Computers are complex machines. If you've ever looked inside one you know it's a confusing mess of wires and components. Like all machines, over time they will start to slow down and run slower than before. When this happens it can be troublesome for your productivity, and you may not be able to afford to purchase a new machine. Luckily, there are steps you can take to keep your machine running smoothly.

Below are four things you can do to keep your PC running smoothly.

1. Shutdown properly If you turn your computer off at the end of the day, or it freezes, it may be tempting to flick the off switch on the power bar, or press the power button until it turns off. This isn't ideal for your computer's health because when a computer is unexpectedly shut down, there could be damage to the operating system.

You may notice that when your computer crashes, it takes longer to reboot. This is because Windows is actually searching for, or trying to repair any damage that may have been done. There is a chance that powering down improperly could cause files to become corrupted which may make the system inoperable.

Therefore, you should follow proper shutdown procedures. If you need to shut down quickly, try pressing Control+Alt+Delete and selecting Shut Down from there.

2. Close unnecessary programs running in the background Some programs are written to be always running in the background. If you look in the bottom right of your screen, you should see programs running beside the clock. In truth, most of these likely don't need to be open. You should be able to right click on the icon and close them. This will save computing resources and make your computer run smoother.

A word of warning: It's best not to shut down the antivirus or security software as this will leave your computer open to attack. Also, don't shut down anything from NVIDIA or AMD as this is your video card software. Closing programs like this could cause your computer to crash.

3. Utilize Add/Remove on a regular basis Chances are high that you have installed a fairly high number of programs on your computer, some of which you may not use anymore. Those you don't use just take up valuable hard drive space, and should be removed on a regular basis. You can do this by:

1. Clicking on Start or the Windows Orb.
2. Selecting Settings followed by Control Panel.
3. Opening Add/Remove Programs.

It may take a few minutes to scan your system for programs, but a window will open with all the programs you have installed. Click on those you don't use anymore and remove them. We strongly recommend that you do not go into different files and delete programs, this could damage your system.

4. Use a malware scanner and antivirus program This may sound like a no-brainer, but it is still worth mentioning that having an antivirus program and malware scanner is a good idea. Many viruses and other malware often hijack system resources causing the computer to run slower, or crash. A regular scan can go a long way in minimizing this, which means your computer will likely run better for longer.

If you are looking for ways to keep your older systems running at their optimal levels, please contact us today to see how we can help you.

Have you ever talked with, or listened to computer or tech experts and heard them banter back and forth using terms that sound outlandish and weird? It's possible that one term that's had you scratching your head is overclocking. The question some manager's may ask when they hear this tech term is, "What exactly is overclocking and can my business benefit?"

Here's a brief overview of overclocking.

Definition: Overclocking When it comes to most tech based devices, the processor (or CPU) is the integral component that functions as the brain of the device; it runs the show. The job of the CPU is to take instructions and input from all the other devices and components and execute them. For example, double-click on a program on your desktop and the CPU computes what to do with the mouse click (open the program), and runs the related code, which is shown as the program opening.

One thing many computer sales people talk about is processor or CPU speed. This is the number of instructions it can run in one second. These instructions are grouped together into one cycle, and one cycle per second equates to a Hertz. You may see computers that have 2Ghz processors, this means 2 Gigahertz or 2,000,000,000 cycles in one second.

Now, when manufacturers release a new CPU they design it to run at a standard, or optimal speed, and will generally limit it. This is done to preserve the life of the components, however there are often ways to break this speed limiter. When you raise the maximum clock speed, beyond the intended clock speed, you are overclocking it.

Why overclock? The main reason users overclock a processor is to make their computer or device run faster. By overclocking, programs will often run or open faster and the general operation will seem smoother. In other words, you can get more out of existing technology without paying to upgrade.

