Tech, electronic, gadget Discussion

Are you a professional? A student? A businessman perhaps?

Regardless of what you do, doing the deed is not complete without a computer. A computer nowadays is not a luxury you cannot afford. It is a need. It feels like a day cannot be complete without you browsing through your PC’s contents or reading a daily dose of mail or web content. It is now a requirement facing the fact that you are not able to do a task properly without the use of a computer.

Not anything is more exasperating than something not functioning when you call for it most. Doesn’t it appear like your PC at all times needs mending at the worst possible times? Most probable you term paper is due for submission in class or you simply cannot do what you are supposed to do. No matter what the case is, getting a computer repair is necessary. How will you be able to handle this?

Many computer repairmen or “technicians” charge a flat rate for tune-ups, updates, or check-up using common PC tools. This is not a very effective way in solving your computer problem because this does not prevent the issue from happening again. In reality, having your computer removed of virus, spyware, malware, or other suspicious files and programs are just temporary solutions to the problem and will not exactly secure your PC in the long run. The same issue will just repeat itself from time to time.

PC’s that are running on an operating system like Windows is very vulnerable to new viruses and any other software that will cause your computer to run poorly. This is especially when it is connected to an “always on” internet connection. It has to be constantly checked and updated. Fresh vulnerabilities are at all times found and patched. Maintenance of your computer with service packs and critical updates ought to be a main concern to any computer operator. Updates on your internet protection are very essential as well.

If you are still covered with your PC warranty, you may just call and confirm your PC manufacturer and inform them about the problem. You will then be required to send your PC back to them for PC repair service free of charge. Some have parts and labor warranty but some may only have labor and discount on parts.

However, if you do not to be hassled with shipping and handling or if you are worried that your computer might get more damaged because of the journey to the manufacturer, it is very easy to come across a capable technician. At least when you hire a technician to completely repair your computer for you, you will be able to know if it was really fixed or not. If this happens, you may watch the computer technician of what he is doing just so you could learn a few tips here and there. You will never know, in the future you might not need a technician to fix your computer anymore. You can already do it for yourself.

Most of the manufactures  generally  make  many computers than necessary by request  from the branded  computer traders . It is a quality control  aspect  of good  wholesale computers manufactures . It can ensure  the volume production , such that if some explosive  grow  in need of the computers happens , the unit can  be recognized  for quick  and efficient  production , meaning , not run  out of the stock . The parts in excess  that are not required  any longer can be out  loaded  to the in large quantities computers dealer  and this can supply  a huge  discount.

It is a very  bright choice  to reach  the wholesale PC piece dealer rather  than a maker . The quality means of contract out and establishing own  computer is to leverage  separated part from a trustworthy  wholesale distributor . Broadly , people consider  that these parts  prove  to be inferior  to the computers available  in well-known  trademarks in one path or the other .

Most  of the branded  wholesale computers are hard  to be pay for  by common  man as the several  components of the computers similar memory boards , main boards, RAM, hard drives , etc are made  at very  full prices. So , if the buyer is considering to pay for a fresh computer, so he must gathering  the wholesale computer parts  from  the wholesale dealership where the prices  are quite a inexpensive with a huge  gap  as equated  to the ones bought  from a manufacturer . They yet would not  make  any  concession on the quality moreover. Thus , outsourcing  for establishing  your individual  computer with the pieces purchased  from a wholesale computer parts  dealership is at now a good  style in the world .

Nowadays , there are a number  of wholesale computer distributors  in marketplace who allege their prices  to be the cheapest  and quality to be the greatest  but as a client , you vital  be modest while purchasing  the computer parts  specially if they are giving  the orders  on online  sites as there hold out  maximum  prospects  that they can be  fakes. The person  should invariably take  terms and conditions  of sales event as well as cargo ships. The website  such as Salehoo.com provides  positive information  about the suppliers  with comment scheme that avail to decide  the dependability of any  particular distributor .

