A funny trend I saw on Google Trends is that desktop search is becoming obsolete. Windows 8 almost didn't have a desktop search because the search is quite slow. Sure with a good fast computer that you work only on it is very important to have a good desktop search software to find the files you need to work fast at the office.
Now we work on the office when we are on the plane, taxi, waiting for something, on the tablet, mobile phone, home computer, office computer and much more. The desktop is probably becoming almost obsolete.
Now we work on the cloud. Most of the times it's free, we can upgrade for a small cost if we want and the best of all is we can work anywhere on it and share the files with people who work with us at the office, on the same file in real time. It's lovely, you have a team around the world and everyone is working on the same file at the same time. Something that was impossible just a few years ago.
That's what the cloud is all about.
Fast, easy, everyone working on the same file at the same time. No more emailing, no more out of date versions.
Working on the cloud only has the advantage of leaving the computer much faster and lighter. Usually there's nothing to install on your machine. Since all the work is done on the servers, all you need is to log and then you are working immediately. No more software to install, no more updates, no more waiting for the computer to boot. Actually if you work on the cloud only and the PC crashes or stops working, it's easy to format and have everything again about an hour later.
Another advantage for small or medium sized companies is being able to buy low cost computers. Even a Celeron can work fast because the CPU does not have to work very hard to get the work done on the cloud. Simply amazing.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Friday, November 27, 2015
Choosing A Good Computer For Gaming
What’s a good computer for gaming? Depends a lot on what kind of games you want to play. Either if it’s a new computer you want to buy or using your already aged computer that needs an upgrade, there are many hardware parts you need to consider to have the best gaming experience. Today games have the best graphics thanks to advanced gaming engines. A powerful computer will bring the best of those all new games.
The CPU is the core of your computer. The faster the CPU is, the faster the computer will be overall. For serious gaming you can either buy an i7 CPU or the AMD FX 8 Core processor. For casual gamers not looking to push the graphics to the limit, i5 or FX 6 Core is enough too. That depends on your budget.
More RAM is always better but only up to a point. For office work for example, 6 GB of RAM might be enough depending on how many applications you have open at the same time. For gaming to the graphic limit 8 GB is RAM might not be enough, depending on the game, and 16 of RAM is great even for the latest games. Size is not all, speed is also important. DDR3 orr DDR4 are the best choices for great graphics..
Is the hard disk important for gaming? Sure and not only the size but also the speed. When loading a big game, the speed is important because the loading takes less time. The faster the hard disk can send the game to the RAM and to the CPU, the faster the gaming experience will be. I don’t like waiting too much for a game to load. Do you?
The most important hardware for gaming. The faster the graphic card is, the better the games will be without graphic lag. When playing only and you want to win, if the graphic card is not super fast, the game will be slow to show on the screen, the FPS count will be lower and the greta graphics the game could have
You might want to consider to have a balanced combination of all these hardware parts. A computer with a fast CPU but a slow graphic card will not run the best games at the highest resolutions. The same is true for a top graphic card with a slower CPU. Having a balanced system configuration is in my opinion the best choice.
1- CPU
The CPU is the core of your computer. The faster the CPU is, the faster the computer will be overall. For serious gaming you can either buy an i7 CPU or the AMD FX 8 Core processor. For casual gamers not looking to push the graphics to the limit, i5 or FX 6 Core is enough too. That depends on your budget.
2- RAM
More RAM is always better but only up to a point. For office work for example, 6 GB of RAM might be enough depending on how many applications you have open at the same time. For gaming to the graphic limit 8 GB is RAM might not be enough, depending on the game, and 16 of RAM is great even for the latest games. Size is not all, speed is also important. DDR3 orr DDR4 are the best choices for great graphics..
3- Hard Disk
Is the hard disk important for gaming? Sure and not only the size but also the speed. When loading a big game, the speed is important because the loading takes less time. The faster the hard disk can send the game to the RAM and to the CPU, the faster the gaming experience will be. I don’t like waiting too much for a game to load. Do you?
4- Graphic Card
The most important hardware for gaming. The faster the graphic card is, the better the games will be without graphic lag. When playing only and you want to win, if the graphic card is not super fast, the game will be slow to show on the screen, the FPS count will be lower and the greta graphics the game could have
Notes:
You might want to consider to have a balanced combination of all these hardware parts. A computer with a fast CPU but a slow graphic card will not run the best games at the highest resolutions. The same is true for a top graphic card with a slower CPU. Having a balanced system configuration is in my opinion the best choice.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
How To Make The Most Of Google Drive
Google Drive is in my opinion the best place to work. Going Google like they call it it's a brilliant idea for an office in my opinion.
