Custom built PC or pre-built PC ?

Why Buy Custom Desktop Computers?

When it comes time to purchase a computer, a consumer's first thought is often to start looking around for those Super Store Sales -- but is this the best system for your money? There are actually several advantages to buying or building your own custom computers over buying pre-built Refurbished Computers:

Expandability

This is the key to making a really affordable computer. The major brand names design their computers such that when technology advances you either must live with the old, or buy a new computer. When buying custom computers, you have the ability to change out only old and outmoded components while maintaining serviceable parts.

Usability

You know your business and what you need and don't need to run it. When ordering a custom computer, you choose the components that fit your needs. You decide how much RAM and hard drive space are necessary for your system. You get the savings you deserve by not buying things you don't need, and the performance you want because you designed it yourself.

Reliability

Companies that build each system to order will generally test each individual computer more thoroughly. The individual attention applied during the building of a custom computer can assure first rate quality and reliability not available from typical mass- produced computers.

Serviceability

Using "off the shelf" parts as opposed to "proprietary" components like major brand name manufacturers use means that custom computers can be repaired just about anywhere. Repair parts are readily available from hundreds of different companies. The warranty of some pre-built systems requires repairs to be performed at particular places and with specific parts, which may mean repairs take much longer.

Common Questions about Custom PCs

Q. Do custom PC's cost more?

Most people automatically assume that a Custom PC will cost them a lot more money. This is truly, a large misconception. A custom PC is built to suit your needs. This doesn't necessarily mean it is more expensive than a name brand machine.

Q. Can't I just buy a brand name PC and upgrade it?

For some manufacturers, they build proprietary NON Standard computers. What does that mean? Well it means that if you decide you want to increase your Ram, or put in a bigger hard drive, you have to buy the EXTREME premium priced components ordered special from the manufacturer. And in some cases they didn't build your computer to be upgradeable, thus you are forced to purchase a new one. You will learn real quick that going to a store to get your parts is impossible.

Q. Are custom-built PCs upgradeable?

Yes, custom built means you have more options. The most important part of a custom built system is it is more upgradeable than most name brands. Many customers end up frustrated because they bought a computer at a store, and when they wanted to upgrade found out the board was maxed out. The cost of putting in a new board is as much a purchasing a new system.

Q. What software will I receive with my purchase?

You should receive the Drivers software along with your Operating System software. This makes working out software issues much easier than in some of the bigger name brand machines. They have proprietary software, all combined on one CD, and call it a restore CD. So if there is a software problem they tell you to put the restore CD in the drive and follow the prompts. This typically means it will completely reformat your drive and reinstall from scratch, thus losing all personal files.

In many cases, when you buy pre-built Refurbished Computers, you don't actually own the software at all. They preload it at the factory. Then if there is ever a problem you have to use a restore CD or call the manufacturer for assistance. With a Custom PC, you can choose to get a licensed copy of Windows with the CD, and the Book. All Drivers CD's or floppies are typically also included for all the hardware devices that are installed.

What Is a DDoS Attack?

One of the major security threats an Internet-connected server might encounter is a DDoS attack. It is a violent, often faceless, intrusion on a server that can leave all of its websites paralyzed.
 
DoS stands for denial of service, and a DoS attack is one in which the attacker typically exploits a protocol, application, or other means of entry to bombard the server with requests. Eventually, the server cannot handle it anymore, and it either crashes or simply becomes unreachable to anyone else except the attacker. The actual methods for denial of service vary, but the end goal of preventing user access is always the same.

A DDoS attack is a distributed denial of service attack that involves a concerted effort of multiple machines carrying out the DoS. In other words, if the method of denying service is to flood a server with more HTTP requests than it can handle, multiple computers in multiple locations will carry out the attack. This makes it more difficult for a server to stop the attack simply by blocking access from one source.

Although there may be instances where DDoS attacks are planned and purposefully executed by all parties involved, the more likely scenario involves some form of intrusion mechanism that takes control of several machines and uses them as unwilling virtual weapons. The owners of the attacking machines or agents typically do not know that their systems have been compromised and may never know that they were part of a DDoS attack.

It is not always possible to completely prevent a DDoS attack because of the large scale of some attacks and the number of attacking computers involved. As a result, many high-profile websites from large corporations have been brought to their knees. System administrators can, however, be prepared and have a mitigation plan to lessen the effect of an attack. Below is how a typical Ddos attack would happen :

Who are Anonymous ?

"Hello World. We are Anonymous. What you do or do not know about us is irrelevant. We have decided to write to you, the media, and all citizens of the free world at large to inform you of the message, our intentions, potential targets, and our ongoing peaceful campaign for freedom."

So begins a recent manifesto sent to various blogs and news sources by Anonymous, talking about their support for Wikileaks. Who are these people?

Who Are Anonymous?

A loosely-organized collective of people currently seeking to assist the spread of Wikileaks' information by harassing the websites of those who refuse to cooperate with them, like Paypal, Visa and Amazon, and by spreading the Wikileaks documents themselves.

They are loosely affiliated with 4chan and other smaller "chan" boards (like 7chan, 2chan and 711chan) due to these sites' anonymous posting feature, which allows them to plan attacks without revelealing any identifying information. Chris Poole, who founded and runs 4chan, has not publicly endorsed Anonymous per se, but he seems to encourage them. Anon does not take orders from him.

They are not a group with defined leaders. Being "Anonymous" is much more a quality or a self-definition than a membership. Each project under the Anonymous banner may have a whole different set of instigators. Leadership, when it exists, is informal and carried out in chat channels, forums, IM and public calls to action online. No one's meeting in a board room.

Why are Anonymous all over the news right now?

The activities of Anonymous used to be limited to 4chan, which deletes everything posted to its boards every few hours. Then came Encyclopedia Dramatica, a NSFW wiki site that recorded a lot of the memes, language and activity that happen on 4chan and thus crystallized them. They provided destination pages for people wondering what Project Chanology was all about, for instance.

Then, Reddit, especially its 4chan subforum began to spread these ideas beyond 4chan. Bloggers and mainstream news sites often pick up information once it gets posted to Reddit. For example, this Reddit thread is how I found out about Anonymous's raid on Hot Topic. Reddit users are able to spread these memes so much more widely because working journalists can know easily browse Reddit for the latest developments on 4chan rather than slogging through threads of nonsense and garbage on 4chan itself.

This is why you see tons of news stories about Anonymous now, whereas a few years ago only a few niche blogs covered the site. Senior editor Nick Douglas was one of the first journalists to discuss Anonymous when he wrote about their Scientology raids for Gawker back in early 2008.

Whom have Anonymous targeted in the past?

Habbo Hotel
4chan users banded together under the moniker in order to harass the users of Habbo Hotel, a cartoonish social network. As early as 2006, Anonymous would "raid" Habbo, spewing racism and blocking its usual users from moving around. Then when all their black cartoon avatars got banned, they'd call Habbo racist. This was all done "for the lulz," or just for fun. At this point, Anonymous's actions had not taken on a political bent. Some members of Anon would argue it was better that way.

Hal Turner
Anonymous targeted this white supremacist with a talk radio show in December 2006. They overloaded his website, bringing it down. Some Anons seem to have a distaste for actual racism, though they express it frequently in jest. But of course you can never tell if it's the same people. "Anon is legion," they like to say.

