Computer Upgrades: Hard Drives, Part 1

Hard Drives can be an easy computer upgrade.

My computer repair company services thousands of PCs each year.  In my experience, there are some constants: no one’s computer or Internet speed is ever fast enough and all hard drives will eventually fail.

Hard drives physically fail more than any other internal component: no surprise, given it’s the workhorse of your PC or laptop.  This data-storage and data-retrieval device consists of one or more “hard” discs that spins really fast and a read/write spindle that accesses and records data on the disc.  I liken it to a record player (remember those?).  Now ponder that the ability of your system to boot up, run Mine Sweeper, and give you access to your precious data is resting on this somewhat tenuous structure.

As with every internal component in a computer, manufacturers have developed a series of acronyms and codes to describe everything from size, to speed, to capacity.  While I can’t tell you why the industry seems devoted to confusing consumers, I can help breakdown the specifications so that when the day comes to replace your drive (see how I say that as an inevitability?) you’ll be prepared.

Form Factor: This is the physical dimension of the hard drive.  The most popular size is 3.5 inches – the standard size for desktop (tower) PCs.  Laptop hard drives are typically 2.5 inches.  Hard drives that are physically larger accommodate more storage space while the smaller drives consume less power and produce less heat, key factors in the notebook environment.

Capacity: Anyone familiar with computer-speak has probably heard of "megabytes" and "gigabytes," possibly even "terabytes," but it’s hard to guess how much space you’ll really need.  Documents and device drivers don't take up much space.  You can store 150-200 high-quality photos in 1 GB.  A standard-definition DVD takes about 2-5GB.  The main wild card is if you take a lot of high definition home videos, as the higher the quality of the image, the larger the file.  HD content can eat up hard drive space quickly and it will vary with the length of video.  If you're a "gamer," you’ll probably need lots of space for the data-heavy files that make big games run smoothly.  I typically tell the average user not to upgrade capacity beyond the standard 500GB drive likely to come installed in a new PC, but these days it depends on your photography habits.

RPM: Just like with your car, this means revolutions per minute.  As you’d expect, the faster your drive’s RPM, the less time it takes your computer to access stored data.  Higher RPM may sound nice, especially when you've dealt with slower computers in the past, but keep in mind that it comes with a price.  Higher RPMs can equate to louder-sounding machines and more heat generation (and thus less energy efficiency).  They can also fail more often, given that they're living under a higher-stress environment.  The average desktop user should be comfortable with a 7,200 RPM hard drive, though speeds in the industry can go as high as 15,000 RPM.  Laptop users will find 5,400 RPM to be more typical.

Cache: Cache is a small area of faster memory within the hard drive used as a buffer between the CPU, memory (RAM) and hard drive.  Think of it like a carryon bag – the bigger it is, the more stuff you can get to quickly without having to dig into your suitcase.  You'll typically find cache sizes of 2MB, 8MB and 16MB in the standard 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch drives.  Larger cache size equates to faster performance and tends to cost more.

Stay tuned next week for the lowdown on the next generation of hard drives for a computer upgrade: solid state drives and hybrid drives.  Is it worth the cost to upgrade?  You’ll have to wait and see!

Why You Should Upgrade Windows NOW!

Upgrade Windows now, seriously, we can wait...started yet...?

Your computer’s operating system is the most integral part of how your machine functions. It determines how you view and launch programs, how stable software runs, and how your desktop looks and functions. Whether you’re nursing a trusty Windows XP machine or have resigned yourself to living with Vista, the prospect of "upgrade windows" can be daunting. There are a number of reasons to consider making the leap.

