Blogs

The Reasons For The Unnecessary Size Of Traditional Desktop PCs and Towers

It's kind of the general feel that the traditional size of a desktop pc is wasteful and has been for some time, but many people still think they have to have the full size box. There actually is no good reason the size of the home PC hasn't shrunk since everything else has (laptops, tablets, phones etc.). The advantages with the old style desktop was;

1. The larger 3.5" which traditional drive desktops can fit is cheap and readily available
2. The processor can be upgraded
3. The motherboard can be changed out
4. A full CD/DVD, Blue Ray Player can be installed in a larger case

And below are the points about each;

1. The 2.5" drive has been used in laptops for over 10 years and meets or even exceeds the sizes for traditional 3.5" drives. As a comparison we sell a 1TB 2.5" drive for $99 and a 1TB 3.5" drive is the same price or in some cases more online. A spinning drive is completely on the way out anyway, the moving parts, heat and failure rate is too high. Solid State Drives (SSD's) have been approaching the price/GB and larger sizes of traditional spinning hard drives in the last 2 years and well worth the investment and speed increase.

http://www.bing.com/search?q=1tb+3.5%22+drive&form=SPLBR2&pc=SPLH
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/264632-32-7200rpm

2. The processor is the most oversold specification in a computer. There is no discernible difference from an i3 to an i5 to the end user in general usage. The most common reasons computers are slow is due to a failing or slow spindle speed drive. Or because of software/driver issues, not the processor, so a processor upgrade is nearly never going to help an old slow computer, new processors change socket types so it's very rare to put a "new" processor in an "old" motherboard.

3. A motherboard replacement seldom ever happens. Most computers are replaced before a motherboard or processor is ever upgraded. The renewal cycle on hardware now is so quick (three years or less) the advancements you give up by not moving to a new form factor or hardware type keeps you tied to pouring more money into an older computer, rather than seeing the desktop as a complete computing unit (commodity) of Intel processor, RAM and hard drive which are all consumable items, using up most of their value in that amount of time. So it's only useful to completely replace the computer with a modern version after that time, the labor and cost factor are just not there for component level replacement. (Example, it's $100 for a new hard drive, I don't know about anyone else, but I charge $40 to clone it and install, at $140, you're half way to a new computer if the $100 flat screen and everything else is still good.

4. While this computer does not have a CD/DVD Drive or Blue-Ray, when is the last time you bought software on CD-ROM? All major software vendors supply a downloadable version and if you still have access to a computer any DVD can be copied to a 6GB USB Flash drive which are often given away free now or are less than $15. With the push to cloud based services like DropBox, storing and buying music in iTunes and saving in iCloud and though other online services, such as streaming music from Pandora, Spotify, etc., the need for a CD/DVD drive is nonexistant, Macbook Air's and most vendors have stopped installing them. The computers I setup are cloned and/or reinstalled from a USB Flash Drive, the read time is quicker and they never scratch. If you really need a CD/DVD drive if you price them they are about $79 or less online, the same as it would cost to buy a full internal drive for a tower.

Google: USB CD/DVD Drive

There has also been a shift in how people see their computer, it's more of an entertainment device, so when you download a movie on Netflix, or stream audio, people are more and more placing the computer in the entertainment center and using the wireless mouse and keyboard to control is from a desk or comfortable spot. By just switching the input on your remote, you can change the HDMI input from your Blue Ray player, to the computer since it's native HDMI. Having HDMI out only can be a downside if you're wanting to hookup an older non DVI compliant or VGA screen. It's less than $10 for an adapter, but they are hard to find sometimes;

Google: HDMI to DVI

This computer also comes with a remote and receiver, so if you want to take it out of sleep mode and run a long cable under your house or through a wall back to your tv, you can still change inputs that way as well. 50 foot HDMI cables are relatively cheap now;

Google: 50 Foot HDMI

With most PC users moving toward a mobile platform, the people that want a desktop really only want the experience the Desktop provides, a full keyboard, full size screen and a lot of USB ports. This chassis has 4 USB ports which could be a little low depending upon how many things you want to plug in, 2 are USB 3.0 the new standard, and 2 are USB 2.0 for compatibility. You can get hubs (or port duplicators) now that will expand any port to four. I carry a 4 port hub that I get from Best Buy for $15, Big Lots even carries a decent 4 Port adapter for about $5 now, giving you 7 or more ports total.

