Guide to buying a desktop computer

With the rapid pace of technological developments, nothing has become as ubiquitous as the computer. Everyone’s got one. And they are used for all manner of endeavour, by people of all walks of life. So, do you simply buy the computer that someone’s selling? Or do you do some homework and figure out what detailed specifications are going to make some difference to you?

At Myshopping.com.au you can compare the prices of a wide range of different computers from different vendors and of different specifications. This guide will help you find what you’re looking for.

Mac or Windows (PC)

At the outset, you need to decide what you are going to use the computer for. This will help you make the fundamental decision of whether you should go Mac or PC. Although, with the advent of the dual core processor (an Intel chip now used by Mac) the differences are narrowed a little, there are still some choices that can help you favour one system over another. Historically, Mac computers have a reputation for greater stability that comes from a more robust operating system than Windows based computers. Largely for this reason, Macs have been the computer of choice for the graphic design industry, the music production industry and the video production industry. This has prompted the software manufacturers to make professional software packages for these disciplines that favour the Mac operating system. Although they have packages supporting the Windows operating system, they are often less capable.

Consequently, if you are engaged in these industries and need your computer for this type of work, you should consider Mac. Mac computers appear to attract fewer viruses and software malfunctions than do Windows based PCs. On the down side, there has always appeared to have been limited software support for Mac systems.

Another decision that may guide your choice is the aesthetics of the computer. If you have limited available space, there is nothing quite like the iMacs or the mini Macs for space saving. iMac’s all-in-one desktop units are compact and complete with all the connectivity you need. However, the look of other brands may be more to your taste, with many models available in compact packages and modern colour schemes to suit practically all dÊcor. Now that you’ve made that basic decision, you can start comparing the apples with apples.

The Components of Your Computer

The two factors that determine the price of your computer are size (yes it does matter) and speed. Either or both of these two dimensions are a factor of practically every component that makes up the machine. Naturally the highest price tags go with the combination of biggest and fastest.

CPU

The heart of the computer is the CPU (central processing unit). You need to decide which CPU you want driving your computer. These come from different manufacturers, and the current development of the technology is called Dual Core, which means that there are two processors on the one chip. Dual Core technology delivers more performance with less energy requirements. Intel and AMD are the two leading CPU manufacturers, and they offer different products under different names.

Current processing speeds range from about 1.4 GHz (gigahertz) through to 3.46 GHz. But it is not simply just a matter of speed. There are other considerations. Mac Operating Systems have a different architecture to Windows and will perform many functions faster with a slower speed CPU. A dual core chip at 1.4 GHz will deliver a better performance that a Pentium 4 chip at 1.8 GHz. A 1.4 GH dual core chip running a Mac with OSX Tiger, will perform better than a 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 processor running Windows. You need to decide what you want your computer to do, what your major software requirements are before you decide on the CPU processor.

However, for everyday use, a processor faster than 1.8 GHz will deliver excellent performance. As a rough rule of thumb, choose a Celeron for low cost computing, a Pentium 4 for mid-range budgets, or an AMD Athlon for bigger budgets. You can compare computers based on Pentium, Celeron, Athlon or Dual Core CPUs by searching those specifications on Myshopping.com.au and finding different vendors and brands using different processors.

RAM

This is where bigger definitely means better performance. RAM is the system memory that enables the computer to use its programs and swap data between the hard drive and the program functions. It’s important to match the speed of the RAM of your computer with the speed of the CPU. The more RAM you have available for your programs to work, the faster will your computer run. Most computers today come with at least 256 M (megabytes) of RAM. But memory is a relatively cheap component, and it costs little extra to upgrade to 512 M or greater.

HARD DRIVE

The hard drive of the computer stores your program files and your data. As computers have advanced, so has the need for more capacity to operate programs and store data. People working in media fields tend to work with very large files and require large storage space. Most computers in today’s market come with a minimum of 40G of hard drive space. However, this can be upgraded (usually in 20G chunks) to as much as 200G or more. The effectiveness of your hard drive also can depend on its physical speed (5400-7200 RPM) and the speed at which it can transfer data between the computer’s RAM and the hard drive. Faster means better performance.

