Author: admin

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Ever been in the situation where you're out to get a laptop, and when you finally come across a selection of laptops with their configurations display you just did not know what to make out of them? Fear not, in this guide I will reveal a few simple things which will make understanding those scary specs a lot easier.

First of all, you have to ask yourself what the purpose of your soon to be laptop is. Is it an everyday use laptop, used to write papers and just carry it around to surf the web … something like a laptop a student would require? Will it be the business machine where you keep all your sensitive information such as client names and contact information? Perhaps you like computer games a lot and decide to buy a laptop configured to run these new high demanding games. Or, maybe you just want to own a new entertainment and media portable device to satisfy your daily multimedia desires.

Each of these types of laptops has different specs to them, but since you know what you'll be using it for, here are a few basic steps to understanding what specifications work and where they are needed.

Central Processing Unit (aka CPU aka processor )

Perhaps one of the most important spec of all in a laptop is its CPU. This is the heart of the laptop where all the calculations are being done. There are several types of processors out there, in almost every price range you might think of. If you are new to hardware, you should look for something like 2 – 3 GHz in a laptop if it will be destined for everyday use (basic office tasks Microsoft including Office Suite, browsing the web, watching videos online or maybe chatting with friends) . A decent single core CPU could probably handle such basic tasks flawlessly. If, however, you wish to multitask, and open up several applications to work with, then a single core processor might not handle such loads perfectly. Instead, look for the ones which say they're dual core or even quad-core configuration laptops. A laptop with a quad core configuration can go pretty high regarding the price tag, so make sure you fully understand the use of your laptop beforehand.

Newer lines of processors have the Hyper Thread technology built into them, where a single core is seen as two cores by the operating system, capable of handling two tasks at the same time per core. These can be quite useful if you know you're going to throw a heap of applications at it and expect the laptop to run perfectly. Such a configuration can be used in machines destined for graphic design, where usually 3-4 applications are being run simultaneously. It would also be handy when looking for the best gaming laptop or your new multimedia laptop if you want to experience the peak of performance and visual quality in your media crunching endeavors.

Random Access Memory (aka RAM or system RAM)

Along with the processor, the overall value of the system RAM is a very important parameter to watch for in your laptop. Think of it this way: RAM is your systems memory, the place where your operating system and all your installed applications are being run. It's fast because every little bit of information can be addressed directly, unlike the hard drive which requires the disk head to run over a place on the disk where the information is stored. RAM is the canvas of your computer system, a place where you can get the full picture of what's being run at the present time (using the same association, one could say that the hard drive is like a cassette, where if you want to hear a certain lyric, you have to fast forward to that location).

That's about enough of the free association thing. Going back to the spec itself, system RAM is something you want to have plenty of. The more RAM in a computer, the better it will run. If you're a newbie and just want a laptop that can do basic tasks, then about 1GB of RAM should be enough to run basic applications without any problems (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, music player and even watch movies). However, if you demand more from your laptop and intend to use it like a powerhouse, your minimum aim should start at about 2GB. Up to 4GB of RAM is a good start in any graphic design computer or even a decent gaming laptop. For business laptops which could use complex applications, a good start would be in the 2-3 GB range to ensure everything runs smooth.

Just remember never to neglect this spec, since it could mean your system will be running slow if there's not enough RAM to it.

Hard Disk Drive (aka Hard Drive or Hard Disk or HDD)

The hard disk is where all your information is stored. Unlike the RAM, which gets wiped clean at each restart, the hard drive will keep all your information for later use. Now this is not such an important spec as the RAM is, but the more drive space you have, the more information you can store and take with you. If you're a media junkie, then you probably like to store a lot of music and movies on your computer to watch at a later date. In this case, you should look for a laptop with a decent HDD configuration (250 – 500 GB). Some hard drives retrieve information pretty slow since they use spinning disks to read and write information. Standard rotation speeds for laptops HDD are at about 5400 rpm (rotations per minute). These drives are pretty much obsolete if you want a laptop with that's capable of top performance. Instead of a 5400 rpm HDD, look for a better one with 7200 rpm.

