Archive for the 'Computers' Category

Fundamental Personal computer Upgrades

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

In the current era of rapid technological transformations, it is essential to look at big investments like buying a new computer. Before you’ve even gotten it home and out of the box, something newer and speedier has hit the marketplace. It makes sense to do a bit of forward planning and get a PC that can remain relevant and adequate with regard to your own personal desires for at least some time. Along with the appropriate treatment and routine maintenance, there are a few essential PC upgrades that every computer user should look at to maximise the operation and extended life of a personal computer to stave off obsolescence and prolong the useful life of the machine.

The first and most crucial upgrade for any PC is Random Access Memory. Nothing raises performance like attaching all the RAM that the PC can handle. Just be aware that 32-bit operating systems can just address 4 GB of memory, so if you need to go above that you’ll need to swap to a 64-bit platform. One more relatively simple improvement is the Graphics Card. They’re a breeze to install as they merely plug into any PCI Express slot on the motherboard and can drastically improve media and graphics rendering.

In addition, changing the initial hard drive to something quicker with much more space is a usually a great idea as hard drives or HDDs are rather inexpensive these days. Set up kits with all the essential devices to upgrade are offered through a selection of vendors such as Seagate, Western Digital and OCZ. Although more expensive than traditional disk drives, solid state drives have the advantage of making use of less power, being less noisy and swifter, as well as being more shock resistant. While you’re tinkering with the hard drive, you might also consider finding a Blu-ray player for media. They’re not that costly and can be had for £100 or so.

If you have decided to up grade to brand-new, more powerful graphics cards, a second monitor is the ideal way to exploit the further rendering potential. Two screens allow for more successful multitasking and productiveness and give you more room to work. Like nearly every other component, monitors are becoming more of a bargain every day and a fair quality screen shouldn’t run more than £150.

Last but not least, the ultimate upgrade of any Pc is the motherboard and the CPU. This is often the ideal course of action for older hardware that’s definitely starting to show it’s age. Today’s CPUs from AMD and Intel are amazingly easy to swap out and the speed improvements are certainly worth it.

Why chkdsk is important

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

The Check Disk tool  or Chkdsk, is an important tool that helps with keeping your PC in good working order. This tool comes with every Windows installment and is auto activated whenever your PC does not shut down properly. There are instances where your PC gets switched off without a proper shutdown and such occasions can occur during a thunderstorm or power blackout.

Due to so many running processes in Windows, any unscheduled shut down can corrupt the data clusters in the hard disk. If you don’t scan your PC properly, further usage can lead to even more damage. That is why Windows makes the chkdsk auto run after any sudden shutdown. Regular scanning is important to detect any damage and remedy them. You don’t have to wait until a sudden shutdown to run chkdsk; you can periodically run it, perhaps once every couple of months. Doing so ensures your hard drive stays in good working order.

Use Your Computer to Make Money

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

These days with the tough economy, people are looking to new ways to make a little money. One general option is to use your computer to make money, but there are a variety of specific ways you can do this.

One option is to simply learn computer skills so you can get a raise or a new job. But many people want to use their home computer to add a little extra spending money, or even launch a completely new Internet-based business.

There are many many options in this area, but one of the best is to have an information-based business. With this way of making money, you can have anything from a little side income, to potentially a large income using your computer to make money.

Computer Basics – Tips to Quick Success

Saturday, February 28th, 2009

The thing about trying to learn computer basics is that most people are going about it in the wrong way.

Naturally, if you try to learn something the wrong way, it makes it much harder than it has to be, so it really pays to learn about the right way to empower yourself with the basic skills for using the computer. The linked video was put together by a guy who has studied the problem and explains in very simple terms some of the really key elements that go into successfully learning computer basics and more.

The linked video starts with a fundamental concept that applies to learning any skill — not just computers — and goes on to teach other concepts and approaches that can save you time and frustration when trying to learn the computer.