I love Google Drive. Here's how I make the most of it:
1. Your most important files can have a link from your desktop.
I work on all my blogs using the laptop I love. The most important drive files have a link from the desktop so I don't waste time. I just click and the file opens. This way you waste no time inside the drive when you need to get work done. It's fast and simple.
2. Use Drive on the web primarly.
This way you learn and focus on using the cloud. I think the cloud is here to stayy. It's more powerful than the desktop for office work in speed, security and reability. I simply love to use the Google Drive to work. All my work on all devices. Who could imagine that something like this would be possible one day?
3. Always use a strong password with the mobile phone code security.
This way it's very hard for someone without the mobile and the password to access it. Since probably all your office work is there, you want to keep it secure. Follow Google's advice and check your account security every time. Make sure everything is working fine, just like you would check your desktop machine.
4. Avoid distractions.
Sure you want to store all your files on the drive but make sure you place the non important files on a folder and not on the "desktop" or main page so you can focus on work. Drive is for office work for me, for you it might also be the place where you store your memories with friends on a restaurant. It's fine too but do not have files on the main page distracting from the office work.
5. Remember to make a backup from time to time.
Sure Drive is safe according to Google but sometimes a little backup is needed just in case you need something and the drive is down. I never saw the drive down but it can happen even with Google's know how working hard on it to make sure everything is always working fine.
6. Rely on search
Search on Drive is great it's as fast as making a Google on the search engine. Make sure the files have the right name so you can find them when you need them the most. I think Google also indexes the content but if you don't know the file name it will be hard to know when the right file appeared.
I think Google Drive is one of the best applications on the web. Simply amazing Google :)
I love Google Drive. Here's how I make the most of it:
1. Your most important files can have a link from your desktop.
I work on all my blogs using the laptop I love. The most important drive files have a link from the desktop so I don't waste time. I just click and the file opens. This way you waste no time inside the drive when you need to get work done. It's fast and simple.
2. Use Drive on the web primarly.
This way you learn and focus on using the cloud. I think the cloud is here to stayy. It's more powerful than the desktop for office work in speed, security and reability. I simply love to use the Google Drive to work. All my work on all devices. Who could imagine that something like this would be possible one day?
3. Always use a strong password with the mobile phone code security.
This way it's very hard for someone without the mobile and the password to access it. Since probably all your office work is there, you want to keep it secure. Follow Google's advice and check your account security every time. Make sure everything is working fine, just like you would check your desktop machine.
4. Avoid distractions.
Sure you want to store all your files on the drive but make sure you place the non important files on a folder and not on the "desktop" or main page so you can focus on work. Drive is for office work for me, for you it might also be the place where you store your memories with friends on a restaurant. It's fine too but do not have files on the main page distracting from the office work.
5. Remember to make a backup from time to time.
Sure Drive is safe according to Google but sometimes a little backup is needed just in case you need something and the drive is down. I never saw the drive down but it can happen even with Google's know how working hard on it to make sure everything is always working fine.
6. Rely on search
Search on Drive is great it's as fast as making a Google on the search engine. Make sure the files have the right name so you can find them when you need them the most. I think Google also indexes the content but if you don't know the file name it will be hard to know when the right file appeared.
I think Google Drive is one of the best applications on the web. Simply amazing Google :)
8 security steps for your PC
What do you have in your home PC or your office PC? In your home PC games and family photos. In your office PC probably everything that’s important to your business.
You know, computer security is something you can’t play with today. This guide will show you how to beef up the PC security a little bit.
1- Antivirus is critical
No anti virus? Are you joking? What about the virus created every day? You need to have tough security. Use an antivirus that can handle most threats. Free antivirus are fine for home use. Windows has a good too. But for office they say you need more security. There are good paid anti virus. I have one, it works fine I feel safer buying books online.
2- Firewall
For me the most important security step on your PC. If you don’t have a firewall it’s quite easy for someone to attack your PC even if it is just for fun. Windows 10 by default as a decent firewall. If you want more security buy a good one. Lots of reviews online
3- Backup
I always use the PC and leave it like if it is going to crash soon. This way there are little problems if something happens to the operating system or the hard disk. If you work on the cloud it’s great the files will still be there if the PC crashes. If you have to save files on the hard drive, just make sure you have them copied to a safe place if the PC falls to the floor.
