Optimize Your Computer's Performance

In a time where budgets are tight and computers are more in demand than ever before, finding ways to optimize a computer or laptops performance without breaking the bank is a crucial task. From upgrading computer memory to ridding a computer of all ineffectual apps and programs, there are many ways in which the performance of a computer can be improved upon:

1. Disk Maintenance

When a program crashes or, in the case of a laptop, the battery is run down to zero, a computer may create an error on its own hard drive. Over time, these errors can combine to result in a slow and sluggish PC. All major operating systems, including Windows, Mac and Linux, feature several PC tools which scan disks and drives and help to clean up any errors. Running these system clean-ups once a week, or scheduling them to run in the background on a regular basis will prevent errors from building up and inhibiting performance.

2. Remove Temporary Files

When users spend a lot of time surfing the internet or editing files in programs such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop, the computer automatically stores temporary files in a specific folder. Build-up of these files can clog the computer and slow performance in general; the removal of these files, as well as the clean-up of web browsing history and the examination of now irrelevant downloaded files can help a computer to run much faster.

3. Upgrade RAM Memory

As well as cleaning up the software and files within a computer, adding to the hardware can also improve a computer's performance without busting a budget. Innovations in technology mean that many computer memory upgrades are now cheaper than ever, and multiple guides online can instruct users on how to install an upgrade themselves without costly expert assistance. Even adding 2GB of RAM to a computer's hardware can dramatically affect the performance levels and help the computer to achieve a higher level of efficiency

4. Remove Irrelevant Programs

Many computers and laptops bought directly from manufacturers come with a mass of pre-installed programs that will never be opened by the user. They take up valuable space on the drive and slow down the overall performance of a computer; deleting the ones which aren't being used will improve the speed and free up space. Assess the usage of programs regularly and take into account the people who will be using the computer; an office computer might not need a vast array of games installed, and likewise a child or young person's computer might not need a complex office program pack.

Top 5 Reasons To Invest In An External Hard Drive

In an age where both desktop and laptops now have staggering amounts of computer storage and RAM memory, it can be difficult to see why the average computer user would need an external hard drive. However, with prices of hard drives and SSDs dropping, they are becoming a convenience that many computer users simply should not be without. From storing downloaded movies and music to providing a reliable back-up, here are the top five reasons to invest in an external hard drive.

1. Portability

The nature of the external hard drive means that they are even more portable than many laptops. Compact and hardwearing, they can be taken to work, on business trips or even over to a friend’s house at the weekend. Most of them connect easily through USB cables, meaning that they can be utilised almost anywhere with the correct link-ups.

2. Capacity

Though computers and laptops often have more than enough storage space on which to run, especially with the multitude of computer hard drive upgrades available to them, having extra space means never having to worry about download capacities. Large volume files such as high-definition movies and whole music libraries can be stored on external hard drives with no need to delete older files or make room.

3. De-clutter

Rather than navigating through an old laptop, with dense folders full of documents and files that are years on, having an external drive means keeping a laptop or computer free of clutter without deleting anything. The portability of the units mean the files are easily accessible with a USB cable, and can be reached without slowing down the main machine.

4. Back-ups

Those who use their computers and laptops for business should always practice backing up their files in case of a system crash on their main unit. The external hard drive is not permanently connected to the computer or laptop, so any system failures or corrupted data will have no effect on the files stored on the external unit, and all files can then be restored.

5. High Speed

External hard drives which are connected with Firewire will have very fast data transfer rates and will be able to copy large files from computers or laptops in a relatively small period of time. For those who use their computer for video, image or music editing and need to work alongside large volumes, this will come in extremely handy.

SSDs To Account for 33% of Computer Storage Market in 2017

Research firm IHS has predicted that SSDs (solid-state drives) will account for more than one third of the computer storage market by 2017, almost seven times than the number of shipments recorded in 2012. The total worldwide shipments is expected to increase from 31 million units to 227 million units in the space of five years, forcing down the percentage of the market devoted to hard disk drives; from 94% in 2012, hard disk drives are expected to take up just 64% of the total market in five years. The explosive growth over this period equates to around 48%, and will put the SSD on the map as a promising substitute for hard disk drives.

The rise in the number of SSDs being shipped across the globe has already begun; measuring in at just 6% of the computer storage solutions market in 2012, the demand for ultrabooks and other super-slim laptop models over the next few years is expected to drive demand considerably. Touchscreen displays are becoming more prominent, and the upcoming Haswell processor created by Intel is set to revolutionise thin computers for consumers. These units demand powerful, versatile and compact drives. Combine this with the price of NAND flash memory drastically decreasing, and the conditions are perfect for a surge in SSDs.

