PC tips: Search anything (especially web pages)

Just in case you didn't know, you can press CTRL and at the same time press F to bring up a box with which you can search for a word on a web page or Microsoft Word document. On a Mac,

press the CMD key (the funny looking one with the Apple sign and this other , weird looking sign) and F. So, Mac users type  + F, and Windows users type CTRL + F to search things.

Try it out in web browsers, Microsoft Office, and any other programs you think it makes sense in, it probably works there too.

Netbooks: Why you should be interested

Over the last year or so, a brand new computer category has begun to emerge from several manufacturers: the netbook. The netbook is a new class of laptop which, in comparison to the laptops you generally see at your average Best Buy, have little processing power and memory, and small screen sizes (generally). However, they're pretty cheap. 

We've had ultraportable laptops for many years, but last year a company named ASUS decided to shake things up a little. They strived to create a small laptop which could be sold at a low price while still remaining more or less fully functional and reasonably quock. The result was the ASUS Eee PC

Netbooks are the perfect supplement to a larger Desktop, or even a large laptop as they are generally smaller. Netbooks generally run either Windows XP, sometimes a slightly scaled back edition to what you may be accustomed to, or a variation of Linux. Netbooks can do most of the web browsing and office work most users will require from their laptops on a day-to-day basis. Furthermore, if you have a young kid begging for a laptop for Christmas so they can MySpace with their friends, they is the ideal gift. They may also be ideal if you want a cheap laptop to take somewhere, say, on holiday. This is ideal for this occasion for if the laptop were to get stolen, (unlikely but not impossible), you may take solace in te fact that the computer was relatively cheap.

Just Remember, these computers should be used as a supplement to a main computer not as your main PC!

Some models worth consideration:

The Eee family:

I particularly like the Eee 100 with a 6hr battery life and somewhat large screen, but some would want a lighter model or faster or one which seems more sturdy for kids. Have a look!

http://usa.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=24&l2=164

Dell Inspiron Mini 9

Do NOT get Vista on this PC: customize it with Linux or preferably Windows XP

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-9?cs=19&s=dhs&ref=homepg

Laptop for a journey

A reader, Max asked about getting a laptop  to take on a trip to Europe.

First there is the question of which laptop to take. Now, unless you need a particularly powerful laptop for thing such as media editing, a thin and light laptop is the absolute best type of laptop to take. First the drawbacks. These laptops are not as powerful as some of their bulky brethren, many also lack a disc drive to reduce weight and the size of the laptop. 

If you can suffice even with these shortcomings, then a thin and light laptop will be absolutely perfect if you travel, or plan on traveling often. Their impressively light weight and thin frame makes them perfect for travel. The Macbook Air is the most prominent of these, with a space-age design and an impressive 6 hour battery life. 

If a Mac is not ideal and you require Windows, look no further than the Lenovo Thinkpad X200. This laptop lacks a DVD drive as well, but it is one of the fastest computers in this class of laptop. It also packs a comfortable keyboard, a six hour battery life, a webcam and a very nice-looking screen. Unfortunately, it does not feature a trackpad, only including one of the red button type mice that used to come on many older laptops to use as the mouse. To be fair, this kind of mouse does work pretty well, though I prefer trackpads.

If you absolutely need a disc drive, and think this over carefully as these days many people don't, then the Fujitsu Lifebook P8010 is ideal. This laptop has a DVD drive, a trackpad, and even a bimetric (fingerprint) reader built in. Just consider that the battery life is a little less at around 5 hours, the display is not widescreen and the keyboard is more cramped than the Lenovo.

If you won't be travelling very often upon arriving, maybe just frequent walks around a college campus or the like, then there isn't much need for an ultraportable laptop. You may as well save money and get a more powerful computer, which will also be larger. Its not worth the loss of power and the increase in price if you will not be doing frequent journeys. If this is the case, then to be honest, any reasonably sized laptop, between 12" to 15", will do.

The Apple Macbook is a reasonably sized laptop with a 13" screen, (the others were 12") It is thicker but not bulky.  It includes a disc drive, as do all laptops of this class, and is more powerful and cheaper than the Macbook Air. It also features a glossy monitor, a webcam and around 4-5 hours battery life.

This Dell Inspiron is also considerable, with a 13 inch screen, and the performance should be good, as it features at least a dual core 1.86GHz processor and 2GB of memory, which you can increase if you so desire. 

