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RAM (Random Access Memory)
To help increase performance of a sluggish PC, a complete system overhaul or
upgrade isn't always necessary. Upgrading your RAM (system memory) is one of the
simplest yet most cost-effective and gratifying upgrades you can make.
To ensure PC performance and stability, you
should have at least 1G of DDR2 RAM installed, and that laptops have at least
the same. If your system is below that minimum, it's time to consider an
upgrade. And even if your system meets the minimum recommendation, more RAM
always comes in handy and is a solid investment for the future of your PC.
Here are some quick facts and figures about RAM and memory upgrades:
What is RAM? (And why more is better)
Simply put, RAM (or Random Access Memory) is a set of chips that provides the
working environment for your PC. It keeps files and applications readily
available so you can quickly access them without constantly reading your hard
drive. Essentially, the more RAM you have, the more applications you can run
simultaneously, the more items you can open at once, and the better the
performance of memory-hogging activities like heavy-duty graphics or video
production or database crunching.
Running applications and files from RAM is fast and puts less strain on
your hard drive. Over time, high disk activity will misalign and fragment data
and eventually wear out your hard drive. More RAM helps keep disk activity to a
minimum and extends the life of your hard drive.
Inside your PC, RAM is organized in banks and
normally installed in pairs to take advantage of the extra speed of 'dual
channel' type memory.
Upgrading produces cost-effective results
Upgrading your RAM produces instant results in your PC's performance, and
it's generally not an expensive upgrade. Prices vary depending on the type of
memory in your machine consult your manual to determine what type of memory you
have before going shopping.
In general, it's a good idea to consider a RAM upgrade if you're
considering software upgrades and additions to your system which may require increased RAM
for example:
- Upgrading the Operating System
-
Installing new software
- Adding multimedia adapters or peripherals (Digital camera, scanner etc)
- Networking your PC
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Why Defragment Your Hard Drive?
When you first loaded files onto your new hard disk, they weren't fragmented.
Each whole file followed the last in consecutive disk clusters, lowest to
highest. Your disk performance was never better.
When you began using those files -- changing them, adding and deleting
records and files -- they were broken into smaller and smaller pieces scattered
around the disk. That's because your system writes each new record into the
first empty slot it finds on the disk, even if it's nowhere near the rest of the
file.
So what? So, it takes longer to do your work. With every new file
fragment, your drive takes longer to access the file, because of more seek time
(for moving the drive's read/write heads between different cylinders) and
rotational delay (waiting for the right data to pass the Read/Write heads). Your
disk works harder accessing fragmented files, so applications run slower and the
disk's useful life is shortened.
Fragmentation can actually be dangerous for your files -- if a disk crash or
other disaster destroys your file allocation records, fragmented files may not
be recoverable.
Fragmentation degrades performance, increases disk wear-and-tear, and
threatens the integrity of your files. You'll be happier without it.
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Using Microsoft NetMeeting
Overview:
Microsoft NetMeeting is a FREE program that enables you to connect to others via
your IP Address (your computers specific identification). It is most
commonly used with the WebCams to transmit
live video. You can also transfer files, chat live or even invite several others
and hold a meeting right over the Internet.
Preliminary:
Before you start there are a couple of things to know.
- You must have NetMeeting installed. It comes free
with Logitech's Quickcam Express and most others. If not, it is a free
download from the internet at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/netmeeting/.
It is built into Windows Vista.
- You must be connected to the Internet to use NetMeeting
- Do not expect crystal clear video and expect to live with a
slight delay. It is not perfect but still very functional.
- You will need to know your IP Address of your computer (see
below)
- The person or persons you are talking to must also have
NetMeeting.
- There are two types of meetings. One on one where you and
one other person are connected and view each other as you talk. And a Meeting,
which is hosted by one person, (the only one that will be seen in the
NetMeeting video) where you Host a meeting and invite others to come.
This would come in handy if you wanted to hold a meeting or demonstration.
Remember others will be able to see you (but you will not be able to see
them)
Getting Started:
One on One: (Just you and one other
person)
- Open NetMeeting
- Find your IP Address by clicking on
the Help menu and About NetMeeting. This is key because
if you do not know your IP address no one will be able to find you on the
Internet! Write this down.
- Notify the person you wish to have the exchange video with
via phone or e-mail.
- Either have them call YOU or you call them (must know their
IP Address)
- For YOU to make the call....Click on Call then
New Call. (Or click on the telephone icon on the upper right.)
- Type in the IP Address of that person....click Call.
Wait ...it will say Waiting for response from.... Once the call is received
by the other party, their name will appear in the white box below the video
window...and shortly you should see their picture.
NOTE: If the Automatically Accept
Calls option is not selected (Call Menu), you MUST manually click on the
PLAY button with the little blue right arrow icon to start
transmission...otherwise they will never see you. This setting is up to you.
