Time-Saving Tips From the Pros

Hurry-Up Hardware, continued

Boost Disk Performance With RAID

In a world of gigahertz processors and quadruple data rate memory, hard disks are a huge bottleneck. One solution is to install two hard drives as a redundant array of independent disks. RAID controllers like the $109 Promise FastTrack TX2000 use a process called disk striping to spread files across multiple drives, resulting in higher data transfer rates.

The PC World Test Center found that a RAID setup can shave up to 40 percent off the time needed to complete a 1.3GB file transfer, depending on the drive model. But other operations--such as finding a file in Windows--ran slightly slower.

To make RAID work, you'll likely need a PC add-in card (some newer systems have RAID functionality built in) and a pair of identical hard drives. You may also need to set jumpers on the drives and on the RAID controller card or motherboard. Once installed, a pair of 80GB drives will appear in Windows Explorer as a single 160GB drive. While adding a second drive may increase the odds of a disk failure (simply because you've added another drive that might fail), today's drives are reliable enough that mainstream PC makers are adopting RAID in their systems. A sensible data backup routine should ensure that you don't lose critical data.

Duo-ing Monitors Make Fast Work

At work, I open two Word documents, an Excel spreadsheet, three Web browser windows, and my e-mail software--on a slow day. But my dual-monitor setup lets me juggle those applications with ease.

I've been running dual monitors since 1997, and I can say that no single system upgrade has improved my personal productivity as much as adding that second screen. And with many graphics cards now offering dual outputs, side-by-side displays are a cinch to set up and use. Plug an extra monitor into the second output, and use the graphics card's software (often found in the Windows Display Properties dialog box) to activate the second display. A 17-inch CRT runs about $120 today, but you'll save desk space and reduce eyestrain with a 15-inch LCD that offers similar screen area for about $280.

Just make sure that you've matched your graphics card and your monitors. Most dual-output cards feature a standard 15-pin analog VGA output, which all CRT displays use, and a second digital output (usually the DVI format) tailored to digital flat-panel monitors. If you plan to buy a second monitor for your dual-output graphics card, be certain that your monitors match the available ports. Some LCD monitors offer both analog and digital connections, giving you extra flexibility.

Auto Document Feeders for Scanners

I refinanced my house recently and found myself scanning scores of pages to fax to the lender. Feeding every page into the scanner was a tiresome process that took me most of the afternoon. An automatic document feeder like the one found on the HP Scanjet 8250c can be a huge help. Integrated into the scanner top, the feeder acts like the paper tray of a printer, placing a new document or photo on the glass after the current scan is finished. Pair the feeder with scanning software that intelligently names each image, and you have truly hands-free scanning. Just be ready to clear the occasional paper jam.

Of course, feeders aren't cheap. HP charges $900 for the Scanjet 8250c with its 15-pages-per-minute feeder. By contrast, the baseline Scanjet 8200c--the same-quality scanner without the feeder--runs $500. Fortunately some models, such as the Scanjet 7400c, accept document feeder upgrades priced at a more reasonable $200. If you scan multipage documents on a regular basis, an automatic document feeder can be a blessing.

Michael Desmond is a freelance writer based in Colchester, Vermont.