Help for your business
Many clients ask our advice about a range of issues, including
- what to do with a slow computer
- memory upgrades for your computer
- security measures (anti-virus & anti-spyware) you can take to keep out the bad guys
- speeding up your broadband
- avoiding spam
Here are some of our recommendations.
Remember when you first got your computer – it was so fast.
Then… it really began to slow down down.
Over time the hard disk gets fragmented. And the registry gets corrupted as programmes you install and uninstall leave bits behind.
Eventually it slows to a crawl.
Good news!
Safe, affordable solutions are available* that will give your computers a new lease of life.
* These solutions are only for computers running Microsoft Windows.
PerfectDisk 12
The latest version of PerfectDisk is now available.
Features include:
- Advanced professional-level features
- Automatic background defragmentation
- Customizable scheduling options
- Patented Advanced file placement technology
- Boot time system file defragmentation
- BlockViewer to see contents of each block
Download a free trial of PerfectDisk 12 now and see for yourself how you'll benefit from greater productivity
PerfectSpeed
Automatic all-in-one PC optimizer
- Household licence covers all PCs in your home
- Safe registry cleaner
- Multiple defrag options
- Duplicate file finder
- Eliminate system-clogging clutter
- Permanently remove personal data
- Permanently remove internet history
- No computer expertise required
Download a free trial of PerfectSpeed now and see for yourself how your computers are enabling you to work better
Need a logo (or graphic) design?
As their businesses have grown through establishing an internet presence, a number of our clients have asked us to commission logo designs for them.
99designs is an online marketplace for graphic design – in fact, it's the premier marketplace for crowdsourced graphic design. In 2010 99designs won the Web Services & Applications Category in the 2010 People's Voice Award.
If you need something designed – everything from logos and stationery to websites and brochures – then you just post what you need with a clear brief, then name your own price and deadline.
Once a commission has been posted to 99 designs, thousands of creative designers from over 100 countries around the world submit designs (not just bids or proposals) for the buyer to review until they find the "the one" that best suits their needs.
In the competitions we've run, we've had well over 100 entries, which we've graded and given feedback on, until a clear winner emerged.
Examples of logos we've commissioned through 99designs
Get a professional logo for just $99 (that's right, just over £60!)
Choose a Logo and 99designs will add your business name within 24 hours
100% money back guarantee
A design you love, or 100% of your money back at 99designs.com
– because 1st impressions count
Anti-virus software (anti-spyware and firewall solution)
VIPRE Internet Security is high-performance antivirus + antispyware software with an integrated firewall.
It doesn't slow down your PC like other security products.
The press love it, and it's antivirus certified.
Protect your PC with a free full-function 30-day trial!
Our experience with anti-virus software
We have tried a number of computer security solutions for our own work, for clients, and for family and friends.
These have included products from McAfee, Norton, AVG and Zone Alarm.
In 2007 we discovered an anti-spyware solution called CounterSpy, and checked out the reviews it was getting. This coincided with our decision to go for the Kerio Firewall (now Sunbelt Firewall) as, unlike Zone Alarm, it didn't interfere with software that we were using.
Then in 2008 Sunbelt brought out a combined anti-virus and anti-spyware package, VIPRE, "built from the ground up". As it uses little of your computer's power (CPU), it doesn't slow down your computer.
Since March 2010, we have been beta testers for Sunbelt (now owned by GFI Software), and following extensive beta-testing, Sunbelt released VIPRE Premium, a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware solution.
In November 2011 VIPRE Internet Security was released, again after extensive beta testing. It keeps you safe, and it keeps your computer ticking along nicely. We highly recommend VIPRE Internet Security.
Follow this link for a free trial of VIPRE Internet Security
PS Lifetime subscription available too!
No monthly or annual subscriptions – just a one-off payment for the life of your computer!
Double-layer security with MalwareBytes
Need more memory?
Easily find the right memory for your computer with the Crucial Memory Advisor™ tool
Reliable memory upgrades for your computer
Even computers a few years old will benefit from more RAM (Random Access Memory).
