I was asked last night about cheap computers. So hell why not do a write up on some of the best deals around. well i've got a couple of sources for you. Honestly you'll hate you paid what you paid for your PC now once you see the prices.
FYI: I am not endorsed, sponsored, or paid in anyway by these two companies.
First off lets start with CedarPC.com, this site was brought to my attention by a young computer guru about 3 months ago. I personally have not ordered anything from this site. This kid is sharp as any seasoned IT pro out there and I trust his opinion. Now most of these PCs are refurbished by CedarPC and arent "Cutting Technology". If you want a decent machine that isnt gonna break the bank and works great then this is the site for you. They have complete descriptions of the PCs so make sure you read what you are getting. Read the defects and make a conscienceous decison. Alot of the operating systems are Ubuntu, which is a flavor of Linux. Ubuntu is a fun OS just not what you are used to seeing when you have a Windows machine. When visiting their online store, i've been told to use the Chantilly store. Lets take a look at the prices and you'll see for yourself. You can scoop up a Dell optiplex Slim Form Factor PC with Windows Vista, a gig of ram, and a 3.4GHz processor for 152.00! Now there is no keyboard, mouse or Monitor. You can pick up a keyboard from them for 15$(which is a little high, there are cheaper ones though), a mouse for 6$, and an LCD Monitor for 99$(Cheapest). So you just spent 272$ for a complete computer system with no shipping charge, you can factor that in for yourself depending on your location. Thats pretty good especially if youre on a budget. The site also has all kinds of other electronics and if you're savvy enough to build your own PC, the parts are the cheapest around. Newegg.com is a great site for computer parts...but this site makes Newegg prices look like they are meant for the rich.
The second site is more of a commercial and if you like dealing with manufactures rather than outlets this one is for you. Dell's outlet store, which is accessible from this link Dell Outlet. These are scratch and dent PCs, refurbished PCs, and PCs people ordered but canceled. They are marked down 100s below regular price. They also have electronics, monitors, printers and servers. Free shipping is included as well. As far as pricing goes you can get a nice Inspiron 15R laptop(15 inch screen is what that means) with 3 gigs of ram, a 2.1 dual-core processor, and Windows 7 for 399.00. This comes with support and warranty and all the other bells and whistles. For desktops, get a Inspiron 537 mini-tower with 2 gives of ram a 2.20GHz processor with Windows 7 Home Premium for 279.00, this has key board, mouse, support and warranty. Monitors for these systems do have to be purchased separately. You can grab a 18.5 inch Dell HD wide-screen monitor for 99$...that's a great deal.
Now I know what you're saying...Dells suck. To this I say no Dells are great computers and their support rocks, I've never had a single problem. Yeah Dell is a big name company but so is Apple and everyone loves their iPod. CedarPC sells all kinds of computers not just dells. In the end its up to you, take a Dell for an incredible price or shell out more for a different name.
I hope this helps save you a little cash in this strapped market.
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Showing posts with label computers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computers. Show all posts
20100924
20100914
File Sharing Controversy
File sharing, the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as software, multi-media and documents. File sharing can be implemented through a variety of techniques, common methods include sharing removable media, purposely built distribution networks such as Apples 'iTunes' and the more popular method, peer-to-peer (P2P) networking. Peer-to-peer networks allow users to digitally distribute anything and everything, sounds simple, right?
Whilst in practice it is extremely straight forward and completely harmless, we can't hide from the fact that file sharing (aided by P2P networks) engineered a vast illegal network which is currently thriving. The increasing popularity of the mp3 music format in the late 1990's led to the release and growth of Napster. Napster is still highly regarded as the godfather of P2P file sharing, essentially paving the way for decentralized and semi-decentralised peer-to-peer file sharing networks such as Gnutella, Gnutella2, eDonkey2000 and the Kazaa network. Today, users are more familiar with the term "torrent downloads". Torrents are specialized files utilized in P2P network environments allowing users to download files at a faster rate. Whilst currently not considered illegal, torrents are extremely controversial largely due to the fact they are mainly used to distribute pirated data such as the latest films, music and computer games.
I can see what you're thinking, why not just close down the "networks"? To put it simply, it's impossible. To understand this claim, you have to understand how torrents actually work. Torrents use a toolkit called a "tracker", it's the trackers job to coordinate the P2P transfer of files among users, tracker applications typically run on websites. When initiating the download of a torrent, a user clicks on a link pointing to a torrent meta-data file. These meta-data files are not stored on the torrent trackers server, but are distributed among a number of torrent file servers. Each torrent file points to a tracker, which keeps a global registry of all the downloaders and seeds of the file in question. The tracker then responds to a download request with a list of peers who have (or a part of) the requested file, the user can then establish a direct connection and basically asks for chunks of the download.
