Interested in a DIY PC Repair? When we take our computers to the shop to get repaired, we pay too much. Usually the problem is very easy to solve. Due to our lack of experience we are required to bring our systems to the repair shop and ask them to "fix my computer!". The technicians are making great money as they charge through the roof to get the repairs done. Also they will be attempting to entice you to spend hundreds of dollars on a new computer. Some will even go so far as to tell you that the computer is not repairable and suggest that you spend thousands of dollars towards a new one.
We should not be so gullible to fall for it. A great deal of the repairs can be done at home for a fraction of the cost. You could even assemble a complete computer at home and save money. Regular maintenance on your computer will maximize its reliability and speed.
If it is freezes, crashes, shows boot errors, blue screens you can actually repair it yourself and save money on the repair.
These are the following things that you could do on a regular basis to keep your machine in working order;
Perform a disk defragmentation. Often your computer will put different parts of programs in different places on the hard drive. This forces your computer to have to search for bits and pieces the program which is an inefficient practice. Doing disk defragmentation helps keep your hard drive in order and your programs will load in a timely manner.
Clearing out hidden startup programs will cut down on the time that it takes for your computer to start up. These applications are not really necessary and you should keep them to a minimum. As more of these little programs that load, it makes loading the desktop take longer to finish.
If you use your computer on the internet, you should clean up the temporary internet files, history, and the cookies. By not keeping the internet browsing cache of you computer clean makes it easy for spyware and various viruses to reside on your machine and potentially perform harm.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Unzipping Files
You've heard of people zipping files and unzipping files. You have no idea what they're talking about but you're not too worried. You don't think you'll ever need to know about anything that sounds as technical as that.
Until you get a zipped file and you don't know how to get at the contents!
Now you DO want to learn about zipped files. So, I'll teach you...
Zipping a file is basically compressing the contents in order to make it smaller. The reason why you would want to reduce the file size is so that the file can be downloaded FASTER. You will know the file is zipped - because you can SEE a zip on it!
Obviously, any file which has been zipped must then be unzipped before you can use the contents.
This is how you unzip a file:
1. Click on the file (folder) - I'm assuming you have it on your Desktop.
2. Click on Extract All Files.
3. Save the file to your Desktop.
4. You will now have a zipped folder AND an unzipped folder on your Desktop.
If you check the file size of each folder you will notice that the unzipped folder has increased in size - this isn't a problem now that the file has been downloaded.
You can delete the unzipped folder - there's nothing in it now because you have just extracted the contents!
Now, that wasn't too difficult was it? Now that you understand what a zipped file actually IS unzipping files will become like second nature to you before long - and let's face it - you really cannot run a successful online business without understanding these things
Until you get a zipped file and you don't know how to get at the contents!
Now you DO want to learn about zipped files. So, I'll teach you...
Zipping a file is basically compressing the contents in order to make it smaller. The reason why you would want to reduce the file size is so that the file can be downloaded FASTER. You will know the file is zipped - because you can SEE a zip on it!
Obviously, any file which has been zipped must then be unzipped before you can use the contents.
This is how you unzip a file:
1. Click on the file (folder) - I'm assuming you have it on your Desktop.
2. Click on Extract All Files.
3. Save the file to your Desktop.
4. You will now have a zipped folder AND an unzipped folder on your Desktop.
If you check the file size of each folder you will notice that the unzipped folder has increased in size - this isn't a problem now that the file has been downloaded.
You can delete the unzipped folder - there's nothing in it now because you have just extracted the contents!
Now, that wasn't too difficult was it? Now that you understand what a zipped file actually IS unzipping files will become like second nature to you before long - and let's face it - you really cannot run a successful online business without understanding these things
Simple PC Troubleshooting Techniques
PC troubleshooting efforts could be focused to areas such as power supply, video, mother board, CPU and the hard drive. If there is a failure in any one of these systems the computer will not work. It is your job to play detective and determine which of these systems have failed.
