Q:What Anti-Virus software do you recommend?
Q:What is spyware or malware?
Q:Should I buy a new computer?
Q:Should I buy a laptop of desktop?
Q:What brand of computer should I purchase?
Q:What internet service should I use?

Q:What is Anti-Virus software do you recommend?
A: There are two really good anti-virus software available that we recommend.
1. For the home user is Avast. This is free and the only disadvantage between this and a paid anti-virus is that it will not automatically do a full system scan. You have to manually click on it and open it, and then tell it to scan the hard drive.
2. NOD32, this is the anti-virus you should be running if you have a small business or are a home user who wants to be able to scan regular system scans and not have to bother with it on your own. You can purchase NOD32 here.
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Q:What is spyware or malware?
A:Malware is the new word that has been created to cover the bad stuff that can infect your computer can cause you problems, such as viruses and spyware. Malware is probably one of the worst problems affecting computers today. Viruses are only one part of this, and can be controlled with good anti-virus software.
Spyware is another part of this, and was originally designed as a marketing tool, companies would use it to monitor your surfing and internet buying habits, and then redesign their website layouts to get the most benefit from them. Advertisers quickly learned how to use spyware in conjunction with other malware and popups to push advertising to you.
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Q:Should I buy a new computer?
A:The average computer has a life span of 3 years. This means some will last 6 or more and some will last less. Over time you may start to notice that your computer just doesn't run as fast as it used to, you are running out of space to store your files, your computer crashes, reboots, or you are just having general problems out of it. The next question to ask yourself is should you buy a new computer or upgrade? The biggest thing to consider is how old your computer is versus your budget. Upgrading parts will probably help your computer but if it's a few years old, you have to consider that it might not be long before it starts to go bad. The 3 main questions to answer when trying to decide are this:

1. If it breaks, is it going to cost more to fix it than it's worth? That's a questions best answered by a trusting professional.
2. If you are sitting there drumming your fingers waiting for your computer to catch up with you, and speeding it up is not a viable upgrade option, it may be time to consider a new one.
3. If something comes out, like a new game or some other toy that you life, which won't run on your current computer then it might be time to consider a new one.

There are many factors involved with purchasing new computers, and unfortunately there are many people in business that would like nothing more than to sell you a new computer and lots of add-ons and accessories to go along with it. You may find yourself talking to someone who doesn't care or understand your needs and wind up throwing good money after bad as the expression goes. If you find yourself pondering this questions, please give us a call or drop us an email and we'll do our best to help you decide what is best for you.
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Q:Should I buy a laptop or desktop?
A:That depends on what you are using it for. If you want the portability of a laptop or do considerable traveling and want to take it with you, then obviously a laptop is what you should look at. On the other hand if you just want to reduce the size of how much room your computer takes up, there are a couple of other factors to keep in mind. A Laptop takes up less space but they are not really designed to replace a desktop computer. Laptops were truly designed to be ran for a couple of hours and then turned off to let them cool down. They don't have the airspace that a desktop does on the inside, so they run a little more hot and need some cooling down time. If you run a laptop for 8 hours a day or more it won't last as long as a desktop ran the same way will. Also unless you plug in an external keyboard and mouse, the workspace isn't quite as comfortable as a desktop for most people. The keyboard is smaller, a little hard to get used to and most laptops don't have an easily accessible numpad like a regular keyboard. The touch pads are often aggravating to some people also. Other prefer to use a laptop with an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard because of the size problem, but this allows them to unplug and take the laptop with them when they need the mobility.
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Q:What brand of computer should I purchase?
A:This questions depends on rather you are purchasing a laptop or a desktop. If you are getting a desktop, I don't recommend name brands. The initial purchase might be $50 to $100 less, but you are often limited on upgrade options a couple years down the road when it won't do what you want. The parts for name brand systems are often times 2 to 3 times as expensive if you need repairs after the warranty runs out, and the support is often very frustrating. Many, if not all, of the major brand manufactures have started outsourcing their support centers to off shore vendors. This means when you call their help or support centers, you are often talking to someone who doesn't communicate well in the English language. Spending 3 hours on the phone with someone that starts by having you spell your name 2 or 3 times can be very aggravating.
On the other hand if you are purchasing a laptop. I strongly recommend spending a few dollars more and getting a Lenovo. This is the company that purchased IBM's laptop division, and they are heads over the rest. They have a patented hard drive protection that is superior to all of the others. Also on laptops, I recommend you purchase an extended warranty, the parts and labor for repairing a laptop is much higher than desktops.
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Q:What internet service should I use?
A:This depends on what is available where you are. Some types of service may not be available for your area. The first preference is broadband, also referred to as high speed internet. This comes in various flavors, like ice cream, but the two most common are cable (from your local cable company) and DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), which uses a special type of connection over your phone line, this should not be confused with a dialup service, as it does not require an additional phone line and does not tie up the phone. For most home users, either of these is sufficient to keep you happy while surfing... My recommendation is to contact your local cable company and your local phone company, find out if 'high speed internet' is available from them at your location. If both of them are available, take the one that is less expensive. If neither cable nor DSL is available then Satellite and dial-up could be an option. Satellite tends to be costly, and isn't as fast as the other two broadbands, but is still much faster than dial-up, which is cheap but slow.
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