Auto Shutdown Manager 4.9.5.4

Auto Shutdown Manager is a Windows Service based, centrally managed and network enabled PC Power Management solution.]]>

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WinMend Folder Hidden 1.4.2

WinMend Folder Hidden is a free file/folder hiding tool. While ensuring the absolute system safety, this application can quickly hide files and folders on local partitions and/or on removable devices.]]>

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All4Bay 1.1.21

All4Bay is a multi-platform and multi-lingual software that manages the after sales processes of items which have been sold on eBay.]]>

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Bidoma Alert XL 1.0

Manually monitoring spreadsheets is inefficient and counterproductive. Bidoma Alert XL aims to improve productivity by enabling proactive monitoring and automatic notifications of changes to Excel data.]]>

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Ashampoo Burning Studio 10.0.7

Ashampoo Burning Studio is a program for the compilation and burning of CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs.]]>

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Ashampoo Photo Commander 8.4.0

The only tool you need for organizing, editing, presenting and sharing your digital photos, with support for video and audio files too.]]>

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GTA SanAndreas Multiplayer 0.3c

GTA: SanAndreas Multiplayer is a modification (mod) for GTA: SanAndreas which allows you to play the game online against other players.]]>

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EnhanceMySe7en 2.14

EnhanceMySe7en is a free tuning tool for Windows 7.]]>

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Seavus Project Viewer 5.3

Seavus Project Viewer is a low cost, lightweight, MS Project Viewer that allows users to open, view and print project plans (mpp file) apart from MS® Project.]]>

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Ashampoo HDD Control 2.03

Ashampoo HDD Control 2 monitors, maintains and defragments hard drives.]]>

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CleverPrint 2011

CleverPrint cuts down your printing costs.]]>

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Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free anti-virus solution for your Windows-PC.]]>

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Ashampoo ClipFinder HD 2.11

Find, view, save and convert web videos in HD or SD with Ashampoo Clip Finder.]]>

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Silver Key 3.83

Silver Key produces encrypted files (or parcels) ideally suited for sending sensitive data over an insecure channel like the Internet.]]>

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Gladinet (64-Bit) 2.5.529

Integrate your online storage accounts into Windows Explorer - with Gladinet.]]>

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My Tracks for Android 1.0.17

With MyTracks you can share your hiking routes.]]>

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Ashampoo WinOptimizer 7.23

Ashampoo WinOptimizer is your specialist for a perfectly optimized Microsoft Windows® system!]]>

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Advanced SystemCare Free 3.7.3 (1223)

Protect, repair and optimize your computer with Advanced SystemCare Free.]]>

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LightSpeed 9.1

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Brain Workshop 4.8.1

Brain Workshop is a free open-source version of the Dual N-Back mental exercise.]]>

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Axence nVision 5.0.1.8950

Comprehensive IT infrastructure management: proactive network monitoring and visualization, hardware and software inventory (license audit), intelligent user monitoring, data leak protection, remote technical support, alerts, reports and corrective actions.]]>

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My Macros 3.0

With My Macros you can record and play back mouse clicks and keystrokes.]]>

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XYplorer 9.90.0000

XYplorer is a comprehensive file manager with tabs, file search, preview and reporting functions.]]>

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ArcConvert 0.62

ArcConvert is able to convert archives into other archive formats, for example 7-zip to rar.]]>

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Yoono - Socialize Your Browser, Firefox addon 7.5.0

Yoono firefox addon assists all your social networks and instant messaging in one easy to use browser sidebar]]>

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K-Meleon 1.5.4

K-Meleon is a very fast browser based on the latest version of Mozilla.]]>

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Learn How to Create Watercolor Effect

Artistic but i choose to go other way so i can [...]]]>

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Making a Rainbow Effect on a Photo

Image size to set up [...]]]>

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How to Make Amazing Outer Space (Part 2)

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Create a Greeting Card for Christmas and New Year

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Creating Pseudo-vector Wallpapers for Desktop (Part 2)

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Making Elegant Text Effect Style

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Making a Rainbow Effect on a Photo

Image size to set up [...]]]>

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Creating Fashion Contrast Photo Effect

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Creating Pseudo-vector Wallpapers for Desktop (Part 1)

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How to Make Amazing Outer Space (Part 1)

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Online Money Pack

Online Money Pack is a great collection of money making products offered by 75digital.com. This pack is for both newbies and experts.

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How To Find Unclaimed Money

Step By Step Guide For Finding Unclaimed Money In All 50 U.s. States.

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Fast Money Making Blueprint

New New, Converts Great, Fast Way to Make Money online 75% commission

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PreSell for Easy corporate Money Program

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Money Magnet Meditations - Law of Wealth Attraction Market

97 Product - with 70% Conversion to Upsell of $144. Set of 10 High Quality Guided Visualization Audios and Bonus Reports. Upsell Includes 10 additional Subliminal Audios and More Bonus Reports. 60% Commissions on Both $97 Product and $144 Upsell.

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The Unclaimed Money Book

169 page Guide to finding unclaimed money. Hundreds of phone numbers/email addresses of instances where you can find your unclaimed money plus a manual to claim it legally.

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Money Smart Teens - Teach Teens the Skills of Money

Money Smart Teens - Break into the huge market with this step-by-step ebook that teachs teens making money, saving money and how to even become a millionaire. Packed full of great information. Huge 75% Commission

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Complete Guide To Making Money While You Sleep

330-page eBook (over 115,000 words) - absolutely Packed with info and ideas on all aspects of making money while you sleep. A true information goldmine. 70% commission. Newly revamped and optimized sales page - send a burst of test traffic!

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Software Easy Money | Very High Conversion

Easy Money Robot Software. We have created an automated software that wins money at the casino online by himself!

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Make Money Watching Tv

Make Money Watching Tv. Set and Forget system. Pick Any Tv Ad. Each time it shows on any Tv You will make money.

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Money Makerz : Highest Converting Paid Survey System

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Easy Money Making Ideas

Here Are The Techniques That I Use To Earn Extra Money Anytime I Need To. These Easy Money Making Ideas Can Be Used By Anyone.

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Pocket Money Loophole

Pocket Money Loophole system enabling you to profit on a daily basis.

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Ultimate Money Making Secret

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250 + Ways To Make Money

A great manual for ways to make money. Over 250 ways plus great freebies! Low Price, But high commission - 70% commission to affiliates!

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How To Make Lots Of Money Online - Secrets Revealed

You can make lots of money online every day whilst sitting back and doing very little work. Download our eBook to discover how you can make Big money online - even if you have no Internet business experience at all.

