Pensacola Computer Help Technoblog

For those who might have waited until the last minute, or forgotten someone on their list, here are a few great last minute tech gift ideas:

Malwarebytes Pro – Malwarebytes is one of the best and finding and killing pesky malware on your computer. The Pro edition also offers a pretty good protection module and best of all it is a lifetime license with free upgrades. Use coupon code Q65-TRJ-G7J for a 15% discount at checkout here: Buy Malwarebytes from Malwarebytes.org

Carbonite online backup – This is one of the best ways to protect your data from hard drive crashes, accidents, data corruption etc. You should Always have backups of the important files and pictures that you can’t replace. Carbonite offers basically unlimited backup for a great price and it is one of the most easy to use, set it and forget it programs out there: Click the following link to get the computer protected now!

ESET NOD32 Antivirus – ESET is hands down one of the best antivirus products out there with consistently excellent detection rates and low demands on your system resources. All computers should have an up-to-date Antivirus software product protecting them – use the following link to save 25% : New – ESET NOD32 Antivirus 5 – Save 25%

Also, if you hurry, BestBuy is currently having a special midnight sale with some great discounts through 7AM Central time on the 23rd: Midnight Sale, Online Only, Starts Thursday (12/22) at Midnight Through Friday (12/23) at 8am EST.

For any computer or technology related questions or needs, contact us at http://pensacolacomputers.com where the advice is always free! Providing the best IT service in Pensacola

I have spoken to quite a few people recently who have purchased new computer’s, and it seems that many have been somewhat surprised to find that their brand new computer just doesn’t perform as they thought it would. Today, the major retailers are really pushing the entry-level low priced computers, and their advertisements focus on things like hard drive capacity and battery life. Unfortunately, most of these computers come with bargain CPU’s and just aren’t made for any kind of multitasking or even mid-range computer usage.

Sempron, Celeron, Atom, Neo – these are all names of Processors (CPU’s) that are designed to be low power usage (which equates to long battery life in laptops), but they are also low in performance. These processors will balk at multitasking (when you have multiple programs or windows open), and are very slow compared to the newer and much faster multi-core high performance processors which can be found in the mid to higher end computers at prices that really are not that much higher.

Many people tell me that they want a computer that is simply for web browsing, so they don’t need a performance computer. While a computer that is ‘simply’ for web browsing certainly does not need to be a top of the line gaming type machine, many people do not realize that simple web browsing today is much more demanding on a computer than it was even a couple of years ago. Many web sites today rely on multiple technologies to serve up their web pages. When you visit a website, you are not only using the browser, but you are often using many browser plugins (separate programs) such as Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, Java, Quicktime, and others that help deliver the rich media content that we are fast become used to. In order to be able to effectively deliver all this content, you need a processor that is capable of handling it, as well as a good amount of memory (RAM).

So if you are considering a new computer, be aware that the small amount you may save going for the ‘bargain’ machines, will soon be lost in frustration and wasted time. Personally, I would stick with the newer Core 2 Duo/Quad processors, or the brand new i3, i5, and i7 processors for the best experience.

Here in Pensacola Florida, you can often find the best local deals at stores like Best Buy and Office Depot, however the best ‘advertised’ deals (cheapest) are often not the best deals for you. Despite what the seemingly knowing salesperson may say, (never listen to them), you really want a computer that isn’t going to end up frustrating you. The best thing to do is to do a bit of research first and go to the store already knowing what you want.Also, be aware that the retail stores are counting on you wasting money on things like their ‘optimization’ services and security software which is pretty much worthless crap, and the optimization is usually just simple things like removing the trial garbage software and doing the first set of Windows Updates (something you can do for yourself, and should do anyhow, that takes only a few minutes). There is also a newer practice of bundling security software and other things into the base price of the computer (stay away from Nortons, Mcafee etc). Always ask what the price of the computer is Without all the extra garbage!

I am tired of going into places like BestBuy and Circuit city and hearing the salespeople tell customers – “sure, you want to play games, this computer has an add in slot, just buy a card, pop it in and you’re good to go” – what a load of crap! What they forget to tell you is that most of the good graphics cards require quite a bit of power, as well as special power connectors. I have seen really nice Dell’s and Sony computers (Quad cores, massive RAM etc) that spec wise would make great gaming computers with the addition of an add-in graphics card. But, rarely if ever will these computers contain a Power Supply that can handle more than a low to mid range card. What’s ever worse, is some computers (noteably Dell’s and Sony’s) have proprietary power supplies that cannot be replaced with anything but ones specifically made for that system.

So, if looking for a good gaming system (one that you want to upgrade the graphics in), make sure that either the power supply that comes with it will support both the demand and the needed plugs, or make sure that the power supply can easily be replaced with an aftermarket one.

I recently purchased a very nice Gateway system (Core 2 Quad, 6 GB RAM) which is the start of a great gaming system, however it only came with a 300 Watt power supply. Even adding a low to mid range graphics card would have pushed this and possibly damaged the computer. Luckily for me, Gateway uses standard PSU’s, so I just took out the old one, popped in a nice Antec 600w power supply and a nVidia 9800 GTX card and it runs great.

Be an informed consumer, and make sure to do the research BEFORE buying – *Special note: be aware that adding in a graphics card, as well as changing out a power supply will more than likely void any warranty you may have, so if you intend to modify your system like this, certainly don’t buy an extended warranty

Microsoft recently released a pre-beta version of the next version of Windows (named Windows 7) to a select group of developers, and I must say that so far it is looking pretty good, especially considering it’s pre-beta state. While Vista has certainly had its share of people who ‘say’ they don’t like it (mostly because of trying to run old software or hardware etc), Windows 7 aims to take some of the annoyances from Vista and make it more user friendly.

Starting with a less intrusive version of user access controls (those annoying pop-ups in Vista, that actually help protect your computer), and moving to better file management, an improved back-up program, and a host of other interface improvements, Windows 7 is looking like it will be the Vista that Microsoft hoped for originally.

Although a final release date has not been set, we can probably expect to see Windows 7 hit the market sometime late next year – stay tuned for more information as we dig into the new Windows 7