3 Tips on Improving Mac Performance

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Not unlike very old automobiles, computers tend to slow down substantially as compared to their performance when new. Just as with cars, computer tune-ups help improve performance. Since PC’s dominated the computer market for so long before Apple came along with a reasonably priced and competitive product, the majority of instructions out there are for PC’s. Here are three how-to’s to keep a Mac running smoothly.

 

  • Remove the clutter – All those programs, pictures, downloaded materials, documents, and all the rest that you’ve acquired and left on your desktop wreak havoc. They require memory to be displayed in a ‘continually available’ fashion. Create a folder for desktop material and stash that in your document folder. Put everything into that. Remember that the larger files create more system drain. Remove pictures before you worry too much about a text document.

 

  • Run a defragmentation program – Mac’s get defragmented too, although they are reputed to be better about repairing themselves. But a program like Tech Tools Pro 5 provides the capability to run a defrag at will. If your computer is more than two years old, this will provide a noticeable performance improvement. (Like adding nitrous to a car!)

 

  • Run the disc repair utility – Go to the Applications folder, find Utilities at the bottom, and select Disc Utility. Select your hard drive, and then run the ‘Repair Disc Permissions’ selection. Over time, program codes become less than perfect, losing bits of data in the constant erasing and overwriting process. This function clears away these problems, restoring like new performance.

 

Don’t hesitate. These are easy to implement fixes that will add horsepower to your computer today!

 

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2 Key Computer Hardware Upgrades

Let’s face it, buying a new computer every eighteen months isn’t in everyone’s budget. But as time passes and one doesn’t upgrade their computer, the older, smaller size of everything internal becomes a limiting factor. Hardware upgrades can land you an additional year or two of suitable performance, at a fraction of the cost of a computer replacement. Let’s take a look at two important parts to upgrade.

  • System Memory: As time ticks by, programs, files, and virtually anything you’ll be downloading become larger and more memory intensive files to operate. As a result, with the same memory that you had in place when you bought your computer, you’ll notice appreciable slowing of your machine over time. Upgrading memory to the maximum that your computer will support is a good idea. This allows faster access to files of all types. It also permits far smoother multitasking, which is useful for anyone who requires multiple programs to run simultaneously as they do their computing. That, of course, is not some specialized niche. Virtually everyone has several programs open at a time as they maneuver through their computing experience.

 

  • Hard Drive: Those larger files naturally take up more space. Not only that, but they take longer to access with the same technical specs from the past. Newer, larger hard drives not only offer far more storage capacity, they also offer faster access to system files, movies, and all other media. Not only can you suddenly store far more data, it’ll be accessed faster as well.

 

The best news about both upgrades is that they’ll cost far less now that when your machine was new. Thrifty enhancement!

 

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Extend the Life of Your Computer

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Is your computer aging ungracefully? Face it, in a tough economy, not everyone has spare money floating around in large enough quantity to buy a new machine when they would like to. Here are some tips to extend the life of your present digital machine.

 

Keep it cool. Heat is the foe of al electronics, which is why so many of them come fully equipped to battle heat. Heat sinks – those rows of raised metallic spines – and fans dissipate heat from components that run the hottest. On the typical computer, that would be the CPU. Since it runs if the computer is even turned on, it never gets a break. Other parts get hot too though, such as batteries, hard disk drives, and any components located near any of these.

 

Upgrade individual components. When buying a new machine, a lot of the specifications aren’t all that much more impressive than what you’re presently using. By spending some cash on a few select hardware upgrades, your older machine can outperform newer machines. All this for a much lower cost. Look into upgrading the CPU, hard drive, and system memory.

 

Protect it from contaminants. Water is a huge no-no, so don’t let liquids of any sort get onto, or even near, your computer. Protect it and establish rituals that keep your personal hydration efforts far away from your circuitry. Dust is also evil, so be mindful if your windows are open and its incredibly breezy outside. You may wish to relocate to a room without windows.

 

Treating your computer right will extend its life. In some cases, following simple steps has added years of life.

 

 

 

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Replacing Your Keyboard is Easier Than You May Think

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Here is a scenario that you may be familiar with, and some advice on how to handle it. You’re typing along just like usual one day, when suddenly you notice that your delete key no longer seems to function. That’s a major problem, since using the delete key is such a common need while computing. Everyone makes typing mistakes. (For those few who don’t, the fact is that corrections need to be made regardless of perfect typing – ideas are sometimes jumbled.) What to do? Buy a new computer? That may not be in your present financial picture.

 

If you work on a desktop machine, you’ll be able to easily replace the keyboard. But laptops are another story, as the keyboard is integrated into the entire package. Fortunately, replacement parts are available at a wide variety of online computer parts purveyors. It’s simply a matter of finding a tiny jeweler’s screwdriver to remove a small handful of miniature screws, and your keyboard should pop off pretty easily. There is generally only one set of cables holding it in place. Disconnect that, remove the old keyboard, and put the new one back in its place. Remember to re-connect the wires, or your new board won’t type any better than your broken delete key!

 

Reinsert and tighten all of the screws that you removed, being mindful to put the right ones in the right places. Although the screws are small, you’ll notice that there are many different shapes and sizes to them. Once you’re done, fire up your computer. Check each key on the board to ensure that it functions properly. Relish the ‘repaired’ delete key.

 

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