So, buying the wholesale computing machines  from the distributors  not only provide  the customer  with less  ranges but also match  with the quality of the branded  products . This is the best  strategy to save  a plenty on cash and even get an advanced  system.
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It is a well known fact that not everyone out there will be able to buy high end fresh computers. While the very basic computers and laptops cost very less, it is of no use in buying them in this technologically advanced world of today. To enjoy the latest technologies like the true life like games with great graphics and the most advanced computer programs you will have to buy the computers and laptops packed with modern accessories. It is a well known fact that not everyone out there will be able to buy high end fresh computers.While the very basic computers and laptops cost very less, it is of no use in buying them in this technologically advanced world of today.

To enjoy the latest technologies like the true life like games with great graphics and the most advanced computer programs you will have to buy the computers and laptops packed with modern accessories. If buying new computers is not your option, you will certainly look for used computers. Upon looking for used computers online, you’d have stumbled on the phrase “Refurbished computer”. And now with the eager of finding the difference between the used computers and the refurbished computers, you have landed on this article. Just keep on reading to find the answer.

Simply explained, the refurbished computers are the used computers that near the quality of the new computers. Now you may wonder whether the used computers in good working condition are called as refurbished computers. The answer is “No”. Refurbished computers are developed form the good working parts from different computers.

The main difference between the refurbished computers and the used computers is that the refurbished ones are passed through various tests to ensure the working condition. In fact the test parameters will be set to factory settings and the used computer should pass this test to be called as a refurbished computer. As the test conditions are set to factory defaults, these refurbished computers and laptops will near the quality of the new ones. The warranty coverage is another difference of the refurbished computers. The suppliers of the refurbished computers will offer a minimum of one year warranty as in the new computers. In the case of used computers, there will be no warranty. They may even fail as soon as you plug the computer in your home. The warranty coverage option of the refurbished computers makes them the first choice if you are a computer novice.

There are a few refurbished computer suppliers who can assemble as computer for you based on your budget. The used computer sales are often not bound by the law and so you cannot get your money back from the suppliers in any case. On the other hand the refurbished computers are sold with proper billing and registration. In case of any manufacturer defects you can always return the refurbished computer back to the supplier and get your money back. Obviously if you are looking for a used computer that nears the quality of the new ones and comes up with attractive warranties, the refurbished computers are made for you. Article Tags: Used Computers, Refurbished Computers, Used Computer

http://www.pctechoutlet.com

Recently, Job Outlook conducted a survey, which revealed the fact that for a third year in succession, the demand for fresh graduates is on the rise. Owners of enterprises hired more fresh graduates in 2006 than they did in 2005. In addition, they have offered higher wages, benefits, and perks.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employer’s annual survey, nine companies out of ten describe the current job market situation for young graduates as excellent, good or very good. Graduates are believed to have a brighter future in consulting, public accounting, construction, and engineering firms.

There are two major reasons for this recent trend; first, companies have to find someone to replace their retired HR staff and second, the number of products and services that these companies offer are on the rise.

All graduates in the field of mechanical engineering, accounting, economics and finance, information sciences and systems, computer engineering, electrical engineering, business administration and management, computer science, market and marketing management, and chemical engineering are in great demand.

Graduates in the subject of mechanical engineering head the list of graduates in great demand. Reputed aerospace, mechanical equipment, and automative companies prefer to hire them.

Banking, financial, transportation, and insurance services seek to employ economics and finance graduates. Food and beverage processing companies, financial services, and merchandisers want to hire business administration and management degree holders. About a third of business enterprises plan to hire associate graduates in technology, business, and engineering.
Engineering/surveying companies and insurance are in need of graduates who have a technical knowledge and, therefore, don’t require training in that field. Employers have observed that such graduates have an excellent work ethics and professionalism that was lacking in previous amateurs.

Only around 23.5% of the respondents, most of them being manufacturers, planned to hire international graduates in 2006.

Qualities Required in a New Graduate

Employers seek to employ fresh graduate who have:

Excellent communication skills, both spoken and written
Honesty and integrity
Ability to relate with others
Good work ethics
Ability to work in a team
Analytical skills
Self-motivation and initiative
Ability to adapt to changes
Up-to-date computer skills
Eye for details

Attractive Features of the Jobs for Fresh Graduates

The expectations and standards of companies have rocketed in the past year. It is important for new graduates to show good GPAs because full-time jobs are associated with high salaries, benefits, and perks.

