When purchasing a flash drive, many people ask the question: “how to choose the right flash drive.” Of course, choosing a flash drive is not so difficult if you know exactly for what purpose it is being purchased. In this article I will try to give a complete answer to the question posed. I decided to write only about what to look for when buying.

A flash drive (USB drive) is a drive designed for storing and transferring information. The flash drive works very simply without batteries. You just need to connect it to the USB port of your PC.

1. Flash drive interface

At the moment there are 2 interfaces: USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. If you decide to buy a flash drive, then I recommend taking a flash drive with a USB 3.0 interface. This interface was made recently, its main feature is high data transfer speed. We'll talk about speeds a little lower.

This is one of the main parameters that you need to look at first. Now flash drives from 1 GB to 256 GB are sold. The cost of a flash drive will directly depend on the amount of memory. Here you need to immediately decide for what purpose you are buying a flash drive. If you are going to store text documents on it, then 1 GB is enough. For downloading and transferring movies, music, photos, etc. you need to take the more, the better. Today, the most popular flash drives are from 8GB to 16GB.

3. Housing material

The body can be made of plastic, glass, wood, metal, etc. Most flash drives are made of plastic. I can’t give any advice here; it all depends on the buyer’s preferences.

4. Data transfer rate

Earlier I wrote that there are two standards: USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. Now I will explain how they differ. The USB 2.0 standard has read speeds of up to 18 Mbit/s and write speeds of up to 10 Mbit/s. The USB 3.0 standard has a read speed of 20-70 Mbit/s, and a write speed of 15-70 Mbit/s. Here, I think, there is no need to explain anything.

Nowadays you can find flash drives of different shapes and sizes in stores. They can be in the form of jewelry, fancy animals, etc. Here I would advise taking flash drives that have a protective cap.

6. Password protection

There are flash drives that have a password protection feature. Such protection is carried out using a program that is located in the flash drive itself. The password can be set both on the entire flash drive and on part of the data in it. Such a flash drive will primarily be useful to people who transfer corporate information to it. According to the manufacturers, if you lose it, you don’t have to worry about your data. It's not that simple. If such a flash drive falls into the hands of an understanding person, then hacking it is just a matter of time.

These flash drives look very beautiful, but I would not recommend buying them. Because they are very fragile and often break in half. But if you are a neat person, then feel free to take it.

Conclusion

As you noticed, there are many nuances. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. In my opinion, the most important parameters when choosing are: the standard of the flash drive, the capacity and speed of writing and reading. And everything else: design, material, options - this is just everyone’s personal choice.

Good afternoon, my dear friends. In today's article I want to talk about how to choose the right mouse pad. When buying a rug, many people do not attach any importance to this. But as it turned out, this point needs to be given special attention, because... The mat determines one of the indicators of comfort while working at a PC. For an avid gamer, choosing a rug is a completely different story. Let's look at what types of mouse pads have been invented today.

Mat options

1. Aluminum
2. Glass
3. Plastic
4. Rubberized
5. Double sided
6. Helium

And now I would like to talk about each type in more detail.

1. First I want to consider three options at once: plastic, aluminum and glass. These rugs are very popular among gamers. For example, plastic mats are easier to find on sale. The mouse glides quickly and accurately on these mats. And most importantly, these mouse pads are suitable for both laser and optical mice. Aluminum and glass mats can be a little harder to find. Yes, and they will cost a lot. True, there is a reason for this - they will serve for a very long time. These types of rugs have minor flaws. Many people say that they rustle when operating and are a little cool to the touch, which may cause discomfort for some users.

2. Rubberized (rag) mats have soft sliding, but the accuracy of their movements is worse. For ordinary users, such a mat will be just right. And they are much cheaper than the previous ones.

3. Double-sided mouse pads, in my opinion, are a very interesting type of mouse pad. As the name suggests, these rugs have two sides. Typically, one side is high-speed and the other is high-precision. It happens that each side is designed for a specific game.

4. Helium mats have a silicone cushion. She supposedly supports the hand and relieves tension from it. For me personally, they turned out to be the most inconvenient. According to their intended purpose, they are designed for office workers, since they sit at the computer all day long. These mats are not suitable for casual users and gamers. The mouse glides very poorly on the surface of such mouse pads, and their accuracy is not the best.

