the computer's power and the cost of new devices should be more affordable.

USB Specifications:

* One industry-wide standard connector type.
* Automatic configuration.
* Multiple devices are chained together.
* Up to 127 devices in a daisy-chain may be connected simultaneously.
* Peripheral connections may be up to five meters in length.
* The USB cable distributes +5-volt power to low-power devices.
* Connects to PBX and digital telephones without the need for special adapter cards.
* Supports high-speed interfaces, such as ISDN, PRI, and T1.
* Data transfer rate of 1.5 Mbits for low speed devices such as keyboards and mice.
* Data transfer rate of 12 Mbits for medium speed devices such as modems, scanners, and digital cameras. (Note, data transfer rates to support higher speeds necessary for mass storage devices should be available for USB in the near future).

Is your computer ready for USB? If you are using a USB compliant version of Windows 95, the version level should be 4.00950B or later. For more information on the Universal Serial Bus, see the USB.org site.

High Performance Serial Bus
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 is a new standard that is used by the computer manufacturers to connect various types of devices to your computer. In a lot of ways, 1394 is similar to USB in that they both are fairly new technologies, offer an alternative method to connect devices to your computer without the need to reboot, the ability to connect several devices to your computer, and both technologies use similar cables and connectors. The main difference between 1394 and USB is speed. The data transfer rate for 1394 devices is over 30 times faster than USB and this is expected to increase in the coming years.

Eventually, 1394 will replace the serial, parallel, and SCSI ports on the back of a computer, but what happens to USB? 1394 and USB ports will both coexist on the computers of the future. Devices which do not require a high speed connection (such as keyboards, mice, keyboards, mice, monitors, joysticks, low-resolution digital cameras, low-Speed CD-ROM drives, and modems) will use USB ports. Devices that do require a high speed connection (such as hard drives, DVD-ROM drives, set-top boxes, digital audio and video, digital cameras, printers, and scanners) will use 1394 ports.

The following table summarizes the current standards for 1394, USB, and SCSI:

Technology Maximum Cable
Length Maximum
Speed Maximum
Devices
1394 4.5 m 50 MBps 62
USB 5 m 1.5 MBps 127
SCSI-1 6 m 5 MBps 8
SCSI-2 6 m 5-10 MBps 8 or 16
Fast SCSI-2 3 m 10-20 MBps 8
Wide SCSI-2 3 m 20 MBps 16
Fast Wide SCSI-2 3 m 20 MBps 16
Ultra-2 SCSI 12 m 40 MBps 8
Wide Ultra-2 SCSI 12 m 80 MBps 16
Ultra-3 SCSI 12 m 160 MBps 16

Digital Versatile Disc
A Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) is an optical, high capacity version of the CD-ROM. Up to now the CD-ROM has been limited to a maximum storage capacity of 650 MB of data, the new DVD discs will be able to store all of the information on 25 CD-ROMs and then some. There are currently three versions of the DVD, a standard single-layer, single-sided disc that can store 4.7 GB of data, a two-layer, single-sided disc that can store 8.5 GB, and a two-layer, double-sided disc that can store 17 GB. DVD will be used to store everything from computer games to software applications to full-length movies and will be similar in size to a CD-ROM or compact disc. The DVD drive will be able to read any CDs that you have now, but in order to take advantage of this new technology, you will need to get a DVD drive in your new computer.

Accelerated Graphics Port
The Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) interface is a new bus specification developed by Intel. In order to use this new technology, you need an AGP video adapter card and a motherboard in your computer that has the special AGP connector (older computers can not be upgraded to AGP without changing the motherboard). At the time of this writing, most Pentium II class computers are being shipped with the AGP chipset, but make sure you check the specifications before buying to be sure.

The way AGP works is that it enables software applications that use 3D images to dynamically access the computer's RAM memory to render and store information so that it can quickly be used to refresh the image displayed on the monitor. Access to the RAM memory is via a dedicated bus that runs independently of the computer's PCI bus and also has a higher bandwidth and faster transfer rate. The result is that 3D software applications not only run faster, but graphics are more lifelike.

UMA vs AGP
The purpose of the Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) was to move the graphics buffer that was used by software applications to render images from the dedicated memory on the graphics card to the computer's RAM memory. Since the cost of the video adapter card was a major consideration, the amount of on-board video memory was kept to a minimum, thus reducing the overall cost of the video adapter cards since video memory is more expensive than conventional RAM memory in the PC.

AGP still assumes that there is some dedicated memory on the graphics adapter card to use as a buffer, but the computer's RAM memory is used to render memory intensive 3D images. The big difference between UMA and AGP is that the computer's RAM memory used with UMA must be allocated when the computer is booted up, thus reducing the total amount of RAM available to other software applications and decreasing performance. With ADP, once the image is rendered, the RAM memory is reclaimed by the computer's operating system and is then available for other software applications to use.

Internet Service Providers
A common phrase that you will hear when shopping for an Internet Service Provider (ISP) is up to, as in a connection speed up to 56K. This reminds me of the weekly car ads that I get in the mail which say that I qualify for up to $1,000 off a brand new car, which in reality is saying that I qualify for $0 to $1,000 off the list price and anything over $1,000 is out of the question. Keep this in mind when you are shopping around.

There are several methods available to connect your home computer to the Internet. These range in cost from installing a simple modem in your computer for $25-30 to spending tens of thousands of dollars on optical fiber cable and the associated hardware. As with most other things, the more it costs usually the better (faster in this case) it is. The thing that you need to ask yourself is, is it worth spending $10,000 per month for a fast Internet connection to surf the web for recipes and do e-mail or can I get by with a $15 per month service that only provides a 56K connection.

Before we get into the various types of services, a few definitions are in order. First off, the speed of an Internet connection or the data transfer rate, is measured in bits per second (bps). Modems will list their connection speed as Kbps (Kilo = thousand) bits per second. The faster services will either be listed as Mbps (Mega = million) or Gbps (Giga = billion). You will also see services described in terms of upstream and downstream data transfer rates. Upstream refers to the rate at which data is transferred from your computer to your ISP. Downstream refers to the rate at which data is transferred from your ISP to your computer. There are a couple different types of wiring that are used for Internet connections that you should be aware of, twisted pair or 10BASE-T (telephone cable) and coaxial cable or 10BASE-2 (cable TV cable). Twisted pair cable simply means that each pair of wires are twisted together, this reduces the amount of interference (called noise) that can affect the signal. Coaxial cable will usually be shielded which means there is a layer of material inside the cable to reduce interference.

Modems
A modem (modulator/demodulator) connects your computer to the Internet by modulating the digital signal from the computer to a carrier signal (audio). This audio signal is then sent (via the modem) over your existing telephone line to your ISP. Your ISP will have a modem that your modem is dialed in to that demodulates the signal back to digital, giving your computer the ability to connect to the Internet. The data transfer rate of a modem is limited by the telephone company's bandwidth which is about 3,000 Hz.

If you upgraded from a 33.6 Kbps modem to one of the new 56 Kbps modems when they first became available, you seen a rather modest increase in your dialup connection speed at best. Theoretically, the maximum modem speed connection over a standard analog telephone line is approximately 35 Kbps, so a 33.6 Kbps modem connected about as fast as the telephone line would allow. I was getting a 31.2 Kbps connection with my 33.6 Kbps modem and after upgrading to a 56 Kbps modem, I got 31.2 Kbps. Remember what I said about up to.

Lucent Technologies developed the K56flex modem technology that enables a 56K modem to connect at up to 56 Kbps over a standard analog telephone line (53K is about the maximum). This new technology offers faster Internet access without the need to install an expensive ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) line. To take advantage of this increased connection speed, the modem that you are using as well as the modem that you are dialing into must have the K56flex technology. What this means to the typical Web surfer is that Web pages that contain graphics, video, and sound files will download much faster.

If you are purchasing a 56K modem with your new computer, make sure that the modem uses the new K56flex technology or the modem's firmware is upgradeable.

For more information on K56flex technology, see The Official 56K Modem Web Site. If you have a 56K modem that is not currently running the K56flex standard and need the firmware upgrade, see the V.90/K56flex Upgrade Central site.

ISDN
Like modems, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) use twisted pair cable for the Internet connection. Where the modem uses your current analog telephone line, the telephone company will need to install a new digital line for ISDN. Typically the ISDN service is allocated in 64 Kbps channels, one channel gives you a 64 Kbps connection, two channels gives you a 128 Kbps connection.

DSL
DSL refers to Digital Subscriber Line and is a relatively new technology for home Internet access. DSL uses your existing telephone line, but is able to significantly increase the bandwidth over the lines between your home and the telephone company. This is one of the more attractive alternatives to using a modem, especially if you have two phone lines with one line just for computer use. DSL gives you 24 hour access to the Internet and does not interfere with incoming and outgoing telephone calls. In other words, your computer is connected to the Internet 24-hours per day, you can still use your telephone anytime you wish, and you only need one telephone line! There is a drawback to DSL however, you need to live less than 3 miles from the phone company's main office and the closer you are to the main office, the faster the data transfer rate. Data transfer rates range from 128 Kbps to 8.5 Mbps.

Depending on the type of service that your telephone company supports, there are several options for DSL, which include Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), Consumer Digital Subscriber Line (CDSL), EtherLoop, High Bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line (HDSL), ISDN based DSL (IDSL), Rate Adaptive Digital Subscriber Line (RADSL), Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL), and Very High Bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL).