Here are a list of benefits that come with the jobs:
Life and medical/dental insurance
Retirement benefits
Semi-annual and annual raises
Counseling programs for employees
Dress codes
Paid training
Commissions and bonus
Family benefits
Flexi-time
Performance updates
Sick leaves and vacations
Recreational and on-site fitness facilities
Day-care center
Company service/car

Campus job fairs, student clubs and organizations, on-the-job trainings, Internet job search engines, and so on provide ample opportunities for prospective employers and employees to meet.

Remember to target the right companies for you. Don’t let any opportunity slip between your fingers. Before you attend any interview, research the company well. During the interview find out more about the nature of the career that the company offers. Your career objective should be crystal clear, and you should know exactly what you want out of your career.

When you want to send your special message into the world and use music for this purpose, factory audio converter

is the exact thing that can help you. Music is known to be sorted into many genres styles, thus some features unite all of them, and the main one is the special meaning which is brought about by music when it is represented.
There is a subtle relationship between music genres. Actually, it is sometimes interpreted in an individual manner – that is where the secret is hidden. This real art unites sounds in the most magnificent way. When using Factory Audio converters, you can enjoy the music in its unforgettable shape, converting it to the desirable ways of performance.
This converter lessens the stress of using various shapes of something for the users, it represents tools for converting audio files to the most widespread formats (e. g., WAV, WMA, OGG, and MP3). Free converter can create the pure magic where some other software products fail: it provides handy and user-friendly applications, this stands as an interface which push the most important features up front. In case there are many files you want to convert at one time, you can be sure it will be done soon. Wav to mp3 converter
makes the conversation between your technology and you a simple matter. All you have to do is drop the audio files to the application window. After that you are required to choose the output format. Once you set advanced options for the wav converter, just hit the start button. Now you should wait for the results. One more beneficial point is that the software has many convenient utilities which makes it possible for you to convert and edit the file tags easily.
Subsequently, if your goal is to find a handy and really effective free application – Free MP3 WMA Converter is up to you! Use it and experience numerous advantages it can provide you with.
Factory Audio Converter is a special tool with which you are able to store CD’s in mp3 as well as in other popular audio formats. With mp3 converter
can enjoy your listening to the music without any stress as the files converted may be stored in some devices taking too little place, because they much more smaller than other files. Listen to your favorite songs without any need to change the disc every very often like in case you had some 12 songs in audio format. This can certainly make your life easier. Enjoy the convenience of this utility and improve your life!

As time goes by, the computer that you use gets older. It may not function as fast as it used too back in the day. It becomes slower. There could be a couple of reasons for this. The software may require more system resources than your computer has. Possibly, a virus, or some malware has been picked up somewhere along the line. The registry may need some love and attention.

Like everything in the world, your computer may need some maintenance on the software side of things. This may mean, but not limited to cleaning up the hard drive of files and programs that are not really needed or used anymore. You could also get the windows operating system do some maintenance to the hard drive in the form of a disk defrag. Additionally, third party registry cleaning software can be used if that is what you want to do. If the machine had been used on the internet, there may be some spyware, malware, and other un-invited guest running on your system.

To clarify, we want to make sure that your operating system is performing at its optimal potential. Sometimes it may require that we reinstall the operating system software just to clean up operating system files that may have changed, or have gone missing during the usage of the computer. My personal favorite is to periodically re-format the hard drive and start over with a new installation of the operating system. Re-installing the operating system from scratch is a catch all in terms of dealing with unhealthy software issues. I find that re-formatting the hard drive, and re-installing the operating system is most cost effective in terms of a computer software fix because this eliminates having to deal with too much third party software solutions.

The windows registry is a major database for your windows operating system that deals with activities involving what you do with your current installation. If you install, remove, software, it is captured in the registry. When you open a program, how a program is opened, what files can be opened by specific software go into the registry. Quite a bit of information changes over the life of a computer and it is not uncommon for the windows registry to get messy. Regardless, over time the windows registry may get dirty and need cleaning. You could use third party software such as Registry Repair, Registry Cleaner, Reg Mechanic, and Reg Cure etc. I find it more cost effective to just take the data on the hard drive that I need, save it elsewhere, and then reformat it and install windows from scratch. With that you get a clean registry to start with.