A new line of hard drives has recently appeared, called the Solid State Disk or SSD. These drives do not use spinning disks as a means to store information, are way faster, more durable and lighter than regular hard drives. They do come at a price though, and with a limited storage capacity. It can become pretty clear that if you want the fastest laptop today, you'll opt in for such a storage device instead of a traditional HDD.

Video Card (aka Graphics Card)

The video card makes sure you get the image onto the screen. It can be considered an output component and it is very important to those who want serious lifelike graphics displayed onto their computer screens. With regular everyday use laptops, you can probably get away with an integrated graphics card (it's integrated into the motherboard, mind you) which uses the available RAM to run. This can be a downside to laptops which have a low RAM spec to them, since the integrated graphics card takes its share of available RAM leaving the difference available to run applications. An integrated video card is not recommended if you rely heavily on system RAM for optimal performance. Such cases include the graphics design laptop, the gaming laptop and in some cases multimedia machine.

You do want to look for a dedicated (replaceable / removable) graphics card in your laptop if you're a big gaming fan. Newer games tend to have very high system requirements, and since available RAM is not a thing you want to waste, a dedicated graphics card is the best solution to such a machine.

It should be noted that some of the newer processors that have just come out in the market do have an integrated GPU (graphics processing unit / graphics card) in them, along with the processor cores. This means you can get away with such a spec if you intend to purchase a laptop with specs designed for everyday use or ultra portability. Eliminating the dedicated graphics card from your system means your system will be lighter and you definitely want that regarding the portability issue.

Laptop Screen (aka Laptop Display)

The laptop screen is an essential part where you marvel at the rich media the computing world has to offer. There is not much to say about the display technology in this case but its size. The display size of your laptop is one essential specification you should not overlook if you really want a higher level of enjoyment when working with the thing. There is quite a variety to choose from when it comes to screen size, so you should know one thing beforehand: the larger the screen, the better the image quality will be, the lower the portability feature becomes …

If you want a highly portable machine which you'll use just to jot down information quickly, then a tiny laptop with a small screen would be enough: these can range from a mere 7 inch diagonal size to about 13.3 inches. Average laptops will carry the average laptop screen size which is known to be 15.4 inches. This is quite sufficient to be able to visualize pretty much any type of media (web pages, documents, videos and movies). For a better experience, these sizes can go up to about 22 inches. These can be quite bulky and costly machines, since they pack quite a lot of tech in them along with the large screen, thus they make excellent gaming systems or portable multimedia players.

Connectivity (aka access to the internet)

Laptops are known for being portable machines, and along with their portability, wireless technologies have been made available to allow the users to connect to the internet pretty much anywhere these days. You want to make sure you'll get access to Wi-Fi networks to stay connected everywhere you take your laptop with you. There are some new solutions which allow you to connect via cell phone networks and use the internet wherever there is mobile phone coverage.

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Source by Adrian Anton

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When it comes to excellence in processor performance, Intel continues to pull all the stops with its newest entries into the market. Launched in early September, 2009, the Intel Core i5 processor is one of Intel's recent innovations, which offers smart performance with a speed boost. This processor delivers solid performance for day-to-day applications, not to mention its ability to increase speed as required for the more demanding tasks. And already, it's being touted as the mainstream version of Intel Core i7.

Mobility

Intel Core i5 processor will power an ultra thin laptop to boost not only your performance, but your style as well. You can now indulge in a much faster, smarter and thinner laptop than before, in an ultra-sleek design and with enhanced battery life. A thinner laptop weighs less and is more portable, therefore allowing for greater mobility.

Performance

Intel Core i5 Turbo Boost Technology allows for automatic speeding up of the processor when the PC requires extra performance, thus giving you smart performance with a speed boost. This feature is however only available in select models of the Intel Core i5 processor-based systems.

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology features 4-way multi-task processing which enables each core of the processor to handle 2 tasks simultaneously, thus delivering the performance required for smart multitasking. No matter how many applications you are working with at the same time, you and your PC will not be slowed down at all.

Intel HD Graphics technology is included to provide excellent visual performance for rich color, sharp imaging, as well as life-like video and audio. You can now enjoy your movies and internet videos in high-definition, get full Microsoft Windows 7 support, as well as play popular game titles. You can do all this without the need for an extra add-in video card as this is all built-in.

Laptops powered by Intel Core i5 processor and featuring 4g WiMAX wireless technology can deliver great smart performance from internet speed which is four times faster than 3G.

