Cheap Laptop PCs Desktops

Hello, I am planning to buy a new pc desktop and I live in Belgium. Newegg doesn’t ship internationally and tigerdirect and ewiz ask too much money for transportation from U.S.A to Europe. So could you tell me some online stores that will ship to my country. Thank you !

Why Dont you Try My intergrated Custom Search on Google
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Bookmark For future Searches
http://www.google.com/cse?cx=partner-pub-6828716762099822:kwm6ort73pj&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=buy+pc+desktop+online&sa=Search

 

Com o aumento do número de computadores pessoais , a quantidade de pessoas que estão estudando ou sendo treinadas pela web não para de crescer. Segundo a Associação Brasileira da Indústria Elétrica e Eletrônica (Abinne) , os brasileiros estão comprando um computador a cada três segundos e a venda de desktops e notebooks chegará a 13 milhões de aparelhos no fim deste ano, somos o quinto maior mercado de PCs do mundo, perdendo em vendas apenas para Estados Unidos, China, Japão e Inglaterra.

O computador conectado a Internet está mudando o padrão de vida educacional e cultural e por isso fomenta esse mercado que ainda é incipiente no País, porém muito promissor. Vejamos alguns dados :

De acordo com o anuário (AbraEAD/2008) , mais de 2,54 milhões de brasileiros estudaram por educação à distância em 2007, por meio de cursos credenciados pelo Ministério da Educação ou de grandes projetos nacionais com cursos livres.

Segundo o mesmo anuário, os investimentos das empresas em métodos de educação a distância tendem a ser cada vez maiores para os próximos anos enquanto que os investimentos em métodos presenciais , tendem a ser cada vez menores.

 

De acordo com o Censo da Educação Brasileira, feito pelo Inep (Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacinais) e pelo MEC, havia 21.873 inscritos em 2003, número que passou para 430.229 em 2006. Com isso, a EAD (Educação a Distância) cresceu quase 20 vezes (1.867%) no Brasil, entre 2003 e 2006.

 

Para se ter sucesso nesse mercado , é fundamental entender de educação , tecnologia e não ficar na “vala comum” , é preciso ter um diferencial. Só assim, será possível assegurar sobrevida.

 

Marcos R. de Assis
http://www.articlesbase.com/educação-online-articles/ead-em-ritmo-de-forte-alta-no-brasil-726366.html

I’d like to order a custom Desktop PC to my specs, there are many websites, which one would you recommend?

Thanks

ecollegepc.com is pretty well regarded around gaming circles. Just remember to get an OS.

As a professional Technology geek, I sometimes get my hands on the coolest tools and utilities. Mostly out of necessity, as I’m in a crunch and need to get something fixed. When I’m in the field, and need to find that cool little app that does just what I need, I also don’t have time to whip out my credit card and purchase what I need.

 

So, I turn to the Open-Source community, and thanks to the geniuses that make up this community, I am hardly ever disappointed. Find out the ten coolest (and FREE) apps you’re not using… but should!

 

What qualifies as one of the Ten coolest (and FREE) apps? First, in order to qualify as one of the ten coolest (and FREE) apps, there are criteria. These can’t be just any old applications off the street, they have to be able to meet a set of standards. Here are the criteria:

 

1. They have to be Free. Free means not having to purchase prior to download. However, Free doesn’t always mean no money. A good amount of time and effort went into making these applications for you and I to enjoy, so donations to the authors are highly encouraged. In other words, if you find an application that doesn’t charge you to use it, consider making a donation to the developer(s) as a means to enable them to continually improve the product, which will allow others to enjoy the software as well. Plus, it’s just good ju-ju!

 

2. They cannot be “trial-ware” or “nag-ware”. Shareware was really big in the 90’s. Try it before you buy it was the big mantra back then. Well, these ten coolest (and FREE) apps have to not have the shareware thing happening at all. No messages with how many days are left to try their product. No disabled features that get unlocked if you buy the product. None of that crapola. Zilch, nada, zip! Again, in order to have good karma come your way, you should donate to the software makers, but these software authors politely and rightfully ask for a donation; but do not disable any features in order to hold your software hostage until you pay for it.

 

3. They have to be easy to use. Now, I don’t necessarily mean brain-dead easy. I mean, still, in this day and age, there still has to be some sort of blip on the evolutionary radar to even use a computer, let alone the ten coolest (and FREE) apps that will make your life SO much easier. So, easy to use means that an average user can use these utilities if they read the how-to’s that come with them. OK, you’ve been warned! If you don’t read the how-to’s, and don’t donate to the software authors, and your PC starts spewing smoke, don’t come crying to me about the bad ju-ju. Good things come to those who do nice things for others (and who read the how-to’s that come with the software).

