Contrary to what you might think, speed isn't always the most important thing when you're buying a new computer.
 

    When you're considering a new desktop or laptop, it's easy to get distracted by speed bumps in processors and RAM. But as long as you're getting a modern processor, you'll likely find that the amount of RAM or storage space you opt for will have a bigger impact on your computing experience than minor differences in clock speed.

Laptops and Desktops: Specs That Don't Matter

CPU Slight differences in CPU clock speeds: Yes, a 2.6GHz processor will be faster than a 1.2GHz processor, but you shouldn't pay more for small increases in clock speed. You won't notice the difference between a 2.3GHz Core i5 and a 2.5GHz Core i5, so don't pay $100 for the privilege of an unnoticeable uptick in processing speed. 

RAM speeds: Again, faster is faster, but the noticeable difference between 1066MHz and 1333MHz is practically none. 

DVD/Blu-ray write speeds: Even if you are one of the handful of folks left tinkering with physical media, you'd be hard-pressed to find a drive that offered much of a leg up in burning speed. If you're going to burn a disc, you're going to be waiting a bit whether it's a 6X drive or a 10X drive. And they all play movies just fine. 

Laptops and Desktops: Specs That Sometimes Matter

Graphics RAM: Looking to watch some high-def YouTube clips or enjoy the occasional Blu-ray video? Most people have no need to pay more to go from 1GB to 2GB of RAM on a midrange graphics card. The graphics board that ships with your PC will more than likely be enough--even the integrated graphics capabilities of AMD's Fusion chips and Intel's Sandy Bridge lineup will be more than a match for your media.

Gamers are the exception here, as a beefier card with 1GB of RAM will outpace a 256MB or 512MB counterpart. The 2GB realm is generally reserved for the $700-and-up, enthusiast-level cards--a different beast altogether.

Really high amounts of graphics RAM are useful primarily on very high-end graphics on very high-resolution screens. A faster graphics chip with less RAM will almost always produce better performance than a slower chip with more RAM. 
 
Quad-core processors: In the world of laptops, a dual-core processor is likely to be faster than a quad-core for most of the mainstream applications that the majority of users run; a dual-core CPU often operates at a much higher clock speed, and most general-purpose applications don't make good use of four CPU cores.

But if you do a lot of video-processing tasks, heavy scientific computation, or engineering work, four cores may be a great way to go. If you want to buy a future-proof desktop system, keep in mind that multithreaded applications are becoming the norm, and your PC will be able to hammer away at more tasks if it has a bit of extra computational headroom. Truth be told, unless you're looking at a particularly low-end desktop, it's difficult to find a desktop PC that isn't already sporting a quad-core CPU. 

Laptop display brightness: A bright laptop screen is usually one that drains the battery quickly. Besides, 300 nits is so bright that it's hard to look at indoors, and most users turn their display's brightness down a little anyway.

The exception? Display brightness is important for people who often use their laptops outdoors. If you do, you'll want all the brightness you can get. 

Laptops and Desktops: Specs That Always Matter

Amount of RAM: No doubt about it, in any computer you're better off having more RAM. A netbook with 2GB of RAM will be a lot snappier than a laptop with 1GB. If you're serious about performance, don't settle for less than 4GB--and getting 6GB or 8GB of RAM isn't a bad idea. 

A roomy, 7200-rpm hard drive: Usually listed in revolutions per minute, "hard-drive speed" refers to how fast the platter spins. Faster-spinning platters generate both faster data-transfer speeds and faster seek times. A 7200-rpm hard drive will often produce a more responsive feel than a 5400-rpm hard drive will. 

As for storage space, what’s the use of having a souped-up rig if you can’t fit anything in it? Fortunately, storage is becoming increasingly inexpensive, and gargantuan 3TB drives are starting to make the rounds. Looking at solid-state drives? We love them, but they can still be woefully pricey. If you have the cash to splurge, we recommend using a solid-state drive as a lightning-quick boot drive for your applications and operating system. 

Weight: Small differences in weight make a big difference when you're lugging your laptop around wherever you go. The difference between 3.5 pounds and 5 pounds may not seem like much, but when your laptop bag is on your shoulder all day, it's enormous. 

Battery life: Obviously, the more battery life the better. When you're assessing this spec, however, take any claim by the manufacturer and chop off 20 percent. Claimed battery life always assumes a best-case scenario--a scenario you'll never see in real life.