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Complete Guide To Making Money While You Sleep

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Internet Money Mania E-Book -6 Simple Steps

Internet Money Mania-6 simple steps to earn money quick - an e-book tool - simple and easy to implement steps, video training for new and not so new marketers. Start a home based internet business , reach your financial dreams with this fantastic e-book

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Make Money With Blogging

Discover How To Use Your Blog To Make Easy Money. This Is A Very Professional EBook, Gathering All The Information, Methods And Tips On How To Make Money With Blog. No Technical Skills Are Required. Easy & Very Simple!

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Making Money Video Package

Step By Step Guide Reveals How In The Next Couple Of Hours You Could Be Enjoying More Traffic And More Profits From Video! Affiliates Earn 50%! http://www.making-money-video.com/affiliates.html

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Computer Security, Viruses And Threats

Today, many people rely on computers to do homework, work, and create or store useful information. Therefore, it is important for the information on the computer to be stored and kept properly. It is also extremely important for people on computers to protect their computer from data loss, misuse, and abuse.

For example, it is crucial for businesses to keep information they have secure so that hackers can't access the information. Home users also need to take means to make sure that their credit card numbers are secure when they are participating in online transactions. A computer security risk is any action that could cause loss of information, software, data, processing incompatibilities, or cause damage to computer hardware, a lot of these are planned to do damage. An intentional breach in computer security is known as a computer crime which is slightly different from a cybercrime. A cybercrime is known as illegal acts based on the internet and is one of the FBI's top priorities. There are several distinct categories for people that cause cybercrimes, and they are refered to as hacker, cracker, cyberterrorist, cyberextortionist, unethical employee, script kiddie and corporate spy.

*The Hacker.

The term hacker was actually known as a good word but now it has a very negative view. A hacker is defined as someone who accesses a computer or computer network unlawfully. They often claim that they do this to find leaks in the security of a network.

*The Cracker.

The term cracker has never been associated with something positive this refers to someone how intentionally access a computer or computer network for evil reasons. It's basically an evil hacker. They access it with the intent of destroying, or stealing information. Both crackers and hackers are very advanced with network skills.

*The Cyberterrorist.

A cyberterrorist is someone who uses a computer network or the internet to destroy computers for political reasons. It's just like a regular terrorist attack because it requires highly skilled individuals, millions of dollars to implement, and years of planning.

*The Cyberextortionist.

The term cyberextortionist refers to someone who uses emails as an offensive force. They would usually send a company a very threatening email stating that they will release some confidential information, exploit a security leak, or launch an attack that will harm a companies network. They will request a paid sum of money to prevent the threat from being carried out, a bit like black mailing.

*The Unethical Employee.

An unethical employee is an employee that illegally accesses their company's network for numerous reasons. One could be the money they can get from selling top secret information, or some may be bitter and want revenge.

*The Script Kiddie.

A script kiddie is someone who is like a cracker because they may have the intentions of doing harm, but they usually lack the technical skills. They are usually silly teenagers that use prewritten hacking and cracking programs. *The Corporate Spy.

A corporate spy has extremely high computer and network skills and is hired to break into a specific computer or computer network to steal or delete data and information. Shady companies hire these type people in a practice known as corporate espionage. They do this to gain an advantage over their competition an illegal practice.

Business and home users must do their best to protect or safeguard their computers from security risks. The next part of this article will give some pointers to help protect your computer. However, one must remember that there is no one hundred percent guarantee way to protect your computer so becoming more knowledgeable about them is a must during these days.

When you transfer information over a network it has a high security risk compared to information transmitted in a business network because the administrators usually take some extreme measures to help protect against security risks. Over the internet there is no powerful administrator which makes the risk a lot higher. If your not sure if your computer is vulnerable to a computer risk than you can always use some-type of online security service which is a website that checks your computer for email and Internet vulnerabilities. The company will then give some pointers on how to correct these vulnerabilities. The Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center is a place that can do this. The typical network attacks that puts computers at risk includes viruses, worms, spoofing, Trojan horses, and denial of service attacks. Every unprotected computer is vulnerable to a computer virus which is a potentially harming computer program that infects a computer negatively and altering the way the computer operates without the user's consent. Once the virus is in the computer it can spread throughout infecting other files and potentially damaging the operating system itself. It's similar to a bacteria virus that infects humans because it gets into the body through small openings and can spread to other parts of the body and can cause some damage. The similarity is, the best way to avoid is preparation. A computer worm is a program that repeatedly copies itself and is very similar to a computer virus. However the difference is that a virus needs to attach itself to an executable file and become a part of it. A computer worm doesn't need to do that, it copies itself to other networks and eats up a lot of bandwidth.

A Trojan Horse named after the famous Greek myth and is used to describe a program that secretly hides and actually looks like a legitimate program but is a fake. A certain action usually triggers the Trojan horse, and unlike viruses and worms it will not replicate itself. Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are all classified as malicious-logic programs which are just programs that deliberately harm a computer. Although these are the common three there are many more variations and it would be almost impossible to list them. You know when a computer is infected by a virus, worm, or Trojan horse if your computer displays one or more of these things:

* Screen shots of weird messages or pictures appear.

* You have less available memory than you expected.

* Music or sounds plays randomly.

* Files get corrupted.

* Programs are files don't work properly.

* Unknown files or programs randomly appear.

* System properties fluctuate.

Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses deliver their payload or instructions through three common ways.

1 - When an individual runs an infected program so if you download a lot of things you should always scan the files before executing, especially executable files.

2 - When an individual boots a computer with an infected drive, so that is why it's important to not leave removable media in your computer when you shut it down.

3 - When an unprotected computer connects to a network. Today, a very common way that people get a computer virus, worm, or Trojan horse is when they open up an infected file through an email attachment.

There are literally thousands of malicious logic programs and new ones come out by the numbers so that's why it's important to keep up to date with new ones that come out each day. Many websites keep track of this. There is no known method for providing 100% protection for any computer or computer network from computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses, but people can take several precautions to significantly reduce their chances of being infected by one of those malicious programs. Whenever you start a computer you should have no removable media in the drives. This goes for CD, DVD, and floppy disks. When the computer starts up it tries to execute a boot sector on the drives and even if it's unsuccessful any given virus on the boot sector can infect the computer's hard disk. If you must start the computer using removable media for any reason, such as when the hard disk fails and you are trying to reformat the drive make sure that the disk is not infected.

How can you protect your computer?

The best way to protect your computer from any of the above is by using good quality internet securities software. Purchasing this from a reputable security company is recommended to ensure that your software is kept up to date with the most recent virus signatures. If you are not up to date an unrecognised virus will not be stopped by the software. A full security package will protect you from viruses, Worms, Trojan horses, keyloggers and will detect when a hacker is attempting to hack into your computer and prevent them from gaining access when you are online or connected to a network. It is not advisable to use a free antivirus service as these do not provide adequate protection and are a false economy. Recommended internet security software companies are:- Norton, McAfee and others.

The author is dedicated to PC security and PC health. See the Error Doctor Award Winning Registry Cleaner Software.

