Computer Talk May 16th
Question
Erik, I am thinking of getting a Laptop. Which of the brands is the best, & should I be looking at wireless? I want to use it for word processing, surfing the web, also at some point, I want to use a digital camera/pictures, & most of all to back up my other computer - pictures especially to CD or DVD burner. I have a Zip Drive in my desktop, but for some reason, it only backs up so much, & it says the disc is full, but there is so much room left! As always, I appreciate your time, & knowledge! Thanks again, Debbie
Answer
Debbie, I like Toshiba notebooks. They are a major name brand and were the first to offer laptops. They still build a reliable laptop computer today. Most laptops these days will include both Wired and Wireless Networking built in.
They will also include a CDRW drive so you can perform your backups. DVD burners will be found in the more expensive models. Laptops are much more fragile than regular PCs so a backup is much more important. Backup often and on multiple CD-R Disks in case one is bad or is damaged over time. I like BackupMyPC as a good easy to use backup software. Look to spend about $1800 on a good current laptop model. If you send too little on a computer it never seems to last as long as you would like and you will have to go through the fun of reloading software and transferring data before you know it. Mail-order like Dell are ok too but I prefer being able to test drive a laptop computer before I buy. You may not like how the keys feel or how your hands rest on the keyboard. Stop in and look at the laptops offered at a local computer store like CompUSA before you make up your mind.
Question
Someone broke into my desktop computer and changed the network name, how do I change it back? I have tried
DOS, and the computer still has the same name as before, it only has a different name in Windows. My OS is
Windows 2k pro. I will try to tune in on Saturday but could you please answer in E mail as well? Thanks Bill.
Answer
Bill, you will have to talk to your company’s computer support. You may not have rights to change the network name on your computer. Windows 2000 Pro is designed to be locked down in many ways. Most companies don’t want users to make any changes to the way computers look or behave. Before any further damage occurs talk to your IT support to see if they can change your network name. For a simple explanation on how to change the network name, use Windows help and type Network Name. You will find out how to change it, but be sure you are authorized to do it.
Question
Erik, I can’t believe I am having this problem. I have a 14 Month old $600 Gateway computer that was damaged when we had a power surge at my office. The computer would no longer boot. I had a computer professional come out, at a cost of $100, and look at the computer. He said it looked like the power supply was fried. He said no one carries all the crazy flavors of HP, Dell and Gateway parts on them so he told me to call Gateway and order a new one and call him when I got it. I called and they no longer make it! This PC is only 14 months old! What do I do? I have a person in my office that can’t work. It looks like I need to get a new PC but I don’t want to be in the same boat again. Can you believe this? Jeff
Answer
Jeff, yes I can. We see this all the time. You loaded all your software on a $600 computer and placed it in front of your employee thinking “wow these things are so cheap I saved a ton of money.” Well they are cheap for a reason.
The warranty was only one year so the manufacturer had no reason to hold parts any longer than that. Busineses never figure in the cost of time when that computer fails. When it comes to your employee, now working with no computer I’m sure that’s very expensive, I’ll bet it has cost you more in lost productivity in that employee sitting than the original savings on the $600 computer. You also had to pay a tech $100 to tell you the computer was fried and now you need to pay someone to move all the work your employee put in that computer and set-up a new one.
That $600 computer cost you much more than you expected . Next time, buy a business PC with a warranty that has value from a local company that can stand behind it. Mail-order computers from Dell or Gateway leave you in the role of computer repair person. If you find you have to replace your computers every 2 years due to poor performance or quality you will be constantly spending time to swap out each PC along with the loss of productivity of your workers as they wait.
Erik Semmel is V.P. Sales and Marketing for TAB Computer Systems, Inc. an East Hartford, CT a computer hardware, service & support firm for small businesses; and Co-Host of Computer Talk with TAB. To reach them call 1-888-TAB-4HELP or on the web at www.tabinc.com. Computer talk with TAB airs Saturdays from 10:00am-
Noon WTIC News Talk 1080. Get computer answers anytime on the Computer Talk Forum at www.computertalkwithtab.com