Buying used computers is an excellent option for not only saving money, except for also checking out the latest PC technology, for example new and/or upgraded software and hardware. Refitted computers offer the shopper advantages of using low cost laptops as a great children computer. This profit not only benefits the vendor, but the customer also.
Refurbished basically means the used computer ( desktop or laptop ) has been sold to a prior owner and returned to the vendor, for who knows what reason, causing the seller to turn this around to book a profit.
The store examines the computer for any defects, cleans it, replaces parts, and tests it. Many name brand firms have special checklists that its technicians must comply with when qualifying computers as reconditioned PCs and prepared for re-sell.
Crucial Things to remember
There are some vital things to remember when purchasing secondhand PCs. Do your research and gather as much computer information as you can on a range of brands and how it qualifies its goods as renewed PCs.
This will help you finalize a laptop which will be worth the effort and money you spend on buying it.
Review Checklists
Review checklists of renewed computers. If it is not available, don't make a purchase from this seller. Brand companies provide consumers with checklists of everything that was checked, fixed, or replaced. There's also a section on the testing of secondhand laptops. Review this document completely, and do not be afraid to compare this to other brands.
Check warranty
Check to see if the company gives a warranty on the refurbished computers, if not, see if an extended warranty can be purchased. Often this could be available for an extra fee depending on the computer rate. If no guaranty is offered with the secondhand laptop, consider this a warning that this would possibly not be the company to purchase lower cost portables from.
Guaranty will ensure that the money you are investing in one of the renewed computers is secured, especially if the product you are planning to purchase if a youngsters portable. Almost all of computers offer
2-5 years warranty depending on the laptop rate.
HP Mini 110-1030NR 10.1-Inch Black Netbook ( renovated )
HP Mini 110-1030NR 10.1-Inch Black Netbook ( refurbished )
Price : $265.81
retail price : $389.00
HP Pavilion dv6-1245dx 16-Inch Black Laptop ( renovated )
HP Pavilion dv6-1245dx 16-Inch Black Laptop ( redecorated )
Price : $789.00
Check the look
View the outward appearance of the secondhand computers - if it looks brand spanking new, you know that the company took time to totally try.
Its best if you can check the screen of refurbished PCs as well as the cd/dvd drive. If you find a number of scratches there, then the computer is not worth purchasing. Jobs are slow at the moment so its good to purchase a used computers.
And in addition to above points, also check the keyboard ( keypad ) as its the section you'll be using most often. If you find damaged keys are keys which are too hard, then its again a giant negative point to think about among the lot of renewed computers.Its crucial to get a good deal on a used notebook PC.
shoppers are Winners
Secondhand PCs are a wonderful moneymaking business creation for the seller and the purchaser. The seller is ready to create a profit, though smaller than anticipated, by help from reconditioned computers. They essentially correct portables, instead of suffering a loss. Basic business sense is finding creative ways to maintain profits, rather than show losses.
Consumers are winner in the business practice of used notebook computer.
. Secondhand laptops make it reasonable for more clients. It gives the patron a chance to have minimal cost laptops for children or themselves, dependent on what the purchasing target might be at that point.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Online Computer Education
Today, internet become a important part of our life. we can do many things such as shopping, making friends and even studyinig online. As we known, more and more people from all over the world are interested in what online computer education has to offer.online computer education becomes more and more popular.
Online computer training courses and software tutorials help you to advance your skills quickly and easily. Computer elearning avoids the hassles of traveling to and from campus s, as well as set schedules that run interference in hectic lifestyles. With hundreds of online computer education courses available at your fingertips, online courses vary from basic to advanced level and are all accessible from your home computer.
There are many benefits for online education, evidence, If you are interested in online computer education you are not alone. The fact of the matter is that learning how to use the computer is one of the most important things that you will ever have to do.
If you are one of those people who really want to learn a lot about computers, taking online courses may be your best bet. You can gain all of the knowledge that you could ever need, and from there put it to good use. So even if you do have to pay for an online computer education, for most it is well worth the money in the end.
Online computer education can help you succeed in a new career.Computer Education courses are available in many Computer Schools or Colleges. Many have Computer Education that is an all important part of any Curriculum. Search for schools that are geared towards business in general, and ask if they offer online computer training. You can also find online computer training institutions and courses by searching the net. These online Computer courses allow you to work and learn from your own home with your own time slots, and may be the right course for someone who is looking for a second degree and does not wish to go through the entire College experience all over again.
The information technology department is a vital area of every large business, and you can learn to be an information systems technician online. Learn to manage an IT department, and to develop strategies to best utilize the flow of information within an organization. The best online training in computer information systems can qualify you for an important career as a chief information officer or systems analyst.
In addition, there is now hundreds of online courses available ranging from basic to advanced courses. You are also able to get a professional certification and online degrees through your home PC that gives you no reason not to want to do your computer education from your home PC.
The term computer science covers a broad spectrum of online computer education. Online studies in computer science can be concentrated in areas of programming, IT, software engineering, and many others. You could begin learning computer science online by enrolling in an associate degree program or bachelor degree program that may take between two and four years to complete or continue your online education for another two to four years to obtain master degrees in computer science or even doctorate degrees.
So if you want to begin your education online, be ready to go. you will find it really interesting.
Online computer training courses and software tutorials help you to advance your skills quickly and easily. Computer elearning avoids the hassles of traveling to and from campus s, as well as set schedules that run interference in hectic lifestyles. With hundreds of online computer education courses available at your fingertips, online courses vary from basic to advanced level and are all accessible from your home computer.
There are many benefits for online education, evidence, If you are interested in online computer education you are not alone. The fact of the matter is that learning how to use the computer is one of the most important things that you will ever have to do.
If you are one of those people who really want to learn a lot about computers, taking online courses may be your best bet. You can gain all of the knowledge that you could ever need, and from there put it to good use. So even if you do have to pay for an online computer education, for most it is well worth the money in the end.
Online computer education can help you succeed in a new career.Computer Education courses are available in many Computer Schools or Colleges. Many have Computer Education that is an all important part of any Curriculum. Search for schools that are geared towards business in general, and ask if they offer online computer training. You can also find online computer training institutions and courses by searching the net. These online Computer courses allow you to work and learn from your own home with your own time slots, and may be the right course for someone who is looking for a second degree and does not wish to go through the entire College experience all over again.
The information technology department is a vital area of every large business, and you can learn to be an information systems technician online. Learn to manage an IT department, and to develop strategies to best utilize the flow of information within an organization. The best online training in computer information systems can qualify you for an important career as a chief information officer or systems analyst.
In addition, there is now hundreds of online courses available ranging from basic to advanced courses. You are also able to get a professional certification and online degrees through your home PC that gives you no reason not to want to do your computer education from your home PC.
The term computer science covers a broad spectrum of online computer education. Online studies in computer science can be concentrated in areas of programming, IT, software engineering, and many others. You could begin learning computer science online by enrolling in an associate degree program or bachelor degree program that may take between two and four years to complete or continue your online education for another two to four years to obtain master degrees in computer science or even doctorate degrees.
So if you want to begin your education online, be ready to go. you will find it really interesting.
Computer Training Course
There are several types of computer training course available to the person seeking to learn about computers today. In fact, the whole arena of computer training can be so intimidating that it is good to take your time in selecting what courses you are wanting to take. In this article, we will examine the outline of a computer training course that would appeal to the computer newbie. This course outline is not meant to be all inclusive, nor is it meant to be professional advice for someone looking to enter into the computer technology field. It is simply a broad outline of which subjects are suggested, and in what order, for someone to learn about computers. That being said, let's take a look at our suggested computer training course.
To start, it would be a good course of action to look at classes teaching the basics of how to operate a computer. Information for this computer training course should include things like the basics of using an operating system, how to save information on a hard drive, floppy drives (although they are quickly becoming obsolete), and CD / DVD ROM drives. It is a good idea in the computer training course to also learn some basics about the internal operation of the computer (i.e., what makes it tick, how it works). It may seem like it is best to leave information on how the memory works and what RAM actually stands for to the professionals ... however, this would be a mistake.
It is important even for the average home computer user to understand some of these basics, as it will impact how they use the computer and their expectations of performance under certain work loads and software compatibilities, among other things.
Moving on from the basics, a computer training course should teach more advanced concepts as well. Some of these concepts would include back-up procedures, file maintenance, and data recovery. Security issues are also on the rise, with the increased usage of the Internet, and safeguarding your computer against viruses and other attacks should also be covered in a computer training course. All of these are items that the average computer user should be aware of how to operate. Just knowing this information can save you in the long run from calling that professional for a service call that could literally cost you as much as the computer did in the first place!
Last, but certainly not least, every personal computer user should learn how to install and replace the basic plug-and-play circuit boards or cards that are in every personal computer. A computer training course would simply not be complete without this information. There are many parts that are truly user-replaceable, but unless you know how, you will end up paying that tech big bucks for a simple part swap. Things like that newest video card, an upgraded modem card, installing a firewire card, network card or extra USB port card are very simple.