REMOVABLE MEDIA

You will want to have a CD-R or (CD-RW) drive installed in your computer, and or possibly a DVD or DVD-R. For reading a CD ROM, all that is required is a CD drive and for watching DVD movies, a DVD ROM drive. However with a CD-R drive, you can record your own data and music CDs, and with a DVD-R drive, you can burn files in a DVD format, allowing you to store movies and data in far greater quantities. The CD-RW (DVD-RW) drives allow you to use re-recordable media. Your decision will depend on what you want to use your media drives for and what you want to store.

Other removable media will possibly include flash card storage, which is usually plugged in via the USB ports on the computer.

MONITORS

The monitor for your computer is integral to its function and aesthetics. If you are working in graphics you may want to stay with a CRT monitor. However most bundle offers these days are supplied with LCD monitors, which have the advantages of smaller space requirements, use lower energy and offer wider screen images. However they generally are more expensive (although prices are dropping everyday), can frequently be not as bright, have limited viewing angles and sometimes require a digital interface connector.

For graphics intensive work, LCD screens do not have the same capacity to render colours in gradients as CRT monitors. Once again, size matters. Bigger screens cost more than smaller ones.

VIDEO AND SOUND

For a detailed explanation of video cards, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Video Cards.

The interface between the CPU and the Monitor is provided by the video card. One of the basic decisions you need to make is whether you require a 3D or 2D card. Video cards come in two different types: those that use an AGP (accelerated graphics port) on the computer motherboard and those that use the PCI bus. Data transfer rate is critical to video performance. Faster video cards use an AGP, and this proves a faster data transfer than PCI cards. Most video cards also have their own video memory installed on the card, a feature that increases a computer’s memory performance. Today, these memories are often 128M or 256M, and can be more in the higher-end cards dedicated to sophisticated video work or gaming. Video cards performance is also affected by what is known as clock speed or clock rate, cards with a faster speed offer faster performance.

Cheaper computers, and laptops and notebooks, have an integrated graphics chip included in the motherboard instead of a discrete video card. This type of configuration is not as powerful or as fully functional as having a separate video card, which can allow more comprehensive gaming, the use of multiple monitors and faster and better rendering of images.

For a computer to reproduce the sounds recorded in games, movies and music products it requires a sound card. Quality of sound can be affected by the sound card your computer has installed. It’s important that you know how you want to use the sound reproduction processes of your computer. If you are a musician and want to record audio, then you will want to be sure that you have excellent connectivity, good midi access and at least 16-bit (CD quality) audio reproduction. Sound cards give you the possibilities of full cinema surround sound, and the many subtle effects employed by high-end games.

Nearly every computer comes with a set of stereo speakers. However it pays to have a good listen to what you’re buying. Make sure you listen to program that you are familiar with (take your own CD along) and compare the sound in a quiet environment. Many speaker systems for computers have poor frequency response and are underpowered. For desktop use that does not involve a quality listening environment this may be satisfactory. But if you want to listen to music and watch movies for the full effect, then you need to consider buying a good quality set of speakers. Use the search facility of Myshopping.com.au to compare specifications and prices of different speaker systems.

KEYBOARD AND MOUSE

The choice of keyboard and mouse are personal choices. Sometimes it depends on what you do on your computer, whether you have formal typing skills or whether you’re a two-finger hack. Serious writers may prefer an ergonomic keyboard. Keyboards frequently have different clicks and responses to others. You may prefer an infrared cordless keyboard and mouse. You may prefer an optical mouse on which you don’t have to clean the rollers. Optical mice have no rollerball, and can be used on most flat surfaces, but they are more expensive.

CONNECTIVITY

Today, connectivity is everything. Your computer can have wireless connections to all of your peripherals: printer, scanner, and other computers. Having an onboard modem will only be really important if you are using a dial up internet connection. Broadband modems tend to be peripherals and you can connect via USB, wireless or firewire. It does pay to consider how you will connect to the internet and other peripherals. It’s not always convenient to get behind your computer to plug something in or unplug it. Some sound cards have a front face panel with all the connections you need. The USB ports on Macs are conveniently located. Many PC manufacturers haven’t caught on to the fact that it’s important for some people to easily access the connections to their computers.

