Hardware

I’m willing to bet that old song is now stuck in your head. If you’re too young to know and remember the song – well, you just missed out. Look it up on YouTube, and immerse yourself!

Read more on These are a Few of My Favorite Things…

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

There is this thing sitting inside your computer that is the one thing every other thing is connected to! It’s called a motherboard. I have no idea why there’s no fatherboard… but yeah. The motherboard is crucial. If it’s not working – good luck using your computer at all. Ian from the PCPitStop community is sad because his Sony Vaio died. His motherboard is now dead, and wonders where he can find an affordable replacement.

Read more on What Happens When Your Laptop’s Motherboard Goes Bad?…

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

I recently purchased a Samsung SSD drive and put it in my Mac. I decided to try opening a bunch of intensive programs all at once to see how fast they would open. It is STUPID FAST!! All of them opened before I could even count to two!

Read more on Samsung’s SSD Hardware is Stupid Fast…

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

You’ve probably hit the frustration when needing to find information about hardware or software. You reach for the manual, only to not be able to find what you need. You just can’t find things easily. They lead to nothing but frustration many times.

Read more on Where Do You Find Manuals?…

Hey everyone! Our HP Magic contest is officially over! We will be going through all of the posts and comments tonight, and will announce our winner tomorrow. Please keep in mind that any comments made from here on out will not count towards helping someone to win.

Read more on Would You Like a Computer Contest has Ended…

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

Yes, this is me you’re watching in this video. But that’s also me in the sticker on the back of my notebook. How awesome looking is that sticker? Customizing your notebook or hardware with skins or stickers not only makes them more fun – it also allows you to help identify them as yours. The sticker on the back of my Macbook came with a full skin. I uploaded a square image, instead of a circular one. So, it didn’t look right. I simply cut it out and made it look much better. Skinit allows you to customize your own skin.

Read more on Do You Put Stickers and Skins on Your Hardware?…

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

A few weeks ago we gave away ten Webcams on Geeks, courtesy of Microsoft. I wanted to show you a bit about this particular webcam, and what makes it compelling. It’s an excellent piece of hardware. The Microsoft LifeCam VX 5500 allows you to share your world anywhere, anytime.

Read more on What are You Looking for in Webcam Hardware?…

If you’ve always wanted to take macro shots with your iPhone 3G, you want the Griffin Clarifi. Here’s the original upload for best comparison purposes.

The other night, I posted a blog post from Dan, with his tips on how to find information. He sent me a second list, and it is definitely something you all should read through. Here are Dan’s tips for how to make sense of Windows computer specs when buying a new computer.

Read more on What Should You Look for When Buying a New PC?…

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

Do you have any kind of history of all the PCs you’ve ever owned? Is there a spreadsheet somewhere that outlines every machine you’ve had, and what the specs were? I’m guessing the answer is no. There’s a program for Apple fanatics that will keep track of what’s inside every piece of Apple hardware.

Read more on Have you Ever Owned any Apple Products?…

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

Last week, we shared tips with you on things you can do with your old computers. One of those things was to turn it into a firewall. Of course, in order to do this you’ll also need software.

So what is a firewall? It’s a service that acts as a bodyguard of sorts, keeping bad traffic out and allowing good traffic in. Firewalls can be tricky to deal with. There are software firewalls, or hardware firewalls. There is open source software you can use, called IPCop. IPCop Linux is a complete Linux Distribution whose sole purpose is to protect the networks it is installed on. By implementing existing technology, outstanding new technology and secure programming practices IPCop is the Linux Distribution for those wanting to keep their computers/networks safe.

IPCop has many features, probably way more than you’ll take advantage of. It’s also very powerful. I highly recommend this if you have an old computer that you’d like to throw this onto, or just want to get yourself an excellent firewall.

Read more on How to Make your PC into a Firewall…

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

One of our community members writes: “Hey Chris, jthermane24 from the chat room. Here are my top tips for helping those who are “technically challenged” to learn.”

Read more on How Do you Teach People about Hardware and Software?…

Getting your computer ready for gaming can be complicated… at least, if you want a good gaming experience. Here are some excellent tips sent in by a community member. These are things you should definitely do before you install your next game.

Read more on Tips for a Good PC Gaming Experience…

Since I already posted the top five tips for buying a new computer, I thought I’d pass along Alex’s tips for buying new hardware.

• Make sure your PC is compatible with the hardware you’re considering. This is perhaps the most critical part of buying new hardware. If you’re in the market for a new video card, know if your computer has AGP or PCI-Express when you shop for your card. Nothing is worse than getting home with a nice new video card only to find out you have a different slot. Also keep in mind power requirements. If you didn’t build your PC, you probably aren’t aware of your power supply outage unless you’ve had to check before. This can be critical information when buying a new piece of hardware.

Read more on Tips for Buying Hardware…

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

I had a caller the other night on the 888-PIRILLO line who was asking where he can find drivers for old Windows hardware. His machines are, of course, home-built.. making this even more challenging.

Read more on Find Windows Drivers for Hardware…