Rotendaokab Articles

The first thing that you will notice about Linux Red Hat (using the Gnome Interface) is that it looks a lot like Windows 95/98/NT. But that’s where the similarity ends. Linux requires a whole new set of commands as well as a new way of thinking about things.

For instance, in Windows 95/98 you can adjust monitor or screen properties by just a few key strokes. With Linux, however, in order to adjust the monitor settings, you have to run a program called Xconfigurator. And there is no information anywhere as to how to do this. It is one of these secret things that Linux users don’t worry about because “everyone knows how to do it”. Those of us changing from Windows to Linux have a need to know these things.

Let me tell you the secret: You have to be logged in as “Root” then you exit to the terminal. Now this looks like a DOS shell, so Windows users don’t get too confused. Then at the # prompt type in Xconfigurator. Then you are taken to a configuration program that requires you know a lot about your monitor and your video card. Most of that information is found in the users manual for the hardware, or from the manufacturer. You will need to know the name, model number and manufacturer of the video card and the monitor and you will need to know the refresh rate and vertical and horizontal frequency of the monitor. Be sure that you have this information before you start. After that, you just fill out the form and follow the instructions, it’s that simple from there on.

Another well kept secret is that you need to exit to the terminal in order to run any program that does not have an icon on the desktop. That’s anything that doesn’t specifically come with Red Hat. Some programs will set themselves up with an icon if they are installed in the right desktop interface. Linux has several different desktop interfaces, which is really cool. Gnome is a very Windows like one. The only draw back to Gnome is that some programs like StarOffice won’t put an icon on the Gnome interface. So the user gets to do it.

The first thing you need to do is find the executable file for StarOffice, this would be a file called “soffice”. The best way to find it is to use the File Manager to locate it. Then make a note of the path and go to Panel and then New Launcher.

Type in the name of the program, e.g. Star Office in the Name field. Then in Comment field put in the text that will appear when the mouse hovers on the icon. Next in Command field type the full path to the program, e.g. /home/jerry/Office51/bin/soffice. Last, choose an icon by clicking on the “No Icon Button”, or leave it with no icon. Click on OK and the icon appears on your panel (which resembles the taskbar in Windows).

Linux is not as hard as it would appear at first. Although, they try to tell you that it’s really easy, that’s not entirely true either. If you know Unix, it’s easy. If you know Windows, it’s a little hard at first, but then it makes sense. If you are new to computers then Linux is a good program to learn first, because it is so configurable and versatile. There is no end to the possibilities with Linux.

Arlene Mason is a technical writer living in Dallas, Texas. She had been writing on various subjects for many years and says that writing keeps her sane. Most people agree. Please visit http://www.angelfire.com/tx/ElectronicAlchemy for information about her current projects and other news.

Now is the time to look at an alternative to Microsoft Office.

Are you locked into using Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint? Are you spending extra because you need a database, and Access does not come with the basic Office package?

Well, the time has come to look at alternatives, or at least the one Ill discuss here in a few moments. Whether you are a writer on a tight budget, but need to send your submittals in Word format or an employee wanting to do work at home without either paying hundreds of dollars for Office or installing an illegal copy at home, there are inexpensive options.

(Just as an aside, do NOT ever install or use unlicensed software from Microsoft or anyone else. It is simply not worth the headaches, including huge fines and possible jail time. And if you take a copy home from the office, you may lose your job.)

How much would you pay for office productivity software with these features?

o runs on Windows (R), just like Microsoft Office

o all files can be saved in Microsoft Office formats

o a word processor

o a spreadsheet

o a presentation tool

o a database

o a drawing tool

o export to Acrobat PDF format (requires third-party add ins to do this in Microsoft Office)

o save in Flash format (.SWF) for use on the Web; this cannot be done at all in Microsoft Office

Are you interested yet? Want to know the price?

FREE.

For more information, visit the OpenOffice site: http://www.openoffice.org

How can this be? Well, there is a movement among programmers around the world referred to as open source. I wont bore you with great detail, but the idea is that programmers from all over will donate their time to working on a specific product (in this case, OpenOffice) and leaving it in the public domain. You may have heard of the Linux operating system; it is still the most famous open source collaboration.

Just as RedHat and SuSE, among others, take Linux and add tools to make it easier to use, Sun Microsystems has StarOffice available starting at $79.95. This includes limited technical support (OpenOffice does not have technical support.) This is still a bargain, and Sun sponsors OpenOffice. In case you are not familiar with Sun, they are a very solid Silicon Valley company, primarily known for their workstations and inventing the Java programming language.

