Blog Updated – Look and Feel Changed

As you may notice, I have finally changed the look and feel of this blog. I was using the default WordPress theme, which is quite nice and simple, but way too saturated. Many freshly installed blogs on the Internet usually have this theme and I managed to get away with it for over a year. I finally came across a decent theme, though not perfect, and applied it to this blog. WordPress is so incredibly easy. It took mere seconds to download, upload the theme to my blog, then activate it. Way too easy. Loving technology!

Is Your Computer Obsolete?

A few years ago, I saw a cartoon of a guy proudly driving home with his brand new state-of-the-art 386 computer in the back seat. In the background was a huge billboard advertising the 486. The message: his computer was obsolete before he even got it home.

Technology is always changing… it’s hard to be sure if the system you have will support the newest software and peripherals. So how do you know when it is indeed time to buy a new computer, or when it is best to ignore the commercials that tout the latest “gotta-have” technology?

You May Need To Buy A New Computer If…

…your processor speed is less than 1.0 gigahertz (GHz). Most operating systems and application software these days demand a lot from your system. A speedy processor will help you browse the Internet, run your word processor and play games with ease. On a Windows PC, click the Start button, then Control Panel, then System to see your processor information. If the speed is listed in megahertz instead of gigahertz, see if any friends need a new anchor for their fishing boat.

…your computer has less than 512 megabytes (MB) of RAM memory. Again, the System Properties window will show how much RAM is installed. I recommend at least 1GB (1000MB) of RAM for smooth and speedy performance. Go for 2GB of RAM if you’re running Vista.

…you are running a version of Windows that begins with a “3? or a “9? (Windows 3.1, Win95, or Win98). These versions lack the security features and technological advances required for safe computing and protection from identity theft. If you have a Mac that’s NOT running OS X, the same applies.

…you have a monitor that’s 15-inch or smaller, or worse, is a CRT. Most websites will not display properly on an old 15-inch monitor, and the larger 17-inch models are now standard. (I have dual 24-inch widescreen LCD monitors on my desk!). Save on the environment and energy bill with a new LCD monitor.

…you try to install a program and you get the error “Operating System not supported.”

…you try to upgrade the Operating System and get an error message that the hardware is not supported.

…your computer has no USB ports. Most peripheral devices such as the mouse, keyboard, printer, scanner and external hard drives now use USB connections.

…your computer has a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive! Software has outgrown the floppy disk, and the mere presence of a floppy drive on your machine may indicate that it’s time to recycle it.

All of the above scenarios warrant shelling out the dough for a new computer. There are cases however, where you might have a relatively new computer, (less than 3 years old) and it is acting up enough to make you want to replace it with a new one. Before you do that, let’s look at a few ways you can “soup up” a fairly new machine:

Your Computer Is Running S-l-o-o-o-w-w

This is probably the number one complaint I receive from users on a regular basis. If your computer is less than 3 years old, there are a myriad of reasons for the slowdown in performance. For instance, you may not have all the latest security software installed. Operating Systems, device drivers, anti-virus programs and other applications have frequent updates releases to their original product. Keeping up with the latest releases or patches of any software you are running, is a good way to keep your computer free from viruses and spyware that can slow it to a crawl.

Sometimes a slow running computer is one that is lacking memory. As applications get more feature rich, more memory (RAM, not hard drive space) is required to run them. A lot of times, computers will be sold or built without the maximum capacity of RAM that they can actually run. I can scan your computer for you and find out how much RAM you currently have installed as well as the maximum RAM you can have along with the type. Upgrading RAM is a very inexpensive way to speed up your computer and extend the life of it. I highly recommend it for any XP computer that has less than 1 GB or any Vista computer that has less than 2 GB.

Your Computer Is Running Out of Space

You are noticing degradation in your computer’s performance, and you are also noticing “Running low on disk space” messages. Low disk space can slow a machine down, and also cause problems running applications. Hard drive space is getting cheaper and cheaper these days; the newest computers often come with 500GB (or larger) hard drives as a standard. You don’t have to buy one of these new computers though; you can replace a smaller hard disk drive with a larger one, or add a second hard.

It’s important to know when to let go of an old clunker of a computer. It’s just as important to realize when your computer needs a “tune-up”. The goal is to find a happy medium between being able to experience the latest that technology has to offer, but not being pressured into throwing a perfectly good system away because of slick sales ads, feature envy or industry hype.

If you need advice on whether or not your computer needs a tune-up, a memory upgrade, a hard drive upgrade, or that you need a new computer altogether, don’t hesitate to contact me today. I give FREE assessments and consultations, and this can be done quickly and easily via remote support services.

Why free music is bad for your computer

The music itself is not bad for your computer, actually. However, the means and methods of getting free music, or free anything, can be bad for your computer. A lot of the free stuff comes with a catch in a nicely packaged form of a Trojan. These Trojans are malicious computer programs that hook themselves into your operating system and then phone home to download more junk in the background – or worse, spy on you and send your personal information to their masters. For those of you who have experienced pop-ups, fake anti-virus alerts, or stuff that wants you to buy something, may have actually experienced the effects of sophisticated Trojans. If you go online and do a Google search for “free music”, you’re more likely to come across a malicious website than if you were to search for “buy music”.

Several ways of getting free music, and free stuff in general are via peer 2 peer (p2p) networks. One popular client is called Limewire. This free program gives you access to a network of thousands of free songs. This free program also gives you access to the same networks that virus writers like to upload their programs to lure people into downloading and running them. The files they upload are named in such a way that anyone searching for their favorite artist or song will be misled into downloading a Trojan that masquerades itself as a song. The virus authors do this because they make tons of cash selling ads or products to unsuspecting users. In fact, one guy in Arizona was raided by the FBI because he was a suspected virus author and spammer that made millions. They found hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash stuffed in cereal boxes throughout his house, as well as a yellow Lamborghini parked on his driveway. This guy made his millions off unsuspecting Limewire users and by sending billions of spam messages per day.

So,  while Limewire as a program itself is not malicious in any way, the large peer 2 peer network that it connects to is a haven for malicious software. It does have tons of free music available but some of the music does masquerade as a virus. The best thing you can do if you must use Limewire is to make sure that you have an up-to-date operating system, the latest and greatest anti-virus engine, and the know-how on what to look for and how to avoid getting your system infected.