The Computer Assistant writes for the Yorkshire Reporter October 2015

The Computer Assistant

As published in the Yorkshire Reporter October 2015 

Welcome to this month’s instalment of news, reviews, tips and tricks. May I start by saying a big thank you for the emails regarding last month’s article. I also hope that those who visited the shop in search of "assistance" were satisfied with services rendered!

Windows 10 Tips

The jury is still out regarding Windows 10 so this month, as promised, we'll look at a few tips to help you along. We'll also take a peep into IOS 9, the latest Apple update. 

Congratulations to those of you who ventured into the unknown and completed the Windows 10 upgrade. With blood pressure levels back to normal and all photos and files where they should be, the “exploration” begins! At this point however, it is worth mentioning activation. Many foolhardy users with a “not so genuine copy” of Windows thought they could upgrade to Windows 10 hoping that somehow old "Bill" had included them on his Christmas list! If however, after upgrading using your very genuine product number, you came up with an activation error, the issue should resolve after restarting.

For most users, the first question after installation is, “can I do everything I used to do, without hassle?” Here are a few common tasks and solutions to problems our customers have encountered. Rusty Chrome has been struggling lately, especially with video streaming and can become slow, unresponsive and boggy. Simply turning off Chrome Extensions or reinstalling Chrome itself does help.

Favourites in Edge: Edge is a massive improvement on internet Explorer (hard to make anything worse than IE!) but if your favourites have evaporated, go to settings (top right) and import your favourites from Chrome and IE. Very cool and easy when compared to other browsers.

Email issues: The default email app in Windows 10 doesn’t yet support subfolders as in Windows 8. We recommend the ever reliable Windows Live Mail or good old Outlook.

Connectivity: Wi-Fi cutting off and not automatically reconnecting? A quick reboot should resolve this. We also suggest disabling Wi-Fi sharing. Settings link: The link to settings, some strange reason does not work or opens the Store app instead. Good news! a quick fix is available as a downloadable, guns blazing, trouble-shooter, which one can safely use to resolve the problem. Mice on strike: Despite being tempted with the best cheddar, many a mouse downed tools after the upgrade. This has been very common with certain laptopbrands and desktops. There are a number of solutions available which usually entail a driver update.

Apple IOS 9 In Brief

Apple lovers have been treated to a scrumptious update and here are a few highlights: Super Powers - the ability to view details of power consumption and battery use. Video Zoom - actually zoom in on subjects while viewing your videos. Siri Gets a Makeover - and gets much more intelligent with great new search capabilities. Muti-tasking for Ipads - read your mail and watch a movie at the same time (?). As well as major updates to many core apps like Pictures, Notes, News, Maps, Apple Pay, Carplay, Health, Mail and iCloud Drive, the update only require a mere 1.3 GB of space compared to the prohibitive 4.58 GB needed for its lofty predecessor!

In response to many of the emails received, for questions and answers, think of us as your own personal IT department, on-call whenever you need us. Please visit TCAHelp for prompt answers to all your questions. 
We are well established IT support and maintenance providers and well recognised for sales, repairs and maintenance of PC's, Macs, Laptops, IPad, tablets and Game Consoles.
Please email replies, comments and responses to reviews@thecomputerassistant.com
Visit us in store at 96 Kirkgate, Leeds. LS2 7DJ or Phone 01132446460. Find us online at www.thecomputerassistant.com

The Computer Assistant writes for the Yorkshire Reporter

Windows 10 introduces a number of new and improved features in an effort to catch up with other application providers and take back its position as a pioneer developer. First on the list is the controversial Start Menu. Many users disliked Windows 8 purely because the changes to the start menu were too radical, unfriendly and unfamiliar. Windows 10 offers the best of the old and the new. Users now have a simple list on the left hand side of the menu and tiles on the right. The menu can be resized and the tiles configured according to one’s preference.

Windows10 Task View

The Taskbar has also been updated so that active apps and windows are simply underlined instead of highlighted and the icons have been given a new look. The best taskbar feature we found is the Task View feature. Open applications and windows could always be accessed using Alt-Tab on the keyboard but not many users were aware of this. To make things easier users can now view all open windows with a single click. Furthermore, the task view reveals the ability to simultaneously use multiple desktops. Quite handy for multiple screen users but more importantly it facilitates much better multi-tasking.

