Computer Terminology Is An Alien Language

By Richard Blackmon

I have been working in and on computers for over 50 years, and yes, I am a Geek. When I lapse into computer terminology, my wife's eyes glaze over, and I hear "borrrrrrrrrrrring" from her. Suspecting she is not the only person that is illiterate when it comes to computers, I have developed a simple terminology to use when speaking to a non-geek.
First, an analogy: A computer is made of many components. They fall into 3 groups:
Memory or RAM:
Memory or RAM is your work bench. It is where the work gets done. The more memory you have, the more things you can do at the same time. Ram is measured in mega (mega= million) bytes.
CPU or Processor
Your CPU or Processor is your motor. The more powerful your motor, the faster you can get things done. Processor speed is measured in GHZ or giga (Giga= A million million) hertz.
Hard Drive
The Hard Drive is your file cabinet, the more data you can save for future use. Hard Drive space is measured in mb or mega (millions of) bytes.
See? Nothing mystical about those terms is there?
Now on to the Definitions.
Definitions
Adware Those unwanted ads that appear on your browser.
Bit A Single piece of data.
Byte A block of bits, usually 8 bits. An example of a byte would be a single letter as "A".
Browser The software that helps find what you are looking when you surf the internet.
Computer A high speed moron. It does exactly what it is told. This is not necessarily what you want it to do.
CPU Central Processing Unit. This is the heart, engine, motor of your computer.
DVD+R A format used to burn a DVD. Usually not compatible with a DVD-R drive.
DVD-R A format used to burn a DVD. Usually not compatible with a DVD+R drive.
Firewall A vital device that can be either software or hardware that hides your computer from the outside world. Windows has a built in firewall.
Firewire A type of connection to a computer. Used for connecting a device such as a camcorder to a PC. It is also known as IEEE1394. Sony calls their version "I-link".
Floppy disk A type of storage media. Floppies are no longer popular due to the limited capacity and slow speed.
Gamer A person that uses a PC primarily for playing video games. It requires a fast PC and a high level graphics card.
GHZ Giga hertz. Abbreviated as ghz. This is the speed of a processor. A hertz is a cycle.
Gigabyte A billion (thousand million) bytes of data.
Graphics Processor The component that processes and sends images to the monitor. Many demanding programs use the graphics processor as an additional processor to help the main CPU.
Hard Drive A storage unit. The hard drive is where data or applications are stored until needed again. It has non destructive readout meaning reading it does not destroy the data as in RAM.
Hi-Def High Definition as in TV. It is a very high resolution device and requires a lot of storage space.
IEEE1394 A type of connection to a computer. It is usually used by digital camcorders or external hard drives. Also known as "Firewire".
Internet The internet is a superhighway with information at waypoints scattered everywhere. In order to find where you are going, you need a browser, a url or a search engine such as Google or Yahoo.
LAN Local area network. The connection of several PCs together. They can also share an internet connection. An example of a LAN would be the 3 PCs in my house connected together. Data can be shared between the PCs.
Megabyte A million bytes of data.
Memory Also known as RAM. It is where data and programs are kept whle working or being worked upon. It is a destructive readout deivce, meaning that if you want to keep it, you must restore it. This is a concern only for programmers not users.
OS OS stands for operating system. Windows and Linux are examples of operating systems.
Processor The unit that does the work in a computer. Also known as CPU.
RAM Ram stands for random access memory. Random because you can pull data from any address, not wait flr sequential as in a hard drive.
Ram Drive A very fast retrieval device for storage. It uses memory as its media, where as a disk uses a metallic storage.
Router A device for connecting to the network. It allows several PCs to share a single network connection.
Scanner A peripheral device for reading a document, converting to a digital data stream and sending it to the computer.
Software A compilation of instructions to the processor telling it what to do in order to complete its taks. Remember, the high speed moron does only what it is told.
Spyware A snippet of instructions that is stored on your hardware without your knowledge. It then reports back to its originator what you are doing. Anti-spyware software can prevent this.
Switch A device used in a network. It usually has a router integrated into it. It also is an excellent firewall.
Terabyte Terabyte is a million million. That is a "1" followed by 12 "0"s.
Trojan Horse A snippet of software (usually malicious) that gets into your computer as a part of a legitimate message, such as email. Once activated, it can wreak havoc, even ruining a hard drive. Most anti-virus software also blocks trojans.
USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a type of connection to your PC. It is used to connect devices to your PC.
Virus A virus is a piece of malicious that enters your computer, usually against your knowledge that can corrupt your hard drive and thus your data.
Virus Checker Software that blocks viruses from entering your PC. Also known as anti-virus software.
Vista Vista is the latest operating system (OS) from Microsoft.
WAN Wide area network. Usually a connection of systems in several locations off the main premise or campus. For example, if you work at a company that has several locations in various cities that are connected via high speed lines, this is a WAN.
Web cam A small camera that is connected to your PC via USB or firewire can record what is going on within its view and send to your PC. From there, you can allow relatives in another location to view what is going on at your home.
Wireless In computerese, a method of connecting several PC's together. Each computer would require a wireless adapter. Routers and switches can offer a wireless connections. This eliminates the need to run cables between the various units.
Worm A snippet of programming language that is covertly slipped into your computer. When activated, it can corrupt your files, take over your browser, etc. Generally, anti virus software blocks worms.
WYSIWYG What you see is what you get. In other words, this is how your output will look.
XP Microsoft Windows operating system. XP is the predecessor to Vista.
computersprintersandmonitors.com is my computer website. Visit it for other articles on computers.
My name is Rick and I call myself The Elderly Geek. Elderly, because I am 74 years old. Geek, because I have worked with or on computers since July 15, 1957. I retired from IBM and one of my passions is computers. I really enjoy helping people with their computer problems. I have always been tech support for my family. Another is playing with video. I have just begun to become interested in internet marketing. My PC desktop is so crowded with icons, it amazes my family that I can find anything.