 

4. The apps are created by knowledgeable pros. There have been tons of stories of how this person or that created the coolest app or computer in their garage by not sleeping (or showering) for days, living on Doritos and Full Throttle. However, in order to make the cut, there has to be some sort of professionalism behind these apps. The biggest reason for that is that if I’m going to use an app at a client site that I am consulting for, it has to look good and work right. By using these apps myself, I am in a sense endorsing them. So, if my name is attached to something, it has to make me look good. So, even when it comes to software, production value counts. Some guy who’s “tinkering” by creating some utility that was written poorly can very well hose a PC. I’m just going to be sure it isn’t one of the one’s I happen to be working on.

 

5. The apps have to be useful. Just because an app is free, and is cool, doesn’t always mean it will do something useful. These aren’t flying toasters (dang I’m old!), or dancing aliens, these are useful applications that will speed up your PC, protect you from virus and malware, optimize your Internet bandwidth, and restore health to your hardware and hard drive. How’s that for useful?

 

And now for some disclaimer…

 

Well, now that you know what it took for these awesome application to make the grade, let’s list them for you now. But, before I do that, let me just give you a couple of disclaimers I have to. It wouldn’t be responsible of me to do otherwise.

 

Disclaimer

 

Neither, I, nor HelpfulAdvisor.com, or any person or organization affiliated with HelpfulAdvisor.com is responsible for the use of the software listed in this article. HelpfulAdvisor.com makes no warranties or guarantees of performance or improvement as a result of the use of these applications. HelpfulAdvisor.com does not support these applications, and any sort of support or assistance required, would be the responsibility of the user to obtain by whatever means made available by the software author. Using the software and applications listed in this article are solely at the discretion and responsibility of the individual user.

 

Ok, now that we got the legal stuff out of the way, here are the ten coolest (and FREE) apps you’re NOT using… but should!

 

On to the apps!

 

Please note that all software mentioned in this article can be downloaded for free by going to http://www.HelpfulAdvisor.com.

 

10. DriveImage XML by RunTime.org

 

What makes this application so cool is that it does the same thing that commercial software does, and does it very well! DriveImage XML is a drive imaging tool that takes a snapshot of your entire hard drive, and stores it for recovery any time you need it. This is powerful because taking a snapshot of your entire hard drive will enable you to restore your hard drive, operating system, settings, preferences, applications, everything, should you need to upgrade your hard drive, or replace a failed drive. Comparable commercial software runs anywhere from $100 to $1,000, and yet this product does it for free!

 

9. Ultimate Boot CD 4 Windows (UBCD4WIN) by Benjamin Burrows

 

Has there ever been a time when your Windows XP just blew up and you couldn’t boot into it? Or worse, has your hard drive become so infected by virus and malware that you couldn’t do anything once you did get in? Well, the Ultimate bood CD 4 Windows comes to the rescue, literally!

 

Back in the days of DOS and Windows 95/98, a boot diskette was a formidable weapon against computer crashes and virus infections. That was because back in the day (showing my age, AGAIN!) a diskette could contain the most essential bootup information in order for you to at least boot your PC and run an anti-virus, or perhaps access your drive to get data off, or to restore a backup from a system crash.

 

Nowadays, Windows XP uses an encrypted file system called NTFS. Long story short, there’s no way all the NTFS bootup information can fit on a diskette, let alone, not many PCs that have diskette drives anymore. So, UBCD4Win, solves all that and more by being a Swiss-Army Knife for your PC.

 

As it’s packed with features, essentially, you download this program, select the features you want the BootCD to have, and voila! By booting up from a boot CD, you can restore a drive image created by DriveImage XML (see number 10 above), or you can clean out pesky viruses, or you can do a variety of other things. To me, this is essential gear when working with PCs. Great job Benjamin and Team!

 

8. ClamWin Antivirus by ClamWin Pty Ltd.

 

This is one of those instances where Linux technology ends up helping the Windows users of the world. ClamWin Antivirus is an open-source anti virus that aims to be as comparable in features and reliability as any commercial product. And, in my opinion, they come very, very close.

 

It’s based on the ClamAV engine that was developed for Linux servers and desktops, and is ported into a Windows compatible GUI. It has great features like virus pattern updates that you can schedule either hourly, daily or weekly. You can schedule scans of specific directories or whole drives. You can right-click and scan individual files, and best of all, it integrates right into MS Outlook.

 

Aside from Outlook virus scanning, the only thing I can see this application lacking is the real-time virus scanning feature that most commercial products have. Of course, real-time scanning can be a resource hog, so this may be a blessing iin disguise. I’ve found ClamAV to be able to handle most threats out there, and does a very good job. And, if there’s a sticky virus that you just can’t get of, well then the Ultimate BootCD 4 Windows (see number 9 above) may be your next option.

 

7. Smart Defrag by IOBit

 

Although Windows comes with a defragmentation utlity, there certainly is room for improvement. Enter Smart Defrag. This utility literally goes where Windows Defrag has never gone before. Ok, I went over the top on that. But here’s the thing. Smart Defrag is easy to use. It’s also schedule capable, where you can set what time and day to run the defrag. To be fair, this can be done with Windows Defrag IF you use Windows Scheduler with it. In the case of Smart Defrag, it’s all self-contained, eliminating the need to use two separate programs.