To put it simply you are downloading from other users who possess the requested file, also known as peers. The "network" is essentially the entire world, how is one supposed to moderate what the planet is sharing? Putting an end to illegal file sharing and preventing piracy would take something exceptionally groundbreaking and somewhat drastic.
Todays news is littered with short films produced by the media designed to belittle illegal downloaders and "educate" joe public on the damage being caused by such actions. Bold claims are often outlined, "up to 800,000 jobs in the creative industries out of 1.8 million in total are threatened...", "billions has been lost due to piracy...", "record companies forced into liquidation...". More recently the media has been focusing on fines directed towards illegal downloaders, fines ranging anywhere from $1000 to $250,00000, all abit over the top isn't it? Well, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) it's only the beginning.
In 2003 the RIAA began legal proceedings againts Jammie Thomas-Rasset for infringing the copyrights of two dozen major-label songs on the popular P2P network Kazaa. The punishment? A cringeworthy fine of $80,000, per song. For the lables themselves, that's roughly equivalent to selling 114,000 songs at Apple's iTunes Store. Thomas-Rasset's was the first trial in the campaign against individual file-sharers that the RIAA began in 2003 and ended late last year. As such, it was one of the few tests of the legal underpinnings of that campaign, including the argument that making tracks available to others online (by keeping them in a folder that was available for sharing) was a form of infringement. Is Jammie's excessive penalty enough to deter you from downloading pirated data?
So, legal action is been presented and taken againts illegal downloaders, but is it enough? Various procedures have been put into place to help combat piracy. Internet service providers (ISPs) for example have been forced to crack down on repeat offenders who insist on constantly downloading pirated data by implementing a "three strikes and your gone" type system. Not exactly $80,000 is it? Whilst we could spend a lifetime discussing possible solutions to preventing piracy, we can't hide from the fact that file sharing in it's most basic terms is here to stay for some time to come.
The economic turmoil throughout our world is financially damaging and hitting familys hard, the solution to this is to spend as little money as possible. Think of it this way, you have had a tough month, scrimped and scraped to pay the bills, you're working six days a week but for what? Survival? To top it off this years most anticipated game has just been released and you can't afford it, but wait, it's available for FREE online, you could be playing it within the hour! We've all been there, whether it's a game, a film, maybe some software.. it's convenient for us to sit on our backsides and wait for said download to reach 100%.
It's all very well ISPs threatening to cut their customers off from the world wide web and large record labels taking legal action, the world in it's entirety is to blame, filesharing is an extremely lucrative market and it's here to stay.
Whilst in practice it is extremely straight forward and completely harmless, we can't hide from the fact that file sharing (aided by P2P networks) engineered a vast illegal network which is currently thriving. The increasing popularity of the mp3 music format in the late 1990's led to the release and growth of Napster. Napster is still highly regarded as the godfather of P2P file sharing, essentially paving the way for decentralized and semi-decentralised peer-to-peer file sharing networks such as Gnutella, Gnutella2, eDonkey2000 and the Kazaa network. Today, users are more familiar with the term "torrent downloads". Torrents are specialized files utilized in P2P network environments allowing users to download files at a faster rate. Whilst currently not considered illegal, torrents are extremely controversial largely due to the fact they are mainly used to distribute pirated data such as the latest films, music and computer games.
I can see what you're thinking, why not just close down the "networks"? To put it simply, it's impossible. To understand this claim, you have to understand how torrents actually work. Torrents use a toolkit called a "tracker", it's the trackers job to coordinate the P2P transfer of files among users, tracker applications typically run on websites. When initiating the download of a torrent, a user clicks on a link pointing to a torrent meta-data file. These meta-data files are not stored on the torrent trackers server, but are distributed among a number of torrent file servers. Each torrent file points to a tracker, which keeps a global registry of all the downloaders and seeds of the file in question. The tracker then responds to a download request with a list of peers who have (or a part of) the requested file, the user can then establish a direct connection and basically asks for chunks of the download.
To put it simply you are downloading from other users who possess the requested file, also known as peers. The "network" is essentially the entire world, how is one supposed to moderate what the planet is sharing? Putting an end to illegal file sharing and preventing piracy would take something exceptionally groundbreaking and somewhat drastic.