       Public W--Fi exposure.As convenient as free Wi-Fi and publicly available computers may be at, say, a public library or café, using them can leave you and your personal information exposed. Public computers might be infected with spyware and other types of malware designed to track your movements online and harvest your passwords.

     The same is true of open Wi-Fi networks. Cyberthieves may set up rogue Wi-Fi networks that look legitimate (for instance, one may be named for the café that you're visiting) but enable the crooks to collect your personal information. Even legitimate open Wi-Fi networks may leave you vulnerable. For an example, look no further than the Firesheep plug-in for Firefox, which allows just about anyone to hijack log-in sessions for various social networks.

    Sometimes, you may have no choice but to use a public computer or Wi-Fi network. When you do, don't use it to check your e-mail or social network accounts, conduct online banking, or perform any other action that entails logging in to a site. If you have access to a VPN, use it.

 1. Avoiding Security Software

So you thought you could get by without antimalware utilities, just by being mindful of what Web links you click and what e-mail you open. How's that working out for ya? Use something--anything--to protect your PC from the bad guys, who are happy to have you as a target. You can even start with free antivirus software.
 
2. Failing to Back Up Your Computer

The funny thing about people who admit that they don't back up is that they always preface it by saying, "I know it's bad, but..." Listen: All hard drives crash eventually. All of them. Yours will, too. For help, see our simple guide to getting started with backup.
 
3. Neglecting Offsite Backup

A thief breaks into your apartment and steals your laptop. No problem: You just backed it up last night. Oh, wait, he stole your backup drive too, because it was sitting right next to the laptop. Store your data in multiple locations, with automatic backups scheduled for hard drives kept away from your PC--and make a backup plan to prepare for worst-case scenarios.

Help put spammers out of business by ignoring their e-mails.

Tempting as the offer may be, put spammers out of business by ignoring their e-mail.
 
4. Replying to Spam

Why do spammers do their dirty work? Because enough people respond to it to make sending junk worth their while. Yes, clicking the "remove me" link counts as a response--though on rare occasions, if a message is clearly from a legitimate brand-name company, using that link is worth a try. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. In addition to following this commonsense advice, you can take an extra step to harness the spam-fighting powers of your e-mail service.
 
5. Traveling With an Operating Computer

Taking your computer from the kitchen to the living room while it's running? No problem. Taking your running PC from the office, on the subway, for a mile-long walk, and up the stairs to your house? Terrible idea. Spinning hard drives can crash, and computers can easily overheat in cramped quarters. Shut the PC down. (Extra demerits if your hot, whirring laptop is sweating it out in a closed briefcase for the entire ride.) Windows offers custom settings for the power button and lets you tell a laptop to power off when you shut the lid.
 

Read more »

 I just got reminded of Google +1 button from blogger site and tried putting it on my site.

Here is what I did to add to my site:

 1. Login to Blogger.com

 2. Click on Design > Edit HTML

 3. Look for </head> and paste the code indicated before it

<script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script>  

4. Look for <div class="post-footer'> and paste the code indicated below it

    <g:plusone></g:plusone>




















5. Click Save.

 I suggest start adding the Google +1 code to your site to help further promote your content.

     Unfortunately your printer does not officially support Windows 7, but I am able to find something on the HP website that might help.

Step one:

     Determine the appropriate alternate driver. (I'd tried HP Deskjet 1120c and its working on my Windows 7 32-bit, But you can choose from different alternate driver that will work on your PC.)

     Determine the alternate driver that is compatible with the printer.

     Product Alternate drivers

HP Business Inkjet 1100, HP Business Inkjet 1000
HP Deskjet 9600, HP Deskjet 9800
HP Deskjet 9300, HP Deskjet 1220C

Step two:

Install the driver

-Verify that the Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable is NOT connected to the printer.
-Click Start , click Settings , and then click Printers .
-Click Add a printer .
-Click Add a local printer .
-Select the Use an existing port check box.
-In the Use an existing port drop-down list, select LPT1: (Printer Port) and then click Next .
-Under Manufacturer on the Install the printer driver dialog box, select HP .
-Under Printers , select the appropriate alternate driver for the printer and then click Next .
-In the Printer name text box, type the printer name and then click Next . The printer driver starts to install.

