Black Friday Tips for PCs

Black Friday is almost here! It's the day that officially marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Shoppers will line up in front of stores at the crack of dark to be the first to take advantage of crazy deals. Many online retailers like Amazon have begun posting special "Black Friday" offers almost a week before Thanksgiving.

If you have someone on your gift list with an interest in electronics, you may be privy to the year's most incredible deals. Wherever you shop, it's still important to walk in armed with the knowledge to shop wisely. For your benefit, we've assembled some important tips for shopping for this year's hottest tech.


Netbooks

Netbooks are already an amazing new low-cost solution for portable computing. Many retailers will want to draw in consumers who passed up the back-to-school deals just a couple months ago. Some stores are offering netbooks for under $150!

Be sure you also get the right accessories for your netbook! Netbooks don't have built-in optical disc drives like their laptop cousins. Remember to grab one to install your needed software or back-up your data.

A spare netbook AC adapter couldn't hurt either.

A word of caution: Beware of deals that are too good to be true. Some netbooks that are closer to the $100 mark will be offered at places like Kmart. However, these are poor quality netbooks that run Windows CE. For just $50 more, you can get a better netbook that runs either Windows XP or the new Windows 7.


Windows 7

Speaking of Windows 7, this is the ultimate PC gift that keeps on giving! Microsoft's latest version of Windows has been receiving exemplary reviews since its release in October.

Users running Windows Vista will be grateful of the vast improvements that Windows 7 will make on their PC's operating system. Those who are even fond of the older, more reputable Windows XP will have reasons to upgrade to Windows 7.

If you'd like to spread the joy of Windows 7 with someone you love for Christmas, we'd love to help! Installing an operating system can be tricky; especially for older family members or anyone unsure about their computer savvy.

Triangle Laptops performs professional Windows 7 installation for customers who would prefer to trust the task with experienced hands. All versions of Windows 7 are available and we offer additional benefits with our services. Contact us for more information!


HDTVs

High-definition televisions are practically being given away during the holidays. Several retailers like Radio Shack and Target are offering 32in HDTVs for prices well under $400.

With the end of the football season approaching, now is the time to strike for viewing it in beautiful high-definition! A big-screen HDTV is the perfect center piece to a Superbowl party!

An added bonus to these HDTVs is that they also expand upon your PC experience. HDTVs actually double as computer monitors. For most laptop or desktop PCs, all you need is to connect the video output into the HDTVs input. Older laptops may have either an S-video or external VGA port that works perfectly. Newer models of PCs with advanced video cards may have either DVI or HDMI ports.

Once your PC is connected (here's our tips for how), you're able to use your HDTV to carry out tasks or surf the web from the comfort of your living room couch. You can also stream video from sites like Hulu, watch other video files, or play video games loaded on your computer, turning your HDTV into the ultimate media center!


Accessories

Whatever your gift agenda, making sure you've picked up the necessary accessories could be the linch pin of achieving the full holiday experience. After all, what fun is it to receive an awesome new toy if you aren't equipped to play with it?

As always, Triangle Laptops offers the most key components for your computers and other electronics. This includes the most crucial parts, such as AC adapters and batteries, but also important peripherals like external drives and docking stations. We even offer video game accessories to maximize your gaming experience.


Triangle Laptops, in addition to its laptop part catalog, also offers PC repair and upgrades.

Top 10 Reasons to Upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7

Since its release, Windows Vista has developed quite the bad reputation. It had painful compatibility issues early on and continues to suffer from system-slowing bloat. This caused many PC users to become hesitant about moving on from using the previous version of Windows, Windows XP. There even grew a demand for new PC buyers to pay premium prices so that their next computer would be downgraded from Vista to Windows XP.

Now that Windows 7 has finally been released, some users remain cautious. Windows 7 has received rave reviews since its release, but it still has Vista-like appearance on the surface.

To make the decision even easier for those who are still unsure, here are our Top 10 Windows 7 Features:


XP Mode

If you're concerned about your older applications being compatible with the new Windows 7, Microsoft has created this option to insure that you're able to continue using all your favorite software. Keep in mind, though, that this feature is only available for the Professional and Ultimate versions of Windows 7. If you think you'll need XP Mode to run important applications, be sure to upgrade to either of these versions as the Home version will not have it.

64-bit Support

Using 64-bit processors is becoming the way of the future for computers. Newer PC hardware that is 64-bit compatible will allow for 4GB or more of RAM. This will greatly increase your PC's speed and productivity. If you're upgrading an older PC that isn't able to run 64-bit software, you may want to stick with the 32-bit versions of Windows 7.

