Video Cards

For most people the on board video is enough for everyday usage but sometimes you need something more for playing high end games or doing graphic editing and movie producing. Which video card is best for you really depends on you and your budget I suggest you get the best you can afford some features to look at when shopping are 3D, memory the faster the better, crossfire or the ability to work 2 video cards together. Allot of the times when you upgrade your video card it may require you to upgrade your power supply and add a couple extra fans to the case if you can. 

Linus whats the hype?

Allot of people by a computer and run the operating system that come with it. But there are other options out there and some are free and easy to use. Linux Ubuntu is one of them. I have an older computer that was designed to run XP and I wanted to do something different so I loaded Ubuntu on it to give it a try.I found it was a big improvement over the version of Red Hat I tried so many years ago. It was easy to install ran real smooth and detected and installed all the right drivers for the computer. Installing application was as easy as looking through an app store like interface and install the apps you want for free. so if you have an older computer and are at least a little computer savvy give Ubuntu at try down load it at www.umbutu.com

Hard drives SSD and platter drives

There are allot of options now with hard disk drives( HDD ) now you have to decide between sizes, brands, connection type, and Now Solid State drives (SSD), hybrid drives and platter drives. So where do you start? Well ideally  you would want a SSD for your Operating system and most often used programs. What size SSD depends on what programs you use most often but I would start with about a 120gb. The problem with SSD's a 120gb start at about $130 and go up from there, when you include the cost of a data drive 2TB at about $100. the next option is a hybrid HDD this a standard HDD with with 64mb cache built in this is a performance increase  over  standard HDD but it cost almost as much as the SSD option so I would suggest a standard HDD if you cant afford the SSD option. as far as brands go I recommend Seagate for HDD's and Intel for SSD's.

Computer Hardware - Processors

So I have worked in the computer industry for many years and when I was doing something else I still made it a habit to keep up with whats going on in the computer world. When your looking into buying or building a new computer the most important part is the processor. in my opinion bigger and faster is better. When your shopping go for the best processor you can afford currently I recommend the Intel i5 and Intel i7. Other parts are easier to upgrade in the future than the processor.check out the full line of Intel 2nd gen processors I am quite impressed by them at www.intel.com

Understanding Open Source Software: What It Is and How to Find It

Open source software (OSS) represents a revolutionary approach to developing and distributing software, characterized by collaboration, transparency, and accessibility. This article provides a comprehensive overview of what open source software is, its benefits, and practical guidance on how to find reliable open source programs.

What is Open Source Software?

Definition

Open source software is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance. "Source code" is the part of software that most computer users don't ever see; it's the code computer programmers manipulate to change how a piece of software—a "program" or "application"—works. Programmers who have access to a computer program's source code can improve that program by adding features to it or fixing parts that don't always work correctly.

Key Characteristics

Accessibility: The source code is available to the public for use and modification.

Freedom: Users have the freedom to modify and distribute their versions of the program. There are generally few restrictions on how the software can be used.

Community: Development is often driven by an active community which collaborates on projects.

Transparency: With open access to the source code, users can verify the security and stability of the software themselves.

Licensing

Open source licenses affect how the software can be used, modified, and shared. Common licenses include the GNU General Public License (GPL), Apache License, and MIT License, each with its specific conditions and freedoms.

Benefits of Open Source Software

Cost: Most open source software is free to use, reducing the cost barriers for individuals and businesses.

Flexibility and Freedom: Users can modify the software to meet their specific needs.

Security: With many eyes scrutinizing the code, security vulnerabilities are more likely to be discovered and fixed quickly.

Quality: Collaborative input from a diverse range of developers can enhance the quality and innovation of the software.

Support: Strong community support and extensive documentation can help in troubleshooting and improving the software.

How to Find Open Source Software

1. Official Directories

GitHub: Perhaps the largest and most popular host of source code, GitHub offers countless open source projects.

SourceForge: One of the early platforms for open source projects, providing a variety of tools and hosting services.

GitLab: Similar to GitHub, but with integrated CI/CD tools, making it ideal for DevOps.

2. Specific Open Source Software Websites

Apache Software Foundation: Hosts a variety of enterprise-grade projects under the Apache License.

The Linux Foundation: Provides a home for Linux and many other high-impact open source projects.

3. Search Engines

Regular search engines can also be used to find open source software. Simply including "open source" in your search query can lead to relevant results.

4. Social Media and Forums

Online communities like Reddit’s r/opensource or specialized forums such as Stack Exchange can provide recommendations and reviews from actual users.

5. Open Source Software Lists and Reviews

Websites like Open Source For You or FOSSBytes regularly publish articles, lists, and reviews of open source software.

Conclusion

Open source software offers numerous advantages from cost savings to enhanced security and community support. Whether you are a developer looking to contribute to a project, or a business seeking flexible software solutions, or even a student eager to learn coding, the open world of OSS offers limitless opportunities. With the resources outlined above, finding and utilizing open source software has never been easier. Embrace the open source movement and discover how transformative it can be for your personal or organizational software needs.

Office for Free...

