Today, many people rely on computers to do homework, work, and create or store useful information. Therefore, it is important for the information on the computer to be stored and kept properly. It is also extremely important for people on computers to protect their computer from data loss, misuse, and abuse.

For example, it is crucial for businesses to keep information they have secure so that hackers can’t access the information. Home users also need to take means to make sure that their credit card numbers are secure when they are participating in online transactions. A computer security risk is any action that could cause loss of information, software, data, processing incompatibilities, or cause damage to computer hardware, a lot of these are planned to do damage. An intentional breach in computer security is known as a computer crime which is slightly different from a cybercrime. A cybercrime is known as illegal acts based on the internet and is one of the FBI’s top priorities. There are several distinct categories for people that cause cybercrimes, and they are refered to as hacker, cracker, cyberterrorist, cyberextortionist, unethical employee, script kiddie and corporate spy.

*The Hacker.

The term hacker was actually known as a good word but now it has a very negative view. A hacker is defined as someone who accesses a computer or computer network unlawfully. They often claim that they do this to find leaks in the security of a network.

*The Cracker.

The term cracker has never been associated with something positive this refers to someone how intentionally access a computer or computer network for evil reasons. It’s basically an evil hacker. They access it with the intent of destroying, or stealing information. Both crackers and hackers are very advanced with network skills.

*The Cyberterrorist.

A cyberterrorist is someone who uses a computer network or the internet to destroy computers for political reasons. It’s just like a regular terrorist attack because it requires highly skilled individuals, millions of dollars to implement, and years of planning.

*The Cyberextortionist.

The term cyberextortionist refers to someone who uses emails as an offensive force. They would usually send a company a very threatening email stating that they will release some confidential information, exploit a security leak, or launch an attack that will harm a companies network. They will request a paid sum of money to prevent the threat from being carried out, a bit like black mailing.

*The Unethical Employee.

An unethical employee is an employee that illegally accesses their company’s network for numerous reasons. One could be the money they can get from selling top secret information, or some may be bitter and want revenge.

*The Script Kiddie.

A script kiddie is someone who is like a cracker because they may have the intentions of doing harm, but they usually lack the technical skills. They are usually silly teenagers that use prewritten hacking and cracking programs. *The Corporate Spy.
A corporate spy has extremely high computer and network skills and is hired to break into a specific computer or computer network to steal or delete data and information. Shady companies hire these type people in a practice known as corporate espionage. They do this to gain an advantage over their competition an illegal practice.

Business and home users must do their best to protect or safeguard their computers from security risks. The next part of this article will give some pointers to help protect your computer. However, one must remember that there is no one hundred percent guarantee way to protect your computer so becoming more knowledgeable about them is a must during these days.

When you transfer information over a network it has a high security risk compared to information transmitted in a business network because the administrators usually take some extreme measures to help protect against security risks. Over the internet there is no powerful administrator which makes the risk a lot higher. If your not sure if your computer is vulnerable to a computer risk than you can always use some-type of online security service which is a website that checks your computer for email and Internet vulnerabilities. The company will then give some pointers on how to correct these vulnerabilities. The Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center is a place that can do this. The typical network attacks that puts computers at risk includes viruses, worms, spoofing, Trojan horses, and denial of service attacks. Every unprotected computer is vulnerable to a computer virus which is a potentially harming computer program that infects a computer negatively and altering the way the computer operates without the user’s consent. Once the virus is in the computer it can spread throughout infecting other files and potentially damaging the operating system itself. It’s similar to a bacteria virus that infects humans because it gets into the body through small openings and can spread to other parts of the body and can cause some damage. The similarity is, the best way to avoid is preparation. A computer worm is a program that repeatedly copies itself and is very similar to a computer virus. However the difference is that a virus needs to attach itself to an executable file and become a part of it. A computer worm doesn’t need to do that, it copies itself to other networks and eats up a lot of bandwidth.

A Trojan Horse named after the famous Greek myth and is used to describe a program that secretly hides and actually looks like a legitimate program but is a fake. A certain action usually triggers the Trojan horse, and unlike viruses and worms it will not replicate itself. Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are all classified as malicious-logic programs which are just programs that deliberately harm a computer. Although these are the common three there are many more variations and it would be almost impossible to list them. You know when a computer is infected by a virus, worm, or Trojan horse if your computer displays one or more of these things:

* Screen shots of weird messages or pictures appear.

* You have less available memory than you expected.

* Music or sounds plays randomly.

* Files get corrupted.