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How to Spy with Your Computer

By Sasko Vasilevski

Do you remember the TV show I Spy? Maybe Get Smart was your favorite because you enjoyed your spying with a sense of humor. But someone doing things on your computer that you don't want done isn't a joking matter. If you remember these shows or not you may need to be a spy concerning your computer. If you like any spy show then playing the part of a computer spy is right up your alley. But more to the point-spying may be a necessity for the security of your computer or the safety of your child or teenager.
Today's world isn't safe whether in the real world or in cyberspace. You know one thing for sure there are a lot of nuts and predators lurking around the corner of either world. These are people you don't want your child or teenager to meet. You don't want them influencing your child or teenager. You realize that these people shouldn't be on the internet at sites where children or teens hang out, but you know that they do go to those sites.
You've seen reports on TV and you've read horror stories on the net about these predators talking someone else's child into meeting them at a park or hamburger joint. Sometimes these predators are lurking in the library. You can accompany your child to the library and you can warn your teenager to be careful when doing research there. But how do you protect them from the deviants that lurk online?
There is an excellent product that is several tools in one that will be your mother's or father's helper. It will detect all internet activity for you and your child or teen won't be able to realize it is there and working. It will do its job as an invisible secret agent that is employed by you. You can get all of the details at the link in my bio and you'll see that the Keylogger is indeed a friend you need.
You can get all of this and more done and in stealth mode. No has to know but you. It will be your secret that can put your mind at ease. Conversely, if any problems are recorded you can solve then quickly before more harm is done. Put your mind at ease make your company safer. Go to Keylogger.
Keylogger is THE BEST software for monitoring internet activities on your computer. Keylogger will protect your family or business.

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Computer virus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user. The term "virus" is also commonly used, albeit erroneously, to refer to many different types of malware and adware programs. The original virus may modify the copies, or the copies may modify themselves, as occurs in a metamorphic virus. A virus can only spread from one computer to another when its host is taken to the uninfected computer, for instance by a user sending it over a network or the Internet, or by carrying it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, or USB drive. Meanwhile viruses can spread to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer. Viruses are sometimes confused with computer worms and Trojan horses. A worm can spread itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part of a host, and a Trojan horse is a file that appears harmless. Worms and Trojans may cause harm to either a computer system's hosted data, functional performance, or networking throughput, when executed. In general, a worm does not actually harm either the system's hardware or software, while at least in theory, a Trojan's payload may be capable of almost any type of harm if executed. Some can't be seen when the program is not running, but as soon as the infected code is run, the Trojan horse kicks in. That is why it is so hard for people to find viruses and other malware themselves and why they have to use spyware programs and registry processors.
Most personal computers are now connected to the Internet and to local area networks, facilitating the spread of malicious code. Today's viruses may also take advantage of network services such as the World Wide Web, e-mail, Instant Messaging and file sharing systems to spread, blurring the line between viruses and worms. Furthermore, some sources use an alternative terminology in which a virus is any form of self-replicating malware.
Some malware is programmed to damage the computer by damaging programs, deleting files, or reformatting the hard disk. Other malware programs are not designed to do any damage, but simply replicate themselves and perhaps make their presence known by presenting text, video, or audio messages. Even these less sinister malware programs can create problems for the computer user. They typically take up computer memory used by legitimate programs. As a result, they often cause erratic behavior and can result in system crashes. In addition, much malware is bug-ridden, and these bugs may lead to system crashes and data loss. Many CiD programs are programs that have been downloaded by the user and pop up every so often. This results in slowing down of the computer, but it is also very difficult to find and stop the problem.

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Computer System

Maintaining your system
Adroit Data Recovery Centre Pte Ltd

Visit our homepage: http://www.adrc.net ---------------------------------------- Perhaps you have handpicked the finest computer from the I.T mall, selected the fastest processor and graphic card and slammed in few gigabytes of memory. So you thought to yourself that your machine is probably going to sustain you for the next 5 years. But little did you discover that some 6 months down the road, your computer is behaving like a Pentium 2 computer, perpetually flustering you with its choppy images, frustrating pop-ups and tremendous slow disk access.

Gradually, your computer crashes and all your data is lost on one fine afternoon. One thing you have probably missed out on is the need for system maintenance. The basic routine maintenance comprises of the 3 basic processes:
a. Data Backup
b. Malware Maintenance
c. Disk or File System Maintenance Let us address each of the processes in detail so that you can better understand how you can apply them in your system to extend its longevity. 1. What Is Data Backup?
Backing up basically means to create a redundant copy of a data so that in case anything should happen to the original data, you have a spare copy. This is typically a simple thing to do. Firstly, you must ask yourself why should you back up the data or system. If you feel that you should backup your valuable data, then you should decide and select what are the data to be backup. Depending on your needs, you may choose to backup your windows registry, or your Outlook Express mail data, or even your windows security keys.
Windows operating system's friendly interface allows you to drag and drop computer files from one storage device to another. And this can be as simple as copying a document file from your desktop into a floppy diskette or thumb drive.
But when these files gradually grow overtime, you may need to seek help from archiver utilities such as Winzip which enables you to compact your files into a single compressed file. You can then break up this large file into several pieces to be stored in several mediums such as a span of CD or DVD-Recordable.
Winzip also allows you to protect your file with encryption and a software password to prevent any unauthorized access. There are a number of backup methods you could use. 2. What Is Malware Maintenance?
Malware refers to any kind of malicious codes, objects or content that infiltrates your computer, resulting in damage and causing your system to act in an undesirable manner. Commonly, these include viruses, spyware, worms, trojan horses, spams and many more. When you're infected, you can lose your privacy, confidential data and access to your system when software and hardware are damaged. Fortunately, there're a couple of preventive measures you can take to protect yourself from malware.
Firstly, you absolutely require a working Anti-Virus scan running in your computer. This is the only one thing that you should never compromise if you frequent the Internet. Running a system without an Anti-Virus scan is practically risking your computer to 90% of all kinds of software attacks. In some cases, your hardware can fail due to a virus attack. Remember the CIH virus that attacks the computer flash BIOS that resulted in tremendous business damage during 2001?
Also, having a virus scan residing in your computer is as good as zilch if you do not take time to update the scan engine and virus pattern files. Every week, virus signature files are released for download to equip you with the latest protection. See more on how to remove virus and spyware.
Next, the choice of websites you visit plays a major factor. Certain websites contain malicious active content such as Javascript and VBscript that automatically infects your computer when they are downloaded into your computer without your knowledge and consent. (That's why they're known as spywares) If you have experienced new icons appearing in your system tray or desktop, this may be a sign that your computer has been infected.
Thankfully, those malicious active content usually lurks in pornographic and hacking websites. So if you can refrain from them, you generally safe. Nevertheless, if it is absolutely necessary to visit these sites, always disable ActiveX content running in your Internet options.
Lastly, avoid downloading, executing software or mail attachment that you are uncertain.As a rule of thumb, do not even consider opening an attachment unless the file is from someone you know and the message makes meaningful references to the file. Okay, say you have accidentally downloaded an executable file into your computer and you are pondering if you should run it because a reliable colleague has sent it to you. But you notice that the file has a weird file name such as meetingsxpzss.jpg.exe. But you are told that it is crucial that you read it now.
One thing you can do at this point in time is to scan the file for any virus infection before you attempt to open it. If the scan shows nothing, it's probably a safe file. But then again, it may be a new virus yet to be updated in your virus scan. You can either wait and apply the next virus signature update and perform a second scan or risk it all, cross your fingers and open the file.
If you ever decide to do this, you can take an extra step to protect your organization by disconnecting from your network during the process. If you suspect you have been infected, try to remove the spyware or virus immediately before they propagate to harm your entire system or network.
Always make it a point to update latest operating system or software patches to shield against any security issues.
3. Disk Maintenance
Did anyone tell you that your hard disk is a pretty tricky machine? When you first installed your operating system, you may be pleased to know how smooth and efficient your software applications are running. But gradually, it slows down and this bothers you. What truly causes the dip in performance? You may argue that your disk is just a couple of months old. This has much to do with the way you operate on your system.
Try to imagine a big tool bucket filled with gadgets. Initially, the bucket only contains a few spanners, a hammer and some screws. So every time you search for a particular item, it is relatively easy to find. But soon as you keep pilling the bucket with all sorts of items and especially when the amount of items grows, you'll discover that you may need more time just to search for a particular screw head. In such cases, uninstall any unnecessary software and defragment your disk. Typically, your system performance will dip when the amount of data in your hard disk starts to grow.
Next, would you be surprised if I were to tell you that 30% of your data in your computer may be junk files? Temporary files are stocked up in your computer each time you browse the internet or perform an installation. Most programs clear these files away after it exits but unfortunately, software that are poorly written do not. Thankfully, Microsoft Windows comes with a couple of useful utilities which helps to solve some of these problems.
The disk defragmenter packs your data neatly to facilitate quick accessibility. Disk Cleanup does the job of scanning and removing all redundant temporary files. Unnecessary startup files could also be cleaned up. And to cope with physical error such as bad sectors, ScanDisk helps to repair and recover any data lost due to mild data corruption.Your could also fix minor system file corruption or repair the corrupted system files essential for the system operation. If you suspect the installed software is giving you problems, try to repair the software corruption.
So now you see that there is more to just picking and plunging a speedy hard disk drive into your computer. Healthy and regular disk maintenance practice can greatly benefit your system and data.
http://www.adrc.net/ Adroit Data Recovery Centre Pte Ltd

