Beating the Heat!
Overheating is a major cause of motherboard and component failure in computers. Fortunately it is also a fairly easily prevented situation.
Do You Need A Router?
With more and more devices coming with wireless Internet capability, having a way to connect them all reliably is quickly becoming a need instead of a luxury.
Online Shopping Tips for the Holidays!
Tips: Shopping Tip List
Here’s a list of tips you should consult when shopping online. Print this page and keep it in a handy place so it will be easy to review before you order.
- Trust your instincts. If you don’t feel comfortable buying or bidding on an item over the web, or if you feel pressured to place your order immediately, maybe you shouldn’t.
- Be knowledgeable about web-based auctions. Take special care to familiarize yourself not only with the rules and policies of the auction site itself but with the legal terms (warranties, refund policy, etc.) of the seller’s items that you wish to bid on.
- Double check pricing. Be suspicious of prices that are too good to be true. Also consider carefully whether you may be paying too much for an item, particularly if you’re bidding through an auction site. You may want to comparison shop, online or offline, before you buy. Make sure there are not extra shipping or handling costs. (more…)
PC Hygiene: Keep It Clean!
Another aspect of computer maintenance most people don’t consider is cleanliness. Yes, your PC or Mac needs to periodically be cleaned. Now I don’t mean with soap and water! Usually a microfiber towel will suffice to remove dust, crumbs, and miscellaneous from the computers surface. You can use “canned air” for cleaning your keyboard and getting into other nooks and crannies. That’s the easy part. Whats more difficult, and ultimately more important, is cleaning the inside of the computer. That area is a perfect environment for accumulating dust. Months and even years of dust build up can cause your system to overheat and operate erratically. It can even cause damage to circuits! Below is an example of a computer in need of a good cleaning: (more…)
Buying a Computer: First Timers
Buying a computer for the first time can be an intimidating process especially if you don’t really know what you need. The biggest mistake you can make is shopping for a computer by price alone. Obviously, unless you are independently wealthy, cost is definitely going to figure into the choice. But choosing a PC solely based on price practically guarantees that you ultimately will be dissatisfied with the system. The following steps are a good guide to choosing a new computer. (more…)
The “Cloud”…What is it?
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility(like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet). – Wikipedia
Cloud computing is the “hot new thing” on the Internet. Everybody is talking about it. Trouble is, everyone has their own definition of what it is! (more…)
Upgrades 101: Fans vs Water Cooling…
There’s a bit of a debate going on right now in the “upgrade world” as to which is better: multiple fans or water cooling?
Well the answer is… it depends. It depends on what type of system you have and what you mostly use it for. It also depends on how much room you have inside your case.
Upgrades 101: RAM…the what and why…
RAM. Yeah so what? You know your computer has it. Do you know what it is?
Random-access memory (RAM) is a form of computer data storage. RAM is the place in a computer where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached by the computer’s processor. (more…)
Another one bites the dust… HP?
Another of the mighty have fallen. Hewlett-Packard (HP - the worlds largest personal computer maker), coinciding with their Touch Pad disaster, is selling off their PC division after decades of making computers for the consumer and business markets. "Hewlett-Packard... on Thursday confirmed that it is considering selling its personal computer business, along with announcements of an end to its tablet computer and smartphone products." - English.news.cn So what does this mean to you as a consumer and user of HP PC products. It may mean nothing, depending on what happens to the PC division. It could mean a nightmare for trying…
Computer Shopping 101
Its the time of year when a lot of people start shopping for a new computer. Be it for themselves, a student, or even a parent/grandparent, there are some basic things that you should know before starting the selection process. Shop Locally! You may find a cheaper price at some online wholesale or auction site, but BUYER BEWARE!! The phrase "you get what you pay for" is definitely true here! Also, if you buy local, your support is local. Meaning you wont have to be on the phone with some out-sourced call center, located who knows where, trying to get your…