Unfortunately, unless you are selective in your outline of courses, many basic computer training courses will fail to train you in these aspects of computer maintenance.
To start, it would be a good course of action to look at classes teaching the basics of how to operate a computer. Information for this computer training course should include things like the basics of using an operating system, how to save information on a hard drive, floppy drives (although they are quickly becoming obsolete), and CD / DVD ROM drives. It is a good idea in the computer training course to also learn some basics about the internal operation of the computer (i.e., what makes it tick, how it works). It may seem like it is best to leave information on how the memory works and what RAM actually stands for to the professionals ... however, this would be a mistake.
It is important even for the average home computer user to understand some of these basics, as it will impact how they use the computer and their expectations of performance under certain work loads and software compatibilities, among other things.
Moving on from the basics, a computer training course should teach more advanced concepts as well. Some of these concepts would include back-up procedures, file maintenance, and data recovery. Security issues are also on the rise, with the increased usage of the Internet, and safeguarding your computer against viruses and other attacks should also be covered in a computer training course. All of these are items that the average computer user should be aware of how to operate. Just knowing this information can save you in the long run from calling that professional for a service call that could literally cost you as much as the computer did in the first place!
Last, but certainly not least, every personal computer user should learn how to install and replace the basic plug-and-play circuit boards or cards that are in every personal computer. A computer training course would simply not be complete without this information. There are many parts that are truly user-replaceable, but unless you know how, you will end up paying that tech big bucks for a simple part swap. Things like that newest video card, an upgraded modem card, installing a firewire card, network card or extra USB port card are very simple.
Unfortunately, unless you are selective in your outline of courses, many basic computer training courses will fail to train you in these aspects of computer maintenance.
Computer Care, Can I Do It Myself?
With all of the resources available to you, you may well ask yourself, "Why do I need a computer expert to maintain my computer?" The short answer is, you don't. Just like you don't need a technician to fix your car, repair your furnace, or do any other maintenance or repairs. If you have the knowledge and the time, you can easily repair and maintain your own computer.
But be warned, there are several potential "gotchas" involved in maintaining your own computer. If you decide to repair your own automobile, a company won't sell you a carburetor what will break your car. Unfortunately, that's not true of computer maintenance. There are many programs out there that either don't do what they purport to do, perform unnecessary functions, or are just plain dangerous to install. It's up to you, the computer maintenance technician, to determine what programs you can safely use in what manner.
In this article, we'll discuss some of the programs out there and what the do-it-yourselfer needs to watch out for.
Registry Cleaners Websites such as Finally Fast.com and Double My Speed.com have been promoting themselves heavily of late. These (and other) sites offer products to download and install that purport to improve your computer's performance. These programs are mostly registry cleaners. The Windows registry is simply a database that the operating system uses to store everything it needs to know to run as per your specifications. In addition, it's available to any other program to write their information in there as well. Since Windows 95, the registry has been the recommended repository for user preferences, settings, and any other variables a program has to remember.
Over time the Windows registry will become cluttered with unneeded information, most frequently caused by uninstallation programs not removing all of the data they should. The concept of a registry cleaner is that it will detect and remove these orphan settings, frequently improving computer performance.
The problem with registry cleaners is that they will often incorrectly detect a setting as unneeded and delete it, causing problems with either installed programs or the Windows operating system itself. Registry cleaners are good, but you should never blindly take their advice as to what to delete. You should always review each entry to verify that it can be deleted safely.
And keep in mind there are freeware applications that do an excellent job of cleaning your Windows registry. Ccleaner is the one recommended by The Computer Psychic. (Go to Google and search for ccleaner.)
Anti-Malware Applications Malware (spyware and virus) cleanup and prevention is one of the most important aspects of computer maintenance. If you catch a virus on your system, you leave yourself open to all sorts of mischief - including having files deleted, getting your address book scammed and spam e-mails being sent in your name, and even having your credit card and banking information stolen! Spyware can be just as bad - it typically "watches" what you do on your computer, down to even logging keystrokes, and thus stealing your passwords. In addition to these problems, spyware and viruses are often poorly written, causing performance problems in your system.
There are dozens of applications on the market that claim to remove malware from your system. And many of them do a good job. But here's the rub - many programs that present themselves as anti-virus or anti-spyware are, themselves, viruses and spyware! The Computer Psychic has seen all too many systems where the owner has - with the best of intentions - installed an anti-malware app into their system, only to see the floodgates opened; they find themselves with more popup ads and performance problems than they've ever seen before.
So how do you make sure you don't install one of these #$%& programs? First of all, if you get a pop-up message telling you that your computer is infected with viruses and click here to download a virus cleaner, don't do it! Without exception, these programs are scams. Downloading one of these apps will introduce your system to more viruses than you thought existed. In fact, when you see this window, you'll be presented with an OK and Cancel button. Don't click either one! If you click Cancel, it will still install a virus. Instead, click on the little X in the upper right-hand corner to close the window.
Secondly, if you use a search engine looking for anti-malware programs, be careful what links you follow. Malware creators will name their applications very similar to - or even exactly the same as - legitimate programs, hoping to confuse you into downloading theirs instead of the good one. For example, if you wanted to download Spybot Search and Destroy (an excellent anti-spyware program) and searched for it in Yahoo, the very first result you'll find purports itself to be Spybot. Clicking their link takes you to a page that says it's Spybot Search and Destroy, but is actually an application that acts as a gateway to allow viruses into your system.
So, again, you need to take the time to learn what is and what isn't safe to install. The Computer Psychic has a very easy recommendation. Microsoft has a vested interest in keeping your computer malware-free. If they do a good job of preventing viruses from getting into your system, then that's one less thing that Apple can beat them up over. Towards that end, in September of 2009, Microsoft released an excellent free anti-malware program named Microsoft Security Essentials (www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials). In the past, The Computer Psychic has recommended against all-in-one solutions, arguing that no one application can catch everything. But Microsoft Security Essentials is just that good. It does as good a job as - or better than - any other application, or combination of apps, in blocking any type of spyware or virus.
Startup Monitors While not as popular as the other system maintenance programs, proper use of a startup monitor can dramatically speed up your computer. A startup monitor will tell you just what programs, drivers and processes load when you start your computer.
When you boot up your computer, the operating system will also auto-start many other components - possibly a fax application, printer elements, video or mouse drivers, to name a few. These are good - they are essential for the proper operation of your computer. However, many applications add themselves to the auto-run settings for their own convenience - not yours.
For example, programs such as Adobe Reader and Microsoft Office will tell the operating system to pre-load some of their components as Windows starts up. This allows their software to open more quickly when needed. The downside of this is, even if you aren't actively using their software, your computer is using memory running those components. Better to not pre-load those components; let the software take a second or two longer to load, and speed up your entire system.
Another popular use for the startup is for auto-update programs. These apps will periodically check the internet looking for updates. If one is found, the program will present you with a window telling you an update is available. Not only do these apps consume computer resources, they can be an annoyance.
In order to easily prevent unwanted software from running automatically, The Computer Psychic recommends a Microsoft application called AutoRuns (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb96392.aspx). Using Autoruns you can decide just what apps you want to run when starting your computer. Once again, though, don't blindly turn of all apps. Make sure you know what you're disabling.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Online Computer Forum And Support For Optimization
Today, as an online user of PC, you have at your disposal two power-packed resources for all your computer technology requirements. Your online computer forum and your online computer support provider. Your online computer forum and your online computer support provider are available for your use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. While your online information technology forum is absolutely free for your use, you pay a very small fee to your online computer support provider for high-end computer consultancy. You make use of both your online resources as per your requirements. It may be a nighttime or a national holiday. Your online information technology forum and your online computer support provider are at your service at the touch of your fingertips. You instantly access them as and when required by you.
While you learn new things referring to high-quality computer contents in your free computer technology forum, you consult your expert Microsoft engineers at your online computer service provider for any specific course of action. You consult your online computer service provider for your high-end technical support consultancy. By remote outsourcing repair facility, your information technology experts at your computer support provider accesses your computer online. You now no more need to take your computer to your computer repair shop for any computer-related hurdle. Today, you consult your free tech support forum for fixing your computer hurdle. You can no more afford to waste your entire day on a single computer problem, while achieving very little at the end. It will be very frustrating for you to take your computer to your computer repair shop and at the end of the day being told that a single plug was not properly attached with your PC. Instead, you will now refer to your computer forum.
Your computer forum is today full of useful tech help tips, computer-related articles and blogs. You will learn so many new and useful things about your personal computer use and maintenance. You will learn to make smart use of your own problem-solving skills to solve your computer problem. You will refer to high-quality interactive discussions between PC users as they solve their computer problem in real time. You will fix all your computer problems by working together with your PC friends and administrators. You will also help other PC users with your own experience. You will perform trouble shooting steps that will solve your entire computer problem. You will save a lot of time and money. You do not pay a single dollar for getting your computer problem solved this way. Nor do you waste your time on waiting for your computer technology engineers to arrive at your site. You get smart solution of your computer problem right at your office or your home.
