Forward Thinking

I’m not sure, but I think the Spider Solitaire game on my computer is a RAM hog. It seems like after playing a few rounds of it, the processes really slow down a lot and sometimes I have to reboot just to get things up and running again. I’m going to try to stay away from that game for the next 24 hours to see if my suspicions are correct, while I continue to run other programs as usual.

One way or another, I’m going to find out which one is the real culprit and has been depleting the resources of my laptop at a much higher rate than I’d like. Then, what will I do about it? Probably nothing, but at least I’ll know what to expect when I run Spider Solitaire or any program that’s eating up resources! Maybe I don’t really need more RAM. Maybe I just need to stop playing Solitaire so much…lol

Technorati Tags: Spider Solitaire, RAM, laptop

Son reminded me last night that I need to backup my laptop. I haven’t done this in awhile and I don’t want to wind up like he did - losing everything in a crash. I installed a memory stick some time ago, but that doesn’t mean my computer will remember anything if it crashes!

He suggested that I use a DVD for my backup instead of a CD. DVDs have more space on them to record the backup so it’s less likely that I’ll have to insert additional disks. I hadn’t thought of that before, but he’s probably right. He has a few blank DVDs upstairs, so I’ll get one and perform the backup later today. First, though, I think I’ll do a disk cleanup and maybe defrag the machine, too. I really am overdue on both of those tasks.

I really should be more consistent in doing all of these things. We do a full backup at work every night on the computer and server there. I don’t know why I fail to do this on my home computer or my laptop.

Technorati Tags: laptop, computer, disk cleanup, defrag

A few days ago I mentioned how easy it is to install a stick of RAM into your laptop. I wanted to elaborate on that just a bit.

Turn your laptop off and disconnect anything that’s hooked up to it. Turn it over. On the bottom of your laptop, you’ll find several places where you can remove a couple of screws and see what’s inside. One of the places will be your battery. Another one, you’ll find the RAM sticks, which are slightly larger than a stick of chewing gum. If your laptop in new, there is probably just one stick of RAM in it, but there’s a slot for another one. All you have to do after you purchase the memory is to slide the stick into the slot until it’s properly seated in there. You can only put it in one direction, so you can’t get that wrong at all.

Replace the cover. Don’t try to screw it down real tight or you could damage the cover. Just snug it nicely. Turn your laptop back on. It will find the RAM itself and begin using it.

Technorati Tags: RAM, laptop

Since Son has his laptop up and running again, I’ve been trying to talk him into getting additional ram for it. It’s so easy to install and really helps the performance a lot. He is thinking he has enough already, but I’m from the school of thought that thinks you can never have too much RAM. It certainly can’t hurt to have more, and I’ve been thinking about installing more on my own laptop, even though I did that a few months ago.

I’m wanting to get a gig of RAM and replace one of the 512 sticks with that. Might even go for two one-gig sticks and replace them both. Who knows? I just want to stay booted up a lot longer and right now it seems like my RAM runs out way too soon.

I need to take a look at the programs that are installed, too, to see if some of them are RAM hogs. If they aren’t programs I make good use of, then I’ll uninstall them. After all, it’s no big deal to put them back later if I find I miss them.

Technorati Tags: RAM, laptop

Son’s laptop crashed awhile back. So, a friend who is attending a local technical college took it to his instructor to see about reviving it. This guy kept the computer for about three months, trying this and that to get it up and running again. Nothing worked.

Today, the friend returned the laptop to Son, saying it was hopeless. Nothing the expert instructor did worked and the laptop was just plain shot. Give it up.

Then, another friend of Son’s happened to be riding in the car with him and saw the laptop in the back seat. He asked about it and Son said it was a goner. Crashed, burned, and just a paperweight now. So, this other friend called his brother. The brother is a troubled kid who is in and out of detention and alternative schools. He made some suggestions. Son followed them. Voila! The laptop is now up and running again just as good as new.