Computer Repair – Cleaning Up The Startup Programs

Sunday, February 22nd, 2009

One of the things techs on computer repairs is to remove non-vital startup program. This will speed up the computer on boot so customers can get a sense their computer is running faster. To do this, go to “Start” and click on “Run” and enter msconfig. When the window appears, open the “startup” tab. The list of startup programs will be checked if it’s set to auto load on startup. Most of these programs are not critical, but a few are. If you see ones with the word “tray” in it, it should be left checked. Removing the  unnecessary programs should help speed up your Computer. Make sure to restart your computer after you are done. Now you don’t need to take your computer in for computer repair over simple start up problems anymore. Be sure to be careful when removing startup programs. Removing the wrong programs will cause you to visit the computer repair before you know it.

Do You Crave Cable High Speed Internet Access?

Saturday, January 31st, 2009

Everybody wants the speed associated with a cable high speed internet connection but none of us want the bill that goes with it. A long time ago I had a dial up connect (just like everybody else) but quickly outgrew it. Next I got a DSL connection through my phone line and thought it was the best thing ever. Then I got turned onto cable internet and haven’t looked backwards since then. I do a lot of traveling and it’s not always easy to get an Internet connection when you need it. As a result, I have been looking at the various types of high speed wireless internet access connections that are available. None of it is cheap but sure comes in handy when you’re on the road a lot.

What’s The Deal On Computer Flat Screens?

Saturday, December 27th, 2008

It’s all about computer flat screens these days. I recently dumped my old CRT monitor (not easy by the way, CRT screens are considered hazardous waste and you have to use a municipal collection service to do it legally) and picked up my first computer flat screen and I’m just loving it. I can’t believe I waited so long to make the plunge; it has made such a huge difference for me.

The Computer Information Technology Situation

Monday, December 22nd, 2008

There are hundreds, if not thousands of places which tell you that can get your bachelor’s degree in computer information technology online, but really, it’s not the most prudent career move anymore. Let’s face it, the computer information technology field is pretty full right now, and since the dot-com crash, it’s hard for even people with degrees from prestigious universities to find employment in info tech.

Toshiba Laptops – Worth the Dollar?

Sunday, November 16th, 2008

“People always keep on searching computers which are loaded with various sophisticated software packages. With the invention of these amazing gadgets, one can steadily perform various works within few minutes. People these days are in fact replacing the manual labourers in various industries and firms. With these widgets the users can comfortably avail all the entertainment features like listening to favorite music and watching any video clips anytime and anywhere without any hassles. But as they are very bulky in size the Laptops have been crafted to solve all the concerns of the users.”(Jacob Marshal)

Read the full article by Jacob Marshal at 17 Laptop where you will also find some great deals on Toshiba laptop computers with XP pre-installed.

Watch TV On Computer

Saturday, October 11th, 2008

Nothing could be more convincing than an actual first-hand experience. The new TV which we had just bought last week is living example. It’s the latest model on the LCD series of a branded Japanese make. Along with all the advanced features, it can be connected to various external devices, including PCs. That made me sat up and took notice right away. To me, such big-name companies do not design new features into their products just by gut feel or guesswork. This TV and PC integration appears to be a potential trend setter.

Watch TV On Computer
On the surface, it seems as straightforward as just using the TV as a computer monitor but that would not jive from the angle of practicality and technology. But when you view it as equipping the TV to accept transmission via the computer, it starts to make sense. Yes, large-scale TV through computer must be on the horizon.

The computer can handily supplant the set-top boxes. It has more capability and it does not incur any additional effort or expense. In fact, there is savings to be realized through equipment optimization overall. It would not be long now before TV becomes predominantly accessed through home computers. It’s a rare home these days that has no computer with internet access anyway and wouldn’t it be novel if TV could come through the computer via the internet too?

Another way the computer can play a part in TV viewing is by functioning as a DVD player. Again, why have a duplicate set of DVD player when you can just cable it out of your computer while having more all-round smart power at it than the dedicated stand-alone DVD player any day.

Perhaps the real breakthrough in the Computer-TV integration is in the inherent internet TV. This form of TV is nothing new but had been literally stuttering due to speed constraints. Not anymore, broadband has cast this handicap into history for good. They are basically Free-To-Air (FTA) Satellite TV streamed through the internet instead of the dish to your computers and there are free and fee-based versions. Each has its merits but both are worthy alternatives to the old way.

Besides saving money, you can actually get much more by learning how to Watch TV On Computer. Visit us at Internet TV On Computer and let us show you how.

Article Source:
Free Computer TV