Chris Forcand
Anonymous helped catch an internet child predator by reporting information to the police in 2007. By this time, Anonymous began to see themselves as a group of internet vigilantes fighting for assorted noble causes, rather than a band of merry pranksters.

The Church of Scientology
With these raids, Anonymous exploded into popular culture. They took to the streets, protesting outside of Scientologist churches wearing "V-masks," the disguise used by Alan Moore's vigilante comic book hero, V, originally inspired by would-be British terrorist and folk hero Guy Fawkes. When the Church tried to get embarrassing footage of Scientologist celeb Tom Cruise taken down from YouTube, Anonymous formed a splinter group called Project Chanology that dedicated itself to stopping censorship and harassing the exploitative church.

Inkjet or Laser printer ?

Laser and inkjet printers allow you to print professional-looking documents, such as flyers, spreadsheets and brochures, from home. When selecting a printer, you'll want to weigh your budget against your desired speed and colour accuracy. Find out more here about the basic types of printers and their pros and cons. That way, you can shop with the right type of printer in mind.

Laser Printer Advantages

Today's monochrome (black and white) laser printers start at £100-£300. This is pretty amazing, considering that at one time, you had to spend at least £1,500 for a laser printer. Advantages of the laser printer include the following:

Speed: A laser printer can turn out pages more quickly than an inkjet printer.

Low cost: Over time, toner costs for a laser printer will total far less per page than refilling/replacing inkjet printer cartridges.

Quiet operation: A laser printer is generally quieter than low-cost inkjet printers - which is a big deal in a quiet office, where the printer usually occupies a central location.

Best-quality text: No inkjet printer - no matter how much you pay for it - will ever turn out black text and line graphics as crisp as a laser printer.

Until recently colour laser printers were too expensive for individuals or small businesses, but there are now many models for less than £500 and these are viable alternatives to colour inkjets for printing flyers, spreadsheets, and brochures. With these advantages in mind, pick a monochrome laser printer if most of the pages that you'll print will be text and if colour isn't a requirement. You'll be glad that you chose that laser model after you've gone three months without changing a single toner cartridge!

Inkjet Printer Advantages
Inkjet printers are still cheaper than laser printers. You can find an acceptable colour inkjet printer for under £100 anywhere in the UK, and they're still the colour printing solution for the home PC owner. Other advantages are as follows:

Versatility: A colour inkjet can print on many types of media, including craft paper, T-shirt transfers, and even printable CD/DVD discs.

Smaller size: This saves you space on your desktop.

Larger paper sizes: If you spend more, you can add a large-format inkjet printer to your system that can print 11-x-17-inch or larger items.

Inkjet printers have come a long way in the last 10 years. Unfortunately, the process is relatively slow compared to that of laser printing and the ink cartridges and the special papers can be costly - so inkjets are best suited for home users and small businesses with light printing needs. Inkjet printers range in price from less than £100 to as much as £800, depending on features, image quality and paper-handling capabilities.

Photo Printer Advantages
Some inkjet printers use more than the four basic CMYK inks to produce high-quality photos, so if you own a digital camera and spend a lot of time printing photos, you may want to pay a little more than a plain old inkjet will cost or opt for a second printer specifically for that purpose.

Photo quality: The print quality is comparable to that of professional photofinishing.

Memory cards: A photo printer can print directly from compatible digital cameras and most models also accept storage cards such as CompactFlash, SmartMedia, Secure Digital/MultiMediaCard or Memory Stick.

Although a number of different sizes of photo printers are on the market, most are smaller than typical inkjet printers. A subclass of photo printers or snapshot printers, is limited to 4x6 or smaller prints; they can't handle standard A4 sheets, which is why they are suitable as second printers only. If you're a serious amateur or professional digital photographer, a photo printer is worth the expense. They typically cost at least £200. 

For a home PC owner, however, a standard colour inkjet printer is the better path to take.

For more information on printers visit our shop at 122 Colne road, Burnley.

What does it mean to format/reformat a hard drive?

All hard drives, removable disks, CDs, DVDs, and other media need to be formatted in order for your computer to use them. The formatting process writes the basic directory structure onto the disk so that other directories and files can be added.


On a Windows computer, disks are formatted using the FAT32 or the newer NTFS file system. On a Mac, disks are typically formatted with the HFS or HFS+ file system. Once a disk is formatted, it can only be used by a computer that can read the disk's file system. Therefore, if you want to use a Macintosh-formatted disk with a Windows computer, you would need to reformat it using a Windows-compatible file system. Macintosh computers can read most Windows-formatted disks, but to use a hard drive on a Mac, you will need to format it using a Macintosh-compatible file system.

The most important thing to know about formatting or reformatting a disk is that the formatting process erases all the information on the disk. Well, technically, it just writes a new directory structure that allows all the files to be overwritten, creating a blank disk. There are some utilities that can recover files after a disk has been formatted. But for all practical purposes, formatting a disk is the same as erasing it.

You can format most disks with Windows using the "Format" option in the File menu after selecting a disk to format. A Macintosh computer will prompt you to initialize and format an unformatted disk within the Finder or you can use the convenient "Disk Utility" program to reformat any writable disk.

What is a MAC Address?

A Media Access Control address or MAC address is a unique code assigned to every piece of hardware that connects to the Internet. Internet capable phones, Network Interface Cards for desktop or notebook computers, Wireless Access Cards, and even some memory cards are among the devices that are assigned MAC addresses.

When a manufacturer creates a network capable piece of hardware they will assign the MAC address which will usually begin with a code that is tied to the manufacturer. The MAC address will be unique to every device, even two devices of the same type.

A device’s MAC address is composed of six pairs of hexadecimal numbers. The numbers are separated by colons as in the following example:

6E:51:F5:c1:11:00

MAC addresses are used at the data link layer of the OSI hardware model to allow packets to be passed directly between devices on a network. This helps to ensure that the data is sent to a physical device before being decoded and/or manipulated by a device.

A MAC address is similar to an IP address that the device also receives in that it ensures each device is unique and allows data to be passed among hardware devices. An IP address allows two devices to communicate across a LAN or network environment — normally IP addresses should also be unique and will allow the exchange of data.

What is an IP Address?

No doubt you've heard the term "IP address." Unless you're a techie, though, you may not have more than a shadowy notion of what an IP address actually is or how it works. Let's explore the concept.

An IP address is a fascinating product of modern computer technology designed to allow one computer (or other digital device) to communicate with another via the Internet. IP addresses allow the location of literally billions of digital devices that are connected to the Internet to be pinpointed and differentiated from other devices. In the same sense that someone needs your mailing address to send you a letter, a remote computer needs your IP address to communicate with your computer.

"IP" stands for Internet Protocol, so an IP address is an Internet Protocol address. What does that mean? An Internet Protocol is a set of rules that govern Internet activity and facilitate completion of a variety of actions on the World Wide Web. Therefore an Internet Protocol address is part of the systematically laid out interconnected grid that governs online communication by identifying both initiating devices and various Internet destinations, thereby making two-way communication possible.

An IP address consists of four numbers, each of which contains one to three digits, with a single dot (.) separating each number or set of digits. Each of the four numbers can range from 0 to 255. Here's an example of what an IP address might look like: 78.125.0.209. This innocuous-looking group of four numbers is the key that empowers you and me to send and retrieve data over our Internet connections, ensuring that our messages, as well as our requests for data and the data we've requested, will reach their correct Internet destinations. Without this numeric protocol, sending and receiving data over the World Wide Web would be impossible.