How is it that an instructor for a computer class and technological “expert” couldn’t have done these few simple moves to make the laptop run again, but some pimply faced kid with no formal training actually had the right answer? I don’t know either, but that kid deserves some gold cufflinks and a teaching job at the tech institute!

Technorati Tags: laptop, technical college, computer

The funny thing about this newly-discovered WIFI connection out here in the country is that it is super fast at night but I can barely stay connected in the day time, and sometimes I can’t connect at all. We still don’t know where the WIFI is coming from, but I guess I’ll just enjoy it while I can. Who knows if it will last?

If I’m surfing the ‘net to find a signal booster, which I really need for my cell phone out here, or the best acne treatment, to tell my grandson about, so far I can go online and find the information I need. I really do not want to get another land line. DSL is available out here, but I’m already paying monthly for the wireless aircard so I don’t want to add yet another bill to my budget.

Technorati Tags: WIFI, signal booster

After we started getting settled in this house, we discovered that our cell phone signal was next to nothing, and actually nonexistent most of the time. Only from certain locations in the house can we connect by cell phone, and even then the call is frequently dropped. Incoming calls seem to fare a bit better as do voice mails and text messages, but dialing out is an exercise in futility.

As you can imagine, getting a connection on the laptop with the aircard is just as difficult. However, we were surprised to find out that we can actually achieve a Wifi connection out here instead of a regular wireless connection. I’m still not sure exactly why, but when we move the switch on the front of the laptop to “radio” and try the Wifi, it works. Well, most of the time. Sometimes the signal gets dropped, but for the most part I can still go online, just as I am doing right now.

I am certainly happy we found this option out here in the country. I can still blog and surf without having to pack up my laptop and go back into town. Television watching is another matter, though. There is a TV antenna, but it only picks up one channel. There is also a satellite dish, but I haven’t subscribed to satellite reception and don’t have a receiver. So, it wouldn’t matter if I had a top of the line HDMI switch and all the bells and whistles, I’d still only be able to watch one channel or my own collection of movies.

Technorati Tags: cell phone, laptop, aircard, Wifi

My son, who I mentioned in the previous post, has been thinking about heading out to Washington state to visit an old friend of his. The young man used to live around here and stayed at our house pretty often. We all went to church together, too, his family and our family.

Even though my son is 22 years old, I am still his mother and the thought of him traveling so far from home in his car worries me. Having the GPS radio in his car now helps, so I know he won’t go far off course. I’ll also encourage him to purchase travel insurance just in case anything were to happen on the road, God forbid. One can never be too safe.

Technorati Tags: Washington, GPS

My son got a new radio for his car. This isn’t just any radio, though. Besides playing music and talk radio stations, he can also play movie DVDs on it, music CDs, and it has a GPS system that is pretty sophisticated. It can be set to talk to you and tell you where to turn and how far away your turn is in either a male or female voice, and in a variety of languages besides English.

You can input where you want to go and it will offer up full driving directions faster than I can find the same thing on either Google or Yahoo! Maps.

It has a remote control (why a car radio needs one when it’s inches from the user, I’ll never know). The view screen can be tilted to accommodate the driver or passenger for their viewing pleasure, avoiding glare on the screen. Of course, the thing hooks right up to his stereo system, already in place.

It’s a pretty cool item but with a price tag near $400, not something I’m going to be putting in my car anytime soon.

Technorati Tags: GPS, driving directions, remote control

The more I think about it, the more I really want a HDTV. I don’t even care that Blu-Ray is the technology that seems to be rapidly overtaking HD. Along with it are coming technologies that will help me keep some of my current equipment and use them all together. I know I can utilize HDMI peripherals to connect the home entertainment system to the television, convert signals, and bring it all together under one “roof”, so to speak. So, what am I waiting for? Nothing really, other than a really good sale on HDTVs!

Technorati Tags: HDTV, Blu-Ray, home entertainment system