Acer Timeline Series Boasts 8-Hour Battery Life

by Chloe Albanesius

Acer on Tuesday introduced its new TravelMate Timeline series of ultra-thin notebooks intended for business customers.

The three versions of the device – the 8571, 8471, and 8371 – include 6-cell batteries that promise up to eight hours of power when the Acer PowerSmart Manager is enabled.

The main difference between the three notebooks is screen size – users can select a 13.3- inch, 14.1-inch, or 15.6-inch screen. There is also the option to select 3GB or 4GB of RAM, a 1.3GHz or 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and a 320GB or 250GB hard drive.

All the machines come with 32-bit Windows 7 Professional pre-installed, though Acer will also include a Windows XP Professional CD as well.

They also include an Acer Crystal Eye webcam; three USB 2.0 ports; an HDMI port; a 5-in-1 card reader; a multi-gesture touchpad pointing device supporting circular-motion scrolling, pinch-action zoom, and page flip; and 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N WLAN, Bluetooth, gigabit LAN.

They all weigh in at 3.5 lbs.

The 15.6-inch and 14.1-inch laptops with a 1.4GHz processor and a 320GB SATA hard drive will run you $999, while the 13.3-inch 8371 with a 320GB hard drive costs $919. The 15.6-inch and 14.1-inch versions with a 250GB hard drive are retailing for $899.

They are available now through all Acer re-sellers.

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10 Things You Need to Know About Arrandale processors.

by Laarni Almendrala Ragaza

1. The "Arrandale" chips are Intel's new mainstream Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3 mobile processors.

2. The new CPUs have two physical cores instead of the four found in the high-end Core i7 mobile CPUs (codenamed "Clarksfield").

3. Arrandale marks the first time integrated graphics has moved into the processor package. This means every laptop with a Core i7, Core i5, or Core i3 CPU will automatically have integrated graphics.

4. The new Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3 CPUs will have Hyper-Threading technology, which means that each core will have two threads. Thus, your laptop's operating system will recognize these processors as having four cores.

5. With Arrandale, Intel does away with the Front Side Bus by integrating the memory and a PCI-e controller (graphics) into the processor package itself.

6. The new SouthBridge has an official name, and it's called the Intel 5 Series Chipset. There will be multiple versions of it for the home and enterprise markets.

7. The chipset can stream to multiple monitors, with support for dual HDMI and DisplayPort technologies.

8. By eliminating a third chip and consolidating motherboard space, the Arrandale/Calpella platform paves the way for thinner and lighter laptops, while scaling performance.

9. TurboBoost technology, an intelligent form of overclocking, is automatically activated when you are running 2D and single-threaded applications, and deactivated when you're running multi-threaded applications, for better performance.

10. The mobile Core i7s mark the end of DDR2 memory. Their dual channel memory controller can support DDR3 memory speeds of up to 1333MHz.
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Tips for Getting Found in Real-Time Searches

By Chris Crum

Original Article: Real-time search is still an emerging concept. At this point, using a real-time search engine will bring you results by time/date. This doesn't always cater to relevancy, which is why there is still a lot of work to be done in this field.
So, if real-time results are based upon time/date, and the user's query, it stands to reason that time and those queries are the most important components in getting your content found in these types of searches.

1. Use Keywords

This seems obvious, but use keywords in not only your content, but in your titles, and your updates. If you're writing an article, you have to consider what people are going to include in their updates if they share it on a social network, whether this be Facebook, Twitter, or anything else.

More often than not, they are going to include the title. If the right keywords are in the title, then those keywords are also more likely to appear in any ensuing tweets, Facebook updates, etc. If someone searches for those keywords, they will be more likely to find your content in a real-time search.

The same goes for your own Tweets/status updates. Even if you are not sharing an article, if you want your update to be found, use relevant keywords. Again, obvious, but true.

2. Talk About Timely Events

Simply mentioning events that are current will put you directly into the results for any searches having to do with that topic, provided the right keywords are in play. This is a method that could and (surely is) being exploited by spammers, but that doesn't mean you can't provide legitimate conversation and simply put yourself on more people's radars, without throwing links at them every time.

3. Have a Lot of Followers

If you have a lot of followers or friends on social networks, or even just readers of your blog, you are going to get more people sharing your content. The more people sharing your content, the more impressions of your content will be making their way into real time searches.