Instead of upgrading to Office 2003, I recommend at least investigating the OpenOffice option. Whether a home user or a business with hundreds of copies of Office installed, it just makes sense.

After all, it is free!

About the author: Gregory S. Diehl has almost 35 years experience in applying technology to solve business problems and expand opportunities. He has worked as a systems analyst, programmer, technical writer, Web developer and numerous other roles. A Master CIW Designer, he is currently starting a Web design and development firm in Las Vegas.

http://www.gsdweb.net

http://www.lonewolfreviews.com

webmaster@gsdweb.net

Does Microsoft Have any Real Competition? Copyright (c) 2003 Gregory S. Diehl In a word, yes.

And I think they are about to get more.

Microsoft primarily dominates in operating systems and office productivity software.

Windows is going to be the dominant OS for some time. But I think things will get much more interesting with the Novell/SuSE merger. The giant IBM was already behind Linux. (People forget that if IBMs software division were a separate company, it would be number two only to Microsoft.) Now, they face the challenge from a company that knows how to market to the enterprise, which Red Hat does not. SuSE gets the channels and business partners it needs worldwide; Novell can assure its survival beyond NetWare as a competitor to the hated Microsoft. (Novell feels about as strongly about the folks from the Northwest as Sun does.)

And speaking of Sun, they are aggressively pushing StarOffice as an alternative to Microsoft Office. It offers file compatibility, so anyone on a budget may want to at least consider it. Corel is also hanging in there with WordPerfect and other products, and Novell has GroupWise. So there is at least a little competition in office productivity, although admittedly not much. StarOffice is now available in the retail channel, so that may change.

With Sun and IBM pushing Java/J2EE as the platform for Web services, .NET is getting all the competition it can handle. For dynamic Web publishing (updating from a database) I seem to see at least as many pages with .jsp (Java Server Pages) or .php (Hypertext Preprocessor) as I do .asp (Active Server Pages, from Microsoft) on the file name. (If youve ever wondered what those strange things were that were not .htm or .html, thats it!)

There are two areas where Microsoft is not even close to first place.

Most Web servers are Apache running under Linux, not Microsofts Internet Information Server on a Windows box.

In the database arena, Microsoft really faces stiff competition. IBM is still number one with DB2, and Oracle is close behind. While SQL Server 2000 is much more robust and enterprise-ready than its predecessors, it is still in third place. (Albeit a tighter third place with the scalability and other features of SQL Server 2000.) On the charts with a bullet is MySQL, the Linux of the database world that is gaining more market share in enterprises not needing the features of a DB2 or Oracle.

So, does Microsoft have competition? Yes, even in areas of near-monopoly, there is at least some competition.

About the author: Gregory S. Diehl has almost 35 years experience in applying technology to solve business problems and expand opportunities. He has worked as a systems analyst, programmer, technical writer, Web developer and numerous other roles. A Master CIW Designer, he is currently starting a Web design and development firm in Las Vegas. http://www.gsdweb.net http://www.lonewolfreviews.com webmaster@gsdweb.net

This article is for advanced Microsoft CRM SDK C# developers. It describes the technique of direct SQL programming, when SDK doesn’t have the functionality to do the job.

Introduction. Looks like Microsoft CRM becomes more and more popular, partly because of Microsoft muscles behind it. Now it is targeted to the whole spectrum of horizontal and vertical market clientele. It is tightly integrated with other Microsoft Business Solutions products such as Microsoft Great Plains, Solomon, Navision (the last two in progress).

Here we describe the technique of creating closed activity-email using MS CRM SDK and direct SQL programming.

Imaging something like this. You need to handle incoming email before it is committed to MS Exchange database. You need to analyze if incoming email doesn’t have GUID in its Subject (GUID will allow MS CRM Exchange Connector to move email to Microsoft CRM and attach it to the Contact, Account or Lead) – then you still need to lookup MS CRM in case if one of the accounts, contacts or leads has email address that matches with sender email address – then you need to create closed activity-email in MS CRM, attached to the object and placed into general queue.

