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Download Computer Games – Before Deciding To Buy One
Download Computer Games – Before Deciding To Buy One
The Internet is not only a good source of information on about every subject. You will also find many sites that allow you to download new programs and other useful software that you can copy directly to your computer. It also offers files that contain videos, music and games. Before you can use these files, they first have to be copied to your hard disk. This process is called downloading. Webpages usually have links to downloadable files.
If you click on one of these download links, your browser immediately copies the files onto your computer’s hard disk drive.
Today, there is a very wide range of different kinds of computer games that you can download. Very often big gaming software companies allow you to download a trial version of a game that they have just released. They call these either trialware or shareware.
Typically, the companies provide shareware so you can download the games and try before buying it. The games usually are demo versions with limited features.
A shareware is accompanied by a request for payment that the person who downloaded the computer game is required to pay after a certain amount of time has past.
Free trial software is one of the main reasons for the rapid growth of the gaming industry. Today the industry is worth more than billion. With games costing an average of , it’s a wise decision to download computer games for trial first. Most new video games released have their own dedicated website, so players can be updated on latest news and sequels. Many of the computer games offering a free trial have a specific mission that the player can try out. In this way he can get a feeling for the scenarios and the overall design of the game.
If you want a new gaming software, there are thousands of downloadable games available on the internet including classic games that you may not find in a regular software store.
Nevertheless there are disadvantages downloading shareware. The main drawback when downloading computer games is that the bigger the file size, the longer it will take your computer to write the information on its hard disk drive. This often can be a tedious process that can tie up your phone line for a long time.
Another factor that may affect the time it takes your computer to download the game is when there are a lot of other users that are trying to download the same file as you.
Then there is the virus worry. Many users worry that downloading a file could result in their computer being infected by a virus. However, times have changed and what was a problem in 2004 is no longer a problem in 2006. Big companies have their websites scanned for viruses on a regular basis and files offered for download are also scanned.
Read This Before You Buy A Laptop.
Read This Before You Buy A Laptop.
Looking to buy a laptop? Congratulations! So, do you want a thin-and-light notebook, a mainstream notebook, an ultra portable notebook, or a business notebook? And do you want that in a Dell, a Gateway, an IBM, a Sony, or a Toshiba, to name just a few of your options?
Confused yet? It really can be overwhelming. But buying a laptop doesn’t have to mean learning a whole new language. It just means that you have to know what your needs are and what kinds of equipment is best suited to meeting those needs. Ask yourself the following two questions:
1. How am I going to use this machine?
The demands you anticipate placing on a machine will dictate how much memory you need, processor speed, display size, and the size of your hard drive. It also matters how much wear and tear you think you’re going to put on your laptop. For example, are you going to be schlepping it from college room to coffee shop, or are you mostly going to be using it at home, as a replacement for a desktop machine? Are you going to be storing lots of digital music files or photos or other multimedia that will eat up huge amounts of hard drive space? Do you need wireless capability and lots of peripherals, like CD-RW drives or DVD drives? Are you going to be doing graphics work or watching a lot of video on your laptop, such that a powerful, rapid processor and a large and high-resolution screen are important to you?
2. How do I find the laptop that will do what I want?
Thinner is not always better; but then, less is sometimes more. In the laptop jungle, searching out the perfect machine can be a challenge. It might help to look at the different models of laptop and see what features each one has to offer.
* Ultraportables
These machines are thin, small, and light—typically not more than four pounds. What they don’t have going for them is a lot of processing power or the bells and whistles of bigger systems: they don’t have internal CD or DVD drives, they have smallish hard drives, and they have displays of 12 inches or smaller. A good choice for someone on the go a lot who doesn’t demand a lot of their system, but performance lags behind other laptop models.
* Thin-and-lights
Perfect for business travelers, these laptops have powerful internal processors, 14-inch displays, and wireless networking capability, plus a combo CD-RW/DVD drive. They have lots of memory and roomy hard drives. Trade-off: they weigh a bit more (four to six pounds) and they cost quite a bit more.
* Mainstream notebooks
Basically, these laptops are desktop computers that can do a little travel. At six to eight pounds, they come with a 14-inch or larger display and more than enough basic power, in terms of processing speed, memory, and hard drive space.
* Desktop replacements
The name says it all: these laptops think they’re desktops. They have 15-inch to 17-inch monitors, more than big enough for gaming or creating home movies. They have the fastest processors, the largest hard drives, and the most memory of any other laptop available. And they weigh at least seven pounds.
Knowing at least some of the terminology should help you carry on intelligent conversations with laptop salespeople. And remember: because technology changes so fast, you’ll never have to be stuck with a dud laptop for more than two years!
8 Things You Must Know Before Building A PC
8 Things You Must Know Before Building A PC
Perhaps you’re interested in learning how to build your own computer. That’s great, really!