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Is It Time To Buy A New Computer?

Piter Gursky

Is It Time To Buy A New Computer?
With the Internet and computer technology developing every single day, you might want to give your old computer a long break it badly needs.

Computer has gone a long way from being just a mere typing machine.
If you want to know whether you need to box-up your old computer or buy a new one, here's a quick checklist:
Operating system Run only in Windows 95/98 (or older operating systems!) Old operating systems won't allow you to add on scanners, printers, or dig cams. It also won't allow you to run newer programs.
Updated RAM If your computer takes forever to load up, chances you need to add more RAM. Some old RAM chips might not be available in the market anymore and they don't come cheap too.
Small hard disk space Isn't it frustrating when you come to the point that you have to delete older files to make space for your new ones? This clearly states that you badly need a new hard disk. The market now offers as much as 500 GB for personal computers.
Software doesn't run If new software doesn't work on your computer, then it is no longer compatible with new programs in the market, and you absolutely need to change your system.
Slow processors If you are doing some graphic works on your computer, then it suddenly bogs down, then you are in trouble. Older computers don't even come close to opening website with large graphics.
If you find yourself in the above situation, then it's high-time that you buy a new computer. Below are some quick tips that can do you a lot of help:
Tips in Buying Computers
The first thing you need to ask when buying a computer is "what would it be used for?" If you just need to type up writing assignments or do some office works, then a computer with a decent word processing program would go. If you were using the Internet often, then you would need a computer with 128 MB of memory and at least Pentium-2 processor.
If you do some graphics, edit pictures or create videos, aside from higher RAM and larger space, you need a good video card to view your work as actual as it can be. Also check the compatibility of other devices like scanners and printers to your computer. If you are decided to buy a new computer, then allot at least $500 of your budget. If you want a high-end computer then it definitely costs a lot more than that. Don't think that you get the best deals when you buy a computer on a cheap price. Always go for quality, it's a total headache if your computer acts up in the middle of your work.
When buying a new computer, think properly what you need before heading to a computer shop. It is also a good thing to have a chit-chat with a computer salesperson. Ask them all the things you want to know. With enough patience, the right computer for you is just one decision away. For more info you may want to visit htt://www.baytradecomputers.com
Piter Gursky is Internet marketing expert who writes for various companies including BayTradeComputers.com (discounted computers and networking). Find out low priced computers and networking at http://www.baytradecomputers.com/

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Link Load Balancing

highreplica highreplica

Load balancing is the even distribution of computer processing and communication activities so that a server is not overwhelmed. Load balancing is especially important for networks where it is difficult to predict the number of requests that will be issued to a server.
Link Load Balancing balances out critical resources on data networks with unpredictable requests issued to a server.

For example, a web site with heavy traffic may employ two, three or more servers in a link load balancing program. The link load balancing routines enable a network to “juggle” more traffic that otherwise possible If one server is overwhelmed, the link load balancing scheme forwards them to a different server with extra capacity.
Another aspect to link load balancing concerns the communications channels themselves. In this case the “juggling act” is meant to better distribute processing and communications demands more equitably across the network so that no single a computer is overwhelmed by the demand.
Link Load Balancing - Key Features & Benefits First and foremost is “availability” - 24/7 Application Availability for complete IP Application access. Local and Global Service providers rely on redundancy and link load balancing between servers, WSD units and distributed sites for complete server continuity across global networks
Performance Network Bottlenecks - Link Load Balancing Network managers are constantly seeking new solutions for eliminating bottlenecks and latencies for the fastest performance of all networked applications and web-enabled transactions. The idea link load balancing technology combines both unlimited application scalability with flexible traffic distribution management of data centers and server farms.
Network Security - Link Load Balancing Link load balancing is a key element in the overall network Intrusion Prevention effort. Expert Link Load Balancing guards the network against internal and external attacks such as viruses, worms, Trojans, anti-scanning and protocol anomalies. Above all hovers the ultimate link load balancing challenge and network threat – DOS - Denial of Service.
Remember the song, “Take a load off Annie” Just listening to it makes you feel nice and relaxed… For maximum performance and 100 percent uptime, networks use link load balancing to even out resource use throughout the network.
Radware is the global leader in link load balancing solutions delivering maximum performance and security of critical networked applications. For more information on link load balancing , visit RadWare.
highreplica is the author related to [Load Balancer, Dual Port Router, Multiple Gateways, Server Load Balancing] (link: http://www.xrio.com/xrionet/) Xrio provide solutions for bandwidth management, load balancing, link bonding, server load balancing, multiple gateways, global traffic management, wan optimization, wan performance, isp, adsl, sdsl, dual port router, high availability router, local director, multihoming router, vpn clustering.

