Skip to content

new computer

Take the stickers off

I setup a new printer today and the thing was covered with stickers. I am not talking about the pieces of tape that hold all the parts in place for shipping – there were a lot of those too. I am referring to the stickers that advertise the fact that this printer prints. Or that this printer is "Great for photos!" There was even a sticker that said that it was. "Easy to use and setup!"

Why do they put these stickers on the printer? They also put them on new computers. If the computer or printer is in a box then wrapped in two layers of styrofoam and plastic bags, why do you need all these stickers?

Everything is color coded

It seems like a lot of people are moving lately. I have seen three clients this week who have moved into new homes. My job was simple in each case. They wanted me to setup their computer.

In the excitement of moving they took their computer apart and put the pieces into boxes. Then they couldn't figure out how to put them back together again.

When it comes to putting a new computer together or re-assembling an old computer, there are two secrets that I will share.

1. Everything is color coded.

  • There are usually two green plugs that go into green ports or jacks. These two green plugs are your sound output for your speakers and your mouse cable.
  • There is one purple plug, it is for your keyboard. Keep in mind that in each case both the plug and the socket are matching colors.
  • There is one trapazoid shaped blue plug. This is your monitor.

2. With only one exception, if the plug fits in the socket everything will work fine.

New Computer Specs

Computer prices continue to drop and get more powerful. I answer the question, "What should I buy?", many times every week. The answer seems to change about every six months. Today, I’m going to list my advice that should hold for at least six months:

Primary use is Internet, email, small games, and word processing:

  • Any processor 512MB of RAM
  • Any size hard drive
  • Mimimum CDRW Drive

Primary use is as above + digital photography:

  • Pentium IV (NOT Celeron) or AMD equivalant
  • 1 GB of RAM Built-in card reader 100 GB Hard Drive DVD burner
  • Separate video card (not built-in) or ability to add one

Uses are as above + video editing and/or high end games or other processor intensive program:

Spread out your backup

I had a client call me today to ask my advice on a new computer. Unfortunately someone had broken into her house and stolen not only all of her computers, but all of her backup disks too.

Bad guys are often smart enough to know that a computer is worth more if there are a lot of programs to go with it. So if your computer is stolen, chances are the theif will also take the opportunity to steal any disks he can find as well.

Keeping all of your backup in one place is never a good idea. Not only can theives get to it, but if any other catastrophe takes your home or office, chances are your backup will go with it, if you keep your backup with your computer.

Network Printers

One trend in printers that I am starting to see is the networked printer. Manufacturers are offering network (wired and wireless) options on many new ink jet and laser printers. Network options in a printer means that you can hook the printer directly to a router (device you may already be using to share your high speed Internet) instead of connecting to your computer.

By using a networked printer, the printer is accessible to anyone who is currently connected to the network either via Ethernet or wirelessly. Any new computers must install the printer’s driver before printing. But once configured, you no longer need to have any other computer turned on in order to access the printer. This feature eases the installation and use of a printer that needs to be accessed by many.

Is this computer good enough?

I get a lot of calls from people who are planning on purchasing a new computer. I really enjoy these calls because I am typically able to help people keep from making some big mistakes based on the advice of their teenage children.

Today I had a call from a client who had purchased a computer but wanted to make sure she got the right thing. She had asked my advice about a week ago and I told her to set a $700-800 budget and anything she found should work great.

She called me to tell me about her decision. She chose to go with an HP, she didn’t know all of the details, but she said it had 1024 "of something" and 160 "of something" and "two processors or something" and a 19-inch flat panel monitor.

Do your parents a favor, follow through with your favors

Most of my clients are over 50 and a good portion of them are over 65. I have learned that age has nothing to with computer aptitude. Computer aptitude is determined 99 percent by computer attitude. Those who are not afraid or intimidated by their computer are the ones who learn the fastest, no matter their age, gender or religious background.

One of my primary goals with my business, with the show and with the newsletter is to convey the message that you don’t have to be a computer wiz to use a computer.

I have many clients who do nothing but email on their computers and I don’t in any way feel that they are under utilizing their computer. If your life is made easier in any way because of your computer, then you are using it for its intended purpose.

How did you learn all of this?

I saw two clients today who were setting up broadband for the first time. They were having identical problems, but the solutions were totally different.

Client #1 had paid for a package through the local cable network for cable TV and telephone service, but had failed to ask for broadband Internet as a part of the package. They had also told her that it would not work on Windows 98.

I bought her a network card, we called the cable service and asked them to turn on the broadband Internet and I got everything up and running.

Client #2 had the cable broadband running just fine on one computer, but the other computer refused to connect. I installed a new network card and everything worked great.

The nuts and bolts of setting up a computer

It seems that we are in a computer buying season. I have several appointments this week to setup new computers. While we have a number of tips on the site about how to setup a new computer for safety, we don’t have much written about the physical setup of the system. Here are a few tips to get things setup quickly and efficiently.

1. Start with the big parts – Don’t take every cable and disk out of the box, just remove the big pieces and set them in their place. The trick to getting large pieces out of the box is to open the box then turn it over. You can then pull the box off the top leaving a neat pile of components.

Backup Outlook Express Email

The most reliable way is to search your computer for *.dbx files using Start –> Search. Make sure you check the option to search for hidden folders and files. Then backup any of the dbx files.

To restore these files on a new computer or new installation, Start Outlook Express, Click File –> Import –> Messages. Follow the wizard and choose Outlook Express 6 as the type of email you are importing, then click Browse to where you saved the original files.