IP addresses can be either static or dynamic. Static IP addresses never change. They serve as a permanent Internet address and provide a simple and reliable way for remote computers to contact you. Static IP addresses reveal such information as the continent, country, region, and city in which a computer is located; the ISP (Internet Service Provider) that services that particular computer; and such technical information as the precise latitude and longitude of the country, as well as the locale, of the computer. Many websites provide IP address look-up services to their visitors, free of charge. If you're curious about your own IP address, you can locate these websites by performing a Google search.

Dynamic IP addresses are temporary and are assigned each time a computer accesses the Internet. They are, in effect, borrowed from a pool of IP addresses that are shared among various computers. Since a limited number of static IP addresses are available, many ISPs reserve a portion of their assigned addresses for sharing among their subscribers in this way. This lowers costs and allows them to service far more subscribers than they otherwise could.

Static IP addresses are generally preferable for such uses as VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), online gaming, or any other purpose where users need to make it easy for other computers to locate and connect to them. Easy access can also be facilitated when using a dynamic IP address through the use of a dynamic DNS service, which enables other computers to find you even though you may be using a temporary, one-time IP address. This often entails an extra charge, however, so check with your ISP.

Static IP addresses are considered somewhat less secure than dynamic IP addresses, since they are easier to track for data mining purposes. However, following safe Internet practices can help mitigate this potential problem and keep your computer secure no matter what type of IP address you use.

Intel vs AMD: which processor is best?

Buying a computer can be a lengthy process involving many complex decisions, but none come with quite as much associated technical jargon as figuring out the best CPU.
And so before you even know it, you're drowning in talk of cores and clock speeds, socket types and memory controllers, power consumption, caches and more.
While you'll need to consider at least some of these issues, there's an easier way to approach your purchasing problems. And that's to ignore the fine detail, just for the moment, and focus first on a more fundamental question: Intel vs AMD, which processors are the best for you?
You'll probably find that answering this is much more straightforward. And once you've made your choice, many other decisions about your new PC will fall into place, saving you plenty of time.

Intel vs AMD: Intel CPUs

If you're after performance above else (and you've plenty of money) then Intel processors are the way to go. At least, in general - there are several different families available and you need to be careful which you choose.

Intel Core 2 CPUs are still available, for instance, but they've been around for a long time, no longer represent a good deal and unless you're working with an old motherboard, are probably best avoided.
Instead you'll be considering a Core i3, Core i5 or Core i7 processor, which will deliver budget, mid-range or high-end performance, respectively. Except, of course, it's not quite as simple as that, because these CPUs now come in two main flavours.

The mainstream Core i3, i5 and i7 processors are available in a Socket LGA1156 package (this defines how the CPU connects to the rest of your system, and so means you'll need a Socket LGA1156 motherboard as well). This doesn't represent the very latest in Intel technology, but it's relatively reasonably priced, and there are plenty of compatible motherboards around at all price levels.
The latest Core i3/ i5/ i7 processors, code-named Sandy Bridge and available in an LGA1155 package, are rather more interesting. Not only are they up to 40% faster than their predecessors, but they also come with an on-board graphics chip, so if you're not looking for much in the way of video performance then you probably won't have to buy a graphics card.

The CPUs and Socket LGA1175 boards you'll need to run them are more expensive, but only marginally (they're still available on sub-£1,000 PCs) so if you're looking for a good mainstream Intel solution then these are the way to go.

There is a small complication, though. Intel recently identified a problem with the SATA controller in the Sandy Bridge chipset, and had to recall many motherboards. The issue is fixed now, but supplies of some boards may remain short until April, so you might have to shop around.
The other option available right now is to choose a Core i7 CPU in an LGA1366 package. This will allow you to run the very fastest 6-core Core i7 CPUs, which deliver great speeds and are very overclockable. They're also hugely expensive, though, lack extras like on-board graphics chips, and aren't actually that much faster than the high-end Sandy Bridge systems, so we'd recommend you avoid them in most situations.

Intel vs AMD: the AMD competition

AMD processors aren't currently able to compete with Intel for raw speed, but that might be changing soon, and in the meantime they're able to deliver capable performance at an excellent price. And AMD is also far better at backward compatibility than Intel, so there's no confusion over socket types and multiple incompatible versions of the same CPU: buy an AM3 motherboard and it'll run just about anything.

AMD's Athlon II processors, for instance, are the budget products. They're available in X2, X3 and X4 varieties (the number tells you how many cores they have), and in different model numbers according to their clock speed. Performance isn't so great, but Athlon II CPUs will fit in both socket AM2+ and AM3 motherboards, so you'll have plenty of choice when building your PC.

AMD's Phenom II family are their mainstream products, equipped with more cache memory than the Athlon II's, and running at higher clock speeds for better performance. They're available in X2, X4 and even 6-core X6 varieties, and again the CPUs run on both AM2+ and AM3 motherboards.
And AMD plans to release new processors, code-named Bulldozer and Llano, starting this June and July. Many of the CPUs will include on-board graphics chips, some will have 8 cores, and it's rumoured that performance will be 50% up on the Phenom II, which if true would mean they'll deliver speeds very similar to Intel's Sandy Bridge systems.

For the best results you'll need to run to run AMD's next generation CPUs on the upcoming AM3+ chipset motherboards, but the good news is that once again AMD are working to ensure backward compatibility. And so if you buy an AM3 motherboard today, you can equip it with an Athlon II CPU, but still upgrade to a Bulldozer CPU later on, and you shouldn't have too much of a performance penalty.

Intel vs AMD: which is best?

We've looked at the two product ranges, then - but which is best? It all depends on what you're looking for.

If price is key, then the AMD Athlon II X2 255 makes an excellent choice. It's available for under £40 as we write, and has more than enough power to handle basic PC tasks.
If you've a little more money and need extra performance from your CPU, then AMD's best mid-range offering is perhaps the Phenom II X4 965, some 35% faster than the Athlon II X2 255, and yours from around £100.

Intel's LGA1156-based Core i3-560 is a similar performer and available for the same price, though. And the new LGA1155-based Core i3-2100 goes further still, delivering perhaps 10% more speed for under £100, so that would probably be our preferred choice here (depending on your motherboard requirements).

And if performance matters more than anything else, then right now there's no substitute for the LGA1155-based Core i7-2600K (the K means the multiplier is unlocked, allowing the CPU to be overclocked). It's perhaps twice the speed of the AMD Athlon II X2 255, yet is relatively affordable (in Intel terms at least) at around £240.

If you don't have to buy your CPU until the summer, though, it may be worth waiting. AMD's Bulldozer promises performance very similar to the high-end Intel chips, and experience tells us they're likely to be significantly cheaper - so postponing your PC for a month or two could save you a noticeable amount of cash.

For more advice on CPU's please visit our store in Burnley at 122 Colne road.

What is a Media Center PC?

A Media Center PC is any computer that runs either the Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Operating System, Windows Vista Premium or Ultimate, or other third party Media Center software, such as SageTV or Beyond TV. Media Center PCs allow users to enjoy digital entertainment on their PC or hook the computer up to a TV System. Media Center PCs act like A/V Receivers. DVD Players, VCRs, CD Players, Televisions, etc. can be connected to the PC.

Media Center PCs allow you to:

• Listen to music through speakers attached to your PC or through your home audio system.