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What is a Computer? - Part 2 - Types of Computers

Our computer basic training for today will be focused on the different types of computers. In our last lesson, we talked about What Is Computer and the history of computers. Computers can be very large or very small. There are super-computers, very large computers with thousands of linked microprocessors that perform extremely complex calculations. Some computers are embedded in cars, TVs, stereo systems, calculators, and even household appliances.

Each computer design is built to perform specific tasks and functions. Desktop or personal computers are made to be used by one person at a time. In our computer basics lesson today, you will learn about different types of personal computers: desktops, laptops, handheld computers, and Tablet PCs.

Desktop computers:

Desktop computers (as the name suggests) are designed for use at a desk or table. They are generally larger and faster than other types of personal computers. Desktop computers are made up of separate components. The system unit is the major or main component in your computer system. Rectangular in shape it can sit on the desk or under. Other components also include the keyboard, mouse, speakers and monitor.

LAPTOP COMPUTERS:

Laptop computers are usually lightweight mobile PCs with an LCD display thin screen. Am sure you must have seen a lot of them, or even using one yourself for your computer basic training. They are sometimes called notebook computers because they can be used instead of a notebook with paper. Laptops can also operate on batteries, so you can take them anywhere you need to work. Unlike desktops, laptops are completely self-contained. The laptop folds and closes like a book. Hence making it easy for you to learn how to use computer faster any where you go.

HANDHELD COMPUTERS:

Handheld computers, also called personal digital assistants (PDAs), are battery-powered computers like Blackberry's. Handheld computers are not as fast as desktops or laptops, handhelds are handy for making appointments, keeping track of addresses and phone numbers, and playing games.

Some handhelds have more advanced features, like making telephone calls or getting on the Internet. Instead of a keyboard, handheld computers or PDA's have touch screens that you use with your finger or a stylus, which looks a lot like a pen without ink. So you now know the answer to your question "What Is Computer"? Let's continue with our computer basics training!

TABLET COMPUTERS

Do you know what tablet computers are? Tablet Personal Computers are mobile PCs that combine features of laptops and handhelds. Like laptop computers, Tablet computers are very powerful, fast and have a screen like a tablet. Like handhelds, Tablets can allow you to make notes or draw pictures directly on the screen, usually with a tablet pen instead of a stylus. Do you know that tablets can also transform your handwriting into typed text? Some Tablet PCs have a screen that swivels and unfolds to reveal a keyboard under the computer.

This concludes our computer basic training lesson for today. I hope you now know what is computer, the history of computers and the different types of computers. You can get more computer basics lesson from my free email newsletter publications available on my website. You can check it out through the resource box bellow, if you are interested. Have a nice day and hopefully see you in my next computer training class, where we'll start getting into more advanced tricks to help you learn how to use computer faster on your own.

Fredrick Ituma website about: What Is a Computer. Visit our website and sign up for your Free Computer Basic Training lessons, free computer book and a Free Software, to master more advanced computer skills faster on your own. GRAB your own copies of our New and Unique Computer Training Video Tutorials on DVDs. Watch, learn and master your basic computer skills faster from your home DVD player, or on your computer. http://www.learncomputerfast.com

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Stop Computer-Killing Dust in its Tracks

It attacks your computer like the South American army ant. Tiny, harmless looking critters by themselves, in larger numbers they can cover, kill and dissolve a full grown cow in a matter of hours.

Okay, maybe not exactly like that. But, wood shop and machine shop owners are experiencing the devastating effect manufacturing dust can have inside their shop computers. And they are looking for answers.

It doesn't take much to ruin your day, especially, when metallic dust meets sensitive electronic components. Electricity chooses to travel in the shortest route possible, and little bridges of metal dust make great short cuts. Zap! WRRrrrrrr...

And wood dust makes a great insulating blanket. That's okay if you're lost in a big wood bin and freezing to death, but to a hard working computer it can be bad news. Heat sinks and fans attempt to dissipate the heat from within your computer, but a layer of dust can reduce or prevent this transfer of heat. Also, computer fans can malfunction when dust and grime are allowed to build up. Things heat up. Computers die. Data is lost. Business suffers.

Okay, what's the answer then? How do you protect your computer from dust?

The actions you are willing and able to take to protect your computer equipment from dust depend on a large number of individual circumstances. Regardless of your situation, I recommend you take a three-front defensive position and optimize for each of the following areas:

o Computer room environment

o Protective computer dust barriers

o Computer maintenance

Let's look at each of these areas individually.

Computer Room Environment

Control the environmental conditions surrounding your computers. The ideal solution would be to keep your computers and monitors in a clean, climate controlled computer room. In other words, take them out of the danger area. Of course, this is unrealistic or undesirable to many shop owners, who want, or need the computers to operate in the immediate work area.

So what then? Do what you can to control the dust and air pollutants in the shop. Use and maintain dust collectors for woodworking machines and a ventilation system for the shop area. And, if you can't move the computers out of the shop, try to move them across the room, away from welding, grinding or direct contact with billowing sander dust.

Protective Computer Dust Barriers

These include computer dust covers, dust filters, computer dust bags, and computer enclosures. Each has its advantages and limitations as described below. Determine which option is the best solution for you.

Standard computer covers are made by a number of manufacturers. Usually plastic or vinyl, they are cheap, but effective in keeping dust off your computers and monitors. However, they may only be used while your computer equipment is shut down. And, you must remember to put them on. Every day. In other words, they are almost useless in a busy shop.

Computer filters, on the other hand may be used while the computer is running. Also very cheap, these small pieces of loose mesh material are placed over fan air intakes in the computer case to remove dust from incoming air. Some have experimented with using panty hose, Brillo® Pads and other household items with some success. The main drawback with computer filters is their small surface area. They clog up quickly in dusty areas and must be cleaned, or changed frequently to allow the unimpeded flow of cool air into the computer case. Another drawback is that they leave other openings in the computer case unprotected, allowing fine dust to infiltrate the CD ROM drives, floppy drives and other small openings.

Relatively new on the scene, computer dust bags are a combination computer cover and computer filter. Designed for the harsh, dusty and smoky conditions inherent to wood shops and machine shops, these innovative covers entirely encase the computer processor or monitor at all times, allowing the entire surface of the bag to act as a huge dust filter to remove dust from incoming air. Monitor dust bags have a see-through, anti-static front to allow a clear screen view, and are very effective in keeping dust, wood chips and other debris out of the cooling vents. At around $20 or less, the recommended life-span of the computer dust bag is 3-12 months, depending on the level of dust in the shop. A possible drawback to using the computer dust bag is reduced access to CD and floppy drives. However, it is possible to use these drives if you cut a hole in the dust bag and cover it with a door flap, which is included with the bag. You may also have to cut an access slot to use your USB ports.

