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What is it that you mean by a fast computer? Does it mean fast Internet? Fast games? Fast email? Fast graphics? Fast calculations? Fast windows? Fast downloads? Fast installs? Fast boot-up? Fast shutdown? Each of these things can have a speed of their own? I'll try to answer generally in order to cover my bases.

There are many things that contribute to the speed of a computer. Hardware is the main ingredient for a fast machine. Next comes the Operating System. Software is next in line for contributing to speed. Finally, your internet connection plays a significant role. But this doesn't really answer the question.

The hardware that makes a computer fast is tied to a few main components. First is the processor speed. You might hear about such chips as the Duron, Dual Core, Quad Core, Centrino, Pentium, Athalon64, with such things as 1.8Ghz, 3.5Ghz, 700Mhz. These are all types of chips and various speeds and power at which they operate. Next we have the FSB or Front Side Bus, which determines how fast the data gets to the processor. The faster the data gets to the processor; the faster the processor can begin processing.

If that wasn't enough to spin your head around, there is the speed of the memory. We're talking about actual RAM not virtual memory. Memory is a chip that stores information for the processor, but only while the computer is turned on. When you turn off your computer the memory chip is erased! The faster the memory the more often information can be retrieved and manipulated by the processor.

Then there is the Hard Drive, the place where you put your documents, the operating system, pictures, and everything else that is stored on your computer. When this is slow, the other components have to wait for the information to be retrieved before they'll do anything with it. (Oh, and Don't confuse Hard Drive space with Computer Memory. They are completely different things.)

Here is where the software comes in to the speed of your system. The operating system (i.e., Windows) uses up resources (hardware) on the computer to bring you the Internet, e-mail, movies, entertainment, and photos. Some operating systems use more resources than others, but the bottom line is the newer the operating system the more resources it uses up.

Generally, the more software that gets installed onto a computer the slower the computer will operate. This is not true of all software, but most of the popular ones load a little bit of themselves every time the computer is started. This slows down the computer. Having one or two of these little programs will not slow down your system to any noticeable degree, but when you have a dozen or more, then performance lags.

To counter all these little programs eating up resources, it is best to have as much memory as possible in your computer. Memory should not be confused with what is called Virtual Memory, which is not memory at all. It is actually a file on your Hard Drive that pretends to be memory. If you don't have enough memory, your computer will start using Virtual Memory, and it will slow your computer down. Virtual memory has its uses, but it should be used rarely.

Some of the pitfalls of a slow computer: Most windows computers need some sort of virus protection. Mac, Linux, and BeOS have very few worries in the virus department. Virus protection, at least the popular ones, require more and more resources to protect windows from attacks. Then there's spyware, rootkits, spam, and pop-ups that are a constant bane to windows. A slow computer will be slow to catch and remove these sorts of malware (bad-software). To get better performance, use protection that requires less resources. Symantec, Trend, McAfee are examples of protection that require more resources than is absolutely necessary. There are smaller reliable and free alternatives on the internet, like AVG.

This leads us right to the Internet and how it affects the speed of your computer. Dial-up connections, even on a fast computer, are slow. Too much information needs to pass between your computer and the internet to really be of any use to you. Virus protection updates are almost impossible at dial-up speeds. Dial-up inhibits your access to many webpages, causes delays in email, and limits the quality feedback response required for learning to use your computer and the Internet.

Having a fast Internet connection does not mean you'll have a fast computer. If your computer is slow, a fast Internet connection will not make any real difference in your computers performance.

• Slow Computer + Fast Internet = Slow Computer on the Internet. 
• Fast Computer + Slow Internet = Computer Slowed by the Internet. 
• Faster computer + Faster Internet = Quality experience on the Internet.

By http://www.pyattconsulting.com

Another week, another breech reported, and another round of changing password on a number of website across the internet.

Even though people intuitively understand that they shouldn’t use the same password with their email address on each site, they do so anyway because the complexity of keeping track of all those different website passwords is more of an immediate problem than having to change a password across a number of sites because one of them has become compromised.

What makes it even harder is when you can’t remember which sites you might have signed up to using the password.

Best practice would be to have separate password for each site. Such a strategy would involve having some sort of secure password locker software that allowed you to retrieve the passwords as it became necessary. Of course the reality is that best practice requires a lot of effort. A lot of times when people sign up to a website, it is a one-off and they probably won’t ever return to that site. While it may be best practice to use a unique password for every site, that’s a lot of effort to go to if you are using the site only once.

When thinking about website passwords, think about the importance of the website. Have unique passwords for very important sites. If possible turn on two factor authentication. Your email and social media passwords should be unique.

