6 REASONS TO KEEP YOUR OLD PC INSTEAD OF UPGRADING

New PCs cost hundreds of dollars, and we can all use more money in our pockets. Ask yourself if you really need that new hardware, or just want it. Before you decide to buy a new computer, read this article.

Unless you are a hardcore gamer, or a master in 3D designing and animation, buying a new machine might not be really necessary. Read along to find out what you can do with your old PC instead of buying a new one.

1. Your old PC still works just fine

You don’t need a ton of processing power to perform the daily computing tasks. You can stream 1080p video, sling email, surf internet, and edit Office documents on your old PCs. 

Also consider that processor performance increases have trailed off dramatically over the years. Earlier, CPU performance could leap by more than 30% every year, but since the past decade it’s no more the case. New processors tend to be only 5 to 10% faster than their predecessors, and clock speeds have largely remained stagnant.

Linley Gwennap, the principal analyst at the Linley Group stated

“You can hold onto your PC five, six, seven years with no problem. Yeah, it might be a little slow, but not enough to really show up [in everyday use]" 

 2. Give your old PC a speed boost

PCs don’t slow down over time. It’s the software part that make things slower. It can be Windows installation that’s just become unstable after years of use; or it can be malware residing inside the operating system. When a system gets slower, check for viruses and corruption in the files of the operating system. Google the internet you and will find free ways to make your old PC run faster.

Keep your system up-to-date and install an antivirus. Read this about anti virus programs.

3. Install an SSD

Upgrading to an SSD can make any old PC with a lazy mechanical hard drive feels better than new again. Moving from a hard drive to a SSD fills your PC, from boot times to application launch times to browsing files. Investing in an SSD is hands-down the smartest upgrade any PC user can make.

You can now pick up new SSDs for under $100—depending the amount of storage space.

4. Windows 10 is old PC’s Best Friend

While new hardware used to be necessary for the newest versions of Windows, it is no longer the case. Microsoft’s pushing hard to fit Windows into cheap devices with low specification. Windows 8 performed well on lower end PCs excluding some of old processors and outdated motherboards.

Microsoft really wants everybody to upgrade to Windows 10 rather than sticking to on older operating systems. The Redmond based corporation will offer Windows 10 as a free upgrade to all Windows 7 and 8 users.

5. Linux is lighter Than XP?

If you are still using an operating system that died a year ago, i.e. Windows XP, you should really dump it for security’s sake. That doesn’t mean you need a new PC to do so, however.

Older Windows XP machines might not meet the system requirements to upgrade to a more modern version of Microsoft’s operating system, but Linux demands far less from hardware. There are 3 distributions of Linux that have designed specifically for lower-end machines. Ubuntu, Zorin OS, LXLE are the 3 operating systems that you can run on your XP-machine.

6. The World of Web Apps

Now a days, you might not even need to use desktop software. More and more services are available in the form of web apps, rather than standalone desktop software. Email, presentation creation, banking, video chatting, and more are all possible from your web browser these days. Even Office and Photoshop have online versions now.

If you spend the majority of your time online, buying a new PC won’t really offer much of a performance increase, unless your computer is particularly ancient. You’d be better off spending that money on a faster Internet connection.

Read my post for the PC Gamers: Can We Build A Gaming PC on Console Budget?

Source: PCworld

Read More

VMWARE DISK UTILITY - A SMALL PROJECT

When it comes to virtualization on the desktop, two products stand front and center: VMware Workstation and VirtualBox. VMware is the long-standing original keeper of the flame, from the company that gave us PC-centric virtualization technology as we know it. The latter is an open source project now under the stewardship of Oracle, with its own strongly competitive set of features.

I personally use VMware however, I am not comparing the two software. A few days back, I wanted to merge multiple vmdk disk files into a single one. I look around the internet and did the job. It was all console based so I decided to make a UI for it.

The program uses the functionality of the vmware-disk-manager which is a part of VMware workstation. It is just like a wrapper-class that provides an interface to use the mentioned software with ease.

When you run the application, what you see is vmware-disk-manager presented to you with a graphical user interface. The hard part stays behind the scene while you easily merge the vmdk disk files with just 3 clicks.

Expert users might like the old command-line way to merge the files, this program can be alot of help for the users who wants to get the job done.

You can download the program from the links below:

Download 

Mirror

Please note, I have made sure to make this a perfect release, there still can be a bug in the software. If you found any, let me know in the comments.

