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1 Terabyte (TB) External Hard Drives

Editor — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 10:44:04 +0000

There are some notable products to choose from when selecting 1 Terabyte External Hard Drives. Three manufacturers that have quality products, reputations, and sell competitively priced products are, Seagate, Iomega, and Western Digital. Each company makes and sells a variety of products including external hard drives for storage, and systems backup. Because of the proliferation of music files, video files, and photograph files, most computer hard drives contain a considerable amount of precious and irreplaceable data. Indeed, manually backing up all of these file types to external media is a cumbersome and daunting task that many people prefer not to undertake. Fortunately, an external hard drive is an ideal device to use in backing up, or just storing those precious files.

1. Iomega Prestige Portable Hard Drive, Compact Edition

This drive is very small. In fact, it measures only 4 inches, fits comfortably in a shirt pocket, and requires no external power source. It uses the popular USB 2.0 interface, and comes with its own cable. It features Iomega’s patented Drop Shock technology that protects the workings of the drive in case it is suddenly dropped. Indeed, this minuscule drive is perfect for at home storage, yet durable enough for travel. It comes bundled with a Protection Suite of software, and includes 2GB of (free) online storage. This model of external hard drive includes a 1 year free subscription to Trend Micro Internet Security, has a three year limited warrantee with product registration, comes pre-formatted, and is compatible with both PC and Mac computers.

2. Western Digital Elements Desktop External Hard Drive

The Elements model external hard drive is Western Digital’s “no frills” drive, and provides a cost effective way to add hard drive storage capacity to both PC and Mac computers. It comes pre-formatted to PC, but is easily reformatted for use with Mac. It features simple plug and play interface and uses the USB 2.0 standard. This quality made Western Digital (WD) drive is designed to turn on/off with your computer, ensuring it is always available for storage solutions or backups. It incorporates an external power supply that is EnergyStar compliant. Additionally, the drive itself is made to WD’s patented GreenPower technology, so it enters idle mode when it is not actively being used.

3. Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex External Hard Drive

Winner of the CNET Editor’s Choice award for May 2010, this drive supports both USB 2.0 and 3.0, with plug and play connectivity. It features continuous automatic backup using powerful encryption software. By pairing with additional GoFlex adapters, the drive is easily upgraded to use any interface desired. Indeed, this feature will allow the use of USB and/or FireWire 800, which can provide 10 times the speed for large file transfers. It works interchangeably with both PC and Mac computers, so the drive can go back and forth between them without the need of reformatting. It comes standard with pre-loaded software, a 5 foot USB cable, includes an illuminated capacity gauge, and requires no external power source.

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10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know

Editor — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:43:25 +0000

Facebook is a groundbreaking social networking tool that exists online in order to bring people together for social and business purposes. While meeting new friends and potential business associates is one of the perks associated with Facebook, certain measures should be taken in order to ensure that your private information does not get into the wrong hands. With identity theft and hacking at an all time high, make sure that you utilize 10 privacy settings that every Facebook user should know about in order to protect themselves from scammers, stalkers and identity theives.

1 – Status, Photos and Posts

Regulate who can see your daily posts, photos and status updates by selecting whether 1) everyone 2) friends of friends or 3) friends can view them. Most people only allow their friends to view these more intimate and daily postings, though business owners may opt to allow everyone to view this information in an effort to draw in new clientele.

2 – Search for me on Facebook

This privacy setting dictates who can find you on Facebook using a general search that includes either your name or email address. If you do not wish to be found by old acquaintances, simply select the privacy setting that only allows current friends to search you out on Facebook.

3 – Friend Requests

Not just anyone can attempt to befriend you on Facebook if you do not wish it to be so. Simply adjust your privacy settings from ‘everyone’ to ‘friends of friends’ in order to limit the potential for strangers or businesses to submit friend requests to your account.

4 – See My Friend List

If you do not want all of your friends to be privy to information on the other people you’ve befriended on Facebook, simply set your privacy settings so that only ‘specific people’ or ‘only me’ can view your friend list on your main profile page.

5 – See My Education and Work

This privacy setting is important for individuals that are using their Facebook account for business purposes. If you set your account to allow ‘everyone’ to view this information, you are much more likely to connect with other individuals in your field and may possibly even connect with prospective employers.

6 – Block Lists

If someone you have ‘friended’ on Facebook begins to stalk or otherwise pester you, there is no reason you should have to grin and bear it. Simply block them from viewing any and all content you post on Facebook by entering their full name under the ‘block list’ privacy setting. As far as the person blocked is concerned, you will have completely vanished from Facebook altogether.

7 – Block Application Invites

If you are tired of being asked to join someone’s Farmville community, simply block invitations from the app altogether by entering the app name in the ‘block app privacy field.

8- See my Current City and Hometown

Facebook encourages users to display this information, as it may help old friends to find you on the site. However, you have the option to fully customize this privacy setting to allow only specific people to view the information.

9- Public Search

This privacy setting dictates whether or not people can find your Facebook page via searches on major search engines. If you would rather they not be able to, simply indicate that in your ‘public search’ privacy setting.

10 – Applications You are Using

Facebook gives you the power to erase any application that you feel is ‘spammy’ or irritating with a single click of a mouse. Further, you can limit the amount of information available to ‘social applications’ through your friends by adjusting your privacy settings accordingly.

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For some clients, just install Ubuntu

Editor — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:04:30 +0000

Unofficial statistic: 85% of people who use computers, use it for 2 reasons, and 2 reasons alone: email/internet & office.