In dealing with unfriendly, uninvited software such as adware, spyware, malware, viruses and spam, I like to use a combination of software that is available in FREE versions to help make these types of computer repairs. It is not necessary to have to put out a lot of money in terms of protecting your data and eliminating unfriendly software. On the internet you can find Microsoft Defender Anti-Spyware from microsoft.com. And you can also find Avast Anti-virus. Both of those are available for FREE. I personally use Lavasoft’s suite of adware/spyware solutions. You will also find there are tons of product available on the market. Some may work better than others, some may not even work at all. The focus of this type of repair, is scanning the system, and cleaning, deleting and or having rouge files quarantined.

In order to keep your system running correctly, you must control the software that gets installed into the machine. Start with a fresh and clean install of the operating system. If you are not at liberty to provide a fresh and clean installation of the operating system, clean the registry, and defrag the hard drive is the next best bet. You should protect your information by having an antivirus, anti-adware/spyware/ malware software installed. It is also recommended that you perform various system scans and checks to look out for threats on your system. In terms of computer repair, proactive, periodic, preventative maintenance can help you avoid costly repairs of a reactive nature.

Eye care for computer users

Most of our work is done on computers, and there is usually no escape from it. It is a visually intensive task and, unfortunately, our work pressure and lifestyles do not give us the opportunity to be kind to our eyes.

Which is why these tips should come in handy.

Source: www.statuseyecare.com

i. Know your eyes

Tears: The first line of defence, they also serve as lubrication by keeping the eyes moist and nourished; they also have a corrective lens function.

Eyelids: Their main job is to protect your eyes from dirt, dust and harsh light.

Eyelashes: A protective net for your eyes.

Cornea: A refractive zone that guides light to reach the retina.

Pupil: Controls the amount of light that enters your eyes.

Lens: A refractive zone that also guides light into the retina.

Retina and Optic Nerve: A bunch of intricate wiring that carries vision signals between your brain and eyes.

ii. Exercise your eyes

Regular work hours should be infused with short breaks. During such breaks, he suggests a small and easy exercise: “First, blink your eyes several times. While you keep your eyes closed, roll your eyeballs both clockwise and anticlockwise and take a deep breath. Gradually open your eyes while releasing your breath. This exercise lasts for a minute and you can repeat it three times before getting back to work.” It serves as a good workout for the eyes.

iii. Look away

While working for long hours, look at distant objects either in your office or outside. Looking at a distant object and then returning to your task helps your eyes focus better. Try taking such visual breaks for about five to 10 minutes every hour.

iv. Palming

Sit straight at your workstation and rub your palms against each other till you feel them warm. The warmth of your palms helps soothe and relax tired eyes. Then, lightly cup your eyes with your palms and relax for 60 seconds. Count the seconds in your mind. Repeat this exercise two to three times whenever your eyes feel tired, or as often as you want. While palming, you can either rest your elbows on your desk or keep away from the desk and cup your eyes. Both ways are fine.

v. Splash water on your face

During breaks, splash water on your face while closing your eyes. This has an overall relaxing effect and helps you feel refreshed.

Source: www.statuseyecare.com

vi. Take a walk

After you’re done with lunch, take a stroll outside your office for a few minutes. This will give your eyes a much-needed break and get them some fresh air.

vii. Use tea bags

Keep two used tea bags in the refrigerator before you leave for work. Once you are home, place the tea bags on your eyes for a few minutes as you relax. This not only soothes tired eyes, but also reduces puffiness.

viii. Drink water

Drink plenty of water. It helps reduce puffiness. When a person is dehydrated, especially in an air-conditioned office, the body starts storing water as a defence mechanism. This adds to puffiness around the eyes.

ix. Eat healthy

Incorporate Vitamins A, C, and E on a daily basis; eat citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, tomatoes, spinach, poultry and dairy products. Pack a box of chopped carrots, cucumber and fresh fruits and munch in-between meals at the office.

x. Know your contact lenses

“Ideally, a person who uses lenses should wear it for not more than 10-12 hours a day and occasionally for 14 hours a day,”

Never wear your contact lenses while swimming. The pool water houses various micro-organisms as there are several people using it. This may lead to fungal infections in the eyes. In addition, the chlorine in the water can damage your contact lenses.

“Lenses are like sponge, making them susceptible to attracting dirt,”

xi. Eye dos and don’ts

~ Visit your doctor

“One should ideally visit their Optician / ophthalmologist once a year, but if there is a problem with your eyes, visit sooner,”

In addition, before buying an eye-care product such as eye drops, always check the expiry date and don’t forget to check the prescription.

~ Wear antiglare glasses while driving or at work

“Antiglare glasses are mainly used for focused light such as full beam car headlights and serve well for night driving. These can also be used while working on the computer,”

Using a pair of antiglare glasses while working on a computer can reduce the strain on the eyes to a certain extent. If you wear contact lenses, wear a pair of zero powered antiglare glasses for the same purpose.

~ Use re-wetting eye drops

An office environment that is predominantly air-conditioned, coupled with a computer intensive job, this is the perfect combination for dry eyes.

In such cases, you can use re-wetting eye drops to give relief to your eyes. Why? “When dry eyes occur, the aim is to get the tears back into our eyes whether it is naturally (by simple blinking exercises), or artificially (if the problem aggravates),”

“Re-wetting eye drops have a similar in composition to natural tears. One should go for eye drops that do not have any preservatives. Eye drops with preservatives are toxic to the eyes in the long run. You can use re-wetting eye drops as and when required, but preferably span it to a minimum of four to six times a day. If the problem persists, visit your ophthalmologist as soon as possible.”

The two most commonly used preservatives in all eye drops are Benz Alkonium Chloride and Chlorbutol. Read the contents of the bottle carefully and avoid eye drops with these preservatives.

~ Reduce your smoking and alcohol intake

“Smoking and alcohol consumption (either alone or combined) causes irreversible optic nerve damage. As both nicotine and alcohol are nerve toxins, they affect the nerves in the long run. Over a period of time, this can lead to poor or weak eyesight,” warns Dr Belvi.

~ Never rub your eyes

If dirt enters your eyes, do not rub as this may cause the dirt to stick inside. “Blink several times to start your tears flowing; this will help flush out the dirt,” advises Dr Belvi. “If you rub your eyes, the dirt particle will keep disturbing your vision and irritate your eyes. In such cases, seek your ophthalmologist’s help immediately.”

Quick tips

~ Shelf life

Preservative-free re-wetting eye drops have a shelf life of about a year, if the seal is unopened. Those with preservatives last around two years, if unopened.

~ Discard

All eye drops should be discarded within a month after opening their seals. Once opened, the medicinal properties tend to deteriorate due to exposure to the external atmosphere, making it unsuitable for your eyes.

~ Protective eye gear

While driving, wear protective eye gear especially if you are wearing contact lenses (for night driving) or sunglasses with UV protection (for day driving). Make sure the gear covers the sides of your eyes as well.

Being healthy is a personal choice and one has to work hard at it. A balanced diet, regular sleep habits, a balance between work and rest, ad exercises all play a vital role in restoring our health and helping us maintain our eyesight

Source: www.statuseyecare.com

Every day, when you open up your computer and log onto the Internet you are granted an infinite number of possibilities. The Internet is the perfect technology, ready to satisfy your tastes in music, movies and even food. There is such an incredible diversity when it comes to the World Wide Web that sometimes we may have a hard time believing itâ??s actually true. And if we are going to talk about opportunities, how can we not talk about fresh seafood and some of the most distinct flavors in the world?

When you say seafood, you think about shrimp, lobster, crabs and many more other wonderful specialties. All of them have almost indefinite numbers for preparation and they can certainly offer a unique texture, often times melting in ones mouth. The term mouth-watering has been especially applied to fresh seafood, as there are no other courses that will grant so much satisfaction and pleasure in one single meal. You too can enjoy some of Floridaâ??s finest fresh seafood today, right from the Internet and into your own house!

