1. Dell Studio XPS 7100 Standard

This desktop offers a perfect combination of superior connectivity, storage and speed. As one of the most trusted brand names of the home computers world, Dell is a go-to brand that always produces high quality and effective products. This desktop also offers substantial storage space and a range of customizable options.

2. Acer Predator G3

With very easy to use features and a powerful hard drive, the Acer Predator G3 enjoys the best of both worlds for heavy computer users and those that want a simple and effective system. With a wide range of features including 10 USB ports, and a high degree of RAM, you can keep a number of applications running simultaneously without impacting on system performance.

3. Gateway DX 4850

Featuring a blu-ray player and the option of a wireless connection, this desktop is ideal for everyday use and entertainment. With 6 GB of RAM and a built in memory card reader, this is one a few home computers available which offers the perfect set-up for entertainment usage, primarily as it includes a blu-ray player.

4. Dell Studio XPS 9100 Standard

Featuring a comprehensive network of 24/7 support, this system is ideal for heavy usage and offers 1000GB of storage. While a relatively larger sized product, it makes a great investment as it offers superior performance and connectivity.

Whether you are looking for a system to enable entertainment and gaming or you just want a reliable way of handling important files and documents, it is vital to identify exactly what you want from your home computer before you buy. Storage capacity, support, connectivity and other features vary from desktop to desktop, so really think about what you need before you start your search. Remember that it is a lot more cost effective to buy home computers as a package or bundle, rather than buying peripherals and accessories separately, such as monitors and mouse’s. Also, selecting either the Windows or Mac operating platforms are your best bet as these are the most common and versatile platforms available.

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What is The Cloud?

Cloud computing is a way of delivering your computer needs from a distance – whether that be word processing, video editing, or corporate workflow. Instead of carrying all that around with you on, say, a laptop you can log in from any web browser, on your smartphone, at a friend’s house or in an internet cafe, and have access to everything you need – your files and the programs you need to work on them. For everyday users it is as simple as that. If you access your email through the web you are already using a system that makes use of cloud computing concepts – instead of your mailbox and a program to write emails being on your computer they are on one of the numerous free web mail services. In many ways Cloud Computing is exactly that – Software as a Service. But if you receive software over your broadband connection, essentially hiring it, can you really count on it?

The Cloud is largely presented to the average user as online file storage, a place to keep emails, photographs and vital files, but this is merely the tip of the iceberg of what cloud computing really is.

Cloud Computing for businesses and IT professionals

The implications of The Cloud for businesses are wide-ranging and positive. Instead of having to maintain their own computers and servers, keeping up with the latest software updates, security patches, and the hardware required to run the latest and greatest versions of the software they use they can outsource their needs to a third party. Instead of ensuring they have all the computing resources they need for when things occasionally get hectic The Cloud can grow and shrink according to demand. The worry of data-loss is also negated as the files are stored off-site at a facility that inevitably makes use of technology with extensive fail-safes so that data cannot be lost.

It is clear that although cloud computing can offer some nifty features for home users, offering solutions to the dilemma of where you put that photo of your niece and taking the headache out of email, that its revolutionary potential lies in the domain of business and those who make a living out of wrangling the technology which lies beneath to skin of our day to day lives.

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The effect of music piracy on the industry

Music piracy is effectively  the acquiring or distributing of music files without the consent of the artists and record companies, meaning that they do not gain any money. Whilst record companies argue that they are losing a lot of money to illegal downloading sales, they are unable to give an accurate estimation because they cannot gain sufficient empirical data. Many record companies produce figures estimating that almost 95% of music downloads are illegal, which is costing the music industry billions of dollars a year. In 2009, a foundation called the ‘Featured Artists Coalition’ was created and its aims are to promote more control of the music industry for the artists, rather than the record companies. This would mean consumers would be more inclined to buy music legally, as more revenue would fall in the hands of the deserving artists.

The effect of video piracy on the industry

Similar to the music industry, the film industry has found it difficult to estimate how much money is lost to illegal videos. The film industry is split into box office sales and DVD/Blu-ray sales so estimations are made in each type of sale. The film industry experts have suggested that film piracy does not really affect DVD/Blu-ray sales because by the time films are released on DVD, they are usually being played on the television, meaning that there is less of an incentive for people to illegally access video copies. This means that the main loss is in the box office sales, where major film companies have argued that $2-3 billion is lost every year through piracy, which is a significant percentage out of the revenue brought in through box office sales.

