EXPLORING CYBERSPACE…

Before Buying a Desktop PC(Computer)

January 26, 2009 · Leave a Comment

To purchase a computer one should first consider the requirement, that is, the purpose behind getting the computer as to if it is for the basic requirement of writing papers or being in touch with the world through the world wide web or just play games. If it is just to prepare your papers, then you can get a computer with the minimum memory. If the requirement is a version of the word processing program then the requirement is a little more and the disk space required would also be more. If you need the Internet and download information from there, then the system has to be a technologically superior. Once you have decided on the requirement, the next thing that has to be considered is the amount of money that you can pay for it depending on which the quality of software and monitor can be determined. To save money though, do not compromise on the quality of the important things like monitor, processor, memory, disk space and the like. You can cut down a little on the printer or the speaker but not on the disk space or CPU (Central Processing Unit). Let me share some details about the main components of the computer.

Before Buying a Desktop PC(Computer)

The choice of CPUs is a complicated one and one has to choose between an Intel Processor and an AMD. The relative speed and the count of cores differ from one processor to the other. Since this is a complex component, before buying it one should get detailed information about every brand and do a comparative analysis. Then comes the memory part that is the RAM. DDR2 is the type of memory that computers generally use but for high end performing computer DDR3 is the memory that is being used though it is quite expensive.1GB memory is the standard but if you can afford 2GB of memory space, that is preferable. Speed of memory can have its impact on the performance, as well since faster the memory, better is the performance of the computer. When buying memory, avoid buying DIMMs so that you can upgrade the memory component of your computer as and when you want.

The next thing is the Hard Drive of the computer, which is essential for size and speed. It is better to have a large drive, which would work fast, have better performance and capacity. Most hard drives use Serial ATA interface since it is easy to install though there is hardly any difference between Serial ATA and the IDE standards. Then comes Optical Drives, which is the CD and DVD drive. In most of the systems sold now DVD burners are already there but it is always better to get a multiformat DVD burner that supports both +R/RW and –R/RW formats.16x should be the ideal speed. The other thing that you must pay attention to is the Video card only if you are into 3-dimensional graphics. There is wide variety of cards that you can choose from if you want a card but then the choice has to be based on the performance, memory space, output connectors and the version.

The primary component is the monitor of the computer
so when purchasing the computer, one should try and invest a little more on the monitor. There is always a choice between CRT and LCD monitors but then nowadays manufacturers are providing LCD monitors and that has become a standard since the size is less, thus occupies lesser space and it also consumes lesser power.So these are main components of a PC which are to be bought after putting some thought, apart from this, the expandability, back-up, repair, obsolescence and availability of spare parts is also to be considered.

Categories: Articles
Tagged:

Computer Cyber Pets

January 26, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Would you like to adopt a cyber tiger? Or would you rather prefer a real kitten? The choice is yours. But, it would be interesting to know about computer cyber pets. So, keep reading.

“How I wish, I could get home a cute puppy! It was a just few days back that I came to know that I could own a virtual pet. I am excited. But I don’t know how it’s going to feel. Will its eyes have the same look that a real pup would have? Will it wag its tail like a real doggie would? May be yes; may be no…”

Cyber pets are electronic animals that do everything that a real animal does, but in the virtual world. Cyber pets refer to the technology that enables Internet users to tame digital animals as pets. Although they behave like real pets, they are entirely artificial. They are programmed to look and behave like real animals. Cyber pets can be downloaded from the Internet.

The advances in the software technology have led to the development of different types of animated cyber pets. Different types of software are used to create attractive looking 2 or 3-dimensional animals. Animation software can be used to add interactivity to these virtual pets, making them appear very close to real!

Cyber pets from online resources are configured to run on special types of hardware. Pet adoption websites allow you to own a pet animal of your choice and keep it live for any period of time. Many of these sites require you to register with them for the duration for which, you wish to keep the pet live. Once the cyber pet is yours, you are allowed to take care of it. Yes, you can feed it, bathe it, take it for a walk, groom it and play with it. You might even build a relationship with your virtual pet. Ironically, it does not have a concrete form of its own; neither the cyber pet, nor the mutual relationship!

