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Nov 28 2008
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Style, Tutorials, Windows XP

The Proper Placement for Maximizing Router Coverage

When you are planning to share an Internet connection at home a WiFi router is your best choice to get the job done. You don’t actually have to tinker around with configuration although some people would make sure that the only computers to access the Internet through their router would be the ones configured with passwords and gateways as supplied with the said router.

But if there is one thing you have to consider is that it would be best to place routes on elevated areas. If you have a two-storey house, place it on the second floor so that it can have better coverage as far as Internet access is concerned.

Some would be fine with having routers on the ground floor since that is where the main source of accessing the web is connected. But the matter of coverage of the Internet is something that may be of concern especially for large places to which limitations on accessing the web is concerned.

With that in mind, placement of routers is still essential as far as maximizing your airborne Internet access is concerned. Locate them in proper areas so that you can get the best coverage as far as where to access the web in any part of your home.

Besides, most of the people in your household are bound to want to access the web wherever they are. Expanding and practicing proper logic on how placement impacts Internet access is the best way to get your router’s worth.

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Nov 21 2008
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Desktops, News, Windows XP

Don’t Risk System Capable Tags for PCs

Often you would come across new software or operating systems like Microsoft Vista that assures you that they can run on previous PC hardware despite its high requirements prior to installation. Now the question that remains is on whether you will buy the claim or not?

Apparently as a PC user, you will not know if the claim is really true or not unless you try it. While some computers can accommodate them, there are the hidden lines that include actual performance rendering that has not been stressed. For sure, having a PC that was able to accommodate a previous Windows operating system like Windows XP will have its problems with an advanced and higher grade operating system. Issues such as processes and of course computer speed are bound to be the significant factors and as a PC user, you should place this into consideration.

With that said, would you wait to upgrade a computer before installing new software or take the risk? The safer way out is to really install these operating systems on a brand new PC with latest specs. It is not bad to improvise but if you demand high quality performance, save yourself the trouble of trying to make do with an old system that is bound to give way and perform below par.

Do take note that these are part of a marketing gimmick to save the PC companies from being unable to sell their old stock of computers. As a sign of reprieve, software manufacturers put that into consideration so make sure you avoid it.

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Nov 19 2008
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Cooling, Desktops

What is so Cool about Transparent Casings?

One thing you will notice as far as modern casings today are concerned is that a lot of them offer transparent sides thus revealing the internal chips of your CPU. Is there a bearing with regards to the overall performance of the computer? Not necessarily. Outside that of being fashionable, these transparent casings only allows you to showcase you internal computer chips and parts which normally makes use of plexi glass as a fashion statement.

They may look great but they are added costs since they are specialized casings for a chosen few But as far as cooling or improving the scale of PC performance, you can bet that they barely have something to do with improving actual processes and if ever they do, it is all psychological in nature.

With that in mind, why are people buying them? PC owners just want to be different and stylish. Some can afford to turn to these casings for a different look and identity. For an extra amount of dollars, people get them mainly for status symbols. However, inside of them, unless something powerful comes up like processors or other PC parts is concerned, on the outside they are nothing more than fabricated computer cases that house pretty much the same peripherals as the standard PC case.

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Nov 18 2008
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Desktops, Tutorials

Desktop Sales going Berzerk!

Aside from the holidays coming in, computer stores are desperately trying to get rid of old inventory with the expectation that new processors and desktop solutions from Intel shall be soon hitting the market. We have been hearing much buzz about Intel’s new chip such as the Intel Corei7 and chances are people will start looking for them these holidays to put their bonuses to good use. The problem is how do you get rid of the old ones?

For one, price drops and cheap computer packages are bound to be spreading like crazy. People may be looking at the new Intel Corei7 processors but make no mistake about it, customers are not about to let good deals pass. Pairing these discounted desktops with fast moving products such as NVIDIA video cards or large capacity hard disks are bound to be aplenty as people are looking to upgrade old computers for faster and powerful ones offered today.

So are the customers going to bite? Surely they will. The new processors will be out and one thing that people are expecting are price drops. The new Intel Corei7 is not expected to come out cheap as for sure, only a selected few can afford them once they hit the market.

With that in mind, consumers are expected to have a field day checking out the stores for their usual packages this Christmas. They will get rid of old inventory but it all depends on the lucrative deal that will be offered by them.

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Nov 17 2008
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Reviews, Tutorials

Are 3 in 1 Printers Worth It?

The introduction of multi-purpose printers has taken the IT world by storm and rather than turn to the usual printer which have become disposable in a sense, the evolution of 3-in-1 printers that include a scanner, copier and a printer rolled into one has certainly been gaining ground. But the question is, are they worth the investment?

One would be surprised at the cost of one printer. Normally a Hewlett Packard 3-in-1 printer would cost somewhere in the vicinity of $80 to $150. Not bad considering the use it can give. As far as print cartridges are concerned, it is similar to the traditional ones we buy.

Other printer manufacturers such as Canon and Epson have unveiled their own versions although majority of focus is still on HP, a prime leader in printing technology. Epson and Canon have their own share of loyalists but what you have to wonder in the end is the durability of these printers.

For example if the scanner or the printer feeder gets busted, would you still be able to use it? Traditionally, we have seen most printers that bog down end up being left for naught. Why? Changing a printer head practically costs more than buying a new one so why bother?

So with that in mind, would it be wise to buy these 3-in-1 printers over the plain printers today? Depending on the use, people can get a lot of mileage out of them. But if you are just buying one because of features, think again. It may not be worthy if you just want plain quality printing.

