Computer Forensics

Computer forensics is the process of investigating computer systems by collecting and analyzing computer-related evidence and data to determine their illegal or unauthorized involvement in crimes or frauds. This relatively new field is used by law enforcement, military, intelligence agencies, and businesses. Computer evidence processing protocols are scrupulously observed in the process, as the findings should be presented in a court of law.

Not merely confined to computer data recovery alone, computer forensics is a fast-growing investigative technique used by a forensic specialist for retrieving data that has been electronically stored or encrypted on digital media such as a personal or work computer. Law enforcement agencies use computer forensics to gather evidence about a suspect or known criminal. Computer forensics experts can detect rogue employees or contractors who are leaking critical information such as company plans or sensitive customer data.

Many computer forensics professionals learn the techniques on the job in law enforcement or computer security positions. But with the field expanding widely, employers are currently looking for candidates with certificate programs and formal education in computer forensics, which are available from many institutions. The formal education programs offer instructions on pertinent legal issues, computer skills, and forensic tools that they will need while working as computer forensics professionals.

They should have extensive knowledge of computer systems and programs and the ability to retrieve information from them. Often, they are required to retrieve data that has been deleted from the device. For this, the specialist makes use of particular computer forensics software and other tools.

As the specialist works with evidence involved in a criminal or civil case, he/she takes particular care to properly document all the work done to the computer and information found from it. No licensure requirements exist for practicing as a computer forensics specialist. However, voluntary credentials should be provided. These are called Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and the Certified Computer Examiner (CCE). Computer forensics consulting is also a fast-growing field.

Computer forensics has become an integral part of law enforcement agencies, defense forces, corporations, and large institutions as they all deal with computer offences.

Computer Forensics provides detailed information on Computer Forensics, Computer Forensics Software, Computer Forensics Consulting, Computer Forensics Jobs and more. Computer Forensics is affiliated with Industrial Robots.

Computer Loans- Become Techno Savvy the Easier Way

I read of computer loans as a banner advert on a website. The loan provider had mentioned of easy finance options to help people purchase computers. Suddenly the dream of owning a computer became so easy to realise. It had been my insistence to purchase a branded computer and an insufficient personal income that were obstructing me from the purchase. But, now with the finance options in hand, computers from the best known companies are not far off.

Computer loans have been born out of the idea of assisting every person in the UK to have a computer of his own. It is difficult to do without computers in the present age. Whether it is a simple classroom work for kids or your own office work, almost everything demands a computer. Such is the craze of computers that people will prefer to have a computer just as people would have craved to have television in its heydays.

People desirous of purchasing computers can easily apply for computer loans. Computer loan is similar to a personal loan, as far as the terms go. Though computer loans have a long list of benefits for borrowers, the best among these is the facility of stretched payments. Payments in a computer loan are stretched over a period called the term of repayment. Had it been for a cash purchase of the computer, borrower would have to pay the price of computer immediately. Only those with enough cash to make the immediate payment would have been able to purchase computers.

However, when computers are purchased through computer loan, borrower does not have to pay to the seller through his own pockets. It is the loan provider who makes the payment instead of the borrower. However, it will appear as though the borrower is making the payment. Bargaining on price, commonly associated with cash purchases can be conducted on purchase through computer loans too. This is because the borrower has the loan proceeds with him and he has the discretion on the manner and the amount up to which he wants to use the computer loan proceeds.

The amount that one had to pay to the computer dealer will now have to be paid to the computer loan provider. The manner in which computer loan is to be amortised is an important decision. The complexity of the decision increases because of the multiplicity of options available for loan repayment. You can either make a balloon payment towards the loan or pay through instalments that accrue monthly or quarterly.

Balloon payments are advantageous for borrowers who hope to lay hands on a sizable sum in the near future. Interest charges are significantly reduced through this method. The alternative method whereby payments are to be made through periodic instalments will bring greater interest to borrower's loan, but suits people with fixed incomes.

Interest is the cost of inflation on the amount lent to borrowers. Typical interest rate on a computer loan ranges from 7.25% to 15%. APR is generally dependant on the amount of loan that is being taken and the borrowers' credit status. Yes credit history is not going to leave you even in computer loans. A good credit history is preferable to get a larger amount for computer loans at cheap rates. Loan providers who work with sub-prime borrowers may arrange good deals for the borrowers with bad credit in computer loans.

As far as the question of mode of application goes, it is easier to apply for computer loans online. Borrowers who are about to purchase computers are already too techno-savvy to be explained the online process of application. In brief, the process of online application will not require the borrower to visit lenders office. By logging onto the lenders website and filling up his details in the application form given there, the applicant can initiate the approval process.

Computer Loans help boost the technological revolution by making computers more accessible.

James Taylor holds a Master?s degree in Commerce from JNU he is working as financial consultant for chance for loans.To find a personal loan,bad credit loans that best suits your needs visit http://www.chanceforloans.co.uk

Computer Performance - 7 Ways to Speed Up Windows Computers

Are you sick and tired of it taking forever to open a website, file or program? Did your computer seem to run a lot faster when you first got it? If your answers to these 2 questions were yes, then please read on. In this article I am going to give you tips to speed up your computer. They can all be done today, even if you are new to computers. The 7 steps that I am going to share with you are so easy, believe me you can do it! These are techniques that computer technicians in several different support organizations do and some charge a lot of money for their walking you through these processes. You are going to get them today at no charge. Are you ready? Then let's begin!

Step 1: Scandisk

You should run scandisk at least once a month. This will make sure that your computer can read all of the information on your disk. How will this speed up my computer? I'm glad you asked! You see your computer has in it's hard drive what the technicians call redundancy. What I mean is if your computer is trying to read a file and the data isn't read correctly from the disk, the computer tries to read that information again and again a set number of times. This results in slower loading times. When scandisk is ran regularly this keeps your disk free of these storage errors and thus enables the computer to get the information it needs from the disk as fast as possible. Scandisk should be run before the next step each and every time.

I know you're asking, how do I run scandisk. It's simple. Find that icon on your desktop or in your start menu labeled 'My Computer'. In there you will see a listing of all the drives in your computer. Right click on the drive you want to scan and go to properties. There, you will have a tools tab. Click on it. You will see a button that says check for errors. This is scandisk or also called checkdisk on different versions of windows. There are 2 different modes, Standard or Thorough. Standard checks and makes sure that all the bits and pieces of your files are in the spot on the disk where it thinks they should be. In other words, it checks for filing errors. Thorough does a standard check as well as it tests each spot on the disk where the drive can write something and makes sure that what it writes, it reads back the same thing. If it doesn't read the same information back, it marks that spot as bad so that it is not used. This keeps down that redundancy thing we spoke of earlier. Wasn't that easy? Now, on to Step 2.

Step 2: Defrag

Defrag should be run once a week if you use your computer more than 14 hours a week. This equates to about 2 hours a day. Most people who actively use their computer will fall into this category. Defrag, whose real name is disk defragmenter, is your best friend for speed. You see when your computer writes something to the disk; it starts the disk to turning and drops bits of the data you want to write wherever there is a hole. It then tells the filing system where it placed that piece. So your file could be literally broken into 20 pieces! Your disk takes longer to load the file because it has to jump around to different spots to gather the pieces together when it needs it. Defrag takes care of this by gathering the pieces all together and writing them back to the disk in one piece. This way when you need the information, it's all right there. To run defrag it's the same as where we went for scandisk. You go to 'My Computer' and you right click on the drive you want to run defrag on and go to properties. There go to the tools tab. Click the Defragment button. Wow this is getting easier by the minute! On to step 3.

Step 3: Background Programs

Background programs really slow down your computer's performance. They accomplish this by using up your computer's resources. Resources are the combined power of your processor (brain), memory, and disk space. These 3 are the equivalent to horsepower. This is where you will gain a lot of your speed back as well. If you look at an area of your screen right now, I can show you a fraction of some of these that you never thought of. The area I want you to look at is called your system tray. It is located next to your clock, which is opposite your start menu. If your start menu is on the left side, then the clock is on the right. Next to the clock you will see these little icons or pictures. These are programs that run on your computer whenever it boots. Guess what, these are background programs. They are there to help load things you need faster. If you are following this guide you really don't need most of them. Do you?