 

Now, are you ready for the best feature Smart Defrag has that Windows Defrag doesn’t? There has to be something that gets this utility on the list, right? Ok, here it is. This defrag utility can be set to run in the background. That’s right. When you’re doing your regular work on your computer, this utility will be working along with you in the background. Plus, the software has a threshold that will stop the defrag if it starts using too much of your PC’s resources. This is great because then you’ll always be sure that your defrag is not going to slow down your PC.

 

Always having a defragmented disk is extremely valuable to your PC, as it speeds up access to your programs, and eases strain on your hard disk. This is the defrag utility that you can’t beat for the price.

 

6. Tune XP by DriverHeaven

 

Did you know that Windows XP has several hidden settings that could actually speed up your PC? In fact, the default installation settings can actually be slowing down your PC, even after a fresh install!

 

Well, now you can harness the hidden powers of WIndows XP and give your PC the speed boost it deserves. Best of all, you can give it that boost without buying a single piece of hardware or a stick of RAM. Although this utility is powerful, it is a bit advanced, so it is highly recommended you read the help file before using.

 

5. 7-Zip by 7-Zip.org

 

This is another one of those great utilities that replaces what already comes with Windows XP. Windows comes with a file compression and archiving utility called WinZip. However, 7-Zip does a few things better than WinZip. For one, 7-Zip compresses files much smaller than WinZip, making for smaller archive (.zip) files.

 

For two, 7-Zip supports more types of archive types than WinZip. This is especially useful when downloading from the Internet, only to find that the compressed file you just downloaded isn’t recognized by WinZip. Therefore, having this utility can ensure that whatever you download can be uncompressed and useful for you.

 

4. Cobian Backup by Luis Cobian

 

Have you tried to use the NT Backup that comes with Windows? Yeah, so have I. It’s pretty fussy to say the least. Well, your backup troubles are over. Cobian Backup is fast, easy to use, and extremely flexible.

 

Imagine a backup utility that will compress your backup file into one large file, or several smaller ones. Imagine a backup utility that will automatically store your backup file to any drive you select, or better yet, will upload your file via Internet FTP to an off-site server of your choosing. Imagine a backup utility that you can schedule or initiate right on the spot.

 

Cobian Backup is so flexible and versatile, you would be amazed that it can be offered as donation-ware. However, by going to Luis Cobian’s website, it appears his next version isn’t going to be open-source. Therefore, you’d better grab Black Moon while you can.

 

3. Firefox Web Browser by Mozilla

 

In my arsenal, this is considered essential gear. That’s because Firefox allows for safer browsing of the Internet without being acosted by all the pop-ups, automated Active-X downloads that spy on you and your PC, or other forms of malware that come in via your regular Internet Exporer browser.

 

Anyone who surfs the net can appreciate pop-up free, malware free surfing. Firefox also has many add-ons that make an already poweful browser even more beastly. There are download accelerators, proxies, YouTube extensions, and all kinds of stuff to make your Internet time as cool as it ever was.

 

If you need to keep Internet Explorer because some sites absolutely require you use that browser, at least download and use Firefox for the other times you don’t need IE. You’ll find that you’re spending a lot less time herding cats by way of malware and mailicous Active-X on your browser. And that, my dear reader, spells more fun for you on the Internet; which is how it should be.

 

2. Free Download Manager by FreeDownloadManager.org

 

This is what’s called a download accelerator. A download acclerator does just that, speed up your downloads. The concept is cool because you can queue up your downloads, and when they are downloading, they will download faster using this technology than say, a standard download from your browser. This is because your browser initiates a single session for the download of your selected item. However, a download accelerator will initiate multiple sessions at a single time and download your file across multiple sessions. Therefore, your download will happen faster and increase your bandwidth for the download.

 

Free Download Manager does this very well, and has tons of cool features. It even offers BitTorrent support for download of torrent files, and allows you some very powerful management of your downloads. This tool can integrate with Windows, and is compatible with Firefox and Internet Explorer. I can’t live without this app, and I think after using it a couple of times, you won’t be able to either.

 

And now for the number 1 Coolest (and FREE) app you’re NOT using…

 

1. CCleaner by Piriform, LTD.

 

This utility used to be called CrapCleaner, but has since toned down it’s title to be just CCleaner. Perhaps it was a politically correct thing to do, who knows. All I know is this tool works! The basic premise is that this tool goes in and finds all the little files that get left behind by Windows, and other apps you’re using on a daily or even irregular basis.

 

Junk files can add up. When they add up, they rob your PC of valuable hard drive space, and what’s worse, it can rob your PC of performance. By running CCleaner at least on a weekly basis, you can clean out all those junk files and free up space. When you run this utility in conjunction with SmartDegrag by IOBit (number 7 on our list), you are keeping your PC tuned up and ready for action.

