Recently some our friends have created a new computer repair site. However, this computer repair site is slightly different from our own. They have named it Data Recovery Toronto, and they plan on producing a series of articles discussing various aspects of data recovery (particularly focused for those in the GTA area) - as opposed to our site which is going to be focusing more on normal day to day computer issues (beginning with our discussion on whether to buy a PC or a Mac - which we will be continuing soon - we promise :] ).
Although their plans are still somewhat in the air, they plan on beginning a discussion on how to avoid the need for data recovery (within the next week or two).
If you have any questions pertaining to data recovery (particularly if your machine has decided to die recently with all your important info inside), feel free to head on over and give them a shout!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Computer Repair Toronto Compares Mac versus PC | Application Support
Welcome to Computer Repair Toronto, a website designed to provide useful and informative computing advice specifically for those living in the Greater Toronto Area. (GTA). It is our intention to help computer novices and intermediates navigate their way through the sometimes confusing technological landscape. Although we will eventually look at a broad range of computer repair topics, today we will begin answering a very simple question: when purchasing a new computer, should I choose a Windows based PC or an Apple Mac. In the coming weeks and months we will take a look at both the similarities and differences between these two types of computers in order to help you, the purchaser, become more knowledgeable with respect to this topic. But before we begin, we urge you to email us here at Computer Repair Toronto if you ever have any questions relating to what we discuss (now or anytime in the future).
So, let us begin. Say your old computer has just died and you are in urgent need of a new one. You are used to the good old fashioned Microsoft Windows PC; however, you have heard great things about the Apple Mac which has been gaining steam throughout the last decade (particularly with the advent of the iPod and now iPad). Should you go with old faithful, or should you try something a little different? Our goal here, as mentioned above, is provide an analysis of each of these types of computers (from a broad range of vantage points). It is our hope that from this information you will be able to make an informed decision. Please remember that it is not our wish to tell you which is better; this is because the term “better” is simply too subjective. It is up to you, the purchaser and the user, to make the final decision.
One final note before we begin. There are a host of alternative operating systems which can be run on a computer (Unix and Linux being the primary examples). We will not be discussing these options though, as they are generally not considered by the average novice computer user when buying a new machine. This does not mean that they do not have their own strengths and weaknesses. They simply are not used by novice users (most often because they are a little more difficult to use initially – although this has been changing over the last few years).
Mac versus PC: Application Support
What do we mean when we say Application Support, you may be asking yourself. Well, in general, application support refers to the variety of computer applications (also known as computer programs) that are available for a given computer. For instance, a system which has access to a wide variety of programs (which can partake in a multitude of tasks) is said to have good application support. On the other hand, a machine which only has access to a few programs is said to have poor application support.
It is quite difficult to measure the concept of application support objectively; therefore, we here at Computer Repair Toronto have decided to create a small list of common user tasks. We would then go through each task and look at the quantity and quality of available products for both the Apple Macintosh as well as the Windows based PC. So, without further ado, here we go:
Email: The gathering and sending of email (electronic mail) is one of the most common tasks an individual engages in while sitting at a computer.
According to a recent survey, the most popular email programs were (in order of usage): Microsoft Outlook, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, Apple Mail, Gmail, AOL Mail, Lotus Notes, and Thunderbird.
Internet based email programs (largely comprised of Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, and Gmail) are available for both the Mac as well as Windows; in fact, they can be used on any computer which is capable of browsing the internet. Furthermore, nearly all of them are free of charge.
Microsoft Outlook, the most popular client-side email solution, is available for Microsoft Windows; however, it’s poorer cousin, Microsoft Entourage, was formerly the only option for the Mac. Apparently, as of Microsoft Office 2010, Outlook will now be available for the Mac. Unfortunately, at this time, it is uncertain whether or not the two programs will have an identical feature set (we here at Computer Repair Toronto believe that they likely will). It is important to note that Outlook, while popular, is not free; consequently, it will set you back $100 or more.