I would recommend going to a Best Buy or the like and checking out the different models and choosing one which fits your needs for weight and thickness, but don't get distracted by extra features or buzzwords which you don't actually need, we've all made that mistake before. As far as features go, make sure it has:

• at least a 1.8GHz Dual Core Processor
• at least 2GB RAM or Memory, aim for 3GB but 2GB is fine
• At least 160GB hard drive at 5400RPM
• A decent size.

These features are pretty much standard for a good laptop. The point is if a laptop has these features then the speed of the computer should be good, rest of the laptop is should be pretty good too. I have a laptop weaker than said specs (its a mac) and it runs perfectly, yet on a Windows your mileage may vary.

As for voltage, Apple makes socket converters for its laptops but it costs $69.99. It is much cheaper and easier to get a normal travel adaptor and use that, your laptop will be fine. I did this for years on 3 laptops and 1 desktop computer. Current converters are not necessary, the adaptors that come with most laptops can accept both the American and European (including Britain) voltage currents. A travel adaptor with the power cable which comes with your laptop is fine.

Free Download of the Week: Open Office

Not all of us are willing to pay the $100 or so Microsoft Office costs just to be able to make a decent looking document. For us, there is OpenOffice. OpenOffice 3.0 is an office suite with all of the programs you need, Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation (like Powerpoint), and even Database software. It can read files made in Excel, Word or Powerpoint, edit them, and make new files in those respective formats. The best part? Its 100% free. You can download it for Mac, or Windows.

http://www.openoffice.org/

My favorite Windows PCs Part 1

I love macs, but every so often there's a Windows PC that makes me just come out and  say "cool". In this part I'll be talking about the undisputed powerhouses of the PC world. Those PCs which only the most elite tech enthusiast would dare to use. These are an order of magnitude more powerful than the average PC user needs, this is the pinnacle of consumer computers.

Here's a few:

HP Touchsmart

Not the fastest PC available for this price but certainly one of the coolest. This desktop comes with a touchscreen built in, as well as special software to make touch-screen computing easier. Starting from $1,299.99, these aren't cheap but they give you a cool factor few other PCs can boast. Only time will tell how long that remains though.

Dell XPS

As a gamer, I find this model of PC to be particularly enticing. The brand XPS is known for delivering high performance computers, and the line has as of yet, never failed to deliver. Telling any tech enthusiast you have an XPS will surely grant you a nod of approval from any self-respecting tech enthusiast. 

http://www.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/xpsdt?c=us&cs=19&l=en&ref=dthp&s=dhs

Alienware

If the XPS is the Rolls-Royce of computers, then this is the Hummer. Large, loud, flashy but extremely powerful. This is the absolute best computer I've seen on the market, in my opinion.

http://www.alienware.com/products/desktop-computers.aspx

Next time I'll cover mid-range PCs, the type that most people would want to look for.

Free Download of the Week: VLC

If you watch videos on your PC, ever (not including Youtube videos) you need this program. VLC allows you to watch any video or any audio format right in one program. Videos that for some reason did not work before may work now, only on VLC. No longer must you continuously switch between Quicktime and Media Player. Furthermore, VLC does not check for region codes so your PC can become a multi-region DVD player!* Download it here now for free.

Available for Mac OS X, Windows XP, 200 and Vista (there is also a version for Me, 98 and 95)

and Linux.

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

*On certain computers, specifically some Mac laptops, the multi-region capabilities have not worked due to limitations in the disc drive.

New mac Laptops!

As predicted, there is a new line of Macbook laptops; both the consumer level Macbook and the professional Macbook Pro have been updated. Check 'em out::

The New Macbook

The New Macbook Pro

and New Apple Monitors

Games and burn-in

First of all, let me be absolutely clear on one thing. If you have an LCD or a fat CRT TV, your TV cannot get burn-in, no matter what, at all.

(Definition, for those who are not familiar with the term: phosphor based display systems (CRT direct and rear view and plasma) are susceptible to image retention also known as "ghosting, image shadowing, image burn in." This is due to physical properties of phosphor and how it reacts to light and electric impulse. www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com)

For the rest of you, namely Sonny, you may have a problem. Now, for owners of Plasma, rear projection TVs or projectors, burn in may be an issue. I'll tackle each independently.

Plasma

Hopefully you know whether you have an LCD or Plasma TV at this point, the external differences are more or less non-existent these days, they are both big, thin, "flat-screen" TVs. No longer is it true that LCD TVs are small, I have a 42" and I've seen far bigger. LCDs may also have a great picture these days, now longer are all of them washed out like their early iterations. 