Here's how you get rid of them and most of the others that you can't even see as well. Sorry folks who are on Windows 2000, this step won't work for you. If you read to the end I will give you a bonus that will make up for it, I promise. Ok, for the rest of you, click on start. Click on run. Type msconfig. Click ok. You should get a system configuration utility. Be very careful here and follow my instructions exactly. Click on the startup tab at the top. You will have a list of all the programs that run when your computer boots or starts. If you look down the list there will be some names that are familiar to you. When you see those names I want you to think: "Do I really need this program running all the time?" If the answer is no, uncheck the box. For example, some of you may have heard of RealPlayer. There's a smart start icon associated with it. You really don't need real player running when you are only going to be playing FreeCell now do you? :) On to step 4.

Step 4: Temporary Files

Temporary files hold up space on your disk. These files are most of the time useless. Temporary files are just that; files that were temporarily created by a program or installer. They are supposed to be deleted when not needed any longer, but a lot of programs do a poor job of cleaning them up. Helping them out will get you more speed for your horsepower. For example: let's take temporary internet files. When you go to a website every element of that website's decorations are stored in a temp file on your computer. Your computer does this to help supposedly. It's supposed to help by when you visit the same site again; the elements of the website will already be on your computer and therefore don't have to be downloaded again. This in theory should speed up your surfing right? Wrong! Here's what really goes down. For every element of the website, your computer reads every temp file to see if it matches. Every single file in your temporary internet files folder! To get a grasp of this here's what I want you to do. Open internet explorer. Go to the tools menu and click on internet options. Click the settings button. Then click the view files button. Do you see what I mean? Every file! Now...Close the temporary internet files window. Click OK on the settings window. Do you see that button next to settings on the internet options window? It's labeled delete files. Click it. Check delete all offline content. Click ok. When the hourglass is gone, you are all clean! This should be done once a month. This will keep your whole computer running smoothly. The secret lies in Internet Explorer. It's integrated so much into windows, when it has a problem, windows has a problem. What I am saying is when you opened my computer in steps 1 and 2. You were using internet explorer. Ok. Nuff said. On to step 5!

Step 5: Antivirus

Good Antivirus software is an absolute must! There are several choices to choose from. Some cost money and some don't. Viruses hide on your computer and wreak havoc. If you don't have antivirus software on your computer, you will never know they are there. They sit and hide out until their appointed time and then interfere with your computer. Viruses are programs written by people with too much time on their hands and not enough morals. They sit and think of ways to make your day bad. Some viruses will sit on your computer and do nothing but open up connections to other servers all over the internet. What does that do? It slows your computer down drastically! Nuff said. Your choices are to get paid antivirus software like Norton, Mcafee, or Computer Associates. If you don't have the cash to spare then you can go to your favorite search engine like Yahoo or Google and enter in 'free antivirus download' and get a list of all kinds of scanners. Some is far better than none. Some of the best free software that I have found are AVG, Avast!, and ClamWin. If you have a fear of installing software, never fear. There are also free online virus scanners. Again, you go to your favorite search engine and type in 'free online virus scan' and you will get plenty of results. Beware though, with these scanners you run the risk of getting infected still. The reason is you have to go to the site and scan the computer yourself, preferably once a week. In that time a virus could have already infected your machine. Antivirus software that you install on the computer checks every file, every time it's used thus drastically decreasing the chances of infection. It's like a flu shot. Some of the good online virus scanners are Norton, Panda, and BitDefender. Now, on to step 6.

Step 6: Recycle Bin

It is very important to keep your recycle bin empty. What I mean is this, you don't want to have hundreds of files sitting in your recycle bin that you deleted 6 months ago. They are taking up valuable space. Windows uses your drive as memory to run programs. When you run out of physical memory, it uses what's called a page or swap file and stores it there. These recycle bin files are taking up space that windows could be using for memory. Every bit of memory you can get adds to your horsepower. So for God's sake, please keep your recycle bin tidy. Get rid of things that you are sure you won't need again. When you go to delete something, and you are absolutely sure you won't need it again, you can hold down the shift key and press the delete key to permanently delete it without sending it to the recycle bin. And now, last but not least, step 7.

Step 7: Adware and Spyware

I like to call these small time viruses. The industry calls them parasites. Norton calls them extended threats. Do you get my drift? What is adware and spyware you may ask? They are actually quite similar. I'll start first by explaining the ways that you can get them on your computer. Let's say you download a 'free' program to run on your computer that you think is pretty neat. If you are like most of us, you don't take the time to read the license agreement. If you did, you would find a line similar to: by installing this product you agree to install xyz product which will be used to send marketing information to the makers of the software. Do you see how they get you? One of the other ways you can get it is by going to some random website. It doesn't matter what it is, but they have this script that runs as the page is loading and it installs the adware and/or spyware on your computer. The last way that I will discuss here is through a virus. There are viruses out there whose sole job is to download adware, spyware, keyloggers, and other malicious software on to your computer. These things really slow your computer down. Here's how they work.

Adware and spyware install on your computer and watch what you do, where you surf, you know what you are interested in. They then open a connection to a server and report your activities. They are very good at what they do! Where adware and spyware differ is spyware does nothing but report your activities. Adware on the other hand reports your activities and the server it reports to in turn sends it an ad to display on your computer. Now, just like there are antivirus programs out there, there are now very good antispyware and antiadware programs on the market. Noadware, Spybot, and Adaware are a few of the good ones.

In conclusion there are 7 major ways to speed up your computer with simple maintenance and preventative measures. Run scandisk, defrag, get rid of excess background programs, delete temporary files, get some antivirus software, and also get a good adware and spyware remover utility. I hope you have found this information useful. I hope that I have helped someone here with this information and I pray that you will check out some other very useful information at

I love you all. God bless you!

P. S. For you Windows 2000 users, I made a promise to you back in step 3. Here's where I deliver! If you can get access to a Windows 98,ME, or XP machine. You can copy msconfig.exe to a disk and use it on your computer to get rid of background programs using the directions in step 3. Just search the c: drive for msconfig.exe and copy it to floppy. Bring it to your computer and run it. God Bless!

I have been in computer support for 10 years. I was born and raised in Dallas. I am a Sunday School teacher at my church Independent Missionary Baptist Church located at 1108 West Milam St. Ennis, TX 75119 where Rev. Louis Massey is Pastor. I invite you all to come and visit us sometime.

Anthony Brown
www.BrownsBlessing.com

Disadvantages of Computers in the Classroom

To start the most significant fact that should be stated is that the computer is a tool, and as with any educational tool, from books to crayons, it can be used to enhance the curriculum and promote learning, but it can also be misused and abused. In this essay, I will discuss the disadvantages of having computers in the classrooms due to the misuse and the abuse of this tool.

I found it hard to find research that had been done on this topic because not only is the research on the effectiveness of computers in the classroom scarce but the research that is there is often done by software companies and therefore may be biased. (Emmans 2001). Even though there is no clear-cut answer to the question of a computer being a friend or foe in the classroom, having an unsolvable question of good or bad brings many issues to light.

For example, the fact that much of the software designed for children is appealing to them. If nothing else, it at least holds the children's attention. Though this may seem like a positive characteristic, consider this, just because a television show holds your attention, does it necessarily educate you? The answer to this is simple, maybe some do, but certainly not all do, mostly they are just simply entertaining. This causes me to raise an eyebrow at some, not all, software. As a teacher, one must not use time-fillers, cause a child can watch television or play on a computer at home, but as a teacher, we must educate, and if there is no educational value in the software, what good is it for a teacher?

On the defense for teachers, another reason for computers being a shortcoming is that sometimes the software is not obvious that it is non-educational. This can be a common mistake of any educator, being fooled that a product could be educational when it is merely entertainment software dressed up in an educational costume aimed at these gullible teachers.

According to Cindy C. Emmans (2001), a professor of Educational Technology at Central Washington University, on software in the classroom...

" Often feedback is the key to learning, and computers are appealing because this feedback can be immediate, which is of course a very effective learning tool. Unfortunately, this feedback is not often as effective as it might be, perhaps because it is not easy to return to the original question to try again, or the student must begin at the beginning to review the original content rather then backing up a step or two. In some cases, the feedback for the wrong answers is more appealing than that for the right answer, causing students to try and get the wrong answer simply for the entertainment value".

Gerald W. Bracey sums it up adequately in a journal article called Principal by basically saying that the bells and whistles are all there, but the education is not, because it was not produced by someone who understands how children learn. (1996, p.6).

