If you've ever searched for anything online, you have no doubt read online reviews for it. Whether it is a piece of clothing, an electronic item or a store or professional service, there are reviews for it.
As an aware consumer, you need to be skeptical of all user reviews because of the anonymous nature of the Internet and the competitive nature of some businesses (like computer repair).
If there are 'tons' of negative reviews for a business and few positive reviews, check to see if the negative reviews were posted within a day or two of each other. If there were really that many unhappy customers, the reviews would be spread out and what the people said would be different from review to review (fake reviews tend to say the same thing over and over again).
Also, check the website of the person or company involve to see if the complaints mention thing that the company actually does; for instance, if the website says they never give estimates, but all the reviews claim that the final charge was "over the estimate", its probably a fake review posted by a competitor.
Also, check other review sites, and see if the review are more even somewhere else.
There, now you are a more informed and knowledgeable consumer.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Some things to know about Windows 7
Hardware Minimums:
Yes, you need to know what hardware you machine has, in order to know whether you can put Win 7 on it. These requirements are for the lowest amount of acceptable operation.
These requirements are (as I have tested them):
Next time, can you just put Windows 7 in the computer and say "Go!"?
Yes, you need to know what hardware you machine has, in order to know whether you can put Win 7 on it. These requirements are for the lowest amount of acceptable operation.
These requirements are (as I have tested them):
- A CPU of 1.5 Ghz or better. You find this out by right-clicking on My Computer, going the list and clicking on Properties. This will also tell you how much RAM you have.
- 1 GB of RAM. There doesnt seem to be appreciable lag in opening programs with this amount of RAM installed. At least half of you have this amount already; the rest will need to spend the $40 to meet this requirement.
- A 20 GB hard drive or larger. Since even the cheapest computer these days comes with at least 40 GB or more, you should be fine without even looking.
- A video card that is DirectX 9.0 hardware compliant. If you have a installed a video card at any time in the last three years, you are OK. Dont know if you have a video card? Look at the back of your tower; if the blue cable is coming from near the bottom, you do. If the cable is coming from the top(or top of the middle area), you dont. But thats OK, video cards are very inexpensive (unless you intend to play video games or start editing movies).
- A DVD drive. Also very cheap.
Next time, can you just put Windows 7 in the computer and say "Go!"?
Windows 7
Windows 7 comes out today; I will be buying it (if not today, then soon).
Will you, my vast reading audience, also be buying Windows 7? Will you buy the boxed software and keep your current hardware, or will you buy an entirely new computer?
If you are wondering whether you should or not, the answer is Yes, if your budget allows.
I have said previously that Windows 7 is a worthwhile product based on other peoples reviews and a limited amount of my own testing. I think that it deserves the chance to prove to you that it is safer than XP, as easy to use as XP(after the somewhat short learning curve), and at least as fast as XP.
And no, I dont work for Microsoft, nor have I been compensated for saying nice things about Windows.
Will you, my vast reading audience, also be buying Windows 7? Will you buy the boxed software and keep your current hardware, or will you buy an entirely new computer?
If you are wondering whether you should or not, the answer is Yes, if your budget allows.
I have said previously that Windows 7 is a worthwhile product based on other peoples reviews and a limited amount of my own testing. I think that it deserves the chance to prove to you that it is safer than XP, as easy to use as XP(after the somewhat short learning curve), and at least as fast as XP.
And no, I dont work for Microsoft, nor have I been compensated for saying nice things about Windows.
I Know I've Said This Before, But...
If you search Craigslist for computer help, you will find dozens of ads for people only too willing to help out with your troubles, myself included.
What concerns me is when I see an ad that says "Hi, I am an experienced computer person, but I dont want to tell you who I am, give you any sense I really might know what I am doing or give you any actual contact information." The ads dont actually say that, of course; but it is the sense one gets from reading them.
It is quite possible that I get this sense only because they are competing with me for business, but I dont think so. I am quite happy to share the large customer base around here, but... I would prefer that people selling a service to people who may not know any better at least provide a phone number, if not an email address and a website address, instead of using Craigslists anonymous email system.
How does anyone know that this anonymous person on Craigslist is who they claim to be if the only contact is through an anonymous email?
I know, I am just being paranoid, but it still bugs me. Am I right to be this concerned, or not?
What concerns me is when I see an ad that says "Hi, I am an experienced computer person, but I dont want to tell you who I am, give you any sense I really might know what I am doing or give you any actual contact information." The ads dont actually say that, of course; but it is the sense one gets from reading them.
It is quite possible that I get this sense only because they are competing with me for business, but I dont think so. I am quite happy to share the large customer base around here, but... I would prefer that people selling a service to people who may not know any better at least provide a phone number, if not an email address and a website address, instead of using Craigslists anonymous email system.
