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Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Year Resolution 2010



another great article on New Year Resolution from ThirdAge :)

For those of you who aren't in need or ready to address concerns like these, but would like some assistance on modifying the more mundane behaviors, I offer you the following pointers if you really want to be successful:
  1. Take the behavior you want to change and break it down into sub-goals. When you set your goal as a too lofty one, it will be too challenging.
  2. When you reach your mini-goal, reinforce yourself and then move on to your next sub-goal.
  3. Let significant others know you are trying to make a change. Support and accountability will help.
  4. Change is never a totally upward process; rather, it is a spiral. So expect there to be setbacks. When one occurs, you will be prepared for it and be able to continue the process rather than giving up.
  5. Know that it takes 21 days for a new behavior to become a habit.
So, you're on your way to a good start. I forgot one very important thing -- always believe in Yourself!




*Lynspirations


Always believe in yourself!



Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Having a BIG headache on how to choose a PC?



Tomorrow my Darling No 1 is going to order a PC for me! Let me share with you how to choose a PC.

Dell Inspiron 545 Piano Black Desktop PC with 22-Inch HD Monitor (Windows 7 Home Premium)We were looking at the Dell Inspiron 545 Desktop PC
























Eventually  Darling No 1 says that the HP Pavilion P6290D is a better choice for me.


Then came the decision making for me (if I want to have it). So I went to look at the specifications. (Step 1).


Normally this means you go to the company's website and browse at the writeups for the item. The websites usually attaches user reviews for the product. But it seems like for computers you have to search separately for them. (Step 2). It is very easy, just type the product name + "review".




 Then I have to read these and decide (Step 3). As easy as that (1-2-3)!


There are of course other ways (more professional ways, read here) that you can go about choosing a computer. But this is MY way of choosing. Hope it helps you!

*Lynspirations
Easy as 1 2 3, do-able as 3 2 1!




Buyers' Guide: Getting your first PC



You want to know what you need to know in order to choose your first PC? Here are the whats and hows:

What
1) know your needs (Email/Surfing, Work or Gaming)
2) Get to know the computer parts (read here)
3) Get to know the different smaller components (below)
4) Check out the after-service repair period, costs and places
5) Compare prices of components against quality
6) read up on reviews
7) go shopping!

Different smaller components (You must know)

1) Motherboard - This is the first thing that gets powers up. It is the largest piece of board that has different attachments on it. I use Gigabyte by the way. It is important to refer to the layout plan when fixing your PC.






2) CPU - This small metallic chip normally about the size of your palm (round 7cm by 7cm) stores the set of instructions of what does what and when and how. It is known as the processer too. I use Intel.
 


 3) Memory card - Also known as RAM (Random-access memory) These green strips need to be fitted into the expansion slots on the Motherboard. I am using Kingston. You will need about 1GB of Ram.






4) Harddisk - This box stores all the stuff you install, save and use. Normally you will need to get the SATA or Serial ATA instead of RAID. The bare minimum now is 80GB.








5) DVD/CD burner/reader - This is the tray that slides out for your compact disks.




6) Video/Graphic Card - This card will give you clearer graphics






7) Sound Card - This card will allow you to play music when you attach speakers to it.





*The Video and Sound cards are usually sold separately from the Motherboard. Some companies manufacture their Motherboard with basic sound and video components. It is always good to get a separate Video/Graphic Card and Sound Card!

Different smaller components that are usually pre-installed for you (Good to know)

1) USB - Also Known as Universal Serial Bus. This is the 'hole' you plug into for your Thumb/Flash Drive.




2) Heatsink and Fan - This is the box that you see on the Motherboard. It is extremely important because it prevents the motherboard from overheating.
6X2.5CM AMD Athlon Xp Pc Cooling cpu Heatsink & Fan
3) Powersupply - This is the box that receives power. It has wires that link to the other parts like CPU, Harddisk, DVD/CD burner/reader, Video/Graphic Card, Sound Card, Fan, etc.

