Many small businesses can’t get the ROI they need for in house IT staff. Perhaps they only need a few hours a week of Computer and IT support. In these cases it becomes important to have a company who can give the computer repair services to keep them running and when there are problems and with the ability to provide fast response.

Finding Computer Service And Support

Data Recovery

Computer services can also include data recovery.  Perhaps someone has lost  some of your companies important data.

Just because your data seems lost or deleted don’t underestimate what data recovery sources can do to bring your data back and restore it to its original form.  Using software tools and computer skills can help you preserve your important information: data recovery is an important part of computer service and support.

Here is an expert article on IT and computer support describing several ways the services can be delivered.

Computer Support Can Save Time and Money

By Treck Hanson

If you are a small firm, it may not be worth your while having a dedicated IT department or IT staff member. By and large, if most things are running smoothly, it can be a costly drain on resources that no business needs. Considering the current financial implications the world is facing, unnecessary expenditure should be minimized as much as possible. Therefore, using computer support on an ad-hoc basis when it is required may provide a more economical solution to any problems your business may be facing. There are likely to be many local IT support workers who would be willing to provide support to your firm when it is required.

The broad range of computer support options may be difficult to comprehend for someone who has a very limited amount of experience with computers. To the computer novice, a computer expert would be able to solve or resolve any problem, regardless of what it is. This is obviously not the case and there are many areas of expertise or skill involved in computer support. Whether it is trouble shooting, problem solving or setting up connections, there are a multitude of different aspects that support staff need to be aware of when trying to fix computers.

With internet access becoming more common for all households, it follows on that the number of computer viruses could rise. If you are unaware of how viruses spread or what can be done to combat them, it is likely that you will suffer from them. These can slow down the performance of your computer or in some cases, prevent it from working at all. Some viruses can also steal your personal information, so it is important to be aware of what can be done to prevent these viruses from attacking your computer. This is where a good level of computer support will be tremendous value as those in the know can help prevent viruses that have the ability to decimate your computer or network.

The issue about computer support is that it needs to be able to work across a lot of levels. This is because different people will have different levels of computer skills. What may seem a problem to some people will be easy to others and a good support service will be able to help out every problem. With the rising popularity of computers, the knowledge level of users is going to vary wildly, so being able to react to different types of problems is a skill that is required. Aside from knowing an awful lot about computers, having the patience to deal with the problems is a major factor in any computing support program.

It can be seen that if you are a home owner or a small business, having access to computer support can make a positive difference to the way you can use your computer. As PC access becomes ever more important in the modern era, knowing how to resolve any issues and ensure your computer runs at its optimum efficiency is a top priority. If you want to ensure you are getting the very best from your machine, make sure you know how it works or know some people that do.

In a nutshell fixITlocal is all about delivering the highest quality local IT services right to your doorstep – whether at home or business.For further information regarding the range of computer support services we offer for both PC and Macs, please visit our website at http://www.fixitlocal.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Treck_Hanson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Computer-Support-Can-Save-Time-and-Money&id=3914982

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Many Louisville business owners that we talk to understand the importance of an online presence and start websites. There is a feeling that “if you build it they will come.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact most professionally built websites fail to produce the ROI that the business owner had hoped for.

SEO (search engine optimization) is a missing component for most Louisville business. There are many ways to get traffic but it all starts with keywords.

Keywords are what people type into Google or one of the other search engines to find you. They are the questions that people ask Google in order to find you. While it is not difficult to find these keywords if you try to guess what they are you will most likely be wrong.

Not only that but you also want to separate the buyers from the browsers. Many people are on the net everyday just window shopping. But there are clues in the keywords to the buyers and so those words must be used as well.

With the keyword foundation laid, you next want to get those people who typed in the keywords to come to your site instead of your competitors.

Techniques to Get Traffic to Your Site

By Scot Johnson

The first thing I do is figure out what keywords to use. These are what words people will put in a search engine to find your site. Google has a key word idea tool that I use to look at how many searches a word gets in a month. If a word is searched more than one hundred times than that is enough traffic. It is best to find several of these words. Then Google them to check out your competition. First use quotes around your words. The number of results will tell you how many other sites you’ll be competing against. The smaller number the better here, I shoot for under ten thousand but sometimes I’ll go higher. It depends on what the competition looks like on the first page without quotes. I look at the page rank of each site and average that number. I use a FireFox add on to do this. If all of the page ranks are lower than 4 it will be easy to get on the first page. Make a list of your keywords and use them to start making content.