Finally, computer enclosures are typically metal or wood, box-like cabinets which your computer processor and monitor are placed in to protect them from the surrounding environment. A variety of fan and filter combinations introduce fresh air into the enclosure. Computer enclosures have the added advantage of protecting your equipment from blunt force trauma, such as a falling 2x4, chemical splashes and other things harmful to your computer. Filters must be changed regularly. Disadvantages include high price, greater amount of space required, and filter maintenance.

Computer Maintenance

Finally, the third part of a sound computer dust protection strategy is computer maintenance. Yes, that means cleaning. Does that scare you? It's easier than you think. You don't have to buy all kinds of expensive tools and cleaning agents, and no heavy scrubbing or complicated disassembly is needed. The most important thing is to maintain a regular computer cleaning schedule. It may be as simple as opening the computer case once every three months to blow out the dust. Educate yourself on the computer cleaning basics and decide the right course of action for yourself. For a copy of the Standard Operating Procedure, "Computer Cleaning and Dust Protection in an Industrial Environment", which you can modify to fit your own requirements go to http://www.computerdust.com. It's free when you sign up for "The Computer Dust Solutions" newsletter.

Just as numerous insects and animals perish when attacked by the army ant, a great number of computers are killed by dust every day. Don't let it happen to you. Follow the common sense ideas shown here and stop computer-killing dust in its tracks!

Erik Keranen is the founder of Computer Dust Solutions and publisher of the Computer Dust Solutions newsletter. You can sign up for the newsletter and get a free copy of the Standard Operating Procedure, "Computer Cleaning and Dust Protection in an Industrial Environment" at the web site, http://www.computerdust.com

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Breaking the Computer Buying Cycle

That New Computer Smell

If you are like most people when they go out and buy a new Personal Computer you probably get excited when you take it out of the box, turn it on and marvel at how fast it runs. When a computer is new it always seems to run faster and boot up quicker than your old computer. The applications and games seem to run without any slow down and when you get on the internet the pages load instantly on the screen, and you can quickly surf from one website to another. Overtime though, your computer can slow down and not run as quickly as it did when it was new.

This slow down can occur for a variety of reasons and when it happens it can be frustrating and spoil your computing experience. Often times when this happens it can be corrected by either cleaning up your hard drive, or running some diagnostics. Perhaps the computer has a virus and once you remove the virus, performance can be restored. What do you do though if you have done all those things and your computer is still running slow?

If your computer is running slow even after you have removed any viruses and attempted to improve system performance, it could mean that the demands you are now placing on your computer have exceeded the computer's capability.

As we use our computers we tend to install new software applications and attempt to run more applications simultaneously. The new software we install can require greater computer resources such as more computer memory and a faster CPU, or central processing unit to run the software applications or games properly.

If you are like me you like to have multiple software applications running or multiple internet browser windows open at the same time and that can utilize greater amounts of computer resources as well. The more resources you use, the slower the computer will run.

This is a constant problem in computing because computer technology doubles roughly every 18 months. In a demand for more feature rich software applications, software developers create more resource consuming software programs. To meet the increased demands of the software, computer manufacturers continue to build faster, more expensive computers. This, in my opinion, is a vicious cycle where in order to maintain a fast and enjoyable computing experience, the computer user is forced to go out and buy a new computer every few years.

Fortunately for me I have never had to worry about that problem. I am a certified computer professional and have been building and repairing computers for over 15 years. When I want a faster computer I do not go out and buy a new expensive computer. I have learned how to break the new computer buying cycle by upgrading my computer. By upgrading my computer rather than buying new, I can simply make myself a faster computer at a fraction of the cost.

You can break the computer buying cycle too and you do not have to be a computer professional like me to do it. You only need to know a few things about computers, be handy with a screw driver and be able to follow a few simple instructions; but before you begin to think about upgrading your computer, it might be important to get a brief overview on how a computer works.

Computer Basics

Computers are made up of a combination of hardware and software working together. When you aren't familiar with how a computer functions then they can seem very complex. You can reduce that complexity, once you understand how a computer works at a basic level.

At its most basic level a computer receives input and produces output. A computer receives input through input devices such as the keyboard and mouse (hardware). Every time we click the mouse on a link or move the mouse across the screen we are giving the computer input or an instruction to do something.

The computer receives the input as an electronic signal created by the mouse click or keystroke on the keyboard. This signal is transmitted through the computer and is converted into digital data where it can be interpreted as an instruction by the operating system, software application or game.(software)

The computer processes digital instruction data and produces output as either an image or words on the computer screen or perhaps as a printout on a printer.

What makes a computer fast is its ability to receive input, and produce output quickly. There are several components a computer needs in order to function but there are three primary components that directly affect how fast a computer can operate.

The three primary computer components which handle the processing of input and make a computer fast are the:

Motherboard or Main System board
CPU or Central Processing Unit
RAM or Random Access Memory

The Motherboard

Without getting too technical, the Motherboard is the computer component that connects all the hardware together on the computer. You could think of the Motherboard as a data freeway that links together all the components of the computer and allows them to transmit data between each other and and communicate.

Every computer component on the computer connects to the Motherboard either by being connected directly to the Motherboard or connecting via a data cable. The devices or components that connect to the Motherboard are the CPU, RAM Memory, Hard Drive, CD ROM/DVD drive, Video Card, Sound Card, Network Card, Modem, Key Board, Mouse and Monitor.

There are additional peripheral devices which can connect to the Motherboard as well through a variety of data ports which are connected to the Motherboard such as a printer, digital camera, microphone, and even a HDTV. These devices can connect to the Motherboard using one of several ports such as a USB, Parallel, Fire-Wire, SATA (Serial-ATA), or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) port.

In short the Motherboard provided the data communication infrastructure which allows communication between all the devices. What makes one Motherboard faster than another is the volume of data it can support being transmitted across what is called it's data BUS and the speed at which it can transmit the data. One way to think of it is in terms of a street. Think of the data bus as a street and the data are like cars driving down the street. Older Motherboards communication was the equivalent of a two way two lane street with a speed limit of 25 MPH. Today the new Motherboards are like 8 lane highways with 200MPH speed limits.

New Motherboards are faster because they can allow more data traffic at higher speeds.

The CPU

The CPU or Processor is the brain of the computer. The CPU carries out all the instructions that you in conjunction with the Operating System, like Windows XP or Windows 7, asks it to do. CPUs can only carry out one instruction at a time but they do it so fast it seems like they are doing multiple tasks at one time or "Multitasking".

Newer CPUs are faster because their "clock speed" or "clock cycle" is faster. The clock speed is the speed at which a CPU can carry out instructions. You can think of clock speed like the timing of a metronome, the device that helps musicians keep the right musical time. A metronome has a hand on the front of it which swings back and forth at a timing interval you set. As it swings back and forth it ticks like a clock. Like the metronome the CPU also ticks at a set interval but a CPU ticks at an incredibly fast rate which is measured in Mega or Gigahertz. The CPU carries out an instruction on every tick of its clock cycle.