How to create MS Exchange handler is outside of the scope, please see this article:

http://www.albaspectrum.com/Customizations_Whitepapers/Dexterity_SQL_VBA_Crystal/ExchangeHandlerExample.htm

Now the code below is classical MS CRM SDK and it will create activity email:

public Guid CreateEmailActivity(Guid userId, int objectType, Guid objectId, string mailFrom, CRMUser crmUser, string subject, string body) {

try {

log.Debug(”Prepare for Mail Activity Creating”);

// BizUser proxy object

Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.BizUser bizUser = new Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.BizUser();

ICredentials credentials = new NetworkCredential(sysUserId, sysPassword, sysDomain);

bizUser.Url = crmDir + “BizUser.srf”;

bizUser.Credentials = credentials;

Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CUserAuth userAuth = bizUser.WhoAmI();

// CRMEmail proxy object

Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CRMEmail email = new Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CRMEmail();

email.Credentials = credentials;

email.Url = crmDir + “CRMEmail.srf”;

// Set up the XML string for the activity

string strActivityXml = ““;

strActivityXml += ““;

strActivityXml += ““) + “]]>“;

strActivityXml += ““;

strActivityXml += userId.ToString(”B”) + ““;

strActivityXml += ““;

// Set up the XML string for the activity parties

string strPartiesXml = ““;

strPartiesXml += ““;

strPartiesXml += “
” + crmUser.GetEmailAddress() + ““;

strPartiesXml += “ ” + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otSystemUser.ToString() + ““;

strPartiesXml += “ “+ crmUser.GetId().ToString(”B”) + ““;

strPartiesXml += “ “;

strPartiesXml += Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ACTIVITY_PARTY_TYPE.ACTIVITY_PARTY_TO_RECIPIENT.ToString();

strPartiesXml += ““;

strPartiesXml += ““;

strPartiesXml += ““;

strPartiesXml += “
” + mailFrom + ““;

if (objectType == Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otAccount) {

strPartiesXml += “ ” + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otAccount.ToString() + ““;

}

else if (objectType == Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otContact) {

strPartiesXml += “ ” + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otContact.ToString() + ““;

}

else if (objectType == Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otLead) {

strPartiesXml += “ ” + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otLead.ToString() + ““;

}

strPartiesXml += “ “+ objectId.ToString(”B”) + ““;

strPartiesXml += “ “;

strPartiesXml += Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ACTIVITY_PARTY_TYPE.ACTIVITY_PARTY_SENDER.ToString();

strPartiesXml += ““;

strPartiesXml += ““;

strPartiesXml += ““;

log.Debug(strPartiesXml);

// Create the e-mail object

Guid emailId = new Guid(email.Create(userAuth, strActivityXml, strPartiesXml));

return emailId;

}

catch (System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException e) {

log.Debug(”ErrorMessage: ” + e.Message + ” ” + e.Detail.OuterXml + ” Source: ” + e.Source);

}

catch (Exception e) {

log.Debug(e.Message + “rn” + e.StackTrace);

}

return new Guid();

}

Now I would like to share the trick with you – there is no method to make this activity closed in MS CRM SDK 1.2 (if somebody knows the one – I owe you small pocket aquarium – smile!). Obviously Microsoft doesn’t support if you do direct SQL programming bypassing SDK. However I would say this is not direct objects creation – this is rather flags correction. So here is what we have – this procedure will do the job and make activity closed:

public void UpdateActivityCodes(Guid emailId) {

try {

OleDbCommand command = conn.CreateCommand();

command.CommandText = “UPDATE ActivityBase SET DirectionCode = (?), StateCode = (?), PriorityCode = (?) WHERE ActivityId = (?)”;

command.Prepare();

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(”DirectionCode”, Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.EVENT_DIRECTION.ED_INCOMING));

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(”StateCode”, Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ACTIVITY_STATE.ACTS_CLOSED));

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(”PriorityCode”, Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.PRIORITY_CODE.PC_MEDIUM));

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(”ActivityId”, emailId));

log.Debug(”Prepare to update activity code ” + emailId.ToString(”B”) + ” in ActivityBase”);

command.ExecuteNonQuery();

}

catch(Exception e) {

log.Debug(e.Message + “rn” + e.StackTrace);

}

}

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job – give us a call 1-866-528-0577! “>help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, based in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, New York, and Miami and having locations in multiple states and internationally (http://www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, VB/C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular, partly because of Microsoft muscles behind it. Now it is targeted to the whole spectrum of horizontal and vertical market clientele. Small companies use Small Business Manager (which is based on the same technology Great Plains Dexterity dictionary and runtime), Great Plains Standard on MSDE is for small to midsize clients, and then Great Plains serves the rest of the market up to big corporations.