Now that you have your list you can start building a network of unique content with hyperlinks attached to your keywords. Linking these pages together to make what is called a link wheel. Do this by putting one link in each page to the next page of your content and another link to your main page. So all of your pages; whether they’re blog posts, articles, or web 2.0 pages; link to one and other and to your site. The main thing is that you don’t use reciprocal links.

Next use social bookmarking site to post backlinks to your sites. Make sure they are dofollow sites. I use the same Fire Fox add on to look for nofollow links on a page. If it isn’t a nofollow than it is a dofollow. This means that when search engines crawl a site they will follow the link and use it to increase your page rank. Don’t create too many backlinks at once since this doesn’t look natural to search engines. They may penalize your sites PR for it. This is called being put in the sandbox.

One other good way to get backlinks and traffic is to post on forums and blog comments. If you post on a forum try to find a thread that only has a couple of replies. Answer the question in the thread and post your link for further information. Make sure it is a good answer so you don’t get banned for spamming. Forum mods don’t like when people only make a post just to put a link in it.

These are the ways I use to get started, there are still a lot of other tricks and different techniques of doing these same ways. You’ll just have to experiment and see what works for you.

For further information please check out my blog.

Traffic Blog
Link Wheel Basics

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scot_Johnson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Techniques-to-Get-Traffic-to-Your-Site&id=4119682

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A lot people are already aware that you need to defrag your PC every once in a while to help maintain optimal performance.  How often does this really get done?  It is processor and time consuming so a lot of user either forget or just don’t think they have time.  Vista and above OS’s are your new best friend when it comes to using defrag.  Click Start –> All Programs  –> Accessories –> System Tools –> Disk Defragmenter.

You will get a dialog box similar to the following:

Defragmenter in Vista

Defrag comes preconfigured.  You can alter the schedule to fit your schedule.

What about XP users?  There are still a lot of people still using XP.  Defrag is still located in the same place but it looks like this when you open it:

Disk Defragmenter

There is no place to schedule a defragmentation.  This is accomplished by setting up schedules tasks.  Navigate to Click Start –>All Programs  –> Accessories –> System Tools –> Scheduled Tasks

You will see something similar to this:

Scheduled Tasks

I find it interesting that all the tasks listed are a result of programs I have installed doing automatic updates.

Click on Add scheduled task

The wizard will open, click next

On the following page, click browse

Scheduled Task Wizard

Now navigate to the windows directory and then to the System32 folder and select Defrag.exe and click ok

C:\Windows\System32

Here is where you decide the frequency of your defragmentations.  I set mine up for daily defragmentation to optimize my machine’s performance.

Scheduled Task Frequency Schedule

I am changing the time to 4am.  I am choosing a time that will help my machine complete the task before other scheduled updates will occur, such as windows updates.  We do not want out machines trying to download updates while it is defragmenting the hard drive.

Schedule time for Defrag to run

Now you will set the username and password of a user with administrative rights.

Scheduled Task "Run As User"

Check the box for Open advanced Properties for this task when I click Finish

In the Defrag Properties Screen, locate the run field, and add the drive letter followed by :

note: You will want to set up a new scheduled task for each drive on your PC.

Setting Task Properties to Defrag the C drive

Here you can set the task to stop after running for x hours.  This is important if the PC is a business machine.  If you start defragging, at 1 am you need it to be stopped by 8 am or so, otherwise performance would be a major issue.

Task Scheduler Advanced Properties

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A few points about protecting your yourself on-line:

• When posting to social media sites remember that what you put on the site is on the World Wide Web.  Therefore, it is visible for everyone to see in many cases.  This is dependent of the site’s security settings availability and how you configure them.  Keep in mind that you may not want to post every detail of your life on these sites.  You don’t usually know who is reading your page.

• Use caution when giving out your home number.  If someone, Googles your home number they can see the address and the name of the person to whom the number is registered.   This is generated through Google maps and will give them a pinpoint map, directions, and possibly a streetside view of your house.  You can remove your number from this listing by simply clicking Request to have you name removed from this list.