More arguments in the research area continued in September of 2000, the Alliance for Childhood published a statement against the use of computers in schools. More than 85 experts in various fields including psychiatry, education, and philosophy signed the statement in which calls for a suspension on the promoting introduction of computers into the nation's elementary schools until there is a more careful assessment of their effect (Hafner, 2000). Another influence in opposition to computers in classrooms is that of Jane Healy, an educational psychologist and the author of "Failure to Connect," a book criticizing educational applications of computers. Thomas Crampton interviewed Mrs. Healy and she declared that computers "can hurt children's personal skills, work habits concentration, motivation, (and) the development of social skills" (IHT, October 2000, p. 19).

Another reason that computers in the classroom would prove to be a disadvantage is the availability of computers in the classroom to each individual student. It is rare to find a school that, in each classroom, has a computer supplied for each student. This then brings up the problem of scheduling and rotating the students to the computers available. (Tiene 2001) This begins a whole new ball game in which you are now consuming a lot of time in which could be used for more productive measures rather then scheduling computer time for each student. If this is the case, and only a specific amount of students can be on the computer at one time, then you are dividing your classroom, and not integrating it, as it should be. This causes many difficulties in teaching a whole group instruction, which leads to problems in skill development, since the attention of some students is lacking. (Tiene 2001).

On the Colorado state education web site (2003), I was able to find questions that were asked to teachers regarding computers in their classrooms. The teachers were asked, "What do you find unattractive about teaching in a computer based classroom?" The one teacher commented that, " Students have a tendency to come in a print out their papers at the beginning of class instead of coming into class with a hard copy..." Another teacher said, " Technological difficulty, your whole lesson could be shot for the day if the computer would go down". When the teachers were asked about the difficulties they faced themselves and with the students due to computers in the classroom, they answered, " It is hard to get the students attention when they are on the computers." Another teacher commented, " There are times that I send them to work and instead they are interacting with each other." Another teacher stated her fear of the computer classroom by saying that, " Students are at their own screens, they're in their own little world, and they are not talking to their classmates, sometimes I think that they don't even know half the names of all the people in their class." (Barnes 2003)

I feel that these teachers comments are very important when looking at the issue of computers in the classrooms, because these are the people that actually interact with the children in the classroom, they are not just some random research study by a software company, these people are the real thing, and they see how computers are effecting their classrooms.

Another issue of computers in the classrooms regards the child's health. If a child were to be functioning on a computer for a long interlude of time or with incorrect positioning they will inadvertently obstruct their own health, some problems caused from this include muscular-skeletal injuries and vision problems. (MacArthur & Shneiderman, 1986).

Another issue concerning computer use in classrooms is that a lot of teachers have not been trained to use a computer, and many do not know how. An enormous amount of time would have to be consumed for the teachers to learn both the hardware and the software of the computer. They also would need time to collaborate with other teachers. Time is something that many teachers spend planning lessons and the weekly events of their classroom. The other problem that was just mentioned was the training of the teachers. Some educators do not have local training options available to them. Some do not have the time or money to spend on it. Another issue is that even if a teacher does go through training, there are always unsuspected things that can go wrong with a computer. If a teacher were to base their whole lesson on a computer, and it were to crash, and the teacher just being minimally skilled in using computers, would not be able to fix the system so that they could continue their lesson. (Tiene 2001).Therefore an on-site technology expert would be needed on site at all times in case any of these incidences would happen, and quite frankly I do not think that there are too many school districts looking for another expense.

Another reason for computers being a disadvantage in the classroom is that if the computer is Internet accessible, if this is the case, then the children can be exposed to Internet content that is not appropriate for their age level. They can also be exposed to child predators, which is a huge concern in today's world.

Though this may seem far-fetched it truly is not in an article published on the gurdian angel websitein 2000 states,

"The facts are plain. Children are being targeted, solicited, and made victims by pedophiles. What do the ratios or statistics matter? Isn't even one too many? These predators range from the simple minded closet pedophile who has surfaced because they believe they are safely anonymous behind their account alias, to the highly organized and skilled child pornography rings that operate predominantly off of US soil, behind quick discard web sites, and anonymous re-mailers, pushing their hideous wares for big profits. Have you ever heard of a child being molested or kidnapped in your hometown? Don't you teach your kids to watch for certain things and, not to talk to, or go anywhere with, strangers for just that reason? This is our point. Just as there are real world lessons that you teach your children, there is a necessity to teach them cyber-world lessons. " (Hook, 2000).

To put this quite simply, are you sure that your child is being watched very closely when accessing the Internet at school? It sure would be hard for one teacher to keep a close eye on each individual student in the classroom when they are all accessing the Internet at the same time. Therefore are you, as a parent or a teacher, really quite sure that a computer is necessary to learn in school? I mean, didn't you, the parent or teacher, learn in school without the computer? I agree that learning the latest technology is a necessity, but I do not agree with using computers for classes like mathematics or reading.

To sum it all up, Computers in the classroom lacks research of it being an advantage in the classroom. Computers in the classroom may not provide the students with the proper education that they need if the software being used is not adequate. Computers may not be, depending on the school, made available to each student. The attention of the students is harder to get when they are on the computer. An inexperienced teacher in the technology area may cause many problems in the classroom, and consume valuable time that could be used to educate. Most schools do not provide an on site technician in case a difficulty may arise. The children's health may be affected by long-term use of the computers, and probably the most frightening one is that these children can be exposed to child predators and unfiltered inappropriate content through the web while they are in school and in their classrooms presumed to be receiving their education.

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Katie Criss is a graduate with a dual degree in Early Childhood Elementary Education, who enjoys writing and wants it to be seen! Also enjoys doing research and saving money!See this Authors Research by clicking ==>here [http://www.1-in-coupons.com]

Computer Engineering Education

Computer Engineering includes design, construction, execution, and maintenance of computers and computer controlled equipment. It is an interdisciplinary course, which incorporates both Computer Science and Electrical Engineering study. Computer Engineering education programs include topics on computer software and hardware.

There are many universities that offer Computer Engineering either as a degree program or as a sub-discipline of Electrical Engineering. A few of the prominent Computer Engineering courses impart knowledge on the power systems, digital systems and electronics. They cover subjects that include digital logic circuits, computer systems, communication systems and electro-optics microprocessors. Others include logic circuits, micro-coding, digital image processing, lasers and machine vision.

Courses in computer engineering are designed to build and operate software and hardware for computers used in everyday life as well as the supercomputers, used by scientists. The scientists use them to resolve sophisticated and complex problems related to their studies. Computer engineering education also provides information on computer network, Internet, distributed and web computing.

There are graduate and postgraduate programs such as Master of Science or MSC and PHD computer engineering programs. Students learn programming, digital designing, computer architecture and embedded systems courses, in the bachelor program. In the postgraduate programs students learn advanced courses in computer architecture, logic designing, computer arithmetic and hardware design languages. They also learn testing, multiprocessor systems, media processing, and advanced system designing and programming techniques.

Computer engineering education prepares the students to start their own companies. Besides learning how the software and hardware works, students also learn to actually program and design computers. Internet has provided an option to pursue the course of Computer Engineering online.

Due to the widespread use and integration of computers into everyday life, it is hard to separate the fields of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering.

They are connected and complement each other as fields of study.

Computer Education provides detailed information on Computer Education, Computer Education Online, Computer Science Education, Computer Education Institute and more. Computer Education is affiliated with Computer Graphic Training.

Cheap Computer Desktop - 4 Things to Consider When Buying Cheap

If you are in the market for a new computer, odds all our that you are looking for the best bargain that money can buy. Often, many retail chains of computer stores will offer phenomenal bargains on some of their best desktop computers. If you are looking for a cheap computer desktop, there are a few things to consider before purchasing the least expensive computer available. These 4 things are the computer's memory, the power supply, the monitor, and of course the CPU. These four things are among the most important components of a computer and you must make sure they are of top quality even if you are only looking for a cheap computer desktop.

There are two forms of memory to consider on a computer. One is in the form of RAM which is an acronym for read only memory. This is the memory that is used by the computer as it is doing everyday processes. The other form of memory is found in your hard drive. This is where you store all of your files, pictures, and software programs associated with your computer. If you are going to purchase a cheap computer desktop, be sure that you have enough RAM to run all of your programs and that you have enough memory on your hard drive to store all of the files, pictures, and programs that you will need.

