The technology the video describes is called RSS, which stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” With RSS, you can go to one program to check for updates on all of your favorite web sites. That way you don’t have to waste your time visiting sites that haven’t changed since you were there last.

All of this magic happens with a program called a news reader. Here are a few good choices for free news readers:

• Google Reader is by far our favorite news reader. It’s web-based too, so you don’t even have to download anything.
• My Yahoo! is a news reader for heavy users of Yahoo!
• My AOL is a new news reader from the easiest place to use on the Web.
• Sharp Reader is a good news reader if you have Windows.
• Internet Explorer 7 has a new built-in RSS reader, so you may already be good to go if you use that browser!

While you’re at it, why don’t you practice your new RSS skills by subscribing to our Computer Tips Feed? Then you will get notified every time we publish a new computer tip.

Computer Tips Feed

In the event that a web site isn’t working correctly, we recommend raising the security level to a higher level and trying the web site again.

Here is a comprehensive list of instructions for changing privacy settings on all modern web browsers.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

• Windows: Internet Explorer 6
• Windows: Internet Explorer 7
• Mac: Internet Explorer

Mozilla Firefox

• All Versions

Netscape

• All Versions

Opera

• All Versions

Apple Safari

• Mac: Safari 2.0

What does a hard drive do?

Your computer’s hard drive stores your documents and programs. Photos, music, letters, email, and business documents are typically stored on your hard drive.

How can a back up hard drive help?

We recommend having a second hard drive to store documents, music, and photos.

When you are running your computer, it is constantly reading your computer’s primary hard drive to load programs. When you open your web browser, check your email, open your word processor, and so on, your computer needs to load those programs from your hard drive. This causes a lot of wear on it.

Storing your documents on a second drive that takes less of a beating reduces your risk of losing your data.

Is saving my important files to a CD-R a safe method?

Saving your files to a recordable CD (CD-R) or DVD (DVD-R) can be risky as well. The surface of these discs is more likely to be damaged. Plus it can be cumbersome to back up files to these slower-running formats.

Save yourself the trouble and get a fast-running hard drive.

What kind of back up disk drive should I purchase?

For desktop computer users, we recommend installing a second internal hard disk drive. Your system may crash one day. You may have to reinstall your operating system (Microsoft Windows, Mac OS) and all of your programs. If you have all of your important documents backed up to another hard drive, your important files and documents will still be available without any extra effort.

Laptop computer users should purchase an external hard drive. Your files will still be safe in the unfortunate event that your laptop computer dies.

Are USB jump drives and flash memory cards a good way of backing up my important files?

USB Flash Memory cards and USB Jump Drives are a good way of temporarily transporting files from one computer to another. But they are not intended for long-term backup storage. These small units are generally not considered as reliable as hard disk drives.

I need help knowing what kind of hard drive to buy

If you are in the Columbus, Ohio, area, contact Perfect PC. We can help you assess your needs and can even install your new hard drive for you.

Photography by Robbie1. Some rights reserved.

What does memory do?

You may not fully understand what all of the parts in computers are, so we’ll explain what memory does.

Memory chips within your computer are there to “remember” things that are occurring at this moment. When you open a program or a window, it is loaded into your computer’s memory.

Memory runs a lot faster than your hard drive, so that’s why currently running programs are loaded into memory. What you’re using right now should run fast, right? That’s why it’s in memory!

What happens if I don’t have enough memory?

Your computer tries its best to help you out. If you have a lot of programs open and the computer doesn’t have enough memory to support that, your computer will start storing that information on the hard drive. Like we said before, your hard drive is a lot slower than memory. So that’s why things get so bogged down.

Why is my relatively new computer running slow already?

Memory isn’t very expensive, but it is another cost computer makers have to consider when building computers. Computer makers like Dell, Gateway, and HP often sacrifice putting in much memory to be able to offer lower prices. They want to offer low prices so they can get your business!

It’s a year later, and your computer doesn’t feel so new anymore. You probably got a good deal, but you may have to invest a little more in order to make your computer more enjoyable to use.

I have an older computer. Is all hope lost?

Older computer systems can be upgraded to a point. Computers that are five to ten years old are limited in how much memory they can support. These older computer motherboards usually will only support between 512 megabytes and 1 gigabytes of system memory. As of December 2006, most new computer motherboards will support 1 gigabyte to 4 gigabytes of system memory.

With all of this talk of gigabytes and megabytes, how much memory do I need?

Because memory is an added cost, most new computers will only come with 256 megabytes up to 1 gigabyte of memory.

If you use your computer mainly for light word processing, checking email, and surfing the Web, 512 megabytes is probably enough.

If you play a lot of computer games, you will need more memory than that. Because today’s games are so complex, we recommend having between 2 and 4 gigabytes of memory. You will also probably want to consider installing a more powerful graphics card as well. (Graphics cards contain their own set of memory just for displaying stuff on your screen.)

Keep in mind that Microsoft and Apple recommend 256 megabytes of memory just for you to be able to turn on your computer. That doesn’t even take other programs into consideration.

Tell me more about graphics cards and how they affect my computer’s speed.

Video memory is just as important as your computer’s system memory. A lack of one or the other can cause sluggish performance.

Insufficient system memory will cause sluggish performance because when accessing programs, there is not enough system memory to load them (i.e. Internet web browsing, email, etc.).

Insufficient video memory will cause a sluggish performance when accessing graphics-intense programs such as video clips, web sites with animation, and games. When a computer doesn’t have enough video memory, it will start using your system memory to load graphics. If no system memory is available, your computer may freeze up.

If your computer wasn’t the priciest on the block, then there’s a chance that you may want to consider upgrading your video card. We recommend having a 128 megabyte video card if you only use your computer for word processing, email, and surfing the Web. If you are a major multitasker or play a lot of games, we recommend a video card with at least 256 megabytes of memory.

Getting help

If you are in the Columbus, Ohio, area and feel that your computer needs a boost, contact Perfect PC for help with memory upgrades and installation. We strive to make your relationship with your computer a smooth one!

Photography by fabz. Some rights reserved.