Don't start 2015 without these "Computer Resolutions"!

The new year is here, 2015. Just like every January 1st, people all over are promising themselves to be more fit, healthier and live better. The same could be done for your computer! Here are our Top 3 resolutions for you (and your computer!) to keep in the new year.

1) 2015 tech resolutions: Back up your data

If you're anything like us, you have a ton of personal data -- photos, videos, music files, documents -- stored on multiple devices. Not only will some of these be irreplaceable, but it probably took you quite some time to gather them all together and make yourself at home on that computer. Now imagine someone steals your laptop, or your hard drive fails, or you accidentally overwrite those files. It happens every day, but you can quickly and easily set up an automated backup plan to protect your data. The easiest way to ensure you never lose your files is with a Carbonite online backup subscription. Starting at just $59/year, it's the most affordable and most secure online backup system available. 

2) Spring Clean in Summer, Autumn and Winter

Over time, your computer attracts dust, dirt, grime and other nasties in the air. The static electricity in the components acts like a magnet, causing gunk to build up on the fans. When this happens, your computer will overheat, causing hardware problems, like a hard drive crash! Using a canned air duster is the best way to clean out those components.
A full-service system cleanup from All Star Computer Service is only $79, and includes not only cleaning the physical gunk, but also the digital stuff as well.

3) Update!
 

How often does your computer tell you "update this program!" or you get a notification that Java is out of date? It can seem pesky, but these updates, such as the ones for Flash and Adobe Reader, are generally security updates that close holes and patch software errors that allow hackers and virus-writers to attack your system. Make it a goal this year to always update when Windows (or OSX, if you're an Apple user) or third-party applications say it's time. 

So, that's it. Hopefully with these tips your computer will be running at its best this year. Happy New Year from All Star Computer Service!

The Knockdown, Drag-out Fight Between Hard Drives and Solid State Drives

We've talked about hard drives in the past, and what causes them to fail. Today, we're going to discuss the difference between the standard spinning drive and a newer technology, solid state drives (or, SSDs).

Spinning hard drive on the left, solid state drive on the right.

Your hard drive in your desktop, and most likely laptop, is a platter of magnetic discs that spin with a laser that reads back and forth to capture the data. The spinning hard disk drive is ancient technology in computer terms; in fact, the IBM computers from the late 50's used twenty inch platters that held an incredible 3.25 megabytes of data -- about the size of a three-minute mp3. Though our storage capacities have increased since then, the technology remains the same. Now, most desktops have a 3.5" hard drive, and laptops generally contain a smaller 2.5" drive.

In the early-2000's, solid state storage became more capable and now your iPads, smartphones, tablets and even some laptops use what is called solid state or SSD storage as their main drive. Solid state drives contain no moving parts with the storage based on flash memory chips, much like what you find in thumb drives (except faster and more stable than thumb drives, but that's another discussion entirely). 

Because SSD's do not have to spin a disc to read data, you find response times much faster than a hard drive. Some computers with SSD's installed can boot in under 10 seconds! If you've ever had a hard drive fail because of the read/write mechanism, and lost all your files, you know how frustrating that is. However, because SSD's have no moving parts, your device can survive a tumble without worrying about the hard drive failing.

Unfortunately, it's not all roses and rainbows -- solid state drives do have their downfalls. Namely, price and storage capacity. Whereas hard disc drives can be had in upwards of 4,000GB (or 4TB), SSD's currently top out at about 1TB, and even then they are incredibly expensive. It's a newer technology, and it's harder to increase storage capacity in flash memory chips, so solid state drives are unfortunately much more expensive than their spinning disc counterparts as well. It's not uncommon to find a 1TB (1,000GB) hard drive for under $100. Most 256GB sold state drives run close to that price point. For people who need to store a lot of data, such as people who do a ton of video editing, HDD's are still the way to go.

For others, though, SSD's can give their existing system markedly improved speeds in boot-up time and data reading. It really depends on your individual needs on which storage solution you should use in your PC.