First I would start by making sure that the power supply is operating. You should never ignore the potential of a failed AC power supply or even something as simple as a disconnected power cord. I recommend disconnecting the power supply to the mother board and testing for power from the power supply to make sure that you are getting the right amount of electricity to the motherboard. Quite often you will find that power supply units do not last as long as the computer.
In terms of troubleshooting video failures we usually mean no image at all on the screen. Simple cases which could be diagnosed are such where the monitor or LCD screen is failing to power up properly, or the PC failing to power up at all. Video card failure is not a rare occurrence, and video boards could loose contact with the motherboard socket. Video failure could be due to motherboard failure or the result of some external interference if the symptom is poor image quality.
Failure of the motherboard often shows up as second level problems. A motherboard problem could often be an issue with any of the circuits that connects to any component of the mother board. This type of problem is best fixed with a different motherboard. It is more economical to have a replacement motherboard on hand as opposed to attempting to repair the motherboard itself. To repair one requires special tools and training.
If you have a boot error that points to the CPU you could try the unit in another machine to see if the error follows the CPU. If you intend to troubleshoot computers it is very good to have extra spare parts on hand. This gives you the freedom to swap and try different parts in order to determine to root cause of the failure.
Hard drive failures are typically simple to troubleshoot, partially because the operating system includes tools to report on the hard drive reliability when it's accessible. There are also tools on the market that will help you fix most hard drive problems.
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First I would start by making sure that the power supply is operating. You should never ignore the potential of a failed AC power supply or even something as simple as a disconnected power cord. I recommend disconnecting the power supply to the mother board and testing for power from the power supply to make sure that you are getting the right amount of electricity to the motherboard. Quite often you will find that power supply units do not last as long as the computer.
In terms of troubleshooting video failures we usually mean no image at all on the screen. Simple cases which could be diagnosed are such where the monitor or LCD screen is failing to power up properly, or the PC failing to power up at all. Video card failure is not a rare occurrence, and video boards could loose contact with the motherboard socket. Video failure could be due to motherboard failure or the result of some external interference if the symptom is poor image quality.
Failure of the motherboard often shows up as second level problems. A motherboard problem could often be an issue with any of the circuits that connects to any component of the mother board. This type of problem is best fixed with a different motherboard. It is more economical to have a replacement motherboard on hand as opposed to attempting to repair the motherboard itself. To repair one requires special tools and training.
If you have a boot error that points to the CPU you could try the unit in another machine to see if the error follows the CPU. If you intend to troubleshoot computers it is very good to have extra spare parts on hand. This gives you the freedom to swap and try different parts in order to determine to root cause of the failure.
Hard drive failures are typically simple to troubleshoot, partially because the operating system includes tools to report on the hard drive reliability when it's accessible. There are also tools on the market that will help you fix most hard drive problems.
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The Beginnings of Integrated Virtual Data Center Environments
Current Market Challenges
The global financial crisis, pressure on enterprise pricing and profitability, and increasing cost of capital are driving today's corporations to demand more for less. In addition, organizations are seeking to reduce general and administrative expense, including those expenses associated with IT hardware, storage, networks, and applications in order to maintain shareholder value. Most importantly, Information Technology (IT) departments must reduce ongoing management and maintenance costs to free up the necessary funds for development and critical investments in new technology to support a more responsive, agile, and on-demand technical infrastructure. To accomplish this, corporations are continuing to rationalize assets deployed during the 1990's IT spending spree, by leveraging a more efficient global delivery model, and by turning towards virtualization technology. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by IDG Service Group, 72% or corporations are currently investing in server virtualization, 41% in desktop virtualization, 41% in storage virtualization, 23% enterprise/data center virtualization, and 22% application virtualization.