• Use caution when posting pictures.  You probably don’t want to post pictures of the front of your house.  You may post something months later about the problems in your neighborhood.  Again this leaves possibility that an unintended party can locate your home.

Technorati Tags: Apple, April Fools Day, BlackBerry, Google, Google Map, Google Street View, search engines, Searching

Louisville area business are more and more reliant on their computers and networks to make their businesses work.  It is just a fact of lift, you can tell more and more about your business, control inventory, payroll, and all of it with your computer systems.

Our expert author details 10 ways that you can secure your computer network.

Ten Ways to Secure Your Small Biz Computer Network

By Charlie O’Hearn

If you don’t have a full-time IT staff or a company like Plexus taking care of your computer infrastructure, here are 10 basic things you can do on your own to keep your office network running smoothly.

1. Keep Your Anti-Virus Program Current – Make sure your anti-virus program subscription is current and the software is updating properly. Just because anti-virus software came with your computer does not mean it is protecting you, so make sure. I do not recommend the Nortons and MacAfees of the world, the ones that usually come with a free trial on all new PCs these days. If you did not purchase the subscription I recommend instead installing the free versions of AVG or Avast which were ranked higher by Consumer Reports than the best known brands. For your servers, however, I recommend Trend Micro which will come at a very reasonable price, especially compared to the cost of recovering all your critical files from an infected server.

2. Use an Internet Gateway Appliance – You’ve probably heard the advertisements on the radio for spam blocking firewalls, but there are many equally effective, less expensive or free options, such as that from Untangle. These devices sit between your Internet connection and all of your computers to filter out any kind of junk whether it is hitching a ride on a website or an email. My feeling is that if a bug is trying to get into my house, I want to stop it at the front door rather than catch it in the kitchen, so let’s keep these things from ever reaching your computers

3. Be Vigilant – Even if the email is from someone you know, if you are not expecting an attachment, don’t open it. If the email includes a web link, are you sure you need to click it? If a sales guy shows up and wants to show you files he has on his flash drive, politely decline. A couple of years ago a colleague and I were interviewing local developers for a relatively small database project. As he twirled his shiny keychain flash drive on his finger, he offered to copy the data files so he could take a closer look at home and get back to us. Suffice to say we declined and said we’d get back to him.

4. Limit Employee Computer Use – If your employees have unfettered web access from their computers, you’re probably inviting trouble if they don’t need web access to perform their job duties. Appliances like Untangle can easily block, limit or monitor web activity by each user. For a cheap alternative, check my blog my post from back in January about a free and effective web blocking tool built right into Internet Explorer called Content Advisor.

5. Control CD Burners and External Media – CD/DVD Burners, Flash drives and cell phones make data incredibly portable. So portable that critical company data could walk right out the front door snuggly tucked away on the flash drive of a temp, or in the iPod of an unhappy employee. Just like the Internet, if they don’t need it to do their jobs, don’t give it to them. Here’s a link for free tools to turn off USB ports and CD burners.

6. You Must be ‘This High’ to Go on this Computer – If kids visit the office, don’t let them on the computers. If you leave your computers on overnight, make sure to lock them (Control + Alt – Delete + Lock Computer). We wouldn’t want to tempt the cleaning crew or their kids, now would we?

7. Routine Maintenance – Back in the I Love You, Nimda and Melissa Virus days we pulled a few all nighters cleaning machine after machine that were infected, not because they did not have anti-virus software, but because they lacked the latest Microsoft patch that plugged a security hole. For workstations we recommend setting Windows Update to automatic. As needed the computer will receive and install needed Microsoft security and software updates. Make sure that your anti-virus is configured the same way. For servers, I recommend configuring it to download the updates, but let me choose when to install them. This way I can do the updates after hours or on the weekend so, if there are problems, I have plenty of time to fix it before people start showing up for work.

8. Secure Your Wireless Network – When Wi-Fi first came on the scene I could almost count on having a free Internet connection wherever I went thanks to people being too lazy or too intimidated to configure wireless network security. Today, however, they are easier than ever to secure, so make sure yours is before people start hanging out in your parking lot with a laptop and latte to surf your network and send god-knows-what to god-knows-who.

