The idea of a “green computer” conjures up different ideas to different people, but one of the more common associations is that a green computer is a boring, ugly, wimpy, and slow computer. That used to be a fair assessment as many of the designs for green computers were built upon low-end or low-energy systems that essentially sipped electricity due to their limited computing abilities. That is no longer the case and one can certainly build a high-performance green computer using the following “greenprint.”
Category Archives: Hardware
Build A Green Computer – Not A Wimpy, Slow Computer
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Improving Computer Physical Security
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I recently received a call from a client whom I have worked with on prior occasions. Their business is growing and they wanted me to draft a series of options that could be implemented to prevent employees from damaging critical computers in the workplace. Simple – control access via group policy settings and other OS safeguards.
During the conversation, however, I could not help but think about what could be done to prohibit physical access and threats to critical computers. Here is what I came up with – much of it is off the wall, but it should get you thinking nonetheless…
BLUEPRINT: Business-Class Desktop Computer
There are numerous guides available for designing and building high-end and/or gaming computer systems. One of the perennial favorites is Maximum PC’s “Dream Machine”. Another good source is the Arstechnica System Guides. Although these guides are a great read, they are geared more towards gaming enthusiasts and assume somewhat generous budgets. What about business users? These are users who still want performance but are more concerned with cost, stability, and energy savings.
Cold Beer Is Good, Cool Chips Are Better!
I have been getting a fair number of service calls this summer where the client states that their, “wireless network keeps dropping the signal” or “the wired performance is slow late in the day.” There are many confounding issues that can affect both of these situations, but heat is the one that is most commonly overlooked. Here are a few typical examples:
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Blackberry Facelift
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My trusty Blackberry 8830 World Edition phone had become heavily scratched, dirty, and generally yucky so I decided to do something about it. I gave it a facelift – and here is the why and how…