Thunderbird, designed by the makers of the popular browser Firefox, is another client-side email solution which is definitely available for both Microsoft Windows as well as Mac OSX. Although not as popular as Outlook, it is gaining steam and has nearly all the features one would want with respect to email. Additionally, it is free of charge.
Computer Repair Toronto’s Verdict on Email Support
For the average computer user, the Mac and the PC (the term we sometimes use to shorthand the Microsoft Windows machine) are identical with respect to email support. They both provide access to online email applications (Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, and Gmail) as well as client side applications (Outlook for Windows, Apple Mail for Mac). The only advantage for the PC is that it can run Outlook; however, for the average household this is not particularly important.
That is all for toady; however, tune into Computer Repair Toronto during the next couple weeks as we will continue looking at Mac versus PC in terms of Application Support.
So, let us begin. Say your old computer has just died and you are in urgent need of a new one. You are used to the good old fashioned Microsoft Windows PC; however, you have heard great things about the Apple Mac which has been gaining steam throughout the last decade (particularly with the advent of the iPod and now iPad). Should you go with old faithful, or should you try something a little different? Our goal here, as mentioned above, is provide an analysis of each of these types of computers (from a broad range of vantage points). It is our hope that from this information you will be able to make an informed decision. Please remember that it is not our wish to tell you which is better; this is because the term “better” is simply too subjective. It is up to you, the purchaser and the user, to make the final decision.
One final note before we begin. There are a host of alternative operating systems which can be run on a computer (Unix and Linux being the primary examples). We will not be discussing these options though, as they are generally not considered by the average novice computer user when buying a new machine. This does not mean that they do not have their own strengths and weaknesses. They simply are not used by novice users (most often because they are a little more difficult to use initially – although this has been changing over the last few years).
Mac versus PC: Application Support
What do we mean when we say Application Support, you may be asking yourself. Well, in general, application support refers to the variety of computer applications (also known as computer programs) that are available for a given computer. For instance, a system which has access to a wide variety of programs (which can partake in a multitude of tasks) is said to have good application support. On the other hand, a machine which only has access to a few programs is said to have poor application support.
It is quite difficult to measure the concept of application support objectively; therefore, we here at Computer Repair Toronto have decided to create a small list of common user tasks. We would then go through each task and look at the quantity and quality of available products for both the Apple Macintosh as well as the Windows based PC. So, without further ado, here we go:
Email: The gathering and sending of email (electronic mail) is one of the most common tasks an individual engages in while sitting at a computer.
According to a recent survey, the most popular email programs were (in order of usage): Microsoft Outlook, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, Apple Mail, Gmail, AOL Mail, Lotus Notes, and Thunderbird.
Internet based email programs (largely comprised of Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, and Gmail) are available for both the Mac as well as Windows; in fact, they can be used on any computer which is capable of browsing the internet. Furthermore, nearly all of them are free of charge.
Microsoft Outlook, the most popular client-side email solution, is available for Microsoft Windows; however, it’s poorer cousin, Microsoft Entourage, was formerly the only option for the Mac. Apparently, as of Microsoft Office 2010, Outlook will now be available for the Mac. Unfortunately, at this time, it is uncertain whether or not the two programs will have an identical feature set (we here at Computer Repair Toronto believe that they likely will). It is important to note that Outlook, while popular, is not free; consequently, it will set you back $100 or more.
Thunderbird, designed by the makers of the popular browser Firefox, is another client-side email solution which is definitely available for both Microsoft Windows as well as Mac OSX. Although not as popular as Outlook, it is gaining steam and has nearly all the features one would want with respect to email. Additionally, it is free of charge.
Computer Repair Toronto’s Verdict on Email Support
For the average computer user, the Mac and the PC (the term we sometimes use to shorthand the Microsoft Windows machine) are identical with respect to email support. They both provide access to online email applications (Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, and Gmail) as well as client side applications (Outlook for Windows, Apple Mail for Mac). The only advantage for the PC is that it can run Outlook; however, for the average household this is not particularly important.