4- Lock your online accounts with tough passwords
Without the password it’s hard to access your cloud. Do you want to keep your files safer? Just use stronger passwords. With the password anyone can open your cloud. Without the password it’s really hard. Can’t remember a long password? Just keep it on a safe place.
5- Update the browser and the operating system all the time
There are updates for a reason and that’s because they are important for security, speed and stability. Always run the updates when you are asked. If you don’t your computer may have security holes.
6- Always browser the internet in a safe way
Use a browser that’s up to date and it’s great and popular. Don’t use those small browsers you know nothing about. Be safe.
7- Keep your most important files safe
Use a pen drive to keep them secure all the time. After using those important files just remove the pen drive and them store it in a safe place. Safe place is a far far away from the computer because if the computer falls down and the pen is with it there might be trouble.
8- Learn more about computer security
Always learn on the web. New viruses appear every day. New malware and similar stuff. Keep reading and learning.
You know, computer security is something you can’t play with today. This guide will show you how to beef up the PC security a little bit.
1- Antivirus is critical
No anti virus? Are you joking? What about the virus created every day? You need to have tough security. Use an antivirus that can handle most threats. Free antivirus are fine for home use. Windows has a good too. But for office they say you need more security. There are good paid anti virus. I have one, it works fine I feel safer buying books online.
2- Firewall
For me the most important security step on your PC. If you don’t have a firewall it’s quite easy for someone to attack your PC even if it is just for fun. Windows 10 by default as a decent firewall. If you want more security buy a good one. Lots of reviews online
3- Backup
I always use the PC and leave it like if it is going to crash soon. This way there are little problems if something happens to the operating system or the hard disk. If you work on the cloud it’s great the files will still be there if the PC crashes. If you have to save files on the hard drive, just make sure you have them copied to a safe place if the PC falls to the floor.
4- Lock your online accounts with tough passwords
Without the password it’s hard to access your cloud. Do you want to keep your files safer? Just use stronger passwords. With the password anyone can open your cloud. Without the password it’s really hard. Can’t remember a long password? Just keep it on a safe place.
5- Update the browser and the operating system all the time
There are updates for a reason and that’s because they are important for security, speed and stability. Always run the updates when you are asked. If you don’t your computer may have security holes.
6- Always browser the internet in a safe way
Use a browser that’s up to date and it’s great and popular. Don’t use those small browsers you know nothing about. Be safe.
7- Keep your most important files safe
Use a pen drive to keep them secure all the time. After using those important files just remove the pen drive and them store it in a safe place. Safe place is a far far away from the computer because if the computer falls down and the pen is with it there might be trouble.
8- Learn more about computer security
Always learn on the web. New viruses appear every day. New malware and similar stuff. Keep reading and learning.
Windows 10 is for me the best Windows ever
Widows 10 is simply amazing. It's the fastest, lighest Windows ever made in my opinion. Everything is working fine now.
What features Windows 10 has?
1- Start menu again! For me it's the best Windows 10 feature yet. Because now when I want to find a program, software or file, I just have to search and it works really fast. Everything appears on the search results fast. Windows 8 does not have that feature and that's what I don't like the most about Windows 8. There is no way to search the computer, just the slow search that Windows has by default. Windows 10 just solved that in a great way.
2- More security. I get "ads" from Microsoft on my computer saying that Windows is the most secure Windows. Ok it's good to know I can buy books on the web and be safe. Since today we use the computer for all the office work and internet and the cloud it's good to know Windows ia safer.
3- Speed. You want more speed? I have new laptop. Laptops are slower than desktops but with Windows 10 on the laptop the speed is just amazing. I don't have to wait for almost anything. Windows just loads everything super fast.
4- Stability. Do you know how many times Windows 10 crashed on my laptop? None until today. I don't even have to reboot the computer. It goes to sleep and it continues to work just fine. Amazing. Microsoft did a really great job. I almost never reboot the computer unless I want even more speed. The computer lasts weeks sometimes.
5- Cloud. By default Windows wants you to save everything on the cloud. Simply amazing. You don't have to be cafeful about not letting the computer fall down. Everything is safe on the cloud even if the computer crashes. Good point Microsoft!
