Computer Support Blog

It is hard to play down the significance of the transistor in modern technology.  The transistor makes so many electronic devices operate and so many emerging technologies possible.  A single smartphone or laptop computer might have billions of transistors.  The transistor is integrated in virtually every major technology in the world and new developments in transistor technology may transform the tech sector yet again. Read more »

Have you ever wanted a computer that was just the bare minimum, without all the extras? Did you ever think you would like to learn computer programming? Would you like a computer, but do not have the hundreds of dollars to buy one? If any of those situations apply to you, then you may want to consider the Raspberry Pi.

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There are few computer peripherals as important to PC users as the keyboard.  For sure, the computer mouse would be a close second, but the keyboard is still the vital interface peripheral for those who continue to use personal computers.  There is one name in the computer peripherals market that is virtually synonymous with high quality keyboards and computer mice: Logitech.  At the head of Logitech is Guerrino De Luca!

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It is hard to think of a less cool part of the tower computer than the power supply.  For sure, every computer needs a power supply, but the tower computer power supply has traditionally been dark, functional and blockish.  Peripheral manufacturer XION is changing that, though, with their High Performance Party Edition line of personal computer power supplies!

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In a world with rapidly changing technology, it is rare when one encounters a truly good idea anymore.  Indeed, many emerging technologies simply seek to improve upon already existing devices or technology.  So, when FXI Technologies virtually reinvented the computer with the Cotton Candy 3” computer device, it was newsworthy.  The brain behind Cotton Candy and FXI Technologies is Borgar Ljosland.

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With all of the leaps forward in the way entertainment is presented, from enhanced audio standards to 3-D Blu-Ray players, it is almost surprising to learn that microprocessor production has been occurring on a two-dimensional scale for so very long.  Even the current generation of microprocessors, in stores now, runs on transistors that are two dimensional.  While they are faster and more intricate than the earliest transistors from 1947, they are essentially the same design.  Until now, the transistor has been refined by improved manufacturing methods and changes in the materials used to manufacture them.  All of that is about to change, though.  Intel is releasing computers based on their Ivy Bridge technology, the world’s first transistors designed with three dimensional pathways!

The Ivy Bridge processor is a 3-D Tri-Gate transistor and what that means to consumers is that it is fast!  The Ivy Bridge processor advances the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture that Intel pioneered and released in 2011.  While the Sandy Bridge used circuit pathways that were 32 nanometers wide, the Ivy Bridge improved the pathway to 22 nanometers!  With that improvement in the die, Intel’s new Panther Point (Series 7) chips will have more transistors per chip . . . by several orders of magnitude!  The change in ten nanometers allows Intel to use a vastly greater number of transistors in their new chips.

What does this change mean for you?

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With all of the rapidly-changing aspects of computer technology, it can be very hard to keep up.  Indeed, for those who are casual computer users without real investment in the computer hardware industry, it was not so long ago that the USB port became the dominant interface port.  Suddenly, when you upgraded your computer and wanted to use your favorite old keyboard or mouse, you discovered there were no ports in the back of your new computer for it!  Like compact discs to records, the USB port has pretty much eliminated most specialized ports on computers.  In the world of USB ports, USB 3.0 is slowly creeping up in popularity.

But, you might be wondering, just what is USB 3.0?

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The biggest problem in the tech sector is not supply chain problems, environmental regulations, lack of creativity or even limited battery life.  The biggest problem in the tech sector, like so many industries, is hubris.  Hubris, the pride that leads one to believe that they are invincible, flawless, destined for greatness/market dominance/perfection, is the true scourge of the tech sector.  Why?  Quite simply it is the vainest form of hubris wherein the largest technology companies come to believe that because they have hired the absolute best and brightest tech school graduates, that the pool is empty, no other geniuses exist.  Virtually every major tech company believes that they have the individuals and teams who are the most skilled and most creative.  That belief makes them blind to the creative programming geniuses who work outside the corporate structure.

Symantec was so blinded when hackers cracked into their servers and downloaded the source code for Symantec’s pcAnywhere and Norton Antivirus.

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No matter what the latest leaps forward in computers, we are still a long way away from having computer systems that implant images straight into your brain.  That means that no matter what type personal computer you have, you are going to need a monitor for it.  Even if you have moved to a laptop computer or tablet computer, a good monitor can make all the difference for enjoying games and media presentations when used in conjunction with an adapter cable.  The monitor that can give you the best picture quality at affordable prices is the ASUS ML228H High Definition LED Monitor.

The ASUS ML228H Monitor is a 21.5” flat screen monitor with widescreen proportions.  This Energy Star-compliant monitor has a true resolution of 1920 x 1080, which gives it great definition and pixel density.  ASUS pioneered a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio that lights images with a powerful backlight resulting in images that look lifelike.  The images are so vivid that looking at photographs on the ASUS ML228H Monitor is like looking through a window into an alternate reality!  That sense of picture quality is not only for static images.  With the 2ms response time, moving objects on the ASUS High Definition monitor remain clear and crisp.

What does all of this mean outside the jargon?

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In the past Vizio has dealt exclusively in televisions and, within the last year, tablets. Their products have always been reasonably priced and of durable quality, hardly ever requiring any kind of computer repair. With their sleek designs and Smart TVs, Vizio has long been a reliable company from whom to buy good televisions. They constantly try to push the boundaries. Even this year, they released two mind-blowing televisions: an 84-inch Smart TV with a resolution of 4000×2000 and their Cinema Wide TV, which shows videos in 21:9 widescreen just like at the movie theaters.

This year, though, Vizio stepped dramatically out of its comfort zone and began making computers. They introduced three new laptops and two new all-in-one desktops at the Consumer Electronics Show. The sleek look and silver coloring of these computers give them a widely impressive design.

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