Mat sizes

There are three types of rugs: large, medium and small. Here everything primarily depends on the taste of the user. But as is commonly believed, large rugs are good for games. Small and medium ones are taken mainly for work.

Rugs design

In this regard, there are no restrictions. It all depends on what you want to see on your rug. Fortunately, now they don’t draw anything on rugs. The most popular are the logos of computer games, such as Dota, Warcraft, Line, etc. But if it happened that you couldn’t find a rug with the pattern you wanted, don’t be upset. Now you can order a print on a rug. But such mats have a disadvantage: when printing is applied to the surface of the mat, its properties deteriorate. Design in exchange for quality.

This is where I want to end the article. On my own behalf, I wish you to make the right choice and be satisfied with it.
For anyone who doesn’t have a mouse or wants to replace it with another one, I advise you to look at the article:.

Microsoft's all-in-one PCs have been replenished with a new all-in-one model called Surface Studio. Microsoft recently presented its new product at an exhibition in New York.

Note! I wrote an article a couple of weeks ago where I reviewed the Surface all-in-one. This candy bar was presented earlier. To view the article, click on.

Design

Microsoft calls its new product the world's thinnest all-in-one PC. Weighing 9.56 kg, the thickness of the display is only 12.5 mm, the remaining dimensions are 637.35x438.9 mm. The display dimensions are 28 inches with a resolution greater than 4K (4500x3000 pixels), aspect ratio 3:2.

Note! The display resolution of 4500x3000 pixels corresponds to 13.5 million pixels. This is 63% more than 4K resolution.

The all-in-one display itself is touch-sensitive, housed in an aluminum case. On such a display it is very convenient to draw with a stylus, which ultimately opens up new possibilities for using a candy bar. In my opinion, this candy bar model will appeal to creative people (photographers, designers, etc.).

Note! For people of creative professions, I advise you to look at the article where I reviewed all-in-one computers with similar functionality. Click on the highlighted one: .

To everything written above, I would add that the main feature of the candy bar will be its ability to instantly turn into a tablet with a huge working surface.

Note! By the way, Microsoft has another amazing candy bar. To find out about it, go to.

Specifications

I will present the characteristics in the form of a photograph.

From the periphery, I note the following: 4 USB ports, Mini-Display Port connector, Ethernet network port, card-reader, 3.5 mm audio jack, 1080p webcam, 2 microphones, 2.1 Dolby Audio Premium audio system, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. The candy bar also supports Xbox wireless controllers.

Price

When purchasing an all-in-one PC, Windows 10 Creators Update will be installed on it. This system should be released in the spring of 2017. This operating system will have updated Paint, Office, etc. The price for an all-in-one PC will be from $3,000.
Dear friends, write in the comments what you think about this candy bar, ask questions. I'll be glad to chat!

OCZ demonstrated the new VX 500 SSD drives. These drives will be equipped with a Serial ATA 3.0 interface and are made in a 2.5-inch form factor.

Note! Anyone interested in how SSD drives work and how long they last can read in an article I wrote earlier:.

The new products are made using 15-nanometer technology and will be equipped with Tochiba MLC NAND flash memory microchips. The controller in the SSD drives will be Tochiba TC 35 8790.
The VX 500 drive range will consist of 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB. According to the manufacturer, the sequential read speed will be 550 MB/s (this is for all drives in this series), but the write speed will be from 485 MB/s to 512 MB/s.

The number of input/output operations per second (IOPS) with data blocks of 4 KB in size can reach 92,000 when reading, and 65,000 when writing (this is all at random).
The thickness of OCZ VX 500 drives will be 7 mm. This will allow them to be used in ultrabooks.

The prices of the new products will be as follows: 128 GB - $64, 256 GB - $93, 512 GB - $153, 1 TB - $337. I think in Russia they will cost more.

Lenovo presented its new gaming all-in-one IdeaCentre Y910 at Gamescom 2016.

Note! Previously, I wrote an article where I already reviewed gaming monoblocks from different manufacturers. This article can be viewed by clicking on this one.

The new product from Lenovo received a frameless display measuring 27 inches. The display resolution is 2560x1440 pixels (this is QHD format), the refresh rate is 144 Hz, and the response time is 5 ms.

The monoblock will have several configurations. The maximum configuration includes a 6th generation Intel Core i7 processor and a hard drive capacity of up to 2 TB or 256 GB. The amount of RAM is 32 GB DDR4. The graphics will be provided by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or GeForce GTX 1080 video card with Pascal architecture. Thanks to such a video card, it will be possible to connect a virtual reality helmet to the candy bar.
From the periphery of the candy bar, I would highlight the Harmon Kardon audio system with 5-watt speakers, the Killer DoubleShot Pro Wi-Fi module, a webcam, USB ports 2.0 and 3.0, and HDMI connectors.

In its basic version, the IdeaCentre Y910 monoblock will go on sale in September 2016 at a price of 1,800 euros. But the candy bar with the “VR-ready” version will appear in October at a price of 2,200 euros. It is known that this version will have a GeForce GTX 1070 video card.

MediaTek has decided to upgrade its Helio X30 mobile processor. So now the developers from MediaTek are designing a new mobile processor called Helio X35.

I would like to briefly talk about Helio X30. This processor has 10 cores, which are combined into 3 clusters. Helio X30 has 3 variations. The first - the most powerful - consists of Cortex-A73 cores with a frequency of up to 2.8 GHz. There are also blocks with Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of up to 2.2 GHz and Cortex-A35 with a frequency of 2.0 GHz.

The new Helio X35 processor also has 10 cores and is created using 10-nanometer technology. The clock frequency in this processor will be much higher than that of its predecessor and ranges from 3.0 Hz. The new product will allow you to use up to 8 GB of LPDDR4 RAM. The graphics in the processor will most likely be handled by the Power VR 7XT controller.
The station itself can be seen in the photographs in the article. In them we can see storage compartments. One bay has a 3.5" jack and the other has a 2.5" jack. Thus, it will be possible to connect both a solid-state drive (SSD) and a hard drive (HDD) to the new station.

The dimensions of the Drive Dock station are 160x150x85mm, and the weight is no less than 970 grams.
Many people probably have a question about how the Drive Dock connects to a computer. I answer: this happens via a USB port 3.1 Gen 1. According to the manufacturer, the sequential read speed will be 434 MB/s, and in write mode (sequential) 406 MB/s. The new product will be compatible with Windows and Mac OS.

This device will be very useful for people who work with photo and video materials at a professional level. Drive Dock can also be used for file backups.
The price for the new device will be acceptable - it is $90.

Note! Previously, Renduchinthala worked for Qualcomm. And since November 2015, he moved to a competing company, Intel.

In his interview, Renduchintala did not talk about mobile processors, but only said the following, I quote: “I prefer to talk less and do more.”
Thus, the Intel top manager created great intrigue with his interview. We can only wait for new announcements in the future.

The all-in-one class of computers has been on the market for decades. The world's first was a Hewlett-Packard all-in-one with a built-in 9-inch touch screen, introduced back in 1983. Over the next 20 years, monoblocks were not very popular and were more of an attribute of the industrial and commercial spheres. But with the advent of mass-available liquid crystal screens, they received a new life, becoming thinner and lighter than their predecessors.

Currently, monoblocks can be found everywhere: in everyday life, in shops and restaurants, in offices and industrial enterprises. Their obvious advantages over desktop computers include a reduced need for free space for placement, fewer wires, and ease of warranty repair.

When choosing a candy bar, one of the evaluation parameters is the presence of a touch display. And the value of this parameter is not as obvious to most users as, for example, the number of USB ports or the newness of the processor. Many questions arise from the category “Why does this bandura need a touch screen if that’s what tablets exist for?”

Indeed, the ability to point a finger at a large monitor seems useless to many people. Others, on the contrary, understanding the delights of such functionality, purchase exclusively touchscreen monoblocks. Therefore, in this article we will talk about those methods of application that are impossible without a touchscreen.

We will consider the advantages of touch control using the following monoblocks as an example:

• MSI Pro 16 Flex-024RU (9S6-A62311-024)
• MSI Wind Top AP1622ET-020RU (9S6-A61511-020)
• Lenovo IdeaCentre 510-22 (F0CB00U8RK)

These devices differ quite greatly from each other both in price and in potential areas of application.