The power supply of your computer is a very essential part of a functional computer system. With laptop computers, the battery power is very essential, especially for those that are traveling. They need to be able to hold long charges that will enable them to work for longer periods of time when people are not able to charge their backup battery. With a cheap computer desktop, it is essential that your plug-in power supply is not cheap. Cheap power supplies tend to be faulty and may even cause severe damage to your computer or home due to poor construction.

The next thing to consider is your monitor. Without a quality monitor, depending upon your daily activities, it can become a burden to stare at a monitor that does not have a high enough resolution for your needs. Typically when purchasing a cheap computer desktop, you run the possibility of acquiring a monitor that is of very poor quality. Make sure to test drive the computer before purchasing it and use it so that you can see the degree of resolution that the monitor offers. Do this before making the purchase to save yourself the headache of returning the cheap computer desktop later.

Lastly, you need to be sure that the CPU, or the central processing unit of your computer is installed in a way so that it is adequately cooled. Without proper cooling from a fan within the desktop itself, you run the risk of overheating the CPU, which is the brain of your computer. Make sure that your desktop tower has an adequate cooling system to ensure safe and uninterrupted functioning.

If you are able to find a cheap desktop computer that has passed all 4 of the prerequisites covered, and the price is right, it is probably a very good decision to purchase this computer for your needs. Finding a cheap computer desktop can be a very difficult and arduous task, but if you wait long enough the right desktop computer will inevitably come your way.

If you are looking for more information on how to buy a cheap desktop computer today, go to my site Cheap Desktop Computer Guide today!

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

A Guide to Refurbished Dell Computers

If you are looking into purchasing a new computer you would be remiss NOT to first consider purchasing a quality refurbished PC. Refurbished computers generally offer all the computing power, features and reliability you will need at a fraction of the price of a new one. Whether you are purchasing a first or second computer for home, buying for a school or school district, or a business looking to upgrade or expand, refurbished computers should be considered as an alternative to pricier new machines.

What is a refurbished computer?

A refurbished computer is any computer that has come from a working environment, be it business or personal, and has been reconditioned to like new condition for resale. This can include machines that were leased by businesses, schools, or government organizations and computers that are traded in by home users. Generally speaking the computers that make the best option for refurbishing and reselling are business class machines. Business class computers were designed with corporate users in mind and are developed to be reliable, upgradeable, and easily maintained. Quite simply these computers are built to work every day and every time, year after year. Examples of these computers include but are not limited to the Dell Optiplex line; including the Dell Optiplex GX150, GX240, GX260, GX270 and GX280. Other Dell business variations would include GX50 and GX60 machines and Dell Precision machines. The Dell Optiplex and Precision lines were designed with business in mind and are extraordinarily reliable, easy to maintain and upgradeable. Computers that were originally designed for the home user often do not come close to meeting the quality standards set by their business counterparts and as such should be considered to be a somewhat less desirable option.

Generally there are two distinct types of refurbished computers available, off lease and factory refurbished computers. Factory refurbished equipment has been retuned to the original manufacture, usually by a dissatisfied consumer. This equipment is then reworked by the manufacturer and sold as such; generally these computers come with a reasonable warranty, the original manufacturers guarantee, and a premium price. Off-lease refurbished machines are refurbished by the seller and not the manufacturer. Off-lease machines generally offer the same reliability, conditioning, options and warranties as those refurbished by the manufacturer but can often be found at a significant discount compared to factory refurbished equipment.

Where do refurbished computers come from and if they are so reliable why are they available?

Businesses, Government organizations and schools generally lease their computers and equipment for a period of time ranging from months to a few years. At the end of a lease many organizations opt to return this completely functional and useful equipment to comply with their accounting practices. You may ask why organizations would return completely functional equipment only to spend millions replacing it. The answer is simultaneously simple and complex, but in brief; most companies adapt accounting practices that devalue their computer and office equipment yearly as a tax benefit. Generally, at the end of three years, companies show that their existing equipment has no value and accept that the purchase of new equipment is merely a part of their accounting practices and not a waste of good equipment and money. Refurbished computers almost always come out of a clean, well maintained corporate environment. These computers are generally in a working condition, other than perhaps some minor flaws, or cosmetic damage. Other sources for refurbished computers include customer returns, floor or testing models.

How to tell if you are good candidate for a refurbished computer.

Refurbished computers are an excellent choice for virtually all but the most demanding power users. Many refurbished computers today can offer virtually identical performance as new equipment and at less than half the cost. It is important to ask yourself what kind of user you or your organization is. Those users who only want to work in Microsoft Office applications may have drastically different computing needs than people who want to play 3D games or edit video. Those of you who are into the latest and greatest computer games, video editing or CAD programs may need to invest in a new computer.

If you are purchasing for a business, school or government organization, very few users on your network will be power users. This gives you a great opportunity to save your organization thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars, by supplying computers to your users that specifically meet their needs.

Home users generally do not need the latest and greatest in computer technology. Most home users are looking for solid internet access, the ability to edit photos, download music and play simple games, all of which can be easily handled by most refurbished computers. Home users who consider themselves to be power users can often tweak a refurbished computer to meet their needs and save hundreds of dollars in the process.

Most major manufactures offer potential customers the illusion that newer is better. In most instances this simply isn't true, refurbished computers can meet the needs of virtually any user and at a fraction of the cost of new.

Copyright © 1995-2006. Brad Calli www.hcditrading.com

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About The World Of Computer Building

If you are having trouble with your computer and would like to have it up graded. Or if you would like to just upgrade your computer for better performance. For gaming or graphic solutions or for better multitasking endeavors.

If you have a computer a lot of the basic parts in that computer are reusable, and not necessary to change out. Basic components would be the CD/DVD Rom A-Drive, HDD, and a lot of times the memory. By using the computer parts that are reusable you can save yourself hundreds of dollars, and be able to have the perfect computer system for your needs.

A computer tech service can cost hundreds of dollars for the most simple of problems. Just to take the side off the computer will cost an individual no less then fifty dollars. Let's say you are having a simple problem with your computer. Maybe one of your drives in the computer will not boot up. This can cause problems that will make the computer act very bad. So bad that you would think there was a major problem with your computer system. But because you don't know or understand how the computer works, and that the computer components all work together, and are tied into the motherboard of the computer. Or mite be hooked on the same cable that is hooked to the computers motherboard. You could in turn end up with a four hundred to seven hundred dollar computer repair bill. For a simple five dollar computer cable, or a thirteen dollar A-drive or a thirty dollar cd-rom drive.

The bottom line is this I have seen and talked to people how have spent as much money to repair their computer as it would of coast to buy a new computer. Myself I can't really understand that reasoning. Maybe it's because there is information on the computer that you really don't want to loss. Well let me just say this. If that's the case then you need to know that there are ways to retrieve that information off that computers hard drive. You don't have to loss that information. You just simply have to go after it. Unless the computers hard drive is shot, and then the information is lost any ways.

Building a computer is not hard you just have to know what the computer components are, and where the computer components go inside the computer. You don't have to know in great detail of how each computer component works. You just need a basic simple understanding of what each computer component dose.

Robert Emler: If you would like to lean just how simple it is to partake in building, and repairing your own computer. Something that will in no doubt save you hundreds of dollars go to. [http://pcextream.com] If you still would rather not go down this rout of computer building. But you would like to save hundreds of dollars by simply upgrading your computer system. I would be more then happy to help you do this. For a fee way less then you local computer tech shop would charge you.

This is all you need to do. Provide me with the information. Including any parts that you have that are reusable. Along with the amount of money you are willing to spend to achieve this. I will then get back with you, and let you know what I can do for you. If I can’t save you at least two hundred dollars or more towards the purchase of a new computer then I will let you know of your options and benefits of going either way.

To contact me you can send me e-mail at bob29tie@neo.rr.com

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Refurbished Computer Guide - Save Money With Refurbished Computers!

Refurbished computer refers to remanufactured or renovated computers. Refurbished doesn't mean an old or a defected computer. Actually when a computer is sent back to the manufacturer due to small reason, like defected monitor or wrong model, afterwards the manufacturer tested it and gave approval for resale, is known as refurbished computer.

Refurbished computers are the best to do email, Internet surfing, or to play games. Major advantage of refurbished computer is that these are available at cheap rates and high processing power. If you want a computer with more memory, larger hard drive and faster processor, refurbished computer is the better option for you.

