Buying the Perfect Computer - The FIRST Time

So you've finally decided it's time for a change. No matter 

what advice you follow that old work horse of a desktop 

computer you have has outlived its usefulness with slow 

loading applications and a continuous rise in operation 

noise.

Searching for that Perfect Computer can be about as much fun 

as purchasing a new car and about as frustrating also when 

sorting through the various brands while trying to decide 

which "bells and whistles" best fit your needs. Besides all 

that trying to return something that is so large can be both 

inconvenient and very difficult to do. So making the right 

decision the FIRST time is the wise path of choice.

For starters you'll need to decide what you want to do with 

your computer. Are you into the video game scene or are you 

someone who likes to just surf the internet and occasionally 

do some book keeping with simple word processing software?

If you're into video games you're going to want a machine 

that can handle the high level of graphics and superior 

sound quality. On the other hand if you're not into all 

that high adrenalin stuff you can probably get by with a 

less expensive system. Although, if you want to stay on the 

safe side I would recommend going with something more 

"high-end" so you don't have to spend another large chunk of 

change to upgrade the system you just bought.

There are two basic routes you can take when purchasing a 

new computer.

1) Purchase a "Brand Name" Computer 

2) Purchase a "Clone" Computer

A "BRAND-NAME" computer is one that is manufactured by a 

company that is recognizable by name.

Some Advantages/Disadvantages of "Brand-Name" computers 

include:

Advantages:

Customer Support- If you are experiencing problems with your 

computer you will have the option to contact a 

representative of the company that you purchased the PC from 

to get help in solving your problem.

Customer support is probably the best reason to buy a 

brand-name computer.

Warranty- Having a warranty is always nice since it acts as 

a type of security blanket for you.

In case a part on your computer should fail you should be 

able to get the item fixed at no charge just as long as the 

warranty has not expired.

Read and understand a company's warranty policy BEFORE you 

purchase a computer from them.

This way you'll have a good understanding of the procedures 

to follow in case a problem should arise.

Pre-installed Software- Many companies will include software 

packages that are all set up and ready to go for you on your 

computer.

Although, a disadvantage of buying a brand-name computer 

with software pre-installed is that you usually end up with 

more than fits your needs and usually just results with the 

wasting of space on your storage device.

Additional Support- Most brand-name computer companies are 

also able to provide you with web sites that may provide you 

with current software updates, user manuals, or basic 

troubleshooting help.

Disadvantages

The use of Proprietary parts- the term Proprietary refers to 

products that are unique to an individual company and that 

company only.

So if a part was to malfunction on your computer after 

warranty and you needed to replace it you could not just go 

to your local computer store and purchase any old part even 

if it was intended for the same function as the item that 

failed.

You would be forced to buy the exact same item that came out 

of the computer or else the computer would more than likely 

cease to function correctly.

Having to buy proprietary parts usually involves the need to 

place an order which means you'll have to wait for the part 

to arrive or you'll have to send your computer into the 

company or an authorized dealer of that company for 

repairs.

People with a home based business would probably not be too 

happy with that situation at all.

Integrated/On-board parts- In the computer world when you 

hear the word integrated or on-board it means that a 

particular part such as the modem or sound port where you 

plug in your speakers, is built-in or part of the computer 

main board (Also known as the Motherboard).

This means that if any of these items should fail, you can't 

just remove them from the computer and replace them with a 

new part. They are usually soldered directly to the main 

board and are stuck there.

Although, some computers do provide a way to disable a 

malfunctioning device which will allow you to install your 

own store bought device to take the place of the broken 

part.

From a computer technicians point of view this is not always 

easy to do.

It just depends on what brand of computer you currently 

have. Meaning some are easier to work on than others.

A "CLONE" computer is a clone or a copy of its brand-name 

counterpart with the exception that instead of company 

specific or proprietary parts, the items used to make a 

clone computer are from several different companies instead 

of only one.

Let's say that if you were to go to a local company that 

builds "clone" computers, and you tell them what you need, 

chances are they don't use parts that are specific to only 

that type of computer like the brand-name computer companies 

do.

This is a good thing because it means that they will 

probably use components that are interchangeable with many 

different brands and are easy to come by if needed.

Some Advantages/Disadvantages of "Clone" computers include:

Advantages:

Cost- compared to brand-name computers the clone will 

generally be easier on your pocket book when purchasing one 

with similar features as its brand-name counterpart.

This is most likely due to the money that is saved by not 

offering the high-end customer service. Although, that may 

not be the only reason for the lower prices.

Easily Accessible Replacement Parts- Since the clone 

computer was built with parts that are not any one company 

specific, you can buy parts for the clone computer that can 

be used even if the brand is different from the one that was 

in the computer when you originally bought it.

NOTE: Before you buy any parts, it is necessary to make sure 

that the replacement parts are compatible with your 

particular computers system requirements.