Key Market Drivers for Virtualization Solutions
IT departments continue to invest during flat and declining budget cycles by optimizing existing server and desktop virtualization and by gaining further synergies through the adoption of additional virtualization technologies. One of the most significant benefits of virtualization is that it has the ability to scale applications and infrastructure as needed. In addition, it enables accelerated time to- market by increasing the speed, flexibility, and quality of service and infrastructure. Virtualization improves business continuity, disaster recovery, availability of resources. Virtualization also extends the business benefits of services oriented architecture (SOA) by facilitating the sharing of reusable IT assets within multiple operating systems.
The rapid adoption of virtualization is also being driven by the need to continue to employ legacy systems prior to and during migration efforts. The focus on corporate green initiatives to the lowering power and cooling requirements associated with infrastructure is also driving the implementation of virtualization. Further fueling the trend toward virtualization is the increasing sophistication and capabilities of the technology itself. Newer hypervisors result in minimal differences between bare metal and virtualized systems, and technology in other virtualization areas such as storage, network and application, is maturing rapidly. Finally, because it isolates end users from the actual resource via a layer of abstraction, corporations view virtualization as an important building block to cloud computing.
The Beginnings of Integrated Virtual Data Center Environments
Virtualization is a method of abstracting software systems and resources from the underlying physical hardware which hosts them (i.e. virtual memory in a computer). By breaking the bond between physical hardware and software, virtualization allows for: Running multiple virtual machines with heterogeneous operating systems at the same time on the same physical machine. Enabling multiple data networks to share the same physical infrastructure, increasing flexibility, security, and optimizing network performance. Optimizing storage platforms based on what data needs to be used and retrieved when, reducing costs of storage, and simplifying management of the storage infrastructure. Rapidly deploying and managing highly available, fault tolerant data centers and computing systems, based on simple computing building blocks, and do so at a very low cost. Transforming disparate resources into a pool of computing assets than can be dynamically allocated. End users consume IT resources where and when they are needed resulting in a fractional ownership approach for infrastructure and applications.
Today's virtualization technology represents almost a back-to-the-future approach, providing many of the cost, security, and management benefits of a centralized mainframe to dumb terminal infrastructure, while eliminating many of the disadvantages through the use of a pool of data center resources linked to responsive and GUI-enabled thin servers. IBM incorporated early virtual technologies within its mainframes produced in the 1960's and 70's. Digital Equipment Corporation evolved virtualization even further with the virtual file system embedded in its VAX operating system. Virtual technologies were also used more recently in Unix/RISC systems. The concept was popularized in the 1990's with the introduction of increasingly sophisticated products from VMware designed for computers based on x86 architecture. CPUs based upon x86 architecture operates using a sequence of stored instructions, 17 of which cause difficulty when attempting to virtualize a machine. VMware developed a technique that traps these problematic instructions and converts them into safe commands that can be virtualized. As a result, VMware remains a clear market leader in virtualization products, although companies such as Citrix, Microsoft, and others are also attempting to gain market share
The global financial crisis, pressure on enterprise pricing and profitability, and increasing cost of capital are driving today's corporations to demand more for less. In addition, organizations are seeking to reduce general and administrative expense, including those expenses associated with IT hardware, storage, networks, and applications in order to maintain shareholder value. Most importantly, Information Technology (IT) departments must reduce ongoing management and maintenance costs to free up the necessary funds for development and critical investments in new technology to support a more responsive, agile, and on-demand technical infrastructure. To accomplish this, corporations are continuing to rationalize assets deployed during the 1990's IT spending spree, by leveraging a more efficient global delivery model, and by turning towards virtualization technology. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by IDG Service Group, 72% or corporations are currently investing in server virtualization, 41% in desktop virtualization, 41% in storage virtualization, 23% enterprise/data center virtualization, and 22% application virtualization.
Key Market Drivers for Virtualization Solutions
IT departments continue to invest during flat and declining budget cycles by optimizing existing server and desktop virtualization and by gaining further synergies through the adoption of additional virtualization technologies. One of the most significant benefits of virtualization is that it has the ability to scale applications and infrastructure as needed. In addition, it enables accelerated time to- market by increasing the speed, flexibility, and quality of service and infrastructure. Virtualization improves business continuity, disaster recovery, availability of resources. Virtualization also extends the business benefits of services oriented architecture (SOA) by facilitating the sharing of reusable IT assets within multiple operating systems.
