Desktop V Laptop.

[Skywave]

Col: just a few comments from me that might help. You may know of these and action them accordingly; no slight intended on your PC knowledge & ability. These comments may also be of value to anyone else reading this thread.

1. For connecting any PC to the Internet using a telephone line, always use a modem - router to do this. This is your first line of defence against intrusive software, etc.
2. Always have an anti-virus program running. I use Avast! Free: it works. An A/V program that is always running is your second line of defence.
3. If you have formatted your hard disks with FAT32, do regular de-fragmentations. This speeds up your system. (Not so relevant in you're using NTFS).
4. Backups: arrange for a method of reliable backups and do backups regularly. Frequency depends on PC use. I suggest at least once every month. This is your 3rd. line of defence for when things go seriously wrong. Ideally, the backup destination should be something that can be physically removed from the PC once the backup is complete. This prevents it from being 'got at' by any piece of malicious software.
5. Choice of Browser, security. I'm sitting on the fence on this one! Some people say that I.E. is insecure compared to other browsers. I use Firefox v.12 (recently upgraded from an earlier version) - and I'm quite happy with that: no problems to report with any versions of FF.
6. E-mail: same comment as above: some people decry Outlook Express and use Thunderbird or something else. I've been using OE6 for ages now: no problems to report.

Al.

[Retired]

Hi,

Many thanks Al for taking the time to add your very useful post. Please never be worried about offending me and when it comes to computers I'm happy to be treated like a complete novice. I've owned and used my computer a great deal since buying it around 15 years ago but I'm self taught and picked things up on a need to know basis.

I'm more at home working with RSJ's and big machinery than I am working on a computer. I use only one finger for typing but over the years I now have a laser finger that is faster than my computer because it can't keep up with me and many times just simply stops to catch it's breath; perhaps I should upgrade from steam to gas?

In reply to your excellent list.

1/ When I used dial up I always did this through a modem in fact this was the only way I knew. Later when I went broadband NTL set it up for me supplying the cable modem which has so far been bullet proof.

2/ Security is activated at every boot up and consists of Anti-malware; firewall and website checker.

3/ NTFS.

4/ Backups are done on a regular basis either to disc or lately to 1TB external hard drive. If I'm working on something I don't want to lose it gets backed up after each session.

5/ Browser. I tried Firefox about a year ago and found it OK after experiencing computer problems whilst using Chrome. Once the problems settled down I reverted back to Chrome and like it.

6/ My email is Office outlook 2003. Anything better than this?

I've openly admitted to being a dinosaur but my computer is my link to the world and I wouldn't be without it; this is one piece of modern kit that is oh so useful and it pays for itself as I shop around online looking for best prices. One thing I don't have is a mobile phone and I don't even know how to use one. I shudder to think what bills kids run up whilst their mobile is welded to their ear.

Not everyone is a computer geek; I certainly aren't but if I get stuck I'm not worried about asking for help or information however stupid my question appears to be. Forums are great places to request help and advice and this forum is a good one.

Kind regards, Col.

[Skywave]

. . . . my computer is my link to the world and I wouldn't be without it. . . . One thing I don't have is a mobile phone and I don't even know how to use one.

Those are facts and sentiments that I share with you totally, Col. But then being as reclusive as I am, the first item is essential to me; the last item I am yet to have the need of. Those two things may change one day (things usually do and sometimes in the most unexpected ways  ), but until then . . . .

Al.

[ed731pdh]

One of the reasons that I scrapped my XP machine was that over the years it became slower and slower, and was made slower by installing Norton Internet Security.

I went through this with Norton and McAfee, when a AV package starts slowing down the system because it is a resource hog then its time to change. Over the last five years I have used AntiVir /Avira but guess what, this years release has gone the same way as Norton et al so I have now changed over to Bitdefender and will stay with this until it decides that it wants to drive its tanks into the Polish section of my ram banks.

The house system here is a combination of 10/100 network and wifi. I get all of the advantage of a wired connection for the house PCs but still the flexibility of being able to drink my coffee on the patio on a Sunday morning whilst browsing the news on a laptop. As an addition I have also added a 1Tb NAS which currently operates as a data bucket for three PCs, two laptops and an internet radio (Roberts Stream 83i) as well as two televisions and a Wii box. Add to that the odd guest pc/laptop/mobile phone when being looked at for friends and the house system gets used on an almost 24/7 basis.

[Paula A]

I install rising antivirus or people.. it's free and it's silent.. and I haevn't had any callbacks to clean or repair malware damage since switching over. Avast and AVG seem to come and go.. one year Avast is best, the next it's AVG.. They both work better than any paid ones I have come across. I think 2 infected with avg and one with avast in the last year compared to over 100 with norton/macafee paid which were riddled..

My only gripe with Rising is how long it can take to update after first installation, but after that is set to "ask" it rarely gets in the way.. it's very "quiet" in operation and doesnt get overly paranoid (unlike those which demand to scan and check every file and click all the time) .. I hate windows.. I don't run antivirus.. I do a check for rootkits every so often and keep a system image rolling every week, which I do because it's a habit.. never needed it .. laptops I don't bother.. they mess up I reinstall because I don't lose my /home partition when I do.
A friend was using bitdefender (he got it free from some shop) and that wasn't really secure either.. quite a lot of "trojan downloader generic win32" in there when it crashed out.. Well embedded.. took a session with puppy and google and a clean regisrty patching in from my "never connected to anything" xp drive.

