The basic materials needed for a low cost computer are Motherboard, processor, ATX case, RAM module, DVD-ROM/RW or CD-ROM/RW, 3.5″ floppy drive, LAN card, soundcard, hard disk/s, video card, speakers, computer monitor, mouse, keyboard, screwdriver.

Step 1
The first thing to consider is to spot for a sale on a department store or nearby computer outlet. This would allow you to reduce your expenses on your plan to build a new computer.
Step 2
Once you get possible computer parts retailers that offer great discounts, it is time to spot which of these outlets offer the lowest prices. Make sure that the parts you would purchase would be compatible to each other to avoid unwanted compatibility issues while building the computer.
Step 3
You can salvage some parts from old computers in addition to the low cost parts you already purchased. RAM modules and hard disks are some of the peripherals you may reuse.
Step 4
Check out which of these parts are still usable and can be integrated onto the computer that you want to build. Take some time to remove some of the dirt accumulated while the computer is on the storage. Use a delicate brush to remove the dust particles without damaging the sensitive parts.
Step 5
Once you have collected the parts needed, follow the normal procedures in building a computer. The first thing to do is to attach the motherboard to the ATX casing. Make sure that the screws are in place and the motherboard is securely placed. The cables can be twisted and secured in place using plastic fasteners so that you will have a clear view of different areas within the motherboard.
Step 6
After the motherboard and case are intact, it is time to place the peripherals. Begin on the processor. Take utmost care in handling the processor because its pins are delicate. The hard disks and memory modules will follow.
Step 7
Install additional devices such as sound cards, wireless adapters, video cards, and LAN cards after the important parts are in place.
Step 8
Test if the computer is running smoothly. Once the devices are working properly, install the necessary Operating System and programs of your choice on the computer.

Now as we have finished building the computer there might be cases when you actually have a computer but need to maintain it cheap.

The performance of all hard disks, whether old or new, gradually degrades as they are used and files are stored and moved around. The best solution is to continuously defragment your hard disk. You can use the default software available with windows or you can go for some cheap softwares in the market. Removing junk and temporary files from your hard disk and compressing the data can also improve system performance under some circumstances. Windows certainly has its foibles and it’s a bit odd that the most effective fixes are typically inexpensive or free third party utilities available primarily as Internet purchases or as free downloads. Here is some software that I’ve found invaluable when a Windows installation has become unstable or slow but is not yet so flaky that a time-consuming re-installation becomes necessary. Think of these as minor low cost computing.

1. Ace Utilities is a reliable compact program that’s much less expensive than Norton, with lower system demands. Except for hard disk optimization, it performs basically the same diagnostics and Windows Registry clearing as Norton Utilities but only on demand rather than as a potentially intrusive background process that runs continuously.
2. Ace’s RAM Optimizer seems to have somewhat reduced such performance bottlenecks to a tolerable level without any noticeable adverse effects. Programs like this may make some difference when available RAM is low as a result of many programs loaded simultaneously or when you are intensively processing very large files.
3.  we’ve mentioned Diskeeper ( www.diskeeper.com) before as one of the most effective long terms ways to improve overall computer performance. Other useful programs for detecting bottlenecks and tuning hard disk performance are HD Tune and Performance Test.
4.BelArc Advisor, a free download available from www.belarc.com, checks your operating system for vulnerabilities, installed software and its status, and Windows components. If one or more Windows components or patches are not as they should be, such items are flagged and you will be directed to the specific part of Microsoft’s web site where a corrective download and/or more information are available.
5.Dial-a-Fix has resurrected systems that otherwise seemed destined for a hard disk reformat and complete reinstallation of Windows.
6. Hard disk failures: We have found a lot of useful hard disk resurrection and repair information at http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk . Its cheap to use these instead of replacing the HDD and losing your precious data.

So in the end understand that an investment of time and readily available tools may be all that you need for effective low cost computing.

Individuals expect the Data Protection Act to shield the security of their information. At the same time information security is increasingly at risk. As part of its new data protection strategy launched in March 2008 the UK’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), disclosed its plans to promote the importance of appropriate security, then to use its regulatory powers against organisations that neglect their responsibilities in this area and to help individuals to protect their own information.