There is no easy way to instantly get a bunch of legitimate readers/followers. It will take some promotion. Provide useful content that people will link to and it will spread virally. Provide clear ways for them to follow you (like links to Facebook pages and Twitter accounts on your blog).

4. Promote Conversation

Whether on your blog or on a social network, spark conversations. Talk about topics that people are interested in. This is tied to number 2. The more conversations you are involved with, the more retweets (and equivalents on other networks) you are likely to get. And again, this means more impressions in real times searches.

5. Include Calls to Engagement
I recently talked about why there is more to retweeting than meets the eye for businesses. I mentioned the use of buttons like Tweetmeme's and Digg's. These are buttons you can put on articles that show the amount of retweets/diggs that article has. They kind of act as a meter for engagement.

These buttons are certainly not all-encompassing. They only represent the conversation on 2 channels, and not the web in general. I'm sure there are other buttons that can be used in addition.

More importantly though, they provide a "call to action" to share the content. People can digg or retweet a story with a simple click, and you're one step closer to being found in somebody's real-time search.
Wrapping Up

Real-time search is much more basic (at least so far) than say, Google Search. You're not ranking for relevancy. Really, you could hardly call it ranking it all. It's about visibility. That means, you have to get people talking about your content/updates.

Social media by nature is viral. Real-time search is nothing more than putting things in chronological order. You have to keep people talking to stay relevant to "right now."
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Cygnett intros Lavish leather case for iPhone,laptop

High-grade, ultra-soft lambskin promises sophistication and luxury

Get amazon.produck store many leather case for laptop iphone and many more.

iPhone, iPod and MP3 accessories maker Cygnett has introduced the Lavish leather case for iPhone.

The premium leather case is crafted from 100 per cent high-grade, ultra-soft lambskin made to withstand everyday wear and tear insists Cygnett.

The flip-top design includes complete access to touchscreen, buttons, camera, charging and syncing.

The leather case for iPhone is available in Chocolate Brown, Classic Black, Cherry Red or Hot Pink and comes with a screen protector and microfibre cleaning cloth along with a Lifetime Manufacturer's Warranty.

buy The Cygnett Lavish leather case available from stores including
amazon.

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Make the Most of Your New PC

by Eric Griffith

Did you receive a pristine, mint Windows 7 (or even Vista) computer this holiday season? Great, but right out of the box, every computer is far from perfect. Unlike most electronic devices, which you can plug in and use instantly, PCs—particularly those with Windows—need some adjustment before they're ready for everyday use. You need to make your new system safe, and also personalize it with your own preferences. There are programs on the hard drive you should get rid of, and other things you should add immediately. If you haven't yet been introduced to Windows 7, or it's been a while since you've set up a new machine, we'll walk you through it all in these 12 simple steps. If your new baby is a Mac, you've got a much shorter to-do list.

After you've devised clever ways to use your new collection of Styrofoam, and made the basic initial connections (power, monitor, Ethernet, keyboard and mouse), Windows 7 will ask you to do various things, like set your language, time zone, clock and calendar, and perhaps most important, create a user account and password. Forgo this only if you're 110 percent sure no one else will want to gain access, ever, or if you're so dull-as-dishwater that it wouldn't matter. For a computer that will have multiple users, this is a must.

2. De-bloat the System
Big-name system vendors typically install software on their consumer PCs at the factory. These "extras" go by many names: bundleware, begware, bloatware, and my favorite, crapware. That's because a lot of it is just that: useless crap. The vendors install it under the guise of helping you out, but mostly they do it to get money from the software makers. A few vendors, like Sony and Dell, offer some options to avoid crapware, but usually just for businesses . Boutique manufacturers, like Velocity Micro, do a better job of providing a clean system.

What can you do to decrapify your new PC? Download and run the free PC Decrapifier. It will hit some of the flotsam you might not want, from AOL installers to Yahoo! Toolbar, but it won't get it all. If you can identify more crapplications it missed, try Revo Uninstaller, a free utility that does more to fully eradicate errant softwarethan the built-in Windows control panel.

This is a good time to kill anything you don't want that's part of Windows 7 itself. Load up the control panel called Uninstall a Program. Click "Turn Windows Features on or off" at left. You'll get a User Account Control warning; click OK. Uncheck anything in the list you definitely don't want, such as games, Tablet PC Optional Components, and so forth. If you don't know what an item does, hover the mouse over the name for a description. If you still don't know what it does, best to leave it.