The rapid adoption of virtualization is also being driven by the need to continue to employ legacy systems prior to and during migration efforts. The focus on corporate green initiatives to the lowering power and cooling requirements associated with infrastructure is also driving the implementation of virtualization. Further fueling the trend toward virtualization is the increasing sophistication and capabilities of the technology itself. Newer hypervisors result in minimal differences between bare metal and virtualized systems, and technology in other virtualization areas such as storage, network and application, is maturing rapidly. Finally, because it isolates end users from the actual resource via a layer of abstraction, corporations view virtualization as an important building block to cloud computing.
The Beginnings of Integrated Virtual Data Center Environments
Virtualization is a method of abstracting software systems and resources from the underlying physical hardware which hosts them (i.e. virtual memory in a computer). By breaking the bond between physical hardware and software, virtualization allows for: Running multiple virtual machines with heterogeneous operating systems at the same time on the same physical machine. Enabling multiple data networks to share the same physical infrastructure, increasing flexibility, security, and optimizing network performance. Optimizing storage platforms based on what data needs to be used and retrieved when, reducing costs of storage, and simplifying management of the storage infrastructure. Rapidly deploying and managing highly available, fault tolerant data centers and computing systems, based on simple computing building blocks, and do so at a very low cost. Transforming disparate resources into a pool of computing assets than can be dynamically allocated. End users consume IT resources where and when they are needed resulting in a fractional ownership approach for infrastructure and applications.
Today's virtualization technology represents almost a back-to-the-future approach, providing many of the cost, security, and management benefits of a centralized mainframe to dumb terminal infrastructure, while eliminating many of the disadvantages through the use of a pool of data center resources linked to responsive and GUI-enabled thin servers. IBM incorporated early virtual technologies within its mainframes produced in the 1960's and 70's. Digital Equipment Corporation evolved virtualization even further with the virtual file system embedded in its VAX operating system. Virtual technologies were also used more recently in Unix/RISC systems. The concept was popularized in the 1990's with the introduction of increasingly sophisticated products from VMware designed for computers based on x86 architecture. CPUs based upon x86 architecture operates using a sequence of stored instructions, 17 of which cause difficulty when attempting to virtualize a machine. VMware developed a technique that traps these problematic instructions and converts them into safe commands that can be virtualized. As a result, VMware remains a clear market leader in virtualization products, although companies such as Citrix, Microsoft, and others are also attempting to gain market share
Resolving Bluetooth Drivers Problems
In fact, first and foremost, we have to establish what exactly Bluetooth is and how it has benefited our lives. Well for one thing, if we were to look at the consumer wireless industry, there are just three main ways that we can enable the wireless access to our lives, and the first and most common way is through the GHZ network signature, which is common to most of the wireless internet networks out there. The next thing of course is infra red technology, but of course we all know that it has dire limitations and its range is something that can be best said to be quite pathetic.
The last and most powerful technology is called Bluetooth and it is like infra red on steroids. It has an extended range and its signal strength is really powerful, which allows for high speed data transfers over its network reach. Now, blue tooth came about because there was a need for a better open wireless protocol that did not need to depend on internet networks and this allowed many mobile and fixed devices to actually communicate with each other with an ease that was unprecedented.
One thing that is really good about Bluetooth is that it can connect to several devices over the network and has the ability to effect high speed data transfers and even manually charge a device remotely. The technology is actually based on radio technology, which uses a hopping spectrum that allows the end user or the end device to transmit a huge chunk of information over time. It has known to achieve a rate that has been comparable to 1 megabyte per second and that is massive.
