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Card Readers for uploading PhotosYou've taken all your wonderful photos and movies, now you need to upload them to the PC. How to do it? There are several ways, which one you use depends on the hardware of your camera and computer.
Some examples.
1) Bluetooth. You'll probably have to buy a dongle that plugs into a USB slot.
2) External Card Reader.
Again, this plugs into a USB slot. Make sure that the card reader you buy supports as many formats as possible. You don't want to find out that the new camera you get for Xmas takes different cards than your card reader. Lots of card readers don't support XD cards and need an adapter that plugs into the Smart Media slot in the card reader. If the card reader you buy doesn't have a Smart Media slot then you're going to have problems.
3) Internal Card Reader.
WARNING! Before opening the PC case make sure the power is switched OFF at the socket. If the socket doesn't have a switch then don't open the case. The plug should be left in as you need to earth yourself with an anti-static wrist strap to the metal frame of the PC. If you're unsure of what to do then don't attempt the installation.
These usually fit into a spare 3.5" Floppy Drive Bay in the front of your PC, or you can buy a combined Card Reader/Floppy Disk Drive to replace your existing Floppy Drive.
Internal card readers need an empty USB Header inside the PC to plug into. Check your PC manual to see if you have a free header. (All mine are full, so I have to use an external card reader.)
Installation is simple. All you need to do is:
Switch the power off at the socket.
Remove the screws that hold the side panels of the PC. Mine has 3 on each side. The panels of mine slide off toward the rear of the PC.
Take care not to touch any other components inside the PC if you can help it.
Earth yourself to the metal frame of the PC with an anti-static wrist strap.
Push out the blanking plate of the empty 3.5" Floppy Drive Bay.
Slide the Card Reader into the empty bay and affix with the screws provided.
Plug the USB cable into the back of the Card Reader and the USB Header Socket. If it's a combined Floppy Drive and Card Reader then the Floppy Drive Ribbon Cable will also need to be plugged into the back of the drive and into the empty Floppy Drive Socket.
Replace the side panels and you're done.
If you're replacing an existing Floppy Drive then all you need to do is unplug the Ribbon Cable from the socket in the PC, remove the old drive and proceed as mentioned above.
The panels being off is also an excellent opportunity to remove the fluff from the cooling fans. Be careful, don't go mad with the vacuum cleaner. You don't want to suck up vital components. 
Once again, if you're not confident in upgrading computer components then don't try.
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