The last time someone came to me and said he needed to reinstall Windows due to the overwhelming junk and sluggish crap, I asked him what he used his computer for. When he said that he only used it for email and internet, I thought, why bother reinstalling Vista? I installed Ubuntu Netbook Remix on his laptop, and boy, was he happy. The simple, easy-to-use interface, with none of the clunk of an OEM version of Vista and all it’s crap….all for free sounded good to him. He’s been using it for a good 6 months now, and has had NO complaints.

FANBOY ALERT: I am not a linux fanboy, nor a Windows fanatic. Personally I believe every OS has it’s different uses…my laptop and servers would all have some linux distro or another, and the rest of my 4 computers have Windows 7. And yeah, I wouldn’t mind an iPhone, either.

Now the above story comes from a person who never even heard of Ubuntu before I installed it on his laptop. He’s just glad he has a simple OS to get online, and I’m glad I didn’t have to go through the lengthy process of reinstalling vista without activation.

I’ve heard a story from a fellow pc repair guy, about his aunt being a Microsoft die-hard, and would not accept anything except Windows on her machine. He went ahead and installed Ubuntu on her machine anyway, and told her it was the beta version of Windows 7 (which hadn’t come out yet), and she was totally happy with it. I don’t know what she did when she found out it wasn’t Windows though (if she ever found out).

That’ll be my standard protocol from now on. Whenever anyone comes to me for a re-installation of Windows, I’m going to find out what programs they use on a daily basis. And if it’s your typical email/internet/office user, I will suggest Ubuntu. So far none have been disappointed. Saves me time and hassle as well.

Now this won’t work all the time, there are a quite a few users who need to use Windows-specific applications, and Windows is simply the only solution for that. You either love it or you hate it, but you can’t do without it.

Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Reinstalling Windows Checklist

Editor — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:12:51 +0000

One of the most common operations a PC repair guy carries out is reinstalling Windows. I decided to create a checklist for myself and others so we don’t forget anything critical during the process. Check out my other posts dedicated to PC repair professionals…

Quick checklist

For those of you who just need a quick checklist without all the details and blabber, here it is:

Backup all your files/documents/pics (obviously)
Make a note of all registered software
Backup the drivers!
Save your license key, make sure you have the right CD’s
Reinstall away
Restore your drivers
Restore your software (and use Ninite)
Restore your files

Detailed checklist

Step 1: Backup all your files/documents/pics/etc. (obviously)

This goes without saying…Another optional step here would be to create a GHOST backup image just in case anything goes wrong or you forgot something. This is especially important for PC repair guys who are working with other’s computers.

If you don’t have a secondary drive big enough to store all your data, consider creating a new partition and copying all of your data over with Unstoppable Copier.

Files to remember to backup:

Email program files and settings
Your browser’s settings/history/bookmarks
The Windows Fonts folder (especially if you’re a designer)
Any other program’s settings that you want to preserve

Step 2: Make a note of all registered software

Here’s a good time to take stock of all the software on the PC. Taking a quick screenshot of the Add or Remove Programs window can help you remember which software you need to reinstall afterwords. You should deactivate all licensed software, or if that’s not possible, save the serial/key and call up their customer support later.

Step 3: Backup the drivers!

This is a critical step which many people forget, much to their dismay later on. I recommend using Driver Max, found here at http://www.innovative-sol.com/drivermax/

Warning: Some jerks have set up a website at drivermax.com which comes up as the first google search result, but this is NOT the correct free driver backup software I am referring to. It is located at http://www.innovative-sol.com/drivermax/

Step 4: Save your license key, make sure you have the right CD’s

Generally if you have the CD’s that came with your manufacturer/vendor, as well as the product key (which you can get with Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder), you’re good to go. You may have to call up Microsoft to activate again, but that may not be a big deal. You also may want to try reinstalling windows without activation, but this may not work, so ALWAYS have a Plan B.

Reinstall XP without activation

AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE IS NO WAY TO REINSTALL XP WITHOUT ACTIVATION! I have tried the method of saving the “wpa.dbl” file, but it did NOT work numerous times. If you guys ever had any luck with any other method for reinstalling xp without activation, tell us in the comments.

Reinstall Vista without activation

Someone over at this forum has posted an excellent guide to reinstalling Vista without activation. I’ve heard it works. http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=120228

Reinstall Windows 7 without activation

My Digital Life, a crappy tech blog (which has some useful stuff sometimes) famous for ever-trying to hijack search engine results with ad-filled pages, has a guide to reinstalling Windows 7 without activation. http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/09/24/how-to-backup-and-restore-windows-7-and-server-2008-r2-activation-status-activate-offline-on-reinstall/ . Beware, I haven’t actually tried it out, if any of you had any luck, give us a shout in the comments.

Step 5: Reinstall away

Go ahead and pop in the CD and follow the prompts. Enter your key (unless you used one of the “re-installation without activation” methods above). You may have to call Microsoft to activate.

Step 6: Restore your drivers

Using driver max, you can restore all your drivers from the previously created backup. If you are unable to do so, you may have to restore SOME of the drivers manually with Device Manager.

On the other hand, here is some insightful commentary from stillaftermath on reddit:

If possible, I highly recommend downloading new drivers, as opposed to reinstalling the old ones, if you can be spared the time to do so. Backing up and restoring has three problems – One, you may be restoring the very problem you’re trying to get away from. If a machine is blue screening, lagging, or wonky, it’s just as possible for it to be from a driver issue as it is to be from crapware or whatever you’re trying to escape. Two, if upgrading from an older version of Windows, you may need newer drivers, or there may be a different set specifically optimized for the new OS. Three, Vista, and particularly Windows 7, are quite good about downloading new drivers at the first update check, which happens automatically at first boot. You might very well update to the newest ones and then downgrade them by restoring your backup copy when you get back from the Wii, coffee, or impromptu sexual encounter that distracted you when you got tired of watching the file copy bar during installation.

