I love new computers and the technological advances that are being made every day both in hardware and software. I spend a lot of time researching and trying out new things. Because of this, you can imagine how many manufacturer’s newsletters I receive. I recently received one from a computer manufacturer explaining that it may be time for you to buy a new computer if the following things are happening:
The computer can’t seem to catch up. When you push a button and the little hourglass appears and seems to stay on the screen forever, it’s a good sign that applications are demanding more processing power and memory than the computer can supply.
the computer crashes a lot. It may make more sense to buy a new machine rather than fix an older computer.
The PC has no room for new software. Rather than purchasing a new hard drive and paying for installation, go for a new PC with loads of storage space.
The operating system doesn’t compute. If installation of a new application is attempted, and the computer reports that it cannot run on the current operating system, that’s a good sign the computer is at the end of its life cycle.
The fan is whirring. When the computer fan starts making loud noises, it could soon fail and take the computer down with it.”
I’m not going to say which manufacturer sent me this email, but I was slightly disheartened by this email. I understand that times are rough, so they are trying to convince people to get new computers, but I prefer the “Don’t go out and blow your money” approach. When I go to set people’s new computers up, sometimes I find that they are replacing an “old computer.” I will always ask what they are doing with it, and many times, the answer is just to throw it out. I offer to recycle the computer for them, and if they accept, then I take it back to my office, clean the drive and donate it to a needy family. In all of this though, I usually find that the computer is in perfect working condition. The programs will boot just as fast as they did when it was originally purchased. The problem most of the time is that people have too much stuff running at the same time, and it just needs to be cleaned.
Let me explain, some people have a trial version of one antivirus software that runs in the background, but because they didn’t want to resubscribe, they purchased a second antivirus program, which will also run in the background. Then they add some bloated spyware program. Then they have tray icons of ten or more other applications that they probably don’t use anymore. All of this causing a 80 processes to boot on Windows XP Home edition (boots around 29 with a fresh boot) causing all kinds of memory lags, giving the user the perception that their computer is slow and outdated. Rather than cleaning up the computer, or having someone else do it for them, they are told that the computer is likely to break and it’s time to replace it. Because many people know little to nothing about computers, they accept this advice and buy a new computer.
In times of prosperity, I can understand doing this. Many people would rather just pay a little more to not have to worry about it, but when times get harder, finding someone to repair a still good computer rather than get a new computer can mean that you get to keep hundreds of dollars.
I’m going to take a moment here to go through these “Reasons to Buy a New Computer,” and let you know if they are good reasons to buy, or just a company’s way to try to profit on the ignorance of their users.
1. The computer can’t seem to catch up. When you push a button and the little hourglass appears and seems to stay on the screen forever, it’s a good sign that applications are demanding more processing power and memory than the computer can supply.
Sometimes, adding more memory, or reducing the amount of processes running can solve this problem. In fact, if you have a computer that has been purchased within the last five years, it is probably capable of running most basic programs. It probably won’t run high end games very well, but for daily use, it should be sufficient. In a situation like this, check which computers you have running on startup (you may have to go into your task manager for this). Also, check how much memory you have. When Windows XP first came out, many systems shipped with 128 or 256mb of memory. By upgrading this amount to 512mb or 1gb, you can usually speed the system up dramatically.
2. The computer crashes a lot. It may make more sense to buy a new machine rather than fix an older computer.
Crashes usually mean that you are trying to pull too much from the computer or that there is something wrong with the operating system. This can usually be solved by backing up your documents, and restoring the system to the default. Yes, you will have to reinstall all the programs you have added since you bought the computer, but sometimes spending a few hours reinstalling software is better than spending $400+ for a completely new system that you would have to do the same thing to anyway.
3. The PC has no room for new software. Rather than purchasing a new hard drive and paying for installation, go for a new PC with loads of storage space.
Hard drives are cheap now. If you go online, you can find deals for 500gb drives for less than $100. If your computer is capable of doing everything you want it to, and does a good job, then maybe you just need to switch your drive out, or add a secondary drive for your files.
4. The operating system doesn’t compute. If installation of a new application is attempted, and the computer reports that it cannot run on the current operating system, that’s a good sign the computer is at the end of its life cycle.