New CPUs can not only carry out instructions at very high clock speeds but they can also be made up of multiple CPU Cores. Each Core can carry out its own instructions. When you have a Dual Core CPU it can carry out two instructions at the same time and a Quad Core CPU can carry out four. There are even six Core CPUs out now and like the newer Motherboards these CPUs also have a larger Data BUS to send and receive data faster through the Motherboard enhancing the computers overall performance.

RAM Memory

RAM or Random Access Memory is what stores all the instructions you have asked the computer to carry out. Every time we interact with our computer we are creating instruction data for the CPU to process and even the simplest interaction, like moving the mouse across the screen, requires many single instructions the CPU must carry out. You can imagine that playing a computer game or running an application like Adobe Photo shop can create a tremendous amount of instructions for the CPU. The CPU is fast and can execute a lot of instructions quickly but it can't do them all at once which is why we need a place to store the instructions until they can be processed. This is why RAM was created.

RAM is basically the storage place for all the instructions that are waiting to be executed by the CPU. You can sometimes tell when you don't have enough RAM when you have clicked on the mouse or hit the enter key to initiate a program and the hour glass just sits there spinning on the screen. It can appear that our computer has locked up or froze but what is actually happening is the computer is completing the series of instructions it has been given before it can perform any further instructions. When this happens we usually see it as the computer briefly locking up. It is also very frustrating.

The best way to resolve this problem is by simply adding more RAM to your computer. Adding more RAM is possibly the easiest way to increase the performance of your computer. Increasing the amount of RAM in your computer can help your computer run faster because it allows your computer store more instructions. This lets the computer carry out a lot of instructions while you continue to do your work and it reduces the computer freeze ups.

The speed of the RAM you use can also help the computer. If you use RAM that has a faster Data Bus speed it can send the instructions it is storing to the CPU at a faster rate. The faster the CPU gets the instructions the faster it can carry them out and the faster your computer will run.

The amount and type you can use is dictated by the type of CPU and Motherboard you use. The Bus speed of the CPU and Motherboard as well as the capacity of RAM the Motherboard can recognize will determine what type of RAM and how much you can use.

Some Motherboards will allow you to install as much as 32GBs of RAM and most Motherboards will recognize multiple Bus speeds so you can use several different types of RAM. Generally speaking the faster the BUS speed and the larger storage capacity of the RAM, the faster your computer will perform. The important thing to remember though is that with larger capacity and speed comes higher price.

What's nice about upgrading RAM is most Motherboards can accommodate several different speeds and capacities of RAM so you can start out with a slower speed and smaller capacity, which will be less expensive reducing your initial upgrade cost and then later down the road you can upgrade your RAM to a larger capacity and high speed.

Replacing the Motherboard, CPU and RAM is actually a lot easier than you may think. The CPU and RAM are directly connected to the motherboard so you can replace all three components at the same time by simply swapping out the motherboard.

To do this you must first determine what kind of form factor of motherboard your current computer supports.

The Motherboard Form Factor

Many computer manufacturers such as HP, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, eMachine, and Acer build their computers based on 4 primary motherboard form factors or design specifications and they are:

ATX = Full Size Motherboard generally found in full size Desktop computers and Towers
Micro-ATX = Mid Size motherboard found in Mid Tower and Smaller Desktops
Mini-ATX = Small Motherboard found in Mid Towers, Smaller Desktops
Mini-ITX = Newest motherboards very small size found in new smaller towers and desktops

These form factors refer to the size of the Motherboard itself. The computer case is designed to accommodate a specific size of Motherboard. Once you have determined which form factor your computer model is, then all you need to do is purchase the correct form factor Motherboard that fits your computer models case.

It would work like this. Let's say you have an HP Pavilion 750n desktop computer. This is an older computer with a single core processor. Nice computer when it first came out but very slow by today's standards. You decide that you want to make it faster by upgrading it to a Quad Core CPU but you need to determine if you can upgrade it.

You can determine whether or not you can upgrade that particular computer by going to the HP support website. On the site you would type in your computer model and look at the hardware specifications for that computer. HP will list the form factor information in the specifications guide. Having done this many times, I already know the 750n uses a Micro-ATX form factor.

Each computer manufacturer I named has a support site on their webpage where you can go to determine your models form factor. You can also do a search on Yahoo, Google, or Bing and ask what form factor your computer model is. If that doesn't work simply email me or leave a comment on this article and I can help you locate it.

Once you know the type of form factor your computer model supports you are now ready to decide what performance level you would like to upgrade your computer to.The performance level of the computer is generally dictated by the CPU it uses. You may recall I indicated the CPU is often referred to as the brain of the computer because it processes all the instructions and it sets the computers overall speed based on it's clock speed.Since the computers overall speed is set by the CPU, you typically start your upgrade by determining the CPU performance level you want.

How you decide which performance level you would like to upgrade to can be based on how you use your computer and how much you want to spend to upgrade it. Generally speaking if you only use your computer to send and receive email, browse the web, and save and share digital images from a digital camera, then you may only need to upgrade to a Dual Core CPU to significantly improve you computing experience.

If you play lots of games, burns DVDs, edit movies or sound files, and work with high resolution images or graphics, then you may want to select a Quad Core CPU to increase performance and improve your computing experience.

From a cost perspective you can expect to pay more for a faster CPU than you would for a slower CPU and Quad Core CPUs are generally more expensive than Dual Cores. As a rule I believe you should purchase as much as you can for as little as possible that way you get the most for your money and you won't have to upgrade again for quite a while.

When you are ready to select your CPU you will have choices based on manufacturer and type and there are also some differences between the various types of CPUs from each manufacturer which you should be aware of.

There are three primary CPU manufacturers Intel, AMD and Motorola, but for the purpose of this article we are only going to focus on Intel and AMD. Motorola is primarily responsible for making CPUs for Apple Computers. Apple computers, are a proprietary computer model and it can be more difficult and more costly to upgrade an Apple computer.

This article is focused on helping the budget conscious, who own what is generally referred to as an IBM compatible computer, upgrade their computer easily and inexpensively. IBM compatible computers are identified as those computers which primarily run a Microsoft Windows based operating system such as Windows XP or Windows 7. Intel and AMD manufacture CPUs that support IBM compatible computers so those are the two manufacturers we will focus on.

For the purpose of this article I am not going to go into great detail about the differences between Intel and AMD CPUs. There is already a significant amount of detailed information available on the internet which describes each manufacturers CPU chip architecture, as well as gives side by side comparison.

I would invite you to do a little research on how each manufacturers chips are designed and then review a website that benchmarks each CPUs performance. There are many links on CPU design, comparisions and reveiws on the weband this can help you make your CPU choice.