Remanufactured computers are the best for the people who are not sure about their needs. New companies, that have not sufficient money to buy new computers, can start their business with refurbished computers. You can also save more money with refurbished computers. Refurbished computer enables you to fulfill your dreams.

Companies, that are providing refurbished computers, offer heavy discount on these items. Category of refurbished computers includes desktop PCs, laptops, notebooks, barebones, whole computer systems, computer accessories and other computer related things. Renovated computers are fully assured and tested equipments. Manufacturers provide these computers in original packaging.

These are easily available in the market but you can also have a look online. Several manufacturers usually sell their products online. They offer heavy rate of discount for your benefit. You should check all the qualities of refurbished computer at the time of purchase. Before any type of payment, you should check whether the computer is satisfying your requirements or not.

About Author: The Author owns a website on Refurbished Computers [http://www.gmrefurbishedcomputers.com]. Website provides useful information to buy refurbished computer at cheap rates, also tells how to buy a refurbished computer. It offers some tips to buy refurbished laptop computers, used refurbished computers, refurbished computer supplies and refurbished computer suppliers’ info. You can also get information about Desktop Computers.

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The Growing Need for Computer Financing

Computers and Information Technologies are as ubiquitous in our lives today as the air we breathe. Computers have led to a third information revolution taking its place alongside agricultural and industrial revolutions. We see computers everywhere, in Desktop PC's, PDA's, cars, washing machines, ATM's - everywhere. The resulting multiplication of humankind's intellectual strength has affected our daily lives and also changed the way in which we search for new knowledge and resources. At a steady rate of around 11%, the last decade has seen an unprecedented boom in the computer industry - and nearly everyone is being affected by the phenomenon. This unprecedented growth rate has led to amazing technological progress since the inception of electronic computing in late 1940's. By way of comparison, had the transport industry kept pace with the computer industry, today we could travel from coast to coast in about few seconds for roughly few pennies. Of course in almost any case, growth can lead to growing pains. In the case of the computer industry, the expectation that nearly everyone has a computer leads to the need for nearly everyone to own a computer.

The Internet as a Computer Sales Driver

The advent of the internet has certainly spurred on the success of the computer industry. The increase in the number of internet users worldwide has grown from 274 million in 1999 to 605 million in 2002 with a staggering growth of 119 percent. In the US alone, the number of Internet users has increased by 53 million (16 percent) with a penetration of 52 percent. The percentage of total population in the world with internet access has increased from 7 percent 1999 to 9 percent in 2002.

Explosive Growth In Computer System Sales

During the past 5-6 years, there has been explosive growth in the number of PC buyers - not only in developed countries like the United States and Europe but also in the Asia Pacific and other regions of the world. In fact, the Chinese computer industry grew a whopping 38 percent in 2004 almost dwarfing our growth rates of the United States , which has been 35.2 percent over the period of 1990-2000. Worldwide growth in the sales of Personal Computers has increased from 394 million in 1999 to 550 million in 2002. Total numbers of PC's in US are 178 million which accounts for 62 percent penetration in US households. As an example, in the United States 625 people have PC per 1000 inhabitants. This high ratio is in contrast to the percentage of the total world population where only 9% of people have a personal computer. However this has been a radical increase from 1999 when only 5 percent of the world population had personal computers. Because of this explosive growth, the market competitors, in anticipation to tap this highly growing market are keeping their prices at rock bottom and producing in huge volumes thus effectively maintaining their profit levels despite of low margins.

Computer Financing to the Rescue

While this unparalleled growth is a benefit, there are unintended consequences. One unexpected effect of this explosion in technology is that with the expansion of the availability of computers, the individual need for a computer system is also increased. In a world where it is assumed that everyone has access to a computer and an internet connection, it is becoming increasing difficult to succeed without these resources. As this need increases and computer prices decrease, the only missing component is a catalyst to push computer ownership to the "tipping point". Enter computer financing; now with very little cash and low monthly payments, many individuals can purchase a very powerful computer system and level the playing field for themselves in the workforce. With this increasing demand for cheap computers that are actually cutting-edge high-performance machines, a computer loan can bridge the gap between needing and having a computer. Companies like My Computer Club offer computer financing for those with bad credit thus enabling those who would normally not be able to purchase a computer to have a powerful computer system.

My Computer Club offers information on computer buying and offers financing on brand new computer systems. Stop by our site at My Computer Club to check out our helpful articles and financing on brand new computer systems.

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Finding The Best Computers For Sale

Have you bought your personal computer already? And just don't tell me you have a Tandy 1000! I am sure you have hurled it in an empty room. I am talking about a real up-to-date computer. Is it a computer with all Internet access capabilities? Is it one, which is the latest array of technology! Maybe I'm going too far with this computer stuff. I just want you to be sure that you have the proper PC or Mac.

In order to witness the latest achievements of technology you'd better upgrade your computer. Otherwise, you should be acquainted with the wide variety of computers for sale. The computer is such a complicated machine that if fact there is no limit to what is available for sale. Computers can perform many complicated tasks nowadays. Do you want to burn a CD? Do not worry at all! Do you want to have high-speed cable Internet access at home? You will surely have it! Up-to-date machines can satisfy all your whims. You just need to search for computers for sale. If you don't have a proper computer, computers for sale are your only chance.

Now, we must make sure that you are aware of where to look for computers for sale. PCs shopping are not a difficult challenge. Computers for sale are available almost everywhere. I guess that there is even a PC shop on your street. May be one of the best places for shopping for PCs is Circuit City.

Computers For Sale

Then, you should think twice of what you want your personal computer to be able to do. If you want your computer to perform simple tasks like Internet access, sending e-mails and typing documents, it will be easy to choose. Moreover, your computer won't cost very much. For example, you can buy a Dell desktop package for around 300 dollars. This is a reasonable price. The package consists of monitor, tower, keyboard, mouse and often a printer. Another good shop for computers for sale is Best Buy. You can find there great alternatives of computers for sale ranging from Sony to IBM.

Do you prefer to buy a simple desktop PC or you dream of a mini notebook computer? I was very glad to see that nowadays they offer computers for sale as small as a half an inch thick. These computers even work as good as the desktop PCs! Using your computer, you are able to spend less to buy your favorite music. You can do this by simply downloading the tunes to the computer, and then burn them to a CD.

On the World-Wide-Web, a superfluity of computers for sale is available. The choice is so big that you may find yourself lost it the variety of computers for sale. Have you already searched for computers for sale? You can find online everything that is connected with computers in some way. Try to receive an advice that you are offered the best deals on hardware and software. Isn't it time to take a look at the computers for sale online? When talking about computers, things are changing every day.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning computers. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Computers For Sale [http://www.thecomputerinfoguide.com/computers/computers/finding-the-best-computers-for-sale.html]

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Hurricane Proof Computer

Part I: Backing Up Data And Things to Have

Hurricane season or not, you should always be backing up your data. Whether you plan on riding out the storm (a bad idea) or evacuating to another location, you should have a backup of your computer data either on an external hard drive or optical media such as CD-Rs or a DVD. Be sure to keep your data in a very safe place, such as a water proof safe. Never leave your backup by your computer.

Next, you should have the following things to make life after the storm easier:

1. Phone numbers for insurance, computer or computer parts companies, and phone numbers for all local ISPs (including dial-up and satellite).

Having your insurance phone number and phone numbers for your computer company will help get your computer replaced faster if it is damaged. I can't stress enough how important it is for you to have phone numbers and even access disks for all of your local ISPs! After Katrina, the Internet was the only way many people could contact the outside world. As fate would have it, my broadband was down for 3 weeks and none of the other broadband ISPs would except new orders due to the storm, leaving me with my old friend Dial Up, whom I thought I had buried 8 years ago. Your best bet is to use a satellite ISP as they have no equipment that can be destroyed by a hurricane and cause an outage.

2. Back ups of all your file, have all application and game discs, CD keys, drivers, and operating system discs on hand.

3. Photos of your computer as well as proof of what parts are inside.

In the event your quad SLI rig is destroyed, you don't want your insurance company to replace it with something of a significantly lesser value, do you? It's very easy for people to claim "I had this, this, and this and it all cost me $3000 last month." after their 3 year old Athlon XP rig is destroyed. As a result, your insurance company may be hesitant to replace your expensive computer parts unless you can prove you own them. Also know to what extent your insurance (including flood insurance) will replace damaged property. While some policies will cover the replacement cost of damaged property, some may only cover part of the damage cost. Also know what your deductible is.