* Programs are files don’t work properly.

* Unknown files or programs randomly appear.

* System properties fluctuate.

Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses deliver their payload or instructions through three common ways.

1 – When an individual runs an infected program so if you download a lot of things you should always scan the files before executing, especially executable files.

2 – When an individual boots a computer with an infected drive, so that is why it’s important to not leave removable media in your computer when you shut it down.

3 – When an unprotected computer connects to a network. Today, a very common way that people get a computer virus, worm, or Trojan horse is when they open up an infected file through an email attachment.

There are literally thousands of malicious logic programs and new ones come out by the numbers so that’s why it’s important to keep up to date with new ones that come out each day. Many websites keep track of this. There is no known method for providing 100% protection for any computer or computer network from computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses, but people can take several precautions to significantly reduce their chances of being infected by one of those malicious programs. Whenever you start a computer you should have no removable media in the drives. This goes for CD, DVD, and floppy disks. When the computer starts up it tries to execute a boot sector on the drives and even if it’s unsuccessful any given virus on the boot sector can infect the computer’s hard disk. If you must start the computer using removable media for any reason, such as when the hard disk fails and you are trying to reformat the drive make sure that the disk is not infected.

How can you protect your computer?

The best way to protect your computer from any of the above is by using good quality internet securities software. Purchasing this from a reputable security company is recommended to ensure that your software is kept up to date with the most recent virus signatures. If you are not up to date an unrecognised virus will not be stopped by the software. A full security package will protect you from viruses, Worms, Trojan horses, keyloggers and will detect when a hacker is attempting to hack into your computer and prevent them from gaining access when you are online or connected to a network. It is not advisable to use a free antivirus service as these do not provide adequate protection and are a false economy. Recommended internet security software companies are:- Norton, McAfee and others.

The author is dedicated to PC security and PC health. See the Error Doctor Award Winning Registry Cleaner Software.

Computers can catch virus, just like we do. When the computer gets sick, it needs anti virus software as a medicine. When it is strong and fit, it needs antivirus software as an added defense against any virus attack.
Computer virus can spread around just like human virus. It spreads around through email to your friend with virus infected files, or copy to your friends in a virus infected file.
When the computer catches a virus, it can have one or more of the following syndromes.

- Computer does not start properly. Error massages came out during startup.

- Application does not work properly.

- Disk or USB drives cannot be read.

- Printer does not print.

- Pulldown menus are not the same as before.

- Disk drive runs suddenly for no reason.

- Unusual error messages appears.

- Computer slows down or freezes.

- Computer crashes.

- Files LOST !

- Files CORRUPTED and cannot be read.

In the your computer files, you observed :

- File size changes for no reason.

- Date Modified does not match with date of last use.

- An increase in number of files when nothing has been added.
To prevent any of these catastrophic events happen to your computer. It is absolutely necessary to protect your computer.

An anti virus software maybe your answer to most of these problems.
Why do I say anti virus software maybe the answer to most of these questions?
Because, some of the problems listed above may not be the cause of a virus.

Some of it may be caused by :

- Software loaded into your computer without your knowledge. The purpose of these software is to monitor your computer activities or even to get some information from your computer without you knowing it! These kind of software are commonly known as spyware. (You can get anti spyware software from here.)

- Computer hard disk is running out of space. This will cause the computer to slow down.

- Too many programs are running in the computer. Background programs that loads to your computer every time you starts your computer. If the computer do not have enough memory to process all these programs, it will cause the computer to slow down.

- The computer may be running a schedule program that you may not have notice. Some time such programs are loaded to the computer when it is installed. The manufacturer thinks that it is absolutely necessary that the computer runs the program periodically. Example of these software are: Windows Updater, Anti Virus software (It is important to keep you anti virus software up-to-date.), Backup program etc.

- Too many programs are running in the computer at the same time.

Nevertheless, it is still very important to have an anti virus software loaded, updated and running in your computer.
However, no antivirus software can help you to remove or clean up all viruses completely. Therefore, it is important to prevent virus from attacking your computer. So an anti virus software should be the first software program to be loaded and running in your computer. You have to update the anti virus software right after you have successfully loaded into your computer.

It is very very important to update your anti virus software regularly. New viruses are discovered frequently, not updating your anti virus software will make these new virus to attack your computer easily.

What if you are already using your computer with all your important information loaded and you have no anti virus software in your computer?
Then, you cannot delay and must get an antivirus software loaded, updated and scanned immediately.
After the anti virus software is updated, restart your computer. Start scanning your computer before you run any program. If there are no virus detected, you are a lucky one. If there are, choose a solution that the anti virus software recommend.