Let’s face it, change isn’t always good. Anyone using Windows Vista can attest to that. It seems Microsoft is doomed to release a dud every decade; before Vista it was ME (Millennium Edition). No one would blame you for being wary of Windows 7, but it’s legit – I promise. If you’re one of the millions that still haven’t made the leap to Windows 7, here is why you should consider a windows upgrade:


New software programs are written for Windows 7. If you haven’t already found a program that isn’t compatible with your older operating system, that day is coming. Every piece of hardware that runs on your machine, from internal components like graphics cards to external components like monitors and printers, have software (known as “drivers”) that allows it to be recognized by your operating system. When the time comes to replace a piece of supporting hardware, you may find that there are not drivers to make it run on your machine.

Many users that are resistant to upgrading windows live with annoying errors and system crashes. These are often caused by bugs that are no longer a priority for Microsoft to fix, or incompatibility between a newer software program or device and your older operating system. Upgrading windows will typically fix these glitches.

More and more programmers are moving to Windows 7’s 64-bit architecture. Comparing XP’s 32-bit to 64-bit is like comparing a go-cart to a car. Both get you where you need to go, eventually, but the car will be more stable, faster and last you longer.

You may be wondering why I’d suggest you move to Windows 7 when Windows 8 is slated to release before the end of the year. When it comes to Microsoft operating systems, there’s no prize for being an early adopter. Windows 8 is dramatically different from all previous versions of Windows in appearance and functionality, being more like the interface you may be used to seeing on a mobile touch screen device (think, tablet or Smartphone). There are inevitably going to be early holes and bugs. Why give yourself the headache of finding them for Microsoft?

Finally, there is a small risk that the release of Windows 8 will make it harder to upgrade to Windows 7. When Microsoft released Vista it immediately stopped shipping XP. Consumer anger eventually persuaded them to allow Dell and other distributors to offer buyers a choice between XP and Vista when buying new machines, but if they follow the same model with Windows 8 you may miss out on the stability of Windows 7 if your system requires upgrading after the release of the new OS.

Cyber bullying: What It's All About

Cyber Bullying - What the heck is it?

As a computer repair company we feel a responsibility, not just to fix computers, but to also be a positive influence in the world of technology. These days we spend more of our lives online than ever before and our kids are certainly no exception. Parents and caregivers hear more and more about the risks our kids are exposed to on the internet and it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the flood of risks and tips. One question we get over and over from parents is how to protect their family from cyber bullying. In this 2-part series, we'll explain the lingo and give you some tools to arm your kids in cyber-land so you can protect them even when you're not with them.

There are so many terms that refer to online abuses; it can be hard to keep them straight. "Cyber bullying" is harassing or intimidating someone over the internet through mediums such as email, instant messaging, social networking sites (e.g. Facebook and MySpace) and cell phones. There are several types of cyber bullying:

Flaming and Trolling - sending or posting hostile messages intended to '93inflame'94 the emotions of others.

Happy-Slapping - recording someone being harassed or bullied in a way that usually involves physical abuse, then posting the video online for public viewing.

Identity Theft/Impersonation - stealing someone's password and/or hijacking their online accounts to send or post incriminating or humiliating pictures, videos or information.

Photoshopping - doctoring digital images so that the main subject is placed in a compromising or embarrassing situation.

Physical Threats - sending messages that involve threats to a person'92s physical safety.

Rumor Spreading - spreading gossip through e-mail, text, or social networking sites.

Cell Phones Risks: A recent study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project (www.pewinternet.org) shows that teens (ages 12-17) use text messaging to communicate with their friends more than e-mail or instant messaging. "Sexting" is a sexually-explicit text or picture message sent by one minor to another. According to Pew, only about 4% of the teens they surveyed say they have sent sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude image of themselves to someone via text message; however, 15% have received one, and older teens are more likely to be the recipient.

Online Gaming: Online gaming allows your child to communicate with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of other people inside a giant chat room (which is not always bad, in fact we have also talked about the positive effects of gaming here). The anonymity can provide your child with some safeguards - if they don't tell anyone who they are then no one is likely to target them. However, they can leave themselves pretty exposed if they share too much personal information, or get too emotionally invested in the game. These games often have a competitive aspect to them, from fighting with other players for in-game items to "killing" other players, sometimes extremely realistically. Bullies may feel empowered to be mean and can go to extreme lengths to follow another player around, mock them, repeatedly "kill" them or spam them with nasty messages.

