It has been a while since I have been on the conversation side of the FN. So, I totally was missing this thread. Congrats Sharon and Susan on getting Canon cameras like mine. You both will love them!!! Good choices you made! I bought two sets of 4 AA rechargeable batteries in 2005 when I got my camera and kept recharging them over and over again. I just threw out one of the sets about a month ago. They sure lasted a long time! The other set is still going. The third set I used at the start were batteries I found at home but I misplaced one or two of the batteries and so, never used that set much. Now, everytime I go somewhere with my camera, I throw the recharger in my purse with the 4 freshly recharged batteries in it. It is amazing how often I will be in the middle of the Westman Gardeners meeting taking pictures and the batteries will die then or in the midst of another function and they die. Just taking the few extra seconds to throw in the freshly recharged batteries in the purse sure has been a lifesaver. I have now taken about 25,000 pictures with my camera...it rolls over at the 9999 number to 0 again....of course, I haven't kept all of them but have a lot in the computer though! Thanks Susan for the fun sites to explore this winter. I have all the pictures I took this summer to label, crop, adjust lighting on, etc etc. this winter when I can't work outside anymore. It will be fun to work with some of the pictures with the fun techniques. I was given a Manfrotto tripod with a joystick head (pistol grip) for my birthday in June to use along with my camera and haven't taken the time to experiment with it and my camera. I am hoping for time this winter. Just wait...that will be the next thing on your wish list, Sharon and Susan. Brenda

Mid-size laptop: The HP Pavilion dv6810us is a mid-size laptop, with above-average processing power and everything most people need for basic computing, entertainment and online communication. This model has premium features including powerful dual-core processing, a DVD SuperMulti drive and LightScribe technology. Dual core/64-bit processing: The 2GHz Turion 64 X2 TL-60 has two processing engines that work in tandem, providing much more power than standard 2GHz processors. This processor is also capable of processing 64 bits of information at once, twice as much as standard 32-bit processors. AMD PowerNow! technology enhances mobile performance and extends battery life. * This laptop features 3GB of DDR2 system memoryenough for the most demanding users, gamers and multimedia professionals. DDR2 is slightly faster than DDR, the previous standard in system memory. * AMD employs HyperTransport technology, which works like a fully-integrated frontside bus that increases bandwidth, reduces bottlenecks and enables processors to work more efficiently. The end result is better performance. * Processors search for the same data over and over. L2 caches keep this data neat, organized, and nearby so it can be retrieved more quickly. This 1MB (2 x 512KB) L2 gives the processor a little boost. Hard drive: This hard drive features a 160GB capacityÂmore than enough storage space for the average user. This driveÂs data disks spin at 5400rpm. The faster they spin, the faster the data is read and written. Go wireless: Built-in 802.11g wireless LAN gives you a fast connection to a wide range of networks and peripherals. 802.11g is backwards-compatible with 802.11b, so you can connect using the two most popular wireless standards. Built-in Bluetooth: Enjoy easy communication with PDAs and other Bluetooth-enabled devices. DVD SuperMulti drive: Use this drive to burn DVDs and CDs to share your files, music mixes or home movies. You can even burn DVD-RAM discsÂspecially-formatted discs that let you drag and drop, or write and rewrite your files up to 100,000 times. LightScribe disc-labeling: Burn custom, silkscreen-quality labels and images onto your discs with the same drive that burns the data. Widescreen display: This laptop features a bright 15.4" high-definition widescreen display with 1280 x 800 pixel (WXGA) resolution. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit): This is the operating system for homes with advanced computer needs. And Vista Premium features the elegant new Aero interface. YouÂll be able to use your laptop more effectively and enjoy new entertainment experiencesÂall with the benefit of added security and reliability. Audio/video: This laptop features advanced NVIDIA GeForce 7150M graphics with 1071MB of total available graphics memory. This video memory is perfect for everyday activities like casual movie watching or gaming. The built-in Altec Lansing speakers provide compelling 3D sound. Media card reader: Seamlessly transfer images from your digital camera or camcorder. This 5-in-1 reader is compatible with Secure Digital, xD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and MultiMedia Card. ExpressCard/54 slot: This laptop supports ExpressCard, an emerging standard in smaller, faster PC card solutions. This slot is also compatible with ExpressCard/34Âuse it to add memory, graphics upgrades, security devices and more. Elegant design: High-gloss HP Imprint finish encases the elegant, curvilinear form and is more durable than traditional painted surfaces. This laptop features a subtle HP-exclusive Radiance pattern that captures the emerging trend towards ornamental design. Instant cinema to go: Enjoy digital movies and music within seconds with the press of an external button and HP QuickPlay. Dedicated external controls let you to navigate your movies and music easily and quickly. Software bundle: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1, Works, Office 2007 Student and Teacher Edition (60-day trial), and Internet Explorer Symantec Norton Internet Security 2008 (with 60 days of live update) HP PhotoSmart Essentials HP QuickPlay CyberLink DVD Suite Muvee autoProducer Adobe Acrobat Reader HP Games powered by WildTangent it does have svideo and 3 usb ports more info at link I see that Office Depot has it for $599 Personally I like HP computers I own several and have had really good luck with them. I am also an AMD person and much prefer AMD processors to Intel, just my personal preference from my experience with both types, the turion is a much better processor than the celeron, and this is a faster processor, it is a 64 bit also instead of 32 which is a plus AND it is a dual core which is very good. The video card is not top of the line by Nvidia but it is decent. It has 3 gig RAM which is good since it has Vista on it. the 160 GB hard drive is a nice roomy size having a built in media card reader is a plus you can just take the memory card out of any camera and stick it in and upload the pics to the pc. Plus you can use memory card as extra storage and backup along with usb flash drives or hard drives. It is not loaded down with a ton of crap wear either, I would get rid of the wild tangent myself. over all it seems to be a pretty decent little laptop for the price. It is fine for basic use for sure and should be pretty fast. if you are getting there at office depot be sure you remember to print out those rebate forms.