6- Updates. Back then you had to worry about Windows Updates. Now Windows does everything automatically for you. It's always up to date. I don't even notice when Windows is updating.
7- Reliability thanks to the cloud. You can format the PC and install Windows again if you want max speed again. No problem since Windows let's you save anything to One Drive the files are always safe. Restoring the computer is not a problem anymore in my opinion.
What features Windows 10 has?
1- Start menu again! For me it's the best Windows 10 feature yet. Because now when I want to find a program, software or file, I just have to search and it works really fast. Everything appears on the search results fast. Windows 8 does not have that feature and that's what I don't like the most about Windows 8. There is no way to search the computer, just the slow search that Windows has by default. Windows 10 just solved that in a great way.
2- More security. I get "ads" from Microsoft on my computer saying that Windows is the most secure Windows. Ok it's good to know I can buy books on the web and be safe. Since today we use the computer for all the office work and internet and the cloud it's good to know Windows ia safer.
3- Speed. You want more speed? I have new laptop. Laptops are slower than desktops but with Windows 10 on the laptop the speed is just amazing. I don't have to wait for almost anything. Windows just loads everything super fast.
4- Stability. Do you know how many times Windows 10 crashed on my laptop? None until today. I don't even have to reboot the computer. It goes to sleep and it continues to work just fine. Amazing. Microsoft did a really great job. I almost never reboot the computer unless I want even more speed. The computer lasts weeks sometimes.
5- Cloud. By default Windows wants you to save everything on the cloud. Simply amazing. You don't have to be cafeful about not letting the computer fall down. Everything is safe on the cloud even if the computer crashes. Good point Microsoft!
6- Updates. Back then you had to worry about Windows Updates. Now Windows does everything automatically for you. It's always up to date. I don't even notice when Windows is updating.
7- Reliability thanks to the cloud. You can format the PC and install Windows again if you want max speed again. No problem since Windows let's you save anything to One Drive the files are always safe. Restoring the computer is not a problem anymore in my opinion.
The amazing office world of the cloud
If you ask my opinion I think cloud computing is one of the most amazings things every invented. Now we have mobile phones, sometimes more than one, the tablet, the gaming PC, the laptop to take anywhere and it's hard to work on all those devices when we need. Pen drives are an option but they fail. Keeping a backup of everything is hard too. Cloud computing is amazing because all your office work is always on the cloud on any device.
Google Drive I think is one of the best things of the internet. Any file you want, any kind of work you want to do and share can be done there. The price? Free! At least for 15 GB. It's simply amazing what Google is doing for the internet. I prefer Google drive because there is nothing to install on the computer, you can work from any browser and all the work is always there. It's amazing for me to be able to write a book on any device and not worry about what can happen to the book in case the computer fails. Google keeps the work there and saved all the time.
Other cloud solutions are great too but I prefer Google Drive because of speed and simplicity.
What is can the drive be used for? So many things. It's just amazing. You can buy a cheap low power PC and have on the cloud a powerful computer working for you. I think that the office we know will change a lot in the years to come.
Google Drive I think is one of the best things of the internet. Any file you want, any kind of work you want to do and share can be done there. The price? Free! At least for 15 GB. It's simply amazing what Google is doing for the internet. I prefer Google drive because there is nothing to install on the computer, you can work from any browser and all the work is always there. It's amazing for me to be able to write a book on any device and not worry about what can happen to the book in case the computer fails. Google keeps the work there and saved all the time.
Other cloud solutions are great too but I prefer Google Drive because of speed and simplicity.
What is can the drive be used for? So many things. It's just amazing. You can buy a cheap low power PC and have on the cloud a powerful computer working for you. I think that the office we know will change a lot in the years to come.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Why Windows runs out of memory and how to solve it easily in 5 steps
Windows is an impressive piece of software with dozens of millions of lines of code but it’s not perfect, especially after installing dozens of programs for your work. Sometimes it runs out of mermory, aparently for no reason, but we are going to solve that.
1. Check the Windows update, especially in Windows 8
After leaving the computer ON for several days, the updates are not fully installed because Windows needs to reboot the computer to finish the update install. If you don’t reboot the system for several days or weeks, chances are memory will be a problem. Open the task window. If memory is above 85% with almost no applications running, Windows has software to install. The best way to solve this problem is to run Windows Update and install everything there, even the optional updates. It will take some time, depending on the computer speed and the size of the updates, but after a few minutes Windows is likely to ask to reboot the computer. Save all your work, close the applications and reboot the computer normally. Windows is going to work on the updates before rebooting and after rebooting. When Windows loads again, the memory problem is likely to be solved.