The Guide to Music Streaming

Before our iPhones, there was iPod. It revolutionized the way we listen to music, and changed the music industry itself. Since then, music has become an ever-increasing part of our lives. With further technological evolutions, we can now stream music wirelessly using devices like Sonos and Bluetooth speakers (such as the Beats Pill).

An even bigger change now, though, is how we buy music. The days of paying .99 cents per song are waning. Services such as Spotify, Google Play and the newest Beats Music are the new way people get their music fix. By paying a subscription fee, usually as low as $10 per month, users can stream all the music they want, whenever they want. With so many options, though, how do you know which one is for you?

"[The record companies] won in court. Do you want to buy a Tower Records, Eduardo?" - Sean Parker (as played by Justin Timberlake) in The Social Network. 

Spotify (Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Ubuntu Touch, PC, Mac, Linux)
When Spotify started in 2008, it was initially available by invite-only. I was elated when I received my invitation back in 2009. Accounts were available for free, and allowed ad-supported playback on your computer. The basic premise was you could listen to any album by any artist, as well as curate specific playlists or even shuffle through genres, artists, etc. For $9.99/month, you could add offline downloaded playback and streaming on your mobile device. Though competitors from Google and Beats have arisen, Spotify is still my favorite.

Pandora Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Ubuntu Touch, Web)

Pandora is the original ubiquitous streaming service. This is the one that broke into the mainstream. Create a Pandora account, tell it what kind of music (specific artist, song, genre, etc) you want to listen to, and Pandora would immediately begin playing  a "station" of music that matched it. By employing the Music Genome Project, their playlists were smooth. My Matchbox Twenty station included Goo Goo Dolls, Vertical Horizon, Creed and U2 to name a few. Pandora is free, but ad-supported and you can't specify what song or full album you want to listen to. Just hit play and let it do its thing.

Google (Platforms: Android, PC, Web)
Last year, Google got into the streaming business with its Google Play offering. Available only on Android devices, this is basically Google's answer to Spotify. You can stream or download any album available in the Google Play store with a $9.99 subscription fee. iPhone with Google accounts are out of luck, though. However, iOS devices can take advantage of...


iTunes Radio (Platforms: iOS)

iTunes Radio is baked right into iOS 7, and is an iTunes-specific streaming service more akin to Pandora than Spotify. You specify what artist, genre you want, or the mood you are in, and iTunes Radio will begin playing a playlist that matches. It it culled and created from your purchase history from iTunes, so the artists you like are featured. Free of charge, with ads.

Beats Music (Platforms: iOS, Android)

Beats Music is the newest addition. The conceit of this streaming service is that the playlists are curated by music professionals. The service began as the project between Dr. Dre and Trent Reznor. As a user, you input your favorite artists, and Beats Music creates a playlist culled from your musical tastes. Its $15/month gives you access on several devices or for several family members.

OUTLIER: Songza

Songza is a bit different. It's a free app for iOS and Android. You can't specify what album or artist you want to listen to. You can't even curate your own playlists. Songza's playlist are offered as a music "concierge." You tell Songza what mood you're in or what you're currently doing, and you can choose a playlist that fits the mood. It's free, it's cool and it always offers something different depending on what you're doing.

Microsoft's New CEO: Initial Thoughts

Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO

Back in August  , it was announced that Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft since 2000, would be stepping down, retiring, and the search for his replacement would be under way. Several names were bandied about, including Nokia head Stephen Elop. Even Jack Dorsey's (the guy behind Twitter) name was thrown into the ring. However, after six months, Microsoft found the heir to Ballmer's throne: Satya Nadella.

Satya Nadella wasn't one of the names often mentioned in the media as a possible replacement for Ballmer. Much of the talk from tech publications centered around the idea that the new head of Microsoft should come from outside the Redmond, Washington based company.

Nadella has been with Microsoft for over twenty years and before his appointment as CEO was head of the company's cloud services division.