Inexpensive Windows Based Tablet Computers

The mobile computing revolution has been fueled by the mass production of lightweight tablets. The most prominent leader was Apple with their iPad, Google created Android tablets, phones and now a new generation of Chrome notebooks has gained traction in the market. The Barnes and Nobles Nook with it's own OS and primarily a reader has become a player in this space, while the Amazon Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD have morphed into yet another independently developed variant. What's often missing in these devices is a standard operating system across platforms, and that precisely the disadvantage and challenge they pose to business. Google Android has a good running start with great hardware compatibility. However, tablets are a personal device designed with end user ease of use in mind, which makes the proprietary operating systems they're running naturally part of that entire user experience and less about compatibility with a wide range of software, certainly Windows compatibility is not even a consideration. Windows 8 and earlier Windows based tablets are a good direction particularly for business applications, and have been around for over a decade. It's not until recent years that lightweight physical enclosures/screens and even lighter weight operating systems built around touch screen and ease of use have propelled the tablet into mainstream usage. Below are some basic Windows Based tablets that are well suited for business use, one is a Windows 8 Version, and the other is still Windows 7 which is becoming more scarce, if that's preferred.

DELL XPS XPS10-3636BLK 64GB Flash Storage 10.1

Skytex SKYTAB S-series Windows 7 Tablet PC with ExoPC UI

Review of Western Digital Sharespace 8TB NAS Model WDA4NC80000N

The Western Digital ShareSpace NAS provides a compact and simple way to store large amounts of data with multiple computers on a local network. While not a full fledged "server" the Network Attached Storage device does give you a cost effect answer to this need. Be certain however you backup your data either locally on your computer or on a completely other system. RAID is not backup it is simply redundancy across multiple disks, and in using this device or any RAID, you may one day find out the hard way that proprietary boxes do not allow for easy recovery of data in a situation gone foul. Furthermore, the firmware "update" that will present itself in the web management console of this particular device, has the potential to severely damage the RAID management procedure and ultimately lead to data corruption. Your only real solution to inaccessible data on a partially flashed board, may be to try to purchase another full device (if you can find it for sale still) and swap the drives out (be sure to maintain the same RAID disk order however). Below are a couple options for purchasing the same model WD ShareSpace NAS.

Recommended High Capacity HP 4200 Laser Printer And Toner Cartridge

The HP 4200 Laser printer is a high capacity printer model made for many years of service. These printers are a great fit for environments where multiple people need to print at the same time and it can handle large volumes of printouts without ever bogging down. The frequency of paper jams is very low and typically the only long term problems we've seen with this model is a routine fuser kit or "maintenance kit" requiring a replacement after thousands of printouts. You'll also need a toner cartridge on order if you go with this printer below as it does not ship with one. Should you need connectivity to multiple users in a network environment, the HP JetDirect card would be needed and any of the three shown on the resulting page would work. (Clicking "Buy" just takes you to the site where you can buy it from)

HP LaserJet 4200 (No Toner) 35ppm Monochrome Laser Printer 35ppm 600-Sheets 1200x1200dpi B&W 48MB PC Q2425A Q2425AR#ABA

HP LaserJet 4200 (No Toner) 35ppm Monochrome Laser Printer 35ppm 600-Sheets 1200x1200dpi B&W 48MB PC Q2425A Q2425AR#ABA

HP LaserJet 4200 (No Toner) 35ppm Monochrome Laser Printer 35ppm 600-Sheets 1200x1200dpi B&W 48MB PC Q2425A Q2425AR#ABA







$238.99

HP Compatible Series 4200 SERIES/ Jumbo Q1338X

HP Compatible Series 4200 SERIES/ Jumbo Q1338X

HP Compatible Series 4200 SERIES/ Jumbo Q1338X







$96.35

HP Print Server JetDirect 610N Ethernet 10/100Mbps 1-Port X RJ45 EIO J4169A J4169A#ABA

HP Print Server JetDirect 610N Ethernet 10/100Mbps 1-Port X RJ45 EIO J4169A J4169A#ABA

HP Print Server JetDirect 610N Ethernet 10/100Mbps 1-Port X RJ45 EIO J4169A J4169A#ABA







$31.46

Recommended Windows 7 Power Options On Laptops

The best Windows 7 Power Option settings for a laptop will all depends on the way a person uses their laptop, but as a general rule we like to use the "full performance" setting. You may run into a situation where a laptop is still on, and everything appears normal with it, however the wireless adapter is unable to pass any network traffic.