Read More

PIRATES CAN UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 10 FOR FREE

We knew Windows 10 will be a free upgrade but now Microsoft has acknowledged that even the users running the pirated versions of Windows will be able to upgrade to Windows 10.

Speaking to Reuters the Windows chief said:

"We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10".

Microsoft later expanded on this by saying:

"Anyone with a qualified device can upgrade to Windows 10, including those with pirated copies of Windows".

This sounds like that Microsoft has given up the fight against the piracy. Upon further clarification, Microsoft’s spokesperson said:

"We have always been committed to ensuring that customers have the best Windows experience possible.  With Windows 10, although non-Genuine PCs may be able to upgrade to Windows 10, the upgrade will not change the genuine state of the license. Non-Genuine Windows is not published by Microsoft. It is not properly licensed, or supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner. If a device was considered non-genuine or mislicensed prior to the upgrade, that device will continue to be considered non-genuine or mislicensed after the upgrade. According to industry experts, use of pirated software, including Non-Genuine Windows, results in a higher risk of malware, fraud (identity theft, credit card theft, etc), public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance or feature malfunctions".

Microsoft is deviating from its regular sales model for the first time, giving away Windows 10 for free, at least for the first year. With the latest announcement about Windows 10, Microsoft has completely eliminated the need to pirate the software. It's free for everyone, even those with illegal copies, but it seems pirates won’t get the full benefit.

Read More

MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES THE NEW MOST AFFORDABLE LUMIA 430

Microsoft announces Lumia 430 dual-SIM Windows Phone. This super-budget dual SIM phone will hit the markets of India, the Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus all for just $70 USD in April.

Microsoft has not cut back in the critical areas of smartphones that are important these days. The Lumia 430 has 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB internal storage (micro SD expansion) and both rear and front-facing cameras. The device is also eligible to get Windows 10 later this year.

Specifications

• Colors: Orange or Black 
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 1.2 GHz dual-core processor 
• 4-inch WVGA (800 x480) LCD at 235 PPI  
• Networks: GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz 
• 1GB RAM 
• 8 GB internal storage; micro SD up to 128 GB, 30 GB free OneDrive cloud storage 
• 2 MP fixed-focus rear camera; 0.3 MP VGA front-facing camera 
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient Light Sensor 
• 1500 mAh removable battery 
• BT 4.0, USB 2.0 Micro-USB connector, A-GPS+GLONASS 
• WLAN 802.11 b/g/n 
• Size: 120.5 x 63.19 x 10.63 (volumetric) mm 
• Weight: 127.9 g 
• Standby time: up to 24 days (576 hours); Talk time: up to 7.6 hours (GSM) up to 8.4 hours (3G) 

In a press release, Jo Harlow, Microsoft's corporate vice president for Phones said:

"People around the world have responded enthusiastically to our affordable Lumia range. We continue to invest in this segment to ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy signature Microsoft experiences, regardless of budget.The Lumia 430 Dual SIM continues our commitment to combining the right hardware, software, services and apps with the right price to give people a smartphone they can afford and be proud to use."

Lumia 430 looks like a fixed version of Lumia 530 which doesn't have Proximity and Ambient Light sensors, front-facing camera, and only have 512 MB of RAM. 4-inch display will be good for those who don't like to hold a big-screen in their hand.

With it's size and price, it will be good option for anyone who is willing to give Windows Phone a try. We have seen in the past, that budget phone, such as Lumia 520, are a successful hit in the market 

Read More

NEW WINDOWS 10 BUILDS HAVE IMPROVED WI-FI SELECTION

Windows 10 build 10036 has started to show up around the internet and there are a couple of enhancements. In the builds prior to 10036, when you click on the 'Wi-Fi' option in the Action center, it opens up a full Settings app.

If you look at the image below, you can see that this new build has an updated Wi-Fi selection Window with a new design. You can see that a smaller window opens to make selecting a new network faster.

Source: Neowin

Read More

WINDOWS 10 SEEMS TO HAVE PEER-TO-PEER UPDATING SUPPORT

A leak image of Windows 10 build 10036 (shown below) shows a setting option that allows user to download app and OS updates from Microsoft, PCs on your local network as well as PCs on the internet.

Windows 10 Leaked Settings screenshot. Source: Neowin

This can speed up the download process for users while reducing the stress on the Microsoft's servers too. For Microsoft, it's surely positive step. Microsoft hasn't provide any details about this new feature so we have to keep our fingers crossed. For now, it does look like this functionality is coming to Windows 10.