If you are developer who is asked: how do we implement Great Plains integration/interface with your legacy or other system read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.

1. Great Plains Integration Manager – this is rather end-user tool – it is very intuitive, it validates 100% of business logic, brings in/updates master records (accounts, employees, customers, vendors. etc.) brings in transactions into work tables. The limitation of Integration Manager – it does use GP windows behind the scenes without showing them – so it is relatively slow – you can bring 100 records – but when you are talking about thousands – it is not a good option. By the way you can program Integration Manager with VBA.

2. eConnect it is type of Software Development Kit with samples in VB.Net. Obviously the development environment should be Visual Studio.Net. eConnect will allow you to integrate master records – such as new customers, vendors, employees, etc., plus you can bring transactions into so called Great Plains work tables (eConnect doesn’t allow you to bring open or historical records – you need to post work records in Great Plains, the same limitation applies to Integration Manager above) eConnect is rather for ongoing integration. It was initially created for eCommerce application integration to Great Plains.

3. SQL Stored Procedures. Obviously you have unlimited control and possibilities with SQL queries. You need to know Great Plains tables structure and data flow. Launch Great Plains and go to Tools->Resource Description->Tables. Find the table in the proper series. If you are looking for the customers it should be RM00101 customer master file. If you need historical Sales Order Processing documents they are in SOP30200 Sales History Header file, etc. Do not change existing tables – do not create new fields, etc. Also you need to realize that each GP table has DEX_ROW_ID – identity column. Sometimes it is good idea to use inbound/outbound XML in the parameters – then you can deploy web service as a middle party between two systems.

4. Data Transformation Services (DTS) Good tool for importing your third party data into staging tables in GP – then you can pull them in using either stored procs of Integration Manager. You can also deploy this tool for EDI export/import.

5. Great Plains Dexterity Custom Screens. Sometimes users prefer to have seamlessly integrated into GP interface custom screens – for parameters settings and initiating integration. Dexterity is a good option, however remember – it is always better to create new custom screen versus customizing existing one – due to the future upgrade issues. Also – Dexterity is in phasing our by Microsoft Business Solutions.

6. Modifier/VBA custom buttons on the existing screens – alternative to Dexterity is you are comfortable with VBA and ADO.

7. MS Access if you are doing one time conversion and your legacy has old ODBC compliant platform – you can use MS Access to create linked tables there – or import into MS Access.

8. SQL Linked Servers you can do direct SQL queries to other ODBC compliant platform via SQL Linked Server (including ORACLE, UNIDATA, Pervasive SQL, Ctree, etc) – you may need to familiarize yourself with OPENROWSET command in Transact SQL. This is also good option if you need cross-platform Crystal Report – pulling data from SQL Server and third party databases on the same report.

9. Warning – do not place existing GP tables into Replication! – you will have upgrade issues.

Happy integrating! if you want us to do the job – give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, based in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, New York, and Miami and having locations in multiple states and internationally (http://www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, VB/C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

SyncUp, a file synchronizer is designed to assist the home and advanced users. The product has a simple and familiar windows explorer type interface for easy file handling. Further, the Scan Results provides a detailed preview of the files for synchronization.

SyncUp has a flexible filter system to facilitate the user to change the sync direction, copy and delete files etc. while processing the synchronization. With scheduler the user can automate the process of synchronization in the background at any specified date and time. It also allows the user to set multiple schedules for a single profile.

It allows you to synchronize files or folders from the Source location to Update location of the same hard drive, another hard drive, mapped network or across any removable media and vice-versa. It also lets you to synchronize files/folders between two PCs by using any one of the following cables: Parallel cable, Direct Crossover cable, Network LAN or US.

Experience the features:

User-driven profile management interface

Synchronization methods: Demand and Schedule

Supports folder sync between local and mapped drives

Filtering system maintains the sync process depending on different criteria

Flexible scheduler to run a profile at a specific date and time in the background

Supports inclusion/exclusion of file extensions

Windows explorer type interface helps in easy selection of folders

Requires installation in one PC only

Protects the system files and folder by default

Adjusts for different time zones and daylight saving time

Supports uni and bi-directional synchronization

Displays comparative scan results

Option to cancel the Sync process for selected files in scan results

Synchronize data to any remote location using UNC method and vice-versa

Supports removable media

OEComplete is a utility for managing the personal information of the user. It is designed to be flexible and affordable even for the home user. OEComplete allows setting up appointments and tasks, and creates notes for easy reference. Recurrence, reminders and attachment enhance the competence in addition to import and export facility.

