TECH ADVICE: Easy PC offers free advice that is easy peasy to grasp

I’VE started writing a weekly tech advice column called Easy PC for a local newspaper supplement. It’s directed at the technophobic and aims to encourage reader feedback and questions. Topics are related to home PC use & computing and the content is really as basic as it gets. Here's the brief and first installment.

The home PC has evolved into what is now considered a modern-day home entertainment system. Capable of behaving like a television, home cinema, game station, work station, music player and much more, the home PC is far more capable than it has ever been before. But with all these capabilities come complexities, and there are several things to consider when investing in any form of home entertainment. This is what Easy PC plans to simplify.

BUYING A NEW PC

THERE are two options when buying a new desktop PC – having one built from scratch by purchasing all the components you want, or buying a fully built and full functioning PC from a computer store. The latter option is generally cheaper and far easier, but be careful with regards to what bulk packages are on offer – it is also an easy way for PC shops to get rid of old stock.

The biggest bonus of buying a complete PC is that it should come with the latest operating system (a saving of about R1700). Windows 7 is the latest operating system available and is by far the most user-friendly. Ask the salesman if this comes with the PC that you are interested in.

The second thing to consider is storage space. You may think that a terabyte (1000 gigs) is more than what you’ll ever need, but this size hard-drive is now considered as standard. This is where you will store all your data. Also bear in mind that newer software gets larger over time and requires more storage space.

As far as the other components are concerned, simply ensure that they are upgradable. Powerful graphics cards and RAM (memory) are mostly for gaming and advanced video and picture editing. However, having the option to upgrade will allow you to do so if you feel something is lacking.

That’s all for this week! Until next time.

Kind regards,
That Tech Guy

More Easy PC Tech Advice:

1. Virus Scans
2. Wires and Dust
3. Good old Google
4. Setting up Skype
5. Legal Downloads

REVIEW: The Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Stick

Monique Tyrer

ALTHOUGH I missed my monthly phone fix from Vodashop Midlands this month, the outlet provided something different to satisfy my techno cravings that was just as fun to review — the Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Stick.

Slightly longer than your average USB flash drive, this handy Internet stick gives you a mobile Internet connection via your phone’s sim-card for either your laptop or desktop computer, allowing you to work from anywhere through a speedy Internet connection.

The “plug and play” capabilities of this nifty device work on both Windows and Mac computers through three different network connections — HSDPA, 3G and GPRS. The light on the stick also flashes a different colour to let you know which signal you are connected to, although all the connections are faster on average than a normal dial-up.

The installation data is stored on the actual USB stick itself, so there is no need to worry about installing the software with a CD, which means you can take your Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Stick with you anywhere and install it on a number of computers — a truly mobile solution for business and pleasure on the go.

The installation process was painless, and within a few minutes, the stick was ready for use. The stick also doubles as a flash drive to store information, with an additional microSD card slot available that can hold cards of up to 4GB.

Once the programme was installed, Internet browsing was quick and painless, and viewing websites such as YouTube was no problem for this small, but powerful, device. Downloading information was also really fast, and I was impressed with how this broadband USB stick had no problem handling the data.

With the programmes that come with the device, I was able to send and receive smses from my laptop, as well as view information such as signal strength, length of connectivity and the volume of data being received or sent. This is really handy to monitor your usage, as you are charged according to how much data you use.

• Monique Tyrer writes for the Natal Witness newspaper and other publications in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Article supplied by Mall Talk.

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