Laptop tips – get the most out of your battery power

Posted on November 1, 2010 by admin

Whether you’ve bought, borrowed or rented your new laptop – chances are you’ll be taking it on the go. Laptops have revolutionised the way we think about computing; we no longer have to be chained to the desk from 9 to 5, instead we can be on the couch, at a cafe or even in the park and get our work done.
However, if you’re one to always have your laptop with you, chances are you’ll be looking to maximise your battery life. There’s nothing more frustrating than being in the middle of your work and have the battery power on your machine cut out or go into sleep mode.

When it comes to getting the most out of your portable power – here are some tips:

  1. Put it to sleep – set your machine to automatically go to sleep after a short period of inactivity – say 10 minutes or so. Set the laptop to hibernate when the lid is closed.
  2. Dim the lights - the display draws a lot of power so turn down the brightness and save on some juice. You can also set your screen to go blank after a short period of inactivity before it actually goes to sleep.
  3. Scale back on tasks - shut down any non-essential tasks that are running in the background and disable any components that you don’t need. For example, you can turn off the wireless receiver if you’re going to be focused on word processing and close your email dialogue if you’re not going to be reading your messages.
  4. Cut down the multimedia - video streaming and audio play, especially playing a CD, uses a lot of power from your laptop. Use a separate media player such as an iPod if you want to have music in the background instead of streaming it off your computer.
  5. Watch scheduled tasks - be aware of virus scanners and other scheduled tasks that are set to run in the background. Set these tasks to run during a time that your computer is likely to be plugged in.

Maximising your battery life will help extend your usage, but it’s always important to take those extra precautions to ensure you don’t lose your work, in case you do run out of power. Backup your work on an external hard drive or take advantage of the free online data back-up that you get with some laptop rental agreements. Invest in an extra battery pack and keep it charged if you’re going to be away for awhile or if you’ll be presenting at a conference or meeting.

Computer finance makes it easy to get the machine you want – and you can include a number of extras such as batteries, laptop bags and accessories.

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Laptops for school – how you can save some money with ETR

Posted on November 1, 2010 by admin

When it comes to your children, you want to make sure they have every advantage possible to get ahead. That’s why it’s important to give them access to state of the art computers and software that will help enrich their educational experience.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has made it even easier to give your kids access to the world – and we’re not talking about broadband. The Educational Tax Refund (ETR) helps parents and adults looking to complete their secondary school training pay for some of the associated costs of acquiring the latest technology for their education.

How the ETR works

From 1 July 2008, the ETR lets eligible families and individuals claim 50% on educational expenses associated with primary or secondary school. This applies to technology costs such as home computers and acquiring internet connection as well as textbooks, software and study guides. Eligible families will be able to claim 50% on their total expenses of up to:

  • $780 per primary school student (up to $390 per child)
  • $1558 for every secondary school student (up to $779 per child)

So if you’ve bought a computer that costs $1400 for your child who’s in year 10, you’ll be able to claim for that purchase and receive $700 from the government as part of the ETR – so that’s a brand new, state of the art computer for your child that costs just $700 out of your own pocket.
Other eligible education expenses include:

  • computer-related equipment such as printers, USB flash drives, and computer disability aids for students with special needs
  • home internet connections, including the set up and monthly fees
  • computer software for educational purposes
  • word processing, spreadsheet, database and presentation software as well as internet filters and antivirus software
  • school textbooks and other paper-based school learning material, including prescribed textbooks, associated learning materials, study guides and stationery
  • prescribed trade tools for secondary school education programmes

The ETR also applies when you rent a laptop, so you could receive a rebate for up to 50% of your total annual payments – making it easy to get the latest technology for children from the day they enter primary school to their high school graduation. You’ll also get free online data back-up, so your kids won’t lose their school work when they “download” a virus with the latest game” and a free loaner laptop if the laptop ever needs to be repaired or gets stolen – so you can take the stress out of giving your kids the responsibility of looking after an expensive piece of equipment.

Find out how you can stay up to date with the latest technology with laptop finance and computer rental. The ETR makes it easy to give your child the world.

Posted in Articles | Tagged , | Leave a comment

OH&S for your office space – things to look out for

Posted on November 1, 2010 by admin

When it comes to fitting out the perfect office space, there’s plenty to keep in mind. You’ll want a productive, comfortable and inspiring workplace to ensure your employees can perform at their best. Do you go for an open plan or would individual offices be ideal? What about common spaces such as break rooms and printing areas?

Another critical consideration when it comes to office space layout is occupation health and safety (OH&S) matters. Employers are responsible for providing a safe workplace for their workers. While hazards in an office space will be much harder to identify than on a construction site, there are still a number of scenarios to watch out for to ensure you’re providing a safe working environment for your staff:

Mechanical hazards – the machines in your office space need to be safely installed. “What machines?” you ask. Think about filing cabinets that could topple over if the top drawers are left open or IT server systems that aren’t secured properly.

Physical hazards – ensure workstations are ergonomically set to minimise any strain on the joints and that chairs provide enough support for the back. Minimise glare on computer screens and ensure that any heating elements from heaters, photocopiers, refrigerators etc are stowed safely. If staff members spend the majority of their day in a single fixed posture, encourage them to move around and do some stretching at regular intervals. Be sure that the office space has adequate heating and cooling to maintain a comfortable temperature and that it adequately controls for humidity levels year round.

Chemical hazards - take notice of any fumes or vapours such as paint, solvent or airborne particles such as dust and printer toner. Prolonged exposure to these types of particles can cause serious health problems in the long term.

Electrical hazards – ensure all cables are secured and that any old and damaged wiring is replaced – this is especially important if you’ll be looking at commercial real estate in an older building.

Did you know that OH&S guidelines outline an emotional and mentally safe work environments as well as the physical? Sexual harassment, workplace bullying or excessively stressful workloads could violate the Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004 – as an employer, you have a duty of care to your staff that puts you in charge. Whether you’re leasing or buying commercial property for your business, ensure that you follow the legal guidelines that are set out by the OH&S Act and are also providing your employees with a comfortable and productive workplace so they can get on with their tasks.

Posted in Articles | Tagged , | Leave a comment