Buying a new PC

Listen to this week's Tips & Tricks segment as broadcasted on JQ99.

When it comes to buying a computer there are many choices. You will want to make sure you select the right computer to meet your needs today and tomorrow. The most important question is what you will be using the computer for. This will have a big impact on which type of computer will be right for you. There are several ways to classify your computer usage. These include:

• General use

• Gaming

• Home office

• Business

• Home entertainment

• Power user

Once we have an idea of what type of user you are we need to determine if you are looking for a laptop or desktop. There are a variety of classifications for laptops and desktops. Here are a few of the more common classifications:

Laptops:

• Netbooks

• Ultra-portable

• Basic

• Desktop replacements

Desktops:

• Small form factor

• All-in-ones

• Mid-tower

• Full size tower

• Entertainment

We then get more into the other options of the computer. This includes:

• Processor

• Memory

• Video card

• Hard drive storage

• Optical drives

• Monitor

Buying a new computer can be overwhelming. A Computer House Calls technology specialist can spend one-on-one time to go through a series of questions to ask about your specific needs. We can then order the right computer that meets your requirements.

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Cyber Safety for Kids

Listen to this week's Tips & Tricks segment as broadcasted on JQ99.

The Internet is the "digital playground" for today's youth. While this playground has many great benefits, there are some risks too. We've have some great resources to help parents keep their kids safe online.

How to Reduce Online Risks article.

15 Tips for Online Parents

15 Tips for Online Kids

OnlineFamily.Norton is a fairly new service for online safety.

eBlaster is a great monitoring and recording software program.

NetSmartz.org is loaded with tips for both parents and kids.

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Network Storage

Listen to this week's Tips & Tricks segment as broadcasted on JQ99.

How many computers do you have at home? Do you have music, videos, and other files spread among your computers? Would you like to be able to share your files with other computers at home? How about being able to access your files even when you are not home? A NAS device will help you accomplish all of this and more. NAS stands for network attached storage and is simply a big hard drive that can be shared on your network. Depending on the size of the NAS and feature set you are looking for, a NAS device is more affordable than one might think. Give us a call to discuss setting up a NAS for you today.

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Software Updates

Listen to this week's Tips & Tricks segment as broadcasted on JQ99.

Updates here, updates there, updates everywhere! Software vendors are constantly pushing out updates for their software. Often people just close these out with good intentions to get to them tomorrow. Unfortunately, tomorrow never happens because we are so busy.

Many assume it's not that big of a deal thinking the updates are just new features. However, when software vendors make updates available they are fixing security issues that have been discovered. Installing these software updates are just as important as installing Windows updates. Failing to install the software updates can lead to many security risks, including a third party being able to access your personal data.

 

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