In May this was reinforced when The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act received Royal Assent creating tough new sanctions for the ICO. This new legislation gives the ICO the power to impose substantial fines on organisations that deliberately or recklessly commit serious breaches of the Data Protection Act and represents a step up from the ICO’s previous power to simply issue enforcement notices.

This isn’t necessarily the end of the changes and there may be more regulation to come as, towards the end of May, the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA), called for laws tougher than those in the US to force companies to reveal when their computer systems have been breached.

In its general report 2007 the EU’s top security body said governments, businesses and consumers are still underestimating the scope of the IT security problem, in part because of the lack of transparency when breaches occur, and mandatory disclosure of security breaches would be a step toward raising recognition of the seriousness of security threats.

In the US, there are two laws which force organisations to publish details of security breaches. One is the California Breach Law (SB1386), which requires organisations doing business in California to tell customers about possible security breaches. Similar laws are planned for other states. The second is Sarbanes-Oxley, which obliges executives to keep informed about material aspects of their business, including security breaches.

Whether mandatory disclosure of information security breaches is ultimately adopted in the UK or not is not yet known but clearly advances in IT have made the collection, storage and sharing of all sorts of information easier and available to a wider population.

Undoubtedly these advancements have resulted in enhanced services across many sectors but it has also increased the challenge of managing and protecting information. The vulnerability of data protection is evidenced almost daily with costly data leakage incidents regularly impacting individuals and the organisations charged with the custody of their sensitive information.

The connectivity of WANs and the internet means that there are now few barriers to sharing information. The consequence, however, is that it is increasingly apparent that organisations can quickly lose control of who is sharing the information, where it is going and whether it is being used appropriately?

With this in mind the best way for organisations to meet their data protection obligations is to understand the information flows and uses within their business environment.

A systematic risk based approach which matches the data monitoring and protection capabilities of the organisation with the risks associated with the loss of information based on its sensitivity/value and its likely impact to the individual and the organisation is increasingly important.

Security policies, processes and technology are all part of the operational risk management process of identifying, monitoring and controlling information security breaches, which may cause highly public exposure to your organisation and its stakeholders.

Increasingly, with the massive data volumes involved, this risk management loop requires the integration of skilled operational staff and competent technology to provide appropriate monitoring and control to ensure the use and movement of confidential information is within policy and adequately protected.

The good news in all this is that the security management process shouldn’t be to onerous and indeed should be part of the overall IT security effort. Technology is available which readily monitors who is accessing information, when and for what purpose.

Using data protection systems which employ behavioural analysis an organisation can easily distinguish between legitimate use of its confidential information and inappropriate usage.

One of the most damaging breaches is when an authorised user who has “legitimate” access to sensitive information either accidentally or maliciously chooses to misuse or leak that information. A behavioural analysis based security system can detect unexpected or risky data movement even where other systems can’t.

By recording the movement and use of information a behavioural analysis based security system establishes a profile that incorporates the characteristics of normal system use.

By constantly monitoring and profiling user and system activity the system immediately recognises when information is accessed, changed or shared in an unusual or uncharacteristic manner and immediately alerts the accountable manager for remediation and evidentiary audit purposes. Specific business and policy rules can complement the system to enable early warning of any specific forbidden or unacceptable practices such as theft or fraud.

The scale and task of protecting stored and transmitted sensitive information is undoubtedly becoming greater. The problem for organisations, however, is that their responsibility for information assurance remains unchanged and with the intrinsic risk associated with its storing and sharing information owners continue to need ongoing visibility of who is accessing data, for what purpose and where are they taking it. Behavioural based security monitoring technology provides the ability to continuously manage and report the status of access and usage of confidential information for any organisation.

Use a firewall

You can think of a firewall as a sort of shell around your computer that identifies and filters out threats, while letting secure information pass through it and reach your computer. Because a firewall serves this all-important filtering role between your computer and the internet, using a firewall is the very first step on the path to computer security.

Install and update anti-virus software

A good firewall will filter out many of the threats facing your computer, however, some malware is always going to find its way onto your PC. For example, viruses, worms, Trojan horses and other forms of malware can find their way onto your computer by various means a firewall cannot detect, including downloading malicious email attachments and files from the internet. So to protect your PC you’ll also need strong regularly updated anti-virus software. While a firewall protects your computer from the outside, an anti-virus program will work from the inside of your computer, hunting down hidden viruses and deleting them, while also scanning attachments and downloads before they can infect your computer.