Cable Modems
If you have cable TV and your cable company supports it, a cable modem may be an option for you. A cable modem uses your existing cable TV cable by allowing you to connect your computer (using a network interface card) to the set-top box that connects your TV to the cable. The upstream data transfer rate for a cable modem is 27 Mbps and around 2.5 Mbps downstream, but this depends on the cable company's connection to the Internet.

Wireless
The technology to connect a computer to the Internet via a wireless connection is fairly new. Some of the wireless connections available include General Packet Radio System (GPRS) which has connections speeds raging from 56 Kbps to 114 Kbps, Satellite which has a connection speed of 400 Kbps, Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) which has a connection speed of 384 Kbps, and the Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) which has a connection speed up to 2 Mbps. The problems with wireless connections are interference, noise problems, and bandwidth limitations.

What Type of Configuration Do You Need
Most computer systems, particularly the higher-end models, come in more than one configuration, desktop, mini-tower, or tower. The configuration you chose depends mainly on the amount of expansion you plan to do in the future. Most tower configurations tend to have a greater amount of expandability than do desktop models as well as larger power supplies to handle additional internal components, such as multiple hard drives, CD-ROM drives, and tape drives. Also, the amount of space that you have in your office or home needs to be taken into consideration. Tower configurations are made to be placed on the floor (except for the mini tower models), whereas desktop models are made to sit on the surface where the keyboard and monitor are located. Other than expandability and maybe a larger internal power supply, whether the computer is a desktop, mini-tower, or tower configuration, its still the same computer.

Complete System Bundles
Most stores, including mail order outlets, bundle various types of computer systems with a set of software applications. Some of these bundle deals include a printer, but most do not. If you are thinking about purchasing a bundled system, find out what exactly is included in the bundle as well as the manufacturers and models of the various components, such as the hard drive, modem, monitor, CD-ROM drive and speed, etc. Outlets that have bundled systems that appear to be a lot cheaper than other outlets are cheaper for a reason and usually this reason is not readily obvious. For example, around December 1995, my brother purchased the following bundle from a computer super store for $1349.99:

Brand X computer system, 75 MHz Pentium processor, 8 MB RAM, 2x CD-ROM drive, 540 MB hard drive, DOS version 6.20, Microsoft Office version 4.0, Microsoft Windows version 3.10, and an Internet connectivity package.

Besides the 2x CD-ROM drive and the 540 MB hard drive which I doubt were still being manufactured at the time he bought the computer, the software that was included with this bundle was old! DOS version 6.20 was replaced by 6.22 soon after it was released, Microsoft Office had been at version 4.3 for well over a year prior to the time he bought the computer, and Windows was upgraded to version 3.11 at least two years before he made the purchase. And the funniest part of all of this was the phone numbers that were included in the Internet connectivity package, they were no longer in use by the provider and had been given to private individuals!

So the moral of the story is, watch out for these bundled deals, especially if the price seems a bit too good to be true. Make sure you know up front what you are and are not getting for your money.

Sources for Information
Based on the type of things you plan to do with your computer, you will have a set of minimum requirements that the software must have in order to do the tasks that you plan to perform at a reasonable or acceptable speed (I define an acceptable speed as being able to do a spell check in a word processing application faster than I can thumb through Webster's Dictionary myself). To find out what types of systems are available, the first place to start is by picking up a copy of one of the many computer magazines on the market or visiting their Web site, such as PC World, PC Magazine, or Byte, or one of the trade newspapers, such as InfoWorld or PC Week. These magazines and newspapers usually have articles comparing the various types and brands of computers as well as other components, such as monitors, modems, printers, and software. Use these ratings as a way to narrow down your list of options.

One of the best sources for information is your friends and family members. See if any of them have a system similar to what you want to buy. Check to see if they have had any trouble with their system or have ever tried to get technical support from the system's manufacturer. Also see if they have ever had any compatibility problems with any software applications or hardware. The main things to look for are compatibility problems with the operating system, printers, and CD-ROM drives. If they have had compatibility problems, see what steps they took to get the problems resolved and how long it took to get the system working again. And finally, see if they would buy another computer system from this company.

Another good place to check for information is the World Wide Web. Fire up your favorite Web browser, then in the locator field enter a URL in the format www.Company.com, replacing the word Company with the name of the company, such as www.compaq.com (Compaq), www.ibm.com (IBM), www.gateway.com (Gateway), or www.dell.com (Dell). Usually these hardware manufacturers, as well as most of the software and component companies, will have a complete listing of their line of products as well as the specifications.

In addition to the World Wide Web, information on the various types of computer systems and software can also be found in the USENET newsgroups. If your Internet Provider gives you access to the USENET newsgroups, you can just click on one of the links below. If your provider does not give you USENET access, these newsgroups are available via the Web at www.remarq.com.

* alt.business.home.pc
* alt.comp*
* alt.computer*
* alt.sys.pc-clone*
* comp.answers
* comp.benchmarks
* comp.doc*
* comp.home.automation
* comp.home.misc
* comp.ibm.pc.hardware*
* comp.os.ms-windows.networking.windows*
* comp.os.ms-windows.nt*
* comp.os.ms-windows.setup*
* comp.multimedia
* comp.os.ms-windows*
* comp.os.msdos.4dos
* comp.os.msdos.apps
* comp.os.os2*
* comp.periphs*
* comp.specification.misc
* comp.sys.hp.apps
* comp.sys.hp.hardware
* comp.sys.ibm.hardware
* comp.sys.ibm.pc*
* comp.sys.zenith
* comp.windows*

Groups with a * may contain several subgroups.

Here is what I would recommend for a low-end home computer system:

Processor 1.8 GHz Celeron
Memory 128MB 133MHz SDRAM
Hard Drive 40GB Ultra ATA hard drive
Floppy Drive 3.5 inch 1.44MB diskette drive
CD-ROM Drive 20x/48x CD-ROM drive
Backup Drive IOMEGA internal ZIP drive
Monitor 15 inch color monitor
Video integrated AGP graphics
Sound System integrated audio with speakers
Modem 56K PCI data/fax modem
Power Protection surge protector
Operating System Windows XP Home Edition
Business Software Microsoft Works
Anti-Virus Software Norton or McAfee VirusScan

For a more advanced high-end home computer, this is what I would recommend:

Processor 2.0 GHz Pentium 4
RAM Memory 512MB PC800 RDRAM
Hard Drive 1 36GB Ultra160 SCSI Drive with controller
Hard Drive 2 36GB Ultra160 SCSI Drive
Floppy Drive 3.5 inch 1.44MB diskette drive
CD-ROM Drive 20x/48x CD-ROM drive and
12x/8x/32x ReWriteable CD-ROM
Backup Drive use ReWriteable CD-ROM
Monitor 22 inch color monitor
Video AGP Graphics with 32MB memory
Sound System SoundBlaster Live! with surround sound speakers
Modem 56K PCI data/fax modem
Power Protection APC Back-UPS
Operating System Windows XP Professional
Business Software Microsoft Office Professional
Anti-Virus Software Norton or McAfee VirusScan

This is more or less a middle of the road set of recommendations, you would need to add or delete options based on your specific needs. You can of course replace the Intel processor with a comparable AMD processor. Other options that you may want to consider adding to the system would be a printer, scanner, tape backup, digital camera, network card and hub for a home network, and of course additional software applications.

Computer Superstores and Other Outlets
Once you have decided on a particular system, you just need to find out where you can get that system the cheapest. New computer stores seem to be springing up every day and stores that never dealt with computers before are suddenly offering their own brands of in-house systems and components. It would be nice to walk into a computer store, buy a system, then leave knowing that you will never have to go back there again unless you want to add something new to your system. This however, is generally not the case. Although there are quality checks during each phase of the production process in building a computer, there is still that one computer that slips through the cracks and this is the one you usually get stuck with (I'm speaking from experience here). I have probably purchased over 300 computers while working for the university and other than a sticky keyboard and a couple computers that came with dead hard drives, I've not had many problems.

If you plan to purchase a computer system from a local store as opposed to one of the mail order superstore outlets, there are some things that you need to consider.

* What brand name computers do they carry?
* Do they sell any high-end models or just the low-end?
* Do they have a complete line of peripherals and accessories?
* Do they have a repair shop?
* Are the salesmen knowledgeable?
* Are they a certified repair facility for any brand name computers or components?
* Do they offer training?
* Do they offer any types of discounts to students, seniors, etc.?

If the store deals strictly in computer systems, components, and supplies, check to see if they are an authorized repair facility for one of the brand name computer manufacturers that they carry, like IBM, Compaq, Hewlett Packard, NEC, etc. This is usually an indication that it is a pretty reputable place since these companies do not authorize everyone to repair their systems.

Does the store sell an in-house line of computer systems? Although some in-house systems may be fine, personally, I prefer to stick with a brand name. A typical store like this is open 9 to 5 during the week, a few hours on Saturday, and is most likely closed on Sunday. So what do you do if you have a problem and need technical support at night or on Sunday? Most of the well known superstores have a 24-hour technical support line and some also have fax-back services (a fax-back service is a number you call, usually the main number for the company, and with a touch-tone phone you select a certain component or system that you are having problems with from a menu, enter in your fax number, then the company faxes you a document with technical support for the item, usually within a few minutes). A computer I bought for home a couple years ago from Gateway was DOA (bad motherboard). When I discovered that there was a problem (at 10 PM on a Thursday night), I called their technical support number. The fellow that I talked to was very knowledgeable and walked me through some tests to isolate the problem (although I already knew what it was, he had to verify that for himself). After being on the phone for about an hour, he said yep, it's the motherboard and had a new one shipped out the next day that I received Friday. By Friday night my new computer was fully operational.

