Almost everyone wants their computer or laptop to run a little faster, and the internet is full of information. However, all of those tips might not be so helpful or even true. When it comes to computer or laptop advice, you should always take it with a grain of salt unless it comes from a reputable resource that has expert level knowledge of your particular computer configuration.
Here are 5 “tips” to improve computer or laptop performance that will do nothing more than waste a little time, money or even cause other computing problems.
Disabling Windows quality of service (QoS)/Windows Update will free 20% of bandwidth.
Somehow somebody got the idea that Microsoft reserves 20% of bandwidth for Windows Update. We aren’t sure where the rumor started, but we are sure of one thing – it’s not true. In fact disabling the service can cause programs like VoIP to behave unreliably. The rumor became so prevalent that Microsoft released an official statement as early 2006 dispelling the not so useful tip. However, the information still seems to be lingering. Do yourself a favor and just nod and walk away if you get this less than useful piece of information.
Defragmenting your hard drive to much will wear it out.
Not only is this piece of advice not true, it is so untrue, the opposite is true. Reducing fragmentation can dramatically reduce to the amount of disk access required to read and write files. For example, if you have a disk that is fragmented into 30 segments and you access 3 files a day for a week, that will result in 630 interactions with the disk. In this example, defragmenting the disk may result in 75 to 100 disk accesses, but that small effort will reduce the daily access to 21 since the disk will then be in one segment – resulting in a total of 121 accesses even when you include defragmentation. The numbers will obviously be much larger in the real world, but even this simplistic example shows you should ignore this defragmentation advice.
You have to buy an expensive, name brand hard drive to get the best performance.
There are many branded specialty hard drives that promise speed at a premium. These drives are fast, but likely not fast enough to justify the extra investment in all but the most special of cases. You can get the same performance for a fraction of the cost by buying a hard drive with a similar configuration and performance statistics and then use a technique called “short stroking” to minimize the physical space the drive heads have to move between. You can save some cash and still have a fast machine. That sounds like a good deal to us.
Using anti-virus/anti-spyware/anti-malware will slow down your computer.
This particular myth is wrong and dangerous. It might have been true a long time ago that anti-virus and other malware applications negatively and drastically impacted performance, but it’s no longer true. Computing constantly changes and improves. Anti-virus and malware software is no exception. Most operating systems now provide low level access and regular updates to computer protection software resulting in a minimal performance hit. If you use a computer, you should have anti-virus software pretty much without exception. The news (or even your friends) is filled with stories of the nasty things that viruses, trojans and other malicious digital beasts can do. Unless you like computing mayhem – go ahead and skip this dangerous gem of advice.
Your computer is running slow because you have too much stuff installed/saved.
This sounds so logical; how could possibly be untrue? Easy. Computer performance in all but a few cases has nothing to do with how much data or how many applications are on the machine. As long as a computer has around 15 percent of the hard drive free, there is typically not a noticeable performance impace. The number of applications actually executing could definitely cause you a problem, but installs – nope – this myth is busted.
Computers have grown so sophisticated so quickly many people aren’t sure of exactly what to believe. That is why it is important you take time to research your questions with the manufacturer, vendor or professional services organization like RGB Computers. If you have questions, feel free to contact us anytime.
Have Wi-Fi dead spots? Tired of your office looking like you battled some electrical beast and kept its dozen cord-like tentacles for trophies on your floor? Or, maybe you live in a rural area that does not have the infrastructure for DSL or other broadband internet technologies. Well, there is another option for creating a network – using power lines .
Ethernet over power lines is a technology to carry internet signals over the same wiring that carries electrical currents. Although many people are unaware of the technology, it has been in existence for almost two decades. It allows users who have difficulty getting a consistent Wi-Fi connection due to issues such as walls blocking signals, have a network connection. Users also benefit from a reduction in the total number cables of required to create a network.