Plasma TVs when first introduced had a dark side, static (still) images could become forever imprinted on the display, a condition called 'burn-in'. Games were very much capable of causing this damage as HUD items like health bars, compasses or a score box could burn in on the TV.However, things such as TV station logos or the black bars you get on the top and bottom (or left and right) of the screen when watching a movie could also burn in. The threat of burn-in was exaggerated to an extent, but some of us just like to be sure. If your TV is several years old, take particular care and yes, maybe you should avoid playing games on it. 

However, if your TV is more recent, like 2  years (maybe 3) or less, the you should know that progress has been made towards reducing the risk of burn in on your Plasma TV. For these TVs, burn-in is most likely to happen in the first 100 hours of its use, although your  mileage may vary, especially with budget plasma TVs. Budget plasma's may or may not be more likely to burn in. As well as this I have seen more than my fair share of gamers with huge Plasma TVs, nary any burn-in in sight. If you have a recent Plasma, I'd say go for it, feel free to game on it, but for the first 100 hours or so, try and avoid long stretches of gaming time, especially on one game.

Rear Projection

These TV's are the very large screen TVs which also happen to have a very large back, and very large weight. I used to have on of these when I lived in England. Now if you have an early version of these, avoid games. I did just that. However, again, I've seen many gamers play on this type of TV so I suppose, if you would chance it, playing games may be safe so long as you avoid keeping an HUD or a menu on the screen for long periods of time. 

If yours is one of the newer ones (i.e. you can actually say it looks kind of nice), it may have DLP or LCD projection. If you know your TV has one of these, games are fine. Burn-in is mostly impossible.

Projector

This is an interesting one. Projectors burn in. A few may have technology designed to stop such burn in, like DLP or LCD lighting (this has been said to have burn-in on occasion however), but many do not and therefore may be deemed unsuitable for gaming. However, whenever I've seen a projector being used, 9 times out of 10 I've seen it used in a situation where burn in is bound to happen. Things like the start menu of a PC, the icons on a desktop, one powerpoint slide shown for hours or often, games, are bound to cause burn in. Nevertheless, I've never personally seen burn-in on a projector, so from experience, I'd play games on them, cautiously.

Mac Vs. PC

I was asked in my last post about which would I recommend, a Mac or a PC. Let me be clear on this, I am a Mac user who grew up on Windows, like many new Mac users are. In fact, when I lived in England I had a Mac and a Vista PC. Now, which would I recommend? The Mac.

Why is this? Because Macs give me a piece of mind which I was just reminded I never had on any PC. I do not worry about viruses, malevolent programs or my PC crashing because this sort of thing just does not happen on Macs. Potentially  it could, but as of now most discovered Mac viruses are rare and must actually be installed by the user. There is nothing to worry about on this front. Secondly, Macs are faster than Vista PCs. They are not as fast as an XP computer with similar specs, but faster than a Vista PC with similar specs.As well as this, everything just works. This is a tagline used often by Apple to promote the Mac but everytime I set up a printer, or install a new program this is made clear. I can't remember a time I've ever had trouble setting anything up on a Mac, which is more than I could say for PCs. Finally, Macs are easy to use. Wi-fi and computer-to-computer networks are ridiculously easy to set-up, completed in seconds. Why can't PC's be this intuitive? I've never got their 'Workgroup' working!

Now, thats why I use a Mac. Yet, I already said I also frequently used my Vista PC too. One word here, Windows Media Center. Now, in order to get the most out of this you have to hook up a TV tuner to your PC, but once you do you will be treated to the best PVR (Personal Video Recorder) on the market, although I can't vouch for TiVo. The software is extraordinarily intuitive, like a Mac, it just works. Don't want to watch TV on your computer? The Xbox 360 can watch TV by connecting to the PC through a network. Plays most video and audio files and has a great interface which can be used from your couch. 

Not really interested  in TV on your computer? Here is something to consider. Macs and Vista PCs aren't that different, when you take care of them. Maybe it was different when  it first came out but my  Vista PC rarely, if ever, crashed, although my brother's does frequently. The reason is he installed a whole load of junk from the internet, visited many websites which probably put spyware on his computer and I doubt he even used his firewall properly (Zone alarm firewall, very powerful, probably the best but it asks you to accept or reject every single program). Whereas mine ran without a hitch.

Macs and PCs both run Microsoft Office, they both run Firefox and they both run iTunes. They both can handle whatever pictures, movies or music you throw at them.  When I first began looking to buy Mac, I had just recovered my PC from a total system failure due to a trojan horse, for the third time. Now, Windows is much more stable and if you run a good anti-virus, as well as using some common sense online, like not downloading unverified files, you will never think about it.

