No matter how fast your processor is, chances are is that your surfing speed would soon drag down due to unwanted data build up, plug-in issues, or failure to update your browser. You don’t need an antivirus or anti-spyware program for these problems. Putting grease into your laggard browser is as easy as clicking a few buttons.

If you’re using Internet Explorer, just click on Tools • Internet Options then click on Delete Browsing History. If you’re using a third-party utility suite, such as Norton Systemworks, then you have to open up its control center and choose the appropriate option to delete unwanted browser clutter.

For plug-in problems, all you have to do is disable it. In Firefox, just choose Tools • Add-ons, then Disable. In Internet Explorer, click on Start • All Programs • Accessories • Internet Explorer (No Add-ons).

As for the updates, you don’t have to worry about Internet Explorer if you’re using Windows and Windows Update is set to automatically receive patches. For Firefox, just click on Help • Check for Updates.

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The thing that I really hate about malware attack or OS malfunction is data loss. I could deal with having to reinstall applications or even reformat my hard drive. While they may be time-consuming, they’re nothing compared to the time that you’ll spend in rewriting or recreating the files that have been damaged or deleted.

Antivirus

There are many ways by which one could prevent data loss, first and foremost of which is by installing security suites. The saying that “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” also holds true with regard to PC health. Indeed, why flirt or invite disaster when you could rid yourself of the worries from the start by making sure that no unwanted programs would be able to access your system. True, antivirus programs could cure and treat infected files. However, there are cases where files get corrupted beyond repair.

Backup

While antivirus programs are very effective in keeping your PC secured from unwanted intrusions, they are not 100% fool-proof. There will come a time when malware would be able to break through the wall and infect your system. When this happens, there’s pretty much nothing that you could do about it other than to resort and to restore the second or third copies of the files that got destroyed.

Since security suites are not a hundred percent reliable, you have to take another precautionary measure in order to ensure that you won’t lose the precious files in your hard drive. A very simple but efficient and practical solution to possible data loss is by backing up. This task or procedure is not complicated. Backing up data simply means making second copies thereof and saving them in another media.

Brainless Task

You don’t need a program in order to perform this task. However, doing it manually can be quite tedious, especially if you have thousands of files saved in your hard disk and scattered in different folders. This is the reason why there are several back up programs in the market despite the fact that the task simply involves dragging folders into the disk where you intend to save your data.

You don’t need a third party software if you’re using Windows Vista, though. Backing up in Vista is an effortless task. Its back up feature takes care of everything from file selection to file destination. All you have to do in the process is to change the disks or drives whenever they’re already full. It’s as simple as that.

Save Often

Back up regularly. Take note that you’re adding new files or modifying existing ones everyday. The file that you’ve saved a month ago might already be entirely different from the one that you have right now. Make sure that the media where you’re going to save the file is reliable. DVD disks, as well as external hard drives, are among the dependable storage devices. Flash drives could also be viable alternatives. However, data could be easily erased therein.

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There are many things that you should consider when buying a computer. For many, these things range from peripherals to processors. If you have wads of cash to spare, then you would definitely not settle for anything less than a Creative GigaWorks S750 or a Harman Kardon SoundSticks II for speakers, and the latest Intel Core 2 Duo chip for your PC’s processor.

There’s a very important consideration, though, that lies beneath the glam of the unit, and I’m not talking about the processor. The PC-Mac rivalry isn’t just about which unit has the coolest shell design. Rather, it’s about which architecture can best serve the needs of the user.

Of Frameworks and Platforms

In order for you to be able to distinguish between a PC and a Mac, let me give a brief background as to their origin. While the term “PC” generally refers to any computer, it also has a technical meaning. IBM gave birth to the PC, and as such, the term refers to computers that are based on the IBM design. On the other hand, the Macintosh (Mac) is a computer built by Apple.

The two were made from different blueprints. The PC is based on the Intel model, while the Mac follows the Power PC architecture designed by Apple, Motorola, and also partly by IBM. Since they were made from different frameworks, the two computers cannot run applications designed for a particular architecture. In other words, you cannot run PC-based software on a Mac and vice versa.