If you want them to see you as soon as they connect the choose the Auto
setting...if you want to control when the camera starts recording
you....then leave it unchecked.
- To end the call just click on the little telephone icon
with the red arrow pointing down to hang up.
NOTE: Now as a test have the other person call
YOU...so you will see what it looks like from the other side.
Conference Call (Meeting):
(You will host the meeting and invite more than one person)
- Open NetMeeting
- Find your IP Address by clicking on the Help menu
and About NetMeeting. This is key because if you do not know your IP
address no one will be able to find you on the Internet! Write this down.
- Click on Call / Host Meeting ...some options will
appear...select how you wish to control the meeting if at all....leave it as
it is for now for this example. Your name only will appear in the Name box
below.
- Notify the people you wish to have the video conference
with via phone or e-mail. Tell them your IP Address.
- As they join the meeting you will see their name appear in
the Name box along with yours....once everyone has joined click on Start
Video button (if you do not have the Automatically Accept Calls option
selected)
-
You now have a meeting started in which all others in the
meeting can see you (but you will not see them...only the black NetMeeting
default screen. At this point you can use the icons below the Name
window (all others will see everything you are doing) For example click on
the White Board (third from the left) and draw on the board...all
others in the group will have a White board pop up on their screen and see
everything you draw. Great for expressing a point or idea! Works the same
with the other icons...Chat (select a single person from the drop down
list to send a private message to...others will not see this). You can also Share
a file or files, or Transfer files to their computers while connected
to NetMeeting. Very useful and becoming a standard in the business
community, and a lot of fun for talking to family members far away or across
town!.
For more detailed information on usability issues or for downloading, see Microsoft's
NetMeeting website
Printable Version of NetMeeting
What is a USB
port
Short for
Universal Serial Bus,
a new external bus standard that supports data transfer rates of 12 Mbps (12
million bits per second). A single USB port can be used to connect up to
127 peripheral devices, such as mice, modems, and keyboards. USB also supports Plug-and-Play
installation and hot plugging (plugging into your computer without having
to shut down first).
Starting in 1996, a few computer manufacturers
started including USB support in their new machines. It wasn't until the release
of the iMac in 1998 that USB became widespread. It is expected to completely
replace serial and parallel ports altogether.
USB 2: A new, very fast external bus
standard that supports data transfer rates of up to 400
Mbps (400 million bits per second).
Products supporting the 1394 standard go under different names, depending
on the company. Apple, which originally developed the technology, uses the
trademarked name FireWire. Other companies use other names, such as i.link
and Lynx, to describe their 1394 products.
A single 1394 port can be used to connect up 63
external devices. In addition to its high speed, 1394 also supports isochronous
data -- delivering data at a guaranteed rate. This makes it ideal for
devices that need to transfer high levels of data in real-time, such as video
devices.
Although extremely fast and flexible, 1394 is
also expensive. Like USB, 1394 supports both Plug-and-Play and hot plugging, and
also provides power to peripheral devices. The main difference between 1394 and
USB is that 1394 supports faster data transfer rates and is more expensive. For
this reason, it is expected to be used mostly for devices that require large
throughputs, such as video cameras, whereas USB will be used to connect most
other peripheral devices.
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Q: Can you tell me how to
convert an MP3 file to a file that works in my usual CD player?
Music Match's pioneering software delivers
maximum bang for the buck and has a list of features a mile long. The basic
edition is free, or the complete version is only $29.95. You can record
your own MP3s, create your own custom CDs, find and download music with the
Music Match guide, play your own music, stream video, and organize your own
collection of music. Why go out to party when Music Match brings the party to
you?
Ripping CDs is simple. Just insert a CD in your
drive and let Music Match connect to the CD database. Usually all the CD
information, artist and song titles, are filled in and ready to go. When you've
finished ripping the CD, all you have to do is select which MP3s you want
converted to .wav files and take a break while the software does the conversion.
If you want to get those .wav files onto a CDR, fire up your CDR software and
select Audio CD (not Data CD) and start burning away.
For more in depth discussion on MP3 or if you're
in need of a step by step instructions, try visiting our MP3
guide.
What
does the "v.90" in the newer modems
A standard for 56-Kbps modems approved by the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in February, 1998. The V.90
standard resolves the battle between the two competing 56 Kbps technologies --
X2 from 3COM and K56flex from Rockwell Semiconductor. Both manufacturers have
announced that their future modems will conform to V.90. In addition, most users
who already purchased 56 Kbps modems will be able to apply a software upgrade to
make their modems support V.90.
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What an
"AMR" port?