Are there any drawbacks? While overclocking will give you more power and speed, there are some serious drawbacks that make this option risky. The biggest being heat. As you probably have noticed, when you use some devices (say a laptop on your lap) for an extended period of time, they get warm. That's because the components of computers create heat, lots of heat. When you overclock, the processor works harder, thereby generating more heat.

Computers are designed to operate at certain temperatures and if this level is surpassed, the components can wear out more quickly or in extreme cases melt. This means that overclocking will cause your computer's parts to wear out quicker and will decrease the life of the device.

Should we overclock our devices? Did you know that you can overclock nearly anything with a processor? The most common are computers and new smartphones, especially Android devices. When you hear people talking about overclocking their device, they are almost always talking about personal devices.

While it's true, you will get a speed boost in the short run, overclocking will increase your IT budget in the future, because you will have to replace parts more often than is usual. Because most businesses tend to use their technology longer than personal users, any action that causes tech to wear out more quickly is not a good idea.

That being said, you can also do the opposite of overclocking. Underclocking is telling a computer's processor to run slower than it's designed speed. This will increase component life but decrease processing power, and could be beneficial for companies that have new computers and don't need intensive computing resources.

Before you take any actions however, it is best to talk to us, as we may have a better solution for you and one that will cost less.

An electronic medical record (EMR) or practice management system is only the first step in bringing your practice into the modern era; you must also use the systems appropriately.

When it comes to software, functionality is important to health-providers—but if you're hung up on software functionality, you may not be taking care of what drives the software.

So, in many cases, you’ll need to review and adjust the processes used in your practice—but how? If you’re not familiar with practice management strategies, you may not know where to start.

A good IT firm or software provider will help by offering personalized attention. Look for a team of highly trained professionals who understand the intricacies of scheduling, coding, billing, and reporting. Ideally, this team should take the time to get to know your practice well by studying your scheduling and billing patterns, the way you engage patients, and the other ways you work.

While it may take more time up front, this methodology will allow your partner to develop insight, which will in turn let it provide guidance to help you do more with less—something that’s essential in today’s world of increased competition and decreased revenues.

One of the more common security issues revolves around the passwords you use to access various Internet sites, your computer, and even your work systems. Chances are, you don't use the same password for all these different systems and accounts. While this increases the chance of your private information and files remaining secure, it can be a pain to remember so many passwords. That's why a password management system is helpful. The question is, which kind?

Below is a brief overview of the four types of password management system you can use.

1. Cloud or Internet-based These systems are usually cloud based and accessed through an app or browser plugin. Apps ordinarily store your passwords, or generate one to use, and will automatically apply this when you visit a site that requires a password. These systems are great for breaking the one password habit, However, because they store all of your passwords in one place, they could become a target for hackers.

2. Cloud or Internet-based with two-factor authentication The next step up from the cloud-based password management system is one that supports two-factor authentication. Your passwords are still stored in the cloud, but you will need to provide another piece of information before you can access sites.

The interesting thing is that many of the cloud based password systems actually offer this in their premium offerings. So, not only do you get better password protection, but it's with the same system meaning you likely won't have to switch.

The cloud based systems are a good idea if you use more than one system on a regular basis and if you work from outside of the office.

3. Computer-based Computer-based password management systems are similar to the cloud versions, only the passwords are stored on your computer, and accessed using a master password. Because many hackers usually don't go after individual hard drives - they have to get through your network and then find the program and try to break the password - the chances of your passwords being exposed are minimized.

The only problem with systems like these is that you normally have to log in for the service to work. If you forget to log out and someone walks by, they will be able to access everything. However, for the manager who wants a secure system, this is a better option than the cloud based versions.

4. USB-based There are a number of USB devices that have a smart card in them that can store passwords. When you plug in the USB to your computer, the software on the USB can input the stored passwords when needed. These devices are typically more expensive, with some costing as much as USD$100, but they offer the highest amount of security as your passwords are kept with you.

The main downside to these devices is that they aren't the biggest and are usually about the size of a standard USB stick. This means that they are easier to lose, making getting your passwords back even tougher.