Todays news is littered with short films produced by the media designed to belittle illegal downloaders and "educate" joe public on the damage being caused by such actions. Bold claims are often outlined, "up to 800,000 jobs in the creative industries out of 1.8 million in total are threatened...", "billions has been lost due to piracy...", "record companies forced into liquidation...". More recently the media has been focusing on fines directed towards illegal downloaders, fines ranging anywhere from $1000 to $250,00000, all abit over the top isn't it? Well, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) it's only the beginning.
In 2003 the RIAA began legal proceedings againts Jammie Thomas-Rasset for infringing the copyrights of two dozen major-label songs on the popular P2P network Kazaa. The punishment? A cringeworthy fine of $80,000, per song. For the lables themselves, that's roughly equivalent to selling 114,000 songs at Apple's iTunes Store. Thomas-Rasset's was the first trial in the campaign against individual file-sharers that the RIAA began in 2003 and ended late last year. As such, it was one of the few tests of the legal underpinnings of that campaign, including the argument that making tracks available to others online (by keeping them in a folder that was available for sharing) was a form of infringement. Is Jammie's excessive penalty enough to deter you from downloading pirated data?
So, legal action is been presented and taken againts illegal downloaders, but is it enough? Various procedures have been put into place to help combat piracy. Internet service providers (ISPs) for example have been forced to crack down on repeat offenders who insist on constantly downloading pirated data by implementing a "three strikes and your gone" type system. Not exactly $80,000 is it? Whilst we could spend a lifetime discussing possible solutions to preventing piracy, we can't hide from the fact that file sharing in it's most basic terms is here to stay for some time to come.
The economic turmoil throughout our world is financially damaging and hitting familys hard, the solution to this is to spend as little money as possible. Think of it this way, you have had a tough month, scrimped and scraped to pay the bills, you're working six days a week but for what? Survival? To top it off this years most anticipated game has just been released and you can't afford it, but wait, it's available for FREE online, you could be playing it within the hour! We've all been there, whether it's a game, a film, maybe some software.. it's convenient for us to sit on our backsides and wait for said download to reach 100%.
It's all very well ISPs threatening to cut their customers off from the world wide web and large record labels taking legal action, the world in it's entirety is to blame, filesharing is an extremely lucrative market and it's here to stay.
20100301
Scams, Spam and Facebook?
In this blog, I want to warn you of the dangers of spam and scams.
"Spam is the abuse of electronic messaging systems (including most broadcast media, digital delivery systems) to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately."
Spam fills your inbox with offers of cheap meds, cheap sex, cheap travel and all kinds of other stuff. I have to be honest. If I responded to every one of the spam emails I got, I'd be broke. I would have my identity stolen. I would probably have a stock pile of sugar pills and vacation after vacation in the ghettos of Mexico and other places.
What I really want to make you aware of is the scam aspect of spam. Emails with subject titles like "I've got a message for you" or "Is this you?" are just ways to get you to open the mail and read the ad that is inside. This is where the scam aspect of spamming comes in. They hook you with bleeding heart messages like "help Haiti" or "Help Chile." Once you have clicked on the link, your computer is infected with viruses and trojans. They use the information you use to "Donate" and keep your money. The best guideline for spam - dont open email if you don't know who it is from. The "from" part of your mailbox is like the peephole on your front door, if you don't know the person knocking...you simply do not let them in.
Here is where I get to talk a little about the new Facebook scams going on. The newest spam/scam is made to look like it comes from your friends. You get a nice little invite in your message folder from what looks like your friends. The message says "Click here to RSVP." Well, clicking this link takes you to another website that infects your computer. Again the best way to prevent this is to not click on "it." Nine times out of ten, a person will tell you about an event before it hits Facebook. If you don't know about it...don't click on it.
Below are a few guidelines to follow from http://www.usaaedfoundation.org/pdf/572.pdf
How can you have fun online while protecting yourself?
-Do not post information that will identify you, including:
● Your full name.
● Your home address or phone number.
● Your Social Security number.
● Passwords.
● Credit card or bank account numbers.
● Names of family members or friends.
● Your workplace or favorite hangout.
● Names of clubs or organizations to which you belong.
● Historical information that could identify your past residences.
● Do not use a nickname that can be used to identify you (for example, “CharlestonLawyer,” “CindyFromTulsa” or “KyWildcatMom”).
● Never share your account password.
-Protect Your Computer System
● Consider using encryption to protect your personal information.
● Shut down your computer when it is not in use — especially in public places, such as Internet cafes, coffeehouses or airports.
● Keep your antivirus and antispyware programs, other software and operating systems updated to protect against new attacks.