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Flash Drives

Flash Drives Made Simple
Lucas Kent

Eventhough most of our lives are stored on computers, many people still neglect to have a back up for their files. In the past backing up files was time consuming and required individual to use numerous floppy disks and/or cds. Today the flash drive is making backing up and transferring files quick and efficient.

A flash drive is a small, portable data storage device that plugs into the USB port of a computer. Flash drives are popular because they can hold a considerable amount of data and are fast, reliable, and portable. Before you go out and purchase a flash drive here are a few things you should consider: 1) Choose one that suits your style and will stand up to daily wear and tear. 2) Flash drives can hold 32Mb to 4Gb of data find a drive or drives that suit both your current and future needs, as your requirements for more capacity may grow. In terms of budget, as a general rule price increases with capacity. 3) Make sure that the drive is compatible with your PC and that it comes with software and/or it is easily downloaded from the web. 4) Ensure that the drive has write protect to avoid accidental erasure and if privacy is a concern, make sure that the drive can be password protected. As an educator I have found that having a flash drive saves me time and in the long run saves money.
Mr. L. Kent is an experienced educator and president of MrKent.Net - Education Technology Made Simple.

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The Quick and Byte-Free Tips in Buying Computers

Erwin Dulog

Buying a PC? With hundreds of brands and models out there, the choice is just overwhelming. You don’t want to end up with something puny, but neither do you want something too loaded with features that you don’t need anyway.

How to start then?
When you’re buying a computer, the first thing to decide is whether you need a desktop or a laptop. With that out of the way, you need to know then which features you want in your computer, as well as which PC manufacturer you want.
The primary benefit of buying a Windows-based PC is the popularity of the Microsoft Windows operating system. These computers have been top-of-the-line in terms of software compatibility, claiming about 90% of the market share. Most software application developers think about Windows first, while Mac second.
However the Apple Mac computer does have some advantages with regards to speed and performance. The Macintosh performs extremely well in terms of graphical editing, video, and multimedia, making more efficient use of memory and processing power. Macintoshes might have quite a number of profound strengths, but because of their low market share they can sometimes be found wanting in regards to compatibility with mainstream business software.
Once you’ve decided on the PC, the next thing to consider is the price. Be aware that computer manufacturers have a price tag that represents the barest bones computer and most probably, you’ll end up paying hundreds more dollars than the initial price tag once you have included all the configurations you need. Don’t be fooled by believing you have great value because of all the software that is included. Often you don’t need half of it.
Finally, consider the tech support offered by the company after purchase of your PC. Remember, you may get a really great deal, but if the computer breaks down, will you get the after sales support you need?
Erwin Dulog recommends [IMReach] (link: ”http://www.myoptimind.com/”>Optimind) for a Customized Web Design Sevices.

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System Strategy and Motherboard

Zahir Shah

Motherboard is the subsequent most important component in your systems to the processor. It and its main components like chips, BIOS, cache etc are the main system that utilises to organize the rest of the computers, supposing the processor is the brain of a compute.

Motherboard and his contained components is almost certainly most critical part of knowing to how a PCs work usually.
Following are the some of important functions which a motherboard plays on your systems:
Organization: Every part of your PC is finally connected to the Motherboard and in the track of that actually it is intended and laid out dictates how the whole PC is going to be organized.
Manage: Chips and BIOS program which included in motherboard organize the most data flow within the computer and motherboard.
Communication: Approximately all communication between a computer and its components, other PCs, and you, the user goes through the motherboard.
Processor Support: U could not include your desired processor but motherboard will dictates to which tip of processor they have required. Actually u will need of this information while u have to buy computer with a custom built computers like http://www.arbico.co.uk, they will allow u to prefer your desired components for your motherboard. Peripheral Support: For building a custom built PC, motherboard resolves to which type of components can include in your computer. However you can use quality peripherals in your computer according to your motherboard.
Performance: For two important causes, motherboard is a main determining factor in your PC. The first and a leading one is that the motherboard determines to what kind of memory, hard disk, system buses and processor use in a system to make it speedier, and these peripheral provide directly your systems performance. The second one is the quality of the motherboard circuitry and chipset which have an influence on the motherboard performance.
Upgradeability: How to enable u for a system upgrade, the ability of your motherboard give u the accurate direction. For instance, there are some motherboards like http://www.arbico.co.uk/Motherboard-p-1-c-357.html that will accept regular Pentiums of up to 133 MHz speed only, while the others will go to 200 MHz.
http://www.arbico.co.uk/ seo@arbico.co.uk Zahir Shah

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How To Select The Best Student Laptops

A Laptop Buying Guide For Students
Tim Childree

Laptops are the perfect educational tool for students. They can handle an innumerable amount of tasks and serve many different functions that allow students to consolidate all of their class assignments and home studies into one convenient location, which simplifies workflow and increases productivity.

The two most important things to look for in a student laptop are portability and battery life. This laptop will likely be carried in a backpack or shoulder bag from class to class, so you will definitely want a system that is light and easy to transport. There is also no guarantee that you will have access to an auxiliary power supply in your classroom or on campus, so you will most likely want a battery that lasts up to several hours per charge. Desktop real estate can be limited in your class, so you want to make sure your laptop is compact and economical in size, preferably around 14" X 10" in general dimensions.
As far as individual specifications, you can get by with most base configurations. A 1.66GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, a 40GB hard drive, and a standard DVD/CDRW drive should suffice, but you may wish to upgrade certain components depending on whether or not you intend to use your notebook for any extra curricular activities, such as gaming or multimedia production. Unless you intend to do higher-level networking, or unless your school requires domain-based authentication to access the school network (check with your IT department), Windows XP Home Edition should more than meet your needs for an Operating System.
Laptop computers have become the single most resourceful device a student can use for school. From providing instant access to a cornucopia of information for researching purposes to being able to process, edit and store a lifetime of documents and papers, laptops enable students to keep up with the intense demands and deadlines of academic life by providing them with the tools they need to better organize and execute their daily tasks and assignments whether at home, in class, or on the go. Please, check out these recommendations for the best notebook computers for students.
This article may be republished freely as long as this copyright notice and box of resource links are included at the bottom.
Copyright © 2007 MALIBAL, lLc
MALIBAL is the Home of the World's Fastest [laptops] (link: http://www.malibal.com/products/laptops/index.shtml) and unrivaled 24-hour USA-based support.

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Difference Between Impact Printers And Nonimpact Printers

Computer Printers
Makabongwe Maseko

What are printers? A printer is an output device that prints characters, symbols, and perhaps graphics on paper. The printed output is generally referred to as hardcopy because it is in relatively permanent form. Softcopy refers to temporary images such as those displayed on a monitor.

