PCinfospace

What can be repaired on a monitor if it fails or goes bad?
NOTHING! that’s the only thing to say.

CRT (cathode ray tubes)
These are the old big and clunky computer monitors that were used since the beginning of computers.  They are the same as the old TV sets.  They can not be repaired unless you send them in to a repair facility.  This would not be economical.  It would cost you much more than what you paid for it and you could never sell it for what you pay to repair it.  DO NOT attempt to repair one of these.  It has a large capacitor that stores a large electrical current that can kill you.  I am not making this up.  If one of these goes bad replace it.  In fact it would be a good idea to replace it with a LCD monitor instead.  I will explain it next.

LCD (Liquid Crystal displays) monitors
I am going to avoid all the technical discussion here.  There are tons of information on the internet about this.  I will say it is now the way to go.  Most CRTs are being replaced with these units.  They are smaller and lighter.  They are much clearer (better resolution) some look so real that it’s hard to believe.  The feature many people like is that they don’t take as much space as the old CRTs used to.  The big thing is they come with built in tuners and you can see digital signals without a converter box.

TVs
Why bring this up?  Because LCDs can now be used for a TV if you wish.  Some are very big now.  The price can be very high for the large ones.  Now that TV is going digital it is easy to do this.  If you have a TV converter card in you computer you can even use your computer to see TV stations.

Why am I writing this?

Over 25% of the software in use in the united States is illegally copied.  In one year piracy cost the U.S. economy $4.6 billion dollars in lost wages, nearly $1 billion in taxes and more than 109,000 lost jobs.  People don’t take it serious.  They give a copy of a software program or file to a friend or relative.  They put it on their machine.  Then another person “needs” a copy and they give it to them etc.   Some people even try to sell these illegal copies.   You can go to jail for that.

What’s wrong with that?
You just helped somebody get a free copy of software. Your trying to be a nice person.  Well! It’s like this!  The software manufacturers have teamed up with the Government to create laws to prevent this very thing.  It is an attempt to control the distribution of the software so that the company that made it can get paid for the copies it puts out.

What if you don’t want to do it this way?
This is no time to be bullheaded.  The way it is now you can go to jail or at least get fined for illegally selling or distributing software or certain files.  Legal action is almost guaranteed if you do get caught.  If you go to a software sale be aware of illegal copies.  If it looks illegal it probably is.   If you download from the internet be sure the company is legal.  Get their address and phone number.  If they won’t give it to you or you can’t find one they are definitely not legal. Keep records.  If you do buy something always keep a record of it just in case. Watch for bargain prices that look to low.  This is the big one.  It may be the best way to know it is probably not legal.  Most software is not sold at extremely low prices due to the demand. Watch for packaging that looks fake or weird in any way.  Be sure the software case is shrink wrapped and not tampered with.  If you buy a computer with an operating system already installed be sure it has the Official License tag with the activation code somewhere on the case.  If they don’t have it ask were it is.  If you think it is illegal turn them into authorities.  They are just hurting everybody that is in the industry.

Another risk
The software “copy” may contain a virus or malicious code that could damage your system.  Also, files can become corrupt through being copied over and over so many times.

How do I protect myself?
Never take a free copy of software from anybody.  You normally have to purchase the product.  Actually by paying for it you buy a license to use it.  If somebody asks you for a copy give them the web site or store they can buy it from.  Besides, if you pay a lot of money for a legally licensed product you certainly don’t want them to have it free.

I am giving you a link if you want to dig deeper on this subject.  Microsoft has a lot of resources available.  see:  www.microsoft.com/piracy

Although people call these different names, this article assumes you know what they are.  I have enclosed pictures that should help you out.  Some links have been included for those of you that want to dig deeper. Why am I writing this article?

• The main reason is that I have seen too many people have their valuable electronic equipment plugged into a cheap (in every way) plug in strip.  This will not protect you from anything.
• Another reason is that they don’t realize that it only takes a very small amount of voltage surge or interruption to damage your computer or equipment in some way.
• I have also seen where people had their computer and other equipment plugged into an ungrounded wall outlet. (not a good idea)

WARNING !!!! Never plug a power strip into another power strip.  This goes for the UPS and Surge protectors also.  THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS.  Each wall outlet is designed to handle a maximum level of Amperage, Watts and Volts.  If the load on the outlet gets to high it could over heat and cause a fire.   It is hard to say if a circuit breaker will trip or not before the fire occurs.  DO NOT DO THIS !!!! Be sure your home or office has adequate plugs and wiring to handle your particular setup.  Have a qualified electrician check your electrical circuits if you are unsure.

