PCWorld: How to buy a laptop

In this video Kara Tsuboio, of PCWorld Magazine, goes over the key points to look for while shopping for a laptop. She covers them all from netbooks to large desktop replacement machines.

Recap: DownloadHelper

I recently helped my wife’s cousin set this program up on his computer. I’m now his “best” friend. Now he’s busy downloading 80’s metal band videos. I covered this program back in 2008. I still use it to this day.

The basic steps are:

1. Firefox -  DownloadHelper is a “plug-in”  program you use in your FireFox web browser.

2. Downloader Helper – This program enables you to download your favorite videos off of YouTube and other video sites.

I’ve found it useful to download my favorite video’s, especially music videos.  I noticed some videos were taken off because of copyright issues(what party poopers). This enables you save videos quickly and then view them at your own pleasure. Keep in mind these will save videos as a .flv file and you’ll need a player like VLC Player to view them. Good luck and happy surfing.

Picking the right Desktop PC

Ever wonder what type of PC is right for you? With all the different types of PC’s available it can be confusing. Here’s an excellent video from PCWorld magazine(my favorite PC magazine so I’m a bit biased) that I thought explained things pretty well. The host covers compacts, all-in-ones, and tower desktops and explains the pros and cons of each.

Slow PC Blues

Ever have your computer just slow down to crawl?  This is a common complaint among PC owners. There are several things you can try to alleviate the problem. I believe in trying the simplest things first and then moving from there. Here’s a quick list:

• Reboot your computer – This trick works well when you’ve been surfing on the Internet for hours or the PC’s been on for long periods of time. Like us sometimes they just need a quick restart and all is well.
• Time to clean up – Next I would recommend using a program called CCleaner which is a personal favorite of mine. It cleans temp files and other unnecessary stuff hanging around your PC slowing it down.
• Get organized - After this would be a good time to defrag your computer also which if not done periodically can slow it down. You can use the one built into Windows or use a third party one like Defraggler(made by same people who bring you CCleaner)
• Get a check up – If you suspect an infection you can run MalwareBytes free program to find stuff that snuck past your antivirus program(none are 100%).
• Run task manager – If a problem still persists you can run your task manager and when your PC starts to slow down see which program is causing you the headache. You can shut it down and decide whether uninstall or reinstall the program. Sometimes programs just get hung up and need a reboot(see first item on list).

Like I said try the simple stuff first. Thanks for coming by.

Source: Spector, Lincoln(PCWorld 2010) Why does my PC sometimes slow to a crawl? PCWorld Magazine May 2010, Page 100

XP dying technology?

As a daily user of Windows XP I never thought of it as “dying technology”. Yes it has been around for many years though it is now the 3rd Windows OS behind 7 and Vista (like it or not). I like XP very much. It’s dependable and easy to use. It’s not like I don’t like the newer Windows operating systems. I like using my wife’s laptop with Vista on it and we’ve had good luck with it. My employer still uses XP and I don’t see them changing over any time soon.

I suppose it’s like if you had a ten year old car that ran great with no problems. Sure there are newer models with better technology, higher miles per gallon, faster, and more cup holders and so on.  Your comfortable with the old model though. You know all the quirks about it you’ve been through a lot together. Do you just toss it aside for a sleeker set of wheels?

This is just some food for thought. Thanks for coming by and I welcome any comments that you may have.