http://www.funadvice.com/my/advice/future1investor en-us 1 future1investor Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:13:16 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/blockin_a_folder 277287 Ask your local high school for help. Students will jump at the chance to show off their skills. Often for free or for a fair compensation. future1investor Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:07:31 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/how_to_make_a_website 277280 The SEO Tools found in this site were designed to assist you in configuring your website(s) for search engine optimization within the different search engines. http://www.seochat.com/seo-tools/ future1investor Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:59:32 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/how_do_i_get_myself_to_show_up_when 277269 mp77378, Dell does have a recovery partition on the hard drive PROVIDED a Dell technician hasn't screwed it up previously from another remote tech support call. future1investor Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:55:40 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/dell_computers 277263 Beware Dell Customer Service. Elsewhere here I've addressed the poor customer service with regards to resolving problems. If you get a good Dell computer knock on wood, however if you have problems which after a several calls are not resolved, chances are you will find yourself frustrated and feel you overpaid for a product and didn't even get the level of service you paid for with the computer. Also, try Google search: "Dell nightmare" and read a good handful of the over 480,000 results found from just that phrase alone! Find and read my other reply about Dell and Alienware on this forum. future1investor Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:52:18 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/dell_computers 277260 I used to be a service technician so this is the best way: Do NOT use compressed air. It is a waste of money since you just blow the dust back into the air which will again settle in your room and back onto/into the computer. Of course this doesn't hold as true provided you take your system outside. Buy an ESD (Electrostatic Discharge Strap) clip it to the metal on the back of your system fan or other metal framing, the other end goes around your wrist. System is turned off but the power cord stays plugged in (for grounding). Use a computer sized vacuum for the job. If you don't have a computer vacuum, you can carefully use a regular room vacuum cleaner with the brush and crevice tool. The key is to be very gentle and careful around the mother board and other planar surfaces. Everywhere that you can see, see into, or poke your finger near/in/around should be carefully probed with the vacuum. Clean also the inside and outside (of the case) of all fans, and your power supply box. Electricity draws more dust. And fans are the exit port for air and dirt. Don't forget to clean around floppy drives, cd rom drives, any opening where things are inserted or where air can get in from outside the case. Graphic cards, sound cards, and any card inserted into an expansion slot can have its contact edge cleaned carefully with isopropal alcohol and swabs designed for electrical cleaning (radioshack carries them). They are like cotton swabs, only the cotton material is very well secured to the long wooden stick as not to impart bits of cotton to what you are cleaning. Gently but firmly reinsert the card into the slot. During cleaning, always check the ESD strap to make sure it is still attached to the metal frame and to your wrist so that you do not impart any electrical discharge to sensitive electronics. Lastly be sure that your surge protector is working and that the computer is plugged into a grounded (3 prong outlet) (light on surge protector will alert you to an unsafe condition). Suggest APC brand surge protectors. Electricity is enemy #1 future1investor Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:45:34 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/how_do_i_clean_my_computer 277255 I used to be a service technician so this is the best way: Do NOT use compressed air. It is a waste of money since you just blow the dust back into the air which will again settle in your room and back onto/into the computer. Of course this doesn't hold as true provided you take your system outside. Buy an ESD (Electrostatic Discharge Strap) clip it to the metal on the back of your system fan or other metal framing. System is turned off but the power cord stays plugged in (for grounding). Use a computer sized vacuum for the job. If you don't have a computer vacuum, you can carefully use a regular room vacuum cleaner with the brush and crevice tool. The key is to be very gentle and careful around the mother board and other planar surfaces. Everywhere that you can see, see into, or poke your finger near/in/around should be carefully probed with the vacuum. Clean also the inside and outside (of the case) of all fans, and your power supply box. Electricity draws more dust. And fans are the exit port for air and dirt. Don't forget to clean around floppy drives, cd rom drives, any opening where things are inserted or where air can get in from outside the case. Graphic cards, sound cards, and any card inserted into an expansion slot can have its contact edge cleaned carefully with isopropal alcohol and swabs designed for electrical cleaning (radioshack carries them). They are like cotton swabs, only the cotton material is very well secured to the long wooden stick as not to impart bits of cotton to what you are cleaning. Gently but firmly reinsert the card into the slot. During cleaning, always check the ESD strap to make sure it is still attached to the metal frame and to your wrist so that you do