A few of the larger companies even offer technical support over the World Wide Web in the form of FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) or databases. For example, Microsoft's Web site contains two forms of information, the Microsoft Frequently Asked Questions which contains questions and answers to some of the most common technical problems and the Microsoft Knowledge Base which is a collection of over 50,000 detailed articles with technical information about Microsoft products, bug and fix lists, documentation errors, and answers to commonly asked technical support questions. In addition, Microsoft's Web site also has a software library which contains free software add-ons, bug fixes, peripheral drivers, software updates, and programming aids.

Computer Stores
Here is a list of some of the computer stores that are available via the Web that I have dealt with. These stores offer complete computer systems, components, and accessories:

Computer Discount Warehouse
They have a huge selection of computer components and software. If you have trouble locating a component or software application, you will probably find it here. Their prices are very attractive as well and their sales staff is among the best. This is my first choice when I buy components and software.

CompUSA
One of the largest computer superstore outlets for computer systems, software, components, and accessories, and they also offer training facilities. They have stores located in all over the United States and they sell merchandise via mail order from their website. Their line of computer systems includes Packard Bell, Compaq, Hewlett Packard, Toshiba, Texas Instruments, and NEC.

Dell Computers
Dell computers are available from some of the computer superstores or by direct order from the company.

Gateway Computers
Gateway computers are available via mail order and some local retail outlets. They deal mainly in complete computer system bundles, including the software. The computer I bought for home was purchased via their Web order form. They make it way TOO easy to spend money. Gateway also sells refurbished computers and although I have not purchased a refurbished computer from them, their prices do appear to be quite attractive.

PC Connections
They have reasonable, although not the cheapest prices for software and hardware components. Their sales and support staff are very knowledgeable about the items they carry.

GOOD LUCK .

AROUN THE WORLD

2008-05-29T20:13:00.001-07:00

MALAYSIA

Malaysia

	Kuala Lumpur's skyline is dominated by the Petronas Twin Towers—headquarters of Malaysia's national petroleum company. The towers were the world's tallest buildings from 1996-2003.

Malaysia Information and History

Comprising the territories of Malaya, Sarawak, and Sabah, Malaysia stretches from peninsular Malaysia to northeastern Borneo in Southeast Asia. Central mountains divide peninsular Malaysia (Malaya), separating the narrow eastern coast from the fertile western plains, with its sheltered beaches and bays. Sarawak and Sabah share the island of Borneo with Indonesia and Brunei, where swamps rise to jungle-covered mountains. Malays make up half the population, and almost all Malays are Muslims. Ethnic Chinese constitute a quarter of Malaysia's people, and Indians some 7 percent—both groups are concentrated on the peninsula's west coast.

In the mid-19th century the United Kingdom began importing Chinese to work the tin mines of Muslim sultanates on the Malay Peninsula; by the turn of the century new rubber plantations employed transported Indian laborers. In 1957 the Federation of Malaya gained independence from Britain. Six years later the colonies of Sarawak and Sabah, on the island of Borneo, and Singapore joined Malaya to form the Federation of Malaysia; Singapore withdrew in 1965. Malaysia is one of the world's largest exporters of semiconductors, electrical goods, and appliances. After a long period of economic growth, Malaysia—like many countries—was hit hard by the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s. Kuala Lumpur, the nation's capital, anchors the new Multimedia Super Corridor, Asia's equivalent of the U.S.'s Silicon Valley. The government, a federal democracy with a ceremonial king, has ambitious plans to make Malaysia a leading producer and developer of high-tech products, including software.

ECONOMY

Industry: rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, logging, petroleum production and refining.
Agriculture: rubber, palm oil, cacao, rice.
Exports: electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and wood products, palm oil.

Text source: National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition, 2004

Malaysia Flag and Fast Facts
	Population 26,121,000 Capital Kuala Lumpur; 1,352,000 Area 329,847 square kilometers (127,355 square miles) Language Bahasa Melayu, English, Chinese dialects, other regional dialects and indigenous languages Religion Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Shamanist	Currency ringgit Life Expectancy 73 GDP per Capita U.S. $8,800 Literacy Percent 89

AROUND THE WORLD

2008-05-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

PERU

Peru: a privileged destination

Heir to ancient cultures and a rich colonial tradition, Perú is a magical spot which involves one of the richest biodiversities of Earth, and is a melting pot of different cultures who together are forging the promise of a better future.

	Important hotel infrastructure
•	7.646 lodgings offering 131.624 rooms and 229.886 beds.
•	26 five-star hotels, 26 four-star hotels, 487 three-star hotels.

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927 two star-hotels, 411 one star-hotels and 42 logdes.

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	Accessibility by air and land
•	14 airports equipped to receive commercial flights and 10 ready for international flights: Lima, Arequipa, Chiclayo, Pisco, Pucallpa, Iquitos, Cusco, Trujillo, Tacna and Juliaca. (++ CORPAC - Corporación Peruana de Aviación Comercial)
•	17 airlines operating international flights.

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7 airline companies offering domestic flights.

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More than 78,000 kilometers of highways, 8,084.26 of which are asphalted. (++ Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones)

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Archaeological heritage
Ten thousand years of history are lived through 180 museums and historical places. While Peru inevitably evokes images of Machu Picchu and the Inca empire, the country is also riddled with archaeological sites which are a legacy of even more ancient times, when great civilizations bequeathed a legacy of their art, customs and rituals, their wisdom and skills.

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Nature and Landscapes
•	As home to 84 of the 104 life zones that exist on our planet makes Peru a privileged destination for nature lovers.
•	Close to 20% of the worlds birds and 10% of the world's reptiles live here. .

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Peru has converted 13% of its territory into Protected Natural Areas.

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Festivities and Traditions
Peru is a country that sings and dances in joy and sadness with color and a great deal of paraphernalia. Peruvians celebrate some 3,000 festivals all over the country.

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Incomparable cuisine
Over 40,000 restaurants across the country reflect the diversity of a nation that has mixed its native traditions with the cuisines of Europe, Arabia, China, Africa and Japan. The result: unique flavours that make Peruvian cuisine one of the best and most varied in the world.

AROUND THE WORLD

2008-05-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

MAURITIUS

Mauritius is situated in the Indian Ocean, approximately 2400 kilometres off the South East Coast of Africa. The island, which is of volcanic origin, covers an area of 1,865 square kilometres or 720 square miles. Coral reefs surround most of the coast except the south.

PORT-LOUIS (The Capital City)

Port-Louis naturally grew to be the economic and administrative capital of Mauritius after it superseded Mahebourg in the early eighteenth century because of the superior quality of its harbour. Until the 1860s, when the Suez Canal was built, Port-Louis was the recommended stopover for ships from Europe on their way to India. It was largely because of the safety and activity of Port-Louis, that Mauritius then earned the title of 'Star and Key of the Indian Ocean.' The City of Port-Louis underwent a second birth in the 1980s when post-independence economic stagnation finally gave way to bursting activity. The skyline of Port-Louis has changed dramatically since, and high-rising towers now compete with buildings from the colonial times. Port-Louis is unrecognizably quiet after business hours and on week-ends, except when the Champs-de-Mars hosts the very popular horse races.

EYE CATCHING PLACES:

Jardin Botanique de Pamplemousses

The jewel of the crown! The gardens are known to naturalists throughout the world for their countless species of indigenous and exotic plants, including the giant Victorial Regia water lilies, and the talipot palm, said to flower once every sixty years and then die. The garden was created by Pierre Poivre in 1767 in the Estate of the French Governor Mahe de Labourdonnais. The latter's Chateau de Mon Plaisir, built in 1735, can still be seen there.

Coloured Earths of Chamarel

Among the oddest sites of the island are the seven-coloured dunes at Chamarel, believed to result from the weathering of volcanic rocks. These undulating and vividly contrasted layers of earth are a short drive away from the beautiful Chamarel waterfalls.

The Bird Garden of Casela

Set in a magnificient site between Bambous and Tamarin in the Riviere Noire district, the Casela Bird Park hosts some 140 varieties of birds from around the world. The main attraction remains the Mauritian Pink Pigeon, one of the rarest birds in the world, still fighting to avoid the fate of the dodo. One of the giant tortoises is 150 years old. The park is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm and the entrance fee is Rs 125/150 on weekdays/weekends

Ile aux Cerfs

There are no stags (cerfs) remaining on this small island which now belongs to Le Touessrok Sun Hotel and attracts large numbers of holiday-makers on the east coast. The ferry runs several times each hour between 9 am and 4 pm and costs Rs 80 per person return, although this is expected to increase. Le Touessrok Sun Hotel residents travel for free. What you get when you step off the ferry is a sheltered, crowded beach and lagoon for water sports or sunbathing, restaurants and several souvenir stalls. You can walk only around the seaward half of the island, that is, clockwise from the landing site. On the island, there is a boat house where you can hire water skis, pedalos, sailboards, surfcats, Laser dinghies and canoes. Two-hour boat trips are offered to the Grande Rivière Sud-Est waterfall; and there's also a tour around Île aux Cerfs.

