Computer Help Show Podcast – 11-18-09

Adam and I talked to a few listeners today, ranted a little about this negative article of Twitter in our local newspaper, gave some Christmas / holiday gift giving advice, and much more in this month’s radio show. Have a listen and remember to tune in live next month on December 16! Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Netbooks are NOT made for Windows XP or Vista

One year ago, ASUS started a fire storm of new computers that now go by the name of netbooks with the release of their EeePC.  I wrote about this subject just a few months ago, but with the holidays approaching and netbooks are high on gift giver’s radar screens so I want to explore netbooks a little more in depth. Netbooks make attractive gift giving ideas for a few reasons: They are inexpensive; usually cost...

No great holiday computer sales

I was pretty disappointed with the lack of good computer sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Prices for computer have been pretty low since mid-summer, but I was hoping to see some 2GB RAM laptops under $450 and desktops with 2GB of RAM for less than that. Maybe we will see some lower prices before Christmas Eve. Adam didn’t post any outstanding deals on digital cameras either, so I’m assuming that the...

Rock Band has me in an eBay mood

It has become a holiday tradition for me to go through an eBay selling phase. It all began when the XBox 360 was released and continued on with the PlayStation 3. I was beginning to think that I would not have an opportunity to buy this year’s crazy in-demand toy and resell it on eBay. Then came Rock Band. In a totally unexpected move, I purchased two Rock Band Special Edition kits. I saw that most stores only had a few...

Gift of the gadget guy – a Christmas story a...

Computer bargains are all over the place! This week I must have seen two dozen offers that I would have purchased if I only had the funds. When I think back to all of the computer sales I have seen come and go over the years that I have been helping our listeners answer their computer questions, this will probably be one of the best ever. I can’t help but wonder how much richer I would be if I had...

New computer recommendations

At least once a year, I write a short article about my current computer recommendations. The holiday season is upon us, and I haven’t written an article like this in awhile, so here goes. In the past six months, I ask more questions than I give when approached with this question. Scenario 1 If I find that the person has a 2-4 year old computer with Windows XP, and just thinks the computer is slow, I go with this...

Fun with Cameroon Pet Scams

I really love English Bulldogs. Recently I became aware of a common pet scam that is based on every other over seas Internet scam. Someone from Cameroon posts a desired breed up for a ridiculously low price. He/she asks for money plus shipping. You never get the dog. Here is my recent correspondence with one such scammer. I have resorted the posts from oldest to newest so you can enjoy the events as they occurred. For...

First ALL Internet Program

Starting tomorrow night (Thursday, August 2, 2007), Adam and I will be broadcasting our show for one commercial free hour right here at HelpMeRick.com from 9:30-10:30pm. We plan to do the show at that time every Thursday night barring holiday’s  No radio stations, no middle-men, no commercials, just you and us. In today’s article, I’m going to try and lay out how this will work and how YOU can...

Sometimes the Internet doesn’t tell the whol...

My children were out of school today for the President's Day holiday. We had planned to go skiing with another family at our local ski resort. My son and I woke early and were eating breakfast and decided that we should check the weather on the mountain. We checked the resort's web site and the National Weather Service web site. Both indicated that it could be a 'breezy' day with a chance of snow. We finished...

Broadband Bliss

During the holidays, I helped a friend buy and setup a new computer. After looking at his current bills, we determined that his family would save money going with our local cable company for their TV, telephone, and Internet setup. They dumped MSN (dial-up), AT&T long distance, and Qwest in the process. Now they have a better TV plan, unlimited long distance telephone calls, nice phone package, and of course the high...

So, I cleaned my office today

Tomorrow I will start taking calls again and return back to work. I decided to use my last day off of the Holiday season to clean my office and get a fresh start on the new year. I am a pack rat, but I am not the kind of person who never throws anything away. I am picky in what I keep. Most of my clutter is job related. Since I spend my days working on computers, I tend to keep computer parts and cables "just in...

One month away from Windows Vista

Microsoft plans on rolling out Windows Vista en masse on January 30, 2007. After nearly three years of delays, the much anticipated new operating system will be available. Unfortunately, the only reason it is getting released now versus later is because Microsoft stripped away many of the features it was supposed to have in order to deliver the product at all. This doesn't bode well for Microsoft or we computer users. I...

Time doesn’t stop in roaming areas

I went to Moab today with some folks from church. I love the beautiful drive and there are some nice places to eat there. In addition to the scenery, I also enjoy the drive because only about half of it has cell coverage. Typically, I don't like travelling through areas without coverage, but when I am travelling with friends I don't worry so much about emergencies. Once in a while I would think, "I wonder if...

Better Holiday Photos

Better Holiday Photos Here are some of the basics we discussed at the Meeting    Use the Zoom: Try to catch the splendor of the season with lots of close up pictures instead of a few wide angle shots of the entire room or setting. This will result in photos that will be treasured rather than tossed in the drawer of old pictures. Don't be afraid to zoom in close to the subjects face to catch their surprise or...

The computer glitch fairy is back on duty

I mentioned in one of my articles last week that my calls had slowed way down. Whether is was due to JUCO (Junior College World Series) or the holiday or just a lack of computer problems, I don’t know. Whatever the reason was, it seems like people’s computers are going nutz in full force. The number of calls today from people needing me to come by their home and fix their computers was in the double digits. I am...