So you want to do excel, word and power point but don't have the extra cash to by buy Microsoft Office so what do you do? well take a look at Open Office its a great open source program that does most of the same things for free. There is also LibreOffice another open source office solution. Enjoy and have fun.

Cool Tools

Now for some of the cool tools I use to get around forgotten password virus infections and computer that will not boot into windows properly. first check out Hiren's boot CD you'll have to find this one on your own.  if you dont know how to use it dont download it. Now here is something everyone can use Advanced System Care.

a couple recent scams

There are a couple of scams going around the newest one I have seen is where someone call you claiming to be from Microsoft and tell you you have problems with your computer. they then have you download and install logmein software so they can access your computer. the pull up an error log ans show you all the problems that your computer has and then they try to get you to pay them to fix the problems. No the first problem is that in all my days of owning a computer Microsoft has never called me. The next thing is you don't know the person on the other end of the line so why would you want to give them access to your computer. My best piece of advice I can give you is if you don't know who the person is and you didn't call them its not a good ideal to let them access your computer. and don't give them your credit card information.

The second scam is a virus that looks like an anti-virus the best way to identify this is to know which AV software you are running and if you get prompted by any other program claiming to have found a a worm, Trojan or virus on your computer and requiring you to purchase a piece of software to remove then you are infected. at the following link you will find instructions for removing it http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/8693/how-to-remove-antivirus-live-and-other-roguefake-antivirus-malware/ I suggest you have your tools together before the problem occurs so you will know that to do and be able to do it.

What is malware?

Malware, short for malicious software, is software (or script or code) designed to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems. It is a general term used to describe any kind of software or code specifically designed to exploit a computer, or the data it contains, without consent. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software.Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, dishonest adware, most rootkits, and other malicious programs. Most of your comon AV software will pick up viruses, worms and trojans. For spyware and adware you need another tool a few I recomend to do the job are Malwarebytes and super anti spyware and Ad-Aware Free Internet Security.

Viruses

Viruses are an ever growing risk and with the internet now they can infect everything from your computer to your smart phone. and the old saying that apples don't get viruses isn't true anymore. So often I run into people that have an anti-virus(AV) program installed in there computer and they still get a virus. Why is this? because the people writing the viruses are smart and when they write a virus they are trying to make something that can get by the AV software. The goal of creating a virus is to infect as many computer as possible so the two AV software's they often target the big two AV programs Norton and McAfee. So how do you protect yourself. The first thing you need to do is use some common sense when your on the internet. when your AV software warns you of a virus listen to it, be aware of what your downloading and where you are downloading it form, read the URL in the address bar makes sure your at the right site. Don't open attachments from anybody unless you know who sent it and you were expecting to receive it.  Keep your software up to date this is more than just your AV program, it includes your OS, flash player, java and any all other programs.

Bloatware

I know the first question is what is bloatware? Well bloatware is all that "free" software that the computer manufactures install on your computer before you get it that makes your new computer run just as slow as the one you just replaced. So you start up the new computer and it takes 10 min to startup and 50% of your processor is in use before you even go to your first web page.  So how do you get rid of it, that a little tuffer. you'll want to go into MSCONFIG just type msconfig in the search windows off of the start menu then go to the setup tab and start disabling all the stuff you don't need. If you not sure what you can do with out do them one at a time restart the computer and make sure everything works. this will take a little longer but it will work and remember when you disable this stuff it doesn't remove the program it just stops it from starting up evertime you turn your computer on.

System Security

Most computer come with an Internet Security Suite and the 2 most popular are Norton and McAfee. If you have one of these uninstall it.. I know what your about to say "but I have 6 months of use of it for free" so what, what you have 6 months of headaches, poor performance, and maybe virus protect if your lucky. so we are back to my instructions uninstall it. then go out and get some good anti-virus, some anti malware and be done with it. you can get them all in one in Microsoft security essentials  or you can go with AVG and Malwarebytes. Always remember more isn't better don't go installing more than one Anti-virus program.

Update and Backup

So you got that new computer at home and are ready to go surfing the Internet but first there are some very important things you need to do. The first step is to update windows and then back up. Microsoft makes it simple and easy if you didn't tell the computer to update automatically visit Microsoft's page on updates at http://windows.Microsoft.com/en-US/windows/help/windows-update this process could take some time to do so you might want to have a good movie to watch while you wait. Might I suggest you go geek and watch Pirates of Silicon Valley. Don't just run the update once and think your done. It may need to run and restart several times. the next thing to do is make a backup and recovery disks. Yes that's right no longer are the computer manufactures including recovery disk you have to make your own. you should find instructions for doing this in your manual. I suggest that you use a USB flash drive (32gb). Now for the backup solutions. there are several ways you can create a backup. every thing from cloud drives to an external HD which solution is best for you depends on what type of work you do on your computer. If you do really important work that you  need to back up everyday you may want to look into an online data storage solution. 

New computer

So often I have run into people that have just bought a new computer and they don't know where to start or what to do to get the computer up and working properly.  there are three areas that you should first address before you start having fun with your new computer.

1. Update and backup.

2. System security.

3. getting rid of bloatware.