Home > Technobuddy > Archives > 2007 > June
June 2007
Take a vacation from technology
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was an August day in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, so hot the pigeons didn’t even bother to fly when you walked through them.
An American tourist staggered along ahead of me, almost lost in a haze of heat and slow-moving pigeons. His fancy digital camera and lenses were in a bulging backpack. His cellular phone was clipped to his belt. Earphones were connected to his MP3 player.
He wasn’t having a stroll - it was more like a death march.
I love gadgets, but vacation is a good time to get away from them, or at least most of them. Today we’ll talk about ways to enjoy a vacation without feeling like a pack animal.
Photography
I have a professional digital camera and enough lenses to start a pawnshop. But on vacation I take a digital camera small enough to fit in a pocket; and cheap enough to be replaced without taking out a loan should it be lost or broken. My vacation camera costs about $100, and it does a good job.
There are plenty of cameras in this category with models from Canon (PowerShot A460, about $115); Fujifilm (FinePix A610, about $115); and Kodak (EasyShare C613, about $130).
You’ll be fine with any brand-name digital that offers 5 megapixels or more and an optical zoom (as opposed to an electronic zoom) lens.
If you’re taking your cellphone along on vacation, you may think using its camera can save even more space in your luggage. But most folks won’t be happy with the pictures. It’s bad enough that your friends feel obliged to look at your vacation photos - don’t make them strain their eyes to do it.
Computers
If you can survive the separation anxiety, leave your computer at home. Most large hotels have a business center with computers connected to the Internet. Even cruise ships include a computer room (as well as fairly outrageous prices for using them). Internet cafes are another option, though they are more common overseas than in America. Just avoid using a computer like that to make financial transactions.
If you have data you’ll need, load it on a thumbnail-sized USB flash drive. You’ll pay about $25 for the Kingston Data Traveler 1-gigabyte model. A flash drive with 4 gigabytes of memory will run you just $70 or so. There’s an added bonus here. You can use a hotel computer to transfer digital photos to the flash drive, freeing up camera memory.
Getting around
I’m a terrible navigator. So I depend heavily on mapping services such as MapQuest and those offered by Google and Yahoo.
I still use these services while on vacation but - instead of lugging a computer around - I make paper printouts of obvious routes before leaving home.
My printouts usually include the route from the airport to the hotel. Then I print out directions from the hotel to restaurants and tourist attractions. If an unexpected trip comes up, the hotel staff can furnish directions.
MP3 players
These players are tiny these days, and they can help relieve boredom on airline flights or in hotel rooms. So taking one along isn’t a travel sin.
Powering it up
I’m a big believer in rechargeable batteries. But they aren’t welcome on my vacations. The batteries are tiny, the charger is not. If you leave the charger at home, you’re at risk of running out of juice for your camera just when a bear eats a small dog at one of our fine national parks. Do yourself a favor and use regular batteries instead.
That means you need to select cameras and electronic gear that can use conventional AA- and AAA-sized batteries instead of some weird special purpose rechargeable. Load up with easy-to-find alkaline batteries while on vacation and use rechargeables at home.
If you gather everything on my list - camera, USB drive, paper printouts, MP3 player and a few batteries - you’ll find that you can put all your vacation electronics in a pocket or your purse.
Travel light this year and save yourself from the death march through Cabo.
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How to switch to iPhone without paying a stupidity tax
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Maybe you’ll be standing in line for an iPhone on Friday, wallet in hand (hey you’ll need it). Let me help you avoid some added expenses if you’re switching carriers (and if you’re not an AT&T customer that’s what you’ll have to do).
This article, linked here, provides a handy check list of things to do to make the change to AT&T as seamless as possible and to avoid added charges.
The price tag on the iPhone is hefty enough - this article can make sure you don’t pay a couple of hundred more by skipping some steps or ignoring some rules.