You also be in charge of your PC. You no more look your PC with suspicion that may fail you anytime. Instead, when faced with a computer problem, you approach it scientifically. You fix your computer problem by referring to your computer forum. You trouble shoot your PC step-by-step. In case you understand that you now require high-end computer repair consultancy, you call your online computer support provider.
You take help of your online computer support provider over phone or using e-mail, chat, or video conferencing. Information technology experts in your online computer service provider will access your computer using remote computer repair facility and help you in your computer repair. You may also consult your computer support provider while installing, configuring, or updating any computer peripherals like computer printer, DVD camera, Wi-fi. Whatever your needs are as a PC user, today, you get one-to-one assistance from your online computer support provider for all your computer technology needs.
Today, with a good computer forum and an online computer support provider at your fingertips, you solve all your computer problems with ease and convenience. You come closer to achieving zero-percent wastage of time and money because of computer repair and other PC bottlenecks. You achieve optimum performance of your PC.
While you learn new things referring to high-quality computer contents in your free computer technology forum, you consult your expert Microsoft engineers at your online computer service provider for any specific course of action. You consult your online computer service provider for your high-end technical support consultancy. By remote outsourcing repair facility, your information technology experts at your computer support provider accesses your computer online. You now no more need to take your computer to your computer repair shop for any computer-related hurdle. Today, you consult your free tech support forum for fixing your computer hurdle. You can no more afford to waste your entire day on a single computer problem, while achieving very little at the end. It will be very frustrating for you to take your computer to your computer repair shop and at the end of the day being told that a single plug was not properly attached with your PC. Instead, you will now refer to your computer forum.
Your computer forum is today full of useful tech help tips, computer-related articles and blogs. You will learn so many new and useful things about your personal computer use and maintenance. You will learn to make smart use of your own problem-solving skills to solve your computer problem. You will refer to high-quality interactive discussions between PC users as they solve their computer problem in real time. You will fix all your computer problems by working together with your PC friends and administrators. You will also help other PC users with your own experience. You will perform trouble shooting steps that will solve your entire computer problem. You will save a lot of time and money. You do not pay a single dollar for getting your computer problem solved this way. Nor do you waste your time on waiting for your computer technology engineers to arrive at your site. You get smart solution of your computer problem right at your office or your home.
You also be in charge of your PC. You no more look your PC with suspicion that may fail you anytime. Instead, when faced with a computer problem, you approach it scientifically. You fix your computer problem by referring to your computer forum. You trouble shoot your PC step-by-step. In case you understand that you now require high-end computer repair consultancy, you call your online computer support provider.
You take help of your online computer support provider over phone or using e-mail, chat, or video conferencing. Information technology experts in your online computer service provider will access your computer using remote computer repair facility and help you in your computer repair. You may also consult your computer support provider while installing, configuring, or updating any computer peripherals like computer printer, DVD camera, Wi-fi. Whatever your needs are as a PC user, today, you get one-to-one assistance from your online computer support provider for all your computer technology needs.
Today, with a good computer forum and an online computer support provider at your fingertips, you solve all your computer problems with ease and convenience. You come closer to achieving zero-percent wastage of time and money because of computer repair and other PC bottlenecks. You achieve optimum performance of your PC.
Computer Forum And Computer Support For Tech-Help
Today, you cannot imagine a life without computers. Better use of computer technology can make your life much easier and much more fulfilling. You can make big professionally if you can utilize computer technology efficiently.
Computer technology can make your life much easier if you can use it intelligently. By intelligent use of fast-changing computer technology you make smart gains professionally. As a result, you grow very big within a short period of time. You have more time to spend with your loved ones. You have more money to donate to your local charity. This way, a smart computer technology application can be a life-changing experience for you. This is the powerful reason for you to look for a computer technology application for your life-changing experience.
Your online computer forum is right there with you helping you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. You can explore it while still working on your PC in your office. You can also access it from the comforts of your home. By spending some quality time with your computer forum, you can come out with a smart computer technology application that will integrate your great business plan and give you huge business returns.
From such good information technology forums, you will not only know how to use the latest computer products and services, but you will also learn about future trends in computer technology. This will help you to make smart business innovations which will give you an edge over your competitors.
It is said that great ideas come in small packages. You need to constantly look for them. Your computer forum is your knowledge partner that will help you explore such great ideas. Wherever you will have any doubt, you will clarify it from tech help experts in your live online tech support forum.
Today, a good online computer forum offers you computer advisory services from expert information technology professionals. Such information technology professionals are also called administrators by their PC visitors in their popular computer forum. Your administrators work hard so that you get smarter computer solutions. As a result, you are never out of new ideas and no computer hurdle stops you from making fast progress. You make fast progress in developing your computer technology application. When faced with specifics, you can today also consult one-to-one with your online computer support provider.
Your online computer support provider is your outsourcing partner for your high-end computer repair consultancy and high-end one-to-one computer consultancy. By talking over phone to their customer support, you clarify all your doubts which you have in your final computer technology application. In this way, your computer application will be more reliable and more practical. Your online computer support provider will know what will be in the best interest of you as a personal computer user. As your online computer support provider already have details about your specific requirements, they will help you in your tailor-made computer application that will be best for your customized computer support.
Today, you can make big professional gains by making right use of computer technology. Right use of computer technology is today easy with a good computer forums and a good online computer support provider. You can make fast progress in a small period of time by referring how to use computer technology in a good computer forum. For specifics, your online computer support provider will help you in your final tailor-made solution with their one-to-one technical supp
Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/computer-forum-and-computer-support-for-techhelp-1905739.html#ixzz1AhdkIWas
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
Computer technology can make your life much easier if you can use it intelligently. By intelligent use of fast-changing computer technology you make smart gains professionally. As a result, you grow very big within a short period of time. You have more time to spend with your loved ones. You have more money to donate to your local charity. This way, a smart computer technology application can be a life-changing experience for you. This is the powerful reason for you to look for a computer technology application for your life-changing experience.
Your online computer forum is right there with you helping you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. You can explore it while still working on your PC in your office. You can also access it from the comforts of your home. By spending some quality time with your computer forum, you can come out with a smart computer technology application that will integrate your great business plan and give you huge business returns.
From such good information technology forums, you will not only know how to use the latest computer products and services, but you will also learn about future trends in computer technology. This will help you to make smart business innovations which will give you an edge over your competitors.
It is said that great ideas come in small packages. You need to constantly look for them. Your computer forum is your knowledge partner that will help you explore such great ideas. Wherever you will have any doubt, you will clarify it from tech help experts in your live online tech support forum.
Today, a good online computer forum offers you computer advisory services from expert information technology professionals. Such information technology professionals are also called administrators by their PC visitors in their popular computer forum. Your administrators work hard so that you get smarter computer solutions. As a result, you are never out of new ideas and no computer hurdle stops you from making fast progress. You make fast progress in developing your computer technology application. When faced with specifics, you can today also consult one-to-one with your online computer support provider.
Your online computer support provider is your outsourcing partner for your high-end computer repair consultancy and high-end one-to-one computer consultancy. By talking over phone to their customer support, you clarify all your doubts which you have in your final computer technology application. In this way, your computer application will be more reliable and more practical. Your online computer support provider will know what will be in the best interest of you as a personal computer user. As your online computer support provider already have details about your specific requirements, they will help you in your tailor-made computer application that will be best for your customized computer support.
Today, you can make big professional gains by making right use of computer technology. Right use of computer technology is today easy with a good computer forums and a good online computer support provider. You can make fast progress in a small period of time by referring how to use computer technology in a good computer forum. For specifics, your online computer support provider will help you in your final tailor-made solution with their one-to-one technical supp
Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/computer-forum-and-computer-support-for-techhelp-1905739.html#ixzz1AhdkIWas
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
What To Know About Computer To Television
Do you obtaining difficulty in link your computer to TV and can't discover a good computer to TV converter to carry out the job? You may want to analyze this to find out the way.
To use a connection in between your computer and TV you'd need a cable television which would serve as a converter. Some will needed computer s video to tv cable television television for displaying graphic on TV. The cable is really a cord which connects to the each end and outputs the image coming in the monitor to the television which an additional cable television television conclusion is connected. The computer to TV converter translates the VGA signal to be capable to perform on your television. This would permit you to enjoy internet TV or DVD inside your computer DVD drive however the viewing will be observed about the TV. It is like making your TV a big monitor for the computer exactly where you are able to actually surf the Net, view photos and numerous a lot more. Ought to you appreciate house entertainment, or love to watch films at home, this really is the first move to generating a House Theatre computer.
In addition to, computer to TV converters may also be required by computer specialists who make computer animation and computer academic training video tapes. They are capable to use it to hyperlink TV to computer and show greater high quality picture.