Compatibility

Intel Core i5 processors are used to power ultra thin laptops such as the Sony VAIO Series, HP dv4, Dell Inspiron 15R, Toshiba Satellite L500, HP Pavilion dv4i Series, CyberPower Xplorer X5, Sager NP7652, ASUS N61JV, CyberPower Xplorer X5 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T Series.

Security

Intel Core i5 is optimized for a number of security-related technologies including MacAfee security, WinZip file compression, the Bit Locker in 64-bit Windows 7, as well as PGP security. This will come as a relief for laptop owners, seeing as an estimated 12,000 laptops get stolen each week from airports alone.

Some more Features

• Intel Core i5-700 and i5-600 processor series with Intel Turbo Boost Technology;
• 4 processing threads;
• Up to 8 MB of Intel Smart Cache;
• Intel HD Graphics on Intel Core i5-600 processor series; and,
• 2 channels of DDR3 1333 MHz memory.

Intel has long been recognized as the leading name in cutting-edge performance processors, and the Intel Core i5 very well lives up to this reputation.

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Source by Joan One

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A lot of people ask me this question, "how can I increase my PC / laptop memory RAM?" This led me to write this article. I will show you 3 killer ways to increase your computer memory RAM without spending a dime!

Machines requires RAM, it is a key component. The more RAM you have on your computer the quicker it will perform its tasks. However purchasing brand new memory RAM can get very expensive! Plus most motherboards have limited RAM slots (ranges from 2-4), which makes even more difficult to constantly increase your machine memory.

However there are 3 astonishing ways to increase your computer memory and speed, and the best part is that it will not even cost you a dime!

# 1 Perform a disk defrag: what disk defrag will do is that it will rearrange all your files and folders like a library. This process can take several hours though, but they are all worth it! You see this assorting of files will really help your computer find date a lot quicker and easier. Which will ultimately speed up your computer and increase your memory RAM! How? Well it will not physically increase, I mean if you have 2Gig of RAM you will not end up with 3Gig, obviously! However what disk defrag will do is that it will free some your current RAM that was being in use, the RAM that was being wasted! Therefore you will end up "increasing your current RAM".

# 2 Close all the startup programs: these sort of programs start upon Windows initiation, they generally appear next to your digital clock (lower left corner). They consume a lot of processor and memory RAM. By closing them permanently you definitely increase your current RAM.

# 3 Clean and maintain your System Registry : system registry is the heart of your computer; every single thing that you do is being track by your machine and recorded in the System Registry. Over time your System Registry gets cluttered with so much useless data that drastically consumes most of your computer RAM.

Let me explain: every time you start your computer and do changes on it, such as: installing new software, opening new or old software, changing the background image, everything single thing you do is being recorded on the System Registry. So you can imagine how much useless data is being recorded and consumed by your current RAM.

By cleaning and constantly maintaining your System Registry you will guarantee that you will get the maximum performance of your current RAM!

No matter how much RAM you upgrade to your machine, if you do not maintain your System Registry you will never ever get satisfied with your memory RAM.

So how do I clean and maintain my System Registry?

There are loads of registry cleaner softwares that do exactly that, they will seek and remove every single registry problem that is consuming your RAM. Plus they will automatically maintain your System Registry while you are busy doing other stuff.

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Source by Smit Chacha

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While computers are now an important part of the lives of human beings, there was a time where computers did not exist. Knowing the history of computers and how much progression has been made can help you understand just how complicated and innovative the creation of computers really is.

Unlike most devices, the computer is one of the few inventions that does not have one specific inventor. Throughout the development of the computer, many people have added their creations to the list required to make a computer work. Some of the inventions have been different types of computers, and some of them were parts required to allow computers to be developed further.

The Beginning

Perhaps the most significant date in the history of computers is the year 1936. It was in this year that the first "computer" was developed. It was created by Konrad Zuse and dubbed the Z1 Computer. This computer stands as the first as it was the first system to be fully programmable. There were devices prior to this, but none had the computing power that sets it apart from other electronics.

It was not until 1942 that any business saw profit and opportunity in computers. This first company was called ABC computers, owned and operated by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry. Two years later, the Harvard Mark I computer was developed, furthering the science of computing.