Domaine Les Pailles

Ten minutes south of Port-Louis lies the nature park of Domaine Les Pailles, stretching over 3,000 acres at the foot of the Moka mountain range. You can choose between touring the park in a Land-Rover, riding in a horse-drawn carriage or in a train. The gardens also feature a replica of an ancient sugarmill, an "alambic" - an apparatus formerly used in distilling rum, a spice garden and a natural spring.

Aquarium

Situated between Pointe-aux-Piments and Trou-aux-Biches, hosts some 200 species of indigenous fish, invertebrates, corals and sponges, providing the visitor with a unique opportunity of admiring the fauna and flora of the Indian Ocean.

Domaine du Chasseur (Anse Jonchee, Vieux Grand Port)

Situated in the south-east of the island, near Mahebourg, in the heart of abundant greenery, Le Domaine du Chasseur covers about 1,950 acres. It is also an exciting natural hunting ground with its herds of some 1,000 deer and hundreds of wild boar. Lovers of leafy walks can chose between 5 and 15 kms long, allowing them to admire rare kinds of trees and protected species, such as the famous windhover kestrel. A panoramic restaurant with a very good typically Mauritian menu completes the attractions of this unusual trip, which has become a must for hunters, walkers and... gourmets.

Le Val Nature Park

Situated in the south-east of the island at Cluny, Le Val offers a view of the natural aquatic life of shrimps, eels and freshwater fish. The park also hosts anthurium green-houses, watercress ponds, deer parks, as well as monkeys and various bird species.

The Well-known Creole Houses

Chateau de Labourdonnais: Privately-owned colonial house dated circa 1850, down the road from Belle-Vue Mauricia to Forbach, Goodlands.

Chateau Bel-Ombre: Private property, dated 1776, part of the Bel-Ombre Sugar Estate, in the south-west coast of the island.

Chateau de Mon-Plaisir: Built in 1735 by Mahe de Labourdonnais and around which the Pamplemousses gardens were created.

Chateau du Reduit: Built in 1778, actual residence of the President of the Republic of Mauritius, situated in the Reduit area. Can be visited once a year.

Chateau de Villebague: Built in 1740, house of Mahe de Labourdonnais. Now private property, on the road through La Nicoliere and to Grande Rosalie.

Eureka: Colonial house built in 1830 at Moka, on the road from Port-Louis to Curepipe through Montagne-Ory. Now a museum.

Riche-en-Eau: Colonial house, part of the Riche-en-Eau Sugar Estate. This is where the TV series "Paul & Virgine" was shot. Now a private property. Situated on the road to Mahebourg through Deux-Bras.

Tamarin Falls

These falls are awkward to reach, but it's worth the effort for a beautiful, deep, cool bathe at the bottom of the series of seven falls. You can see them from the Vacoas side, if you follow the sign from Henrietta. From Curepipe or Quatre Bornes, take a bus to Henrietta, then walk to Tamarind Falls. If you're coming from Tamarin, turn right about 3Km north of Tamarin, at the round about to Magenta and Yemen. A tarred, bumpy road through cane fields leads to the Magenta and Tamarind Falls turn-off. Continue through all the 'Private Estate', 'Permit Needed' and 'Prohibited Entry' signs, down towards the power station. Leave your car or bike and walk along the river up to the falls. The path is quite heavily overgrown and you must cross to the other side and boulder-hop the last 300m along the river bed to reach the top, but you will richly rewarded!

Trou aux Cerfs

Possibly the main attraction of Curepipe for tourists, apart from the shopping, is the Trou aux Cerfs crater. It's been extinct for a long time and the crater floor is now heavily wooded, but the crater affords lovely views around the island. A tarred road leads gently up to and around the rim. There are benches for rest and reflection, and a radar station for keeping an electronic eye on cyclone activity.

Karting

In December 2001, Kart Loisir entered the world of karting with a superficy of 7 acres. An attraction parc for young and old. Situated at La Jouliette, Petite Riviere. Corinne Barrier will show you how delightful karting and quad biking is. Kart Loisir gives you the opportunity to discover a new sport in Mauritius. Enjoy the excellent Italian & Mauritius cuisine at our open restaurant with the magnificient landscape of Port Louis. For all music lovers, the "Wild Monkeys" is certainly a must. Kart Loisir also caters for your cocktails, wedding ceremonies and conferences.

Vanilla Crocodile & Tortoise Park

Enter this glittering forest and discover a haven of luscious tropical flora: find a variety of endemic and exotic plants. In these lush green surroundings where banana and palm trees as well as giant bambous grow, more than a thousand Nile crocodiles are bred. On a guided tour, you will meet these animals in their breeding ponds, in perfect safety.

WaterparK

Black hole, Giant slides, Kids' Pool, Mushroom shower, Candy Spot, Adults' pool, Jaccuzi, Pirates' Feast Fast food, Lazy River, Food kiosk, Crazy River, Multi Slide, Mountain skull, Wave pool, Pirates' Plaza, La Malle aux Tresors Logo Shop

TOP INSRANCE COMPANIES

2008-05-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

OF ALL THE INSURANCE COMPANIES, SOME WELL PERFORMING COMPANIES ARE LISTED BELOW STATING THEIR PERFORMANCE IN THE INDUSTRY.

1. BAJAJ ALLIANZ
2. LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION
3. MAX NEWYORK LIFE
4. ICICI PRUDENTIAL
5. SBI LIFE INSURANCE.

BAJAJ ALLIANZ:

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Bajaj Auto Limited and Allianz SE. Both enjoy a reputation of expertise, stability and strength.

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance received the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) certificate of Registration (R3) on May 2nd, 2001 to conduct General Insurance business (including Health Insurance business) in India. The Company has an authorized and paid up capital of Rs 110 crores. Bajaj Auto holds 74% and the remaining 26% is held by Allianz, SE.

As on 31st March 2007 Bajaj Allianz General Insurance maintained its premier position in the industry by garnering a premium income of Rs.1803 crore. Bajaj Allianz has made a profit before taxes of Rs.117 crore and emerged as the first private insurance company to make profit before taxes of more than Rs.100 crores. The company also was the one of the highest profitable insurer among private insurance companies and made a profit after tax of Rs.75 crores. Bajaj Allianz is the only company to make underwriting profits for the last three years consecutively.

Bajaj Allianz today has a network presence in over 200 towns spread across the length and breadth of the country. From Surat to Siliguri and Jammu to Thiruvananthapuram, all the offices are interconnected with the Head Office at Pune.

In the first quarter of the current financial year, 2007-08, Bajaj Allianz garnered a premium income of Rs. 574 crores, achieving a growth of 27% over the last year for the same period and Net profits rose to Rs.21 Crores.

A Partnership Based on Synergy

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance offers technical excellence in all areas of General and Health Insurance as well as Risk Management. This partnership successfully combines Bajaj Auto's in-depth understanding of the local market and extensive distribution network with the global experience and technical expertise of the Allianz Group. As a registered Indian Insurance Company and a capital base of Rs. 110 crores, the company is fully licensed to underwrite all lines of general insurance business including health insurance.

Achievements

Bajaj Allianz has received "iAAA rating, from ICRA Limited, an associate of Moody's Investors Services, for Claims Paying Ability.This rating indicates highest claims paying ability and a fundamentally strong position.

LIFEINSURANCE CORPORATION:

Every day we wake up to the fact that more than 220 million lives are part of our family called LIC.

We are humbled by the magnitude of the responsibility we carry and realise that the lives that are associated with us are very valuable indeed.

Although this journey started five decades ago, we are still conscious of the fact that, while insurance may be a business for us, being part of millions of lives every day for the past 50 years has been a process called TRUST.

50 Years Of Trust…

…Thy Name Is LIC

MAX NEWYORK LIFE INSURANCE:

Overview
Max New York Life Insurance Company Ltd. is a joint venture between New York Life, a Fortune 100 company and Max India Limited, one of India's leading multi-business corporations. The company has positioned itself on the quality platform. In line with its vision to be the most admired life insurance company in India, it has developed a strong corporate governance model based on the core values of excellence, honesty, knowledge, caring, integrity and teamwork. The strategy is to establish itself as a trusted life insurance specialist through a quality approach to business.

Incorporated in 2000, Max New York Life started commercial operation in 2001. In line with its values of financial responsibility, Max New York Life has adopted prudent financial practices to ensure safety of policyholder's funds. The Company's paid up is Rs. 1032 crore.

Having set a best in class agency distribution model in place, the company is spearheading a major thrust into additional distribution channels to further grow its business. The company has multi-channel distribution that includes the agency distribution, partnership distribution, bancassurance, distribution focused on emerging markets and alliance marketing through employed sales force. The company currently has 33 bancassurance relationships, 14 corporate agency tie-ups and direct sales force at 14 locations. Max New York Life has put in place a unique hub and spoke model of distribution to deepen rural penetration. The company has 39 (9 hub office 30 spoke offices) offices dedicated to emerging markets in Punjab and Haryana. Max New York Life offers a suite of flexible products. It now has 38 products covering both life and health insurance and 8 riders that can be customized to over 800 combinations enabling customers to choose the policy that best fits their need. Besides this, the company offers 6 products and 4 riders in group insurance business.