 

We’re not done yet. CCleaner also has a neat feature that allows you to clean your computer’s registry. A clean registry is the second half to a fast running PC. When software gets installed in Windows, stuff gets written in the registry. However, when software gets uninstalled, the entries in the registry don’t always get removed. Call it sloppy or lazy programming, or just a way of life in the Windows world. Either way, a bloated registry makes for a slow running PC. CCleaner help you keep that in check.

 

CCleaner also has other cool stuff like a startup manager, that helps you manage your programs that launch at startup. Which, you guessed it, will eat away at your system resources and slow down your PC, unless you pare down the apps you don’t have to have at the time of Windows startup.

 

All in all, CCleaner is one of the most useful utilities for cleaning out junk files, clearing out your web browser cache, emptying your recycle bin, and allowing your PC to reclaim space that is otherwise taken up by “stuff” that only serves to slow down your machine. Because this tool is so easy to use, and so powerful, it has earned our number one spot on our list.

 

One Final Thought

 

Although the software on our list is open source, or doesn’t cost anything to obtain, these applications cost time and money to develop and make available to the public. These applications are in many cases supported by donations of any amount the user deems fair for use of the product. If you download and find any of these applications useful, please consider a donation to the developer(s). You can do so by going to their respective websites and clicking on a donation link that is usually prominently displayed on their sties.

 

All software in this article can be downloaded for free by going to http://www.HelpfulAdvisor.com

 

Jay Medina
http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/the-ten-coolest-and-free-apps-youre-not-using-706025.html

As a professional Technology geek, I sometimes get my hands on the coolest tools and utilities. Mostly out of necessity, as I’m in a crunch and need to get something fixed. When I’m in the field, and need to find that cool little app that does just what I need, I also don’t have time to whip out my credit card and purchase what I need.

 

So, I turn to the Open-Source community, and thanks to the geniuses that make up this community, I am hardly ever disappointed. Find out the ten coolest (and FREE) apps you’re not using… but should!

 

What qualifies as one of the Ten coolest (and FREE) apps? First, in order to qualify as one of the ten coolest (and FREE) apps, there are criteria. These can’t be just any old applications off the street, they have to be able to meet a set of standards. Here are the criteria:

 

1. They have to be Free. Free means not having to purchase prior to download. However, Free doesn’t always mean no money. A good amount of time and effort went into making these applications for you and I to enjoy, so donations to the authors are highly encouraged. In other words, if you find an application that doesn’t charge you to use it, consider making a donation to the developer(s) as a means to enable them to continually improve the product, which will allow others to enjoy the software as well. Plus, it’s just good ju-ju!

 

2. They cannot be “trial-ware” or “nag-ware”. Shareware was really big in the 90’s. Try it before you buy it was the big mantra back then. Well, these ten coolest (and FREE) apps have to not have the shareware thing happening at all. No messages with how many days are left to try their product. No disabled features that get unlocked if you buy the product. None of that crapola. Zilch, nada, zip! Again, in order to have good karma come your way, you should donate to the software makers, but these software authors politely and rightfully ask for a donation; but do not disable any features in order to hold your software hostage until you pay for it.

 

3. They have to be easy to use. Now, I don’t necessarily mean brain-dead easy. I mean, still, in this day and age, there still has to be some sort of blip on the evolutionary radar to even use a computer, let alone the ten coolest (and FREE) apps that will make your life SO much easier. So, easy to use means that an average user can use these utilities if they read the how-to’s that come with them. OK, you’ve been warned! If you don’t read the how-to’s, and don’t donate to the software authors, and your PC starts spewing smoke, don’t come crying to me about the bad ju-ju. Good things come to those who do nice things for others (and who read the how-to’s that come with the software).

 

4. The apps are created by knowledgeable pros. There have been tons of stories of how this person or that created the coolest app or computer in their garage by not sleeping (or showering) for days, living on Doritos and Full Throttle. However, in order to make the cut, there has to be some sort of professionalism behind these apps. The biggest reason for that is that if I’m going to use an app at a client site that I am consulting for, it has to look good and work right. By using these apps myself, I am in a sense endorsing them. So, if my name is attached to something, it has to make me look good. So, even when it comes to software, production value counts. Some guy who’s “tinkering” by creating some utility that was written poorly can very well hose a PC. I’m just going to be sure it isn’t one of the one’s I happen to be working on.

 

5. The apps have to be useful. Just because an app is free, and is cool, doesn’t always mean it will do something useful. These aren’t flying toasters (dang I’m old!), or dancing aliens, these are useful applications that will speed up your PC, protect you from virus and malware, optimize your Internet bandwidth, and restore health to your hardware and hard drive. How’s that for useful?

 

And now for some disclaimer…

 

Well, now that you know what it took for these awesome application to make the grade, let’s list them for you now. But, before I do that, let me just give you a couple of disclaimers I have to. It wouldn’t be responsible of me to do otherwise.

