PC Computer Guy - Tech Talk

Should I turn my computer off, or leave it on?This is perhaps the most, if not one of the most questions we receive.The reason so many people don't know the answer to this question, is because there are so many different answers out there! And most of them are not wrong, they are just not entirely correct.The full answer is this:“It depends.”Now that's not much of an answer is it? Let's take a closer look.The computer can be broken up into 2 “types” of parts, electronic and mechanical. http://www.pccomputerguy.com

Frequently these days I'm asked “should I replace my laptop with a tablet?” The answer is “That depends.”The “depends” boils down to the question, “What do you want to use it for?” Your answer here determines if it would be suitable to replace a laptop with a tablet. Continue reading at:  http://www.pccomputerguy.com/Tech-Tips-Podcast-Replace-Laptop-With-Tablet

Typical viruses are more of a nuisance than a threat. They might cost you some money to get the virus cleaned up, but usually the worst that happens is windows needs to be reloaded – you may lose a program or two. That isn't the case with these nasty guys. CryptoLocker and GameOver Zeus are both actually the work of the same Russian cyber-gang. Agencies across the world, including the FBI, are on the hut for them; including Evginiy Bogachev reported mastermind of the viruses.Continue reading at: http://www.pccomputerguy.com/Tech-Tips-Podcast-Protect-yourself-Online-Cyber-Threats

How do you expand wireless coverage, to make it reach further in your home? How do you deal with low wifi signal strength?  This article will provide some possible solutions to improve the range of your wireless internet.Continue reading at:  http://www.pccomputerguy.com/Tech-Tips-Podcast-Increase-Wireless-Range

The computer is an enigma to a lot of people. You press some keys, and you get magic out of the screen, printer or speakers. But what is inside the computer and how does it all work together? In this general education tech tip, we'll teach you about the parts that make your computer work. Don't worry you won't have to brush up on engineering or calculus to understand it. Continue reading at:  http://pccomputerguy.com/Tech-Tips-Podcast-Parts-of-a-Computer

Best Free Software There are tons of things out there that are free. Some are good, while others – not so much. We've compiled a list of our favorite free software.Continue reading at:  http://www.pccomputerguy.com/Tech-Tips-Podcast-Best-Free-Software-2014

I have received several calls from clients asking what they need to replace their computer with, since Windows XP is “dead” as of April 8th, 2014. As a side note, Office 2003 support ceases the same day.This however does not mean those with Windows XP computers will simply stop running on in April 2014. It doesn't mean you will lose the data in it, or that it will burst into flames. Rather, when you turn your computer on, April 9th 2014, it will function the same as it did for the years before.What Microsoft is saying is simply they will not provide tech support for it, nor will they provide any future updates. The majority of us have never called Microsoft for support anyways, so if you are in that boat, then all it means is you won't get updates anymore. Continue reading at: http://www.pccomputerguy.com/Tech-Tips-Podcast-Windows-XP-is-Dead

A “Virtual PBX” is an internet based phone system that allows for tons of professional features often at a fraction of the cost of running your own PBX.What does such a system get you? Think of all the fancy stuff that happens when you call a large company. For specifics, let's look at what we've done at PcComputerGuy with our Virtual PBX hosted through Jive Communications.First, you start off with a SIP based phone. These IP phones connect to your existing internet connection. Some of them are even wireless such as our Cisco SPA525G2 SIP phone.Then you partner with a company that you plan on hosting your phone service. We again choose Jive. We tried Ring Central and were not pleased with the customer service or quality of the calls.Each system has it's own way of configuring the features of your phone system, but think of it very much like a corporate level phone system complete with extensions, call queues, forwarding to cell phones, custom music and more.Continue reading at: http://www.pccomputerguy.com/Tech-Tips-Podcast-Virtual-PBX-Phone-Systems

I get asked this question at least once a week. The answer is pretty simple: it just means “on the internet”. That's all it is, a fancy marketing term that means “on the internet”.So when someone says they store their documents “on the cloud”, they mean simply that their documents are stored on the internet.Music, Email, Documents, Backup – it doesn't matter what it is, if it can be stored in your computer, it can be stored “in the cloud”.Cloud backup solutions for example such as Carbonite and Mozy simply upload your information from your computer to their servers via the internet. The same is true for Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive or iCloud.Most cloud-based services provide software that make it easy to interact with that service. For example Dropbox loads software on your computer that allows you to view your documents and files just like any ‘ole folder on your computer. However anything in that folder automatically gets uploaded to Dropbox's servers.The next question is usually about security.Continue reading at: http://www.pccomputerguy.com/Tech-Tips-Podcast-What-Is-The-Cloud

So very often I am at a client's home, and I run a speedtest on their internet. The results I get back are outstanding; but perhaps a bit overkill.ISP's try to up-sell their service, offering the more expensive internet services at premium rates. But is it really making any difference? Most of the time the answer is sadly: no, you are just paying them more money....continue reading