Specialized Computing Blog

Its just a matter of time before you experience a hard drive problem. Are you prepared to loose your data? If your hard drive crashed right now do you have an action plan to follow?

Most people only think of backing up their data after they experience a problem. Don’t set yourself up for a data loss disaster.

Your data integrity action plan should consist of the following:

1) How often you will back up your data

2) What data you will back up

3) What back up procedure you will use

How often you back up your data can only be determined by how important you feel it is. Answer this question “If my hard drive crashed right now, I would be alright if I had the data from at least (time) ago”.

Of course you would want everything but if you could have the data from 1 month, or 6 months ago would that be sufficient? Whatever time is sufficient mark it on your calendar both a hard copy and set up a meeting on your PC to remind you.

You change your smoke detector batteries when you turn your clock back and when you turn it ahead right? Well back up your data then too.

If you don’t change your clocks then pick some holidays or special dates that happen close to the timeframe you want to back up your data so you won’t forget.

What data you back up depends on how you use your PC. Some of the key directories, if you are using Windows, are the My Documents, Favorites and Desktop directories.

Remember if you are using multiple profiles on your PC then the three directories above can be different for each profile and each one would need to be backed up.

You will also want to include your email data. Don’t forget to write down the email accounts you have. You should also write down any username and passwords so they are not lost. You should look at every directory to see if it has information that you would need.

Make a list of all the software programs you are using. If you have the physical CDs put them all together in a safe location.

Don’t forget the CDs for your peripherals like your scanner, digital camera, PDA, etc. Collecting these CDs may remind you of additional data that you need to back up.

If you are running software that you installed from downloaded files, burn them to a CD-R and add it to your collection. If you use a CD-R or DVD-R you can update it as you download and install new applications.

What procedure you use to back up your data can be determined by the amount of data you want to back up. Your data might fit onto a CD or DVD in which case you just need to burn it and you’re done.

If it spans multiple DVDs then you might want to consider getting a second hard drive to copy your data onto. If you are not comfortable with adding a second internal hard drive or you are using a laptop then you can purchase an external hard drive to back up your data.

The information you have on your hard drive could disappear in a flash. If you don’t want to spend up to $3,000 to have a data recovery company retrieve what information they can from your hard drive, then take a few minutes right now and create your back up action plan.

If you ever have a data emergency your action plan will be your insurance policy. If you adhere to it, your valuable data will adhere to you!

E-Waste which is called WEEE (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment) in Europe is now regularly collected under programs implemented by the large electrical and electronics manufacturers, throughout each country. Each consumer has the right to take their old goods back to the original shop or hand the old one in when they buy a new one. In effect, the large manufacturers have been forced by law to get together and set up a recycling and reprocessing program for each type of e-waste. Now, only the residual non-hazardous materials left over after all the parts are first recycled (if not reprocessed into separate material streams), will go to a landfill.

In effect, the EU has listened to the public, who were sick and tired of ever more huge, and ever more smelly and dusty landfills, and has made the manufacturers take back and solve the disposal of their own products. The manufacturers in most cases now either employ local reprocessing companies in each country in the EU, or ship the material back to their factories. Smaller manufacturers are allowed to join in with the giant electrical and electronic goods manufacturers, but must contribute to the cost.

Now, you could question the wisdom of sending scrapped TVs and old monitors hundreds or even thousands of miles to be broken up, using tons of fuel and making carbon dioxide emissions all along the way. But, if you did so you would be missing the point. The point is that because the manufacturer must take responsibility for the cost of disposing of his e-waste, he will be much less likely to create products in the first place which are expensive to dispose of — or worse still, classed as hazardous waste when disposed. Hazardous waste is very costly to dispose of, and in the UK will normally cost over £100/ton.

So electrical goods are being manufactured to be lighter and smaller to make less waste at the end of their useful lives. But probably of most value to the environment is the impetus that now exists to remove the hazardous chemicals in circuit boards and in other products, which is gaining pace with new technologies using (for example) special new plastics in place of heavy metals based components. Also, where the removal of hazardous chemicals cannot yet be achieved, each component is being designed so that the hazardous parts can be easily separated for recycling. If recycling is impossible, reprocessing is chosen, and everything useful is taken out during reprocessing before the residual materials go to the landfill.

