Windows Stability by Bruce Hammerich
A few words about MS Windows stability. To those with home computers this may be less of an issue but for people whose livelihoods depend on their PC’s and the programs that run on them, there are some lessons to be learned. I would like to point out a few of the most important things you can do... The third application and your first line of defense is a firewall which can consist of hardware, software or both that sits between your computer and the “outside” world, whether it’s the Internet, Intranet or a network.

Proprietary Downfall by Michael X Hart
If you have read any of my articles that were computer related, you would easily come to the realization that I’m a fan of Open Source. When I was trying to record a podcast and was talking about Open Source my wife chimed in that that meant "free". I didn't correct her in any way because I... I lost, and worse yet Linux lost, it was only for the Hardcore computer nerd... ... Lucky for us we can hack our own hardware and put what we want, with the functionality we want, thanks to all the bright programmers out there who make what they want and are actually passionate about it.

Optical Character Recognition - What's It All About? by Brett McQueen
Optical character recognition, or ‘OCR’, is a technology that allows digital images of typed or handwritten text to be transferred into an editable text document. For example, if you hooked up a scanner to your computer and used the scanner to scan a handwritten essay into a digital photo, you... There are a couple optical character recognition programs that are available for free. ... For a normal computer user who wants to be able to edit scanned documents of text, there are many different types of software solutions available.

Blue Screen of Death by Bob Rankin
Windows is Your Friend! This is actually a feature built in to all versions of Windows, a free gift from Microsoft. The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is there to help you. Sometimes people work too hard, and they need a break from the computer. Windows automatically senses this (although sometimes... Most people find that if they shut down the computer, consume a mind-altering substance, and then resume working, things work pretty much better for the rest of the day. ... Time For a New Computer? ... If you have just the right combination of programs open and system memory in use, and your...

Spyware: What It Is and How to Combat It by Dean Phillips
Spyware is software or hardware installed on a computer without the user's knowledge which gathers information about that user for later retrieval by whomever controls the spyware. Spyware can be broken down into two different categories, surveillance spyware and advertising spyware. ... Advertising spyware logs information about the user, possibly including passwords, email addresses, web browsing history, online buying habits, the computer's hardware and software configuration, the name, age, sex, etc of the user.

Tips For Choosing Backup Software by Niall Roche
How in the world do you decide what type of computer backup software to use? There are many different types of software out there. Some of it will need to be purchased separately, but there are also programs that come bundled with the computer backup hardware that you will be using. ... There are several programs that you can get for free – or that you already have for free with your new computer. ... If you don't like the software that comes with your computer, there are also free software programs that will come with any external hard drives you purchase.

Why Linux Still Isn't on Everyone's Desktop by Mike Manchuk
I know what everyone is going to say once they read this article. You’re a Microsoft fan boy. So I’m going to say that Linux is great. I use it at home and it has so many advantages over Windows. Over the past few months there have been articles floating around on the net about how Linux is... Advocates for Linux would say that there are many free alternatives for Linux that are better than their Windows counterparts and are free to use. ... Why would a person pay 300 bucks for Windows when the little cost or free alternative plays your favorite games or runs your applications just like...

Linux or Windows - Which is it? by J. Brian Keith
Computer users and programmers have become so accustomed to using Windows, even for the changing capabilities and the appearances of the graphical interface of the versions, therefore it has remained Microsoft's product. Although, Lycoris, Red Hat, Mandrake, Suse, Knoppix, Slackware and Lindows... Many say Windows is way better than LINUX because of the simple handling of the software or hardware. ... The nature of the Linux GUI makes remote administration of a Linux computer easier with a more natural feel than Windows computers.

Personal Computer Buying Guide by Muhamad Fuad
Have you ever wanted to buy your dream computer? You had saved your monthly income to buy it but you did not know what specification you should choose since there are lot of choices in the market today. Beside budget, below are the important factors that you should look into when buying a computer. ... Your computer hardware determines your computer speed. ... Choosing the hardware Now, we will look into buying hardware for your computer. ... Ask your friends for some advices such as a good computer hardware shop in the town or their past experiences in buying their computer.

Linux Vs. Windows by Umer Mansoor
This article will not attempt to advocate the use of Linux over Windows or vice versa. I will try to present the differences and similarities between Linux and Windows in a fair manner. Overview: Both Linux and Windows (2000, NT, XP, Vista) are operating systems. ... Cost: As far as cost is concerned, Linux is very cheap or free. ... On a more close examination, the average computer user uses the following applications 90% of the time: Word Processor (Office suite), E-mail client, Web browser, Media software, and Instant Messenger.