We all know money is tight for small business owners today. When it comes time to replace older equipment or expand your business, It may be tempting to look for a “good used” computer system in an attempt to save a few dollars.

This is NOT a good idea.

We have had more than a few clients come to us for help when their “new” computer didn’t work very well. When a computer is purchased second-hand through a friend, at a pawn shop or through the classified ads, you have no idea what kind of condition it may be in. More often than not, the machine will have problems including viruses, malware, or even failing hardware. What seems to be a “good deal” often winds up costing you extra time, money and frustration.

If you really are interested in getting a good used computer, avoid buying from people or places you aren’t absolutely sure about.  Instead, you should check with a reputable local computer dealer who  may sell refurbished systems. Some large online companies such as Dell Computer, may sell refurbished systems with a limited warranty. Be sure to compare apples to apples however when looking at new systems vs. used. You should consider the hardware, the operating system and other software which may (or may not) come pre-installed on an older system.  Also, the amount of memory (both RAM and ROM) in the system can make a big difference in its performance.

Have you ever purchased a used system? What was your experience? You may have something to share that can help other people make a good buying decision.

photo credit: Neubie

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

We find this funny looking symbol (or some form of it) everywhere online. What does it mean? It stands for RSS or “Really Simple Syndication”. In a nutshell, When you see this symbol on a website it usually means you can have some kind of content from that site delivered directly to you. This means you do not have to keep visiting the site over  and over to see if there have been any updates. If you subscribe to a site’s RSS feed, you will instantly be notified when new content is added to the site. You can opt to have these updates delivered to your e-mail or you can receive them via a special piece of software called an RSS reader. One very popular (and free) RSS reader is Google Reader but there are many others.

Why subscribe to RSS?

If you like to keep informed on a specific topic, using RSS is the easiest way to keep track of all your favorite online resources. Once you subscribe to a site’s RSS feed, you can check your e-mail or RSS reader each day to catch up on any new information from your favorite site(s). Using RSS can save you a lot of time especially if you like to read more than a couple of websites.  Using RSS means you don’t have to take the time to visit each individual site you subscribe to. Using your RSS reader, you can see at a glance what the new content is on each site. You can then decide if the content is something you want to read.

The following video will help to illustrate how RSS works and how easy it is to subscribe.

Now that you know how to use RSS, you can put your knowledge into practice by subscribing to our RSS feed. Enjoy!

photo credit: HiMY SYeD / photopia

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Recently, I had a major client who lost their server to a power surge.  You guessed it – they had not run an adequate system backup in a very long time.

I will be the first to admit, it is so easy to put off doing regular data backups. I think many people simply don’t understand how devastating a complete loss of data can be.  Besides that, we all believe it will never happen to us. If you are the owner of a business, do you really want to lose all your customer records, inventory information, or financial information? Do you volunteer to keep the books for a professional organization or community club?

Do you keep your family tree history which you have poured your heart and soul  (not to mention  countless precious hours) into on your PC?  If any of these situations (or something similar) applies to you, you need to back up your files on a regular basis.

So, how do you go about this??  My personal recommendation is to use an online backup service such as  Carbonite or Mozy. Either of these will  provide a good option for individuals or a small to medium sized business. Mozy is compatible with both Windows and Mac systems and it uses fewer system resources. Carbonite is compatible with Windows and now Mac systems, is user friendly and many find it works more smoothly for them. Carbonite does require more system resources however.

Other Options

Another option for doing automatic backups of your data is to purchase your own external hard drive and use one of the many programs available on the market which will schedule and perform your backups. You can also manually backup your files as long as you actually remember to do it! You can use CD ROM, SD cards, USB drives, or some other similar media. The major drawbacks to doing your backups in this manner are:

• Not remembering to do the backups consistently
• Not keeping the backups safe and secure.

If you simply keep your backup data in a desk drawer or somewhere else on-site, they are not really safe. Disasters such as house fires, theft, water damage and electrical storms are all too common and can quickly wipe out your system and your data backups all at the same time.

Remember These Things

When you are considering the best way to backup your data the important factors to keep in mind are :

• Make sure you back up all appropriate files
• Do your data  backups regularly. Automatic systems are usually best to ensure consistency.
• Keep your backups in a safe place. Off site is preferable.

Most importantly, set up some kind of data backup system – anything is better than nothing at all – and do it today..   Here’s hoping you will never be singing the backup blues!

Some of the ads and/or links presented in this post are affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. Thank you!

photo credit: lyrandian

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Hi everyone. My name is Nikki Brown and I would like to welcome you to our newly updated website. Michael has been providing quality computer support for both individuals and businesses since 1991 and I would like to thank all of you who have allowed him to serve you.

Many of you know that for a long while, our web presence has been sadly behind the times. Michael has always been more focused on the needs of his clients than on his own marketing efforts. Good for you – not so good for us. So, even though my main contribution to our business has been in the area of answering phone calls and filing papers, I have decided to jump in and do what I can to help lend a hand here on the website.

Most of the posts here will be information from Michael and will be geared towards helping you have a better experience with your computer(s). However, I may pop in from time to time and share some more personal updates on Mike, our family, or other interesting news which I think you would enjoy. Since we are a family owned and operated business and also since we work mainly in a rural community, it is my tendency to think of our long-term customers as friends rather than just businesses associates. Both Michael and I truly appreciate those who have trusted us with their business over the years and we look forward to providing you with even better service in the future.

This website is part of our commitment to improving our customer service. With it, we hope to be able to provide timely, useful, and interesting information and resources which will make your life easier. Let’s face it, computers can be a real pain in the neck sometimes. We want to do whatever we can to help make your tangles with technology easier to sort out. What information would you like to see here? What can we provide that would be really beneficial to you? Please leave a comment and let us know.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.