For example, a weekly status meeting can be set to recur every Friday evening and remind you of the same any time before it, just by a single setting.

Users of Outlook Express particularly benefit from it, having an appointment scheduler and task manager along with their emails. OEComplete starts automatically when you start Outlook Express while Outlook Express can be opened from OEComplete also.

The Calendar option in OEComplete helps you set appointments for any day, and plan your task ahead of time. OEComplete allows scheduling of recurring appointments, such as a weekly status meeting that occurs on a regular basis

Experience the features:

Task Recurrence

Set up Appointments, Tasks

Create Notes

Set Alerts/ Reminders

Set up recurrence of appointments

Import and Export of Data

Running Applications in Compatibility Mode

With Windows XP, you can run programs as if though they were being run under a different operating system. (This is known as “emulation”.) Simply right-click a shortcut, select “Properties” and then check “Run in compatibility mode” and select the operating system you wish to make the program believe it is being run under. This fools or tricks the program into thinking you are really using a previous version of Windows, such as NT, 2000, 98, or 95. This is especially useful for certain games that won’t run properly. Be careful *not* to use this with certain system utilities, such as antivirus, defrag, registry, and disk tool applications.

Customizing the Start Menu

Right click on the “Start” button and left click “Properties”. From here, you can select the new Windows XP style Start Menu, or return to the Windows 2000/Millennium style one. You can also customize the two possible choices using their corresponding “Customize” buttons. This also allows you to turn on or disable cascading menus and other options that are useful, such as large or small icons and more.

Bring Back Those Desktop Icons

After you install Windows XP, you probably noticed that some of your icons from previous versions of Windows you’ve used are missing. Microsoft did this intentionally to help simply and reduce clutter. Of course, for some people, this isn’t the best choice or the user preference. So, if you want those icons like “My Computer” and “My Network Places” back, just open Display Properties (right click Desktop Wallpaper, left click “Properties”) and click the “Desktop” tab. Click the “Customize Desktop” button and on the “General” tab check the items you want. You can also change the icons used by these desktop items in the same screen. One final tip related to this screen is the “Clean Desktop Now” button, which notifies you of unused icons on the desktop and offers to remove them if you choose.

Give Me My ClearType

Windows XP includes a great new visual technology, called “ClearType” which increases horizontal legibility by approximately 300% and it looks great. Go back into “Display Properties” [see tip: "Bring Back Those Desktop Icons" for instructions] and this time, go to the “Appearance” tab. Click “Effects” and for the second drop down box, labeled “Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts”, select “ClearType”. Click OK twice and you’re all set.

Lock Computer vs. Welcome Login Screen

You must go into Control Panel and open the “User Accounts” applet to change this setting. Click “Change the way users log on or off”. For maximum security, uncheck the “Use the Welcome screen” option. This re-enables the use of the “Lock Computer” option from the ALT CTRL DELETE menu, but prevents multiple users from being logged on locally at a single time. This also returns to the Windows 2000 style login screen. If you’d rather have the ability to *not* be able to use “Lock Computer” and would rather allow multiple users to logon to the computer at a single time locally, leave this setting checked and also check “Use Fast User Switching”.

http://www.ICTtutorials.vze.com

So youve finally decided its time for a change. No matter

what advice you follow that old work horse of a desktop

computer you have has outlived its usefulness with slow

loading applications and a continuous rise in operation

noise.

Searching for that Perfect Computer can be about as much fun

as purchasing a new car and about as frustrating also when

sorting through the various brands while trying to decide

which bells and whistles best fit your needs. Besides all

that trying to return something that is so large can be both

inconvenient and very difficult to do. So making the right

decision the FIRST time is the wise path of choice.

For starters youll need to decide what you want to do with

your computer. Are you into the video game scene or are you

someone who likes to just surf the internet and occasionally

do some book keeping with simple word processing software?

If youre into video games youre going to want a machine

that can handle the high level of graphics and superior

sound quality. On the other hand if youre not into all

that high adrenalin stuff you can probably get by with a

less expensive system. Although, if you want to stay on the

safe side I would recommend going with something more

high-end so you dont have to spend another large chunk of

change to upgrade the system you just bought.

