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4 Computer Money-saving Tips
Here are four tips that’ll save you money when buying your next computer. Tip #1 -- Rebates: A rebate is not always a bargain. Computers with rebates are often close to being discontinued. You may pick up a good deal or purchase technology that's...
Get Ahead When You Build Your Own Computer
If you’ve been kicking around the idea of building your own computer, it actually isn’t a bad idea. It’s easier than you might think, and you can probably come out with a system that gives you more kick for your money, than you’d see in retail, or...
KNOW THE COLOR BASICS
Do your print ads or web pages seem so flat that no one ever bothers looking at it? How would you like to make them more unique and attractive? The key to a striking visual ad is the color. It gives life to any image. Take for example the cartoons...
Wardriving Ethics
War-Driving Background Information In order to start to understand what War-Driving is, some information needs to be explained. Wireless networking is a fairly new technology which is being used all over the world. Both home users and business...
Wehner's ANIMATE DOS Command
There are many ways of making animated images for the Internet, but this simple tool is just 2344 bytes. That means that it can easily be carried on a floppy disk, and takes up little space. The marble bust that you will see is Dr. Thomas Addison...
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3 Summer Computer Tips
#1 – Summer Computer Travel
Holiday travelers should be on alert when arriving home from long weekends, such as the Fourth of July, a popular time for computer viruses to spread.
Most computer users have a tendency to turn off their computers when away on trips, which means you’re not getting newly-released anti-virus patches or anti-spyware updates; the two most common areas that cause computers problems. We recommend you update anti-virus and anti-spyware scans before opening e-mail or going online after an extended absence.
We consistently see an increase in calls for virus related problems immediately following long weekends. Avoid the problems altogether by updating your security software before using your computer. For a free listing of viruses, spyware threats and trends, visit: www.VisitingGeeks.com/downloads.htm
#2 -- Should You Leave Your Computer Running?
One question we hear frequently is, "Should I leave my desktop computer on or turn it off?"
There are 2 schools of thought…
Turning it on and off numerous times during the day subjects the microcircuits to flexing and fatigue due to change in temperatures. Over time this could lead to a break in the circuitry and result in system
failure.
Leaving the computer on all the time puts excess wear on the mechanical components (the hard drive spindle motor and cooling fans).
Best compromise. First user in the morning turns it on; last user turns it off.
We leave our desktops on all the time allowing for scheduled utility tasks to run during overnight hours. We also restart the systems (to flush the RAM and reset the operating system) on a regular basis and routinely remove the case covers to clean out any dust that may have accumulated, especially around the fans and screens.
#3 -- Stop Popups!
Never click inside the window of a popup. Instead, close it by clicking on the X in the upper right corner. Many people are fooled into installing spyware applications by popups that promise to clean their system. If you receive a message saying it can help, assume it’s spyware and don’t click!
About the Author
Sharron Senter is co-founder of http://www.VisitingGeeks.com - an on site computer repair, security and networking company serving north of Boston, Southern NH and Maine. Visiting Geeks’ technicians are crackerjacks at squashing viruses, popups and securing and making computers perform faster. Learn more about Sharron at http://www.SharronSenter.com
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