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Post by clarencebunsen on Jan 12, 2014 21:50:33 GMT -5
About 4 years ago I was given an e-reader (I probably would not have bought one for myself) and it became one of my favorite things, an essentially unlimited supply of books I could slip into a coat pocket. A single charge on a battery lasted for a week or two. It also read pdf's and Word documents so it was not limited to commercially published things. It had a black & white static display so not good for magazines or video. After about 3 years however the battery began to fade and I was suffering from serious gadget envy.
When I went to a tablet, new vistas opened: color, videos, web, email. There are trade-off however. If I used for reading, the battery is good for a day. Use it for video or games or web surfing, better start looking for an outlet after 2 or 3 hours.
An eight inch tablet is bigger than a paperback almost the size of most magazines. I don't think I'd want to carry around anything much bigger. What do you think, kracker?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2014 6:11:24 GMT -5
About 4 years ago I was given an e-reader (I probably would not have bought one for myself) and it became one of my favorite things, an essentially unlimited supply of books I could slip into a coat pocket. A single charge on a battery lasted for a week or two. It also read pdf's and Word documents so it was not limited to commercially published things. It had a black & white static display so not good for magazines or video. After about 3 years however the battery began to fade and I was suffering from serious gadget envy. When I went to a tablet, new vistas opened: color, videos, web, email. There are trade-off however. If I used for reading, the battery is good for a day. Use it for video or games or web surfing, better start looking for an outlet after 2 or 3 hours. An eight inch tablet is bigger than a paperback almost the size of most magazines. I don't think I'd want to carry around anything much bigger. What do you think, kracker? I went with the 8 inch Dell because the price was right & most of the tablets I looked into were 7" & 10". I figured the 7" would be too small for reading books, etc. & I also figured the 10" would be too big to carry around. One thing I learned is, don't buy a cheap router if you're running more than 1 device at the same time. The first Belkin I bought was junk so I returned it to Best Buy. The damn thing isn't even made anymore so I guess BB had it on sale to get rid of 'em. I upgraded to another Belkin dual band & we haven't had a problem running the desktop & tablet at the same time. |
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Post by chris on Jan 14, 2014 19:23:36 GMT -5
I have been having issues with IE so I down loaded Firefox and seem to have the same issue. IE has started to load real slow or not open at all. Now Firefox on my netbook has been doing the same. Or if browser loads it can't or isn't able to open pages or I get blank screens. Not sure what causes this but first it was on my PC and then seemed to migrate to my netbook also.
I use by device for everything like CB does. It is so much faster to tap/swipe and get to where you want almost in an instant (unlike PC's) Heck it even knows what it thinks I am thinking before I do....usually wrong guess. I was thinking of getting a sylus but don't like to have to carry around an extra accessory. I'd probably loose or misplace it like my pens. (but I have too big fingers for the tiny iPod touch). Like CB I can ck my email, snap a photo, play my games check my FB page almost all that I do on PC only faster. I think convenience is the factor and fits in the palm of my hand.
My sister bought a Nexus 7 after having an iPOd like mine but the eyes are not that good for both of us so bigger for her was better. She's still getting use to hers. Me I just wanted a newer ipod and misssed out on 2 deals so waiting for the next one to come along. Maybe by then I might consider an iPad.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Jan 14, 2014 23:24:18 GMT -5
Chris, I'm not anything close to an expert but here are some things I would try.
Use Task Manager & an exam of your start menu to see if you can identify a resource hog. I once had iTunes consuming most of my CPU resources for no apparent reason. It doesn't need to start automatically, I only use it to update Barb's iPod.
I run Spybot Search & Destroy in addition to Malwarebytes. Often one will find something the other doesn't.
Dave has had good results with Kapersky. I haven't run it myself.
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Post by chris on Jan 15, 2014 11:05:45 GMT -5
I have heard great things about Kapersky but I don't think there is a free version. Ill check my start menu as you suggest. I don't have itunes on my netbook. My netbook I used mainly for Skype and surfing. I only had Microsoft Offfice free version and since I have it on my PC don't see the need for adding it to netbook if I don't plan on using it there.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Jan 15, 2014 14:29:18 GMT -5
That dredged up another memory. I had some problems with the free Office Starter which came pre-installed on a notebook and a netbook. One of the symptoms was that opening a Word document slowed everything down. I was able to repair it but the path wasn't obvious.
From the Control Panel click on Programs. Then under Programs and Features click on Uninstall a Program (at that point I was sure the instructions I had gotten were wrong).
That brings up a page listing all of the programs installed. When I highlighted Office Starter I was given the options of Uninstall, Change or Repair. (When I do that now it offers only Uninstall or Change). When I clicked Repair, the computer did it's thing and Word went back to normal.
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Post by dave on Jan 15, 2014 16:26:04 GMT -5
On my Windows 7 HP Netbook, I hated the advertising that ran down the side of the Word "starter" software, so I installed an older version of Word I've been using for years. It's from back when Microsoft still shipped software on CD's. Glad I saved it.
Kaspersky has a trial version, but not a free version. You can download and run the trial version and do a scan to see what it finds. Do the same later with Prevx, another great pay-for virus fighter. I've had success also with Spybot and MalwareBytes, free of course.