9. Windows File Permissions – The Windows operating system has got permission settings built into it to limit or grant access to people or groups. For example, if you have a folder with files you only want you and your accountant to access, but not Becky the Admin Assistant. Or, perhaps you have performance reviews to which only you should be privy, you can set that up as well. These are easy to set up, but you might require a little training first. Give me a call and I can walk you through the process. If you try it alone, practice on a new folder with dummy files rather than accidentally lock yourself out of the payroll folder.

10. Disaster Recovery – Some call this Disaster Prevention Planning, as in, let’s avoid having to recover to begin with, but I like the term Business Continuity Plan, as in, disaster or not, let’s make sure our business continues to run unaffected. No matter what you call it, do you have a plan and some mechanism in place to help you stay in business, or at least recover quickly if there’s a flood, an earthquake or someone forgets to pay the power bill? Trust me, I’ve seen all those things happen. If not, here are some questions to ask yourself when developing your plan:

Do I have an up-to-date, reliable backup of my data?

Do I know how to use the backup software to recover my data?

Do I have a copy of the software needed to run the data?

Do I have a computer to install the software and data on?

Once you have your plan in place, test it out so you can discover and fix its shortcomings then make sure everyone knows the plan exists and run through it with them.

If you’d like help developing a business continuity plan or implementing any of the other measures described above, please give us a call. we’re happy to help!

Charlie O’Hearn
President/Owner
Plexus Information Technology & Services
http://www.plexus-it.com
charlie@plexus-it.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charlie_O’Hearn
http://EzineArticles.com/?Ten-Ways-to-Secure-Your-Small-Biz-Computer-Network&id=4043485

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Network Design Process – Effective Network Planning and Design

By Shaun Hummel

Overview

The network planning and design methodology describes a process with 9 specific steps and a sequence for those activities. As mentioned it is an engineering life cycle that supports technical initiatives such as Windows migration, IP telephony and wireless design to name a few examples. The methodology begins with examining company business requirements. It is absolutely essential that you understand the company business model, business drivers and how they are growing from a business perspective. That will build the foundation for a design proposal that serves the business, technical and operational requirements of the company.

STEP 1: BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

Any design project starts with an understanding of what the company does and what they need to accomplish from a business perspective. This begins with an understanding of their business model, which really describes how their company works from an operational and business perspective to generate revenues and reduce costs. Many vendors today have conducted their own return on investment (ROI) studies for new implementations such as Unified Communications and Telephony. It is an effective sales tool that illustrates the cost benefits compared with investment over a specified period of time.

This is a list of some typical business drivers:

• Reduce Operating Costs

• Generate Revenue

• Client Satisfaction

• Employee Productivity

This is a list of some typical project business requirements:

• Budget Constraints

• Office Consolidations

• Company Mergers and Acquisitions

• Business Partner Connectivity

• Telecommuter Remote Access

• Implement New Offices and Employees

• New Data Center Applications

• Reduce Network Outage Costs

• Cost Effective Network Management

• Vendor Contracts

STEP 2: DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

Now that you understand the basic business requirements of the company, you can determine the standard and specific design requirements. The design requirements process is focused on defining requirements from a technical perspective. Those requirements along with the business requirements will build the framework that is used to define infrastructure, security and management. Design requirements are defined as standard and miscellaneous. The standard design requirements are generic and represent those considered with many design projects. Miscellaneous requirements are those that aren’t defined with any of the standard requirements.

Standard Design Requirements

• Performance

• Availability

• Scalability

• Standards Compatibility

• Rapid Deployment

STEP 3: NETWORK ASSESSMENT

A network assessment is conducted after we have finished the business and design requirements of the company. A network assessment provides a quick snapshot of the current network with an examination of the infrastructure, performance, availability, management and security. That information is utilized for making effective strategy recommendations and design proposals to the client concerning specific information systems modifications. The network assessment model has 3 sequential activities, which are assessment, analysis and recommendations. The current network is examined using five primary surveys: infrastructure, performance, availability, management and security. When the surveys are completed, the information collected is then reviewed for trends, problems and issues that are negatively affecting the network.

