<p>Netbooks are mini-laptops. They’re good for standard usage - but not for heavy graphics or video games (not my scene). Acer makes a good one. I also saw an HP Netbook in Costco today for about $300. I’m holding off though…cause I read prices are really coming down. Although they’re already a great deal NOW. Wow…how far laptops have progressed…they used to be SOOO expensive.<br>
[Acer</a> Netbooks - Cheap Deals on Netbooks :](<a href=“http://www.acernetbooks.us/]Acer”>http://www.acernetbooks.us/)
As I mentioned, I would want to hook it up to my monitor and keyboard for daily use but it would be great to have a small unit to cart around (my current Dell laptop is HEAVY).
I understand that many don’t have a cd drive - although some offer external drives you can hook up. Hey, they come in cool colors too…sapphire…even PINK! </p>
<p>Yes, BB, I plan to NOT have my back-up connected to the internet and I will keep all virus software updated. Thanks for the tip!</p>
<p>Why not just use ccleaner to get rid of the viruses? Thats what i use.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>ccleaner isn’t an anti-virus program.</p>
<p>It can clean out your registry and delete temporary files and such, but it doesn’t scan for viruses at all, so it won’t remove any viruses…</p>
<p>Having an extra computer hanging around is useful. When our old computer fritzed, I had to buy a new one quickly–D had homework she needed to do. I bought a laptop that evening at Fry’s.</p>
<p>Someone showed me how to removed the hardrive from the old computer and move the files onto the new computer. When I hooked up the old hard drive to the new computer, the new computer asked: “Would you like me to fix errors on the old hard drive?” Sure, why not…I’ll be darned if that new computer didn’t fix the old hard drive so that the old computer now works!</p>
<p>We were in the same situation 4 years ago. Daughter’s laptop had a virus or two on it that kept popping back up after removal. We have a tech that has done our office work for years and his new tech said the computer was toast, so we purchased a new computer for daughter. Her laptop was 4 years old so we figured it had lived a good life. After transferring her data that she needed to the new computer and making sure the virus didn’t tag along, my son asked if he could have the computer for a spare. He totally cleaned the hard drive, deleting everthing and reinstalling windows. Guess what, the computer worked and the virus was gone! He still uses the computer for some online power hog game 4 years later on the 8 year old laptop!</p>
<p>My tech doesn’t has his assistant anymore; I wonder why ;-)</p>
<p>^^^
Actually, cleaning out the hard drive and starting over is a REALLY good strategy if you have pesky viruses that keep popping back up - and you don’t want to buy a new computer.<br>
Get hard drive backup (you need one anyway) and copy all your impt files. The reformat your hard drive and load all your OS and all your programs from scratch (you should have cds from your original purchases). Then reload all your copied files from the external hard disk. Do a google search for detailed instructions.</p>
<p>My daughter wishes we knew that at the time. If we would have waited until the summer, she would have gotten a Mac instead of a PC, but when she had to make a quick decision, she went with a PC. We now know to erase and start over; at the time we didn’t. I also bought both kids portable external hard drives to store school work as well as their pictures and music. If their computers crash, they have a backup. </p>
<p>Again, my daughter’s computer is on the brink of death, (her current 4 year old computer.) I do not know what that child does to her computer, although this one has given us trouble from the start. Thank g-d for the 4 year warranty; she has had 2 replacement hard drives, 1 or 2 motherboards, 1 screen, and many other replacement parts. She will be getting her Mac for graduation next month, although we will most likely wait for the summer back to school promo. My son is hoping it is a Touch again as he wants one. I am not so sure his sister will give it to him, although she doesn’t want one and is quite happy with her iPod.</p>
<p>let me bring up some points.</p>
<p>Windows is a drastically more secure OS than Mac OSX. You cannot execute from its heap and it has random adress space allocation, along with a slew of other features. OSX is quite easy to exploit and in comming years we will simply see more of these exploints.</p>
<p>Have any if you use OS9 from apple. If you have you would know that it was a POS. It was really just bad. OS9 was drastically less secure than OSX is now. Apple had no choice but to redevelop the kernel taking parts of freebsd and mach. The sacrifice to this was that all of OS9 and prior applications would no longer work with the new OSX. A sacrifice some customers didn’t want to make. Once you spend $500 on photoshop you don’t want to have to go and buy a new one when you get a new computer. Though apply chose to do this. Apple now only has support for legacy software as far back as day 1 on OSX. Microsoft on the other hand has legacy support all the way back to Dos. Microsofts market is way to big for them to just simply tell their customers to buy all new software along with the OS. Customers would be really mad. The apple customers were mad but there weren’t many of them. </p>
<p>The notion that a OS should be perfect is ridiculous. I don’t think many of you understand just how large and complex they are. Users was ease of use, with ease of use comes decreased security. You cant have both, it doesn’t happen. lets take for instance a Bridge a civil engineer builds. Would you consider it the engineers fault that his bridge collapsed when a wrecking ball flew into it. If you don’t consider it his fault then you also cannot fault the programmers. Its alot more complex to build a OS and its kernel than it is to build a bridge.</p>
<p>Everybody here seems to think Norton is a good AV, well im sorry but its about the worst. Instead try Kaspersky, Sophos, Nod32 or Avira. I would suggest Avira because its only second to Sophos and free. As for anti-malware. Ad-ware has been caught taking bribes from spam malware companies. Spybot is good, spyware doctor is probably the best. CCleaner is also good.</p>
<p>The last this is you need to get educated on how computers work. You dont need to get a virus. I have been using computers since I was 5 and am still yet to get a virus. You can do the same,</p>
<p>Agree on Kapersky and Avira. Don’t agree about Sophos.