All you may need to do is disable the wireless adapter and re-enable it. If you have a situation where this is in a large building and you're between two access points there are some potential issues that could arise. One possibility could be, is either network changes made though the day such as DHCP adjustments, wireless configuration and/or switch changes such as configurations at the router, or in buildings or re-enabling ports had some effect on an individual laptop where the wireless adapter settings just needed it to be renewed. The other possibility is, particularly if you're between access points, the laptop may have a hard time "handing off" from one access point to the other, they may even have the same SSID name on both. Different manufacturers of wireless equipment could also be cause for a minor incompatibility. A reboot may fix it as well. Something else we always check is to see if the laptop is using the maximum Energy Savings settings in Power Options, this could also have shut off power to a wireless adapter. It's our recommendation that you set laptops to "full performance" in the Power Options control panel panel, this will prevent the wireless card from being shut off. Even with full performance settings in Windows 7, click on "change plan settings", and double-check the wireless adapter settings under "change advanced power settings" each time to be sure it isn't set to shut it off (set to to "never").

Stamps.com Password Reset Feature Doesn't Work With All Browsers

If you've recently become a Stamps.com customer, using their website to print postage can sometimes be a bit cumbersome. You are able to create an account on about any platform (Windows or Mac) and about any browser (Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome). You'll soon find however that you are unable to login or use all of the fuctions of the website with each of the browsers listed above.

Apple Safari does not function on either platform (Windows or Mac). You'll first notice the issue upon login, you will not get an error that your browser is unsupported, but rather just that you're entering the wrong password. This could potentially be due to the site not encoding your password correctly with an unsupported browser. This will of course necessitate a "password reset". This function fortunately works with any of the browsers tested, unfortunately, when you re-enter the temporary password in the same browser, the issue persists, you'll be presented with the same login dialog that fails to accept the password. The following message will be similar what you receive in E-mail to reset your password;

Dear customer name,

Here is the new temporary password you requested:
178E-C41G-19D9-4007
You can copy your temporary password directly from this email and paste it or you can type it in. Please keep in mind that anything that looks like an "O" will always be the number zero. Anything that looks like an "I" will always be the number one.

Once you log in using your temporary password, you will be prompted to change it. For your security, we have cleared all the billing information from your account. You will need to reenter your billing information the next time you place an order.

If you have additional questions we encourage you to review our order faq's, email us, or call us for immediate assistance toll-free at 1.888.434.0055, Monday – Friday, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. Pacific Time.

The Stamps.com Team
www.stamps.com

Just be sure to use a browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. Some internet users have expressed a problem with Internet Explorer and the Stamps.com website, unfortunately, more testing would be required to identify the specific versions, some versions now may be completely compatible.

How could Stamps.com make this better? They could make their notice of supported browsers more prominent on the website. Ideally, a red or yellow bar could appear with the notice that you're not logging in with a support browser.

Replacement Battery For HP Pavillion G62 Laptop

Below are some replacement Battery options For the HP Pavillion G62 Laptop. One of the cheaper generic batteries found on Amazon should work fine and is below.

If you want to get one that's for sure going to work with the HP G62, and may ultimately last longer, you could also purchase it from the below link on
NewEgg.com
. The have a lot better quality items and they do some product testing. At $29, there's just a small difference in price for a potentially better quality battery;


NEW Battery for HP MU06 MU09 Notebook 593553-001 G62 CQ42 CQ32 593554-001 G72

NEW Battery for HP MU06 MU09 Notebook 593553-001 G62 CQ42 CQ32 593554-001 G72

Antiques Flag And Computer Flag For Resale Shop

It's very common to see a flag such as this below to indicate a resale shop has Antiques. You often see them along side the highway or out in front of an Antiques store.

What is uncommon is to see the same flag advertising computers as below. Amazon currently has both in stock and both could be used outside a resale shop, flea market, or antiques store to help draw people in the front door.

Registering A Website Domain Name And Starter Hosting Package Options

This article discusses how and why you want to select a good website domain, and we also dive into understanding the different hosting options that are out there. This article is part of a two part series that summarizes Everything Computers, LLC's involvement with Pittsburg State University Art Students and their class website project: TenStoriesPSU.

