BUYING A NEW COMPUTER

It's that time of year when you may be purchasing a computer as a holiday gift for someone.

And the question always comes up, what specs should I look for. So here's a rundown of the important components you want:

Laptops -

• Centrino 2 chipset technology
• 15" screen size
• at least 2GB of RAM
• Video card memory of 256MB

Desktops -

• Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2 or Turion X2
• 64-bit Vista OS
• at least a 17" Widescreen flat panel
• at least 2GB of RAM
• Video card memory of 256MB

As far as hard drives, get as large a drive as you can afford. Nowadays, it's easy to fill 250GB.

64-bit versions of Vista operating system allows your PC to recognize 4GB of RAM or more. But beware that the 64-bit version may not be compatible with older programs and peripherals. If that's a concern, go with the 32-bit version.

If you are a high-end user, you may need a real workhorse, which means more RAM, more video card memory and faster chipset.

That should be enough to point you in the right direction.

INFO ON OLD PC's

From time to time, I get questions about how to find information on an old PC, such as a Dell.

The best way to go about this is to SEARCH on the net using the model name... for example, a Dell Optiplex 740 Specifications...

Then check through the results to find specs on the PC... this works well for especially old PC's...

If you have a newer PC, you should be able to find everything you need at the manufacturer's website.

Mac Viruses Found!

I've heard from friends with Macs that they do not use anti-virus programs for their computers.

So when I purchased a Mac book, I didn't give it much of a thought.

Fast forward 6 months later. I decide to install an anti-virus program on it.

And guess what? It found 3 viruses and several errors.

So don't believe everything you here. If you are on the Internet, someone is trying to get into your computer.

iTunes is Difficult!

Is it me?

I do not own an iPod, but I do want to use iTunes on my PC.

It seemed simple at first, but when I tried to add my own songs things got a little wierd. Library, playlist, smart playlist - what does all this mean?

I decided to consult some online tutorials. That's when things became a little clearer. I have to say, it is a remarkable program. There are lots of ways to organize your music, and play it back.

And there's a nifty MP3 converter built-in for non-copyrighted audio files.

Check it out!

IDENTITY THEFT

Most of us think about identity theft as someone stealing our credit card number or social security number when we write it on a piece of paper.

But how many realize this information could be on our computers? And it may be accessible to hackers.

This week I spoke with Todd Feinman, CEO of Identity Finder. His program looks on your PC for your personal information and shows you where it is. You then have the opportunity to SHRED it, or SECURE it from prying eyes.

You can try Identity Finder as a trial download. Check it out at www.IdentityFinder.com

Careful Downloading Saves Headaches

Just got the umpteenth email about someone downloading something they didn't want from the Internet.

I can't stress enough how careful you need to be when downloading and installing software.

99% of the problems are user error. Most DO NOT read information on what they are about to download.

"It sounded like what I wanted" or "The name is similar" are some of the excuses. Most of the time, it's because we want to DO IT NOW! Quick, fast, right now... not good attributes to have when downloading software.

My advice: Take your time, make sure you are on the correct website, read the instructions carefully... when in doubt, DON'T!

Also, I've heard from people who downloaded a program they wanted, but also got additional programs installed they didn't want.

That happens because people will FLY THROUGH the installation procedure. Rather, you should carefully read each screen and be careful of boxes with check marks for Adding a Toolbar, etc.

Take your time, avoid problems later.

Catching Spyware

Spyware is just what it sounds like... software that spies on you. More exactly, it can keep track of what you do, from keystrokes on your keyboard to passwords to visited websites. And it can report that information back to someone else.

That's the trouble. So what can you do?

Anti-spyware is the answer. It looks for various spyware and malware on your PC.

But do you need to pay money for this protection. Quite simply, no.

There are several free anti-spyware programs available and I can suggest using both of these to keep your PC spyware-free.

Ad-aware by Lavasoft and Spybot-Search & Destroy are both free of charge. Run them both once a week. Don't forget to download upgrades first before scanning your PC.

Networking PC's

I ran into a problem over the weekend when I had to move my computers away from the router/cable modem.

I have one PC that can only access the LAN with a cable. I have another PC that has wireless LAN capabilities.

I needed to access the Internet with my LAN PC. So I ran a network cable from one PC to the other and utilized the PC's WLAN to access the Internet.