Social Networking, Email and Instant Messaging: Children sometimes forget that what they share or post can be forwarded just as instantly as it was received, setting themselves up as a potential target if they share private information. Some kids intentionally post or share intimate details of their lives because they believe it will help them gain popularity. This can leave them a prime target for a cyber bullying.

read part2

With all the ways they're potentially exposed to danger, should you just unplug and live off-grid? Next week we will share our tips and tricks to help keep your kids safe online. In the meantime, drop us a note on Facebook or email us at nerdchick@callnerds.com for help with your family's cyber situation.

photo by: cc511

Facebook's Timeline? Take control now

I've been dragging my heels about adopting Timeline, the Facebook profile introduced in September. I haven't wanted to accept that my comfy, familiar profile will soon be gone for good. But there's no delaying anymore: Facebook announced last week that "over the next few weeks, everyone will get Timeline."

Instead of waiting for Timeline to be sprung on you, I'd suggest that you jump in now and spend a few hours on www.facebook.com/about/timeline. Watch the tutorial video. Then click the "Get Timeline" button to get started, which I find preferable to logging in one day to a different layout.

Timeline makes sense. It aims to present your life in chronology, compiling your manual entries and status updates, threading them with photos and videos. Think of it as a huge digital photo album chronicling your life, with all the things you've posted to Facebook over the years. Your "News Feed" remains unchanged, so you can see your friends' status updates just as you're used to.

Timeline changes only the layout, not your privacy settings or options.

Once you switch to Timeline, you can't go back.

You'll have seven days to review what will be presented to your friends before it goes live -- unless you choose to have it go live sooner. During this time, you can fill out your timeline with important events, modify your entries and photos, and adjust settings on anything dredged up from your past that you don't want to make public. If you don't want your boss perusing the photos from your best friend's bachelorette party, you can hide them from your timeline or set their privacy settings to close friends only. Depending on how much you've shared on Facebook, this may be time consuming.

Instead of just having a profile picture, you can choose a "cover" image to set the theme for your profile page. It stretches across the top of your profile, and you can change it whenever you like.

Your Timeline appears below your cover, chronologically showing major events you've logged on your profile, photos, status updates and activities. You can jump to a specific year, or keep scrolling to see your Facebook life in one super-long, detailed page.

Expand a story by hovering over it and clicking on the star button in the upper right corner. Hide or delete it entirely by clicking on the pencil image. Add important events right where you want them on your Timeline, or insert additional status updates to explain photos or events that need context.

Apps linked to your account will show your recent activity, so the details of your last run, places you've visited, what you've watched on Neflix or listened to on Spotify will show up on your Timeline if you've linked them to your Facebook account. The same goes for game updates.

If scrolling through your whole Timeline seems daunting, use the "Activity Log" -- a quick preview page that lets you see everything you've posted to Facebook since you created your account.

You can control everything that is viewable on your Timeline, adding, removing, or hiding. Just don't work too hard trying to perfect your Timeline. Facebook will surely change again, just when you get used to the new version.

(Andrea Eldridge is CEO of Nerds on Call, which offers on-site computer and home theater set-up and repair. Based in Redding, Calif., it has locations in five states. Contact Eldridge at www.callnerds.com/andrea.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)

Use Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest to follow the candidates

Nerds On Call: Getting Political

From 24-hour news streams to Facebook rants about hot-button issues, the Internet allows so many voices to shout that it can feel like a lot of noise. Yet it also allows the candidates to present themselves and what they stand for, communicating with constituents in a way that is unparalleled. I searched out where to go to see what they have to say, not what CNN, MSNBC or Fox News wants me to hear.