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iPhone - an over-hyped telephone
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m sure the iPhone will be an impressive little gadget. But I’m getting tired of reading all the hype. Folks this is a telephone with added features (many of them already available with other multi-function phones). It is unlikely to make you richer, smarter or better looking.
So I enjoyed reading the article linked here about the downside of the iPhone. Am I being too negative? Heck yes. But if you crave positive words about the iPhone you won’t have any trouble finding them.
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The Worst of Windows
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What are the all-time worst features of Windows? I sure have some candidates for it.
Here’s an amusing - but all-too-true - list of them at this link for a PC World article.
I remember, in the earliest days of Windows, wondering why anyone would abandon DOS - the operating system of choice for PCs at the time - for something so clunky. I still wonder about that at times.
Anyway my own list of clunkers built into Windows would sure include the painfully inadequate defragmenting utility that was used in early versions. It worked about as often as my Uncle Fred and is on my all-time list of e-mail topics from readers trying to figure out how to get it to work.
You may have frustrations of your own - or think the very worst feature of Windows is Windows itself. Feel free to share the pain here if you wish.
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How private are your e-mails?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An e-mail isn’t as private - as far as the way the law treats it - as a sealed letter that goes through the U.S. postal system.
But the story linked here offers some hope that the law may offer more protection to your e-mails. It’s one of the first rulings that recognizes the fact that - when you send an e-mail to a person - you have some expectation that it is a private communication.
The law is still murky and other rulings - from higher courts - probably would have to come before there is any clear law on e-mail privacy.
Meantime, keep in mind three things: (1) Any e-mail that you send can end up being forwarded and saved - and, even years later, could cause embarrassment or worse. (2) When you delete an e-mail from your in-box there is an excellent chance that it still exists on some server. (3) E-mail sent from a work computer has even less protection since you are using your employer’s computer system and Internet connection.
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Is it finally time to upgrade to Vista?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Raise your hand when I call the name of your group.
Those of you with a really old computer please move to the back of the room. If you have a fast new machine, stay up here with me. The rest of you get in the middle.
I’m being barraged with e-mailed questions from readers who followed my advice and postponed installing Microsoft Vista. They want to know if it’s now time. The answer isn’t the same for everyone; that’s why I put you into different groups.
Let’s start with those of you in the back of the room. Don’t squirm, it’s OK.
If you have a computer running Windows 98, Windows ME or even XP and your computer has a processor with a speed measured in megahertz, not gigahertz, I’ll give it to you straight. You are never going to upgrade to Vista. You need to wait until it’s time to buy a new computer that already has Vista installed.
Vista Home Premium requires at least a 1-gigahertz processor, 1 gigabyte of RAM, a 40-gigabyte hard disk with 15 gigabytes free. You may notice I’m not even dealing with Vista Home Basic - and neither should you. It offers scant advantages over XP. So all my upgrade advice today will be based on moving to Vista Home Premium.
The people in the first group probably don’t have PCs that even meet the requirements for Basic. And when it comes to Home Premium, forget about it.
I usually tell readers to only replace a computer when it no longer can do what needs doing. But, in truth, if you are in this group - and if you can afford it - you probably ought to go shopping soon. Even if your computer works OK for you, it won’t let you sample all that’s available these days. You may be missing some things you’d enjoy.
Squeaking by
Next group, please. You probably felt pretty good as you just read the specifications for Vista Home Premium, since your computer meets those specifications.
Maybe you’re running Windows XP on a computer with the required 1 gigabyte of RAM and have a hard disk that’s big enough. And the processor is just a touch faster than the 1-gigahertz minimum. Hey, as far as Microsoft is concerned, your PC gets a passing grade.
But it flunks in my class. If you are in this group, please stick with Windows XP. Microsoft wants a lot of PCs to fit the specifications for Vista so it can sell more copies. Who can blame them? But I think it’s really stretched things to the breaking point with the minimum specifications.