2. Remove all the programs you don’t need or replace them by online versions
Most programs we install in the computer we don’t use anymore. I am talking about all those cool freeware from Softpedia or Cnet. The problem is we don’t use them anymore and they are using resources such as second plan running resources like RAM and hard disk usage. Leave on your computer only the programs you must use for your work on a daily basis. All the rest, chances are you don’t need or there is the online solution that does almost the same thing without having to install a thing. The best way to remove the programs is to use Ccleaner that will remove them program and also clean the hard disk files such a cache and temporary files. It’s not unusual to double the computer speed after this step because RAM is very important to computer speed, sometimes even more than the processor.
3. Reduce the cache for programs and the browser
Many years ago, computers were slow, the internet was even slower than you can imagine, and cache made things a little faster by storing the files in the RAM for future usage. Now the cache is almost useless. Windows does have cache it needs for some key files and applications but most programs do also have cache they don’t need to have, especially the browser which is the application you probably use the most. Internet cache these days is totally useless with fiber internet. You can use applications to reduce the cache. In case you open and close the browser several times a day, just empty the cache and the temporary files after each use. The browser and the entire computer will speed up.
1. Check the Windows update, especially in Windows 8
After leaving the computer ON for several days, the updates are not fully installed because Windows needs to reboot the computer to finish the update install. If you don’t reboot the system for several days or weeks, chances are memory will be a problem. Open the task window. If memory is above 85% with almost no applications running, Windows has software to install. The best way to solve this problem is to run Windows Update and install everything there, even the optional updates. It will take some time, depending on the computer speed and the size of the updates, but after a few minutes Windows is likely to ask to reboot the computer. Save all your work, close the applications and reboot the computer normally. Windows is going to work on the updates before rebooting and after rebooting. When Windows loads again, the memory problem is likely to be solved.
2. Remove all the programs you don’t need or replace them by online versions
Most programs we install in the computer we don’t use anymore. I am talking about all those cool freeware from Softpedia or Cnet. The problem is we don’t use them anymore and they are using resources such as second plan running resources like RAM and hard disk usage. Leave on your computer only the programs you must use for your work on a daily basis. All the rest, chances are you don’t need or there is the online solution that does almost the same thing without having to install a thing. The best way to remove the programs is to use Ccleaner that will remove them program and also clean the hard disk files such a cache and temporary files. It’s not unusual to double the computer speed after this step because RAM is very important to computer speed, sometimes even more than the processor.
3. Reduce the cache for programs and the browser
Many years ago, computers were slow, the internet was even slower than you can imagine, and cache made things a little faster by storing the files in the RAM for future usage. Now the cache is almost useless. Windows does have cache it needs for some key files and applications but most programs do also have cache they don’t need to have, especially the browser which is the application you probably use the most. Internet cache these days is totally useless with fiber internet. You can use applications to reduce the cache. In case you open and close the browser several times a day, just empty the cache and the temporary files after each use. The browser and the entire computer will speed up.
Friday, May 1, 2015
What Windows 10 Should Have
Windows 10 is said by Microsoft to be the best Windows yet. Windows 8 compared with Windows 7 might be a bit faster, but the lack of the start menu made people very angry because they can't find what they want really fast. The new search in Windows 8 is slower, lags too much, takes a lot of time to find what you want and there's not the possibility to open the search results on a new window to continue to search or just refine the query. No wonder Windows 8 has the worst market share ever.
Windows 10 promises to change that. It introduced a whole new start button and it seems that now the start button is the most important feature of Windows. It's the window to everything even to the cloud, with the search feature. I hope that Microsoft makes cloud search easier than before so we don't have to open the folder or the browser to quickly find a file we need.
As for the speed there are no tests yet to see if it's faster than Windows 8 and 8.1 but I hope it is. The cloud needs more speed especially in terms of response time. Cloud services still take a lot of time to respond and in many cases they crash and we have to reboot the browser.
Another thing that Windows 10 could come with is automatic cleaner for Windows, browser and applications. We have to rely on third party software. That's OK because Ccleaner does a great job but it's not a native application. Windows always writes thousands of files it won't need again. After all these years Microsoft still does not have a complete cleaning tool.