POWER STRIPS

There is a wide range of these devices.  Some can be very cheap.  Recent prices have been down to less than $5.00 for a 6 outlet strip.  There are some you can buy that have a fuse.  This WILL NOT protect your computer or any other item that is digital in nature.  A very small surge of electricity is all that is needed to say goodbye to them forever.

SURGE PROTECTORS (SUPPRESSORS)

This “can be” the best protection for the cheapest cost.  DO NOT by a real cheap protector.  Buy one that has as high as possible Joules reading.  I gave you a link if you need to know what that means. In order to get maximum protection read the box carefully.  You need to have a high Joule rating and clamping speed for the protection you need especially if you get hit by lightning. Clamping speed is the amount of time it takes a surge protector to react when the clamping voltage has been met or exceeded.

UPS (uninterruptable Power Supply)

This is by far your best protection.  You will probably pay some money here.  The cost is normally well worth it.  Remember it is a “power supply”.  It has a battery or batteries and stores a charge for a certain length of time after your power goes out.  You can buy them for numerous time periods.  You will pay accordingly.

Hard drives can not be repaired. Well! OK! you can repair them but it would cost you an arm and a leg.

They are mechanical devices with moving parts. As with anything of that nature things can go wrong. They are electrically ran. Same difference. This is the very reason you should back up anything you ever want to see again.

There are three technologies that are out there (at least available to the general public):

ATA (know a parallel ATA or just Parallel) These are the drives that have been around since PCs were invented. They did get faster and faster and smaller and lighter. Even the cost came way down.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sata (Serial ATA or just Serial): These are a newer technology and even have a different cable that goes to the motherboard. A They are used quite a bit for Servers were more that one drive is used in what is known as an Array (R.A.I.D.). A  I will not go into that at this time.

Solid State Drives: This is the latest and greatest technology.  For now they are still expensive.  They have no moving parts.  They will last longer and are more reliable.  They make no noise.  You might call them a flash drive because that’s actually what they are based on. They also have less power consumption and run cooler. WARNING! If you do use one of these drives DO NOT Defrag it.  It will shorten the life of the product.

If any one of these drive should happen to malfunction mechanically or electrically they must be repalced.  A Virus can also destroy  a drives ability to boot and/or store data.  It can attack the boot sector so that the drive can not boot.  There are places you can send these drives but it is very expensive.  Even the evaluation can be hundreds of dollars.

With the elimination of Analog signals  it is  important to have a TV that will accept Digital signals.

A crisper sound and clearer picture is the objective. Although the old CRT tubes will still give you a picture, the quality of the sound and picture will be less.

Both Plasma and LCD TV’s are flat and thin. This gives you the ability to put them almost anywhere. You can even hang them on a wall if you want to.

Plasma TVs will be HDTV ready when they are sold. The range in sizes go from 42 to 63 inches at this time but other smaller sizes are available. All Plasma TV’s are wide screen and have an aspect ratio of 16:9.

LCD TVs tend to be somewhat smaller. The computer monitors are normally small but can be used for a TV if need be. In fact you can buy a HDTV card for your computer and use it as an HDTV. Availability of channels will depend on reception in your area.

PRICE
The price of LCDs are normally lower for the same size Plasma screens. However a very large size LCD monitor can be very expensive.

Other differences
* LCD televisions have lower contrast levels than plasma televisions, meaning that they have a harder time reproducing dark colors and grays
* LCD televisions have slower response times, sometimes creating blurs during fast-paced action sequences in movies or in sports
* LCD televisions have a narrower viewing angle, but can be easier to view in well-lit rooms
* LCD televisions run cooler than plasma televisions
* Plasma televisions are of lower quality when paying lower prices

This gives you some idea of the differences. I heavily recommend that you ask a lot of questions when you shop. Check prices in more than one store and look for deals especially on the Internet.