While writing this post I actually struggled to define the reason I prefer Macs. Here's what I came up with: 

• Very attractive hardware
• Piece of mind - much fewer security risks
• It pretty much is ready for work out of the box
• Fast
• Generally easier to use
• It just works
• Macs can run Windows, Windows can't run Mac OS X

Why buy a windows?

• All your friends have it, they can give you Windows programs
• It runs all of your old programs, don't really need to buy new ones
• It can play lots of games (deal-breaker for some)
• It can be upgraded

That last point, you can use Apple's program to divide your hard-drive into two sections (partition), one for Mac OS X, the other for Windows. You can even buy a program named Parallels and run Windows at the same time you are running Mac OS X! You can even copy and paste between the two systems. 

Some people in more specialized positions, such as professional video or photo editors, will find much more than this to like with a Mac. However we, as the lowly average consumers, the aforementioned features are the extent of the benefits of a Mac. When broken down like this, the benefits seem less than perceived, but it does make a more enjoyable, all -around computer using experience. If you can get either computer, then get a Mac, right now its still better.

Buying a Mac this week? Wait!

Apple is holding a special event on October the 12th, next week. They are almost certain to announce a brand new Mac laptop then so if you are planning on getting one you might want to wait and check it out first. 

via Engadget

Follow-up: Why gamers need an Xbox 360

hypermama asked a very valid question as to whether the Xbox 360 is a suitable console for kids under 12. Yes the console is suitable for kids under 12. Microsoft has a slew of games for children to play including Banjo-Kazooie, Lego Star Wars and Viva Pinata. Lets not forget the majority of sports games too. The Xbox 360 is certanly easy enough to use, in fact want all you need to know is how to open the disc drive and you'll be fine. The online store, Xbox Live Marketplace is a bit of a mess and difficult to navigate for the time being, Microsoft is releasing a makeover to the entire menu system, the Operating System, on November the 12th.

However, I think that the Wii is better in this regard. Especially for girls. Not leaps and bounds ahead but definitely somewhat better, having games like Mario and Mario Kart, but also High School Musical and Hannah Montana. Developers make more kids games for Wii, simply because of its perceived audience.

I believe that any child 12 or under will be more than happy with an Xbox 360, especially the 11 or 12 year olds, and will find a better gaming experience on many games with the Xbox. However, some just want to play with their favorite characters from TV, and this is where the Wii is better. Also, if you have a girl, more often than not they'll find more to like with the Wii.

Why gamers need an Xbox 360

I remember back in 2006 I decided that I wanted to get an Xbox 360. This would be the most expensive thing I'd ever bought with my own money and it took months of siphoning off dinner money, running errands and telling sob stories before I could finally afford my very own Xbox. In retrospect, was it worth it? Is it still the best video game console money can buy? The answer is a resounding yes.

Now between me and my brother we have a Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 and as far as games go, Xbox 360 is the clear winner.  Halo 3 , Gears of War and the controversial Grand Theft Auto remain the premiere games of this generation of video games. Shooters not your thing? Try Project Gotham 4, Guitar hero or (trust me) Viva Piñata. The Xbox 360 now has the widest, and greatest selection of games this generation.

Compare this to the Playstation 3. Whereas the PS2 dominated the market last generation, this year Sony have struggled to succeed this time around. Nevertheless, the PS3 definitely remains an appealing console for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the Blu-ray player built into every PS3. For those of you who don't know, Blu-Ray is the evolution of DVDs, providing a picture which has to be seen to believed. Trust me on this, you might think your DVDs look fine on your TV but once you've seen a Blu-Ray, your whole collection will look unworthy. Of course, if you have not got an HDTV and have no plans to get one then you won't see any difference and you may as well forget this feature. 

Secondly, the features. There is no doubt that the PS3 has the best features of any console. As well as the aforementioned Blu-ray player, the PS3 includes a bevy of other features. A decent web browser, support for any of your music files or video files and you can even hook up most bluetooth headsets. As well as this you can do more or less anything the Xbox 360 can do. Download free demos, add-on content for games, themes for the console, 1080p HD, rent movies from an online store and more. My favorite feature is Remote Play. If you have a PSP handheld, you can connect to the PS3 over the internet on a Wi-fi network and use the PS3. While you can't play most of the PS3 games over remote play, all movies and music on its hard drive, as well as any PS1 game can be played on the PSP, whether its on a disc or downloaded from the online Playstation store. Add this to built-in Wi-Fi and this is the best value stand-alone console ever made.