Now that we are connected all the time everywhere, Windows needs to be more secure than ever. There are yet no tests because the new version is not yet shipped. Only when people use it we will see if security has been improved, especially in terms of intrusions blocked.
Another important feature I read is that Windows 10 is probably the last Windows version and from now on it will be fully updated with Windows update so we have the best version all the time, just like cloud applications. I hope this will become a reality because installing everything again takes a lot of time and it's costly in terms of time spend upgrading the entire system.
Let's just wait until Windows 10 is released!
Windows 10 promises to change that. It introduced a whole new start button and it seems that now the start button is the most important feature of Windows. It's the window to everything even to the cloud, with the search feature. I hope that Microsoft makes cloud search easier than before so we don't have to open the folder or the browser to quickly find a file we need.
As for the speed there are no tests yet to see if it's faster than Windows 8 and 8.1 but I hope it is. The cloud needs more speed especially in terms of response time. Cloud services still take a lot of time to respond and in many cases they crash and we have to reboot the browser.
Another thing that Windows 10 could come with is automatic cleaner for Windows, browser and applications. We have to rely on third party software. That's OK because Ccleaner does a great job but it's not a native application. Windows always writes thousands of files it won't need again. After all these years Microsoft still does not have a complete cleaning tool.
Now that we are connected all the time everywhere, Windows needs to be more secure than ever. There are yet no tests because the new version is not yet shipped. Only when people use it we will see if security has been improved, especially in terms of intrusions blocked.
Another important feature I read is that Windows 10 is probably the last Windows version and from now on it will be fully updated with Windows update so we have the best version all the time, just like cloud applications. I hope this will become a reality because installing everything again takes a lot of time and it's costly in terms of time spend upgrading the entire system.
Let's just wait until Windows 10 is released!
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Microsoft OneDrive vs Google Drive: Can you move everything to the cloud?
Cloud computing is amazing. All your files can be accessed from any device anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. With two step security no one can see anything unless they have the password and the email or the mobile phone.
So far sounds perfect.
I tried Google Drive for a while and I am surprised to see what we have been missing. We no longer need to have pen drives everywhere, moving and updating the files manually like in the 90's or forgetting files at home while we are in the office. Now with the cloud all the files are up to date all the time and pretty secure.
The cloud has a few problems. One is you don't have the same processing power like when using the desktop on a fast computer. Things take longer to move, read, write and access because of the cloud system and because you are using a browser. Another problem is it takes time to get used to use the files on the cloud and forget about easy copy paste, creating and deleting files very fast. For heavy computer users it takes a lot of time to adapt to this new work system.
Google Drive is a "true" cloud solution. I say true because Google does the best to move all your work entirely to the cloud to eliminate the need to have a desktop. You have all the files in the drive. To create or delete a document you just need to access the drive. The same is true for a spreasheet or a presentation. The advantage is clear, you can create (for free) documents and work together with anyone you want. All the files are in the cloud all the time (free from the desktop) and can be accessed anywhere.
Drive search is like in Gmail, very fast and accurate even when there are thousands of files inside the Drive. The disadvantage is simple, it does not have a lot of power to work with heavy files. Even simple sheets take several seconds to load and to update especially when there is a lot of math involved. Since you work with a browser everything moves a bit slower than on the desktop. You will take some time to get used to it, but once you master the Drive, it's hard to want to go back to the desktop.
Why?
Everything is secure, search is very fast even with a large number of files whereas on the desktop once you start having thousands of files search takes several seconds even a minute to complete. The files on the cloud are updated all the time. You don't have to worry about updates, security (just keep the password and the mobile phone safe) backups, multiple files on multiple devices and out of date versions.
The only thing Google should improve is the response speed especially when using large files.
Microsoft Drive wants to be the best in the cloud and it offers Word, Excel and Powerpoint online. These free online versions are a bit slower than on the desktop, don't have all the features but are more powerful and complete than Google's solution. Just like other solutions, Microsoft offers for free plenty of space, access from anywhere, two step security and another thing the competition does not have yet which is the full power of the desktop software to work on the files on the cloud, giving the best of both.
With Office 365 you can have all the features of Microsoft Office suite, for a reasonable monthly price and save all the files on the cloud. The advantage of this system is clear, work on the desktop or on the cloud with the online suite, save the files in the cloud (or on the desktop) share and collaborate, move from computer to computer and everything is there and don't worry about backups and file versions.
Think of OneDrive as the cloud solution for heavy work.