Over the course of the next few years, inventors all over the world began to search more into the study of computers, and how to improve upon them. Those next ten years say the introduction of the transistor, which would become a vital part of the inner workings of the computer, the ENIAC 1 computer, as well as many other types of systems. The ENIAC 1 is perhaps one of the most interesting, as it required 20,000 vacuum tubes to operate. It was a massive machine, and started the revolution to build smaller and faster computers.

The age of computers was forever altered by the introduction of International Business Machines, or IBM, into the computing industry in 1953. This company, over the course of computer history, has been a major player in the development of new systems and servers for public and private use. This introduction brought about the first real signs of competition within computing history, which helped to spur faster and better development of computers. Their first contribution was the IBM 701 EDPM Computer.

A Programming Language Evolves

A year later, the first successful high level programming language was created. This was a programming language not written in 'assembly' or binary, which are considered very low level languages. FORTRAN was written so that more people could begin to program computers easily.

The year 1955, the Bank of America, coupled with Stanford Research Institute and General Electric, saw the creation of the first computers for use in banks. The MICR, or Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, coupled with the actual computer, the ERMA, was a breakthrough for the banking industry. It was not until 1959 that the pair of systems were put into use in actual banks.

During 1958, one of the most important breakthroughs in computer history occurred, the creation of the integrated circuit. This device, also known as the chip, is one of the base requirements for modern computer systems. On every motherboard and card within a computer system, are many chips that contain information on what the boards and cards do. Without these chips, the systems as we know them today can not function.

Gaming, Mice, & the Internet

For many computer users now, games are a vital part of the computing experience. 1962 saw the creation of the first computer game, which was created by Steve Russel and MIT, which was dubbed Spacewar.

The mouse, one of the most basic components of modern computers, was created in 1964 by Douglass Engelbart. It obtained its name from the "tail" leading out of the device.

One of the most important aspects of computers today was invented in 1969. ARPA net was the original Internet, which provided the foundation for the Internet that we know today. This development would result in the evolution of knowledge and business across the entire planet.

It was not until 1970 that Intel entered the scene with the first dynamic RAM chip, which resulted in an explosion of computer science innovation.

On the heels of the RAM chip was the first microprocessor, which was also designed by Intel. These two components, in addition to the chip developed in 1958, would number among the core components of modern computers.

A year later, the floppy disk was created, gaining its name from the flexibility of the storage unit. This was the first step in allowing most people to transfer bits of data between unconnected computers.

The first networking card was created in 1973, allowing data transfer between connected computers. This is similar to the Internet, but allows for the computers to connect without use of the Internet.

Household PC's Emerge

The next three years were very important for computers. This is when companies began to develop systems for the average consumer. The Scelbi, Mark-8 Altair, IBM 5100, Apple I and II, TRS-80, and the Commodore Pet computers were the forerunners in this area. While expensive, these machines started the trend for computers within common households.

One of the most major breathroughs in computer software occurred in 1978 with the release of the VisiCalc Spreadsheet program. All development costs were paid for within a two week period of time, which makes this one of the most successful programs in computer history.

1979 was perhaps one of the most important years for the home computer user. This is the year that WordStar, the first word processing program, was released to the public for sale. This drastically altered the usefulness of computers for the everyday user.

IBM Home computer quickly helped revolutionize the consumer market in The 1981, as it was affordable for home owners and standard consumers. 1981 also saw the the mega-Microsoft enter giant the scene with the MS-DOS operating system. This operating system utterly changed computing forever, as it was easy enough for everyone to learn.

The Competition Begins: Apple vs. Microsoft

Computers saw yet another vital change during the year of 1983. The Apple Lisa computer was the first with a graphical user interface, or a GUI. Most modern programs contain a GUI, which allows them to be easy to use and pleasing for the eyes. This marked the beginning of the out dating of most text based only programs.

Beyond this point in computer history, many changes and alterations have occurred, from the Apple-Microsoft wars, to the developing of microcomputers and a variety of computer breakthroughs that have become an accepted part of our daily lives. Without the initial first steps of computer history, none of this would have been possible.