There are two basic routes you can take when purchasing a

new computer.

1) Purchase a Brand Name Computer

2) Purchase a Clone Computer

A BRAND-NAME computer is one that is manufactured by a

company that is recognizable by name.

Some Advantages/Disadvantages of Brand-Name computers

include:

Advantages:

Customer Support- If you are experiencing problems with your

computer you will have the option to contact a

representative of the company that you purchased the PC from

to get help in solving your problem.

Customer support is probably the best reason to buy a

brand-name computer.

Warranty- Having a warranty is always nice since it acts as

a type of security blanket for you.

In case a part on your computer should fail you should be

able to get the item fixed at no charge just as long as the

warranty has not expired.

Read and understand a companys warranty policy BEFORE you

purchase a computer from them.

This way youll have a good understanding of the procedures

to follow in case a problem should arise.

Pre-installed Software- Many companies will include software

packages that are all set up and ready to go for you on your

computer.

Although, a disadvantage of buying a brand-name computer

with software pre-installed is that you usually end up with

more than fits your needs and usually just results with the

wasting of space on your storage device.

Additional Support- Most brand-name computer companies are

also able to provide you with web sites that may provide you

with current software updates, user manuals, or basic

troubleshooting help.

Disadvantages

The use of Proprietary parts- the term Proprietary refers to

products that are unique to an individual company and that

company only.

So if a part was to malfunction on your computer after

warranty and you needed to replace it you could not just go

to your local computer store and purchase any old part even

if it was intended for the same function as the item that

failed.

You would be forced to buy the exact same item that came out

of the computer or else the computer would more than likely

cease to function correctly.

Having to buy proprietary parts usually involves the need to

place an order which means youll have to wait for the part

to arrive or youll have to send your computer into the

company or an authorized dealer of that company for

repairs.

People with a home based business would probably not be too

happy with that situation at all.

Integrated/On-board parts- In the computer world when you

hear the word integrated or on-board it means that a

particular part such as the modem or sound port where you

plug in your speakers, is built-in or part of the computer

main board (Also known as the Motherboard).

This means that if any of these items should fail, you cant

just remove them from the computer and replace them with a

new part. They are usually soldered directly to the main

board and are stuck there.

Although, some computers do provide a way to disable a

malfunctioning device which will allow you to install your

own store bought device to take the place of the broken

part.

From a computer technicians point of view this is not always

easy to do.

It just depends on what brand of computer you currently

have. Meaning some are easier to work on than others.

A CLONE computer is a clone or a copy of its brand-name

counterpart with the exception that instead of company

specific or proprietary parts, the items used to make a

clone computer are from several different companies instead

of only one.

Lets say that if you were to go to a local company that

builds clone computers, and you tell them what you need,

chances are they dont use parts that are specific to only

that type of computer like the brand-name computer companies

do.

This is a good thing because it means that they will

probably use components that are interchangeable with many

different brands and are easy to come by if needed.

Some Advantages/Disadvantages of Clone computers include:

Advantages:

Cost- compared to brand-name computers the clone will

generally be easier on your pocket book when purchasing one

with similar features as its brand-name counterpart.

This is most likely due to the money that is saved by not

offering the high-end customer service. Although, that may

not be the only reason for the lower prices.

Easily Accessible Replacement Parts- Since the clone

computer was built with parts that are not any one company

specific, you can buy parts for the clone computer that can

be used even if the brand is different from the one that was

in the computer when you originally bought it.

NOTE: Before you buy any parts, it is necessary to make sure

that the replacement parts are compatible with your

particular computers system requirements.

Either consult the manual that should have came with your

computer or get help from a knowledgeable friend or repair

person.

Disadvantages:

Warranties- Unless you purchase a service plan you will

typically not have as an attractive warranty as you would

with a brand-name computer company.

Whatever you do just make sure you understand how long the

warranty is for and as to what kind of repairs the warranty

covers before you make the purchase.

Customer Support- With brand-name computer companies you are

usually provided with a 24-hour toll free number that you

can call if you have questions or concerns with your

computer.

Clone computers are more than likely not going to have a

24-hour help service, but rather you will be forced to only

be able to call during regular business hours.

Also, it is more than likely that there will not be any one

website that you can go to in order to find out information

concerning troubleshooting questions you may have.