What if, after your computer is scanned and virus is found. And you have chosen the solution that the anti virus software recommend but the software says that it cannot be cleaned. You can either delete or quarantine. Then, you may have a problem. If you are absolutely sure that you and the computer does not need the file, than delete it or quarantine it. If the file is critical to your computer, then you have to find a same file that is not virus infected to replace the infected file, if you can find. If it is your file, you might have to do the same.

You also need to restart the computer and runs the anti virus software again to confirm that the computer is free from virus. If it is infected with too many viruses or too many viruses cannot be cleaned, a total software rebuild of your computer is needed. If you have backup your computer periodically, then you can restore your last backup. Provided the last backup is virus free. That means you have to do anti virus scan for your computer again after you have restore your computer from the backup files.

You do not need to have two antivirus software. However, it is good to keep at least two antivirus software in your computer. One will constantly monitor your computer for virus activities and the other will scan your computer for virus only when you want to.
However, you should have at least one anti virus software installed if your computer slows down significantly after two anti virus software are installed.

It is most important.
You must update your antivirus software regularly and scans it regularly. It is good to follow the antivirus software company recommendation.

Wai-Pan Chan has a website [http://www.startwebiz.com] Wai-Pan likes to share his knowledge and findings through his website.

If you’re a computer expert, you’ll probably already know about these tips (hopefully this will provide you with a little reminder). If you’re not an expert, don’t worry – these tips are simple, and don’t require a lot of computer experience.

While an old computer will never operate at the same speed as a newer (and bigger & faster) computer, you can help your computer stay as “young & healthy” as possible.

1) Disk Cleanup

Performing a disk cleanup regularly is a good idea. Whenever you “surf the internet”, open attachments, delete files, your computer saves a record of your activity. Many of these files are harmless, and individually are very small. But if you spend a lot of time on your computer, before long you’ll take up enough space to slow your computer down a bit.

Disk Cleanup is a Windows utility that helps keep unused and unwanted files from taking up extra storage space on your computer. You can think of it as “spring cleaning” for your computer.

Basically, it removes files that may have once been useful or used but now are just taking up extra room that could be used for more useful programs and files.

To perform a disc cleanup, click on the Start button on the bottom left of your computer screen, then Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disc Cleanup. A small box will pop up, allowing you to select the files to delete (most files are OK to delete, but if you are unsure, it is best to not select the file). Then click OK, and the unused files will be removed.

If you’ve never done a disk cleanup on your computer, now is a good time to get started. Then, depending on how much you use your computer, you can perform a disk cleanup every few weeks to keep your computer running smoothly!

2) Defragmenting Your Computer

Another way to improve the performance of your computer is to defragment your hard drive. What is defragmenting, and why do you need to do it? Here’s a simple explanation:

Basically, defragmenting is putting files back where they belong. With the files in the proper order, your computer will run more efficiently.

You don’t need to hire a computer expert to defragment your computer. It’s simple to do. You just need to plan ahead, because if you have a lot of “stuff” on your computer, it could take a while.

And it’s best not to use your computer while defragmenting.

Not sure how to defragment your computer? You can either click on your computer’s help file (Click the “Start” button on the bottom left of your computer screen, then Help), or click on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Defragment – for most computers) .

Keep in mind that the actual wording is slightly different depending on the operating system you use (Windows 95, 98, XP, etc) so you might need to refer to your computer’s help file.

Periodically defragmenting your computer will keep it running smoothly!

3) Removing Spyware & Adware

If you’ve ever had spyware or adware on your computer, you know how frustrating it can be – strange things happening, your homepage changing, inappropriate popups, unfamiliar icons…
What exactly is spyware or adware?

Simply, files that are often downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge (or at least without you knowing what they really are).

Unfortunately, many of these programs “sneak” their way onto your computer, so avoiding them entirely is difficult, especially if you spend a lot of time on your computer, surfing the Internet and downloading new programs and files.

Fortunately, there are ways to remove these unwanted files from your computer.

Here are 2 adware/spyware removal programs that are simple to use (and both are free):

Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/

Spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Why does adware/spyware continue to be such a problem? Because most of these programs make money for the people creating and spreading them, unfortunately. So, all we can do is try to avoid them as much as possible, and to remove them when they do find their way onto our computers.

