Computers and Technology

The 50 plus crowd within the United States didn't grow up using computers at school or within the work environment because in our early years the desktop computer and laptops didn't in all actuality exist within the consumer marketplace. We have cell phones now that are smaller than the size of a cinder block and computers no longer require more square footage than a five room home. Yes, time has progressed and I'm proud to say the fifty plus crowd my children seem to think are 10 days older than dirt; managed to adapt to the modern day technical advances as well.

Computer use by our aging population revealed in 2004 that 46% of those aged between 59 to 68 now use and enjoy Internet access at home. Just over 76% of those within the ages of 50 and 58 use computers as a direct result of computers being a common place necessity and requirement to function or perform our jobs within the modern day work environment. However, it must be noted using a work computer and having to keep it optimized and safeguarded is usually the task of the resident wiz kid or a dedicated technical type (IT) staff. So what happens when the home PC slows, crashes or is somehow compromised?

As I see there are a number of emergence repair tactics that can be implemented. First and foremost is the panic call to our children to come over and troubleshoot the situation. After all, they have been using computers since first grade and that pretty much makes them an expert right? Once you discover their ability to social network and post videos on Utube doesn't speed up the computer the second option is; to research and find registry repair, spyware, adware and about 100 other software solutions that have incremental probabilities of resolution. Last but not least the computer can be drug into a service facility or a technician home visit can be scheduled that will ultimately cost as much as a 2d mortgage home loan. Well, none of that has any source of good old fashioned stubbornness and common sense. As I also see it ' there is always a solution in the face of any and all problems.

I remember that conversation at the plant where something sounding a lot like a termination threat motivated me to actually start touching a computer keyboard way back when. I still remember a series of training classes that I attended that were moderated by a technician that today wouldn't be allowed to have friends in his car let alone use a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. Seems to me he still had spit behind his ears. But, putting all that behind, he did a really great job of teaching all of us how to get around those old computer operating systems proficiently. We were ready to tackle Donkey Kong, Pong and any Atari game in existence buried in the home closet. That being a monumental achievement I like many others actually bought a home computer. I used it a lot and as all things being put into use, the computer slowed to a crawl.

I'm lucky because somewhere in the process of aging I found time to attend a technical trade institute where despite the fact my classmates thought I was a professor; I along side of them learned to build a computer from the ground up. Some of the residual training included troubleshooting the system and a resulting ability to keep it and my personal and financial information safeguarded from intruders that come in the form of hackers, worms, Trojans, viruses, adware, etc., etc. I learned to do a mass of little things to keep it (the computer) optimized as well and these series of events; are things we all need to learn to do.

Most people are clueless when it comes to debugging, defragging, defusing this that or whatever it takes to keep the home computer operating efficiently. But, the simple fact of the matter is the tiny little things necessary to keep the home computer optimized isn't difficult at all. I'm not into a lot of physical activity anymore as age made me realize; the only thing that doesn't hurt in the morning when I get out of bed is the eyelids. I don't jog any longer and as far as I'm concerned; that animal the wife drug home 180 years ago - can give itself a walk.

I'm more into keeping the mind fit and dedicate myself into contemplating important things such as how many fish I'm going to drag home from the lake, if the dog is going to find its way home, how many Emails I'll be sending or receiving and most importantly; why it is the TV volume is set at 24 and somehow comes on in the morning set somewhere around 38 or higher. I still don't know who formats TV movies to specifically fit my television set and why anyone would want to take a prescription drug after listening to all the accompanying warnings the commercials render.

As you have guessed I'm not into massive physical activity and as such will not be taking the time to come over to your house to show you how to optimize your home computer. The tech boys at work are out bar hopping looking for their future wife and I know by now, your home computer is getting slower than a piss ant missing 3 or 4 legs down it's right side. (I'm not an anthropologist). Anyway in between Emails, articles, electronic newspapers somewhere in the midst of my avid Internet surfing (which sounds physical) I actually discovered the solution to your home computer woes. I discovered (as you have) you didn't need to buy all that fix-it software above and beyond the antivirus stuff. All you need is a series of home videos that take you by the hand and teach you how to expertly optimize that little computer operating system with an hours worth of effort. Your computer will be up and running as if it was just plugged in today!

If you ask any computer expert about the advantage of computer
use, two of their answers will be: The numeric computation capability, and the speed at which any task is done.

There many more advantages for using computers, but I will stress on the numeric computation aspect of those advantages.

I have done a test involving numeric computing to test the power of my Central Processing Unit of my computer. What I also did the test using Windows Xp and Redhat Linux, which are both installed on the same computer.

One of the reasons why I did the test, that I am about to explain, was my urge to sense the power of computer by looking at the screen.

Another reason was, I was getting fed up with Hearing about computer specs, without even knowing what they can do, or mean.

Here is an example:

Pentium II, 350 MHZ, Ram=256MB

Pentium III, 500 MHZ , Ram=512MB

and so on...

What is the power of the above specs?. How to approximate how many times the above P III is more powerful than the P II?.

