Greetings

We hope that your July 4th holiday was enjoyable and relaxing.  Christopher's Computers will be closed for business during the week of July 12-July 20 as we enjoy a necessary relaxing week-off.  Please feel free to leave a message on our voice-mail; we will be checking messages every few days, but will return calls when we re-open on Monday, July 21. 

In this issue of Tech Tips, we will give you some ideas for how to improve your computer experience while being frugal with your funds.

Money-Saving Options

With the decreasing confidence everyone feels in our current state of economy, it is becoming more important for each of us to consider where our money is being spent.

One option is purchasing an off-lease computer.  These machines are fast, compact and are only 1-year-used in an office environment.  They are great PCs for daily emailing, researching, creating documents & spreadsheets and general web-surfing.

Many people have decided to 'make-do' with their current computer, opting to upgrade memory and install larger, additional hard drives, rather than tossing out their entire machine and buying a new one.  One benefit of this is that you will keep all of your programs you have been collecting (as well as your pictures, favorites, bookmarks, fonts, etc) without having to transfer your information or start all over again.  For most people, familiarity with your computer's layout is a definate boon.  Additional hard drives mean more storage space.  Consider putting your data collection on your computer, safely tucked into a seperate hard drive.  Not only is this safeguarding your information a bit more wisely by lessening the likelihood of a virus wiping out your data when its kept in a seperate hard drive, it also decreases the odds that you will loose your information from crashes and hardware failure by diversifying where and how your data is being stored. 

For example, in our home/office, we have several hard drives in one tower to keep our personal and business information organized and safe.  Our laptops and desktops are all wirelessly networked together, allowing us to share files, printers and access all of the information kept in the file-server.  If you are considering this option for yourself, please note that it is important to have your wireless network connection securely passworded. 

For small businesses and self-employed folks who have some of your information stored at home and some information stored at the office, we can help you safely link all of your information together by setting up a Virtual Private Network (or VPN).  This will allow remote access to your files from one site to the other, and even allow you to print remotely.  What a great way to save time and gas!

Six Ways to Save Money When You Print

Avoid blank pages. Before printing Web pages, preview them to avoid generating lots of blank pages. Some printer manufacturers, such as HP, offer software that helps you cut paper use. A free software package called Green Print (www.printgreener.com) analyzes pages that you want to print and skips those with little or no content.

Print fewer pages. You can use more of a page by decreasing a document's margins, using a smaller font size, or avoiding double line spacing. Also, some printers can print on both sides of the paper.

Conserve ink or toner. Many printers have more than one quality setting. Figure out which is best for you. If you're not printing photos, which should be printed at the best quality setting, consider using a lower, or "draft," mode, which should use less ink.

Power it down. Many of today's printers conserve power, especially during periods of inactivity.

Seek efficiency. When choosing a printer look for an Energy Star label. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently toughened qualifications for the label. To be awarded one, a printer must consume very little power when not printing. For details, go to energystar.gov

Recycle cartridges. Programs to recycle used ink and toner cartridges reduce waste and can save you money. Some are easy to take advantage of. For example, at Brother's Web site, you can print out a prepaid shipping label to send your used cartridge back to the company. Office Depot, OfficeMax, and Staples let you drop off used cartridges at local stores and give a $3 credit for Dell, HP, and Lexmark cartridges. Also, some manufacturers, such as Canon, produce printer manuals on recycled paper.

Read the Consumer Reports Article Online 

How Computer Monitors Work

You probably use items containing an LCD (liquid crystal display) every day. They are all around us -- in laptop computers, digital clocks and watches, microwave ovens, CD players and many other electronic devices. LCDs are common because they offer some real advantages over other display technologies. They are thinner and lighter and draw much less power than cathode ray tubes (CRTs), for example

But just what are these things called liquid crystals? The name "liquid crystal" sounds like a contradiction. We think of a crystal as a solid material like quartz, usually as hard as rock, and a liquid is obviously different. How could any material combine the two?

Contact Information

PC & Mac Help at your Home and Office

Recycling Available

We can recycle your old computer and peripherals for you.

Worry Free Data-Backup

Members: Better Business Bureau of WNC

Custom Computers Available

We build customized new computers to meet your individualized needs.

We can also assist you in purchasing exactly what you need if you're looking for a laptop.

Refurbished machines are available, also.

All computers purchased through Christopher's Computers include free home delivery and set up as well as warranty on all parts.