One thing that you need to know when you are facing Bluetooth driver problems is that you need to be able to resolve them the quick and easy way and when you are doing this, what you need to do is to make sure that you have the latest drivers on hand. That is really the most important thing when it comes to making sure that your Bluetooth devices are performing to spec and they do not lose their connection half way, because for devices that handle information to and fro a network, that can really be a pain and sensitive data can be lost to you.
One thing you need to note about this is that Bluetooth drivers are dependent on the product that you have, and while there are universal blue tooth drivers out there, it is highly recommended that you use the drivers that came with the product, because they perhaps have been built a slightly different way and you need to be able to respond to the architecture of the Bluetooth and the hard ware that is attached to it. So these are some of the ways that you can resolve some Bluetooth driver errors and how you can get around this problem with just a few steps and a few clicks of the mouse.
The last and most powerful technology is called Bluetooth and it is like infra red on steroids. It has an extended range and its signal strength is really powerful, which allows for high speed data transfers over its network reach. Now, blue tooth came about because there was a need for a better open wireless protocol that did not need to depend on internet networks and this allowed many mobile and fixed devices to actually communicate with each other with an ease that was unprecedented.
One thing that is really good about Bluetooth is that it can connect to several devices over the network and has the ability to effect high speed data transfers and even manually charge a device remotely. The technology is actually based on radio technology, which uses a hopping spectrum that allows the end user or the end device to transmit a huge chunk of information over time. It has known to achieve a rate that has been comparable to 1 megabyte per second and that is massive.
One thing that you need to know when you are facing Bluetooth driver problems is that you need to be able to resolve them the quick and easy way and when you are doing this, what you need to do is to make sure that you have the latest drivers on hand. That is really the most important thing when it comes to making sure that your Bluetooth devices are performing to spec and they do not lose their connection half way, because for devices that handle information to and fro a network, that can really be a pain and sensitive data can be lost to you.
One thing you need to note about this is that Bluetooth drivers are dependent on the product that you have, and while there are universal blue tooth drivers out there, it is highly recommended that you use the drivers that came with the product, because they perhaps have been built a slightly different way and you need to be able to respond to the architecture of the Bluetooth and the hard ware that is attached to it. So these are some of the ways that you can resolve some Bluetooth driver errors and how you can get around this problem with just a few steps and a few clicks of the mouse.
Why Does My Computer Take So Long to Boot Up?
Are you in front of that computer monitor staring at the hour glass icon that has been up on your screen for five minutes? You have to check your e-mail before you go to work, but your computer is taking forever to boot. You keep asking yourself in frustration, "Why does my computer take so long to boot up?" With the knowledge of why this happens, you can easily prevent it and make booting up as easy as waking up yourself... well that may vary. Regardless of your hard rive size, RAM, or whatever, there is usually one main issue that causes your computer to boot slow.
When you install a new program, it likes to believe it is important so it puts itself in your start up folder. This makes it turn on when your computer starts up. When you get several of these, Windows is so over burdened with programs that it is super slow.First and foremost, you must go into the Start Menu, select Run, type in "msconfig" (without the quotes), which will bring up the System Utility Configuration. Select the Start-up Tab and deselect any programs that aren't needed upon start-up. If you are unsure about a certain program, then leave it. This will greatly enhance your boot up speed as your computer is not struggling to get multiple programs started before the desktop screen even appears.
Once you have done this you can try deleting old programs that you don't use anymore by going to your Control Panel and selecting Add/Remove Programs. I just did that to my computer and noticed that I had an old video game installed that was taking up 300 MBs and I haven't used it in over 6 months!
Lastly, once you have done all of this run a Disk Defragmenter to put all of the files that naturally get spread out over time back together. To do this right click on My Computer, Properties, Tools, Defragment.Restart and notice the amazing change in boot up speed.If you are still experiencing problems and are still asking, "Why Does My Computer Take so Long To Boot Up?" then I would go a step further and run a virus scan on your computer to make sure that there are no malicious files present.
