| Future
Meetings Below
is a list of dates for 2010.
March 31st
April 28th
May 26th
June 23rd
August 18th
September 15th
October 13th
November 10th
December 8th
Last
month....
A
good turn out for our popular computer related problem solving
evening. As usual there were numerous issues to scratch the old
grey matter. Problems ranged from uncontrolled system shut downs
to noisy fans.
The evening as usual took
the guise of a round the table forum. We also had access to the
web to try and track down any known remedies. Chris Sagens uncontrolled
shutdowns sounded suspiciously like the Windows “blue screen
of death” documented in last month’s newsletter. Hopefully
Chris has been able to overcome the issue by the time you read
this.
An interesting conversation
struck up about the merits of USB2 and the new USB3 transfer protocols.
USB3 is still in its infancy and very few peripherals use the
facility. No doubt, something to watch for the future. USB port
issues also seemed to be a problem with some members.
AVG reared its head again
– some members found updates difficult to acquire and Windows
7 appears to have a dislike to the popular cd/dvd copying package
Nero.
As always there was plenty
of lively debate around the table and hopefully some issues were
put to bed.
Dave Robb
Hard drive evolution
could hit Microsoft XP users
Hard drives will soon undergo
one of the biggest format changes in decades.
By early 2011 all hard drives will use an "advanced format"
that changes how they store your data on them.
The move to the advanced format will make it easier for hard drive
makers to produce bigger drives that use less power and are more
reliable.
This move might mean problems for Windows XP users who swap an
old drive for one using the changed format.
Since the days of the venerable DOS operating system, the space
on a hard drive has been formatted into blocks 512 bytes in size.
The 512 byte sector became standardised thanks to IBM which used
it on floppy disks.
While 512 bytes was useful when hard drives were only a few megabytes
in size, it makes less sense when drives can hold a terabyte (1000
gigabytes), or more of data.
"The technology has changed but that fundamental building
block of formatting has not,".
This fine resolution on hard drives is causing a problem, because
of the wasted space associated with each tiny block.
Each 512 byte sector has a marker showing where it begins and
an area dedicated to storing error correction codes. In addition
a tiny gap has to be left between each sector. In large drives
this wasted space where data cannot be stored can take up a significant
proportion of the drive.
Moving to an advanced format of 4K sectors means about eight times
less wasted space but will allow drives to devote twice as much
space per block to error correction.
This shift also allows manufacturers to make more efficient use
of the real estate on a hard drive.
They can put more data on the disk, "It's about 7-11% more
efficient as a format."
Slow down
Through the International
Disk Drive Equipment and Materials Association (Idema) all hard
drive makers have committed to adopting the 4K advanced format
by the end of January 2011.
Hard drive makers have begun an education and awareness campaign
to let people know about the advanced format and to warn about
the problems it could inflict on users of older operating systems
such as Windows XP.
This is because Windows XP was released before the 4K format was
decided upon.
By contrast, Windows 7, Vista, OS X Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard
and versions of the Linux kernel released after September 2009
are all 4K aware.
To help Windows XP cope, advanced format drives will be able to
pretend they still use sectors 512 bytes in size.
When reading data from a drive this emulation will go unnoticed.
However, in some situations writing data could hit performance.
In some cases the drive will take two steps to write data rather
than one and introduce a delay of about 5 milliseconds.
In a bid to limit the misalignment, hard drive makers are producing
software that ensures 512 sectors line up with 4K ones.
Those most likely to see the performance problems are those building
their own computers or swapping out an old drive for one that
uses the new format.
Subscriptions
This month brings around the time of year for you to renew your
subscription. The subscription rates remain unchanged at £
15.00 for full membership and £ 5.00 for associate members.
If you are unable to attend the next meeting you can post your
cheque to Derek at the following address.
59 Tamar Road
Melton Mowbray
Leics
LE13 0EN
Save Money Websites
(part 1)
In these times of credit
crunching everybody is on the lookout for money saving options.
The internet can of course be a major boon to getting hold of
some of the best deals around. This article offers you some of
the many money saving websites and gives a brief description of
their use. This list is by no means exhaustive and you may well
come up with better sites for the same thing. This group were
originally published in The Daily Telegraph.
www.groupola.com
This site uses the concept
of collective buying power. To obtain the offered savings the
deal requires a minimum number of participants before the deal
goes live. Just the job if a group is looking for West End theatre
tickets. Deals typically run for 24 hours and may last for a few
days. On completion of the deal, the participant receives a voucher
from Groupola which is presented to the merchant.
www.bumblebeeauctions.co.uk
This online auction site
sells unclaimed stolen property from police stations around UK.
Excellent for cheap digital cameras, bicycles and tools. A full
description of the item is available so that you know the condition
before bidding. The current highest bid is shown against each
item so that you can decide your bidding price. I don’t
think they auction off the drugs though.
www.comparedownload.com
Got an Ipod and usually
download your tracks from Apple Itunes. You can of course download
from other providers. By using this website you can find the cheapest
places to download your favourite albums or individual tracks.
Prices can range from 29p to £1.47 per track and from £3
t o£12 per album.
www.quidco.co.uk
Over 1800 retailers are
signed up to this, the biggest and highest paying cashback website.
The website lists product providers and retailers that pay commission
when shoppers click through to them. In return the website rebates
some of the commission to the consumer.
www.mydeco.com
Everything for the home.
This site will search and find interiors to fit any budget. With
over 2000 online shops, the site will sift to obtain the best
prices on everything from garden furniture to crockery. There
is also a weekly sales scoop which you can sign up to and obtain
discount vouchers, codes and exclusive offers delivered to your
email account.
www.nethouseprices.com
Here you can find out what
any property in your area has recently sold for. A handy boon
if you are pitching your property on the market. You can search
nationwide and records go back to all properties sold since 2000.
www.voa.gov.uk
Check and challenge your
council tax bill! You can compare your property banding with similar
properties in your area. Just enter your postcode and select the
house number and then a neighbour’s similar property to
compare. I guess you just keep quiet if they are paying more.
www.oscaruk.co.uk
Just for the over 50’s.
You can become an Oscar member and get many great offers by email.
Discount rates on memberships and season tickets are available
as are cheap airport parking across the country.
www.etsy.com
This site is best known
for buying and selling homemade item online. Here you can find
craftwork, prints and artwork. The ideals site for finding elusive
craft supplies and vintage items.
www.supermarketownbrandguide.co.uk
To find the best own-brands
check out this site which reviews over 2000 products. Cheap does
not always mean inferior.
www.glassesdirect.co.uk
Prescription glasses from
just £19. All that is needed is a current prescription that
is available by law from your optician. Frames can be ordered
to try at home for just £5 which is credited to your purchase
if you choose to buy. There is a free of charge return policy
for up to 14 days after they have been dispatched for replacement
or refund.
www.m.kelkoo.co.uk
This is a price comparison
mobile phone application available for anyone with a web enabled
phone or iphone. The user can check prices from thousands of retailers
on line while standing in the shop. This is a free application
but your mobile network may charge for internet use.
www.simplifydigital.co.uk
This is the only OFcom
accredited impartial comparison service for broadband, digital
televisions and home phone. You are able to compare over 11,000
deals.
www.mysupermarket.com
This cost comparison website
compares prices at different places including Tesco, Asda, Waitrose,
Sainsburys and Ocado for their online delivery service. The claim
is that customers can save typically 20% off their bill.
Part 2 to follow……
Dave Robb
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