Selecting a good website domain name should be something you take your time with and commit to. When selecting a name you should really think about how it is a reflection of yourself and maybe what you do. You want to try to think about how easily the name can be both printed and spoken with ease. You want it to be as short as possible, without too many dashes or other odd letters. Also a good domain is easy to pronounce clearly and understand if said over the phone. If you're unmarried, think about if your name would change, how that could impact how people find you online. Often the best sites are those that include words from our everyday life that are either odd combinations, or intentional misspellings to be memorable, which is a common, current trend.

Right now, the best promotion going on for registering a domain is through 1and1. You'll hear a lot about Godaddy, and others, but many of the other sites charge a lot more to compensate for their overhead and marketing. This link below to the 1and1 signup page will help get the exact package I"m referring to at the promotional rate, simply enter the name you want in the box and click "go":


1&1 Instant Domain

Owning the domain name is only part of what you need to have a fully functional website. Having enough space and a physical place online to store the files is the other big part of the project. There is a range of options and I suggest you contact us to work with you or you may investigate the following hosting options:

1&1 Server XL 6


1&1 MyWebsite Premium


1&1 Advanced eShop + Business

From the Makers of Drobo Introducing File Transporter The Dropbox Killer

Transporter: A New Way to Share, Access and Protect Files

Transporter is an online but off-cloud storage device for sharing, accessing and protecting unlimited amounts of files without using the cloud.

This new file sharing product aims to capture the individual and small business market. A device like this has been needed for some time. Most people are fed up with additional cloud storage fees and outages attributed to Dropbox and only online storage. There comes a point where you want to actually "own" your own storage and not "rent" it. The Development team that launched this product came from the makers of the Drobo, which is a great product, but still just a bunch of disks (JBOD). Services bundled with drives like the Western Digital MyBook Live have begun to capitalize on the need for onsite, local storage.

Share, access and protect all your files from anywhere with Transporter. Designed to offer a private, no-fee alternative to cloud storage, Transporter is an online but off-cloud storage device for sharing, accessing and protecting unlimited amounts of files without using the cloud. As a device you own and control, it is completely private and there are no monthly fees or subscriptions. Simply add a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive of your choice to start storing and sharing your files right away.





Whether you're working with videos, pictures, documents or spreadsheets, Transporter can store and transfer your files to other Transporters, authorized computers or mobile devices. All files stored on your Transporter, regardless of size or type, are available anywhere in the world from any computer or mobile device with Internet access. Changes to files are automatically synced between all shared devices making Transporter a perfect solution for collaborating with co-workers.

Because files stored on Transporter are only transferred between Transporter devices and authorized computers, your files are never stored in the cloud and remain completely private at all times. File transferred between Transporter devices are always encrypted during transit, so you can rest assured that personal documents are only being stored and viewed by people you have authorized.

A full copy of shared files is kept on each Transporter and changes to any files are automatically synced between shared devices to ensure everyone has the most recent copy and eliminate the need for manual, offsite backups. Should access to your primary Transporter ever be interrupted, you can continue to access your files off any shared Transporter.

No Recurring Fees
Most online and cloud storage providers charge monthly fees that increase as you need more access or storage. Transporter is a device you own and control, so you will never have to pay monthly fees or subscriptions to store and access your data.

Simple Setup
Transporter is incredibly simple to set up. Just add a compatible 2.5-inch SATA hard drive of your choice, connect Transporter to your network, and set up your free Transporter account using your favorite browser. To transfer files, simply send an invitation to the people with whom you want to share, and that’s it.

Where can you buy this product? Just see below for the most competitive pricing. Not a techie? You can order a File Transporter pre-configured from us today and get it setup in the same day it arrives, we are an authorized reseller for File Transporter and Drobo products.

Drive Specifications:
The Transporter is a Serial ATA (SATA II) device, so Transporter works with most recently manufactured 2.5" SATA hard drives, commonly known as mobile, laptop, or notebook drives.

More specifically:
SATA II, SATA-300, SATA 3Gb/s (Rev 2.0 SATA) SATA III, SATA-600, SATA 6Gb/s (Rev 3.0 SATA, backwards compatible) Minimum disk capacity: 160GB Drive thickness: 7mm, 9.5mm, 12.5mm, and 15mm

This makes Transporter one of the few consumer electronic devices that can physically accommodate 2TB 2.5" mobile hard drives.

In the Box:
Power supply (1.4m) Ethernet cable (1m) Quick Start Guide Product Info Guide




There are three models available; 0TB (or without hard drives), 1TB & 2TB



OR

Geoff Barrall connected data drobo 00851916004022 00851916004015 00851916004008

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