The company currently has more than 7500 employees.

ICICI PRUDENTIAL :

Overview

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company is a joint venture between ICICI Bank - one of India's foremost financial services companies-and Prudential plc - a leading international financial services group headquartered in the United Kingdom. Total capital infusion stands at Rs. 37.72 billion, with ICICI Bank holding a stake of 74% and Prudential plc holding 26%.

We began our operations in December 2000 after receiving approval from Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA). Today, our nation-wide team comprises of over 952 branches in addition to 1,004 micro-offices, over 291,000 advisors; and 21 bancassurance partners.

ICICI Prudential was the first life insurer in India to receive a National Insurer Financial Strength rating of AAA (Ind) from Fitch ratings. For three years in a row, ICICI Prudential has been voted as India's Most Trusted Private Life Insurer, by The Economic Times - AC Nielsen ORG Marg survey of 'Most Trusted Brands'. As we grow our distribution, product range and customer base, we continue to tirelessly uphold our commitment to deliver world-class financial solutions to customers all over India.

SBI LIFE INSURANCE:

SBI Life Insurance is a joint venture between the State Bank of India and Cardif SA of France. SBI Life Insurance is registered with an authorised capital of Rs 500 crore and a paid up capital of Rs 350 crores. SBI owns 74% of the total capital and Cardif the remaining 26%.

State Bank of India enjoys the largest banking franchise in India. Along with its 7 Associate Banks, SBI Group has the unrivalled strength of over 14,000 branches across the country, the largest in the world.

Cardif is a wholly owned subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which is The Euro Zone’s leading Bank. BNP is one of the oldest foreign banks with a presence in India dating back to 1860. It has 9 branches in the metros and other major towns in the country.

Cardif is a vibrant insurance company specialising in personal lines such as long-term savings, protection products and creditor insurance. Cardif has also been a pioneer in the art of selling insurance products through commercial banks in France and 29 more countries.

SBI Life Insurance’s mission is to emerge as the leading company offering a comprehensive range of Life Insurance and pension products at competitive prices, ensuring high standards of customer service and world class operating efficiency. The company plans to make the insurance buying process quick, simple and based on well-informed judgement. In 2004, SBI Life Insurance became the first company amongst private insurance players to cover 30 lakh lives.

The company expects to carve a niche in the Indian insurance market through extensive product innovation and aims to provide the highest standards of customer service through a technological interface. To facilitate this, call centres have been already installed and help lines will be installed and customers will have access to their accounts through the Internet or through SBI branches.

The company proposes to make available ready liquidity to its Life Insurance policies by way of loans at SBI counters. This will make Life Insurance a liquid asset in the financial portfolio of households.

SBI Life Insurance is uniquely placed as a pioneer to usher bancassurance into India. The company hopes to extensively utilise the SBI Group as a platform for cross-selling insurance products along with its numerous banking product packages such as housing loans, personal loans and credit cards. SBI’s access to over 100 million accounts provides a vibrant base to build insurance selling across every region and economic strata in the country.

DETAIL STUDY ON INSURANCE

2008-05-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

Insurance

Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium. An insurer is a company selling the insurance. The insurance rate is a factor used to determine the amount, called the premium, to be charged for a certain amount of insurance coverage. Risk management, the practice of appraising and controlling risk, has evolved as a discrete field of study and practice.

Principles of insurance

A large number of homogeneous exposure units. The vast majority of insurance policies are provided for individual members of very large classes. Automobile insurance, for example, covered about 175 million automobiles in the United States in 2004. The existence of a large number of homogeneous exposure units allows insurers to benefit from the so-called “law of large numbers,” which in effect states that as the number of exposure units increases, the actual results are increasingly likely to become close to expected results. There are exceptions to this criterion. lloyd's of london is famous for insuring the life or health of actors, actresses and sports figures. Satellite Launch insurance covers events that are infrequent. Large commercial property policies may insure exceptional properties for which there are no ‘homogeneous’ exposure units. Despite failing on this criterion, many exposures like these are generally considered to be insurable.
Definite Loss. The event that gives rise to the loss that is subject to insurance should, at least in principle, take place at a known time, in a known place, and from a known cause. The classic example is death of an insured on a life insurance policy. Fire, automobile accidents, and worker injuries may all easily meet this criterion. Other types of losses may only be definite in theory. Occupational disease, for instance, may involve prolonged exposure to injurious conditions where no specific time, place or cause is identifiable. Ideally, the time, place and cause of a loss should be clear enough that a reasonable person, with sufficient information, could objectively verify all three elements.
Accidental Loss. The event that constitutes the trigger of a claim should be fortuitous, or at least outside the control of the beneficiary of the insurance. The loss should be ‘pure,’ in the sense that it results from an event for which there is only the opportunity for cost. Events that contain speculative elements, such as ordinary business risks, are generally not considered insurable.
Large Loss. The size of the loss must be meaningful from the perspective of the insured. Insurance premiums need to cover both the expected cost of losses, plus the cost of issuing and administering the policy, adjusting losses, and supplying the capital needed to reasonably assure that the insurer will be able to pay claims. For small losses these latter costs may be several times the size of the expected cost of losses. There is little point in paying such costs unless the protection offered has real value to a buyer.
Affordable Premium. If the likelihood of an insured event is so high, or the cost of the event so large, that the resulting premium is large relative to the amount of protection offered, it is not likely that anyone will buy insurance, even if on offer. Further, as the accounting profession formally recognizes in financial accounting standards, the premium cannot be so large that there is not a reasonable chance of a significant loss to the insurer. If there is no such chance of loss, the transaction may have the form of insurance, but not the substance.
Calculable Loss. There are two elements that must be at least estimable, if not formally calculable: the probability of loss, and the attendant cost. Probability of loss is generally an empirical exercise, while cost has more to do with the ability of a reasonable person in possession of a copy of the insurance policy and a proof of loss associated with a claim presented under that policy to make a reasonably definite and objective evaluation of the amount of the loss recoverable as a result of the claim.
Limited risk of catastrophically large losses. The essential risk is often aggregation. If the same event can cause losses to numerous policyholders of the same insurer, the ability of that insurer to issue policies becomes constrained, not by factors surrounding the individual characteristics of a given policyholder, but by the factors surrounding the sum of all policyholders so exposed. Typically, insurers prefer to limit their exposure to a loss from a single event to some small portion of their capital base, on the order of 5 %. Where the loss can be aggregated, or an individual policy could produce exceptionally large claims, the capital constraint will restrict an insurers appetite for additional policyholders. The classic example is earthquake insurance, where the ability of an underwriter to issue a new policy depends on the number and size of the policies that it has already underwritten. Wind insurance in hurricane zones, particularly along coast lines, is another example of this phenomenon. In extreme cases, the aggregation can affect the entire industry, since the combined capital of insurers and reinsurers can be small compared to the needs of potential policyholders in areas exposed to aggregation risk. In commercial fire insurance it is possible to find single properties whose total exposed value is well in excess of any individual insurer’s capital constraint. Such properties are generally shared among several insurers, or are insured by a single insurer who syndicates the risk into the reinsurance market.

Indemnification

The technical definition of "indemnity" means to make whole again. There are two types of insurance contracts; 1) an "indemnity" policy and 2) a "pay on behalf" .

An "indemnity" policy will never pay claims until the insured has paid out of pocket to some third party; i.e. a visitor to your home slips on a floor that you left wet and sues you for $10,000 and wins. Under an "indemnity" policy the homeowner would have to come up with the $10,000 to pay for the visitors fall and then would be "indemnified" by the insurance carrier for the out of pocket costs (the $10,000)
Under the same situation, a "pay on behalf" policy, the insurance carrier would pay the claim and the insured (the homeowner) would not be out of pocket for anything. Most modern liability insurance is written on the basis of "pay on behalf"

An entity seeking to transfer risk (an individual, corporation, or association of any type, etc.) becomes the 'insured' party once risk is assumed by an 'insurer', the insuring party, by means of a contract, called an insurance 'policy'. Generally, an insurance contract includes, at a minimum, the following elements: the parties (the insurer, the insured, the beneficiaries), the premium, the period of coverage, the particular loss event covered, the amount of coverage (i.e., the amount to be paid to the insured or beneficiary in the event of a loss), and exclusions (events not covered). An insured is thus said to be "indeminified" against the loss events covered in the policy.

When insured parties experience a loss for a specified peril, the coverage entitles the policyholder to make a 'claim' against the insurer for the covered amount of loss as specified by the policy. The fee paid by the insured to the insurer for assuming the risk is called the 'premium'. Insurance premiums from many insureds are used to fund accounts reserved for later payment of claims—in theory for a relatively few claimants—and for overhead costs. So long as an insurer maintains adequate funds set aside for anticipated losses (i.e., reserves), the remaining margin is an insurer's profit.

Insurer's business model

Profit = earned premium + investment income - incurred loss - underwriting expenses.

Insurers make money in two ways: (1) through underwriting the process by which insurers select the risks to insure and decide how much in premiums to charge for accepting those risks and (2) by investing the premiums they collect from insureds.

