The majority of businesses today have one or more computers, and that is unlikely to be the full extent of the technology. Everyone has a smartphone, and there may also be modems, routers, tablets and of course printers! When you have problems with any of these devices, business owners can feel stuck. Continue reading
Christmas will soon be here. The latest devices and gadgets are hitting store shelves just in time to keep up with the rush. Social media, blogs, magazines, television screens and the web are brimming with advertisements and reviews of the latest technology you can buy.
Before you rush out to buy the gadgets you’ve been waiting all year for, consider a few important questions before handing over your hard-earned cash.
It can be overwhelming when shopping for a new computer! Choosing the right computer comes with so many options and questions abound. Helpful sales people offer RAM as it were a side of fries, measuring CPU’s in terms of the amount of ‘cores’ they have, and the specs of the various machines look like a foreign language.
What we do is first ask what the computer will be used for and try not to include tricky language that only makes sense to other computer geeks, we simply find out what you do on your computer and then recommend systems that suite.
Then comes the real fun.
Once you’ve got that new machine out of the box, you have entered another world again:
If you’ve had your old computer for a few years, you know you’re in for a bit of inconvenience, as you now have to install all your programs, alter the settings to match your needs and then copy across all the data – as well as learning all the ins and outs of the new system. We can assist you through this transition period and make it all so much easier by helping to:
1) Transferring your old files for you.
One thing most people forget is how to get information off your old computer and onto your new one. If your old computer is not working then things become really hard. Our technicians can either copy across all the data or turn the old hard drive into an external drive for you.
2) Set up your email.
It is no secret that setting up email can cause headaches even for a tech person. Getting the settings perfect can sometimes be a bit of trial and error. The most common problem we see is email that can receive, but not send. It is a frustrating problem, especially when you’re sending important emails. We can set your email up successfully, copy across you old emails, contacts, calendars and tasks and ensure that it both sends and receives email.
3) Save your website favorites.
All those favorites and bookmarks you’ve made and carefully sorted (or not) are important. You may even have different collections of favorites in different browsers and the last thing you want to do is go find those webpages again. We can transfer your old favorites and put them onto your new computer, making your browser experience look and feel exactly as it did before, only faster.
4) Set up your software.
Software nowadays doesn’t come on a CD. While that’s forward thinking and reducing waste, don’t you miss having a disk you could install from and the license keys listed on the back? We can help you re-download your programs and set up the licenses good as new. As technicians, we can also make sure the new software is optimized, updated and working well. While we’re doing that, we make sure your anti-virus is up-to-date and you are as secure as possible against threats.
5) Connect extra devices
Sometimes it is a matter of knowing what cord goes where or getting the right adapter, but sometimes new devices can present software driver problems. Printers, webcams, game controllers, etc all have unique drivers that need to be installed before they work properly. Windows 10 is great at picking most of these up automatically, but if they are not playing nice or your new computer is suddenly missing the correct plug, we can help get you connected again.
We can install your new computer, transfer data and setup your new computer in no time. Call us today at 08 8326 4364 or
su*****@dp*********.au
to arrange a time.
The age old question as to whether you upgrade or purchase a new computer and the answer usually depends on who you are actually asking! A store salesman will always recommend a new one and that geeky friend will probably say upgrade. Your best bet though is to talk with an experienced consultant or technician who should provide a few different options.
Start by looking at what you currently have and seeing if an upgrade is technically possible. For example, if your car is 30 years old and always having problems it is time to replace the rust-bucket! However, if your car is reasonably modern and in good shape but just happens to stall occasionally a quick trip to the mechanics will probably save you a lot of money over buying a new car. It is the same with a computer.
If your computer does need to be replaced, chances are you already know this. But if you’re not sure and some days it could go either way, these tips will help you decide.
Laptop / Desktop: What type of computer do you have? Generally desktops are much easier to upgrade over a laptop. Some laptops due to their small size can’t be easily upgraded so you may not have a choice.
Hard drive upgrade: New SSD’s (Solid State Drives) are super quick when compared to the traditional HDD’s (hard disk drives) and I highly recommend them on all computers to give them a significant speed boost. The main issue with SSD’s drives are they generally hold less information that a HDD but that is becoming less and less of an issue as prices drop.
Memory / RAM upgrade: Some cheap computers are underpowered from day 1 with most of them needing a memory boost. But depending on your usage even a great machine bought a few years ago could benefit from extra memory. Generally adding extra memory is a fairly straight forward task so speak with your IT consultant to see if it is worth adding some extra memory in your machine.
Video card upgrade: As time rolls on games and high end graphics applications are getting more and more demanding. The days of stick-figure animations are gone and lifelike 3D is the new normal. With that improved experience comes a huge strain on your computer’s graphic resources. If you are a gamer or need high end applications for your business you can often super-power your computer with a single component – a new video card. Speak with your IT tech to see if a graphics card will give your current system a nice speed boost or whether a new system is required.
Data / Applications Transfer: A lot of people overlook this and purchase a new computer thinking it will be a cheaper way forward. What they forget is that their old applications may not run on a new computer, that they need all their old data transferred and things like email and printers need to be setup and installed. When upgrading your current system you don’t have to worry about this.
Computer Service: Sometimes your hardware may all be fine and your computer just needs a service and cleanout. As time goes by old files and settings get left behind which slowly start to slow the computer down. Dust and dirt also get clogged in vents and fans causing the computer to overheat and slowdown.
Where to draw the line: There are other upgrades such as the CPU (the brains of the computer) and the motherboard (where all the parts plug into) but once you’re in that territory, it is really time to go for a full replacement – you will save money by getting a computer that meets your needs and can grow with you.
Is your computer letting you down? Give us a call at 08 8326 4364 or on
su*****@dp*********.au
to help you with upgrading or selecting a new computer
The business case for faster & better computers
Older desktop and mobile devices run slow and may cost your business in repairs and downtime. They also lack the latest security technologies which may place your business and customers at risk.
Check out the following for some reasons to upgrade your current computer.
Devices powered by the latest 6th generation Intel Core processors deliver up to 2.5x faster performance compared to systems five years or older. Mobile devices also have 3x the battery life compared to 5 year old systems. A new device wakes in an instant and are up to date so users are never left waiting. New computers also run the latest MS Windows 10 and associated MS Office software suite all with no issues.
Safeguard your business data with hardware enhanced security. Windows 10 introduces secure authentication with Windows Hello and Intel RealSense Technology.
New form factors allow you to choose from a wide range of designs. Current form factors include:
You also don’t need to sacrifice flexibility for memory, storage space, ports etc as most of these options are full configurable.
Get the performance and security you need to move your business forward with a new PC. Contact us now to discuss your options.