One
on One Computer Consultants
October 2008 eNewsletter
New Computer Technologies and General Information
Western Digital Releases 500GB Laptop Hard Drive
Makers
of one of the most reliable hard drives, has finally released a high capacity,
laptop hard drive that will fit in both PC and MAC portable computers. The 9.5mm
Western Digital Scorpio Blue (Model WD5000BEVT)
includes a 5400RPM mechanism that features
12 ms access time and up to 3 Gb/s SATA interface speed. It also comes with WD’s
ShockGuard and SecurePark. Retail price is about $220.00 for the new,
high capacity drive. An EIDE interface version has not yet been released.
Unfortunately, Western Digital has changed their warranty to one year on most
products. For more specifications, go to: (
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=506 )
Virus/Spyware/Spam Warning & Updates
How to Tell if you have Spyware
I have clients and friends complaining about various
issues with their computer systems. 9 times out of 10, its spyware related. Here
are some ways to tell if spyware has crept into your system. Has your browser
Home Page changed? Does your computer crash, lockup, or freeze for not apparent
reason? Are there pop up ads in your browser? Have strange favorites (bookmarks)
been added? Have strange icons appeared on your desktop? Are there strange, new
files on your computer? Have strange email messages be found in your outbox? Do
you have any strange toolbars in your browser? Is your computer running slow,
sluggish? Is your hard drive running all the time? If you answered, “Yes” to any
of these questions, then you should update your anti-spyware software and run a
full scan of your system.
"Free" Software Downloads
Google “Chrome”
The
leader in Internet Search Engines has released a version of a web browser based
partly on the similar Mozilla technology used in the FireFox and Netscape web
browsers. It doesn’t have all of the extensions of FireFox, but what you lack in
frills, you make up for in speed. It has easy to use tab browsing and a simple,
clean interface. The browser opens to a home page showing thumbnail shortcuts to
your most visited web pages and a list of your most recent bookmarks. The
browser address bar serves a dual purpose showing your current web site address
and as the place to enter your Google search terms. Find out more at:
(
http://www.google.com/chrome/ )
Tips & Tricks
Moving up to a New Computer
It seems inevitable that you’ll have to move up to a new
computer system. Since I’ve been helping clients and friends with the process
for years, I have a few things you should consider when making the move. The
first thing to do is sit down and plan exactly what you need to transfer from
your existing system. Documents, photos, and music are pretty straight forward
considerations, but don’t forget about email contacts, browser favorites
(bookmarks), and the like.
The best way to transfer your data is to directly connect
your old hard drive to the new computer. That involves removing the new computer
cover and some technical savvy. The next best way is to connect both computers
through a router or high speed switch, which still requires a little technical
knowledge. For the most part, I’ve found that programs that claim to be able to
transfer your data and programs from one computer to another just don’t work.
Programs need to be installed first on the new computer, then transfer your data
files.
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