Categories
Categories
Coffee and computers
Coffee and computers are shown together a lot.
- Coffee shops offer Internet access.
- even programming languages named after coffees (Java and JavaScript )
However, the truth is computer hardware hates coffee. One spill can be the last for your notebook or tablet.
And it is a bad habit for the environment too, even if you reuse a germ filled cup.
Of course it is a good idea, to keep any drink or food (or young kids or pets) away from your computer.
I’m not completely paperless but I’m working at it. Here are some my personal reasons for being paperless:
- I have been using paper myself too much for too long, mainly with school. I needed to learn to conserve paper so I don’t cause problems.
- I kept too much of the paper I received. I was being a hoarder with papers I either received or printed or written on myself. I would keep papers from school many years after graduating. keep receipts from the day before up to 10 years old. To keep the important information I realized that I needed a scanning system for that and bought the NeatReceipts portable scanner that came with NeatWorks for my Macintosh computer.
- I don’t have enough room at my apartment or office for keeping papers. I pay very low rent, partly because I had a small office and have small apartment.
- I have trouble reading papers and books because I sometimes have had trouble bending my neck and my eyes have got worse. So it is easier for me to read on a computer screen, and when it is a long article I sometimes have the computer read it with text to speech. Also, it is easier for me to read street signs and look at artwork on a wall.
- Doesn’t happen too often but every once in a while I have got paper cuts. I also hurt myself once with a paper cutter that I immediatly got rid of after it happened.
- It is too expensive if I’m not conserving paper. I even quit all print (on paper) advertising. For me, Not only did print advertising not pay for itself, it brought too many telephone solicitations.
So I may have a few more personal reasons than others to attempt to be paperless. Or at least to conserve as much paper as possible. I still keep bath tissue handy.
2015 Update: temporarily going without an office. Update on Neat scanner
1. Some people think Computer Technicians are just for problems
sorry they are not (; but let’s get to the actual list of problems I see with computers.
1. Software Problems – including malware, bloatware, not knowing how to use software, making sure data is backed up.
2. Dirty Computers – even if you have a clean house or office – is your computer clean? I am not talking about software here. Many computers are physically dirty and that is the number one reason for hardware problems that I have seen. this is the number one reason power supplies, and system boards I’ve seen fail. It is also one of the main reasons hard drives and optical drives fail.
The fallowing are not necessarily in exact order but the order I see.
3. Problems that need to be solved with the Internet Service Provider.. but the customers do not want to deal with them themselves
4. Notebook problems although they are portable, they still have a lot of delicate parts:
including the Power Supply connection, hard drive, keyboard, then screen – pretty much in that order.
5. Problems from moving a desktop computer such as memory issues, and hard drive issues.
6. removable Laptop batteries
7. cmos battery
8. Modem / surge protector wrecked by power surges through telephone line – not as common anymore since widespread fiber optic use.
9. manufacturer reasons- I put this last, however many of the problems above could have been avoided by a better manufacturing / design process.
2015 update: flash storage such as Solid State Drives can dramatically improve performance opposed to keeping spinning hard disc drives.
By now you should all know that the World Wide Web is not always a reliable source, but you have to also remember that many of the mistruths or bad practices are also found in older types of media.
I was hearing a bunch of wrong information on a radio talk show something like “into tomorrow” about technology. Some of the information was right on correct but others were poor practices and wrong terminology such as calling a computer tower a CPU. a CPU is the Central Processing Unit, a very small microchip that is in computer towers and other devices, which normally is one of the last things to go bad.
When physically cleaning a computer:
It should be turned off.
Do not use alcohol or Glass cleaner on the monitor, especially on older monitors and televisions because it takes away the film that protects your eyes.
use a microfiber cloth on the monitor.
you can use antistatic cleaning wipes on other components(which was mentioned in the program)
try not to touch any of the internal components. touching the case is ok and can help reduce static.
I heard something on a different radio program that seems to be an unsupported claim:
For archiving it is best to leave paper as paper.
This is normally not true, because paper deteriorates easily and is a fire hazard and in the long run it is cheaper to scan most unnecessary paper documents.
Claim I seen in a newspaper Brainerd Dispatch and in a poster:
Online businesses bring 0% back to the local economy
Not always true. Maybe it is with some online businesses but not all. There are some local online business. Also, there are local and chain hybrid online /brick and mortar businesses. Also delivery services such as UPS and FedEx can benefit, both happen to have local outlets in Brainerd.
Another claim in Brainerd Dispatch from an unnamed local business person.
High gas prices hurt the economy.
Not always true either. Some businesses take advantage of that in their marketing like Walmart – buy all in one spot. Local business – why drive when you can get it here. Online businesses – no need to drive. Alternative transportation options and higher fuel economy vehicles also sometimes benefit.
It isn’t that these sources are completely or always incorrect. It is that you have to always think twice about what you hear, but you also have to keep an open mind because many of the technologies that are available today people would just laugh in the past if you said that you have them.
If it is Windows, Yes. If it is Macintosh or Linux, No.
Also versions of Windows Vista and newer normally are set to do disk defragmentation automatically, so you just want to make sure you have it set to do that and it is working.
If possible, You don’t want to do defragmenting while the computer is being used for something else.
Categories
What has Facebook replaced?
Email? No
texting? No Alternative instant messaging? Got rid of Some, but not a replacement.
Other Website? It has reduced the time people spend on them, but No.
What is it? The white pages. yes that is right. But of course that isn’t just facebook. It is also your Contacts stored on your phone and computer. The use of mobile phones, and unlisted numbers has also risen dramatically. To a small extent also online white pages have replaced it.
Example: I know someone “always uses the phone book.” However that relative of mine would never call my home phone that was listed in the phone book.
What about yellow pages? they are still used some, but Google is the main company taking that away (even though yellow page companies partner with them).
Who is my secretary?
It is myself and some robots.
What are the robots?
I can’t name them all but I can give some information on it.
My phone is either answered by me or by my voicemail.
It is forwarded to my mobile phone during the day (I usually answer if available), then to voicemail.
early 2015 update: one problem I have is when I answer callers hangup since they think I am the voicemail, another is I get callers that don’t leave a message. If they don’t leave a message I usually don’t call back since I get scam and solicitation calls often. A good thing now, is I can sometimes answer the phone (connecting with my iPhone or with Google voice/gmail) from my computer which helps reduce my ear and back pain, as well as making it easier as well as answer text messages from my computer
My email doesn’t always need an immediate response, but I can answer from any computer or my iPhone.
Siri can both do voice recognition and text to speech as well as do certain things. I have a similar program I use on my computer.
I use Neat for digital file storage and is just one part of the paperless solution.
November 2015 update on Neat
My carpet is cleaned by iRobot Roomba.
There are more things I will explain in my upcoming ebook. I’m slow so it might not come out until after this summer.
To emphasize more on our web based services and digital photography services we will be doing no hardware repair (no exceptions). It was actually discontinued in 2007 but since it was advertised we still allowed a limited amount of computer hardware repair.
Categories
The 3 Rs
At Nate’s Computer Services we emphasize the 3 Rs
Reduce – Reuse – Recycle
We reduce paper waste by using digital systems to store information, and also ask people not to send us paper, and not to print anything that we send whether in an email or on a web page. We reduce energy use by using screen sharing and conferencing, file sharing and messaging technologies, greatly reducing the need to go on-site. In addition we’ve cut out print (on paper) advertising and promote the use of public transportation, walking, biking and car pooling (offering our customers discounts).