October 2018
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This is a bi-monthly compilation of questions that our clients have asked us recently!
How concerned should I be about stories I've read about software on my computer stealing my personal information? It probably goes without saying that no one would intentionlly install anything on their computer which might compromise the privacy of personal information stored there. Unfortunately, there are countless pieces of software out on the Internet which claim to improve computer performance and that is the most common way we have seen that privacy-invading software ends up on many user's computers. First, in the interest of full disclosure, I only recently discovered that a small piece of software I've been using on my Mac for years has just been unmasked as means to collect my web-browsing history and ship it off to a third party without my consent! So even experts can be hoodwinked. In the grand scheme of things, stealing web-browsing history alone isn't a big deal for most computer users. But that same technology could easily have been set up to steal usernames and passwords attached to websites I frequent (banks, online vendors, etc.) and that is indeed a very big deal. My mistake was naively assuming that a piece of software that performed a useful set of tasks on my computer wasn't doing anything beyond those assigned tasks. The software was distributed by a previously well-respected vendor of other software which I've relied on for years. It wasn't until another piece of software on my computer flagged the first one as a "potentially unwanted program" and I took the time to perform some research on the issue. To avoid being victimized as I was, be extremely wary of installing any software on your computer (especially those provided for free) without being as sure as you can be that 1.) you know who built it and 2.) you really need the remedy it purports to provide. Knowing who built a piece of software is a tall order, but a good policy is to avoid pretty much all software offered up in an ad on a webpage. A quick online search of the software by name will often bring up some warnings from the Internet community. More importantly, perhaps, is to be aware that most computers sold today (Macs and PCs) are already outfitted with software needed to maintain the hardware without outside assistance. There are legitimate vendors of really great software out there and some of it is truly offered at little or no cost. There is also costly software out there that isn't worth your consideration. Between those two extremes is a vast expanse of software offerings that require evaluation before putting on your computer. Before installing anything on your computer, please consider giving Terri or me a shout to help with such an evaluation. We are always available to assist with locating software solutions for specific situations and/or removing any software that may be causing you concern. What is an "SSD" and do I need to get one? An "SSD" is a solid state hard drive and, for some computer users, is worth considering for a potential significant improvement in the reliability and apparent speed of the computer in routine operation. Laptop and desktop computers rely on the hard drive to store all of the data used on the computer (pictures, documents, software, etc.). Until just a few years ago, all hard drives were mechanical devices that utilize a spinning magnetic disk to hold the data. As mechanical devices, hard drives were subject to failure from a number of factors. Also, since the data is literally scattered over the entire surface of the spinning disk, there is a significant limit to how fast it can be read from the disk and written to it as the computer operates. In contrast, an SSD has no moving parts. As such, mechanical failures are minimized and data can read from/written to an SSD much faster than a spinning disk. Mechanically, an SSD is packaged such that it can physically replace a spinning hard drive quite seamlessly. When first introduced, that win-win combination came at a very high price (on the order of three to five times the cost of of a conventional spinning hard drive). In the last year or two, that differential has decreased dramatically. As a result, some new computers today offer an SSD as an option at purchase time and without doubt, they will eventually replace spinning hard drives entirely. Do you need to get one? If your computer is only a few years old and you yearn for it to be faster and more reliable, an SSD is certainly worth considering. The cost to purchase the SSD, migrate all your data to it and have it installed becomes the main factor to think about. There are a few other considerations that need to be put into the equation for upgrading to an SSD. Terri and I are equipped to evaluate each situation individually and advise you whether such an upgrade makes sense for your computer. What do you want to know more about? There are still many other topics we could talk about here or in a personal consultation. We welcome your comments and questions for future issues of the OCW Insider. You also can give one of us a call or shoot an e-mail and we'll set up an appointment to meet with you! |
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phone: 864.710.7009 email: dave@oneclickwonders.com |
phone: 864.633.6707 email: terri@oneclickwonders.com |