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 You may have experienced having your computer intermittently hangs-up, or may re-boot itself for no apparent reason. This can be annoying, and can mean you have lost valuable work that you we in the process of creating.
If this has happened once, then your chances of explaining the cause are remote in the extreme. If you find it happening regularly, then it is clearly in your interest to find and fix the problem.
There are a few things you can check for yourself that may save you a trip to the repair shop. With most modern computers, the system comes with built in circuitry to monitor the state of the computer. One of the checks built into your system is to test the operating temperature. The computer may shut down if this moves outside the desirable operating range.
For your system to run at the correct operating temperature it is important that air circulates freely in and around the case. If you have the computer case installed inside an enclosure, then this may be the first thing to consider changing. Similarly, I have seen computers covered with books, manuals and paper documents. These again can hinder air circulation, and these items should be removed. Take a look at the slotted vents in the sides of the case. These slots can become blocked by an accumulation of dust. Because the computer is usually always drawing some power, it has a constant electrostatic charge. A computer is second only to a vacuum cleaner in its ability to suck in dust and fluff. Continue Reading »
 When I picked out the house I live in now, in Texas, a factor that contributed to the decision was how close by my office was. With any high-speed Internet connection, distances covered can matter. I have never actually gained anything from my foresight; the Internet connection is even slower than what I used to have before. It wasn’t easy, but when I investigated why, I found out. All the data I sent out, took the scenic route to my office – through California.
The Internet is an essential everyday tool today, much like electricity and water supply; as people get used to demanding more from their Internet connection than mere e-mail and webpage browsing, and obtain their high-quality entertainment streamed online as well, the pressure on Internet Service Provider, or ISP to make sure that they have enough bandwidth to keep Skype calls delay-free, really mounts.
There are lots of websites and applications you can buy too, that will let you measure how fast the connection is that you are getting from your ISP. That could work in a limited sense, but testing the data speed you get from your ISP nearby, doesn’t adequately represent how you get a file from across the country – a feat that will require the participation of hundreds of computers en route. Your high-speed Internet connection in reality, depending on where the website you are interested in is served, could slow down to a crawl. Continue Reading »
 Today, most of the new users for computers and computer programs are children, but there are some adults that have yet to use one and many need some help getting started. The great thing about many programs today is that they are so much more easy to use than they were just five or ten years ago, and most people can learn on their own after they have had a short introduction to computer programs that they want to or need to learn to use. Whether learning for a job or for school, computers are essential today and are thankfully more user friendly than ever.
Gone are the days of running a computer by putting commands into the computer. They are run with simple mouse clicks that almost anyone can do. In fact, when running an introduction to computer programs for new users, you want to teach them all about how the mouse works and how it is used to do almost anything on a computer. You can start with simple exercises, or perhaps you could start them playing a game like solitaire that uses mouse clicks for the entire game. They will love playing the game while learning to use the mouse well at the same time.
Once someone knows how to use a mouse rather well (don’t forget to teach about right vs left clicking and other mouse functions) you can then show them how to open up a program and do the basics. If someone is learning Word, for example, you can show them how to start a new file, save it, and perhaps how to make sure it prints correctly when they are done. This type of introduction to computer program functions can help them with other types of programs that have the same basic commands. Most word processing programs have the same basics so these are good lessons for anyone starting out on a computer. Continue Reading »
 Has the PC replaced the dog as man’s best friend? The rapid development of successive generations of high-speed computer chips has brought with it a bounty of personal amenities and business aids ranging from efficient interactive multimedia games to instantaneous online banking and trading to speedy access of CD data. But this high-tech blessing has come with a high-priced curse — a humanization of and attachment to a machine, hitherto unparalleled in the annals of human history. If the personal computer hasn’t yet replaced the dog as man’s best friend, it’s only because nobody has yet figured out a way to get it to lick your face.
Probably the most compelling factor in the humanization of the PC is its ability to hook up with the Internet. The notion that you can “meet” people for a “chat” while being alone in a room, catapults sociability to a new level – many age-old social mores fall by the wayside. Gone are the days when you had to get dressed up to make an impression. On the net, you can dress down, slouch in your seat and have a hair-day that makes a thorn bush look divine in comparison, but as long as you know your gigabytes from your zip drives, you’re a mega-hit.
“Quick fingers” no longer has the connotation of a guy getting fresh with his date. On the world wide web, “quick fingers” is the biggest compliment you can pay a guy. A compliment for a woman would be, “The way you think, reminds me of my motherboard.” One drawback of the online social arena, however, is that you can chat with someone for hours and not even be sure what gender they are. Sort of a throwback to the hippie days.