The most difficult aspect of the insurance business is the underwriting of policies. Using a wide assortment of data, insurers predict the likelihood that a claim will be made against their policies and price products accordingly. To this end, insurers use quantify the risks they are willing to assume and the premium they will charge to assume them. Data is analyzed to fairly accurately project the rate of future claims based on a given risk. Actuarial science uses statistics and probability to analyze the risks associated with the range of perils covered, and these scientific principles are used to determine an insurer's overall exposure. Upon termination of a given policy, the amount of premium collected and the investment gains thereon minus the amount paid out in claims is the insurer's underwriting profit on that policy. Of course, from the insurer's perspective, some policies are winners (i.e., the insurer pays out less in claims and expenses than it receives in premiums and investment income) and some are losers (i.e., the insurer pays out more in claims and expenses than it receives in premiums and investment income).

An insurer's underwriting performance is measured in its combined ratio. The loss ratio (incurred losses and loss-adjustment expenses divided by net earned premium) is added to the expense ratio (underwriting expenses divided by net premium written) to determine the company's combined ratio. The combined ratio is a reflection of the company's overall underwriting profitability. A combined ratio of less than 100 percent indicates underwriting profitability, while anything over 100 indicates an underwriting loss.

Insurance companies also earn investment profits on “float”. “Float” or available reserve is the amount of money, at hand at any given moment, that an insurer has collected in insurance premiums but has not been paid out in claims. Insurers start investing insurance premiums as soon as they are collected and continue to earn interest on them until claims are paid out.

In the United States, the underwriting loss of property and casualty insurance companies was $142.3 billion in the five years ending 2003. But overall profit for the same period was $68.4 billion, as the result of float. Some insurance industry insiders, most notably Hank Greenberg, do not believe that it is forever possible to sustain a profit from float without an underwriting profit as well, but this opinion is not universally held. Naturally, the “float” method is difficult to carry out in an economically depressed period. Bear markets do cause insurers to shift away from investments and to toughen up their underwriting standards. So a poor economy generally means high insurance premiums. This tendency to swing between profitable and unprofitable periods over time is commonly known as the "underwriting" or insurance cycle.

Property and casualty insurers currently make the most money from their auto insurance line of business. Generally better statistics are available on auto losses and underwriting on this line of business has benefited greatly from advances in computing. Additionally, property losses in the US, due to natural catastrophes, have exacerbated this trend.

Finally, claims and loss handling is the materialized utility of insurance. In managing the claims-handling function, insurers seek to balance the elements of customer satisfaction, administrative handling expenses, and claims overpayment leakages. As part of this balancing act, fraudulent insurance practices are a major business risk that must be managed and overcome.

History of insurance

In some sense we can say that insurance appears simultaneously with the appearance of human society. We know of two types of economies in human societies: money economies (with markets, money, financial instruments and so on) and non-money or natural economies (without money, markets, financial instruments and so on). The second type is a more ancient form than the first. In such an economy and community, we can see insurance in the form of people helping each other. For example, if a house burns down, the members of the community help build a new one. Should the same thing happen to one's neighbour, the other neighbours must help. Otherwise, neighbours will not receive help in the future. This type of insurance has survived to the present day in some countries where modern money economy with its financial instruments is not widespread (for example countries in the territory of the former Soviet Union).

Turning to insurance in the modern sense (i.e., insurance in a modern money economy, in which insurance is part of the financial sphere), early methods of transferring or distributing risk were practiced by Chinese and Babylonian traders as long ago as the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC, respectively. Chinese merchants travelling treacherous river rapids would redistribute their wares across many vessels to limit the loss due to any single vessel's capsizing. The Babylonians developed a system which was recorded in the famous Code of Hammurabi, c. 1750 BC, and practiced by early Mediterranean sailing merchants. If a merchant received a loan to fund his shipment, he would pay the lender an additional sum in exchange for the lender's guarantee to cancel the loan should the shipment be stolen.

Achaemenian monarchs were the first to insure their people and made it official by registering the insuring process in governmental notary offices. The insurance tradition was performed each year in Norouz (beginning of the Iranian New Year); the heads of different ethnic groups as well as others willing to take part, presented gifts to the monarch. The most important gift was presented during a special ceremony. When a gift was worth more than 10,000 Derrik (Achaemenian gold coin) the issue was registered in a special office. This was advantageous to those who presented such special gifts. For others, the presents were fairly assessed by the confidants of the court. Then the assessment was registered in special offices.

The purpose of registering was that whenever the person who presented the gift registered by the court was in trouble, the monarch and the court would help him. Jahez, a historian and writer, writes in one of his books on ancient Iran: "[W]henever the owner of the present is in trouble or wants to construct a building, set up a feast, have his children married, etc. the one in charge of this in the court would check the registration. If the registered amount exceeded 10,000 Derrik, he or she would receive an amount of twice as much."[1]

A thousand years later, the inhabitants of Rhodes invented the concept of the 'general average'. Merchants whose goods were being shipped together would pay a proportionally divided premium which would be used to reimburse any merchant whose goods were jettisoned during storm or sinkage.

The Greeks and Romans introduced the origins of health and life insurance c. 600 AD when they organized guilds called "benevolent societies" which cared for the families and paid funeral expenses of members upon death. Guilds in the Middle Ages served a similar purpose. The Talmud deals with several aspects of insuring goods. Before insurance was established in the late 17th century, "friendly societies" existed in England, in which people donated amounts of money to a general sum that could be used for emergencies.

Separate insurance contracts (i.e., insurance policies not bundled with loans or other kinds of contracts) were invented in Genoa in the 14th century, as were insurance pools backed by pledges of landed estates. These new insurance contracts allowed insurance to be separated from investment, a separation of roles that first proved useful in marine insurance. Insurance became far more sophisticated in post-Renaissance Europe, and specialized varieties developed.

Toward the end of the seventeenth century, London's growing importance as a centre for trade increased demand for marine insurance. In the late 1680s, Mr. Edward Lloyd opened a coffee house that became a popular haunt of ship owners, merchants, and ships’ captains, and thereby a reliable source of the latest shipping news. It became the meeting place for parties wishing to insure cargoes and ships, and those willing to underwrite such ventures. Today, Lloyd's of London remains the leading market (note that it is not an insurance company) for marine and other specialist types of insurance, but it works rather differently than the more familiar kinds of insurance.

Insurance as we know it today can be traced to the Great Fire of London, which in 1666 devoured 13,200 houses. In the aftermath of this disaster, Nicholas Barbon opened an office to insure buildings. In 1680, he established England's first fire insurance company, "The Fire Office," to insure brick and frame homes.

The first insurance company in the United States underwrote fire insurance and was formed in Charles Town (modern-day Charleston), South Carolina, in 1732. Benjamin Franklin helped to popularize and make standard the practice of insurance, particularly against fire in the form of perpetual insurance. In 1752, he founded the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire. Franklin's company was the first to make contributions toward fire prevention. Not only did his company warn against certain fire hazards, it refused to insure certain buildings where the risk of fire was too great, such as all wooden houses. In the United States, regulation of the insurance industry is highly Balkanized, with primary responsibility assumed by individual state insurance departments. Whereas insurance markets have become centralized nationally and internationally, state insurance commissioners operate individually, though at times in concert through a national insurance commissioners' organization. In recent years, some have called for a dual state and federal regulatory system for insurance similar to that which oversees state banks and national banks.

Types of insurance

Any risk that can be quantified can potentially be insured. Specific kinds of risk that may give rise to claims are known as "perils". An insurance policy will set out in detail which perils are covered by the policy and which are not. Below are (non-exhaustive) lists of the many different types of insurance that exist. A single policy may cover risks in one or more of the categories set forth below. For example, auto insurance would typically cover both property risk (covering the risk of theft or damage to the car) and liability risk (covering legal claims from causing an accident). A homeowner's insurance policy in the U.S. typically includes property insurance covering damage to the home and the owner's belongings, liability insurance covering certain legal claims against the owner, and even a small amount of health insurance for medical expenses of guests who are injured on the owner's property.

Business insurance can be any kind of insurance that protects businesses against risks. Some principal subtypes of business insurance are (a) the various kinds of professional liability insurance, also called professional indemnity insurance, which are discussed below under that name; and (b) the business owners policy (BOP), which bundles into one policy many of the kinds of coverage that a business owner needs, in a way analogous to how homeowners insurance bundles the coverages that a homeowner needs.^[7]

Health

Almost all developed countries have government-supplied insurance for health

Health insurance policies will often cover the cost of private medical treatments if the National Health Service in the United Kingdom (NHS) or other publicly-funded health programs do not pay for them. It will often result in quicker health care where better facilities are available. Dental insurance, like medical insurance, is coverage for individuals to protect them against dental costs. In the U.S., dental insurance is often part of an employer's benefits package, along with health insurance. Most countries rely on public funding to ensure that all citizens have universal access to health care.

Disability

Disability insurance policies provide financial support in the event the policyholder is unable to work because of disabling illness or injury. It provides monthly support to help pay such obligations as mortgages and credit cards.
Total permanent disability insurance insurance provides benefits when a person is permanently disabled and can no longer work in their profession, often taken as an adjunct to life insurance.
Disability overhead insurance allows business owners to cover the overhead expenses of their business while they are unable to work.
Workers' compensation insurance replaces all or part of a worker's wages lost and accompanying medical expense incurred because of a job-related injury.

Casualty

Casualty insurance insures against accidents, not necessarily tied to any specific property.