Computer cyber pets from online resources are configured to respond to touch or call. In many cases, you can even train them and see them grow! This sounds unbelievable, but it is true. For the real feel of owning a computer cyber pet, you must sign up to one of the cyber pet adoption sites or services and become a proud owner of your favorite virtual pet! But, one thing’s for sure; however cute and interactive they appear; cyber pets cannot replace real ones. Virtual pets suit the virtual world, but not the real one!

Categories: Articles
Tagged: ,

Supercomputers

January 26, 2009 · 2 Comments

Supercomputers are the fastest, most powerful computers designed to tackle complex problems requiring vast amounts of computer time. Two types of supercomputer exist. One type has several extremely complex and expensive processors that carry out computations serially, one at a time. Performing billions of operations per second, they are being overshadowed by a second type called massively parallel supercomputing. This system has thousands of simple, inexpensive processors connected in parallel. A computational problem is divided into parts, with portions assigned simultaneously to various processors. The individual processors calculate subtotals and send them to a central processor for combining.

Fastest Supercomputer in the World:

Built from microchips originally destined for games consoles, Roadrunner is the world’s fastest and latest supercomputer.

As an indication of how fast this is, manufacturers explained that if 6 billion people were to do one sum a second on calculator, it would take 46 years to do what RoadRunner could do in a day. The world’s first supercomputer, the Cray 1 built in the mid-1970s, would take 1,500 years to finish a calculation that Roadrunner would perform in two hours.

Categories: Articles
Tagged:

Protect your Computer and Internet Privacy

January 26, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Is a known fact that every time you open a browser to view a web page, order something online, or read your email in a web based viewer that information is stored on your computer for later use. Whether you are viewing the weather online, reading sports, catching up on the latest world news or viewing something a little more private, all that information is stored in your computer. Windows operating systems store all this material in what are called Temporary Internet Files or cache. Web pages may store bits of information about who you are when you visit web sites in files called cookies on your computer. Your web browser will store a list of web sites you’ve visited and places you’ve gone in a history file in your computer. Even if you are not online, programs will store histories of the files you’ve opened, played, or viewed.

Protect your Computer and Internet Privacy

Generally there might not be any reason to worry about all these files in your computer, but what if you sell your computer and all that information is left for someone else to see. Maybe friends and relatives visit and use your computer and you don’t want everyone to know what files you are running on your computer. Then you are going to want to know how to delete these files.

Even if you are not worried about privacy on your computer, you may be surprised to realize how much hard drive space all this information takes up. If you are running out of drive space, you may want to delete these files.

How can I delete these files?

For Internet Explorer 5 and above, you can follow these directions to clear out temporary files and delete cookies.

1) Open Internet Explorer and click on Tools
2) Click on Internet Options
3) On the General Tab, in the middle of the screen, click on Delete Files
4) You may also want to check the box “Delete all offline content”
5) Click on OK and wait for the hourglass icon to stop after it deletes the temporary internet files
6) You can now click on Delete Cookies and click OK to delete cookies that websites have placed on your hard drive.

To clear the Internet History in IE:

1) Open Internet Explorer and click on Tools
2) Click on Internet Options
3) On the General Tab, in the middle of the screen, click on Clear History
4) Click OK

To clean up other temporary files on your computer in Windows 98 or higher:

1) Click Start, Programs (or All Programs), Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup
2) Choose the correct drive usually C:\
3) Check the boxes in the list and delete the files

This deleting method is only good if you want to free space, because normal file deletion only removes a file’s directory entry, and leaves the data contained in the file on your hard drive, which can be easily recovered by any average computer user using a undelete utility. If you delete cookies or if you delete history using conventional methods anyone can recover them! Even after a hard drive format, files can be recovered using expensive hardware and software which use forensic latency track analysis algorithms.

There are several good utilities such as
http://www.amicutilities.com/privacy-guard/
http://www.amicutilities.com/privacy-guard/?v=deletecookies
http://www.amicutilities.com/privacy-guard/?v=deletecookies

Categories: Articles
Tagged: