Generally, optics is a branch of physics (science) that deals with the nature, behavior and properties of light. Optics is also the study of interaction of light with other matter. It is also regarded as the sub-field of electromagnetism because scientifically, light is an electromagnetic wave. Applied optical sciences are often called optical engineering. Classical optics and modern optics are the two major categories of optics. Fiber optics is one of the main branches of optics that is very popular these days.

The transmittance of data through fiber optics is based on the principle of total internal refraction. The data is transmitted through the medium of light. This may sound weird but you will be surprised to know that more than half of the contemporary technology is based on the concept and functions of fiber optics. Telephone, radio and television are the most common gadgets that excessively employ this technology.

Unlike the copper cables, there are no chances of getting electrical shocks in case of optical fibers. Glass has replaced copper through the course of time. Instead of copper wire, a bundle of glass threads (in a cable form) is used to transmit signals and data in modulated form. It is true that fiber optics has not replaced the traditional copper wires completely because glass threads are very expensive. They cannot be used as domestic cables used to transfer electricity and other signals.

Optical fibers are more resistant towards the external interference. They are lighter and thinner. Therefore, they transmit data in digital form instead of analogue form. Fiber optics has thus resulted in conversion of every electronic medium signal transmittance in digital form.

Apart from telecommunications, fiber optics has been a blessing in the medical and industrial applications as well. In the field of medicine, fiber optics is used in many appliances like endoscope and other high-tech treatments. It is assumed that fiber optics is all set to revolutionize the medical technologies and bring great advancement in this field. The organized and high-tech traffic control systems and automated tollbooths are the highly beneficial application of fiber optics.

The Internet and fiber optics have become inseparable because the optical fibers facilitate high data carrying capacity and high bandwidth.

Many people simply go to the retail store and get sold to when it comes to computing equipment. You would be very surprised how easily you can pick up all the core components and assemble yourself or get a friend or family member in the know to do it for you. All the top brand PC manufacturers such as IBM, HP and Fujitsu Siemens offer you pre built PC’s, Dell on the other hand will take your order and build to your own style. Off them all Dell will come across more flexible with the specification, however, building your own will not only save you many dollars but make you aware of just how much profit these guys are making.

What are the core components of a PC?

Well let’s start with the basics you will need no matter how high or low spec you want the computer:

PC Case – Motherboard – Processor Chip – Fan – Power Supply – Hard Disk Drive – Memory (RAM) – Power Cord – Keyboard & Mouse – Graphics Card (may come on the motherboard) – Sound Card (if you require one). All these components will get you started. Remember build the PC to your own needs. Gaming PC’s generally need a good graphics card with 3d capabilities while general office PC’s do not need such powerful cards.

Processors:

Intel and AMD are the key players when it comes to processors, Intel offer the Pentium chip or Celeron while AMD have their range such as the AMD Athlon and Sempron. While both companies have their benefits Intel’s being that they are the largest selling globally but AMD seem to have the faster processing capabilities. When looking at the processors think sensibly and ask yourself do you really need the latest and greatest or would you notice the difference in point two of a processor e.g. 3GHz compared to 2.8GHz.

Remember keep the cost down, basic components such as the PC case comes in a number of different styles such as Mini Tower, Desktop. Choose what suits you. RAM (memory) will depend on what you plan to do, some games and simulators require large amounts of memory so check before you buy, and the graphics card will also depend on your PC plans. If you are generally using the PC for home and Internet browsing remember to purchase a modem or if you are planning broadband arrange with the installer and get yourself on the waiting list.

Building the PC

Building a PC is not as daunting as it seems. If you have not attempted to do this before it is a good idea to have supervision. Some of the components such as the memory need careful handling due to static electricity. Get an anti static wrist strap to protect the components, they cost very little and could save you a lot of money. There are plenty of cheap books out there to guide you in assembly but you will also find free articles online with diagrams for assembly.

Software:

Hardware is one thing but you also need the software such as the operating system and anti virus software for protection against viruses. Depending on what you want and what you are used to using before you can get free operating system such as Linux. Most of us are used to Microsoft Windows but you will require a licence to use this software. You may also need some office software such as Microsoft Office XP or 2003 standard or Professional edition. The anti virus software is essential and Norton’s or McAfee are some of the better known brands. There are also free downloads that will help protect your PC such as Stinger and Ad-Ware.

In Brief:

Building your very own PC gives you the flexibility that most manufacturers do not. The price is greatly reduced if you can assemble yourself and it will give you a great insight to all the components and key terms in computing. You will be surprised to find that not all is as technical as first seems.

Some quick notes: Do not forget the following: Modem – Make sure you also have enough USB ports for external devices such as a printer or digital camera. Always back your files up such externally on the off chance you have a problem with the Hard Disk Drive and your files are not transferable, something like a usb keyring would be ideal.

Design
With a price tag of £480, the new HP Colour LaserJet 3600n is small, weighs 27kg and has deep handholds, so one person can carry it easily. At 15.7 by 15.7 by 17.7 inches (HWD), this laser printer can easily fit into a busy home office or individual office in a large company, should you need this level of speed and paper capacity. Its simplistic design makes jam-clearing and maintenance uncomplicated. However, the wall and hinges don’t appear to be too sturdy. It can be setup in the standard manner applicable to its class of printers, and the network installation routine is fully automated.

Paper Handling

The HP Colour LaserJet 3600n offers high-speed performance, with an engine rated at 17 pages per minute (ppm) for both colour and monochrome, fairly good graphics quality, even better text, and photographs that are good enough for client newsletters and the like. HP has also included an Ethernet connection for easy sharing over a network.

However, the main paper tray feels a little unsteady and has nothing to stop it when pulled out, so users should be careful not to drop it. The paper-length and paper-width guides are easy to adjust. The printer has a 100-sheet auxiliary feed in addition to the enclosed 250-sheet tray. You can boost this number to 850 by adding a 500-sheet feeder for £280.

Features

A two-line backlit LCD screen on the 3600n’s top panel displays a complete set of menus, which is easy to navigate with buttons for going through menus, selecting items and going back.

This printer comes with 64MB of memory and unfortunately you cannot expand that, nor add a duplexer, which makes expansion options very limited. If you need the extra memory, then consider HP’s 3600dn, a £670 model with a duplexer and twice the memory.

Performance

The 3600n prints black text at a reasonable 13ppm and colour graphics a bit faster, at 13.5ppm. In contrast, the Lexmark C522n prints text at 14.2ppm and graphics at 12.3ppm. However, if saving money is your real priority, and you don’t print much colour, consider Ricoh Aficio G700, which prints fine text at 12.1ppm but misses the cut on graphics speed and quality.

The 3600n disappoints the user with its print quality. In a few tests carried out by popular technology magazines, the text looked greyish instead of black, showed some roughness in large point sizes, and lost fine strokes. This is also the case with some of the 4-point output, which looked slightly grey, rather than black. Colour graphics did not negotiate shading ramps smoothly and produced blockish transitions. However, the printer makes the cut with colour accuracy and detail. Additionally, it prints greyscale photos very well, with fine detail and smooth shading.

Graphics are easily good enough for internal business use, but not satisfactory for handing out to important clients or customers. The most important issue in a number of tests was misregistration, with the colours slightly out of alignment. It resulted in a noticeable white gap between some blocks of colours, around some lines, and around some colour text on a colour background. Thin lines also tended to disappear. Additionally, colours tend to shift toward darker shades, losing detail in dark areas and making some colours look muddy.

On the whole, the 3600n’s text output has high enough quality for most purposes. Unless you have an unusual need for small font sizes, it is unlikely that you will print any text that the 3600n can’t handle. Lexmark’s similar C522 sells for around £100 less and offers equal speed and better quality, though Lexmark’s cost per page is slightly higher than HP’s and the difference may add up over time.