Think twice before your blame your computer’...

“What brand of computer do you recommend?” is one of the most common questions I get asked. My answer is usually, “It really doesn’t matter as long as it is a name brand and has the specs that you need.” I often hear comments like, “Our first computer was a Dell and we constantly had problems with viruses and spam,” or “I’m never going to get another HP, this one just...

Curbside Recycling

When I help people setup a new computer, camera or printer, the standard question asked by the new gadget owner is; “What shall I do with the old one?” I think that the value of tech curbside recycling is highly undervalued. Curbside recycling involves hauling your old hardware out to the curb and just leaving it there. In most moderately busy neighborhoods (HOA’s rules aside), a piece of technology on the...

Vista Service Pack 1 – Don’t do itR...

Microsoft released the first service pack (major upgrade) to the barely one year old Vista this week. In fact, the Service Pack has been in the works almost since Vista was released last year. You will see and read it being referred to as Vista SP1. Microsoft missed the mark so badly with Vista that the company had to immediately go back to work in trying to improve an already mediocre release. Should you upgrade to...

Where to buy a book manual for your computer

“Why didn’t my computer come with a manual?” One of the most common complaints we hear is about how new computers don’t come with manuals. I am here to explain why this is the case. The sad answer is that if the computer company came with a manual, it would weigh more than the computer. “But my old computers used to come with manuals…,” Is the next comment. Back in the old days...

Using your backups

This weekend, an emailer asked the question of how to use the backups that we describe on our site. An excellent question I’m sure others have had as well. Over the years, I laid out step-by-step methods for backing up your email address book, favorites/bookmarks, and even your email. To use these backups, simply use the “Import” function to bring them back into a new installation of a program or even a...

Incredible deal on a fast computer

I installed a new computer for a customer yesterday that turned out to be the easiest setup I’ve done in quite a few years (with the exception of Apple setups). He bought the computer, ZT Affinity, from OfficeMax’s web site for $399. It comes with 1 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard drive, fast processor (albeit the previous generation Pentium D), Windows XP Professional, built-in memory card reader, keyboard, optical mouse, a...

What I like about Windows Vista

Please read the headline of this article correctly – it does not say, "Reasons why you should upgrade to Windows Vista." Windows Vista is still a nasty operating system that hogs resources and hides or eliminates important features, but there are some cool features hidden within and I feel that I must list them here so that I can be fair to Microsoft. If Microsoft had added any or all of these features to XP,...

Department store fix it people

I encountered another department store computer fix-it horror story today. The client called me because they had the proverbial slow computer. I show up and the owner proceeds to tell me that they just got it returned from a big box electronic store with the initials CC whose computer experts work under the initials of FD. Incidentally, I could tell similar stories of woe with another store whose initials are BB and their...

The Top 10 Free Porn and Poker Web Sites

Let’s all face it. We don’t have to agree with it or even like it, but the porn and gaming (poker) industry push the boundaries of the Internet and sometimes that translates to a better Internet experience for all of us. From experience with my business, I can tell you that computer users who frequent free online gambling sites, porn sites, and free music downloading sites have the worst running computers....

Saving valuable time with your computer

Computers are supposed to save us loads of time. In many cases, they do…or at least can save us time. However, I see too many people spinning their wheels for hours or days and in some cases months trying to figure out an answer to a problem with their computer. Or some computer users spending the same amount of time trying to figure out how to accomplish a task they want to complete with no real direction of how to get...

Brand New Computer for $199

I am getting really excited!! Ubuntu Linux, Splashtop motherboards, fast Internet connections, and Web 2.0 are all starting to bring us to the next generation of Microsoft-free, cheap computing. At least 80% of the computer users I help in their homes or offices do not really need or utilize the power of a full blown Windows (or Mac) computer. You’ve heard this soap box from me before; computer users who only use word...

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...

You can change your Internet Home Page – Vid...

When you buy a new computer, the Internet browser comes pre-configured with a home page (first web site you see when you start your web browser). For PC’s, it is usually MSN. For Mac’s it is Apple.com. If you download Firefox (which everyone should be using), its default home page is a Firefox branded Google page. Sometimes your Internet provider’s web site takes over as your home page if you run one of...

Demand compensation from Microsoft

If I was independently wealthy, I would give discounts to customers with Windows Vista. Alas, I am not independently wealthy and my business supports my family, so I charge for time I spend in a client’s office or home. One customer , today, could have saved 30-40% off their bill had they bought one of the few remaining laptops with Windows XP. This brand new Toshiba laptop with only 1 GB of RAM (half of the minimum...

Computer longevity

One huge misconception in the computer community is that computers are obsolete as soon as you buy them…or computers need to be replaced every 3-5 years. Both of these statements are patently false. I stand by my claim and philosophy that a computer is only outdated when it can no longer perform the functions you need it to OR it mechanically fails. Today I saw a customer that demonstrated this theory well. He had two...