Category 6, commonly referred to as Cat6 cables, offer low crosstalk, higher signal to noise ratio and ideally suited for 10GBASE-T (10-Gigabit Ethernet. Cat5e cables only support up to 1000 BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet). For future-proofing your network, a CAT6 is normally a preferred choice and costs less. Both Cat5e and Cat6 cables are backwards compatible, meaning that newer Cat6 cables may be used with older Cat5, Cat5e and other Cat3 equipment.

So, let’s just say you are interested in playing one of those gaming consoles everyone has heard about, or you are just looking to connect to the interweb.net that many youngsters can’t seem to stop gabbing about. You will require some cables right? In your quest to finding the right cable, you’ll more than likely come across Cat5e, Cat5 and Cat 6 cables without any clues as to what the designations mean. Perhaps the cables feline tails, and the number indicates how many lives they are left with? That’s utter nonsense, and you wouldn’t think of that. These cables will help you hook up to connections, but there are a number of distinctions to consider when choosing which one is right for you. Let’s look at them.

CAT5

Cat5 is the slowpoke of the lot. It hands 10/100 Mbps speeds at up to 100 MHz bandwidth. These are a lot of numbers, but it means “slow and obsolete”. Newer installations don’t even utilize it, and sadly it will soon be phased out. For savvy cable connoisseurs, there are stronger, newer, better and faster options out there on the market. This is why it’s not advisable for you to purchase the older version cables, that’s if you can find them, maybe from backyard garage sale or something.

CAT5e

Cat 5 enhanced is currently one of the most used cables for new installations. It reduces crosstalk, and while you may not know what crosstalk means, it’s fine; after all it’s not why you are reading this article. It basically means that the Cat5e is better at maintaining signals across different channels or circuits from interfering with one another. It can handle speeds of 1000 Mbps at 100 MHz.

CAT6

Cat 6 is an appreciated improvement to the Cat5e. It’s basically the Bee knees, and ideally suited for 10 Gigabit Ethernet at 250 MHz. To help at tackling pesky crosstalking, Cat6 cables have internal separators that isolate pairs from each other. For those looking to future-proof their home or commercial networks without increasing the cost, Cat6 is a good choice. This doesn’t however mean it will protect your networking from future cyborgs or anything, it just means that it will be up to date for a while until the next innovative thing comes up.

Hopefully, you now have some basic understanding at knowing which Cat cables to choose. Now let’s look at the features of these cables.

Wiring

Cat5e and Cat6 cables are twisted pair cables that use copper wires, normally 4 twisted pairs in every cable. The Cat6 cable has more stringent specifications for system noise and crosstalk, and it offers performances up to 250 MHz. Cat5e, on the other hand performs at 100 MHz. This often achieved using a longitudinal separator also known as the spline in the wiring, and isolates each of the twisted pairs of wire. However, this is what makes Cat6 more rigid; newer network cables tend to use other methods to reduce noise and are more flexible. Despite whether or not a spline is used, Cat6 cable specifications provide lower interference in the transmission. It also enhances crosstalk, insertion loss and return loss when compared to the Cat5e. The results are fewer errors, lower noise, and high data rates in signal transmission.

How to Identify

The category is always labeled on Ethernet cables. It’s impossible to identify cable categories based on color alone, but Cat6 are often much thicker than Cat5e because of the thicker copper wires used.

Speed

As previously mentioned, Cat6 cables can be used for 10 Gigabit Ethernet or 10GBASE-T, which the Cat5e has a maximum support of 1 Gigabit Ethernet or 1GBASE-T. This is because the Cat6 cable performs at 250 MHz, twice more than the Cat5e which hovers at 100 MHz.

Cost

The cost of Ethernet cables differs based on the seller, manufacturer and length. Cat6 cables are generally 10-20 percent more expensive than their counterpart Cat5e cables. However, cables are generally not expensive and the speed provided by Cat6 cables is what normally makes their pricing worth it, even for residential home use.

Maximum Length

Cat5e and Cat6 cable specifications allow for lengths of up to 100 meters, but Cat6e, however has lower maximum length of 55 meters when used for 10 Gigabit Ethernet. For you to run 10GBASE-T for 100 meters, Cat6a cables need be used. They allow for performances of up to 500 MHz. if your network requires coverage for distances over 100 meters, switches or repeaters are needed to amplify the signal.