We’ll call your group the squeakers: you barely squeak by the minimum specifications. Stay where you are. Vista will probably run on your machine, but by upgrading you’ll get slower performance and - I can guarantee it - you’ll end up adding RAM, a new hard disk and a new video card. Once you’;ve done all that and then start totaling up the cost, you’ll realize you’ve thrown good money after bad.
There’s no need for you to upgrade now, or even to buy a new computer if you’re happy with your XP performance.
Add a gigabyte
That leaves you fast-laners upfront. Your computer has a processor that’s faster than 2 gigahertz, your hard disk is 80 gigabytes or better and you have at least 1 gigabyte of RAM. It’s time for you to consider moving to Vista. Most of the early bugs are out. But don’t feel too smug; you may have some work to do and money to spend yet.
Let’s start with the RAM in your machine. Before Vista, 1 gigabyte was considered generous. Your machine probably is kicking along nicely with XP. But to get about the same performance with Vista you’ll need to double the RAM. Fortunately, that’s an easy and affordable do-it-yourself job. Plan on paying about $85 to add another gigabyte.
You may also discover your video card is slowing things down. I recommend a card with 256 megabytes of memory instead of Microsoft’s recommended 128 megabytes.
You’ll end up spending about $200 for RAM and video card, but I think the upgrade is worth it for people in this group. Vista really is better than XP. It’s more secure, a heck of a lot prettier and even has better free accessory programs. I love the new e-mail program that comes with Vista. The spam filtering is as good or better than any commercial product I’ve used. And backing up your data is a breeze.
Upgrade at will
I realize a few of you have a PC that blows away all the specifications I’ve mentioned. It’s fine for you to upgrade to Vista. You won’t need to upgrade the memory, your video card is amazing and the hard disk has enough room to store countless digital movies.
But I suspect you already know all that and have already made the jump to Vista. If you are still running XP you probably have a good reason.
We’re nearly done here.
Wait. There are a few people left. They are smirking and giggling. Be quiet and go back to your Macs.
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Messing with Vista’s firewall
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The big complaint against the firewall included with Microsoft’s new Vista has been that it only guards one gate - the gate into your computer. It, by default, ignores traffic leaving your computer. So if your computer has a program that sends out information secretly - like one that records your keystrokes and then reports back to some crook with that information - the firewall doesn’t catch it.
But here’s a story that first makes a good argument that monitoring outbound traffic is too complex for most home users. Then, it offers a way to enable outbound monitoring if you think you’re up to the task.
Not exciting reading, but worth saving I think.
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There’s nothing wrong with your high def - player. But it doesn’t work.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s another reason - as if you didn’t have enough already - to postpone buying a high def player for your TV. You already know that prices will drop later and that the format war isn’t over yet.
But the article linked here gives you still another reason to keep your wallet in your pocket.
Even if you guess right (and the guessing now is that Blu-ray will be the winner in the war of the formats) your brand new player may not play the high definition discs made for it. And it could fail to play them but be working perfectly - so fixing it won’t help.
The technology is still so new that many discs just won’t play right. The fix is to download a fix for your machine - if the patch exists, if it works.
The best way to watch HDTV right now continues to be over-the-air broadcasts; signals from a cable box or satellite box, and HDTV programming that you record on a high def capable digital video recorder.
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Will AT&T be looking over your shoulder?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A plan by AT&T to develop technology that will let it monitor the actions of people who use its Internet pipeline has privacy advocates worried.
AT&T’s position is that it needs to watch for crooks dealing in pirated music and video. It says that most of its efforts will be to catch crooks located overseas. But it didn’t rule out checking on folks closer to home. Truth is there isn’t much detail about the proposal (and that’s all it is right now) so it’s really hard to know exactly what it plans.
You can read more about it here.
Privacy advocates worry that the technology used to detect crooks would also - by necessity - have to monitor ordinary users.
Like I said, it’s really hard to know since there is so little information. But - like most folks who have been around the Internet for a long time - I worry that even well-intentioned efforts can get out of control.
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Winner begins to emerge for high def discs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s been a battle going on for some time when it comes to players for high definition discs. Now it looks like a winner is beginning to emerge.
