Why use Liquid Cooling in Computers.

Dear Readers,

For the past 3 years, i have had a personal hobby to create high end desktops with Liquid Cooling System (LCS). Most of the people think LCS is just for bling bling effect, which is only half truth. LCS plays a major role in keeping my computer running smooth and stable by cooling it efficiently.

I will try me best to simplify this article as best as i can.

What is Computer Cooling?

Computer Cooling is a way to keep your computer processor (the brain), cool. Because the processor is made up with millions of electric transistors which generate heat when operating. And faster processors mean more the transistors, hence extra heat generated. If the CPU is not kept at operable temperatures, then system failure is imminent and the lifetime of the CPU is drastically shortened. While there are many ways to cool the processor, the most common is Air-Cooling. For air-cooling, the processor comes in contact with a heat sink, which removes heat from the processor and transfer it to its aluminum block, and then on top of that bock is a fan, which removes heat from the heat sink. And the cycle continues, hence your CPU has less heat, and is operating at reasonable temperatures.

The main setback with air-cooling is that the fans are NOISY. And if your processor is running at maximum load, then the heat produced is high, and that results into fans running at its fastest speeds to remove the access heat. Another disadvantage of air-cooling is Dust. If the fans accumulate dust, it will not efficiently cool the processor.

Windows 7 Mini-Review (Part 1)

Dear Readers,

Windows 7 is a very large topic to write about, and it can certainly not be written in 1 day, and within 1 mail. so i am going to write this review in parts, as days go by, i will keep on mailing you the follow ups. I might not cover each and every detail of the OS, else it would take me almost a year to complete it, but i will definitely tell you about the points that matter..

What is an iPod?

Dear Readers,

How often have you heard the word iPod. Your kids tell you, they want an iPod, your friend tells you he has an iPod...iPod,iPod,iPod. But what is an iPod?

People usually make a mistake when using the name iPod, they often call every MP3 (Media Player) an iPod. An MP3 player is a digital format music player.

iPod is a BRAND of portable media players which is sold by a company called Apple. There are many companies that make portable media players, like Microsoft have their brand called Zune. Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, Creative, all these companies make Portable Media Players or MP3 Players, but they are NOT called an iPod. It is like in the days of Walkmans. Every portable audio cassette player was being called a Walkman. But that was not correct. Walkman was a brand named by Sony. And iPod is a brand named by Apple.

Which OS in my new Laptop?

Dear Readers,

After i wrote about the specifications of a laptop for basic home/shop usage. I was asked one more question from you all, asking me what operating system should they choose. Currently there are 3 Operating Systems (OS) from Microsoft, functional in the market. Windows XP , Windows Vista and Windows 7. I will give you a guidelines as to which operating systems you should opt for. Of-course choices vary from user to user. But this is for those people who have no idea about the OS.

What is an Operating System (OS)?

In very short terms, the Operating System is an interface or a communicating agent between you and your computer. It is there to manage and co-ordinate activities on your computer. All Applications or Softwares that you install on your computer, MUST go through the OS to communicate to your Hardware.

For Example, if you want to watch a DVD with PowerDVD software. The Software must first go through the OS driver modules to make use of the DVD Reader and the Display codec to display the DVD itself.

Files you delete, are NOT permanently Deleted!!

Dear Readers,

Scenario 1

So you had a file , named, lets say MY ACCOUNTS on your computer, after you finished working with it, you decided to save it on your flash disk and delete the file from your computer, so that it can not be found in your PC when someone is trying to snoop into your files. You delete the file from the computer and then empty your recycle bin. And say all done, " no one can see my accounts file on this computer",...right?.....WRONG!

Scenario 2

You sold your old computer or laptop to someone , you decided to format the computer and re install Windows , so its completely clean and no traces of your old documents and passwords. And you think that formatting and re installing of Windows removed traces of your documents and passwords and bank details...right??.....WRONG!

My 250GB Hard Disk shows 232 GB when Empty!!

Dear Readers,

Most of us who perform day to day computing on a PC are most likely to have a Flash Disk or External hard disk as their source of backup or data transfer from one PC to another. And with the Price per GB at its lowest , in today's market, why not have a bigger storage for a cheaper price than it was a few years back right. So you go out happily and buy a 250 GB hard disk, or any other size for that matter. Now when you get home, and first plug in the hard drive and you open My Computer, you are shocked to see that your 250GB hard disk has 232 GB of free space. And your hard disk is brand new and completely EMPTY !!. and you Ask......

So where is my 18 GB ??

I paid for 250GB and i am getting 232GB, have i been cheated by the seller? Did the seller sell me a fake Hard Disk? Is there a Virus on my computer ?

.... the answer is NO.

Which laptop for Basic Home/Shop Usage

Hello All,

Clearly we are always put under a dilemma whenever we decide to buy a laptop. With all the varieties out there, it is sometimes almost impossible to find the perfect laptop that falls under your budget. There are 5 Major companies that provide laptops for our market, Dell, HP, Toshiba, Acer and Sony. There are many other brands as well, but 98% of the East African market is flooded with these 5 brands. Now most of them have the same quality of build. Some just charge premium for their name. What you should actually look in a laptop is the specifications. I am here to help you what specifications you should choose if you are looking for a Basic laptop for Home and Shop use.

What is the Best FREE Anti-Virus in My Opinion

No less than twice a week, i get a phone call from a fellow friend/family/colleague or simply a random person asking my advice on which anti virus to use for their laptop or desktop. Most of these people are on the look out for an antivirus because they have been severely infected and have had some data loss. That is the time when they realize the need to protect their computers with the right anti virus.

The Anti-Virus market has significantly increased over the last 10 years, especially after the arrival of Windows XP. Although Microsoft has taken many strides into bringing built in protection to Windows, they still fail to stop the Viruses completely. That is when Anti-Virus companies like Norton, Kaspersky and Eset started making money for their protection by selling yearly licenses to their softwares. But do you really need to pay for an Anti-Virus?? 2-3 years ago, i would have said yes, today, the answer isn't as straight forward as YES or NO anymore.

I am today going to focus on the answer NO (I don't need to pay for an Anti-Virus)

So what are the free alternatives to paid Anti-Virus software like Norton?