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Rick

Always check the cables

Two customer visits this week took less than 10 minutes after I arrived on the scene. When printers, speakers, keyboards, mice, etc stop working and I get a call, the first thing I ask is whether the cables/cords are all plugged in correctly or at all. About 50% of the time, I’m told either “yes they are” or “I don’t know how to check them and want you to do it.” I show up and check the cables, attach them securely to their correct spots and then everything works.

The next time you lose sound, can’t print, lose your keyboard or mouse function follow these steps to save you lots of time, frustration, and money:

Help! My laptop has been stolen – No they didn’t catch the bad guys

Before I get a bunch of comments about the news story on the bad guys who were caught, it doesn’t appear to be the same bad guys at the moment. My stuff was not in the initial find and the dates don’t match up.

Maybe the bad guys know each other, but until the police contact me with a find, I am assuming that my laptops are still out there.

Yes, both my laptops were stolen out of my car last night. One was an Averatec with tons of stickers plastered on the top cover, the other was my Asus Eee PC. There was a lot of other stuff in the bag, but nothing that I can’t replace.

Start programs automatically in Ubuntu – Video Tip

Windows user can use this tip to start programs automatically when they boot up their computers. This week I learned how to do the same thing with Ubuntu Linux (and its derivatives). Since my goal for this site is to impart all the knowledge I have in my brain to you, here is how to start programs on boot up in Ubuntu Linux:

1. Click System –> Preferences –> Sessions from the menus
2. Click the Add button in the Startup tab (should be already open)
3. Type the name of the program you want to start
4. Click the Browse button next to the Command box
5. Browse to the /usr/bin folder
6. Find and double-click the name of the program you want to start
7. Click OK
8. Click Close

Then next time you restart your Ubuntu machine, it will start the program you added. Of course, you can also uncheck the boxes next to programs you don’t need to start automatically just as easily.

It’s not as complicated as it sounds in writing. Watching the video below (2 minutes) will demonstrate the tip for you.

I use a Mac, therefore I am

Ya, don’t ask me to elaborate too much on the title of this post, I didn’t mean anything too deep by it.

I picked up my new/old Mac that a reader gave me. It is an older system, but It does a great job. It’s a dual 867mhz G4 with a gig of RAM, 10GB hard drive and Leopard OS. While it may seem a little dated by Mac standards, it is every bit as fast as my dual core Pentium that I typically run XP on.

I haven’t used it for any digital photography stuff, but I didn’t want it for that. I wanted a mac so I could use it exclusively for a few weeks and learn how to help my Mac clients adapt to “the switch” from Windows.

Surge protectors provide false sense of security

The power went out in part of town last night. Before 10am this morning I had already received two calls from people who were having problems as a result.

This seems to happen every time we have a power outage or severe lightning storm. In most cases the computers were on a surge protector when the power went out. I have even seem a few on expensive battery backup systems.

The only way to protect your computer is to unplug it from the wall. No one can predict when the power will go out or spike but lightning is a different story.

A nice surge protector won’t hurt, but it only adds a little more protection.

I want your old OS X mac

Vista has been the best thing that ever happend to Macintosh. I have setup more Macs in the last six months than I have the entire seven years I am been a computer guy. I love them and they work great.

The downside is that I am beginning to get more Mac problems that I don’t know how to solve and I don’t like learning on my client’s dime. So, I need your help.

I need your previous Mac. I am not looking to buy a used Mac, I am begging. I will gladly pay shipping, but I am hoping that someone has a G4 or G5 (or Intel – sheeya right) mac mini, iMac or PowerPC that they are no longer using. Of course I would take ibooks, powerbooks or MacBooks too.

Here’s where I really get picky…

Zonbu is coming to Grand Junction!!

Today, I helped a new customer order a Zonbu computer. I first wrote about this interesting computer about two months ago. I offered to setup these machines up for free for the first three people in our area that buy one. After much deliberation and research, the customer (KC) and I decided that this computer was really the right decision for her needs.

She bought the laptop Zonbu, and I can’t think of anything that this computer won’t be able to do for her. She plans on doing some traveling with it (it has wi-fi built-in). She wants to possibly add a digital camera at some time (it has a good picture manager utility and editor already installed). Of course she plans on using the Internet for research, entertainment, and email (the Zonbu has arguably the best browser installed…Firefox and excellent email programs as well). She might want to play a few games (Zonbu has over 15 installed including Sudoku, Mahjongg, Solitaire, Freecell, and more). In addition to all these things, the Zonbu boasts a world-class word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager, database, calendar program, web editor, desktop publishing software, DVD player, music player and organizer, and over 30 games and countless accessories. AND it includes 24/7 support via either telephone or email or chat. AND it includes program and operating system updates automatically maintained via the Internet and a built in web backup system. And this system does not require you be a security expert because it doesn’t require anti-virus or anti-spyware software.

Is this starting to sound good to you? It should, but wait how much does it cost?  $1,000?