Printers are categorized according to whether or not the image produced is formed by physical contact of the print mechanism with the paper. Impact printers have contact; nonimpact printers do not.
Impact printers
An impact printer has mechanisms resembling those of a typewriter. It forms characters or images by striking a mechanism such as a print hammer or wheel against an inked ribbon, leaving an image on paper. Impact printers are dying out; however, you may still come in contact with a dot-matrix printer. A dot-matrix printer contains a print head of small pins that strike an inked ribbon, forming characters or images. Print heads are available with 9, 18, or 24 pins; the 24-pin head offers the best print quality. Dot-matrix printers permit a choice between output of draft quality; a coarser-looking 72 dots per inch vertically, which may be acceptable for drafts of papers and reports, and near-letter-quality, a crisper-looking 144 dots per inch vertically, which is more suitable for a finished product to be shown to other people.
Dot-matrix printers print about 40-300 characters per second (cps) and can print some graphics, although the reproduction quality is poor. Color ribbons are available for limited use of color. Dot-matrix printers are noisy, inexpensive, and they can print through multipart forms, creating several copies of a page at the same time, which ninimpact printers cannot do.
Another type of impact printer is not used with microcomputers. Large computer installations use high-speed line printers, which print a whole line of characters at once rather a single character at a time. Some, called chain printers, contain characters on a rotating chain; others, called band printers, contain characters on a rotation band. Speeds of up to 3000 lines a minute may be possible with these machines.
Nonimpact Printers
Nonimpact printers, used almost everywhere now, are faster and quieter than impact printers because they have fewer moving parts. Nonimpact printers form characters and images without direct physical contact between the printing mechanism and the paper.
Two types of nonimpact printers often used with microcomputers are laser printers and ink-jet printers.
Laser Printer: Like a dot-matrix printer, a laser printer creates images with dots. However, as in a photocopying machine, these images are created on a drum, treated with a magnetically charged ink-like toner (powder), and then transferred from drum to paper. - There are good reasons why laser printers are so popular. They produce sharp, crisp images of both text and graphics, providing resolutions from 300 dpi up to 1200 dpi, which is near-typeset quality (NTQ). They are quiet and fast. They can print 4-32 text-only pages per minute for individual microcomputers, and more than 120 pages per minute for mainframes. (Pages with more graphics print more slowly.) They can print in many fonts (type styles and sizes). The more expensive models can print in different colors.
- Laser printers have built-in RAM chips to store documents output from the computer. If you are working in desktop publishing and printing complicated documents with color and many graphics, you will need a printer with a lot of RAM. Laser printers also have their own ROM chips to store fonts and their own small dedicated processor. To be able to manage graphics and complex page design, a laser printer works with a page description language, a type of software that has become a standard for printing graphics on laser printers. A PDL (page description language) is software that describes the shape and position of letters and graphics to the printer. PostScript, from Adobe Systems, is one common type of page description language; HPGL, Hewlett-Packard Graphic Language, is another.
Ink-jet printer: Like laser and dot-matrix printers, ink-jet printers also form images with little dots. Ink-jet printers spray small, electrically charged droplets of ink from four nozzles through holes in a matrix at high speed onto paper.
- Ink-jet printers can print in color and are quieter and much less expensive than a color laser printer. However, they are slower and print in a somewhat lower resolution (300-720 dpi) than laser printers. Some new, expensive ink-jet printers print up 1200 or 1400 dpi. High resolution output requires the use of special coated paper, which costs more regular paper. And, if you are printing color graphics at a high resolution on an ink-jet printer, it may take 10 minutes or more for a single page finish printing.
- A variation on ink-jet technology is the bubble-jet printer, which use miniature heating elements to force specially formulated inks through print heads with 128 tiny nozzles. The multiple nozzles print fine images at high speeds. This technology is commonly used in portable printers.
Things to take into account when buying a printer, is the printer easy to set up? Easy to operate? Do I need color? or black will do? Does the manufacturer offer a good warranty and good telephone technical support? Otherwise its wise to own your own personal printer and get to know the answer to these questions.
Makabongwe Maseko offers advice on computers and technology on his weblog "Computer Latest News Technology". For more information and tips on technology and computers visit: http://computer-latest-news-technology.new-technology-information.net/

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Quick Guide on Buying Personal Computers

Are you planning to buy your first PC or you would like to purchase a new one? There are hundreds of brands and models available online and on traditional PC stores which makes choosing a computer an overwhelming task.

Computers are definitely an investment so be careful on choosing because you don't want to spend your money to end up with something unreliable or those loaded with features that you wouldn't need anyway. Below are quick tips and guides on buying a Personal computer;
1. What is your alloted budget? You could dream of having the most high end personal computer but will your fund tally with it's price tag? Set a range for the amount that you are willing to spend, keep in mind that you will be buying an investment so don't be too frugal but at the same time do not overspend.
2. Decide whether you need a desktop or a laptop. Will you need it for computer works that can be done at home or do you need a portable laptop which you can bring at the office, school or almost everywhere.
3. Determine the features that you want in your computer. Will you need something with basic specs or do you need a customized PC that can cater to your gaming or multimedia needs. Do you want a PC with built-in web cam or would you want to buy it separately.
4. Have a short list of PC manufacturers that you want and trust your money on. You can research online for reviews and testimonials about PC lines.
5. Choose the Operating System(OS) for your computer. Most PCs are Windows-based because of the popularity of Microsoft's OS & most software are compatible with their OS. On the other hand their main rival is Mac, who boasts their speed and performance. It is highly recommended for multimedia creation which involves graphics or video editing. But the main disadvantage is most popular softwares do not support Mac's OS.
6. If possible, select the software that will be included and make sure that those that will be installed are the applications that really need because often times you would pay for additional costs for installed software that you don't even use.
7. Check out the technical support offered by the company. It will be handy to have a reliable and accessible sales support if your computer breaks down .
Before buying a PC and after reading these quick tips, you can browse online for product reviews, price comparison and more! As mentioned earlier, personal computers are investments so it won't hurt to research a thing or two before deciding what PC to buy.

Mei Galang recommends the Classifieds section of OzFreeOnline.com which have the best selection of computers and other gadgets. Visit OzFreeOnline today for [free ads posting] (link: http://classifieds.ozfreeonline.com/) or view listings and get the best deal in computers!

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Why Do Computer Users Need Backup

Computer Files Backup

Makabongwe Maseko

First whats the meaning of backup? Back up is the name given to diskettes, or disks that can store copies of programs and then stored elsewhere.
Even with the best of care, any disk can suddenly fail for reasons you cant understand. Many computer users have found themselves unable to retrieve data from disks that worked perfectly the day before, because some defect has damaged a single track or small sector.