This is one of the few that I would argue that it is time to get a new computer. If you are still running Windows 98, then there are few, if any, new applications that will work with your system. Couple that with the rising need for computer resources, and your system may even be unable to run Windows XP. If this is the case, then it may be time to get something a little newer. On the other hand, if you are not adverse to change, there are many distributions of Linux that are designed to run on older systems. Sometimes you can just shift over to one of these systems to get modern functionality without spending the extra bucks to buy a completely new system.
5. The fan is whirring. When the computer fan starts making loud noises, it could soon fail and take the computer down with it.
There is usually more than one fan in a computer. Some can be replaced with parts that cost less than $10. Spending $400+ for a new computer when it does everything you need it to do makes little sense when you could replace your fans for less than $50 including labor.
So if you are experiencing any of these problems, and are considering getting a new computer, maybe you should have someone check it out first to let you know if you actually need a new computer or not.
Every year, some technical blogger decides that the next year will be the “Year of Linux,” and essentially claim that Microsoft will watch their baby die within that year. I hate to break it to all the bloggers out there and their readers, but that will probably never be the case. While Microsoft may not always be the most powerful software company in the world, there will always be a place for large proprietary software companies to unite the whole world under one easy system.
People do not like change. Both Windows and Apple have profited from this fact. Let’s take a look at Windows throughout the years.
Does this look familiar? It should. This is the Windows 95 desktop. This was the first time that Microsoft offered the Modern Windows theme with the start bar on the bottom of the screen. Since then, not much has changed. Sure, the briefcase has been changed to “My Documents,” everything looks shinier, and you get a nice background picture now, but take a look at the Windows Vista screen:
For the most part, everything is the same. The start button (while it doesn’t say start anymore) is still in the same place, and you still have icons on the desktop. There have been a few things added, but it’s basically the same. Most people want that familiarity.Does Linux do this? Well, just do a quick Google search for Linux desktop, click on the images button and find out, or since I’m a nice guy, I’ll supply the link to that:
Google Images Search of “Linux desktop”
You can’t find one similar desktop on the first page. Some look like Windows, and some look like OSX. Some have a dock, some have a start menu, some have both, and some have stuff that isn’t on either.
The point is, that Linux attracts a completely different crowd than does Windows or OSX. If you look at the users of Linux, they are mostly people that value ultimate customization. This is the reason that there are so many different “flavors” or distributions of Linux. This is also the reason that many hardware manufacturers use Linux to run their proprietary systems. Under Linux, your skills and imagination are your only limits to what you can do with the system.
So, in reality, every year for the past five years or so has been the “Year of Linux,” not because it has taken over market share in the desktop market, but because it is now being used in printers and routers, on web servers and super computers. Many of the markets that Linux is prominent in are those for which Windows never made applications. Others are markets where administrators require a great deal of customization. Will we see increased uses for Linux in 2009? Absolutely, but I doubt it’s going to take over the world.
For everyone that was around and on computers for the whole Y2K phenomenon, you’ll remember Windows Millennium Edition (or ME). This was an OS that failed at nearly everything you could throw at it. It was not user friendly at all. Too many of the functions had changed from previous versions of Windows, making the learning curve much steeper than an upgrade should have. At the same time, nothing significant was added to make it more useful. The OS was buggy and slow. Only two years later, XP came out. XP is said by many to be the best OS designed to date. It has been the primary OS used for the last 8ish years.
Well, is Vista going to be experiencing the same short lifespan as ME, or is Vista just the beginning of Microsoft’s extremely bloated releases?
Whether the second is true or not, I would argue that Vista is today’s Windows ME. There are many signs that Vista is not going to make it much longer (other than the fact that Windows 7 is slated for 2009).
The release of Windows Vista was full of controversy. There are still internal emails being released to the public proving that Microsoft knew that Vista would not run on most of the computers that they claimed would run it. Most computers still don’t meet the recommended requirements to run Vista smoothly (not the mention the Aero theme).
The alternatives are gaining share. This makes sense in Apple’s case. OSX is a very easy to use and well thought out operating system. Sure, it doesn’t give you the freedom to customize like Windows does, but many non-technical users are alright with that, as long as it does everything that they need (usually internet, email, and word processing). While it makes sense in Apple’s case, Microsoft never expected to lose market share to Linux. Netbooks have drastically increased the Linux market share, not to mention Linux’s dominance over the server market. The netbook phenomenon actually made MS extend the support date for Windows XP over a year past what they originally intended.
When Vista was released, they explained that they improved many of the common utilities that were built into XP. This is true in the case of Task Manager, but what about defrag? The new defrag program is so full or bugs that most of the people that I know who would normally run defrag won’t even touch it because of the constant lag, no estimation of progress, and the possibility of it never ending (this is a very common problem).