One off accounts that you’re unlikely to use again don’t necessarily need to be unique – you just need to make sure that they aren’t the same as any of your important accounts.

Generally if an attacker compromises an unimportant account password, they are going to see if it is the same password that you use with an important account. For example, if they manage to compromise the database of the Chewbacca Rollerblading Forum you once posted to and figure out your password, they probably aren’t going to see if the same password works for the Lego Windmill Makers forum that you also once posted a few times at. Instead they’ll see if they can use those credentials to compromise gmail/Hotmail/facebook/twitter.

If your credentials for your important accounts are unique, this isn’t going to be a problem.

The key to website password security is keeping those important accounts with unique strong passwords. If they are unique and strong, you don’t have to worry so much when the account database of another site that you visit inevitably gets compromised.

By Orin Thomas           http://windowsitpro.com

Image Credit : www.techspot.com ©

Will it be Alan Mulally or Satya Nadella?

And then there were two, if recent reports are to be believed. Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Microsoft executive vice president Satya Nadella are apparently the top two candidates for the CEO job at Microsoft, with two wild cards, Tony Bates and Stephen Elop remaining as only distant possibilities for the post.

The report of the narrowed CEO search decision comes from Bloomberg, which has been reliable and credible in the past. The report cites unnamed Microsoft insiders as stating that Mr. Nadella, who currently oversees the firm's cloud and enterprises business, and turnaround guru Mulally have risen to the top after months of search efforts.

There's just one problem. They couldn't be more different.

A former Boeing executive, Mr. Mulally was famously asked to run Ford when William Clay Ford, Jr. determined he was unable to lead the car maker into its next growth phase. At the time, the decision was criticized because Mr. Mulally had no auto industry background, but Ford's subsequent dramatic turnaround—it was the only US automaker that didn't need federal assistance during the automotive industry crisis of 2008—and Mulally's decisive moves end any criticism.

Mr. Nadella, meanwhile, is in many ways the ultimate Microsoft insider. With the firm since 1992, he led Microsoft's $19 billion Server and Tools business, architecting its seamless transition from on premises server solutions to cloud computing.

The attraction to Mr. Mulally is obvious: Though he is a tech industry outsider, he previously turned around a business in which he was initially an outsider. But he's also likely to be a short-timer: At the age of 68, he'd been planning to retire from Ford in 2014. And Ford resolutely claims he's unavailable. "Alan remains completely focused on executing our One Ford plan," a Ford statement notes. "We do not engage in speculation."

Nadella is well-respected within Microsoft and of course the business he led could serve as a model for the rest of Microsoft. But there is a growing worry that Microsoft needs real change, and that that change cannot come from someone who endured the endless internal politics of the past 20 years at the firm.

Of course, Microsoft's CEO role is complex and finding a single candidate who can understand and speak fluently about the company's many divergent product lines is a difficult task. Microsoft's board of directors met two weeks ago to discuss its progress in finding a new CEO and while they originally hoped to be able to announce its decision this year, the board is now expected to push that back to early 2014.

The next CEO must have an "extensive track record in managing complex, global organizations within a fast-paced and highly competitive market sector [and a] track record of delivering top and bottom line results," internal documents obtained by Bloomberg note. "[They must have the] proven ability to lead a multi-billion dollar organization and large employee base."

As for Tony Bates and Stephen Elop, the two erstwhile Microsoft executives—Bates came to Microsoft with Skype and Elop is set to return to the firm when it concludes its purchase of Nokia's devices and services businesses—they remain long shots.

But Mr. Bates is apparently a favorite of Microsoft's employees, according to a report in All Things D. He's seen as the right combination of insider and outsider, and because of his extensive Silicon Valley experience, his rise to CEO could signal a new era of cooperation between Microsoft and its competitors and partners. That view ignores the very hard reality that Microsoft's integration of Skype technology into its other products has been downright disastrous. Indeed, though ostensibly a part of Microsoft, Skype appears to be run as an independent business that appears clueless to the needs of customers served by other parts of the company.

By Paul Thurrott      http://windowsitpro.com

Image Credit : http://windowsitpro.com © 

Business owners love Twitter more and more with each passing day, but one of the consequences of so many new users is seeing the same mistakes over and over! Every day I notice one business doing this, that or the other to majorly anger their customer/fan base. To help them and you out, here are five things you should absolutely avoid doing on your business Twitter account.

1. #Hashtag #Everything

Yes, Mr. New User, using hashtags works…in moderation. For example, if you want to spread buzz about your new coffee shop and you see #localcoffee is trending, be sure to include that to get into the conversation. No doubt some will notice and engage your account.