Review of MSI Pro 16 Flex-024RU (9S6-A62311-024)

This device's design looks like a grown-up and fat tablet. On the front, apart from the size, there are minimal differences from its smaller brothers - a glossy 15.6-inch touch screen (1366 x 768 pixels) is framed by black plastic frames without any inscriptions or unusual curves. At the top of the frame you can see the web camera peephole.

The differences with tablets start when it comes to the number of ports. In addition to the standard 3.5 mm headphone jack, on the right side of the candy bar there is an HDMI video output, two USB 3.0 ports, one of which supports the MSI Super Charger Technology function, as well as a card reader. On the left side there is only a lone Kensington security lock. Hidden in the bottom recess is an RJ-45 connector and two serial 8-pin ports for connecting barcode readers or credit cards, printers (there is also a package on the market with two USB 2.0 instead of 8-pin ports).

At the top end of the device there are buttons to decrease and increase brightness, hard drive and power indicators, as well as the system power button.

On the reverse - light - side you can find a rectangular grid of ventilation holes, stereo speaker outputs and a folding stand that serves to install the monoblock on a flat surface.

The device is powered by an energy-efficient Intel Celeron N3150 processor (Braswell architecture, 4 cores, base clock frequency - 1.6 GHz, level 2 cache - 2 MB, maximum TDP power consumption - 6 W) with integrated Intel HD graphics (320 - 640 MHz). There is no discrete video card provided. The amount of RAM is 4 GB (DDR3 - 1600 MHz), permanent memory is 500 GB on HDD (7200 rpm).

This hardware can handle moderate multitasking, browsing the Internet and office applications, as well as multimedia content. The monoblock is not intended for computer games.

Wireless communication is carried out via Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n).

The operating system is not preinstalled, so the user can install any convenient one, depending on the purpose of using the candy bar.

How to use MSI Pro 16 Flex-024RU (9S6-A62311-024)

The monoblock is universal, takes up little space and has the ability to be used horizontally, installed on a flat surface and mounted on a wall. This makes the device suitable for a wide range of applications.

It can be installed on a small table in a child’s room and used for preparing essays, final papers, processing laboratory data, etc. In your free time, listen to music, view photos and videos, and play intuitive touch-controlled toys from the app store. The main differences from a tablet are the screen size, as well as the ability to use a classic keyboard and mouse connected via USB ports. Considering the price is comparable to tablets, the MSI Pro 16 Flex is an excellent choice for many families with growing children.

The ability to mount it on the wall will allow you to hang the gadget above the kitchen table and, while cooking, flip through a book of culinary recipes found on the Internet on the candy bar screen. And during lunch you can watch your favorite TV series or educational videos, while conveniently operating your computer.

For small businesses, MSI Pro 16 Flex will provide the opportunity to quickly and easily set up an operator or salesperson workplace. You can install the desired version of Linux with a cash register interface on the monoblock, and plug a credit card reader and a receipt printer into the 8-pin RJ45 ports.

In a restaurant, such monoblocks can be hung on the wall at each table, connected to a Wi-Fi network and taken orders without a waiter through the application. In this case, the client will have as much time as he wants to study the menu, and he can order the dish he likes with a couple of touches.

Of course, we have not given all the areas of application of the MSI Pro 16 Flex, but have only outlined the main areas of use.

Review of MSI Wind Top AP1622ET-020RU (9S6-A61511-020)

MSI Wind Top AP1622 is not as attractive in design as the previous version, and the price is a little more expensive. This is due to its positioning as a computer for business and industrial enterprises.

From the front side, the monoblock seems quite bulky - the 15.6-inch matte resistive screen is framed by wide black frames. The top one has a built-in webcam and microphone. The bottom frame is used as a support when installing the device vertically on a surface; it also has built-in stereo speakers directed towards the user.