The best place to start is at each candidate’s website: Use the candidate’s name followed by .com (not .gov as I anticipated). You don’t have to enter your email address if you don’t want updates; just click “Enter the Website” or “Continue.” Read updates from the campaign trail, choose to follow them via Facebook or Twitter and, if you’re inspired, you can make a donation or volunteer. Learn about their stances on topics that are important to you so you can make a more informed decision at the polls.

If you’re one of the more than 900 million people who regularly log on to Facebook, consider following your candidate of choice, or both if you’re undecided, by “liking” their page. You’ll get regular updates posted to your newsfeed and have the opportunity to join the debate among the more than 26 million following President Barack Obama or roughly 2 million following former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. You can even personally message the candidates — I’d love to hear if you get a reply!


YouTube allows the opposing camps to post videos describing where they stand on issues, motivating followers or bashing the other side’s position. You can also view ads if, like me, you use your DVR to skip them during your primetime TV watching.
Pinterest profiles are image-heavy and primarily focused on personal interest. For example, each candidate’s page maintains links to recipes. Romney’s page is run by his wife, Ann. This medium appears to be the candidate’s way to connect with constituents on a more day-to-day level, centering on family, personal lives and behind-the-scenes photos from the campaign trail.

When politics are involved, it’s difficult to tell fact from fiction when perusing the latest sound bites. Enter Politifact (www.politifact.com), a Pulitzer Prize-winning website run by the Tampa Bay Times. It claims to be your nonpartisan fact-checker when it comes to just about every public political statement out there. The “Truth-O-Meter” lets you browse by subject or truthfulness, from True to “Pants on Fire,” with links supporting their judgment of accuracy. The mobile application lets you track the progress of the campaign, even after it’s over, to see if the winner follows through on his promises once elected.

If you spend more time on your smartphone than your computer, Pulse (www.pulse.me, free) allows you to set up a custom reading list of RSS feeds, from news sites like Fox News or The Wall Street Journal, to your favorite blogs. Politico (www.politico.com, free) delivers late-breaking headlines, analysis and opinions about the 2012 elections to your mobile device. You can even download content to your phone, in case your connection’s sketchy.

4 Secrets Online Job Hunting

How To: Online Job Hunting

If you're one of the millions of Americans looking for work, the Internet can be a key resource, albeit a daunting one. Spend time searching through Monster.com online job listings, and you may even argue that the Internet is counter-productive to your job hunt. However, a discussion paper written in September 2011 for The Institute for the Study of Labor in Bonn, Germany, found that Internet job searching "reduces individual workers' unemployment durations by about 25 percent."

Here's how to use the Web to connect with the right people for your job hunt.  Ironically, the best time to prepare for looking for a job online is before you're unemployed. If you've established a connection with others in your field, or those in the field or company you wish you worked for, you won't be scrambling to find them when you need them. But don't despair -- it's never too late to (social) network your way to the connection that might hook you up with your next job.

BE Positive

First, regardless of the circumstances, never post negative comments about your past or present employer or co-workers. Words typed online stay there forever. You don't want to appear negative, catty or hard to work with to someone who may hold the key to your dream job.

BE Careful

Second, don't broadcast your newly unemployed status. It's much harder to get someone to connect with you when the only thing driving the connection is your desire for help. If you send out Facebook friend requests, be sure to include a personal message with why you'd like to connect -- something other than your hope that the person will help you find employment. If the cat is already out of the bag, try to present your situation in a positive light, such as highlighting the time you've been able to dedicate to perfecting a skill you feel makes you a great fit for their company.

BE Social

Determine those professional colleagues with whom you've bonded and add them to your social network through Facebook, Google Plus or Twitter. Touch base with these contacts frequently through "liking" their posts or commenting on them. If you stay on their radar, they're more likely to know who you are and think of you in a positive light when the time comes to ask for a recommendation.