Install and run anti-spyware software

Even though firewalls and anti-virus programs are more well-known when it comes to basic security steps than installing anti-spyware software, it may actually be your anti-spyware program that provides your computer with the most significant increase in security.

Today, the most common form of malware that internet users encounter is spyware. In fact, a recent study estimated that 9 out of 10 computers connected to the Internet are currently infected with some form of spyware. Spyware can take a variety of forms, however, some of the most common effects are that it causes unsolicited pop-ups to appear, steals personal information, monitors internet activity for marketing purposes, or routes your website requests to other spammy advertising sites.

Install additional basic threat counter-measures

In addition to the three universally needed security software programs discussed above, there are a couple of other software installations which can be basic necessities for you, depending upon your particular computer usage.

Strengthen your web browser security

You connect to the internet through your internet browser. And whether you use Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera or anything else, this is a point of major weakness in any computer’s defenses. Hackers often target their attacks on your computer by focusing on flaws in browsers or their plug-ins and using drive-by downloads, to get your computer to download malware through the browser without you even knowing that something was downloaded. Because of this threat, web browser security upgrades are an important early step in your PC security overhaul.

Install the latest OS service pack

Hackers are constantly developing new types of malware, some of which try to exploit weaknesses in an operating system to get into your computer. Therefore, it is important to always install the latest Windows OS Service Pack (SP) updates in order to keep your computer secure. Microsoft releases patches and updates for their Windows operating systems once a month on “Patch Tuesday.”

Select secure software and update it regularly

You’ve probably seen those funny Mac and PC commercials on TV where the PC talks about the huge number of viruses and exploits Windows is exposed to relative to Macs. Unfortunately, it is true that the operating system and software that you select plays a big part in how many threats your computer faces. Though the number of threats that affect Mac OS X programs is expected to grow in 2007, for now at least, viruses are concentrated on Microsoft’s programs. Consequently, if you are running a Windows OS, or another Microsoft application, it is extremely important that you frequently update your application with all the new patches that Microsoft puts out. Stated simply, the longer a critical internet-dependent application goes without an update, the higher the probability your computer will have a security threat. So to avoid unnecessary breaches in security, keep your important software up to date.

Disable file sharing on your hard drives

While securing your wifi router will help keep hackers from getting access to your network, what about the potential for harm from people who already have legitimate access to your network? Having a firewall will certainly help, but it may not be enough.

One of the best ways to limit your exposure to intra-network harms is by prohibiting file sharing access from foreign machines. This is especially important if you are on a large scale or open wifi network, such as at a college library or in an office building, where you do not know who could be potentially browsing through your PC.

Be cautious when downloading

While not all freeware is bad, the old saying that nothing worthwhile in life is free is generally true when it comes to free internet downloads. Spammers often hide dangerous malware in computer programs that they then offer for free on the internet. When you choose to download these free programs, not knowing they are infected, you circumvent your firewall and anti-virus protection, and as a result often open yourself up a serious malware infestation.

Use a first-rate email client

Just because all email clients deliver your email, does not mean they are equally effective when it comes to PC security. An effective email client should provide your computer with another layer of protection by effectively filtering out all the unwanted email messages bound for your inbox, as well as providing some basic email attachment virus scanning.

Handle email attachments carefully

When you download an attachment, your computer presumes that you know what you’re doing. Consequently, your firewall won’t check the attachment to make sure that its safe, which leaves just a cursory scan by your email client as the only protection between an attachment and your computer. Given the low level of security surrounding attachments, it’s no surprise that hackers often try to hide their harmful programs in spam email attachments. In fact, an estimated 90 percent of viruses enter computers this way. Given those stats, it is important to always follow best practices when handling all email attachments in your Inbox.

Do not click on email links haphazardly

A common phishing scam technique is to embed a link in an authentic-looking but fake email message which leads to a malicious website. These email messages usually try to trick people into clicking on the link and giving up personal information in order to supposedly “confirm their financial information” or even just to “unsubscribe” from a newsletter they never signed up for in the first place. Another variant on this same scheme simply installs a virus on your computer after you click on the link via a technique called drive-by downloading. But whatever the specific harm inflicted, the point is simply that embedded links in emails can pose an enormous PC security risk.

