Category: Blog
Searching For the Best Desktop Hard Drives?
December 28, 2017
Desktop hard drives are incredibly valuable when you need some extra storage space for safeguarding your data and your files. While they cost you something up front, they can be a good investment, giving you peace of mind and even helping your computer run faster. In this article, we’ll be looking at some of the best desktop hard drives, and we’ll be talking about what you should look for when buying one.
For a low cost option, it’s hard to go wrong with Seagate’s Expansion portable hard drive. Seagate makes quite a few storage devices, so you might want to investigate a few of their products. The really great thing about the Seagate Expansion is that it’s a simple “plug and play” style model that is easy to use. Additionally, the device is energy efficient, which saves on utility costs. Seagate backs this product with a one year warranty, and its external hard drives are generally reliable.
If you would like to find a really durable external hard drive, the IoSafe Rugged Portable hard drive is something you really need to think about buying. It has a stylish designed and is really tough and is made to stand up to all sorts of punishments. It’s especially useful if you’re going to use it on a ship or other damp environment, as it’s water resistant and will still work even after being submerged in fresh or salt water. With the IoSafe Rugged Portable drive contains 750 GB of storage capacity and support for the USB 3.0 connection. If your computer is only USB 2.0 compatible you’re going to need an entirely separate cable to make it work. Aside from this, the only disadvantage it has is that, rugged as it is, it’s not designed to work in conditions of extreme heat.
Just about the first thing that you need to pay attention to when you are shopping for an external hard drive is what sort of connectivity you can get from it. They will generally offer you a choice between USB or Firewire, although some devices have both. Firewire is a lot faster but it isn’t part of every computer while just about every modern computer has some form of USB connectivity. There is also an emerging format called Thunderbolt technology that is the fastest of all, but not many devices are using this yet. Another thing that you need to think about is size because today it is possible to find external hard drives that have as much as 2 TB of space which is around 2000 GB. If you want to find the best desktop hard drives, you’ll have to do a little research. This excellent information will have you on the right track in no time. You have quite a few choices when it comes to external hard drives, so shop around and make sure you get one that will meet your needs.
Windows Tips to Help Your Computer Run Better
October 11, 2017
If you’ve been a user of Windows for any length of time, you are probably aware of the improvements and enhancements that Microsoft has continued to add with each new edition. Some versions had more problems than others, but any issues that surfaced were immediately addressed and corrected. There have been good reports and reviews for Windows 7. It looks like Windows 8 will be even more powerful. There are many techniques and features you can use with whatever version of Windows you have that will make using your computer easier and more efficient.
Some people prefer using their mouse, while others like to avoid it as much as possible. Whichever camp you fall into, it can be helpful to learn some keyboard shortcuts. The truth of the matter is, many folks haven’t learned the majority of uses they can put their keyboards to in order to work more efficiently. There are websites you can explore that can teach you hundreds of ways to use your keyboard that you can’t even imagine. Do you like to view your pictures full screen? Press the Windows key and the UP arrow key and your screen will be maximized. Reverse the procedure to minimize your view. Press the Windows key in conjunction with the DOWN arrow key. If you want to see a preview of the file you’ve selected, simply press Alt + P. You can use this to preview images of photos you have saved, as well as videos or text documents. This, of course, is just a small sampling of the keyboard shortcuts that are available.
One feature you should regularly run is the defragmentation tool. Because they don’t understand what defragmentation is, many computer users don’t use this useful tool. Other people just don’t want to mess with it. Defragmentation is easy and it can make Windows perform much better. Those of you who create a lot of files, or download a lot of stuff, really need to defrag regularly. Defragmentation allows your files to be reorganized in a way that makes them faster to find and conserves disk space. On each disk, you only have to go to Properties and select defragmentation. Defragmentation doesn’t take long unless you have a lot of files on your hard drive that haven’t been defragged lately. You can also automate defragmentation, so that your computer performs it on a regular schedule so you don’t have to think about it.
It’s not unusual for computer folks to quickly clutter the desktops on their PC a lot more than they junk up their actual desk. It isn’t long before you have so many programs and files littering your desktop that you have trouble locating the one you want. If it’s your custom to have several files and/or programs running simultaneously, the confusion can escalate
Windows 7 has a Shake feature that makes it much easier to keep track of what you’re doing. All you have to do is shake the Title Bar back and forth after you click on it. The other windows that you have open will show up minimized in your Task Bar. Another shortcut to do this is to press the Windows Key and the Home Key at the same time. Do you think this is silly? Well, try it and you will see that it’s better to not be distracted by a bunch of open windows.
There is no end to the types of tips and shortcuts that Windows offers you. Once you’ve started using them, you will want more. You probably don’t want to spend time learning these things just for the sake of it; it’s best to stick to the ones that are relevant to what you actually use your computer for. Do some research on the internet and you will find a lot more tips and shortcuts for using the Windows Operating System. We’ve just given you a taste of what’s available.
Interested in Windows vs. Mac OS? What You Have to Know
September 22, 2017
You’ve probably heard about the Windows vs Mac OS debate that many computer users engage in. This isn’t anything new and both systems have their pros and cons. This doesn’t mean that they are identical, though, and the truth is that you are probably going to be better served by one system over the other. We’re going to look at good features of both Mac and Windows in this article to make the decision an easier one for you to make.
Compatibility issues are one of the main reasons that people typically choose Windows over Mac. Due to the fact that more people are choosing Windows, more software applications are made for it’s operating system.
Even if the software comes in a Mac version it typically runs differently and isn’t always fully compatible. Yet with today’s Macintosh computers, you can easily run Windows using Bootcamp. This means that any Mac computer with a recent release date can run Windows. The reverse, however, probably won’t ever be a possibility. In the past, if you wanted to run Windows on a Mac, you had to rely on slow and unreliable programs like Virtual PC, but that’s no longer the case. Now it is totally possible to read files and play games and run programs that are made for Windows on your Mac.
A genuine improvement is what most Windows users have characterized Windows 7 when comparing it to all of the operating systems that were used previously. In the last few years, Windows has caught up to Mac, and they have become a lot less likely to crash than before, and they also are more reliable. Two of the most common complaints against earlier versions of Windows, including XP and Vista, namely glitches and crashes, have been registered by a lot of people Most of Microsoft’s operating systems released up to now, haven’t been very reliable, until Windows 7 came along. When Windows 8 comes out, it will be interesting to find out how good it will be.
When you use computers for work or school, the chances of those computers being Windows OS based are high. If this is true for you, then selecting a Windows based computer for your home computer is the smart thing to do and the more convenient thing to do because you can be sure that you have all of the same programs downloaded. For example, if you regularly share files with PC users that becomes more difficult when you use a Mac. It’s super easy these days to go back and forth between a Mac and a PC because the programs enjoy more compatibility than they ever have before and, thanks to Bootcamp, Mac users can set their computers up to run like Windows based PCs.
However, if you mainly have to work with programs and files that are Windows based, there’s probably no advantage for you to get a Mac. Even though Macs continue to grow in popularity, most schools and companies and big groups use Windows based computers. The points we’ve talked about in this article are just some of the things that you should think about before making your final choices between Mac and Windows operating systems. If you’re having trouble making up your mind, you should visit a large computer store, including perhaps an Apple store if there’s one near you. You’ll find that it’s easier to make a final decision once you’ve gotten up close and personal with all of your options.