The following actions should be completed on a scheduled basis (monthly/quarterly) to rejuvenate computer performance:

-    Don’t allow the disk drives to exceed 90% of full capacity. Microsoft recommends leaving at least 10% free for Windows to operate.

-    Close applications not in use. The temptation is to keep browsers/email clients/etc. open while working on another application but doing this reserves CPU and memory for these applications, even in standby.

-    Run a full anti-virus check. Bugs, such as trojan viruses, can utilize a lot of CPU and internet connection bandwidth.

-    Pay particular attention to getting device driver and critical updates from the Windows Update service.

-    Run a disk defragmentation tool every 3 to 6 weeks. These tools speed up disk access times and reduce caching requirements (in memory).

The above should go a fair way to speeding up a slow computer. Additional speed can be gleaned by tuning the registry file (the file storing configuration data for all applications and the operating system). Manually altering the file is a major no-no and is best done using software such as Reimage.

The Reimage review process runs as an online service (i.e. in a browser) to scan the registry for all manner of faults – missing keys, non-optimum settings, virus damage, errors due to overlapping applications. Registry keys are reset based on healthy configuration settings in the Reimage database (containing thousands of configurations).

An additional benefit is that Reimage checks OS, device driver and 3rd party software files on the hard drives for faults (e.g. virus damage, out of date versions, etc.) and downloads newer, working versions.

All computers should be able to sustain a long and useful working life, so long as the hardware holds out. The maintenance tasks listed here are the basic actions needed to keep any computer stable, secure and performing well.

There processors provide some of the smartest technology available in computers today. They feature Intel Turbo Boost Technology, which provides an extra boost of energy when the computer needs it and runs with energy efficiency when it does not. This means the computer is not only extra efficient, but environmentally friendly as well.

In today’s fast paced world, most people have learned to be incredible multi-taskers and actually need to do several things at once just to get it all done. It is important to have a computer that can keep up with the pace of life. With Intel Hyper Threading Technology, a computer is fast and efficient enough to work on more than one task at a time.

It can be frustrating to spend thousands of dollars on a new computer only to find out, a few months down the road that new technology has come out, rendering it outdated. Intel brand processors are a smart investment because they are so easy to upgrade when new versions become available. Now consumers can rest easy knowing that they will not have to buy a whole new computer for a simple upgrade.

Listening to a computer salesperson talk about their products can make some people feel like they are listening to another language espcially when looking at laptops for sale. Most of us just want to be told not only what we should buy but why it is the best way to spend our money. These are just a few reasons, in simple terms, that Intel processors are a great way to go for your next computer purchase.

First and foremost, one needs to understand that computer is after all a machine. And like all machines, it needs to have adequate repair and servicing done from time to time. You need to treat it carefully and not manhandle it. Just like human beings get tired after a long day of work and need rest after that to rejuvenate and get back to work the next day, similarly, the computer too needs to be shut down for a little while after you have used it for a very long time. It needs some time to cool down. This is a possible slow computer cause and its the easiest to fix.

Ensure proper shut downs and see to it that there are no problems during booting. Also, for slow computer causes, keep in mind regular defragmentation of the computer. It helps to remove all the corrupted and junk files from the computer so that you can have more space and better speed. The same goes for virus scans as well. This is because most of the times when our computer works slowly, it is because of some virus that has attacked it, and in the absence of virus scans we fail to find out the main reason behind the computer freezes. Get your registry and the software and programs as well to be updated to the latest version. There are many slow computer causes that can be quickly fixed. Hopefully you are on the road to a faster computer!

12″ laptops have become harder and harder to find as time goes on. Why’s that? Well, I think it’s rather simple: More and more of these “mini” laptops keep coming onto the scene as time goes by; up until now, the smallest laptop had a screen size of between 10-12″. Nowadays, we have 7″ Eee PC laptops hitting the shelves, making the “in between” laptops (those between 9″ and 12″) relics of sorts.

That’s where the 12″ laptop comes into play. It offers a good compromise between portability and usability. It’s perfect for business travelers and mobile gamers alike. But, what’s a good 12″ laptop?

Well, if you don’t mind something a little quirky, you can check out the HP TouchSmart tx2z. This is a strange little bugger, in that it is part-touchscreen, part-normal laptop. It does have a normal keyboard, but you can actually disengage the screen from the rest of the system itself and swivel it around, using it as a touchscreen as you need to. This is a great laptop to use for business meetings and other types of presentations where you need to be able to show an audience what you’re doing. Best yet, it actually has the functionality and usability of standard laptops; it’ll run all your standard applications, and will do just fine when you’re trying to relax to watch movies and so forth. Check it out: You won’t be disappointed.

The first thing that you will need to do is get your hands on a thumb drive, preferably one that has a decent amount of storge. It would be safe to say that a flash drive with the capacity of eight gigabytes or more would suffice. This is of course for a basic backup. If you are looking to back up all of your files, you will need a drive that can store that much information. The 8GB is what we are going to use to store all of the basics.

Once you have you flash drive you can begin. Simply plug your drive into one of the USB ports in your computer. The drive should be automatically recognized, one of the benefits of using a USB drive. Open up the “My Computer” folder and choose which ever letter drive represents the newly inputed flash drive.

Now that you have the flash drive opened and ready to accept files, begin browsing all of your personal folders for files that you want to backup. These can be audio, video, pictures, text files, anything that can be stored on your computer can be copied onto a thumb drive. Choose the files you want, highlight them and drag them over to the portable drive. It’s as simple as that, a few clicks is all it takes.

This is good for simple backups of your files and folders. If you are looking to backup your entire computer. You simply need to alter the setting so that they recognize the flash drive as your backup device. This way when you choose to back your system up it will all be stored on the flash drive. All these steps make using a flash drive as a backup disk very simple.