Either consult the manual that should have came with your 

computer or get help from a knowledgeable friend or repair 

person.

Disadvantages:

Warranties- Unless you purchase a service plan you will 

typically not have as an attractive warranty as you would 

with a brand-name computer company.

Whatever you do just make sure you understand how long the 

warranty is for and as to what kind of repairs the warranty 

covers before you make the purchase.

Customer Support- With brand-name computer companies you are 

usually provided with a 24-hour toll free number that you 

can call if you have questions or concerns with your 

computer.

Clone computers are more than likely not going to have a 

24-hour help service, but rather you will be forced to only 

be able to call during regular business hours.

Also, it is more than likely that there will not be any one 

website that you can go to in order to find out information 

concerning troubleshooting questions you may have.

For service it may be necessary to take the computer back to 

the store that you bought it at or you may have to do some 

research on the individual parts that went into the computer 

and visit the manufacturer's website for troubleshooting 

tips.

Finally, if all else fails you can certainly take what you 

have learned from this article and being that you know what 

you need now, but don't know where to go and get that 

"Perfect Computer", the best resource at your disposal are 

the very men and woman that work at your local electronics 

shop.

It is their duty to help you get hold of that "Perfect 

Computer" that best fits your needs. All you need to do is 

tell them what you plan on using that computer for and they 

should be more than happy to help you from there.

10 Reasons Why Hosted Desktop Services Are A Good Idea

There's quite a buzz about Hosted Desktop Services (HDS) these days and for many businesses it makes a lot of sense. Maybe it doesn't initially look so great for some IT support companies and departments but if embraced in the right way it can be a benefit for them as well.

HDS, sometimes referred to as cloud services or software as a service, is not really such a new idea. Before people started using PC's as the mainstay device most computer systems had servers and intelligent workstations which we now call thin clients. Unix users will be very familiar with this concept.

Intelligent workstations like the thin clients of today had some memory and processor capacity but they mostly accessed software off of a server. Now that good broadband supplies are available the same type of system can be accessed over the internet. It has always been a good system!

In a nut shell a Hosted Desktop Service is "your PC" managed remotely and that can be accessed anytime, anywhere, from any device without all the headaches of maintaining it or the loss of performance that you often get with Windows based PC's.

Here are 10 reasons why it's a good idea for many businesses!

1 - A Uniform Experience Everywhere On Everything

Putting software on a central server means everyone can access the same software from anywhere. No more worries about which versions, which licenses, upgrading versions etc. Many HDS services will give access to software using apps that will work on nearly any device such as Citrix which works on Windows, Android, Apple OS, Linux, Unix, phones, tablets and other popular platforms that I may have missed out. It will work on different versions of different operating systems too!

2 - Backups & Security All Looked After For You

Backup and security are a necessary pain. It can be a worry when considering HDS; after all, how good is the supplier's backup and security system? The answer is that it has to be good! Some companies will undoubtedly be storing sensitive and valuable data so HDS suppliers need to make sure everything is backed up in real time or close to it, often across different server locations in different countries.

Security has to be really good because if anyone hacked into the HDS systems it would be trouble for customer and supplier alike. That goes for up-time too which needs to be 99.99% of the time!

Because the software and data is stored on the HDS servers if a device is stolen or lost it's no problem especially with HDS sessions timing out.

Similarly antivirus and anti-malware services are all taken care of.

Backup, security and availability will be better than that which most companies have on their own systems.

3 - Speed

If you have used Windows based machines you will be familiar with the way that they can slow down over time. Maybe because there is too much software on a PC, because of a virus, perhaps the hard disc has faults, not enough memory or maybe the computer is just generally underpowered. This is not a problem with HDS where the servers are high quality, fast and maintained for you. The servers are doing all the work for you, all your device has to do is run the software that allows you to access the servers which doesn't tax a device or use much internet bandwidth.

It's like having a new PC every day. People can work faster, be more productive and won't have the frustration associated with slow computers.

Just as an example I tested loading up Microsoft Word and a few other Microsoft products and the load up times were between half a second and 2 seconds.

4 - Proactive Support

Another headache with maintaining software and hardware is keeping everything up to date, often across many devices. Most of that won't apply with HDS as support staff are keeping everything up to date for their customers and monitoring systems for faults.

HDS users will still have queries and sometimes things may go wrong so it's important that support is available during working hours and maybe even 24/7support. This is a level of support available with HDS as many companies are using it and some at all hours.

5 - Improved Cash Flow

HDS is a scalable subscription service where different people can use different software at different times. This gives flexibility that can be controlled. The cost can be fixed to be the same each month or it can be capped to how much a customer is willing to spend each month allowing flexibility without loss of control. There are few unexpected expenses to accommodate. HDS is an easy service to build into a company's monthly and yearly budget.

