Software Upgrades - How to Decide Whether to Buy

It's that time again: a major upgrade has been released for software you use regularly, and when you read about all the bells and whistles, you start salivating. Hmmm... can you afford an extra couple of hundred to buy it? Should you... or shouldn't you?

Too often, eager consumers become carried away by the hype and slap down a credit card - only to find that the upgrade comes with headaches, or the extra features are not worth it. To buy or not to buy becomes an easier decision if you run through a quick checklist.

1. Will You Use The New Features?

Sure, your new software can do everything but cook dinner - but how many of these features do you actually need? Are you thinking: "Well, I don't need these now but they might come in handy later..."? If so, you could be going to needless expense. You can always upgrade when you DO need the new features.

2. Will You Lose Any Favorite 'Old' Features?

Sometimes it's a toss-up - will what you gain outweigh what you lose? A quick example: many users have been delighted with the new layout of tools in Microsoft Office 2007, and find that they can do their work much faster (or more easily). Others are aghast to find that their old macros won't work - and that they can no longer customize toolbars full of autotext for different purposes. Make sure you know exactly how the program has changed before you upgrade.

3. Compatibility - Will Others Be Able to Read Your Files?

This is an important one. There's not usually a problem with importing files in an older format, but you can face big problems if you send files in the new format to others. Microsoft Office 2007, for example, saves files in a very different format. You can set the default to save files in the standard format for older versions of Office, but if you forget, you're likely to get irritated phone calls from others telling you that they can't open your files. (Yes, they can download a compatibility pack from Microsoft - but it's another step they have to take before they can make use of your file.)

4. Can You Afford The Learning Curve?

When an upgrade is significantly different from what has gone before, you're going to have to factor in time to become familiar with the new version. This might not be a problem if you have plenty of time to do it (it can even be fun) but if you are constantly racing to meet deadlines, then block off enough hours to learn how to use the new features. When you're pressed for time, it's not much fun scrolling through an FAQ page to find out how to complete a task you used to do with your eyes closed.

Bottom line: before you invest in any upgrade, do your homework. Read the reviews and visit a few forums to see what problems real-world users have encountered. Make your own list of pluses and minuses, then make an educated decision about your purchase. If you do decide to buy, keep a working version of the old software on your backup machine or on a different drive.

Computer Crash! How to Prevent Loss of Valuable Data

Have you ever had a computer crash whereby all your data was lost? What very likely happened is that your computer's hard drive became defective. Yes, it happens more frequently than one might expect. There are all sorts of reasons why computer hard drives can fail and there's not a whole lot that can be done to prevent these failures. Another consideration for the protection of data is the possibility of fire and theft. The main objective of this article is to provide you with some practical strategies that will allow you to easily protect and recover your data.

First let's talk briefly about what is meant by valuable data. On any given computer system there are generally two types of data stored on the computer's hard drive. The first type is "software" data and the second type is "user" data. Many people don't actually realize that software is data in its own right. But software data is not the kind of data that you really need to concern yourself with when it comes to recovery of data. The reason for this is that software data is easily recoverable from the installation disks received when software is purchased.

The data that we will focus on in this article is "user" data. Let's define user data specifically. User data is the data that users create from the software that is run on a computer. For example, if a word processor is used to create a document or a letter, the word processor provides functions to save this data. The data that is created and saved through the word processor is "user" data. Most programs will create and save data somewhere on the hard drive.

There are many kinds of user data that can and will be created on the hard drive. For example, picture files, documents, accounting data from a money management program, music files, video files, and email and email address data are all different types of user data. This is not an exhaustive list. But it does highlight the types of data that accumulates on most computer hard drives through the use of various programs or software.

Here's the bottom line when it comes to recovery of data of both types. If a hard drive crashes and the operating system needs to be completely reinstalled or, in the worst case, the hard drive needs to be completely replaced, software can easily be recovered by simply reinstalling these from their installation disks. However, if the "user" data has not been backed up, then it is lost for good. Most people do not pay enough attention to this basic fact about computer systems until it's too late.

Remember, the key concept here is "prevention" and in order to prevent loss of valuable data you must always anticipate the possibility of hard disk failures, fire damage, or theft. So let's talk about some basic options that are easily available to implement a good data management plan.

Option 1: Consider having two internal hard drives.
Most home computers generally all come with only one internal hard drive. This one hard drive stores both software and user data. Which means that this one single hard drive is experiencing a lot of wear and tear. Every time a program is launched it's being accessed. Every single function that the operating system invokes will likely hit the hard drive etc. This heavy wear and tear can eventually lead to physical failures. Also, many viruses are designed to hit the operating system. If the user data is on the same physical drive as the operating system, then it can be severely impacted by viruses as well.