To compare the different bundle offers from different brands, and to compare the different components by their specifications, search the Myshopping.com.au database for exactly the specifications you are seeking. You can compare prices and vendors, and order what you need online with a few clicks.

Read This Before You Buy A Computer

Computer Desktop System Review — by Basia Diamonde

 

There are many features to choose from when you purchase a laptop, and it would be in the best interest of your bank account, as well as your frustration level, to choose wisely. To assist you in determining what you need and what you are willing to pay for, I will provide the following information. At first glance, you will see laptops that look almost exactly the same, yet have huge price differences. If you buy one “off the shelf,” you may end up with one that is more computer than you need at a much higher cost. If you are not computer “savvy,” a programmer or an information technology specialist (and, keeping it real, most of us are not), it can be overwhelming when you look at the specs for a computer and see this long list of giga bites, hard drives, processors, chips, CPUs, operating systems, etc.

Let me help you by breaking down the components of a laptop into simple, easy-to-understand parts. I will tell you the secret to finding the best quality and prices to meet your computer needs.

One little known secret about laptops is that they are all made in China by seven Chinese companies. The big retailers (Dell, Sony, Apple, HP, Toshiba) buy the components wholesale, put together “one size fits all” units, slap on their brand name logo, and jack up the price.

Only one Chinese company, Acer, sells laptops directly to consumers, but the quality of their laptops is quite low and I wouldn’t recommend it. This is one situation in which it is better to pay more for quality. Even if you buy a less expensive laptop, a computer is still a relatively significant purchase, and our goal here is to get you the best quality for the best price.

When retailers buy laptops they can sell “off the shelf,” they often have high end features that most computer users simply will not need. And for a dramatically lower price, you may want to start out with less and upgrade later if you find out that you need more. If you have a budget of up to $1,000, I will give you all the information you need to select a laptop that you will love.

Computer technology is changing rapidly and cost is largely influenced by “Economy of Scale” or “price point,” which drives retail cost. The price of laptops and every other consumer product you own can be drastically affected by how many items are sold, and this marketing reality does not necessarily reflect the quality or even the complexity of an item.

For a CPU (central processing unit, the engine of your computer), it could cost $1 billion dollars to design a new chip and less than $10 to actually make it. If a manufacturer sells 20 million of these chips, the cost to the purchaser would be around $60 per chip. At 500 million, the cost would be reduced to $11 per chip.

This is one reason computer companies buy the components they can get a good price on in bulk, then make these “one size fits all” laptops that may have more CPU power than you will ever need. And too much processing speed at the cost of everything else will result in a slow computer.

Balance

A laptop system needs to a balance of these primary components:

* Operating System

* Central Processing Unit

* Hard Drive

* RAM

Once you have made these important decisions, then you can add on the optical drive, video card, speakers, camera and other features you may desire.

OS (Operating System)

You have a choice of four Operating Systems:

* Linux

* Mac OS X

* Windows Vista

* Windows XP

Your first big decision in purchasing a laptop will be which Operating System to choose. Let me just mention a word on the origins of PC versus Mac. The Windows PC was developed from a business application perspective. It started with the spreadsheet and because this became such an invaluable tool in the business world, a word processing application was written for the PC by a computer programmer in DOS, and software has evolved in this vein.

Do you remember when you would turn on your computer and the only display on the black screen was C:/? Oh, those were trying times, but PC software has evolved a lot since then. Nevertheless, because of its origins, most business application software is still written for the PC, with running it on an Apple Macintosh as an afterthought.

The Mac was designed as an educational tool, more interested in user friendly graphics and interactive tools, purposely developed to be more intuitive and helpful to the non-technical user. It is more compatible with videos, music and games. The business sectors tends to prefer Windows; the creative class tends to prefer Mac.

If you choose an Apple MacIntosh laptop, I would recommend Mac OS X Operating System. If you choose a Windows PC, I would recommend Windows Vista. I won’t go into the pros and cons for each system here, since much has been written on the subject and you can learn more on the internet if you so desire. 