The idea of reprocessing e-waste will really come of age when all these new recyclable products start to be disposed over the next few years. Gradually as this happens, the recycling and reprocessing stage will begin to make real economic sense. Rather than seeing recycling and reprocessing as a drain on resources, companies will begin to invest in new production techniques and materials which will by design lend themselves to recycling, and the old e-waste itself will be seen as a resource. It will be a valuable source of raw materials.

When that happens, we will truly be able to say that e-waste recycling and processing has come of age, and the world’s resources will be conserved to simply top-up the materials within the recycling system. No longer will society simply be plundering raw materials which within a few short years end up in landfills. Now these materials will be re-used 10 to 100 times before being lost to the cycle of recycling and go to a landfill. Also, the landfills will be much smaller and not contain offensive materials.

For the future consumer, this will mean that buyers of all the latest gizmos and devices can do so knowing that the environment is protected, and our consumerism is as sustainable as possible…

…in Europe, anyway.

Setting up a wireless LAN at home to share computing resources is becoming more and more popular. Wireless LAN manufacturers have simplified the process of setting up a wireless LAN to just a few quick and easy steps. However, like any computer hardware, wireless LAN can work for months or years and then all of a sudden, it stops working. Before you call in the professionals to check your wireless LAN, here are a few simple things you can do to troubleshoot the wireless LAN yourself.

1. First of all, save your work and restart your computer. If you have access to the wireless LAN router and broadband modem, restart them as well. This simple technique has a surprisingly high success rate.

2. If this technique fails, the second thing is to check for loose connections. If you have a USB or PCMCIA wireless LAN card, ensure that it is seated firmly in the slot. If you have an internal PCI wireless LAN card, you will need to open the computer casing to check the connection.

3. If a loose connection isn’t the cause of failure, the next thing to try is check Windows’ My Network Places. Are there any new network icons that appear there? Sometimes, your wireless LAN card may detect another network nearby that has a stronger signal and connect to the new network instead. If My Network Places showed any unfamiliar network name, simply remove it. Then double click on your own network name to re-establish the connection.

4. If there is no new network nearby, you can try to bring your computer right next to your wireless LAN router. If this works, then it is likely to be a case of interference. You should think carefully what has changed recently in your house. Maybe you have added a new cordless phone or other equipment that use radio waves. Try switching them off one at a time to determine the source of interference.

5. If you can’t determine any source of interference, you can now try resetting the wireless LAN router to its original factory setting. You can login to the router’s control panel using a web browser and look for the option that allows you to restore the settings to the factory defaults.

If none of these techniques worked, it is likely that there is a hardware failure in your network. You need to unplug each piece of hardware in your wireless LAN in turn to figure out where the failure is. Once you identify the source, call the manufacturer and report the fault. In the event you are unable to isolate the source of failure, call the manufacturer and seek their advice. They should be able to advise you on how to troubleshoot your network further. Just remember to stay polite and be patient.

Laptops are useful in that they are portable computing devices that allow for one to bring work to virtually any space. They can run off power outlets and usually have batteries that allow them to be used in places where an outlet is not available. Laptops are similar to desktop computers in that they perform the same functions. The only difference lies in hardware because laptop parts are basically miniaturized versions of a PC. This makes it more practical for mobile or portable use.

Now referred to as a notebook, the term “laptop” was introduced to the public in 1983. The change in terms was made as the computing devices got smaller and more portable. One of the first laptops was a small mobile computer called the Gavilan SC. This was the first computer to be marketed as a laptop. It was a pioneering device in that it introduced the now-famous clamshell design wherein the screen closes over the built-in keyboard.

Since it was such an amazing invention, it had to have an amazing price. The Gavilan SC was priced at $4,000! It had a floppy disk drive and ran on the DOS operating system, which is now virtually non-existent with the advent of easy-to-use graphics interfaces. It had an internal modem and a compact printer that was attached to the rear as an optional add-on. Gavilan SC was probably the first laptop to ever run on batteries, with a claimed usage of 9 hours per charge. This isn’t surprising since it probably didn’t do much computing compared to today’s notebooks that process so much that it can drain its batteries in 3 to 4 hours.