Thanks, stillaftermath. You’re right. Always look for driver upgrades as well. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still backup your drivers, as it may turn out that those are not available on the web, or are a pain to look for & download, so backing up is still important.

Step 7: Restore your software

I highly recommend using Ninite to quickly reinstall commonly used software like Adobe Flash, Microsoft Security Essentials, VLC, etc.

Here are the software you need to remember to reinstall:

Anti virus (such as Avira or Microsoft Security Essentials)
Anti spyware (may not be necessary, consider Spyware Terminator)
MS Office and other mission critical programs
IM software
Firewall (I recommend Comodo Firewall)

Step 8: Restore your files

That’s it!

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Refreshing Firefox Theme For 2010

Editor — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:52:48 +0000

You may or may not like Office 2010′s graphical interface, but I find it to be very useful and easy on the eyes once you get used to it.

Anyway, our buddies over at AddictiveTips, who have covered some awesome Office 2010 tips, have also let us know about this rich, minimalistic, office 2010 inspired Firefox theme.

A good thing about it is that it is customizable, with quite a few options, and a choice of colors.

Download Here

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Computer Terminology Misuse

Editor — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:15:30 +0000

If I had a nickel every time someone called a computer a “hard drive”, I’d be a millionaire. Seriously, is computer terminology THAT hard? The amount of misused terminology that I hear every week would be enough to make a dictionary author commit suicide. Computer parts are impossible to define to the masses due to the complete mess of terminology.

REBOOTING A COMPUTER MEANS RESTARTING THE DAMN THING! It’s not the same as reformatting, which is not the same as reinstalling an OS! Every time someone’s asked to me to reinstall Windows on their computer, these are the ways I’ve heard it being said:

Can you reformat my computer? [This means to "format" a hard drive, which is to essentially to delete everything]
Can you reboot my computer? [This means to restart the computer.]
Can you wipe out my computer? [This means to take a cloth and use some elbow grease. Or the same as #1)
Can you erase my computer? [Same as #1]
Can you restart everything on my computer? [This means to..ahh I quit]
Can you make my computer new again? [This is not possible]
Can you format and then reinstall the operating system on my computer? [THIS is the way to say it. Which means to do exactly what you want.]

I’m tempted to do exactly as told next time someone misuses computer terminology. Really, the next time someone asks me to “reboot” his computer, I’ll specify that on the agreement, plug his computer in, turn it on, and then restart it, and then give it back to him. Or if I get asked to reinstall his hard drive, I’ll open up the computer, take out the hard drive, put it back in, and then give it back. And then charge him the money we agreed on.

This is called a computer.

You see that tall, black, shiny thing up there? It’s called a tower, a computer, a “rig“, or a PC. It is not called a “hard drive“, “CPU“, “motherboard“, “thingamajiggy“, “fat heavy something“, “magic box” or any other word that people make up on the spot. It’s so bad that when I search for a “CPU” using Google Images, I get a picture of a stupid computer as the first result.

It's so bad that when I search for "CPU", look at what I get as my first result.

See, that is exactly what I feared. That misusing computer terminology would become so common that it would be impossible to know what is what.

Anyway, THESE are the respective components found in computers, and their names cannot be used to refer to the whole computer.

Yes, this is EXACTLY what a CPU is. A little chip found deep in your computer.

This thing is a hard drive. It is found in your computer. It stores your files. It is not the same as saying "memory". Got it?

This is "memory" or RAM. It is NOT the same as the thing above. Memory IS RAM.

This is a motherboard. Pretty much everything in your computer is connected to it somehow.

Again, I repeat. THIS thing is not a CPU, nor a motherboard, nor a hard drive. It is a computer. The stuff above is found inside this thing.

Please, I beg of you all, learn something, and don’t misuse computer terminology again, atleast for these few terms. This is not meant to be a detailed computer lesson, so if you are looking for that…

And, by the way, this old internet gem is somewhat relevant. The IT Crowd, this episode is one of the funniest computer comedy videos I’ve ever watched.

Share with us in the comments some of the other ways you’ve heard computer terminology misused.

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How To De-Crapify A PC Efficiently

Editor — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 00:19:18 +0000

As I’ve been doing PC repair for quite a while now (see my guide to doing local pc repair), the most common repetitive action I do is cleaning up someone’s PC. Over the years, I’ve found the most efficient way is to do a complete re-install (obviously). However there are times when you can’t or don’t want to do a complete reinstall. I’ve found that with 6 quick easy steps you can effectively de-crapify a computer, leaving it running much faster overall. I have literally tried this on uncountable machines, so you can be sure that this method works.

Whether you are a computer newbie, or just need a checklist for cleaning up a PC, this might help.

Step 1: Uninstall all unnecessary programs

Uninstall all trialware
Uninstall any trial anti-virus or Norton Anti-Virus and replace it with a non-intrusive or free anti virus software
Uninstall unneeded programs
Replace large, resource consuming programs with lighter alternative (e.x. IE for Chrome, Azureus for uTorrent, Avira for Norton, etc.)

Use Revo Uninstaller. It gets rid of unnecessary stuff left over from removed programs, along with uninstalling normally.

Step 2: Make sure there is nothing unnecessary starting up with your account login or windows startup

This, by far, is the greatest cause of slow PC’s, in my opinion. Totally unnecessary crap from Nero to Adobe Acrobat have startup programs which do nothing useful.