There were two things I needed to do, though. On my WLAN PC, I had to check a box that allowed other PC's to access the Internet through that PC.

And on my LAN PC, I had to go through the Network Setup Wizard and check the box saying I want to access the Internet through another PC.

After a restart, all was good :)

Using A Donated Computer

The other day I was "given" a 5 year old PC that wasn't needed by the user any longer. But in order to use it properly, I needed to know some information.

The first thing I did was to look through old documentation that came with it. I'm looking for CPU speed, RAM and Hard Drive size.

I also searched on line using the model number to see what should be in the computer when it was built. The only way to see if its been upgradeed is to start it up and take a look.

It's also a good idea to take an inventory of the ports and other visible parts of the PC. See how many USB ports there are, parallel ports, network ports, etc.

Once you do that, you'll understand the limitations of the PC, and make a determination on whether you should upgrade any parts of it.

You'd be surprised how many PC's still have life in them, especially for a second computer for a child, or surfing the net.

Trouble with Older Programs?

Just the other day, I tried to start up a program on my PC that I hadn't used in about a year.

And guess what? It would not work correctly and kept producing errors. So I plugged some of those errors into a search engine and found others that had the same problem.

To correct the problem, I had to download and install a Service Pack for it. Once I did that, it worked fine.

Moral of the story: if you have some problems with a particular program, make sure you have installed all the updates since it was created.

More than likely, it will solve your problems.

Obssessed With Viruses?

I received e-mail from a viewer the other day convinced his PC was acting up because of a virus.

However, his anti-virus program found nothing. And other online anti-viruses checkers came up empty.

So now he's dissecting the registry.

Word of advice: if you've got a good anti-virus program (such as Avast) and you are using a firewall and anti-spyware programs... relax a bit!

Accidentally going to one suspect website probably won't bring your PC to a halt. However, repeatedly going there could be problems.

If you suspect a website may be a problem, research it on the Internet. See if others have had problems. If you get an error message, search that message on the Internet.

Chances are you are not the only one experiencing problems. And with a little research, you may find the fix to your problem.

Notebook vs Laptop

Got the question the other day: What's the difference between a notebook and a laptop?

I thought they were both the same, but I thought I'd double check on the Internet.

Seems as though there are many answers to this one, although there seems to be some concensus on the differences.

A Notebook is generally ultralight, with no internal floppy, DVD or CD system, and a screen no larger than 14".

A Laptop is heavier, with a screen larger than 14", an internal DVD drive and a full featured keyboard as well as integrated wireless capabilities. And a laptop is upgradeable.

But, of course, the main difference is that a laptop is designed to sit on your lap, hence the name.

To me, they are all portable and that's the most important thing.

Computer Prices vs What You Get!

I've been keeping an eye on desktop and laptop PC's for a few months now. And one thing I've noticed is that you must carefully read what is being offered.

If you're looking for a great deal... like something under $500... read the details to see what you're getting (and what you are not)!

Many come WITHOUT a monitor. Some come with the Windows XP operating system, and not the newer Vista. And some have only 512MB of RAM which is NOT ENOUGH to run Vista if you want to upgrade at some point.

Others do not include an internet connection or port. And some are missing other key peripherals such as a mouse or keyboard.

So a word to the wise... before you jump on a great deal, be sure it includes the things you need now... or may need in the future!

COMPUTERS ARE LIKE SNOWFLAKES

Over the years I've discovered one thing, computers are like snowflakes.

I've never met two PCs that were exactly the same. In fact, they all have a different personality. From the moment you power them up, they come to life each in their own unique way.

I have access to several computers each day. They all have their own quirks. It's probably due to the different components in each.

Some boot up fast, some boot up slow. Some have a hiccup, some are smooth.
The cursor beatS almost like a heart. If it stops, you know some thing's wrong.

Once you learn their idiosynchrosies, then you know how to make them work at their peak performance. And you know when they aren't feeling well.

Yes, PCs are not all the same. Or is it just me?

MAC in the house!

Well, we finally have our first MAC computer in the house.

It's a notebook and I must say, I'm very impressed. From the start it has been very easy to set up and use. And it comes with quite a variety of programs.

There's a movie-making program which allows you to edit your home videos. And there's a program called Garage Band. You can actually record several tracks of instruments and put it all together for your own CD.

We're just starting to use it, but everyone who has tried it has smiled.