not impart any electrical discharge to sensitive electronics. Lastly be sure that your surge protector is working and that the computer is plugged into a grounded (3 prong outlet) (light on surge protector will alert you to an unsafe condition). Suggest APC brand surge protectors. Electricity is enemy #1 future1investor Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:44:24 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/how_do_i_clean_my_computer 277252 I agree with others on here about waiting to see what happens in late summer or fall of 2008. If you have your eye on the iPhone, things are getting better and better as was recently witnessed by an auditorium full of software developers. Here is what I reported recently: Some pundits have said that Apple splashed into a new spotlight with the iPhone and now they have to do something else to keep the momentum. What they may not know is that the iPhone the front man for more products to come which will build upon the iPhone. The iPhone now has almost 1/3 of the smartphone marketplace only second to RIMM. It has nearly 75% of the total mobile internet browser usage VERY IMPRESSIVE! Today, the Blackberry is the enterprise phone/pda tool but the Apple iPhone may soon overtake the #1 spot all while being used by people who have no idea that they may soon be taking home work at the same time they are checking on their children by voice or by text message. Blackberry is #1 in corporate messaging but Apple has listened and is now working with Microsoft to bring fast and simplistic email, calendar, and security to the iPhone. So what does this say exactly? Well, it indicates that Apple has a platform that won’t be pigeon-holed but will come out on top as a flexible solution for the masses. Weather you are a corporate user, a high school or college student, or a mother, Apple can meet your needs in many different ways. A blogger said it best: “I really had no idea how powerful the iPhone was as a device. I have one and have loved it since day one, but now to see a glimpse of what the future will bring and it is amazing.” Also as the iPhone utilizes a touchscreen; Apple hybridized the Apple OSX operating system and their much improved touchscreen technology to create a fantastic platform for game developers. The key here is that software developers are not limited by physical keyboards or button. Because it is touchscreen, developers can place buttons and controls anywhere on the screen! Another technology allows the user to hold and move the iPhone up/down/left/right and mimic joystick movement allowing popular flying type games and even first person shooter type games. What this means is that there will be an iPhone for all types of users: Telephone only, Gamers, Business men/women or any combination. future1investor Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:24:44 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/cell_phone_5885 277241 Mozilla is far safer than Internet Explorer. Also, there is so much more available via plug-ins that give you so many add-in features. Plus when a security flaw is found, when fixed it is fixed as opposed to fixes with Internet Explorer that cause even more security holes and issues. future1investor Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:11:58 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/mozilla 277232 While I can't answer this exactly, I will tell you that I have read that Apple is doing extremely well due to the fact that so many people are breaking the AT&T lock. People from almost every telephone service is now able to use iPhones. Analysts estimate that because of this, iPhone sales will skyrocket into 2009 and beyond. future1investor Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:07:22 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/jailbreaking_an_iphone 277229 Beware of Alienware! Dell owns Alienware now. They now share the same customer service experiences as Dell computers. I was about to drop over $5,000 on the newest Alienware gaming laptop until the escalating horror stories of my friends and my own experiences with Dell technical support. I've searched (research a great deal) and found hundreds of thousands of similar Dell nightmares as reported by owners. Take it from first hand experiences, Dell's level of customer service resolution has hit all time lows. They force you to endure endless hours of phone support (one case took 14 hours!)even after several restores of Windows Vista. They argue endlessly and try not to allow returning product. To do so takes a God-like patience and constitution. They leave important details of your technical issues and actions by service techs out of the case log. Even to the point of entering fraudulent information so the tech does not get into trouble for something they told the customer to do or for not themselves performing promised actions. future1investor Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:01:42 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/anyone_heard_of_alienware 277223 Beware of Dell ! Take it from first hand experiences, Dell's level of customer service resolution has hit all time lows. They force you to endure endless hours of phone support (one case took 14 hours!)even after several restores of Windows Vista. They argue endlessly and try not to allow returning product. To do so takes a God-like patience and constitution. They leave important details of your technical issues and actions by service techs out of the case log. Even to the point of entering fraudulent information so the tech does not get into trouble for something they told the customer to do or for not themselves performing promised actions. future1investor Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:55:42 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/best_gaming_notebook 277217