There are a number of instances where virus or virus-like software eats up CPU cycles. Right now I'm battling "audiodg" that wants to eat 40% and slows down another CPU instensive program where I need all of the cyles. Audiodg is evidently not a virus, but it runs under erroneous conditions under a svchost thread and is a bug. An actual virus that parades as a legitimate function is wuauc*.* It's easy to fix, however. Just delete any instance of it EXCEPT for those in your c:\windows\system32 directory and sub directories.
If you're pretty sure your PC was working OK on a given date some time ago ... and you have an image in your system restore choices ... you can do a system restore and go back there.
If you do pay for anything, beware of scams I've seen lately where you pay your money and they're back in a year saying you bought only a year's license (but if they told you, it must have been in the fine, fine print.) I bought something recently and found I had bought only a SIX MONTH license! I don't buy much software, so it isn't as though I've wasted a lot of money. But these scams tick me off.
At least the well know anti-virus software manufacturers tell you right up front you're buying a yearly license.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Jan 15, 2014 16:45:30 GMT -5
Yeah, I've got a legit version of Office on a CD and one on 23 floppies. I still run the 1997 version on my desktop (I had to get the software that converts docx files to doc but that was free). The problem I have is that I have to keep any machine my wife uses compatible with what she has at work. She expects that if she is working on a file at home that it look exactly like it does at work.
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Post by dave on Jan 15, 2014 17:55:52 GMT -5
When that was true for me when I worked for the school district, it justified them buying me a copy of Word for home use. But those were different days in the 1990's.
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Post by chris on Mar 20, 2014 10:55:49 GMT -5
Well Clipper I'm at the point I have to make a decision also since I have WinXP and will be loosing support from Windows for MSE. I have been sitting on the fence wondering if I want to go laptop or desktop. I love my desktop but know the laptop is more portable but since I have a netbook think I should stick to desktop. Everything works on my desktop but for the support that will soon end. Does anyone know if used a different virus protector I can stretch this or just go out and buy a new one. Any input will be appreciated. Right now my IE won't open but sometimes it does so I am guessing Microsoft is quitting working on this machine. I have not seen Win8 in action so am going to find a store that has it so I can see if I want it. Better to have latest OS than worry about it expiring soon. Oh boy I hate these decisions and I am the type of person that has to see all before making one.
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Post by Clipper on Mar 20, 2014 11:27:02 GMT -5
I probably am not the one to look to for advice Chris. I still hate Windows 8 as much as I did the day I first got my new desk top PC. They say it is wonderful if you have a touch screen device. I don't, and find it far from wonderful. I would say if you are getting a new laptop, get one with a touch screen.
Clarence has some experience with Windows 8. He can probably offer some informed advice. Go to Best Buy and have a Geek insure that you are familiar with Windows 8 BEFORE you buy the machine. I have found that even the book "Windows 8 For Dummies" doesn't answer some of my operational questions. Have them walk you through the functions you use daily.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2014 11:35:44 GMT -5
My desktop runs windows xp. I just intend to continue using this even when support runs out. Since I never used support I don't know anything about it. I guess updates will end but as long as I can continue to use this desktop I will.
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Post by Clipper on Mar 20, 2014 12:22:37 GMT -5
My first computer had Windows 98 installed on it. It did everything I wanted it to do. My laptop has Windows 7 on it, and it works fine for my needs. My last desk top had XP. Of all the operating systems I liked that system best. I don't do anything highly technical or involved on a computer so XP served me well. I absolutely despise Windows 8. Friends that use it on tablets and phones love it. Without a touch screen I simply find it a pain in the ass to master and use. I hate the fact that we are forced to upgrade and that we cannot simply buy a machine with the software package of our choice.
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Post by chris on Mar 20, 2014 13:00:35 GMT -5
Alan what they mean by support is they no longer will be sending you updates and you will be vulnerable to viruses and no recourse to fix it. You did not have to use support for the updates to happen as they happen automatically while your system is running.
Since my last PC purchase things were so much simpler. But technology is moving too fast and getting more sophisticated. I use to be on top of everything until Apple came along with the iPhone and tablets were born. Danger of having devices is you get accustomed to them and ease of operation you start forgetting about Hardware (PC) I have been less and less on my PC and letting some important things to slide that I use to do on a weekly bases.
Clipper my first PC was a Win98. Wow remember those days before now and the dialup to get to the internet.
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Post by dave on Mar 20, 2014 13:05:26 GMT -5
Thinking to keep up with technology once in my PC buying career, I did an online upgrade download of Windows 8 for $39 some months back and used it for about six weeks before regressing my desktop back to XP. My particular problem with the Win 8 was a lack of drivers for my radio functions and devices. I found the user interface rather obnoxious for those of us using a mouse, but soon got used to it. Also, any time I wanted I could click into an old style screen with the usual small software icons on it. I often did so.
I agree with Alan. The dropping of XP support won't mean much to me for some time. I never call support and don't care much about Microsoft's continuing march against hackers. Nor do I expect them to provide common drivers for new printers, etc., but I don't think I'll be buying any of that very soon. Plus, the base drivers work on anything and I don't care about using most advanced functions.
I may be wrong, but I don't expect Microsoft's dropping of XP support to affect me very much for at least a few years.
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