Even though the Internet technology has reached to the point where online shopping has become a comfortable and secure experience, many users are still afraid to use it because they cannot tell exactly what the product is like. Still, once the chosen source is reliable, there is nothing to worry about. Fresh seafood is abundant online, various providers competing over whom offers recently harvested products and presenting delicious recipes.

The combination between fruits or vegetables and fresh seafood is absolutely divine and you will certainly have a delightful meal. If you go for wild gulf shrimp, then you should be aware that there are multiple ways to cook it â?? boiling, grilling, frying and even steaming those pinkish shrimp pieces until they are just perfect. Many people are interested in purchasing fresh seafood, including shrimp, for formal events and parties and they usually serve them as appetizers or hors d’oeuvres. Thus, donâ??t be surprised if you will be met with a tasty shrimp cocktail or a wonderfully spiced salad, decorated with shrimp all around.

If you want to purchase fresh seafood, then you have to consider the Internet as a trustworthy source. After all, why waste important time and energy running from store to store and end up being disappointed? Online virtual stores present you with so many choices, always fresh, that it is impossible not to find something to satisfy you. Even the most sophisticated consumer will be impressed with the selection of fresh seafood presented online, especially when it comes to products that are truly a sign of finesse and genuine delicacies. Such is the case of stone crabs claws and you have to try them at least once!

There is no stronger flavor than the one offered by freshly prepared stone crabs claws. The meat is so delicious that you will end wanting for more and that is especially valid if you go for the melted buttery kinds. With the help of the Internet, you can find more than one recipe for stone crabs claws, including those that include a unique, tasty sauce or simple mustard by the side. Either way, you will certainly enjoy the angelic sensation offered by stone crabs, crab cakes or any other seafood for that matter. Your taste buds will be greatly excited and pleased with the seafood dishes you have chosen!

Thanks to the advances of the Internet, you can now have fresh seafood and precooked dishes served at your home. You can enjoy popular products but also more exotic choices, including triggerfish or red gulf porgy. The Internet is your universe when it comes to seafood products; you just have to dive in!

Are you confused about the gift selection for your beloved? If yes, then you must opt for fresh flowers without thinking twice. Each and every flower has its own quality and uniqueness. You can send flowers with your personalized message that will bring smile on the face of your beloved. Flowers convey thousands of messages without actually saying anything. You can send flowers to your near and dear ones on any occasion or without any occasion. It will show that how much you love and care for them. Nothing is comparable with flowers because the fragrance and beauty of flowers is irresistible. Few years back, it was difficult to send flowers to your beloved at long distance. On their special occasion, you just call them and wish them.

Thanks to technology that has bring significant change in our life. As numbers of online florists are available on the web, it becomes convenient to send flowers at long distance or across the world. In earlier days whenever you have any flower need, you always visit local florists and then select flowers and then arrangements according to your beloved. This long process means lots of wastage of your precious time. But now the process of sending flowers to your beloved becomes very simple. These online florists have made our life very simple so that, you just need a computer and the Internet connection and few clicks and your order will be place at its destination.

At online florists, you don’t need to imagine any flower arrangement in your mind as lots of flowers arrangements and bouquets are available in their gallery. They have strong network with local flowers contractors so that they are able to place your order within the same day and date. They send only fresh flowers because only fresh flowers can express your true emotions and sentiments. You can easily order fresh flowers online. With the aid of them, you can send flowers across the world. Their payment process is also very simple; you can use your credit or debit for making payments. They offer flower delivery service at cost effective price.

Fern N Petals is highly popular website that offers service of online flowers to India and order fresh flowers online. They offer flowers services at most competitive price. So, send or order flowers online and add colors and true sentiments in lives of your near and dear ones.

It attacks your computer like the South American army ant. Tiny, harmless looking critters by themselves, in larger numbers they can cover, kill and dissolve a full grown cow in a matter of hours.

Okay, maybe not exactly like that. But, wood shop and machine shop owners are experiencing the devastating effect manufacturing dust can have inside their shop computers. And they are looking for answers.