4. Blog or Social Networking Profile

Social networking sites such as myspace were great after Katrina. Friends could find out where other friends had evacuated to simply by reading each others' myspaces.

5. Generator and Gas

A generator can power many things, including home computers! Check with your local generator supplier about any local laws about generators, how to safely and properly set one up, and how well they will work with computers. Because generators provide unstable power, a battery backup UPS and a surge protector are a must. Do not count on gas to power your generator being available in the aftermath of the storm. It's best to have a good supply of gas as well as a few empty gas containers on hand.

Part II: Evacuating with Your PC

Like any family members or pets you may have, your PC isn't something to leave behind if you can avoid it. While your first priority should be getting out alive, you should consider bringing your PC with you if you can room in your car. You can't count on your destination to have good computers, high speed Internet, or any entertaining activities for that matter. Being in another place during a hurricane is stressful. Between watching your home town being walloped on CNN and The Weather Channel, the people around you as well as yourself will be tense and worried. Having a nice computer to browse the web with and play Battlefield 2 is a sure entertainer. In fact, the Internet was the only place where I could get information about my very neighborhood after the storm! Local newspaper message boards were packed with evacuees from all over my area and had plenty of information about damage to share.

Even if you can't bring your PC, at the very least bring your hard drive with you! If your home is looted in the aftermath of the storm, the last thing you want is your personal data in someone else's hands. Be sure your hard drive is in an anti-static bag to avoid needless damage to it.

If taking a long road trip, you should probably place some sort of padding or foaming (even a blanket will work) around your computer or hard drive to protect it from the vibrations of the car. Don't bring your monitor unless you have an LCD and there's room for it.

Part III: Leaving Your PC at Home

If you don't have room for your PC in your car, don't plan on staying with it during the storm. There are several safeguards you can take to prevent unnecessary damage to your computer:

1. Cover any open parts of your computer case (such as fans and vents) with tape.

Don't use duct tape unless you want to risk taking paint off your case or a sticky mess.

2. Cover your computer with as many trash bags as you need. At least 2 trash bags per computer are recommended.

3. Consider how high your home is above sea level, the risk of flooding, and other factors.

If you know your home could flood, you should put your computer on the second floor. But if you know your roof is weak and could easily blow off, don't put it on the second floor! Find an enclosed space with no windows (such as a closet) as close to the center of your home as possible. If your computer case has a side window, make sure it's facing towards the ground or against a wall. If you can, place other objects around your computer to offer it additonal protection from blowing rain and flying debris.

Part IV: When the Worst Happens

In the event your PC becomes damaged during the storm, don't fret. If the damage is from a fallen tree or a piece of flying debri, there is nothing you can do. If your computer becomes flooded, however, there are steps you can take to recover it. Below is a basic guide on how to recover a flooded computer.

1. Do not turn on the computer! Make sure it is unplugged!

While you may be anxious to see if your computer can run, don't do it if you know it's been exposed to water. You'll just end up causing more damage if you do. Remember to keep your computer unplugged.

2. Remove components that work.

If you can see a water line in your computer, take out all the components above it and put them in a safe place.

3. Let your computer dry.

Let your computer dry for a week or so. One drop of water in a running computer could mean disaster.

4. Remove the CMOS battery and other parts.

5. Use a solution of 90% alcohol or more to wash the various components of your computer, including connectors. If necessary, use a paint brush to remove stubbon crud.

6. Let your computer dry completely.

If the above doesn't work or you have data you can't risk losing on your hard drive, consider professional computer recovery. Do not plan on salvaging the power supply, CMOS battery, the hard drive, optical drives, or any fans if they have been flooded. Also remember to take pictures of any damage to your computer before you attempt to fix it for insurance purposes.

Hopefully this guide will help people save their computers from hurricane related damage. A computer is a very useful tool that should be part of any good disaster supply kit. Trust me when I say it's an important thing to have around. However, remember a computer is only a material possession. Like all material objects, they can be replaced. Human and animal life, however, cannot. Use good judgement when deciding whether or not to take your computer with you and while repairing it if it damaged.

Disclaimer: In no way is the author responsible for any actions you may take to save your computer from a hurricane or fix it after flooding. Any actions you choose regarding hurricanes and computers are taken at your own risk. For the sake of all, please use common sense during any natural disaster.

Daniel Foster is the owner of PC Fastlane, a great place to find computer help, interesting articles, tech news, and more. http://www.pcfastlane.com

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Industrial Single Board Computers

Single board computers are small circuit boards that have all the components necessary to function as a complete digital computer. We do not see them often and when we do, we have a hard time recognizing them. However, most of us must have used a single board computer in one form or another. These components are often embedded in cell phones, fax machines, GPS receivers and other electronic products that make use of computer technology.

Electronic products are not the largest market for single board computers. They find wider use in industrial applications. Such computers are called industrial single board computers, or simply industrial computers. They are used for a variety of industrial functions. Most of these computers are embedded in industrial machines that perform complex tasks, while others are arranged in a rack-mount format and are used for data acquisition and processing, as well as in product research and development.

Industrial single board computers are different than your regular home or office desktop computers. They are even quite different from other single board computers embedded in electronic products. These differences are dictated by their industrial functions. Industrial single board computers are usually designed to perform a solitary task, unlike desktop computers that are for multitasking. Because they are used in industrial processes, industrial single board computers are specifically designed to withstand various industrial factors such as shocks, vibrations, humidity, electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference, dust, flash and mist.

Looking at the history, most industrial single board computers were initially manufactured in-house or by companies that use them. There are several reasons for this. First, industrial single board computers are often used for company-specific applications, so companies find it more practical to hire engineers to manufacture their own single board computers m rather than let another company manufacture single board computers for them.

Another reason is the lack of standards for single board computers, so the development in a particular single board computer does not necessarily affect other single board computers. Everything changed, however, when PCs began conquering the computer world. Shortly after the PC dominated the computer scene, standards for single board computers started to appear. These standards gave rise to the creation of off-the-shelf single board computers that conform to particular standards and can be programmed to perform specific tasks.

Because these single board computers cost less and are usually updated with new technologies, many companies have opted to use them rather than develop their own industrial single board computers. Some companies still opt for custom single board computers and purchase them from manufacturers rather than develop them in-house.

Single Board Computers provides detailed information on Single Board Computers, Embedded Single Board Computers, Industrial Single Board Computers, High Performance Single Board Computers and more. Single Board Computers is affiliated with Office Workstations.

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Guide to Buying a Desktop Computer

With the rapid pace of technological developments, nothing has become as ubiquitous as the computer. Everyone's got one. And they are used for all manner of endeavour, by people of all walks of life. So, do you simply buy the computer that someone's selling? Or do you do some homework and figure out what detailed specifications are going to make some difference to you?

At Myshopping.com.au you can compare the prices of a wide range of different computers from different vendors and of different specifications. This guide will help you find what you're looking for.

Mac or Windows (PC)

At the outset, you need to decide what you are going to use the computer for. This will help you make the fundamental decision of whether you should go Mac or PC. Although, with the advent of the dual core processor (an Intel chip now used by Mac) the differences are narrowed a little, there are still some choices that can help you favour one system over another. Historically, Mac computers have a reputation for greater stability that comes from a more robust operating system than Windows based computers. Largely for this reason, Macs have been the computer of choice for the graphic design industry, the music production industry and the video production industry. This has prompted the software manufacturers to make professional software packages for these disciplines that favour the Mac operating system. Although they have packages supporting the Windows operating system, they are often less capable.

Consequently, if you are engaged in these industries and need your computer for this type of work, you should consider Mac. Mac computers appear to attract fewer viruses and software malfunctions than do Windows based PCs. On the down side, there has always appeared to have been limited software support for Mac systems.

Another decision that may guide your choice is the aesthetics of the computer. If you have limited available space, there is nothing quite like the iMacs or the mini Macs for space saving. iMac's all-in-one desktop units are compact and complete with all the connectivity you need. However, the look of other brands may be more to your taste, with many models available in compact packages and modern colour schemes to suit practically all dйcor. Now that you've made that basic decision, you can start comparing the apples with apples.
Mac
Windows XP Home
Windows XP Professional

The Components of Your Computer

The two factors that determine the price of your computer are size (yes it does matter) and speed. Either or both of these two dimensions are a factor of practically every component that makes up the machine. Naturally the highest price tags go with the combination of biggest and fastest.