Here’s how you disable them in various operating systems:

Vista or Windows 7
XP
An more advanced software for doing just this is Autoruns from Sysinternals

Another tip from GerryK:

There are many unnecessary services that can be disabled or changed to manual start. As an example, I rarely print things so I set my print spooler to manual start. I also manually start my IPOD/Bonjour/Apple services when I need to update my apple devices. You can google “Unnecessary windows services” for more information.

Step 3: Delete all unnecessary files

An extremely handy software that will help you with tis is CCleaner - an accredited software endorsed by many reputable sources.

Step 4: Do a virus scan

Step 5: Update your drivers

Consider using this free driver updater.

Step 6: Do a defrag

You could do this in either one of these ways:

Use the standard Windows defragger
Use defraggler (recommended)
Another tip from a commenter is to use MyDefrag - it has some intelligent defragging capabilities

Tell me in the comments if I missed anything or if you have a good tip…

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Ok, so Chrome is nice. But a Google-oply? Not so much.

Editor — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:21:38 +0000

This Google Chrome advert really hit us. It is nice. And Chrome is a nice browser.

But that’s one more product which gives Google an effective monopoly over the internet. Wait a sec, before we get started, let us make it clear that we are not Google-haters. We also use Google services every day. But without some critical commentary every now and then, we would never have a better world. The internet is based on open-ness, the small guy, and neutrality. It’s only fair that everyone has the right to be critically examined for the benefit of all. If you’re looking for the tin-hat guy, look here.

Did you know?

Did you know that Google has a unique identifier for every Chrome browser, and that it uses this when sending information about every search you make and website you visit? That the Google Toolbar often installed on browsers other than Chrome also sends similar information? That the Google Toolbar has been called “spyware” by reputable sources? With the assimilation of YouTube, Google Apps, and all other Google Services, Google has access to your pictures, documents, emails, bank account (possibly), history, personal info, etc. and can make an accurate psychological, mental and physical picture of almost any person. And now with Chrome and Chromium OS, even your browser and operating system are Google’s, so even the non-Google services you use are within their knowledge.

Why so much data?

Part of the Google Chrome TOS:

16.1 Some of the Services are supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements and promotions. These advertisements may be targeted to the content of information stored on the Services, queries made through the Services or other information.

Why does Google store so much data? Because it’s their business! Google makes almost all of its income through its advertising network. Everyone knows that the more targeted the ad, the better results it brings. With all this information, Google can splash relevant, highly-targeted ads which fit your psychological profile, interests and location. You get better quality ads, Google is happy and advertisers are thrilled. A win-win situation? Perhaps not. Some of us are not so comfortable with one company having so much of our info. Google makes it explicitly clear that it only uses all of this data for improving the Services, providing targeted advertising, and similar. Even if we completely trust Google,what if this information fell into the wrong hands? Or if governments forced corporations to give them all the info (even worse)? Whatever would happen to the basic tenets of personal privacy – a critical component of democracy?

Privacy vs. Convenience

One might argue, and rightfully so, that the collaboration and connectedness of the information is what makes Google’s services so useful and intuitive. Hence the debate on how much privacy one should sacrifice for convenience. Our take on the issue is that a person should definitely have the usefulness, convenience and good features of collected information, but he should also have the knowledge on exactly what information about himself is being stored, and be able to delete that info. People with more security concerns like corporations and celebrities should have the ability to further “lock down” their accounts with increased security measures like a separate password for each Google service.

The future consequences

Monopolies are bad. All monopolies. Having a single company, organization, or group of any kind have full control over any field is bad businesses. No matter how much integrity the organization has, monopolization leads to staleness of creativity, high prices, lower quality services, more and more control, mediocrity, etc. in the long term. Competition is a vital requirement for progress.

Apart from that, there are the privacy and security issues. Leaving the Big Brother concerns aside, imagine the problem of identity theft. If someone hacked a single Google account, they would have access to someone’s entire life!

What can be done about it?

Here are some steps that would help solve these problems. These guidelines could be used in practically any industry, and may not necessarily only apply to Google.

We should know exactly what information Google has associated with our accounts. If Google stores keyword lists, interests, web history, search history, or -any- other data besides what we explicitly upload, we should know. This should be available in a simple “Privacy” page which lists SPECIFICALLY what information about ourselves are associated with the account.
We should know exactly for how long any information associated with us is stored. No information should be stored indefinitely.
All data should be immediately and permanently deletable. If I want my techie interests to be unknown to Google from now on, it should be a one button click. That means we can sacrifice convenience for privacy any time we chose.
We should have an option on Google Services to prevent data mining – not hidden deep in the piles of a privacy policy page, but out in the open. There should be a simple button (read: incognito), for example, which prevents any search data or site data from being sent to Google when using Chrome. That means we can have the convenience in everyday browsing, but with the option of complete privacy.
People with more security concerns like corporations and celebrities should have the ability to further “lock down” their accounts with increased security measures like a separate password for each Google service.
Other companies should start developing powerful online applications. Cm’on WTF! Has no one picked up the cue yet? There needs to be some competition!

Google’s response

No, Google has not responded to this specific post (yet), but after digging deep into the privacy policy pages and TOS’s, we found that:

Google collects almost any information it can

Google promises only to use this information for:

Providing our services, including the display of customized content and advertising;

Auditing, research and analysis in order to maintain, protect and improve our services;

Ensuring the technical functioning of our network;

Protecting the rights or property of Google or our users; and

Developing new services

We have a good faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to (a) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request, (b) enforce applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations thereof, (c) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, or (d) protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of Google, its users or the public as required or permitted by law.

You own the content that you post through Google’s services (unlike Facebook).

