Q. I need a computer for making films and video editing. Is HP a good place to go? Apple seems too expensive, Craigslist and Ebay seem too risky and hard, Best Buy and Wal Mart I am told are rip offs, as for New Egg I am not sure that I could assemble my own computer, so what computer company is best what about HP or is there something better?
A. There are several places where I can read between the lines in your question. I recommend for you to talk to some local computer places. You should look for one that can help you make the decision by asking you many questions about what you are going to do with the computer.
You need someone who can help you learn to use the machine properly and is going to be able to answer questions as you use it. They will also need to fix problems as they come up. National chains are terrible at doing all of those things. They tend towards a one-size-fits-all approach to every issue.
ANYONE can recommend a computer. I have seen no end to those who consider themselves experts. You need someone who is not phoney. Unfortunately, that is hard to find. Ask them probing questions and get names of references.
If they have been at this less than three years or have worked at the same place all their career, I would recommend against them. Also, it is hard to find a true expert who can also communicate in terms that YOU can understand: you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince.
If the person cannot make you understand what you need to know to do the task, they are not the right person. If they have a "one size fits all" solution, they are not the right person. If they sell only one brand, they are not the right store.
Other signs of the wrong store include ANY of the following:
they only do "in shop" repairs
they know "everything" about computers
their main use of computer is gaming (gaming and business computing are not the same)
they have never used an Adobe product
they have used only one or two brands of computer
they have no experience in data recovery
they have no experience in performance tuning
they have never edited the registry or worse yet, they don't know what that means
they think you need a $600 graphics card
they think that all Windows machines can use as much RAM as you want
they think that no Windows machine can use over 4GB of RAM
they think everything should be wireless
they think the most expensive product is the best
they think the least expensive product is the best
they think it is okay to spend $400 or more to replace a power supply
they think it is okay to spend $50 or less to replace a power supply
if you ask what size power supply is the best and they answer without asking you a ton of questions
they are experts at overclocking (mission critical machines shouldn't be overclocked)
they can't name four RAM manufacturers off the top of their head
they can't name four hard drive manufacturers off the top of their head
they use generic parts from China, Taiwan, Korea, etc because they are the same quality and are cheaper than name brand
Those are clues that they are not ready for high end, professional video support. Actually, they are probably not ready for support of any high end, professional systems. That gives you some questions to ask them to help gauge their competence.
You need someone who can help you learn to use the machine properly and is going to be able to answer questions as you use it. They will also need to fix problems as they come up. National chains are terrible at doing all of those things. They tend towards a one-size-fits-all approach to every issue.
ANYONE can recommend a computer. I have seen no end to those who consider themselves experts. You need someone who is not phoney. Unfortunately, that is hard to find. Ask them probing questions and get names of references.
If they have been at this less than three years or have worked at the same place all their career, I would recommend against them. Also, it is hard to find a true expert who can also communicate in terms that YOU can understand: you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince.
If the person cannot make you understand what you need to know to do the task, they are not the right person. If they have a "one size fits all" solution, they are not the right person. If they sell only one brand, they are not the right store.
Other signs of the wrong store include ANY of the following:
they only do "in shop" repairs
they know "everything" about computers
their main use of computer is gaming (gaming and business computing are not the same)
they have never used an Adobe product
they have used only one or two brands of computer
they have no experience in data recovery
they have no experience in performance tuning
they have never edited the registry or worse yet, they don't know what that means
they think you need a $600 graphics card
they think that all Windows machines can use as much RAM as you want
they think that no Windows machine can use over 4GB of RAM
they think everything should be wireless
they think the most expensive product is the best
they think the least expensive product is the best
they think it is okay to spend $400 or more to replace a power supply
they think it is okay to spend $50 or less to replace a power supply
if you ask what size power supply is the best and they answer without asking you a ton of questions
they are experts at overclocking (mission critical machines shouldn't be overclocked)
they can't name four RAM manufacturers off the top of their head
they can't name four hard drive manufacturers off the top of their head
they use generic parts from China, Taiwan, Korea, etc because they are the same quality and are cheaper than name brand
Those are clues that they are not ready for high end, professional video support. Actually, they are probably not ready for support of any high end, professional systems. That gives you some questions to ask them to help gauge their competence.
Best way to clear out ALL internet history, files, downloads, etc?