If you do find spyware on your computer, don’t panic. In many cases, you just have some extra “junk” on your computer. But keeping spywaer and adware off of your computer will help it run more quickly and efficiently.

4) Uninstalling Old & Unused Programs

While uninstalling old, unused programs will help speed up your computer, removing the wrong files can cause you some big problems. So, please proceed carefully. And if you are not comfortable, please ask for help from someone you know who is more knowledgeable.

Most programs that you download simply have an “uninstall” feature that comes with them. If you’re like me and you download a lot of free programs or free trials, after a while your computer begins to slow down. That means it’s time for me to remove some of the old programs I don’t use any more (and most I only used once just to see how they work).

To uninstall unused programs from your computer, first click on the Start button on the bottom left, then Programs, then click on the name of the program and Uninstall. If there is no uninstall option, then click on the Start button on the bottom left, then Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs.

Again, if you are unsure whether or not to remove a program, it is best to leave it.

If you follow these instructions, you should find your computer working faster right away.

5) Get A High Speed Internet Connection

If you spend a lot of time on the internet, a high speed internet connection is a must. It is more expensive, but for most people the savings in time and effort is worth the added expense.

There are several advantages of having a high speed internet connection – faster surfing, web pages open more quickly, files download faster, and if you send or receive large files, like pictures or video, trying to open these files with a slower dialup connection is extremely frustrating!

If you’re already spending $20 a month or more for your dialup connection (through your phone line) then you’ll find DSL to be comparable in price, and a lot faster.

A cable internet connection might cost a little more, but it is usually the fastest type of internet connection you can get from home.

High speed wireless connections are available for those who travel a lot. And high speed satellite internet is available in areas where other options are not (check your options first, as this is the most expensive high speed connection).

That’s all the tips for increasing your computer speed and helping your computer run more efficiently. We hope you found these tips helpful!

Kris Bickell is the owner of Hi-Speed-Internet.com, a helpful site for consumers comparing high speed internet services. For information on high speed DSL, Cable, and Wireless Internet, visit: http://www.Hi-Speed-Internet.com, and sign up for the free email course “5 Simple Ways To Increase Your Computer Speed”. © 2005 Hi-Speed-Internet.com

While computers are now an important part of the lives of human beings, there was a time where computers did not exist. Knowing the history of computers and how much progression has been made can help you understand just how complicated and innovative the creation of computers really is.

Unlike most devices, the computer is one of the few inventions that does not have one specific inventor. Throughout the development of the computer, many people have added their creations to the list required to make a computer work. Some of the inventions have been different types of computers, and some of them were parts required to allow computers to be developed further.

The Beginning

Perhaps the most significant date in the history of computers is the year 1936. It was in this year that the first “computer” was developed. It was created by Konrad Zuse and dubbed the Z1 Computer. This computer stands as the first as it was the first system to be fully programmable. There were devices prior to this, but none had the computing power that sets it apart from other electronics.

It wasn’t until 1942 that any business saw profit and opportunity in computers. This first company was called ABC computers, owned and operated by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry. Two years later, the Harvard Mark I computer was developed, furthering the science of computing.

Over the course of the next few years, inventors all over the world began to search more into the study of computers, and how to improve upon them. Those next ten years say the introduction of the transistor, which would become a vital part of the inner workings of the computer, the ENIAC 1 computer, as well as many other types of systems. The ENIAC 1 is perhaps one of the most interesting, as it required 20,000 vacuum tubes to operate. It was a massive machine, and started the revolution to build smaller and faster computers.

The age of computers was forever altered by the introduction of International Business Machines, or IBM, into the computing industry in 1953. This company, over the course of computer history, has been a major player in the development of new systems and servers for public and private use. This introduction brought about the first real signs of competition within computing history, which helped to spur faster and better development of computers. Their first contribution was the IBM 701 EDPM Computer.

A Programming Language Evolves

A year later, the first successful high level programming language was created. This was a programming language not written in ‘assembly’ or binary, which are considered very low level languages. FORTRAN was written so that more people could begin to program computers easily.

The year 1955, the Bank of America, coupled with Stanford Research Institute and General Electric, saw the creation of the first computers for use in banks. The MICR, or Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, coupled with the actual computer, the ERMA, was a breakthrough for the banking industry. It wasn’t until 1959 that the pair of systems were put into use in actual banks.

During 1958, one of the most important breakthroughs in computer history occurred, the creation of the integrated circuit. This device, also known as the chip, is one of the base requirements for modern computer systems. On every motherboard and card within a computer system, are many chips that contain information on what the boards and cards do. Without these chips, the systems as we know them today cannot function.