Crime insurance is a form of casualty insurance that covers the policyholder against losses arising from the criminal acts of third parties. For example, a company can obtain crime insurance to cover losses arising from theft or embezzlement.
Political risk insurance is a form of casualty insurance that can be taken out by businesses with operations in countries in which there is a risk that revolution or other political conditions will result in a loss.

Life insurance

Life insurance provides a monetary benefit to a decedent's family or other designated beneficiary, and may specifically provide for income to an insured person's family, burial, funeral and other final expenses. Life insurance policies often allow the option of having the proceeds paid to the beneficiary either in a lump sum cash payment or an annuity.

Annuities provide a stream of payments and are generally classified as insurance because they are issued by insurance companies and regulated as insurance and require the same kinds of actuarial and investment management expertise that life insurance requires. Annuities and pensions that pay a benefit for life are sometimes regarded as insurance against the possibility that a retiree will outlive his or her financial resources. In that sense, they are the complement of life insurance and, from an underwriting perspective, are the mirror image of life insurance.

Certain life insurance contracts accumulate cash values, which may be taken by the insured if the policy is surrendered or which may be borrowed against. Some policies, such as annuities and endowment policies, are financial instruments to accumulate or liquidate wealth when it is needed.

In many countries, such as the U.S. and the UK, the tax law provides that the interest on this cash value is not taxable under certain circumstances. This leads to widespread use of life insurance as a tax-efficient method of saving as well as protection in the event of early death.

In U.S., the tax on interest income on life insurance policies and annuities is generally deferred. However, in some cases the benefit derived from tax deferral may be offset by a low return. This depends upon the insuring company, the type of policy and other variables (mortality, market return, etc.). Moreover, other income tax saving vehicles (e.g., IRAs, 401(k) plans, Roth IRAs) may be better alternatives for value accumulation. A combination of low-cost term life insurance and a higher-return tax-efficient retirement account may achieve better investment return.

Property

This tornado damage to an Illinois home would be considered an "Act of God" for insurance purposes

Property insurance provides protection against risks to property, such as fire, theft or weather damage. This includes specialized forms of insurance such as fire insurance, flood insurance, earthquake insurance, home insurance, inland marine insurance or boiler insurance.

Automobile insurance, known in the UK as motor insurance, is probably the most common form of insurance and may cover both legal liability claims against the driver and loss of or damage to the insured's vehicle itself. Throughout the United States auto insurance policy is required to legally operate a motor vehicle on public roads. In some jurisdictions, bodily injury compensation for automobile accident victims has been changed to a no-fault system, which reduces or eliminates the ability to sue for compensation but provides automatic eligibility for benefits. Credit card companies insure against damage on rented cars.
- Driving School Insurance insurance provides cover for any authorized driver whilst under going tuition, cover also unlike other motor policies provides cover for instructor liability where both the pupil and driving instructor are both equally liable in the event of a claim.
Aviation insurance insures against hull, spares, deductible, hull wear and liability risks.
Boiler insurance (also known as boiler and machinery insurance or equipment breakdown insurance) insures against accidental physical damage to equipment or machinery.
Builder's risk insurance insures against the risk of physical loss or damage to property during construction. Builder's risk insurance is typically written on an "all risk" basis covering damage due to any cause (including the negligence of the insured) not otherwise expressly excluded.
Crop insurance "Farmers use crop insurance to reduce or manage various risks associated with growing crops. Such risks include crop loss or damage caused by weather, hail, drought, frost damage, insects, or disease, for instance."^[8]
Earthquake insurance is a form of property insurance that pays the policyholder in the event of an earthquake that causes damage to the property. Most ordinary homeowners insurance policies do not cover earthquake damage. Most earthquake insurance policies feature a high deductible. Rates depend on location and the probability of an earthquake, as well as the construction of the home.
A fidelity bond is a form of casualty insurance that covers policyholders for losses that they incur as a result of fraudulent acts by specified individuals. It usually insures a business for losses caused by the dishonest acts of its employees.
Flood insurance protects against property loss due to flooding. Many insurers in the US do not provide flood insurance in some portions of the country. In response to this, the federal government created the National Flood Insurance Program which serves as the insurer of last resort.
Home insurance or homeowners insurance: See "Property insurance".
Marine insurance and marine cargo insurance cover the loss or damage of ships at sea or on inland waterways, and of the cargo that may be on them. When the owner of the cargo and the carrier are separate corporations, marine cargo insurance typically compensates the owner of cargo for losses sustained from fire, shipwreck, etc., but excludes losses that can be recovered from the carrier or the carrier's insurance. Many marine insurance underwriters will include "time element" coverage in such policies, which extends the indemnity to cover loss of profit and other business expenses attributable to the delay caused by a covered loss.
Surety bond insurance is a three party insurance guaranteeing the performance of the principal.
Terrorism insurance provides protection against any loss or damage caused by terrorist activities.
Volcano insurance is an insurance that covers volcano damage in Hawaii.
Windstorm insurance is an insurance covering the damage that can be caused by hurricanes and tropical cyclones.

Liability

Liability insurance is a very broad superset that covers legal claims against the insured. Many types of insurance include an aspect of liability coverage. For example, a homeowner's insurance policy will normally include liability coverage which protects the insured in the event of a claim brought by someone who slips and falls on the property; automobile insurance also includes an aspect of liability insurance that indemnifies against the harm that a crashing car can cause to others' lives, health, or property. The protection offered by a liability insurance policy is twofold: a legal defense in the event of a lawsuit commenced against the policyholder and indemnification (payment on behalf of the insured) with respect to a settlement or court verdict. Liability policies typically cover only the negligence of the insured, and will not apply to results of willful or intentional acts by the insured.

Environmental liability insurance protects the insured from bodily injury, property damage and cleanup costs as a result of the dispersal, release or escape of pollutants.
Errors and omissions insurance: See "Professional liability insurance" under "Liability insurance".
Professional liability insurance, also called professional indemnity insurance, protects professional practitioners such as architects, lawyers, doctors, and accountants against potential negligence claims made by their patients/clients. Professional liability insurance may take on different names depending on the profession. For example, professional liability insurance in reference to the medical profession may be called malpractice insurance. Notaries public may take out errors and omissions insurance (E&O). Other potential E&O policyholders include, for example, real estate brokers, home inspectors, appraisers, and website developers.
Directors and officers liability insurance protects an organization (usually a corporation) from costs associated with litigation resulting from mistakes incurred by directors and officers for which they are liable. In the industry, it is usually called "D&O" for short.
Prize indemnity insurance protects the insured from giving away a large prize at a specific event. Examples would include offering prizes to contestants who can make a half-court shot at a basketball game, or a hole-in-one at a golf tournament.

Credit

Credit insurance repays some or all of a loan back when certain things happen to the borrower such as unemployment, disability, or death. Mortgage insurance is a form of credit insurance, although the name credit insurance more often is used to refer to policies that cover other kinds of debt.

Mortgage insurance insures the lender against default by the borrower.

Other types

Collateral protection insurance or CPI, insures property (primarily vehicles) held as collateral for loans made by lending institutions.
Defense Base Act Workers' compensation or DBA Insurance insurance provides coverage for civilian workers hired by the government to perform contracts outside the US and Canada. DBA is required for all US citizens, US residents, US Green Card holders, and all employees or subcontractors hired on overseas government contracts. Depending on the country, Foreign Nationals must also be covered under DBA. This coverage typically includes expenses related to medical treatment and loss of wages, as well as disability and death benefits.
Expatriate insurance provides individuals and organizations operating outside of their home country with protection for automobiles, property, health, liability and business pursuits.
Financial loss insurance protects individuals and companies against various financial risks. For example, a business might purchase cover to protect it from loss of sales if a fire in a factory prevented it from carrying out its business for a time. Insurance might also cover the failure of a creditor to pay money it owes to the insured. This type of insurance is frequently referred to as "business interruption insurance." Fidelity bonds and surety bonds are included in this category, although these products provide a benefit to a third party (the "obligee") in the event the insured party (usually referred to as the "obligor") fails to perform its obligations under a contract with the obligee.
Kidnap and ransom insurance
Locked funds insurance is a little-known hybrid insurance policy jointly issued by governments and banks. It is used to protect public funds from tamper by unauthorized parties. In special cases, a government may authorize its use in protecting semi-private funds which are liable to tamper. The terms of this type of insurance are usually very strict. Therefore it is used only in extreme cases where maximum security of funds is required.
Nuclear incident insurance covers damages resulting from an incident involving radioactive materials and is generally arranged at the national level. (For the United States, see the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act.)
Pet insurance insures pets against accidents and illnesses - some companies cover routine/wellness care and burial, as well.
Pollution Insurance. A first-party coverage for contamination of insured property either by external or on-site sources. Coverage for liability to third parties arising from contamination of air, water, or land due to the sudden and accidental release of hazardous materials from the insured site. The policy usually covers the costs of cleanup and may include coverage for releases from underground storage tanks. Intentional acts are specifically excluded.
Purchase insurance is aimed at providing protection on the products people purchase. Purchase insurance can cover individual purchase protection, warranties, guarantees, care plans and even mobile phone insurance. Such insurance is normally very limited in the scope of problems that are covered by the policy.
Title insurance provides a guarantee that title to real property is vested in the purchaser and/or mortgagee, free and clear of liens or encumbrances. It is usually issued in conjunction with a search of the public records performed at the time of a real estate transaction.
Travel insurance is an insurance cover taken by those who travel abroad, which covers certain losses such as medical expenses, lost of personal belongings, travel delay, personal liabilities, etc.