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Source by Rebecca Blain

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If your laptop or netbook has fallen on the floor, you want to read this article carefully. It contains directions and help to get you back on your feet and have your laptop functioning again, if at all possible. I have included the most frequently reported laptop and netbook ailments after they fall on the floor. If your laptop or netbook is showing any of these symptoms, you may find a solution below. Most of the solutions are DIY, do it yourself, fixes. Some will require a professional help and with some others, the laptop or netbook replacement is the most economical solution.

Here are the top symptoms that typically occur after a laptop or netbook has fallen on the floor and their corresponding quick fixes. Disclaimer – any work that you perform on your laptop or netbook is your sole responsibility. The author can not assume any suitability of the quick fixes for any purpose. Also, you are solely responsible for any accidental or incidental damage to your laptop. Read the manufacturers directions before opening your laptop or netbook. Make sure you disconnect your laptop from any power source and make sure you are well grounded and in touch with the laptop case before attempting to open your laptop case.

Symptom: CD drive not working. Fix: Open the laptop case and reseat the CD drive connector.

Symptom: Laptop or netbook screen is cracked in several places. You may or may not see an image. Fix: If you do not see an image at all, you can still plug the laptop into an external monitor and work from there. Once you see the computer video output, transfer all data, either to another computer via ethernet or wireless or on burn the data on the CD / DVD recordable disk. You can replace the screen if this is financially reasonable, otherwise your best bet would be to replace the laptop or netbook altogether.

Symptom: Laptop is not charging since the fall. Fix. The charging unit could be unseated. See if you can open the laptop and reseat, otherwise take your laptop to a repair shop. Make sure it is financially reasonable to replace anything. You must estimate what your laptop is worth to you.

Symptom: CD / DVD drive will not open after the fall. Fix. Use a pin and push through the small pin hole on the CD / DVD door next to the light. The CD / DVD should open.

Symptom: USB plugs such as wireless mouse plug, broadband dongle, or broadband antenna are damaged. Fix: First make sure the plug or dongle is really not working by testing it on another usb port, and on another computer. If plug or dongle or an antenna does not work on another computer, replace it.

Symptom: USB plugs, broadband dongle or antenna damaged but work on another computer. Fix: Open the laptop case and reseat the USB connector to the motherboard. If that does not work, the USB port on the laptop may need to be replaced.

Symptom: Broke wireless pcmcia card. Fix: Replace pcmcia card with a usb wireless card.

Symptom: Windows Vista or Windows 7 will not boot. Fix: This is likely a hard drive problem, see below.

Symptom: Hard drive problems. These can be especially critical if the laptop was actively using hard drive for writing data. There can be several symptoms, such as no signal on screen, operating system not booting, or hard drive light not coming up. If you can get to Windows Safe Mode by pressing F8, you can try checking the hard drives using chkdsk c: / f as I mentioned in one of the previous articles. If that fails, you may need to replace the hard drive and reinstall the operating system. Then you will need to restore your data from the backup.

Here you have it. Nine quick fixes or suggestions for what to do when your laptop falls on the floor. It is usually an unhappy event. But at least you have a chance of a quick fix now. As a bonus, check your laptop manufacturer's technical details of your laptop. You may find the shock tolerance values ​​for the laptop both when laptop is active and when it is not active, or is turned off. You might be surprised that a laptop is a lot more tolerant to shocks when turned off or sleeping or hibernating. Consider putting your laptop to sleep or hibernate, or turn it off completely when not in use. Not only will you save energy and wear and tear on the parts, you will also better protect your laptop against unexpected shocks such as when the laptop falls on the floor.

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Source by Jason Stark

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PCI Slots have become the industry standard for expansion technology and connectivity. Correctly configuring your new PCI-based Industrial PC is essential to keeping your industrial computing process moving smoothly. Let's look at how and why this benefits your business.

1. Many PCI slots available – up to 18 in a system

When you need to host lots of expansion devices, you need lots of slots. Configure up to 18 PCI slots in your new industrial computer so you know you'll have room to grow.

2. Long term 3-5yr availability

When configuring an industrial computer for your PCI needs, it's important to choose one with long-term availability, especially if your are designing a system that will have to be reproduced at a later date. Only a reputable industrial computer supplier that offers long-life industrial motherboards, single board computers (SBC), passive backplanes, and Panel PCs can guarantee long term support.