The big thing about Satya Nadella's appointment is that it signals the end of an era: the age of the over-the-top, loud-mouthed tech founders is over. Humble and soft-spoken is the new it thing for tech companies. And for a Microsoft that has weathered Steve Ballmer's public tirades and Youtube-able moments, Nadella will prove to be a breath of fresh air.

However, will he be able to bring Microsoft back to the front of the pack in the tech world? The company has been leap-frogged by Apple, Google and even Amazon in the mobile and web services industries. Expect Microsoft to be more cohesive among its offerings, making convergence between phone, tablet and computer the norm.

Satya Nadella has a lot of work to do. But he's just the right person to get it done.

Linux: So Unsexy

The unsexy Linux mascot, Tux

Let's face it: Linux is not sexy. It's nerdy. Linux is almost synonymous with "nerd in the basement." To many people, the Linux operating system is the command line and all the "wget"s and "sudo fdisk -l"s. (I know what you're thinking, and if you've never looked at a Linux command line, those commands don't mean a thing.)

I've always been a fan of the Ubuntu "flavor" of Linux. There are several Linux operating systems, from OpenSUSE to Fedora, from Debian to Ubuntu. To me, however, Ubuntu has always been in the forefront of those, mainly due to the original tagline of the OS: "Linux for human beings." It was easy to get into, easy to install and the original desktop interface (which has since changed to the mobile-esque Unity interface) was pretty analogous to what I was used to with Windows XP.

I was looking at the Ubuntu website this last weekend and I noticed something:

There was no mention of Linux. Anywhere.

The world's leading Linux operating system does not (any longer) market itself as a Linux operating system. (New tagline: "The world's most popular free OS")

And it was then that I thought...Linux isn't sexy. Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, knows this. To catapult Ubuntu's popularity out of the Linux nerd-dom and into popular culture, it has shed the Linuxness to appeal to the masses, to the end-user.

As more and more people become disenchanted with Microsoft and the direction they've gone with Windows 8, the more Ubuntu hopes to draw those people in.  It has to be said; Ubuntu is much more user-friendly than Windows 8 -- but that's another discussion altogether.

Ubuntu One advertisement

See that image to the right? It's a banner ad from Ubuntu's website, advertising their Ubuntu One service. It's Ubuntu's version of iCloud. That image conveys a hipness, that Ubuntu is used by cool people. It doesn't scream "nerdy Linux." It calmly suggest "this isn't Linux. This is Ubuntu. And Ubuntu is cool."

Linux isn't sexy. Canonical knows Linux isn't sexy, so they are distancing their product, Ubuntu, from those un-sexy origins and marketing it as fun, hip and cool. (and did we mention free?)

As Don Draper would say:

"If you don't like what people are saying...change the conversation."

What the Geeks and Gurus WON'T Tell You

Guru Squad Guy

Computer service and computer repair is an incredibly competitive market. There are a ton of businesses in Amarillo that offer everything from simple desktop/laptop repair services to full-blown, full-service IT management for companies. And some operate differently from others. Let me explain.

Odds are, this has happened to you: Your computer starts acting strange, running slow. Maybe the dreaded blue screen of death. Or a virus. Or a hard drive failed, taking all your files with it.

You see, these things happen and it happens to everyone. The old way of taking care of these problems were to take your computer to the local Geek Patrol or the Guru Squad.

You know the drill:

1. Unplug all those wires from the back of your computer. 

2. Haul it across town to the Geeks. 

3. Leave it on their workbench while you wait for a week or so. 

4. When they finally get it done, they call you to come pick it back up. 

5. So you drive across town again and haul your computer back to your house or office. 

Then you try to remember where all those wires plugged into and pray that all your time and money weren’t wasted.

I’m going to tell you a secret: the Geeks and the Gurus, they want your computer on their workbench. Their business model depends on it. You see, they charge by the hour, just like us. But if they can work on say, six -- or even ten computers -- at once, then they are charging for that many hours of labor while only working one man hour.