Set up email filters

Reputable Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) are all currently developing effective spam filtering in order to minimize the amount of spam that reaches your email client. And just as that extra level of filtering helps to reduce the levels of spam that reach your inbox, so too you can add your own supplemental filtering level by setting up your own personal email filters. While your ISP filter and email client filter will together dramatically limit the amount of spam that gets through, it is only by adding a manual filtering component through custom filtering that you can achieve near zero spam levels.

Keep hackers guessing

Hackers use a variety of techniques to attempt to guess passwords. One of the most effective methods is known as “dictionary hacking” in which hackers simply run a computer program that attempts common words and number combinations. Knowing this, you should tailor your password so that it cannot be easily guessed by “dictionary hackers”.

Use a variety of different passwords

It is human nature for people to feel comfortable with a particular username and password, and to keep using it over and over. Because hackers know this, they often target less secured sites in order to harvest usernames and passwords, with the knowledge that those same username and password combinations are likely to work at more secured (and more valuable) sites such as online banks.

Password protect your computer login access

While many people are willing to set up complex passwords for online services, they often resist doing so to protect physical access to their computer. The truth is, however, almost every computer is in danger of being accessed by individuals who don’t have authorization to do so. From your own children, to the maid that cleans your house while you’re at work, the person accessing your computer does not have to intend to harm you or your computer to accidentally do so, so everyone needs a strong password for physical computer access.

Protect your wireless network

If you have a wireless network, it is important to protect yourself from freeloaders, drive-by hackers, and other unwanted users of your wifi network. There are several options you can set to make your wireless network and PC safer.

Do not use a neighbor’s wifi connection

Often hackers setup free, seemingly unprotected wifi connections in convenient locations such as apartment complexes and airports. While these unsecured connections might just be an individual who hasn’t taken the time to protect his network, they might also be “honeypots”, or traps set by hackers to snag your personal details.

Here are some quick computer buying tips & tricks. This article is not going to show you what to buy, but it will show you how to buy.

1. Do not buy a computer because your friend has one. Buy the one that will accommodate the tasks that you want to perform day in and day out.

2. Don’t think something is cheap until you also compare what quality parts it has inside the computer. People come to me and ask if the cheapest laptop in the store is good enough for them and most of the time I say no. Unfortunately these laptops are usually already outdated stock.

3. Make sure the computer you are buying is totally upgradeable. It must have spare memory slots and be able to handle more ram in the future. Also make sure there is space to add more parts inside the computer with extra plugs on the main motherboard.

4. Buy a computer with a 2 year plan. Hopefully you will get the right computer and keep up with your tasks for at least two years. If it doesn’t you will be able to make a small upgrade to get through the two years. After that time is up you can then evaluate if the computer is worth upgrading again and continuing on with it.

5. Make sure your computer comes with at least 1 year warranty. 2 years is definitely better because you always find the problems start when your computer is 1 year and two days old, just when the warranty runs out.

6. Do not buy a computer without the original operating system cd and a COA (certificate of Authenticity) sticker on the side of the computer. Some companies do not give you a Windows Operating system CD and this will cause problems in the future. It makes it harder for you to restore your computer yourself and will have to take it back to them to fix.

7. Ask about after sales service before you buy. Make sure you are clear on what you are entitled to. What happens if a part dies in your computer. Will you have to take it to where you bought it, or will you have to post it to Thailand? Don’t laugh, it has happened before.

8. Make sure you get all driver cd’s for the computer. There is nothing worse than trying to find drivers on the internet to try and make your computer function correctly.

9. Get quotes from different shops and small system builders. Do not go into the first shop and buy what you see. Compare your prices with Ebay . It doesn’t hurt to find out the facts.

Memory Tips

Random Access Memory – 1) You can get the fastest processor out on the market, but you don’t have anything until you load it up with RAM. We recommend at least 2gig (3 gig or more is better). Before buying the latest PC, consider upgrading your memory first. You will be surprised. See our electronics dictionary for information on purchasing memory. 2) Bad RAM can cause many problems with your pc. Some symptoms include – blue screens, programs crashing, and shutdown of your computer for no apparent reason. Memory can be bad from the moment you purchase it. There is a free program called Memtest86 that can help you troubleshoot memory problems. Real easy to use. Must be on a bootable floppy or cd.

