Do I Really Need a Tablet Computer?

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Do I Really Need a Tablet Computer?

Several tech companies attempted to establish the tablet computer in the marketplace before Apple came out with its dominant iPad. But before the iPad, people mostly viewed tablet computers as curious extravagances. Cool and sleek-looking, for sure. But especially if you already have a laptop, do you really need a tablet? What’s all the fuss about anyway?

 

For the Road Warriors

Portability and light weight have got to be the biggest advantages of the tablet computer over the laptop. If you have to carry a computer around all day, you definitely will start to notice the difference between one pound and five pounds. The slim lines of the tablet will also allow you to slip it into your briefcase, while a laptop probably would require its own bag. There are plenty of professionals who rely on a computer to do their jobs – like external sales people calling on customers – and for these people, a tablet can definitely be a huge advantage.

 

Better Functionality Than a Smartphone

Some people who are trying to get their work done on the go try to rely exclusively on their smartphone. It is tempting to do – especially these days with the bigger screens on the smartphones. But if you’ve ever tried that, you know it doesn’t really work for more than just the most basic tasks. Even composing a relatively long email can be exhausting on a smartphone. But a tablet is another thing entirely. The big display and better processing power on the tablet make it much more useful for real work than a smartphone. Admittedly, the on-screen keyboard is a challenge for typing lengthy projects. But now you can get a highly portable external keyboard and come very close to matching the performance of a laptop.

 

Longer Battery Life

If you’ve ever been writing a project on a deadline in an airport with no power connection while you watch your battery meter go into the red zone, then you already know how important battery life can be when you are on the road. While laptop batteries do seem to be improving by leaps and bounds, the vast majority of tablet computers can still outperform a laptop in terms of battery life by a wide margin. That extra battery life is like an insurance policy that you won’t crash before you get your job done.

 

The Bluetooth Connection

Many of the limitations of a tablet can be made up by the ready availability of all sorts of useful accessories that can be connected to your tablet by Bluetooth. The external keyboard is the obvious example. Super portable and lightweight – with an external keyboard, your tablet is almost as functional as a laptop. The Bluetooth headset is another great example. While you wouldn’t want to have to hold a tablet up to your head, with a Bluetooth headset, you can very comfortably use your tablet as a phone.

 

If you have a highly mobile lifestyle, a tablet really can be a useful addition to your tech collection. If you’re curious about the possibilities please   contact us today!

e-Waste: A Growing Environmental Challenge

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 e-Waste: A Growing Environmental Challenge

It’s the holiday season and you probably have some kind of tech on your list for Santa this year. Whether it’s a new smartphone, a game console or a new laptop – that thing is packed inside with some pretty gnarly stuff. Mercury, arsenic, cadmium, lead and beryllium – these and many other toxic materials are inside your electronics and can be released into the soil or even the groundwater if they are landfilled. ‘But there’s such a tiny amount of all that in my laptop,’ you might say. Fair enough – but consider this, while in 2011, 41.5 million tons of e-waste was generated, the projected volume of e-waste for 2016 is 93.5 million tons. Of that huge total, it is estimated that 70 – 80% will be landfilled. With gross numbers that huge, even if the amount of lead or arsenic in a single computer is very small, it adds up dangerously.

 

Victims of Progress

A big part of the e-waste problem is caused by our own success as a society. The computing industry has followed Moore’s Law for decades – approximately every two years the computing power of available devices doubles. Meanwhile, the cost of devices plummets both because of improved manufacturing technology and because of the fierce cost competition as components and entire devices become commoditized. In this kind of environment, there is a strong motivation among consumers to upgrade devices very frequently. And as most of these devices are more or less “personal” in nature, there is not a particularly large secondary market for used devices. Hence, every year a significant proportion of existing devices is discarded.

 

Lean, Mean…. And not Very Green

While computing power doubles and price halves, the size of most devices is shrinking very quickly as well. Consumers demand an ultra-thin smartphone or laptop. Weight also must be cut to the bone. All of this miniaturization makes devices extremely difficult to dismantle. Unfortunately, the great majority of all this work must be done by hand. This makes the cost of reclaiming all the materials very high.

 

Unfavorable Economics

The final challenge in the puzzle is unfavorable economics. While the cost of reclaiming the materials is very high, the market value of the materials is very low. As mentioned above, the quantity of materials in any single device is not very high. But to make matters worse, global commodity prices are plummeting as economic growth slows in China and other emerging markets. The overall economics of the e-waste recovery industry are highly unfavorable in the short-run and this challenge makes it less likely that entrepreneurs will invest the necessary capital to improve the technology and cost efficiency of material recovery in the medium to long-run.