Do not, on the other hand, turn the whole post #into #a #hashtag #party! Not only is it obnoxious, the posts become impossible to read, which is kind of the point of Twitter. Only include tags you believe will gain you traction and/or new customers!

2. Crazy Long Links

You’ve got the right idea, business owner who is starting to understand social media. Sharing links you find interesting is a great way to engage your readers and show them you’re interested in what they like. They may even retweet your post giving you more love around the web.

But you forgot one thing: shorten that crazy long link! Nobody wants to see “Check out this story on ant farms! http://www.antfarmsarecool.co.uk/post/f89suaf9u3289jfiofi32oif32j9/index.html” and it may even get deleted. Use a link shortener like bitly or Google Shortener if your Twitter client doesn’t auto-shorten.

3. Arguing with Doofuses

Did you know not everyone on the web is going to like you? It may seem impossible, but it’s true. In fact, you’ll often get trolls coming at you trying to drive you crazy and make you fly off the handle. Unfortunately, when you do, they win, and the exchange could land you in hot water. So before you respond to the tweet, “You guys are stinky faces!” ask yourself if they have a real gripe or are they just being a doofus.

4. Check out my site! Check out my site! Checkoutmysitepleasedoit

The end result of tweeting isn’t to send everybody to your website to buy as much as you can. You’d like that to happen, of course, as that means you get to stay in business. But if you treat the platform simply as a way to get people to buy stuff from you, you’ll end up tweeting stuff like the title of this section.

The key to understanding Twitter is to imagine it as just another way to interact with your customers. Anything they want to talk about, or you think they want to see, you should post. Hint: that doesn’t include constant reminders that you have products for sale!

5. Not Linking to Your Business

Remember everything I just said in #4? Well, forget it for a second. Why? Because you probably don’t have a link anywhere on your profile for people to click on. Over 80% of business Twitter profiles actually don’t have any link anywhere to their website or store, which completely halts any progress you make on your profile. Even though you don’t want to spam, you are still running a business, so don’t actively prevent paying customers from handing over their money by not telling them how to do business with you!

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You'll love Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 gives you the familiar desktop with its taskbar and Start button, plus a beautiful new Start screen that you can customize with your favorite apps, people, and sites so that everything you love is just a tap or click away.

You also get built-in cloud storage for anytime, anywhere access to your photos and files, beautiful full-screen browsing with Internet Explorer 11, plus an exclusive collection of built-in apps like Photos and Mail, with many more apps available from the Windows Store.

System requirements

To install the free update to Windows 8.1 or Windows 8.1 Pro through the Windows Store, your PC must be running Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro.
For more information, read the full terms and conditions.

• 1 GHz processor or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2

• 1-2 GB RAM / 16-20 GB available hard disk space

• 1024 × 768 screen resolution

• DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM driver

• To use touch, you need a PC that supports multitouch

• Internet access (fees may apply)

• Microsoft account required for some features

• Watching DVDs requires separate playback software

• Windows Media Center license sold separately

• See the full system requirements

Get the free update

Update to Windows 8.1 today—you'll be able to easily transfer your files, apps, and settings.

If you are a consumer with a Windows 8 device, you can now download the free update to Windows 8.1 online through the Windows Store*. Please visit Windows.com for everything you need to know including how to get the update for your Windows 8 device. If you are a consumer on a device running Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, or the Windows 8.1 Preview – this page on Windows.com will detect your OS and provide you with all the information you need in order to get Windows 8.1 on your device. I also highly recommend reading our FAQ which answers many of the most common questions about getting Windows 8.1.

www.microsoft.com

Image Credits : www.microsoft.com ©

Finally, a way to shut down apps. You know, like we did in Windows Mobile

In Windows Phone 8 Update 3, Microsoft has finally addressed one of its users' key complaints, and you can now very easily shut down any app. This functionality occurs as it does on other mobile platforms, in what Microsoft calls the App Switcher experience.

In the original version of Windows Phone 8, some users would repeatedly tap the Back button in order to remove running apps from the "back stack," and, they hoped, shut them down completely as well. But this action didn't actually shut down any apps. Instead, the Windows Phone OS would automatically manage memory and tombstone and then shutdown apps only when needed.

But with Update 3 installed, you can now use the App Switcher UI to shut down apps for good.

You access App Switcher as you did before: Simply press and hold on the hardware Back button. When you do, each running app appears as a tile in the center of the screen, and you can swipe left or right to navigate between the available apps.

Two things have changed in Update 3. There is a small icon next to each app name, which can help you remember which app is which, since many users visually identify the app with its Start screen tile or Apps view icon. And second, and more important, there is a now a large "X" close button in the top right corner of the middle app. You can tap this button to shut down the app.

