Saturday, May 30, 2009

Why Asus Laptop Computers Are Great

Asus laptop computers are great for anyone that is looking to buy a new computer. There are several reasons as to why this is true. The first reason as to why this is true is because it has an enormous hard drive. The fact of the matter is that almost no other laptop computer has a hard drive as large as the one in the Asus Computers. This large hard drive allows you to surf the Internet at blazing fast speeds. Most people do not realize the advantages of having a larger hard drive.
One of the major advantages of having a larger hard drive is that it provides you with tons of space to store your media files. The fact of the matter is that on other laptops you will often run out of space to store your media files. On an Asus laptop computer, you will never run out of space to store your media files. This large hard drive also allows you to upload your media files at blazing fast speeds.
If you like watching videos on the Internet then Asus Laptop computers will be great for you. Asus laptop computers are specifically designed to help people watch movies on the Internet. Their enormous hard drives and blazing fast processor allows people to watch videos at ridiculously fast speeds. Most people do not realize that the best computers on the face of the earth always come from Asus. If you want to purchase a great laptop computer then you should consider purchasing an Asus laptop computer today.
http://www.asuslaptopcomputers.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurence_Girard

Help My Computer is Obsolete!

What Makes a Computer Obsolete? The answer to this question will entirely depend on who you ask. Some will tell you that your computer is obsolete the second you remove it from the store, since newer models reach store shelves regularly. Although this thought was a prevailing one years ago, most consumers now know that this is not the case and some argue for extended use of computers.

You may need to think about a new computer if:


Your processor speed is too slow to manage the operating system you wish to run. Speedier processors will enable basic tasks, like surfing the Internet, word processing, and email.
Your RAM is slowing you down. Most current operating systems require a minimum of 1 GB of RAM; Vista needs 2 GB.
Your operating system limits your use of newer programs, if you require those newer programs. The error "Operating System not supported." will let you know that you've reached this point. If you do want one or more programs that are not supported by your operating system, it may be time to upgrade.
You want to use USB peripherals and your computer doesn't have USB ports.
You want to use the Internet or you require wireless connectivity and your current machine does not have these capabilities.
There is No Such Thing as Obsolete There a group of computer users who claim that there is no such thing as an obsolete machine. Machines that are running low on memory or RAM can be upgraded. If your needs are limited to word processing, simple games, and email, there are a wide range of machines that can effectively serve your needs. Just because increasing power is available, does not mean that your needs will be better served by investing in that power.

If your computer is only a few years old and is slowing down, there are upgrades that can keep you current:


Consider increasing your RAM. Most computers are sold with extra slots available for RAM. If your complaint is that your machine is slow, increasing the RAM is an inexpensive and easy way to increase its speed.
Update your security software and ensure that there are no viruses present on your machine. Operating systems and peripherals need to have their software updated regularly too. Think about it like getting an oil change for your car: your machine will run smoother and faster after these updates.
Space is at a premium on your computer. Consider a cleanup of old files. Store files that are important on CDs, DVDs, and other storage devices. Or invest in a new hard drive; with hard drives dropping in price, this is another easy fix for your computing woes.

ITXchange is the world's largest Secondary Market Computer Distributor. Contact ITXchange for information on the Lenovo Options Continuation Program.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_P_Powers