When you install a new program, it likes to believe it is important so it puts itself in your start up folder. This makes it turn on when your computer starts up. When you get several of these, Windows is so over burdened with programs that it is super slow.First and foremost, you must go into the Start Menu, select Run, type in "msconfig" (without the quotes), which will bring up the System Utility Configuration. Select the Start-up Tab and deselect any programs that aren't needed upon start-up. If you are unsure about a certain program, then leave it. This will greatly enhance your boot up speed as your computer is not struggling to get multiple programs started before the desktop screen even appears.
Once you have done this you can try deleting old programs that you don't use anymore by going to your Control Panel and selecting Add/Remove Programs. I just did that to my computer and noticed that I had an old video game installed that was taking up 300 MBs and I haven't used it in over 6 months!
Lastly, once you have done all of this run a Disk Defragmenter to put all of the files that naturally get spread out over time back together. To do this right click on My Computer, Properties, Tools, Defragment.Restart and notice the amazing change in boot up speed.If you are still experiencing problems and are still asking, "Why Does My Computer Take so Long To Boot Up?" then I would go a step further and run a virus scan on your computer to make sure that there are no malicious files present.
Buyer's Guide For All Types of Desktop Computer Users
For a majority of consumers, the determining factor in purchasing a desktop computer will have to be price. However, with the myriad of different makes and models available in the market today, it would be very difficult to tell one from another especially for those who may not be too familiar with computer specs. Below is a very helpful buyer's guide that will outline the suggested configurations for the basic types of desktop computer users.
General Use
Nowadays, a budget of $500 to $1,500 should be enough to get a system with a dual-core processor that is powerful enough to perform all the basic functions of a home desktop computer - run a majority of applications, handle music and audio files, view and edit pictures, and even install and play most of the latest games in the market. A dual-core processor is the standard for today's modern computers so those with a budget above $500 should definitely look for a system with this particular specification on board. An Intel Core 2 Duo or and AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor should be able to do the trick.
Other important key factors should include at least 1GB of memory (DDR2), a hard drive with around 300 to 500 GB of space, and a 128-Megabyte graphics card compatible with DirectX 9 (preferably Nvidia or ATI). In terms of peripherals general users should look for a DVD burner, an LCD monitor (around 17 to 19 inches), and a 2-piece speaker set. Although Windows XP should suffice, most computers nowadays will have Windows Vista Home or Apple OS X Leopard once it's out in October). Apple iLife '06 or Microsoft Office 2007 should also be on board.
Power Users
In order to have a power PC that could serve as a competent gaming system or even a digital design computer, one will need to have a budget of around $2,500 to $3,000. The processor has to be one of the most important factors here. Although an Intel Core 2 Duo should be able to get the job done, most power users will be able to benefit more from say, a Core 2 Quad or a Core 2 Extreme processor. This should be teamed up with around 4GB of memory at around 1,066MHz. Most of these systems will need a lot of disk space so users may want to look at 1TB hard drives (or 2 500GB drives). Whatever graphics card is chosen, it is advisable not to go below 512MB.
Home Entertainment Systems
For those looking to use their personal computers as their own home entertainment systems, a bit more money will need to be spent. This is because most of the specifications here should be top of the line to ensure that the system will be able to satisfy the high demands of cutting edge multimedia features. Users should be looking for built-in peripherals such as an HD DVD and Blu-ray optical drive combo, a 21-inch and upwards LCD monitor, and a 5.1 speaker set. Another option is to have a direct connection from the computer to one's actual home theater system. However, cool and quiet performance is preferred over raw power when it comes to what's under the hood so a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 256MB graphics card should suffice.
General Use
Nowadays, a budget of $500 to $1,500 should be enough to get a system with a dual-core processor that is powerful enough to perform all the basic functions of a home desktop computer - run a majority of applications, handle music and audio files, view and edit pictures, and even install and play most of the latest games in the market. A dual-core processor is the standard for today's modern computers so those with a budget above $500 should definitely look for a system with this particular specification on board. An Intel Core 2 Duo or and AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor should be able to do the trick.