How does anyone know that this anonymous person on Craigslist is who they claim to be if the only contact is through an anonymous email?
I know, I am just being paranoid, but it still bugs me. Am I right to be this concerned, or not?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Device driver not installing?
If you are installing a device driver for a new piece of hardware, or more often, installing the same driver as part of a re-installation process, you may find that the installer will run but the driver wont install.
There are many reasons for this, but, more importantly, the question is 'if the installer program wont install the driver, how do I get the driver put in?'
The answer is to go to Device Manager, find the piece of hardware you are installing, right-click on it and click on 'Update Driver'. Then you follow the prompts, browse for your device driver, and click OK.
This should allow the driver to be installed.
There are many reasons for this, but, more importantly, the question is 'if the installer program wont install the driver, how do I get the driver put in?'
The answer is to go to Device Manager, find the piece of hardware you are installing, right-click on it and click on 'Update Driver'. Then you follow the prompts, browse for your device driver, and click OK.
This should allow the driver to be installed.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Cats are bad for laptops
Especially when they urinate on the keyboard when no-one is looking.
If you have a laptop, and are not sure of your kitty's temperament, always close the screen on your laptop when you walk away from or are not using it.
If you notice any sort of liquid on your laptop, and it is running, turn it off. DO NOT move your laptop or attempt to drain off the liquid; there are enough cracks and seams on the face of a laptop that any movement will allow the liquid the run inside and cause additional damage.
Instead, take a paper towel or anything handy that is absorbent and pat up the liquid. Once you have patted up all the liquid you can see, remove the battery while keeping the laptop as level as possible.
If the liquid appears clear and is thought to be water, let the laptop sit open so the water can evaporate.
If the liquid appears colored, pat up all the liquid you can, then get a hand towel or several paper towels and lay them over the wet area and gently close the lid.
What we want to happen is that the weight of the lid will force the towel(s) close enough to any remaining liquid so that over the course of several hours or overnight the towel(s) will soak up any remaining liquid.
After letting the laptop sit, replace the battery and attempt to start Windows. If Windows does not start normally, shut down the laptop, remove the battery and call a repair person.
And pray that your backups are up to date. You have been making backups of everything you can't lose, havent you?
If you have a laptop, and are not sure of your kitty's temperament, always close the screen on your laptop when you walk away from or are not using it.
If you notice any sort of liquid on your laptop, and it is running, turn it off. DO NOT move your laptop or attempt to drain off the liquid; there are enough cracks and seams on the face of a laptop that any movement will allow the liquid the run inside and cause additional damage.
Instead, take a paper towel or anything handy that is absorbent and pat up the liquid. Once you have patted up all the liquid you can see, remove the battery while keeping the laptop as level as possible.
If the liquid appears clear and is thought to be water, let the laptop sit open so the water can evaporate.
If the liquid appears colored, pat up all the liquid you can, then get a hand towel or several paper towels and lay them over the wet area and gently close the lid.
What we want to happen is that the weight of the lid will force the towel(s) close enough to any remaining liquid so that over the course of several hours or overnight the towel(s) will soak up any remaining liquid.
After letting the laptop sit, replace the battery and attempt to start Windows. If Windows does not start normally, shut down the laptop, remove the battery and call a repair person.
And pray that your backups are up to date. You have been making backups of everything you can't lose, havent you?
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Is this the year of Microsoft's success?
I think the answer is Yes.
When you consider that the 3 major products that Microsoft is releasing this year, Windows 7, Bing! search, and Security Essentials(code-named 'Morro'), have all gotten positive reviews by some of the biggest critics of Microsoft, it looks Microsoft has achieved something truly memorable for the company and its products.
Windows 7 has become more than 'just Vista Service Pack 2'; Microsoft has improved all of the things that worked about Vista to make them easier to use, fixed or otherwise adjusted all of the things that Vista's critics felt were unusable.
The smallest amount of computer hardware needed to run Windows 7, and have it not feel like swimming through molasses, is equivalent to what Windows XP was running on when Vista was released (2 Ghz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and video hardware capable of running Direct X 9).
This is like running tomorrows high-needs programs on a three year old computer and never noticing the difference in speed.
Bing! search is now what Google was like to begin with but with all of the knowledge of what people want and how they look for it. Bing! isnt quite as good as Google, yet, but there are some areas where the supplemental information that Bing! provides alongside the search results make it as or more useful than the same search on Google.
Search engine reviewers say that if Microsoft focuses on making Bing! searches better, rather than more marketable or whatever Microsoft usually does that turns a bright idea into garbage, that in 2 years Bing! will be a serious competitor to Google.
Don't hold your breath on that, though; this is Microsoft we're talking about here. They somehow always find some way to turn a diamond into glass.