In order for you personally to link your computer to TV, You will need a computer to TV converter. It's really a cable television that attaches to your personal computer and links its other conclusion to the television port. You simply hyperlink another end of the cable television or cord to the output port of the computer then attach the other summary to the input port of the TV. The photos or exhibits being played inside your computer is going to be also shown inside your TV display. That's really incredible!
Once you've all of the required connections set up properly in your computer to TV converter, it possibly essential to set your TVs to accept the output signal in the Laptop/Computer when connect TV to computer. You'll find out the guidelines to accomplish this inside the menu from the TV on how to link TV to computer, if it can't be found then look for advice from your TV handbook for guidelines. Youf all the connections are firmly in area and also the TV is set up correctly to obtain the computers signal you should see your computer display on your TV.
Whenever you discover yourself running out of money simply because of paying out for all of the extra television services just to see your TV you should to believe of getting one from the computer to television converters to conserve your self time and cash. The computer to TV converter merely mirrors your computer present film signal for output on an extra show, for instance a TV, VCR (to record a brand new high rating possibly along with a computer s video to tv cable perhaps required). As stated previously their easy to hook up in addition they don't take up a great deal a lot more room than a VCR or DVD player. The computer to television converter boxes had been produced especially for that people that can't go out and afford a brand new television or even a single of the many services.
To use a connection in between your computer and TV you'd need a cable television which would serve as a converter. Some will needed computer s video to tv cable television television for displaying graphic on TV. The cable is really a cord which connects to the each end and outputs the image coming in the monitor to the television which an additional cable television television conclusion is connected. The computer to TV converter translates the VGA signal to be capable to perform on your television. This would permit you to enjoy internet TV or DVD inside your computer DVD drive however the viewing will be observed about the TV. It is like making your TV a big monitor for the computer exactly where you are able to actually surf the Net, view photos and numerous a lot more. Ought to you appreciate house entertainment, or love to watch films at home, this really is the first move to generating a House Theatre computer.
In addition to, computer to TV converters may also be required by computer specialists who make computer animation and computer academic training video tapes. They are capable to use it to hyperlink TV to computer and show greater high quality picture.
In order for you personally to link your computer to TV, You will need a computer to TV converter. It's really a cable television that attaches to your personal computer and links its other conclusion to the television port. You simply hyperlink another end of the cable television or cord to the output port of the computer then attach the other summary to the input port of the TV. The photos or exhibits being played inside your computer is going to be also shown inside your TV display. That's really incredible!
Once you've all of the required connections set up properly in your computer to TV converter, it possibly essential to set your TVs to accept the output signal in the Laptop/Computer when connect TV to computer. You'll find out the guidelines to accomplish this inside the menu from the TV on how to link TV to computer, if it can't be found then look for advice from your TV handbook for guidelines. Youf all the connections are firmly in area and also the TV is set up correctly to obtain the computers signal you should see your computer display on your TV.
Whenever you discover yourself running out of money simply because of paying out for all of the extra television services just to see your TV you should to believe of getting one from the computer to television converters to conserve your self time and cash. The computer to TV converter merely mirrors your computer present film signal for output on an extra show, for instance a TV, VCR (to record a brand new high rating possibly along with a computer s video to tv cable perhaps required). As stated previously their easy to hook up in addition they don't take up a great deal a lot more room than a VCR or DVD player. The computer to television converter boxes had been produced especially for that people that can't go out and afford a brand new television or even a single of the many services.
7 Computer Repair Tips to Speed UP Your PC Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/7-computer-repair-tips-to-speed-up-your-pc-2393841.html#ixzz1Ahbwk9U0 Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
Your computer is not running smooth these days. It has become older and there are signs of frequent troubles. Internet freezes and computer lags are just enough to break your day. It has become excessively slow and working with it is just destroying your sanity. Don't worry! This is quite normal especially if it is an older computer. However, you can try some computer repair tips to speed up your older but essential companion.
1. Free Disk Space:
No doubt, your computer can do many tasks at a time. But does it mean that you should install whatever applications that comes to your mind? One easy but useful computer repair tip is to free your disk space. Find out the unimportant programs and uninstall them. You can also use external hard drive or DVDs to save the important files. You can save space on your computer hard drive in this way. Freeing some space on your computer hard drive will definitively boost up your computer performance.
2. Defragment your Computer Monthly:
When you try to save programs or files on your computer sometimes they are saved in different parts of the computer hard drive. When you want to run a program, the computer searches for all over the computer hard drive to find out the files that are needed to run the program. It takes a long time to run the program. For this, you need to defragment your computer on a monthly basis. This process will erase the unused space of your computer and will speed up the computer.
3. Install Firewall and Update Antivirus Software:
Firewall is software that prevents the malicious Internet threats to attack your computer. If your computer doesn't have any firewall installed within, it is open to malicious threats. Download and update antivirus software also. If you don't update the database your antivirus application won't be effectively identify and destroy the virus. So, another useful computer repair tip is to install firewall and update anti-viruses. This will also help you from all sort of network problem.
4. Clean Up the CPU and the Desktop:
Computer repair technicians suggest that you should always keep your CPU clean for boosting it up. Use anti-static cloth or compressed air to clean up the CPU. Tech support experts also suggest you to clean up the desktop. Holding lots of icons on the desktop only slows down the PC performance. Relocate the saved files on desktop to some other locations and it will gear up the computer performance.
5. Hardware upgrade:
For computer boost up you need to upgrade the hardware of your computer. If you see your computer crashes frequently it can be due to the hardware incapability. May be there are some sorts of hard disk problem as well. Upgrade the hardware to the latest version suiting your computer configuration and see the changes.
6. Maintain a Cool CPU:
Another important computer repair tip is to keep your CPU cool. Sometimes your computer heats up and shuts itself. You can keep your computer in a ventilated room so that it can cool itself down. You can shut down your computer when it's not in use. It will also save the electricity too.
7. Identify and Fix Disk Errors:
Sometimes your computer can get bad sectors. These bad sectors will make your computer performance slow. For this you can run the Error Checking Utility. This will scan your PC for bad sectors. Tech support experts suggest running this scan for once in a month.
Following these computer repair tips you c
1. Free Disk Space:
No doubt, your computer can do many tasks at a time. But does it mean that you should install whatever applications that comes to your mind? One easy but useful computer repair tip is to free your disk space. Find out the unimportant programs and uninstall them. You can also use external hard drive or DVDs to save the important files. You can save space on your computer hard drive in this way. Freeing some space on your computer hard drive will definitively boost up your computer performance.
2. Defragment your Computer Monthly:
When you try to save programs or files on your computer sometimes they are saved in different parts of the computer hard drive. When you want to run a program, the computer searches for all over the computer hard drive to find out the files that are needed to run the program. It takes a long time to run the program. For this, you need to defragment your computer on a monthly basis. This process will erase the unused space of your computer and will speed up the computer.
3. Install Firewall and Update Antivirus Software:
Firewall is software that prevents the malicious Internet threats to attack your computer. If your computer doesn't have any firewall installed within, it is open to malicious threats. Download and update antivirus software also. If you don't update the database your antivirus application won't be effectively identify and destroy the virus. So, another useful computer repair tip is to install firewall and update anti-viruses. This will also help you from all sort of network problem.
4. Clean Up the CPU and the Desktop:
Computer repair technicians suggest that you should always keep your CPU clean for boosting it up. Use anti-static cloth or compressed air to clean up the CPU. Tech support experts also suggest you to clean up the desktop. Holding lots of icons on the desktop only slows down the PC performance. Relocate the saved files on desktop to some other locations and it will gear up the computer performance.
5. Hardware upgrade:
For computer boost up you need to upgrade the hardware of your computer. If you see your computer crashes frequently it can be due to the hardware incapability. May be there are some sorts of hard disk problem as well. Upgrade the hardware to the latest version suiting your computer configuration and see the changes.
6. Maintain a Cool CPU:
Another important computer repair tip is to keep your CPU cool. Sometimes your computer heats up and shuts itself. You can keep your computer in a ventilated room so that it can cool itself down. You can shut down your computer when it's not in use. It will also save the electricity too.
7. Identify and Fix Disk Errors:
Sometimes your computer can get bad sectors. These bad sectors will make your computer performance slow. For this you can run the Error Checking Utility. This will scan your PC for bad sectors. Tech support experts suggest running this scan for once in a month.
Following these computer repair tips you c
History of the Computer Industry in America
Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the U.S. and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the computer has changed nearly every aspect of peoples lives for the better.
The earliest existence of the modern day computer ancestor is the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wire on which beads are strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to "programming" rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed (Soma, 14). The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first digital calculating machine. It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascal's father who was a tax collector (Soma, 32).
In the early 1800, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built into his machine were operations that included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was programmed by and stored data on cards with holes punched in them, appropriately called punch cards. His inventions were failures for the most part because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the lack of demand
for such a device (Soma, 46).