Network cables are ideal for enhancing communications between platforms. Whether they are for your gaming console, intranet or internet communications, choosing the right cable will get you the speeds and efficiency needed. Make sure you shop for network cables from a trusted and reputable supplier, who will tell you the benefits and drawbacks of each. Some suppliers will even deliver and install for you. Take your time, do some research and determine the kind of network cable you need. Making the best choice will save you a lot of money in the long-run, and paying a few bucks more for a premium cable will definitely go a long way.

These two terms are quite commonly used interchangeably. Although the term “electric keyboard” can also be used to describe both, there are some definite differences between digital pianos and portable keyboards. The differences normally come down to features, size and cost.

Body and Keyboard Size

Portable keyboards, just as the same states, are portable. They normally weigh less than 20 pounds and have smaller ranges; 61 and 49 key models are among the most common. There are also some optional keyboard stands that may come with the instruments for an additional cost. They are easily storable and can be played table-top.

Digital pianos are however not storable, but they supposed to sit atop a custom fitted stand. Digital pianos can weigh anywhere in the range from 25 to 60 pounds, and normally come with 88, 61, or 78 keys.

Keys and Sensitivity

Keys on portable keyboards are very plastic and light when compared to digital or acoustic pianos. Touch-sensitivity, which enables volume change depending on how hard the keys are pressed—may not be a feature; and polyphony, which gives the ability to play many notes simultaneously is at times limited.

Keys on digital pianos are normally of full-length and feel like an acoustic. Certain models even replicate the piano feeling incredibly well, with heavier keys to touch in bass octaves, a feature commonly referred to as the “graded hammer-action.” Polyphony varies and may range anywhere from 32 to 64 notes, and at times even more; and touch sensitivity is standard and can even be adjusted.

Voices and Song Banks

Portable keyboards have many rhythms, voices and built-in songs, and most times will include a variety of organs, woodwinds, percussion and pianos; as well as other lovely random sound effects. You should keep in mind that voices can sound electric and phony, and the volume of the speakers may be limited.

Digital pianos on the other hand tend to offer few voices, and may not contain any rhythms or songs at all. The voices that are offered normally sound genuine (depending on quality and brand), and they tend to be the staples: harpsichord, grand piano, strings and pipe or jazz organ.

Price Comparison

Normally a portable playing instrument fetches a lower price tag, which hovers around $100 to $500 depending on the size of the keyboard, features and the brand. For instance, a Casio WPK with a 76key option will cost about $200.

Digital keys can be found around the $300 mark, but may also fetch in the range of $500 to $1500. An expensive digital piano may cost you as much as a whopping $20,000, and that will be grand piano/digital hybrid.

Bottom Line

A digital piano is a widely preferred cost-effective alternative to an acoustic piano. The best suited practice instruments for practice, beginners for just for fun are portable keyboards.

We live in a very technologically advanced era, in which things around us keep n evolving past the point of no return. If you are at least 18 years old, chances are you still remember gaming consoles to which you had to blow the cartridge for the game to work, and phones that didn’t have access to the Internet. Even though things keep on evolving, unfortunately, we still didn’t get rid of cables once and for all. We still have to battle with them in order to get access to our gaming consoles, to our computers and to electricity itself.

Sometimes, and again, unfortunately, cables don’t last as long as appliances do, which means that we will need to get new cables. Throughout our never ending quest for a new cable we will identify a lot of new options out there; things we never knew existed because, basically, we all like to keep using the cables that come with the appliances themselves. While on journey, it is possible to come across both the CAT 5 and the CAT 5e cable, so it might be useful to know the difference between each one.

The CAT 5 cable is pretty much the weak one. It can take around 10/100 Mbps speeds and 100 MHz bandwidth. To anyone who isn’t familiar with what any of this means, the translation is that it isn’t good. These cables are a thing of the past because they have been overran by newer cables that are much better than them. New installations no longer use these CAT 5 cables and they are on their way out of the market.

A CAT 5e cable (the e stands for enhanced) is currently the popular cable among new installations since it is the one that is most commonly used. The cable is designed to stop signals from different circuits from intercepting and disrupting each other providing you with a much better experience. This one can handle 1000 Mbps speeds at 100 MHz.

Unfortunately for you, neither one of these cables will make your Internet connection faster, even though they can handle different amounts of speed. The speeds of these cables indicate not the speed they can make your Internet work at, but the speed your Internet works at that they are capable of handling. This pretty much means that if you have the best Internet connection in the world but keep on using one of those CAT 5 cables, chances are you won’t be having a high speed connection on your computer… or anywhere for that matter. Furthermore, CAT 5 cables are much likelier to suffer from interference, which will reduce your experience.

