The P3 Update Magazine Blog

By Gordon Meyer (P3GizmoGuy@gmail.com)

Antiques can be a lot of fun, except when you’re talking about continuing to use old computers as productivity tools.  Let’s talk about obsolescence.  Lots of folks out there define obsolescence as a technology that’s no longer state of the art.  They’re the ones who’ll tell you that technology changes so rapidly that even a brand new computer is already obsolete by the time you crack the box open.  Horsefeathers! (I’d use a stronger word here that begins with a “B”, but this IS a family friendly publication, after all.)

Back in the day when I sold computers for a living, I used to advise my customers two things:

1)    In spite of technology changes, a computer is only obsolete when it can’t run the software you need to use.

2)    If you get 3-5 years of productive use out of your computer before upgrading to something new, you’ve gotten your money’s worth.

I’ve been using my Compaq Presario desktop system for about 8 years now, which makes it an antique as computers go.  It also means that by both of the points I just made, it’s definitely time to retire it and get something a bit more current.  As I go through my shopping process, you get to come along for the ride.

The first thing you have to do is determine how you normally use your computer and then pull out your crystal ball to get an idea of how you’re likely to use your computer for the next 2-3 years.

The first decision I decided to make was do I want a laptop or another desktop system?  Ideally, I’d have one of each. 

Desktop systems tend to cost less than laptops with comparable horsepower and they’re much easier to upgrade with things like bigger hard drives, more RAM, etc.  More to the point, if I get into heavy duty editing, there are a wide variety of video capture cards I can install in a desktop that aren’t available for laptops.  The down side is that a desktop is a stationary system that’s not intended to be moved from location to location.

While you pay a premium at the register for the portability of a laptop, part of what you’re paying for is portability.  It’s frankly nice to be able to take a laptop to a library or a Starbucks and be able to web surf. 

For me, in addition to the basics of email, writing and editing documents and scripts, maintaining simple databases and spreadsheets and the occasional Power Point presentation, I anticipate using my computer to edit video including slick graphics and possibly a bit of web development.  I also want something I can take with me on the road when need be.

I’m in discussions right now to co-write and co-produce a low budget thriller that will be shot in Florida fairly soon.  I don’t need to tell you folks how critical it is to have a good computer on location, whether it’s for on-set re-writes or revising production charts or even doing rough assembly of the footage on-set.

So, if I have to choose between a laptop and a desktop system, a laptop system makes the most sense for me. 

The next question is, PC or Mac?

Initially I was leaning towards one of the new generation of MacBooks.  Now I’ve always been a PC user, dating back to the days of (gasp!) MS-DOS.  All my software is Windows based.  But let’s face it.  It would be nice to be able to use Final Cut Pro.  And, with Macs now capable of running both Apple’s operating system and Windows, you can get the best of both worlds on the new Macs, right?

Not exactly.  A good buddy of mine has an Intel-based iMac that I use from time to time.  He’s also got one of those programs that will let him run a virtual Windows computer in a window on his Mac.  While that works fine most of the time, there are programs and hardware devices (like some brands of slide/photo negative scanners) that are Windows-only and won’t work on a dual system Mac.

Here’s the other thing.  I want to be able to edit and burn my own Blu-ray discs.  There are a growing number of PC laptop vendors like HP and Dell who offer the option of a built-in BD burner that’s also backwards compatible with DVDs and CDs as read/write devices.  Apple doesn’t offer that option yet and I don’t want to mess with external devices. 

So for now, I’m looking at a PC based laptop with a built-in Blu-ray R/W drive.  On my next entry, I’ll spell out some of the other criteria I’m using in making my selection.

Onward and upward!

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I Got Mine Covered - How About You?
by Gordon Meyer (P3GizmoGuy@gmail.com)

It’s now the end of the month and the musical question is, have you backed up your computer yet?  Backing up data is something that corporations and corporate networks routinely do very often, in many cases daily.  But how often do you do it?  Do you even think about it?

