Category Archives: General Computer

General computer questions and answers, for both Windows and Mac OS machines

Q. Is a Quad Core processor better than a Dual Core?

Posted on July 20, 2012 by quill

While the answer might be obvious, it is not as straightforward as “more cores are better”. First of all, we need to be on the same page when comparing CPU (Central Processing Unit) technologies. There are big differences in computing … Continue reading →

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Q. What do I need to burn DVDs and CDs?

Posted on July 20, 2012 by quill

DVD-Rs are a good format for backing up data files and for distributing data and software. Because files on a DVD-R cannot be changed once burned (and therefore cannot be deleted or affected by viruses or hard drive breakdown) I … Continue reading →

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Q. Are there free alternatives to Photoshop?

Posted on July 19, 2012 by quill

Photoshop is the top professional image editing / photo retouching program, but it is expensive.  There are some cheap and free alternatives available: Adobe Photoshop Express (online image editing, requires sign up at Adobe’s site) http://www.photoshop.com/tools/overview The GIMP is open source … Continue reading →

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Q. Can I use USB2.0 peripherals on a USB3.0 port?

Posted on June 30, 2012 by quill

Yes, USB 3.0 has been designed to be backwards compatible with, and the USB 3.0 A type connectors (computer) and B type connectors (peripheral) are plug compatible with USB2.0 A type and B type cable ends. The USB 2.0 A … Continue reading →

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Q. My computer won’t attach to my WiFi router?

Posted on June 23, 2012 by quill

Troubleshooting steps for WiFi connections: First of all, make sure that you know the router’s network name (SSID), and the password (WPA key). If you don’t know these, ask the owner of the router.  If you are the owner and … Continue reading →

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Q. Can I use images from Google Images on my website?

Posted on June 6, 2012 by quill

Copyright and you: To start with, all images (photographic, moving picture, painted, sculpted or drawn) and texts (books, song lyrics) – are covered by national and international copyright law. This is automatic as soon as the image is created. Copyright … Continue reading →

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Q. I have received an email – how can I tell if it is spam?

Posted on June 5, 2012 by quill

Mass-Email marketers work on the theory that it costs next to nothing to send a million emails, so if only one in 100,000 people is unwary enough to reply or act on their spam, then they are making money.  Unfortunately, … Continue reading →

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Q. My USB memory stick won’t let me save a 4.2 GB file?

Posted on June 5, 2012 by quill

You are finding that individual files larger than 3.99 GB are failing when you copy them to a USB memory stick (or a camera memory card, or an external hard drive). The simple answer is that the memory stick is … Continue reading →

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Q. Someone knows my IP address and email. Can they hack my computer?

Posted on June 5, 2012 by quill

You don’t get hacked just because someone knows your IP address – you get hacked if your machine has malware on it or if you have left services open to the public or if someone has obtained the username and … Continue reading →

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Q. Can I upgrade the processor or the graphics card in my laptop?

Posted on June 1, 2012 by quill

The short answer is No. The longer answer is that many laptops have the CPU soldered into the motherboard. Even where the CPU is socketed, the motherboard chipset and BIOS would have to specifically support the new CPU, and laptop … Continue reading →

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Q. Where can I get free music?

Posted on May 24, 2012 by quill

Copyright and you: To start with, all music is covered by national and international copyright law which covers the music composition, the lyrics, and the recorded performance. Copyright covers the creator’s Right to control how their work is Copied, and … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I install RAM in a PC Notebook?

Posted on May 3, 2012 by quill

The RAM memory in most notebook computers is user-upgradeable. Almost all notebook machines use SODIMMs (Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Modules). Part of the trick is to discover where the memory modules are located in a notebook machine. The best … Continue reading →

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Q. What memory fits my Apple Xserve server?

Posted on April 30, 2012 by quill

Model/ Identifier CPU/ Speed/ Screen/ Date/ Designation RAM Type & Speed Maximum RAM Hard Drive/ SSD XServe G4RackMac1,1 G4 1.0 GHz (4 RAM sockets Mid 2002, M8627LL/A ) DDR-266 DIMM 2 GB (4x512MB) 3.5″ PATA hard drive XServe G4/DPRackMac1,1 G4 1.0 … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I set up a website? Is it free?

Posted on April 18, 2012 by quill

To create a website, you will need to know a few basics about how Web (HTML) pages work, or use a website service or blogging service that gives you templates and allows you to create a web site just by … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I install RAM in a Mac?

Posted on April 13, 2012 by quill

Memory in most Macintoshes is user-upgradeable. The bottom of this post has links to the Apple instructions for specific models.  Here are general instructions for installation on modern Macs. In machines with SODIMMs, there are two main ways to insert … Continue reading →

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