After Babbage, people began to lose interest in computers. However, between 1850 and 1900 there were great advances in mathematics and physics that began to rekindle the interest (Osborne, 45). Many of these new advances involved complex calculations and formulas that were very time consuming for human calculation. The first major use for a computer in the U.S. was during the 1890 census. Two men, Herman Hollerith and James Powers, developed a new punched-card system that could automatically read information on cards without human intervention (Gulliver, 82). Since the population of the U.S. was increasing so fast, the computer was an essential tool in tabulating the totals.
These advantages were noted by commercial industries and soon led to the development of improved punch-card business-machine systems by International Business Machines (IBM), Remington-Rand, Burroughs, and other corporations. By modern standards the punched-card machines were slow, typically processing from 50 to 250 cards per minute, with each card holding up to 80 digits. At the time, however, punched cards was an enormous step forwards; they provided a means of input, output, and memory storage on a massive scale. For more than 50 years following their first use, punched-card machines did the bulk of the world's business computing and a good portion of the computing work in science (Chposky, 73).
By the late 1930's punched-card machine techniques had become so
well established and reliable that Howard Hathaway Aiken, in
collaboration with engineers at IBM, undertook construction of a large automatic digital computer based on standard IBM electromechanical parts. Aiken's machine, called the Harvard Mark I, handled 23-digit numbers and could perform all four arithmetic operations. Also, it had
special built-in programs to handle logarithms and trigonometric functions. The Mark I was controlled from prepunched paper tape. Output was by card punch and electric typewriter. It was slow, requiring 3 to 5 seconds for a multiplication, but it was fully automatic and could complete long computations without human intervention (Chposky, 103).
The outbreak of World War II produced a desperate need for computing capability, especially for the military. New weapons' systems were produced which needed trajectory tables and other essential data. In 1942, John P. Eckert, John W. Mauchley, and their associates at the University of Pennsylvania decided to build a high-speed electronic computer to do the job. This machine became known as ENIAC, for "Electrical Numerical Integrator And Calculator". It could multiply two numbers at the rate of 300 products per second, by finding the value of
each product from a multiplication table stored in its memory. ENIAC was thus about 1,000 times faster than the previous generation of computers (Dolotta, 47).
ENIAC used 18,000 standard vacuum tubes, occupied 1800 square feet of floor space, and used about 180,000 watts of electricity. It used punched-card input and output. The ENIAC was very difficult to program because one had to essentially re-wire it to perform whatever
task he wanted the computer to do. It was, however, efficient in handling the particular programs for which it had been designed. ENIAC is generally accepted as the first successful high-speed electronic digital computer and was used in many applications from 1946 to 1955
(Dolotta, 50).
Mathematician John von Neumann was very interested in the ENIAC. In 1945 he undertook a theoretical study of computation that demonstrated that a computer could have a very simple and yet be able to execute any kind of computation effectively by means of proper
programmed control without the need for any changes in hardware. Von Neumann came up with incredible ideas for methods of building and organizing practical, fast computers. These ideas, which came to be referred to as the stored-program technique, became fundamental for
future generations of high-speed digital computers and were universally adopted (Hall, 73).
The first wave of modern programmed electronic computers to take advantage of these improvements appeared in 1947. This group included computers using random access memory (RAM), which is a memory designed to give almost constant access to any particular piece of information (Hall, 75). These machines had punched-card or punched-tape input and output devices and RAMs of 1000-word capacity. Physically, they were much more compact than ENIAC: some were about the size of a grand piano and required 2500 small electron tubes. This was quite an improvement over the earlier machines. The first-generation stored-program
computers required considerable maintenance, usually attained 70% to 80% reliable operation, and were used for 8 to 12 years. Typically, they were programmed directly in machine language, although by the mid-1950s progress had been made in several aspects of advanced programming. This group of machines included EDVAC and UNIVAC, the first commercially available computers (Hazewindus, 102).
The UNIVAC was developed by John W. Mauchley and John Eckert, Jr. in the 1950's. Together they had formed the Mauchley-Eckert Computer Corporation, America s first computer company in the 1940's. During the development of the UNIVAC, they began to run short on funds and sold their company to the larger Remington-Rand Corporation. Eventually they built a working UNIVAC computer. It was delivered to the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951 where it was used to help tabulate the U.S. population (Hazewindus, 124).
Early in the 1950s two important engineering discoveries changed the electronic computer field. The first computers were made with vacuum tubes, but by the late 1950's computers were being made out of transistors, which were smaller, less expensive, more reliable, and more efficient (Shallis, 40). In 1959, Robert Noyce, a physicist at the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, invented the integrated circuit, a tiny chip of silicon that contained an entire electronic circuit. Gone was the bulky, unreliable, but fast machine; now computers began to
become more compact, more reliable and have more capacity (Shallis, 49).
These new technical discoveries rapidly found their way into new models of digital computers. Memory storage capacities increased 800% in commercially available machines by the early 1960s and speeds increased by an equally large margin. These machines were very
expensive to purchase or to rent and were especially expensive to operate because of the cost of hiring programmers to perform the complex operations the computers ran. Such computers were typically found in large computer centres--operated by industry, government, and private
laboratories--staffed with many programmers and support personnel (Rogers, 77). By 1956, 76 of IBM's large computer mainframes were in use, compared with only 46 UNIVAC's (Chposky, 125).
In the 1960s efforts to design and develop the fastest possible computers with the greatest capacity reached a turning point with the completion of the LARC machine for Livermore Radiation Laboratories by the Sperry-Rand Corporation, and the Stretch computer by IBM. The LARC had a core memory of 98,000 words and multiplied in 10 microseconds. Stretch was provided with several ranks of memory having slower access for the ranks of greater capacity, the fastest access time being less than 1 microseconds and the total capacity in the vicinity of 100 million words (Chposky, 147).
During this time the major computer manufacturers began to offer a range of computer capabilities, as well as various computer-related equipment. These included input means such as consoles and card feeders; output means such as page printers, cathode-ray-tube displays,
and graphing devices; and optional magnetic-tape and magnetic-disk file storage. These found wide use in business for such applications as accounting, payroll, inventory control, ordering supplies, and billing. Central processing units (CPUs) for such purposes did not need to be
very fast arithmetically and were primarily used to access large amounts of records on file. The greatest number of computer systems were delivered for the larger applications, such as in hospitals for keeping track of patient records, medications, and treatments given. They were
also used in automated library systems and in database systems such as the Chemical Abstracts system, where computer records now on file cover nearly all known chemical compounds (Rogers, 98).
The trend during the 1970s was, to some extent, away from extremely powerful, centralized computational centres and toward a broader range of applications for less-costly computer systems. Most continuous-process manufacturing, such as petroleum refining and electrical-power distribution systems, began using computers of relatively modest capability for controlling and regulating their activities. In the 1960s the programming of applications problems was an obstacle to the self-sufficiency of moderate-sized on-site computer
installations, but great advances in applications programming languages removed these obstacles. Applications languages became available for controlling a great range of manufacturing processes, for computer operation of machine tools, and for many other tasks (Osborne, 146). In 1971 Marcian E. Hoff, Jr., an engineer at the Intel Corporation,
invented the microprocessor and another stage in the development of the computer began (Shallis, 121).
A new revolution in computer hardware was now well under way, involving miniaturization of computer-logic circuitry and of component manufacture by what are called large-scale integration techniques. In the 1950s it was realized that "scaling down" the size of electronic
digital computer circuits and parts would increase speed and efficiency and improve performance. However, at that time the manufacturing methods were not good enough to accomplish such a task. About 1960 photo printing of conductive circuit boards to eliminate wiring became highly developed. Then it became possible to build resistors and capacitors into the circuitry by photographic means (Rogers, 142). In the 1970s entire assemblies, such as adders, shifting registers, and counters, became available on tiny chips of silicon. In the 1980s very large scale integration (VLSI), in which hundreds of thousands of transistors are placed on a single chip, became increasingly common. Many companies, some new to the computer field, introduced in the 1970s programmable minicomputers supplied with software packages. The
size-reduction trend continued with the introduction of personal computers, which are programmable machines small enough and inexpensive enough to be purchased and used by individuals (Rogers, 153).
One of the first of such machines was introduced in January 1975. Popular Electronics magazine provided plans that would allow any electronics wizard to build his own small, programmable computer for about $380 (Rose, 32). The computer was called the Altair 8800. Its programming involved pushing buttons and flipping switches on the front
of the box. It didn't include a monitor or keyboard, and its applications were very limited (Jacobs, 53). Even though, many orders came in for it and several famous owners of computer and software manufacturing companies got their start in computing through the Altair.
For example, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, founders of Apple Computer, built a much cheaper, yet more productive version of the Altair and turned their hobby into a business (Fluegelman, 16).
