Computer club discussion

Laptop computers are small personal computers designed for using on the move. They usually have all the functions of a desktop computer but are portable space-savers. Today there are more laptops sold in the general PC market than desktop computers so they must have their advantages over traditional PCs. There are many benefits to using a lap top computer – check out just a few of them below.

A laptop computer is completely portable

Portability is often the main advantage of choosing a laptop over a desktop computer. Portability means that a laptop can be used virtually anywhere, not only at home and the office, but also during commuting, in lecture halls, coffee shops, libraries or in meeting rooms to assist with presentations.

You can use your time more efficiently with a laptop

A laptop can be used in places where a desktop PC can’t which means you can use your time more productively. For example, office workers can tackle emails during the commute to the office with a laptop at hand and students can work on coursework at the university coffee shop during a break between lectures. If you work from home then a laptop computer allows you to move your office outside on sunny days.

You can gain immediate access to information

Carrying a laptop means having instant access to information, whether it’s from saved files or from the Internet. Immediacy allows better collaboration between co-workers or students, as a laptop computer can be flipped open to find a solution anytime, anywhere. If you are in a meeting and have forgotten an important document you can simply access it from your laptop computer.

Laptops are a manageable size

Laptop computers are smaller than standard PCs which is great when space is at a minimum. When not in use, a laptop can be closed and put away in a small space unlike standard PCs that tend to dominate a large proportion of a room.

Low power consumption

A laptop computer is more power-efficient than a desktop. This is beneficial for businesses (which run hundreds of personal computers, multiplying the potential savings) and homes where there is a computer running constantly. You could even save money on your electricity bill if you choose a laptop computer over a desktop PC.

Peace and quiet

It can be distracting to work at a computer with a droning fan or one that sounds like it’s taking off every time you open a file. A laptop computer is often quieter than a desktop PC, due to better components and less heat production. This means cooling fans can be run at a slower speed and less often, giving you a quieter working environment.

Battery power

A fully charged laptop computer can run for several hours off its internal battery. This is useful for journeys but is also handy if there’s a power cut and you still need to get work done.

A laptop computer is a great investment whether you require a computer for work or for pleasure.

If you have a PC, then you have most likely suffered from computer problems. Most people have accepted that there PC will eventually crash due to a virus or some massive error. However this is a myth. Your PC is built to last more than a decade. However you must keep well tuned for it to make its third birthday. Nevertheless, most people would rather buy a shiny new PC rather than spend an hour trying to fix computer problems on there 2 year lap top or desktop. After another two year after their purchase lack of maintenance will cause their new PC to lose its performance speed. Whats next you guess, $3000 Windows Vista Ready PC. This is known as the consumer vicious cycle.

Why have does your computer have problems?

Well, the biggest problem that your computer has is its owner. More than 80% of computer problems stem from neglecting to perform simple maintenance task such as cleaning your registry, emptying your cache files and updating software regularly. If these task a perform diligently. You would be reading this article from a five year old machine running on Windows 98 operating system. So, lets take a look at the top five computer problems and how to avoid them.

1. Computer has performance has slowed.

This is the number one complaint from most users. There are several reason why this has occurred. However, most can attributed to lack of maintenance. Fragmented data, corrupted registry, spyware, and load of unnecessary programs and services running can all eat away at your PC speed and performance. Manage your programs and cleaning your registry would easily award you a 30% gain in performance speed. Check out The 4 ways to speed up my computer

2. Lockup, freezes, and blue screens of death.

This is a another common computer problem. However, this particular issue is a bit more serious; therefore, it needs a few diagnostic steps. In most cases this problems are caused by spyware. To avoid this problem update your anti-spyware program daily. Having the most up to date signatures will help you avoid having a serious spyware problem. However, if you have concluded that your PC is spyware free. You should update your hardware drivers. The computer cannot communicate with various hardware components without an up to date driver. When it cannot find a driver, the CPU locks up. Also, increasing your virtual memory can also help to avoid freezes. Virtual Memory will allow to you get more use out your computer’s RAM. Check the resource box for more info on the subject.

3. The computer spontaneously reboots or turn itself off.

This computer problem can be usually attributed to a hardware issue. Usually its the power supply is dying or in most cases a dirty or defective cooling fan. The computer trying to cool itself by automatically switching off. So, if you feel a bit of extra heat coming out the computer. Clean the fan and make sure it running properly. If your fan is functional, check your power supply. Also, you will be surprised how many people fail to make sure the cables are attached tightly. This be the cause of this particular computer problem.