Don't confuse crapware with trialware—a trial version of software you might actually want that is active for a limited time. It might be worth keeping, especially if it's a free trial of a solid security product, which leads us to...

3. Activate Shields
If you're willing to pay to protect your system from malware, and get some extra firewall protection to boot, we recommend you install our Editors' Choice security package, Norton Internet Security 2010. Its defense against spyware and viruses is extremely effective, and impact on system performance is minimal.

If you don't want to pay, check out Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition 1.0, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) that is super-light on your systems. That's because the data it uses to fight malware is entirely online. The downside is that you must have an active broadband Internet connection for it to work properly.

Everyone on a broadband connection needs a software firewall to control which applications on your PC can access the Internet. The firewall in your network router is not enough. When it comes to free firewall software, there are several to pick from, including Comodo Firewall and ZoneAlarm Free Firewall. Look for free download links at their Web sites.

4. Download Updates
At some point your PC will tell you there are Windows updates available. Probably about five minutes after you successfully boot up. Grab those updates. You may have an icon in the system tray at the lower right, or you can select Windows Update from the main menu at the lower left (choose All Programs to find it).

Depending on which version of Windows has been installed on your computer and when, you could have quite a few updates—big updates—to download. Let this process run its course. Walk away. Eat some leftovers, go out for a mocha latte, watch an Adam Sandler movie. It's going to take a while, and the Sandler movie will seem to last forever (especially Zohan).

When the downloads are done, run Windows Update... again. Updates tend to beget updates. Three times should be sufficient. By now you've got a truly pristine system

5. Ghost the Machine
After something catastrophic happens, some techies prefer to reinstall from the original CDs to get a fresh start. That means going through all those updates again. Instead, back up your pristine system right now with the full, updated OS, so you can restore everything quickly after a disaster.

Make a complete drive image (aka a ghost) of the C: drive. You can make images with Norton Ghost 15, Acronis True Image Home 2010, or a freebie like DriveImage XML (www.runtime.org). If you've got Windows Vista Business or Ultimate, use the built-in tool called Complete PC Backup to do the job. Windows 7 users with Home Premium on up can go to the Back up or Restore control panel and pick "Create a System Image." Save the image to your hard drive. If it's small enough, burn it to some DVDs, otherwise copy the im to an external hard drive or USB flash drive for access later.

6. Transfer Files
Windows Vista and 7 makes relatively simple to move files from your old computer to the new with the Windows Easy Transfer utility. It works with various methods (external hard drive, USB flash drive, network, and transfer cable) to move not only data files and folders but also settings from your old Windows system to the new. It even re-creates your user accounts, if you want that. It does not move your old applications. To take advantage of Easy Transfer, your old PC must be running Windows 2000, XP, or Vista.

You can always use old-school sneaker-net—copy files from the old PC on a CD, DVD, or flash drive, then copy them over to your new machine—but if you've got a lot of files, this could take hours or days. That really big external hard drive with a USB connector you bought for backup is an option. A better solution might be to reuse the hard drive from your old computer. A USB 2.0 to SATA/IDE Adapter (about $25), like one from StarTech, can turn an old drive into an external drive for use on your new PC. It's just not very pretty.

The home network is your slickest alternative—once you have it set up right. Go into the System control panel, click Advanced system settings, and then go to the Computer Name tab under System Properties. Click the Change button. Make sure the new computer has a name that's unique among the computers in the house, and that the Workgroup name is exactly the same for all the computers in the house. Otherwise, they can't see each other to share. Go into your software firewall and check that it's open to other PCs on your network (and that the firewalls on the other computers are open to the new PC, as well). Find the folder containing the files you want to share on the old computer, right-click on it to get Properties, and tell Windows to share the folder. On Vista and Windows 7 systems, the folder should now show up in the Network and Sharing Center when you click View computers and devices. (That HomeGroup stuff in Windows 7 is great, but is only going to be useful if all your computers run Windows 7, and how likely is that?)

Avoid the temptation to buy a migration utility or some special, expensive USB cable to use with its Easy Transfer utility. Neither option is worth the money, especially for an action you'll take only once.

