Posts Tagged ‘Desktop Computer’

Maybe You Already Have Wireless and Don’t Know It?

April 8th, 2010



More and more laptops and desktop computers are coming pre-equipped with wireless networking devices — it’s so cheap that they might as well put it in, to have another thing to list in the system specifications. It is easy to tell if a desktop computer has wireless enabled. Have a look at the rear panel for a small antenna. If its there then you have wireless. Laptops a much more difficult to diagnose.

If you’re anything like me, though, you probably don’t even know how much memory your computers have, never mind whether any of them came wireless-enabled. When you don’t know what wireless networking is, it’s easy to ignore it in a computer’s specifications, and never take the time to set it up and get it working. Here are some things to look for if you want to check your computer’s wireless capabilities.

Intel Centrino

If your laptop came with something called ‘Intel Centrino mobile technology’, then it’s good news for you! Computer manufacturers seem a little bad at explaining what this technology is or does, but it basically means that your laptop has wireless networking built right in, without you needing to do a thing. It is a marketing name for a combination of the Intel Pentium M processor and Intel’s Pro/Wireless card.

Your computer should have a ‘Centrino’ sticker on it somewhere if it is Centrino enabled. If you think you might have taken the sticker off, you can check the name of your processor by right clicking the My Computer icon on your desktop (or in the Start Menu) and choosing Properties from the menu that appears. Take a look at what it says after the word ‘Computer’ on this screen.

If you’re interested, Centrino technology also increases battery life and allows computers to be smaller. Don’t worry, though, if you didn’t buy a Centrino laptop — as long as your laptop has a free card slot, installing wireless on it will be no trouble.

Desktop Computers

If you’re not sure whether your desktop computer has a wireless connection, the easiest thing to do is to turn it around and look at it. If a wireless connection is present, you should usually be able to see a small aerial sticking out of the back of the computer, towards the bottom.

If there’s nothing there, then it’s still possible that you have a wireless device in the computer, especially if you bought it recently and you think you do. It’s not a good idea to try to open up your computer just to check something, though, so you should probably try and figure it out using Windows.

Checking in Windows

Instead of fiddling around with your computer hardware to see what you’ve got, you can check easily enough using Windows’ Device Manager. To use it, right click My Computer, and choose Manage from that menu. Now click Device Manager.

You should see a list of all the different kinds of things you can install on your computer. Take a look under ‘Network adapters’. Ignore anything that says ‘10/100′ or ‘Ethernet’ — they’re normal network connections, but not wireless ones. If there’s anything else there, it could be a wireless device.

If you think you have a wireless device, but it has a yellow warning sign next to its name in the Device Manager, you should take a look at it to see what’s wrong by double clicking its name. Windows should tell you why the device is not working at the moment, and may suggest that you go through its troubleshooter program. Do that before you do anything else.

If it turns out to be a driver problem, you should insert the drivers CD that came with your computer. Of course, as is always the way, you probably won’t be able to find that CD — but don’t worry, you should be able to find drivers online. First, you should look on the website of the computer’s manufacturer, and then you should try searching for the name that the wireless device had in Device Manager.

Of course, you might find after all this that you don’t have a wireless device after all. Hard luck. It’s better to figure that out now than to buy wireless equipment and then realise you had some already, though, isn’t it? Of course, even if you did find a wireless device in one of your computers, you probably still need more. Don’t worry either way — they’re getting cheaper all the time!

By: Tony Fitz

Top 10 Best Desktop Computers

March 18th, 2010



If you are in the market for a new desktop computer, you know that the number of choices available is staggering. We know how difficult it can be to wade through all of the information, so we have put together a list of the Top 10 best desktop computers. This list should give you a better idea of the type of computer you want, while giving you a broad range of companies to select from. So, without further ado, let’s check out the computers that make the grade.

#10 – Lenovo 3000 J Series: These computers are geared towards families, and they combine the power of AMD 64 processors with the function of a 250MB Hard Drive. Priced at less than $800, these systems clock in as a real crowd pleaser.

#9 – Fujitsu Esprimo C: This is one of the smallest desktops available on the market, and it is also one of the sleekest. These machines can be tailored to your individual needs, and will not disappoint.

#8 – Alienware Area 51 Series: These great looking machines offer unparalleled performance to even the most serious game enthusiasts. The graphics and sound capabilities coupled with the speed of Intel 4 processing make this a must have for those who want a desktop that entertains.

#7 – emachines D5039: Hands down, this desktop is the best value on the market. Emachines is a well repected PC company that has the family in mind, and does a great job of offering amazing products at unbeatable prices. This unit contains everything you need to get started – definitely worth a look (or two!).

#6 – Sony Vaio RB60: This desktop from Sony comes bundled with a lot of cool Sony software, and it also comes equipped with a 17″ LCD display. This is a perfect choice for those wanting a great entertainment PC that also handles work and internet. This product is definitely a solid choice.

#5 – Compaq Presario Series: These computers are very affordable and very reliable. Compaq Presario desktops are the perfect choice for families, and come standard with everything you need to instantly start surfing the web.

#4 – HP Pavilion Series: A much underrated desktop line, the HP Pavilion series features dual core processors, which make multi-tasking a breeze. They also offer easy memory expansion as well as some of the sharpest graphic and sound cards in the business.

#3 – Apple iMac: When it comes to music and video capabilities, the Apple iMac desktop is second to none. Macs are quickly gaining steam in the computer race, and with good reason. You won’t be sorry giving this one a try.

#2 – Gateway DX310 Series: Dual core processors mean this unit is just as fast as other higher priced competitors. Gateway offers amazing customer support, and also has some of the most generous rebate offers in the business. In addition, they make it very easy to earn free upgrades. Do yourself a favor and give Gateway a look.

#1 – Dell XPS 400: This computer tops our list for many reasons. The only thing you need to know is that it look great, it runs amazingly fast (and quiet), and it comes bundled with a 19″flat screen monitor. All of this for under $1000 makes the Dell XPS one sweet deal.

This list of the Top 10 best desktop computers should make buying your next computer a quick and painless process. In fact, considering how great these desktop computers are, you might just find yourself wanting to take more than one home! Have fun!

By: Jo Williams