An Attempt to Unify

There really isn’t a competition between the two. For one thing, the PC has long captured the market and is the preferred class or architecture. There’s a growing fondness for the Mac, though. However, the Apple fad isn’t strong enough to unseat the PC as the unit of choice.

While the PC and the Mac could definitely coexist, a good number of users of both platforms are clamoring for the unification of the two. Thus, in 2006, Apple boss Steve Jobs announced that the Mac would depart from the Power PC architecture and would already follow the Intel blueprint. The development now makes it possible for Windows to be able to run on the Mac.

The shift was not well received by die hard Mac fans, though. They consider the Macintosh as a novelty that shouldn’t be modified by the PC. This is one of the reasons why the compatibility issue still exists and that Windows still hasn’t invaded the Apple desktops.

Both Vulnerable

Some Mac fans claim that their unit is less vulnerable to malware attack. This may be true, but not due to the reason that their architecture or OS is more barb-wired than the PC. It could just very well be that hackers favor Windows as the object of their affection since it is the most popular operating system in the world. Macs do need protective software like the PC, such as registry cleaners and antivirus programs.

You should definitely consider the compatibility issue when choosing between a Mac and a PC. If you want to play it safe, choose a PC-based unit. It’s the architecture that is widely accepted and used around the world.

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One of the things that I really like about the Internet is its ability to bridge people and make them feel like every person, regardless of where he’s residing, is just a few inches away.

The Webcam is a marvelous complement to the PC. It puts a face behind the sea of text messages that we receive from somebody in Internet Relay Chats or Instant Messengers. It has also curbed fraud in the chat rooms. I guess some of you already have experienced meeting people from the Internet that didn’t exactly match the self-description that they’ve given before you met.

Unfortunately for many workers, it has extended their working hours and the four corners of their offices. Before Web cams became staples, office tasks came to a halt when the boss leaves for a business trip. Nowadays, managers and executives make their presence felt in the office even if they’re hundreds of miles away therefrom. I guess it’s safe to say that the Web cam isn’t that too popular in the office.

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Could YouTube videos be saved?

Some of you who already know how to may be surprised at the question, but there are many out there who still do not know how to keep YouTube videos for posterity. Of course, you could easily save the link and click on it whenever you want to view the video behind it, but what if you’re not connected to the Internet all the time?

There are many video-capturing or saving applications in cyberspace and you don’t need to punch credit numbers to have them. I could name several, but in order to save you from confusion, I’ll just feature one.

www.vixy.net is a free Web service which converts Flash/FLV files into other file formats which allows you to save them into your PC hard drive or other storage devices. Using the service is a no-brainer. All you have to do is paste the URL of the video that you want to save and presto! It’s that simple.

Be careful when downloading videos, though, especially if they come from unknown or dubious sources. There are some files which carry malware that could wipe your hard drive clean of all its files, or infiltrate your Windows registry and write malicious instructions therein. Be sure that you’re armed with antivirus software and a registry cleaner, such as RegCure, before you fish anything from the Net.

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Many predict that 2008 will be the year when laptops would finally succeed in their bid to dethrone desktops as the PC of choice. I agree.

For two decades, the desktop has lorded over almost all conceivable machines which could read and process electronic data. It was supposed to be the “future” of data processing. Everybody thought that the size and shape of the PC would not change significantly for generations to come.

Small Enough?

It’s not difficult to see why many didn’t dismiss the desktop as something that’s only transitional. Back when hard disks were still as big as cupboards, many wished for a computer that could easily fit one’s bedroom without having to throw out everything in it, including the bed. It took several decades before that prayer was answered. When IBM came out with a design that perfectly fitted study and office tables, many fostered the conviction that this was what a computer should look like and that any alteration of its structure would considerably diminish its appeal and even functionality.

