Dear Rob:
I bought my laptop in 2005, and now it is maddingly slow. Should I get a new PC with Vista?
Thanks,
HookemHorns
I get emails like this on a regular basis. Here’s an insider look at why our PC’s are so damn slow, and whether Vista is the light at the end of the tunnel.
Windows – Planned Obsolescence Read More »
It was over a year ago when we first reported that Sony was distributing spyware on audio CD’s. Recently, during the holiday season, Sony announced that it had settled with over 40 states for its shenanigans. One would think that Sony would have changed its ways, and more importantly, no longer pose a threat to the security, performance, and stability of our computers.
Sony – Busted Again! Read More »
Out to boost your PC’s performance? Of all the upgrades you can make to your system, increasing your RAM is one of the easiest, most cost-effective and most noticeable upgrades you can make. And even if your system is already a screamer, more RAM always comes in handy—especially for intensive gaming or graphics and multimedia work–and it’s a solid investment for the future of your PC.
About RAM: The Poor Man’s Upgrade Read More »
Last night, before I went to bed, the battery in my notebook felt a little hot. All these crazy thoughts went through my head. Was this the first sign before it explodes? What would I do if my notebook exploded in the middle of the night? Perhaps, I was being paranoid, but I pulled the battery out of my portable before drifting off to sleep.
Playing with Fire III Read More »
We interrupt this blog…
Hi, I’m Dave Methvin, Chief Technology Officer at PC Pitstop. Our CEO, Rob Cheng, is recovering from an accident; we all wish him well on a quick recovery. I’ll be filling in on the Pit Blog until he’s back up to speed.
Back in his June entry, Rob mentioned the outrageously high resource requirements for Microsoft’s successor to Windows XP, named Vista. At the time, Microsoft was recommending 1GB of system memory and 256MB of dedicated video memory. Not long after that, though, the information at Microsoft’s Vista site changed again.
Vista: Not an XP Replacement Read More »
PC Pitstop’s tests are implemented with web pages that use Javascript and an ActiveX control developed and signed by PC Pitstop. The tests are conducted over multiple pages to reduce the size of the data being sent back to the web site and to provide you with better visual feedback about the testing process.
About PC Pitstop Tests Read More »
Hello, my name’s Rob and I’m a speedaholic. I am addicted to bandwith. The fatter and faster my pipe to the internet, the better I feel about myself. Me and my internet connection are inextricably linked at the hip for better and worse. As soon as my bandwidth provider has a higher speed, I am always among the first to purchase the faster service. Right now, I have 8000 kbps in the United States and 2000 kbps in Brazil. But the future is even more exciting! One day soon we will be downloading at 50,000 kbps.
The Need for Speed Read More »
I was born in 1959, which puts me at the tail end of a trend called the Baby Boom. I’m a Baby Boomer. I remember long hair, Jimi Hendrix, LSD, bell bottoms, and Kent State as a rebellious youth. Maturity and greed replaced our wayward spirit; and with it came junk bonds, the personal computer, compact discs, IRA’s and the internet. We, Baby Boomers, have impacted, changed, and molded American society like no other generation before or after. Until now.
In 1985, I remember fondly opening the box to my first PC. It had 768K of memory, a 6 Mhz processor, and a 10 MB hard drive. It was a state of the art, technological marvel. I wrote my master’s thesis in a program called EZ Writer, and I planned my life and balanced my books in Lotus 123. It did everything I wanted it and more. I never thought it was slow, except when I saved to the 5.25 inch floppy.
Vista – RAM Guzzler Read More »
My friend Jeanne called in a panic the other day. Apparently, she had lost all her email stored in Microsoft Outlook. She had spent the last week on the phone with Microsoft and doing Google searches to find some glimmer of hope that she could recover her last five years of email. She was clearly distraught, and I did my best to help her and calm her down. But inside I was livid. It was deja vu because the exact same thing had happened to me 3 years ago.
My Outlook for Outlook Read More »