• Watch TV programming (broadcast, cable, or satellite) on your computer monitor.

• Use your computer's hard drive to record and store television programs and play them back later (time shifting), making the computer a DVR (digital video recorder).

• Edit your digital photographs and display them in digital slideshows.

• Edit your digital home movies.

• Listen to local and Internet radio.

• Record music and video files to CD or DVD format so they can be played on other computers, CD and DVD Players, sound systems, etc.

Many computer manufacturers offer Media Center PCs, including, Dell, Gateway, HP and Alienware, among others. Below is an example of a Media center PC:

What is a Network?

A network is basically a set of two or more articles that are linked so the computers can share resources, such as printers, software, and internet connections. Networked computers can also share files without having to transfer data using a disk or data key. And users of networked computers can also communicate electronically without use of the internet.

Computers within a network can be linked several ways: though cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared beams. There are also three basic types of networks: Local Area Networks (LANs), Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), and Wide Area Networks (WANs).

 

Local Area Networks

A Local Area Network (LAN) is basically a smaller network that's confined to a relatively small geographic area. LAN computers are rarely more than a mile apart. Examples of common LANs are networked computers within a writing lab, school, or building.

Within a LAN network, one computer is the file server. This means that it stores all software that controls the network, and it also stores the software that can be shared among computers in the network. The file server is the heart of the LAN.

The computers attached to the file server are called workstations. Workstations can be less powerful than the file server because they don't have to store as many files and applications as the file server, and they are not always on and working to keep the network up and running. However, workstations may also have additional software stored on their hard drives. Most LANS are connected using cables.

 

Metropolitan Area Networks

A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) connect 2 or more LANs together but does not span outside the boundaries of a city, town, or metropolitan area. Within this type of network is also the Campus Area Network (CAN), which is generally smaller than a MAN, connecting LANs within a limited functional area, like a college campus, military base, or industrial complex.

 

Wide Area Networks

Wide Area Networks connect larger geographic areas. Often, smaller LANs are interconnected to form a large WAN. For instance, an office LAN in Los Angeles may be connected to office LANs for the same company in New York, Toronto, Paris, and London to form a WAN spanning the whole company. The individual offices are no longer part of individual LANs, they are instead part of a worldwide WAN.

The connection of this type of network is complicated. WANs are normally connected using multiplexers connect local and metropolitan networks to global communications networks like the Internet.

Online banking: How to stay safe

If you bank online, follow these top tips to keep your money safe from fraudsters.

More people are using internet banking than ever before. In fact, this week Financial Fraud Action reported that the number of internet users who bank online has risen to 50% for the first time. That's around 22 million people!
With that in mind, I think now is a great time to take another look at how to protect your accounts from online fraud. Online banking is very secure, but you should still take precautions to keep your money safe.
Let's start off with some common online banking scams. After all, if you can recognise the signs of fraudulent activity, it will be easier to protect yourself.

Common online banking scams

Phishing

Phishing involves sending hoax emails which attempt to extract your bank details and personal security data. Often the sender will claim to be from your own bank and will ask you to verify your current account details by clicking on a link. But this link actually takes you through to a fake website which looks exactly like your bank's own site. Once you have inputted your details they are available to the fraudsters who set the fake site up.

Malware

Malware - or malicious software - is a computer virus which can be installed on your PC without you even realising it. Fraudsters will encourage you to open an email attachment, but in doing so you'll have unwittingly unleashed a Trojan virus which can monitor your PC activity, allowing fraudsters to steal your passwords and other personal information.

Money mules

Where the perpetrator is based abroad it can be very difficult to move the proceeds of fraudulent activity in the UK back to the perpetrator's country. This is where a money mule comes in.
Fraudsters usually make contact by email and try to persuade you to accept money into your bank account for a seemingly legitimate reason. You are then asked to wire the funds overseas, sometimes in return for a fee. Money mules can be prosecuted even if they weren't aware the transaction was illegal.

Top tips for protecting against online banking fraud

Now you've got a good idea of what typical online banking scams look like, let's take a look at the best ways of protecting yourself against them with these top tips:

• Always install up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall to protect your PC.
• Always download the latest security updates for your system.
• Always set your browser at the highest level of security notification.
• Delete suspicious emails immediately.
• Treat all emails claiming to be sent from your bank with caution, even if they appear legitimate.
• Remember your bank will never ask for your login details or personal security data by email.
• Never open an email attachment from an unknown source.
• Don't open an attachment from someone you know unless you're expecting to receive it. Their PC could have been taken over without them knowing.
• Scam emails often ask you to click a link which takes you through to a fake website. This may look identical to your bank's own website - don't fall for it.
• If you think you might have received a scam email, report it to reports@banksafeonline.org.uk.
• Only do online transactions where the URL in the address bar says 'https' and not just 'http'. The 's' stands for secure.
• Never reveal your passwords or your PIN to anyone.
• Never leave your PC unattended when you're logged into an online banking service.
• Check your accounts regularly for suspicious activity. Alert your bank immediately if you come across a potentially fraudulent transaction.

Who Invented the MP3 Format?

The mp3 format was invented by the MPEG Group in 1991. The history of the mp3 format indicates several people worked on the project but the accredited inventors were Ernst Eberlein, Thomas Sporer, Karhl Heinz Brandenburg, Bern Grill and Bernd Kurten.

Development
Mp3 was the offshoot of OCF and PXFM. Those who worked on the project were mainly focused on how people were able to hear music. Through the course of their work, the Fraunhofer Society (which became part of the MPEG group) started looking for ways for music to be compressed and yet maintain its high quality.
After working on it for several yeas, the standards were implemented in 1991. Further refinements would follow and it was integrated with MPEG 2 which came out in 1994.

Release to the Public
A study of the history of the mp3 format will reveal the Fraunhofer Society produced the encoder on July 7, 1994. A few months after its release, an mp3 player called Winplay 3 was released as well.
Unlike other music formats, Mp3 offered a lot of advantages. The first was its small size. Using the 128 bit compression, a 5 minute song only came in at about 5 MB. This was a huge improvement over the WAV formats whose size was ten times that.
In addition, the quality was very high, almost CD like. This became possible due to limitations in hearing. Mp3 removed the bits in the sound file that people wouldn’t be able to hear. By taking out these extraneous pieces, the size was reduced without sacrificing the sound quality.

Popularity and Widespread Use
Through the 1990s, the history of the mp3 format shows the tremendous impact it made on the Net. The release of Winamp (1997) allowed people to download and play mp3 files with ease.
Soon the Internet was flooded by various mp3 players. In 1999, Napster came out. This peer to peer file sharing network allowed users to share mp3 files anytime, anywhere.

Legal Issues
The record companies responded by gong to court. They argued that what people were doing was in violation of copyright laws. The major record companies sued Napster and it was forced to close down. To prevent piracy, some record companies have resorted to encrypting music files.
The history of the mp3 format showed record companies that it was very popular with users. This would lead to the development of portable mp3 players. One of the most successful has been the iPod developed by Apple. Its success has spawned a number of other mp3 players. The newest players can store and play thousands of songs.

In spite of legal repercussions, mp3 file sharing has not been stopped. To this day there are still websites and software that allow sharing of copyrighted mp3 files.
Some artists have decided to sell their music online instead. Instead of relying on record companies, independent record artists have resorted to uploading their own songs online.
While the history of the mp3 format has become entangled in a web of legal issues, it is likely to remain a standard online music format. Its great sound quality and small size make it attractive to a lot of users.