STEP 4: INFRASTRUCTURE SELECTION

After doing an network assessment we are ready to start selecting specific infrastructure components for the network design. This phase starts building the infrastructure with a specific sequence that promotes effective equipment selection and design. It is important that you consider business requirements, design requirements and the network assessment when building your infrastructure.

The following numbered list describes the specific infrastructure components and their particular sequence.

1. Enterprise WAN Topology

2. Campus Topology

3. Traffic Model

4. Equipment Selection

5. Circuits

6. Routing Protocol Design

7. Addressing

8. Naming Conventions

9. IOS Services

10. Domain Name Services

11. DHCP Services

STEP 5: SECURITY STRATEGY

We must now define a security strategy for securing the infrastructure. The need for enterprise network security shouldn’t be ignored with the proliferation of the Internet. Companies are continuing to leverage the public infrastructure for connecting national and international offices, business partners and new company acquisitions. The security requirements and network assessment recommendations should drive the selection of security equipment, protocols and processes. It identifies what assets must be protected, what users are allowed access and how those assets will be secured.

STEP 6: NETWORK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

This section will define a network management strategy for managing all equipment defined from infrastructure and security. It is necessary to define how the equipment is going to be monitored and determine if the current management strategy is adequate or if new applications, equipment, protocols and processes must be identified. Management components are then integrated with infrastructure and security to finish building the proposed design. These primary elements comprise any well-defined management strategy and should be considered when developing your strategy.

• 7 Management Groups

• SNMP Applications

• Monitored Devices and Events

STEP 7: PROOF OF CONCEPT

All infrastructure, security and management components must now be tested with a proof of concept plan. It is important to test the current design, configuration and IOS versions in a non-production environment or on the production network with limited disruption. Implementation of newer network modules at a router, for instance, could require that you change the current IOS version that is implemented. Making those changes could affect WAN or campus modules already installed at production routers. That is the real value of doing a proof of concept and certifying that the new equipment and IOS versions integrate with each device as well as the network. The following list describes the advantages of doing a proof of concept with your network design. The proof of concept test results should be examined and used to modify current infrastructure, security and management specifications before generating a design proposal. The proof of concept model suggested here involves prototype design, equipment provisioning, defining tests, building equipment scripts and examining test results.

1. Prototype Design

2. Provision Equipment

3. Define Tests

4. Build Equipment Scripts

5. Review Test Results

STEP 8: DESIGN PROPOSAL/REVIEW

With the proof of concept finished, you are now ready to build a design proposal for the design review meeting. Your intended audience could be the Director, CIO, CTO, Senior Network Engineer, Consultant or anyone that is approving a budget for the project. It is important to present your ideas with clarity and professionalism. If a presentation is required, power point slides work well and could be used to support concepts from the design proposal document. The focus is on what comprises a standard design proposal and the sequence for presenting that information.

The working design proposal is presented to the client after addressing any concerns from proof of concept assurance testing. The design review is an opportunity for you to present your design proposal to the client and discuss any issues. It is an opportunity for the client to identify concerns they have and for the design engineer to clarify issues. The focus is to agree on any modifications, if required, and make changes to the infrastructure, security and management before implementation starts. Business and design requirements can change from when the project started which sometimes will necessitate changes to infrastructure, security and management specifications. Any changes should then go through proof of concept testing again before final changes to the design proposal.

STEP 9: IMPLEMENTATION

The final step will have us defining an implementation process for the specified design. This describes a suggested implementation methodology of the proposed design, which should have minimal disruption to the production network. As well it should be efficient and as cost effective as possible. As with previous methodologies there is a sequence that should be utilized as well.

Once the implementation is finished, there is monitoring of the network for any problems. Design and configuration modifications are then made to address any problems or concerns. The Book Network Planning and Design Guide, is available at amazon.com and ebookmall.com

Shaun Hummel is the author of Network Planning and Design Guide and has a web site focused on information technology job search solutions and certifications.

http://www.networkjobsolutions.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shaun_Hummel
http://EzineArticles.com/?Network-Design-Process—Effective-Network-Planning-and-Design&id=2348088

Cisco Networking Certifications – Free Video Tutorials2 Apr 2010 by Admin
The CCDA certification indicates an apprentice knowledge of Cisco network design. Individuals who have earned a CCDA are capable of designing switched or routed networks consisting of LANs, WANs

IP Network Design « Network And Security20 Mar 2010 by admin
How can you make your IP network design to allow internet users reach your internal server such as Exchange server in a secured manner?