Insurance financing vehicles

Protected Self-Insurance is an alternative risk financing mechanism in which an organization retains the mathematically calculated cost of risk within the organization and transfers the catastrophic risk with specific and aggregate limits to an Insurer so the maximum total cost of the program is known. A properly designed and underwritten Protected Self-Insurance Program reduces and stabilizes the cost of insurance and provides valuable risk management information.
Retrospectively Rated Insurance is a method of establishing a premium on large commercial accounts. The final premium is based on the insured's actual loss experience during the policy term, sometimes subject to a minimum and maximum premium, with the final premium determined by a formula. Under this plan, the current year's premium is based partially (or wholly) on the current year's losses, although the premium adjustments may take months or years beyond the current year's expiration date. The rating formula is guaranteed in the insurance contract. Formula: retrospective premium = converted loss + basic premium × tax multiplier. Numerous variations of this formula have been developed and are in use.
Fraternal insurance is provided on a cooperative basis by fraternal benefit societies or other social organizations.^[9]
Formal self insurance is the deliberate decision to pay for otherwise insurable losses out of one's own money. This can be done on a formal basis by establishing a separate fund into which funds are deposited on a periodic basis, or by simply forgoing the purchase of available insurance and paying out-of-pocket. Self insurance is usually used to pay for high-frequency, low-severity losses. Such losses, if covered by conventional insurance, mean having to pay a premium that includes loadings for the company's general expenses, cost of putting the policy on the books, acquisition expenses, premium taxes, and contingencies. While this is true for all insurance, for small, frequent losses the transaction costs may exceed the benefit of volatility reduction that insurance otherwise affords.
No-fault insurance is a type of insurance policy (typically automobile insurance) where insureds are indemnified by their own insurer regardless of fault in the incident.
Reinsurance is a type of insurance purchased by insurance companies or self-insured employers to protect against unexpected losses. Financial reinsurance is a form of reinsurance that is primary used for capital management rather than to transfer insurance risk.
Stop-loss insurance provides protection against catastrophic or unpredictable losses. It is purchased by organizations who do not want to assume 100% of the liability for losses arising from the plans. Under a stop-loss policy, the insurance company becomes liable for losses that exceed certain limits called deductibles.
Social insurance can be many things to many people in many countries. But a summary of its essence is that it is a collection of insurance coverages (including components of life insurance, disability income insurance, unemployment insurance, health insurance, and others), plus retirement savings, that mandates participation by all citizens. By forcing everyone in society to be a policyholder and pay premiums, it ensures that everyone can become a claimant when or if he/she needs to. Along the way this inevitably becomes related to other concepts such as the justice system and the welfare state.

BUYING A PRINTER

2008-05-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

2008-05-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

Sound financial management is one of the best ways for your business to remain profitable and solvent. Each year thousands of potentially successful businesses fail because of poor financial management. As the business owner, you need to learn how to ensure that you will meet your financial obligations.

To effectively manage your finances, plan a sound, realistic budget by determining the actual amount of money needed to open your business (start-up costs) and the amount needed to keep it open (operating costs). The first step to building a sound financial plan is to devise a start-up budget. Your start-up budget will usually include such onetime only costs as major equipment, utility deposits, down payments, etc.

The start-up budget should allow for these expenses.

Start-up Budget
personnel (costs prior to opening)
legal/professional fees
occupancy
equipment
licenses/permits
insurance
supplies
advertising/promotions
salaries/wages
accounting
income
utilities

payroll expensesAn operating budget is prepared when you are actually ready to open for business. The operating budget will reflect your priorities in terms of how your spend your money, the expenses you will incur and how you will meet those expenses (income). Your operating budget also should include money to cover the first three to six months of operation. It should allow for the following expenses.

Operating Budget
personnel
insurance
rent
depreciation
loan payments
advertising/promotions
legal/accounting
miscellaneous expenses
supplies
payroll expenses
salaries/wages
utilities
dues/subscriptions/fees
taxes
repairs/maintenance

The financial section of your business plan should include any loan applications you've filed, a capital equipment and supply list, balance sheet, break-even analysis, pro-forma income projections (profit and loss statement) and pro-forma cash flow. The income statement and cash flow projections should include a three-year summary, detail by month for the first year, and detail by quarter for the second and third years.
The accounting system and the inventory control system that you will be using is generally addressed in this section of the business plan also. Whether you develop the accounting and inventory systems yourself, have an outside financial advisor develop the systems, you will need to acquire a thorough understanding of each segment and how it operates. Your financial advisor can assist you in developing this section of your business plan.

The following questions should help you determine the amount of start-up capital you will need.

How much money do you have?
How much money will you need for start-up?
How much money will you need to stay in business?

Other questions that you will need to consider are:

What type of accounting system will your use?
Is it a single entry or dual entry system?
What will your sales goals and profit goals for the coming year be?
What financial projections will you need to include in your business plan?
What kind of inventory control system will you use?

Your plan should include an explanation of all projections. Unless you are thoroughly familiar with financial statements, get help in preparing your cash flow and income statements and your balance sheet. Your aim is not to become a financial wizard, but to understand the financial tools well enough to gain their benefits. An accountant or financial advisor can help you accomplish this goal.

HISTORY OF INTERNET

2008-05-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

Before there was the public internet there was the internet's forerunner ARPAnet or Advanced Research Projects Agency Networks. ARPAnet was funded by the United States military after the cold war with the aim of having a military command and control center that could withstand nuclear attack. The point was to distribute information between geographically dispersed computers. ARPAnet created the TCP/IP communications standard, which defines data transfer on the Internet today. The ARPAnet opened in 1969 and was quickly usurped by civilian computer nerds who had now found a way to share the few great computers that existed at that time.

Father of the Internet Tim Berners-LeeTim Berners-Lee was the man leading the development of the World Wide Web (with help of course), the defining of HTML (hypertext markup language) used to create web pages, HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) and URLs (Universal Resource Locators).
of those developments took place between 1989 and 1991.
Tim Berners-Lee was born in London, England and graduated in Physics from Oxford University in 1976. He is currently the Director of the WORLD WIDE WEB COSORTIUM, the group that sets technical standards for the Web.
Besides Tim Berners-Lee, is also named as an internet daddy. Ten years out of high school, Vinton Cerf begun co-designing and co-developing the protocols and structure of what became the Internet.
HTMLVannevar Bush first proposed the basics of hypertext in 1945. Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, HTML (hypertext markup language), HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) and URLs (Universal Resource Locators) in 1990. Tim Berners-Lee was the primary author of html, assisted by his colleagues at CERN, an international scientific organization based in Geneva, Switzerland.

EmailComputer engineer, Ray Tomlinson invented internet based email in late 1971.

HISTORY OF CREDIT CARDS

2008-05-27T05:48:00.000-07:00

Credit is a method of selling goods or services without the buyer having cash in hand. A credit card is only an automatic way of offering credit to a consumer. Today, every credit card carries an identifying number that speeds shopping transactions. Imagine what a credit purchase would be like without it, the sales person would have to record your identity, billing address, and terms of repayment.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, "the use of credit cards originated in the United States during the 1920s, when individual firms, such as oil companies and hotel chains, began issuing them to customers." However, references to credit cards have been made as far back as 1890 in Europe. Early credit cards involved sales directly between the merchant offering the credit and credit card, and that merchant's customer.

1938, companies started to accept each other's cards. Today, credit cards allow you to make purchases with countless third parties.

The Shape of Credit CardsCredit cards were not always been made of plastic. There have been credit tokens made from metal coins, metal plates, and celluloid, metal, fiber, paper, and now mostly plastic cards.

First Bank Credit CardThe inventor of the first bank issued credit card was John Biggins of the Flatbush National Bank of Brooklyn in New York. In 1946, Biggins invented the "Charge-It" program between bank customers and local merchants. Merchants could deposit sales slips into the bank and the bank billed the customer who used the card.

Diners Club Credit CardIn 1950, the Diners Club issued their credit card in the United States. The Diners Club credit card was invented by Diners' Club founder Frank McNamara and it was intended to pay restaurant bills. A customer could eat without cash at any restaurant that would accept Diners' Club credit cards. Diners' Club would pay the restaurant and the credit card holder would repay Diners' Club. The Diners Club card was at first technically a charge card rather than a credit card since the customer had to repay the entire amount when billed by Diners Club.

American Express issued their first credit card in 1958. Bank of America issued the BankAmericard (now Visa) bank credit card later in 1958.

The Popularity of Credit CardsCredit cards were first promoted to traveling salesmen (more common in that era) for use on the road. By the early 1960s, more companies offered credit cards, advertising them as a time-saving device rather than a form of credit. American Express and MasterCard became huge successes overnight.

By the mid-'70s, the U.S. Congress begin regulating the credit card industry by banning such practices as the mass mailing of active credit cards to those who had not requested them. However, not all regulations have been as consumer friendly. In 1996, the U.S. Supreme Court in Smiley vs. Citibank lifted restrictions on the amount of late penalty fees a credit card company could charge. Deregulation has also allowed very high interest rates to be charged