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Nov 14 2008
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Tutorials, Windows XP

Do you delete search history?

delete search history automaticallySearch history is a big privacy concern these days and many people don’t know it is being collected and stored in all kinds of places on your PC. Here’s just a few places history can be stored:

  • In your web browser
  • In the search box at your search engine of choice
  • In any toolbars that you search from
  • In Google itself, if you have a Google Account

If you aren’t deleting your search history from each of these places often you run the risk of your child, wife, boss, etc finding your search history and seeing everything you’ve searched for, which could be very private information.

People tend to think of dirty searches only and don’t worry if they aren’t doing that, they are ok, but you are actually far from it -

  • Do you really want your child to find out by accident that you are terminally ill?
  • Or your wife to find out what the perfect Christmas gift is that you got her, before christmas?
  • Or how about your boss simply taking a peek and seeing your recent job searches… uh oh.

The list goes on and on. Luckily there is help out there!

If you need a little help or want to delete every trace for maximum privacy automatically I suggest checking out the tool Bob reviews to delete search history permanently (recommended, automatic is key!). It works on Google Search, MSN and even more obscure engines like Dogpile.

Bob is one of the leading guys as far as search history goes so you’ll be in good hands to follow his advice!

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Nov 12 2008
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Motherboards, Tutorials

Avoid Motherboards from Contact with the PC Case

For the people who love to “Do it Yourself” as far as assembling your computer is concerned, you have to consider as well that peripherals need to have the proper grounding and when you screw them to the casing, there has to be something placed in between the motherboard and the screwable areas.

When you buy a motherboard, it normally comes with static foam. Now that is not mainly used to protect the motherboard. They can be used to negate the static and ground that usually occurs when you install everything into the casing.

At times, you may not have these foam available but it doesn’t mean you cannot install the motherboard. Get some masking tape and tape the screw holes to avoid surges and electrical malfunctions. That may sound easier if you don’t have the usual foam guard to go.

So how would you know if the motherboard is grounded? Well for one, after you have installed all the PC parts, it will not turn on. No matter what you do, it will just be dead even if you play around with the connections.

Now these may sound technical but they are really simple troubleshooting techniques that anyone can learn from. It may be hard to get by at first but the fact remains that you learn from experience. It is not easy assembling a computer and with these instances, you can learn to become accustomed to it. The next time you buy a computer or consider an upgrade, at least you would know better.

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Nov 11 2008
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Motherboards, Video Cards, Windows XP

Are your Device Drivers Up to Date?

Similar to the standards patches and updates service that Microsoft provides, independent manufacturers of your PC parts such as your video card, BIOS and network cards offer occasional updates to address issues such as driver incompatibilities and crashes that stem from the use of incompatible drivers.

Now these updates do not solely cater towards people encountering problems with the drivers. Updating them can also help stabilize your system resources but some could care less. Unless the time comes you consider formatting your computer for one reason or another, these driver updates can come in handy.

But the thing is, not all people are aware of these updates. You may say that they come out only by accident or if you happen to sign up with the actual hardware vendor. As a whole these updates have minimal impact but if the old drivers were giving you problems, then it is best to check out the updated drivers that are free for use by anyone normally on the vendor website.

So if you want to avoid the problems of finding out later on that your current drivers do have bugs that need fixing, maybe it would be best to download the updated drivers and override the old ones. It doesn’t take much effort although make sure you can roll back the drivers in case issues suffice. Remember that upgrading and updating are constant. Latest versions do not always mean they will be the last.

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Nov 10 2008
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Windows XP

Browsing Problems? Check Everything Before Panicking

At times, you may encounter a blank page on your browser. Now the initial problem is you would think that your network connection may be acting up. In some cases, that may be so but in other instances, you may also want to check out if other factors such as software or actual Internet provider options have something to do with it.

In cases of software, it may be a case when you activate firewalls for added protection. There are configurations you have to check out such as the outbound protocols and the blocked programs that access the net. Now the lesson from it all is that make sure you only configure your software in a way that you understand it and avoid playing genius. Sometimes, making quick declarations such as blocking an unknown command from a program can affect your Internet access altogether.

Check the provider by phone. You can always call them and ask if you have connection issues in your area. Apparently, this cannot be avoided since unforeseen events such as storms or even maintenance issues may require them to temporarily cut their service. That is purely a case where you cannot do much about.

There is also the usual restart option. At times, your computer may be susceptible to overload and possible hackers trying to hijack your PC. Now if the load is too heavy, system resources are bound to fly off the roof. Try to restart it if it helps. If not, the problem is really not only in your PC but perhaps the connection from outside itself.

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Nov 07 2008
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Tutorials, Windows XP

Do you Believe in System Restore?

One thing about Windows XP that makes it a good system to use is the system restore option. But while it is present, not many people know how to use it properly. For people using a PC that don’t bother to set a restore point, chances are it is useless. Perhaps it can as far as placing you on the first day that you installed the operating system. Others turn it off, since among the issues would be contamination coming from viruses and malware that go along each time you backup your entire PC system.

System restore is the easiest way to get out of problems like crashes or failure to load of your OS. It sounds easy to do but the thing is it all depends on at which point you had backed up everything, including programs and files that you had made. So if there is something that may be a problem, it would be these two areas. But considering that you only need to install the programs and at the worst scenario, redo the files you had lost (assuming you did not save any backups).

In all, system restore is a privilege but there are people who would choose to format and install a fresh operating system. If you think of it, it is logical. If problems persist during your last use, then chances are they will occur again. It is hard to trace them but at least with a new formatted PC, you have lesser problems and correct the errors starting from scratch.

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