 

Disclaimer

 

Neither, I, nor HelpfulAdvisor.com, or any person or organization affiliated with HelpfulAdvisor.com is responsible for the use of the software listed in this article. HelpfulAdvisor.com makes no warranties or guarantees of performance or improvement as a result of the use of these applications. HelpfulAdvisor.com does not support these applications, and any sort of support or assistance required, would be the responsibility of the user to obtain by whatever means made available by the software author. Using the software and applications listed in this article are solely at the discretion and responsibility of the individual user.

 

Ok, now that we got the legal stuff out of the way, here are the ten coolest (and FREE) apps you’re NOT using… but should!

 

On to the apps!

 

Please note that all software mentioned in this article can be downloaded for free by going to http://www.HelpfulAdvisor.com.

 

10. DriveImage XML by RunTime.org

 

What makes this application so cool is that it does the same thing that commercial software does, and does it very well! DriveImage XML is a drive imaging tool that takes a snapshot of your entire hard drive, and stores it for recovery any time you need it. This is powerful because taking a snapshot of your entire hard drive will enable you to restore your hard drive, operating system, settings, preferences, applications, everything, should you need to upgrade your hard drive, or replace a failed drive. Comparable commercial software runs anywhere from $100 to $1,000, and yet this product does it for free!

 

9. Ultimate Boot CD 4 Windows (UBCD4WIN) by Benjamin Burrows

 

Has there ever been a time when your Windows XP just blew up and you couldn’t boot into it? Or worse, has your hard drive become so infected by virus and malware that you couldn’t do anything once you did get in? Well, the Ultimate bood CD 4 Windows comes to the rescue, literally!

 

Back in the days of DOS and Windows 95/98, a boot diskette was a formidable weapon against computer crashes and virus infections. That was because back in the day (showing my age, AGAIN!) a diskette could contain the most essential bootup information in order for you to at least boot your PC and run an anti-virus, or perhaps access your drive to get data off, or to restore a backup from a system crash.

 

Nowadays, Windows XP uses an encrypted file system called NTFS. Long story short, there’s no way all the NTFS bootup information can fit on a diskette, let alone, not many PCs that have diskette drives anymore. So, UBCD4Win, solves all that and more by being a Swiss-Army Knife for your PC.

 

As it’s packed with features, essentially, you download this program, select the features you want the BootCD to have, and voila! By booting up from a boot CD, you can restore a drive image created by DriveImage XML (see number 10 above), or you can clean out pesky viruses, or you can do a variety of other things. To me, this is essential gear when working with PCs. Great job Benjamin and Team!

 

8. ClamWin Antivirus by ClamWin Pty Ltd.

 

This is one of those instances where Linux technology ends up helping the Windows users of the world. ClamWin Antivirus is an open-source anti virus that aims to be as comparable in features and reliability as any commercial product. And, in my opinion, they come very, very close.

 

It’s based on the ClamAV engine that was developed for Linux servers and desktops, and is ported into a Windows compatible GUI. It has great features like virus pattern updates that you can schedule either hourly, daily or weekly. You can schedule scans of specific directories or whole drives. You can right-click and scan individual files, and best of all, it integrates right into MS Outlook.

 

Aside from Outlook virus scanning, the only thing I can see this application lacking is the real-time virus scanning feature that most commercial products have. Of course, real-time scanning can be a resource hog, so this may be a blessing iin disguise. I’ve found ClamAV to be able to handle most threats out there, and does a very good job. And, if there’s a sticky virus that you just can’t get of, well then the Ultimate BootCD 4 Windows (see number 9 above) may be your next option.

 

7. Smart Defrag by IOBit

 

Although Windows comes with a defragmentation utlity, there certainly is room for improvement. Enter Smart Defrag. This utility literally goes where Windows Defrag has never gone before. Ok, I went over the top on that. But here’s the thing. Smart Defrag is easy to use. It’s also schedule capable, where you can set what time and day to run the defrag. To be fair, this can be done with Windows Defrag IF you use Windows Scheduler with it. In the case of Smart Defrag, it’s all self-contained, eliminating the need to use two separate programs.

 

Now, are you ready for the best feature Smart Defrag has that Windows Defrag doesn’t? There has to be something that gets this utility on the list, right? Ok, here it is. This defrag utility can be set to run in the background. That’s right. When you’re doing your regular work on your computer, this utility will be working along with you in the background. Plus, the software has a threshold that will stop the defrag if it starts using too much of your PC’s resources. This is great because then you’ll always be sure that your defrag is not going to slow down your PC.

 

Always having a defragmented disk is extremely valuable to your PC, as it speeds up access to your programs, and eases strain on your hard disk. This is the defrag utility that you can’t beat for the price.

 

6. Tune XP by DriverHeaven

 

Did you know that Windows XP has several hidden settings that could actually speed up your PC? In fact, the default installation settings can actually be slowing down your PC, even after a fresh install!

