& Technology Bytes: July 2008 Archives

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July 2008 Archives

July 16, 2008

July 2008 FYI - Thewebsiteisdown.com

Just a small word of warning, the web site I refer to in this article is not exactly kid friendly or not for you if you are easily offended.

If you've ever worked in IT, worked for a large company with an IT help desk, or know some IT geeks, check out the web site http://thewebsiteisdown.com. It is a funny parody on the day-to-day life of a not-so-enthusiastic IT help desk guy.

What is really funny is that as I write this, the web site is, in fact, actually down!

Posted by Marcel Brown on July 16, 2008 1:41 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tech Toy of the Month: iPhone/iPod Touch 2.0 Software

iphone3g.jpgMost people are aware that Apple has just released the iPhone 3G (which incidentally, the 3G refers to the third generation cellular network, not a 3rd generation iPhone). Of course, the iPhone 3G has many new features. There are many articles out there that review all these new features so I won't go over those. Instead, I'd like to focus on something that many people don't realize. Many of the new features of the iPhone 3G are also available as an upgrade to existing iPhones and the iPod Touch.

The reason many of the features of the iPhone 3G are available to existing iPhones and the iPod Touch is that Apple upgraded the operating system that is common to all these devices to coincide with the iPhone 3G release. You can read about the upgrade at this link http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/. Some of the minor features that the 2.0 upgrade include improvements to the e-mail, calendar, and contacts programs. More significant features include support for enterprise services and protocols, which will increase adoption of the iPhone in the corporate environment. But the biggest feature by far is the ability for 3rd party developers to create applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

It is quite difficult to explain how the features of the iPhone and iPod Touch create an application environment that is unlike anything seen on any handheld device, or really any computer for that matter. In using many of the free applications available at this time, it is almost like the last year of the iPhone and iPod Touch was simply a teaser, giving us only a fraction of the potential of these devices. The new wave of applications is unearthing a wealth of potential new uses for these devices. Let me just say that these devices will not only make users of other handheld devices jealous, but they may also make users of gaming handhelds jealous as well. For a phone to be able to support the playing of games graphic and feature-rich enough to compete with handheld gaming devices says a lot about the power of the platform.

Earlier this year I predicted that the Apple TV would be the Tech Toy of the Year. However, now with the release of the iPhone/iPod Touch 2.0 software, I am reconsidering that prediction. One million iPhone 3G devices were sold in the first weekend of their release. It took 74 days to sell one million of the original iPhone. Once people start to see the applications that are running on the devices with the 2.0 software there will be even greater demand.

So if you have an older iPhone or iPod Touch, make sure you get the new update and see for yourself the new applications now available. And if you have any questions regarding the iPhone or iPod Touch, please let me know!

Posted by Marcel Brown on July 16, 2008 12:42 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Q: Why should I spend any money fixing my old computer when I can buy a new one for $500?

Tech Q & A
- Submitted by many

A: It is true that you can buy a computer for around $500 or even less. This certainly seems like a good deal. For that price, it would seem that spending any money on repairs or maintenance of an old computer would be wasteful. And it is true that in some cases it does not make sense to spend money on an old computer. But there are several things that people do not consider that can make a strong case for keeping up an old computer.

Not all computers are created equal. Most of the time, very low-cost computers are underpowered, lack adequate RAM, or are built from low quality parts. An underpowered computer can provide a very frustrating user experience. This is especially true when considering Windows Vista. Additionally, those who have kids that play 3D games must be careful not to purchase a computer with a less powerful video card that what is already in their computer. The video card is often more important to the performance of 3D games than the processor. The bottom line is that just because a computer is new, does not necessarily mean that it will be a lot faster that the computer you have now.

Many people forget that the initial purchase price of a computer is only part of its total cost of ownership. The less expensive the computer, the higher the probability of hardware problems. Also, the more likely that it will require upgrades sooner. And one must consider what kind of monitor, if any, comes with a low-cost PC. Old monitors need replacing as well. So the seemingly low cost of a computer may be a lot more than at first glance.

Finally, many people do not consider the time and potential expense of transferring their data, software, and existing peripherals to a new computer. It can be technically challenging for average users to successfully transfer their data and software to a new computer. And again, when considering Windows Vista, older peripherals may not work very well. So many users who purchase new computers must pay a computer technician to setup the new computer, transfer their data and software, and setup their peripherals.

So to sum up, low-cost computers generally end up costing a lot more than their sticker price when considering total cost of ownership and additional services required. As well, poorly made computers can become frustrating experiences for owners. Given these considerations, it can often make sense to fix up an existing computer to get a few more years of useful service out of them.

As usual, please submit any technology questions you may have and your question may be featured in this newsletter!

Posted by Marcel Brown on July 16, 2008 12:34 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Save Money! - Squeeze More Life Out of Your Computer

Marcel BrownAs many people are looking for ways to save money, they may be putting off the purchase of a new computer. Other people would like to get a new computer and pass along their current computer to their kids. Either way, many people would like to keep their current computers running a few years longer. The problem is their computer may be working quite slowly or experiencing other problems. Often people think they must purchase a new PC when their older computer reaches a certain age or starts experiencing problems. The reality is that many older computers, with a few minor upgrades and some minor maintenance, can be spruced up to work well again and last a few more years.

The first item that can greatly improve an older computer's performance is additional RAM. Without getting too "techy", the bare minimum I recommend for most computers (Mac or PC) is 512 MB of RAM. Less than this and I guarantee your computer is not running at maximum efficiency. Even 512 MB of RAM is on the borderline, so I really recommend at least 1 GB for average users, 2 GB if you are more of a "power user". If your computer runs Windows Vista, you may even want to consider 3 or 4 GB of RAM. With a few exceptions, RAM is really not very expensive anymore, so I highly recommend you consider this upgrade.

The next item to consider if you'd like your computer to last a few more years is a hard drive replacement. As it is one of the few moving parts in a computer, your hard drive is the part most likely to fail. Unfortunately, this is also the part that contains all your data and software, so it is potentially the most catastrophic and traumatizing problem to encounter! Unless you have a full system backup, recovering from a hard drive crash can be expensive and very time-consuming. In my experience, hard drives begin to fail after about 3 to 5 years of normal use. So the smart thing to do is replace the hard drive BEFORE it fails, preserving your data and software settings. Additionally, you will usually get a much bigger and often faster hard drive than your old one.

Finally, most people neglect the general maintenance and upkeep of their computers. Others "overprotect" their computers with cumbersome and intrusive utilities that really do nothing except hamper their computer's performance. Imagine if you did nothing to maintain your car. It would eventually begin to perform poorly, eventually completely giving out. Similarly, neglected computers don't perform their best and oftentimes may fail sooner than they would have if properly maintained. While it is possible for people to perform maintenance tasks themselves, the reason most people don't do them is they don't have the time or inclination to do so. For this reason, I recommend that people let a technology professional perform the routine maintenance on their computers. Most qualified technology service companies will have some sort of routine maintenance plan available.

Of course, I provide these services as well. I recommend starting with my Computer Tune-Up, which provides the general maintenance tasks your computer needs, along with providing you an assessment of what your computer needs to perform at its best.

If you have any questions regarding this article, please let me know.

Posted by Marcel Brown on July 16, 2008 12:32 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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About July 2008

This page contains all entries posted to Technology Bytes in July 2008. They are listed from oldest to newest.

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