Market is flooded with lots of desktop computers of different configurations, shape and sizes. The main points to look for when buying a computer are the best combination of features, quality, performance, support, and price. Let us consider some points which are important when buying a computer.

Choosing a Computer Processor

The CPU is the main core of a computer system. It is mounted in a socket on the motherboard and it controls the entire computer’s other components. The performance of a computer is mainly depends on the type of CPU used and this puts some impact on the cost.

Intel and AMD are the two major manufacturer of CPU. These two manufacturers provide several families of CPU having different sets of features and designs. So if you are looking for speed and performance the price of CPU will certainly increases. It becomes necessary that you first decide what kind of computer work you would like to perform in order to choose a computer CPU. If you are dealing with some work which require high amount of CPU power then you have to look for high performance CPU. But on other hand if you are buying a computer to carry out simply daily tasks then you should go for normal CPU.

The main reason to buy a better and high performing CPU is to make it compatible for future upgrades or updates in latest hardware and software. You should opt for mid range CPU which will run for long period and get adapt to upgrades easily.

Speed of Processor

Speed really matters when you have to process a large amount of data or you are running some heavy application on your computer system. But on other hand if your work is restricted to only doing some routing home or office task like word processing or web browsing then you don’t have to go for such high speed of processor. But always remember don’t go for a cheap processor because it will become obsolete for the future programs.

So the best method is to go for middle range PC having good speed with low cost. As said previously you need to know your requirements first and after that choose wisely which type of processor you really need.

Choosing Computer Memory

Every file or program when runs in a computer it first get loads into RAM (random access memory). RAM chips are mounted as memory modules in sockets on the Motherboard. Data is exchanged between CPU and memory every time you save or open any programs on your computer.

Every Manufacturer has laid down some specification on the amount of RAM needed for a particular system but the actual demands of your computer system mainly depends on the amount of data process by CPU and the amount of programs you run on your system.

Windows XP needs minimum 256 MB of RAM but if you want to use some advanced programs like video editing, photo editing where a huge amount of data is processed you should increase your RAM up to 1GB for faster performance.

Choosing a Hard Drive

Hard Drive stores all your data and program files. Choosing a hard drive depends mainly on the amount of data you want to store. If you want to store large amount of songs, graphics, want to play games and videos than you should go for 300GB of Hard Drive.

When choosing a hard drive please remember the following points

Hard Drive Speed: Hard drives generally come with speed of 7200RPM and 5400RPM. It is always a good idea to choose a hard disk of high RPM because it will be easy to locate large amount of files on your computer. Your operating system will load fast when using a high speed hard drive.

Interface: Interface is a system by which computer exchange data with disk drive. There are commonly two types of interface used by computer system called ATA and SATA. SATA is the latest technology as compared to the older. SATA is relatively faster than the ATA and process large amount of data between hard drive and computer.

Buffer: A buffer holds the temporary data that the computer recently read and is going to be used again. Buffer increases the amount of time taken by processor to process the data. Desktop computer have either a 2MB buffer or an 8MB buffer. If you want to play heavy games on your system than go for at least 8MB buffer.

Choosing a Motherboard

Keep in mind that before choosing a Motherboard you should choose a processor. Motherboard generally supports only one type of processor such as Intel Pentium 4 or Athlon. So keep in mind that you should buy a motherboard that can support the type of processor you have with you.

Always make sure that you choose a compatible RAM for your motherboard. DDR 2 RAM are generally very popular these days because of the speed and low cost.

Following are other things you should keep in mind while choosing a motherboard

• Chipset support
• SATA Support
• Processor Support
• Expansion Slots
• On Board Features

While resolving any errors in a computer system you should first have to know about the different properties of a computer system. Following are some basic properties typically found in a computer system.

Find Your Version Of Windows

It will really help you to find out the latest hardware and software pieces for your system if you know what version of windows you are using. Follow the steps to find out your version of windows.

• On your Desktop right click on My Computer Icon. You can also find out the My Computer Icon by clicking the start button at the bottom left corner of Windows.
• Select the properties and windows will opens. You will see the version of windows there.

Find Your Hard Drive’s Size and Remaining Space

A hard drive stores all the programs and data on your computer. Generally a computer becomes slow when the memory in the hard disk is full so you should know how much space is left so that you can utilize the remaining space accordingly.
Following steps will helps you in finding the total size and space of a hard disk.

• On your Desktop double click the My Computer Icon
• A Windows opens. Here you will find the partitions of your hard disk generally start with C Drive, D Drive etc.
• Right click on the icon for the hard drive you want to check i.e. if you want to check the space for C drive just right click on C drive and similarly for D or other drives. After that click on properties.
• A window will open. On General tab you will find out the used space and free space of your hard drive.

Find Out the Version of USB

USB Generally comes in two versions USB 1.1 which is bit slower and USB 2.1 which is faster than USB 1.1. Follow the steps to know which version of USB you are using.

• On Your Desktop right click on My Computer Icon.
• Select Properties.
• Windows will open. Select the hardware tab.
• Click the Device Manager Button.
• Another Windows Opens. Click the plus (+) sign next to the Universal Serial Bus Controllers Category.