Subnetwork | Network Tutorial2 hours ago by ALI FARD
While improving network performance, subnetting increases routing complexity, since each locally connected subnet must be represented by a separate entry in the routing tables of each connected router.

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By Jonathan P Powers

Renting computer equipment is much more economical and convenient than buying new equipment when your need is temporary. Computer equipment for a business event is one such short term requirement where renting makes mores sense than buying and sometimes it is an even better option than using your own equipment.

In fact, one of the key benefits of computer rentals is that they spare individuals of the hassle of carrying their desktops, laptops and other related equipment to business events held outside their offices. It is much more convenient to rent equipment from a full service, computer equipment rental company, who will not only provide you the equipment but also make sure that it is installed and integrated properly for immediate use.

Some of the equipments like projectors are quite expensive and it is best to rent them for events that usually do not last more than a few days.

Using a computer rental service also makes sure that you do not have to bother about the setting up of equipment for use. When you rent computers and other equipment, the rental company ensures that the installation is taken care of. Technicians from the company help you troubleshoot any problems that you face during the event. You can even ask the company for additional technical support by requesting a technician to be present at the venue to tackle any issues.

Renting computer equipment for a business event also allows you the flexibility to choose from a variety of equipment options. For example, you can opt for a bigger projector screen or wider monitors for the computers. You can rent top of the line equipment to appear more tech-savvy and professional at your important business event. The best part is that it would cost you only a fraction of what it would have if you had bought the equipment.

Renting instead of using your own equipment for a one off event like a business meet or conference also protects your personal equipment from unnecessary risk of damage during transportation and use.

The advantages of renting computer equipment for a business event are many, but you should choose the computer rental company carefully. It is advisable to do some research on the company’s product and service offerings along with checking its market reputation and credibility. Choosing a good computer rental company would ensure that you can look forward to a hassle free and successful event.

For More Information on New York Computer Laptop Rentals or New York Server Rentals, contact a Computer Rental expert at Vernon Computer Source.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_P_Powers
http://EzineArticles.com/?Benefits-of-Renting-Computer-Equipment-For-a-Business-Event&id=3847947

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By Arsham Mirshah

There are several factors to consider when shopping for a laptop business computer. This article outlines all of the important considerations and has links to more information.

Aspects of a Business Laptop Computer

A laptop inherently comes with the benefit of portability, which is important, but not all laptops are created equal. It’s important to know your business and what your computers are being used for.

Performance

The whole reason behind using a computer is that they can store more information and do calculations faster than any human. Could you imagine keeping all of your Word & Excel documents in a filing cabinet?

Depending on what types of things you need the computer to do, you want to ensure that your business machine has certain specifications in terms of speed and memory.

Battery Life

A very important factor of laptops in general is the length of time that the battery lasts.

Some have bigger batteries than others, and some use more power than others. Every notebook computer will provide you with an approximate battery life, but the amount of time you have before needing to plug it in ultimately depends on the computer’s make and model. Also, the number of programs you’re running.

Screen Size

If you’re like most people, the size of the screen will be an important factor to consider when looking to buy a laptop business computer. Laptop screen sizes range from 11 inches up to 20 inches (measured diagonally).

If you’re using the computer for presentations or viewing rich media like Flash files or movies, you may need a larger screen.

Another consideration is that the size of the screen typically determines the size of the notebook. Thus, if you want a small, sleek notebook, you’ll want to look for smaller screen sizes.

Input/Output Selection

Examples of input devices are CD-Rom drives and USB ports, while output is speakers or headphone jacks and extended or secondary monitor output. Smaller laptops usually have less input and output options, which can be important depending on what you’ll be using the machine for.

Graphics

It is hard to fit all the components of a computer into a compact space. That’s why laptop graphics usually suffer when compared to those of a desktop business computer, but it is possible to get high end video output on your laptop if you need it.

Certain makes and models perform better in terms of graphics. For more information, contact an expert.

Portability

The smaller and lighter it is, the easier it will be to carry your computer to and from the office. Laptops come in a variety of sizes and weights, which, as mentioned before, is determined mainly by the screen size and performance level of the laptop.