Fast Access

Windows 7 has some new tricks that will help you more quickly get to your files and programs. The Pin feature will create a taskbar link to an item that you frequently use.

Jump List is a similar feature that will create a list of shortcuts to your most commonly accessed files.


Better Window Management

When you drag an active window to the side of your screen, the Snap feature will instantly hook it to the screen's edge and expand it vertically. This turns that window into a kind of sidebar for your workspace.


Faster Windows Search

The new Windows 7 version of Windows Search will improve how you find files that you may have misplaced or you've forgotten where you've saved. There are new search options and the search field will generate a list of possible files as you type.


File and Printer Sharing

You can connect multiple PCs together using Windows HomeGroup to share files as well as printers. Naturally, there are also security options that protect selected files and folders that you don't want shared publicly over the network.


Media Center

Windows Media Center can transform your PC into the multimedia center for your home or office. Connect your PC to an HDTV to watch videos, listen to music, or view photos from your media library. When connected to a TV tuner, Media Center will also allow you to watch, pause, and record live television broadcasts.

Easier Network Connection

If you're running Windows 7 from a laptop or a netbook, connecting with a wireless network will be much easier. Windows 7 can find and connect with nearby wireless networks, VPN, and mobile broadband with just a few clicks!


Faster Response Time

The Sleep feature in Windows has been a bit of a speedbump for when you're ready to jump back into work. The Sleep and Resume functions in Windows 7 have been greatly improved so that you don't miss a beat! There is also an increase in detecting and accessing USB devices so that they're ready to use within seconds.


Improved Safety

Windows 7 has a Backup and Restore feature that will regularly make copies of your important settings and files. Full system backups are also available, if you don't want to risk losing all that data in the unfortunate event of hard drive failure.

If you have children, there are also Parental Controls that will help keep your home PC more family friendly. It will also help prevent malicious software from accidentally affecting your computer.


Triangle Laptops offers upgrades to Windows 7 as part of our PC repair service. If you're interested in joining us in the new generation of Windows, please contact us by email or call toll-free 1-877-456-7869.

Free Essential Windows 7 Downloads

Now that you have Windows 7 installed on your computer (and if you don't, we can install Windows 7 for you), it's time to give it a turbo boost with updated software. We've collected links to seven (get it?) of the top essential free software downloads that will enhance your new Windows 7 experience.


Ultimate Windows Tweaker / Windows 7 Tweak Guide

Windows 7 is already designed to perform faster and more user-friendly than Windows Vista...and arguably, Windows XP. But many of us aren't satisfied with a piece of software's default settings. They are, after all, set for the average user. With a little tinkering, we don't have to settle for average; we can do better!

Ultimate Windows Tweaker is a free application that will open up the hood for you in Windows 7. By selecting from an assortment of tick boxes, you can optimize the speed of your PC, adjust the user interface, and even improve security.

This tool is a slim 345KB executable that requires no install and can be run as a portable app from a flash drive. It even detects whether you're using it on Windows 7, Vista, and whether the OS is 32bit or 64bit.

For those who want something more hardcore, the guys over at Tweak Guides is currently working on a thorough Windows 7 tweak guide to go along side their fantastic Windows Vista and XP guides. There's more manual work involved, but the benefits are well worth the effort.


Microsoft Security Essentials

Nothing is more important than making sure that your computer is safe and secure. Microsoft Security Essentials is a free utility offered by Microsoft to defend your PC against viruses, spyware, and other malware that may infect your computer. Security Essentials establishes real-time protection and runs in the background, so it won't slow down your computers regular run time.

While tests show that Security Essentials is capable of protecting your system against over 98% of the current wide-spread malware, there is a third-party alternative. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is another reliable security application, which just recently updated to version 9.


Ninite

Ninite is a fast, convenient application for quickly installing your favorite third-party software. This can come in handy if you have a new computer or have to do a clean-reinstall of the operating system. You'll save hours off the chore of re-downloading and re-installing all the programs you use on a regular basis.

All you do is go to their website and check from a list of available popular programs. Ninite will collect the latest versions into one executable installer. The program will then install all of the selected applications with their default settings. The install will also reject any extra, unwanted features (like search toolbars, etc.) that other developers like to sneak in.

If you don't find one of your favorite applications from their list, they're very open to requests.