Other important key factors should include at least 1GB of memory (DDR2), a hard drive with around 300 to 500 GB of space, and a 128-Megabyte graphics card compatible with DirectX 9 (preferably Nvidia or ATI). In terms of peripherals general users should look for a DVD burner, an LCD monitor (around 17 to 19 inches), and a 2-piece speaker set. Although Windows XP should suffice, most computers nowadays will have Windows Vista Home or Apple OS X Leopard once it's out in October). Apple iLife '06 or Microsoft Office 2007 should also be on board.
Power Users
In order to have a power PC that could serve as a competent gaming system or even a digital design computer, one will need to have a budget of around $2,500 to $3,000. The processor has to be one of the most important factors here. Although an Intel Core 2 Duo should be able to get the job done, most power users will be able to benefit more from say, a Core 2 Quad or a Core 2 Extreme processor. This should be teamed up with around 4GB of memory at around 1,066MHz. Most of these systems will need a lot of disk space so users may want to look at 1TB hard drives (or 2 500GB drives). Whatever graphics card is chosen, it is advisable not to go below 512MB.
Home Entertainment Systems
For those looking to use their personal computers as their own home entertainment systems, a bit more money will need to be spent. This is because most of the specifications here should be top of the line to ensure that the system will be able to satisfy the high demands of cutting edge multimedia features. Users should be looking for built-in peripherals such as an HD DVD and Blu-ray optical drive combo, a 21-inch and upwards LCD monitor, and a 5.1 speaker set. Another option is to have a direct connection from the computer to one's actual home theater system. However, cool and quiet performance is preferred over raw power when it comes to what's under the hood so a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 256MB graphics card should suffice.
The Best Desktop Computers
It is undeniable that today's economy is the worst this generation has ever encountered. The problem is that there seems to be no signs of any imminent improvements and the light at the end of the tunnel is but a glimmer of hope. As most families continue to struggle in prioritizing their necessities, desktop computers have slowly become a non-negotiable in most US homes. For one, the kids need access to the internet in order to accomplish most of their research assignments. Not having one is almost tantamount to a child's compromised performance in school.
The times are definitely hard and now more than ever, every penny saved indeed counts. Those who are looking to purchase a desktop computer but do not have too big a budget need not worry. Here are some of the best desktop computers available in the market today at very reasonable prices.
SX2800-01 by Gateway
Underneath the SX2800-01's slim tower rests a reliable combination of features and performance. With a compact and sleek design, this device is an excellent choice for those who are looking to set up a home office or simply need a desktop PC for the sake of practicality. Although its features may not exactly be cutting edge, the Gateway SX2800-01 does possess an updated motherboard that provides a multitude of connectivity options. This best-for-home system is definitely one of the highest performing desktop PCs in this particular price range. User should be glad to know that the SX2800-01 is priced between $490 and $510.
Mac Mini by Apple
Who ever said that one couldn't get an iMac on a budget? With the advent of the Mac Mini line, users have been able to enjoy the many benefits of Apple-powered desktop computers without needing to take out a second mortgage. With an Intel 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo processor combined with a 1GB DDR3 RAM, this particular Mac Mini is a god option for those who have been dying to get a Mac but couldn't afford it. Priced between $580 and $600, this Apple Mac Mini is set for release in winter of 2009.
Although it may be excellently-priced for a Mac, the fact still remains that a Windows-powered PC at this price will definitely outperform this Mac any day of the week. In fact, this type of specs on a PC would probably cost less than $150.
Aspire X1700-U3700A by Acer
Although it may be a bit slower than other PCs in this category, the Acer Aspire X1700-U3700A is an excellent choice for those who may prioritize functionality over performance. With a price tag raging between $340 and $480, one could surely find a better performing desktop computer that will have more impressive specifications than the X1700-U3700A. However, what makes this particular PC attractive is not only its compact design, but its multimedia capabilities as well. The Aspire X1700-U3700A can actually be considered as a light to mid-duty home entertainment PC as it comes complete with digital audio output and HDMI video capabilities - perfect for the stay-at-home movie buff.
