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Note from Dennis: At the end of the review, we're offering 20% discount for Infopackets readers. I get asked all the time "Why is my PC slow?" The answer, of course, is usually complex and may depend on a number of factors. But, for the most part, ... the culprit is due to repeated installation and removal of software programs to a system over a period of time. For example: a once pristine PC (brand new, untouched) from the factory can perform flawlessly. The same PC after a few months of use will start to lag. And, after a year or two, that same PC will surely suffer major performance ... (view more)

Centralized computing is computing done at a central location, using terminals that are attached to a central computer. The computer itself may control all the peripherals directly (if they are physically connected to the central computer), or they ... may be attached via a terminal server. Alternatively, if the terminals have the capability, they may be able to connect to the central computer over the network. The terminals may be text terminals or thin clients, for example. A modern day form of centralized computing is the cloud computing model . Centralized computing offers greater security ... (view more)

NOTE: Be sure to grab my supplemental report '10 Key Concepts of PC Optimization' at the end of this article for more great tips like this one -- or click here to download now! Infopackets Reader 'lde4' writes: " Dear Dennis, I'm currently using ... Windows XP Home Edition SP2 (32 Bit). I ordered a new computer with Windows Vista Home Premium (64 Bit) with Service Pack 1. Question: Can I use all my old XP programs and games with my new computer using Vista 64bit? " My response: The quick and short answer: not all XP programs are compatible with Vista (32bit or 64bit, for that matter). As for ... (view more)

Yesterday I wrote about a problem concerning the usage of the mail queue on the infopackets web server. To recap: whenever the Infopackets Gazette newsletter is sent out (to the list of readers), some emails are entered into a temporary holding area ... (called a "mail queue") if they are unable to reach the recipient. This is a potential problem for the infopackets web server because the mail queue can "overflow" and cause the server to run out of storage spac e. Recall: The Mail Queue Polling solution I was able to save the web server from potentially running out of space by ... (view more)

A few weeks ago, I was called to do an upgrade on an older, Pentium 200 (P200) MHz computer. The P200 was equipped with an old-style scanner that used a special interface. After a few years of good use, the scanner died and needed to be replaced. ... Since the Pentium 200 did not come equipped with a USB interface (universal serial bus), shopping for a new scanner was difficult. The options were to buy an old-style scanner which used the Parallel Port (Printer Port) as its interface - but this was not a viable option because it was extremely slow and would not meet the demand in an office ... (view more)