Guides To Keeping Your Computers Fit
Did anyone ever tell you computers are like humans? They are. They age and are outdated.As they get older, they slow down, they forget things, and they even get viruses and/or worms. Sometimes they become sick and really need a health checkup. A checkup can reveal what is ailing and guide you to restoring its health. You might take it into a BestBuy or to a mom and pop repair shop, or wonder of wonders, you might actually do it yourself. It really isn't rocket science and I have written many guides and how-to's that can help you bring your computer back to good health. Chances are, it can still render years of good service. I do have a rule of thumb though. If it is going to cost more than $150 to revitalize it, then it is time to bid it a fond farewell and to thank it for all it has done for you. Yep... I am talking about getting a new desktop computer or as many are doing, switch to laptops now that their price has fallen significantly. One of the guides tells how to determine what you need and how to shop. Another wild thought...Build your own!!!!! This isn't rocket science either and I tell you how to do that too. Like the hair commercial says..."Its time....
Guide To the Guides
Behavior Tracking Ellen Nakishima writes in the Washington Post that several internet and broadband companies acknowledge using targeted advertising. (This is where cookies are placed on your machine monitoring your surfing and then causing ads to be generated based on your surfing.) without explicitly advising its customers it is doing so. More about behavior trackingCommon Computer Problems Your son/daughter needs to use the PC to research a project for school the next day. You hear an "Oh No!" from the den or wherever the computer is located. The PC won't boot up or won't turn on! You know nothing about PC's beyond checking your email. Does this sound familiar? If you are lucky you have a teen ager that is computer savvy or you know this friend that does. More about Common Computer Problems
My PC Is Running Slow One of the complaints most often heard in my circles is that of a slow running PC. This can be caused by many things. Among them are: insufficient memory, slow hard drive, spyware, virus infection, too many applications loaded at startup. Read More about slow PC's
Jay Lee is a Technology Blogger for the Houston Chronicle. In a recent column, a blogger asked the following question:
Q. I smoke cigars and I've been told that this could adversely affect my computer. Is this true?
A. You may be surprised to learn that, yes, smoking can be hazardous to the health of your computer. Read More About Smoking being Harmful
Is Smoking Harmful To Desktop PC's?Jay Lee is a Technology Blogger for the Houston Chronicle. In a recent column, a blogger asked the following question:
Is smoking around PC's harmful to the PC?
You may be surprised to learn that, yes, smoking can be hazardous to the health of your computer. Read More About Smoking and PCs
10 Reasons To Take A Mac To School Dr Mac aka Bob Levitus gives 10 reasons for you child to take a Mac to school. While I don't agree with him, here is a brief synopsis of his reasons:
1 Mac's have fewer issues and glitches such as a virus and malware. Read about the other 9 reasons
Time Tracking A lot of people are involved in work that requires them to be involved in tracking time spent on a project or part of a project. Lawyers work this way but the software they use is prohibitive for a home user. More About Time Tracking
Computers Are High Speed Morons When I need a new computer, I look at the cheap Desktop computers for sale. That has always worked for me. The Gateways and HPs that I have purchased have provided me many hours of useful service as well as enjoyment in a large variety of ways. I have created spreadsheets, documents, and databases on them. They are also a help for me with my school work, research, and personal finances. Even the used computers I have had lasted for years.More about computers and morons
Laptop Batteries When buying batteries you should note the run-time and cost of the battery as compared to other brands. Another important point to observe is the manner with which the battery is to be attached, and the amount of time necessary to recharge it. You don't want to be stranded in a strange hotel room when on a business trip, with batteries you can't make sense of!More about laptop batteries
Capture of Home Video Digital video comes from a source that has a firewire connection, for example a mini-DV or Digital-8 video camera. Lots more on capturing video
Editing Home Video It's not that difficult to set up a digital video editing system and start editing within 1 hour if you are familiar with computers. But you WILL encounter problems sooner or later. You'd better know the basics of digital video editing to make your editing life easier. more on editing home video
Spyware and Virus Protection
True Story ...My Sister bought her first PC
and signed up with an internet service provider (ISP). Thirty minutes later her PC crashed. She took it back to the store, where they checked it out and told her she had a virus or a Trojan horse. They cleaned the hard drive for her (Probably at some exorbitant charge.)more on spyware and virusesI Hate SpywareSpyware is not allowed on MY PC. My name is Rick and I have used and worked on computers since 1957! I retired from IBM and am well aware of what spyware can do to PC's.spyware removal tools
Where is Microsoft Going With Windows Microsoft has gotten fat and sloppy over the past decade or so. So has Windows. They have allowed Windows to become so bloated that it takes up more computer real estate (memory) than one could have imagined a few years back. It has become unwieldy and slow to respond. More about Microsoft and Windows
Birth Of MS Dos
MS DOS was the operating system for the first IBM PC. Its beginning was somewhat unique. I retired from IBM after 42 years and this is the way it was...more or less.
Windows 7 That Microsoft is planning a new version of Windows will come was no surprise to anyone. When it will arrive is anyone's guess. What it will look like is open to speculation. I may as well jump in, so here goes.... The latest on Windows 7
Defrag Your Hard Drive ou may notice that your computer is
making more noise than previously. It may be just working a lot harder to get to the data you need. Defrag will make it work easier. To run Defrag, go back to the System tools menu & click on Defrag. more on defragging your hard drive
Why Run Scan Disk? Earlier versions of Windows including Windows ME, Windows 98SE, Windows 98 and Windows 95 came with a system utility known as 'Scandisk'. Scandisk does just what it sounds like, it scans your hard drive looking for errors and correcting them. Earlier versions of Windows including Windows ME, Windows 98SE, Windows 98 and Windows 95 came with a system utility known as Scandisk'. The hard drive is where Windows is installed, also all of your programs and any files you may have created. more on running Scan Disk
Acer Misses Sales Target In the US economic climate, it is hard to make any sane predictions one way or the other. We see continuous reports that netbooks are the saving grace of the PC market, the light at the end of the tunnel, the beacon of hope, Turns out, the light at the end of the tunnel may be the headlights of a train! I now see reports stating that netbooks have missed their first quarter sales estimates. more on sales
Apple Is Catching Up
The Apple Computer sales have long trailed the PC but there are signs of catching up. The Apple Desktop Computer again cracked the top three in U.S. PC sales for the second quarter, according to surveys released a while back by both Gartner and IDC. more on Apple
Computer Forensics When one thinks of forensics, it usually is in the form of the old TV show, Quincy, or more recently the doctor on CSI. There is a new area of the field, called computer forensics and cellular phone forensics. more on forensics
Tips On Keeping Your Desktop Computer Healthy (It works on laptops too) Are you sick and tired of having to constantly address problems on your cheap desktop computer? Wasting too much time and money on repairs? Well don't stop reading, maybe I can help you., With these simple yet valuable tips, your desktop computer might not be an inconvenience anymore. Believe it or not, there are quite a few little things you can do.. more on computer health