Is this the right time to move everything to the cloud?
The answer I see from specialists on magazines, blogs, forums is it depends on the kind of work you do and how sensitive it is. My experience is the peace of mind of having everything important to your work available all the time.
So far sounds perfect.
I tried Google Drive for a while and I am surprised to see what we have been missing. We no longer need to have pen drives everywhere, moving and updating the files manually like in the 90's or forgetting files at home while we are in the office. Now with the cloud all the files are up to date all the time and pretty secure.
The cloud has a few problems. One is you don't have the same processing power like when using the desktop on a fast computer. Things take longer to move, read, write and access because of the cloud system and because you are using a browser. Another problem is it takes time to get used to use the files on the cloud and forget about easy copy paste, creating and deleting files very fast. For heavy computer users it takes a lot of time to adapt to this new work system.
Google Drive is a "true" cloud solution. I say true because Google does the best to move all your work entirely to the cloud to eliminate the need to have a desktop. You have all the files in the drive. To create or delete a document you just need to access the drive. The same is true for a spreasheet or a presentation. The advantage is clear, you can create (for free) documents and work together with anyone you want. All the files are in the cloud all the time (free from the desktop) and can be accessed anywhere.
Drive search is like in Gmail, very fast and accurate even when there are thousands of files inside the Drive. The disadvantage is simple, it does not have a lot of power to work with heavy files. Even simple sheets take several seconds to load and to update especially when there is a lot of math involved. Since you work with a browser everything moves a bit slower than on the desktop. You will take some time to get used to it, but once you master the Drive, it's hard to want to go back to the desktop.
Why?
Everything is secure, search is very fast even with a large number of files whereas on the desktop once you start having thousands of files search takes several seconds even a minute to complete. The files on the cloud are updated all the time. You don't have to worry about updates, security (just keep the password and the mobile phone safe) backups, multiple files on multiple devices and out of date versions.
The only thing Google should improve is the response speed especially when using large files.
Microsoft Drive wants to be the best in the cloud and it offers Word, Excel and Powerpoint online. These free online versions are a bit slower than on the desktop, don't have all the features but are more powerful and complete than Google's solution. Just like other solutions, Microsoft offers for free plenty of space, access from anywhere, two step security and another thing the competition does not have yet which is the full power of the desktop software to work on the files on the cloud, giving the best of both.
With Office 365 you can have all the features of Microsoft Office suite, for a reasonable monthly price and save all the files on the cloud. The advantage of this system is clear, work on the desktop or on the cloud with the online suite, save the files in the cloud (or on the desktop) share and collaborate, move from computer to computer and everything is there and don't worry about backups and file versions.
Think of OneDrive as the cloud solution for heavy work.
Is this the right time to move everything to the cloud?
The answer I see from specialists on magazines, blogs, forums is it depends on the kind of work you do and how sensitive it is. My experience is the peace of mind of having everything important to your work available all the time.
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Is water cooling necessary for high performance computers?
Water cooling is much better than it was 10 years ago. Back in 2004 and 2005 when the first end user water coolings were sold they were something like a high risk system. It was new, the tech was low tech and it was really water that was running inside the system. If you did something wrong, the house could be on fire.
Today things are different. Most water cooling systems are not water cooling but a liquid that cannot conduct electricity so if there's a leak, the computer won't be damaged, at least that's what they say.
But do you really such costly, high performance and expensive system to cooldown and 8 Core AMD or the latest Intel i7?
You don't.
If you like silence, air cooling is still the best you can install. I have one computer with liquid cooling. The temperature is perfect all the time and even with the air temp is at above 35 ou even 40ºC, the computer runs almost at 0ºC. Incredible. The problem is the noise. You almost can't hear music because the fans are running at peak speed all the time. The system does not come with software to control the maximum temperature or the fan speed/noise.
Air cooling, the best big fans, run much slower and they are capable of cooling even the fastest processors, for almost the same cost and with the advantage of being almost completely silent. Air cooling also has the advantage of lasting much longer in terms of lifetime and they don't require as much maintenance.
For mid performance computers liquid cooling is "out of question" simply because normal, even stock, air coolers are more than enough.
Today things are different. Most water cooling systems are not water cooling but a liquid that cannot conduct electricity so if there's a leak, the computer won't be damaged, at least that's what they say.
But do you really such costly, high performance and expensive system to cooldown and 8 Core AMD or the latest Intel i7?
