Make Mom a Power User
Surprise your mom with a super-cooled PC case, new power supply, or network server.Steve Bass
Steve Bass writes the "Hassle-Free PC" column in PC World's print edition and is the author of PC Annoyances, 2nd Edition: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer, available from O'Reilly. Sign up to have Steve Bass's Tips and Tweaks newsletter e-mailed to you each week. Comments or questions? Send Steve e-mail.
You're going to love this: My mother called and gave me a list of products she wants for Mother's Day. It's been a tradition that I write about gifts for her, and I think it's turning her into a power user. I swear, she's asking about super-cooled cases so she can overclock her CPU and maybe add a couple of RAID hard drives. (Sorry, Mom, your '486 just won't handle all that.)
In the interest of familial harmony, I've rounded up short takes on a handful of cool products that a mom--and subscribers to her son's newsletter--can fantasize about.
Build It Yourself
I asked her not to even think about it, but my mother said it was her day and was hinting that she'd like to put together her own PC.
"If I did build a PC from scratch," she said, "I'd pick out a cool case, one that would keep my computer room quiet." She thought the TNN (for--what else--Totally No Noise) 500AF Computer Case from Zalman would fit her needs. At $1300, it bloody well ought to be quiet. Actually, I heard--well, didn't hear--this fanless wonder at a private showing and it really is silent.
She wasn't finished: "If I can't have the TNN, how about a new power supply from Ultra." Not a bad choice. The X-Connect 500W ATX PS has two 80mm fans and uses modular cable connections. The connections reduce the mass of power cables inside the case because you use just the number of cables you need to power individual components. (My mother hates messy cabling.) The power supply costs about $130, and you can use our Product Finder to search for discounts.
I talked her out of that project, but my high-end mom had other extravagant ideas.
Instead of a simple home network, Mom wanted a network server. She had one in mind: IOGear's Broadband Office Storage Server. The device acts as a four-port router; with a 120GB hard drive, it's a natural for data backup and file sharing. The IOGear is always on, so Mom can use it as an FTP and Web server (the software's included to do that); she said she might even add software to make it an e-mail server. You can find out more about the $350 server at IOGear's site, or stop by my mom's house and see it running.
Dig This: Turn up the volume, crank your video player to full screen, and hop on for the ride. But be warned: This is a monster 53MB download; you'll need patience even on broadband. On dial-up, you'll need an eternity. Once you view it, search on "nyc-bicycle-dragrace.mpg" to find the file on your PC (it's stored in the Internet cache folder). That way you can play it right from your drive in case your Internet connection makes the video playback choppy. You'll also be able to play it again for everyone visiting your office. And make sure you wear your helmet, not like those idiots.
Mom Ventures Out of the Office
When Mom heads out, it's with Swissbit's SwissMemory Victorinox 512MB USB flash drive Swiss Army Knife. Yep, it looks just like the one you'd take camping, but it costs $120--and tucked inside is a removable flash drive. Remove the drive to stick it into your PC's USB port as well as when you put the knife into your luggage so you can get through airport security.
And my mother wouldn't be caught dead without her notebook. But she's worried about how to protect all her precious data--you know, her recipe archives and digital photo albums of the grandkids. So she's been looking at small, high-capacity USB/FireWire drives to back up her notebook. The one she found is tiny (a little larger than a pack of cigarettes) and holds 80GB, which should be about right. CMS Products' ABSplus Notebook Backup System discounts for about $340 at our Product Finder.
Although Mom loves her notebook, she complains that it often gets really hot when it's on her lap. So she's also got her eye on the Notebook Chillhub, a $40 gizmo that dissipates the notebook's heat with its two fans. The Chillhub also has a four-port USB 2.0 hub built in.
Dig This: Interactive Buddy will cost you 30 minutes--or more--of your day. Play around to get a feel for how it works. Then from the menu, click Items, Objects, and choose a baseball. Use your mouse to drag and drop it, and have some fun. Then switch to Items to Explosives, Grenades. (Oh, the poor little buddy... LOL.)