Price

If you’re like most businesses, the actual price of a laptop notebook computer will be one of the main considerations in the decision.

Typically, laptops cost more than desktops. There is also a wide range of prices within laptops, all depending on what you’re looking for and what your business needs.

Classifications of Business Notebook Computers

Given the aspects of laptops listed above, it’s up to you to decide what your employees or colleagues need in a laptop computer.

The SuperPortables

Laptops in this category are very small and can almost fit in your pocket (ok, maybe not THAT small). We find that upper management tends to like these types of laptops as they primarily use them for writing emails and reading online articles.

These laptop business computers will be super portable and have a smaller screen size, but will lack in all other aspects, especailly battery life, performance, and input/output selection

The Light and Thins

These laptops are thin and light (hence the name). They are generally used for the frequent flyer or outside sales person who needs a portable computer.

These laptops will give you the power, battery life, and screen size you’re looking for at the right price. Unfortunately, you will probably find the input/output port selection to be thin, and the graphics won’t be top-of-the-line.

The Standard Notebook

This category encompasses the majority of laptops out there today.

The screen size is usually around 15 inches, which is perfect for portability (most laptop business computer carrying cases are made for this category of laptop).

You will find that these laptops have a great battery life, and come with all the input/output ports you need. The only thing you might find missing is the high-end performance and graphics. If you need those aspects, look to the desktop replacements below.

The Desktop Replacement

Have you ever seen someone with a relatively large laptop? It was probably a desktop replacement laptop, which provides the best graphics and performance money can buy (for a laptop).

If you need a large screen size (17 inches and above), you need a desktop replacement. The problem is that these laptops don’t have the portability of all the others, since they are larger in size.

They will have plenty of input/output selection, but the battery life is usually short because it has to provide power for performance.

Also, desktop replacement tend to cost more as they have all the components of a desktop with the ability to be portable.

Decision-Making Time

As you can see, there are always trade-offs when you choose a laptop business computer. Your best bet is to make a list of the features your business needs.

Take that list to a computer sales expert who knows the current models of laptops available and have them show you the different choices.

With many years experience dealing with computer vendors I find it important to find the company that can meet all of your company’s technological needs. This may be different for every company.

Some companies may need business desktop computers while other may simply need notebook PCs.

Finding the right computer sales specialist is the most important factor to running your business efficiently when it comes to technology.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arsham_Mirshah
http://EzineArticles.com/?Choosing-the-Laptop-Business-Computer-Thats-Best-For-Your-Company&id=3917419

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What is an Apple MacBook?

An Apple MacBook is a specific brand of Macintosh notebook computers which is produced by Apple Incorporated.

It was first introduced in the summer of 2006 replacing the iBook and the 12″ PowerBooks series respectively.

This particular system is a computer that has been specifically designed, tailored and augmented through the years to be the perfect computer for business purposes.

Apple MacBook designers state that making these Mac Books more user friendly allows businesses and other organizations to better utilize them to form fit any company’s business needs.

And, because it uses a hard knit aluminum casing with a sleek looking white exterior, it is the most professional looking contemporary computer on the market apart from just being highly functional.

Apple Business computers are almost their own special brand because of the alterations that can be implemented in an Apple MacBook to include all of the applications that any businessman or woman will need in their everyday corporate business transactions.

There are so many applications for these kinds of computers that some business owners find it a little overwhelming to try and sort through all of the various items and literature that specifically talks about each and every one of them.

Computer Specialists

It is for this reason that finding a computer expert that specializes in Apple MacBook maintenance and servicing can be an invaluable decision for any business owner or employee.

Finding a computer specialists that has an expertise in Apple MacBook technology can be a difficult undertaking because of the high number of computer specialists out there.

And, as a business owner or employee, one does not want to try and use one of these computers without consideration to how they operate.

There are many computer specialists that can help any business owner or employee operate and understand his or her Apple MacBook across the nation.

This is because there is a high concentration of computer programming graduates that grew up learning software on Mac computers.

Making the Choice

Finding an adequate specialist must be done in steps.

• The first thing to do is locate all available options. Chances are there are many people in the area that claim to be computer experts, but one needs to find the legitimate Apple MacBook experts to separate them from those computer technicians that are only interested in money.

