Consumers are in a frenzy about Windows 7. Many are thankful that Windows Vista is going out of style already. Consumers are highly anticipating the release of Windows 7 after the Windows Vista fell flat on its face after its debut. Even though it has become a stable operating system, PC users are still ignoring Vista including businesses. However how many businesses will actually welcome Windows 7?

There have been many websites that have been predicting the downfall of Windows 7 before it has even been released. These studies suggested that this was because IT administrators prefer Windows XP and many businesses are worried about the credibility of Windows 7.

In a study done by Dimensional Research, Windows 7 is expected to be the biggest operating system for businesses. In fact their study shows that 46% of businesses are planning on upgrading or starting to upgrade before the end of the year and 80% of IT professionals plan to do it within 36 months!  If you’re not sure how big of a jump this is then you should know within the first year of XP’s release it only had 10% of the market share and only about 25% after two years.

Another study backs this up by asking the IT decision makers of 80 companies when they were planning on upgrade or if. These companies all have more than 1000 employees mind you. The results showed that half of them planned to upgrade to Windows 7 when it launches while 46% plan to do it by the end of the year. Also 55% of the companies plan to do what are known as system wide upgrades rather than simply upgrading when they need new PCs.

If these projections hold true then not only will Windows 7 be the most successful operating system with businesses at its debut, but it will also be a breathtaking record. The fact that so many IT professionals are willing to upgrade to Windows 7 shortly after it releases not only shows the potential for the operating system but the stability of it.

Source: ZDNet 

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One of the most practical and cost-effective ways to speed up your PC is by gradually upgrading its parts. The first thing that usually goes whenever your computer slows down is the motherboard. Storage issues also pop up after a year, forcing you to add another one that’s bigger and faster.

Whenever you upgrade, always make sure that you use everything that’s included in the package. Many commit the mistake of using their old peripheral’s wires and cables whenever installing a new component. While there may seem to be nothing wrong with this, especially if the old cables are still functioning well, a considerable number of PC parts now use specialized connectors.

Take for example a hard drive upgrade. Many PC users junk their old hard drive with new ones that support UDMA. While they totally discard their old storage device, they usually retain and use its old cable. This may seem practical. But take note that old hard drives use IDE cable. Using an IDE cable on a hard drive that supports UDMA will create a bottleneck. Using a DMA cable would definitely allow you to take advantage of the new technology’s speed and benefits.

Don’t take cables and connectors for granted whenever you’re upgrading hardware components. They can make a huge difference in your system’s performance.

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In case you haven’t noticed, PC makers are constantly changing the specs of their units. I once checked a model that I planned to buy at a local computer shop. I waited for about a couple of months before I decided to adopt it and make it my new pet (or life partner). However, to my astonishment, the salesperson told me that the apple (no, it wasn’t a Mac) of my eyes has been plucked out of their shelves as a new model had already been released by its manufacturer.

Many people are already becoming hesitant in swiping their plastics for a new PC. Who wouldn’t, considering that the unit that they’ll be buying may become outdated as early as Valentine’s Day. That prospect certainly isn’t enticing, even if it’s already the season to be reckless in spending.

At the risk of branding this article as a falsity, one can’t really future-proof his PC…. well, at least not for five years or more. Let’s face it. PCs compete with dogs in adding exponents on their ages. However, PCs can cheat their way to death or obsolescence. A good example is by way of an upgrade.

Upgrades are to computers as transplants are to humans. A PC’s innards can be replaced in order to prolong its life and improve its performance. Hence, in order to ensure that your PC would live long and outlast the airing of your favorite soap opera, make sure that your unit can easily be upgraded. You can ascertain this by inspecting the motherboard. Check if your motherboard is built to support future releases of the processor that it is hosting. Some motherboards are only built to house a specific chip.

“Mobos” should also have an ample number of slots for SIMM modules. This is very important as future software releases would certainly glut on RAM. The main board should also have an AGP slot. Some boards don’t have one. Instead, they have integrated video engines. Avoid them. Insist on a motherboard that has an AGP slot so that you would be able to upgrade your graphics card.

Upgrades can prolong the life of your PC. Keep in mind, though, that it is not the Holy Grail of computers. Time will come when upgrades won’t be feasible anymore and that a replacement would be the better (and maybe the only) alternative or solution.

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Is there such a thing as a “memory overload” in PCs?

If my own memory serves me right, I think I’ve already mentioned around four to five times that the best upgrade that your PC could ever get is by adding a few RAM modules in it. It’s definitely better than changing your unit’s graphics card or even processor.

