Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Should I Buy a Laptop or a Desktop?

Should I buy a cheap laptop or a cheap desktop?

You may be asking yourself that question over and over while shopping for a new computer. This guide will offer you the pros and cons of owning a laptop versus a desktop pc.

Processing speed

Comparing processing speeds, laptops usually lag behind their desktop counterparts. With the rapid advance in microchip technology, the gap between them will become smaller.

Wireless

Most laptops especially those with Intel mobile chips come with wireless capability out of the box. This means you can get online from any location at home easily without ugly wires if you have a wireless network setup at home. Desktop pcs do not typically provide this capability out of the box although that may change in the near future.

Memory

Memory chip tends to be more expensive in Laptop than desktop pcs. If you buy a laptop with less than 512MB ram, be prepare to pay more for memory upgrades than you have to with a desktop pc.

Graphics Display

Because of the size of a laptop, most business or entry level laptop use integrated graphics with limited ram. This means most laptops even some expensive ones cannot run graphics intensive applications or 3d games as well as a desktop pc. With a desktop pc, you can buy a dedicated graphics card just to serve a graphics intensive application.

Portability

Portability is why everyone wants a laptop these days. Because of their size and weight, it is easier to carry a laptop around as opposed to a desktop pc.

Screen Display

Everyone buy laptop for their portability so laptops usually do not come with screens as big as their desktop counterparts. The screen technology used is usually not as good as those used by desktop pc. Furthermore with a desktop pc, you can always upgrade to a bigger and better screen whereas for laptop you are stuck with the same screen display for the whole lifespan of the laptop.

Upgradeability

Laptops do not offer many upgrade options. You can only upgrade memory and hard disk. With a desktop you can upgrade almost anything and only limited by the motherboard. This means a cheap desktop pc offers a longer lifespan than a laptop.

So whether you should buy a cheap laptop or a cheap desktop, ask yourself what are your needs? If you want to be able to use a computer wherever you go, then you are looking at a laptop to fulfill your needs. However if you do not require the portability of a laptop, play a lot of 3D games, graphic intensive applications, if you care about upgradeability to prolong the lifespan of your investment, then desktop pc is a smarter choice for you.


Charles Wee runs a free hosting service at BloggerHaven. He also owns and runs a website at CheapLaptopGuide which provides free guidance for buying of cheap laptops and notebooks
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Wee

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Simple Steps You Can Do To Keep Your Computer Running Fast

And Avoid Problems

Software Maintenance:
Just like your car your computer needs some basic maintenance. The most common problems can usually be traced to the software that is on your hard drive.

We all want to keep our Computer System running quickly and at peek performance. Here are a few easy tips that will insure that your Computer continues to function properly. First and most important is that a up to date Anti Virus software, such as Symantec's Norton Anti Virus, is installed on your Computer. Once a week the Anti Virus software should scan the entire system and make sure that no Viruses have been installed. You will also want to make sure that your Anti Virus software has the latest update. The second most important program to have installed is an Anti Spyware software. This software should also check the entire system once a week. If there has been a lot of internet activity you may want to check the system after browsing the internet. The next step to making sure that your system operates correctly is to Check for Errors on your hard drive. Simply right click your hard drive icon. Click properties, Click Tools then check for errors. You may have to shut down and restart for this application to complete.

Things to remember: Always check to make sure that your Anti Virus Icon is on the task bar and is working. As soon as you believe that your software has been compromised follow the steps listed above. If they do not solve the problem then a professional should be called. Usually if the problem is caught within a few days it can be fixed without having to loose all of your data and programs.

Hardware Maintenance:
A majority of Hardware problems are caused by dust. Your computer case is designed to pull air from the front of the case over the motherboard and out through a fan in the rear of the case and rear of the power supply. Every three months the side of the computer case should be removed and the hardware should be cleaned of dust. The easiest method of dusting is by using a can of compressed air. The air should be sprayed on the computers heatsinc and fan, case fans, power supply fan and any other fans. You may want to check you video card as they typically have fans and are sometimes hard to see. By removing dust you will insure that heat generated from they computer is properly vented. Fan failure is typically the main cause of computer noise and power supply failure.