Antec BP500U ATX 12V 500W Power Supply

3) The Network Card. This is usually pre-installed for you. Average is 100MHz.
 Belkin F5D5000 32 Bit PCI Desktop Network Card


 

Of course there are other components but I won't and can't go into details. *bleah*



How
If you are getting a computer for Email/Surfing, you want something that is easy to use and fast.
If you are getting a computer for Work, you should look out for stabililty and virus protection.
If you are getting a computer for  Gaming, obviously you want to have better visuals and speed.



Good articles to read:

I have tried to only touch the basic of what is needed for the hardware. However there is another part, which is the software configuration. If the mood strikes, I will write a post on it. But software setups for you should be easier, considering everything is through a click of the mouse and the prompt questions are always very user-friendly.

That's all for now. Do let me know if you have any questions!

*Lynspirations
Your first PC setup manually will be only your first learning point.


Simpleton's guide: Different parts of the desktop computer and types of programs



Well, if you are reading this, it means you are like me - someone who cannot fix up a computer. Well, I can't really fix up one but I can read and follow instructions, even though I don't understand what is going on.

This is a really simple version (from my own understanding so there may be errors). But if I can do it and manage with my limited knowledge, so can you!

For a computer to work with internet, you need these:

Hardwares (these are the components you can see)

1) Monitor (note: size of a display is usually given as the distance between two opposite screen corners)








2) CPU Unit (also known as Central Processing Unit)


3) Keyboard



4) Mouse (You don't need a mousepad actually)





5) Modem





6) Speaker or headphones (if you want to have sound)



















Please check that these connections are done before you start to power on the Monitor, Modem and CPU:
1) Monitor is connected to power
2) CPU is connected to power
3) Monitor is connected to power
4) Modem is connected to power
5) Monitor is connected to CPU
6) Modem is connected to CPU (if you have a wireless modem, you won't see any cables or wires, lucky you!)
7) Keyboard is connected to CPU
8) Mouse is connected to CPU




Softwares (these are the programs or applications the computer uses so that you can use the computer)
1) Operating System - (eg: XP, Vista, Mac OS) the program with codes that tell the computer how to start

2) Device Drivers - (eg: Monitor Driver, Modem Driver, Camera Driver, Printer Driver) Programs that tell the computer how to use the external hardwares.

3) Document Editing programs - (Eg: Words, Excel, Notepad, Paint) for you to edit your typing or drawing or even music you recorded!

4) Chat Applications - (eg: Twitter, Facebook, MSN, Yahoo!Chat, AIM, ICQ, Skype, IRC) programs that you use to 'talk' to people. Some let you interact with voice and video, instead of just typing out words.




5) Games Applications - (eg: Warcraft, Maple, Minesweeper, Soccer Manager) the programs that you want to play

Warcraft III Battle Chest

6) Web Browers - (eg: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Google Chrome, and Opera.) Programs that you can use to surf the internet.




If you want to know more, leave me a comment and I will answer your questions within 3 days. If I don't know the answer, I will search for it and ask around for you! Just ask!
*Lynspirations
Things are not that hard, just find the easy way out with me!




Keyboard shortcuts for Hotmail, Yahoo & Gmail email accounts

I like the delete button for Hotmail, it is so convenient! Keyboard shortcuts can save you time managing your email, here goes (source: Hotmail as of 30 Dec 2009):


 

*Lynspirations

Shortcuts make your life easy!

My Twitter Personality - Sharer



Oh I do love this...

My Twitter personality from Twananalyst: ordinary incurious cautious My style: chatty coherent SHARER 

Google told me that there are alot of articles on who twitters. My favorite personalities from MediaCaffeine:

The Purist
The Clever Purist
The Everyman’s Friend


Aren't these interesting?

If you want to read about Twitter, here's a Dummy Book for you, or try these:

Twitter Tips, Tricks, and Tweets

The Twitter Book



*Lynspirations
I tweet and I am a ____ ?



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