Gaming, Mice, & the Internet

For many computer users now, games are a vital part of the computing experience. 1962 saw the creation of the first computer game, which was created by Steve Russel and MIT, which was dubbed Spacewar.

The mouse, one of the most basic components of modern computers, was created in 1964 by Douglass Engelbart. It obtained its name from the “tail” leading out of the device.

One of the most important aspects of computers today was invented in 1969. ARPA net was the original Internet, which provided the foundation for the Internet that we know today. This development would result in the evolution of knowledge and business across the entire planet.

It wasn’t until 1970 that Intel entered the scene with the first dynamic RAM chip, which resulted in an explosion of computer science innovation.

On the heels of the RAM chip was the first microprocessor, which was also designed by Intel. These two components, in addition to the chip developed in 1958, would number among the core components of modern computers.

A year later, the floppy disk was created, gaining its name from the flexibility of the storage unit. This was the first step in allowing most people to transfer bits of data between unconnected computers.

The first networking card was created in 1973, allowing data transfer between connected computers. This is similar to the Internet, but allows for the computers to connect without use of the Internet.

Household PC’s Emerge

The next three years were very important for computers. This is when companies began to develop systems for the average consumer. The Scelbi, Mark-8 Altair, IBM 5100, Apple I and II, TRS-80, and the Commodore Pet computers were the forerunners in this area. While expensive, these machines started the trend for computers within common households.

One of the most major breathroughs in computer software occurred in 1978 with the release of the VisiCalc Spreadsheet program. All development costs were paid for within a two week period of time, which makes this one of the most successful programs in computer history.

1979 was perhaps one of the most important years for the home computer user. This is the year that WordStar, the first word processing program, was released to the public for sale. This drastically altered the usefulness of computers for the everyday user.

The IBM Home computer quickly helped revolutionize the consumer market in 1981, as it was affordable for home owners and standard consumers. 1981 also saw the the mega-giant Microsoft enter the scene with the MS-DOS operating system. This operating system utterly changed computing forever, as it was easy enough for everyone to learn.

The Competition Begins : Apple vs. Microsoft

Computers saw yet another vital change during the year of 1983. The Apple Lisa computer was the first with a graphical user interface, or a GUI. Most modern programs contain a GUI, which allows them to be easy to use and pleasing for the eyes. This marked the beginning of the out dating of most text based only programs.

Beyond this point in computer history, many changes and alterations have occurred, from the Apple-Microsoft wars, to the developing of microcomputers and a variety of computer breakthroughs that have become an accepted part of our daily lives. Without the initial first steps of computer history, none of this would have been possible.

About The Author

Rebecca Blain is a professional hobbyist writer who enjoys taking care of her fish and educating people about how to build your own computer which you can learn about here: http://www.build-your-own-computer-tips.com

So you’ve finally decided it’s time for a change. No matter
what advice you follow that old work horse of a desktop
computer you have has outlived its usefulness with slow
loading applications and a continuous rise in operation
noise.

Searching for that Perfect Computer can be about as much fun
as purchasing a new car and about as frustrating also when
sorting through the various brands while trying to decide
which “bells and whistles” best fit your needs. Besides all
that trying to return something that is so large can be both
inconvenient and very difficult to do. So making the right
decision the FIRST time is the wise path of choice.

For starters you’ll need to decide what you want to do with
your computer. Are you into the video game scene or are you
someone who likes to just surf the internet and occasionally
do some book keeping with simple word processing software?

If you’re into video games you’re going to want a machine
that can handle the high level of graphics and superior
sound quality. On the other hand if you’re not into all
that high adrenalin stuff you can probably get by with a
less expensive system. Although, if you want to stay on the
safe side I would recommend going with something more
“high-end” so you don’t have to spend another large chunk of
change to upgrade the system you just bought.

There are two basic routes you can take when purchasing a
new computer.

1) Purchase a “Brand Name” Computer
2) Purchase a “Clone” Computer

A “BRAND-NAME” computer is one that is manufactured by a
company that is recognizable by name.

Some Advantages/Disadvantages of “Brand-Name” computers
include:

Advantages:

Customer Support- If you are experiencing problems with your
computer you will have the option to contact a
representative of the company that you purchased the PC from
to get help in solving your problem.

Customer support is probably the best reason to buy a
brand-name computer.

Warranty- Having a warranty is always nice since it acts as
a type of security blanket for you.