Hard disks do crash. Any personal computer system can be hit by power overloads, water or misconducts.
Thus, users and big or small companies should always think about backup. The best protection if youre writing, designing, researching something is to make two copies of your data. One copy may be on your hard disk, certainly, but duplicates should be on tape, disks or removable hard disks cartridges, recordable CD-ROMs or flash drives.
If you are backing up less than 10MB, you can use diskettes since that is the most they can take, if you are backing up more than 10MB, then a tape, disks or flash drives can be more efficient. If you work with files daily, then you would be most secure if you backed up all your files every day. If you work with files only occasionally, you need to determine how often backup is needed. And remember to keep the backup media in a different place. If your computer system and your backup disks are in the some structure and the place burns down, your backup is obviously worthless. So consider moving them to a different place or location.
Some microcomputer software programs provide automatic backup. One program would be with Colorado scheduler. What you do is you insert your disk in the disk drive and with a single mouse click on the Colorado scheduler icon, the computer takes care of the backup.
Almost all large computer systems have scheduled automatic backup of either full backup or only those files that have changed since the last backup session.
You should note that some storage medias last longer than others. We have seen tapes deteriorate day by day. And will eventually deteriarate in the next 5 years. But this also depends on how its stored. Hard disks cartridges have shelf life of about 10 years, according to most hard disks manufactures. You can get MO drives but they are more expensive yet also more durable.
The life span of a CD-ROM disk is almost unlimited. Thus you need to archive your backup material before deciding on a storage medium.
Now, be sure to have a timed backup strategy. By this, if you add and change data every day, set your backup software (if you have one) to back up those files every night. And you could keep two storage cartridges: a working one and one stored in safe place. Then exchange the cartridges on weekly bases.
Backing up your information and research has to be a must in your life. If you have not lost any work due to computer crushes, disk damage, or viruses then you better backup you data before it happens. Dont wait for it to happen to you.
Makabongwe Maseko offers advice on computers and technology on his weblog "Computer Latest News Technology". For more information and tips on technology and computers visit: http://computer-latest-news-technology.new-technology-information.net/

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Search Computer

Finding that perfect computer can be a challenge when the standards are always changing and you have no idea what the best computer for your needs is. It seems that the “best” computers are from different manufacturers every computer season. So just how do you get your self the best deal on the computer that is perfect for you?One thing to remember is never forget about the basics - the hardware.

Notebook computers basically require three things to run. They need ample hard drive storage space to record great amounts of files without fear of using up all the storage space.They also need plenaty of RAM. This short-term memory is the process essentially runs open applications, so the more of it your Laptop Computer has, the faster and greater amount of multitasking it can get done. Notebook Computers need a super fast processor to juice up the online experience plus the speed of your applications.Dont forget to inspect the included options that a Laptop Computer offers. Depending on what you require your Laptop Computer for, you might need mobility such as wireless Wi Fi technology, USB and FireWire ports, and mobile chip technologies like Intel's new Centrino. Accessories should focus on a Notebook Computer's primary benefit over desktops, which is, of course, mobility.Don’t forget to compare the best of its class with the middle of the road model. Sometimes the best and fastest is not needed for your purposes and you will just be wasting money on power you will never use. This is a list to help you know which elements to look for that all top-breed computer laptops possess.Just as you would when buying your desktop computer, you need to consider your needs when you’re looking for laptops. No longer is their primary purpose their ability to be carried. Now there are laptops strictly made for playing video games. Others are packed with the high-tech graphics programs to design these video games. While other notebooks are loaded with business capabilities such as Bluetooth wireless access and FireWire ports. You need to decide what you want it for and buy accordingly.If you are looking for portability, then many laptops today are made in a mini size and this is being embraced by consumers worldwide. The world of technology is becoming less cumbersome. The ease with which people are able to conduct business, communicate and have fun using technology pushes the industry to create small versions of just about anything and laptops are no different.In the end, there are the other things that make a laptop great. If you are looking for one of the better computers, you need to take all the elements into consideration. Body weight, chassis style, screen size, battery life - these are the elements that some shoppers overlook.Lee Dobbins writes for The Technology Webzone where you can learn more about computers, cell phones, PDA's and other technology.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins

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Computer's Data Security: Necessity and Myth

There is no 100 % protection for your computer. But this doesn't mean you cannot prevent you data to be unauthorized accessed.
Once I was chatting with my colleagues about the security issues and the ways the information can be protected. Our main goal was to understand if the Dekart family products can be used for assuring data access protection. We were talking about existing software, about the devices available for buyers and about the percentage of an assurance we can get from these tools available on the modern market so far.

We also touched the other side of protection: it's vulnerability. We came to the conclusion that it is not simple to get the information protected, as there are many well-established strategies and methods developers (to say nicely), whose target is to get to know what is valuable for you.
But anyway there are the directions we can work on in order to minimize the risks for unauthorized access to our data. Here are they.
1. If you want to protect your data it is important to assure the building (office, home), security access and protection. There are many security agencies available on the market, which can be of real help. They have different protection strategies and tools. But as this is not directly related to your computer we will let the specialists in the area to let us know about it and we will move forward.
2. Hardware protection. There are many tools available for computer protection, like physical computers locks, which may be locked through a hole in the desk/object, or can be locked to a mounting bracket affixed to the vertical surface. There are different kits, mostly consisting of security cables and locks. These anti-theft devices are designed for Notebook laptops and PCs, with special requirements adjusted for different models.
3. Computer data access limiting. There are tolls and software, which may be used for home and business computer access protection. The multifactor authentification (with password, pin code and biometric data) can be used with Dekart Logon software, which can be of real help for storing all passwords to Windows machines on one removable storage device and add the strong authentication and convenience to the standard Windows logon procedure.
4. Information encryption. While we were talking about these issues, we were able to note that there is a tool which can protect data, even if it is stolen, even if there will be the most brilliant software hackers working on getting to know it. It is amazing! We were surprised to get to know that any important data can be stored and encrypted with Dekart Private Disk, which an easy-to-use, reliable, user-friendly and smart program. It is of real help in creating encrypted disk partitions (drive letters) to keep private and confidential data secure. It uses 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard. So, here is a no risk solution to protect data!
5. E-mail protection.
6. And the last important thing to note is don't forget to assure that you have the same plans for the part of the world, as God has in terms of earth cracks, tsunami, etc.
Together with our colleagues we came to conclusion that there is no perfect security environment, although it is not wise at all to stay unaware of the risks existed and to minimize the solutions to this issue available. At least we were satisfied with Dekart Products we were testing, so we decided to get Dekart Private Disk and Dekart Logon.
This is not so difficult topic to understand. We just wanted to encourage you to think of solutions existed. Just look for the information and act!
(More on Dekart Logon http://www.dekart.com/products/authentication_access/logon/) (More on Dekart Private Disk http://www.dekart.com/products/file_disk_encryption/private_disk/)
Ceban Liuba Born in 1974 in Ukraine (former USSR) Now lives in Moldova Since 1998 works on Internet Since 2004 works in the IT security Software Company as a Technical Writer

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How to Backup Your Computer Files

As I write this, it's early December, and try as I might, I can't remember what my new year's resolution was last time around. One thing I can say with near hundred percent certainty is that whatever it was, I failed to keep it. Maybe you're the same. Maybe you resolved to quit smoking, lose weight, or read more. We all make promises with ourselves, then fail to keep those promises. Worst of all, those promises might be exactly what we need most.