So why not install a second internal hard drive. Very few people ever think of this option and, with the price of hard drives going down drastically, it's a very cost effective approach to securing user data. What does this accomplish? Well first of all, using this approach, the user data can be physically separated from the software data. The main drive, also known as the boot or master drive, would be strictly dedicated to holding only the operating system and all other software. The second hard drive (known as the slave drive) would be strictly dedicated to storing only your user data.

Here are the benefits of this approach. First and foremost the user data is completely isolated to a more secure and less used drive. This drive would experience a lot less wear and tear. Also, it would be much easier to back up your data onto other storage mediums such as writable compact disks (cds) or digital versatile disks (dvds). That's because this data would be in one centralized place. In other words, user data is much easier to find when it is isolated on a separate drive.

Another key point regarding storing user data on the primary drive is that it is also much more at risk for viruses. Again, by isolating user data onto a physically separate drive, the risk of data loss or corruption from viruses would be greatly minimized.

Another strong point for this option is that total system recoveries (i.e. re-installing the operating system) is much easier if you don't have to include re-installing the user data as well. The main hard drive can quickly be reformatted without worrying about backing up the user data and then re-imaged with a fresh copy of the operating system.

Option 2: Save your data to cd or dvd disks.
This is by far the cheapest option and a very good approach to securing user data. All that is needed is a cd or dvd burner and some blank disks, which cost pennies to buy. This option can be the only option used for securing data but it is highly recommended that option 1 be used in conjunction with this option for two reasons. First, the back ups to cd or dvd will only be as current as the last time the backups were done. Secondly, if the operating system needs to be completely re-installed, the user data will also need to be copied from cds or dvds onto the single hard drive. Thus making the recovery a bit more cumbersome but still doable.

The main benefit of saving user data onto cds or dvds is that it is being further isolated and one step removed from the hard drives. When using this option, two copies should be maintained. The reason for maintaining two copies is so that one of the copies can be stored off site. This means keeping one set of disks at some other location other than at home or the office. The reason this is an important consideration is because of the possibility of fire and theft. Another reason is that a cd or dvd backup can also become corrupted. It's better to have two or more copies.

Option 3: Attach an external USB Hard Drive to the system.
With the price of hard drives getting much cheaper, this is another really good option. By attaching an external USB hard drive to the system, special backup programs can be installed and scheduled to run over night. There are many cost effective backup programs available. Do an Internet search on these. Backup programs can be configured to save user data to the external hard drive. This option can also be used in place of options 1 and 2. But some of the benefits achieved by these other options are lost or minimized if this is the only option you choose. However, it is another good option because the back up process is fully automated and the user data is still physically separated from the main hard drive.

Hopefully this article has raised the importance of user data. The options presented here are the very same options used by many highly experience data processing centers and can be easily adopted by the average computer user. The most important point to remember is that good planning for potential disasters is the best protection against loss of valuable user data. You may not think of it this way at first but the user data that you accumulate on your computer takes time to build up and acquire. If you value your time then you'll value your data. Your data has a lot of value. So why not take a few simple steps to protect it.

How To Protect Your Computer from Malware

As we sail through 21 century, internet becomes a way of living for many people around the world. No matter how you access the internet to check emails, read news, do shopping, or conduct business, there is no doubt that internet becomes a big part of our daily life. However, statistics shows that more than 80% of the internet users experience slowdowns in their computer performance in the past even if there is only one or two programs running on a T1 connection.

The most likely cause of loss of computer performance is called malware (spyware, adware, key-loggers, or drive-by downloader, etc.) that enter your system by various means, slowing things down to a crawl. This malicious software can gather your surfing information and send it to places you don't want sent or track your personal information for future use. Unfortunately, these malicious software programs are everywhere on the internet, including some "friendly" websites such as websites run by the government and the large, reputable companies.

As the web technology advances, viruses and spyware get smarter and harder to detect and kill, too. In order to protect your computer from malware you need to understand what they are and how they work.

Basically, there are three types of malware presented in this article because they are the most common problems we encounter:

1. Viruses
2. Spyware
3. Adware

Let's take a look at viruses first.

Viruses not only can damage your system but can be contagious to other people's system through yours. Through duplication, viruses can be sent to other people in your Microsoft Outlook mail list. Sometimes, virus can be embedded in other programs, such as the notorious Trojans, or hidden in an executable file through a well-wrapped email. Since viruses can be very dangerous to your computer, their entry should be prevented before they damage your system.