 

Well, now you can harness the hidden powers of WIndows XP and give your PC the speed boost it deserves. Best of all, you can give it that boost without buying a single piece of hardware or a stick of RAM. Although this utility is powerful, it is a bit advanced, so it is highly recommended you read the help file before using.

 

5. 7-Zip by 7-Zip.org

 

This is another one of those great utilities that replaces what already comes with Windows XP. Windows comes with a file compression and archiving utility called WinZip. However, 7-Zip does a few things better than WinZip. For one, 7-Zip compresses files much smaller than WinZip, making for smaller archive (.zip) files.

 

For two, 7-Zip supports more types of archive types than WinZip. This is especially useful when downloading from the Internet, only to find that the compressed file you just downloaded isn’t recognized by WinZip. Therefore, having this utility can ensure that whatever you download can be uncompressed and useful for you.

 

4. Cobian Backup by Luis Cobian

 

Have you tried to use the NT Backup that comes with Windows? Yeah, so have I. It’s pretty fussy to say the least. Well, your backup troubles are over. Cobian Backup is fast, easy to use, and extremely flexible.

 

Imagine a backup utility that will compress your backup file into one large file, or several smaller ones. Imagine a backup utility that will automatically store your backup file to any drive you select, or better yet, will upload your file via Internet FTP to an off-site server of your choosing. Imagine a backup utility that you can schedule or initiate right on the spot.

 

Cobian Backup is so flexible and versatile, you would be amazed that it can be offered as donation-ware. However, by going to Luis Cobian’s website, it appears his next version isn’t going to be open-source. Therefore, you’d better grab Black Moon while you can.

 

3. Firefox Web Browser by Mozilla

 

In my arsenal, this is considered essential gear. That’s because Firefox allows for safer browsing of the Internet without being acosted by all the pop-ups, automated Active-X downloads that spy on you and your PC, or other forms of malware that come in via your regular Internet Exporer browser.

 

Anyone who surfs the net can appreciate pop-up free, malware free surfing. Firefox also has many add-ons that make an already poweful browser even more beastly. There are download accelerators, proxies, YouTube extensions, and all kinds of stuff to make your Internet time as cool as it ever was.

 

If you need to keep Internet Explorer because some sites absolutely require you use that browser, at least download and use Firefox for the other times you don’t need IE. You’ll find that you’re spending a lot less time herding cats by way of malware and mailicous Active-X on your browser. And that, my dear reader, spells more fun for you on the Internet; which is how it should be.

 

2. Free Download Manager by FreeDownloadManager.org

 

This is what’s called a download accelerator. A download acclerator does just that, speed up your downloads. The concept is cool because you can queue up your downloads, and when they are downloading, they will download faster using this technology than say, a standard download from your browser. This is because your browser initiates a single session for the download of your selected item. However, a download accelerator will initiate multiple sessions at a single time and download your file across multiple sessions. Therefore, your download will happen faster and increase your bandwidth for the download.

 

Free Download Manager does this very well, and has tons of cool features. It even offers BitTorrent support for download of torrent files, and allows you some very powerful management of your downloads. This tool can integrate with Windows, and is compatible with Firefox and Internet Explorer. I can’t live without this app, and I think after using it a couple of times, you won’t be able to either.

 

And now for the number 1 Coolest (and FREE) app you’re NOT using…

 

1. CCleaner by Piriform, LTD.

 

This utility used to be called CrapCleaner, but has since toned down it’s title to be just CCleaner. Perhaps it was a politically correct thing to do, who knows. All I know is this tool works! The basic premise is that this tool goes in and finds all the little files that get left behind by Windows, and other apps you’re using on a daily or even irregular basis.

 

Junk files can add up. When they add up, they rob your PC of valuable hard drive space, and what’s worse, it can rob your PC of performance. By running CCleaner at least on a weekly basis, you can clean out all those junk files and free up space. When you run this utility in conjunction with SmartDegrag by IOBit (number 7 on our list), you are keeping your PC tuned up and ready for action.

 

We’re not done yet. CCleaner also has a neat feature that allows you to clean your computer’s registry. A clean registry is the second half to a fast running PC. When software gets installed in Windows, stuff gets written in the registry. However, when software gets uninstalled, the entries in the registry don’t always get removed. Call it sloppy or lazy programming, or just a way of life in the Windows world. Either way, a bloated registry makes for a slow running PC. CCleaner help you keep that in check.

 

CCleaner also has other cool stuff like a startup manager, that helps you manage your programs that launch at startup. Which, you guessed it, will eat away at your system resources and slow down your PC, unless you pare down the apps you don’t have to have at the time of Windows startup.

 

All in all, CCleaner is one of the most useful utilities for cleaning out junk files, clearing out your web browser cache, emptying your recycle bin, and allowing your PC to reclaim space that is otherwise taken up by “stuff” that only serves to slow down your machine. Because this tool is so easy to use, and so powerful, it has earned our number one spot on our list.