Here is what I did:

I used my Pentium II, Ram=288MBs computer that has Windows XP and Linux installed on the same Hard disk in the same computer.

I tried to use the maximum numeric computational power of the computer by trying to get the result of multiplying the number '2" by itself 99 times and every time I got a result, I added another "9" until the computer can't handle the numbers anymore.

Using Windows Xp, I ran the calculator by typing "calc.exe" in the Run box. Then, I used the scientific calculator to handle the exponential calculation.

The most I was able to compute was 2 power 99,999. When I tried 2 power 999,999, Windows XP resulted in an error saying: "Invalid input for function"

Then, I rebooted my computer, and picked Redhat Linux to run on the same computer instead of Windows Xp. Once Linux prompted me to login, I used the mathematical utility Linux has. It is called by typing "bc" at the command line.

Once I ran "bc", I typed 2^99,999, the same maximum number I used in Windows Xp calculator . In about 2 seconds, i got the result.

Then, I tried a bigger number, 2^999,999 which Windows Xp scientific calculator could not handle. In about 5 seconds, I got the result on the screen. then, I added one more digit to compute 2^9,999,999 which is 2 multiplied by itself 10 Millions times minus one.

I waited about 35 minutes, then Linux BC application produced the result on the screen by showing few screens full of numbers from left to right, and
top to bottom.

Now you probably thinking, how does this computing relate to the performance of the CPU, or the whole computer as a whole.

Here is the answer:

What I discussed so far is using certain numbers to get the result of the formula 2 power 9,999,999. While running the calculation using "bc" in Linux. there another command to track the running processes in real time.

So, as you are running the calculations, you use another utility called "top" in RedHat Linux.

Once you run "top", the system shows you on the screen a list of applications, with all details about the resources consumed for each. The list is updated every few seconds, and each line shows the name of application.

So, to see the computation performance of "bc", you look up the line that says "bc". Then, you look on the same line that will show you information about "bc" like:

1-the time it is been running
2-The memory consumption in % of total ram
3-How much CPU power is being used for the application in %
and more variables.

You can watch the screen for the updated time the application
has been running for the current moment. Once the calculation is presented on the screen, you will know the calculation is done. You look at the time you just recorded right before the application ended.

The time the application took to calculate the formula: 2^9,999,999 and the memory used, in addition to the CPU power will give you an approximate idea about what your computer can do.

Also, you can use the above test to compare two computers and get and idea about the power.

Here is an example:

If computer P II, Ram=256Mbs took 30 minutes to compute 2^9,999,999; then, you ran the same test 2^9,999,999 with P III, Ram=512Mbs that took about 15 minutes, which is 1/2 the time it took before.

Then, you can approximate that the power of P III is about twice that of P II. Do, you get the idea?

In summary, there is an easy way for you to explore the power and performance in front of you, right on the screen. I was able to achieve this task by using Linux, and Windows XP that are installed on the same computer. I also found out that Linux can do better computation that Windows Xp.

Thanks,

A computer has evolved from being a luxury to a necessity these days. Students, professionals, and your average Joe, are using computers to create files and documents, listen to music or watch movies, and play games, among many others. And with the Internet, one can send and receive emails, have videoconferencing, shop online, and many more. All these features make it hard to live without computers and the Internet.

But just because many people find it essential to have a computer does not necessarily mean one has to spend so much for it. Today, one can buy an up and running personal computer system at a low price. There are a lot of options for those who want to buy cheap computers. There are refurbished computers, used computers, and recertified ones.

Here are the top 5 reasons why you should buy cheap computers.

Above all other reasons, buying cheap computers is cheap! Let's face it - not all people are willing to shed bucks over a new computer set, or simply not everyone has the financial resources to do so. The best option would then be to buy cheap computers. By buying cheap computers, one can save a lot of money that can be used for other more necessary expenses such as food, shelter, and clothing.

Although most people are turned off by the idea of buying cheap computers because it connotes low quality, there are actually cheap computers that function and perform as well as new ones. There are cheap refurbished computer systems available in the market today, and this is just one of your many options in looking for a cheap yet high-performance computer system. Refurbished computer systems are those computers returned by the customer. They are then inspected, certified, and packaged again to be sold at a lower price to new users.

Having a cheap computer is perfect if you already have an expensive one but you or your family finds an urgent need to have another pc. If you don't want to spend so much on the second computer, since of course, you already have the main one, then buying cheap computers is one solution.

Most computers are sold expensive because they allow you to do a lot of things. If you simply want to use your computer for basic activities like surfing the net, sending mails, and do spreadsheets and word processing, then buying cheap computers is the best option for you.

If you're a first time computer user, and you're not yet so acquainted with high power systems, then buying cheap computers is the way to start. And since most refurbished computers are upgradeable, you can expand your memory, add larger hard drives, and faster modems, anytime in the future, when you feel you're comfortable with it already.

These are the top 5 reasons why people buy cheap computers. Computers, regardless of how important they may be to some people, do not have to come at a high price.