The prevailing sentiment regarding AMD vs. Intel is that both CPUs, in either Dual or Quad Core configuration, perform similarly with Intel being slightly faster. Intel CPUs have always been associated with executing business applications quickly while AMD CPUs run multimedia applications quickly. As you research their benchmark scores you will see Intel on a graph seems to dramatically out perform AMD but when you look at the duration of time between the two it is minimal.

Where you will see a significant difference between the two manufacturers is in cost. AMD CPUs are almost always less expensive than Intel CPUs. The question I always ask my clients is, "Is a 4 second faster speed difference worth an extra $200 or $300 dollars more by buying an Intel CPU?" To me it is not.

I am looking for an overall performance increase compared to what I am currently using. Once you upgrade your computer you are not going to be comparing it to another computer of equal performance, you will be comparing it to the speed of your last computer. If after your upgrade, you find your computer runs significantly faster than your last computer and it didn't cost much for you to achieve that performance increase, you will be happy with your upgrade and that is what is important.

CPU Cache

Earlier I indicated that RAM stores all the instruction data being transmitted to the CPU and throughout the computer. The CPU Cache is another form of high speed memory only it is specifically devoted to the CPU. It has been shown that a CPU can process data faster if more of the data it must process can be stored on memory located closer to the CPU itself.

All CPUs come with a cache but some newer CPUs will come with an additional cache that is faster and can hold more data closer to the CPU. Typically CPUs operating at a higher clock speed and having an additional, faster cache will offer higher performance.

A good example of this is the difference between the AMD Athlon and Phenom Series of CPUs. Both the Athlon and Phenom series come in Dual and Quad Core configurations but the Phenoim Series has an additional L3 cache making the CPU faster. It also makes a Phenom series CPU more expensive than the Athlon Series.

Another interesting tidbit is there is now a version II for both the Athlon and Phenom Series. The version II offers a more faster cache hence both CPUs are supposed to be faster than their predecessors however the benchmark numbers show a relatively small increase in performance.

Be sure to do a little research on the differences between the AMD and Intel CPUs and select the one you feel will be appropriate for your computing needs while meeting your budget goals. Once you have chosen the CPU you want you will then be ready to select the Motherboard that supports not only your CPU but your computer form factor as well.

One last thing regarding CPUs are both AMD and Intel have different CPU form factors so when you are selecting a Motherboard for the form factor that meets your computers specifications you also need to select the one that fits your CPU choice. This may seem complicated but it is not that difficult once you start looking at the Motherboard and CPU combinations.

The resellers I have showed you have filtering options on their web pages which allow you to select Motherboards that can support either AMD or Intel. You can also filter by both CPU and computer form factor as well which can help you narrow down your decision making.

Once you have made a decision on the CPU, you want to select the Motherboard that will support the CPU you have chosen. As far as Motherboards go there are several major manufactures of Motherboards and they all produce the 4 main types of Motherboard form factors. The major manufactures are:

ASUS
Biostar
Gigabyte
MSI
Foxconn
ECSJetway
Zotac

This may seem like a lot to choose from but as you begin to filter on the CPU type you can narrow down your focus and make selecting the right Motherboard easier.

Each motherboard will come with common features that are necessary for standard computer operations and some can come with additional features that may or may not be beneficial to you. The primary thing to remember about the Motherboard is that all of the components connect too it and you can choose to customize your computer upgrade as much or as little you want depending on the Motherboard you purchase.

For example, you can purchase a Motherboard which has the video and sound card integrated into the board. This saves you both time and money because it eliminates the need for you to choose a video or sound card, but if you want a specific video or sound card, you can select a Motherboard that does not come with those integrated components and then pick the video and sound card you would like to install as add in cards onto the Motherboard.

Here is a list of common Motherboards features:

Keyboard and Mouse input often referred to as a PS2 connector
USB - Universal Serial Bus ports for connecting computer peripherals such as (Keyboard, Mouse, Printer, Digital Camera, external Hard Drive etc...)
Parallel Printer Port (not as much in newer motherboards as printers use USB)
Local Area Network or LAN connection for a network or internet connection
Dial-up Modem (not as common in newer boards due to high speed internet connections)

Optional Motherboard Features:

1394 or Fire-wire connection (higher speed data connection)
External SATA or Serial-ATA connection (higher speed data connection designed to connect external SATA devices such as a Hard Drive)
HDMI - High-Definition Multimedia Interface to connect an HD Monitor or TV, or to an external High Definition Audio component

We touched on RAM earlier and we know that the RAM you choose must be supported by the CPU and Motherboard you choose. To make it simple it breaks down like this when upgrading. The CPU determines the type of Motherboard you have to choose and your computer model determines the type of Motherboard form factor you select.

The Motherboard will dictate what type of RAM you will be able to use so that will make your selection easier. The only thing you will have to decide when it comes to RAM, is the size of RAM meaning the amount of Gigabytes, Gigs or GBs of RAM you choose and the RAM speed you select.

One other thing you must be aware of is the newer Operating Systems such as Windows Vista and Windows 7 require a minimum of 2GBs of RAM to run properly so you will want to select at least 2GBs of RAM when you upgrade. Knowing this can make your decision regarding the amount of RAM pretty straight forward. As far as the speed of RAM you select that again will depend on the speeds the Motherboard will support, the amount of performance you want and how much you are willing to spend.

As far as determining the speed of RAM your Motherboard will support that is not difficult to determine. As you begin to look at Motherboards you will see they clearly specify the type and speed of RAM they support.

I have covered a lot of information up to this point and I hope you have a better understanding of what is required for you to be able to identify the Motherboard, CPU and RAM components you would need to upgrade your current computer. Buying these components and upgrading them your self is far less expensive then going out and buying a new computer and I am confident with this information as a starting point you too can save money buy upgrading the computer yourself.

There are however, two important additional pieces of information you should know before you attempt to upgrade your computer.

1. Before you upgrade your current computer you should back up all of your important data on to an external storage device such as an external hard drive, USB jump drive or burn it onto a CD or DVD.

The reason this is important is when you upgrade those components you will be forced to reinstall the operating system and that will erase all the current data on your hard drive. In additional if you don't have an installation disk for your current operating system, you will need to purchase a new copy of Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 to install once you have upgraded the components. This may not actually be a major concern for you if you were already considering upgrading to a newer version of Windows. Also I can help you find an inexpensive copy of the Windows operating system if you it.

2. The new components you will install in you current PC will be more advanced from a power consumption standpoint and upgrading them will most likely require you to also upgrade your power supply.

The upgrade is not expensive and is a very easy to accomplish. The type of power supply you will want to select will be roughly 400 watts at least and will need to be a 20x4 pin or 24 pin power supply. This is the type of power supply supported by the newer Motherboards. Again the Motherboard specifications will indicate the power supply requirements.