I would not throw away the slides! Those are the originals that can never be duplicated if something happens to your everyday copies. Expect the everyday copies to experience wear, tear, and finger prints. The media you may use to store the digitzed images is not all that permanent. Hard drives fail; Thumb USB drives may eventually give up the ghost. Research the storage life of a USB drive before depending on it for long term storage. My informtion is old, harking back to the early development days of those drives. Back then, the storage life was rated at 10 years. Those thumb drives have improved greatly since then, but the underlying technology is still the same. The memory in a USB drive requires a "keep alive" battery. typically, this battery is a small lithium cell that can keep the memory fresh for about 10 yrs and then it is done. Each junction in a solid state storage device is good for about 10,000 re-writes before failure. Clever tricks are employed to extend the life of these devices. An internal controller writes the data in a way to use all of the memory. It does not keep rewriting over the same locations, but moves the start partition when possible after an early file is deleted. It cycles the data over the entire media. In this way, all junctions get about the same usage rather than rewriting the begining parts over and over again. This statragy increases the life of the device. When a thumb drive is used for long term stoage of photo images, individaul junctions are not rewritten very often so this would not be a concern. However, the internal battery life is a concern. Burning the data to a CD is a good move, again only if the very best is used, and if there is a planned program of re-copying every 4 to 5 years. You'll have to research to find which media is best at long term storage: CD_R, CDRW , or DVD. It is sensible to make digital files so that you can reprint images as desired and pass along copies. But, it does not make semse to destroy the original images. My advice: 1. Cull the slides and save only the "keepers". 2. Digitize the keepers and toss the junk. 3. Pack the keepers in good boxes and store in a cool, dry location. 4. While you are culling, make a record/index of the slides with titles and dates. Print a copy and put with the slides. This will be very handy if, in the future, you wish to find a paricular slide. Put a digital copy of this index on each storage device.

I have a high-end Cannon scanner and it does a pretty good job. The benefits of owning a scanner are obvious, do the work at home at your convenience. One thing you did not mention as an option--use a professional scanner and do your own. In my experience the professional scanners give better results than home scanners. Some Targets have scanners, Kinko/FedEx and most copy shops have them. You scan the photos and choose CD's or reprints. Very reasonable prices and good results. The photo below of the quarter horse filly was taken with a 35mm film camera and scanned to CD at Target. The second photo of my garden was scanned at home with the Cannon. Difference is obvious. Marnie