Say Hi to Cortana! Microsoft brings voice commands and search 

assistance from it mobile phones to Windows 10. Users are now able carry out an array of tasks based on the apps installed on the device. If Cortana can’t carry out your wishes it will search the internet on your behalf. Windows 10 introduces users to Microsoft Edge, a faster, slimmer and sleeker internet browser designed to match its rivals Chrome and Firefox. Its keynote feature is the ability to write directly on webpages for sharing, bookmarking and note taking. Together with Cortana the overall browsing experience has been improved. If however you can’t live without Explorer it’s always there in your apps list!

Another key feature of Windows 10 is the ability to work on and across several devices. The app Continuum, which is already built in, allows the same document to be used and updated on your laptop, tablet and PC with very little or no delay in synchronisation. You will also be able to, play games and stream video from your games console to your laptop or PC. Furthermore, in its attempt to play catch up with stores from Apple and Android, Microsoft has integrated the Windows Store into Windows 10 where users can obtain their music, games, TV shows and films. 

Windows 10 provides a plethora of developments and built in applications that are guaranteed to keep users occupied for months to come. If you’re thinking of upgrading to Windows 10 the choice is entirely yours. There are plenty of new features to experience and enjoy. Any initial bugs and glitches will, like any new software, be eventually resolved with updates, patches and fixes so if you don’t want to wait, go for it. In our article next month we will delve deeper into more Windows 10 features and share our experiences in resolving some of the common issues we see every day. Till then it’s Adios from The Computer Assistant.

We are well established IT Support and Maintenance providers and well recognised for the sales, repairs and maintenance of PC’s, Macs, Laptops, IPads, Tablets and Game Consoles. We take great pride in our reputation for prompt completion, fair pricing and technical capability. If you own any number of computing devices at home or at work we can solve any of your repair problems. Or if you are experiencing problems updating your laptop or PC to Windows 10 from earlier versions just pop in to the shop or give us a call.

Need a New PC...Please Read This. BUILD A NEW PC

Yeah there are advantages to buying a new already built PC, but also there are loads of benefits building it yourself.

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MY CHALLENGE FOR YOU IS, GO TO ANY TOP RETAILER (pc world, currys, dixon etc) get a specification of a pc you like and try and build to that exact specification.one major difference is the massive price slash. EXACT SPECS, MAYBE EVEN BETTER DESIGN AND WAY CHAEPER.

Benefits of building a new PC

The most distinguishing advantage to building a computer from scratch is the selection of parts. Most computer systems come pre-built with the specifications and components already selected for you. This often can lead the user to have to sacrifice certain features that they may not want to give up. By building a computer from components, the user is able to choose the parts that best match the computer system they desire. Some vendors do allow you to customize a computer system, but you are still limited to their selection of parts.
Another thing that users may not be aware of with pre-built systems is that two of the exact same model computer can actually have very different parts. The reason for this has to do with suppliers, parts available at the time the system was built and just pure luck. For example, Dell might switch between multiple suppliers of memory because one is less expensive then the other. Buying all the parts on your own guarantees what parts you will get in your PC. 
Customization and Custom "Balancing": You build exactly the machine you want; no more, no less. This is an advantage you can only get by designing and building your own machine from parts you select--you cannot get this by buying a machine (unless you're extraordinarily lucky!) Part of this flexibility is being able to balance the system precisely as you desire. If you need a very powerful video card but not a lot of memory, you can get it. If you need 200 GB of hard disk space but only a so-so processor, you can get that too. In contrast, it's much more difficult to get pre-built PCs that are very "high-end" in one area but "middle-of-the-road" in others. 
Quality: Most home-built PCs use higher-quality components than those used by companies selling pre-made PCs. The most common reason for this is that homebuilders care more about the longevity and quality of their systems than big companies do; that's just common sense. (Although high quality does require that you pay attention when shopping for components, and be willing to shell out a few extra bucks!) 
Upgradability and Expandability: Building your own PC makes it relatively easy to upgrade or expand. Since you know what is in the box, you know most of what you need to upgrade it. In addition, if you plan ahead for upgradeability you can buy components that will facilitate this. Finally, home-built PCs use industry-standard components, avoiding the pitfalls of proprietary designs.
Easier "Non-Standard" Operating System Use: Most regular PCs are designed under the assumption that they will run the latest Microsoft consumer operating system. They are usually only tested on that operating system. If you plan to go with Linux, or BeOS, or something else "out of the ordinary", being able to pick your own components can be very helpful. For example, most retail PCs are equipped with Winmodems, which won't work in a Linux environment. (Also, most technical support people at big computer companies have no clue about anything other than consumer-grade Windows installs.)