Free Computer Consultant ………. Daily Insights

For those of you who can’t wait for Windows 7 and intend to upgrade as soon as you can, why not save 50% on Windows 7 upgrade?

You can preorder the Windows 7 upgrade right now and save 50% at least, then you will be among the first to get it.

Windows 7 seems to have fixed the annoying aspects of Windows Vista. Some are calling it Service Pack 3 for Vista, only you don’t get this service pack for free.

Windows7 Home Premium Upgrade

Windows7 Professional Upgrade

This is a limited time offer, through July 11, 2009 or while supplies last.

Note: This is an upgrade on the Windows “license” – meaning you currentlyl own Windows 2000, XP or Vista; you can still do a clean install of Windows 7 if you buy the upgrade. In fact, there are several ways to install Windows 7 which I hope to cover in future posts.

Acronis True Image Home 2009 is one of the best ways to backup your computer.

Full disk imaging protects your data quickly, efficiently and lets you restore either by file or entire disk.

For the month of June, you can save 35% off of Acronis True Image 2009 with this coupon code and link combination:

Click here for Acronis True Image 2009 Home

Use Coupon Code: 1D4-FDN-MV6

Protect your data right now!

Green is in. And everyone wants to save money on their power bill. If your hard drives last longer as a result, then that’s an added benefit (mean time between failures; reduce “time”, reduce failures).

With your Netgear ReadyNAS network attached storage device you can set it to automatically spin down the hard drives after a defined period of inactivity.

This short video shows how. (Uploaded in HD, easier to read the screen if you view in larger format.)

This short video shows how you can check your hard drive health and smart status in a Netgear ReadyNAS network attached storage device (NAS).

You might be getting this error message, but only if you login to your device admin panel:

Video was uploaded in HD, will be easier to read the screen if viewed in the larger format.

I normally don’t like Microsoft too much, as I explain in the video.

But sometimes you have to give credit where due.

Check out my video review of the new Bing search engine from Microsoft

Does your PC make a lot of fan noise?

Does it shut down all on its’ own?

Are you getting BSOD (Windows Blue Screen of Death)?

It could be that your PC is calling for help. Perhaps it sits on the floor, fans sucking in air, lint, dust and dirt, then exhausting only the air (leaving everything else inside it).

PC’s need airflow over clean components to maintain operating temperature within specifications. When the components overheat, you not only shorten their lifespan but you can trigger the safety mechanism in the PC that will shut it down.

Components that get too hot will often malfunction, sometimes causing Windows to go to a blue screen of death (BSOD).

Watch this video and see how you can clean out your PC, extend its life, and even save money (both on your power bill and by not having to buy a new computer).

This is how you can save some money on your computer – don’t buy a new one!

I see people every day spend money on a new PC and sometimes it is no more powerful – or EVEN LESS – than their old one. They just don’t understand the confusing specifications.

If you have a Pentium 4 2.2Ghz or above with less than 1GB of memory, chances are you could spend less than $50 and put maybe as much as 2GB of memory in the PC and see a significant improvement.

This video shows me upgrading the RAM in an older Dell Dimension 8200.

For regular memory upgrades, get some of the best memory and best prices here.

The Dell shown in the video needed RAMBUS memory which I found here.

Windows has been available in a 64 bit edition for some time. Windows XP 64 was probably the first one that anyone really considered to work.

The problem is usually getting drivers to work – video and printer drivers among the most memorable.

64 bit computing, though, really was of benefit to too many people; usually just engineers, graphic artists and others with high end workstations.

But the question comes up again with Windows 7 – do I get the 64 bit version or stick with the standard 32 bit version.

Well, since I hate reinventing the wheel, I’ll point you to this article on 64 bit versus 32 bit Windows checklist.

But I will repeat the summary (with my commentary), since I have said essentially the same things over time – in a condensed version:

* A 64-bit OS version provides more advantages than disadvantages, mostly support for 3+ GB of memory, in the light of cheap 8 GB memory kits. – I’m not sure I totally back this statement, if you don’t NEED 64 bit computing and more than 3GB RAM, then for now, what will you gain?
* 64-bit systems don’t perform significantly different than 32-bit systems with the exception of very few applications in the high end. EXACTLY! Don’t get 64 bit Windows 7 just for the sake of having 64 bit.
* The driver situation has been rather good in the last few months, but it may still happen that you don’t find a 64-bit driver for some of your hardware. If you buy the computer with 64 bit Windows installed at least you know that the components in the box will work. (Your printer may be another story, and scanner? fuhgedaboudit)
* Driver support for notebooks may still be tricky; check carefully (or just stick with 32 bit and know it will work)
* There is nothing wrong with 32-bit Windows either, if you can live with the fact that the switch to 64-bit will require a complete reinstall. Reinstallation is always better than any kind of Windows upgrade, IMHO!
* Any system with an OS partition of 2+ TB will require a platform using EFI instead of a conventional BIOS to boot into the operating system. Boy, I would hope that if you install 2+ Terabytes in a machine that it would be new enough to use EFI technology. Always caution yourself about putting too much money into an old PC.

In Summary:

If you can get the computer, laptop, notebook preinstalled with Windows 7 64 bit you can be assured that the PC will work. Check for drivers, though, on any peripheral you really need, and maybe even be willing to replace it with a newer one that comes with a 64 bit driver.

Further, memory is cheaper than it used to be, and it won’t be long before 4GB even 8GB is the new standard with a new computer purchase. 64 bit Windows 7 will make sure that you get to use it all.

Well, almost.

Nokia has announced that a new cell phone can actually recharge itself based on radio waves bouncing around in the atmosphere.

Free electricity, really.

Currently the technology cannot power the cell phone during a call, but it can recharge the battery while sitting idle. Pretty Cool.

A friend of mine in the satellite business knows a company that claims to beam down electricity from a satellite to earth, and that has incredible ramifications (in a few years); this Nokia development appears to be working today.

For a little more on the story, read Nokia recharges phones wirelessly.

There’s really no reason this same technology cannot be applied to other computers; and I’m sure it will.

Sounds like Power Twitter, and add on for Firefox, offers some much needed functionality for Twitter.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, read about Power Twitter here.

I’ll be using Twitter more in the near future, tools like this are a necessity.