Like the telephone did when it was made available to the public, the concept of mobile computing has changed the way the world does business. For the first time in 1981, businessmen had the ability to bring important data with them outside the office. However, at the time, it was difficult to synchronize the data between laptop and PC since laptop standards did not meet the same standards as IBM personal computers. After all, IBM PCs were, at that time, the standard platforms. That all changed with the introduction of the Compaq Portable which processed data exactly as its IBM PC counterpart.

Today, there are laptops (also referred to as notebooks or notebook computers) that can be as powerful as and even more powerful than desktop PCs. Generally of course, they are weaker than the desktop computers because they are built to reduce energy usage and reduce heat produced within its casing. Most laptops today have screens of about 12 to 15 inches in size with displays that reach resolutions of 1024×768 pixels and higher in some models. Storage comes in the form of hard disks that are significantly smaller but hold much more data than ever thought possible.

Current laptop models also run on lithium ion batteries, replacing the older nickel metal-hydride batteries. Lithium ion batteries provide lengthened computing times and charging cycles are greatly improved as they last much longer than the older batteries do. Typical battery life is between 2 to 5 hours depending on how the laptop is used and how often the battery is charged. Because of these current specs, more people are attracted to the idea of mobile computing as it increases productivity in and out of the workplace.

Whether you are an expert computer user or not, you have probably been burned by your computer in the past. For some a computer virus could have wiped out your hard drive, or completely taken control of your web browser. For others, you might have been running an application only to have it crash and lose your data. So what is the solution?

There is a solution to many of the common computer problems: switch to an Apple computer. Although Apple and Microsoft have always competed for the personal computer marketshare, today things have changed. Where once someone with a Windows-based computer would never think twice of switching over, now people are switching in droves.

Why the sudden shift? There are many factors for this change. First off, the Macintosh operating system has been redesigned from the ground up and is now a more stable and effective operating system. With Mac OS X, users have a lot less to worry about: no viruses, no trojans, and no crashes. What more could a user want?

Apple delivers more: a seamless integration between hardware and software. When you buy a PC and install Windows, chances are that you are installing the operating system on a set of hardware that was never really fully tested together. Different combinations of plug and play hardware are what causes Windows to crash time and time again.

On the other hand, with an Apple computer, you get the operating system that was tested with the hardware ahead of time. Did you ever wonder why Apple sells the hardware with the software? It’s because it allows the developers to test their software on the different hardware configurations before shipping the product. PCs come in too many varieties to be tested fully.

Plus, Apple delivers all the applications you need to get your work done, and have fun doing it. On a Windows machine, you get the basic Microsoft Office suite of applications. Now, you can get the same suite of applications for your Mac as well.

Yet, Apple offers applications that you can’t get on Windows: the iLife set of applications. These programs make your life easier because they organize and import all your digital photos, they play your music, they let you import home movies, and create DVDs right from your computer.

What’s more is that Apple does most of the work in the background, and leaves you to focus on the most important decisions. Developers and computer wizards used to pride themselves on knowing the internals of their windows machines. Today that’s changing, as people realize they have better things to do than spend all their time at a computer terminal, when they could go out and enjoy life.

That’s exactly what switching to a Mac can do for your productivity. Your computer will let you be as productive as you can, by getting out of your way. So that you can get back to living your life to the fullest!

It’s easy to make a mistake when buying a new computer. Many people end up spending a ton of money on something expensive that they’ll never use to its full potential, while others buy something so small that they have to do expensive upgrading in a matter of months.

There’s few things more disappointing than finding out your 6 month old computer can’t do what you want it to do, or that you don’t really need that $400 graphics card to run Microsoft Word.

Don’t just buy blindly. Hopefully this article will help you ask the right questions and get the right hardware for your needs in return.

Power Supply:

Often overlooked as a component, your power supply is an important part of your computer as it powers all the internal components. The power supply you need will largely be determined by the components in your PC – in particular CPU type, graphics card and number of internal devices.