What is an MP3?

An MP3 is a digital audio file compressed with a standard defined by the Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG). MPEG was formed to develop techniques for dealing with digital video; since most video also contains audio, MP3 was developed as an audio extension of that work. Officially known as "MPEG-1, Layer 3", MP3 is a lossy compression algorithm that uses psychoacoustic modeling to reduce the size of audio files by up to 90%.

Psychoacoustics takes advantage of deficiencies in the human hearing system to throw away digital bits corresponding to sounds that cannot be heard. The human ear cannot hear soft sounds in the presence of loud sounds having a similar frequency; for example, a voice conversation becomes inaudible when a jet flies low overhead. This effect is known as auditory masking, and done correctly the discarded sounds will not be missed.

MP3 is a lossy algorithm in the sense that the original bits cannot be recreated from the compressed bits. In terms of hearing, however, MP3 is lossless because the human ear cannot distinguish between a CD recording and a properly encoded MP3 version of it. MP3s achieve this transparency at a bit rate of approximately 256 kilobits per second, or roughly one sixth of the 1.4 megabits per second required by the compact disc format.

MP3s can be recorded at lower bit rates, saving even more space, but audible differences begin to appear at rates below 128 kilobits per second. At these lower bit rates, MP3 can use a trick known as joint stereo to improve quality. Audio generally consists of left and right audio tracks. Joint stereo combines, whenever possible, the sounds common to both left and right tracks into one track. Instead of left and right, it has "common" and "different" channels.

Being an open standard, and therefore available to anyone, has played a major role in the widespread adoption of the MP3 file format. While specific implementations such as those by the Fraunhofer Institute may be protected by patents, there exist numerous open source implementations. MP3s were originally only playable on computers, but inexpensive, portable MP3 players such as Apple's iPod have since been developed.

Laptops Vs Desktops, What to buy ?

Are you looking to buy a computer, but not sure if you want a desktop or a laptop? Weigh your options carefully because once you choose you want to be happy with your choice. Sometimes knowing the disadvantages and advantages of having either a laptop or a desktop can help tremendously in the decision. Knowledge before the purchase is always a good thing!

If you're looking to purchase a computer and are wondering which type of comupter you should purchase, whether a laptop or a desktop, then read on. You can find the pros and cons of both here and then make an educated decision as to which would be right for your needs.

Sometimes the decision to buy either a laptop or a desktop computer can be a daunting one. It's hard to know everything about a topic, but we'll cover some of the pros and cons of both the desktop and the laptop so you can make a more informed decision as to which kind of computer is right for you.

Pros of a desktop:
1. More bang for the buck. If you like to play games, or are a gamer, then a desktop will be the best option. You can get better graphics, better monitors, faster processors, etc. Everything is bigger on a desktop so there is plenty of room to put in some nice features without sending up the cost.
2. Cost less. A desktop will usually cost you less money for the same or (almost always) better components. Althought you can sometimes find a new low cost laptop sometimes where the owner wants to sell at any cost, for multiple reasons.
3. Easier to use. Let's face it, with a desktop you can purchase a nice keyboard, mouse, desk, ect built for comfort. A laptop isn't always comfortable to use, especially if you are in the middle of traveling. (by car, bus, plane or ferry)
4. Easy to upgrade. A desktop is much easier to remove or add components to than a laptop.
5. Easy to keep track of. In other words, someone has to break in to get it.
6. More memory and hard drive space. The memory capacity and hard drive space are usually much greater (and cheaper) than for a laptop.

Cons of a desktop:
1. Stuck in one place. When you use a desktop you have to sit down in the same place to use it. No mobility. There are companies that have whole divisions devoted to moving equipment around because of this fact. When it comes to cons of a desktop mobility is the biggest and about the only one. All onther complaints can usually be fixed, or ungraded to be tolerated.

Pros of a Laptop:
1. Mobile. You can go anywhere you want to and still have access to a computer. Great for presentations for work. This is the greatest benefit of a laptop.
2. network connectability on the run. With a laptop you can connect with a wireless network on the move.
3. Useful for presentations, or demonstrations. Easy to lug around.
4. Runs on a battery so can be used even when the power is out.
5. At times you can find a seller that has multiple laptops and wants to get rid of it. In this case you can get a low cost laptop for cheap, or I should say an expensive laptop at a new low cost laptop price.

Cons of a Laptop:
1. Maintenance is difficult. You usually have to hire a professional if something breaks or goes wrong. Since the parts for a laptop need to be smaller this also makes them more expensive.
2. Repairs cost more. Since repairs need a professional they usually cost more, for the service as well as for the parts.
3. Everything is smaller. Meaning if you want to use a full size keyboard you have to plug in an extra keyboard, which means you have to carry around a bulky keyboard. Same for a monitor or other external devices.
4. More expensive than a comparable desktop.
5. Easy for someone else to pick up and carry off without your knowledge.

Knowing some of these pros and cons it is a lot easier to decide what is best for you. If you absolutely need a computer that you can take with you wherever you go then a laptop will be the best choice. If you just want a good computer that you can access in one location all the time, play games, etc. then a desktop is the best choice.

Just looking at price will not give you the best choice. If mobility is necessary then you may have to select a less powerful laptop (less memory, disk space and CPU power) so you can get it for a lower price.

If mobility is not an issue then a desktop will definitely give you more bang for the buck. Analyze your needs and wants before you buy, so you will get the best computer for your needs.

What Is A CPU and What Does It Do?

CPU is one of the components in their computers, not many people know what a CPU actually does. In fact, if asked, most people probably would not know what CPU stands for.But when searching for a new desktop or laptop, and typical CPU-related terms such as “quad-core” or ” i7 core”  pop out from advertisements, each proclaiming their superiority over the other — what is a person to do, especially if he or she has no idea what either of those terms mean?

First of all, what is a CPU?  CPU (also commonly called a microprocessor) stands for “central processing unit”. It’s a very suitable name, because it describes exactly what the CPU does: it processes instructions that it gathers from decoding the code in programs and other such files. A CPU has four primary functions: fetch, decode, execute, and writeback.

Fetch

In the first step, the CPU retrieves the instruction that it needs to run from program memory. Each instruction in a program (which contains millions of instructions) is stored at a specific address. The CPU has a program counter, which keeps track of the CPU’s position in the program ““ more specifically, the address of the instruction that the CPU is accessing.

Decode

For this step, it’s important to know that no matter what code a program is written in, the compiler for that specific language breaks the code down to Assembly Language. Assembly language is a language that the CPU understands, but may vary between different CPUs. From there on, an “˜assembler’ translates Assembly Language into binary code, which the CPU can manipulate to execute the instructions it is given.

Execute

Based on the instructions it is given, the CPU can then do one of three things:
1) Using its Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), the CPU can calculate extremely complicated mathematical functions;
2) Move data from one memory location to another;
3) Jump to different addresses in the program based on decisions made by the CPU itself.
The diagram above shows the setup of an extremely simple microprocessor capable of performing these actions.

Writeback

Typically, each of the actions taken by the CPU produces some sort of output. The CPU takes this output and writes it into the computer’s memory. For example, if a program wanted to execute the first item of the list above on two operands, 3 and 5, the output, 8, would be written back into a specific address. However, for the 3rd bullet, the program counter (which, as stated above, is used to keep track of the CPU’s progress through a program) simply changes to reflect the start of the next set of instructions.
When these four steps have been completed, the Program Counter moves onto the next instruction and repeats the entire process again, until the termination of the program.