People simply don’t want to deal with Vista. You can go to nearly any non-technical computer message board (such as Craigslist) and find people looking for Licenses of Windows XP so that they can be rid of Vista permanently. Many people even ask me where they can find a copy of XP now that Microsoft is no longer selling it.
What was revolutionary with Vista? Really nothing. Vista is just a bloated version of Windows XP that added in a bit more eye candy and ate up many times more resources than all the versions before it combined.
So, does this mark the beginning of Microsoft’s end? When ME was released, there were no viable alternatives to Windows. There was no compatible software designed for the Mac, and Linux was still just a baby. Now, Linux is growing up and there is compatible software for both Mac and Linux (not to mention alternative free software). If MS doesn’t rethink their position, then they could lose it.
Have you ever been in a situation where you stumbled in after an evening of merriment (where drinks were served) and sat down at your computer to begin typing out emails that you normally wouldn’t send in your normal condition? Are you an E-Mail addict who can’t go for 15 minutes without checking your email? Google has introduced some amazing addons that help you with some of these problems. If you have a Gmail account, go to the Labs section in the Settings menu and see what types of addons Google has added to their mail system.
According to an article from ComputerWorld Online, the Phishers are back in action in the face of Hurricane Gustav. In the last 48 hours, over 100 domains have been registered. Now, not all of those domains are registered for the purpose of taking advantage of you. Some were registered so that they could be sold at a later date, and some lead to actual charities to help the victims of Gustav, but just like with Hurricane Katrina, there are always people that want to make an extra couple bucks off of the generosity of others.
If you want to donate to the relief of the victims of hurricane Gustav, make sure that you donate to a well established charity whose purpose is to help those in need (select well known charities like Red Cross or the Salvation Army).
It is good to be generous, but please be careful when you are.
Read More:
ComputerWorld Online: Online scammers prep for Gustav, say researchers
The US Supreme Court recently ruled that when entering the country, customs agents have the right to search all of your electronic equipment. Of course, their excuse is so they can ensure that there is no terrorist information, porn, or other illegal material on your computer, but what is really happening is you are losing all of your privacy for your own property and sensitive business data.
The Guardian has a nice piece about securing your laptop and other digital devices before you leave so you don’t have to worry about nosey customs officials going through all your sensitive data.
Open source seems to be the new buzzword of the day. It seems like every company that can get their hands on open source software to distribute is doing just that. I think this is a great trend, but are these same computer manufacturers actually hurting the chances of the open source distributions?
I recently had the opportunity to help set up an Eee PC for a “new-to-Linux” user. If you don’t know, the Eee comes with the Xandros distribution of Linux. I thought it was very interesting that when we started the computer, there was no option available to go from the “Easy Interface,” which uses a one click button system, to the “Advanced Interface Mode,” which uses the KDE desktop environment which resembles a Windows XP environment. To change to this interface, you have to “Google it” then go through a series of moderately complicated processes.
When you go into Firefox (the default internet browser), and try to watch some youtube videos, you will find that neither Flash nor the Java Runtime Environment has been preinstalled. These are two applications that are required to watch a good majority of multimedia on the internet. Both Firefox and Internet Explorer make installing these applications very easy on Windows, but with Linux, it isn’t so easy. You have to have a decent knowledge of command line or have a good idea of what you are actually looking for on the internet to find good directions to install these two applications.
Also, installing new applications isn’t the easiest process. Xandross uses an application called Synaptic to search repositories for applications available for download. A repository is a place that applications will be downloaded from to be installed on your computer. Not every repository has every piece of software that you may want, and there are many repositories that you can add. The repositories which are set up by default on the Eee are only the repositories provided by Asus, which have a very limited collection of applications available. I immediately added the repositories that Xandros provides with a fresh install of their system, giving a much larger collection of free applications which are compatible and easy to download and install.
After doing all this, we tried to install a couple applications that we couldn’t find in Synaptic using Console (the KDE equivalent to DOS). I immediately found that many of the “libraries” (reference applications that are required for programs to run properly) had been removed to conserve space, and had to be installed before some applications would work properly.
*Note: None of the missing libraries are needed for the applications that are available by default. These were just needed for extra applications that I was installing.
With all this said, it took us about four hours for a moderately experienced Linux user to help set up an Eee for a user for the first time.