There is typically at least one power outlet in every room of a home or office; any outlet can become a data port by plugging in a cell phone-sized ethernet over power line adapter. Computers access the network by connecting to the adapter using an ethernet cable; in most cases, no additional software is required and the network does not use additional power. Ethernet over power line use a combination of three different technologies to establish connectivity which include radio waves, wireless networking and a modem, and provide theoretical connection speeds of up to approximately 200 mb/sec (actual speeds are usually less than half the theoretical limit) and cost less than US $100.00 per adapter.
Most powerline adapters provide configurable encryption to prevent eavesdropping and to avoid interference by additional networks of power line adapters that are on the same circuit. Unlike many networking solutions, power line networks are easy to setup; they are pretty much plug in and go. The adapters detect all computers on the network and automatically create a network. The adapters have little, if any software. If they do require software, it will be to provide configuration information like an encryption key.
There different (and competing) standards for ethernet over power lines:
- HomePlug AV (most current)
- Universal Powerline Association
- International Telecommunication Union G.hn
Although adoption of the technology has been slow in the US, around 40 vendors offer ethernet overpower line adapters. Additionally several power utility companies offer broadband over power lines.
If you would like more information abou powerline adapters or if you are ready to establish your own feel free to contact us today.
Only a few years ago, 32-bit vs. 64-bit was something that only people using Linux had to concern themselves with, but that has quickly changed. Now almost every computer or laptop has both 64-bit and 32-bit options. You might be preparing to purchase a new computer or do an upgrade to an existing system and wondering, “Which version should I choose?” or “Does it really matter and why?”.
The amount of data a chip can process at once is the main difference between 32-bit and 64-bit processors. The 64-bit CPUs can handle more memory and larger files. However, even if your computer has a 64-bit processor, it will not be able to benefit from it unless it also has a 64-bit operating system.
The primary benefit of moving to a 64-bit system is improved performance. The performance benefit is related to two factors: the ability to use more RAM and amount of data that can be moved around is increased. 32-bit operating systems are typically limited to using 4 gigs of RAM, even if more is installed on the computer. This means that processing power has an upper limit. In contrast, 64-bit systems can access over 16 billion gigabytes of memory – much more than your computer can likely accommodate. This means that a 64-bit system can use much more memory and ultimately perform faster.
Keep in mind that only applications that are optimized for 64-bit will run faster than their 32-bit equivalents. Also, unless you are performing very memory intense tasks like video editing or complex mathematical calculations you probably won’t notice a huge performance difference between a 64-bit and 32-bit system with the same amount of RAM.
There are a few considerations for moving to a 64-bit system. The first possible issue associated with 64-bit operating systems – one that might eliminate the option entirely – is does your CPU support 64-bit. The processor in your computer must have 64-bit support. Although the majority of computers today support 64-bit software, older or lower-end, less expensive budget devices may not.
Another possible challenge of moving to a 64-bit operating system is that some hardware drivers or other software programs may not be available in 64-bit versions. Although most 32-bit applications will function properly on a 64-bit operating system, some like low-level device drivers and anti-virus applications may not.
You should also be aware that more disk space is typically required to install a 64-bit operating system than the 32-bit version. However, this isn’t an issue on most modern computers given the extremely large hard drives.
If you still have more questions, feel free to contact one of our computer consultants.
The cloud storage and sharing application DropBox had grown tremendously in popularity. No familiar with Dropbox? It is a “freemium” cloud-based application for storing files. Users install a small utility that allows the content to be synched among multiple devices like laptops, tablet, smart phone or any device that supports a web browser.
The company announced earlier this year that it now has 25 million users globally – over 500% of growth in less than a year. It isn’t just registrations. Users are saving more than 200 million files per day; that’s more files per day than tweets on Twitter. Pretty impressive for a company that doesn’t spend a dime on advertising.