And the winner is (or danged well may be) Blu-ray. As many of you know there are two incompatible formats for playing high definition movies on a television. One is Blu-ray the other is HD DVD.
Up until recently the fight has been pretty even, but with this news that Blockbuster is backing Blu-ray in its stores - most of them will only stock high definition movies in the Blu-ray format - things are starting to get clearer.
My advice? Hold off for a bit before you buy a player in either format. Even if Blu-ray is a sure fire winner, it’s smart to wait. Here’s why. Once there is only one format, manufacturers will tool up production and the economies of scale will kick in. That means that prices will fall. And since Blu-ray is the most expensive of the two - when it comes to buying a player - it’s smart to wait for falling prices.
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How a dead frog can send your kid to college
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A dead frog could send your child to college for free. A do-it-yourself telescope project might get your family talking about some stars other than Paris Hilton.
You need to be old to remember this, but chemistry sets, electronics projects, microscope kits that included a sad-looking frog in a plastic bag, and telescopes once were a big part of growing up. Interest in science, sparked by these kits, was the first step toward success for many an engineer, physician and scientist.
Nowadays, kits like that are pretty much forgotten - but, thank goodness, not gone. With school vacations under way, this is a good time to introduce a young family member to some hands-on science. Most kids know their way around computer games, iPods and cellular phones but may know less about the basics of how things really work than a child of the ’60s or ’70s.
Projects like these provide the starter fuel for learning: curiosity. Putting a radio together or studying the stars isn’t going to instantly fast-track a child to MIT. But, working with science on their own time and in their own way - without the confining rules of school - can spark an interest that changes their lives.
When I was a kid, you didn’t have to look very far for a cheap microscope kit or a Gilbert Chemistry Set. Nowadays a little searching is required, but I can point you toward some science projects that are affordable and fun. No kids in the house? No worries, these projects are fun for old geezers, too.
Electronics kits
Let’s start our nostalgic tour here at Ramsey Electronics. When I was young, HeathKit was the place to go for electronics kits. Today, Ramsey is the king. You can start at the company Web page.
Then click on the link at the top of the page for Hobby Kits. Tell me, who could resist building an “electronic bug”? For $30 you can build a robotic insect that can walk. Money well spent if you ask me. Ramsey also offers kits to build AM radios, shortwave radios and - one of my favorites - a $10 electronic dripping faucet. Once constructed, it makes an annoying drip sound. We’re talking about highflying technology here, folks.
Astronomy
It’s hard to resist a telescope. And that’s part of the problem. Too many people start off wrong when it comes to looking at the sky. They either spend hundreds of dollars on a fine scope that ends up in a closet after a few weeks, or they’ll spend too little on a telescope that is as useless as Uncle Fred.
The best way to learn about the skies is with a decent pair of 7x50 binoculars - you may already have a pair - and with a good book about the night sky. My favorite is Night Sky: A Field Guide to the Heavens by Mark R. Chartrand and Helmut K. Wimmer. The book, part of the Golden Field Guide Series, retails for $14.95, but you can pick it up for $11.66 at Amazon.com
Not only does it offer a basic primer on astronomy, it includes a star chart that will help you find objects based on the time of day and the season. Then, just for the fun of it, there’s a really low-end telescope kit here. You won’t end up with something as good as a pair of binoculars, but for $15 you really can’t lose. And assembling the kit is a great way to get firsthand knowledge of how scopes work.
Biology
We started today with a dead frog. I fully realize most folks would rather not have a dead frog around the house. Hey, there’s a frog out there just for you at this link. It’;s the synthetic frog dissection kit from the Smithsonian Institution - this frog never hopped. So for $26 you can avoid the mess and still get an inside view of frog anatomy.
Chemistry
Another kit that might seem frightening to parents is the old chemistry set. I remember using my Gilbert set to turn my bedroom into a gooey and smoking disaster. Today’s kits are a lot safer and, if you’re interested, you can find a good selection here.