For service it may be necessary to take the computer back to

the store that you bought it at or you may have to do some

research on the individual parts that went into the computer

and visit the manufacturers website for troubleshooting

tips.

Finally, if all else fails you can certainly take what you

have learned from this article and being that you know what

you need now, but dont know where to go and get that

Perfect Computer, the best resource at your disposal are

the very men and woman that work at your local electronics

shop.

It is their duty to help you get hold of that Perfect

Computer that best fits your needs. All you need to do is

tell them what you plan on using that computer for and they

should be more than happy to help you from there.

Dan devotes much time working on his internet ventures. He currently has a T-Shirt store at http://www.cafepress.com/giftsandtshirts and an ebook store at http://online-book-store.net that caters to his visitors.

There comes a time in a persons life where no matter how much you fight it time takes its toll and we begin to slow down in how we perform our daily activities. However, in order to extend our youthful glow and energy levels it is important to eat right, exercise, and keep a positive outlook on life.

Now you may ask what has any of that got to do with Secrets To A Healthy Computer?

Well, in a way were all just like a computer. If you neglect to take care of yourself you soon will cease to function properly and the many tasks that once were easy to do now take twice as long to accomplish and often require you to rest or reboot after a malfunction.

I cant tell you what foods to eat or what exercises to perform because I am not a nutritionist. Although, with my experiences in the personal computer field I can share with you some tips of how to keep that rectangle box of circuitry that sits within sights range functioning at maximum performance as long as time will allow.

Some important steps to follow are.

Make certain that your computer is located in a well ventilated area and that all air vents are unobstructed to prevent overheating and premature failure to any internal components.

Clean out the dust build-up at least every 6 months from the inside of the computer case including case vents, power supply vents, and all visible circuitry with a few cans of compressed air that can be purchased from any major computer store or electronics outlet. This will help reduce the chances of overheating and circuitry damage.

Before cleaning just be certain to always unplug the computer from the wall outlet and never physically contact the circuitry inside the computer case to prevent damage.

Be prepared for an unsuspected failure by always making backups of any important data that you do not and can not afford to lose.

I personally keep updated backups of my website and even store the disks at a remote location away from my every day use computers just in case a disaster were to occur and my main computers were destroyed resulting in the need for those lost files.

Purchase and install a well known anti-virus program that can be regularly updated with the latest virus definitions and ran during boot-up to help protect your computer from being the victim of an unwanted infestation.

Every few months or so run your computers Scandisk program followed by the Defragmenter program to maximize the efficiency of your hard drive.

If you are not certain of how to use these utilities and being that the steps to execute these programs varies slightly from one operating system to the other it would be easiest to simply use the Help option that can be found by clicking on the START button found on your computers desktop.

The START menu will open up a drop-down-box that should display the Help option. By going here you can enter the keywords that deal with the answers to the subject you are searching for.

Run your computers Disk Cleanup utility every other week or so. If set the Disk Cleanup utility will automatically empty the recycling bin and recover some wasted disk space by removing the internet temporary files that seem to always accumulate.

Again, use the Help option if you are uncertain of how to perform this task.

Never smoke near a computer because the cooling fans will pull the smoke into the case where it can coat the inside parts of the computer with a residue which in turn can damage sensitive components.

Place the computer case in an area where it will not be accidentally kicked or bumped to prevent the loosening of cables and damage to internal parts.

Invest in a high quality surge protector to provide your computer and monitor against voltage spikes or surges that can dramatically shorten the life of your system. Just like most items in a store, You get what you pay for. So dont skimp out on this important device!

Its also not a bad idea to invest in a surge protector that includes what is called a Data Line Protector which allows you to connect your telephone lines to and serves the same purpose for the telephone line to your modem just like the surge protector does for the electrical household current lines.

Finally, if you plan on being away from home for more that a few days at a time or if there is a thunderstorm brewing in your area it is a very wise decision to always unplug all electrical lines and modem telephone lines from your system. Even with a surge protector installed it is possible that such a large voltage spike such as one caused by a lightening strike could prove fatal to any computer system.

If you follow these simple steps the outcome is a healthy computer that will stay by your side and treat you well which also results in a happier you.

Dan devotes much time working on his internet ventures. He currently has a T-Shirt store at http://www.cafepress.com/tshirtsngifts and an ebook store at http://online-book-store.net that caters to his visitors.