ReadyBoost – A Windows Vista application that provides an easy way to speed up a computer by adding additional memory capacity by using a readyboost compatible USB drive. Be sure to correctly size the USB flash drive to the system memory. Microsoft recommends between 1 to 1 and 2.5 to 1 ratio. For example, if a computer has 1 gigabyte of memory the USB drive capacity should be between 1 to 2.5 gigabytes.

Keeping it clean – Keep as few as possible icons (shortcuts) on your desktop. Those little icons rob your RAM of 500bytes each. These can quickly add up and slow your PC down.

Carry out the trash – empty the recycle bin, internet history, cache, and cookies frequently.

Static Electricity

Do not touch the hard drive (case) or monitor after walking on carpet. Good way to tear up something electronic. Try to touch something metal before putting your hands on them. Static electricity can cause catastrophic damage to a computer. If you are doing upgrade/repair work yourself, invest in a anti static wrist strap/pad. Inexpensive and well worth it. Do not use a brush or cloth to clean circuit boards. They can cause static electricity. Use a can of compressed air to clean these sensitive components.

PC Problems Handling Tips

If you here “funny noises” coming from your PC, stop immediately. If you don’t know a thing about them, call some one. It is not uncommon for fans to go out. They are inexpensive to replace, but can trash the whole system. Here is an article about strange computer noises. Always insist on high quality ball bearing fans. Do not go with the cheap ones. Good quality fans will not cost more than $10.

CD Stuck – Ever wonder what that little bitty tiny hole on cd and disk drives was for? Stick a straightened paperclip in that hole to eject stuck cd/disks. .

General Tips

Get a good video card. We recommend NVIDIA with at least 128mg of built in memory. On board video (graphics card built into the motherboard) can cause lag. Onboard video cards use valuable PC resources. Put in a good video card, bypass the onboard video and notice the difference. Extremely good choice for upgrading your computer with minimal investment.

We do not recommend buying extended warranties with a new computer. Why? Most of the time, if new electronic components fail, they do so fairly quickly. Leave your new PC on for two weeks without turning it off to give it a good trial/break-in period.

A cool browser zoom tip – If you are running Windows Internet Explorer, hold the Ctrl key while moving your mouse wheel (if you have one). You can instantly zoom in or out!

Keeping your registry clean will keep your computer running at peak speeds.

PC Safety Tips

Get a good monitor – Set the refresh rate high (above 80). Cheap monitors or improper settings can damage your vision. Maintain a comfortable viewing distance (25 to 30 inches). Adjust the monitor so you can work with your head level. Take appropriate steps to reduce glare on screen (ambient light sources).

Lower the brightness – Keep the brightness level as low as what is comfortable for you. Set the contrast as high as what you feel is comfortable.

Blink while looking at the monitor – PC’s tend to cause eyes to blink less, which causes dryness of the eyes. Force yourself to blink more often.

Ergonomics – This is becoming more of a danger with more people spending more time at computers. Repetitive motion can cause carpel tunnel syndrome (swelling around nerves). Buy ergonomic keyboards (padded wrist rest are intended for resting NOT WHILE KEYING), get a good chair, and take breaks (stretch or walk around  1-2 minutes every hour). Keep your shoulders and upper arms perpendicular to the floor and relaxed.

Give your eyes a break – Refocus your eyes on something in the distance from time to time.

Give your body a break – Change your body position about every 20 minutes or so.

No food or drinks -Go to the table if you want to eat or drink. Have you no manners? And say your prayers while your are there. Thank God Almighty for all of your blessings! God and your PC will love you for it.

Clean the monitor screen – Keep the screen clean with a soft dry static free cloth. Do not use cleaners. A dirty screen causes more stress on the eyes.

Working on monitors – Although they can usually be repaired quit easily, DO NOT ATTEMPT to work on them unless you have the experience to do so. Why? Electric components inside them store electricity, EVEN unplugged.

If you use your computer regularly, whether for work or recreation, it is inevitable for problems to arise. The most common of which is a decline in the PC speed and performance. This is experienced especially during start-up or shutting down of the PC and other applications, in playing games, surfing the Internet, and so on. This can get very frustrating, bothersome, time-consuming and even quite expensive if you are losing quality work time on your computer.

The following are ways you can greatly improve your PC’s performance through general maintenance, with tools available in your Windows system, upgrades in your hardware and using available software in the market.

