There are many places in the United States where a really warm coat is needed in the winter. I, in fact, live in one of those places. When the wind chill gets to below zero and it's snowing like crazy outside, you want to make sure that you are going to be as warm as possible outside in the cold weather. But, on the other hand, you don't want to look the marshmallow man all swallowed up in clothing. Here are some different materials that coats are made out of and you can decide which one may be the best for where you live.
Shearling
Shearling is soft and supple and is actually a lamb pelt. It is one of the warmest materials in the winter for a winter coat. Shearling is a great option for a dressier coat such as a long pea coat or trench for winter time. It is also more comfortable than other furs and is not as heavy as a fur like sheepskin. The material is rain-resistant, but it not completely waterproof.
Fur
When it comes to keeping you warm in the cold weather, not all furs are equal. Sable is the warmest, but is also the most expensive. Other quite warm insulators are mink, fox, and chinchilla. Rabbit and beaver are less expensive but are not as warm. Furs are not for many people, as many do not like the idea of them being made from animals, but they are an option for some people.
Down
Down coats are usually seen out on the ski slopes and in the cold extreme temperatures. There is a reason for that, as down is a very warm material for a winter coat. Look for a winter coat that has a down fill concentration of at least 600 or higher. This will allow for maximum warmth with your coat. When choosing a down filled coat, make sure that the outer layer or shell is waterproof as down itself takes long to dry. Not everyone can wear a puffy, down coat, but it is a great option if you are going to be spending a lot of time in the cold weather.
Synthetic Materials
There are a couple of man-made insulators for winter coats such as Thermolite and Gore-Tex. They are less bulky than down but will still keep you warm when the weather is minus 10 degrees. Another bonus is that they dry faster and they can be have a smaller shape. These materials can make great casual winter coats if you know that you will be spending time in the cold.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A Review of the Apple MacBook Pro MB134LLA 15.4" Laptop
I review another MacBook professional edition 15.4" notebook. This is part of my series of Apple Notebook reviews that I was prompted to write after noticing consumer trends and high sales of Apple's mobile computers. In this review I'll let you know what you can expect with this notebook as well as who will get the most for their money. Let me start with a few of the basics.
Hardware:
Processor: 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Storage Space: 250GB (Serial ATA) Hard Drive
RAM: 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
Optical Drive: Apple's "Superdrive" which is an all in one CD R/RW integrated with DVD +/- R RW
Dimensions: 9.6" x 14.1" x 1"
Weighing: 5.4 pounds
Display: 15.4" matte LCD
Graphics Accelerator: GeForce 8600M GT with 512 MB of dedicated video RAM
This professional MacBook has a few differences from its less expensive counterpart. It has an increased amount of video ram. It also has a slightly larger hard drive. I'm not sure why Apple didn't upgrade the RAM as well at least to 3GB. If you're interested in this notebook you're almost surely going to expect a little more than a paltry 2GB. In my experience most users that purchase one of these MB134LL/A tend to run a dual boot system with Vista and like having the extra RAM (vista consumes RAM like its jello).
Everything else is on point. The display is crisp and sharp running at a resolution of 1440x990. This is going to be better than most traditional laptop displays you're likely accustomed to. The only thing I don't like about this one that I have is the matte finish to the screen. It is meant to reduce glare however in my opinion it also reduces the screen's ability to adapt to bright lighting conditions. You should make sure before you buy if you want the matte or glossy screen.
At 1" thick and weighing just over 5lbs this is a wonderfully portable notebook for as powerful as it is. It truly is impressive engineering from Apple. I love the materials, the aluminum exterior is great, and runs cool.
Connectivity:
2 FireWire (400 and 800, use this for transferring data between two computers or off of your digital camcorder)
2 2.0USB 2.0 ports (use these to connect any number of peripherals like digital cameras or printers)
DVI
VGA (via DVI, for standard monitors)
1 Expresscard
Integrated WiFi
Integrated Bluetooth
I believe this notebook has excellent connectivity. I even like how the power cord attaches. This is an excellent machine. As I've mentioned with all of the professional editions of Apple's MacBook I recommend this for... well... professionals or those that otherwise have more money than they need. Anyone other than gamers or multimedia professionals won't truly use everything this notebook has to offer. For the casual user the MacBooks in the $1000 will do all that they'll require of it.
Hardware:
Processor: 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Storage Space: 250GB (Serial ATA) Hard Drive
RAM: 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
Optical Drive: Apple's "Superdrive" which is an all in one CD R/RW integrated with DVD +/- R RW
Dimensions: 9.6" x 14.1" x 1"
Weighing: 5.4 pounds
Display: 15.4" matte LCD
Graphics Accelerator: GeForce 8600M GT with 512 MB of dedicated video RAM
This professional MacBook has a few differences from its less expensive counterpart. It has an increased amount of video ram. It also has a slightly larger hard drive. I'm not sure why Apple didn't upgrade the RAM as well at least to 3GB. If you're interested in this notebook you're almost surely going to expect a little more than a paltry 2GB. In my experience most users that purchase one of these MB134LL/A tend to run a dual boot system with Vista and like having the extra RAM (vista consumes RAM like its jello).
Everything else is on point. The display is crisp and sharp running at a resolution of 1440x990. This is going to be better than most traditional laptop displays you're likely accustomed to. The only thing I don't like about this one that I have is the matte finish to the screen. It is meant to reduce glare however in my opinion it also reduces the screen's ability to adapt to bright lighting conditions. You should make sure before you buy if you want the matte or glossy screen.
At 1" thick and weighing just over 5lbs this is a wonderfully portable notebook for as powerful as it is. It truly is impressive engineering from Apple. I love the materials, the aluminum exterior is great, and runs cool.
Connectivity:
2 FireWire (400 and 800, use this for transferring data between two computers or off of your digital camcorder)
2 2.0USB 2.0 ports (use these to connect any number of peripherals like digital cameras or printers)
DVI
VGA (via DVI, for standard monitors)
1 Expresscard
Integrated WiFi
Integrated Bluetooth
I believe this notebook has excellent connectivity. I even like how the power cord attaches. This is an excellent machine. As I've mentioned with all of the professional editions of Apple's MacBook I recommend this for... well... professionals or those that otherwise have more money than they need. Anyone other than gamers or multimedia professionals won't truly use everything this notebook has to offer. For the casual user the MacBooks in the $1000 will do all that they'll require of it.
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