The BIOS is the basic input output system. The BIOS is an old dinosaur of PC’s and it’ll be interesting to see how much longer they will exist, as the OS has steadily taken over many of the functions that the BIOS once did. It is the first program to run when you power on your computer. This small program is encoded on a chip on the motherboard of your computer.

Generally you would only need to upgrade the BIOS if you have some specific hardware problems where the manufacturer recommends that you upgrade the BIOS. The sort of changes that the BIOS allows typically are boot device order, CPU type or speed, Advanced power management- Hardware related configurations.

Modern BIOS information is stored on a CMOS chip on the motherboard. Usually you will notice the small round Ni-Cad or Lithium-ion battery that is used to power the BIOS settings. After 3-5 years these batteries get old and can no longer provide enough power to maintain the BIOS settings - you usually will notice that changes you make to the BIOS settings will not save so after a few years plan to replace this battery. In rare instances power surges can knock out the BIOS setting or the BIOS program itself and render the BIOS unusable. If your BIOS is corrupt you won’t be able to start your PC.

In the event you ever do need to upgrade your BIOS you need to be very careful! because as I said before IF YOU SCREW UP THE BIOS, THE PC WON’T START.

• First you need to obtain an updated BIOS from the manufacturer of your motherboard.
• Secondly, you need to print out exact instructions on how to do it - typically this will involve flashing the BIOS which electronically reprograms the CMOS chip. also a utility program is generally used to backup the BIOS and automate the process. If a power failure occurs during the BIOS flash process your BIOS may become unusable requiring a new chip or some alternate means to restore the BIOS program so using an UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is recommended.

There is a myth still floating about that it is better to leave the computer powered on rather than power the unit off and on repeatedly.

The answer to this is simple. Computer electronics of today are very reliable and they seldom prematurely malfunction due to this type of wear and tear. Thirty years ago there may have been a better argument for this, however it’s hard to argue that allowing a pc to run 24/7 is a financially good move. Most pc’s will run 75 to 250 watts an hour so realistically that’s 1800 to 6000 watts a day. Multiplied by the average electricity usage rate of 0.14 per kWh is between $0.25 to $0.84 per day - if you ran the pc 24 hours. So just imagine if you only used your pc 2 hours a day you could cut your pc electricity use to between $0.02 to $0.07 per day.

Be a good citizen of the planet and turn off your computers when not in use. Powering off the pc reboots it, and that has always been a good way to maintain a stable operating system environment and doing so will definitely save you money.

Also consider the moving parts of your system; Fans, hard disks CD/DVD motors are more likely to die from over use than the power supply is from cycling the power. If a fan dies, components inside the case will overheat and cause more catastrophic damage.

Turn down your A/C, refrigerator, and Heat while you are at it too and save even more cash.

Vista vs. XP

I went recently reluctantly into the category of Vista user. At the time I was in the market for a laptop and was rather in a hurry so the easy solution was to buy what was readily available which was a new laptop with Vista installed. I’ve got mixed feelings about this new Microsoft OS.

First I’ve heard the complaints, and there is a bunch of ‘em. Mostly concerning blue screens galore, inop apps. All valid complaints. But I do feel for Microsoft in that every OS they release has to do EVERYTHING the previous OS did and then some. I feel that backward compatibility is often an obstacle to progress but hey its unavoidable! The things available in Vista are very welcome additions to what XP started, i.e. better security features, the pc restore, firewall improvements.

Second, I think inevitably that Vista will become a better OS as third-party vendors write software that can perform on Vista. Name one OS that didn’t have this problem at all!

Third, Vista has a lot of visual bells and whistles. They are a serious drag on a computers resources. Vista needs at least 2 GB of ram to feel like its as good a XP with 512 MB. RAM isn’t getting that much cheaper and now we need twice as much to get DECENT performance. The bottom line is Vista doesn’t really FEEL like it’s more user friendly - that is the most apparent problem. It’s advertised as a whole new OS but this thing feels like XP before SP1 and a few neat graphical improvements won’t make up for it.

Fourth, Windows XP still has a lot of life left in it, and MANY businesses are just now upgrading to it! There really wasn’t any compelling reason to invent Vista when many of these bells and whistles could have been introduced with later service packs for XP. The more robust firewall, the better pc restore, the more secure user account settings should have been done long ago!

Verdict, for now if you intend to run older software or software that specifically hasn’t been upgraded for use with Vista you’d best beware of it. XP is still the better OS for now and perhaps for a couple more years. Unless of course you don’t mind being guinea pig for MS and paying for it too.

So you’ve just bought that brand new top of the line computer and now you’re dreading the next step (tossing out the old obsolete dinosaur. Well there are a few things you have got to know!

Please don’t just toss it in the trashcan!

The materials used in manufacturing modern electronic devices are full of non-degradable, toxic metals and chemicals. These substances will leach into the soil and cause damage to our environment. The truth is there is really no way of disposing of these substances completely that doesn’t “leave a mark”. Unfortunately because of the expense of true recycling, our government and many large companies ship this refuse to third world countries where e-waste is crudely broken down for some of its raw metals and materials and the rest is simply thrown away. So just because it didn’t end up in your backyard doesn’t mean it’s not in someone elses.

What to do. If at all possible donate old computers to charities or individuals that need them. It helps lessen the demand for new pc’s and slows down the speed at which this e-waste is introduced into someones backyard.
Every major electronics retailer has some program in place to dispose of your old computer. You need to be responsible in choosing which program you use (some are charging you to simply throw it in their dumpster.)

Companies like DELL will dispose of your old computer for free if you buy a new pc from them. Many follow this example. Generally you can expect to pay a fee to have the old dinosaur pc “recycled”.

The big picture here is to be aware that your new pc will inevitably become the old pc sooner than you realize. So I recommend you by equipment with real upgrade potential and not a throw away.

Here is a list of sources that can help you to dispose of your pc in the most eco-friendly manner.

• Hewlett Packerd
• Dell
• Toshiba
• Sony
• Best Buy
• Apple
• Staples

Here are links to more education on the matter of e-trash:

• http://www.computertakeback.com/
• http://svtc.etoxics.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage
• http://earth911.org/electronics/
• http://www.mygreenelectronics.org/