The next cause of hardware problems is loose connections. Once a year the inside of the computer should be inspected. All cables to the hard drives, floppy drive and Optical drive should be inspected. Any add on card such as a video, sound card, modem should be checked to make sure that it is properly seated on the motherboard. It is also a good idea to make sure that the ram is making a good connection on the motherboard.

Final thought:
If you believe there is a problem with your computer. Backup what you can and try to fix the problem immediately or call someone who can. Most problems will not just go away they will usually get worse.


About the Author:Evan Freedman is an author for CSSZafco.com, distributor of computers and accessories. Evan has been diagnosing and fixing computer for over 25 years. Please visit the site to view a huge assortment of Computer Technology.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Evan_Freedman

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Discount Dell Laptops

There are many ways to save on a Dell Computer, from special sales, coupons, stackable coupons, price cuts, and the Dell Outlet.

Recent additions to Dell’s computer services division include low-cost used Dell laptop computers. These machines are generally sufficient for the Internet, e-mail, and word processing. One advantage is that, unlike other used Dell computers purchased from a friend or local computer shop, each computer stocked has received a complete inspection by certified computer technicians and has been restored and tested to like-new condition.

Dell guarantees that each used Dell GX110 computer purchased directly from them will be in perfect working condition. Dell supports this guarantee statement by providing each used Dell GX110 computer along with a 30-day replacement warranty. Also, a keyboard, mouse, and power cord are included with each purchase.

Each of these computer systems are formatted but are without an operating system but a preinstalled licensed copy of any Windows operating system is available at an additional cost. Dell also provides these in wholesale lots.

Most of these discount computers contain Pentium III - 866 MHz, 10GB+ hard drive, 128MB memory, integrated video, sound, LAN along with a keyboard, mouse, power cord.

The Dell Computer Corporation has also recently announced up to 10 percent price cuts on selected configurations of its Latitude notebook. The Latitude notebooks provide manageability, reliability, and performance for business and institutional customers in networked environments.


Dell also provides excellent coupon codes that can help to save even more money on their already low priced computers, printers, monitors and accessories. In addition to Dell’s online coupon codes, they occasionally provide stackable coupons that allow the customers to use more than one coupon at a time. Stackable Dell coupons are marked to avoid confusion. Be sure to read the price points of the Dell coupons a number of times so as to qualify for an even greater discount if using the most appropriate coupon. Please study the rules and restrictions to check if they can be bought for the required purpose.

You can Save big at Dell Outlet: Refurbished Dell computers sold directly by Dell are excellent systems with good warranties. However, their prices tend to run a bit on the high side. Click on the button “REFURBISHED SYSTEMS” on their navigation bar to go to the Dell Outlet.


Discount Laptops provides detailed information about discount laptops, discount laptop batteries, and more. Discount Laptops is affiliated with Live Spy Cam.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Sturo

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Student Discount On Laptops

Currently, laptops and notebook computers are being used to a great extent in educational institutes. With a laptop or notebook computer, students can connect to the network in the college and work on personal computers. Many manufacturers provide student computer discount offers. Though some of these offers are available only through official channels from the school, while others are available from the retailer on producing proof of enrolment in an educational institution. Some of the manufacturers that have student discount programs include Dell, Hewlett Packard, and Apple laptops.

It is important to check the institutions for restrictions, as all institutions are not accepted into these student discount programs, In most of the cases, only institutions of higher education, or universities, offer these student discounts.

Dell’s student discount program is aimed only at institutions of higher education. On providing proof that they belong to one of the eligible institutions, a Dell laptop may be purchased.

College students can check hp.com to view all the available HP student discounts that are available for higher education. HP also offers similar discounts to both students and faculty.

Meanwhile, Apple computers has a specific store for education, which offers desktop and notebook computers at special prices for education. Apple computers offers discounts for both college/university students, as well as for students in K-12 schools.

A student discount can be used if the customer is a student, teacher, a school administrator, or a faculty member. The discount can also be used if purchasing for an accredited school, college, or a hospital directly affiliated with an educational institution.


Discount Laptops provides detailed information about discount laptops, discount laptop batteries, and more. Discount Laptops is affiliated with Live Spy Cam.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Sturo