In case a part on your computer should fail you should be
able to get the item fixed at no charge just as long as the
warranty has not expired.

Read and understand a company’s warranty policy BEFORE you
purchase a computer from them.

This way you’ll have a good understanding of the procedures
to follow in case a problem should arise.

Pre-installed Software- Many companies will include software
packages that are all set up and ready to go for you on your
computer.

Although, a disadvantage of buying a brand-name computer
with software pre-installed is that you usually end up with
more than fits your needs and usually just results with the
wasting of space on your storage device.

Additional Support- Most brand-name computer companies are
also able to provide you with web sites that may provide you
with current software updates, user manuals, or basic
troubleshooting help.

Disadvantages

The use of Proprietary parts- the term Proprietary refers to
products that are unique to an individual company and that
company only.

So if a part was to malfunction on your computer after
warranty and you needed to replace it you could not just go
to your local computer store and purchase any old part even
if it was intended for the same function as the item that
failed.

You would be forced to buy the exact same item that came out
of the computer or else the computer would more than likely
cease to function correctly.

Having to buy proprietary parts usually involves the need to
place an order which means you’ll have to wait for the part
to arrive or you’ll have to send your computer into the
company or an authorized dealer of that company for
repairs.

People with a home based business would probably not be too
happy with that situation at all.

Integrated/On-board parts- In the computer world when you
hear the word integrated or on-board it means that a
particular part such as the modem or sound port where you
plug in your speakers, is built-in or part of the computer
main board (Also known as the Motherboard).

This means that if any of these items should fail, you can’t
just remove them from the computer and replace them with a
new part. They are usually soldered directly to the main
board and are stuck there.

Although, some computers do provide a way to disable a
malfunctioning device which will allow you to install your
own store bought device to take the place of the broken
part.

From a computer technicians point of view this is not always
easy to do.

It just depends on what brand of computer you currently
have. Meaning some are easier to work on than others.

A “CLONE” computer is a clone or a copy of its brand-name
counterpart with the exception that instead of company
specific or proprietary parts, the items used to make a
clone computer are from several different companies instead
of only one.

Let’s say that if you were to go to a local company that
builds “clone” computers, and you tell them what you need,
chances are they don’t use parts that are specific to only
that type of computer like the brand-name computer companies
do.

This is a good thing because it means that they will
probably use components that are interchangeable with many
different brands and are easy to come by if needed.

Some Advantages/Disadvantages of “Clone” computers include:

Advantages:

Cost- compared to brand-name computers the clone will
generally be easier on your pocket book when purchasing one
with similar features as its brand-name counterpart.

This is most likely due to the money that is saved by not
offering the high-end customer service. Although, that may
not be the only reason for the lower prices.

Easily Accessible Replacement Parts- Since the clone
computer was built with parts that are not any one company
specific, you can buy parts for the clone computer that can
be used even if the brand is different from the one that was
in the computer when you originally bought it.

NOTE: Before you buy any parts, it is necessary to make sure
that the replacement parts are compatible with your
particular computers system requirements.

Either consult the manual that should have came with your
computer or get help from a knowledgeable friend or repair
person.

Disadvantages:

Warranties- Unless you purchase a service plan you will
typically not have as an attractive warranty as you would
with a brand-name computer company.

Whatever you do just make sure you understand how long the
warranty is for and as to what kind of repairs the warranty
covers before you make the purchase.

Customer Support- With brand-name computer companies you are
usually provided with a 24-hour toll free number that you
can call if you have questions or concerns with your
computer.

Clone computers are more than likely not going to have a
24-hour help service, but rather you will be forced to only
be able to call during regular business hours.

Also, it is more than likely that there will not be any one
website that you can go to in order to find out information
concerning troubleshooting questions you may have.

For service it may be necessary to take the computer back to
the store that you bought it at or you may have to do some
research on the individual parts that went into the computer
and visit the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting
tips.

Finally, if all else fails you can certainly take what you
have learned from this article and being that you know what
you need now, but don’t know where to go and get that
“Perfect Computer”, the best resource at your disposal are
the very men and woman that work at your local electronics
shop.

It is their duty to help you get hold of that “Perfect
Computer” that best fits your needs. All you need to do is
tell them what you plan on using that computer for and they
should be more than happy to help you from there.

Dan devotes much time working on his internet ventures. He currently has a T-Shirt store at http://www.cafepress.com/giftsandtshirts and an ebook store at http://online-book-store.net that caters to his visitors.