This doesn’t mean that you should drain all your coffers for RAMs that rival your hard drive in terms of size. Too much of anything is not good, and this holds true with PC upgrades. Your unit’s motherboard may be able to handle 40GB of memory, but your OS may not.

The 32-bit editions of Windows XP and Vista cannot hold or use memory in excess of 4GB. It would be a waste if you’ll insist on attaching extra RAM modules on your unit if it’s running under Microsoft operating systems that are built on a 32-bit architecture. Unless your PC is running on a 64-bit version of XP or Vista, don’t increase your computer’s cranial capacity to more than 4GB.

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One’s marriage to a computer only lasts for about 2-3 years on the average. The union gets rocky after a year, with the human spouse beginning to complain that his or her electronic partner is not as sweet and reliable as it was when they first tied the knot. By the second year, a divorce is already in the works. Depending on how patient the human husband or wife is, the tie is usually severed by the third year.

If actual human divorces weren’t so expensive, I think that it would be much shorter than the separation of the union between man and computer. Clothes are not the only items that people change frequently. Everybody or everything seems to be expendable nowadays.

Needless Change

Unless you’re a collector of vintage items, you’ll definitely prefer an electronic partner that’s younger and faster. The desire to quickly ditch the one you have is made even much stronger by the fact that computers are being sold at very tempting prices. It’s not surprising then that many people treat their laptop, desktops, and other electronic gadgets as sort of wardrobes that they could quickly change every time their whim demands it.

For those who do not have the resources to shuffle PCs as if they’re cards, all they could do is either minimize their expectations or decrease their reliance on their e-spouse. This may be a cost-effective way of saving the marriage. However, this stagnates the union and the growth of both partners, especially for the one who’s breathing. But this doesn’t mean that one should immediately jump on the gun when his partner becomes a drag. There are ways by which such relationship could be revitalized.

Mindful

Many attribute their computer’s sluggishness to old age. Processors usually become obsolete after 2-3 years, while RAMs shrink in comparison with new models. As with humans, old age also brings about poor or deteriorating memory. Physicians usually solve this problem through food supplements and series of mental aerobics. For PC technicians, they tackle this problem by simply increasing the computer’s memory.

PC users often commit the mistake of tagging their aging processor as the culprit in their unit’s constructive demise. While they do get a bit of improvement in speed after a processor “transplant,” they soon realize that their computer’s old illness comes back to haunt them. The solution to this problem doesn’t lie on Intel’s new creation. It may surprise many and disappoint those who went through several processor and peripheral upgrades to know that all it takes to give their PC a shot in the arm is by injecting a gigabyte or two of RAM into their system. This cheap and simple band-aid beats most types of upgrade by about a mile and a half.

Before conducting a major upgrade on your PC, make sure that you’ve considered all the simple and cost-efficient solutions first before digging deep into your pockets, as well as into your PC’s casing. PC Optimization is not an esoteric or an expensive endeavor.

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I was at a local mall yesterday when I came across several desktop and laptop units running on Windows Vista. Although the sight was a bit common nowadays, I was still curious as to processors that were powering the units since the price tags did not seem to suggest that they were high-end ones.

True enough, they were merely Celerons! It’s quite a surprise considering that many touted Vista as a gas-guzzler. In fact, the first PCs that got the “Windows Vista Capable / Ready” seal have at least dual core processors in it.

Celeron chips were originally planned to be interred with XP. However, this cheaper alternative from Intel worked perfectly fine when it played the new Microsoft OS. Could it be that the chip’s maker injected some steroids to the processor which gave it extra strength to load and run Vista?

I’m not sure of Intel made some modifications to their low-end chip. However, I noticed that the manufacturer of the units which featured Celeron processors flooded their product with a least a gigabyte of RAM. Now we all know that adding more RAM to one’s PC is like getting a complete processor upgrade altogether. This news should give hope to those who want to jump to Vista but are quite apprehensive as to the capability of their hardware.

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Believe it or not, there are people who actually do not want to install anti-virus programs in their systems. No, they’re not hackers or virus authors. In fact, they’re one of those who really detest malware.

One of the reasons why some people shun security programs is that they slow down their computers. I had the same irritating dilemma when I installed Norton’s anti-virus software in my aging AMD K62 computer. Windows XP ran rather seamlessly after I installed it. However, it was almost impossible to shift between programs already when NAV monitored every activity in the system.

I shelved that old PC of mine after the hair-pulling experience. It was virtually impossible to run almost any program in it. System performance improved when I tweaked something on the registry. I’m sure the performance level would’ve gone a few notches higher had I added additional RAM. However, my brother seemed quite satisfied with the speed of my old desktop. I had two more desktops waiting to be upgraded or repaired, so I decided to just give the K62 to him and move on to my other units. So there!

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