I'm not saying paid antivirus is rubbish.. just if it's so good why do you need to buy a new one every year, and why do us fixers always see machines with the paid ones on rendered non functional by malware whe ones running free ones are generally still working even if compromised?

Of course.. if you know what you are doing heres a unix one built for servers and the like which are connected and on unmonitored 24/7 clamav (winclam) .. a bit hands on, but tests last year were scary.. it was the ONLY antivirus solution with a 100% detection rate.. symantec/macafee barely got to 50%.. and more worryingly they missed the really bad guys.. the rootkits and hidden webserver bots (lost my link to results.. google should turn it up easy enough).. Windows search can expose hidden malware.. try a search for hid*.ex* and look for hide .. on xp for extra security.. go in system32 and make csrss.exe "read only" .. it's a vulnerability targetted by a lot of email malware.

http://download.cnet.com/ClamWin-Antivir...69483.html

http://download.cnet.com/ClamWin-Antivir...69483.html

Two very viable alternatives. I install both depending on the competency of the end user.. Clam takes a bit more knowhow than Rising, but I think if people are interested in what goes on inside the case.. and aren't we all like that here... then it's the choice.

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks Al; we are of the older generation and not swayed by modern must have gimmicks that are bought then quickly go out of date. I can understand a mobile phone being useful but to stand in a half mile long queue wetting myself with anticipation for the latest model doesn't push my buttons.

I seldom use my land-line phone and the phone bill for actual calls is usually under £2. During our short summers I like to get stuck into a decent project and I dislike having to shut down big machinery rendering it safe to come up into the bungalow to answer a phone call; I much prefer email as it is not intrusive. I once read about a guy setting up the planer knives on a giant planer and he answered a long phone call during the job; when he returned after the call he hit the power button to watch the planer destroy itself. Planer knives are seldom thrown until the cutter block has approached full speed.

I'm interest though and would like to hear what mobile phones do cost in real terms; I'm forever pestered by Virgin media offering me a free blackberry whatever this is as long as I take out a contract? I'm not totally against everything modern and I can be swayed by discussion if I think I receive value and the item being discussed is not simply a gimmick that everyone thinks they must have in order to survive; I'm not a sheep or lemming so don't just buy something because I see someone else with it. I do wonder how big the mobile phone bill is for kids who appear to have a mobile phone welded to their ear; anyone fancy trying to convince me that I need a mobile phone?

Thanks Ed for the information; I mentioned before that I set up my brothers first ever PC and he had also bought the security package with it at the time from PC World. I think the security was Norton. Had I been forced to use his computer with the security installed I would have thrown the lot in the bin as the security took over the computer. I stress I think it was Norton but whatever it was I didn't like it.

Many thanks Paula; you've provided lots of information that I've not been aware of and I'll study in more detail. As my brothers computer is on Sky I dumped the Norton and installed the free AVG which worked well in the background without taking over his computer. I use Virgin media security as it is free for a Virgin media customer and although it seems to take ages to load on boot up once it settles I don't know it's there; it upgrades I believe every 15 minutes and a message used to pop up at each upgrade but these messages no longer appear. It's ages since a virus got through and when it did it was detected and quickly removed.

Back to my original question of Desktop V Laptop; I'll wait until around Christmas then buy a new desktop. I'm currently setting my new office up in the hall and building a new computer desk. I would like to buy a new all in one printer to run alongside my recently new HP mono laser printer but I'm scared of parting with money for yet another printer that appears to be excellent value only to find once bought it bankrupts me due to constant cartridge demands. My Epson all in one is only connected now for its scanner; it was a huge disappointment and I'd rather do completely without a colour printer than make the same mistake again. I've also bought a 1TB external hard drive for backing up data and files and this was recommended to me by my chum Gary; I find this hard drive much more convenient than playing around with lots of single CD's. I do want to upgrade whilst sorting the new office out but I only want to have kit that will be useful to me. Money isn't a problem so I'm open to suggestions. Please bear in mind I know very little about modern electronics or their terms such as wi-fi; blackberry; blue tooth etc. Yes I still live in the dark ages but for me this has worked out extremely well; by not following like a sheep I retired aged 53 and have enjoyed 12 years retirement so far; I'm tight with brass but I will actually spend and spend freely if I get value for money. I'm not into texting or using a mobile phone as a computer or playing computer games.

I hope it warms up after dinner then I can potter around outside.

Kind regards, Col.

[Joe]

It's coming up to three years since I had my land-line disconnected and I've found I spend about £5 a year on my mobile.

- Joe

[AlanBeckett]

Many moons ago, long before Mobiles, a couple of friends remarked that their telephone bill was only so much, whereas mine was three times as high. When I thought about it I realised that they never rang me, I always rang them, which is why their bills were so low. Presumably that's what they did to all their friends and relatives. I stopped ringing them, and have long taken the view that there should be an equitable split between incoming and outgoing. If they don't ring me I don't ring them.
You have been warned!
Alan

[ed731pdh]

Paula, went over to Bitdefender initially on my son's PC as it's kiddie protection package is reasonably decent. Not many firewall programs out there when you can specify the hours during the day when he can use the internet with relative ease and then lock it up with password protection. I'll never touch Norton or McAfee again, resource hogs of the worst kind.

[TubeType]

Hi Col,
Here are my two cents worth of information. I am of the opinion that a personal computer should be like a comfy chair or an old pair of shoes. Replace your old desktop with one that feels "comfortable" to you. Later, you can add a sporty used laptop to your stable when you want to be more mobile.
Happy shopping,