February 03, 2006
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Issue 21, 1 February 2006
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In This Issue ...Editor's
ViewPoint
Editor's ViewPointWow, how time flies ... we're moving into the month of February already. This week, we have quite a bit of news for you regarding computer technology. First up is the very impressive Dell UltraSharp 3007WFP Widescreen LCD display. This huge monitor boasts impressive specifications with an abundance of features/connectivity, 1920x1200 pixels, good looks and exceptional image quality. A 24-inch panel is a huge step up, both in terms of resolution and screen estate, from 17- and 19-inch panels that ship with most modern PC systems. The other bit of news we have this week concerns the launch of the AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 CPU. The FX-60 is the best consumer dual-core processor AMD has ever produced. Dual-core technology is gaining momentum among the mass market - you really need to see how a multi-processor system can chew through modern workloads. Oh, if you've always wondered about how RAID technology works, I've put up a great tutorial on this bewildering topic up on the website. Do go through it and understand how to make your multiple hard disks work for you.
The MailBagWhat to back up and what not to back up Question: How do I know what to back up and what not to back up in my desktop PC? Joe, New York |
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Answer: Joe, great question. Definitely something to think about, especially since we do so much on our computers these days. A backup is nothing more than a safety copy — a duplicate — of your files, data, and important stuff. It exists 'just in case'. So, if anything happens to the original, you can always rely on the good old trusty backup. Sounds kind of wholesome, doesn’t it? The main problem with backing up is that performing the operation is time consuming. Backing up is time-consuming because it must create a fresh copy of all the information on your hard drive. But, does it need to be all the information? Back up everything: Purists argue that a full hard drive backup is the only way to fully restore your computer. After all, if a virus infects a slew of files, the easiest way to restore those files is from a full backup. Back up just your stuff: On the other hand, why back up files that you can easily copy from an installation CD? If the worst happens, you can reinstall Windows and reinstall drivers and applications. Then, use the backup disks to reinstall all your own stuff. That too works, and it saves backup media and time as well. Which option do you choose? How about a compromise? When you first do a backup, back up everything — the entire hard drive. From then on, just back up your own stuff. If you ever revamp the system or install upgrades, do another full disk backup.
There’s also no need to back up the applications
installed on your computer; it’s easier just to reinstall them. No, the most
important thing on your computer is your data — the stuff you created and
stored. Featured Articles
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Learn How Your Computer Starts Up If you've always wanted to build your own computer, then you may want to
look at The Beginner's Computer Tutorial. This e-book
of over 100 pages contains detailed steps showing you how select computer
parts and build a completed PC from start to finish. You'll appreciate the
detailed instructions (given in layman terms), over 100 high-quality full
screen photographs and crisp, streaming how-to videos. This is a great resource for every computer owner, whether they want to
build or just to understand their own machines. Definitely worth checking
out.
Is your PC slowing down for no reason? Well, computers do some things fast and
some things slow. Aside from getting a newer computer, you can do a handful of
legitimate things to improve overall performance:
In your applications, try to avoid using lots of fonts or pasting images into a
word processor until the text editing is done. Word processors, such as
Microsoft Word, really slow down when you add graphics into the mix. Write your
text first and then add images.
For image editing as well as other demanding applications, try not to run
Above all, try to avoid software fixes that claim to speed up your computer.
Although some of them may subtly tweak resources and give you better
performance, most of the ones I have encountered are shams. These programs
seldom perform as promised and end up turning your PC into a billboard for
endless advertisements or porn.
SmartFTP allows you to transfer files across the Internet. It features an
Explorer-like, customizable interface and supports drag-and-drop functions.
Multiple FTP connections can be opened at the same time, and you can copy files
from one remote host to another (FXP).
Remote-host directory information is cached for future viewing, and FTP URLs are
supported. Other features include a Favorites list; the ability to resume broken
downloads; a global history; background transfers; proxy support; a passive
transfer mode; and the ability to perform recursive downloads, uploads, and
deletes. |
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