● Consider using a firewall on your system to protect against hackers accessing your system remotely.
● Think about how your e-mail message will be read by others. Do not say anything online that is cruel or may damage someone’s reputation. Doing so puts you at risk of being accused of slander or defamation, or may cause a dangerous escalation of hostilities.
● Do not give out personal information about someone else.
● Do not forward another individual’s e-mail without their permission.
● Never allow anyone to photograph you in an embarrassing or compromising situation.
● Never post anything that would cause you embarrassment or shame. The Internet is the most public of forums — once you have posted a comment, a photo or a video, it cannot be erased or taken back. You cannot control its duplication and it may be used against you.
● Do not send photos of yourself or family members to Internet acquaintances. Photos can be altered and sent to others, and elements in photos — a landmark or a street name, for example — can be used to identify your location.
● Remember that, once posted, the information can be seen by anyone with a computer and an Internet connection: family and friends, employers or potential employers, admissions officers at schools you might like to attend — even police and other law-enforcement authorities.
Following these guidelines and taking to heart the information I have written about are just small steps that will have a huge effect on keeping you, your computer and your family safe from Scams, Spam, and Facebook.
"Spam is the abuse of electronic messaging systems (including most broadcast media, digital delivery systems) to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately."
Spam fills your inbox with offers of cheap meds, cheap sex, cheap travel and all kinds of other stuff. I have to be honest. If I responded to every one of the spam emails I got, I'd be broke. I would have my identity stolen. I would probably have a stock pile of sugar pills and vacation after vacation in the ghettos of Mexico and other places.
What I really want to make you aware of is the scam aspect of spam. Emails with subject titles like "I've got a message for you" or "Is this you?" are just ways to get you to open the mail and read the ad that is inside. This is where the scam aspect of spamming comes in. They hook you with bleeding heart messages like "help Haiti" or "Help Chile." Once you have clicked on the link, your computer is infected with viruses and trojans. They use the information you use to "Donate" and keep your money. The best guideline for spam - dont open email if you don't know who it is from. The "from" part of your mailbox is like the peephole on your front door, if you don't know the person knocking...you simply do not let them in.
Here is where I get to talk a little about the new Facebook scams going on. The newest spam/scam is made to look like it comes from your friends. You get a nice little invite in your message folder from what looks like your friends. The message says "Click here to RSVP." Well, clicking this link takes you to another website that infects your computer. Again the best way to prevent this is to not click on "it." Nine times out of ten, a person will tell you about an event before it hits Facebook. If you don't know about it...don't click on it.
Below are a few guidelines to follow from http://www.usaaedfoundation.org/pdf/572.pdf
How can you have fun online while protecting yourself?
-Do not post information that will identify you, including:
● Your full name.
● Your home address or phone number.
● Your Social Security number.
● Passwords.
● Credit card or bank account numbers.
● Names of family members or friends.
● Your workplace or favorite hangout.
● Names of clubs or organizations to which you belong.
● Historical information that could identify your past residences.
● Do not use a nickname that can be used to identify you (for example, “CharlestonLawyer,” “CindyFromTulsa” or “KyWildcatMom”).
● Never share your account password.
-Protect Your Computer System
● Consider using encryption to protect your personal information.
● Shut down your computer when it is not in use — especially in public places, such as Internet cafes, coffeehouses or airports.
● Keep your antivirus and antispyware programs, other software and operating systems updated to protect against new attacks.
● Consider using a firewall on your system to protect against hackers accessing your system remotely.
● Think about how your e-mail message will be read by others. Do not say anything online that is cruel or may damage someone’s reputation. Doing so puts you at risk of being accused of slander or defamation, or may cause a dangerous escalation of hostilities.
● Do not give out personal information about someone else.
● Do not forward another individual’s e-mail without their permission.
● Never allow anyone to photograph you in an embarrassing or compromising situation.
● Never post anything that would cause you embarrassment or shame. The Internet is the most public of forums — once you have posted a comment, a photo or a video, it cannot be erased or taken back. You cannot control its duplication and it may be used against you.
● Do not send photos of yourself or family members to Internet acquaintances. Photos can be altered and sent to others, and elements in photos — a landmark or a street name, for example — can be used to identify your location.
● Remember that, once posted, the information can be seen by anyone with a computer and an Internet connection: family and friends, employers or potential employers, admissions officers at schools you might like to attend — even police and other law-enforcement authorities.
Following these guidelines and taking to heart the information I have written about are just small steps that will have a huge effect on keeping you, your computer and your family safe from Scams, Spam, and Facebook.
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