Buying A Scanner

HP - Scanjet 4890 is capable of scanning, photocopying and printing high quality photo images. Comes in a sleek silver colour, solid and ready to use once the software's been loaded and the USB cable connected to the PC.


Its adjustable, robust, metal-hinged lid can accommodate large item. Using a built-in transparent materials adapter, the Scanjet 4890 can scan up to sixteen 35mm slides or 30 negative frames at once, as well as two to four medium-format film frames or one 4 x 5-inch film frame. There are four quick-start operational buttons on the front of the unit that will scan prints, scan film, e-mail, and copy, which makes life effortless for anyone who is computer shy and unsure of peripheral technology.

• Each scan takes around 10 seconds.
• Resolution is up to 4,800 x 9,600 dpi.
• The colour depth is 48-bit colour.

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Buying a DIGITAL CAMERA

I want a camera so that I can take pictures at important events such as birthday parties, etc. so I have memories of that day. The resolution should be 4 mega pixel or more.

This camera is what I need, when taking pictures at events with family or friends, because it has optical view finder, light weight, very sharp photos and fast and responsive to start-up and shoot, and so it is easy to take pictures with it.

This Camera offers photographic performance and easy-to-use features and controls. 10 effective mega pixels, a 5x Zoom-NIKKOR lens, Optical Vibration Reduction, Image Stabilization technology, and 15 user-friendly scene modes, the COOLPIX S560 is the perfect camera for photographers looking for a compact, lightweight camera that is user-friendly with great creative power, and that is what I would like to have.

A card reader would be useful, because it can then be used as a USB, and that would make it easy to transfer images from the camera to the computer.

Image File Types

Here's an explanation on some file types:

GIF files:

This is one of the most common image format. It encodes static bitmap images. In a bitmap image, the image file has to define the exact color of every pixel in the image. In a GIF image, the number of colors is reduced to 256 and then "runs" of same-color pixels are encoded in a color + number-Of-Pixels format. This makes a GIF file great for storing drawings that have lots of same-color pixels.

JPEG files:

This file is, like the GIF format, the most commonly used image format. It uses more complex techniques to compress images, where the colour of every pixel is different.

Animated GIF files:

An animated GIF file is a number of GIF files bonded together and displayed one after another. However, the size of the file is the sum of the GIF files used to create the sequence, and that can add up quickly.

MPEG files:

An MPEG file is like a JPEG file: it uses a complex algorithm like a JPEG file does, trying to eliminate repetition between frames to significantly compress video information. In addition it allows a soundtrack. Because a typical sequence has hundreds or thousands of frames, file sizes can still get quite large.

Shockwave files:

Shockwave files provides a vector-based animation capability. Instead of specifying the color of every pixel, a Shockwave file specifies the coordinates of shapes as well as the color of each shape. Shockwave files can be extremely small. They also provide soundtracks and animation. Because they are vector-based, you can enlarge the image and it will still look great.



What is a vector based image and how is it different to a bitmap based image?

Vector images are mathematically-based. All lines, shapes, etc. of a vector-based image are independent of one another.
Vector-based images are usually created and edited in "draw" or "illustrate" programs such as Adobe Illustrator. They have smooth edges and create curves or shapes. Vector-based images are good for precise illustrations, but are not as good for photorealistic images. They are easily scalable, due to their use of mathematic formulas.

Bitmap images, also referred to as raster images, are pixel-based. This means that location and color information about the image is stored in individual pixels within a grid.The information stored in a bitmap image regarding pixel location and color is what forms the image. Bitmap images are edited at the pixel level; in other words, the color of any one pixel can be changed.