Consider this: When was the last time you backed up your computer files? Last month? Last year? Never?Let's make a new year's resolution together, you and I. Let's promise to back up our computers. It's important, I promise. Just yesterday the automatic backup feature in MS Word saved me about an hour's work when my computer froze up. Given that I haven't backed up my computer in almost a year, I can't even imagine how much data I'd lose if I suffered a power surge or hard drive failure. It can happen to the best of us, and often does. Even high end hard drive manufacturers report an average failure rate of between five and eight per thousand every year. That may not sound like much, but let's face it, somebody has to be those five to eight people. Feeling lucky? There are about 185 million household PCs in the U.S., according to Computer Industry Almanac, so that means about 150,000 hard drives fail each year. But even if your drive stays intact, about a tenth of all computers suffer minor data loss in any given year. A power surge, the magnets in your home stereo speakers, or even an accidental nudge can affect data storage. According to a report from the ONTRACK data recovery service, data loss can be caused by natural disasters (3% of cases), computer viruses (7%), software problems (14%), and plain old user error (a whopping 32%). Now, I'm sure you never hit a wrong keyboard button, but do you have a button on your computer that prevents a bolt of lightning? I didn't think so.WHEREAS our data is important, and disaster can befall even the most noble and undeserving of us, BE IT RESOLVED that you and I shall back up our computer files forthwith.Amen, brothers and sisters. Now, where and how do we start?STEP ONE: Choosing FavoritesNot all files are important enough to preserve for posterity. The most critical files on a computer are its operating system files. If you're a good little consumer, you bought the operating system and kept those CDs handy and secure from data loss. If you're not, then remind yourself to go stand in the corner later. The drones at Microsoft did not work for years just to watch you steal their work. It's people like you that keep Bill Gates from buying his second planet. Now that you've been suitably chastised, either go buy a legal copy of the operating system, or include the necessary files in your "must back up" list.The same principle goes for software applications. Maybe you bought an ad and spyware blocker you really like, but the company that coded it has since gone out of business (perhaps because other consumers weren't as scrupulous as you). If so, include the files you need to run the app in your must list. Now it's time to look at the remaining files on your computer and prioritize. If you're not a digital packrat like me, it may be possible to save everything. If so, congratulations. I don't have ten gigabytes of portable media at my disposal, so when I back up my computer, I'll be leaving a few gigs of MP3s and questionable Windows Media files at risk. One of the first things I will save is the folder I use to save my writing assignments, because that data represents money in my pocket. I'll back up my email address book, plus my digital photography and fiction writing efforts. I can live without "Milkshake" (what was I thinking?), but the guitar piece my friend recorded and sent to me is going on the list. Your results may vary.STEP TWO: In Which I Tell You Where You Can Put ItThat's right, this is the section in which I'll tell you where to store your data. It's not a good idea to put backup files on another drive on the same computer. That defeats the whole purpose. Duplicating your files on another computer in the same LAN is almost as risky, because computer viruses can spread as fast as an imaginary Anna Kournikova JPEG. You need to find a portable storage medium that can hold all the files on your must list. Your options include floppy diskettes, portable hard drives, optical drives, tape drives, and remote servers. We'll look at each in turn.Hard diskettes, the old familiar 3.5" squares, hold up to 1.44 megabytes of data. They're cheap, but 1.44 MB is less than two percent of the ten gigs of data on my hard drive. Even if each of those files were smaller than 1.44 MB (and each weren't), I'm not keen on the idea of buying, labeling, and storing fifty diskettes. Next idea, please.Most computer experts rely on removable hard drives for memory backups. The most popular of these drives are the Zip drive from Iomega and the ORB drive from Castlewood. They're relatively inexpensive and hold up to two gigs of data. Basically, you'll save your data on a Zip disk, then transfer it from the disk to the portable drive. The catch is that removable drives fail about as often as regular hard drives. They may even be more susceptible to damage from dust and rough handling. A sub-option here is to use a permanent hard drive as a removable drive. At up to two hundred gigs, conventional hard drives are bigger than removable drives, and prices have dropped enough in recent years to make this idea practical. Whatever kind of hard drive you decide to use, make sure to keep it isolated from dust, magnetic charges, and static electricity.Optical drives use a laser to store information, rather than a magnet. Even if you're not a tech junkie, that's probably enough information to give you a clearer idea what we're talking about: namely, CDs and DVDs. Less common are EO (erasable optical) and WORM (write once, read many) media; they're less common because they cost over $1000 per drive. CDs, on the other hand, cost less than a buck and can hold up to 650 megabytes. DVDs hold up to five gigs and cost about fifteen dollars apiece. Most computers nowadays have either a CD or DVD writer (or both), but write times can be slow. My CD writer, for example, works best on the 300 kilobyte per second settingif then. I'll be using the remote server option. At $250 and up, tape drives are more expensive and slower than hard drives or optical media, hence less common, but also extremely reliable.Remote servers are third party companies that store data online for a fee. This is a great option for broadband Internet users, especially people like me who don't own a reliable data writer. SkyDesk runs http://www.Backup.com , Back-Up Solutions maintains http://www.BackUpHelp.com , and Iomega hosts iServer ( http://www.Iomega.com ). XDrive ( http://www.xdrive.com ), once a free service, now charges ten bucks a month for up to five gigs of storage. Promotions and other rates change, so it's a good idea to shop around before selecting a remote storage service.STEP THREE: Git 'er DoneNow it's time to put the files you want to save on the storage medium you've chosen. There are several ways to do this. Your CD writer, for example, may come with proprietary disk writing software. That application may even include a backup option. If it does, and you're more familiar with that software than Windows features, then that's the way to go. Otherwise, backup is still relatively easy on all MS operating systems since Windows 98. Windows 98, Windows ME, and Windows XP Professional include a built-in Backup utility. To run it, just click on Start, then Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, then Backup. How easy was that? If you're using the XP Home edition, you may need to add the utility manually. If so, insert the Windows XP CD into your disk drive and wait for the "Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP" screen. (You may need to double-click the CD icon in My Computer.) Then click on Perform Additional Tasks and Browse This CD. In Windows Explorer, double-click the ValueAdd folder, then Msft, then Ntbackup. Double-clicking on Ntbackup.msi will install the utility. Once it's installed, you can also run the program by clicking Start and Run, then typing msbackup.exe (Windows 98 and Windows ME) or ntbackup.exe (Windows XP) in the Open field. Click OK, and you'll be off to the races.Incidentally, the Windows XP Backup utility also includes a bonus application called the Automated Recovery Wizard. This creates a bootable floppy that initiates backup if the hard drive must be replaced. Other options for "disaster recovery" include BackUp MyPC from Stomp ( http://www.StompInc.com , $79) and Norton Ghost 9.0 from Symantec ( http://www.Norton.com , $69.95). Ghost actually allows users to duplicate the contents of their computer over the Internet. Both have earned stellar reviews from top PC magazines.Don't let another month go by without protecting the files you value most. My girlfriend justifies her messy car by saying she "lives out of it." Well, I live out of my computer. It's not just my office; it's the home of cherished memories in the form of pictures, MP3, and other data files. I'm resolved to keep it safe.