We can’t really talk about cables without talking about their length as well, after all, when it comes to cables size does matter. If you need to connect something from across the room, a short cable won’t give you any help at all. Still, both of these cables should have at the maximum 328 ft (100 m), and this length should never be exceeded. Nevertheless, even at this length, there might be some problems with your connection due to the distance data has to travel in order to reach you. There are solutions, such as repeaters that will amplify signals you get from these cables. With these repeaters you can go up to 590 ft (180 m) and, beyond that, it is simply best that you acquire fiber-optic cables in order to cut down the interferences. Fiber optic cables are expensive but they are the only reliable solution.

It is also possible to buy CAT 5 and CAT 5 e cables way longer than the recommended length, but it is certainly not advisable. Not only will you think the cables are crap, but you will also be frustrated at the costs you will have.

If technicians haven’t visited your house in a while chances are you are still using CAT 5 cables. What happens nowadays is that people acquire better, faster Internet connections that their CAT 5 cables are simply not able to handle. In order for them to improve the performance (and you as well, if that is the case) the CAT 5 cable needs to be replaced with a CAT 5e cable. The prices of this will vary from company to company, but the average price for a CAT 5e cable is of $ 0.20 to $ 0.30 per foot.

If you are going for the maximum suggested length, this can end up costing you, but if you are going for a normal cable, it won’t be too expensive. The CAT 5e cable will certainly improve your Internet experience by providing you smoother connection, but if you really have a powerful connection, you might want to look up a CAT 6 cable, which is a little more expensive but just might be worth it for you.

To summarize things up there are three main differences between the CAT 5 cable and the CAT 5e cable: Network support ( the speed the cables are able to handle), cross talk (the interferences in the data the cables suffer when signals interfere with each other) and the bandwidth (the informative-carrying capacity of the system). All in all, the CAT 5 cable is outdone and is slowly going away, making it harder and harder to find out there. It is going away because the CAT 5e cable has appeared to take its place.

Smartphones are great but even though they are a little miracle inside our pockets, they are still limited, especially when it gets to their memory capacity. This is why there are memory cards out there that aim to solve this problem. There are several types of memory cards out there and, in this article; we will be talking about the differences that exist between MicroSD and MicroSDHC memory cards.

To start things off, SD stands for Secure Digital, which is a special brand of data storage that serves two main objectives, to store and to transfer data between devices? These cards serve mainly for memory purposes on devices that are usually too small to have high capacity on their own – hence the smartphone reference.

Data stored In SD cards can be read by GPS units, digital cameras, mobile phones, PC’s and even laptops. As such, a card used on one device can be used to transfer data to another device, turning it into an incredibly convenient and useful tool.

When looking out for a MicroSD card, you already got the size down (its micro), and as such you are only going to have to worry about capacity as a main pointer of what to buy. Basic SD cards were the first ones to enter the market and, as such, they only have the power to store up to of data. This might just be enough for you depending on what you intend to store on your devices, but if you are, for example, an amateur photographer, you are probably going to need more storage space for your digital camera.

This is why manufacturers and developers decided to create the SDHC cards. The HC in the name stands for High Capacity, and that says it all. These were created as soon as they realized that of storage data could be tiny for a lot of people with grater needs, and it was up to them to fulfill these greater needs. They then launched the SDHC cards that can store between up to .

The downside to these, other than the cost, is that you need to have devices compatible with the MicroSDHC format in order to be able to transfer and store data in your devices. Devices that have the capacity to read MicroSDHC cards also have the capacity to read MicroSD cards, but the opposite does not happen.

When purchasing your MicroSD or MicroSDHC card, you should consider your needs before even grabbing your money, and analyze your devices right before doing it as well. You certainly will not want to take home a card that is not compatible with your devices and, as such, turns useless.

With the release of the fourth generation iPad, many people who have yet to purchase one have been examining the differences between the two. To some, the differences between each iPad are dramatic, while others may not notice. The iPad 3 has been removed from most stores that sell Apple products, but they remain available through a variety of other outlets. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between the two products.

Screen Size

The iPad 3 and the iPad 4 both have the exact same display screen, so consumers will not notice a difference. However, the newest iPhones are equipped with a superior screen to both of these iPad models, if the consumer is seeking a larger display.