When you do, the app tile visually animates and appears to move to the bottom of the screen and then off-screen.

I'll be looking at more new Windows Phone 8 Update 3 features in the days ahead.

By Paul Thurrott

http://windowsitpro.com

Image Credits : www.windowsitpro.com ©

• 7-Zip 9.22 Beta (32-bit)                    Download Now

  7-Zip is a file archiver with a high compression ratio.

• K-Lite Codec Pack 10.05 (Full)       Download Now

  The K-Lite Codec Pack is a collection of DirectShow filters, VFW/ACM codecs, and tools.

• Winamp 5.70 Full                             Download Now

  Winamp is a skinnable, multi-format media player.

• VLC Media Player 2.1.0 (32-bit)      Download Now

  VLC media player is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols without external codec or program.

• Foxit Reader 6.0.6.0722                  Download Now

  Foxit Reader is a free PDF document viewer, with incredible small size, breezing-fast launch speed and rich feature set. Its core function is compatible with PDF Standard 1.7.

• WinRAR 5.00 (32-bit)                       Download Now

  WinRAR is an archiving utility that completely supports RAR and ZIP archives and is able to unpack CAB, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZ, ACE, UUE, BZ2, JAR, ISO, 7Z, Z archives. It consistently makes smaller archives than the competition, saving disk space and transmission costs.

• CCleaner 4.06.4324                          Download Now

  CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool.

• Skype 6.7.0.102                                Download Now

  Skype is software for calling other people on their computers or phones. Download Skype and start calling for free all over the world.

• Adobe Reader 11.0.04                    Download Now

  Adobe Reader software is the global standard for electronic document sharing. It is the only PDF file viewer that can open and interact with all PDF.

• Notepad++ 6.5                                 Download Now

  Notepad++ is a free source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages. Running in the MS Windows environment, its use is governed by GPL Licence.

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• OneDrive Build 17.0.4029.0217                Download Now

  OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage solution in response to Dropbox and other similar online services.

• Safari 5.1.7                      Download Now

  At one time, web browsers simply got you to the Internet. But from the day it was released, Safari set the bar higher for web browsers.

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  SiSoftware Sandra (the System ANalyser, Diagnostic and Reporting Assistant) is an information & diagnostic utility.

 

 

Image Credit : www.pcmag.com ©

For a PC running an older version of Windows, you can download Microsoft Security Essentials.

Windows Defender for Windows 8 and Windows RT provides built-in protection against malware. You can't use Microsoft Security Essentials with Windows 8, but you don't need to — Windows Defender is already included and ready to go. But if you’re looking to protect a PC with an older version of Windows, you can use Microsoft Security Essentials to help guard against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.

Microsoft Security Essentials is available in many locales and languages. If it is not available in your preferred language, you can install it in any of the other languages listed here, and it will still work to help protect your PC. To download Microsoft Security Essentials, choose your preferred locale or language from the list that follows. Next, choose your operating system to begin the download process.

Microsoft Security Essentials System requirements

If you need help finding which version of Windows you're running, see Is my PC running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows?

• * Internet access fees may apply while downloading. Your PC must run genuine Windows to install Microsoft Security Essentials.  |  Microsoft Security Essentials Privacy Statement |  Microsoft Security Essentials License Agreement

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www.microsoft.com

Learn about the best new features in the forthcoming OS update

By now, it should come as no surprise that Windows 8 has failed to take businesses by storm. According to NetMarketShare, Windows 8 now has just a bit more market share than the much-reviled Windows Vista release. Microsoft hopes to turn around those negative perceptions with the latest release of Windows 8.1 (formerly code-named Blue). Windows 8.1 addresses several of the major complaints that customers have had about Windows 8. The Windows 8.1 release is currently in preview, but at the Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston, Microsoft announced that Windows 8.1 will be available in August 2013. The Windows 8.1 release will be a free download from the Windows Store.  Here are the top 10 new features in Windows 8.1

1. New Start button—Answering the primary criticism of Windows 8, Microsoft is returning the Start button to Windows 8.1. The new Start button is in the lower-left corner but unfortunately it doesn't work the way the Start button works in Windows 7 and earlier. Instead of showing your installed programs, the new Start button simply switches you over to the Metro Start screen. Right-clicking it or clicking and holding it displays a context menu where you can open Program and Features, Power Options, Event Viewer, System Device Manager, Network Connections, Task Manger, and a number of other handy options.