Run a Windows Registry cleaner. A lot of computer problems are caused by a corrupted Registry. Running a cleaner would get rid of all the unnecessary, invalid and erroneous entries in your computer’s registry.

Use Spy ware and Ad ware removal software. Spyware and Adware put you and your computer at risk because it collects information about you without your knowing and this can also load up your PC’s memory slowing it down. There are a lot of available anti-Spyware and anti-Adware software programs available in the market you can choose from to protect your computer.

Free up disk space. You can always make use of the disk cleanup utility to identify the files that you want to remove to free up space. Some of the things you can eliminate are temporary Internet files, temporary Windows files and downloaded programs or files.

Utilize the disk defragmenter. You can speed up access to data by using the disk defragmenter, a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders in your computer. When these files are properly merged and in order, they use less space then reading and writing to the disk also speeds up.

Do a scan to detect and repair errors. Use the error checking utility to check your computer for bad sectors and file system errors then do the necessary steps to repair them. You can benefit from doing this at least once a week.

Remove any unused programs. Installed programs that remain unused can slow down your system. You can delete or uninstall any unused programs by using the add/remove program utility.

Check your hardware. For windows to operate smoothly, you have to make sure that you have the proper hardware. Apart from using any kind of software to improve you PC’s performance, having sufficient hardware for Windows is a vital matter.

As a final but very important note, always make sure to backup all your work. Store your important files onto a separate computer, external drive or disk for safekeeping.

If you’re confident that you can do all these to improve your PC’s performance, then great! But always keep in mind to be cautious and sensible in dealing with computers. If you have any doubts, consult somebody more knowledgeable. Hopefully, this list on how to speed up your computer would be one you would refer to for optimal PC performance.

Most traditional communications media, such as telephone and television services, are reshaped or redefined using the technologies of the Internet, giving rise to services such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and IPTV. Newspaper publishing has been reshaped into Web sites, blogging, and web feeds. The Internet has enabled or accelerated the creation of new forms of human interactions through instant messaging, Internet forums, and social networking sites.

The origins of the Internet reach back to the 1960s when the United States funded research projects of its military agencies to build robust, fault-tolerant and distributed computer networks. This research and a period of civilian funding of a new U.S. backbone by the National Science Foundation spawned worldwide participation in the development of new networking technologies and led to the commercialization of an international network in the mid 1990s, and resulted in the following popularization of countless applications in virtually every aspect of modern human life. As of 2009, an estimated quarter of Earth’s population uses the services of the Internet.

The Internet has no centralized governance in either technological implementation or policies for access and usage; each constituent network sets its own standards. Only the overreaching definitions of the two principal name spaces in the Internet, the Internet Protocol address space and the Domain Name System, are directed by a maintainer organization, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The technical underpinning and standardization of the core protocols (IPv4 and IPv6) is an activity of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), a non-profit organization of loosely-affiliated international participants that anyone may associate with by contributing technical expertise.

The Internet is allowing greater flexibility in working hours and location, especially with the spread of unmetered high-speed connections and web applications.

The Internet can now be accessed almost anywhere by numerous means, especially through mobile Internet devices. Mobile phones, datacards, handheld game consoles and cellular routers allow users to connect to the Internet from anywhere there is a wireless network supporting that device’s technology. Within the limitations imposed by small screens and other limited facilities of such pocket-sized devices, services of the Internet, including email and the web, may be available. Service providers may restrict the services offered and wireless data transmission charges may be significantly higher than other access methods.

The Internet has also become a large market for companies; some of the biggest companies today have grown by taking advantage of the efficient nature of low-cost advertising and commerce through the Internet, also known as e-commerce. It is the fastest way to spread information to a vast number of people simultaneously. The Internet has also subsequently revolutionized shopping—for example; a person can order a CD online and receive it in the mail within a couple of days, or download it directly in some cases. The Internet has also greatly facilitated personalized marketing which allows a company to market a product to a specific person or a specific group of people more so than any other advertising medium. Examples of personalized marketing include online communities such as MySpace, Friendster, Orkut, Facebook and others which thousands of Internet users join to advertise themselves and make friends online. Many of these users are young teens and adolescents ranging from 13 to 25 years old. In turn, when they advertise themselves they advertise interests and hobbies, which online marketing companies can use as information as to what those users will purchase online, and advertise their own companies’ products to those users.