Unlike viruses, spyware usually is not an executable file and doesn't damage your system or wipe out your data; instead, they "spy" on your personal information, such as your web-surfing habits or even worse stealing your credit card information, then install tiny software, called cookies, to your computer without your permission when you download information from a website. They silently hide all over the system, usually in registries, cookies, or temporary files.

Similar to spyware, adware primarily gathers information about your surfing behavior so they can provide the ads and other related information you are interested in when you surf the web. This can be viewed as personalized marketing and can be very helpful if you visit a certain site frequently. It becomes a problem when too many cookies installed in your system and slow down your computer performance.

So what we can do to solve the problems with viruses, spyware or adware?

The best way to minimize and eliminate damage from malware is to frequently update anti-virus and anti-spyware software, properly set browser options, and surf wisely with common sense.

For anti-virus software, most ISPs offer some kind of virus protection but most of the time it is inadequate for proper computer security. Therefore, investing in good anti-virus software is a must for the health of your computer.

Norton is by far the most well known anti-virus software on the market. Its new version includes virus and worm protection along with spyware protection. It allows owners to set the "Live Update" to automatically make timely downloads of the so-called "virus definitions". Since new viruses are continually developed almost everyday, the anti-virus software uses "definitions" to identify and handle viruses. Frequent updates of the "definitions" is highly recommended.

McAfee is another leading brand for anti-virus software. Many of the features in this software come defaulted to fit the users' needs, including preset updates and weekly virus scans. It is a great software for novice users.

Other anti-virus software such as Shield Deluxe is also good for prevention of virus attack. This software is easy to use for anti-virus and anti-spyware. It updates and scans on a weekly basis with a pre-scheduled interface. It is also cheaper than the leading brands.

In addition to software, applying common sense to avoid your computer's exposure to viruses is also important. These include, but are not limited to:

* never open emails if you don't know where they come from
* don't run an executable file in your email or downloaded
from a website unless you know exactly it is safe
* don't click "Yes" for a popup box when you surf the web
unless you know exactly what it is for

With regards to the anti-spyware software, PCTools Spyware Doctor has long been a PC Magazine Editor's choice for anti-spyware protection. It is a freeware/shareware with very thorough scanning. With its latest version, Spyware Doctor added anti-virus function as well. However, Spyware Doctor doesn't remove the spyware it identifies. It just prevents them from harming your system. Unless you buy the full featured software, spyware gets to stay in your system forever.

Webroot Spy Sweeper 5.2 is another piece of anti-spyware software that gets good ratings. Spy Sweeper 5.2 has similar functionality to Spyware Doctor 2007 but its user interface is more clear and concise. It is a good idea to supplement Spy Sweeper 5.2 with one or two free programs since no single anti-spyware software can catch every threat.

The free version of Ad-Aware by Lavasoft is also a good choice to supplement the primary anti-spyware software. It is not as robust as Spyware Doctor 2007 and Spy Sweeper 5.2 but it doesn't offer real-time monitoring in free version so it doesn't take many resources from your system.

At the browser level, you can minimize downloading certain types of spyware by going to Tools-->Internet Options-->Security-->Custom Level and selecting disable for

1. "Download unsigned Active-X controls"
2. "Initialize and script Active-X controls not marked as
safe"
and set Java permissions to "High Safety"

If this does not solve your spyware/adware problems, you can also disable the following two options:

3. "Active scripting"
4. "Scripting of Java applets"

The drawback is that you will limit the functionality of web surfing and may make your favorite sites unavailable. To overcome this, you can manually add your favorite site URLs to "Trusted Sites" under Security and uncheck "Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone".

Frequent updates and full scans of anti-spyware software should be performed on a regular basis. It is also recommended for a monthly Windows update to apply latest patches to your system. You can set up an automatic update through Windows Control Panel or within Internet Explorer under Tools menu.

Sitemap

-
-
-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/people-are-rethinking-idea-of.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/feeds/6157180182165578775/comments/default/

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=4&widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/feeds/4260101656871471060/comments/default/

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/feeds/7984201431541651240/comments/default/

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/feeds/2105646253173745426/comments/default/