Another important component of a CPU is called the “clock.” The clock produces a signal that acts to synchronize the logic units within the CPU as they execute the instructions given in a program. In the diagram above, the purple line represents the signal of a clock as it is being inputted into a logic unit. For every time the line goes from low to high, and back to low (one cycle), an instruction is carried out.

Thus, the CPU Clock speed refers to the number of times that a CPU’s clock cycles per second. Typical computers have a clock speed around 2.8 GHz (Gigahertz), which means that the clock cycles 2.8 billion times a second, and executes an equivalent number of instructions!

Now, even though this seems like an incredible amount of information processed, a CPU operating solely on the technology explained above would still be slow, if it were not for parallelism, and multi-core technology. But I’ll leave that for later, as I’ve just given you a great deal of information to digest. Now, you’re a little closer to learning how processors work, and  to gauging which processor is best for your needs.

What is a Hacker?

The term hacker has a double meaning within the field of computing. A hacker can be an expert computer programmer who creates complex software and hardware. These hackers are experts in the field of computing and have achieved a certain elite status within their field. The other commonly known meaning of the word is someone who breaks into computer security networks for his own purpose.

The media has perpetuated the more exciting connotation of the word hacker with films and books on the subject. Films such as War Games portray breaking into the Pentagon’s security system as similar to playing a computer game. A film about the computer hacker designing a software system would probably not do very big business at the box office.

A hacker who who breaks into systems primarily to steal is not regarded as a computer expert, although she can be. A hacker within the professional world of computing is regarded as a professional computer expert within his field. In the professional computing world, a hacker can be a computer and network security expert. She can also be a highly skilled software programmer or a hardware modifier. The type of hacker who breaks into bank accounts or a company’s network does exist, but the meaning is entirely different from that of a professional hacker.

The stereotypical image of a computer hacker, as portrayed by the media, is one of a shadowy figure, alone at a computer, stealing secrets and money. This type of computer hacking can bring rewards, but it can also bring huge fines and prison sentences. Thanks to the media, the average person is likely most familiar with this definition of a computer hacker.

It is true that computer crime is on the increase, but it mainly takes the form of computer fraud. People are duped into giving out their bank and personal details after receiving bogus emails. This is not computer hacking, as it does not involve an attempt to break into a computer’s software system.
It is not altogether difficult to gain access to someone’s email password. There are many Internet sites that claim to be able to gain access for a fee. However, these sites usually work by sending bogus emails asking the recipient to verify passwords for security reasons. This is not real computer hacking.
A real hacker in the field of computer security is someone employed to stop any unauthorized access to a network’s security system. If someone tells you that he is a computer hacker, it is not necessarily a bad thing. He may be able to help upgrade your computer instead of breaking into it.

What is a Hard Drive?

A hard drive, also known as a hard disk drive or HDD, is a fundamental part of modern computers. The hard drive is where all of your programs and files are stored, so if the drive is damaged for some reason, you will lose everything on your computer.
A hard drive uses similar memory storage technology to cassette tapes and video tapes. You may already know that tapes store information on long, thin strips of tape with a delicate magnetic material on its surface. Likewise, hard drives contain round, mirror-like platters that are covered with that same magnetic recording medium.
The platters inside a hard disk drive are usually made of glass or aluminum. It is the polished magnetic material on the surface that makes the platter appear shiny, like a mirror. A clean, polished surface is critical to the proper functioning of the hard drive — even the smallest spec of dust can cause irreparable damage.
Just as a head inside of your cassette player or VHS player reads the data on the tape, a head inside your hard disk drive reads and writes data to the platters. This head is on an arm that is attached next to the platters, so that it can pivot back and forth over the them.

The average modern hard disk drive has several platters inside of it, stacked one on top of the other, like an Oreo cookie. There is a small gap between each platter, which allows each platter’s head to pass over it. The heads are all on the same arm, which has a separate branch for each head, rather like the tines of a fork turned on its side.
When you turn your computer on, the platters immediately begin to spin. The platters in a desktop computer hard disk drive typically get up to about 7,200 rotations per minute (rpm), while the hard drives in laptop computers usually run at 5,400 rpm. You may be able to hear the steady hum of your hard drive when the fan is not running.

When your computer is on but you are not retrieving or writing anything to the memory, the platters in the hard disk drive are always spinning. The arm with the heads on it, however, only begins to move when you run a program or open, save, or delete a file. This arm can move back and forth across the surface of the platter as many as 50 times in a single second, causing it to appear as a blur if you ever have the opportunity to watch. Because everything in the hard disk drive moves so quickly, the head never actually touches the platters, instead skimming just barely above them, supported by a cushion of moving air that is generated by the platters’ spinning.
The rapid motion of the platters and heads inside your hard disk drive make it susceptible to “head crash,” which is where the heads crash into the platters. Several different things can cause head crash. If dust gets into your hard drive and settles on the platters, it can actually cause the arm to bounce as the disk operates. The magnetic recording medium is extremely fragile, and is often ruined when the heads crash into the platters.
People who use laptops should also be very careful, as moving your laptop abruptly can cause head crash. Anytime you move your laptop when it is on, you should pick it up and set it down very gently. If you do not, eventually your hard disk drive may quit working altogether.

A typical hard drive can be seen below :

For more information on Hard Drives and computer storage please visit our Store at 122 Colne road, Burnley.

What is RAM?

Overview

Random Access Memory (RAM) provides space for your computer to read and write data to be accessed by the CPU (central processing unit). When people refer to a computer's memory, they usually mean its RAM.
If you add more RAM to your computer, you reduce the number of times your CPU must read data from your hard disk. This usually allows your computer to work considerably faster, as RAM is many times faster than a hard disk.
RAM is volatile, so data stored in RAM stays there only as long as your computer is running. As soon as you turn the computer off, the data stored in RAM disappears.
When you turn your computer on again, your computer's boot firmware (called BIOS on a PC) uses instructions stored semi-permanently in ROM chips to read your operating system and related files from the disk and load them back into RAM.

SDR, DDR, DDR2, and DDR3 RAM

Several types of RAM are used in modern computers. Before 2002, most computers used single data rate (SDR) RAM. Most computers made since then use either double data rate (DDR), DDR2, or DDR3 RAM. DDR2 is able to achieve faster transfer rates to prevent limitation of your CPU's performance, and DDR3 technology takes these advancements even further.
Note that these RAM technologies are not interchangeable. One type of RAM will not function if installed with another type, and physical differences in the RAM modules prevent them from even being inserted in the same computer.

For more information regarding computer RAM or memory upgrades, please call in to our store at 122 Colne Road Burnley.

What is VoIP and How it Works ?

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is simply the transmission of voice traffic over IP-based networks.

The Internet Protocol (IP) was originally designed for data networking. The success of IP in becoming a world standard for data networking has led to its adaptation to voice networking.

Some background history:

Although VoIP has been creating quite a stir in the press recently, it’s actually not a new idea at all. VoIP has been around in one form or another since 1973 when it began as an experiment by the US Department of Defense.

Why VoIP is better ?

