Here are some more information for Open Xps:

Some people get great deals from Dell.com while others overpay. Which type of Dell shopper are you?

Here are two methods for buying computers from Dell that will save you hundreds of dollars every time. The first step, with both methods, is to decide what you really need to do with the computer. If you want to edit video, that requires a lot more horsepower than sending email pictures to grandma. And a replacement computer at the office has different requirements than a home machine.

Dell has lines of computers that will help you to narrow down your choices. Get familiar with the various lines. High end power users will want to look at the XPS line while most home users can stick to the Vostro line. Business users should generally choose Optiplex for desktops and Latitude for notebooks. Home users can choose the Inspiron line of laptops.

Once you have your line picked out, pick out a particular model number that has the features you need and establish a base price. Now you know what you want, and you have a starting price so you will recognize a good deal when you see it.

If you have a little time, take the patient approach. Go to Dell.com and sign up for email alerts of specials. (You can always unsubscribe once you have made your purchase.) Watch the newspapers and mail for special deals, and check the Dell website each day as the special offers change daily.

Seems simple right? Here is the secret. When you find a deal that you want, take the special exactly as advertised and resist all urges to customize it. The customization part of Dell's website is where they get you to sell yourself on all the extra bells and whistles that you don't need. You'll spend an hour at the website trying to decide if you should spend the $89 extra for the next fastest processor or another $119 for a larger capacity hard drive.

Don't do it! Dell knows you will and this is what they count on with the aggressive deals they offer. The whole idea is to get you into the online store with a great deal and then sell you more profitable items once you are there. Stick to your guns and take the special as is, with no upgrades. That's all there is to it, a little patience and discipline and you just saved a lot of money.

If you need a computer tomorrow and you don't have the luxury of shopping for great deals, the second method is the Dell outlet. Didn't know Dell had an outlet? Because Dell makes all of their computers to order, they keep no inventory on hand. When someone cancels an order or sends back a machine for some reason, Dell fixes the computer, repackages it, and sells it for a huge discount in their online outlet. (Look at the bottom of the Dell website for a link.)

You can find all kinds of machines from servers to home desktops to business laptops on the site and the inventory changes hourly. I have purchased a business class laptop on the outlet for $450 less than the same laptop on the regular website. You also can't customize the computers on the outlet site, which makes it easier to avoid the extra upgrades you are usually tempted into purchasing on the regular site.

The outlet machines are all covered by the same warranty but may have some cosmetic flaws. The description of the machine will tell you whether it was refurbished, open box, used, or off lease. And another bonus - shipping is usually free when you purchase from the Dell outlet!

Bill Thomas owns Thomas Consulting LLC in Rockport, Maine.

Thomas Consulting LLC provides managed IT services and technology integration to dental practices through http://www.DentalITSupport.com and general IT support and computer repair to Maine businesses through http://www.MaineITSupport.com

Open Source Software vs. Commercial Software - will community driven software really overtake money-driven software?

My techie friends take pride in displaying the latest addition to their list of programs that run on their Linux installation.  ‘Open source is the way of the future' they tell me, ‘Microsoft's days of monopoly are numbered'. I smile. No I am not employed by the big M at Redmond, nor do I foresee Mr. Gates making me a subject of his charitable contributions. But the fact remains that even when my tech friends are busy gloating over their newest open-source acquisition, they still have a multi-boot system with Windows as the other OS.

            I agree that Open Source is a more level playing field where everyone is free to make their important contributions to technology without being hindered by the time consuming processes of large organizations. Most of the new path-breaking technologies in the market were developed in an open source environment. Yet, in that environment they were only restricted to being used by the techies and geeks of the world. The world only came to hear of it once this concept was taken out of its open source womb and placed, kicking and screaming, for sale in the commercial market.

            Everyone loves a free ride, but how many of us would take up such an offer? The uncertainty of where you will end up is the biggest problem with open source. When you pay for a piece of commercial software, you know that it has undergone rigorous testing to eliminate any bugs, before it is brought out. Even if something goes wrong, there are means and methods for you to get a refund on your investment. Take the example of Windows Vista. Microsoft may limit its financial liability for Vista Pre-Release Candidate 1 testers to five US Dollars, but at least that is a sign that it acknowledges that it may be held financially responsible in the event of a malfunction. Who will provide this sort of a guarantee in the open source market?

            The other issue is that of ease-of-use. I may whole-heartedly support the development of open source software, but when my boss is pressurizing me with deadlines, and the IT department is pressurizing me to calculate and submit my returns, I just want software that works for me with minimum effort. It is simply not worth the effort. Commercial software provides its manufacturers with monetary returns, so they are interested in making sure that as many people as possible buy and use it. To this end, they make sure that their software runs on all the popular platforms and compares favourably with the best in the market. Open source developers are not faced with these constraints. This allows them to chart esoteric new paths but they couldn't be bothered if not a single person bought it, because they're not selling in the first place.

            New advancements in software will continue to take place in the open source segment because of lesser restrictions. However, once the necessary technology has been developed, these products will have to be tested and distributed as commercial software in order for them to truly reach a large audience. Open source simply does not provide an individual with the necessary resources for marketing a product, no matter how ground-breaking the product may be.  

            Open source software has a niche market. It is very popular in college campuses and as of now a lot of hardware vendors are also offering open source operating systems bundled with their computers to bring costs down. I recently bought a Compaq Presario and it came bundled with FreeDOS. I was delighted at the savings I had made. But searching for compatible drivers for all my equipment and my fancy graphics card proved to be a nightmare. Even HP did not provide driver support for the FreeDOS that they bundled with the system. At the end of the day I ended up shelling out money for Windows XP Professional.

            My techie friends give me mean looks. ‘Traitor', they hiss under their breath. Well guys I love fooling around with strange new open source software as much as the other bloke. When I have the time, I indulge myself in trying out the latest open source OS variant on the net, and sometimes end up crashing my computer. It is an exhilarating experience. However, when I am rebooting and re-installing an OS, it is usually the same old, boring, commercial Windows.    

About the Author

A sailor by profession and a writer by choice, Vijay, is a creative, passionate, and dedicated writer. With absolutely no prior exposure to the writing industry, he has successfully carved a niche for himself as a freelance writer. He has recently started his own writing solutions firm, the9words.

What is the difference bet PDF File Format and XPS Document Format?

Which is better and more edit-safe? If I made a PDF file or an XPS Doc format from an Office 2007 application, can it be opened in a lower version of MS Office?

PDF - Portable Document Format
Widely accepted, edit-safe and Reader software is FREEly available.

XPS - XML Paper Specification
Microsoft's document creator and viewer to come standard with Windows Vista
Basically a compressed xml (Extensible Markup Language). Like PDF designed to keep document layout reagrdless of the device used.

I'd use PDF for now.

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