It is evident that music and video piracy have a substantial effect on the industries – if it is not financial it is the effects of illegal downloads on the artists and film crews whose hard work is undermined. However, unless the industries can find a more accurate way of determining how much is lost through illicit downloads, the full effect cannot really be known.

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Remember we’re all only Human

It is worth remembering that people who work in IT not purposefully trying to annoy you, or be contrary. A lot of the time IT support just have to read from a script, so even if it seems that they’re telling you things you’ve done already, just follow their script through until the end, and see if that has solved anything. If they tell you simple things to do, it’s just a way to check that all of the basics have been sorted. IT support does not think you’re an idiot, sometimes you’ve just skipped or forgotten about simple things like checking all of the wires are in the right places, or making sure all of your drivers have been updated. If you don’t understand what they’re talking about, tell them and just ask them to simplify it, even if they think it’s a really simple matter and it’s just not working for you, make sure to tell them and your problem will be sorted out much faster.

Ways to keep Calm

Keeping calm is imperative when dealing with technical issues over the phone. If you are going to have to deal with talking to an automated voice system, or pushing a few buttons, or being put on hold and knowing full well that you may have to be there for a while, why not bring something to do? If you have something simple you can do while listening to hold music, then it can help take the boredom and subsequent irritation off your mind. Knitting is a great thing to do in this situation, or anything else with repetitive and simple movements. If you’re still angry while talking to them, maybe because they seem to be saying things which you know, or making things too complicated for you, just ask for a little break. Just a few seconds to step away from the phone, take a few deep breaths and remember that they’re not your enemy, they are trying to help. If you’ve got too angry, and the matter isn’t urgent, then ask if they can call you back, or if you can call them back later. In the mean time you can go and get yourself a calming drink, and take a break from the situation at hand. It doesn’t help being blinded by rage, and both sides of the conversation must strive to understand the other, so just ask for clarification if needed.

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Internet Explorer

This is the default web browser of Windows operating system. A new version of Internet Explorer was introduced in Windows 7 Vista. Multiple Tabs, restore previous session, quick tool bars, fastest navigation facility and bookmarking are just some of the best features of Internet Explorer. It is one of the most frequently used web browsers across the world. As it is a default web browser so you do not need to download it from the internet.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is faster and more efficient than any of the other browsers. It provides quick access to more than 100 websites at a time in the same window. You can download Firefox from internet in just few minutes. Multiple add ons are available to install so you can personalize your browsing experience. This is perhaps the most popular downloadable browser on the market.

Google Chrome

If you are searching for the most reliable and fastest web browser then Google chrome is arguably one of the best web browsers available nowadays. Millions of people use it for accessing the internet. You can use Gmail in Google chrome more conveniently than with any other web browsers and Google search engine, Gmail, and Google earth are default add ons of Google chrome.

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The Modern Day Home Printer

The modern day home printer is now capable of fulfilling all of your printing needs at a fraction of the old costs. What was once the premise of those printers at the higher end of the market is now available to all in the form of the home printer.

The top selling home printers now function as printers, scanners and copiers, and produce the highest quality results. They can connect wirelessly to all computers within the home, and can indeed be set to print from remote locations through the medium of the cloud, if your chosen make and model facilitates such an application.

Epson Workforce 645

This is the ultimate home printer with the world’s fastest automatic two sided printing. In addition to being capable of holding large quantities of paper, it can automatically copy, scan and fax documents.

Canon Pixma MX410

Not only does this printer have great quality resolution, but you can turn your HD movie clips into stunning photographs. In addition, this printer switches on in seconds.

HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus

In addition to the normal functions offered by the modern day home printer, this printer allows you the ability to print photos and documents from any mobile device.

When considering the purchase of one of the top selling home printers you will, in the first instance, need to establish your exact printing needs. For example you may require the use of a printer solely for home office use or alternatively you may intend on producing a significant amount of photographic quality materials. Either way, in addition to the initial cost of the printer unit, you also need to factor in the cost of replacement cartridges. Big brand cartridges, such as Epson ink cartridges, Canon ink cartridges and HP ink cartridges, can easily be purchased online, usually for a discounted price, but it always helps to shop around to ensure you find the best deal.

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