The times are definitely hard and now more than ever, every penny saved indeed counts. Those who are looking to purchase a desktop computer but do not have too big a budget need not worry. Here are some of the best desktop computers available in the market today at very reasonable prices.
SX2800-01 by Gateway
Underneath the SX2800-01's slim tower rests a reliable combination of features and performance. With a compact and sleek design, this device is an excellent choice for those who are looking to set up a home office or simply need a desktop PC for the sake of practicality. Although its features may not exactly be cutting edge, the Gateway SX2800-01 does possess an updated motherboard that provides a multitude of connectivity options. This best-for-home system is definitely one of the highest performing desktop PCs in this particular price range. User should be glad to know that the SX2800-01 is priced between $490 and $510.
Mac Mini by Apple
Who ever said that one couldn't get an iMac on a budget? With the advent of the Mac Mini line, users have been able to enjoy the many benefits of Apple-powered desktop computers without needing to take out a second mortgage. With an Intel 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo processor combined with a 1GB DDR3 RAM, this particular Mac Mini is a god option for those who have been dying to get a Mac but couldn't afford it. Priced between $580 and $600, this Apple Mac Mini is set for release in winter of 2009.
Although it may be excellently-priced for a Mac, the fact still remains that a Windows-powered PC at this price will definitely outperform this Mac any day of the week. In fact, this type of specs on a PC would probably cost less than $150.
Aspire X1700-U3700A by Acer
Although it may be a bit slower than other PCs in this category, the Acer Aspire X1700-U3700A is an excellent choice for those who may prioritize functionality over performance. With a price tag raging between $340 and $480, one could surely find a better performing desktop computer that will have more impressive specifications than the X1700-U3700A. However, what makes this particular PC attractive is not only its compact design, but its multimedia capabilities as well. The Aspire X1700-U3700A can actually be considered as a light to mid-duty home entertainment PC as it comes complete with digital audio output and HDMI video capabilities - perfect for the stay-at-home movie buff.
Right Registry Cleaner
You may have heard that there are registry cleaners that simply won't do the job they say they will do, and even worse, end up infecting your PC with malware or spyware.However, as you may also know, there will always be those who try to take advantage of a good thing, and there will also be the naysayer who says nothing good just for the sake of being able to say something.
The truth is, you have this part in your computer known as the registry which can get too cluttered, and as a result, ends up slowing down your computer. It needs to be fixed, because it is certainly not going to get better on its own. A registry cleaner should be able to do the job well, if you get some good software.
How then does one find a good registry cleaner that will not dupe you or fool you into spending for nothing? Well, for one, you can look at buyer feedback. If you check websites with consumer reviews and feedback, you can find some consistency in their reviews that will pinpoint to a couple of very good registry cleaners you can rely on 100%.
You can also use the free demo that is being offered, as well as those products that have a money-back guarantee. This means you can try their FREE SCAN and download the demo software. This will allow you a sneak peek at what is inside your registry, and what needs to be repaired or cleaned.
The truth is, you have this part in your computer known as the registry which can get too cluttered, and as a result, ends up slowing down your computer. It needs to be fixed, because it is certainly not going to get better on its own. A registry cleaner should be able to do the job well, if you get some good software.
How then does one find a good registry cleaner that will not dupe you or fool you into spending for nothing? Well, for one, you can look at buyer feedback. If you check websites with consumer reviews and feedback, you can find some consistency in their reviews that will pinpoint to a couple of very good registry cleaners you can rely on 100%.
You can also use the free demo that is being offered, as well as those products that have a money-back guarantee. This means you can try their FREE SCAN and download the demo software. This will allow you a sneak peek at what is inside your registry, and what needs to be repaired or cleaned.
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