While existing social networks are a good place to start, consider LinkedIn, a professional networking resource that allows you to stay connected with colleagues (past and present), others in your industry and personal contacts that may know helpful people in your field. It's free to establish a profile, but a monthly fee applies for some services, such as getting in touch with hiring managers through their network and access to professionals who provide advice related to your online job search.

LinkedIn allows you to create a resume-like profile listing your work experience and maintain a collection of personal recommendations. Take advantage of this. Offer to write recommendations for friends and colleagues, and ask them to reciprocate before you fall out of touch. Search your network for links to a company or industry to find out if, for example, your college roommate is connected to the head of sales at your dream company. This mutual contact may be your "foot in the door."

BE Specific

Finally, use the Internet to your advantage. Instead of sending a resume "to whom it may concern," search a company's website for a specific contact in the appropriate department. Try to connect with them personally in a friendly, non-aggressive manner. If the company has a RSS feed or a LinkedIn page, subscribe to it. This may let you see when people retire or change positions, giving you an inside link to possible online job openings.

Photo used by permission: Robert S. Donovan

Computer Repair: What to buy now that can save you later

Computer repair savings, what to buy now, and what you can pass on.

By: Andrea Eldridge CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, an on-site computer and laptop repair service company.

You don't have to buy the latest, top-of-the-line option every time you shop for technology. I know I risk being shunned by the nerd community for saying it, but there are times to splurge and times to save.

This doesn't apply to some people -- gamers, graphic designers, photographers and others -- with special requirements for their computers and gadgets. However, many computer users have a basic set of technology needs that can be met without shelling out a lot of money for the best of the best.

Surprisingly, you can shop for a deal on desktop or tower PCs. The parts are readily changeable from one tower to the next, so if something dies you can call a computer repair company to replace it without much difficulty. If you decide you need more RAM, it's an easy and relatively inexpensive process to upgrade. Limit your bargain shopping to a reputable computer manufacturer, such as Dell or HP, so you get a year's warranty. Because most hardware failure caused by poor craftsmanship occurs in the first year, this will ensure you aren't stuck with a dud.

Spend your desktop tower savings on getting the best monitor you can afford. Because it's the part of your system you'll stare at day in and day out, monitor size and quality will have a far greater impact on your computing enjoyment than a somewhat faster processor. Splurge on the biggest high-definition screen you can afford and fit in your space.

Before you buy, check out pros and cons on professional tech review sites such as CNet or PCWorld. User reviews from sites like Amazon and Newegg reveal problems that may arise after extended use.

Unfortunately, you can't cut corners when shopping for a laptop. Aim to get the best hardware you can afford.

Because a laptop's compact, internal parts -- such as fans and input ports -- are often specific to the machine, a laptop may require custom orders, in many cases direct from the manufacturer. This makes laptop computer repair more costly and the upgrades can be expensive too.

A laptop's portability makes it more likely to get banged around, so it's important to get high quality, durable materials. Pay attention to screen quality and buy as much RAM, processor speed and battery life you can. Upgrade now so you get as much life as possible from your machine.

Shopping for a laptop? Using the words "iPad" and "bargain" in the same sentence may seem like an oxymoron. But because a tablet is an entertainment device; you don't need the latest and greatest. Now that the third-generation iPad has been released, you can get an iPad2 for $100 less, and it's substantially the same. You may not notice the improved screen quality as much as that extra money in the bank.

Big-box retailers make their money on cables. That's why they're prominently displayed near the cash register: They're like fruity cocktails at a restaurant -- they're marked up several hundred times. But the truth is, there's negligible difference between a $5 cable purchased online from a site like monoprice.com, and a $50 cable you get off the shelf at Best Buy. Save your money.

[transcript]Buying the latest technology can be tough and expensive, especially when a new more advanced version seems to pop every day. Ken is with one of our resident nerds right now, and they'll tell us when to save and when to splurge on technology.

Ken: Thank you, Marianne. I'm standing by with Andrea of Nerds On Call. Good to see you again. How are you?

Andrea: Good. How about you?