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

The First Step to a Successful Computer Project - Put Fashion in the Back Seat

The First Step to a Successful Computer Project - Put Fashion in the Back SeatBy [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Bonnie_Huval]Bonnie Huval
To survive, your company needs a step-change improvement in its efficiency and productivity. Top management has decided upgrading the computer system is the ticket to that improvement--the company will scrimp elsewhere to fund it--and you are in charge of making it happen. The big boss says to bring in the latest and greatest.
Where should you start? By looking up reviews and ratings to find out which hardware and software are the best?
Sure, if you want an expensive failure. Maybe it will run, but it's likely to make everybody's lives miserable for years upon years instead of making the business run smoother.
Start by looking at the business. Determine what it needs to do--look hard, not just once over. Then look for the computer system best suited to helping accomplish it.
A Simple Example
Many years ago, when DOS was new and CP/M was popular, my mother's master's thesis required retyping a zillion times. My father decided to buy one of those new-fangled desktop computers so she could write her dissertation with a word processor. So far, so good.
But my parents thought they could take a short cut. During our next visit, they told me about this plan, then said, "So, which computer should we buy?"
I refused to name any. I told them to visit computer stores and "test drive" word processing programs. At the time, the programs worked very differently. Some used key combinations to embed formatting commands. Others used special syntax to distinguish formatting from text. My mother is a touch typist and had unusual word processing needs, so those differences would matter. When they found the program she liked best, then they should ask what machines could run it and buy one of those. My parents were... let's just say they were not happy with me.
I wouldn't budge, so they went to computer stores in the big city.
My mother's specialty is medieval British literature. Modern English does not have some of the alphabetic characters the language used to have. The missing characters are represented now by striking one modern letter and overstriking at a half-width offset with another modern letter. Back then, none of the word processing programs could do that. WordPerfect could be modified appropriately. Only two combinations of computer and printer were available that could run it.
They bought one and it did exactly what my mother needed.
Even Big Companies Can Do It Wrong
I have seen Fortune 500 companies make mistakes a lot like the one my parents escaped. The most common are:
Putting in a computer system to simply do everything the same way it was done before, with the new computer system involved wherever possible.Getting a computer system that a sales agent says will do everything they need, but that does not really fit, and then forcing the business to fit computer system.
Either mistake is costly. The first costs money to put in the new computer system, but misses the opportunity to make workflow more effective. It happens too easily because people who understand the flow of work in a business rarely understand what a computer could and could not handle. My mother did not realize overstriking with an offset of half a width might be almost impossible for word processors when it was easy on her typewriter.
The second mistake is worse. After costing money to buy the new system, the business has to distort its procedures to suit the convenience of a software vendor (typically at the expense of effectiveness). Productivity can actually decline!
Doing It Right for Your Business
You will not make these mistakes and others similar to them if you begin by getting a clear understanding of not just how your business is doing everything now, but what it really needs to do. Like my parents, you need to understand that thoroughly, not just at a surface level. Small details like the characters that are no longer part of English can be important.
Walk through what shop floor operators do to make your product, or what forklift drivers to do to load your trucks, or what agents do to start a new insurance policy for a customer--whatever your business does. Find the bottlenecks. Walk through revised versions of your business procedures until the new workflow is the way you want it and you know exactly what you want a computer system to do in that workflow.
Then, and only then, it is time to look at the hardware and software available, because at last you know what you want it to do. You are no longer an easy mark for a polished sales pitch. Instead, you will look at what the available systems can do with an eye toward how well that suits the ideal new workflow. You might find, as my parents did, that you have a choice between the latest and greatest, or something older with a solid track record that can do the same job at half the cost. Also like my parents, you might find that nothing on the market is a perfect match, but something you can buy "off the shelf" can be readily tailored to fit well enough without the need for entirely custom software.
Be driven by what your company really needs, not by the latest fashion, and your project can be a great success!
About the author: Bonnie D. Huval has been a consultant since 1992, helping companies make more money with their automation and transaction systems. Successful projects include cutting time to ship product from two days to two hours, and cutting downtime for product introduction by 40%. To get such consulting help for your firm, go to http://www.seneschal.biz/ Her USA and UK business interests also include real estate, property management and a restaurant. Go to http://www.makesureyougetpaid.com/ for her materials to help small businesses be more successful. Copyright 2009. This article may be reprinted only in its entirety, with full attribution.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bonnie_Huval http://EzineArticles.com/?The-First-Step-to-a-Successful-Computer-Project---Put-Fashion-in-the-Back-Seat&id=2386386

The First Step to a Successful Computer Project - Put Fashion in the Back Seat

The First Step to a Successful Computer Project - Put Fashion in the Back SeatBy [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Bonnie_Huval]Bonnie Huval
To survive, your company needs a step-change improvement in its efficiency and productivity. Top management has decided upgrading the computer system is the ticket to that improvement--the company will scrimp elsewhere to fund it--and you are in charge of making it happen. The big boss says to bring in the latest and greatest.
Where should you start? By looking up reviews and ratings to find out which hardware and software are the best?
Sure, if you want an expensive failure. Maybe it will run, but it's likely to make everybody's lives miserable for years upon years instead of making the business run smoother.
Start by looking at the business. Determine what it needs to do--look hard, not just once over. Then look for the computer system best suited to helping accomplish it.
A Simple Example
Many years ago, when DOS was new and CP/M was popular, my mother's master's thesis required retyping a zillion times. My father decided to buy one of those new-fangled desktop computers so she could write her dissertation with a word processor. So far, so good.
But my parents thought they could take a short cut. During our next visit, they told me about this plan, then said, "So, which computer should we buy?"
I refused to name any. I told them to visit computer stores and "test drive" word processing programs. At the time, the programs worked very differently. Some used key combinations to embed formatting commands. Others used special syntax to distinguish formatting from text. My mother is a touch typist and had unusual word processing needs, so those differences would matter. When they found the program she liked best, then they should ask what machines could run it and buy one of those. My parents were... let's just say they were not happy with me.
I wouldn't budge, so they went to computer stores in the big city.
My mother's specialty is medieval British literature. Modern English does not have some of the alphabetic characters the language used to have. The missing characters are represented now by striking one modern letter and overstriking at a half-width offset with another modern letter. Back then, none of the word processing programs could do that. WordPerfect could be modified appropriately. Only two combinations of computer and printer were available that could run it.
They bought one and it did exactly what my mother needed.
Even Big Companies Can Do It Wrong
I have seen Fortune 500 companies make mistakes a lot like the one my parents escaped. The most common are:
Putting in a computer system to simply do everything the same way it was done before, with the new computer system involved wherever possible.Getting a computer system that a sales agent says will do everything they need, but that does not really fit, and then forcing the business to fit computer system.
Either mistake is costly. The first costs money to put in the new computer system, but misses the opportunity to make workflow more effective. It happens too easily because people who understand the flow of work in a business rarely understand what a computer could and could not handle. My mother did not realize overstriking with an offset of half a width might be almost impossible for word processors when it was easy on her typewriter.
The second mistake is worse. After costing money to buy the new system, the business has to distort its procedures to suit the convenience of a software vendor (typically at the expense of effectiveness). Productivity can actually decline!
Doing It Right for Your Business
You will not make these mistakes and others similar to them if you begin by getting a clear understanding of not just how your business is doing everything now, but what it really needs to do. Like my parents, you need to understand that thoroughly, not just at a surface level. Small details like the characters that are no longer part of English can be important.
Walk through what shop floor operators do to make your product, or what forklift drivers to do to load your trucks, or what agents do to start a new insurance policy for a customer--whatever your business does. Find the bottlenecks. Walk through revised versions of your business procedures until the new workflow is the way you want it and you know exactly what you want a computer system to do in that workflow.
Then, and only then, it is time to look at the hardware and software available, because at last you know what you want it to do. You are no longer an easy mark for a polished sales pitch. Instead, you will look at what the available systems can do with an eye toward how well that suits the ideal new workflow. You might find, as my parents did, that you have a choice between the latest and greatest, or something older with a solid track record that can do the same job at half the cost. Also like my parents, you might find that nothing on the market is a perfect match, but something you can buy "off the shelf" can be readily tailored to fit well enough without the need for entirely custom software.
Be driven by what your company really needs, not by the latest fashion, and your project can be a great success!
About the author: Bonnie D. Huval has been a consultant since 1992, helping companies make more money with their automation and transaction systems. Successful projects include cutting time to ship product from two days to two hours, and cutting downtime for product introduction by 40%. To get such consulting help for your firm, go to http://www.seneschal.biz Her USA and UK business interests also include real estate, property management and a restaurant. Go to http://www.makesureyougetpaid.com for her materials to help small businesses be more successful. Copyright 2009. This article may be reprinted only in its entirety, with full attribution.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bonnie_Huval http://EzineArticles.com/?The-First-Step-to-a-Successful-Computer-Project---Put-Fashion-in-the-Back-Seat&id=2386386

