Tip: Click here to run a free scan for PC errors “The time has come,” the Walrus said, “to talk of many things. . .”
Now you may find this an odd title for this article but indeed it covers many things. It all started when I was sorely tempted to buy an Apple iPad 2. This came about as two members of my family regularly extolled the virtues of their iPhones and their iPads.
So began a period of reflection when I looked at my three Windows type computers and wondered whether it was time for a “sea change”. This led to a long period of investigation and ended up with me trying out one of their iPads. I was indeed impressed and sorely tempted. With the demise of Steve Jobs and the media’s recognition of his important contribution this nearly tipped me over the edge. One should not overlook Bill Gates and his contribution to the development of the PC, DOS and Windows operating systems. History may well judge him by his recent philanthropy in helping those less fortunate rather than his work with computers.
Then, in the cold light of day I made a decision. While I loved the touch screen and all its features I decided to stick with what I knew. I was happy and comfortable with PCs. So, no iPad for me!
Now let me tell you about my current crop of PCs. I have a desktop, a notebook and a netbook. All are no longer than three years old. The desktop and the notepad have dual –core processors, 4 Gb of Ram and work superbly with Dragon Naturally Speaking et al. The netbook, the most recent edition — it’s only two years old — has an Intel Atom N280 CPU (now superseded) and 2 Gb of Ram. Compared with the other two PCs it is a bit sluggish but never-the-less fills my requirements when I travel away from home. Its small size and portability makes up for its lesser specifications. Some could well say why not take a break and leave the computer home and this is the advice I often hear from my partner who feels I spend too much time on the computer.
I digress! Well after that momentous decision of keeping clear of Apple products I decided I’d follow up my interest in the new Second Generation Intel chips. This includes the Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i3. All reports indicated these new chips are a huge leap forward in processing.
Maybe, this was the way to go – buy a new notebook with the latest chips. So, this lead to my search for that new machine.
My specifications were relatively simple – an Intel Core i5 CPU, 4Gb Ram (upgradable to 8 Gb) (Note: Dragon works even better with plenty of grunt) and a large hard drive (min. 300 Gb). Various brands were checked – ASUS, Toshiba, Medion Mikeyo (this is sold in Australia by ALDI stores), MSI and finally HP.
I settled on the latter, given four of my computers – three notebooks and one desktop have been HP/Compaq machines. Better to stick with a product that has been reliable.
Once I made the decision I then began my search for a new notebook within my means. I settled on an HP Pavilion g series machine. The machine I chose met all my requirements – Intel Core i5 CPU, 4 Gb RAM, 640 Gb Hard Drive, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth et al.
Its large screen and well-resourced – three USB ports, a HDMI port (this was one feature I really wanted as I could hook my computer up to my big LCD TV screen) a card reader just to name a few.
You can see the specs of the chosen machine HP Pavilion g series, courtesy of Piriform’s Speccy. Speccy is a useful little tool for checking up the hardware on your computer. If you haven’t downloaded Speccy think about it. It is a valuable tool for checking your computer’s specification.
An earlier tool Belarc Advisor is also useful. This tool builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, network inventory, missing Microsoft hotfixes, anti-virus status, security benchmarks, and displays the results in your Web browser. Both Speccy and Belarc Advisor are handy information gatherers!
HP’s Support Assistant also provided me with a snapshot of the computer’s specifications.
Setting up my new notebook was a breeze. My next task was vital; it involved creating a set of Recovery Disks courtesy of HP’s Recovery Manager. With all software, including the operating system pre-installed, it is essential to make a set to safeguard your computer. After this was completed – it was a slow process – I was installed my suite of favourite programs – Office 2010, Snagit, Picasa and, of course, Dragon Naturally Speaking.
My next task was to remove Norton ignoring its kind offer for a 30 day trial. In its place I installed Microsoft Security Essentials quick smart before venturing onto the Internet. When I did I got a shock as regular updates were proposed by Windows Update. In all there were 89 updates. This took some time so I left the computer to its own devices. Thus, well and truly updated, it was time to start serious use of this new machine. To say I was impressed with its features is an understatement. I am revelling in my new fast technology.
One of my first tasks was to try out Dragon. The internal microphone built into notebooks and netbooks has never been “much chop”, but in my HP it excelled itself and enabled me to use Dragon without having to wear those uncomfortable but necessary microphone headsets. There was an unexpected bonus too as the inbuilt speakers gave out reasonable sound.
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