 

One Final Thought

 

Although the software on our list is open source, or doesn’t cost anything to obtain, these applications cost time and money to develop and make available to the public. These applications are in many cases supported by donations of any amount the user deems fair for use of the product. If you download and find any of these applications useful, please consider a donation to the developer(s). You can do so by going to their respective websites and clicking on a donation link that is usually prominently displayed on their sties.

 

All software in this article can be downloaded for free by going to http://www.HelpfulAdvisor.com

 

Jay Medina
http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/the-ten-coolest-and-free-apps-youre-not-using-706025.html

No sound business large or small can afford to loose their data or the ability to use their computing assets without a potentially heavy reputational, opportunity or financial loss.  Usually in the event of a disaster you lose a bit of all three.  The recent panic about on and off line security of data is testament to the risks and consequences.  Though it seems worrying about security is fashionable and protecting from disaster is not and therefore often forgotten.  However I would urge you both are just as catastrophic and perhaps disaster is more likely these days! 

More and more people are now realising just how much protecting against disasters applies equally to individuals as well as businesses.  Could you do without access to your bank account, reference to that critical email correspondence, access to your home budgeting finance software or spreadsheets. At the very least it’s hugely inconvenient at worst it could lead to heavy financial losses or liability.

For the purposes of very small businesses or home users protecting and managing disaster scenarios really merges the three industrial IT fields of Disaster Recovery, High Availability and Backup.  Using best practice from industry and modern desktop PC’s with sophisticated hardware and software it’s amazing just how much we can do.  Protecting against disaster essentially comes with two key strategies:

• Disaster Prevention – by using redundant components so that a single critical component failure doesn’t compromise the whole systems ability to function i.e. extra power supplies, redundant disk arrays (RAID1, RAID5 etc), protected uninterruptable power supplies, dual network cards (NIC), dual processors, even dual machines (clustering) etc.
• Disaster recovery (Backup & Restore) – periodically taking snapshots of the whole system and changed parts of it are the as ‘old as the hills’ way of being able to recover from any disaster scenario.  This used to be done to an offline media like tape or cartridge but now online media are becoming so cheap and far faster its more convenient to perform online backups to a low cost per GB data store (i.e. external hard drive or USB stick for domestic or home professional users).

Surprisingly some of these industrial IT tools and techniques are now available to the home user or professional.  High quality desktop computers all now come with RAID providing redundant disk drive support.  So how come you have never heard of any this or many of the other techniques?  Not many PC vendors can be bothered making it available as an option, configuring and supporting it or understanding how to do it right.  For the average risk adverse PC vendor this just open’s up a can of worms that seems like more cost or risk of cost on the wafer thin bottom line.  So they just cross their fingers and hope you don’t ask about it…

Practical things you can do to reduce your exposure

The following is a five step list of inexpensive things you can do to protect yourself from disaster and minimise the impact in the event it happens, roughly in priority order:

1. Protecting your live data – The most unreliable piece of equipment in your PC is the only bit that moves, an awful lot, the mechanical hard drive.  Almost everyone will at some point experience one failing and lose data and time as a consequence.  An extra disk in your PC need cost no more than US$40 these days, even an extra terabyte is only US$90.  Almost all good quality desktops support RAID levels that will protect your data.  The most basic of these is mirroring (RAID1) which simply copies the contents of one disk directly onto another simultaneously, should one fail the other can take over.  This all happens automatically in the RAID controller (either on your desktop motherboard or in a separate controller card).  More sophisticated is RAID5 which uses parity across a minimum of three drives (so an extra two are required but you can add more to increase performance).  RAID10 (1 + 0) expands on the RAID1 mirroring concept combined with RAID0 striping to improve performance but requires a minimum of four drives.
2. Backing up your data – Windows Vista Business or Ultimate come with effective backup software for both a complete image backup of your PC (a snapshot of the whole machine and its configuration) and to backup your individual data files incrementally.  These editions of Vista only cost about an extra US$50 or so over the basic edition and are well worth the extra if only for Backup & Restore.  They have a number of other professional and business features worth having.
3. Feed your PC clean reliable power – for around US$20 you can get a simple surge protector and filter for your mains supply.  In the event of a brown out or lightning strike this might save your PC.  For US$100 or more depending on how sophisticated you get you can have a full clean uninterruptible power supply (UPS) which will keep your machine running for a few minutes even after the power has failed by switching to the built-in battery and a power converter circuit.   This few minutes allows you to shutdown your system in an orderly fashion saving files, closing applications and finishing work off neatly and without risking any corruption that a sudden power off might.
4. Keep your PC cool – it never ceases to surprise me where people put their PC’s, under the desk, in a cupboard, next to the heating radiator are all bad places.  Largely gone are the days where computers need air conditioning to function reliably but you do need to make sure they get adequate ventilation and are sited in a generally cool location.  Not doing so will likely shorten its life and worse still reduce its reliability.
5. Preventative maintenance – to keep its insides cool your PC sucks in cool air at the front and blows out hot air out the back.  When we get PC’s back for upgrades or maintenance it’s not unusual to find a thick layer of dust and dirt over the fans, grills, motherboard and key components.  This radically reduces their cooling effectiveness and can at worse actually seize fans up or short out components.  You really will do your PC a lot of good if you periodically blow the dust out and vacuum it up with one of the pointed flexible plastic hose attachments.  Also make sure your filters on your case if you have any are regularly cleaned.