4. Strange noises and vibrations.

This is almost totally a hardware issue. You computer is made up of thousands of parts. Its not unheard of that one of them can become unhinged. Overheating can cause expansion of wires and melt some sensitive. High pitch noises such as squealing or whining sounds can be cause electronic components. Whatever the reason, you conduct a small investigation. Remove the case and run the computer to discover the origin of the computer problem. If its not a simple matter such as a loose wire or fan issue, it may be time to call a computer tech.

5. Your home page, default search engine, or web browser has changed itself.

This is also known as “high-jacking”. Spyware has been installed on your computer via social networking or from email link. This action has allowed spyware to install a java script into your web browser. The spyware then sends a message to your browser to change your user settings. For example change your home page to another web page.

As you have discovered from reading the article, the most common computer problems can be handle quite easily by simple maintenance of your PC. Net time you are suffering from computer problems. Take a few minutes to run some diagnostic test before rushing out to computer technical center claiming your PC is broken. When all you need to do was just make sure it was plugged in.

Does the technical name of different component of a computer, such as RAM, processor, scares you off?

In this article, we will be covering most of the hardware in regardless of the form size (physical size of the computer casing)

Essential Computer Hardware consists of

Mainboard

CPU

RAM

Hard Disk Drive

Graphic Card

Power Supply / Casing

Keyboard / Mouse

Monitor

DVD Writer

Mainboard (Motherboard)

This is the biggest piece of hardware in the system. This is where various other essential components connect onto it, such as CPU, Ram, Hard Disk drive, etc, to it. Modern mid-range mainboard usually comes with add-on component such LAN port, sound card and graphics card.

As other hardware connects to the mainboard, it is important to ensure that the mainboard purchased is of high caliber and has at least the add-on component as stated in the paragraph above.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

This is one of the computer hardware that determines the speed of the whole system. The other determining hardware are the RAM and Hard Disk Drive. Single Core CPUs are almost obsolete and are much slower compared to their Dual Core / Quad Core counterparts.

Usually a numeric figure is stated and that is the clock frequency, commonly known as the speed of the CPU. Usually the higher the clock frequency, the faster your data can be processed.

Ram

Known as Random Access Memory, are memory chips where data are temporary stored. By storing the data on RAMs, the CPU is able to process the data in a shorter period which leads faster execution of the instructions and tasks assigned to the computer.

Usually a numeric figure (in Gb) is stated and that is the physical size of data the RAM is able to store.

Hard Disk Drive

This computer hardware keeps all data permanently, unlike the RAM which will erase data if the computer is shut down. Comes in sizes of 2.5″ (for laptop) and 3.5″ (for Desktop)

Usually a numeric figure (in Gb) is stated and comes in various capacity.

A rough calculation

Assuming a 4 min long music song is stored in mp3 format and takes up 4mb worth of space in the hard disk. 160Gb will be able to store around 40,000 songs!

Graphic Card

As stated, this card is initially responsible for displaying images onto the monitor. However, due to the high rendering first-person-shooter games being produced, gamers will demand their graphics card to be better than the CPU. This is due to the fact that the graphic card will handle all taxing gaming images which the CPU was unable to process. To meet up the demands, even graphics cards are going dual core!

Power Supply Unit (PSU)

The life of the computer! This computer hardware sends power to various devices, such as the mainboard, hard disk drives, etc.

This is often the most overlooked hardware and is frequently compromised due to budget constraints. However, by cutting down on getting a good PSU, risks such as electric shock and under-current may occurs which could instantly destroy the mainboard and other hardware by providing the wrong current or voltage!!

Computer Casing / Chasis

Computer case is the tough armor to protect the dedicated various computer hardware.

Casing are important as they ventilate and regulate air flow to prevent overheating of the essential computer hardware.

Optical Drives

Commonly known as CD-ROM / DVD-ROM or DVD Writers, this allows reading of various CDs/DVDs. ROM hardware are only able to read from CD / DVD, while DVD Writers enables writing (copying of data) to the discs.

The latest technology for Optical Drive is currently Blu-Ray ROM will allows reading of Blu-ray disc. Due to the high cost, it is not widely included in systems.

Monitor

Is a visual display unit that shows images generated by the graphic card. CRT monitors that are working today are using older technology which consumes more power. Mainstream monitor manufactured are now mostly LCD due to their compact size and cheaper cost to manufacture.

LCD monitors come in various sizes, ranging from a minimum of 15″ to up to 70″!

Keyboard and Mouse

Is the hardware to input data and commands into the computer.

I hope that the above computer guide will assist you in having a further understanding of computer hardware.

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