PC Memoirs

Do you need to access your home computer from your office or during a business trip? Do you need to fix your friend’s computer without having to visit him/her? If yes, you must install LogMeIn. The software is free for personal use and it allows you to connect to a remote computer anywhere in the world and use it as if you are sitting in front of it.

With LogMeIn, you can connect to your PC at home or to any PC that you add to your virtual network. You just have to sign up (for free), install the software from the LogMeIn Web site (free for personal use or pay for business use), add computers to the network and choose passwords, so only authorised persons can use the connection.  You can install LogMeIn on your laptop and easily connect to your home or office PC while being far away. With the iPhone App, you can even remotely access your PC through your iPhone.

Once you install the software you can also install LogMeIn Hamachi, which allows you to network your devices and easily drag and drop documents and files from the remote PC to your PC/laptop.

The steps you need to follow to get this software are:

• Go to LogMeIn Web site and register for a free account
• Download and install the software on each PC/laptop
• Click on My Computers on the Access menu and then Add Computer
• Choose a password
• Connect!

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Few days ago I found an interesting new program: Astra 32 – the Advanced System Information Tool. It’s used to test your computer’s components’ health and check for faults. If you suspect that one of your peripherals doesn’t work 100% or you just want to make sure all your PC’s components are running the way they should, then this little tool can help you.

I wanted to make sure that my 4 year old motherboard was still fully functional because I noticed some bulging capacitors, but I didn’t know of any motherboard diagnostic tools. I stumbled upon the Astra32 by googling for such software. I found and installed the Astra32 setup file quickly and I ran the program. To my surprise, it found no faults on the motherboard, but it showed that my primary hard drive’s health was poor! It suggested that I run a HDD diagnostics utility provided by the HDD manufacturer.

Astra32  is free and easy to use. It provides all information on the hardware and its health status, system summary, network information, BIOS and all software (operating system and installed programs) information and diagnostics capability. You can even create full reports based on your selection – the inbuilt report wizard can output information in several formats, such as HTML, plain text file, XML and CSV.

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I must admit that, as a PC user, I’m slightly jealous of Apple Mac owners. Even though I prefer PCs and Windows over Apple hardware and software, I think the new Apple computers are beautiful. I’m sure you will agree that all MacBooks look great with their thin, sleek and light designs. With a MacBook, you don’t notice that it’s made of many parts, as with normal laptops. It’s all in one ’smooth’ piece.

Before I bought my first laptop, I did a lot of research. After I selected the required specs, I also decided it had to look good and be as light and thin as possible. Believe it or not, I found all of this in the LG LS50. It was very popular at the time in some parts of the world, and I think it still looks ok. However, 4 years later, there aren’t many good-looking laptops.

When I see today’s laptops in the shops, I just wonder how no one came close to matching Apple’s designs. It’s like all manufacturers invest in the inside of the laptop, and then just build a cheap frame for the parts. Most of them look chunky and ugly. That includes HP, Toshiba, Dell, Acer, Asus and other models. There are some nice looking laptops, but I’ve been looking for something that can compete with Macs!

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Normally I don’t write about movies in my blog, but this one is special. Last night I saw a made-for-TV movie called Pirates of Silicon Valley, which tells the story of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates and their respective companies, Apple and Microsoft. The movie concentrates on the early history of Apple and Microsoft, specifically the establishment of the two companies, the creation of the personal computer and the beginning of the rivalry between the two.

The movie is based on the book Fire in the Valley: The Story of the Personal Computer by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine. Even though the movie didn’t have a big budget and very famous actors – you may have heard about Anthony Michael Hall and Noah Wyle though – it looks great and it’s very interesting. More importantly, it is quite accurate.

It is made partly as documentary – the actors who portray Bill’s and Steve’s friends narrate the history in interview style – and partly as a regular movie. They call this a docu-drama.

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I am considering replacing my desktop PC. My Pentium IV 2.4Ghz system is getting slow and I think I deserve an upgrade. I know, P4 is so old now :), but it has done the job so far. I have also been waiting for Windows 7 to come out, because there was no way I was going to use a system with Windows Vista. This is a great opportunity to upgrade both my PC and the operating system.

I was thinking about getting an all-in-one PC, mainly because they look nice and save space, but at the same time I was not very familiar with these models. I had to do some research. This is what I found out:

Advantages of all-in-one PCs:

• Saves space – All components are in one box, with the monitor. Fewer components to look after.
• Portable – If you don’t have a laptop and you want to take it somewhere else, it’s easy.
• Fewer cables – Since the monitor is integrated into the system, you don’t need the power cable and VGA cable for the screen.
• Some models include touch screen technology. You don’t need to use the mouse all the time.
• Good alternative to expensive Apple iMacs

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