Q. What is the best and most thorough way of deleting ALL internet browsing history from a company lap top? I already know how to clear history, clear cookies, and delete all files in the temporary internet file folder. But I have a feeling that there are other ways for my company to see all the porn that me and my wife like to look up! Is there a way to delete it off the hard drive? Is my internet browsing history stored anyplace else? How do I completely get rid of ALL browsing history, short of dropping my lap top on a hard surface from about 12 feet up?
A. You need to get the CCleaner (see below).
Tools > Internet Options > Delete Browsing History and choose what you wish to delete.
If your using Firefox just go to Tools and click "Clear Private Data". If your not using Firefox I recommend getting it (you can even set it up so it clears the cache every time you close the browser!).
If your really concerned about privacy, there are still traces of your online activity stored in the registry and "index.dat" files that cannot be removed from within your browser. CCleaner will remove these "index.dat" files making future recovery very difficult. CCleaner is free and removes all traces of your online activities (highly recommended).
Tools > Internet Options > Delete Browsing History and choose what you wish to delete.
If your using Firefox just go to Tools and click "Clear Private Data". If your not using Firefox I recommend getting it (you can even set it up so it clears the cache every time you close the browser!).
If your really concerned about privacy, there are still traces of your online activity stored in the registry and "index.dat" files that cannot be removed from within your browser. CCleaner will remove these "index.dat" files making future recovery very difficult. CCleaner is free and removes all traces of your online activities (highly recommended).
What's the best way to back up info on your computer?
Q. Should I buy an external hard drive or is there a place you can save your info into cyber space? Oh... is saving your hard drive into cyber-space safe if you can do this?
A. yes it always easy and inexpensive to store data in external storage device but there is every chance of loss of damage during natural calamities, human mistakes etc..
if u wanna buy go for maxtor one touch series
when it comes online do not worry abt safety of data with below mentioned :
Here's a look at five major online backup services, including annual service fees.
@Backup. The service offers eight plans, geared toward consumers and small businesses with minimal storage requirements. I've used @Backup and found it to be reliable and its Windows Explorer-inspired interface easy to use. But its rates are higher than most. Plans begin at $50 for 50MB and top out at $995 for 2GB.
DataProtector. Connected's online backup and recovery service, for small businesses and home users, includes patented technology that prevents duplicate copies of files on your hard drive from being backed up online, according to the company. For example, if you have inadvertently stored a file in two folders, and you've selected both folders for backup, DataProtector will back up that file only once, which saves storage space and time, the company claims. (I haven't tested this service.) Plans begin at $80 for 250MB and go up to $800 for 30GB.
IBackup. Pro-Softnet's service is for consumers and small businesses who want lots of options to choose from. IBackup offers 21 different plans, including workgroup subscription options that provide online storage and file sharing for a "large number of users," the company says. Unlike most services, IBackup lets you choose your backup interface. You can download a desktop backup utility, for instance, or handle everything entirely through a Web browser. I've used IBackup, and I like the many options it provides and its competitive rates. Plans start at $30 for 50MB and max out at $8640 for 100GB.
Iomega IStorage Online. This service lets you download files backed up online to a wireless Palm OS or BlackBerry device, as well as to a computer. Its five online backup plans include the ability to securely share files with others, the company says. (I've not tested IStorage). Plans begin at $25 for 50MB and go to $180 for 1GB.
Xdrive. This service offers just two online backup plans, which include file sharing--but its rates are among the best I've seen. I haven't tried Xdrive, but because of its compelling rates, I plan to. I'll report my experiences in a future newsletter. Plans are $119 for 5GB and 10GB for $239.
Netting It Out
As you can see, online storage is pricey. For instance, if you bought a Maxtor OneTouch 300GB external hard drive for $296, your one-time cost would be 99 cents per gigabyte. However, if you backed up just 2GB of data to IBackup, you'd pay $162 per gigabyte.
What to do? Here's what I suggest.
Protect Critical Files. Some people say "Remember the Alamo." I say, "Remember Kim Novak." Back up at least your most critical files online. If for no other reason, you may find yourself on a business trip without a file you need. If you backed up the file online, no problem--just go on the Internet and get it. And be sure to back up those files every business day. Because online backup is automated and works in the background, why wouldn't you?
Shop Around. Look for the online service that seems to best suit your needs. If you need to share large files with others, look for a service that offers secure file sharing, as IBackup does. All the services offer at least a 15-day free trial, so you can try them before you commit.