2. Boot to desktop—Providing the ability to boot directly to the desktop addresses the other longstanding complaint about Windows 8 and the new Start screen. With Windows 8.1, you can open the Taskbar and Navigation properties, then click Navigation and select the setting Go to the desktop instead of Start when I sign in. The next time Windows 8.1 starts, you’ll boot directly into the desktop, allowing you to avoid the new Start screen altogether.

3. Different tile sizes—As with Windows Phone 8, the new Windows 8.1 Start screen offers a variety of tile sizes, including a new large and small tile layout. Using the different-sized tiles helps you optimize your Windows 8.1 Start screen, and the new large tile size enables the tiles to display a lot more information.

4. New Apps display—Another handy change in Windows 8.1 is the new Apps display, which you can access by swiping up on the Start screen or by clicking the down arrow. The Apps screen shows all of the installed applications and lets you sort the new Apps display in a number of ways, including by name, date installed, or most used.

5. Work Folders—Another handy new feature in Windows 8.1 is the new Work Folders capability. Work Folders allows a user to sync data to his or her device from a folder located on a Windows Server 2012 R2 server using the File and Storage Services role. Work Folders let you keep local copies of your files on your devices, and the Work Folders feature will automatically synchronization your data to the central server.

6. Workplace Join—Workplace Join is a new networking capability that allows administrators to grant access to some corporate resources for devices that aren’t members of a Windows domain. If a user registers his or her device, IT can grant the device limited access to corporate resources and enable some management policies for the device. This feature requires Server 2012 R.

7. Deeper SkyDrive integration—You get 7GB of free SkyDrive usage, and Windows 8.1 is able to use that as the default document storage location as well as to back up Windows 8.1 to SkyDrive. There are also options to sync your device settings, including the Start screen and the position of tiles and other desktop personalization settings. In addition, Microsoft will provide a new Windows RT SkyDrive app.

8. Side-by-side Apps—Another annoying limitation of Windows 8 is the inability to display more than two apps at a time. Although Windows 8.1 still doesn’t allow you to run apps in windows the way StarDock’s ModernMix does, Windows 8.1’s new Snap View features allows you to run up to eight apps side-by-side if you have two 2560x1600 monitors. Smaller 1280x780 displays are limited to running two apps side-by-side.

9. Auto-triggered VPN—The VPN support in Windows 8.1 has been enhanced with improved support for a broader range of VPN clients. In addition, Microsoft is adding a new auto-trigger VPN capability to Windows 8.1 apps that enables apps that need to access the organization’s resource through a VPN to automatically launch the VPN when the app starts.

10 New Windows Store—The Windows Store has been redesigned to be more like Google Play or Apple’s App Store. There is a new Spotlight section to feature different apps, and there are lists of top free apps right on the home page. A new description page provides more information about each of the apps. Windows 8.1 apps will also now update automatically.

By : Michael Otey 

http://windowsitpro.com

Microsoft today confirmed reports that it plans to complete the development of Windows 8.1, a major update for both Windows 8 and Windows RT, in August. New devices preloaded with the update will be available in time for the holidays.

Microsoft has originally planned to finalize Windows 8.1 on August 1 (8/1), according to my sources, a milestone still known as RTM (“release to manufacturing”). But I had learned a few weeks ago that this schedule had been pushed back a few weeks. Microsoft on Monday confirmed this news, with Windows CMO and CFO Tami Reller stating that PC makers would receive the final version of Windows 8.1 integrated with Windows 8 and RT in late August.

But while the world anxiously awaits the Windows 8.1 update, sales of the current version of Windows 8/RT has stalled. Reller reiterated Microsoft’s previous announcement about the firm selling 100 million Windows 8 licenses, but that milestone happened back in May. But she said that “new customer activations [of Windows 8] continues at a consistent pace”, which isn’t good: As I noted previously, this suggests that Windows 8 is selling at a rate of less than 14 million licenses per month, far below the 20 million per month average obtained by its predecessor, Windows 7.

Reller also noted that there are 20 million enterprise evaluations and that Windows 8 has logged 60 billion hours of use since its release last October. It’s hard to compare these numbers to anything.

Originally seen as a minor polishing of an OS that no one seems to want, it’s pretty clear now that Windows 8.1 represents a major do-over, or mulligan, for Windows 8 and RT. Indeed, this release, comprised as it is mostly of small fixes, is now incommensurately important to the future of the franchise. Fortunately, Microsoft seems to have struck the right balance with Windows 8.1, and as you can read in my growing series of Hands-On with Windows 8.1 articles and other posts on the SuperSite for Windows, a major comeback is in the making.

By Paul Thurrott

http://windowsitpro.com

Image credit : www.windowsitpro.com ©