The number one reason to switch to VoIP technology for telephone service is cost reduction. VoIP has become popular largely because of the cost advantages to consumers over traditional telepone networks. VoIP slashes your monthly phone bill by a whopping fifty percent. Let's put some light over these claims.
It offers cheaper international long distance rates which are generally one-tenth of what is charged by traditional phone companies. Its portability makes it a very good option and one could avoid expensive hotel phone charges and cell phone roaming charges. What one requires is just a high speed connection where one could plug the adapter into and people could reach you at your local number irrespective of your location.
Most Internet connections are charged using a flat monthly fee structure. Using the Internet connection for both data traffic and voice calls can allow consumers to get rid of one monthly payment. In addition, VoIP plans do not charge a per-minute fee for long distance.
By making VoIP calls using internet enabled cell phones one could avoid wireless roaming fees and long distance rates which generally touch north. Most of the times in-network calls to other VoIP service subscribers are free even if the calling parties are located in different parts of the world. 

How does it work?

Just to confuse people, there are many kinds of VoIP. Using voice chat in MSN , G Talk or Yahoo messenger could be regarded as VoIP, so could the highly publicised Skype; but these are all proprietary systems. To talk to someone using MSN, the person at the other end also needs MSN. The same applies to Yahoo and, to a great extent, to Skype. They use their own special system that isn't open and won't connect to other systems easily.
True VoIP should really be based on the SIP system which is the recognized standard. Any SIP compatible device can talk to any other; you don't even use a PC. Any SIP telephone can call another right over the internet, you don't need any additional equipment or even a phone provider. Just plug your SIP phone into the internet connection, configure it and then dial the other person right over the internet.
In all VoIP systems, your voice is converted into packets of data, like little files, and then transmitted to the recipient over the internet and decoded back into your voice at the other end. To make it quicker, these packets are compressed before transmission, a bit like zipping a file.

Actual Cost of VoIP:

The promise of free international calls whenever you want them probably sounds a little too good to be true – there must be a catch, right? Well, yes and no. Provided you only wish to use VoIP to communicate with other VoIP users, everything is very straightforward. If however you want to be able to use VoIP to make and receive calls to and from people who don’t have VoIP, you’ll need to subscribe to a gateway service that provides a bridge between VoIP and the conventional phone networks.

Getting Started with VoIP :

Getting started with VoIP could hardly be simpler. Assuming you already have the two most important ingredients (a Windows or Mac computer and a broadband Internet connection), all you need to get started is the following:

• Some free phone or messaging software.
• A microphone.
• Headphones or speakers (headphones are best because they won’t cause as much feedback).

An alternative to a microphone and headphones is an integrated headset, as this will leave your hands free.
When it comes to choosing which software to use, it’s worth considering whom you plan to call, since most VoIP software is proprietary. Check with any friends or relatives who already use VoIP and see what they’re using. If you plan to use VoIP to call people who use different software, you may need to install more than one program!
Examples of VoIP software you might choose to use are MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, SkyPe and ICQ, all of which are available as free downloads. All of these are designed to be beginner-friendly, so follow the installation instructions and you’ll be ready to go in a matter of minutes.

So what's the catch?

Obviously nothing is ever as simple as it sounds. New technologies aren't perfect and pricing often reflects this, if it wasn't cheaper nobody would switch.
The main problem with VoIP applications is bandwidth contention. This complicated term isn't as difficult as it sounds. You might have anything from a 512Kb broadband connection to 8Mb and beyond, dial-up isn't suitable for VoIP. It doesn't matter how big this connection is, it can still get busy.
VoIP phone call requires at least 100Kb or dedicated bandwidth and without this, you may find your phone calls less than satisfactory. To resolve this problem, there are now ranges of internet routers to use with your existing cable or DSL connection. These are VoIP aware and will dedicate the bandwidth to your phone call when you need it but free up all the bandwidth for other use when you're not on the phone. Some VoIP service providers will supply a compatible router with your connection package, it's essential.

Basic Computer Words: Network, Internet, & URL's

A "network" is two or more computers hooked together. When two computers are "networked," information can be moved from one computer to the other. Companies have many computers on their network, so employees can share information with each other.

The "Internet" is an "international network of networks," or a whole bunch of computers all over the world, connected together.

Your Internet Supplier (sometimes called your Internet Service Provider, or ISP), keeps their computers turned on all the time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are a permanent part of the Internet. This way, whenever someone sends you an e-mail, it goes to their computer, where it is stored until you are ready for it. When you turn your computer on, and your computer connects to their computer, when you check your e-mail, the e-mail message goes the last part of its journey, to your computer.
Those "www.whatever.com" thingy's are called "Universal Resource Locators" or "URL's" for short.

When you use a "browser" program (like Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera or Google Chrome), and you type in one of those "www.whatever.com" thingy's, your computer sends a request to the other computer, somewhere on the Internet (somewhere in the world). The other computer sends the "webpage" at that URL back to your computer, and you see it on your screen.
Every time your click on another link (which is actually another URL), it requests another "page" of information from that new URL. That new page may be located on the same computer, or it may be located on a computer on the other side of the world.

Because all these computers on the Internet are connected together, when information is being sent from one place to another, it gets passed from computer to computer, till it gets where it is going. If one computer is not working, the information is "automatically" sent by another route. This is what makes the Internet so robust. If some computers are not working, it doesn't block the communication. The communication is just re-routed automatically.

Note that this "information" being sent, could be an e-mail or a "www..." request for a page, or a page, or a file of information.

What is Linux and why is it so popular?

Every desktop computer uses an operating system. The most popular operating systems in use today are:

• Windows
• Mac OS
• UNIX

Linux is an operating system -- very much like UNIX -- that has become very popular over the last several years.

Operating systems are computer programs. An operating system is the first piece of software that the computer executes when you turn the machine on. The operating system loads itself into memory and begins managing the resources available on the computer. It then provides those resources to other applications that the user wants to execute. Typical services that an operating system provides include:

• A task scheduler - The task scheduler is able to allocate the execution of the CPU to a number of different tasks. Some of those tasks are the different applications that the user is running, and some of them are operating system tasks. The task scheduler is the part of the operating system that lets you print a document from your word processor in one window while you are downloading a file in another window and recalculating a spreadsheet in a third window.
• A memory manager - The memory manager controls the system's RAM and normally creates a larger virtual memory space using a file on the hard disk. 
• A disk manager - The disk manager creates and maintains the directories and files on the disk. When you request a file, the disk manager brings it in from the disk.
• A network manager - The network manager controls all data moving between the computer and the network.
• Other I/O services manager - The OS manages the keyboard, mouse, video display, printers, etc.
• Security manager - The OS maintains the security of the information in the computer's files and controls who can access the computer.