Consider instead something that does much more, like IOGear's USB laptop KVM Switch with File Transfer (www.iogear.com). It not only handles file transfers between computers but lets you switch instantly from PC to PC, using a single monitor and keyboard/mouse. For $49.95 it's one way to ensure that both your old and your new computers remain useful.

7. Prep for Data Backup
No doubt you've heard this a zillion times, but in case this advice hasn't taken, I'll repeat: A simple backup regime is great for peace of mind. Online backup services like MozyHome make it painless. You can start with a free account that stores up to 2GB of data. Perfect for your unfinished novel or other small projects. (You can get unlimited online storage with Mozy for $4.95 per month.)

If you've got multiple machines, consider one of the many services that synchronize files between computers and add online backup in the middle, so you can get to files when you're at someone else's PC. Dropbox is our Editors' Choice in this category. supports sync between multiple Windows, Mac, and even Linux PCs, and even allows access to files via iPhone. Basic service is free and gives you 2 gigs of online storage; it costs $9.99 a month to get 50 gigs.

Local backup of your data gives you more control. One option is to partition your hard drive into multiple drives—C: for the system and programs, D: for data, E: for items you don't need to back up. That way, you can tell Windows Backup and Restore control panel to look at one drive only. Buy an external hard drive that's at least 1.5 times larger than the data partition (a 500GB external drive to back up your 300GB partition, for example) as a target drive. Now even huge video and photo files are no big deal to back up. Simply put them in the same spot every time—always "D: for data" (for example)—and let the software do its job.

8. Geek Out The Browser
Firefox remains the PC Magazine Editors' Choice Web browser for good reason. It's friendly and infinitely configurable, though problems with memory have been cropping up a lot lately.

That makes Google Chrome 3, which also rates four stars without quite making it to an EC—yet—another good choice because it's about as fast as a Web browser can get come. And if you're willing to switch to the 4.0 beta, you'll also find that same kind of configurability, since Chrome now has support for extensions.

Sure, you could go your whole life using both browsers and never change a thing, but once you install a few key extensions, you'll wonder how you ever lived a plain vanilla browser. If you used Firefox on your old computer, you probably want the same settings, bookmarks, and extensions. Back up the old Firefox using freeware MozBackup, save the file to your new PC, and use MozBackup to restore. It also works with Thunderbird to back up e-mail.

If you want to get anything done online, you better quickly install these programs no matter what browser you use: QuickTime, Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, Windows Media Player, and a PDF file reader (try the free Foxit Reader; it's faster and smaller than Adobe Reader)

9. Place Your Programs
This is one area where you're on your own: We can't decide what software you want or need. But if you're configuring this new machine for someone else, remember that no PC is complete without at least an office suite, a photo-editing tool, a media manager, and e-mail. And there are free alternatives for almost any program you might need; see our no-cost favorites in The Best Free Software 2009.

If you want the same setup as your previous machine, check the Program Files folder on the C: drive of your old PC. Make a list of the programs there using an online word processor like Google Docs so you can access the list from any computer. Keep in mind that you'll also want to carry over the settings and log-in info for software like e-mail and IM clients.

Gather those monstrosities known as registration codes for your software. Record them somewhere permanent and accessible. Write them on the discs themselves with a thin-tipped Sharpie, keep them in a notebook, get a tattoo; use whatever method you have for preserving data you know you will need again.

Some software is limited to a certain number of machines. For example, iTunes also an Editors' Choice, will play only songs you've bought online on up to five PCs. So check that the software is de-authorized on the old PC if you won't be using it there.

10. Tune-Up Time
On the right system Windows is very fast--Windows 7 is especially impressive—but tweaks always help performance. You have to decide: do you want a system that works great or is goodlooking? Here are a few steps to tweak your new PC's performance in favor of speed, not appearance:

* Set the desktop to a plain, one-color background. Big photographic wallpaper can slow load time.
* If you're not into desktop widgets along the screen's edge, or maybe prefer those from another source (like Google), turn off Windows Sidebar. It takes up space on your desktop. In Vista, go to the Windows Sidebar Properties control panel and deselect Start Sidebar when Windows starts. In Windows 7, the control panel is renamed Windows Gadgets. But you can just right click a gadget to remove it and it won't come back unless asked.
* Aero is the name for the fancy graphics interface that delivers things like transparency in windows. Cool as it looks, Aero can slow down your system. In Vista's Personalization control panel, select Windows Color and Appearance. In the next window, click Open classic appearance properties. Change the color scheme to something else, such as Windows Standard, and click Effects to turn off menu shadows and the ability to see windows as you drag them. In Windows 7, you can deactivate features like transparency individually.
* Go to the System control panel, click System Protection, and on the Advanced tab, click the button in the Performance box. If you turn off every option under Visual Effects (like animated controls, fading menus, and shadows under your mouse cursor) by selecting "Adjust for best performance," it should speed things up.
* If you've got a very fast USB thumb drive, insert it and activate Windows ReadyBoost. This cache can help a bit with performance while the drive is inserted.
* Adjust the power settings, especially if you've got a laptop that is unplugged while in use. The "high performance" pre-sets will drain juice faster.

11. Review Hardware
Starting out with a new PC is the perfect opportunity to reassess the hardware attached to your old PC. Before you start plugging things from that ancient XP machine into that snazzy Windows 7 system, consider carefully how much you need those peripherals. Do you really need that old flatbed scanner now that the pictures you take are digital? For some, the answer will be no. Ancient USB hubs (you probably have more ports on your new box, and you don't want a hub that doesn't support USB 2.0), old-school ink-jet printers,low-capacity portable hard drives could probably all stand a refresh if not outright dumping.

Old hardware moved to a new PC means you need the latest drivers. DriverMax can back up drivers for when you need them later. However, it doesn't upgrade your old XP drivers to new Windows 7 drivers, so you still need to do the leg work. Hit the manufacturer's Web site for your scanner, printer, camera, media player, and so on, and download what you need.

That mouse and keyboard that came with your new system should be considered suspect. PC vendors aren't known for including highly ergonomic input devices. Consider instead the Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000, which comes with a wireless ergonomic keyboard and mouse.

In fact, consider an ergonomic keyboard and mouse even if your new PC is a laptop. Especially one you don't move around much. Your wrists will thank you later.

12. Register Everything
It's no guarantee of great technical support, but if you register your PC with the manufacturer, as well as the software and peripherals with their respective creators, you stand a better chance of being recognized when the time does come to call for help—and you know that time will come. Getting a vendor to honor a warranty might depend on knowing when you bought or received the product.

Registering online is relatively painless; you're on the Web anyway, so you might as well. One downside is that registration can also put your name on endless mailing lists, so if that bothers you, deselect that option when signing up. Or, create a special email address that you can use to filter them. For example, Gmail users can stick a random period in the first part of their address (such as your.name@gmail.com) and it will still come to the account, but you can filter messages sent to it into special folders. Keep in mind that it's smart to be registered in case there's a recall—you don't want to be the only person walking around with a laptop battery that might catch on fire, do you?

Easy, Mac
One thing you don't have to worry about with a Macintosh computer is crapware. Companies like Dell or HP can justify lame extras by claiming they provide functions that are unavailable (or insufficient) in Windows. The MacOS and hardware is a closed system controlled by Apple, a company that prides itself on user experience. It is not about to sully that rep with a bunch of third-party junk; it would have no one to blame but itself. Of course, Apple will gladly sell you some extras, like the iWork and iLife suites.

Mac OS X SnowLeopard (version 10.6 comes with an application firewall to control any connections made by your software to the Internet. You can find it in the System Preferences folder to make adjustments. As for antivirus software, you can buy itbut Apple's market share is still small enough that the Mac is seldom a target of malware.

Migrating files from old Mac to new is a breeze. In the Applications/Utilities folder, find the Migration Assistant. Hook two Macs together with a Firewire cable and run the Assistant. The settings from the older Mac (with Mac OS 10.4.10 or later) will transfer to the new system with Leopard. That includes data like browser bookmarks and user profiles. It doesn't include apps that come with the Mac OS; Apple assumes the new Mac will have the latest Safari, for example. If you've got a modern MacBook, including the Firewire-free MacBook Air, you can migrate files over the wireless network.

If you're going from Mac to Windows, or vice versa, you can always fall back on a USB drive to move files, but you're on your own finding the data you want to transfer. And it's slow. A faster method might be the Media Sharing Cable for PC and Mac from Kensington. This $60 cable allows you to drag and drop files between systems—very handy for really big media. That's a lot to pay however; you might prefer to network the Mac and Windows, even if it is a struggle.