CPU

The heart of the computer is the CPU (central processing unit). You need to decide which CPU you want driving your computer. These come from different manufacturers, and the current development of the technology is called Dual Core, which means that there are two processors on the one chip. Dual Core technology delivers more performance with less energy requirements. Intel and AMD are the two leading CPU manufacturers, and they offer different products under different names.

Current processing speeds range from about 1.4 GHz (gigahertz) through to 3.46 GHz. But it is not simply just a matter of speed. There are other considerations. Mac Operating Systems have a different architecture to Windows and will perform many functions faster with a slower speed CPU. A dual core chip at 1.4 GHz will deliver a better performance that a Pentium 4 chip at 1.8 GHz. A 1.4 GH dual core chip running a Mac with OSX Tiger, will perform better than a 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 processor running Windows. You need to decide what you want your computer to do, what your major software requirements are before you decide on the CPU processor.

However, for everyday use, a processor faster than 1.8 GHz will deliver excellent performance. As a rough rule of thumb, choose a Celeron for low cost computing, a Pentium 4 for mid-range budgets, or an AMD Athlon for bigger budgets. You can compare computers based on Pentium, Celeron, Athlon or Dual Core CPUs by searching those specifications on Myshopping.com.au and finding different vendors and brands using different processors.

RAM

This is where bigger definitely means better performance. RAM is the system memory that enables the computer to use its programs and swap data between the hard drive and the program functions. It's important to match the speed of the RAM of your computer with the speed of the CPU. The more RAM you have available for your programs to work, the faster will your computer run. Most computers today come with at least 256 M (megabytes) of RAM. But memory is a relatively cheap component, and it costs little extra to upgrade to 512 M or greater.

HARD DRIVE

For a detailed explanation of hard drives, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Hard Disc Drives.

The hard drive of the computer stores your program files and your data. As computers have advanced, so has the need for more capacity to operate programs and store data. People working in media fields tend to work with very large files and require large storage space. Most computers in today's market come with a minimum of 40G of hard drive space. However, this can be upgraded (usually in 20G chunks) to as much as 200G or more. The effectiveness of your hard drive also can depend on its physical speed (5400-7200 RPM) and the speed at which it can transfer data between the computer's RAM and the hard drive. Faster means better performance.

REMOVABLE MEDIA

You will want to have a CD-R or (CD-RW) drive installed in your computer, and or possibly a DVD or DVD-R. For reading a CD ROM, all that is required is a CD drive and for watching DVD movies, a DVD ROM drive. However with a CD-R drive, you can record your own data and music CDs, and with a DVD-R drive, you can burn files in a DVD format, allowing you to store movies and data in far greater quantities. The CD-RW (DVD-RW) drives allow you to use re-recordable media. Your decision will depend on what you want to use your media drives for and what you want to store.

Other removable media will possibly include flash card storage, which is usually plugged in via the USB ports on the computer.

MONITORS

For a detailed explanation of monitors, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Monitors.

The monitor for your computer is integral to its function and aesthetics. If you are working in graphics you may want to stay with a CRT monitor. However most bundle offers these days are supplied with LCD monitors, which have the advantages of smaller space requirements, use lower energy and offer wider screen images. However they generally are more expensive (although prices are dropping everyday), can frequently be not as bright, have limited viewing angles and sometimes require a digital interface connector.

For graphics intensive work, LCD screens do not have the same capacity to render colours in gradients as CRT monitors. Once again, size matters. Bigger screens cost more than smaller ones.

VIDEO AND SOUND

For a detailed explanation of video cards, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Video Cards.

The interface between the CPU and the Monitor is provided by the video card. One of the basic decisions you need to make is whether you require a 3D or 2D card. Video cards come in two different types: those that use an AGP (accelerated graphics port) on the computer motherboard and those that use the PCI bus. Data transfer rate is critical to video performance. Faster video cards use an AGP, and this proves a faster data transfer than PCI cards. Most video cards also have their own video memory installed on the card, a feature that increases a computer's memory performance. Today, these memories are often 128M or 256M, and can be more in the higher-end cards dedicated to sophisticated video work or gaming. Video cards performance is also affected by what is known as clock speed or clock rate, cards with a faster speed offer faster performance.

Cheaper computers, and laptops and notebooks, have an integrated graphics chip included in the motherboard instead of a discrete video card. This type of configuration is not as powerful or as fully functional as having a separate video card, which can allow more comprehensive gaming, the use of multiple monitors and faster and better rendering of images.

For a computer to reproduce the sounds recorded in games, movies and music products it requires a sound card. Quality of sound can be affected by the sound card your computer has installed. It's important that you know how you want to use the sound reproduction processes of your computer. If you are a musician and want to record audio, then you will want to be sure that you have excellent connectivity, good midi access and at least 16-bit (CD quality) audio reproduction. Sound cards give you the possibilities of full cinema surround sound, and the many subtle effects employed by high-end games.

Nearly every computer comes with a set of stereo speakers. However it pays to have a good listen to what you're buying. Make sure you listen to program that you are familiar with (take your own CD along) and compare the sound in a quiet environment. Many speaker systems for computers have poor frequency response and are underpowered. For desktop use that does not involve a quality listening environment this may be satisfactory. But if you want to listen to music and watch movies for the full effect, then you need to consider buying a good quality set of speakers. Use the search facility of Myshopping.com.au to compare specifications and prices of different speaker systems.

KEYBOARD AND MOUSE

The choice of keyboard and mouse are personal choices. Sometimes it depends on what you do on your computer, whether you have formal typing skills or whether you're a two-finger hack. Serious writers may prefer an ergonomic keyboard. Keyboards frequently have different clicks and responses to others. You may prefer an infrared cordless keyboard and mouse. You may prefer an optical mouse on which you don't have to clean the rollers. Optical mice have no rollerball, and can be used on most flat surfaces, but they are more expensive.

CONNECTIVITY

Today, connectivity is everything. Your computer can have wireless connections to all of your peripherals: printer, scanner, and other computers. Having an onboard modem will only be really important if you are using a dial up internet connection. Broadband modems tend to be peripherals and you can connect via USB, wireless or firewire. It does pay to consider how you will connect to the internet and other peripherals. It's not always convenient to get behind your computer to plug something in or unplug it. Some sound cards have a front face panel with all the connections you need. The USB ports on Macs are conveniently located. Many PC manufacturers haven't caught on to the fact that it's important for some people to easily access the connections to their computers.

To compare the different bundle offers from different brands, and to compare the different components by their specifications, search the Myshopping.com.au database for exactly the specifications you are seeking. You can compare prices and vendors, and order what you need online with a few clicks.

Andrew Gates for comparison online shopping service MyShopping.com.au. MyShopping.com.au helps you compare the different computers from different brands in terms of specifications and accessories. You can also compare prices from hundreds of different brands and vendors.

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Virus Protection For Your Computer In Simple English

Computers can catch virus, just like we do. When the computer gets sick, it needs anti virus software as a medicine. When it is strong and fit, it needs antivirus software as an added defense against any virus attack.

Computer virus can spread around just like human virus. It spreads around through email to your friend with virus infected files, or copy to your friends in a virus infected file.

When the computer catches a virus, it can have one or more of the following syndromes.

- Computer does not start properly. Error massages came out during startup.

- Application does not work properly.

- Disk or USB drives cannot be read.

- Printer does not print.

- Pulldown menus are not the same as before.

- Disk drive runs suddenly for no reason.

- Unusual error messages appears.

- Computer slows down or freezes.

- Computer crashes.

- Files LOST !

- Files CORRUPTED and cannot be read.

In the your computer files, you observed :

- File size changes for no reason.

- Date Modified does not match with date of last use.

- An increase in number of files when nothing has been added.

To prevent any of these catastrophic events happen to your computer. It is absolutely necessary to protect your computer.

An anti virus software maybe your answer to most of these problems.

Why do I say anti virus software maybe the answer to most of these questions?

Because, some of the problems listed above may not be the cause of a virus.

Some of it may be caused by :

- Software loaded into your computer without your knowledge. The purpose of these software is to monitor your computer activities or even to get some information from your computer without you knowing it! These kind of software are commonly known as spyware. (You can get anti spyware software from here.)