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Computers & Internet

One can easily say that these are the inventions of the century. It has done what one could not imagine. It has open the doors of the world to the world.
What are you thinking now? Whatever you do, just put that in a search engine, you will be amazed to see the data on that, its amazing. Information on fingertips, one just has to type that.
At this day and age, the current of terms of literacy says that a person who doesn't know about computers is not literate.

It simply shows as to how deeply this is involved in every walk of life, just name it.

There is a tendency of humans to accept change with time or not accept it at all. Change does cause stress. See the bright aspect. These inventions have changed the face of the world.
Businesses are stretched from one corner of the world to another. Who says that you have to hire someone in your local area to get your work done, you can get a person have your work done on the portals that serve as a bridge between the company and the skilled.
Do you want to express yourself? Do you want to do business? Do you want to set a school? Whatever you think, you can do that here. Its a whole new world, with its own set of rules.
Its because of this the world has really shrunk into a small ball, where people can visit the jungles of Africa sitting in their homes, roaming on the islands on a starry night, being on top of the highest mountains. I believe as things are going, in a few years people will be getting transported through lines, just a vivid imagination, but thats how we see things have been coming into being. Who could have thought that we could see the world moving in a box, TV.
This is all really amazing and really cool. I just heard a statement a few days ago and was making it a part of my data bank by repeating it again and again that "Internet Is A Multi Billion Dollar Industry".
Another thing that is pretty remarkable is that the older generation is not much into using computers and have been greatly affected by it, cause they thought that they could not adapt to this change. I believe we must have something made for them that they could use it with a whole lot ease and comfort, in terms of gadgets or programs, could be anything, its just a thought.
One just can write so much on this. These are some thoughts that I wanted to share. Hope you enjoyed.
http://www.keeptheheartsalive.com

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Surplus & Refurbished Computers Are New Computers!

A computer that is a "surplus computer" just means that a manufacturer has an excess, overstock, or slightly obsolete inventories in HUGE quantities that were purchased. What that means for you, our customer, is truly remarkable discount computer prices! These benefits and values of surplus computers were traditionally available to only large volume commercial buyers, dealers, and corporate level buyers.

But now discount computers are also sold retail so you can get all the benefits too.

The manufacturers of surplus and refurbished computers are committed to offering tremendous savings to you, the retail customer. Desktop PCs, laptops, notebooks, barebones, whole computer systems, computer accessories, everything in computers you can find in surplus and discount computers.
Sometimes repackaged products are sold as surplus or discount computers but they are always evaluated, tested and quality assured, fully functional and repackaged for shipment.
Also, sometimes sold as surplus computers or discount computers are open box products, which are retested, quality assured, fully functional and complete. The customer can expect original manufacturer packaging.
So take a look around online and see all the great deals you can find on surplus, discount, and refurbished computers.
Here is a great place to start out... Check out our directory to see all the great deals! http://www.a1-computers.net/refurbishedcomputer.html

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Be a Computer Genius in No Time

Author: Jon Caldwell
Modern boards use plastic stand-offs to which the board simply snaps into place or is fastened to by ties. Older PC casings use brass ones that need paper or cardboard washers for the task. There may also be an issue with the alignment of the board itself (there was an issue with Gigabyte boards sometime back that had the whole board sagging in one place of the other which prevented the memory modules from seating properly.

Use plastic tie-downs where a plastic tie is used to pull the board into alignment to solve this type of problems.

Next, check if the power supply has a switch at the rear if it is on (older models) and see if it works. Check for any foreign metal objects that may be stuck between the board and the case which is shorting it out, again the protection circuit would prevent power up to avoid damage to the various sensitive electronics. A faulty motherboard fan can also be causing the problem so check the fan if it works. You might have also forgotten to connect the power button to the board (along with the reset button) so check that too. A shorted reset switch can also keep the board in a state of permanent off, unplug it to see if that works.

Some motherboards are so sensitive to cooling that no fans connected to the on-board fan connectors would prevent power-up to avoid ruining the processor (this would be the case if you were using externally powered or special/exotic cooling systems) try plugging in a fan or two to see if it works. The worst case is to get the lights and fans working but still there are no beeps, display or other signs of life for it may be a signal of a dead board or power supply.

If your bare systems now functions, you can then add your components one at a time so you can continue to eliminate any problem device. The prices of computer parts have indeed gone down so much that they are affordable to most. If one does not want to spend all the time tinkering and wondering what is wrong then a trip to the computer repair shop would be an easier alternative.

If you by chance got yourself a good deal on a second-hand computer that works just right and is affordable enough o allow you to upgrade some parts then you indeed got a good deal. As you get home, you setup your prize and power-up only to find that the system is locked down by a password. A boot password or worse a system password can prevent access to the contents of the hard drive or the system itself leaving you stranded in the boot-up menu. Don't fret, for there are ways to get around the problem and these work almost all of the time in getting you up and running in no time at all.

First, if you can get hold of nifty utilities from trusted sites of the internet, then that would be easier but it can sometimes corrupt the bios of the system as it forces a program to open the said part of your computer system so be cautious and read all recommendations and instructions in the readme file so you don't cause further problems.

If you're in a hurry and don't have a second computer to do a search, you can always consult the motherboard's manual or simply look at the board for any pins that are labeled BIOS reset/normal. This is a failsafe mechanism which is built in by manufacturers into their boards to allow use of a locked system as yours.

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