We can be forum members but not without a computer

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 03:10

I don't know as much about computers as I do about sausage making which is close to nothing. Lately my computer has been slowly grinding to a halt. So I started to investigate the possible cause(s). The first concern was the chance of a virus but in those cases the death comes quickly and this was a slow death. I took it to Staples when they were running a free clinic and the diagnosis was probably a lack of memory( common with those of a certain age). I searched for options and a couple of computer books for Dummies© and I learned that I could upgrade the memory from one gigabyte to four gigabytes for the grand sum of a bit over fifty dollars. This has been done and the old girl can once again kick up her heels.
I would say that it is worth investigating.

jbk101 · Post by **jbk101** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 08:40

ssorllih,
Not enough available RAM will also cause your computer to run slow! Also having too many background and or start-up programs running can also cause your system to run like a Turtle. If your running Windows it is notorious for having applications that are not needed to be running in the background.
John

Big Guy · Post by **Big Guy** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:54

$50 is a good deal, In a lot of cases its not worth the hassle and expense to upgrade your RaM. You can buy a bottom of the line computer at Walmart for almost the same money. Then you get the latest operating systems and soft ware a faster motherboard too . The new computer will run rings around your upgraded old one. JMHO

NorCal Kid · Post by **NorCal Kid** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 18:37

Simple solution to slow PC & window issues...

Not cheap, but certainly user-friendly.

Biased, as I've been a apple/mac guy since '83.

-Kevin

JerBear · Post by **JerBear** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 17:46

I'm with NorCal, the initial cost of an Apple computer is more than saved in the long term with hours of wasted time, energy and Advil trying to keep a PC in top condition. Consider it an investment, what's you time worth to you? For me, I'd rather not be sitting in front of of screen for 5 hrs, rebotting it for the 8th time and running de-frags every-other week.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 18:44

Since I have no experience with Apple® computers I can't say good or ill about them.
I am beginning to believe that most PC's are sold like pickup trucks. Four hundred horsepower and able to tow twelve tons up the side of a mountain. But not for long.
My computer came with one gigabyte of installed ram. The operating system and Nortons® use almost all of that, leaving very little to run programs. My first computer came with 256 megabytes of RAM it didn't take long to overwhelm that. On the other hand I remember when 64 kilobytes of RAM was the new standard. As things get more complex they don't always work better they just do more things but I still have to carry the garbage cans out to the curb.

Oxide · Post by **Oxide** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 20:39

Apple-holic = someone that sees all things Apple through rose colored glasses.

Apple-tard = someone that has been around Apple products so long it has made them retarded. Don't laugh, it is happens and it is a very sad thing to witness.

I'm thinking for surfing the web and email I may get a Samsung Galaxy. A computer is overkill for those things. And no way am I going to pay $850 for an Apple iPad !!!

JerBear · Post by **JerBear** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 20:50

Ross - have you done a defrag recently. It won't fix your issues with RAM but could help speed things up a bit.

Oxide - I'm a confessed Apple-holic. On the flip side I use PCs at work and have owned them in the past and they're just not worth the headaches.

Also, I don't know where you're getting your pricing but like for like they cost essentially the same. While on the top end there may be about a $30 difference (advantage Samsung) you can't quibble over $30 when you're already at the $800 mark.

Oxide · Post by **Oxide** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 21:24

JerBear wrote:
Oxide - I'm a confessed Apple-holic. On the flip side I use PCs at work and have owned them in the past and they're just not worth the headaches.

When you are ready there is a 12-step program that can help you.

There is no way on this planet I am going to pay much over $300 for a pad that gets me onto the internet. If a 10-in Galaxy is up there with Apple's iPad then it just isn't going to happen. The Galaxy is available at Costco.

Something like 56% of iPad owners said they will upgrade to the iPad 3. That means a whole lot of used iPad 2's coming our way.

I believe Win 7 wants something like a minimum of 2 or 3 gig of RAM, 4 gig preferred. Win 7 is a RAM pig, but unfortunately, not one that can be ground, seasoned, and stuffed into a casing.