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-protect-your-computer-from.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/banning-usb-flash-drives-from-workplace.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/people-are-rethinking-idea-of.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=4&widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/banning-usb-flash-drives-from-workplace.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=4&widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=4&widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/people-are-rethinking-idea-of.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/banning-usb-flash-drives-from-workplace.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/people-are-rethinking-idea-of.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-protect-your-computer-from.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/top-video-cards-on-market.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-protect-your-computer-from.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/banning-usb-flash-drives-from-workplace.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/top-video-cards-on-market.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=4&widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/people-are-rethinking-idea-of.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-protect-your-computer-from.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-protect-your-computer-from.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/top-video-cards-on-market.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/top-video-cards-on-market.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/banning-usb-flash-drives-from-workplace.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=4&widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/people-are-rethinking-idea-of.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000,YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-protect-your-computer-from.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-protect-your-computer-from.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/top-video-cards-on-market.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/top-video-cards-on-market.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/people-are-rethinking-idea-of.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/banning-usb-flash-drives-from-workplace.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=4&widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=YEARLY-1167638400000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/top-video-cards-on-market.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-protect-your-computer-from.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/banning-usb-flash-drives-from-workplace.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/top-video-cards-on-market.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/people-are-rethinking-idea-of.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/banning-usb-flash-drives-from-workplace.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=4&widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-protect-your-computer-from.html

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=open&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/top-video-cards-on-market.html

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default/

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/banning-usb-flash-drives-from-workplace.html

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=4

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007/10/people-are-rethinking-idea-of.html

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=YEARLY-1167638400000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/?widgetType=BlogArchive&widgetId=BlogArchive1&action=toggle&dir=close&toggle=MONTHLY-1191222000000&toggleopen=MONTHLY-1191222000000

-
http://bestonlinesoftware.blogspot.com/

Banning USB Flash Drives From The Workplace

The last few years we have seen an increase in sales of the fancy looking USB flash drives. They have been made as small as a keychain figurine or a tie clip. Yes, USB flash drives to wear on your tie. Now that these flash drives have made their way to everyone because of the affordable pricing, many workplaces are banning them from the office. It is one of the best ways to steal company information without anyone knowing about it. Many companies have as far as disabling the USB ports on employee’s computers. This may seem a little extreme, but companies have to protect their information.

Although some businesses give these little units to their employees for advertising purposes, they are not allowed to use them in the workplace. They are basically given as an advertisement with the company logo on them for others to see. There are so many harmful affects that these flash drives can have on a business. Because of their different shapes and designs, businesses have decided to pull the plug on the USB ports. You might look at someone’s keychain and think that little gadget they have is cute, but that cute little gadget could ruin your business.

This type of theft and the creation of the USB flash drives brought concern from many businesses and individuals alike. What if you are individual that carries around a USB flash drive in their purse or on a keychain would lose the unit? All information would be loss and open to anyone who finds the flash drive. This causes concern for concern for how to properly store the flash drives that have sensitive information recorded. Carrying around a flash drive is just like carrying around your credit card. If you lose it, you are vulnerable to fraud.

For the most part, flash drives have allowed people to download music, pictures and files and free up room on the laptop or the desktop computer. These are also valuable in the event you would lose information on your computer due to a hacker or a virus. In this case, the USB flash drives are extremely necessary. You can buy different size flash drives to hold different amounts of information. If you download a huge amount of music, you may want a USB flash drive that can accommodate all the files or more than one.

New technology has enhanced the use of the computer for more than one reason. People can now use flash drives for file storage and businesses can storage vital information on these drives in order to keep it safe from potential security leaks. Although businesses ban the use of the flash drives from employee’s, the company themselves do use these as way’s to conduct business during travels. They can make presentations and instead of carrying a laptop along on their travels, they just take the flash drive.

Today, with the higher security in airports, it is always important to check with new security rules before attempting to take a flash drive on the airplane to make sure it will be accepted. In most cases, you will fid that they are allowed. Other business concerns the flash drives are a valuable and handy little piece of technology that will help secure important files and information.

The Top Video Cards On The Market

The top video cards that can be used in today’s computers can be easily found in many stores. Many of these cards will have different interfaces that are used and some will have high definition television compatibility. However, not all of the top video cards are going to be the same.

The best of the top video cards on the market these days is the GeForce 8800 GTX. Made by NVIDIA, this features a GDDR3 memory technology chip and is PCI compatible. This is what is also used in Sony’s PlayStation 3 gaming system. This second best video memory chip is available and has a memory clock rate that well expands over one gigahertz in speed.

More of the benefits of the GeForce 8800 GTX is that it is the first video card that features DirectX 10 GPU. This is the latest edition in the Microsoft series of multimedia programming and is used exclusively with the new Windows Vista operating system.

PNY’s GeForce 8800 GTX Overclocked is a variation of this video card and is also one of the top video cards that are available today. In addition, a PCI card, this feature has the ability to create image resolutions as high as 2560x1600 in quality. It also supports DirectX 10, OpenGL 2.0 and high definition television systems. The memory bandwidth of this card is especially high, as it has a bandwidth of 96 GB per second.

