Data Loss, Computers and Potential Presents

Parent Cafe
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<p>There have been a few threads lately on what to get your kids for Christmas or just as a present. I would suggest one of these:</p>

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<p>which is a tiny memory device that plugs into the USB connection of a computer. They cost less than $20 for the cheapest (least memory), and go up from there.</p>

<p>Why am I suggesting this? Well, my daughter’s computer crashed yesterday, and she’ll need a new hard drive. Most of the stuff was backed up, but not all of it. (Fortunately, she had recently emailed the most important stuff!) An easy-to-use memory device might reduce that misery.</p>

<p>Remind your kids to back up important things!</p>

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<p>Oh yes- at least D1 having to help students with their data losses is very aware of backing up, her biggest problem is with students who don’t. </p>

<p>We finally bought a 200GB storage drive- and I even subscribe to .Mac, so we have several different places where things are backed up.
Good reminder since it is finals week and papers are due.</p>

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<p>My sons both tweaked every penny they could when they used their college budgets for computers. And then, as the wife of an engineer, I did what I knew I had to and bought them external hard drives for storage, and flash drives that had other functions as well (One has a flashlight, the other a ?swiss army knife thing). Doesn’t everyone use them? So much easier than writing to a DVD or CD…</p>

<p>My 10 year old emails every piece of work she prints or puts on her flash drive at home to her gmail account and that way there is never ‘homework misplacement’ once at school- she can always pick it up there if need be. When her brothers left for college they made a list of ‘helpful tricks for doing well in school’ for their baby sister. This was one of them…it’s a habit by now. </p>

<p>Time to send a reminder note to the brothers…2 weeks till we see them!</p>

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<p>D has an external hard drive… she backed up “a while ago” which is why she didn’t lose much. I like your idea of emailing to the gmail account routinely!</p>

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<p>Everyone in our immediate family got one for Christmas last year. There are always sales on them, too. One of those things that you can always use an extra nowadays. </p>

<p>A lanyard for them is also a good idea, since they are so small it keeps them visible while in use and less apt to be left behind. Or, as robrym said, they now come as key chains. </p>

<p>Good idea for the gmail. Can’t have enough back up! Also, keep your antivirus program updated and don’t let it expire. Make sure updates and scans are running properly. Many students don’t pay attention to this and are sorry later.</p>

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<p>Son is bringing his old external hard drive to me right now. He boards the airplane in a couple of hours and then it will be 24 before I see him. I got him a new one for the holidays! That one is staying in the dorm. Happy, happy!</p>

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<p>I’m trying to pull off some computer surprises for gifts. Do any of you know, offhand, if it is feasible to set up a wireless home network that can link both a dell and an apple?</p>

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<p>there should be
I only have macs and I use wireless at friends and at coffee shops all the time.
you are probably better off getting apple base station and configuring it
rather than trying to get something made for PCs to work with mac
what system is the Mac running?</p>

<p>

</p>

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<p>The mac is the powerbook my s has (now 1 1/2 yrs. old). Guess that’s one for me to find out before I go much further.</p>

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<p>Do you know the powerbook model number?</p>

<p>I would disagree with this statement:
“you are probably better off getting apple base station and configuring it
rather than trying to get something made for PCs to work with mac”</p>

<p>Any wifi router or base station will work easily with both macs and PCs. The coffee shops that people connect the macs and PCs up to are likely to be using something other than an apple porduct. Plus the non-apple base stations are always on sale with rebates at major electronic stores and on line retailers. I have three wifi routers that I got free (with a laptop, signing up for an annual subscription to DSL, etc.)</p>

<p>They key question is if the exisiting powerbook has wifi built in or can easily accept an add on card.</p>

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<p>sorry I haven’t worked with PCs except by force so I am going by past history- and by shared stories from aquaintances</p>

<p><a href=“http://store.apple.com/AppleStore/WebObjects/BizCustom?qprm=78313&productLearnMore=M8799LL/A[/url]”>http://store.apple.com/AppleStore/WebObjects/BizCustom?qprm=78313&productLearnMore=M8799LL/A&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>last time I had to add an wireless card for mac it was for a 7 year old laptop- I think they have been coming with them for a while :)</p>

<p>PC magazine rates Apple routers both wired and wireless higher than other routers
<a href=“http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1868138,00.asp[/url]”>http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1868138,00.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Agree with m&sdad. We have both macs and pcs and you can easily get a router or base station that works with both. Do your Dell and Apple both already have built-in wireless capability? That is the question. If you’re anything like me, accomplished computer <em>user</em> but definitely not a computer <em>geek</em>, you might not know. I have an “Apple guy” and a “PC guy” who I hire/call when troubleshooting is needed. If you don’t have such a “guy”, you can find one and just call him to help you figure out if your laptops are already wi-fi configured or can accept a wi-fi card. Or you can carry them in to Best Buy and show them to a member of the Geek Squad, who should be able to tell you.</p>

<p>The router/base stations are not expensive and they are “plug and play” as long as your computer is ready.</p>

<p>PS They will <em>love</em> the wireless router. It may not be romantic, but that’s what DH gave me last year for Christmas. Most used present ever! How else could I be so addicted to CC? :)</p>

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<p>Thank you for the input so far. The apple is a G4 powerbook that does have wifi capability. I’m buying a new computer (PC) that will have a wireless capability. I sure need a PC/Apple guy, but don’t have one.</p>

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<p>do you already have broadband, either DSL or cable? If so, you have all but one of the pieces. You just need a wifi router.</p>

<p>Best Buy has a Netgear Wireless G router for $29.99 after rebate, item number 5507043. That should do the trick.</p>

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<p>don’t get netgear, the built in firewall is a joke… my solution? linksys</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=5250774&type=product&id=1051384663529[/url]”>http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=5250774&type=product&id=1051384663529&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>for 36.99 after rebates, it’s wroth the few extra bucks… plus i found port forwarding a lot easier with this one</p>

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<p>cujoe,</p>

<p>spoken like a fellow techie…</p>

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<p>O.K. I’m in business. Best Buy it is. For linksys and the geek squad.
Thanks so much!</p>

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<p>Just a progress report for my helpers. Got everything linked together yesterday. Even did it without the geek squad (I’m so proud). Thanks for your help and advice.</p>

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<p>jasmom,</p>

<p>Congratulations! Maybe you have a future as a geek squad member. </p>

<p>Got three more wifi networking cards at compusa yesterday for $2.99 yesterday AR. Old computers make great file and print servers.</p>