Think of today’s tour as a brief introduction to a whole world of kits and projects. In every instance, the Web pages here offer a host of other projects. So if none of these kits caught your eye, I’ll bet there’s something out there that will.
You never know what you will discover with these kits. My guess is that some of you will make the most important discovery of all: finding a child with a passion for science.
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A less than perfect Safari? Oh my goodness
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It would be nice if all software came onto the market in perfect form. And - like the self-sealing tires on my car - adjusted its innards automatically when something the designers hadn’t anticipated came along.
But - here’s the shocker folks - there is no perfect flawless software out there. Nor are there perfect Toyotas, perfect HDTV sets or perfect people.
That’s why I’m not all that shocked by this story saying that Apple Safari for Windows came out of the chute with some vulnerabilities. This seems pretty basic but software is (1) enormously complex and (2) it’s created by people. If we can’t expect people to be perfect then the same holds true for the software that people create.
But everytime someone finds a flaw in a new piece of software they seem completely shocked and dismayed. They ought to be happy instead. I remember from the time I flew airplanes - there was a great saying: It’s not the bugs that you know about that kill you, it’s the ones you discover for the first time in mid-air.
Me? I don’t care much about Safari for Windows. I’ll continue to use Firefox on my PC. Truth is that even the latest version of IE seems to work just fine for me. One browser I really need to revisit is Opera. It’s been a while since I used it but I have always been impressed by its speed, especially on lower end PCs. I need to try it again (I sure have some low end PCs around the house) to see if that still holds true.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Apple News
Forget the iPhone, here’s something even better for Apple
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Apple makes fine computers - I use one to write and to edit photos. But when it comes to games, Apple just doesn’t cut it - not because of the hardware, it is capable of running any game. But my favorite games just haven’t been available for a Mac. That’s a big deal - and, for my money, one of the reasons that Mac isn’t in more homes. Most of us want one computer that will do everything we want - and many of us want games.
So that’s why this story is big and important news. I am not sure that you’ll read a lot about what a big deal it is but - if my crystal ball is working OK - I think it is a big first step toward a larger market share for Apple. EA is a big gun in the gaming industry and I think others will follow. If that happens, then you’ll see a big jump in market share for Macs. Here’s another story that mentions the games.
I won’t hold my breath but if the game that has consumed me for two years - Guild Wars - goes Mac, I’ll be right pleased. It’s an online game that lets my warrior slash and hack other 12-year-olds.
I know everyone is talking about the iPhone but if this first step by EA is followed by others, this seemingly small deal could end up being as important as the iPhone.
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Karl Rove and Computer Mice
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ever wondered how a computer mouse moves the cursor on the screen. Try this page for an inside view that may surprise you. The page will take a little time to load by the way.
Then, totally unrelated but sort of interesting, this story that examines a notion by Karl Rove - yeah that Karl Rove - that technology will create more political conservatives.
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Hooking up with HDTV
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You need to be well-connected to really enjoy HDTV.
The connections I’m talking about have nothing to do with getting invited to the right parties. Even if you don’t get a birthday card from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt you can still have good connections.
Setting up your HDTV is a far cry from the days when hooking up a new television involved plugging in the power and connecting the cable for the antenna or cable box.
That’s because your new HDTV isn’t really a television set. Instead - even if it has a built in tuner - think of it as an entertainment screen for displaying movies, games, photos and, yeah, even television.
You’ll end up connecting a lot of gadgets to the HDTV to do all that. There’s the cable box, or satellite receiver most of us use to get our programming. Add on a DVD player, a digital video recorder (DVR), and - in many households - a game machine like the xBox 360.
That’s a lot of gadgets and a lot of cables.
The back of an HDTV has rows of inputs where these cables connect. Facing those rows and rows of mysterious inputs - all with fancy sounding initials and names - can cause excessive sweating and bloodshot eyes.
What about the TV manual? I don’t know about yours, but mine is filled with bewildering illustrations. If the creators had to explain how to make toast, we’d all go hungry.