After the introduction of the Altair 8800, the personal computer industry became a fierce battleground of competition. IBM had been the computer industry standard for well over a half-century. They held their position as the standard when they introduced their first personal
computer, the IBM Model 60 in 1975 (Chposky, 156). However, the newly formed Apple Computer company was releasing its own personal computer, the Apple II (The Apple I was the first computer designed by Jobs and Wozniak in Wozniak s garage, which was not produced on a wide scale). Software was needed to run the computers as well. Microsoft developed a
Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) for the IBM computer while Apple developed its own software system (Rose, 37). Because Microsoft had now set the software standard for IBMs, every software manufacturer had to make their software compatible with Microsoft's. This would lead to huge profits for Microsoft (Cringley, 163).
The main goal of the computer manufacturers was to make the computer as affordable as possible while increasing speed, reliability, and capacity. Nearly every computer manufacturer accomplished this and computers popped up everywhere. Computers were in businesses keeping track of inventories. Computers were in colleges aiding students in research. Computers were in laboratories making complex calculations at high speeds for scientists and physicists. The computer had made its mark everywhere in society and built up a huge industry (Cringley, 174).
The future is promising for the computer industry and its technology. The speed of processors is expected to double every year and a half in the coming years. As manufacturing techniques are further perfected the prices of computer systems are expected to steadily fall.
However, since the microprocessor technology will be increasing, it's higher costs will offset the drop in price of older processors. In other words, the price of a new computer will stay about the same from year to year, but technology will steadily increase (Zachary, 42)
Since the end of World War II, the computer industry has grown from a standing start into one of the biggest and most profitable industries in the United States. It now comprises thousands of companies, making everything from multi-million dollar high-speed
supercomputers to printout paper and floppy disks. It employs millions of people and generates tens of billions of dollars in sales each year (Malone, 192). Surely, the computer has impacted every aspect of people's lives. It has affected the way people work and play. It has
made everyone s life easier by doing difficult work for people. The computer truly is one of the most incredible inventions in history.
The earliest existence of the modern day computer ancestor is the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wire on which beads are strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to "programming" rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed (Soma, 14). The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first digital calculating machine. It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascal's father who was a tax collector (Soma, 32).
In the early 1800, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built into his machine were operations that included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was programmed by and stored data on cards with holes punched in them, appropriately called punch cards. His inventions were failures for the most part because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the lack of demand
for such a device (Soma, 46).
After Babbage, people began to lose interest in computers. However, between 1850 and 1900 there were great advances in mathematics and physics that began to rekindle the interest (Osborne, 45). Many of these new advances involved complex calculations and formulas that were very time consuming for human calculation. The first major use for a computer in the U.S. was during the 1890 census. Two men, Herman Hollerith and James Powers, developed a new punched-card system that could automatically read information on cards without human intervention (Gulliver, 82). Since the population of the U.S. was increasing so fast, the computer was an essential tool in tabulating the totals.
These advantages were noted by commercial industries and soon led to the development of improved punch-card business-machine systems by International Business Machines (IBM), Remington-Rand, Burroughs, and other corporations. By modern standards the punched-card machines were slow, typically processing from 50 to 250 cards per minute, with each card holding up to 80 digits. At the time, however, punched cards was an enormous step forwards; they provided a means of input, output, and memory storage on a massive scale. For more than 50 years following their first use, punched-card machines did the bulk of the world's business computing and a good portion of the computing work in science (Chposky, 73).
By the late 1930's punched-card machine techniques had become so
well established and reliable that Howard Hathaway Aiken, in
collaboration with engineers at IBM, undertook construction of a large automatic digital computer based on standard IBM electromechanical parts. Aiken's machine, called the Harvard Mark I, handled 23-digit numbers and could perform all four arithmetic operations. Also, it had
special built-in programs to handle logarithms and trigonometric functions. The Mark I was controlled from prepunched paper tape. Output was by card punch and electric typewriter. It was slow, requiring 3 to 5 seconds for a multiplication, but it was fully automatic and could complete long computations without human intervention (Chposky, 103).
The outbreak of World War II produced a desperate need for computing capability, especially for the military. New weapons' systems were produced which needed trajectory tables and other essential data. In 1942, John P. Eckert, John W. Mauchley, and their associates at the University of Pennsylvania decided to build a high-speed electronic computer to do the job. This machine became known as ENIAC, for "Electrical Numerical Integrator And Calculator". It could multiply two numbers at the rate of 300 products per second, by finding the value of
each product from a multiplication table stored in its memory. ENIAC was thus about 1,000 times faster than the previous generation of computers (Dolotta, 47).
ENIAC used 18,000 standard vacuum tubes, occupied 1800 square feet of floor space, and used about 180,000 watts of electricity. It used punched-card input and output. The ENIAC was very difficult to program because one had to essentially re-wire it to perform whatever
task he wanted the computer to do. It was, however, efficient in handling the particular programs for which it had been designed. ENIAC is generally accepted as the first successful high-speed electronic digital computer and was used in many applications from 1946 to 1955
(Dolotta, 50).
Mathematician John von Neumann was very interested in the ENIAC. In 1945 he undertook a theoretical study of computation that demonstrated that a computer could have a very simple and yet be able to execute any kind of computation effectively by means of proper
programmed control without the need for any changes in hardware. Von Neumann came up with incredible ideas for methods of building and organizing practical, fast computers. These ideas, which came to be referred to as the stored-program technique, became fundamental for
future generations of high-speed digital computers and were universally adopted (Hall, 73).
The first wave of modern programmed electronic computers to take advantage of these improvements appeared in 1947. This group included computers using random access memory (RAM), which is a memory designed to give almost constant access to any particular piece of information (Hall, 75). These machines had punched-card or punched-tape input and output devices and RAMs of 1000-word capacity. Physically, they were much more compact than ENIAC: some were about the size of a grand piano and required 2500 small electron tubes. This was quite an improvement over the earlier machines. The first-generation stored-program
computers required considerable maintenance, usually attained 70% to 80% reliable operation, and were used for 8 to 12 years. Typically, they were programmed directly in machine language, although by the mid-1950s progress had been made in several aspects of advanced programming. This group of machines included EDVAC and UNIVAC, the first commercially available computers (Hazewindus, 102).
The UNIVAC was developed by John W. Mauchley and John Eckert, Jr. in the 1950's. Together they had formed the Mauchley-Eckert Computer Corporation, America s first computer company in the 1940's. During the development of the UNIVAC, they began to run short on funds and sold their company to the larger Remington-Rand Corporation. Eventually they built a working UNIVAC computer. It was delivered to the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951 where it was used to help tabulate the U.S. population (Hazewindus, 124).
Early in the 1950s two important engineering discoveries changed the electronic computer field. The first computers were made with vacuum tubes, but by the late 1950's computers were being made out of transistors, which were smaller, less expensive, more reliable, and more efficient (Shallis, 40). In 1959, Robert Noyce, a physicist at the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, invented the integrated circuit, a tiny chip of silicon that contained an entire electronic circuit. Gone was the bulky, unreliable, but fast machine; now computers began to
become more compact, more reliable and have more capacity (Shallis, 49).
These new technical discoveries rapidly found their way into new models of digital computers. Memory storage capacities increased 800% in commercially available machines by the early 1960s and speeds increased by an equally large margin. These machines were very
expensive to purchase or to rent and were especially expensive to operate because of the cost of hiring programmers to perform the complex operations the computers ran. Such computers were typically found in large computer centres--operated by industry, government, and private
laboratories--staffed with many programmers and support personnel (Rogers, 77). By 1956, 76 of IBM's large computer mainframes were in use, compared with only 46 UNIVAC's (Chposky, 125).
In the 1960s efforts to design and develop the fastest possible computers with the greatest capacity reached a turning point with the completion of the LARC machine for Livermore Radiation Laboratories by the Sperry-Rand Corporation, and the Stretch computer by IBM. The LARC had a core memory of 98,000 words and multiplied in 10 microseconds. Stretch was provided with several ranks of memory having slower access for the ranks of greater capacity, the fastest access time being less than 1 microseconds and the total capacity in the vicinity of 100 million words (Chposky, 147).
During this time the major computer manufacturers began to offer a range of computer capabilities, as well as various computer-related equipment. These included input means such as consoles and card feeders; output means such as page printers, cathode-ray-tube displays,
and graphing devices; and optional magnetic-tape and magnetic-disk file storage. These found wide use in business for such applications as accounting, payroll, inventory control, ordering supplies, and billing. Central processing units (CPUs) for such purposes did not need to be
very fast arithmetically and were primarily used to access large amounts of records on file. The greatest number of computer systems were delivered for the larger applications, such as in hospitals for keeping track of patient records, medications, and treatments given. They were
also used in automated library systems and in database systems such as the Chemical Abstracts system, where computer records now on file cover nearly all known chemical compounds (Rogers, 98).
The trend during the 1970s was, to some extent, away from extremely powerful, centralized computational centres and toward a broader range of applications for less-costly computer systems. Most continuous-process manufacturing, such as petroleum refining and electrical-power distribution systems, began using computers of relatively modest capability for controlling and regulating their activities. In the 1960s the programming of applications problems was an obstacle to the self-sufficiency of moderate-sized on-site computer
installations, but great advances in applications programming languages removed these obstacles. Applications languages became available for controlling a great range of manufacturing processes, for computer operation of machine tools, and for many other tasks (Osborne, 146). In 1971 Marcian E. Hoff, Jr., an engineer at the Intel Corporation,
invented the microprocessor and another stage in the development of the computer began (Shallis, 121).