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Netbook Deals For The Holiday Season Kickoff

Editor — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:04:21 +0000

Source: http://www.shof.msrcsites.co.uk/pcxmas.html

Weird, I know, starting off a holiday season deals listing with THAT comic. But we couldn’t resist!

On the other hand, we techies just love our gadgets. And the internet. It’s no longer an addiction, but the internet is now an integral part of our lives. It’s no wonder that people all over the world, not just technology enthusiasts, are drooling over the netbook. It’s almost becoming like a cell phone in popularity.

So..here are some deals on netbooks to kickoff the make-your-kids-into-greedy-little-materialistic-consumption-addicts Days!

Live in Canada?

Unfortunately, most of the items we listed below either ship only to the US or have significantly higher shipping costs when doing so. If you live in Canada like us, consider renting a mailbox in Buffalo, NY (just across the border) and driving over and picking up your stuff to save. The most popular service is Can-Am Mailbox Rental. Although they have a kiddy website, they are extremely popular, cheap and reliable – we have used them and can vouch for it.

Let the consumerism begin!

Archos 5 60 GB Internet Media Tablet – $199.99

Usual Price: $299.99

Deal available until: Only a few left in stock, order soon.

Not exactly a netbook, but the Archos is an impressive internet media tablet with some good reviews. It’s not a full-fledged computer, but a good internet companion nonetheless which can play flash video and run custom apps.

Buy Now

Acer One AOD250-1165 10.1″ Sapphire Blue – $279.97

Usual Price: $349

A more pricy laptop compared to its predecessor, but sleek and lovely. $279 was the cheapest we could find this in brand new condition provided by trusted retailers. This is the mainstream netbook choice. It is not bad at all, with one downside – only around 3 hours battery life.

Comes pre-installed with Windows XP. The large 160GB hard drive is an up – but do you really need it for a netbook?

It’s been only a few months since Acer debuted its Aspire One D150 netbook, but already the company has come out with a slimmed-down model, the D250 (D250-1165), which is both thinner and lighter than its predecessor. However much lower the profile, though, Acer has still managed to cram in the same internal specs while keeping the price a reasonable $298 ($349 for the 6-cell model).

Buy Now

HP Mini 110 (Base options) – $299.99

Usual Price: $299.99 (we couldn’t get a deal on this, but it IS a budget laptop so we included it)

A great budget laptop, though slightly thicker and heavier than its counterpart.

What do you gain and what do you lose with this more affordable model? Well, HP swaps out the multimedia dongle port in favor of a built-in VGA port (plus a built-in RJ-45 ethernet jack for good measure). The sweet-looking speaker grille planted inside the 1000′s hinge is absent from the 110, replaced by a horrid-sounding speaker mounted beneath the display. That display offers a 10.1-inch-diagonal image with a native resolution of 1024 by 576, and the slick edge-to-edge plastic cover has has vanished in favor of a big plastic bezel that makes the Mini 110 look like the love child of the Mini 1000 and the Acer Aspire One.

Buy Now

Samsung NC10-13GB 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook – $304.99

Usual Price: about $499

The Samsung NC10 has joined the ranks of 10-inch netbooks—including the Eee PC 1000H, MSI Wind, and Lenovo IdeaPad S10—and it beats them all. The $499 NC10 may have the same cookie-cutter specs as its competitors, including a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and Windows XP, but its spacious, well-positioned keyboard and more than 6 hours of battery life make this system our favorite 10-inch netbook yet.

Buy Now

Samsung Go N310 Series – $344.95

Similar to the previous, this Samsung sports a high-end netbook feel. Here you can get it without the silly high-end price.

The good: Unique, rugged design; excellent battery life.

Buy Now

HP Mini 5101 – $379.24

Usual Price: $416 – $449

One might think this is not a deal, looking at the price. But HP’s business minded high-end netbook does cost a lot, so 380 bucks is not bad.

The good: Revamped version of one of our favorite Netbooks; excellent keyboard and touch pad; sturdy and durable; includes accelerometer; optional higher-resolution display.

The bad: Loses its ExpressCard slot; standard Netbook components at a premium price.

The bottom line: HP’s biz-minded Mini 5101 is a successor to the Mini 2140 (one of our all-time favorite Netbooks). It looks and feels great, but for a premium-price Netbook, we expect to get more features, not fewer.

Buy Now

ThePCGuild only lists safe, high quality deals

We only list deals that meet these quality requirements:

The deal must be a deal. We only list buys which can save you a significant amount of money compared to the usual price.
Online stores must be trusted. We do NOT list items from stores with unknown or bad reputations.
Items must NOT be used or refurbished.
The product itself must have a decent review from atleast one trusted technology community such as ThePCGuild, Lifehacker, engadget, Gizmodo etc..

Although we review all listings thoroughly, we are humans. So if you detect any broken links, sold-out deals, or other unwanted deals in our listings, please notify us in the comments with your concern.

Spotted some more good deals?

Suggest them in the comments!

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Virtual Desktops In Windows 7

Editor — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:55:35 +0000

Virtual desktops are one of your must-have multitasking software. When you have 25 tabs and 8 windows open like I do right now, virtual desktops help create some method out of the madness so you can separate your workspaces into manageable bites. I often divide mine into 2-4 desktops depending on how many projects I have open. Once you get used to it, they can really help to keep your sanity when doing multitasking.

And then came Windows 7. It’s supposed to be the operating system that fixed everything. It is, in a way. If you’ve ever used it, you’ll find a LOT of significant enhancements, fixes and features that we needed. But not virtual desktops – which have been coming with most Linus distros practically forever. The good thing about Windows is that if something doesn’t exist built-in, there’s always an add-on that will do what you need to do.