I have to admit it.  I can be pretty lazy when it comes to cleanup and maintenance, whether it’s my home or my computer. (Hey, I’m a single guy living alone.  Need I say more?)  But painful experience has taught me the importance of backing up my data at least a couple of times a month.

The good news is that what was once a cumbersome, time consuming project is now a virtual no-brainer thanks to devices like the Clickfree automatic backup gizmo from Storage Appliances (www.clickfree.com).  It’s a little palm-sized chrome box that works on both PCs and Macs. When you plug it into any USB 2.0 port on your computer, it automatically loads and launches its backup software in the background while you’re doing whatever else it is you want to do on your computer.

Clickfree automatically backs up all your data. Each time it runs, it backs up only new or changed data files, saving you lots of time.  One of the cool things about it is that its built-in software is designed to protect more than one computer, keeping each system’s data in its own folder.  Clickfree makes it easier for you to selectively restore your data by storing it according to file type.  This way, for example, if you’re looking for a Final Draft script file, you don’t have to wade through tons of photos and videos to get to it.

I’ve been using the portable 160GB version (SRP $99.95) on my system.  You can get up to a 500GB version for only $169.99.  For you heavy duty users, their external backup drives range in size from 500GB to 2TB.  Their USB Transformer device lets you turn just about any external hard drive into an automatic backup system for under $60.

 Here’s the bottom line.  Clickfree makes regular backups literally a plug and play no-brainer.  Now there’s no excuse for not protecting your data.

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By Gordon Meyer

When I was a film school student, like so many of my peers I wanted to direct. I had visions of that gloriously impressive screen credit, “A Film By Gordon Meyer” shining fifty feet wide across the Cinerama screen of my mind. But the folks who ran that film school (USC, if you must know) were wise enough to require that all students get at least some hands-on experience in writing, lighting, editing and sound as well as directing. As a result, many people who started out wanting to direct, ended up falling in love with one of the other crafts.

I bring this up because, a few years after graduating from USC, life happened and I ended up taking a detour into the world of consumer electronics, first selling things like computers and home theatres and then writing about them for publications like PC World, CNET and sadly defunct publications like Home Office Computing, Equip and a syndicated radio show called “Internet Insider,” where I was their “Multimedia Mogul” and “Tinseltown Titan” where I talked a lot about convergence and communications technologies. You could say I fell in love with all those “techno-toys” just as many of my SC classmates fell in love with film-making crafts other than directing.

Since the years when I wrote for all those publications, I have never forgotten my roots in film and TV production and am now developing a number of projects as a producer that, initially, are on the low budget side of the spectrum, including a talk show that will be taped in front of a live audience and feature top above the line talent talking about specific films or TV shows they made.

As a producer, like so many P3 Update readers, I am constantly challenged to balance quality and budget. On the one hand, it’s critical that my team be able to deliver network caliber production quality so that we can maximize the ways we can monetize our content library. At the same time, we have to be extremely cognizant of the bottom line.

Here’s where my expertise in consumer electronics comes into play and what this blog is all about. While the first impulse when looking for professional tools may be to go to the big equipment houses or specialty dealers, very often you can find valuable tools at your local Best Buy or Office Depot and that’s what I’ll be telling you about.

Some of these may be directly related to one of the 3 Ps of P3 Update, like the new class of pocket-sized camcorders that I’ll be writing about in an upcoming blog entry. I’ll also be looking at some of the cooler “pro-sumer” products out there that are on the high end of the pricing scale of consumer products, while at the same time can often deliver fully professional results.

Some of the gadgets and gizmos I report on will be more generic productivity tools and not P3-specific, they will always be tools that many, if not most P3 Update readers can benefit from – like the latest smart phones, netbooks or productivity software. One way or the other, I’ll show you why these products are worth considering and how you’ll be able to use them effectively in whatever aspect of the biz you’re in – all in plain English.

Now let’s go have some fun.

Gordon Meyer
P3GizmoGuy@gmail.com

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