At All Star Computer Service, we focus on one computer at a time, for several reasons. But it boils down to this: because that’s what you deserve. We understand that your computer is more than just a machine. For most small businesses, it’s their source of income. If the computer goes down, there goes your invoicing system. Your inventory manager. Your time clock. And if that computer goes down, you deserve a computer technician whose main focus is you. On getting your business back up and running. That’s what All Star Computer Service offers. Onsite service, focusing on one customer at a time.

Now there are times when a computer does have to go back to the workbench. Hard drive failure, disastrous virus infections and other dramatic computer issues do and will happen, but you can be rest assured that your computer won’t sit on our workbench for days -- or weeks -- at a time.

A few years ago, I was in a financial meeting for a company I worked for. And the owner of that company said to us that it was impossible to compete on both price and service. That you couldn’t choose both. We started All Star Computer Service to prove that wrong. We chose both. Our prices are competitive and our customer service is top-notch. In fact, in our first year of business, we were nominated for an Amarillo Globe-News Best of Amarillo customer service award. We were the only computer repair company nominated in any category. We believe that’s a testament to who we are and what we believe in. All Star Computer Service, YOUR technology MVP.

Giving Windows the Boot: Why You Should Switch to Ubuntu!

In just a few months, support for Windows XP will come to an end. No more system updates means your Windows XP machine will be completely vulnerable to virus attacks and other types of malware. Unfortunately, switching from XP to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 will more than likely require quite a bit of hardware overhaul. Because newer operating systems are more resource-intensive than old Windows XP, your eight year-old desktop more than likely doesn't have the processing power to run these more recent operating systems. 

And even if you can or do upgrade to Windows 8.1, the tile interface on the new Microsoft operating system has left many users confused and irritated.

So, what can you do with that old machine? Sure, you could donate it to a local nonprofit or let us recycle it for you. Or, you could eek out a little more life out of it by getting rid of Microsoft Windows all together and installing Linux.

What is Linux?

Linux is a computer operating system, much like Windows or Mac OS X. It has its own suite of tools and programs, most of which are free and open source. (All Star Computer Service is a contributor and developer for LibreOffice, a free office suite available for Linux computers.) Though there are several variants of Linux available, our favorite is Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is a free operating system. Whereas it costs $119 for a license for Windows 8.1, you can download and install Ubuntu onto your computer absolutely free.

The good news? Ubuntu isn't anywhere near the resource hog as Windows or OSX, and the system can be installed on computers with older components.

What's the catch?
A lot of people will tell you that when you switch to a Linux OS from Windows, you'll have to replace all the applications you currently use. That's merely a half-truth, and I'll tell you why:

In the past, people relied a lot more on local applications (programs actually installed on the computer) to do most of their work. But now, many people simply use web apps to get work done. Facebook, email, even Quickbooks are all available online. The most popular third-party web browsers Firefox and Google Chrome are available for Linux. In fact, Firefox comes preloaded as the default internet browser in Ubuntu! LibreOffice, the default productivity suite in Ubuntu, is compatible with Microsoft Office and can read and write Office documents, Excel spreadsheets, even Powerpoint presentations. 

The Ubuntu desktop, with the Firefox web browser loaded.

As you can see, whereas it was once taboo to forego the walled garden of Microsoft Windows, open-source operating systems like Ubuntu are today a real, user-friendly alternative.

The kicker:
Want the best perk? Well hold on to your pants, because with Ubuntu you never have to worry about computer viruses. Never. Ever. Because most computer viruses and trojan horse malware are written for the Windows operating system, those files can't run on Linux. And, most of the programs that are available for Ubuntu are vetted through the Ubuntu Software Center, which is regularly checked and updated.

If you have further questions, or want to take the plunge into Ubuntu linux, contact us today. We'd love to help get you set up and extend the life of that old computer.