technology · Page 5 of 6

Choosing the Right Computers

With the growing options, colors, and flavors of computers on the market in the past decade, ubiquity is a no-brainer. The only question is which computer/s will appropriately serve the needs of a business. There are two points that must be considered when deciding the right computers to purchase for a business.

Usage and Budget

First one must ask, “What tasks must be done within the business infrastructure using a computer”. Then, “which computer/s are generally capable of performing those tasks?”. Secondly, one must consider the monetary cost of the computer equipment being purchased.

For example, you find a computer for sale and it performs all the tasks for which it is needed. However, you have insufficient monetary resources for purchasing it. You should consider carefully what it is about the computer that gives it the value placed on it by the seller. It could be that the seller installed some valuable software on it which ramps up the value. The point is that one could purchase a similar computer without the valued software on it. Then install the same type of software onto the computer without monetary cost, making it free. For any given type of software that costs money, there is usually a free version of it that can be downloaded from the internet.

Brand

Another selling point that can ramp up the cost of a computer is the brand. For instance, while Apple tends to produce smartphones that look very nice, the reality is that there are several other well-built brands that can be purchased new and are a small fraction of the cost of Apple devices.

If one would only take some time to research the details and features of computer products whose brand names are not as popular as Apple, it would be found that a lot of money can be saved in obtaining computing devices that accomplish the tasks within a business for which they are needed.

Please contact us for assistance in making informed purchasing decisions.

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How to Disable and Delete Startup Programs in Windows

how to delete startup programs

Congratulations! You’ve bought a brand-new Windows computer. There’s just one problem: you have a bevy of annoying startup programs that you have no use for. You want to delete them without causing a problem. Did you know, all of these automatically opening programs consume system memory, and can drag down performance.

Here’s our step-by-step guide on how to delete startup programs in Windows:

The more software you install on your computer, the longer it takes for your computer to load up. This is true no matter how small the program is (in terms of kilo/megabytes), or how little space it takes up on your hard drive.

It’s presumed, that you’re using Windows 8, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 (the most updated version of Windows). The beauty part of these updated platforms is, they’ve made it VERY easy to disable, and delete, startup programs that you don’t need.

Presuming you have this updated platform, all you have to do to disable, and delete, unnecessary startup programs is to open up the TASK MANAGER. You can do this by either right-clicking on the task bar, or by pressing CTL + ESC + SHIFT keys. This will bring up a dialogue box called TASK MANAGER. Once inside the TASK MANAGER, click on the tab marked STARTUP, then disable the unnecessary programs. To delete the program altogether, go to the CONTROL PANEL, click on ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS, and remove the unnecessary programs.

At 4 Corner, IT managed services is our core business, and we offer IT Support & Management to small and large businesses alike.

Simple Explanation of a Virtual Appliance

choosing computer management services to avoid dealing with it issues yourself

The idea of a virtual appliance is confusing to some people. These appliances are extremely useful, but it is difficult to understand how and why if you are not a highly technical individual.

According to this article, a virtual appliance (VA) is a virtual machine (VM) image file consisting of a pre-configured operating system (OS) environment and a single application. The purpose of a virtual appliance is to simplify delivery and operation of an application. To this end, only necessary operating system components are included.

The fact is, everyone can benefit from virtual machines and virtual appliances. Basically, it is simply a matter of getting a basic grasp on what they are and how they are used. So, what is a virtual appliance? For the average person, here is a general explanation.

Firstly, we must understand a virtual machine. Basically, it involves a host computer with a large amount of space and processing power. A virtual machine is simply a big file which runs within the physical hardware of the host machine. Then, a piece of software called a hypervisor reallocates the physical resources of the host machine to the smaller virtual machines. This allows for one computer to act as several.

Now, the virtual appliance comes into play. It is a virtual machine image that is preconfigured and ready to run on a hypervisor. They are intended to decrease the time and cost associated with installing, configuring, and maintaining complex software. It is not a virtual machine platform. It is a software image which runs on a virtual machine platform.

You may wonder, “Why do people use virtual machines and appliances?”.

It comes down to efficiency.

If you have one computer doing the jobs of several computers, you cut down on time and cost. It is a more efficient use of resources. It takes less power, physical space, and hardware. With the high volume of computing necessary in many businesses today, the virtual machine has become a solid solution.

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Types of Computers: From the Stationary Desktop to Mobile Technology

History shows that the types of computers available have evolved quickly in just the last decade than they have in the entire history of the computer. Ever since the computer’s earliest days, the intention has always been that we’d be forever tied down to a desk when working on one. Now it’s strictly a personal preference as mobile devices become the standard in how we use a computer while on the go.