• The next thing to do is compare credentials. Of all surrounding Apple specialists, some may be more qualified than others. So it is a good idea to request credentials from all potential computer technicians.

• After one has decided which company is the better of the potential candidates, the only thing left to do is compare prices. It is a good idea to narrow the listing down to two or three specialists that have expertise that best fits the specifications that one needs, and then chose the cheapest price.

Apple MacBooks are fantastic resources to use in businesses; it is just a good idea to get some professional help.

Want to learn more?

Everything you need to know about Apple MacBook Computers can be found on DSR Inc’s website.

DSR has been selling whole computers (PC’s, Macs, and laptops) as well as providing computer (desktop & laptop) repair, and network consulting services since 1986. If you need to fix your current computer, or want to buy a new one all together, and you live near Baltimore, Maryland, give DSR computer specialist a call today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arsham_Mirshah
http://EzineArticles.com/?Apple-Macbook—Are-They-Right-For-Your-Business?&id=3938418

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By Arsham Mirshah

Lenovo has a laptop to fit your needs whatever they may be. Whether you need a workhorse to serve as your main computer or an ultra-mobile lightweight to carry with you all day, Lenovo has the business computer answer at a reasonable price.

Consult a Lenovo sales and service specialist to decide which option is best for your company. Lenovo uses all the latest technology to build dependable, economical solutions to business computers. They supply the latest security features to protect your data from accidental exposure with unique sign-on requirements.

Lenovo ThinkPad SL510

Rated #3 on PC World’s top ten business laptop list, the SL510 lists at less than $1,000 while comparable machines on the list range from $1,200 to more than $2,000. With all the capability of a desktop computer, this Lenovo laptop can handle all the needs of most small businesses:

• Dual Core processor
• 2530 MHz CPU
• 15.5 inch display
• 3GB Memory
• 320GB Hard Drive
• 3 Media Slots
• 3 USB ports
• Wireless Ethernet IEEE802.11n
• Built-in Mic, Webcam and Speakers.

Lenovo Essential G560

The Essential laptop line provides up to 5 hours of battery life and a Windows 7 Enhanced Experience that delivers an up to 50% faster boot and shutdown time. With prices starting at less than $700, these Lenovo laptops are an economical business computer choice. but they do not skimp on power.

• Choice of four 2010 Intel Core processors
• 15.6 inch display
• Up to 8GB memory
• 500GB Hard Drive
• 5-in-1 Card reader
• 2.0 USB and eSATA connectors
• Wireless Ethernet IEEE802.11n
• Built-in Mic,Webcam and Speakers.
• Numeric Key Pad for simpler data entry
• VeriFace face recognition for more secure log-in.

ThinkPad X series

For an on-the-go laptop the X Series Lenovo IdeaPad offers three models with starting weights of less than three pounds and a 10 to 12 hour battery life and various connectivity options, including Bluetooth. Prices range from $1,089 to slightly over $2,000 depending on the features. All models have state of the art features such as:

• Intel Core i7Processor
• 12.1 inch to 13.3 display screens
• 2GB – 4GB memory
• 128GB Solid State Drive *
• TrackPoint mouse pad (fingerprint reader available)

Whatever your business needs, Lenovo has a laptop that will supply them.

Even their heavy-duty models weigh under seven pounds and provide hours of battery life. The newest Windows 7 operating system comes standard, but other options are available.

They can help you decide on the best machine for your use whether it is an off-the shelf purchase or a specially built laptop with exactly the features you need.

*Solid State Storage Drives – These drives are an alternative to traditional hard drives. They use a flash memory similar to jump drives. They are lighter weight, use less power, offer faster operations from boot to shut-down and are considered more durable since they have no moving parts.

Want to learn more? Everything you need to know about Lenovo Laptop Computers can be found on DSR Inc’s website.

DSR has been selling whole computers (PC’s and laptops) as well as providing computer (desktop & laptop) repair, and network consulting services since 1986. If you need to fix your current computer, or want to buy a new one all together, and you live near Baltimore, Maryland, give DSR laptop specialist a call today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arsham_Mirshah
http://EzineArticles.com/?Lenovo-Laptop-Computers-For-All-Your-Business-Needs&id=3981447

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