Of course, if you plan to use both the Mac and Windows PCs regularly, real-time synchronization is definitely the way to go, and as stated, our favorite, DropBox, will do that between folders on multiple Windows and Mac OS systems

What to Do with Your Old PC
You can probably put your old PC to some kind of good use. But sometimes, you want that old dinosaur out of the house. Here are some options to consider:

1. Revitalize it. You may think that ancient laptop is too slow for use, but try installing a Linux-based operating system like Ubuntu. It may turn that geezer into the perfect Web-surfing speed demon. If you want to hand it down to your least PC-literate family member, gOS 3.1 Gadgets will get them started online.

2. Give it away. Whether you hand it down to family or to a local charity, there's got to be someone clamoring for your old, working PC. If you can't find anyone, check www.freecycle.org for a mailing list of people in a city near you who love free stuff. Your junk is their gold.

3. Pick a dump spot. Find a PC Donation center in your area that will make sure PC toxins don't end up in a landfill. Search Earth 911.com or MyGreenElectronics.org for places that will dispose of electronics responsibly.

No matter what, sanitize that hard drive before you pass it on. At the very least, format the drive and reinstall the operating system before recycling the old PC. If you're extra paranoid, keep in mind that formatting isn't enough to be 100 percent certain data is completely unrecoverable. Specialty software Darik's Boot and Nuke or Active@ KillDisk - Hard Drive Eraser will do the job free, but the job can take hours and hours.

So then there's the Swiss cheese option: Take the drive out to the workshop and drill holes through it. Bullet holes will do the same thing, but that's overkill, even for your data.

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Spring-Cleaning for Your PC

by David Cardinal

Is your computer filling up with old files or slowing down, cluttered with applications? Just like your house, it likely needs a good spring-cleaning. Fortunately there are a few simple steps you can take and utilities you can use to clean up the debris that may be cluttering up your machine. Here's part 1 of our guide. Part 2—on physically cleaning your PC and peripherals—arrives tomorrow.

First you should decide how thorough you want to be. Like your basement, your PC can potentially benefit from hours of cleaning, but you probably have other things to do with your time. So if your hard drive is filled to bursting, spend some time backing up and clearing off your data files. Otherwise, though, honestly, your time is better spent on other chores.

There are two exceptions to this rule: your desktop and your Start menu. If you've been letting your desktop fill up, take just 10 minutes to file away or delete the clutter. If you're using Windows XP and need to ease navigation in the Start menu, open the menu in Windows Explorer (C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs) and spend a couple of minutes filing. Since Vista users have the convenient Start menu search field, straightening up the Programs menu seems like a waste of time.

UNCLOG THE PIPES

One of the simplest steps you can take to help out your machine's performance is to defragment the hard drive—although, alas, test results show that defragging achieves uneven improvement. But with a disk defragmenting utility built right into Windows, there's no reason not to run it. This is as simple as right-clicking on the hard drive icon in Windows Explorer and choosing the Defragment option under Tools. Your computer may need to reboot to complete the work, so give yourself some time to run the utility. Defragmenting reassembles and rearranges files that have become scattered across the drive, ensuring that your computer can get to each file as quickly as possible.

FREE SPACE

System Configuration Utility

Slightly more complicated but practically guaranteed effective is freeing space on your hard drive. Unused programs and especially services take up space as well as using computer processing time and even slowing your start-up. The first culprits to look for are any applications that start up each time you launch Windows but aren't doing anything you need. Once everyone learned to delete the application shortcuts in the Start menu's Startup folder, app developers got crafty. You can uninstall programs you don't want at all, but to disable start-up programs, you'll want the System Configuration utility. Click Start | Run, and type msconfig. Go to the Startup tab and you can disable the apps you don't want running automatically. You can search online for unfamiliar names; we like the Process Library for this information. And do take a few seconds to research the names; you don't want to disable a critical process.

Next, a trip to the Programs and Features section of the Control Panel in Vista or to the Add and Remove Programs item in Windows XP is well worthwhile. If you're the sort of person who has tried a number of programs, or even if you've just stopped using some of your older software, you'll find a gold mine of opportunity for cleaning up your system. Select and uninstall each of the applications you no longer use. In general, if you're asked whether to remove shared files, it is safest to say no. They don't take much room, and if you remove them you risk breaking some other application.