Even if you are using Dropbox, there is a big chance you aren’t taking full advantage of its capabilities. There are many uses for Dropbox beyond just basic file synchronization and sharing. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Access Portable Applications from Everywhere
Many applications don’t have an installation or are supported by portable application solutions, which means they can be run from any PC. Many people carry commonly used portable applications around on a thumb drive, but those could be easily lost or damaged. A better solution is to store your must have portable applications on Dropbox where they can be synchronized to all of your machines.
A similar idea is to store application settings files in Dropbox so that your application settings are always kept in synch across all machines.
Monitor Computer Use Remotely
Do you want to keep an eye on your teens computer activities? Another novel solution for Dropbox is to monitor the use of a computer. You can install a silent key logger or screen capture program and configure the application to store its log files to your Dropbox folder, which makes the file accessible everywhere.
Cloud Storage for Your iTunes
Instead of sharing your iTunes or other music library with your family using a shared hard drive, just drop the files in your Dropbox folder. Once the library is on Dropbox all of the songs, ratings, etc. are instantly accessible by everyone you’ve shared the Dropbox folder. Users that want to access the iTunes library hold down the Shift key (or Option for Macs) while opening iTunes, and a prompt that allows the new iTunes library to be selected is displayed. Select the Dropbox folder and you are ready to go.
An added benefit is that you can even listen to your music library stored on Dropbox using the web interface.
Automatically Trigger Events Remotely
Many applications include features that monitor a folder and perform some task if file is found. You can trigger this work remotely by having the application monitor your Dropbox folder. The more technically saavy could create a custom script that monitors a folder. This solution is obviously not a solution for sophisticated scheduling software, but it does work.
Have you recently heard someone grumbling, “This computer really needs a RAM upgrade.” in a somewhat exasperated tone and wondered why. Random Access Memory (RAM) is computer memory; it is essentially the short-term memory for your computer. Without adequate memory a computer may perform sluggishly and become frustrating to use. Upgrading a computer’s RAM is one of the fastest and least expensive strategies to improve computer performance. In general, a RAM upgrade can result in:
- Better multi-tasking: Your computer will be able to run more programs simultaneously without freezing.
- Faster web browsing: Although connection speed impacts how quickly web pages load, so does RAM. Many pages include interactive components like flash and streaming video that leverage RAM. Upgrading RAM can significantly improve your web browsing experience.
- Multi-media editing: Editing video, audio and even images requires significant amounts of RAM. Unless you load up, you are likely to become frustrated waiting for your computers to catch up with your requests.
- Improved operating system responsiveness: Many operating systems like Windows come with a dizzying number of features and many of those consume RAM. Although computers list minimum RAM requirements, in most cases minimum memory will result in minimal responsiveness.
Things to Consider When Upgrading RAM
Not all RAM is the same. Although it is relatively straightforward to obtain and upgrade RAM, determining the type of RAM your computer needs can be a challenge. If you select the wrong type it will not be compatible with your computer.
What things vary about RAM? There are different types of RAM such as Fast Page (FPM) and SDRAM which are not compatible with each other. In addition, the sockets that hold the RAM inside of the computer vary; it is important to get RAM that is the right size and with the correct pin modules or it will not fit in your computer. Finally, many computers may have maximum limits for the amount of RAM they can actually use.
If you are unsure of type of RAM you need, you should consult a professional repair service like RGB Computer Solutions.
The Death of Unlimited Internet
They say all good things must come to an end. I suppose that’s true. Verizon has announced that it will no longer support an unlimited data plan. Verizon’s move follow in footsteps of AT & T, which eliminated it unlimited data plan last summer.
Mobile device purchases have steadily escalated over the last several years and constantly connected consumers are straining network capacities embracing cloud computing other services. This is especially true as the lines between device blur - phones like the T-Mobile My Touch can become a portable hotspot and share precious bandwidth with the masses. (A feature we happen to love.)
A study conducted by Nielsen last year indicated that smart phone data consumption averaged 300MB a month. However, Nielson did not exclude smartphone owners that did not use data services. Therefore, the statics are skewed slightly lower than the actual consumption rate for customers that use bandwidth.
Will It Spread?
It will likely only be a matter of time before all wireless carriers adopt a similar stance. The smart phone bandwidth usage graph looks like a steep isosceles triangle climbing with no end in sight.
Nielson’s data shows data consumption increased from 90MB per month, during the first quarter of 2009, to 298MB per month the first 3-months of 2010 – a 230 percent. It is likely that cable companies and other telecommunications service providers that offer internet connectivity will use actions of wireless carriers as an example and endorsement. It would not be surprising if home providers introduce surcharges for “excessive” bandwidth consumption.
Users of all devices, mobile, desktop and others have demonstrated an all almost insatiable desire for bandwidth. How else will they watch essential content like a puppy wearing a moustache? At some point somebody somewhere is going to have to pay for the extra hardware and network services required to keep serving up these massive amounts of data.
Our lovely free ride on the bandwidth highway might be slowing to a halt.
The Security Challenge
Who knew something as cute as a dancing squirrel could be so dangerous? Apparently not the 9 year old, that clicked on the impossibly cute link giving that new laptop something not so cute - laptop virus and the need for a malware removal service. Web browsing has become a fundamental activity in the average daily life of most of the U.S. population. It is so common many get a false sense of security and will read any email and click any link that appears recommended by a friend – making the environment an attractive target for the not so cute, distributers of malware. As of June of 2010, 77.3% of the U.S. population uses the internet, according to the United Nations technology agency
ITU. Cheaper computers and expanded access to connections have driven growth in internet usage for the last decade.
|
YEAR
|
POPULATION
|
Users
|
% Pop.
|
Broadband
|
Usage Source
|
|
2000
|
281,421,906
|
124,000,000
|
44.1 %
|
n/a
|
ITU
|
|
2001
|
285,317,559
|
142,823,008
|
50.0 %
|
n/a
|
ITU
|
|
2002
|
288,368,698
|
167,196,688
|
58.0 %
|
n/a
|
ITU
|
|
2003
|
290,809,777
|
172,250,000
|
59.2 %
|
n/a
|
ITU
|
|
2004
|
293,271,500
|
201,661,159
|
68.8 %
|
n/a
|
Nielsen Online
|
|
2005
|
299,093,237
|
203,824,428
|
68.1 %
|
n/a
|
Nielsen Online
|
|
2007
|
301,967,681
|
212,080,135
|
70.2 %
|
n/a
|
Nielsen Online
|
|
2008
|
303,824,646
|
220,141,969
|
72.5 %
|
n/a
|
Nielsen Online
|
|
2009
|
307,212,123
|
227,719,000
|
74.1 %
|
n/a
|
Nielsen Online
|
|
2010
|
310,232,863
|
239,893,600
|
77.3 %
|
85,287,100
|
ITU
|
Viruses, trojans and other dangerous malware are constantly attacking this large, diverse and growing set of users. Malware, an abbreviation of malicious software, exists for one reason, to do something bad. It may be an “annoying” bad or a “scary stolen identity and make life a nightmare” bad or somewhere in the middle. No matter what the intent, malware is in all cases bad; it is the number one risk to personal security online.
The first experience many have with malware is when it infects their computer by exploiting a browser weakness, browser plug-in or opening a hidden file and using a security hole in an application used to view the file, like Adobe Reader. Even users that think they visit only safe sites can be infected. Malware has been distributed to unsuspecting users on large popular sites, like Google, hidden in banner ads.
More Secure Browsers
In an effort to provide more protections to users, Mozilla Firefox 4, Google Chrome 10 and Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) updated security and privacy features. News and blog articles have already appeared announcing which browser has the best security in all the land. Which is the best? As with most things, it depends. Users will have to decide which features are most important based on how they use the internet and what information they wish to share. No matter which browser emerges as a personal favorite, the increased competition to improve protections is a win for all users.
Key new features include:
- IE9, Chrome and Firefox added options for users to request that sites stop tracking what they do at other locations on the web as part of the do not track initiative. It’s kind of a do not call list for the internet. Users should be aware, however, that at this time, sites do not have to honor the settings
Chrome 10
- The security sandbox, which isolates browser plug-ins from the rest of the computer, has been expanded to include the integrated Flash player so that malware embedded in Flash content can’t damage the computer.
- Updated malware reporting. The browser also auto-blocks sites known to be performing unsafe activities like phishing or other malware attacks. Users can configure an add-on like the Web of Trust extension or a separate security program to block threats or Google’s embedded list.
- Automatically disables old versions of plugins to prevent hacking
- The account syncing feature, which syncs themes, preferences, auto-fill entries, extensions, and bookmarks with a Gmail account, has been updated with encryption and password protection.
- Customizable privacy settings for items like cookies, image management, JavaScript, plug-ins, pop-ups, location information, and notifications
Internet Explorer 9
- Allows Active X filtering so that Active X only executes on trusted sites.
- The download manager has been integrated with malware protection. Some studies are reporting that the browser blocks about 99% of malware.
Firefox 4
- Added a HSTS feature that can turn any site into a secured site (HTTPS). Now, even if the web being visited doesn’t encrypt content, the browser can.
- Blocks malicious scripts from running
- Modified the settings for visited links so that people walking by can’t easily see what links a users has visited
Have you started using one of the new browser versions? Do you feel they are more secure? Are there any features you feel should have been included? Let us know.
Google has announced an enhancement to its already popular Google applications suite a cloud-based laptop developed in conjunction with manufacturers Samsung and Acer named what else - Chromebook. According to Google,
“You won’t have to wait minutes for your computer to boot and browser to start. You’ll be reading email in seconds.”
8 seconds actually, according to the product’s website. Who emails anymore? That’s a topic for another post.
The new offering from Google uses the company’s Chrome browser and Chromium operating system. Goggle, says the device can last an entire day on a single charge. An impressive feat and definitely one the that those tethered at an undesirable location with an electrical umbilical cord promising to complete one more blog post will welcome.
The device features:
- Automatic software updates
- Optional 3G with 100G data transfer
- Built in security
- Flash support
- Cloud based storage
Chromebooks are expected to be available in the US, UK, France, Netherlands, Italy and Spain on June 15, and additional countries will follow. Google released Chromebook initially for students at $20.00 per month at last week’s Google I/O conference. Now the company has announced Chromebooks for Business and Education for $28 per user per month for businesses.
What Do You Mean Cloud Computing Isn’t Magic
Despite shouts of Windows killer and the end of the desktop. It won’t happen. It’s hype. A storm or a dead spot and the laptop is rendered unusable – although Google promises it will fix the issue soon. Aren’t these basically slightly fancier versions of 80’s style dumb terminals. Plus, Google’s cloud-based operating system is not the first cloud based version – at least 10 viable options exist and they have not managed to “change the game.” That spot currently belongs to the venerable all-star Apple iPad, which introduced a sexy form factor, and a unique browsing experience that has enticed millions of users to drop a grand on something nobody really needs.
However, at $20 a month, the Chromebook is not a significant investment and will likely entice many to at least try it out. Before renting the device, users may want to ask a few questions like:
- Who will do customer service? Will customers be caught between retailers selling the device and Google to get answers?
- How frequently can hardware be exchanged?
- Who will fix the laptop should something go wrong?
- What happens if your kid breaks the device?
- What’s the privacy policy for information that is stored on Google’s servers?
We are not trying to be overly critical of the device. It might be awesome. Interested in taking a Chromebook for a test drive? The devices will be available at Amazon and Best Buy domestically starting next month. If you decide to invest, be sure to come back and let us know what you think of your new toy.
Cloud computing seems to be everywhere. It has spilled outside of company walls directly in the hands of individuals at an amazing pace.
You don’t have to be a techie to be sucked into wanting it - enticed by commercials that beckon, “
To the cloud!”
