Building Computers: A Short History Lesson by Michael Quarles
In only a few years, the task of building your own computer has gone through remarkable changes, almost entirely for the good. It’s less complicated, and far less prone to the devilish sort of problems presented by certain steps in the process. One of the most notable improvements has to do with... First, you booted up from a MS-DOS floppy, and installed its files on your hard drive. ... You had to have either an IDE or SCSI I/O card as controller for the hard drive, floppy, and printer port. ... None of them were "hard wired".

When is Professional Computer Repair Advisable? by Joe Duchesne
There are many computer repairs that the average person can perform without much problem. Things like installing CD-ROM drives, sound cards and other expansion cards don't take much computer knowledge. How can you know though when you are over your head and need professional computer help? ... Now if you don't care about the data on your hard drive, simply re-installing your operating system while making sure to format your hard drive can usually solve a software problem. ... Some intermediate repairs include replacing your hard drive and installing an operating system.

Buying a Discount PC by Dave Stewart
Are you looking for a discount pc? Stretching the budget to afford the next step in computers? If you're buying a pc on a budget then these five tips should help you buy that discount pc. Do I care what the case looks like? When looking for a discount pc a great place to save money is on the... Hard Drive size Often computer systems boast huge hard drive space, honestly for one it's not that big and two are you ever going to use it? ... Really the second drive is unnecessary, the only time you can take advantage of the second drive is when you are 'burning on the fly' straight from one...

Computers - How They Have Advanced by John Gibb
Even over the last decade, the advances in computer technology have been immense. Computers can do more today than ever before, faster and at a better value price. Unfortunately, this also means that shopping for a computer can be confusing, as it is hard to know what you actually need and what... It is much better to upgrade to a DVD re-writer drive than to upgrade your hard disk space. ... DVDs hold so much data that however big your hard drive is, it is unlikely to hold more than a cheap spindle of DVD-RW discs – and they’re re-writable, so you only need to buy them once.

Are You Vista-Ready? by Walter Vandenhoute
Windows Vista, Microsoft's new operating system, will be the successor to the current Windows XP, which was launched on Thursday, October 25, 2001. Microsoft is targeting Windows Vista availability for volume license customers in November 2006 and general availability in January 2007. ... An important notice: Before you start the Upgrade Advisor, you have to plug in any USB or other attachable peripheral devices that are regularly used with your computer such as printers, scanners or external hard drives.

10 Most Common iPod Repairs by Ruben Soliman
The greatest advantage and disadvantage of an iPod is its small shape. For such a small gadget, the iPod holds can hold thousands of mp3 files. With its portability, the increase of mishaps is sure to happen. From common scratches to hard drive problems, an iPod’s biggest selling point can also... Hard Drives: The most costly repair is the hard drive. ... A hard drive upgrade or replacement may be needed. ... This can result in minor aesthetic issues that can be ignored or to greater hard drive issues that have to be sent to a specialist for repair.

Microsoft's Vista: What You Must Know Before You Buy by Michael Quarles
The hardware requirements for Vista have many people hesitant about installing the new operating system. Older computers that were acceptable for Windows XP may have to be extensively upgraded. The expense has some people saying they’ll just wait until their next computer before trying Vista. ... Another worry is the size of your hard drive. ... You’re well on the road to a bogged down drive. ... I’d be willing to upgrade the chip, if I could find one for its obsolete socket type. ... But it’s not the money that worries me as much as the extra heat generated inside those old design cases,...

About The World Of Computer Building by Robert Emler
If you are having trouble with your computer and would like to have it up graded. Or if you would like to just upgrade your computer for better performance. For gaming or graphic solutions or for better multitasking endeavors. If you have a computer a lot of the basic parts in that computer are... For a simple five dollar computer cable, or a thirteen dollar A-drive or a thirty dollar cd-rom drive. ... If that’s the case then you need to know that there are ways to retrieve that information off that computers hard drive.

Why Aren't Computers Like Refrigerators? by Dr. Gary S. Goodman
I was having a heated discussion with a technologist yesterday. She insisted that I just didn’t appreciate the delicacy of today’s computers. “That’s exactly my complaint!” I retorted. “They’re incredibly wimpy.” For instance, I was in a rush the other day, so instead of scrolling to the shut... Little did I know that was the last gasp for my hard drive, which by the way, is a misnomer. ... I’ve been told it’s not good for the hard drive if you shut down your computer, repeatedly, so it’s better to leave it on, allowing it to eat electricity.

Is Your Computer Strong Enough For An Internet Work From Home Business by Tom Worsley
If you are planning on doing business online with one of the many work from home based businesses available on the internet, then you are going to want to make sure your computer is up to the task. Although it is possible to get by with a Pentium 1, at today’s prices there is no reason to do... 3.80 Gb hard drive or better 4.Ethernet for high speed internet connection. ... Yes I started out over 5 years ago using a Pentium MMX 233 with only 160 Mb of RAM and a 3 Gb hard drive, proving that it is possible to build a work from home internet business on an old slow computer.