ELIMINATE REDUNDANCY
Disk Cleanup Options
It won't make your machine run any better, but if you hate staring at the runt entries left in the Programs control panel after they don't uninstall correctly, then Microsoft's uninstall cleaner will get rid of them.

Fast Duplicate File Finder
If your hard drive is filling up, several utilities can help you remove duplicate or unused files. The first one to try is built right into Windows. Disk Cleanup, accessible from your Programs menu under Accessories | System Tools | Disk Cleanup (or Start | Run… cleanmgr) will delete, among other things, the contents of your Recycle Bin, old downloads, temp files, unneeded system logs, and dump files, as well as helping you remove unused Windows components. Then if your machine has more than one drive and your System drive (usually C:) is filling up, consider moving some of your data files to your other drives. Remember not to move applications themselves. They have to be uninstalled and reinstalled if you want them in a different location.

If you suspect you've wound up with multiple copies of large files like photos, music, or videos, there are utilities that can help you locate and delete duplicates. One nice free one is Fast Duplicate File Finder from MindGems; PCMag utility Dupeless 2 is another good choice, though it's not free. Finally, as long as you're getting your hands dirty, now's a good time to make sure you have a backup system and that it's working. See our article on the best backup tools to get some ideas on how to make sure your system is effectively archived.

Whether you take the time to go through all of these steps or just some of them, the time you spend spring-cleaning your system should more than pay for itself in a better-performing machine for the rest of the year.
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Disney Netpal by ASUS

produc by amazone

ASUS and Disney have teamed up to bring the magic of creative learning and fun into a perfect first laptop for your child.
Designed for kids aged 6-12, the Disney Netpal by ASUS is durable, with a reinforced mechanical design, and offers a truly magical and engaging computing experience with a unique Disney user interface. With colorful Disney-themed style, your child can explore a web-safe world of technology on their own with ease.
The Disney Desktop “gadget tray” offers a creatively designed 2D menu displaying a Disney-themed browser and a robust suite widgets and applications.
The Netpal includes more than two dozen robust parental control options and a kid-friendly software suite featuring Disney characters and icons in a fun and intuitive design. The kid-friendly web browser and email have extra filters to assure that parents are able to control online safety and content for their children, and can easily select whom their children can correspond with.

It comes with an 8.9-inch LCD display, built-in wireless Internet connectivity, and the familiar Windows XP Home operating system; making it the ideal first computer for your child.Developed with parents and kids in mind, the Disney Netpal by ASUS is designed for kids ages 6-12 and is durable, with a reinforced mechanical design, and offers a truly magical and engaging computing experience with a unique Disney user interface. Features include more than 40 robust parental control options, an 8.9-inch LCD display, Wi-Fi capabilities, Windows XP Home, and kid-friendly software featuring Disney characters and icons in stunning visual environments. Browsers and email have extra filters to assure that parents are able to control online safety and content for their children, and can easily select with whom their children can correspond via email. The Disney Desktop “gadget tray” offers a creatively designed 2D menu displaying a Disney-themed browser and a robust suite widgets and applications.

Product Feature

* Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.6GHz; 1 GB DDR2 RAM, 1 x SODIMM Slot, 2GB Max
* 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM); Windows XP Home Operating System with Magic Desktop Software
* Fun: Disney theme designed desktop and interface with intuitive and fun applications
* Web-safe: Robust safety features including white-list for added protection for your kids to safely browse the Web and email
* Easy: Easy to use and handle with compact hardware design made for kids

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

* Hardware Platform: PC
* Processor: 1.6 hertz Intel Atom N270
* Number of Processors: 1
* RAM: 2000 MB
* RAM Type: SDRAM
* Memory Slots: 1

Hard Drive

* Size: 160 GB
* Manufacturer: Portable
* Type: ATA100
* Speed: 5400.0 rpm

Cases and Expandability

* Size (LWH): 9.76 inches, 6.81 inches, 1.13 inches
* Weight: 2.21 pounds

Power

* Rated Charge (normal use): 5.0 hours

Warranty and Support

* Amazon.com Returns Policies: You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product. Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.

Disney Netpal by ASUS
Lisp Price : $349.99
Price : $344.99
You Safe : $5.00 (1%)

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