Herein we shall review and test some virtual desktop software for Windows 7. All tests were performed on Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit.

Vista/XP Virtual Desktop Manager

This software had most of the features of the other programs, plus two neat preview features, which puts this at the top our list.

Pros

A quick little desktop switcher at the bottom right hand corner of your screen

Ability to preview your desktops as thumbnails when you roll over the taskbar icon

This little desktop previewer shows up when you roll over the taskbar icon

A quick display message (which disappears in a second) tells which desktop you switched to as soon as switch

Just moved from desktop 2 to desktop 1

Cons

I didn’t see any window management features built into the shell. Meaning that you couldn’t simply right-click on a window and send the window to next desktop like with other software. However it does have some awesome hotkey functionality built in so you could send a window or move desktops pressing arrow keys or the number pad.

VirtuaWin 4.1

VirtuaWin 4.1 “just works” with Windows 7.

Pros

Simple window management (middle-click on window to use)

Middle-click Menu on VirtuaWin 4.1

Works with multiple screens

Cons

Somewhat confusing interface (can you make sense of this? I couldn’t)

Confusing...

Does not support window previews. I like the ability of having desktops viewable as thumbnails when you click on the icon.

Virtual Dimension 0.94

This is, by far, in my opinion, the best virtual desktop software we have reviewed for Windows 7.

Pros

Extremely simple and easy to use interface
Set rules for the desktops if you want some window always to be on some desktop.
Allows you to see some windows on all desktops(e.g. IM Client).
Supports desktop visual previews with icons

Desktop Thumbnail Preview

This little preview window sits at the corner of your screen. To bring it up, click the little Virtual Dimension icon to the far right of the taskbar. You may want to configure Windows to make the sure the Virtual Dimension taskbar icon is always visible by clicking the “Customize” button in the taskbar popup:

Simple window management (right-click window to use)

Nice simple Virtual Dimension menu

Simple and easy to understand interface

Nice and simple

Cons

Not so fast window management (since switching windows between desktop requires 3 clicks instead of 1).

Crystal Desktop ($14.95)

Although we could not review this software, the company claims that it works with Windows 7

Crystal Desktop Interface

Pros

Set rules for the desktops if you want some window always to be on some desktop. It’s very simple.
Exception list allows you to see some windows on all desktops(e.g. IM Client).
Every desktop may have its own wallpaper, shortcuts, resolutions.
Convenient user-friendly interface
Little resource consumption
Set rules for the desktops if you want some window always to be on some desktop.
Exception list allows you to see some windows on all desktops(e.g. IM Client).

Cons

The pricetag
The little switcher app some may find to be intrusive

Other software that didn’t work with Windows 7

Desktops 1.0 didn’t work properly, even though its an official Microsoft software and claims to work with Windows XP and higher.

More stuff for you:

A Guide To Being The Local PC Repair Dude

Editor — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:35:19 +0000

So you’ve turned your head in the direction of the dreams of every technology-savvy person – the idea of converting your computer skills into cash. You want to be the local computer repair guy. It’s not like it’s anything new to you – your uncles/nephews/parents/cousins/friends/coworkers/relatives/random people are always dumping their PC problems on your head anyway. So why not make a business our of your skills to give an excuse to charge them, and also make a little dough while you’re at it? Everybody who knows how to work with a computer inside and out, and has some spare time, has at some time or another considered this idea. To be honest, it is a great idea to make some cash, provided you are lucky, know your stuff, and are able to use your wits under stressful situations. There are people out there who make a living out of casual computer repair and sales, and also a lot of those who make significant bonuses in their part time. So why not give it a try!

What to expect

Expect to be riddled with calls and requests for fixing computers for the rest of your natural life.
You will get all types of customers – from friendly rich little old ladies who pay well, give you cookies and pizza, and don’t have a clue about computers, to “village customers” who will try the best to squeeze the most out of you for the least possible amount of money.
You will get customers who blame you for the remotest computer problem they get even months after you repaired their machines. These are also usually the type of customers who refuse/delay/reduce payment on trumped up excuses. Best advice is to ditch these type of customers immediately – they don’t do well for your pocket and will give you a headache. Protect yourself with a limited warranty in your terms.
90% of the problems you fix will be one of these 3:
- My computer is too slow. Please clean it up.
- Help! I got viruses invading my PC!
- I got blue screens or other funny error message. Fix it or please reinstall Windows.

Success/Failure stories

Localtechguy on reddit.com makes $80,000 US a year doing local computer repair. Here’s his story:

I bill for about 4 hours a day on average, and I charge $70 an hour. I mainly fix computer problems related to corrupt hard drives, RAM installation, CD/DVD ROM repair, internet connectivity issues, printer problems, audio problems, and the like.

I charge $20 just to take a look at your computer. If you decided that you want me to fix it, (after I tell you how long it will probably take) I apply that $20 to your “balance.” Most jobs take about an hour and I bill in 20 minute increments, rounding up. If I have to come to you, there is an additional $30 charge. After hours, holidays, and emergencies have an additional charge of $20 an hour.

Here’s his advice for a newbie:

Get business cards made.

Pass them out where ever you go.

Don’t rent a storefront yet.

Go to people’s businesses/homes and do the repairs there.

Ask local businesses if you can post a flyer in their window or on their cash wrap.

Initially, charge a nominal fee…maybe something like $30/hour just to build up a client base and get some referalls.

Put up a Web site describing your services. It makes you look more legit when you print it on your business cards.

Hit up local colleges and post flyers there.

If you’re going to market to college students, learn how to troubleshoot Macs and iPods.

Develop a protocol for troubleshooting common problems It’ll save you time.