Microsoft's Security Essentials software, which is their latest attempt at serious and effective protection software, is a suite of programs that includes anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware.
It appears that the third time really is a charm for Microsoft's attempts at security software; reviewers who have tried out the test, or 'beta', release have had positive things to say about it.
Which is unusual for an industry which has grown accustomed to warning people about avoiding certain Microsoft programs.
There you have it; the very real possibility of Microsoft having a year of successes for the first time since Windows 95, perhaps for the first time in the company's history.
When you consider that the 3 major products that Microsoft is releasing this year, Windows 7, Bing! search, and Security Essentials(code-named 'Morro'), have all gotten positive reviews by some of the biggest critics of Microsoft, it looks Microsoft has achieved something truly memorable for the company and its products.
Windows 7 has become more than 'just Vista Service Pack 2'; Microsoft has improved all of the things that worked about Vista to make them easier to use, fixed or otherwise adjusted all of the things that Vista's critics felt were unusable.
The smallest amount of computer hardware needed to run Windows 7, and have it not feel like swimming through molasses, is equivalent to what Windows XP was running on when Vista was released (2 Ghz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and video hardware capable of running Direct X 9).
This is like running tomorrows high-needs programs on a three year old computer and never noticing the difference in speed.
Bing! search is now what Google was like to begin with but with all of the knowledge of what people want and how they look for it. Bing! isnt quite as good as Google, yet, but there are some areas where the supplemental information that Bing! provides alongside the search results make it as or more useful than the same search on Google.
Search engine reviewers say that if Microsoft focuses on making Bing! searches better, rather than more marketable or whatever Microsoft usually does that turns a bright idea into garbage, that in 2 years Bing! will be a serious competitor to Google.
Don't hold your breath on that, though; this is Microsoft we're talking about here. They somehow always find some way to turn a diamond into glass.
Microsoft's Security Essentials software, which is their latest attempt at serious and effective protection software, is a suite of programs that includes anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware.
It appears that the third time really is a charm for Microsoft's attempts at security software; reviewers who have tried out the test, or 'beta', release have had positive things to say about it.
Which is unusual for an industry which has grown accustomed to warning people about avoiding certain Microsoft programs.
There you have it; the very real possibility of Microsoft having a year of successes for the first time since Windows 95, perhaps for the first time in the company's history.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Craigslist competitors
Like a lot of computer repair guys, I advertise on Craigslist. Craigslist is a goood way to get a listing in front of the public, and I get a fair amount of work from my ads on Craigslist.
What frustrates me the most are people who say that a computer problem can be fixed in minutes, and for tiny amounts of money (free to 20/hr.)
I know I shouldnt, but I worry about the quality of service that these people, some of whom admit that computer repair is 'just a hobby', are providing their customers.
People trust advertisers on Craigslist more than they should, so a 'computer repair guy' who doesnt give a name, phone number or website could be looking for homes to rob. Probably not, but any reputable serviceperson, whether janitor, handyman, plumber, landscaper etc. provides information about themselves so that potential customers can see that they are "real".
Lest someone think that I am merely complaining because of being undercut, I am not. Anybody has the ability to advertise on Craigslist and it is up to me to make my ad more compelling than the next persons ad.
Even so, I wonder about some of these ads I see. What with the poor grammar, poor spelling and no contact information its a good thing these people arent trying to to make a living.
As far as the obvious competitors go, more power to them; every de-virused computer make the Internet safer for all of us.
What frustrates me the most are people who say that a computer problem can be fixed in minutes, and for tiny amounts of money (free to 20/hr.)
I know I shouldnt, but I worry about the quality of service that these people, some of whom admit that computer repair is 'just a hobby', are providing their customers.
People trust advertisers on Craigslist more than they should, so a 'computer repair guy' who doesnt give a name, phone number or website could be looking for homes to rob. Probably not, but any reputable serviceperson, whether janitor, handyman, plumber, landscaper etc. provides information about themselves so that potential customers can see that they are "real".
Lest someone think that I am merely complaining because of being undercut, I am not. Anybody has the ability to advertise on Craigslist and it is up to me to make my ad more compelling than the next persons ad.
Even so, I wonder about some of these ads I see. What with the poor grammar, poor spelling and no contact information its a good thing these people arent trying to to make a living.
As far as the obvious competitors go, more power to them; every de-virused computer make the Internet safer for all of us.
Friday, June 26, 2009
New Places To Find Me
Well, I've gone and done it. I have just now registered on Yelp, signed up for Twitter and now have a Facebook page.
I guess I've truly joined the 21st Century now.
You can expect to see new posts there as often as there are new posts here...
I guess I've truly joined the 21st Century now.
You can expect to see new posts there as often as there are new posts here...
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