6 - Mobility

Because it works anywhere in the world where there is an internet connection and on almost any device it can be used in London, Sydney, and Delhi or perhaps even in space (one day). No special connections are needed. If a company moves office it doesn't matter, if someone has to work at home it doesn't matter. Use a PC, tablet, laptop or even a phone!

People can use their own hardware or simple thin clients* with any suitable screen.

*A thin client is a small box used to connect everything together such as a screen, a keyboard and a mouse. It can be simply configured to access an HDS service. Thin clients often have a built in card reader, sockets for USB devices, headphones etc. They rarely have any discs in them and don't need heavy duty processing power. Typically they are around 8 inches square and 2 inches deep. They use much less power than a PC too so cost less to run.

7 - Less Hardware And Software Worries

A company running its own system might have a list of IT concerns that go something like this:

Hardware to maintain and replace

Software to maintain, upgrade, fix, replace

Provisioning of new hardware and software

Security

Backups

Software version control

Licensing

Operating system support; possibly across different versions or even different OS types.

System availability

IT support, in house or contracted out

And more...

At the time of writing Windows XP has recently been phased out of Microsoft's support regime but lots of companies still have it and have the headache of what to do next as they can't stay with XP forever. This is not an issue with hosted desktop services as it's all kept up to date on an ongoing basis.

Most of the hardware and software that had to be looked after before is no longer a concern with HDS.

With HDS there is often a core set of software that everyone gets such as Microsoft office, Chrome, Adobe Reader etc. Other optional paid for or free standard software can be chosen from. Other off the shelf or bespoke software can be requested and put onto the system for selection or as part of a customer's standard HDS setup.

The purchase and use of software by people or groups of people can be controlled by an approval system so that a company has control over what they are paying for.

The data for software used can be retained even if not used or paid for all of the time.

With HDS people can't just download software as they like. Miscellaneous software can come with viruses or malware or compromise the working environment. This is another built in method of controlling the integrity of company IT systems.

8 - More Time For Your Business

Depending on how much IT infrastructure a company has and how it uses it, a significant amount of time might be spent planning and implementing IT strategies. In turn a company may have to spend time communicating with their IT support department or provider. Some of this time will be concerned with day to day IT matters such as security, backup, housekeeping etc. If much of this is offloaded onto HDS either the IT support function can be reduced or diverted to other important company IT projects.

9 - Integrate With Your Own Special Systems

A company might have some software and data that they want moved to the HDS servers and for most software this can be done. It's sometimes referred to as on-boarding. There may be one-time costs for this but once it's done that company won't have to worry about looking after it again.

A company might have some systems that just aren't suitable for HDS for example; a film company might have editing suites with specialized hardware and software that maybe 25% of the company use. Systems like these can be kept as they are and HDS still used in conjunction with those systems where required. Where needed data can be shared, synchronised and local data can be accessed directly from HDS!

10 - A Low Carbon Footprint

Last and not least you and your company will be doing your bit for the environment. The servers used with HDS are usually high quality enterprise servers that use less energy than others and a reduced carbon footprint all round.

If you and your company are using thin clients you will be using less energy at the office end which reduces your own carbon footprint.

Each user takes 100k to 200k of internet bandwidth per session which could be less than what is used normally. Less internet capacity may be needed and may be reduced or utilised elsewhere.

Object Virtualization: Digitizing the World

We are changing our world. With the advent of new sensing and communication technologies, we are finding ways of making everyday objects more intelligent and connected. As we connect more and more things to one another, however, we are finding a need to democratize the process. We have to make different things the same, or at least equal. We are still trying to answer the Mad Hatter's famous riddle: How is a raven like a writing desk?

Though Alice's time in Wonderland may have come and gone, ours is just beginning. While we may not be connecting ravens to writing desks (though nothing would surprise me at this point), we do have a need to connect seemingly unrelated objects in new ways.

One solution to this dilemma is the process of object virtualization. By creating virtual models, or representations, of the things you want to monitor and manage, you are putting 'things' on equal footing, creating new opportunities for analysis and task automation.

To understand object virtualization, consider the contact list in your phone. A contact can be thought of as a virtual model of an actual person. It is something like a digital identity. Imagine you have a contact named Mary Smith. Mary has a name, a phone number (or two), an email address, maybe a photo. Mary can have a Facebook profile, a Twitter alias - you can even assign Mary a special ringtone. All of these things combine to create a virtual model of Mary stored in your phone.

Now, to make your model of Mary a bit more intelligent and useful, you could add her date of birth, her hair color, her favorite book, her pet cat's name, or any number of different properties of Mary. If we slapped a bunch of sensors on Mary, we may know things like her current location, current body temperature, her heart rate, her blood pressure. If this information is communicated to your model in real time, you have an active, living representation of Mary that tells you more about her than she may know herself.