NOTE: The name of the alternate driver displays as the default name. Change this name to the name of the printer, if desired.




















-After the screen stating that the printer was successfully added displays, connect the USB cable / Parallel cable to the printer and to the computer.
-On the Found New Hardware screen, click Cancel .
-For USB connected printer, please proceed to step three . For Parallel port connected printer, please proceed to step four .

NOTE: If multiple pop-up windows display, click Cancel on each window.

Step three:

Configure the printer
-In the printer folder, right-click on the name of the printer and then click Properties .
-Click the Ports tab.
-Change the port from LPT1 to the newly created USB port, click Apply .

Step four:

Print a test page
-Click the General tab.
-Click Print Test Page .

If it doesn't work repeat step one and change the driver to  
Product Alternate drivers (ex. HP DESKJET 1220c).

If it works... CONGRATULATIONS... 
DON'T FORGET TO BUY ME A BEER...

    Every day, more than 130,000 Americans are stricken with food poisoning. While the rates of some common food-borne bugs have declined, cases of Salmonella—the most common infection and leading cause of both hospitalization and death from food-borne illness—have risen by 10 percent since 2006, according to a new food safety report issued by the CDC on June 7. About 1.2 million Americans suffer bouts of Salmonella each year.

    “The bottom line is that food-borne illness, particularly salmonella, is still far too common,” said CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden. One reason is that it can taint a wide range of foods, including meat, eggs, poultry, vegetables and nuts. One detail of the report highlights just how entrenched the pathogen is: New US standards to take effect next month call for “allowable contamination” of chicken at processing plants to be reduced to 7.5 percent from the current rate of 20 percent—hardly an assurance of safety. Here’s a look at seven of the riskiest foods for triggering serious health problems.

Read more »

     Upgrading your PC's hardware can be easy, but there's a right way and a wrong way to do each task. Here are five upgrades that most users do a half-baked job on, and tips to help your upgrade go flawlessly.

    Whether you're an experienced hand or a technophobic novice, chances are good that your last PC upgrade didn't exactly follow the industry's best practices. Many newbies flub upgrades through inexperience, but it's just as common to see a hardcore system builder throw caution to the wind while swapping out a CPU, snapping in some RAM, or swapping out a hard drive or graphics card. Whichever camp you fall into, cutting corners as you work on your computer puts it at risk of sustaining damage to sensitive components. In the worst case, you might even destroy the entire machine.

Read more »

     To share the printer on the Windows 7 machine go into Devices and Printers from the Start menu and double click on the printer icon.



Next double click on “Customize your printer”.



      In the Properties screen click on the Sharing Tab and check the box to share the printer and type in its share name.



      To find the shared printer double click on the Windows 7 machine icon under Network.  Here you can see the printer connected to your Windows 7 machine and also the Users Folder.



Setup XP With Shared Printer

To set up the shared printer in XP you will need to go into Start menu and click Run.




Type the computer name of your WINDOWS 7 be sure to put two slash (look at my sample below)




Now as you can see the printer, right click the printer and click connect.



Your done. You can now print for a network printer.



      In some cases you will need to install the XP drivers for the shared printer because the Windows 7 drivers are not compatible with XP.  When everything is installed open up Printers and Faxes to find the shared printer.

     If you have a home network and are running Windows 7 and have XP on other PC(s) you might want to share files between them.  Today we will look at the steps to share files and hardware devices like a printer.

Sharing Files In Windows 7 and XP

     Sharing folders between two Windows 7 machines with the new HomeGroup feature is an easy process, but the HomeGroup feature is not compatible with Vista or XP.  For this tutorial we are using Windows 7 32 bit and XP Professional SP3 connected through a basic Linksys home wireless router.

     First make sure both machines are members of the same Workgroup which by default is named Workgroup.



     On the Windows 7 machine go into Control Panel \ All Control Panel Items \ Network and Sharing Center then click on Change advanced sharing settings.





     You will want to verify the following settings under Advanced Sharing Settings for the Home or Work and Public profile.



     If you want any user to have access the public shares turn off password protection.  This is located in Advanced Sharing Settings toward the bottom of the list.



     If you want to keep it enabled make sure there is a log in account for the other XP machines and they have a password.



     Now if you go into Network in Windows 7 you should see your XP machine and the Windows 7 as well which in this case is tiuperman-PC.