Keep Your Computer Up-to-Date
In 1982, the computer was voted Time magazine’s person of the year, a smart move on the part of Time editors who had the foresight to predict its future.
A poll that appeared in a January 1983 issue of the magazine showed that even back then, Americans believed computers would become as common as TV sets in the home, and that “the computer revolution will ultimately raise production and therefore living standards.” Not bad.
Little did they know that by 2008, 1 billion PCs would be installed around the world, and per Gartner Inc. statistics, this number is expected to double by 2014. It’s unlikely, however, that when the first personal computers were created, inventors envisaged that computers would become so advanced that the average user would feel the need to either purchase a new computer every 4 years or repeatedly upgrade and update their existing one.
The need to upgradeAs computers evolve, users seem to spend more time upgrading their systems than they did years ago. According to our resident tech expert, “Sam,” who wishes to remain anonymous because of his job, “More time is needed to tune up computers today because operating systems are more complex. Here are the differences:
Windows 95: 15 million lines of code
Windows 98: 18 million lines of code
Windows XP: 35 million lines of code
Windows Vista: 50 million lines of code
“It goes to show that as technology progresses and users are asking/receiving more features, the OS is becoming more complex,” Sam says.
How to keep your computer up-to-dateMost users upgrade their systems when they have slowed down to a crawl and their hard drives are cluttered with files and downloads. But tech experts recommend that if you’re not interested in trading in your computer for a new one just yet, it’s best to keep it running fast and smoothly by updating it.
Speed up your computer: Over time and daily use, your computer will eventually slow down if you ‘fill up’ the hard drive with excessive files and downloads or if your system has been infected with malware. One of the easiest ways to speed up your computer is to run programs which fix system errors and help make your PC run like new. This, helps your hard drive run faster by rearranging data to remove fragments.
Defrag the hard drive: Tech expert Sam recommends users defrag their hard drives every month. With everyday use, files become scattered on the drive. Defragging lines up and organizes these files in order so that your computer can access them more efficiently and quickly.
Add RAM: If you’re getting messages on your computer that your system is low on memory, it’s time to add more RAM (or Random Access Memory). This memory is necessary for your computer to perform its various functions. According to PCStats.com, “RAM provides a pallet that the computer can work from in normal operation, similar to our short-term memory. It holds information that is essential now but may or may not be transferred to long-term memory, depending on need.” Adding more RAM can be a complicated procedure for some, so it's best to refer to a computer technician.
Automatic updates: Tech experts recommend using Windows' automatic updates to patch security and application issues. These enhance your computer’s performance and security and help keep it up to date.
Avoid clutter: If you are a download junkie or online hoarder, your hard drive is probably filled to the brim and ready to burst, which slows your computer down. Delete unwanted folders and files, and run a program like "Computer Check up" which can clean up clutter and improve PC performance by cleaning and repairing registries that are rife with errors and system glitches.
Weighing the costsAccording to Sam, “Adding more RAM or even getting a larger hard drive will help improve a user's computer, but with limits. If a user has a 32-bit computer (which a user can find out on the Web by getting hardware specs on their particular model), the RAM limit is 4 gigabytes, which may sound like a lot but in 2010, it really is not. Adding more memory to a 32-bit system will buy some time, but the money will be better spent in investing in a new 64-bit computer, which supports 256 terabytes (256 gigabytes x 1000) of RAM. If the computer is more than 3 years old, perhaps it's time to start considering a new computer.”
If you're using your computer simply for Facebook, email, Flash-based games and the like, a PC upgrade probably isn't necessary unless a hardware problem occurs. But if you're running a home business or using multiple programs at once, perhaps a new machine would be more practical.
A poll that appeared in a January 1983 issue of the magazine showed that even back then, Americans believed computers would become as common as TV sets in the home, and that “the computer revolution will ultimately raise production and therefore living standards.” Not bad.
Little did they know that by 2008, 1 billion PCs would be installed around the world, and per Gartner Inc. statistics, this number is expected to double by 2014. It’s unlikely, however, that when the first personal computers were created, inventors envisaged that computers would become so advanced that the average user would feel the need to either purchase a new computer every 4 years or repeatedly upgrade and update their existing one.
The need to upgradeAs computers evolve, users seem to spend more time upgrading their systems than they did years ago. According to our resident tech expert, “Sam,” who wishes to remain anonymous because of his job, “More time is needed to tune up computers today because operating systems are more complex. Here are the differences:
Windows 95: 15 million lines of code
Windows 98: 18 million lines of code
Windows XP: 35 million lines of code
Windows Vista: 50 million lines of code
“It goes to show that as technology progresses and users are asking/receiving more features, the OS is becoming more complex,” Sam says.
How to keep your computer up-to-dateMost users upgrade their systems when they have slowed down to a crawl and their hard drives are cluttered with files and downloads. But tech experts recommend that if you’re not interested in trading in your computer for a new one just yet, it’s best to keep it running fast and smoothly by updating it.
Speed up your computer: Over time and daily use, your computer will eventually slow down if you ‘fill up’ the hard drive with excessive files and downloads or if your system has been infected with malware. One of the easiest ways to speed up your computer is to run programs which fix system errors and help make your PC run like new. This, helps your hard drive run faster by rearranging data to remove fragments.
Defrag the hard drive: Tech expert Sam recommends users defrag their hard drives every month. With everyday use, files become scattered on the drive. Defragging lines up and organizes these files in order so that your computer can access them more efficiently and quickly.
Add RAM: If you’re getting messages on your computer that your system is low on memory, it’s time to add more RAM (or Random Access Memory). This memory is necessary for your computer to perform its various functions. According to PCStats.com, “RAM provides a pallet that the computer can work from in normal operation, similar to our short-term memory. It holds information that is essential now but may or may not be transferred to long-term memory, depending on need.” Adding more RAM can be a complicated procedure for some, so it's best to refer to a computer technician.
Automatic updates: Tech experts recommend using Windows' automatic updates to patch security and application issues. These enhance your computer’s performance and security and help keep it up to date.
Avoid clutter: If you are a download junkie or online hoarder, your hard drive is probably filled to the brim and ready to burst, which slows your computer down. Delete unwanted folders and files, and run a program like "Computer Check up" which can clean up clutter and improve PC performance by cleaning and repairing registries that are rife with errors and system glitches.
Weighing the costsAccording to Sam, “Adding more RAM or even getting a larger hard drive will help improve a user's computer, but with limits. If a user has a 32-bit computer (which a user can find out on the Web by getting hardware specs on their particular model), the RAM limit is 4 gigabytes, which may sound like a lot but in 2010, it really is not. Adding more memory to a 32-bit system will buy some time, but the money will be better spent in investing in a new 64-bit computer, which supports 256 terabytes (256 gigabytes x 1000) of RAM. If the computer is more than 3 years old, perhaps it's time to start considering a new computer.”
If you're using your computer simply for Facebook, email, Flash-based games and the like, a PC upgrade probably isn't necessary unless a hardware problem occurs. But if you're running a home business or using multiple programs at once, perhaps a new machine would be more practical.
Source : Net world
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