You don't.
If you like silence, air cooling is still the best you can install. I have one computer with liquid cooling. The temperature is perfect all the time and even with the air temp is at above 35 ou even 40ºC, the computer runs almost at 0ºC. Incredible. The problem is the noise. You almost can't hear music because the fans are running at peak speed all the time. The system does not come with software to control the maximum temperature or the fan speed/noise.
Air cooling, the best big fans, run much slower and they are capable of cooling even the fastest processors, for almost the same cost and with the advantage of being almost completely silent. Air cooling also has the advantage of lasting much longer in terms of lifetime and they don't require as much maintenance.
For mid performance computers liquid cooling is "out of question" simply because normal, even stock, air coolers are more than enough.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Is Google Drive the end of desktop computing?
Google Drive recently unleashed some updates to their product that, in my opinion, makes Google Drive the best place to have your files and work both online and offline.
In some posts before I wrote about how the cloud is never going to replace the desktop and I thought the desktop was and would be always the best place to work of all. It simply depends on what kind of work you do. People who work with video edition won't have much advantage using Google Drive except to backup some small videos. People working in an office will have a lot more competitive advantage working with the Drive.
What are Google Drive advantages?
1. Work anywhere and collaborate. Anywhere means you can work even from the metro if you have batery and internet connection. There are no limits or barriers. The drive works just like Gmail does. You access your files fromt he cloud, they are encrypted between the Google servers and your computer and working with any document, spreasheet or presentation is very easy. Collaboration is easier than ever before. Do you remember the good old times when you had to send an email for your time with the sheets and then have each of them work individually and send back the file to you? Version after version, mistake after mistake and the work would be finally done. Now it's simple, just share a file and everybody can work on it in real time at the same time.
2. Use multiple computers. If you are like most people you have a desktop, a laptop and a tablet. Using a pen drive (you can lose) to have the work ready on (almost) all devices is something of the past. Drive allows to work on all computers, at the same time if you want, and get the work done no matter what the computer is, as long as it has internet.
3. Security. It's hard to hack a desktop and today so is hacking the cloud. Google recently released a new feature so anyone trying to hack into your account will have to have your mobile phone as well. Google is serious about security and hacking Google servers is pratically impossible. Your work is safe.
4. Work offline. With Google Drive for the desktop getting everyone on the cloud and working on the desktop is amazing.
5. No cost. How much do you have to pay for an office suite? Probably hundreds of dollars. How much do you have to pay for computer security suites? Almost that amount again. With the cloud for documents and sheets and then some presentations you have to pay nothing. The storage is huge.
For offices and students I predict the desktop does not have a lot of value anymore.
In some posts before I wrote about how the cloud is never going to replace the desktop and I thought the desktop was and would be always the best place to work of all. It simply depends on what kind of work you do. People who work with video edition won't have much advantage using Google Drive except to backup some small videos. People working in an office will have a lot more competitive advantage working with the Drive.
What are Google Drive advantages?
1. Work anywhere and collaborate. Anywhere means you can work even from the metro if you have batery and internet connection. There are no limits or barriers. The drive works just like Gmail does. You access your files fromt he cloud, they are encrypted between the Google servers and your computer and working with any document, spreasheet or presentation is very easy. Collaboration is easier than ever before. Do you remember the good old times when you had to send an email for your time with the sheets and then have each of them work individually and send back the file to you? Version after version, mistake after mistake and the work would be finally done. Now it's simple, just share a file and everybody can work on it in real time at the same time.
2. Use multiple computers. If you are like most people you have a desktop, a laptop and a tablet. Using a pen drive (you can lose) to have the work ready on (almost) all devices is something of the past. Drive allows to work on all computers, at the same time if you want, and get the work done no matter what the computer is, as long as it has internet.
3. Security. It's hard to hack a desktop and today so is hacking the cloud. Google recently released a new feature so anyone trying to hack into your account will have to have your mobile phone as well. Google is serious about security and hacking Google servers is pratically impossible. Your work is safe.
4. Work offline. With Google Drive for the desktop getting everyone on the cloud and working on the desktop is amazing.
5. No cost. How much do you have to pay for an office suite? Probably hundreds of dollars. How much do you have to pay for computer security suites? Almost that amount again. With the cloud for documents and sheets and then some presentations you have to pay nothing. The storage is huge.
For offices and students I predict the desktop does not have a lot of value anymore.
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