The thickness of the device is decent - almost 7 cm. Due to this, the manufacturer managed to place many connectors and ports on the case. On the left side there are a system power button and indicator, a hard drive indicator, brightness control buttons, a card reader, two USB 3.0 ports (one with support for MSI Super Charger Technology) and a power connector. On the right you can only see a plug on the additional HDD tray, and on top there is a long ventilation hole. The most interesting connectors are located on the bottom edge: a linear output for an audio system or headphones, a microphone jack, four USB 2.0 ports, an RJ-45 network connector, two serial ports and a parallel port.

The back of the device is a black plastic panel with ventilation holes and a Kensington lock, in the middle of which there is a folding stand with a hole for cable routing.

The “heart” of the all-in-one is the Intel Celeron 1037U processor (Ivy Bridge architecture, 2 cores, base clock frequency - 1.8 GHz, level 3 cache - 2 MB, maximum TDP power consumption - 17 W) with integrated Intel HD graphics ( 350 - 1000 MHz). There is 4 GB of RAM (DDR3 - 1333 MHz). For data storage it is proposed to use a HDD with a capacity of 500 GB (5400 rpm).

The "stuffing" by modern standards is far from the most powerful, but the candy bar is positioned as an interactive display for business and industry, where excessive productivity and multitasking are not required. For the same reasons, it comes without a pre-installed operating system so that the user can install the one he needs on it.

There is no Bluetooth in the gadget, but it is not really needed for this machine. Fortunately, a Wi-Fi module (802.11 b/g) is installed inside.

Methods of application MSI Wind Top AP1622ET-020RU (9S6-A61511-020)

As already mentioned, the candy bar is not designed and positioned for home use. Therefore, it is worth purchasing it for an apartment mainly for people who work a lot from home, or for private small online stores. But this is also more of an office use.

For business, this computer is much more interesting - there are many USB ports for connecting all the necessary peripherals, and serial ports that support barcode readers and receipt printers, as well as a parallel port for connecting a regular printer not over a network - for data protection.

The industrial orientation of the device is also visible. Largely thanks to the resistive display, which responds to touches from any object, and not just fingers or special styluses, as in capacitive technology. This is convenient when the monoblock is used to monitor the status of some power plant and it is not convenient for maintenance personnel to take off their protective gloves to switch graphic slides.

As a result, MSI Wind Top AP1622ET is worth purchasing for those who need an inexpensive and functional device for use as an interactive display or cash register for their office.

Review of Lenovo IdeaCentre 510-22 (F0CB00U8RK)

The Lenovo all-in-one is more expensive and productive, and also subjectively more beautiful than the previous devices we reviewed while writing this article. But it is also less versatile due to its increased size, lack of specific ports for card/barcode readers and printers, and inability to be used horizontally or mounted on a wall.

The design of the monoblock is neat, has very narrow frames and generally looks like a regular computer monitor. But it doesn’t require a system unit.

On the front panel, in addition to the 21.5-inch glossy touch screen with Full HD resolution, there is a black mesh insert behind which the stereo speakers are hidden. A web camera is also built into it in the center.

On the left side of the device there are two USB 3.0 ports, a memory card reader and a combo audio input. On the right is the optical drive and power button.

The bulk of the connectors are located on the rear panel of the monoblock, made of black plastic. There is a security lock slot, a power connector, an RJ-45 network port, an HDMI video output and as many as three USB 2.0 ports for connecting the necessary peripheral devices according to the “plug and forget” principle.

The IdeaCentre 510-22 (F0CB00U8RK) is equipped with a dual-core processor of the latest generation Intel Core i3 - 7100T, sold since the first quarter of 2017 (Kaby Lake architecture, base clock frequency - 3.4 GHz, level 3 cache - 2 MB, maximum power consumption TDP - 35 W) with integrated graphics Intel HD 630 (350 - 1100 MHz). The RAM is also modern - DDR4 - 2133 MHz with a capacity of 4 GB in the factory assembly. 1000 GB of HDD space (7200 rpm) is available for data storage.

Despite modern hardware, you still won’t be able to play anything on a candy bar except old, undemanding toys or applications from the Microsoft store. IdeaCentre 510-22 is more of an office compact computer or a multimedia center for the home. This assumption is also confirmed by the presence of a simple keyboard and mouse included.

How to use Lenovo IdeaCentre 510-22 (F0CB00U8RK)

The monoblock in question has a fairly wide screen, making it a convenient replacement for a desktop computer both in the apartment and in the workplace. It takes up no more space than a regular monitor and looks decent, which is what most users who use a computer for everyday undemanding tasks require.