Imagine applying this same process to your house, your car, your toaster, or your favorite pair of socks. Now, maybe you can't think of a good reason for your socks to talk to your toaster, but they may have a thing or two to share with your washing machine. And maybe your house and your toaster can have a nice conversation about lowering your electric bill. Of course, your things aren't just talking to your other things. They can talk to other things anywhere. Do you think it might be helpful for your air conditioning system to know something about today's weather forecast? Or for your car to know about that new road construction on your way to work?

Your virtualized house doesn't care that it's a house. It may as well be an elephant or a water balloon. The same is true of your car, your refrigerator, or your lawn sprinklers. Virtual models can share information with other virtual models without regard for where the data is coming from or how it got there. Virtualization can make every "thing" accessible to every other "thing", and ultimately to you.

B-Scada's VoT (Virtualization of Things) Platform allows you to create virtual models using data from multiple and disparate sources, providing a simple platform for creating powerful and intelligent IoT (Internet of Things) applications. 

AIM and a Half - Give your AIM a Little More

Buttons, ads, big long menus, pictures are everywhere and they’re slowing down your AOL Instant Messenger. What is there to do? Add-ons for AIM just add things to your AIM. Aliasing, tabbed IM windows, etc. But what do you do about all of those things that are slowing down your AIM? There may be a solution. 

AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) is an instant messenger program that lets you talk to people all around the world - for free. Making a free utility like this comes with some cost. AIM throws ads onto the top of your buddy list, useless buttons everywhere even though there’s already 3 ways you can get to the same place, just as easily. As each version of AIM comes out, the more your AIM is loaded with extra things like this. 

Now, there’s a new program titled AIM ½. It gets rid of ads, those buttons on the bottom of the buddy list, shortens all of the menus to only what you need. It gets rid of all of those buttons in IM windows (warning, games, etc), it gives you more practical sign-on, sign-off, and away symbols on your buddy list. It gives you the ability to resize your buddy list to ANY size. And it does little things like easier to use away message windows, profile windows, and more.

And of course, the newest feature: skinning. 

Skinning allows you to change the look of your AIM by letting you choose the theme of your sign-on screen, buddy list background, sign-on, sign-off, away symbols, and the popup notifications. Currently, there are five skinning themes available: XP, Beach, Everyone Loves Raymond, and Music. You can change your theme with the click of a button in your buddy list menu or on the AIM ½ site. 

 To prove the effectiveness of AIM ½, I put it to a test. I downloaded the original aimres.dll for 5.5.3595. I timed how long it took for AIM to load up after I double clicked the AIM button. It took 10 seconds until it was fully ready for use on my COX High Speed connection. Then I downloaded AIM ½. It took (no joke) 2 ½ seconds. A little difference? That little difference also effects how long it will take for IM windows to load after you double click them, and everything you do on AIM and the internet while your instant messenger is open.

What Makes a Biometric Attendance System Worth Installing?

Any enterprise, small or large, needs to adopt an effective method of employee handling. Primitive systems of registering manually, timecard punching and others, were not accurate and adept for attendance. Companies had to suffer huge losses due to fraud physical presence by any employee in the name of the other. Moreover, the organizations weren't able to determine any employee's arrival and departure time if proper attention was not given to it.

So, what can become a solid solution to avoid such obstacles and offer acceleration to the proper functioning of any business? Only an attendance system that involves Biometrics can solve such problems. It can easily present to you productive results. These systems are economical and offer better results than other attendance methods or procedures. Any movement of the visitors can be tracked by them, thus, making it suitable for companies to keep a watch over their staff.

A perfect biometric attendance recorder will help in time management of your business. Opting for such an economical attendance registering approach will also save a lot of paper work and remove the hassle of searching numerous files for any employee.

What constitutes a good and beneficial biometric attendance system?

For any attendance method or recorder to be effective, it should be accurate in calculation of the staff strength. It should also prevent leakage of the confidential information recorded in it, making it a secure option to go for. Such a satisfactory attendance recording machine will also reduce the chances of any deviation in the usual attendance procedure and prevent errors regarding it.

Besides these features, it should have a clear display and present full status of the employee who has arrived or departed. It should have a digital keyboard that will make it convenient for the user to input anything. And loaded with window based software, a biometric attendance machine will make an ideal and flawless tool for employee handling.

Attendance registering and recording systems that apply Biometrics use distinct ways of keeping a record on the staff people. Physiological traits of a worker like a handprint, fingerprint, palm scan and even a retinal scan is used as an input for these systems. Whenever a staff member enters the office premises, he/she will have to pass the process of the scan and only then can he/she be allowed to enter the workstation. Moreover, such systems will ensure that only true employees enter and be able to mark their attendance and arrival time for that particular day.

Many suppliers provide high quality and 100% genuine biometric attendance systems. Contact them and avail a secure employee handling means.