If you are looking for a better way to keep track of your passwords, please contact us today to see how we can help.

With the rise of the Internet and social media, it's now expected that many more companies have an Internet identity. Be it a website or social media, you can guarantee that your customers are looking for you online. While having an online presence is positive, it can also open you up to negative feedback, which can ruin, or at least damage, your company's reputation and brand. Therefore, it is important that you practice some form of reputation management.

Here are five reputation management practices you can employ to better manage your online brand.

1. Don't remove negative content If you see a negative comment or post online it may be your first impulse to delete it. This isn't necessarily advisable, as the main rule about the Internet is that nothing ever goes away. If you delete negative comments on a regular basis, customers could notice and this may lead to them losing trust in your company and ultimately, to lost sales.

What you should be doing is replying instead and encouraging any users who complain online or make criticizing posts to contact you directly, or through a more private medium like email. That being said, if you see malicious posts or content that is posted just to incite a negative reaction (trolling), there is nothing wrong in deleting. Just make sure to acknowledge this by posting a warning that states something along the lines of: "Please note, malicious content will be deleted."

2. Address complaints promptly You should have someone monitoring your online platforms for complaints or negative feedback, so that you can respond promptly. This will also show customers that you actually use your platforms and are willing to engage. If you do not take steps to address negative material, you could be sending the message that you don't care enough about customers, which could drive them away.

3. Provide people with a place to complain Being proactive is important when it comes to reputation management. Instead of waiting for complaints to be posted on various review sites, blogs or even social media, which are all out of your control, why not provide a place that you can control, for all types of feedback.

Having an easy to see form, forum or other similar area on your website, where customers can interact with you, could go a long way in helping limit where complaints pop up. If you are in control then you're more likely to see complaints sooner and better able to answer them quickly too.

4. Ensure colleagues and staff are all on the same page Two things that turn almost customers off of a brand are a company that isn't organized and being told different things by different people within the same company. If you have more than one staff member managing your online reputation you need to ensure everyone is on the same page. If a client asks a question they should get one answer and if there is a complaint there should be one response or person handling it.

It is a good idea to establish how to deal with complaints, who will deal with them and when they will be dealt with, and communicate this with all staff, not just those handling your online presence. A unified procedure could go a long way in minimizing the harm negative feedback can cause.

5. Monitor online activity We don't mean monitor the activity of your employees, we mean take a look at the different communication channels used by your customers and the public at large. If your business relies on reviews, simply monitoring your own profiles and website isn't enough. Many customers complain on review sites like Yelp, Ripoff Report, or their own blogs. Taking time to search for, and browse these sites could help you gauge the general perception of your company. If you see an increasing number of negative reviews for example, you know it is time to look at what needs to be improved.

Having a well managed online reputation won't guarantee new customers will come flooding in the door, but it can help decrease customers from going out the door, taking valuable sales with them. If you would like to learn more about reputation management please contact us today.

As the new year rolls on, we know now that the Mayan apocalypse didn’t happen, and most of managers are gearing up for 2013. One way managers get ready for the year ahead is by looking at what’s out there and popular. As the demand and use of technology grows many businesses are looking into tech related trends.

Here’s our prediction of the top three hardware trends small to medium businesses can expect in the coming year.

Phones and tablets that fly
The processing power and capabilities of both smartphones and tablets are advancing at a rapid pace. From the looks of it there should be an octo-core mobile processor (8 cores) introduced along with increasingly powerful quad-core processors. If an 8 core phone surfaces in 2013 it will give many modern computers a run for their money.

Four-core processors will also increase in power. For example: Samsung is rumored to be working with a new processor that could very well see speeds of up to 2Ghz (on par with entry to mid level computers). Sound like overkill for a phone? Perhaps, but put that processor in a tablet and you could see a mobile device that can handle almost anything.

Regardless of if these rumored processors make it into devices or not, small business owners should expect to see a wealth of phones and tablets that are not only affordable, but are powerful enough to either implement as an extension of the modern desktop, or even replace it.