To make your computer faster all you need to do is upgrade the Motherboard, CPU and RAM. You start by identifying the type of Motherboard form factor your current computer will support, and the performance level you want to upgrade to. Then you buy the CPU that fits your performance needs along with the Motherboard and RAM that fits both your computer model and CPU specifications.

The one thing I didn't cover is the actual installation of these components once you have purchased them and are ready to install. At a high level the process is nothing more then:

Unplugging the computer and disconnecting all peripheral components such as the keyboard, mouse and monitor from the case
Before you open the computer, discharge yourself electrically or purchase a static strap to ground yourself to the chassis, this will help you avoid static discharge which can fry a computer component.
Removing the side cover off the computer case
Disconnecting all the power cables and Data cables from the old Motherboard
Unscrewing and removing the old Motherboard from the case
Unscrewing and removing the old power supply
Install the new power supply
Install the new Motherboard into the case
Reconnecting all the power and data cables
Powering the computer back up and listening for proper post sound
Now you are ready to install the operating system

I know once you decide to start this process you will have many questions which is why there is one last thing I would recommend you do before you begin to upgrade you computer.

There are many do it yourself computer repair and upgrade manuals available online and they can provide you all the help you need to do your computer upgrade. Many of the books will provide you step by step explanation on how to replace just about every component on your computer and provide you with detailed diagrams so you can see how to actually perform the removal or install. I would suggest you make a small investment and purchase one of these books.

If I could recommend any do it yourself computer manual it would be "Self Computer Repair Unleashed".This book covers all aspects of computer upgrade and repair in a clear concise format and provides full color diagrams and step by step instructions to help you through any computer upgrade or repair. I can't recommend this book enough. I have provided a link to this book on the links page of my website below in my signature.

I thank you for reading my article and I hope it has inspired you to go out and tackle what you may have originally thought was an impossible task. You can upgrade your computer yourself and save yourself a lot of money too.

David R Doohen
http://www.djmusickaraoke.com/links
IT Professional with 15 years of experience specializing in Computer Upgrade and Repair
MCP, CCNA, Net+, Server+, A+
Check out Tech Nibble for great computer repair and upgrade content and information.
http://www.technibble.com/

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

5 Sure-Fire Tips for Buying a New Computer

So you're thinking of buying a new computer...

Where do you start? There are so many brands and models of computers available, and it can all be a little overwhelming when you start to look around.

How do you decide what type of computer you need? And perhaps more importantly, how do you decide what the best value is?

I have sold computers professionally for almost 20 years, and there are certain "tricks of the trade" that most computer stores and salespeople use. Knowing these secrets can make your decision easier and will help you buy the right computer for your needs.

1. Buy What You Need, Maybe a Little More

One of the most important things you can do when buying a new computer is make a list of the things that you will be using it for. There are so many different models - with different capabilities - that you can easily buy more, or less, than you really need if you don't.

If this is your first computer, this can be a little tougher. Until you've used a computer, it's hard to know exactly what you might want to do with it beyond the obvious, like connecting to the internet.

Regardless, you should think about some of the things you might want to do. Some possibilities include:

Connect to the internet
Play games
Digital photography
Digital video
Type documents
Accounting
Design websites
Programming
Digital scrapbooking
Geneology

Some of these things need more power than others. For example, connecting to the internet really doesn't need a lot of power. Even the most basic computer available will probably work just fine.

Digital video and many games need a lot more power. If you don't get a fast enough computer with enough memory, you'll be disappointed with the performance.

Knowing what you're going to be using your computer for will help your salesperson, whether they're on the phone, the internet or standing in front of you, recommend the best system for your needs.

As a general rule you're always better off buying more power than you need rather than less, but buying too much can be a waste of money.

2. Warranty Considerations

Computer warranties are one of the most confusing and obscure parts of your purchase. Most manufacturers have cut back on their customer service to the point where poor service has become a given.

The three most common options are onsite, carry-in or manufacturer's depot service.

Onsite service can be helpful, but think about whether you want to have to be available for a technician to come and diagnose your computer, and possibly have to come back with parts at another time.

Carry in service is a good option, but find out whether the service center is factory authorized for warranty repairs, as well as whether the technicians are all certified.

Shipping your computer to a factory service center can take a long time - sometimes a number of weeks. It also creates risk that your computer will be damaged or even lost in shipping. In some cases, the manufacturer will even replace your computer with another unit and ship it back to you, rather than repairing it. This can result in your losing any information that was on your system and having to reload all your software.

Another aspect of the warranty to find out about is technical support. Find out if the computer manufacturer offers a toll-free phone number and what the quality of service is like.

The better computer salespeople will be honest about this and tell you if a company's service leaves something to be desired. You can also do some research on the internet - most of the computer magazines like PC Magazine and PC World have annual customer service comparisons that rate the larger computer companies.

Always find out how the warranty is handled before making your decision. Even if it doesn't influence your choice, knowing what to expect if something does go wrong will save some nasty surprises down the road.

3. Can You Negotiate the Price Down?

A computer is a relatively large investment - anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Many computer buyers expect that there is a significant amount of "wiggle room" on the price.

The reality is that most computer hardware - the physical pieces like the computer, monitor and printer - is sold at very low profit margins. Often, computer systems are even sold at or below the dealer cost. When you're buying a computer, it never hurts to ask for a better deal, but don't be surprised if you only get a few dollars off, if anything.

Over the close to 20 years I've sold computers, I watched the profit margins go from over 40% to less than 5%. It's almost embarassing to offer a $20 discount on a $2500 computer system, but that could mean the difference between making and losing money on the sale.

What you can do to get the best price is to do some comparison shopping. Most computer stores offer price-matching guarantees, so if you find your computer for less at another store, most dealers will match or beat that price, even if it means they lose money.

4. How Do Computer Stores Make Any Money?

You might be wondering how these computer stores make any money if they're selling computer for so little profit.

Their money is made on add-on items. The highest profit areas in most computer stores are cables and "consumable" products such as printer ink and paper.

Printer ink is a huge money-maker for most computer stores (even more so for the printer manufacturers). Why is this? Once you've bought a printer, you're going to have to replace your ink at some point, and continue to replace it as it runs out.

Most chain computer stores and office supply stores that carry a large selection of ink cartridges make more from ink than they do from the computers themselves.

Cables also have huge markups. A cable that costs the store $2-3 will often sell for $20-30. That's ten times their cost!

If you're buying a new computer, you will likely need to buy some cables. Some items - printers, for example - don't often include the cables needed to hook them up.

Many printers also come with "starter" ink cartridges that are only half-full. You might also want to pick up some extra ink cartridges.

This is where you should be able to negotiate a better price. Don't expect the salesperson to throw them in for nothing, but they should be willing to offer you a better price. After all, if you're happy with their service, you'll probably continue to buy your ink, paper and other products from that store in the future.