Audio Modem Riser (AMR) is an Intel
specification created with the aim to "make integration of audio/modem
functions on to the motherboard easier by separating the analog I/O functions to
a riser card for the desktop platform, or a card for mobile". The most
common theory is that is was designed to avoid having to take up a PCI slot on
the mainboard for the modem, keeping it free for other devices.
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What
is a Decoder Card?
A device or program that translates encoded data
into its original format (e.g., it decodes the data). The term is often used in
reference to MPEG-2 video and sound data, which must be decoded before it
is output. Most DVD players, for example, include a decoder card whose
sole function is to decode MPEG data. It is also possible to decode MPEG data in
software, but this requires a powerful microprocessor.
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Should
I shut down my computer every night?
Despite the rumor that it is ok to never turn
your computer off the answer is an unequivocal, Yes. The reason? When Windows is
running, it is continually generating Temporary files. It utilizes these files
to operate however they are useless once the task that they are generated for is
complete. The only time that these files get purged, is during the
shutdown process. What happens if you never shut down? These files never
get deleted, you can accumulate thousands of these junk files
taking up valuable space on your hard drive not to mention slowing your PC
performance.
This is when you will
notice that your computer is starting to freeze up when it did not before. It
will run slower, applications are not as zippy as they used to be....well you
get the picture. So why wouldn't you shut your computer down to let it clean up
each night. It is good daily maintenance and it also gives your hard drive,
processor, fans etc a break extending the life of your beloved PC. Also see
Routing Maintenance
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Which
is fastest? Serial? Parallel? USB? Firewire? SCSI?
NOTE: 8
bits = 1 Byte, Kb = thousand bits, KB = thousand Bytes, Mb =
Million bits, 1MB = Million Bytes.
- Serial: 115Kb/sec (0.115Mb/sec)
- Standard Parallel: 115KB/sec (0.115MB/sec)
- USB: 12Mb/sec (1.5MB/sec)
- ECP/EPP Parallel: 3MB/sec
- IDE: 3.3 to 16.7MB/sec
- SCSI-1: 5MB/sec
- SCSI-2 (Fast SCSI, Fast Narrow SCSI): 10MB/sec
- Fast Wide SCSI (Wide SCSI): 20MB/sec
- Ultra SCSI (SCSI-3, Fast-20, Ultra Narrow):
20MB/sec
- UltraIDE: 33MB/sec
- Wide Ultra SCSI (Fast Wide 20): 40MB/sec
- Ultra2 SCSI: 40MB/sec
- IEEE-1394 Firewire: 400Mb/sec (12.5 to
50MB/sec)
- USB 2.0: 480Mbps
- Ultra ATA66 IDE: 66MB/sec
- Wide Ultra2 SCSI: 80MB/sec
- Ultra3 SCSI: 80MB/sec
- Wide Ultra3 SCSI: 160MB/sec
- FC-AL Fiber Channel: 100 to 400MB/sec
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Hard Drive:
Your hard drive is your "storage capacity". The
larger your hard drive the more stuff you can fit on your computer. Everything
in your computer, every keystroke, and every file you save is stored on the hard
drive. Once your hard drive gets full you may start to get errors or your system
may begin to freeze. If this happens it is time to call us to either replace
this drive with a bigger one, add one in addition to the one you already have
or, redistribute data across drive letters.
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Memory:
Your memory is how much "work area" your computer
has to work with at one time. It determines how many things you can have open at
once. This is where your computer puts everything while the work is in progress.
When you send a print job to the printer, it is held in memory until it comes
out of the printer. When you type a document, it is held in memory until you
save it. Naturally the more memory your computer has the faster it will become
as it has more work area to utilize more efficiently.
PDF Files
Adobe® Portable Document Format
(PDF) is the open de facto standard for electronic document distribution
worldwide. Adobe PDF is a universal file format that preserves all the fonts,
formatting, graphics, and color of any source document, regardless of the
application and platform used to create it. Adobe PDF files are compact and can
be shared, viewed, navigated, and printed exactly as intended by anyone with
free Adobe Acrobat®
Reader® software. You can convert any document to Adobe PDF format.
Partitions
 A
hard drive stores data on different sections of your hard drive. If you have
multiple drive letters (C+D+E) chances are your drive is cut into partitions
like the slices of a pie. In this case it is a good idea to store your system
files of the primary “C” drive, and your data on the “D” drive for
example. This way if your operating system crashes (always on the C drive) your
data is safe and sound on the “D”. Should you have to reload your operating
system it has no effect on your D drive. Just reload Win 98/2k/XP/Vista back to the C
drive and your data never moves.
Your data should be stored
separately from your system and program files if possible. If your drive is not
partitioned you have no choice other than to leave it on the C drive. If you are
having a system built by NTI we can partition the drive any way you like just
for the asking. It is a good way prevent accidental data loss. Ask us about
it...we will be happy to discuss it.
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