An operating system normally also provides the default user interface for the system. The standard "look" of Windows 98 includes the Start button, the task bar, etc. The Mac OS provides a completely different look and feel for Macintosh computers.
Linux is as much a phenomenon as it is an operating system. To understand why Linux has become so popular, it is helpful to know a little bit about its history. The first version of UNIX was originally developed several decades ago and was used primarily as a research operating system in universities. High-powered desktop workstations from companies like Sun proliferated in the 1980s, and they were all based on UNIX. A number of companies entered the workstation field to compete against Sun: HP, IBM, Silicon Graphics, Apollo, etc. Unfortunately, each one had its own version of UNIX and this made the sale of software difficult. Windows NT was Microsoft's answer to this marketplace. NT provides the same sort of features as UNIX operating systems -- security, support for multiple CPUs, large-scale memory and disk management, etc. -- but it does it in a way that is compatible with most Windows applications.
The entry of Microsoft into the high-end workstation arena created a strange dynamic. The proprietary operating systems owned by separate companies and the lack of a central authority in the UNIX world weaken UNIX, but many people have personal problems with Microsoft. Linux stepped into this odd landscape and captured a lot of attention.
The Linux kernel, created by Linus Torvalds, was made available to the world for free. Torvalds then invited others to add to the kernel provided that they keep their contributions free. Thousands of programmers began working to enhance Linux, and the operating system grew rapidly. Because it is free and runs on PC platforms, it gained a sizeable audience among hard-core developers very quickly. Linux has a dedicated following and appeals to several different kinds of people:

• People who already know UNIX and want to run it on PC-type hardware
• People who want to experiment with operating system principles
• People who need or want a great deal of control over their operating system
• People who have personal problems with Microsoft

In general, Linux is harder to manage than something like Windows, but offers more flexibility and configuration options.

Below is a video to show how far Linux has come to compete and some may argue even beat microsoft operating systems of today

For more Information on Microsoft operating systems or an introduction to Linux, please visit our store at 122 Colne Road, Burnley

Keyboard Shotcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts can make your life a lot easier. They can also help to avoid neck pain through overuse of the mouse.
Note: With 2 key shortcuts you tap the second key while holding down the first key.
With 3 key shortcuts you tap the third key while holding down the first two.
Some shortcuts act like a toggle switch. The same key combination applies an action and reverses it. Just like a light switch.
The symbol: refers to the Windows logo key. There's one beside each of the Alt keys on most full-size Windows keyboards. Laptops & small keyboards may have just one on the left.

Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Key combo	Name	Description
Ctrl+C	Copy	Copy text or graphic into the clipboard
Ctrl+V	Insert	Insert text or graphic from the clipboard. Think of the V as an insertion arrow.
Ctrl+X	Cut	Delete text or graphic and retain in the clipboard
Ctrl+A	Select All	Delete text or graphic and retain in the clipboard
Ctrl+O	Open	Brings up the Open File dialogue box.
F1	Help!	In most programs (even on the Desktop) opens the Help files.
Alt+F4	Close Active Window	Closes the active window. The window with a default blue title bar.
Ctrl+F4	Close Current Document	Closes the document, but not the program window or other open documents.
+E	Open Windows Explorer	Allows you to navigate around your computer. Move, copy and find files.
Backspace	Back to Previous Web Page	This applies in Internet Explorer or other web browsers.
Shift	While double clicking a folder icon or My Computer icon.	Opens Windows Explorer with the navigation pane open.
Ctrl+B	Bold (toggle)	Convert text to Bold type. Toggles on or off.
Ctrl+I	Italic (toggle)	Convert text to Italic type. Toggles on or off.
Ctrl+U	Underline (toggle)	Convert text to Underline type. Toggles on or off.
Ctrl+P	Print Menu	Brings up the print menu. OK?
F7	Spell Check	In applicable programs starts the spellchecker.
Shift+F7	Thesaurus synonym check	In applicable programs starts the thesaurus.
+D	This is a toggle shortcut: show Desktop and restore Desktop.	1st time: minimizes all open Windows to the Taskbar. 2nd time restores all open Windows to the Desktop.
Ctrl+F	Find	To search for text in a document or web page.
Shift	While deleting a file.	Bypasses the Recycle Bin. Permanent deletion. Take care! It's gone for good.
Alt+Tab	Cycle Windows	Hold Alt and each time you tap Tab, you select the next open window.
+tab	Cycle Windows with Flip 3-D	Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D – Vista & Windows 7 only. Use the arrow keys to select a window.

When you've become accustomed to those, try these:

Internet Explorer Shortcuts

Most of the shortcuts tabled above will work in IE. here are some extras

Key combo	Name	Description
Alt+Home	Home page	Go to your Home page
Backspace	Back	Go to the previous page
Shift+Backspace	Forward	Go to the next page
Home	Top	Move to the beginning of a document
End	Bottom	Move to the end of a document
Tab	Move to next	Move forward through the items on a webpage or in a form
Shift+Tab	Move to previous	Move back through the items on a webpage
Ctrl+H	History (toggle)	Show History Bar on the left
Ctrll+N	New	Open a new window
Ctrl+W or Altl + F4	Close window	Close the current window
Ctrl + F4	Close tab	Close the current tab
Control+E	Search	Open Search in Explorer bar
Control+I	Favorites (toggle)	Open Favorites in Explorer bar
Control+D	Add to Favorites	Add the current page to your Favorites
Alt+D	Select address	Select the text in the Address bar
Esc	Stop!	Stop loading the page
Ctrl+Shift+H	History	Toggle display and pin History
Ctrl+Shift +I	Favorites	Toggle display and pin Favorites

Turn Your Computer Off Or Leave It On?

I get quite a few questions about whether to leave the PC on or turn it off at the end of each day. There are many views on this subject and most all of them have valid points. Some believe that leaving a computer on will wear out components much faster while others believe that shutting a computer down each day does more harm.

The two main reasons that people are concerned about this issue are:

• Energy Conservation
• Component Longevity

Energy Conservation:

Operating a PC these days costs very little money (depending on electricity costs in your area). I would say an average amount would be about $1 per day. That is if you leave your monitor on too. Taking into account that most people do not leave their system running 24/7 365 days a year. People usually shut down on the weekends when away from the office or when they go on vacation. So, let's just say that your energy cost for a one year period will be somewhere around $120.00. If you adjust your PC settings to have the monitor turn off after being idle for 10 minutes, this figure can be greatly reduced. As you can see, the energy cost is probably not worth worrying about. So, lets move on to the meat of the matter and discuss Component Longevity.

Component Longevity:

Computers are designed to operate at consistent temperatures and have components in place just for this purpose.

Cooling Fans- While the system is turned on, the cooling fans will continue to keep the computers case cool keeping all of the other components within the case operating at a consistent temperature. It is very possible that by keeping your computer turned on you could be shortening the life of a cooling fan. But, is it really worth worrying about? Let's continue...

If you keep your computer case cleaned out every six months while paying close attention to your cooling fans, you will greatly improve the cooling fans longevity while maintaining their cooling performance.

The cost of a cooling fan and the time to replace one makes it really a non-issue where this discussion is concerned.

Hard Drive - This is the main concern when discussing shutting your PC down or not. A hard drive, when turned on, will experience a surge of electricity that will spin its platter to a speed of approximately 10,000 rpm. It will then begin to warm up and reach an optimum operating temperature. Then the cooling fans will keep it at that temperature.

Once you turn the system off, the platter spins down and the hard drive then cools to room temperature. Depending on the environment, these temperature swings along with the voltage surges when powering on can greatly reduce the life of your hard drive when shutting the system down regularly.

Lastly, the amount of time that you keep a computer system will be the determining factor when considering whether to shut it down on a regular basis or not. If you are one that keeps a system for about 2 years and then gets one with newer technology, then this is not going to be a factor for you at all. Do with it what you will. It is probably going to be under warranty for this time period anyhow.

But, if you keep your computer system longer and care about component longevity, then my recommendation to you is go ahead and leave your system running 24 hours. If you are away from it for a day or more, then go ahead and shut it down.

For more information on component longevity and maintenance, please feel free to Visit the Burnley shop at 122 Colne Road for free and friendly advice.