Underpromise and overdeliver.

We’ve all heard those horror stories of people dealing with horrible customers and getting ripped off continuously – not to mention spending an insane amount of time fixing simple issues.

Avoiding disaster – habits you must not forget

Never start to do anything (not even a diagnosis) until you have agreements and terms signed. (See below for templates on EULA’s agreements, etc.). These agreements and terms should make it clear that it is the customer’s duty to back up their data, you are not liable for any damage caused to the machine or data except upto the cost of the repair, and other minor things.
Speaking of backup, although you protect yourself from liability with fine print, you should always backup the customer’s data anyway. Always, always, always, before you even attempt to fix an issue, make a backup image of the computer with a software such as Norton Ghost. That way if you screw up anything, or the deal doesn’t work out, or you just can’t fix it, you can simply restore the computer to the state in which you received it. Store this data in an external hard drive or something, and keep it for how long your warranty extends, or longer if you wish.
Accounting is a MUST. You absolutely must document every one of your sales, expenses, etc.. Even if it is a simple Access database or Excel spreadsheet, it’s fine. For hardpaper documents, store them in a folder of some sort. This data is very useful for keeping track of how much you make/lose each month, and also for dealing with recurring customers.

Dealing with customers

Remember that you need to be very organized, systematic and professional for you to maintain your sanity under stressful and abnormal conditions, and to avoid disaster. Professionalism also means that customers will be willing to pay more because they feel that they are getting high quality, professional services.
Focus on building a higher quality client base, rather than larger quantity. Good customers are understanding, pay decently and on time, and refer you to others. Bad customers will often make you lose more than you’ll ever gain with them – starting with your sanity.
If you are really into it, consider having a mailing list for all customers. Send out an email every once in a while with free computer tips, goodies, or advice. This will help keep connections and build relationships with clients – which is key to getting high quality business.
If a customer tries to bargain with you claiming that their nephew/son/relative can fix their computer for free, tell them to have a nice day and go to whoever they want to. Do not undersell yourself unless you are really desperate.
Never be forced to give free or discounted services except for two reasons: 1. You messed up something. 2. The customer has a close relationship with you which you value.

How to structure your business

There are several ways to structure your business workflow, and undoubtedly you will develop your own as your business matures. Here are a few structure models for you to get some ideas and modify to your circumstances. It is very important to have a standard “protocol” or workflow which will streamline your repair process and make you efficient and organized. Start developing a protocol for common problems right away.

KVM Switch

Things to note

Have a “fixing” workstation at your home/office which includes a KVM switch where you can repair 3-4 computers at a time. This is where all your tools, software, spare parts, etc, organized nicely in one place, and you also have access to an internet connection line and power (of course). This is the most efficient, cheap, and profitable way to run a repair at your own location.
Get some large storage gear (such as an external hardrive) to store backups, GHOSTS, drivers, files, and other software related to each client’s computer, neatly organized in folders on the drive. You should keep the customer’s data for atleast as long as your warranty extends. This can be a real lifesaver if the client comes later again with problems.
Carry some extra RAM wherever you go (see the “Money Making tips” below).

What to charge, how to get paid

This is the most debatable and variable part of repairing computers. It largely depends on your location, the amount of competition you have, and your experience/connections. Start off low to get a foothold in the market, and then move up gradually. Charging by the hour is always smarter, because a simple ten minute fix can turn into a 48 hour nightmare. However for services like re-installing windows or installing hardware it might be a good idea to charge a flat price.

Teenagers working part time or during the summer – $20 – $35/hour or flat prices

Part-timers – $35 – $50/hour

Full timers, and those with a large client base and full dedication – $60 – $120/hour

These prices may seem a little high or low, but remember that it’s simply not worth to undersell yourself. Better to get paid decently, or not do the work at all. That time which you lose could be spent in better avenues.

Money making tips:

Keep all the old parts you get, unless the customer wants them.
Use those parts and old computers to sell refurbished computers – this can be a huge addition to your income. In addition, if you ever screw up really bad, you can simply give your clients another computer.
Have some RAM on you wherever you go. This will serve you in two ways. Firstly it will help speed up the repair process on those slow, clogged up PC’s. Secondly, when your customer sees the improved speed with their own eyes, you can sell the RAM to them for a profit, adding a significant boost to your revenue.
(Tip from Ben):

I always had work order forms in duplicate. Right above the signature line was a BIG BOLD WARNING ABOUT LOSS OF DATA and “Check this box to have your data backed up for $75″.

I always asked if the computer contained any important information, and if the customer said “yes” then I backed up the data anyway. If things didn’t work out, I’d pull out the contract that they signed and point out the bold lettering next to their name, and the empty box.

Then, I’d charge them $150 for “forensic data recovery” with “no guarantees” – while recovering from the backup I’d made silently. I guess it’s part of the “underpromise/overdeliver” thing… but several customers were intensely relieved when I was able to “work my magic” and save their business/thesis/whatever.

How/where to advertise

1. Word of mouth

The “People’s guy” is key to everything. Your customers will judge your expertise based on how nice of a guy you are, because they can’t judge any other way. If you give your customers a good experience, they are much more likely to call you again, and refer you to others. Word of mouth is king – no other advertising medium can beat the quality and number of customers you get with a simple referral.

2. Craigslist/Kijiji

This is a low quality source which generally brings in few customers of low quality – but still worth a try.

3. Yellow Pages

4. Local Business directories

5. Local newspapers

6. Local colleges/universities

If you do this you should get some experience on troubleshooting Mac’s and iPods.

7. Local community organizations and buildings

8. Google Adsense/Online targeted ads

Do this if you really want to go big. Make sure you accurately target the ads for people in your area.