 

e-waste is a tough problem all the way around. One thing we know is true is that re-using a device whenever possible is much better than trying to recycle the components after the device has been discarded. We are proud of the work we do to keep your devices working productively for you. The longer you keep them and get good use out of them, the less e-waste goes into the landfill. We’re trying to do our little part to help on a big problem! If you have a device that’s giving you trouble, give us a try before you throw it away.  Call us today!

4 Simple Tips for Small Business Wireless Security

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4 Simple Tips for Small Business Wireless Security

It is an unfortunate fact that many businesses do not take wireless security, or digital security in general, as serious as they should. It is a credible threat to any business and can have lasting effects on your company should an invasion take place. Luckily, there are some very basic steps that any small business can take to improve their wireless security and ensure that no unwanted breaches take place.

1. Make Use of the Security Options

There are a number of security options available with any router that can be enabled to improve the security of your wireless network. The first and most important security option is choosing the right security protocol. All new routers allow you to use WEP, WPA or WPA2 security protocols, each with their own set of benefits. Additionally, these protocols have “Personal” and “Enterprise” options available on most routers, with the Enterprise protocols offering higher levels of security, suitable for businesses.

2. Enable WPA-Personal Security

For businesses that have Wi-Fi networks that are only secured with WEP or have no wireless security in place, the best first step is to enable WPA-Personal security. When you enable WPA-Personal, you will be prompted to create a passphrase for the router and additional access points. This can be done by typing in your IP address to access the router and going to the “Security” settings page.

3. Separate Wi-Fi for Non-Employees and Guests

Although it seems like common knowledge, many businesses do not have a separate Wi-Fi enabled for guests. You should never allow an unfamiliar person to access your private Wi-Fi network. Instead, providing a guest wi-fi network with additonal security measures in place will help to keep your network safe.

4. Train Employees on Best Practices

One of the most common ways for an unwanted party to enter your network without permission is with the help of an employee who doesn’t fully understand how harmful this access can be. Make sure your employees are trained to never hand out the Wi-Fi password to unknown parties and know the best practices for keeping your network safe.

If you would like to learn more about how your business could benefit form increased network security, please contact us today to receive your initial consultation.365 × 242

How To Keep Your Child Safe On The Internet

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How To Keep Your Child Safe On The Internet

We can’t tell you how many times we get a phone call from a customer that start with ” My child was surfing the web on my laptop last night and now its ……”  You can easily complete the rest of this sentence. The internet is already filled with perils and threats for adults so when it comes to our children we have to be super careful as to what sites they access. At CJ Computer Services we care about you and the safety of your children and we are here to help and be a constant source of knowledge for you.

Threats on the Net-

We already know about spyware, malware and viruses that wreak havoc on our primarily windows based computer each and every day. It is a constant struggle to keep our computers free from these malicious programs. When our children surf the web they are attracted to the online gaming sites which are notorious for bloating our computers with extra software and most of the time malware. We recommend dedicating a specific computer for your child’s web surfing so it does not interfere with your daily computing activities. We tell our customers to educate their children and keep a watchful eye out for what they are downloading and the types of sites they are visiting.  There are many programs either free or pay versions that will restrict the types of sites your children will go to and will therefore reduce the risk of infection.

What Can I Do As Their Parent?

Plenty! Being observant and involved in their computing experience is #1. Do not put the computer in their rooms if possible. Put it in a public place and let them know they are being monitored. Now if you have access to your wireless router you can easily enable parental filtering that will block certain websites from each and every device they use in your home. The main thing to keep in mind, disable their cell connection in the home to force them to go through the wi-fi and the filtering. Kids are smart and very adaptable so we have to stay on our toes. There are a host of free and paid software titles that can be installed on your child’s computer to keep them surfing down the “safe Path” on the web. Some of the notables are Net-Nanny and a great free option is K-9 Web Protection. It will even bark nice and loud when your child goes somewhere they should not go to alert you. The key point here is it blocks your child from reaching a harmful site.

We are here for you to help you with any and all of your computer and technology related needs. If you have any questions on how to keep your child safe on the internet do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. We are proudly serving Raleigh, Cary, Wake Forest, and Durham NC.

 

Computers for back to school: Repair or replace?

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Students all over the United States are heading back to school.  One question about their computer lingers in their minds and the minds of their parents.  Should we repair it or replace it?  In this article we’ll go through several criteria to decide whether or not the system may be worth repairing or if it is […]

The post Computers for back to school: Repair or replace? appeared first on The Arlington Virginia Computer Repair Blog.

Source: Arlington Computer Repair