Windows Easy Transfer

We all have our own style in preferences in how we use our computers. Whenever you get a new PC to welcome into your family, it can be time consuming adjusting it to match the others that you use.

To make synchronization of multiple computers a lot less painless, Microsoft offers a handy tool: Windows Easy Transfer. This program will copy selected files, email, and settings that you need to transfer from one PC to another. You have the option of making the transfer over a network or saving them to a portable storage drive.

The transfer process will complete without disruption, regardless of running into incompatible files. If a file is unable to be included in the transfer, Easy Transfer will continue with the rest of the task and make a report of non-transferable files for your review.


Combined Codec Community Pack

It's becoming more and more common for people to connect their PC to an HDTV to act as a high-tech media center. (In fact, we wrote a PC-to-HDTV guide!) Video files are easily made available in high-definition video, with multiple subtitle and audio tracks. This is an incredible opportunity for users with high-end home video cameras and aspiring filmmakers!

In order to view video files these extreme features, you'll need to install the proper codecs to decipher them. The Combined Codec Community Pack is a bundle of all the essential codecs that your computer will need to play high-quality multimedia, as well as some media players most suited for the task. The pack is free and fully customizable, depending on your preferences.


Windows Live Photo Gallery

One of Microsofts key goals for developing Windows 7 was to reduce as much bloat as possible. As a result, many applications that had been packaged in with Windows up through Vista were removed. While these applications could be argued as unpopular, there are still a great many users that enjoyed or depended on them to carry out specific tasks.

One of those applications that users have expressed missing is Windows Photo Gallery. It was an easy-to-use image editor, great for managing your photos and home video collection. Microsoft has made a newer version for faithful users, called Windows Live Photo Gallery. It's free to download and install for Windows 7.


Live Mesh

Unlike Windows Easy Transfer, Live Mesh will allow you to share programs across multiple machines, along with your favorite files. This includes multiple platforms—PC, Mac, and even mobile devices.

Every computer with Live Mesh installed will be able to share resources with each other, whether on a network or connected remotely from the web. If you need an application on one computer that's installed on another, you can access the other computer's desktop and run it on your current display.

The service is free to use and signing up will give you an additional 5GB of web-based data storage.


If you would like Triangle Laptops to include any of these applications along with our professional Windows 7 installation, please let us know! Consult our laptop repair service page or contact us by email for details. You can also call toll-free 1-877-456-7869.

Do You Own Your Software?

The increased accessibility of broadband internet connection and high-capacity data storage drives have had an incredible effect on the entertainment industry in the past few years. Movies and television shows can now be seen à la cart, either through digital recorder boxes or streaming over the internet. Video games and other computer software are available through direct download services, without the use of install discs.

This new stage of multimedia evolution shows great potential in benefiting the consumer. Folks in the mood for some entertainment can order movies and games on demand without having to leave home. Users also need not worry about running out of shelf space at home when their entire library can be stored on one or two hard drives.

However, there is danger over the horizon... Consumers need to be aware of both the advantages and the trade-offs of these new types of business model. You may be eager to embrace this new technology, but if you're not careful, you may lose very important rights over the things you purchase.

Have you ever read the End User License Agreement for any piece of software you own? Chances are, you haven't. Most EULAs are notoriously long and filled with legal jargon, so it's no wonder why most people simply skip it and aim their pointer straight for the "I Agree" button. An EULA is a contract that you have with the software's manufacturer, and clicking that button is your legal signature.

You may find that in most EULAs, you don't actually own the software. You are agreeing to a license to use the software, not own it. As such, the publisher retains the ownership rights of the software while you have permission to use it, just so long as you use it only as the publisher intends.

One of the top no-no's in the typical EULA is sharing or selling your software with others. As far as any publisher is concerned, the only person allowed access to their product is the person who paid for the license. While piracy is a genuine concern for the multimedia industry, publishers in the past decade have begun to cut off their nose to spite their face by punishing the consumers who have acquired their products legitimately.

Luckily, a court ruling this week determined that software that is purchased should be owned by the buyer. Software developer, AutoDesk, sued Timothy Verner for selling legitimate copies of their software over online auction, claiming copyright infringement. The court used a previous case involving the ownership rights of motion picture film as precedent for this case, since they were based on similar principles. This was a great victory for Verner, and while it may appear so for consumers as a whole as well, it's more likely that software companies will adjust their EULAs to avoid these legal loopholes in the future.