To make things even more confusing, there are many ways of connecting gadgets to the set. For instance, your cable box could connect using the inputs called component, or it could connect to one labeled DVI, or another called HDMI. It’s the same deal with your DVD player — you may have the choice of using connections called S-Video, component, or HDMI.
Pick one. There are no wrong answers. But some answers are more right than others.
Making connections
For my money, the best choice is HDMI. HDMI stands for high-definition multimedia interface and - unlike most methods of connecting a DVD, cable box or satellite receiver - a single cable carries both the stereo sound and the picture.
HDMI gives you the best possible picture and sound and makes for less mess, fewer wires and reduced confusion.
Way back when I bought my set I was lucky to find a model with a single HDMI input. But HDMI is almost a standard now and you’ll find sets with multiple HDMI inputs. But while your new set probably will have HDMI connections, some of your accessories may not have HDMI outputs. Don’t worry, you’re still not out of luck.
If your set and your gadget offer a connection called DVI - digital video interface - use that. It’s another high quality way to go. But since DVI is not as common as HDMI, you may not have that option.
The next best choice is to use the component connection. More cables are involved using component and you’ll need separate connectors for the sound. But you will still get a terrific picture and fine sound.
Only use the S-Video connection if there’s no other choice. There will be a noticeable difference in picture quality. Some old DVD players will force you into that corner, but most new ones will have HDMI or component connectors.
Fat cables
If this alphabet soup of choices shocks your system, wait until you’re forced to buy the cables. The prices can be shocking too. But high quality cables can make a difference you will see. Most of the best ones are big and fat - it’s a fact that bigger wires make for better signals.
One of the first big names in big cables was Monster. You’d pay a staggering $150 for one of its best HDMI cables for instance.
If you have the money, go for it. Few would argue with the quality.
Personally, I use no-name cables that are equally fat but much less expensive. Browse the cable selection at a big store that sells a lot of HDTVs or check out a Web site such as this one. You can get by just fine with an HDMI cable at a third of the price.
After all, those of us who are really well-connected seldom pay full price.
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The downlow about the iPhone
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It would be just fine with me if cellphones magically disappeared. The fancier they are, the more I hate them. I don’t want to be in touch.
But I’m sure not typical. And lots of people I know - otherwise sane and smart - are all quivery with excitement about the iPhone from Apple. There are more rumors about it than there ever were about Mary Jean Slack when I was in the 6th grade.
So for those of you who just can’t stand it - here’s a fine collection of iPhone rumors … what it will do and how it will do it; what it might do and why. Enjoy.
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Why do we have to do all the work?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In my regular Monday morning telephone call to my mom I learned that the wireless connection on her computer is acting up. She had just gotten the anti-virus updated and was pretty sure that the problem wasn’t the firewall.
She’s 84 and the years are showing on her. It’s about all she can do - despite having worked in the computer world back when all the data was fed into the computer on punch cards - to keep up with her PC. In fact, I think she’s about ready to give up and go back to postcards and notes instead of e-mail.
It made me think of how much computers and the online world ask of the users. There is a lot of routine maintenance that comes with using a computer - at least if you want to have some level of security. You need to mess with the anti-virus protection at times, keep up with any updates to your operating system, make sure the firewall is set up correctly, keep the network running and - the biggest hassle of all - take care of all the conflicts and glitches caused by doing all that.
Imagine if cars were like that - you’d have to do your own oil changes and tune-ups, check the tires each morning and figure out why the power steering is making that funny screetching noise when you turn too tight.
I’m sure not for ignoring all the maintenance - in fact I regularly preach on the need for it - but I keep thinking that there is one heck of a market for a service that seamlessly protects your computer and takes care of the maintenance chores remotely. Are there services that make that claim? Sure. But few would argue that any company delivers what I’m talking about - to make computing so maintenance free that all you’d need to know is the location of the on/off button and all you’d need to do is, well, compute.
