When to have your PC upgraded and when to purchase a new
computer instead?
When you decide to upgrade your old desktop computer, ask
yourself these things:
- Is it already three years old? If
so, it may be time to upgrade everything by simply replacing
it! Remember, the computer industry changes so rapidly, and
costs continue to plummet, that it is often best to upgrade
by replacing everything at once instead of piecemeal. You
will also want to avoid potential warranty issues with some
new, some old parts. An “upgraded” computer
can quickly become a money pit!
- If you upgrade one part, will you
need to upgrade others to make them all work together? Upgrading
can quickly become a struggle to coordinate older parts with
newer ones because standards change and incompatibilities
arise! Upgrading is not just a matter of putting in one newer
part; the parts have to work together - so you may have to
upgrade a few components at a time to keep everything in sync!
And even though your computer may be “technically”
upgradeable, the parts may no longer be manufactured. For
example, your computer manual may say that your 486 can accept
a second hard drive, but you may have great difficulty finding
older-styled controller cards to put older-styled hard drives
into the system.
- Will the cost of upgrading exceed
the cost of buying a new one in the near future? Beware the
trickle-effect of upgrading. Especially, watch the service
hours involved! An upgrade part may only be US$100, but when
you add an hour or two of technical service, your upgrade
can cost you US$150 instead! If the cost of upgrading parts
and service time exceed 30% of the cost of a new computer,
it is probably worth simply replacing everything and starting
your next three-year cycle!
DO NOT expect to upgrade your laptop. Usually you are stuck
with what you initially get in a laptop - and even if you
can add more hard drive space or RAM at high costs (the parts
are physically smaller and more expensive to buy) you probably
cannot ever upgrade the processor. So consider your laptop
investment carefully because it may be worth configuring for
slightly more than you need and want to spend to protect the
unit’s usefulness over a longer period without upgrades.
Q: What’s the best way to protect my computer from all
these viruses? Bill in Tabanan
A: There are 3 things EVERYONE needs to do to protect
their computer from hackers & viruses & adware.
1. Purchase and install some Anti-Virus software.
(Make sure it watches for software viruses AND email viruses).
Once it is installed, ensure that it always launches when
you start Windows (it’s an option). Perhaps weekly,
check for updates to the virus information the software uses
2. Download (free) Zone Alarm at: http://www.zonealarm.com.
It watches for any program on your computer that may try and
send information from your computer without your knowledge
(some adware that was added when you installed some new software
does this)
3. Download (free) Meaya Adware Remover at: http://www.meaya.com/adware.htm
. This will search your computer for any of these adware
programs that may be ‘watching’ and ‘reporting’
on every site you visit.
For my Anti-Virus software, I use Norton System Works.
It was easy to install and automatically checks for updates
and then installs them for me.