Source: Neowin

Read More

FRIDAY THE 13TH - COMPUTER VIRUS

Friday the 13th is considered to be unlucky day in Western superstition. It is also termed as Black Friday. For computer users, especially tech experts, Friday the 13th is also notable date because of the infamous malware.

Friday The 13th is one of the oldest viruses. Some users believe that it may be extinct. However, some virus researchers still have some copies in hand. The original virus is 419 bytes long, but several minor variants are known, with slightly different lengths like the Lehigh virus.

History

Friday the 13th malware is also known as virus Jerusalem. It is said to be created in Israel in 1988 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Jewish state. Some people are of the opinion that the virus was designed by someone religious or superstitious.

The virus was simply activated when the calendar hit Friday the 13th. All the programs and files that were being used would be infected and eliminated.

There was no  specific method to spread the virus, but it was done through then normal systems like floppies, CD-ROM or as email attachments.

In the late 1980s, it was the leading virus attacking computers around the world.

How It Worked

• Infects files with extensions of COM, EXE or SYS
• Increases the file size whenever the file is executed
• Reduces the memory available on the computer
• Causes your computer system to slow down

Variants

Virus-B
A variant where the destructive part has been disabled and which was distributed for demonstration purposes.

ENET 37
This 613 byte virus contains the text:

ENET N§37 Virus benigno - Por EDGE BAND! Realizado por un alumno del Enet 37 (?) 25/5/92 ..Hmmm.. Te parece usar la computadora un Domingo? Presiona una tecla.

Other variants of the Jerusalem virus included additional effects, such as cryptic slogans populating the command line interface. While other versions restricted the execution of programs during specific days of the week, such as Saturday and Sunday.

Slowly, the virus stopped causing problems for newer operating systems. During the late 80's it contributed to some serious computer crashes around the world.

 Sources: techopedia, pandasecurity, f-secure

Read More

MICROSOFT REVEALS ITS WINDOWS 10 UNIVERSAL APPS PLANS

At the Mobile World Congress, Microsoft took some time to reveal some its Windows 10 universal app plans to developers present at the conference.

Microsoft wants developers to make apps for the Windows that will work on everything from small screens of smartphones to the Xbox One console to upcoming large screen devices like Surface Hub.

In a blog post today, Microsoft's Kevin Gallo stated:

"As we built the universal app platform, we set out to ensure that all Windows developers would equally benefit from this one core. The platform enables a new class of Windows universal apps – apps that are truly written once, with one set of business logic and one UI. Apps that are delivered to one Store within one package. Apps that are able to reach every Windows 10 device the developer wants to reach. Apps that feel consistent and familiar to the customer on all devices, while also contextually appropriate to each device's input model and screen size. The new universal app platform completes our developer platform convergence by providing you with the ability to finally create one app that can run on mobile, desktop, console, holographic, and even IoT devices."

Interacting with an app on a small smartphone touchscreen is different than using the same app on a larger tablet or the Xbox One. Gallo wrote:

"Windows 10 will determine, at runtime, how the customer is interacting with your app and render the appropriate user experience (e.g. on a laptop with a touch-screen, an app fly-out control will provide larger touch-targets if tapped with touch, as opposed to clicked with a mouse)."

Developers can even repackage their website as an app and will have an easier experience with Windows 10.

"Once installed, your website can update and call Universal APIs from JavaScript, creating a more engaging user experience." Gallo said

Microsoft's app plans for Windows 10 will be revealed more in late April during its 2015 Build developer conference in San Francisco.

Source: windows central

Read More

MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES THE LUMIA 640

Today, at MWC 2015, Microsoft has announced the new Lumia 640, a 5-inch (1280×720) Windows Phone 8.1 device that will be upgrade-able to Windows 10 for phones.

The device has a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 8 MP camera, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, a 2500 MAh battery, 3G/LTE, 1MP front facing wide-angle camera, and an 8MP camera at the rear. It will be available in Cyan, Black and White. The Lumia 640 will begin a global rollout in April. Pricing will vary by market and operator, but is estimated to be around EUR 139 for the 3G model and EUR 159 for the LTE model.

Additionally, when you buy a Lumia 640, you will also receive a one-year subscription to Office 365, as well as the latest fully installed versions of Office Suite for the Lumia.

Read More