There will always be hobbyists who like to mess with computers. I confess. I’m on the list. But they are way outnumbered by the Peggy Husteds of the world who just want to send me an e-mail reminding me that she didn’t want flowers for Mother’s Day and, instead, would like a box of tanning towels (I’m not completely sure what they are but she got them) that she saw on the Shopping Channel.
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Does iTunes invade your privacy?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Downloading a tune from Apple’s iTunes puts your privacy at risk if this article from the London Times is correct.
It says that, hidden in the data file that contains the music, are your e-mail address and other personal information. If that’s true, the notion behind it is pretty simple.
If you share the music that you download with others, there would be a way to trace the transaction back to you.
The Electronic Freedom Foundation is responsible for the discovery of the hidden information.
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DIY without the pain
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The car I had just repaired was a hiccup on wheels - sputtering and popping, moving in jumps like a demented frog - as I drove toward Disney World.
It was an old MGB with two side-draft carburetors. As part of a do-it-yourself tuneup, I had tried to sychronize the two carbs.
As my hopping car attested, my reach exceeded my grasp.
That’s how a person can get into trouble with computers, too. You need to be able to honestly gauge your competence before attempting some tasks.
To help you out, I can rate some common computer repairs according to difficulty. As I go along, I’ll list spots on the Web that will guide you through the job. Reading these Web sites has a double purpose. If you tackle the job, they serve as good guides. But if you read them and find youself lost, that’ll tell you that you need some professional help.
(Bill’s disclaimer: The sites I’ll recommend are intended to supplement any directions that came with your products. So if you have a manual that offers different instructions, follow the manual.)
Now let’s rate some common DIY computer tasks.
Adding memory
Difficulty rating: Easy. Anyone can add RAM memory at home. You’ll find this site helpful when it comes to selecting the right kind of memory for your PC. Then, on the same site, you’ll find a guide for installing memory. Buy your chips where you like, but check out this site for some easy-to-understand help.
Replacing or adding a hard disk
Difficulty rating: Medium. This sounds more difficult than it really is. Most of you could tackle this. But it is more difficult than adding memory. Any modern computer will probably take a type of hard-disk technology called SATA. These disks are easy to install and require very little setup. I’ll offer two Web sites. This one is a great place to start since it explains how hard disks work. And it’ll talk about the various types, including SATA. If you decide to do the job, then head to this site for directions on how to do the job.
Replacing a power supply
Difficulty rating: Medium. I don’t have the statistics at my fingertips, but computer power supply failures are fairly common. Contributing to the relatively high failure rate is the fact that many computer makers install power supplies that are barely adequate for the electrical load.
If you add other devices that take power from the computer, you can easily overload the supply. Again, this is a job - no soldering required - that most home users can tackle. But proceed with caution. Take a look at the directions here and see if you feel easy about this job
Adding an accessory card
Difficulty rating: Easy. Now that Vista is here, some of you may be faced with replacing a video card so that your computer can handle the heavier graphics load. Or you may want to add a new sound card, or pop in an ethernet card. Hey, this is easy stuff.
Just open the case, remove the old card and pop in the new one. I won’t send you to a Web site on this one, since the setup and installation procedure will vary depending on what type card you add. But I have found that most manufacturers do a decent job with providing instructions both in the manual and on the Web.
Installing a computer network
Difficulty rating: Duck soup. Some people pay professionals, at $85 an hour or so, to do this job. There’s no need. You’ll finish this job in less than 30 minutes.
I don’t ordinarily recommend specific products, but this time I will. Linksys is the way to go. The hardware is no better or worse than from other companies. But I love the setup CD that comes with the router. It automates the process so smoothly that, even if you don’t know what an Internet Protocol address is, you can do it.
Finally keep in mind that, even if I say a job is easy, it doesn’t mean you have to do it. If you have more money than time, or if you just don’t feel like messing with computers, there’s nothing wrong with using that wonderful tool - your wallet - to fix a computer.
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