Of course, being the only constant thing in this world aside from politics, change redefined the looks and functions of the PC. The world shrunk, and time became a very expensive commodity. Everything has to be done fast. While the term “multitasking” was already popular even during the days of Windows 3.1, the word took on a whole new different meaning a decade after the IT industry had started to blabber it as if it was a cuss word.

Run Run Run

As we all know, recent operating systems allow the juggling of different tasks, functions, or programs. Depending on the amount of memory and the type of processor that your computer have, large applications like CAD or multimedia programs could run side by side with other software. Nobody now asks if one could perform several things at the same time on a computer. The question has already been answered a long time ago.

Now that programs could already be ran simultaneously in a single computer, the question that was next asked is if one could still run all of them while he is actually running. As I have intimated a while back, everybody seems to be running after time and running out of it. Eight hours seem to be just eight minutes. It’s not surprising then when people started to wish that they could bring and do their tasks even when they’re out of the office.

Personal Accessory

To inaccurately borrow the words of the HP slogan, laptops made personal computers personal again. While mainframes exponentially shrunk to desktop size, it still isn’t exactly personal and portable as your watch or mobile phone. You simply can’t bring it anywhere, well at least not conveniently.

Everybody is maximizing the use of his or her time. It’s not surprising then if people treat travel time as an extension of their office hours. Laptops are not just becoming more affordable, but more importantly, they are also making time an affordable commodity. Don’t be surprised, then, if laptop sales exceed desktop purchases this year.

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Have you noticed how modern-day offices look so spacious?

Gone are the days when office design resembles that of a shoe box with holes on the sides. Many companies are already spending millions for interior design. It’s not surprising then that a good number of the rooms featured in interior design magazines are actually office spaces.

One of the reasons why the traditional paper and cabinet-filled office floor transformed into the more hip and spacious café-look of today is because of the computer. Work places used to be so cramped because of the humungous desks and file cabinets that littered the room. It was said that you could gauge the productivity of a person by looking at the number of papers filed or stacked on his desk. That’s not true anymore.

Gigabyte hard drives have driven storage closets and cabinets out of the office. Paper trays are practically non-existent in some work places as 3.5 inch storage devices have already replaced them.

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There used to be a time when installing software in a computer means going through lots of CDs that contain the installer program of various applications. The process is fairly easy and quite convenient. However, there are instances when after reformatting your hard drive, you realize that you’ve already lost some of the optical medias that house some of your favorite software.

All is not lost, though. In fact, losing those CDs might have done you a favor as far as de-clogging your computer table is concerned. There are many software makers that already allow complete downloads of their products over their Web site. This saves you from having to wait for a few days for the spare installer disk to be thrown at your doorstep.

If you weren’t able to keep a list of the previous apps that you’ve had, you might want to visit www.filehippo.com. The Web site contains a compilation of various must-have programs that may be downloaded for free. Of course, the site excludes software that needs to be purchased, such as Vista.

Be careful when downloading anything from the Internet. Trojan-like malware which infiltrates registries abound in cyberspace. If your computer seemed to have slowed down after installing an application you’ve downloaded from the Net, then you might want to have your registry scanned and checked by a cleaner, such as RegCure. Many cases of PC slowdowns are attributed to faulty or compromised Windows registry.

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22 years ago, when my computer IQ bore the same digit as my age, I really thought that the cold virus was the most common malware that infects PCs. I used to stand up and move away from the PC every time I cough, fearing that the virus residing in my body might actually cause harm to the data inside my floppy disks.

Of course, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I was harboring a foolish misconception. My computer class teacher clarified this to me in a manner that mitigated my embarrassment (she told me to cut my joke about biological viruses as being one and the same with the electronic ones). I should’ve realized that even before I enrolled for summer computer classes. I mean, come on, cough syrups for computers?

At present, nobody would most likely commit the mistake that I did in distinguishing biological viruses from electronic ones. I guess I could be forgiven for my ignorance back then since PCs were still esoteric and quite uncommon 2 decades ago. Of course, such a mistake would already be unforgivable today.

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