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

Almost every laptop comes with Vista Home Premium. To run Vista efficiently, you really need at least 2GB of RAM. If you really need XP, you will need to look for an older out-of-production laptop, which would have been sold at a much higher price to the seller, and will thus cost you more for fewer new features. However, if you gotta have it . . . you gotta have it.

Hard Drive

All the information on your computer, including program files, information files, photos, music, videos, etc. is stored on the hard drive for you to retrieve to your screen instantly by opening files in RAM. 250 GB hard drives are relatively new and 320 GB hard drives on laptops are pretty rare. The current standard hard drive is 160 GB.

Most business consumers use less than 40 GB of hard drive space, and every increment of larger hard drive can add $100-$200 dollars to the price of a laptop for just a little more capacity. It makes no sense to pay for more hard drive than you will probably ever use. If you don’t know for sure, I would start out smaller. It’s easy to add more storage capacity later by getting an external hard drive and much more cost effective than paying $100s more on the built-in components.

(RAM) Random Access Memory

For the computer novice, RAM is not to be confused with hard drive storage capacity. RAM is the amount of information that your laptop can have open on your screen at any given time, including minimized files and Internet Explorer windows. If you open too many windows and exceed your RAM capacity, the computer will lock up, and you will have to reboot to clear the memory. This could result in losing any unsaved information.

You don’t even need to grasp how processors work, just know that they are the speed at which your laptop operates. I would recommend a Turion processor unless I could get an Intel processor for the same price. Turion will typically cost at least $100 less for about the same speed.

Battery Life

If you are on the road with your laptop a lot and don’t have access to a power outlet, bear in mind that the processor will impact the length of battery life. Newer technology gets better all the time about scaling back when you don’t need full power, then jumping to life instantly when you do. The AMD Turion is the best AMD chip for this job, but Intel really dominates this concept with the Core 2 Duo and the entire Centrino line. If battery life is an important consideration for you, be willing to pay for it.

Optional Features & Add-Ons

Does size matter? It can definitely be an important feature in choosing a laptop. How heavy is it if you will be taking it with you everywhere? Will it fit into the available storage or work space if you will be traveling with it?

The cost for size is closely related to the “Economy of Scale” factor. Smaller, thinner parts cost more to make. Make it too small, and the resolution doesn’t hold up to be visible or you can’t see enough of the image or page on the screen and have to keep moving your mouse around. Because the computer market is so competitive, you can believe that manufacturers carefully weigh convenience vs. practicality.

Having considered all the “Economy of Scale” factors, laptop manufacturers seem to have settled on the 14.5 inch screen. And because they sell in huge numbers, they usually sell for the best price. If you go for a smaller screen, just know that you will be paying a premium for the same amount of computing power. Now and then a manufacturer will bet on a smaller size and produce gazillions. If you can get a super deal on a smaller one, grab one of these.

Cordless Optical Mouse

The first thing I would add to a laptop is a Microsoft Wireless Laser Optical Laptop Mouse. For under $25, they are a real bargain, and make it so much easier to navigate around the screen than the built-in mouse pad.

Cosmetic Features

You will most likely be able to choose a black or silver laptop cover or outer shell. Some laptops are now offering more vanity colors. Definitely choose your favorite color if you can get the important internal components all the same. Don’t sacrifice the quality of your hardware for fashionable chartreuse!

Video Card If you want to play high end games, upgrade to a high end video card. It could cost $100 or more, but you’ll need the extra capacity to watch DVDs or stream videos online.

Speakers You may also want to purchase good external speakers since the built in speakers will likely not be of suitable entertainment quality.

Changing Computer Technology

We are all very much aware that technology changes rapidly. We see new models of cars, trucks, boats, appliances, retail clothing, etc. rolled out every year, so we expect and even anticipate change. The rapidity with which computer technology changes is a whole ‘nother game.

Computer technology changes every two weeks. The reason it takes so long for this change to occur is that it takes approximately two weeks to complete a production run. By the time one production is completed, a better chip or CPU or something else has been developed or improved, and the “outdated” production that was cutting edge technology two weeks ago is never made again.