As well as this, multiplayer online games are free. On the Xbox 360, an annual fee must be paid to play games against friends online but on the PS3 (and Wii), everything is free! The PS3 is missing several of the Xbox's online features, such as cross game voice chat and game invites. The game invites are particularly nice. Say if I was playing Gears of War, and my friends were starting up a match of Halo, they could send me an invite which pops ups on my screen which asks me if I want to join their game, which I can decline or accept. Now, personally, I couldn't bring myself to pay for the service again after the first year, but then I prefer single-player games most of the time anyway. If $49.99 a year is too much, or £39.99 in the UK, this may be a deal-breaker for you. 

Finally the games. The PS3 definitely has its own roster of triple-A games. Metal Gear Solid 4, Uncharted and Ratchet and Clank are the greatest examples of PS3 exclusives with Resistance 2, Killzone 2 and LittleBigPlanet all on the horizon. Metal Gear Solid 4 is a masterpiece in terms of video games and Ratchet and Clank is one of the best kids games on the market today. Nevertheless, I think that in terms of games, Xbox 360 remains the better console which is why I recommend the Xbox 360 to serious gamers.

However, for the more casual gamers, the Wii may be the better option. The Wii features games playable by anyone, not just the 4 year old child, but also the 70 year old grandmother (or so they say). Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Metroid Prime 3 are the best games on the system bar none. Wii Sports, the game bundled with the console, remains an incredible showcase of the controller's motion-sensing technology and fun for the first few weeks, but it lacks the depth necessary to carry it further.

However, the reason many serious, hardcore gamers, those who play games for more than 5 minutes on the weekend, eventually shun the console is its lack of games. Besides the few I've already mentioned, there are few AAA quality games out there for Wii. Furthermore, the Wii lacks HD, so when you hook up a Wii to your shiny new HDTV, it wont look nearly as good as the competing consoles. Good, yes: great, rarely.

So, I think that if you are looking for a low priced console for the family, buy a Wii. If you are looking for a low priced console for a teen/ tween, make it an Xbox. If you are looking for one console as a more serious gamer, make sure you get an Xbox. And if you want the console with the very best games available as well as the best online service.... get an Xbox. If the shooter heavy Xbox 360 lineup simply is less appealing to you, get a PS3. If you are going to buy a blu-ray player and have only a passing interest in games, buy a PS3. But for most the Xbox 360 is the best console.

Help is at Hand

So for the last say, 5 maybe six years I have had my mom, her mates, my mates, my uncles, aunts, teachers, neighborhood cats and dogs calling me for help with their tech. issues. I don't mind, I love it, it's what I do - it's what I was born to do. It's like a quest sorting out problems that are driving others crazy. I guess you could say it makes me feel good to say I have been able to save at least one computer from being thrown out of the window or rolled down a flight of stairs. It keeps me grounded, I would also like to say humbled but being king of the tech. world at my tender age (only 17) is a proper head sweller.

Anyway, I decided to put my incredible talents to good use and offer my services on a more official basis. The world is crying out for a person that they can call to say - "hey, I've just lost my entire thesis on Word and rather than take the sledge hammer to the living room wall I was wondering whether you may have any suggestions!" Now I'm not promising miracles, but I am good. AND I'm free ! (though I would never refuse a donation towards my impending college fund, NEVER, that would be wrong). So for all your technical woes - CHECK WITH ME, I might be able to help. You can email me and I'll walk you through your problems. I'll also be helping local schools, churches, community orgs. and will work by referral too. So if you know of anyone who needs a hand, tell them to check me out. Who knows, I may even come to you if you're in my area.

 In addition to my services you'll find that I'm also something of a product junkie, so i'll be giving my personal opinion on a variety of  gadgets, gizmos and all that stuff.

Now here's my disclaimer:

I'm a kid OKAY! I'm not an expert, though I'm pretty darn good. If you are looking for a miracle I can give you our pastor's number.

My opinions don't matter, they're mine. Get your own if you disagree. Though I'm pretty sure you will agree with me 99% of the time, you will buy products upon my recommendation. And you will thank me.

And finally, don't quote me on anything. I'm a KID! I'm just trying to make the world a little less frustrating.

So welcome to my blog! Visit me. Leave comments. Ask questions. Tell me your problems (no personal girly stuff please, i'll only laugh).

See ya soon

Chris