Many people use the terms Internet and World Wide Web (or just the Web) interchangeably, but, as discussed earlier, the two terms are not synonymous. The World Wide Web is a global set of documents, images and other resources, referenced and interconnected by Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) and hyperlinks. These URLs allow users to address the web servers and other devices that store these resources and access them as required using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). HTTP is only one of the communication protocols used on the Internet. Web services may also use HTTP to allow software systems to communicate in order to share and exchange business logic and data.

E-mail is an important communications service available on the Internet. The concept of sending electronic text messages between parties in a way analogous to mailing letters or memos predates the creation of the Internet. Today it can be important to distinguish between internet and internal e-mail systems. Internet telephony is another common communications service made possible by the creation of the Internet. VoIP stands for Voice-over-Internet Protocol, referring to the protocol that underlies all Internet communication. File sharing is an example of transferring large amounts of data across the Internet. A computer file can be e-mailed to customers, colleagues and friends as an attachment. It can be uploaded to a website or FTP server for easy download by others. It can be put into a “shared location” or onto a file server for instant use by colleagues.

The Internet has made possible entirely new forms of social interaction, activities and organizing, thanks to its basic features such as widespread usability and access. Social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace have created a new form of socialization and interaction. Users of these sites are able to add a wide variety of items to their personal pages, to indicate common interests, and to connect with others

It’s a nice sentiment, but reality is more like “Take good care of your PC, and it won’t crash, lose your data, and cost you your job–probably.” Follow these steps to stop PC problems before they stop you. Your PC’s two mortal enemies are heat and moisture. Excess heat accelerates the deterioration of the delicate circuits in your system. The most common causes of overheating are dust and dirt: Clogged vents and CPU cooling fans can keep heat-dissipating air from moving through the case, and even a thin coating of dust or dirt can raise the temperature of your machine’s components.

Any grime, but especially the residue of cigarette smoke, can corrode exposed metal contacts. That’s why it pays to keep your system clean, inside and out. If your PC resides in a relatively clean, climate-controlled environment, an annual cleaning should be sufficient. But in most real-world locations, such as dusty offices or shop floors, your system may need a cleaning every few months. All you need are lint-free wipes, a can of compressed air, a few drops of a mild cleaning solution such as Formula 409 or Simple Green in a bowl of water, and an antistatic wrist strap to protect your system when you clean inside the case.

Think Outside the Box

Before you get started cleaning, check around your PC for anything nearby that could raise its temperature (such as a heating duct or sunshine coming through a window). Also clear away anything that might fall on it or make it dirty, such as a bookcase or houseplants. Always turn off and unplug the system before you clean any of its components. Never apply any liquid directly to a component. Spray or pour the liquid on a lint-free cloth, and wipe the PC with the cloth.

Clean the case: Wipe the case and clear its ventilation ports of any obstructions. Compressed air is great for this, but don’t blow dust into the PC or its optical and floppy drives. Keep all cables firmly attached to their connectors on the case.

Maintain your mechanical mouse: When a nonoptical mouse gets dirty, the pointer moves erratically. Unscrew the ring on the bottom of the unit and remove the ball. Then scrape the accumulated gunk off the two plastic rollers that are set 90 degrees apart inside the ball’s housing.

Keep a neat keyboard: Turn the keyboard upside down and shake it to clear the crumbs from between the keys. If that doesn’t suffice, blast it (briefly) with compressed air. If your keys stick or your keyboard is really dirty, pry the keys off for easier cleaning. Computer shops have special tools for removing keys, but you can also pop them off by using two pencils with broken tips as jumbo tweezers–just be sure to use a soft touch.

Make your monitor sparkle: Wipe the monitor case and clear its vents of obstructions, without pushing dust into the unit. Clean the screen with a standard glass cleaner and a lint-free cloth. If your monitor has a degauss button (look for a small magnet icon), push it to clear magnetic interference. Many LCDs can be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol; check with your LCD manufacturer. Wipe your LCD lightly: The underlying glass is fragile.

Check your power protection: Reseat the cables plugged into your surge protector. Check the unit’s warning indicator, if it has one. Surge protectors may power your PC even after being compromised by a voltage spike (making your system susceptible to a second spike). If your power protector doesn’t have a warning indicator and your area suffers frequent power outages, replace it with one that has such an indicator and is UL 1449 certified.