Security

Not really in the list as it’s a whole topic in itself (and its covered by another article) is general security and virus protection.  Many tools on the market today are way over the top for what you need.  You want something basic and unobtrusive so that it gets the job done but doesn’t interfere or hog the performance of your machine.  In my opinion many of the small niche security software suppliers and not the big market players are the better tools in this regard.  You should be able to get something completely FREE that does all you need.

Standby machines

Another option to consider is what the industry would call a ‘warm standby’ machine.  Have another similar if not identical machine ready to take over your critical work if your main machine dies.  Using an image backup or a hot swap disk from the dead machine to the new you can be back up and running in minutes.  With the low cost of commodity machines these days you could quite inexpensively have a reduced power [cheaper] machine ready to take over the vital work in an emergency.

Conclusion

All the ideas I’ve described in this article are all best practice that industry has been doing for business for years.  Now modern PC hardware and software within the reach of the domestic and home professional opens up some powerful options to make any pain due to hardware failures or data corruption completely unnecessary.  Do yourself a favour and get it done for your own data no matter much you think it will never happen to you, you will sleep more easily.

Alan Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/is-your-critical-pc-data-adequately-protected-from-disaster-727102.html

Virtual desktops may soon be too cheap and easily deployed to resist, particularly as cost-cutting takes a firm hold of data centers around the world.

The latest research from IDC indicates that the savings from not having to purchase, provision, maintain and support full-blown PCs for every user is likely to be substantial in the coming years. The company’s latest report “Virtualizing the Desktop Part 2: Client-Hosted Virtualization Leadership Grid,” indicates that 2009 will be the proof-of-concept year for the technology with large-scale deployments in 2010.

Leading developers such as VMware are already claiming to have hit some breakthroughs on a few of the sticker elements of virtual desktop deployment. This week, the company launched the View 3 initiative, aimed at fostering the mass dissemination of virtual desktops across numerous user groups. The company has essentially junked the single-instance DV platforms of the past with a hypervisor-based solution that uses a single base image to clone multiple desktops that can still be custom-tweaked by users.

Meanwhile, IBM wants to show that it can provide a DV platform without help from Microsoft. The company has teamed up with Canonical and Virtual Bridge to provide a Linux-based system that the company says will cost half as much as a comparable Windows solution. The system bundles IBM’s Open Collaboration Client Solution with Canonical’s Ubuntu Linux and VB’s virtual desktop software.

But if you’re looking for rapid deployment, probably the quickest today is the Pano device from a company called Nebulas Solutions Group. The company has developed a 12-by-12-inch box that sits on your desk and provides direct server access for a mouse, keyboard, display, speakers and peripherals. There’s no memory, OS, drivers or moving parts and consumes only 3 percent of the power of a normal desktop. The company claims a 70 percent TCO reduction.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and tough economic times breed cost-effective solutions. Desktop virtualization’s energy-conscious numbers simply will be too great to ignore in the coming year.

Arthur Cole
http://www.articlesbase.com/information-technology-articles/follow-the-money-to-virtual-desktops-675748.html

Hi,

I have one desktop PC with Windows XP Media Center 2005 installed on it and one HP laptop with Windows Vista Home Premium installed on it.

I need to network both machines together with crossover cable. Network card is ready on the desktop, crossover cable is ready.
What software configuration shall i make or what are the steps I should take since I always heard about issues and problems in networking XP with Vista.

Thank you for your help.

Take 1 cross cable and connect between both machine’s
and put IP address(like 192.168.100.1&2) in My Network Places and restart it once its start just used ping command if the machines are pinging means machine are ready in network then go to START-RUN-and type-\\192.168.100.1means type your machine ip address what ever you had give it.

I am moving to another house for 3 months and that house i only can have a lap top, a Dell pc and i want to sync my iphone with that laptop just like i do in my desktop pc. Is this possible without losing any info on the iphone? If so how? Very much appreciated…

Yes. See source.

What is the best PC OEM for desktop computers?
I am not talking about macs so please don’t say Apple.

The best desktop PC is the one you build yourself.
If your’e not comfortable doing this find someone who knows how.This maybe more expensive but its worth the reward,plus it will be easy to upgrade in the future.
If you don’t need a gaming PC choose a motherboard with on-board video,you’ll save some $$$