It doesn’t take much to ruin your day, especially, when metallic dust meets sensitive electronic components. Electricity chooses to travel in the shortest route possible, and little bridges of metal dust make great short cuts. Zap! WRRrrrrrr…

And wood dust makes a great insulating blanket. That’s okay if you’re lost in a big wood bin and freezing to death, but to a hard working computer it can be bad news. Heat sinks and fans attempt to dissipate the heat from within your computer, but a layer of dust can reduce or prevent this transfer of heat. Also, computer fans can malfunction when dust and grime are allowed to build up. Things heat up. Computers die. Data is lost. Business suffers.

Okay, what’s the answer then? How do you protect your computer from dust?

The actions you are willing and able to take to protect your computer equipment from dust depend on a large number of individual circumstances. Regardless of your situation, I recommend you take a three-front defensive position and optimize for each of the following areas:

• Computer room environment

• Protective computer dust barriers

• Computer maintenance

Let’s look at each of these areas individually.

Computer Room Environment

Control the environmental conditions surrounding your computers. The ideal solution would be to keep your computers and monitors in a clean, climate controlled computer room. In other words, take them out of the danger area. Of course, this is unrealistic or undesirable to many shop owners, who want, or need the computers to operate in the immediate work area.

So what then? Do what you can to control the dust and air pollutants in the shop. Use and maintain dust collectors for woodworking machines and a ventilation system for the shop area. And, if you can’t move the computers out of the shop, try to move them across the room, away from welding, grinding or direct contact with billowing sander dust.

Protective Computer Dust Barriers

These include computer dust covers, dust filters, computer dust bags, and computer enclosures. Each has its advantages and limitations as described below. Determine which option is the best solution for you.

Standard computer covers are made by a number of manufacturers. Usually plastic or vinyl, they are cheap, but effective in keeping dust off your computers and monitors. However, they may only be used while your computer equipment is shut down. And, you must remember to put them on. Every day. In other words, they are almost useless in a busy shop.

Computer filters, on the other hand may be used while the computer is running. Also very cheap, these small pieces of loose mesh material are placed over fan air intakes in the computer case to remove dust from incoming air. Some have experimented with using panty hose, Brillo® Pads and other household items with some success. The main drawback with computer filters is their small surface area. They clog up quickly in dusty areas and must be cleaned, or changed frequently to allow the unimpeded flow of cool air into the computer case. Another drawback is that they leave other openings in the computer case unprotected, allowing fine dust to infiltrate the CD ROM drives, floppy drives and other small openings.

Relatively new on the scene, computer dust bags are a combination computer cover and computer filter. Designed for the harsh, dusty and smoky conditions inherent to wood shops and machine shops, these innovative covers entirely encase the computer processor or monitor at all times, allowing the entire surface of the bag to act as a huge dust filter to remove dust from incoming air. Monitor dust bags have a see-through, anti-static front to allow a clear screen view, and are very effective in keeping dust, wood chips and other debris out of the cooling vents. At around $20 or less, the recommended life-span of the computer dust bag is 3-12 months, depending on the level of dust in the shop. A possible drawback to using the computer dust bag is reduced access to CD and floppy drives. However, it is possible to use these drives if you cut a hole in the dust bag and cover it with a door flap, which is included with the bag. You may also have to cut an access slot to use your USB ports.

Finally, computer enclosures are typically metal or wood, box-like cabinets which your computer processor and monitor are placed in to protect them from the surrounding environment. A variety of fan and filter combinations introduce fresh air into the enclosure. Computer enclosures have the added advantage of protecting your equipment from blunt force trauma, such as a falling 2×4, chemical splashes and other things harmful to your computer. Filters must be changed regularly. Disadvantages include high price, greater amount of space required, and filter maintenance.

Computer Maintenance

Finally, the third part of a sound computer dust protection strategy is computer maintenance. Yes, that means cleaning. Does that scare you? It’s easier than you think. You don’t have to buy all kinds of expensive tools and cleaning agents, and no heavy scrubbing or complicated disassembly is needed. The most important thing is to maintain a regular computer cleaning schedule. It may be as simple as opening the computer case once every three months to blow out the dust. Educate yourself on the computer cleaning basics and decide the right course of action for yourself.

Just as numerous insects and animals perish when attacked by the army ant, a great number of computers are killed by dust every day. Don’t let it happen to you. Follow the common sense ideas shown here and stop computer-killing dust in its tracks!