Swipe your CD and DVD media: Gently wipe each disc with a moistened, soft cloth. Use a motion that starts at the center of the disc and then moves outward toward the edge. Never wipe a disc in a circular motion.

Inside the Box

Before cracking open the case, turn off the power and unplug your PC. Ground yourself before you touch anything inside to avoid destroying your circuitry with a static charge. If you don’t have a grounding wrist strap, you can ground yourself by touching any of various household objects, such as a water pipe, a lamp, or another grounded electrical device. Be sure to unplug the power cord before you open the case.

Use antistatic wipes to remove dust from inside the case. Avoid touching any circuit-board surfaces. Pay close attention to the power-supply fan, as well as to the case and to CPU fans, if you have them. Spray these components with a blast of compressed air to loosen dust; but to remove the dust rather than rearrange it, you should use a small vacuum like the $12 Belkin MiniVak.

If your PC is more than four years old, or if the expansion cards plugged into its motherboard are exceptionally dirty, remove each card, clean its contacts with isopropyl alcohol, and reseat it. If your system is less than a couple years old, however, just make sure each card is firmly seated by pressing gently downward on its top edge while not touching its face. Likewise, check your power connectors, EIDE connectors, and other internal cables for a snug fit.

While you have the case open, familiarize yourself with the CMOS battery on the motherboard. The CMOS battery on your motherboard may need to be replaced after four or five years. For its location, check the motherboard manual. If your PC is more than four or five years old, the CMOS battery may need to be replaced. (A system clock that loses time is one indicator of a dying CMOS battery.)

Look for Trouble

Give your PC a periodic checkup with a good hardware diagnostic utility. Adding and removing system components leaves orphaned entries in the Windows Registry. This can increase the time your PC takes to boot and can slow system performance. Many shareware utilities are designed to clean the Registry, download it and use them.

Windows stores files on a hard drive in rows of contiguous segments, but over time the disk fills and segments become scattered, so they take longer to access. To keep your drive shipshape, run Windows’ Disk Defragmenter utility. Click Start, Programs (All Programs in XP), Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter. If your drive is heavily fragmented, you could boost performance by Running Windows’ disk defragmenter regularly. Defragging may take hours, however. Disable your screen saver and other automatic programs beforehand to keep the defrag from restarting every few minutes. Disk Defragmenter won’t defragment the file on your hard drive that holds overflow data from system memory (also known as the swap file). Since the swap file is frequently accessed, defragmenting it can give your PC more pep. You can defragment your swap file by using a utility such as the SpeedDisk program included with Norton SystemWorks 2004, but there’s a way to reset it in Windows.

In Windows XP, right-click My Computer and choose Properties. Click Advanced, and then choose the Settings button under Performance. Click Advanced again and the Change button under Virtual Memory. Select another drive or partition, set your swap file size, and click OK. Visit “Hardware Tips: Jog Your Memory for Faster PC Performance” for instructions on moving your swap file in other versions of Windows. If you have only one partition and no way to create a second one, and you have at least 256MB of RAM, disable the swap file rather than moving it: Select No paging file in the Virtual Memory settings.  Reset your swap file by temporarily disabling its Windows setting. If you have trouble booting, start Windows in Safe Mode and re-enable this option.

Hard-Drive Checkup

Windows XP offers a rudimentary evaluation of your hard disk’s health with its error-checking utility: Right-click the drive’s icon in Windows Explorer and select Properties, Tools, Check Now. (Windows can fix errors and recover bad sectors automatically if you wish.) If the check discovers a few file errors, don’t worry, but if it comes up with hundreds of errors, the drive could be in trouble.

Many hardware and software designers humbly assume you want their program running on your PC all the time, so they tell Windows to load the application at startup (hence, the ever-growing string of icons in your system tray). These programs eat up system resources and make hardware conflicts and compatibility problems more likely. To prevent them from launching, just click Start, Run, type msconfig, and press Enter. The programs listed under the Startup tab are set to start along with Windows. Uncheck the box at the left of each undesirable program to prevent it from starting automatically.

If the above discussed matters are performed in a periodic way you could double or even qudraple your PC’s life. HAPPY COMPUTING!!..