- Computer hard disk is running out of space. This will cause the computer to slow down.

- Too many programs are running in the computer. Background programs that loads to your computer every time you starts your computer. If the computer do not have enough memory to process all these programs, it will cause the computer to slow down.

- The computer may be running a schedule program that you may not have notice. Some time such programs are loaded to the computer when it is installed. The manufacturer thinks that it is absolutely necessary that the computer runs the program periodically. Example of these software are: Windows Updater, Anti Virus software (It is important to keep you anti virus software up-to-date.), Backup program etc.

- Too many programs are running in the computer at the same time.

Nevertheless, it is still very important to have an anti virus software loaded, updated and running in your computer.

However, no antivirus software can help you to remove or clean up all viruses completely. Therefore, it is important to prevent virus from attacking your computer. So an anti virus software should be the first software program to be loaded and running in your computer. You have to update the anti virus software right after you have successfully loaded into your computer.

It is very very important to update your anti virus software regularly. New viruses are discovered frequently, not updating your anti virus software will make these new virus to attack your computer easily.

What if you are already using your computer with all your important information loaded and you have no anti virus software in your computer?

Then, you cannot delay and must get an antivirus software loaded, updated and scanned immediately.

After the anti virus software is updated, restart your computer. Start scanning your computer before you run any program. If there are no virus detected, you are a lucky one. If there are, choose a solution that the anti virus software recommend.

What if, after your computer is scanned and virus is found. And you have chosen the solution that the anti virus software recommend but the software says that it cannot be cleaned. You can either delete or quarantine. Then, you may have a problem. If you are absolutely sure that you and the computer does not need the file, than delete it or quarantine it. If the file is critical to your computer, then you have to find a same file that is not virus infected to replace the infected file, if you can find. If it is your file, you might have to do the same.

You also need to restart the computer and runs the anti virus software again to confirm that the computer is free from virus. If it is infected with too many viruses or too many viruses cannot be cleaned, a total software rebuild of your computer is needed. If you have backup your computer periodically, then you can restore your last backup. Provided the last backup is virus free. That means you have to do anti virus scan for your computer again after you have restore your computer from the backup files.

You do not need to have two antivirus software. However, it is good to keep at least two antivirus software in your computer. One will constantly monitor your computer for virus activities and the other will scan your computer for virus only when you want to.

However, you should have at least one anti virus software installed if your computer slows down significantly after two anti virus software are installed.

It is most important.

You must update your antivirus software regularly and scans it regularly. It is good to follow the antivirus software company recommendation.

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Computer Schools In New York

New York is the business and education hub of America and has a wide network of educational institutions. There are a large number of institutes offering computer courses in New York due to the increased demand for Information Technology professionals in every field.

The Briarcliffe College in Bethpage offers courses in Computer Information Systems, for Computer Applications Specialist, Networking and Computer Technology and Office Technologies. While the Briarcliffe College at Patchogue offers Computer Information Systems and Computer Applications Specialist courses. The Chubb Institute in NYC offers courses in Network Security, Graphic Design, and Computer Technician course. The DeVry University of Long Island has courses in Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology, and Networking. The ITT Technical Institutes are situated in Albany, Syracuse & Buffalo. They offer several technology-oriented programs and also online programs in Information Technology, Web Design, and Computer applications.

The Katharine Gibbs School in Melville and in New York offer courses in Computer Network Operations, Computer Technical Support, Digital Media Communications, and Computer Programming for students. The Skidmore College CCI in White Plains has courses in Oracle Database Administration, Enterprise Applications Developer, PC & Networking Support, PC & Networking Administration, PC & Networking Design, and PC & Networking Design with Security. The Branford Hall Career Institute in Bohemia offers Digital Computer Technology and Computerized Office Technology. The Suburban Technical School in Hempstead has a course in Digital Computer Technology. The College of Westchester at White Plains has courses in Computer Applications Management, Computer Network Administration, Multimedia Development and Management, Computer Applications Specialist, Computer Networking Specialist, Microsoft Office Specialist Program, Multimedia Technology, and Word Processing Specialist.

There are other computer training schools also available that specialize in other allied training skills. There are Computer Repair Schools, Computer Animation Schools, Computer Graphics Schools, Computer Science Schools, and Computer Programming Schools.

Computer Schools provides detailed information on Computer Schools, Computer Graphic Schools, Computer Training Schools, Computer Science Schools and more. Computer Schools is affiliated with Microsoft Certifications [http://www.i-Certification.com].

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Discover The 3 Basic Fundamentals Of Computer Speed

So let's talk about the 3 basic fundamentals of computer speed those 3 basic fundamentals are connection hardware and software. These areas are all there really is to the slowing down of computer speed or more importantly the speeding up of your computer. Your computer speed stops and slows down when you have a bad connection or when you have slow or old or bad hardware or when you have software that is some how not optimized properly or that in not running properly or that just takes up too much of your computer memory reserves. So those are the 3 areas that are the fundamentals of computer speed.

They are where your speed comes from and they are where your speed falls apart. Looking at fundamentals and knowing these fundamentals make it easier for you to understand and just how to improve computer speed. This brings out one of the missing links and opens up one of the biggest problems when it comes to computer speed and that is most of the people addressing computer speed are only looking at one of these areas.

When I looked for the fundamental of computer speed using a research technique called the stable datum I found that there is really nothing else in a computer that you can repair other than hardware, software, or connection to the internet. So, those are the areas you want to start to look at when you want to improve computer speed.

This method makes it very easy to know what to do. Obviously the first thing to start with is hardware and unlike the others you really cannot tweek hardware that much. It can be done to some degree but really the way you would improve hardware is to get a more up-to-date or more efficient or faster piece of hardware. Sometime just a newer way of create a simple hardware tool will greatly improve you computer speed experience.

You can do things like get a better keyboard or a better mouse a bigger hard drive a more advanced mother board anything more improved so to speak. And as we all know things get improved at the speed of light on the internet. So that is pretty much all you can do with hardware.

Next thing we want to talk about here is software and software is a whole different thing because software is the brain of the computer. Software is what makes the computer do things. It is vital to have hardware but nothing very exciting happens until you fire up the software. We may as well start with the basic piece of software and that is Windows XP and all of the software pieces that go along with Windows XP. These are the items that you will need to be tweeking and this includes XP itself, Internet Explorer, & Microsoft Outlook. This also includes the way Windows XP load onto your computer during the start up process. Those are the first areas you will have to optimize to get any speed.

Now one of the things that make this seem more complex than it is there is always a dozen ways to do one simple thing on XP. Programmers do things one way hackers do it another way and a researcher like me I just try to find the safest and easiest way to the same end result. Just knowing the fastest way find or do a task on your computer can speed up your computing experience in a way you probably never thought of.

What you will find is that many of the default or out of the box ways that Windows XP does tasks can be changed in order to give you more speed and performance. Windows standard setting are often set very broad and general. When focused just a little you get tons more speed.

Now you can either do these adjustments yourself or you can buy software that makes the setting adjustments for you. I recommend you do both because some adjustments are way too simple to pay for and others are way too complex to risk doing yourself.

There is also the reverse of this when we are talking about software as a fundamental of computer speed. Some of the time your computer has software on it that needs to come off because it is the source of the loss in computer speed itself. This is where spyware removal software and anti virus software become valuable. You definitely want to take a look at this kind of software& improve the ones you have on your computer. A high price does not mean high quality either.

Connection is the next thing that we want to talk about. Connecting to the internet is how most of us do much of our work with our computer. So if you have terrible connection speed or if your service is not fast or if the modem you are using in not good. So you immediately see that you can do a lot to speed up your computing by change and improving the things that connect you to the internet.

A satellite T-1 connection is about the fastest but I prefer cable because it is not affected by weather. Cable is awesome because it is very stable and I have been using it for year now and it out performs most alternatives. DSL on the phone lines is your next best choice if cable is not available. Just try to get the fastest service you can.

Connection speed is also dependant on the software that is used to connect to the internet service that you use. We have found that you can do software adjustments to Windows that optimize the browser and the email usage of the connection services. Doing these simple adjustments can improve a service dramatically. My cable connection operates at almost satellite speeds.

So those are the fundamentals of computer speed and if you take advantage of our home study course these are the things we concentrate on improving. Having this knowledge gives you the direction you need to get real computer speed and even if you hire someone to speed up your computer now you know exactly what to tell them to do.

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