Camera Capabilities

The screens remain the same, but the camera on the iPad 4 represents a significant upgrade. The front facing camera for the iPad 4 improves upon the iPad 3’s standard definition. The iPad 4 makes video chatting easier and allows the user to utilize Apple’s Retina display.

Processing Performance

While the iPad 3 represented a massive upgrade over the iPad 2, Apple decided to top themselves once again. The iPad 4 comes equipped with the latest Apple processing technology, the A6X. According to Apple, this processor allows for twice the performance as the iPad 3.

Battery Life

The iPad 4 provides users with at least ten hours of total battery life. Since the iPad 3 delivers the exact same amount of battery life, there is no true difference to be discussed here.

Operating System

The iPad 4’s OS represents a significant upgrade from the iPad 3. iOS 6 is used on the iPad 4, as compared to the 5.1 on the iPad 3. iPad 3 users need not fret, due to the fact that they have the ability to upgrade to iOS 6 at any time.

Connectivity

This area is where the largest gap between the third generation iPad and the fourth generation iPad lies. The iPad 4 is the first iPad to come equipped with the 8 pin Lightning dock. It is much smaller and more durable than the iPad 3’s connective model. The iPad 4 is also fully LTE enabled, which allows users to enjoy high speed Internet at any location.

Price

There is little to no difference in the price between the two iPad models. Many consumers believe that the iPad 3 is less expensive, but Apple remains adamant about selling the iPad 3 for a price that does not compare favorably to the iPad 4.

Verdict

Since there are a few key differences between the two and a person will not save any additional money by purchasing the iPad 3, the iPad 4 is the clear way to go for the consumer.

When someone is thinking about purchasing a brand new battery for a boat it is a very common think to wonder what is the real difference between a deep cycle and a starting battery. After all, if a person is buying something for themselves they certainly want the very best available, so it is always good to know what they can count on. This is why it is crucial to be informed and in this article we are going to look at the differences between these two types of batteries.

A marine starting battery doesn’t have a misleading name at all, since it is a battery designed to do exactly what the name says: start the engine. As such, these batteries have less power but have a big capacity reserved, so they can save your motor home as soon as the engine wants to quit on you. These batteries can be discharged a lot of times.

Some starting batteries are actually hybrids between deep cycle and starting batteries, so that they can be used to operate equipment on the boats themselves as well as have the ability to support the engine. This would look like the best possible option available, but it certainly isn’t. If you have a motorboat engine, starting batteries are the ones for you, but if you have a boat or anything like it, the best option for you would certainly be a deep cycle battery.

A deep cycle battery on the other hand can support discharge like it’s just a pat on the back. These types of batteries can be repeatedly discharged up to 80% and still continue to have no damaged caused to the battery itself. These cam also be used for the purpose of starting batteries but before you do so, you should confirm it with an expert, since some verifications should be done before such usage is done.

The main difference between these two types of batteries is that a starting battery is used for, well, starting the engine while providing other battery needs to the boat. On the other hand, a deep cycle battery is used for prolonged usage over large periods of time, and not so much for starting the engine.

According to experts, the best possible solution would be to possess a dual installation system, in order to have both a starting battery taking care of the operations and a deep cycle battery taking care of the boasts’ requirements. This would certainly be the best for both worlds and, if you can afford it, you shouldn’t even hesitate on it. Treating your boat like your sea child is something you certainly love doing, so it’s alright to spoil it a little as well.

If you’re looking to buy a brand new portable Nintendo but still haven’t made up your mind, than we are here to help you out. You probably are simply looking for the best one to play Mario Kart on, but we all know that with the use we give our appliances it will probably be useful for a lot more things that you might even imagine it being good for. As such, it is certainly the best for you that you actually get informed and try to make the best thought out purchase possible.

In this article we are going to look at the main differences between a Nintendo 2DS and a Nintendo 3DS. The first obvious difference is that the Nintendo 2DS does not have the 3D feature. This is due to the fact that some young children are simply unable to view images n 3D because it would hurt their eyes and damage their eyesight, possibly for life if the issue did not get treated.

Since the 3D is out of the Nintendo 2DS, its price is also a little bit cheaper than the price of the Nintendo 3DS console. This is due to the fact that the 3D actually included costs in the manufacturing process that could be removed in the 2DS edition. You can find a Nintendo 3DS for sale for around $ 200, while a Nintendo 2DS can be found at around $ 130. This is a significant difference but once again; don’t forget that there is also going to be a great difference in the gameplay itself.