So, what does this do for people who are not moderately experienced with Linux? I would think that many people get frustrated with the new system when it is advertised that it is “Easy to Learn,” but is anything but easy at first. I watched the person who got the Eee get frustrated before I started helping.
Don’t get me wrong though. I think the netbooks/super-ultra portables/whatever you want to call them are an amazing innovation. I think the Eee is a great computer and will be very useful when set up properly (in fact I’m probably going to get one when the 900 comes out). I am a proponent of open source, but I’m also realistic. Most people want a computer to do everything it’s supposed to do the first time they turn it on. They want installations to be easy, and everything to work properly. If the computer manufacturers don’t do something about these complicated systems that they are using to distribute on their “easy-to-use” computers, then the open source community could get knocked back a couple years by consumers’ love for Mac OSX and Windows XP.
One of the biggest problems for travelers today is security of information when using public terminals. If you are a business person who travels a lot, then you probably have your own personal computer which you use when you travel, but if you are a small business person, or just vacationing, then you may not have your own travel laptop. How do you make sure that your information is safe when you access it?
In short, there’s no way to ensure that your information is secure when you are traveling, especially when you are using a terminal owned by someone else. The keyloggers (invisible programs that log your key strokes) have become very advanced and can now log everything from what you are typing, to what you are copying, to what you are clicking.
So, how do you minimize the risk of losing control of your accounts?
1. Change your passwords frequently. When you are traveling, change your password before you leave, then change it occasionally while you are traveling. While you may be giving the owners of the terminal you are currently using your new password, none of the other terminals that you have used before will have that new information.
2. Use a traveler’s email account. This isn’t any special email account. This is just a separate account that you can have your emails forwarded to while you are traveling. Consider any information that goes through this account to be public information (ie do not send or read sensitive information while on this account).
3. Use a password storage utility. Some people carry around USB flash drives which store all their passwords so that they don’t have to type them in. There are also versions of Firefox which are bootable from a flash drive. Since Firefox can store all your passwords, you can have it auto-fill your account information so that you neither have to type it, or store it on the clipboard. Some versions of Linux offer what’s called a live-cd which allows you to boot the computer off of the cd rather than the hard drive, thereby bypassing all of the invisible programs that boot with Windows (this option will not always be available as you may not have access to the cd-rom, or if the computer is anything other than a pc, plus, carrying a cd with you at all times may not be the most convenient option).
4. Don’t look at sensitive material on other people’s computers. I know that sometimes this is unavoidable, but the only way to be completely safe, is to not take the risk at all.
These are just a few tips to help reduce the risk when traveling. Just remember to evaluate the risk no matter where you go. A US Hilton Hotel is probably going to be less risky than a terminal in a small local internet cafe in Central America.
There is a new player in inexpensive desktop computing. They’re name is Everex, and their computer can be purchased from Wal-Mart. The computer uses components that in today’s high speed world, sound rather slow, but they use an operating system that can work with the components more efficiently so that they deliver the same, if not a better experience than Windows Vista.
Now, don’t let me get ahead of myself. This computer is not for the avid gamer, or someone who wants to install a lot of applications. This computer was designed for people who use their computers to browse the internet, check e-mail, and work with Office applications. The hardware is not exciting at all. It is the software that is the real nice part. Everex has partnered with gOS which is a distribution of Linux that was derived from the Ubuntu distribution (a version that I have become very fond of working with). It comes pre-installed and set up like other computers you purchase.
HP has decided to join Asustek and Intel in the production of a mini laptop geared for students and people who are constantly on-the-go. This laptop is a miniature laptop which will have a 1.6ghz processor and start at just under $500 for the Linux based model. Prices will go up on the model with Windows Vista due to the higher hardware requirements for Vista.
No other stats have been released for these computers, but I believe it will be a bit harder to compete with the Eee which starts at $299 for the “Surf” model (only real US competition) or OLPC and Intel who are trying to put laptops in the hands of students in underprivileged countries through donations.
It would seem that HP is a little late on this boat. Of course their computer isn’t going to fail though. It is more powerful than the delightfully priced Eee PC, so that guarantees them at the very least a small market of people who believe that Power is everything when it comes to computers.
My argument, if you want a cheap portable laptop for less than $500, then get an Eee. If you want something a bit more powerful, for less than $500, go to Ebay and buy a new compaq for $450. Otherwise, just realize that you will be spending some cash if you really want to buy a laptop.