5. What Software is Included?

The last secret of buying a new computer has to do with the software that is included. Most new computer systems include quite a few programs and sometimes the value of the software can be quite high.

Something to watch out for when looking at the included software is "trial versions" or "limited editions".

Many programs that are preloaded are either crippled versions that don't have all the features of the full program, or trial versions that will only run for a certain amount of time before they expire.

Computer are often sold with trial versions of the following types of software:

antivirus
firewall
MS Office or other office suites
Accounting - both business and personal

The computer manufacturers generally don't make it easy to tell whether the software on their systems are trial versions or limited versions. This is a question that you should specifically ask if you can't find the answer in their promotional information.

If you're buying a new computer with trial versions of the software, keep in mind that you will need to pay to continue using it after the trial period is over. This is an added cost that you need to consider as part of your overall budget.

These five "secrets" of buying a new computer are fairly common sense, but they are not always made clear up front. Knowing what to ask will help you in two ways. First, you can be sure you are getting the right computer for your needs.

Second, if the salesperson or company that you're dealing with explains these things to you without being asked, you'll know you're dealing with someone who is honest and upfront.

Knowing you can trust the people you're dealing with is an invaluable feature of your new computer system.

John Lenaghan offers easy-to-understand advice at the Computer Help Squad website. Sign up for our newsletter and receive your free report "5 Critical Steps to Protecting Your Computer on the Internet"

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How To Become A Computer Consultant

Have you ever wanted to become a computer consultant, but you weren't sure if you could cut it? Do you have a basic understanding of computer-systems, strong problem-solving skills, and a desire to help other people? If so, then you already possess the main abilities and traits that you need to become a computer consultant.

In this article, we'll look at the business opportunities for computer consultants, the reasons why there will almost always be a strong need for good computer consultants, and what it takes for you to achieve success if you want to become a computer consultant.

Become a Computer Consultant and Your Income Can Soar

In a traditional corporate IT job, your earnings potential and career advancement possibilities are ultimately constrained by many things that are simply beyond your control. This often includes lazy or incompetent peers, ineffective management, or a seniority system that rewards obsolete employees and punishes newer, more aggressive go-getters.

When you become a computer consultant, these annoyances are largely a moot point. If you don't like your "peers", go find better partners and subcontractors to associate with.

If one of your "bosses" (i.e. a major client) is losing respect and running their company into the ground, you can go look for a new client to replace the problem client.

And forget about ever being unappreciated. No client is going to pay you or your consulting firm $100 an hour (or more) for your services if they don't value your expertise! And even though your clients generally won't clap for you, your bank account will.

So in sharp contrast to a traditional computer-related job, when you become a computer consultant your income potential can soar, because YOU are in control of YOUR future.

Business Opportunities for Computer Consultants

The market for those that want to become a computer consultant is diverse and still growing.

Because virtually every company and organization needs some kind of IT-help, whether it be from internal employees, outsourced computer consultants, or some combination of the two, the choice to become a computer consultant can put you on track for a winning career and a very successful, highly-profitable services business.

Now you may be thinking, "why would I want to become a computer consultant", when there are already so many people doing it? And that's a perfectly natural question.

However, competition is actually a good thing for computer consultants. Because if there were no other computer consultants out there in profitable businesses, you'd have to wonder whether the computer consultant industry was viable and profitable.

Think about it... would you really want to be in an industry where no one else has ever been able to have a profitable, sustainable business?

The fact is that many computer consultant businesses are horribly run and have huge customer satisfaction problems. Those problems are your opportunity though. As long as you can provide a cost-effective solution to what small businesses need, your computer consultant business can be very successful.

Also remember that as technology changes, even more opportunities are created. Could a computer consultant make a living 10 years ago by blocking SPAM or cleaning up spyware? Of course not. These problems were miniscule compared to today's epidemics. Today these are mainstream problems that plague virtually every small company and scream out for the need for more computer consultants.

What other industry do you know that is continually creating more potential clients?

Skills You Need to Become a Computer Consultant

As you begin to investigate further into how to become a computer consultant, start by listing your own computer-related current skills. Are you the person all your friends and family consult when they have a computer problem? Are you the one everyone turns to in your office for help on computer problems?

Most likely, you already have many marketable skills you will need to become a computer consultant.

Don't think you have to be an expert in every portion and every detail of all aspects of using and repairing a computer. That is not true.

With the scope and diversification of the industry, it would be impossible to become that knowledgeable. By finding qualified computer consultants to partner with and subcontract work to, your computer consultant business can easily plug most common skills gaps that you may encounter in the field.

From Employee to Computer Consultant

If you are already working as an employee in one of the many fields of the computer industry, making the transition to become a computer consultant could be one of the best decisions you will make.

Aside from increasing your income for the same work you are already doing, there are many other benefits to moonlighting or working full-time for yourself.

The cool part about moonlighting however is that you can try out what it's like to become a computer consultant, while you still retain the safety net of your day job.

In addition, with moonlighting, you can also start building up a steady client list and reference accounts that will give you a huge head start in building out your client list, as you become a computer consultant.

Non-Technical Skills for Computer Consultants

In order to become a computer consultant, there are also other aspects you should consider other than just your computer knowledge. As with any venture into working for yourself, there are a few traits that make it much easier.

For example, are you self-motivated?

Can you maintain the drive to work just as though you had an employer looking over your shoulder?

Are you ready to wear the many "hats" (i.e. accounting, marketing, sales, operations, etc.) self-employment requires?

Marketing, record keeping, planning, and providing the actual billable computer-related services are all parts of the agenda you will be required to either handle yourself, or delegate to another professional.

However, don't let these items overwhelm your desire to become a computer consultant.

While these are all important to a computer consultant business, there are ways to make sure they are done without overtaxing yourself.

The Bottom Line

The decision to become a computer consultant is not one that should be made lightly. However, for hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs around the globe, the decision to become a computer consultant can be a great business opportunity. In this article we looked at business opportunities for computer consultants, the reasons why they'll almost always be a strong need for good computer consultants, and what it takes for you to achieve success if you want to become a computer consultant. To continue learning more about how you can become a computer consultant, sign-up for the free audio training seminar, 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business at http://www.computerconsultantssecrets.com

Copyright MMI-MMV, ComputerConsultantsSecrets.com, All Worldwide Rights Reserved.

About the Author

Joshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran computer consultant and an internationally recognized expert on small business computer consulting. He has appeared in dozens of business and IT trade publications including CRN, VARBusiness, Microsoft Direct Access, TechRepublic, American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today.

To learn more about Joshua?s proven strategies that can help you become a computer consultant, visit his Web site and sign up for the free computer consultant training recording at http://www.computerconsultantssecrets.com

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