Ken: I'm fantastic. I'm going to embarrass you for a second so get ready.

Andrea: Of course.

Ken: Can you step aside just for a second?

Andrea: Step aside?

Ken: Okay. Look how amazing this lady looks. She had a baby three months ago. Her daughter Isabelle is three months old today. She looks fantastic. You look awesome, Sugar.

Andrea: Thank you. Thank you.

Ken: All right. Okay. Now enough of that nonsense. All right. This is all about when to save and when to splurge. And people kind of don't know when to do that, especially when we're talking about these high tech gadgets.

Andrea: Absolutely. Yes. And everybody thinks you have to buy the top of the line. And you would expect me to tell you you have to buy top of the line. And I should probably give the little caveat, which is I know there are people with special circumstances.

Ken: Right.

Andrea: If you're an engineer, if you are a graphic designer, you're going to need some specific equipment.

Ken: Right.

Andrea: But this for the rest of us.

Ken: Okay.

Andrea: The rest of us that can get away with saving some money. When it comes to a desktop tower PC, you actually do not have to buy top of the line.

Ken: Really?

Andrea: You can save. The parts inside this are pretty interchangeable, so you can upgrade later if you need to. And if a piece dies, you can pull it out and replace it pretty easily because it's got so much space to work with. So save on your desktop. Just find the best bargain that you can for the money that you can spend. What you're going to want to spend your money on in this type of a setup is actually going to be on your monitor. Your monitor is going to be where you're going to notice everyday what you're looking at, size and clarity of image, so spend the money on your monitor. Save on your tower.

Ken: Okay.

Andrea: So that will be your save and your splurge. Now, when it comes to a laptop, that's actually not the case. With a laptop, it's an all-in-one unit. It's a little bit more expensive to fix, to upgrade later. You're going to want spend the money now. This is going to be your splurge item. Not to mention it's an all-inclusive unit, so your screen is all part of the same device. So you kind of need to make sure that you get something good from the beginning. And you are also going to be banging it around a little bit more. It's a laptop so it's in your bag. It's out traveling with you. So you want something that's durable and that's going to last you.

Ken: A lot of folks would think that the iPad would be a splurge item.

Andrea: You know, the reality is when it comes to tablets, nobody "needs" a tablet. I know. I know. I know it's hard to say.

Ken: Cody is not here, right? Cody is not here, is he? Okay. Cody, block your ears.

Andrea: For the most part, it's an entertainment device, so really, you don't want to spend for top of the line item. My recommendation with the iPad is actually, since they just came out with the third generation iPad, it's the perfect time to get an iPad 2.

Ken: Exactly.

Andrea: There is not a huge difference between the two versions right now for the basic user, if you're using it for entertainment. And you can actually, it's the only time you can save with an Apple device, is when they come out with a new one.

Ken: Exactly.

Andrea: So now is the time and save if you can. Just try and remember that it's an entertainment device and it's for fun.

Ken: Now, I would think that with your connecting cables, you would need to go high end to make sure that you don't interrupt your connection. You always have a nice strong connection. No?

Andrea: You would think that, but you know what I liken cables to are the fruity drinks of the technology industry. It's really where a lot of big-box retailers make their money. These cables cost, like, $2, but you buy them off the shelf at a big-box retailer and you're spending $20 to $50. They are the same, really. You don't need the gold plating. I promise you'll be OK.

Ken: All right. That's going to do it. We're going to send, put most of this information on GoodDaySacramento.com, link it to Show Info. Andrea, thank you so much. Good to see you, and you look fantastic.

Andrea: Thanks. Thank you.

Ken: Tell Baby Isabelle we said hello.

Andrea: Absolutely.

Ken: That's Nerds On Call. Marianne, back to you.

Marianne: Thanks. And if you need help from Nerds On Call, here is the phone number for them: (800) 919-NERD. They're just on the Carmichael/Sacramento line, 4315 Marconi Avenue.[/transcript]