It takes another two weeks to ship a batch from China, so by the time the purchaser receives a shipment at its warehouse, it hopes to already have the entire shipment sold. Wal-Mart, Amazon, and retailers all over the US buy some at a previously agreed-upon price.

This is a very competitive business and the big companies are under a lot of pressure to order just the amount that they can pre-sell. If they miss their estimates and have computers left over, they will quickly unload them on the wholesalers at reduced prices while it is still state-of-the-art technology.

If another two weeks goes by, they are left with “outdated” computers they can’t sell, so they may have leftover units they pre-sold to Wal-Mart for $700 and will now sell them for $500 just to move them. This is an area in which you can get a great deal on a laptop.

The big computer companies can’t afford to go below “market value” because they have to keep the price of their brand name high. There are smaller reputable computer companies that specialize in this area of the market, however, and this is where you can get a premium quality laptop for a great price.

Remember that regardless of the “brandname” which is added to a unit once it reaches the reseller, the parts inside are all made by the same seven Chinese manufacturers and the quality is the same across the board, with the exception of Acer, which I have previously mentioned.

Desktop Computer Checklist

Operating System (OS)

Linus _____

Mac OS X _____

Windows Vista _____

Windows XP _____

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Turion _____

Intel _____

Hard Drive

160 GB _____

250 GB _____

320 GB _____

Random Access Memory (RAM)

1 GB _____

2 GB _____

Battery Upgrade

YES _____

NO _____

Screen Size

15.4 inch _____

17 inch _____

Other _____

Cordless Optical Mouse

YES _____

NO _____

Cosmetic Features

Color ________________

Other ________________

Video Card Upgrade

YES _____

NO _____

External Speakers

YES _____

NO _____

So, armed with this information, make your checklist and go shopping.
 
I found a great website to order from that makes it easy by walking you through every step and has free shipping, too!
Computer Genius USA

The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act — Effective Weapon Against Disloyal Employees?

Employers have typically used several legal theories in actions against disloyal former employees — copyright infringement for copying copyrighted code, trade secret misappropriation where the employee misuses or discloses confidential information or trade secrets, and possibly breach on a non-competition covenant.

Now, there’s another theory derived from the federal Computer Fraud And Abuse Act — a claim based on unauthorized access to the employer’s computers or network. Do these claims actually hold up in court, and what can employers do to lay a foundation for a successful claim in the future?

The Computer Fraud And Abuse Act (CFAA)

Originally, the CFAA was intended to focus on hacking into US Government and financial industry computers and networks. However, since its passage the scope of the CFAA has been broadened and extended several times:

1984 – civil remedies added (extends coverage from just federal prosecutors to private litigants with private lawsuits); 1996 – broadened to cover “protected computers” (any computer in interstate commerce, i.e. connected to the Internet); and 2001 – broadened to cover any computer outside the United States that communicates within the United States.

Two elements must be proved to establish a violation of the CFAA:

* intentional access of a protected computer without authorization (or which exceeds authorized access);

* which causes damage of at least $5,000.

The term “exceeds authorized access” means to access a computer with authorization and to use such access to obtain or alter information in the computer that the accesser is not entitled to obtain or alter. This is tailor-made for employers to use against disloyal employees who access a computer for improper purposes.

Early CFAA Cases Against Disloyal Employees

Early civil cases against disloyal employees focused on the “exceed authorization” element in the context of former employees who accessed a former employer’s databases for purposes of competing in a new venture.

One good example of such a case is EF Cultural Travel BV v. Explorica, Inc., a 2001 case in the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. In EF Cultural Travel, the employer claimed that the former employee breached a confidentiality agreement by accessing and scraping the employer’s site for pricing information. The employer prevailed.

Later CFAA Cases

On the issue of “exceed authorization”, some later cases have allowed recovery against disloyal employees on the basis that the employee’s conduct conflicted with a company policy, and therefore exceeded authorization. Other courts have held for the former employees, provided that their access was “authorized” at an earlier time, but later became unauthorized after employment teminated. So, the law is not yet settled on the meaning of “exceed authorization”.