Although, “My car broke down,” no longer cuts it as an excuse for tardiness, the high-tech counterpart, “My modem broke down,” is even better. Due to a “modem breakdown,” you can not only be late for a meeting or a chat, but also “leave” (disconnect) early. What’s more, you can even leave right in middle of a boring babble – which is the rough equivalent of throwing a boring passenger out of a moving car in middle of the highway. Although, in a car, this may be considered rude behavior, on the net, it could be seen as a social improvement or “cultural upgrade.” Continue Reading »
 There are many free alternatives to the Microsoft Office products. This would be beneficial for college students, the average user and even small businesses in general. These people often find that they are unable to afford the high prices Microsoft charges for its products. These alternative software offerings are compatible with Microsoft Office.
The first free office product is actually an entire suite. I have used it myself and it is awesome. It is called Open Office, and is available for download so that you can start using it right away. Included in this complete office suite is:
1) Writer is the software which is the equivalent of Microsoft Word. It is very similar in look and feel. It has the ability to read and write in the Word format up to Word 2003. It has almost all of the features of Microsoft Word and those that are not present will not likely be noticed.
2) Impress is the equivalent of Microsoft PowerPoint. It can be used to create beautiful presentations with the look and feel of Microsoft PowerPoint. It also includes a couple of slide templates, but if these do not suit your needs, you have complete control over your work. This software can also read and write in the Microsoft PowerPoint format, which makes it completely compatible, however Office 2007 is as of yet not supported.
3) Calc is the spreadsheet software included in the office suite. It is compatible with Microsoft Excel. It has all of the functionality of the costlier Microsoft version, but it is free.
4) Draw is the graphics powerhouse in the suite. It is kind of a cross between Microsoft Paint and Microsoft Visio. I have not had much occasion to use it, but I have tried it and it does deliver good results.
Now, no office suite would be complete without the ability to read PDF files and convert them. Foxit reader is a free PDF reading and converting software. I have used this software and I find it to be much more productive than Adobe Reader. Of course, Adobe Reader is free for personal use; however Foxit Reader is free for business use, not including the text conversion version. Text conversion is only free for personal use.
The main reason why I have decided to add Foxit to this list of software is because, Foxit is free, it is small, and it is very fast. The one thing that has consistently bothered me about Adobe Reader is the speed at which it loads up. This is especially excruciating when loading PDFs from the Internet.
There are additional plugins that you can purchase which would make Foxit as useful as a full blown version of Adobe Acrobat, but the free version is perhaps all that you will need. The beautiful thing about using Open Office Suite and Foxit together is that Open Office Write can convert documents to PDF.
Continue Reading »
 We live in something called the world of electronics. Okay, maybe I just coined that phrase, but it sounds legit, doesn’t it? I mean, think about it, we use machines and electronics for everything from ordering a pizza, to sending a letter. How did we ever exist without them? This is the prime reason why everyone should acquire some basic computer training. Think of all the jobs these days that require basic computer training. Better yet, ponder all the ones that don’t. It’s much easier. When my friends ask me why they need basic computer training, I remind them that Its always good to know a little bit about something you use every day. If you don’t, you always have to rely on someone else to help you.
My sophomore year of college, I took a class on computer fundamentals. I figured this would come in handy sooner or later, and especially after school. Well, it actually came in handy earlier than expected. Not long after the basic computer training course, I obtained a job where the skills were necessary. Even part-time high school and college jobs require basic computer training. I spent three years working for a video store chain. Most of the time I was on a computer. I bartended at a fancy hotel for a year. All money was handled through a computer system. Not many people use the old-school cash registers anymore. Basic computer training has simply become part of our standard environment. Everyone coming out of college these days is expected to have some basic computer training at the least. Continue Reading »
 Setting up a wireless network in your home is easy, affordable, and, above all, convenient. Imagine being able access the Internet from any point in your home! You could check your e-mail from your bedroom, while watching TV or even outside on a porch. This kind of flexibility is available for you with a wireless network router.
A wireless network router takes your incoming Internet connection, whether it’s DSL, cable or fiber-optic, and converts it into a wireless broadcast signal. Any device with a wireless network adapter will sync up to your wireless network router and, in a matter of minutes, your home wireless network is setup.
But is it secure? Your wireless network router doesn’t automatically discriminate between your laptop and your neighbor’s. So what is the big deal? Do I really need to secure my wireless network router? In a word, yes. A secure wireless network router means a number of things. First of all, it could cost you more money to have an unsecured wireless network router. Many Internet providers include a set limit on the number of downloads. This limit is usually generous enough to never be a problem – but what if you have a couple of neighbors who “steal” your signal and download all day and night? It’ll cost you money!
Not to mention that access to your wireless network router can put your privacy at risk. Many home networks are now fluid enough that you can access the files on any computer attached to the nework, via shared folders. This can be very useful. You can access a spreadsheet on your desktop from your laptop in a different room. But it can also be very dangerous – if you can use your wireless network router to view the spreadsheet, so can a neighbor. Continue Reading »
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