Despite types of computer still evolving at the time of this blog, where we’re at now can tell you a lot about the past as well as where we’re going. For a business using the “Bring Your Own Device” policy, you should be aware of all the types of computers in your company and how much IT support they may need.

Desktop Computers

The desktop is still very much alive, despite so many critics saying desktops are going extinct in favor of mobile devices. Many people still prefer working on a desktop since not all mobile devices have the features yet that desktops do. That mostly comes down to speed and storage capability.

We all know desktops have Mac and PC adherents. Both are still equal, though it’s true that those who use Windows on PC’s are going to be more vulnerable to viruses. This isn’t to say Apple’s Macs aren’t also vulnerable, and may be more so in the future as more viruses are made to attack Mac’s operating systems.

The good news is that desktops are much cheaper than laptops or even some mobile devices. Many are also much less bulky, especially the recent iMacs, despite costing more.

Laptops

Your company no doubt has laptops around, even if they’re slowly starting to integrate with tablet devices. That hasn’t happened fully yet, and a laptop can still be either useful or a burden, depending on how you use it. Most of them (like Apple’s MacBook Pro) are very light and thin, yet still quite expensive for attaining those qualities.

These can also be vulnerable to viruses because of the constant connecting to other devices, plus Wi-Fi threats from intruders. Security in those departments can be very lax in some companies without certain IT policies.

Smartphones

Still called “mobile phones”, a smartphone has turned into something resembling a smaller computer. Internet surfing is now standard on smartphones as well as gaming capability. So far, not many people use them for work, unless it’s for email or texting.

They’re frequently included in the BYOD policies in companies where they can be very vulnerable. One reason is because some companies don’t realize how many of their employees are using a smartphone for their work. This lack of accountability can make your own smartphone all the more prone to hackers or other cyber threats.

Tablets

The iPad is arguably the greatest invention in mobile computing ever invented to date. Yet, they already have plenty of competition in the world of tablets. In another decade, we may all be using something quite different, especially in integrating with the capabilities of a laptop. This doesn’t stop many people from using tablets for their work thanks to touchscreen capability and easy access to multimedia. An iPad has probably been used at least once in nearly every company worldwide, whether for personal work, or for presentations.

In things we designate a computer, you could also call a server the same thing. They’re really the backbone of where we store everything. A company has to rely on servers, and they need to be maintained by technicians who know how to protect your data.

Even gaming consoles are considered a computer, even if they weren’t really considered that way before. Many now offer Internet browsing capability, which means they may be starting to slowly evolve into something more comprehensively useful.

You’re going to need a good IT service to help monitor and take care of these devices. We can do that for you here at 4 Corner IT with our IT support, backup, and cloud storage capability. We have you covered from every angle. We’re also consultants so we can give you real-world field experience on preventing problems before they happen.

Contact us so we can help monitor all the above computers being used in your company. We’ll make sure they’re fully protected so you won’t have to worry about chaos when something goes wrong.

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How Technological Change Affects the Productivity of Labor

There is an ‘instant’ feeling to so much of what we do and expect to be done in life that this has kind of clouded the way we interact with one another. For example, if we receive an email, the sender expects an instant reply and if we don’t reply within an often very narrow time frame, the sender will often move on. ‘Instant’ is a two way street, so while we have come to expect things to happen immediately, we often hate it when people want something right this minute. There is a danger that technological change affects the productivity of labor and that it could become a big problem in the near-future.

This insatiable need for the ‘instant’ has arguably led to a decrease in the overall attention span of many people. We no longer focus on one thing and are constantly multi-tasking. Think of the last time you went out for a team lunch, what was the conversation like? More than likely you were sat around a table, talking for about five minutes before almost everyone resorted to looking at their phones, while kind of listening. Beyond that, think of the last time you had to wait for something, anything. If you’re like a lot of people, you probably mumbled some comment or question as to why it was taking so long.

This instant, multitasking, relatively impatient lifestyle has started to really affect many us in negative ways. For example, looking at a forum post with over three pages of entries, most people will read the first few visible posts and then skip to the end and read the last post. If the post contains lots of text, most people bust out the TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) and skip most of the information, potentially missing the most important parts.

If this was on an important sales contract and you skipped over the section that detailed how your company would be compensated because you just didn’t have the time or patience to read it, you could irreparably harm your business, simply because you didn’t feel like reading a few extra paragraphs.

Before you go throwing the computer out the window – many businesses simply can’t afford to get rid of it, or can’t operate without it – you should take a step back and track how you utilize technology in your daily life. Look for gadgets, devices and even websites that distract you and take steps to decrease their use. Using a timer with a set amount of time during which you concentrate on work, and another with a smaller amount of time for breaks could be a real big help.

There are thousands of other ways you can increase your productivity, regardless of your reliance on technology. Which do you find work for you? Let us know.

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