How to Repair Computers Profitably by Bundling-In Training

How to Repair Computers Profitably by Bundling-In TrainingBy [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Feinberg]Joshua Feinberg

As someone learning how to repair computers profitably in the small business space, you need to know how to take relationships with your customers beyond one-time repairs.
Because long-term client relationships are what will bring you stable, on-going revenue and sustain your firm far into the future, you need to be prepared to help your clients understand the power of their computer network installations, so they can use them to their fullest.
One of the biggest potential obstacles that can prevent a client from really using your provided solutions is a lack of training. So be sure to discuss the idea of bundling-in training with your clients at the beginning of each relationship, so your firm can develop a customized training solution that will really help clients use the technology you introduce.

Not sure you want to handle the informal, ad-hoc, one-on-one training yourself? Then look for a partner or subcontractor that specializes in training to join your team. On the flip side, this same individual may be able to throw some your business your way as well.

In reality, small business end users rarely have the time or funds to take full-day or multi-day off-site computer training classes. As someone learning how to repair computers and make money doing it, you need to understand that you are many of your customers' and clients' only chance for formal training. So anything you can do, even in the form of informal one-on-one or small group sessions, will help them greatly and also bring you opportunity for additional revenue.

Your clients really need this training to get maximum value out of their technology investments and avoid buyer's remorse that will alienate them from calling you again for services. When you offer end-user training, you help entrench your company deeper into the account and also will see a dramatic reduction in frivolous help desk calls and repair requests.

Here are 4 simple ways you can add value to your computer repair services and make some very high-margin profit, by simply bundling-in training for your supported end users.
Teach Clients about the Network Logon. After you learn how to repair computers profitably in the small business space, don't by shy about sharing your newly-acquired knowledge. Teach each user about network log-on procedures. Also highlight any password requirements, such as case sensitivity or automatic password expiration. Remember, what seems intuitive for you probably isn't for others.

Explain Details about Printers. Review the location of shared network printers, usage restrictions and default assignments with your computer repair clients. Show how to change the default printer in the Printers folder and how to change the selection through the File, Print menu command.

Educate Clients about Malware and Virus Protection. Many computer repair specialists forget about the very important topic of malware and virus protection when they are figuring out how to repair computers for small business owners and establish long-term relationships. Warn users about opening unsolicited file attachments and make sure to discuss the huge risks of downloading or installing unauthorized software.

Teach Clients Proper Data Backup Habits. Point out where data files should be stored in pre-configured default folder paths for various software applications. Advise users on which drive letters and folders are included in nightly automated backup routines. One of the best ways to keep clients long term is to prevent catastrophic data loss. So make sure clients know how to back up important information. Better yet, make backing up as automatic and seamless as possible.In this article we discussed 4 easy ways that you can bundle-in training, so you can add value.

Learn more about how to repair computers for a living and get great, steady, high-paying clients now at http://www.howtorepaircomputersforaliving.com/
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Feinberg http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Repair-Computers-Profitably-by-Bundling-In-Training&id=2371654