3. Bus Mastering

Expansion devices are capable of taking control of the PCI bus to perform direct data transfers. It is important to understand the requirements of your PCI expansion, IO and Data Acquisition cards and their compatibility with an industrial computer PCI bus. A quality industrial computer supplier will work with you to understand your requirements and verify system compatibility, so your industrial computer system arrives working as expected.

4. Support for the future

An industrial computer manufacturer that understands the industrial market place will offer support for past, current and future technologies. While most data acquisition, control and interface expansion cards are available today in PCI interface; the future of PCIe and 64-bit PCI (3.3V 64-Bit, 5V 64-Bit, PCI-X) interface is already here. Further, most industrial computing applications still have ISA cards that they can not do without. It is important to choose an industrial computer supplier that provides PCIe expansion (aka PCI Express, Peripheral Component Interconnect, PCI-E) as well as PCI and ISA. PCIe sockets can be configured for PCIe x1, PCIe x4 and PCIe x16 devices. PCIe allows for faster device communication as it eliminates the need for the bus to switch priorities between devices. Choosing a 64 bit PCI-capable board doubles the rate of data transfer for capable devices over 32-bit PCI. Sure to correct Make the right PCI Slots for your needs!

5. Built for Industry

Your equipment works hard. That's why we offer standard features such as multiple serial ports (RS-232 / RS-422 / RS-485, watchdog timer, onboard digital IO, dual gigabit Ethernet ports, many USB ports, onboard RAID, Hardware Monitoring (CPU / system temperature , CPU / system voltage, CPU / system Fan), SMBus (System Management Bus for advanced monitoring / control interface), Intel® iAMT & iTPM support and robust-durable industrial chassis. Your industrial computing application is too important to trust to off the shelf desktop models.

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Source by Josh Gwinn

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Our dependency towards technology is increasing day by day. Even a minor problem in the operating system disrupts our life and hampers our work. With the development of new technology, there also comes many technical problems such as virus infections, spyware attacks on the operating system, networks issues, and hardware failures. Therefore, fast and efficient troubleshooters are always needed to fix all your technical problems without disrupting your work.

With the indispensable use of computers in our daily lives, we can not imagine encountering an issue that will leave us without our personal computers thus; we seek to have the computer service immediately. But due to the busyness of life, it is not possible for us to go to a computer service centers every time and get the system repaired leaving you days without a computer. Seeing today's need, there are many efficient and fast troubleshooters available online that will solve your problem in a fraction of time. Many of us do not understand need for professional computer repair services and try to solve the system related problem by themselves. Before going to any of the computer repair service sites, it is very important to be aware of the various types of services that are offered by the computer repair service centers:

1. IT services like network installation and configuration (LAN / WAN setup).

2. Virus & spyware removal. Installation of anti-virus software for a proactive approach to external attacks.

3. Hardware repair: Laptop / Mac / PC, printer, scanner, motherboard; CD / DVD ROM installation etc.

4. Problems related to Website development and presentation, graphic designing

5. Firewall and email security setup.

6. Windows OS installation and troubleshooting

7. Data backup and recovery

8. Tutorials to employees for solving small problems in-house

So, These are some of the services offered by the service providers. Before hiring any of the online computer repair services, it is very important to check the various types of services offered by them. So that you do not need to switch to different computer repair services sites for different services. It is also very important to check that there is a team of expert technicians for solving computer related problems individually, as this will help in solving the problem fast and efficiently. It is better to switch to such online computer repair services that avail you with the guarantee of fixing the problem fast else money back. As such, promises will pressurize the technicians to work efficiently and fix the problem quickly.

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Source by Kyle Springer

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Pen drives or USB flash players are one of the latest storage devices which are both removable and insert able. All USB flash players are portable and very smaller in their size and it is available in the market with different styles and models. Why are they known as USB flash players? The answer is that it has flash memory capacity that is used in it. Normally it connects to the computer motherboard through the pen drive slot. The original name of this gadget is USB flash memory, but to catch the customer's attention the manufacturers have given this particular name as pen drive.

A pen drive is a sleek and a compact computer gadget which is used as a memory flash for transferring data from one to other. It is a plug and play device. It as simply plugging into any USB port and the computer automatically detects it as another removable drive. It is possible to read, write, copy, delete and move data from hard disk to it and vice versa. It is also possible to play MP3 files, run any applications view videos or even take high quality digital photos directly from it.