JerBear · Post by **JerBear** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 21:28

I was lucky enough to win an iPad2 at a conference and I'm hoping to win another this year. (my wife gets it if I win so no begging gentlemen)

Regarding the used/refurb's coming onto the market, my mom's looking now. If you really want one they're becoming more available by the hour.

NorCal Kid · Post by **NorCal Kid** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 22:06

Oxide wrote:Apple-holic = someone that sees all things Apple through rose colored glasses.

Apple-tard = someone that has been around Apple products so long it has made them retarded. Don't laugh, it is happens and it is a very sad thing to witness.

I've been using them (apple computers) long enough to make the rose-colored glasses unnecessary. All the models I've used for the past , from the MacII to the current MacPro, each have or had some real bright points, but none have been flawless. Far from it.

When I was first starting out in the digital graphics/advertising/design industry, most of the media depts were PC-based (IBM 5170). In 1987, the MacIIs began to replace them & soon we had 50/50 pcs to macs in our media dept. It was here we really began to appreciate the advantages of going mac versus pcs.

Fast-forward to early 2000's- our church's media dept was all pc. Since I came on-board there, we've transitioned over to an all-mac dept. The rest of the office is PC (accounting & other business-related depts.). I get to hear from the IT guy the constant headaches & viruses he's constantly dealing with on the pc side. The real downside to the Apple side is the initial cost outlay.

Kevin

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 00:01

Oh yes I have run the defrag programs and have it set as a scheduled task I had Norton's run a full system scan. I dumped dozens of unused programs and files. This system has run very well up until the last year. It is at least five years in servive now. The CPU speed is adequate and the responce time is back to normal with the expanded memory. I understand that most people don't run the same system this long. When something new comes out they upgrade.

JerBear · Post by **JerBear** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 06:08

While you shouldn't feel that you have to upgrade annually I think that you're definitely beyond the service life of your current system. The pressures that internet graphics and basic system usages place on your processors is just too much. I would think for a PC three years is about max for life-span. They definitely cheap enough to replace often.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 13:51

I am just old enough to think that three or four hundred dollars is still real money.If the cpu is still being installed in new computers but most new ones have at least four gigs of ram then adding ram is valid. But then again you have to keep in mind that my newest car is twelve years old.

vagreys · Post by **vagreys** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 15:34

JerBear wrote:...They definitely cheap enough to replace often.

I doubt this is a universal truth. It depends on one's available disposable income. The first computer I programmed was a Bell tube-based system, programmed in machine code, loaded by paper tape that was created on teletype terminals. Things have come a long way, but the basic functions that people use computers for have not really changed. We crunch text. We crunch numbers. We work with graphics. We communicate. With software companies changing operating systems and application software for the purpose of churning the customer base, one has to ask oneself if upgrading actually accomplishes anything significant, except giving the hardware and software vendors more money.

Why do I need to upgrade from a 32-bit dual core 2GHz CPU purchased 5 years ago - for a faster blink of the eye, when most software applications are still actually 32-bit code and not multi-threading? Why do I really NEED MS Office 2011, when Office 2007 seems to be doing just fine, thanks? Why do I need to migrate from Vista to Windows 7 to Windows 8, when everything I use is working fine on Vista and I have no problems, whatsoever, with system stability? The answer is, I don't. And that disappoints the hardware and software vendors who want me to chase the latest thing.

I also think it is a little disingenuous to compare Mac's used in media applications with Windows machines used in general computing. Macs have strengths and weaknesses, just as do Windows-based PC's. If Macs held 90% of the general computing market in personal computing, then Mac users would be lamenting the viruses and malware they would have to deal with.

I've been working in IT for 30 years, and the average working life of my personal computers has changed significantly over the decades. In the early years, the average life of my PC was much shorter, due to the rapid rate of change in technology and software - maybe 2-3 years (and it was much more expensive to upgrade). Now, the changes are incremental, or worse, cosmetic, so the average life of my PC's has increased to about 7 years. I spend far less on computers and softwaare, and more on activities like sausage making!