I’ve put together a list of 8 things you MUST know before you ever start to build your own PC. You’ll be in a world of hurt if you don’t have these down.
Tip #1 – Safety First
I hope you didn’t think the last time you’d hear “safety first” was in your Drivers Education classes! Working on any electronics, including computers, has its risks and requires certain precautions. Having said that, what’s the first part you should purchase when building your own computer?
* Motherboard?
* Processor?
* Computer Case?
Nope, those are all wrong. And honestly, they aren’t even close!
A computer tool kit should be the first thing you purchase. Normal household tools aren’t suited to working on a computer because they’re often dirty, rusty, and magnetic. Here are some things you must have in your computer tool kit :
Antistatic wrist band – This is a must-have for any computer builder. Your computer’s components are very sensitive to static electricity. Make sure that you ALWAYS have your antistatic wrist band on when working on your computer. You must attach it to a ground source, usually a large piece of metal works well. This removes any free electrons, which cause static charge, from your body to the ground. Also, as an additional measure, before touching any hardware, touch your computers metal frame. This will also help put your body’s charge at equilibrium with your PC’s.
Needle-nose pliers and Tweezers – These tools are useful when handling small screws and bits of metal. Your computer’s circuitry is very precise and you’ll need some good tweezers and pliers to hold things into place.
Screwdrivers – This is an obvious requirement for computer tool kits. You should have at least one small Phillips and Flathead screwdriver in your kit.
Spare parts container – You’ll be surprised how handy one of these will be. They can be used to store small parts, screws, spacers, etc.
Nut drivers – Although these aren’t a requirement for your tool kit, most tool kits come with some nut drivers. I have yet to use mine, but someday I’ll probably need them.
Small flash light – Most computer tool kits don’t come with a small flashlight, but it is a good thing to have when you’re working in a dark computer case. A keychain type flashlight works great for this purpose!
Also, make sure all of your tools are NOT magnetic. Many screwdrivers for small screws are magnetic to help hold the screw in place. You don’t want this when dealing with your computer hardware because the magnetic field could damage your components.
I can’t stress this enough; having the correct tools is the easiest way to avoid damaging your components that could easily cost you hundreds of dollars. And please turn off and UNPLUG your computer before working on it, the last thing you need is a phobia of computers after you’ve been inadvertently shocked by one.
Tip #2 – Buy everything at once
This is was a major mistake that I made as a rookie computer builder. I know how anxious you may be to build your first computer; I can still remember how excited I was when UPS delivered my first part. But before you start buying parts left & right, you should set down and answer the following questions:
* What do I want to do with my computer?
Simple internet browsing? Word processing? Graphic design? Audio and video editing? Play video games?
* How long do I want this computer to last me?
Only for a couple years. Forever!
The idea here is to decide where your money will be best spent to maximize the use and/or life of your computer parts. For long term and/or intensive use, such as video/image editing, you’ll want something that you can easily upgrade over time. While for short term and/or simpler tasks, a cheaper, less upgradeable PC should work fine.
The easiest way to assure that all of your computer components will be compatible is to purchase them all at the same time. This way you can compare the features and requirements all at once.
I recommend that you start with your motherboard and processor. Many companies sell motherboard & processor bundles . A bundle is great way to start buying your computer parts because usually you’ll get a deal when you buy the processor and motherboard together. In addition, the processor will be compatible in that particular motherboard, which is one less thing you’ll have to worry about.
Next, select the type of RAM that is compatible with your motherboard and decide how many MB’s of power you want with it. Generally 512 MB of RAM will be sufficient. If you plan on doing image/video editing, or playing video games on your PC, 1 GB of RAM would be better suited for this job.
Now you can decide what types of extra components you want, such as a video card, hard drives, CD/DVD drives, etc.
Once you’ve picked those out, determine roughly how much wattage of power you’ll need from your power supply . I’ve attached a power usage chart below with how much each component uses, but these are only averages, so I can’t guarantee this is what you’ll observe.
Device [Power required (Watts)]
Video card [20 – 30]
PCI card [5]
Floppy Drive [5]
CD, DVD-ROM [10-25]
RAM per 128 MB [8]
Hard Drive [15-35]
Motherboard [20-30]
CPU [25-70]
Generally 400 watts should be plenty of power, even for the most power hungry systems you can build. Also consider purchasing a quiet power supply, because the power supply is generally your noisiest piece of hardware. I personally use a 400 Watt Zalman Quiet Power Supply (pictured at left) that I love. It provides tons of power with virtually no sound.
By purchasing everything at once you can ascertain that your computer parts will support all of your computing needs. Another benefit is that you’ll save money on shipping charges by purchasing everything at once rather than separately.