For Pentium 4 and all AMD CPUs, a minimum 300W power supply is recommended. If you want to run one of the new ATI X8xx or GeForce 6xxx series 3D graphics cards, don’t even try anything weaker than a 400W power supply.

Never overlook the significance of a power supply – an underpowered system will be prone not only to unreliable operation, but also to component damage.

CPU:

On the entry level side of things you have a choice between AMD’s Sempron CPUs and Intel’s Celeron D. These CPUs are not for the hardcore gamer – they’re for the average user who only want to run office applications and use the Internet.

For the hardcore user/gamer there’s the Pentium 4 and the AMD Athlon 64 CPUs. There’s little to choose between the two big guns in the CPU business. The slowest Pentium 4 CPU readily available at present is the 3Ghz version, while AMD’s equivalent, the Athlon 64 3000+ will likewise satisfy most users’ demand for processing power.

Go faster than that and the increase in cost becomes quite significant, and you’ll have to weigh that up against your budget and your demands.

Motherboard:

The most important thing to keep in mind when picking a motherboard is to get one that’s fairly future proof.

For Pentium 4 that means a motherboard that supports socket 775 CPUs, and for AMD a motherboard that supports socket 939 CPUs. Also, make sure your motherboard has enough expansion slots (most commonly PCI slots) to support all additional cards you may want to use in future – including sound cards, TV cards, wireless network cards, etc.

If you’re a gamer, also make sure that your motherboard supports either an AGP 8x (obsolete soon), but preferably a PCI-Express 16x slot for a 3D graphics card.

3D Graphics Card:

While most motherboards these days feature an onboard graphics card that is suitable for the casual user, these aren’t adequate for gamers.

With the old AGP 8x architecture almost obsolete, the way to go is a PCI-Express graphics card if you have a motherboard that supports it.

For casual gamers who want to play a bit of Sims and Harry Potter, nVidia’s GeForce 6600 and ATI’s X700 series of cards will do the trick.

For the hardcore gamer who wants to play cutting edge games like Doom 3 and Battlefield 2 at rocking frame rates, don’t get anything smaller than a GeForce 6600GT or ATI X800 with 256MB of GDDR3 memory on the card. 128MB is also acceptable if you don’t want to play at resolutions higher than 1152×864.

Before buying a graphics card, make sure that a) your motherboard has the appropriate slot for it and b) that your power supply is strong enough to support it.

RAM:

RAM is fast memory used by your computer to execute tasks. When your computer runs out of RAM, it starts swapping data to the much slower hard drive, which slows down your entire system.

With RAM being so cheap these days I’d recommend you get at least 512MB. If you’re going to run Windows XP, don’t get less than 256MB or you’ll slow even the fastest CPU powered computer to a crawl.

For hardcore gamers, less than 1GB simply isn’t an option anymore.

Hard drive:

The smallest hard drive you can buy at the time of writing is 80GB. That’s more than the average home/office user will ever fill, while it’s not nearly enough for music/video collectors or avid gamers.

At the moment the first big price jump in hard drives comes between 200GB and 250GB, so 200GB would be a great option if you need some serious space. Be sure to make comparisons if you need more space – for example, two 200GB drives are much cheaper than one 400GB, even though you get the same amount of space.

On the other hand again, two 80GB drives are more expensive than one 160GB drive.

It’s also worth getting a SATA hard drive if your motherboard supports it. It’s much faster than IDE drives, which are still abundantly available.

Optical Drives:

Fortunately CD-ROM drives have quietly vanished off the market, so you can now get more versatile DVD-ROM and CD-ReWriter drives very cheaply.

If you want to be able to write DVDs, naturally go for a DVD-RW drive, and make sure the drive you get supports double-layer writing so you can use the new 8.5GB double layer DVD discs in it, which is a whole lot of backup storage.

So, that’s just a quick rundown of the things to keep in mind when buying a new computer. Fortunately it’s almost impossible to buy a slow computer these days – only gamers and other users of high-demand software need to pay special attention to what they get.