That is all for toady; however, tune into Computer Repair Toronto during the next couple weeks as we will continue looking at Mac versus PC in terms of Application Support.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Computer Repair Toronto Welcomes You !
This is our very first post on our brand new site, and we are happy that you are here to read it with us. Although content is rather thin currently, one may say non existent, we have plans to provide a great deal of useful computing information and tutorials in the near future. Our goal here at Computer Repair Toronto is to provide free advice for those who want to do things themselves. At the same time we wish to provide paid-service for those who would rather have someone else fix their problems. We understand that the computing landscape is rather complex, especially for those who were not brought up with a keyboard in one hand and a mouse in the other. As a result, fixing anything by yourself can be a daunting task. However, it is wise to remember that even computer repair technicians often get lost and frustrated when attempting to solve a problem. Computers are marvelous devices in certain respects; they allow us to communicate with ease and perform a whole host of tasks effortlessly. At the same time, they are archaic in that they do a very poor job communicating with a flesh and blood human being. Have you ever tried to reason with your computer in order to solve a problem? If you have, you have probably quickly realized that there was almost no chance in the world anything of significance would come out of this one-sided conversation. The PC talks in one language, its own. And if you are unable to communicate in this exact same language, you are likely to become lost.
The key, therefore, is to slowly learn the computer’s language; to learn how it acts in a given situation and then apply this knowledge to future endeavors. This is what we here at Computer Repair Toronto do. If we are unaware of how to deal with a given situation, we head on over to Google, type in our problem, and then search through the results in order to decipher what our PC is telling us. Once we have determined exactly what is going on, we are not only able to deal with the situation; we are also able to add to our computer repertoire. The moral of the story is this: try to take a bit of time to learn how to use and repair your machine. It will not be easy at the very start; however, trust us, it will become easier as time goes by.
So, who is Computer Repair Toronto designed for? Truthfully, it is centered around the user who has novice, perhaps novice-intermediate, skills. We help those who are familiar enough to turn on their machine, surf the Internet, and view family photos. We are not here, however, to discuss extremely complex topics such as how to program in C++, or design an SQL database.
With all of this having been said, we will begin our discussion of the computer landscape (next time) by looking at the similarities and differences between the Mac and the Windows PC. These two computers are the two most common on the market today. Although Windows PC’s dominate the business landscape; Mac’s tend to dominate the area of education. Furthermore, with the inventions of the iPod, and now iPad, Apple (the maker of the Mac) has been gathering steam. Our goal during this series of articles is to help you, the consumer, determine which type of machine is best for your lifestyle.
Hopefully, you continue tuning into Computer Repair Toronto as the weeks and months move on. We think it will be worth your while!
The key, therefore, is to slowly learn the computer’s language; to learn how it acts in a given situation and then apply this knowledge to future endeavors. This is what we here at Computer Repair Toronto do. If we are unaware of how to deal with a given situation, we head on over to Google, type in our problem, and then search through the results in order to decipher what our PC is telling us. Once we have determined exactly what is going on, we are not only able to deal with the situation; we are also able to add to our computer repertoire. The moral of the story is this: try to take a bit of time to learn how to use and repair your machine. It will not be easy at the very start; however, trust us, it will become easier as time goes by.
So, who is Computer Repair Toronto designed for? Truthfully, it is centered around the user who has novice, perhaps novice-intermediate, skills. We help those who are familiar enough to turn on their machine, surf the Internet, and view family photos. We are not here, however, to discuss extremely complex topics such as how to program in C++, or design an SQL database.
With all of this having been said, we will begin our discussion of the computer landscape (next time) by looking at the similarities and differences between the Mac and the Windows PC. These two computers are the two most common on the market today. Although Windows PC’s dominate the business landscape; Mac’s tend to dominate the area of education. Furthermore, with the inventions of the iPod, and now iPad, Apple (the maker of the Mac) has been gathering steam. Our goal during this series of articles is to help you, the consumer, determine which type of machine is best for your lifestyle.
Hopefully, you continue tuning into Computer Repair Toronto as the weeks and months move on. We think it will be worth your while!
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