SSDs carry out essentially the same function as a conventional hard drive, but with one vital difference: they have no mechanical or moving parts. Where hard disk drives function by using magnetic fields and spinning parts, an SSD uses a flash memory chip which is similar to the memory within a USB drive. This innovation drastically reduces read and write times, and also has the added advantage of never wearing out; the moving parts within a hard disk drive can wear and diminish in effectiveness over time, but the lack of moving parts in SSDs mean that they can function at a higher level for a sustained period of time.

However, the future dominance of the SSD is not all bad news for the trust hard disk drive. They are still far cheaper in price than their high-tech competitors, and they generally have much higher storage densities when compared to the majority of SSDs. In situations where large volumes of data need to be stored, a hard disk drive is a more suitable option. Hybrid disk drives are also becoming an option; these units combine the benefits of both hard disk drives and SSDs in order to make the most of each technology. Fast read and write times and no defragmenting necessary combines with high storage capacity to create a very cost-effective PC storage solution for the mass market.

To browse a range of Data Memory Systems’ hard drives and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

Chromebooks: The Future?

Chromebooks are being mooted as the future of laptop computers, with many of the world’s largest computer manufacturers preparing to bring out new models later this year. The innovative, new cloud-based laptops are described as a more secure option than conventional PCs, and with weak sales of Windows 8 so far recorded, experts have speculated that it was only a matter of time before PC makers turned to something else to boost their profits. Acer and Google are reported to be adding updates to their older Chromebook models, whilst Asus, HP, Lenovo and Samsung are also rumored to be planning entirely new Chromebooks which will hit the market within the next twelve months.

With their many benefits, Chromebooks are seen as an exciting and innovative way to work and communicate on the go, but their limitations are coming under fire. Relying on a Chromebook as a complete computer system has its problems, not least in that the computer memory included in the small units are very restrictive. The majority of Chromebooks only offer 2GB of RAM; there are some which are blessed with 4GB, but upgrades are rendered impossible by the slim construction of the laptops.

The Chrome operating system which many of them run combined with other software such as iTunes or any Adobe programs can easily fill up the RAM memory of a Chromebook and make them impractical and constrained units for those who wish to rely solely on one portable system. There is no doubt that Chromebooks are gaining popularity among some core groups; Acer, for instance, are marketing their latest offering purely for students, who need a powerful unit with the ability to work on the go. But for those who need a powerful system which has the capacity to hold all of their personal files as well as multitask, whether it is for work or leisure, Chromebooks are an unsuitable choice.

Many conventional laptops come readily equipped with plenty of PC or Apple memory, but for those who don’t find it to be quite enough, upgrades are always available. This will aid those who need to download large volumes of data whilst word processing and surfing the web, or those who use their system for the editing of music, video or high resolution images.  Memory upgrades can be purchased in increments of 1GB or 2GB and can vastly improve the overall performance of a laptop until they can outperform the highest specification Chromebooks.

To find out more about the new range of PC and Apple memory solutions from Data Memory Systems and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

Don’t Trade – Upgrade Your Computer Memory Advises Data Memory Systems

The speed at which technology is progressing in this modern digital era often means that laptops or PCs purchased just twelve months ago can now seem dated and their performance sluggish. Other factors including the constant influx of data which is stored and removed, and the installation of new programs, drivers and software can often cause computer to feel old and lethargic. In many cases, this can prompt users to consider buying a whole new unit in order to achieve the fast loading times and great performance that they enjoyed when their computer was brand new. However, there are ways in which a computer’s performance can be enhanced and brought back to the days it was brand new, with a simple computer memory upgrade.

The reason that computers perform at a much higher level when they are first purchased is because they are generally sold with enough RAM memory to run at their optimum level without any extra software installations and without masses of data to store and retrieve. Running multiple programs at the same time starts out as a breeze, whilst high-resolution computer games and large downloads can be completed with ease. As more files are added, the hard drive of the computer begin to fill up, and soon enough, running more than one program and attempting to download in the background can be a tortuous process.  In this situation, rather than trade in the entire unit in an effort to replicate the fast loading times and data transfer that was so efficient at the start, the most sensible option is to upgrade the RAM memory.

Upgrading the RAM memory is one of the best ways to give a computer a substantial performance boost. Even adding an extra 2GB or 4GB of RAM is enough to see significant results where performance and running speed is concerned. One of the rules of thumb where it comes to RAM upgrades is to measure the amount of Apple or PC memory that is currently free; if it is less than 10% of the total RAM memory installed, then it is time for an upgrade. For example, if a computer has 4GB of RAM installed and the computer specification says that there is just 400MB left, it is time to splash out on an upgrade to get the unit back to peak condition once more.