There is variety of pen drives in the market. Professional models which has a high performance flash memory and performs up to read and write 20 MB- the fastest in the world. This flash memory stick comes with an LED indicator, boot function, and write and delete protection. It has got maximum weight of 22 grams. Mini USB pen-drive is another variety of it which has got same technical specifications of professional models but it comes with key ring. Because of how small it is, one can easily fit it into their pockets and are designed to imitate a small pen or pencil, hence being named "pen" drive.

Why pen drives are used more now days? What is the advantage of using this jump drive? The advantage is easily accessible and common for all. The main benefit of using it is that its scratch and dust proof. It can be easily carried from one place to another manages every day carrying and abuse. It helps to take some important data from one place to another easily, it is very much portable. The working of it is also very simple and easy. You should only connect it the USB plot. Professional models are costly comparing to the normal mini pen drives. The types of pen drives are pen drive professional, USB micro, USB mini, USNB compact, USB HDD-2GO, USB business drive. The last two of them are ultra fast data transfer and compact.

USB pen-drives are the best when it comes to removable storage device because of its portability and features that are easy to use. It is highly durable sleek and compact to the consumers. They are quiet suitable for casual users and are resistant to damage or other problems. They are versatile because of its ability to be used for many different things and can be easily used by students, employees, and network administrators.

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Source by Roberto Sedycias

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When you think of a computer, chances are good that you imagine the case; the computer as a whole. However, what would you identify as the most important part of the computer? Would you point to the motherboard? Perhaps you would say that the processor is the most important part of a computer.

While these are certainly vital aspects to an operating computer, the disk drive is just as important. Over the years, they have undergone numerous changes and have evolved considerably. The first hard disks were technically "external" devices, because they sat outside the case, contained within protective covers. However, these would barely qualify as hard drives to modern users, as their capacity was measured at just 5MB.

The Earliest "External" Drives

The very earliest hard drives were external for all intents and purposes. This is because they were not mounted within the computer frame. These devices debuted in the late 1950s, could store 5MB of data and shipped with the first commercially available IBM systems. Over the next few decades, things did not change very much, as computer use was largely relegated to commercial interests and the home PC had yet to be invented.

Almost 30 years after the debut of those systems, IBM brought out the first gigabyte drive. This device was the size of a household refrigerator, and was a separate unit from the computer. It retailed for a whopping $ 40,000.

The Intervening Years

Between the debut of the personal computer and the release of what a modern consumer might recognize as an external hard drive, there were several innovations. However, most of these were strictly for internal drives, as the need for an external drive was not particularly great with early systems.

One of the first systems to make use of an external hard drive was Apple. Their computers often had drive bays that were difficult to access, and some had no hard drive within them at all. In an age where consumers were beginning to demand safer storage for their data, this could not work. Therefore, Apple introduced the ProFile in 1983. It worked by connecting to a special port on the back of the Apple II. This hard drive offered 5MB of disk space, though a 10MB was offered later as an upgrade.

It was during this time that internal drives began to take on their standard form factors. In fact, the shape of the hard drive stopped changing early on with the development and standardization of IDE technology, with a size and shape that any modern consumer would recognize. The most popular form factors have included 5.25 ", 3.5", 2.5 "and 1" consumer form factors.

Additionally, any of these drives could be setup as an external drive, so long as power and data cables were able to be connected to the drive outside the computer case. Of course, these were not what most people would consider "removable media" in the sense of modern external hard drives, flash drives and other storage devices.

1998 and Beyond

The year was 1998, and a revolution was brewing in the computer industry. This was the time when the USB interface was introduced to computers. This ground-breaking technology enabled any type of device to connect directly with a computer from the outside, using the same type of interface. Previously, hard drives made use of a 40-pin connector and a power cable (internal types and most external types). However, with the advent of USB technology, this was to change.

This single technology allowed different external hard drive designs to proliferate. It also enabled the birth of other removable media, such as the flash drive (thumb drive). Of course, the first external USB drives were bulky things, due to the technology available in 1998. However, as the new century approached, technology became better and better.