BFG’s GeForce 8600 GTS OC2 is one of the top video cards in the PCI Express line. The PCI Express is a unique and easy to use interface for the video card. This specific card will handle more than thirty gigabytes of bandwidth per second and has 256 MB of video memory. OpenGL 2.0 and DirectX 10 are also used here.

AGP cards are available for those who have computers whose motherboards can only take in AGP formatted cards. Diamond Multimedia’s S120 Radeon 9550 is one of the top video cards in this category, and it is great for those who are not willing to spend a great amount of money on a video card. This costs around fifty dollars in a typical retail store. This contains a VGA analog output. This Video Graphics Array output is easy to connect. It also features 256 MB of video memory and a maximum resolution of 2560x1600, and it is AGP compatible. This is a great video card for those who are looking for a card that is affordable.

Another good AGP video card is the XFX GeForce 6200. These features VGA connectors and a dual 400 MHz RAM. It contains 256 MB of video memory, which refers to the coordination of depth in three-dimensional images. The CineFX 3.0 engine is one of the most notable parts of this card. It makes it one of the top video cards because it uses unique shader architecture so that images will be displayed at a smoother rate.

Some of the top video cards are SLI ready cards. This refers to Scalable Link Interface, which helps to link multiple video cards to create one output. NVIDIA’s GeForce 7300 GT is one of the top video cards in this range. It features DDR2 memory and is compliant with PCI Express cards. Its unique transmission encoder will help to provide HDTV and composite output signals.

Biostar’s GeForce 7100 GS TurboCache is also popular. This has 256 MB of video memory and a top resolution of 2048x1536. It is also HDTV ready.

Those are some of the top video cards to look for when shopping. These video cards all have different interfaces for PCI, AGP and SLI formats. They all have different resolution qualities and video memory ranges, but some of them will even handle HDTV signals. These cards will not only be great for a computer but they will work well for individual computer users.

People Are Rethinking The Idea Of Installing Windows Vista

Many people who rushed into the download and installation of the new Windows Vista are having second thoughts. Like everything new, the bugs are not quite worked out. Microsoft has a great concept in Windows Vista, except it has some potential problems. Many businesses run Windows XP or Windows 2000 and have established great success with their current product and tend to be a little apprehensive about installing the new Windows. They may have good reason. The Window Systems they are using now have been around longer, are tested and have been proven to work for the businesses with IT technicians. Many businesses are waiting for the Service Pack 1 to become available before installing Windows Vista.

The biggest downfall to installing Windows Vista is that some applications are not as compatible as Microsoft had hoped for and this is a major concern. Many companies that have older computer systems are worried that when they install the operating system on their older computers, they are going to have additional cost in upgrading computers and other applications and software that they currently use now. This concern is not only been proven by businesses but also by personal computer users.

If you are a personal computer user, your software and other applications may be compatible with Windows Vista, as for business owners, they have many different programs that will more than likely not run correctly once they install the new Windows System. This is the top concern. If a business relies on the communication through computers, they are going to want a compatible Windows System that will allow them to use their current software and applications. This concern is the biggest problem that businesses have with Windows Vista.

Another concern is coming from people who work at home as a freelancer. Many companies that are hiring for work at home jobs are not accepting people who have Windows Vista. There computer systems and software will not work with the new Microsoft Windows. This is causing concern for home workers who are buying new computers in hopes of making a living at home.

Since the issues with the compatibility of Windows Vista have become such a hot computer topic, many have expressed concern about not being able to use the program. Many would like to use it, but feel it may hinder not only a business environment but also a home environment. If you have a newer computer with Windows XP and the newer software, it might not become an issue with the software, but if your computer is older and upgraded to Windows XP and then Windows Vista, then you will probably run into software issues.

Many people are upgrading without reading the reviews and issues about upgrading, how it affects their current software and the possible problems. After they have installed the new Windows Vista, people are having problems with programs not running. They are finding that they have to also upgrade all the software or not use it at all. This causes concern for people who need the software they have and cannot afford to upgrade everything at one time. Many people also have slower running computers and find out that the computer is running slower after the upgrade.

Windows Vista is a hot computer topic because of the concerns and issues, but also because people are waiting for the service pack to be released. Once the service pack is released and more people start having better performance from Windows Vista, it might then sell faster. Right now, the reviews of the Windows program is split fifty-fifty on the ease of use and the performance. Of course, like any new Microsoft product that comes out, Windows Vista is no different, many people wait to make sure all the glitches are worked out before rushing out to buy the product. This is something more of a personal choice more than anything.