A new revolution in computer hardware was now well under way, involving miniaturization of computer-logic circuitry and of component manufacture by what are called large-scale integration techniques. In the 1950s it was realized that "scaling down" the size of electronic
digital computer circuits and parts would increase speed and efficiency and improve performance. However, at that time the manufacturing methods were not good enough to accomplish such a task. About 1960 photo printing of conductive circuit boards to eliminate wiring became highly developed. Then it became possible to build resistors and capacitors into the circuitry by photographic means (Rogers, 142). In the 1970s entire assemblies, such as adders, shifting registers, and counters, became available on tiny chips of silicon. In the 1980s very large scale integration (VLSI), in which hundreds of thousands of transistors are placed on a single chip, became increasingly common. Many companies, some new to the computer field, introduced in the 1970s programmable minicomputers supplied with software packages. The
size-reduction trend continued with the introduction of personal computers, which are programmable machines small enough and inexpensive enough to be purchased and used by individuals (Rogers, 153).
One of the first of such machines was introduced in January 1975. Popular Electronics magazine provided plans that would allow any electronics wizard to build his own small, programmable computer for about $380 (Rose, 32). The computer was called the Altair 8800. Its programming involved pushing buttons and flipping switches on the front
of the box. It didn't include a monitor or keyboard, and its applications were very limited (Jacobs, 53). Even though, many orders came in for it and several famous owners of computer and software manufacturing companies got their start in computing through the Altair.
For example, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, founders of Apple Computer, built a much cheaper, yet more productive version of the Altair and turned their hobby into a business (Fluegelman, 16).
After the introduction of the Altair 8800, the personal computer industry became a fierce battleground of competition. IBM had been the computer industry standard for well over a half-century. They held their position as the standard when they introduced their first personal
computer, the IBM Model 60 in 1975 (Chposky, 156). However, the newly formed Apple Computer company was releasing its own personal computer, the Apple II (The Apple I was the first computer designed by Jobs and Wozniak in Wozniak s garage, which was not produced on a wide scale). Software was needed to run the computers as well. Microsoft developed a
Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) for the IBM computer while Apple developed its own software system (Rose, 37). Because Microsoft had now set the software standard for IBMs, every software manufacturer had to make their software compatible with Microsoft's. This would lead to huge profits for Microsoft (Cringley, 163).
The main goal of the computer manufacturers was to make the computer as affordable as possible while increasing speed, reliability, and capacity. Nearly every computer manufacturer accomplished this and computers popped up everywhere. Computers were in businesses keeping track of inventories. Computers were in colleges aiding students in research. Computers were in laboratories making complex calculations at high speeds for scientists and physicists. The computer had made its mark everywhere in society and built up a huge industry (Cringley, 174).
The future is promising for the computer industry and its technology. The speed of processors is expected to double every year and a half in the coming years. As manufacturing techniques are further perfected the prices of computer systems are expected to steadily fall.
However, since the microprocessor technology will be increasing, it's higher costs will offset the drop in price of older processors. In other words, the price of a new computer will stay about the same from year to year, but technology will steadily increase (Zachary, 42)
Since the end of World War II, the computer industry has grown from a standing start into one of the biggest and most profitable industries in the United States. It now comprises thousands of companies, making everything from multi-million dollar high-speed
supercomputers to printout paper and floppy disks. It employs millions of people and generates tens of billions of dollars in sales each year (Malone, 192). Surely, the computer has impacted every aspect of people's lives. It has affected the way people work and play. It has
made everyone s life easier by doing difficult work for people. The computer truly is one of the most incredible inventions in history.
Computer Care, Can I Do It Myself?
With all of the resources available to you, you may well ask yourself, "Why do I need a computer expert to maintain my computer?" The short answer is, you don't. Just like you don't need a technician to fix your car, repair your furnace, or do any other maintenance or repairs. If you have the knowledge and the time, you can easily repair and maintain your own computer.
But be warned, there are several potential "gotchas" involved in maintaining your own computer. If you decide to repair your own automobile, a company won't sell you a carburetor what will break your car. Unfortunately, that's not true of computer maintenance. There are many programs out there that either don't do what they purport to do, perform unnecessary functions, or are just plain dangerous to install. It's up to you, the computer maintenance technician, to determine what programs you can safely use in what manner.
In this article, we'll discuss some of the programs out there and what the do-it-yourselfer needs to watch out for.
Registry Cleaners Websites such as Finally Fast.com and Double My Speed.com have been promoting themselves heavily of late. These (and other) sites offer products to download and install that purport to improve your computer's performance. These programs are mostly registry cleaners. The Windows registry is simply a database that the operating system uses to store everything it needs to know to run as per your specifications. In addition, it's available to any other program to write their information in there as well. Since Windows 95, the registry has been the recommended repository for user preferences, settings, and any other variables a program has to remember.
Over time the Windows registry will become cluttered with unneeded information, most frequently caused by uninstallation programs not removing all of the data they should. The concept of a registry cleaner is that it will detect and remove these orphan settings, frequently improving computer performance.
The problem with registry cleaners is that they will often incorrectly detect a setting as unneeded and delete it, causing problems with either installed programs or the Windows operating system itself. Registry cleaners are good, but you should never blindly take their advice as to what to delete. You should always review each entry to verify that it can be deleted safely.
And keep in mind there are freeware applications that do an excellent job of cleaning your Windows registry. Ccleaner is the one recommended by The Computer Psychic. (Go to Google and search for ccleaner.)
Anti-Malware Applications Malware (spyware and virus) cleanup and prevention is one of the most important aspects of computer maintenance. If you catch a virus on your system, you leave yourself open to all sorts of mischief - including having files deleted, getting your address book scammed and spam e-mails being sent in your name, and even having your credit card and banking information stolen! Spyware can be just as bad - it typically "watches" what you do on your computer, down to even logging keystrokes, and thus stealing your passwords. In addition to these problems, spyware and viruses are often poorly written, causing performance problems in your system.
There are dozens of applications on the market that claim to remove malware from your system. And many of them do a good job. But here's the rub - many programs that present themselves as anti-virus or anti-spyware are, themselves, viruses and spyware! The Computer Psychic has seen all too many systems where the owner has - with the best of intentions - installed an anti-malware app into their system, only to see the floodgates opened; they find themselves with more popup ads and performance problems than they've ever seen before.
So how do you make sure you don't install one of these #$%& programs? First of all, if you get a pop-up message telling you that your computer is infected with viruses and click here to download a virus cleaner, don't do it! Without exception, these programs are scams. Downloading one of these apps will introduce your system to more viruses than you thought existed. In fact, when you see this window, you'll be presented with an OK and Cancel button. Don't click either one! If you click Cancel, it will still install a virus. Instead, click on the little X in the upper right-hand corner to close the window.
Secondly, if you use a search engine looking for anti-malware programs, be careful what links you follow. Malware creators will name their applications very similar to - or even exactly the same as - legitimate programs, hoping to confuse you into downloading theirs instead of the good one. For example, if you wanted to download Spybot Search and Destroy (an excellent anti-spyware program) and searched for it in Yahoo, the very first result you'll find purports itself to be Spybot. Clicking their link takes you to a page that says it's Spybot Search and Destroy, but is actually an application that acts as a gateway to allow viruses into your system.
So, again, you need to take the time to learn what is and what isn't safe to install. The Computer Psychic has a very easy recommendation. Microsoft has a vested interest in keeping your computer malware-free. If they do a good job of preventing viruses from getting into your system, then that's one less thing that Apple can beat them up over. Towards that end, in September of 2009, Microsoft released an excellent free anti-malware program named Microsoft Security Essentials (www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials). In the past, The Computer Psychic has recommended against all-in-one solutions, arguing that no one application can catch everything. But Microsoft Security Essentials is just that good. It does as good a job as - or better than - any other application, or combination of apps, in blocking any type of spyware or virus.
Startup Monitors While not as popular as the other system maintenance programs, proper use of a startup monitor can dramatically speed up your computer. A startup monitor will tell you just what programs, drivers and processes load when you start your computer.
When you boot up your computer, the operating system will also auto-start many other components - possibly a fax application, printer elements, video or mouse drivers, to name a few. These are good - they are essential for the proper operation of your computer. However, many applications add themselves to the auto-run settings for their own convenience - not yours.
For example, programs such as Adobe Reader and Microsoft Office will tell the operating system to pre-load some of their components as Windows starts up. This allows their software to open more quickly when needed. The downside of this is, even if you aren't actively using their software, your computer is using memory running those components. Better to not pre-load those components; let the software take a second or two longer to load, and speed up your entire system.
