Archive for July, 2009
Hot Deal
Dell Dimension 4600c (Refurbished)
Only $100.00!
For full specs, Read the rest of this entry »
Computer911-7.25.09: “BuyingLocal”
Sure you can get computers on the cheap online or from Big Blue, but is it worth it? What exactly are you getting in that low ticket price? And how much more do you get when buying locally?
Also, its Back-Up Saturday. Its the last Saturday of the month, and time to back up all those irreplaceable files on your computer. We go over these issues and more in Episode 18 of Computer 911 with Pc Medic. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: amazon, Apple, AVG, Avira, Backup, internet explorer, iTunes, palm, Radio Show, wifi, Windows
Computer911-7.18.09: “LaptopBuying 101″
How hard is it to buy a new laptop on a budget? What should you look for when making the purchase? And what the heck is the difference between storage and memory? Its all in episode 17 of Computer 911.
In The News
- Web Developers Call for the END of Internet Explorer 6 and The State Department urges Clinton to use Firefox
Feature: Laptop Buying 101
The “Laptop Hunter” ads from Microsoft point out the fact that Macbooks are quite pricey, but how hard is it to get a new laptop that will do everything you need it to for under $1000? Scott will be back here this week with a full Laptop Buying Guide, but for now, we look at the basics
- Decide what you need this laptop for. Is it for web surfing and email, or are you going to be doing graphic work? Knowing what you want your laptop to do for your before purchasing can save you frustration down the road when you realize that you either bought too much or too little computer power.
- Storage. How much? We reccomend 160GB minimum with 200GB+ being ideal. For Memory or RAM, 2GB min. Your maximum is dependent on your system, so research your model.
- For your processor, AMD can be just as good as Intel. Do not feel like you are getting bargain basement Laptop “Brain” just because you haven’t seen TV ads featuring dancing lab techs for AMD
- Screen Size…bigger IS better. Just be aware that the larger the screen, the more juice is pulled from your battery.
- And as always, look for a warranty, and know exactly what is covered.
Totally Free Download: Belarc Advisor
- The Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, missing Microsoft hotfixes, anti-virus status, CIS (Center for Internet Security) benchmarks, and displays the results in your Web browser. All of your PC profile information is kept private on your PC and is not sent to any web server.
- This is a great tool for learning about the hardware in your computer, and for archiving your product keys for software.
Calls
- Bill at Pomp’s in Marquette asks, what is Firefox? Mozilla Firefox is another brand of web browser, similar to Internet Explorer. It is free, faster, more secure, and more compatible with modern websites than its Microsoft counterpart. With a full library of themes and add-ons, this is a program that is worth a test drive. Available at Mozilla.org
- Mark in Ishpeming is having issues with his ATI Video card. To fix this, go through the control panel and uninstall all ATI programs. Before restarting, go to the ATI’s website and download the latest version of software for your particular card (find out which card by looking in your computer’s manual, or with our Totally Free Download mentioned above). After you have the files, restart the computer and install the new software.
- Betty from Gwinn is getting the infamous “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD), a blue screen with white letters that comes before a computer crash, after a recent Windows Update. Often BSODs are caused by hardware failure, but since this came after an update its most likely cause by a software compatibility issue. Try booting into Safe Mode by holding down the F8 key when turning on your computer. Once in try to use System Restore to roll back to a date before the update.
Tags: Apple, firefox, laptops, Microsoft, Radio Show, Windows