The touch screen does not play the most important role here, since the device is not designed for horizontal or wall placement, convenient for finger touch control. However, the monoblock will fit perfectly as a multimedia center in a large room if you install expensive speakers from Yamaha and gather friends for a party. Then intuitive touch input will allow those who want to quickly switch music or stream online videos to a widescreen TV via an HDMI cable.

Let's sum it up

The MSI Pro 16 Flex is a cheap, all-in-one all-in-one for everyday use that can be used almost anywhere. For example, in the kitchen instead of a TV, in a gift shop or in a restaurant instead of paper menus.

For business and industrial purposes, there is a specific MSI Wind Top AP1622ET, which has a resistive touch screen and various ports designed for barcode scanners and secure non-networked printer use.

The modern Lenovo IdeaCentre 510-22 is suitable as a compact office computer or a nice media center for a large apartment.

All of these all-in-one PCs have touch screens and would be completely different devices without them. Intuitive input with finger touches expands the scope of use of such technology, and in some cases there are no alternatives to all-in-one touch computers.

Disassembly/Setup

How to hang a monoblock on the wall? VESA mounts and brackets

To save even more space in the house, you decided to use a wall, and asked the question “how to hang an all-in-one computer on the wall?” So, to mount the monoblock on the wall, we need a special VESA mount.

All-in-one computer on the wall in the kitchen, convenient and space saving

VESA mounts, what is it?

VESA is an international video electronics standards association whose mission is to develop standards related to the operation of video adapters, monitors and televisions. This organization has developed a standard for mounting televisions and monitors, which is also used in monoblocks.

VESA Mount Standards

Name	Diagonal	Weight Limit	Dimensions	Bolts
MIS-B	102-202 mm (4”-7.9”)	2 kg	50×20 mm	M4
MIS-C	203-304 mm (8”-11.9”)	4.5 kg	75×35 mm	M4
MIS-D 75	305-583 mm (12”-22.9”)	8 kg	75×50, 75x75 mm	M4
MIS-D 100	305-583 mm (12”-22.9”)	14 kg	100 x 100, 100 x 50 mm	M4
MIS-E	584-786 mm (23”-30.9”)	22.7 kg	200 x 100, 200 x 50 mm	M4
MIS-F M6	787-2286 mm (31”-90”)	50 kg	200 mm × 200 mm and more	M6
MIS-B	102-202 mm (4”-7.9”)	2 kg	50×20 mm	M4

Support for VESA mounts is implemented in many models of all-in-one computers, but not all, so it is worth checking in the instructions for your all-in-one computer whether it supports these mounts.

VESA Mounts

So, if your all-in-one PC has VESA mounts, then you can start choosing a bracket. There are several types of VESA brackets:

• Fixed brackets - the monoblock will be rigidly fixed in one position; the angle of inclination or rotation cannot be changed.
• Tilt brackets - by attaching the All-In-One PC to them, you can change the angle of inclination vertically, that is, up or down.
• Tilt-and-turn and ceiling brackets - allow you to change both the angle of inclination vertically and rotate the monoblock horizontally; with such a bracket you are absolutely free to adjust the position in all directions.

VESA bracket KROMAX TECHNO-3, 15" - 40", maximum weight 20 kg, VESA standards 75×75, 100×100, 200×100, 200×200

Installing a monoblock on the wall

In principle, everything is done in a couple of simple steps: attach one side of the VESA bracket to the monoblock, and attach the other side to the wall, ready! The greatest difficulty in this work will most likely be attaching the bracket to the monoblock; most often it will be necessary to remove the foot-stand from the back cover and install the bracket in its place. For monoblocks of different models, this operation can be performed differently. As an example, let's look at how this is done on an All-In-One PC from Sony.

To remove the stand you need to unscrew four screws

Now you need to remove the mounting plate from the stand, it is attached to a whole bunch of screws, unscrew and remove

On the rear panel of the monoblock you need to unscrew two screws, freeing the mounting spots for installing the mounting plate

We fix the mounting plate on the back wall of the all-in-one computer using six screws.

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