Another popular use for the startup is for auto-update programs. These apps will periodically check the internet looking for updates. If one is found, the program will present you with a window telling you an update is available. Not only do these apps consume computer resources, they can be an annoyance.
In order to easily prevent unwanted software from running automatically, The Computer Psychic recommends a Microsoft application called AutoRuns (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx). Using Autoruns you can decide just what apps you want to run when starting your computer. Once again, though, don't blindly turn of all apps. Make sure you know what you're disabling.
Summary
As you can see, using the tools recommended in this article makes it quite possible for anyone to maintain their computer's health. But as with anything technical, make sure you know what you're doing before just tinkering away.
Proper Computer Care
Computers will last a very long time if they are properly cared for. A frequently asked question, and sometimes a question that is not asked as frequently as it should be is "How do I care for my computer properly?" The steps are pretty simple, and in this article I will cover good steps to keep the hardware and software of your computer running smoothly.
One of the best things a computer owner can do is protect their hardware, and prevent physical damage to the computer. Damage to your computer's hardware can result in very costly repairs, or a need to replace the whole machine. A few simple steps:
- Keep drinks and other liquids away from your computer, especially if you are using a laptop or netbook. A liquid spill into your computer can cause irreversible damage to many components, and can result in an extremely expensive repair or replacement. It is especially worthwhile to note that all of the important inner workings of a laptop sit directly below the keyboard, so a coffee spill on the keyboard of a laptop can be devastating.
- Do not leave your laptop power cable where it can be kicked, or stepped on. This can cause a variety of problems, ranging from a broken internal power jack (repair cost $100 to $150) to a computer falling off a desk and becoming an expensive paperweight. Be mindful of children and pets when placing the cable. The cable usually runs directly into the motherboard, and is best left un-tampered with.
- Keep your computer clean! It is good to blow out the fans and grills on any computer about once a month. Less built up dust means better airflow through the computer, and a more reliable, cooler running system! If your computer has an air filter, this should also be cleaned or changed monthly.
- Don't move your computer if it is turned on! This goes for external hard drives as well. Most computers contain a hard drive that uses spinning metal platters to store data. These platters spin with enough force to create a gyroscopic effect, and if the computer is moved, the little heads that read the data can strike the platters, causing damage to the drive. Close your laptop, or power down your external drive before moving it.
- Keep your laptop on a hard surface! As tempting as it can be to set your laptop on your bed, and surf away. We recommend that laptop computers always sit on a hard surface for two reasons. One is that allowing a laptop to sink into a bed can cover the fan grills, and cause overheating, and a loss of airflow. The other is that sheets and other soft surfaces are going to cause your computer to pick up more dust and lint than it would otherwise.
The other important piece of the puzzle is taking good care of the software. This can be done in a few simple steps.
- Always shut down your computer properly, whenever at all possible – This is one of the best ways to prevent data corruption, and windows issues.
- If the computer locks up, be patient, give it a good 30 seconds to think before taking any drastic measures.
- Uninstall programs that you no longer use – If a program has been sitting for months on your computer without any attention, it is probably a good idea just to get rid of it. You can almost always reinstall it again if you need it, and it wont muck things up any if it is not there.
- Re-start your computer at least once a week. If you have a desktop computer that is almost always on, it can be good for the system to re-start periodically. This also goes for laptops that are kept in standby.
With these basic steps in mind, you can have a computer that runs reliably, and keeps you happy far longer than a poorly cared for machine. Take care of your computer, and it will take care of you!
Dust Kills Cleaning the Unit Fan is Essential Computer Care
Between taking care of the household, the kids, the pets, and the district PTA, computer care is probably one of the last things that you think of doing on a regular basis. Without a regular maintenance schedule however, you could find out (the hard way) that a neglected computer is an energy hog - one that works harder than it needs to and one that could be a financial burden to replace.
Let's talk about maintaining hardware. So much emphasis is put on maintaining a computer's operating system that we sometimes forget how important it is to maintain a computer's hardware components. Since there can be quite a few components to take care of, let's talk about the most important one.
The most important component of a computer's hardware system is its fan. The fan is located on the computer's CPU unit and when that thing gets clogged with dirt and dust, it can run down a computer faster than you can say, "Something's wrong with my computer and I don't know what it is!" In short, the fan is responsible for keeping a computer's motor cool and this motor is what keeps the computer's hard drive and peripherals functioning the way you need them to, which translates to "fast."
A dirty fan doesn't rotate fast enough to keep that motor cool and a completely clogged fan just stops rotating altogether. This causes the computer's motor to work harder - and a harder working motor can raise the electric bill! Worst case scenario: the motor can overheat and stop working as well. No motor equals no computer.
Keep your computer's fan clean by preventing the fan from getting dirty or dusty in the first place. Use the computer in a dust-free environment and never smoke around it. Nicotine and tar mean certain death when it comes to computer fans, however should you find a need to clean the fan, do so with extreme care.
It's quite easy to cause more damage from cleaning so if you're not comfortable with cleaning your PC yourself, take it to a shop for servicing. Otherwise, you can unplug and disassemble the computer to do it yourself.
You'll need a can of compressed air and an anti-static rag to remove stubborn clumps of dust. Hold the can perfectly vertical and spray the fan being careful not to spray the dust off the fan onto other sensitive parts of the computer like circuit boards or inside the motor casing. Wipe up remaining dust with your anti-static rag and then reassemble the computer.
One thing that you certainly don't want to use to remove computer dust is a vacuum cleaner. Although using a vacuum cleaner seems to make more sense, the strong suction of a vacuum cleaner can actually spark damaging static electricity or dislodge loose cables. You also don't want to use oil-based cleaners. Although Pledge may dust your wooden tables and cabinets to a perfect shine, the oil inside a cleaner like this will erode sensitive computer parts. Stick to a liquid-free dusting method and your dusting routine will be safe enough to repeat as often as you need.
As previously mentioned, preventing dust from entering the computer is extremely important and will reduce the need to open and dust your system in the first place. The severity of outside elements (smoking, humidity, pets, etc.) will ultimately determine how often you'll need to de-dust your machine. But as an average, you shouldn't need to perform this procedure any more than once or twice a year.
The entire exercise should take no more than twenty minutes tops and once complete, you'll immediately see and hear the difference in your machine. The computer's keyboard and mouse will run more smoothly, hardware won't take as long to connect, and the entire machine won't be as loud as one that's corroded with ugly dust bunnies.
Let's talk about maintaining hardware. So much emphasis is put on maintaining a computer's operating system that we sometimes forget how important it is to maintain a computer's hardware components. Since there can be quite a few components to take care of, let's talk about the most important one.
The most important component of a computer's hardware system is its fan. The fan is located on the computer's CPU unit and when that thing gets clogged with dirt and dust, it can run down a computer faster than you can say, "Something's wrong with my computer and I don't know what it is!" In short, the fan is responsible for keeping a computer's motor cool and this motor is what keeps the computer's hard drive and peripherals functioning the way you need them to, which translates to "fast."
A dirty fan doesn't rotate fast enough to keep that motor cool and a completely clogged fan just stops rotating altogether. This causes the computer's motor to work harder - and a harder working motor can raise the electric bill! Worst case scenario: the motor can overheat and stop working as well. No motor equals no computer.
Keep your computer's fan clean by preventing the fan from getting dirty or dusty in the first place. Use the computer in a dust-free environment and never smoke around it. Nicotine and tar mean certain death when it comes to computer fans, however should you find a need to clean the fan, do so with extreme care.
It's quite easy to cause more damage from cleaning so if you're not comfortable with cleaning your PC yourself, take it to a shop for servicing. Otherwise, you can unplug and disassemble the computer to do it yourself.
You'll need a can of compressed air and an anti-static rag to remove stubborn clumps of dust. Hold the can perfectly vertical and spray the fan being careful not to spray the dust off the fan onto other sensitive parts of the computer like circuit boards or inside the motor casing. Wipe up remaining dust with your anti-static rag and then reassemble the computer.
One thing that you certainly don't want to use to remove computer dust is a vacuum cleaner. Although using a vacuum cleaner seems to make more sense, the strong suction of a vacuum cleaner can actually spark damaging static electricity or dislodge loose cables. You also don't want to use oil-based cleaners. Although Pledge may dust your wooden tables and cabinets to a perfect shine, the oil inside a cleaner like this will erode sensitive computer parts. Stick to a liquid-free dusting method and your dusting routine will be safe enough to repeat as often as you need.
As previously mentioned, preventing dust from entering the computer is extremely important and will reduce the need to open and dust your system in the first place. The severity of outside elements (smoking, humidity, pets, etc.) will ultimately determine how often you'll need to de-dust your machine. But as an average, you shouldn't need to perform this procedure any more than once or twice a year.
The entire exercise should take no more than twenty minutes tops and once complete, you'll immediately see and hear the difference in your machine. The computer's keyboard and mouse will run more smoothly, hardware won't take as long to connect, and the entire machine won't be as loud as one that's corroded with ugly dust bunnies.
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