Typically, computers were supplied with only the minimum memory necessary. But recent computer programmes' more advanced functionality comes at a cost: more memory overheads.
With insufficient memory the hard disk has to work harder as it shuffles data from memory into storage and back again. And it's not good for your hard disk either, as it can lead to breakdown and loss of all your data.
Analogy 1: a suitcase
It's a bit like having a suitcase that's too small for your clothes: when you want to put something more in you first need to take something out first. Then when you need the first item again, you have to bring it back out of storage.
Analogy 2: a kitchen cupboard
The trouble is that with computers, this happens many times a second, really slowing down your system until it almost grinds to a halt.
Recognise these symptoms?
Get more memory for your desktop or laptop computer from Crucial
Understanding DRAM memory speeds
Get more memory for your desktop or laptop computer from Crucial
Solid state Drives
The Crucial m4 SSD offers data access speeds that are up to 21 times faster than a hard drive.
You don't need to replace your system – an SSD upgrade from Crucial.com could result in like-new performance at a fraction of the price!
Benefits of a Solid State Drive
- With no moving parts, they're far more durable than traditional hard drives, making them more reliable.
- They're faster. With the instant-load performance of an SSD, you'll save time when booting up and running multiple applications.
- They're more efficient. SSDs require less power to operate, which means your laptop's battery life will be extended.
Watch how SSDs are built
Buy your SSD today!
Remember:
- The Crucial m4 SSD offers data access speeds that are up to 21 times faster than a hard drive.
- You don't need to replace your system – an SSD upgrade from Crucial.com could result in like-new performance at a fraction of the price!
- Buy your SSD today
Dropbox – for online data storage and collaboration
Dropbox enables you to make backups of your data (documents, photos, music etc.) – without having to think about it.
It works for Mac 10.4+, Linux, Windows, and Mobile (Android, Apple iOS etc.).
How does Dropbox work?
In Windows systems, it creates a folder inside (My) Documents called My Dropbox. You can move your current projects etc. into My Dropbox and carry on working as usual. The only difference is that Dropbox then keeps a copy of the files in a secure storage facility so you can restore the files if you have a hard disk crash or cannot access your computer.
Access your files securely through any other computer (or smartphone)
You can set up access to your Dropbox account through any computer with an internet connection. If you have an Android or iPhone (iPad), you can also access your files allowing updating of documents while you're travelling.
Share folders, enabling instant collaboration.
We use it frequently in working with clients on design layout. They place the file into their Dropbox, invite us to share the folder, and we can then both access it. Brilliant!
Get Dropbox now!
(PS If you use this link, you'll get an extra 250Mb free!)
Speed up your broadband with BT's i-Plate
Slow broadband?
A simple, but effective solution for most people is to install BT's interstitial Plate (i-Plate is easier to say!).
This safely disconnects the unneeded bellwire required for older telephone installations, and which creates interference.
If you're already getting near the 8Mb broadband download speed (but how many of us are getting that?), it's won't make much difference to your speed, but it will help your broadband's stability.
It's a cheap and effective product (around £5). We tried it and it's made a huge difference – nearly 8 times as fast (3Mb instead of .4Mb).
You should note that there is normally a delay to the increase in speed, due to something called IP Protocol; however, within a few days you should see an improvement.
Other customers have reported between 30% and 100% increase in speed.
Fed up with spam?
Spam Filter for Outlook and Express, Windows Mail, Thunderbird and Servers
Let's face it, spam is a right pain.
If you need a spam filter for your home/office PC or server, then try SPAMfighter.
SPAMfighter is Europe's leading spam filter developer, providing spam protection across the globe for nearly 7 million home and business users on PCs and Servers.
If a SPAMfighter receives a spam mail that is not detected by SPAMfighter, the user reports the spam mail with one click, and it's removed from the rest of the SPAMfighter community in seconds.
So we help each other.
Please contact us to see how we can help your projects.