Resources

Terms, Documents, EULA Templates

Here are some templates to help you with your official paperwork. I personally created these documents. Disclaimer: These documents are provided AS-IS with any guaranty of any sort. These are meant to be used as a guideline only. Consult your lawyer before using any of these documents.

Service Agreement Template (replace my name “Isa Hassen” with your business or personal name)

This is a template for a service agreement which includes a disclaimer and a form for customers to provide information.

Download (from Drop.io)

Computer Repair Invoice Template (again replace my name with yours)

A template for an invoice you may use. I included the “hours” column even though it is not part of a standard service invoice so you could demonstrate to your customers how much time you spent on their computer.

Download (from Drop.io)

Freshbooks Invoicing Application

An extremely useful online invoice application which is free to start off with.

Software

LiberKey - this is the ultimate portable USB toolkit. It comes preinstalled with over a hundred portable utilities which can definitely come in handy. The software is launched through a simple interface which also manages, organizes and updates your portable software. You can also add your favourite portable software to the list.

Boot CD’s

UBCD4WIN

The “ultimate boot cd for Windows” is exactly what it claims to be. It comes with plenty of utilities which be run at boot-time from memory testers to disk erasers.

Hiren’s Boot CD

(Tip provided by Rob): Hiren’s Boot CD is another excellent cd with many utilites including: Hard drive recovery, Hard Drive Partition, Hard Drive Backup, Hard Drive Testing, RAM (Memory) Testing, System Information, MBR (Master BootRecord), BIOS, MultiMedia, Password, NTFS (FileSystems), Antivirus, AntiSpy, Process, Windows Startup, Registry tools, Windows Cleaners, Optimizers, Tweakers,and many others.

BartPE

Sort of like a bootable live CD for Windows XP. One the most valuable software it has as a plugin is Norton Ghost (which you must buy and add as a plugin).

Windows Recovery Discs

NeoSmart has done us a huge favour by releasing Windows Vista and Windows 7 bootable recovery discs.

ERD Commander

(Now part of Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack with Windows). An extremely handy proprietary CD, ERD Commander is not free, but can do everything from password resets to system restores from boot.

Linux Boot Discs

OPHCRACK is a must for resetting passwords. Its available both as a runtime software and a live cd.

Tools (actual hardware tools)

As part of your basic diagnosis and repair tools, you must have atleast these items:

Screwdriver (with all types of bits, including hex or star bits)
Spare screws and jumpers (you can get plenty of these from old computers)
Anti-static wrist strap (ALWAYS wear this when working with hardware)
Duster (for example a portable vacuum or compressed air can)
Tweezers – preferably magnetic (can really come to your rescue when you drop a tiny part somewhere)

If you liked this, you might find this interesting:

Customize Windows context menu

Editor — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:33:28 +0000

We work with so many types of files everyday and often do the same actions repetitively. A really convenient way of speeding up the daily workflow is by adding context menus for the stuff you do often. Now I’ll leave the options to you, but I’m sure all computer users would find some repetitive actions that could use a context menu.

You can also customize the default icon for different file types, and set your default program to open a particular type of file. Could really come in handy.

Compatible with Windows 7, Vista, and XP (MS. NET 3.5 required)

The best thing that we love about this is that it’s free of unnecessary bells and whistles, is easy to use, and does exactly what it claims it can do. And it’s a standalone EXE – installation not needed! Can’t all software become like this?

Download (from http://defaultprogramseditor.com/)

For some reason, the program crashed unexpectedly when I tried to add a context item for PHP files on Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Please notify us in the comments if you notice more of this or find a fix. A lot of users reported it as working fine though…

Screenshot (from http://defaultprogramseditor.com/)

If you liked this, you might find this interesting:

Google Chrome Privacy Issues – remove UID to enhance privacy

Editor — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:27:20 +0000

If you didn’t already know, each Google Chrome browser comes with it’s own little unique ID which identifies each user. Don’t think this is entirely harmless – Chrome records and sends each and every webpage and search entry (even before you hit enter – as you type) to Google’s servers. Google claims that this is only for providing relevant search results and suggestions. Even if you trust Google, some of us would prefer to leave this information anonymous. No one knows really what happens to the data after that.

This is not the first time Google has been criticized for “looking over our shoulder”. Even if you don’t use Chrome, chances are you have the Google toolbar installed on your browser of choice. Our research found that the toolbar contacts Google’s servers way too often – often coinciding with each time you visit a webpage. Now we are not here to play the tinfoil game, but this might be interesting while we’re on topic.

Google responds by claiming it is “temporary”, and that the data is not used for anything funny. You decide.

This might help though: a software called “UnChrome” promises to delete the unique ID that is associated with Chrome.

Download Now

http://www.abelssoft.net/unchrome.php

“It replaces your unique ID with Null values so that your browser cannot be identified”. Definitely a start when it comes to privacy with Google. In other words, it anonymizes your browser.

Simply press the “Remove unique ID now” button, and you’re done!

One might question the effectiveness of this though. After all, you probably have your email, contacts, documents, IP, search history and other data with Google anyhow. Raises the question as to how far should we should sacrifice privacy for convenience.

If you liked this, you might find this interesting:

Hello world!

Editor — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:20:24 +0000

Thus we shall remember it. The PC Guild’s launch. A historic moment in time.

It’s THE LAUNCH of not just a website – but a whole new community that will bring to you the latest news, tips, tricks, downloads and how-to to make your personal computing experience better. Expect more. Expect now.

Insightful commentary, helpful fixes, and downloads to live for is what we’re made of.+

Let the posting begin!