As more efficient power sources and cooling solutions were developed, the size of external drives shrank. Once clunky and cumbersome, these drives became streamlined and small. Today, you can find myriad different sizes on the market. The most popular type (for consumers, at any rate) is a bit larger than a thick paperback book. However, these solutions are not intended to be portable. Manufacturers designed these for backup and storage where the drive stays in one place, and might hold several terabytes of data.

Portable external drives were soon to hit the market. These offered storage capacity in the hundreds of gigabytes, though they did not rival larger drives in terms of storage. Portable drives became extremely popular, particularly with those who used the drive at work and at home, as well as with students who needed their data available to them on numerous computers in different locations.

An interesting development that has coincided with the growth of home networking is the ability to store data on an external drive connected to the network. These drives must be connected to the home network router, but they do not have to be connected to a computer in order to function. The router acts as a gateway, enabling data transfer between the computers and other devices within a home and the hard drive. This is an excellent solution for homes where media is used heavily, and many drives have specific built-in servers for different media types, including iTunes, games and movies.

A Glimpse of the Future

In the future, the external hard drive is expected to assume more and more a central role in home computer use. As computing devices shrink and "tablets" and netbooks come to the fore as preferred technology, external drives will need to be available for immediate access to stored data and to provide immediate backup, as well. Consumers will come to demand that these devices be able to integrate with their network, and new advances in technology will likely provide some innovative solutions. Some examples include integrated router / hard drive units, as well as central server / hard drive solutions for media and entertainment purposes.

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Source by Ed Molino

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With all that electricity passing through silicon at an amazing speed, there's sure to be friction; and heat. The experts are continuously telling us how important it is to cool these tiny little pieces of silicon they call "CPUs" and "chipsets". The problem is, parts of the cpu start to deform at high temperatures, also known as "burn out" temperatures. Although there are many many layers to the microprocessor, we focus our attention to the top of the chipset for the most effective overall cooling. So what if it is hot? If the silicon's not deformed then the electrons can pass properly and we make the connection. So why cool it more than you need to?

Well, firstly lets look at silicon. Silicon comes in two types, P-Type and N-type, but effectively, the heat properties of the two behave the same. Silicon, as it heats up becomes more conductive, letting more electrons (put simply, electricity particles) through. Now I know what your thinking, "hold on, if it's more conductive, does not that mean it should be faster?", But no. The speed of the computer is not on how fast the electricity moves through silicon, although, speeding that up would improve things. We've all heard the term, clock speed. Gigahertz. Megahertz. That is, the speed at which it can execute each instruction and synchronize each computer part. So to put it in lemans terms, the faster the clock speed, the quicker the computer (not taking architecture into account, for all you techies out there).

To put all of that simply, a CPUs heat is directly related to it's clock speed; the higher the clock speed, the more power used and subsequently, more heat. Without adequate cooling, today's CPUs can very easily reach well over 150 degrees Celsius, if there were not systems in place to prevent it. These systems include a clock speed limiter. When the CPU gets above temperature, the CPU management (BIOS – CMOS system) slows it down. This results in a complex system that gives performance increases with a cooler system, and performance slow down in a hot system.

While performance is a big aspect to look at in hot systems, so is the ongoing toll on the hardware. Consistently hot systems are not expected to last anywhere near as long a cooler systems. Thermal fatigue in silicon results in cracks in transistors, and transistor mounting failures, in particular. Of course, just one transistor failure on a complex system such as a motherboard or graphics card can result in the entire system failing. And a replacement board being an appropriate fix.

What's a safe operating temperature?

Each computer system is different. Operating temperatures depend largely on the CPU type, the provided cooling, the age of the computer, and the motherboard heat management systems. But as a general rule, your CPU should be running between 40 – 60 degrees Celsius, and your system should be between 20-40 degrees. If it's cooler, great. But generally it's not good to have it running hotter. Laptop batteries are largely affected by heat so be sure to take out batteries if

What is appropriate cooling?
As much as some overclockers will say that you really do need a liquid nitrogen cooling system, a basic, air-cooled, computer fan system is usually fine. As long as your not not overclocking and running power intensive programs (like games), any processor will come included with appropriate cooling. If however, your in a particularly hot part of the world, be sure to look into better fan or even water systems.

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Source by Tony Schirmer