Mirror Your Hard Drive. Notebook hard drives are known to die early deaths. I've had two drives--in the same notebook--expire within one year. So along with online storage of your crucial files, I also recommend investing in a portable external hard drive that both backs up and mirrors your notebook's entire hard drive. Such a drive becomes a virtual replica of your notebook's drive that you can boot from should your computer's hard drive fail (assuming the computer's BIOS allows booting from a USB drive).
CMS Products' pocket-size ABSplus Portable USB 2.0 drive once saved me from near disaster when my Dell notebook's drive died unexpectedly on a trip. Using the portable ABSplus drive, I was able to get back to work almost immediately. On a cost-per-gigabyte basis, the ABSplus drives aren't the least expensive external hard drives available. But when disaster strikes, such drives are worth every penny. ABSplus Portable USB 2.0 drives begin at $229 for 20GB and go up to $419 for 100GB. (For more on external drives, see "Sony's Top Hard Drive.")
if u wanna buy go for maxtor one touch series
when it comes online do not worry abt safety of data with below mentioned :
Here's a look at five major online backup services, including annual service fees.
@Backup. The service offers eight plans, geared toward consumers and small businesses with minimal storage requirements. I've used @Backup and found it to be reliable and its Windows Explorer-inspired interface easy to use. But its rates are higher than most. Plans begin at $50 for 50MB and top out at $995 for 2GB.
DataProtector. Connected's online backup and recovery service, for small businesses and home users, includes patented technology that prevents duplicate copies of files on your hard drive from being backed up online, according to the company. For example, if you have inadvertently stored a file in two folders, and you've selected both folders for backup, DataProtector will back up that file only once, which saves storage space and time, the company claims. (I haven't tested this service.) Plans begin at $80 for 250MB and go up to $800 for 30GB.
IBackup. Pro-Softnet's service is for consumers and small businesses who want lots of options to choose from. IBackup offers 21 different plans, including workgroup subscription options that provide online storage and file sharing for a "large number of users," the company says. Unlike most services, IBackup lets you choose your backup interface. You can download a desktop backup utility, for instance, or handle everything entirely through a Web browser. I've used IBackup, and I like the many options it provides and its competitive rates. Plans start at $30 for 50MB and max out at $8640 for 100GB.
Iomega IStorage Online. This service lets you download files backed up online to a wireless Palm OS or BlackBerry device, as well as to a computer. Its five online backup plans include the ability to securely share files with others, the company says. (I've not tested IStorage). Plans begin at $25 for 50MB and go to $180 for 1GB.
Xdrive. This service offers just two online backup plans, which include file sharing--but its rates are among the best I've seen. I haven't tried Xdrive, but because of its compelling rates, I plan to. I'll report my experiences in a future newsletter. Plans are $119 for 5GB and 10GB for $239.
Netting It Out
As you can see, online storage is pricey. For instance, if you bought a Maxtor OneTouch 300GB external hard drive for $296, your one-time cost would be 99 cents per gigabyte. However, if you backed up just 2GB of data to IBackup, you'd pay $162 per gigabyte.
What to do? Here's what I suggest.
Protect Critical Files. Some people say "Remember the Alamo." I say, "Remember Kim Novak." Back up at least your most critical files online. If for no other reason, you may find yourself on a business trip without a file you need. If you backed up the file online, no problem--just go on the Internet and get it. And be sure to back up those files every business day. Because online backup is automated and works in the background, why wouldn't you?
Shop Around. Look for the online service that seems to best suit your needs. If you need to share large files with others, look for a service that offers secure file sharing, as IBackup does. All the services offer at least a 15-day free trial, so you can try them before you commit.
Mirror Your Hard Drive. Notebook hard drives are known to die early deaths. I've had two drives--in the same notebook--expire within one year. So along with online storage of your crucial files, I also recommend investing in a portable external hard drive that both backs up and mirrors your notebook's entire hard drive. Such a drive becomes a virtual replica of your notebook's drive that you can boot from should your computer's hard drive fail (assuming the computer's BIOS allows booting from a USB drive).
CMS Products' pocket-size ABSplus Portable USB 2.0 drive once saved me from near disaster when my Dell notebook's drive died unexpectedly on a trip. Using the portable ABSplus drive, I was able to get back to work almost immediately. On a cost-per-gigabyte basis, the ABSplus drives aren't the least expensive external hard drives available. But when disaster strikes, such drives are worth every penny. ABSplus Portable USB 2.0 drives begin at $229 for 20GB and go up to $419 for 100GB. (For more on external drives, see "Sony's Top Hard Drive.")
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