Both of these consoles have screens with the same size, with a 353-inch display on the top and a 3.02-inch screen below. However, there are still differences in the screens. Nintendo 2DS has a part of a single flat screen split into two by plastic surrounding the console which makes it cheaper and simpler to produce the console, which also justifies the difference there is between the price of one and the other. The screens of both have the same resolutions.

The same thing can’t be done to Nintendo 3DS in order to reduce the production costs the console has because it would damage the quality of the 3D images the console can display, which would ultimately reduce the experience a user would be able to have while using the console itself. This is obviously not what Nintendo wants.

The Nintendo 2DS console is also a lot child friendlier due to its design. Since the console has a flat construction, it is a lot harder to destroy than the Nintendo 3DS and, with the added advantage of not having the 3D feature on it, it is clear that Nintendo was thinking about children when they designed this console. On top of their worries for the young ones, they also managed to reduce the price of the console itself, which was a great move, in all honesty.

A lot of people claim that these differences in the 2DS makes them feel like they are not using a gaming console, but rather using a children’s toy. This obviously damages their experience with the console and, as such, they end up giving negative reviews to the company itself. Not everything is bad however, since there are also claims from other users that believe the 3D images ruined certain games because they made them seem less “game-like”, and as such, they end up preferring the version without the 3D.

Nevertheless, and besides not having the 3D feature included on it, the 2DS is capable of supporting every single game the 3DS is. This is due to the fact that Nintendo did not wish to discriminate any console and as such, made sure every one of their games worked with and without the 3D feature included in the console. The advantage the 3DS console has is that it has enhanced processors, which can speed up the loading time and the speed at which the games are played. This is a great advantage for gamers that don’t really want to waste a lot of time on loading screens, or that simply that do not have the patience to wait for a game to load.

Due to the fact that the 3DS console uses, well, the 3D function, it is clear that its battery also lasts less time than the battery of the 2DS model. While the battery life of the 2DS lasts from 3.5 to 5.5 hours, the battery life of the 3DS lasts for 3 to 5 hours. It is impossible to accurately predict the duration of a battery life in a console because it will also depend on the games being played.

Even though the main difference between the consoles is the 3D feature (which affects a lot more aspects than what one would expect at first), the sound quality is also different between one and the other. While the 3DS uses stereo speakers from both sides of the console capable of firing the sound directly to your ears, turning the game into a more engaging experience, the 2DS uses one single speaker, sitting lonely at the left side of the screen.

The fact there is one single speaker on one side of the console takes away some of the engagement from the gaming experience, but it isn’t a major concern, since the 2DS console allows users to plug in some headphones in order to beat this problem

Collecting raw data is something essential nowadays for pretty much every business and, in a lot of cases, for people just trying to organize their lives. Visio is software launched my Microsoft that is helping people all over the world do this, but then again, there is more than one version of it and in some cases the standard version might be enough while in others, the professional version might be required.

As expected, the main difference between these two is the price and some features included in them. We will be covering the differences between these two in this article. The price difference between them is quite significant, being that Visio professional actually costs more than twice what Standard does.

Both versions have access to Microsoft’s mind-maps and brainstorming features Each one of these software’s allow the user to turn raw data into diagrams with compiled information. These diagrams can also be created in cause and effect, Ishikawa and fishbone diagrams, which add a little bit to the functionalities. Both of them can also make organizational charts as well as flow charts.

Furthermore, both versions can turn raw data into timelines, calendars and different types of charts. All in all, the basic functions are all there and for anyone who is just looking out for what exactly Visio was made for, the standard version is just enough.

But Visio Professional has also got a few features that are not in the standard version and for businesses with more advanced requirements, these will definitely be required. For example, just to start things off, it is possible to link diagrams to real time data with real-time data using icons, colors symbols and graphs through Visio Professional. Furthermore, Visio Professional covers a few more customizable shapes and built-in tools that will allow the creation of professional diagrams within less time. This might not look like a lot to a small business, but big businesses have absolutely no time to waste and as such, every minute counts right before the raw data gets worked on.

For businesses that require a whole team of analysts working through the data, Visio professional might also be a requirement since it allows every team member to work on the same diagram at the same time. Needless to say, this will simply make the whole project go a lot smoother and allow things to done with precision.

Visio Professional also includes website mapping functions as well as stream maps so the work and documentation could easily be accessible to every team member within the business. Providing this type of organization is certainly a plus for Visio Professional, but one must wonder whether or not it is really worth the cost.