Two 2008 cases, American Family Mutual Insurance Co. v. Rickman and Cohen v. Gulfstream Training Academy found for the employee based on the failure of the employer to prevail on the damages issue. In both cases, the employees had accessed their former employer’s computer system and copied files. In the American Family case, the court held that to recover the employer must establish damage to a computer system or interruption to a computer service. In the Cohen case, the court similarly held that the employer must show loss or damage related to an interruption of service.

Conclusion

The earlier cases under the CFAA against disloyal employees were virtual slam dunks for employers. The damages element was relatively easy to prove and courts were lenient regarding the interpretation of “unauthorized access”.

Later cases are split on the issue of “unauthorized access”, and they also have raised the bar for employers regarding the damage element.

Despite recent decisions favoring employees, the CFAA remains a viable tool for employers to use against disloyal employees. Given the split of authority regarding “unauthorized access”, employers are advised to draft clauses into their confidentiality agreements with employees that clearly define what access is authorized and what is unauthorized, and the precise time when authorized access becomes unauthorized). Such a clause may be very persuasive in a civil case under the CFAA later.

How To Speed Up A Slow Computer – No Pc Technician Required

I know how frustrating it is to wait for your computer to do something for you, especially after you are used to its fast and efficient response system. You wait ages and you just have to wait longer of you want to even open an application as simple as the browser. If you are looking for answers on how to speed up a slow computer you are in the right place. You need to first understand why you are in this situation learning how to speed up a slow Computer.

Fix Registry Errors and Speed Up Your PC

The registry is very important as this acts as the controller for every operation that you computer does from start up till the time it is shut down. This is why you will notice that the computer is taking ages to start up and shut down as well. The best remedy on how to speed up a slow computer is to use registry repair programs. These are completely automated programs that take care of the way in which your registry is maintained and gives a solution on how to speed up a slow computer, making sure that there are no junk files that are filled herein.

Why there is a speed and efficiency problem with your computer is because your computer’s processor chip has been loaded with things to do. You all must be familiar with YouTube using which you view videos. Well this is one reason. There is a buffering that happens when the video gets streamed and this part is stored in small temporary files. When such files get accumulated there are corresponding entries that are made in the registry too which go waste as they are not at all referred back in future. This causes invalid entries which can cause confusions within your system.

Keeping your system maintained is very important on how to speed up a slow computer. By maintenance, I mean that you need to run the disk clean up utility from the control panel and make sure that you do the defragmentation process at least once a month. Just type dfrg.msc in the run dialog box and this will become very easy. Make sure you remove all unwanted software from your system too. Any electronic device needs looking after and if you do this you can be sure that you will not have to face problems.

Computer Sale and Repair : Jay tech India

Welcome to Jay Tech India Nehru Place We are a premier provider of computer repairs, servicing and network integration. Our goal is to provide you the very best in  Chip Level Solution and to offer fixed price repairs plus parts. Our quality control standards are high. Our personnel are among the best. Our goal is always to deliver solutions to your problems. Your satisfaction is of paramount importance to us.

 Jay Tech India  where competitive prices and excellent service come together to help meet all of your IT needs. Deal in Computer Sales & purchase, chip level solution of all mother board, Smps, ram, monitor and printer with regional able prices.

Whether you need an entire computer or computer spare parts we are the smart choice. When you select us, we ensure that the software selected by you correspond with the built-to-order hardware system that runs your software efficiently. We have well qualified team which can also fully install and support complete systems so that they perform as desired by you.  

 Jay Tech India  deals with high end servers, nodes and data storage devices. We have also entered into partnership with leading companies for desktops, printers and notebooks.  We have attained expertise in incorporating different brands of hardware into one cohesive and compatible working unit which gives maximum output through proper alignment.  We also provide personal computers of leading companies like Lenovo, IBM, HCL, HP, Dell’s etc.   

We have reduced cost of the customers by offering a one-stop shop solution for them. Our computer and related hardware sales include:

Personal Computers Servers Workstations Industrial Computers 

Other Hardware Sales service Include

Ram Memories, PCI Cards, AGP Cards Smps Hard Disk Drives, Optical Drives UPS Systems Writers Printers (Dot Matrix / Laser Printers / Inkjet Printers)