The video game industry has taken the greatest strides in shifting to digital distribution. They may site piracy as their primary concern, but it's no secret that they've also vilified the second-hand market for disappointing sales of new products.

This month, Sony launched their new portable handheld console, the PSP-Go. The PSP-Go is a revised version of their now-five years old PlayStation Portable platform. What sets the PSP-Go apart from its older siblings is that it lacks the UMD disc drive required to play most PSP games. Instead, the new handheld contains a storage bank of flash memory (launch versions hold 16GB) to store downloadable games, music, and video. Most of the PSP game library, as well as a collection of movies, TV shows, and original games are available to download from the PlayStation Store on the PlayStation Network.

Sony claims that the UMD format was a failure (and it was) that was holding the PSP platform back, again blaming those who pirated ripped data from game discs. However, there is more than meets the eye. Many believe that this is Sony's big push to not only eliminate the secondhand market, but video game retailers altogether. In the future, video games may only be available for purchase directly from the publisher, and the benefits of traditional commerce may be lost: Refunds, reselling, or even just giving it away to someone.

Digital distribution, for the moment, has provided a fantastic alternative to purchasing multimedia. Smaller, independent software developers and filmmakers have an easier opportunity to get exposure for their work. Without the expense of physical media, the savings on production can be passed on to the consumer. Rental services like NetFlix or Xbox Live Marketplace allow for cheap, temporary access while eliminating late fees or poorly cared discs.

Unfortunately, it's unlikely that movie and software companies will be satisfied with that. If they're successful in transitioning the distribution of multimedia to a strictly direct platform, then we as a people lose the right to obtain property. Rather than being a low-priced alternative, digital distribution will become the standard where publishers will be able to charge whatever they want for products that you'll never truly own. Examples of this have already been shown in PSP game price comparisons between PSN and Amazon.

Fear not, for there are groups at work to protect our rights from being stripped from us. The Entertainment Consumers Association is a non-profit organization designed to spread awareness and fight for consumers' rights.

If the software end of multimedia is allowed to fall outside our control, it may be a matter of time before hardware follows. Companies like Hewlett-Packard is already working on ways to make their overpriced ink cartridges proprietary, so that third-party companies are unable to sell compatible toner cartridges at competitive prices. This could expand to include any replacement parts of accessories that you may need for your laptop.

Triangle Laptops wants to offer necessary replacement parts and repair services to those who don't want to pay inflated prices from the manufacturer.

For more information about the laptop parts and services that we offer, please check out our online store or call toll-free at 1-877-456-7869.

Google Chrome OS Coming in Fall 2010

In early July, Google announced its development of Google Chrome OS, a new operating system designed for people whose majority of computer time was spent online. Google's decision to jump into the arena of operating systems was inspired by the growing success of the Google Chrome web browser, released earlier this year.

Google Chrome OS is based on the idea of "cloud computing", a style of computing where most software applications are run through a virtual workspace over the web. The key benefit of cloud computing is relieving the user-end computer's burden of processing and storing data. Data is stored on host servers, rather than on local hard drives. Software applications are run remotely on web servers and user's local computer need only handle the interface.

Based on this, Google boasts that Google Chrome OS will be incredibly fast and lightweight—perfect for users who practically live on the web. Google Chrome OS will greatly minimize how much work the PC has to do, thus giving it the system resources to devote toward a faster web experience. Google also intends to keep the Chrome OS design simple—no unnecessary bells & whistles—with the exception of establishing tight security.

Chrome OS is not to be confused with Google's similar project, Android. Google Android is another form of web-centric operating system, though it's being tailored to fit the needs of smaller, mobile devices like netbooks, smart phones, and PDAs. While the two will share many features, Google Chrome OS is best suited for more powerful desktop and laptop PCs.

Much like Linux, Google Chrome OS will be free and open source. This will allow just about anyone the ability to build applications, add-ons, and other variations for the operating system. Users who are savvy with computers can customize their operating system to suit their preferences and freely share new and innovative applications.

Google has already built up a collection of technology heavyweights for support on the project. On board to offer their expertise are Toshiba, HP, Lenovo, Acer, among others. Companies and developers interested in can contact Google through the links on their Chrome OS FAQ page.

Some critics are concerned with Google flooding the market for operating systems, which some say is already crowded. Between Windows, Mac, and Linux (in its many forms), consumers may be overwhelmed with options. With the other competitors having decades of experience in the market, newcomers like Google will have to struggle hard to succeed.

Google remains optimistic, planning to release Google Chrome OS in the fall of 2010.