Microsoft Windows is a very easy operating system to use, and the latest versions certainly have taken security seriously. However there are still many people who don’t know enough about their computers to use them properly. Words like “CPU,” “hard drive,” and “RAM” are commonplace for tech-savvy people, but the average person isn’t as familiar with the concepts and easily falls victims to scammy gimmicks and expensive computer repairs. If you’re not so literate with computers, here’s four things you should know that might help you in the long run.
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4 Things Computer-illiterate Users Should Know When Running Windows
By | December 24, 2011 | 7 Comments
Myths About Windows 7
By | December 19, 2011 | 11 Comments
Even before Microsoft released its flagship version of Windows, there was a lot of talk about Windows 7′s shortcomings. Some people don’t know whether their decision to upgrade from Vista was well-made, but even more people who currently own Vista refuse to upgrade to Windows 7 because of all the myths going around about it. Others have even switched away from the operating system because of what they’ve heard. It’s always good to run an alternative OS and learn the ropes, but you should consider that some of what’s said about W7 is just hype.
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Windows 8: Policing Your Apps Under One Banner
By | December 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment
I don’t know if you’ve heard about Microsoft’s plan on a kill switch, but this is the news: Microsoft will be able to kill apps bought from the Windows 8 app store. Even if you did, you should listen up about the new kill switch Microsoft is offering for Windows 8 and a couple of reasons why it’s not a good idea. I think the most obvious thought on anyone’s mind is when hearing about this is: Why does Microsoft have to go all Big Brother on us? The answer is: They’ve been doing it subtly for a long time, but it’s now becoming more and more obvious.
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Windows 8 Now “Charms” Your User Experience
By | December 12, 2011 | Leave a Comment
Since many of you haven’t tried Windows 8 yet, you’re probably wondering eagerly what you should expect. The new Windows user interface will include something known as “charms,” which appear when you hover the mouse over the “Start” menu. Once you get used to them, they might come in handy when you’re trying to get quick access to a component of the operating system without having to actually navigate through the “Start” menu as you would in previous versions of Windows.
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8 Useful Shortcut Keys Using The “Windows” Button [Windows 7]
By | December 9, 2011 | 11 Comments
If you’re a rather busy person like me, every single second you waste throws pennies down the drain. Those pennies gather up over a year, so making yourself more efficient at what you do on your computer should be at the top of your list. If you lose 2 cents for every second you lose and you waste 2 minutes of the day moving your mouse instead of pressing quick shortcut keys, that’s $864 every year you’ll never recover – almost one grand! Even if you don’t make money on your computer, think of how much time you can save to do other things like reading a book or playing ball with your kid that always complains about you being such a busy beaver.
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Windows 8 Promises USB 3.0 Support
By | December 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment
While your computer might run fine with a Windows 7 installation and USB 3.0 slots, you currently cannot exploit the full potential of USB 3.0′s speed without installing compatible drivers from a website or disc. Microsoft promises that Windows 8 will support USB 3.0 natively, meaning that you’ll be able to enjoy the qualities of this new hardware specification without having to bother installing newer drivers.
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3 Free System Optimization Tools to Keep Your Windows In Good Shape
By | December 3, 2011 | 10 Comments
How good would it be if Windows can be the perfect OS that runs fast (all the time), doesn’t hang at all and require low (or zero) maintenance. In reality, the reverse is always true. The bloated registry database always cause the system to go slow, uninstalled software are not removed completely, startup time seems to take forever, applications always take long time to load etc. Luckily, there are always the third-party apps that all of us can use to maintain the system, keep it in good shape and bring our frustration to the minimum. Let’s look at them one by one.
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Saving Power on Windows
By | December 2, 2011 | 2 Comments
Tough times call for tough decisions, and you’ve probably been looking for ways to cut down on electric consumption around the house. Have you ever looked at your desktop PC? With the right configuration, you can cut down the power usage of your computer by as much as 60%. Considering that the average computer can use up to 250 Watts per hour, chopping off some of that electrical load should be a priority for you, even if you end up shaving just 10 Watts.
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4 Reasons Why Windows UAC Is Useless
By | November 28, 2011 | 13 Comments
If you use Windows Vista or 7, you know how annoying it is to have to approve everything every application does on your computer. This feature, known as User Account Control (UAC), gives you all those dialogs that spring up whenever you open something. Microsoft created UAC with the intention of making computing safer for end users and technicians alike. If you’re a “victim” of this “security measure,” you know why it’s a massive failure on the part of MS. It turns out that UAC might even hinder the security of home and office systems. Ouch!
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XAMPP: Easily Install A Web Server In Your Windows
By | November 25, 2011 | 4 Comments
Whether you’re someone running a corporate server, a hobbyist who wants to make a simple web presence, or a freelancer trying to make a website to market yourself, you shouldn’t overlook the advantages Apache Friends’ XAMPP package has to offer. This application has everything you need to get your site started without a messy installation process – PHP, Apache, MySQL, and FileZilla. It’s not just a bundled package. XAMPP offers you an installer much like the installer for any other normal Windows application all within the reach of a beginner.
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