Even those that have managed to miss the marketing coverage might have experienced the cloud. Do you manage your finances at Mint.com? Have you used Facebook or Flickr? You’ve been to the cloud.
Now, vendors are focusing even more on individuals with the introduction of personal clouds. Personal clouds promise every day users the ability to store all of their “stuff” in the cloud. Files, photos, movies, music, financial data or other personal content can be warehoused in a personal cloud where the individual controls access. As far back as 2009, ancient in internet time, EMC’s CTO discussed personal clouds describing three essential features: control, convenience and permanent archive. Individuals with privacy concerns might immediately say something starting with “Big brother,” mumble a rant, and end with “everything about me.” However, pragmatically, a significant portion of individual personal data is already spread across multiple sites where it is even more difficult to monitor and control privacy and access.
Personal clouds come in multiple models. One model is the traditional remote hosting model where users upload files to a remote location manually or via synchronization. A second model reverses the original concept.
Instead of uploading and interacting with remote content, new cloud services like PogoPlug, Tonido and Iomega Personal Cloud allow PCs, smart phones, tablets and their applications to be accessible from everywhere over the internet. With these new cloud services, data never leaves the individual personal storage device and is only accessible by those invited into the user’s personal cloud.
What are the implications for personal computing? Substantial. Vendors offering products and services like hard drive backup, remote machine access and disaster recovery might soon find themselves competing, or unable to compete, with personal cloud products. Personal clouds make it possible for even the most unsophisticated users or small businesses to implement protections against losing valuable data and time due to a physical machine failure or software corruption. Further, as more and more mobile devices dominate the technology landscape, personal clouds could eliminate the need to copy media repeatedly between devices - store it once and access It everywhere.
The personal cloud is an exciting space, but it is far from mature. No standards exist for personal clouds, so the capabilities and technologies used across platform will vary significantly making it more difficult for users to move easily between personal cloud vendors. In spite of these challenges, personal cloud computing is likely to expand in adoption due to rapidly expanding feature set and because, well, it’s just cool.
Free Your Documents From the Desktop
If you are anything like us, you have multiple devices. You might own a smart phone, a desktop, laptop, maybe an iPad, Android or other tablet – and are occasionally stuck in a situation where a document you need isn’t in the right place at the right time. It’s locked away at home or a laptop battery dies and you can’t retrieve it. In short, it’s annoying, and occasionally disastrous.
What’s an alternative if you don’t want to carry around an external hard drive or USB device? Consider storing your documents online, that would be the cloud for the cool among you. Zoho, Google and other online productivity have features similar to very popular MS Office suite, but with additional features that help simplify your life.
Obviously, the big win with taking your documents online is that become instantly accessible from all devices, including your phone, anywhere you have an internet connection. However, that’s not the only improvement to how you work.
What else is useful?
You can translate your documents to other languages in Google Docs by going to the “Tools” menu, select “Translate Document” and a list of available languages is displayed.
Almost all of the tools make it easier for you to work on a document with other people by offering real time chat and collaboration. Many of the tools support other document formats including each other. So you don’t have to worry about being locked in if you decide to try out a service. In addition, concerns like software maintenance, computer spyware,
Are you a little skittish about giving up Office? Don’t be. Most of the tools let you store your Office documents as well.
To complete your newfound sense of device freedom, you might, want to head over to http://myfav.es/ to customize a portable start up page that is also accessible from anywhere you are connected. The startup page lets you access your favorite sites without all of those locally stored bookmarks (which happen to be stuck at home with your spreadsheet). The layout is minimal and MyFav.es requires no accounts.
Even Sweeter
Most online productivity suites are free or have a very low per user entry cost (e.g. $3.00 per user per month for Zoho standard)
Interestingly, on June 15th, Google will release a Netbook that starts at $20.00 per month for students. If you aren’t quite ready to buy the kiddos a laptop or iPad, it might be a viable alternative.
We will be giving it a test drive; will you?