Desktop Computer

Desktop computer also known as personal computer which is generally confined to single location. Desktop computer generally comprise of a central processing unit (CPU), a monitor, a keyboard which are connected by special cables. The name Desktop is generally used as it could fit on a desk. Desktop computers come in variety of sizes that includes tiny PDAs to PC Towers.

Laptop Computer

Laptop computer or generally called as notebook computer is a battery powered personal computer which is generally smaller than a briefcase and light enough to sit on a person’s lap. A laptop can be seen as an integrated form of a desktop computer into a single small unit. It integrates most of the components used in Desktop computer including a display, mouse, keyboard and speakers.

Major Difference Between Desktop and Laptop Computer

• Due to the standardization of the components of a desktop computer it is cheaper and parts are easily available as compared to laptop.
• A laptop computer provides portability which is not in the case of desktop computers due its size.
• In Desktop Computer there is provision for adding number of accessories because of its size and more space available for storage which is not in the case of a Laptop computer.
• Laptops can be easily stolen as compared to the Desktop computers.

How to decide between a Desktop and a Laptop

You may be a new customer or existing customer who already used a desktop computer and now you are deciding what is good for you i.e. a laptop or a desktop. This question entirely revolves around the need and the kind of task you want to get out of your machine. Many people seem crazy about buying a laptop without keeping in mind the advantages and disadvantages of each type of PC.

The main benefit of a laptop is the portability its gives which is not there in case of a desktop computer. It allows you to take your PC to and from work; you can take it on vacation and anywhere else. But alongside comes a big drawback i.e. it can be stolen much easier than a desktop computer and you will not only lose your laptop but also the important data.

In present time you can find a notebook PC of any size from 5 inches to 20 inches which include different processor speed and different set of prices that means almost anyone can buy a laptop PC. But again the question arises that would it really make any difference in your type of work or you are buying just for sake of it. So think before buying a laptop and don’t put yourself in a stage where you would be telling yourself that you had purchased a desktop instead.

Resources to help you in buying a laptop

Just visit http://computers.toptenreviews.com/laptops/ and http://reviews.cnet.com/best-laptops/ to know the best laptop for you.

Resources to help you in buying a Desktop

Visit http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,2806,4,00.asp and http://reviews.cnet.com/best-desktops/ which helps you to find best for you.

Reboot or Shutdown Windows XP In One Single Click

Whenever you turnoff or restart your computer you have to perform certain actions like click the Start menu, choose Shut Down, and then select Shut Down or Restart. But there is a way where you can bypass these steps by creating the restart or shutdown shortcut that enables one-click shutdowns.

To create the shortcut just right click on your desktop choosing New, and then choosing Shortcut.

After that a create shortcut wizard will appear and a box will appear asking for the location of the shortcut, type shutdown. When shortcut is created, double-clicking on it will shut down your PC.

There is much more than this, you can add extra switches which will give you more control over  it.

shutdown -r -t 01 -c “Rebooting your PC” (Don’t copy paste, just type it)

Double-clicking on that shortcut will reboot your PC after a delay of one second and display the message “Rebooting Your PC”.

Below are two shortcuts one for Shutdown and other for Restart

shutdown -s -t 03 -c “Bye Bye” (Don’t copy paste, just type it) -> This Will Shutdown Your PC

shutdown -r -t 03 -c “Coming Back” (Don’t copy paste, just type it) -> This Will Restart Your PC

The Fastest and Safest method to connect two computers together is by using the crossover cable. You can then transfer files and data from one computer to another.

Here is a Detail Tutorial about Connecting Two PCs Using Crossover Cable.

Basic Requirement For Connection

1. Two computers must have a network card installed on them.
2. Crossover cable (Yellow Cat 5 Cable, you can get it from a local computer shop).

Crossover Diagram

Cat 5 Cable

The Procedure For Connecting The PCs Is Given Below

1. First make sure both computers are switched off.
2. Connect one end of the crossover cable in the network card of computer 1 and the other end in network card of computer 2.
3. Now turn on both the computers.
4. Log-in on both the computers using your user name and password and wait until windows is loaded.
5. Now with the right mouse button, Click on My Computer ->Properties



6. Click on Computer Name Tab and see the Workgroup Name Listed On Computer 1 (Usually MYHOME)



7. Now On Computer 2 we have to change the workgroup name similar to that of Computer 1 i.e MYHOME.
8. On Computer 2 Click on the change button



9. Type the same workgroup name as listed in Computer 1 i.e MYHOME



10. Restart both the computers and after that they will be in the same workgroup i.e MYHOME.(Make Sure that they are in same workgroup by identifying the workgroup name)
11. With the right mouse button click on ‘Windows (C:)’ or ‘Local Disk (C:) in My Computer and click on sharing and security.



12. Now Click on the link that says ‘If you understand the risk but still want to share the root of the drive, click here’



13. After that Click on the link that says ‘If you understand the security risks but want to share files without running the wizard, click here’.



14. Now Select ‘Just enable file sharing’.



15. Now Select the checkboxes that says ‘Share this folder on the network’ and ‘Allow network users to change my files’. The hard drive name will be the default share name.



16. A dialog box with ‘Setting Folder Permissions’ will appear.



17. Now a hand will appear holding the hard disk drive, indicating that it is now shared.



18. Now to view the other computer on your network go to control panel -> Network Connections->My Network Places ->View Workgroup Computers on the left side of the screen.