The whole process doesn’t have to be costly or time-consuming. Finding the right memory solution for each laptop or PC model is simple, and can make the process of upgrading a computer quick and painless. Once installed, the unit will be restored to its former glory, and all for much less than the time and money it would cost to trade in or exchange for a newer model.

One More Step Towards Quantum Computer

A breakthrough by scientists at the prestigious Yale University could pave the way for computer manufacturers to manipulate microwave signals in order to create the world's first quantum computer at some point in the future. Upon its invention, the incredibly powerful tool would revolutionize the processing of information within computers both corporate and domestic, speeding up computing in general and changing the face of computer memory entirely.

The computers of today store information as 'bits'; with each bit containing either a '1' or a '0'. Quantum computers are built on entirely different principles; they store information as 'qubits', which can store a '1', a '0', or any combination of '1' and '0' simultaneously. One 'qubit' is able to hold 20% '1' and 80% '0', for example. A quantum computer which consisted entirely of qubits with this capacity could carry out incredibly complicated calculations and tasks that would be far beyond the realms of capability for even the most advanced computers on the planet today.

The breakthrough by Yale researchers is primarily concerned with photons, the very smallest unit of microwave signals; these serve as the quantum computer's memory. To compare it with a regular computer, the photons would be the equivalent of the RAM memory. They can carry quantum information for a very long time once they have been encoded, as the relatively low level of interaction with substances around them (air, wires and cables) means the information will not be absorbed and lost. Previously, this was one of the major hurdles that those researching quantum computing had to overcome; they needed to create photons which had the ability to store information reliably without ending up altering or deleting it.

According to a paper, researchers at Yale have created an artificial medium which causes photons to repel other photos. This allows for efficient coding of quantum information without tricky control techniques that would only be found in laboratories. Essentially, the team have found a way to temporarily make photons 'writeable', before switching them back to a stable state, thus enabling future scientists to make a sort of 'quantum RAM' from these photons.

Further developments can be taken and improved upon as a result of this groundbreaking study, allowing for additional advancement towards the world's first quantum computer in the future. If scientists can discover a way to make quantum memory reliable and viable for manufacture, it will transform the world of Mac and PC memory that we know forever.

To browse a range of Data Memory Systems’ hard drives and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

A Brief History of Computer Memory & Storage

Modern computers might be packed full of the fastest and most powerful computer memory  and storage solutions ever, with 2TB hard drives and 4GB of RAM a common feature and dual-SSD drives becoming more and more prevalent, but computer memory was not always so effective. From floppy disks to flash drives, and from magnetic tape to complex hard drives which use magnetic forces to function, the evolution of computer memory has been rapid. This guide takes a look at some of the seminal moments in memory development.

The evolution of computer memory began hundreds of years ago with a humble invention; the punch card. Invented in the 19^th century by Herman Hollerith, who would go on to be a founder of IBM, paper punch machines were at one point churning out up to 10 million punch cards each day. They were a primitive form of storing and accessing data, and were used to complete census reports in the US, before giving way to magnetic tape as recently as the 1970s.

Magnetic tape was a huge leap in data storage; it could store vast amounts of data over a long period of time on an oxide coated half-inch piece of tape. A single reel could hold data equivalent to 10,000 punch cards, changing the computer industry forever. Magnetic storage is still used effectively in this way; reels are now available with capacity of up to 1TB, and they are widely used for archiving purposes, as well as creating back-ups of a high volume. 

The very first DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) chip was developed in 1968 by Lee Boysel, and two years later, Intel went on to realize the first mass-produced DRAM device to the public. It quickly became the world’s best-selling semiconductor chip, and DRAM began to overtake magnetic core memory in the latter half of the 1970s. Workplaces and individuals who had access to computers were suddenly offered the opportunity to store large amounts of information on a single chap, rather than a card or a reel of tape.

Floppy disks were an incredibly popular form of PC storage solution from the 1970s onwards, and they came in various different guises, decreasing in size each time. The term ‘floppy’ was derived from the old 8-inch disks, which were nothing more than a strip of magnetic film covered by a layer of protective plastic, making them fairly bendy. The 5.25-inch and the 3-inch floppy disks came later, with the latter providing one of the prevalent forms of data storage of the 1990s. No longer particularly floppy, and much more durable than their predecessors, these disks are still used as a storage method today.

In the digital era we live in now, the computer storage market is dominated by hard disk drives and SSDs (solid-state drives), both of which utilize innovations that came to light as a result of inventions such as the punch card and the floppy disk. Hard disk drives utilize rotating magnetic platters in order to record and retrieve data, whilst SSDs favor NAND flash memory, which runs faster but has a lower memory capacity. The options available to those searching for memory solutions nowadays are plentiful and expansive, and they are all thanks to the developments which started back in the 1700s with a humble punch card.

To browse Data Memory Systems’ full product range and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com