See recent results.
[Anti-Malware</a> Test Lab](<a href=“http://anti-malware-test.com%5DAnti-Malware”>http://anti-malware-test.com)
And Yes, Norton AV is horrible.</p>
<p>My daughter’s college has been using Sophos for years and recently announced they will be going with another program. I didn’t pay attention to which one as my daughter is graduating.</p>
<p>I usually follow [SRI</a> Malware Threat Center](<a href=“http://mtc.sri.com/]SRI”>http://mtc.sri.com/), they tend to be the most cutting edge of virus analysis for public view around. Its all opinion. I say Avira is by far the best as it is free and kills most of the products that you instead need to buy.</p>
<p>^^^
Yes, free is GOOD! Agree!
Thanks for the link. I’m pretty tech savvy but I must admit I don’t know what a “snort signature” is. lol.</p>
<p>So I finally got my machine back . . . phew . . . I can’t tell you what a relief it is to type on a familiar keyboard, look at a familiar monitor, and know what’s in my “Favorites” (and even what order they’re in).</p>
<p>So I’ve got Spybot running and AOL Safety and Security. Are you all telling me I should install all this other anti-virus stuff that you’ve been discussing here as well?</p>
<p>The best approach is to have a few different programs running to protect your computer.
I really like MalWareBytes - and it’s helped some people here (just google it).<br>
And as drhorse suggested, Avira is reliable and FREE. Kapersky is very highly rated but it costs.
I wouldn’t trust AOL - don’t like that company.
Also, make sure you get at backup hard drive. I have Click Free - very easy interface. Makes it easy whenever you get a new computer too.
Good Luck!<br>
PS. Whatever you do, don’t pay $199 again for more Geek Service. If you have hard-drive backup - you can just wipe the computer clean yourself and start over. It’s not that hard…but it’s time consuming. Or get a cheap new laptop!</p>
<p>No, I did not care for the lads at the Geek Squad. </p>
<p>I’ll look into MalWareBytes tomorrow AM. And I will also look into a backup hard drive. Which, I guess, I’ll buy from Best Buy.</p>
<p>Now – is “Click Free” something I can download? Or is it a program I have to pay for? I assume it’s something I can just click and the backup hard drive is sync-ed with my internal hard drive – yes?</p>
<p>Thanks, toneranger. (BTW: Is that Tone Ranger, or is it Toner Anger?)</p>
<p>It’s “Ranger” for sure.<br>
Click free is a hard drive bundled with really easy to use software. Google it. You get it online. The Wall St Journal gave it very high marks. Reasonable prices too.
Standard hard drives are fine - but it can be a challenge to figure out all the files you need to save. Click Free makes it easy. I got a hard drive/transformer and keep it in a fireproof safe.
It feels so much better when you know you have all your files safe if your computer crashes. Now for email…my back up is…my blackberry. I can do web browsing too but I get tired of that teeny tiny little screen!
Good luck - and hope you are VERY HAPPY with what you do!</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I just bought ClickFree. I was disappointed with the web site because it didn’t answer some questions I have, so I’m hoping you, toneranger, can do that for me:</p>
<p>What type of cable do I need to attach it to my computer? Are the instructions easy enough for a non-techie like me? Will I know where on my computer to plug it in? Etc.</p>
<p>(You’re much better than any Geek Squad!)</p>
<p>Veryhappy…the hard drive comes with a USB cable. You just plug it in and it walks you through the process of backing up your files (including email, docs, pics). Then unplug and put it in a safe place ( I have mine in a fireproof safe). It’s up to you how frequently to back up. I do it once per week on the same day so I’m in the habit. Restoring data is VERY easy if you ever need to do that. The user interface is great for non-techies (and techies too who appreciate the ease and simplicity). Good luck!
BTW, if you search around on the website, they have posted quick start up guides and manuals for each product.</p>
<p>^^^
It should be pretty easy for you to figure out where to plug in the USB cable. USB ports are small and rectangular - they’re on the side of my laptop - but are sometimes in back.</p>