Increasing demands for BYOD
People have gone gadget happy. Take a look around the office. How many employees have a smartphone or tablet? Chances are high it’s nearly 100%. With the sheer number of devices available at affordable rates you can bet that tech gadgets were a top gift unwrapped on Christmas morning. Come New Year, employees will be itching to bring their brand new devices into the office.

BYOD – Bring Your Own Device – is a growing demand and trend of employees. Who doesn’t want to work on the system they are comfortable with? You can expect an increase in the number of requests for employees to bring in their own device. We’re not here to discuss the pros and cons, but it may be time to look into developing a BYOD policy and ensuring your systems are secure enough to support this.

NFC
NFC – Near Field Communication – isn’t a new idea, but it is just now starting to make its way onto phones. Google and Android device manufacturers are leading the way on the mobile front and companies like Square are pushing the mobile wallet.

The goal of NFC technology is to allow your phone to be a wallet, and handle transactions wirelessly without the need for credit/debit cards or cash. Google is pushing NFC, and it’s rumored that Apple will integrate it into new versions of their iPhone. If they do this you can bet that there will be a legion of smartphone users suddenly demanding to pay for things on their phone. This could become a major trend of 2013 that all small to medium businesses could capitalize off of.

These are just three trends that we could well see in 2013. Time will tell how these three ideas pan out. What do you think will be the the top tech trends for 2013? Let us know.

One of the more important components of computers, and any electronic device really, is the hard drive. The most popular drive is the hard disk drive (HDD) which has been in use in computers since the mid 1950s. It's safe to say that these drives are a little past their prime but luckily there is a replacement: solid-state drives (SSD).

You've likely heard of SSDs - drives that have no moving parts - and you may have even looked at the price of them. Yes, they are more expensive when compared with the aging HDD platform, SSDs however have a number of benefits over their cheaper cousins.

Here's five benefits of using SSDs in your company:

• They're speedy - Put an SSD into a computer or laptop and you'll notice it screams. On some laptops, like the Google Chromebook, startup time can be as quick as eight seconds. This gets you into your desktop and to your work faster. While it's only seconds at each startup, it can add up to extra hours across the whole company. Access speed is also important, as traditional HDDs can access data at a rate of about 140 MB/s, while SSDs can access data at over 600 MB/s. This means your computer runs faster.
• They're tough - There are no moving parts to most SSDs, so they are less likely to break. That's why they have been used by militaries, the aeronautical industry and the medical industry for years. Another advantage of not having moving parts is that the SSD will function in a greater temperature range, which is good news for businesses operating extreme climates, or even in the confines of hot server rooms.
• They can help increase battery life - The power draw of the SSD is considerably lower than HDDs, which means battery life is extended. Some laptops with SSD-only drives can last 8-10 hours, compare this to six hours, (if you're lucky), on laptops with HDD. When installed in computers, there is a cost savings in energy bills too and while this might not amount to huge savings these can add up over time.
• They last longer - HDD's moving parts mean that they eventually wear out, or crash. If this happens, the information stored on the drive will likely be inaccessible. SSDs are predicted to last far longer, which means your data is safer on these drives in the long-run.
• They can be safer - Some SSDs utilize a memory system similar to flash drives. With an OS that can be configured to this type of memory, users can install these onto the drive, lock it and then use the cloud for media storage. Because the SSD can be locked, each time the OS is booted, it's booted into the original installed state, so malware that attacks the OS is rendered useless as all you have to do is revert the OS to it's original installed state i.e., restart your computer.

While SSDs have been around for nearly three decades, they are just now starting to make inroads with personal computers, and even business solutions for that matter. The biggest reason for the slow adoption is the price. On average, SSDs cost USD$0.65 for 1 GB while HDDs cost USD$0.05 to USD$0.10 per GB. This may seem like a big cost difference but the price in SSDs is dropping rapidly, while the price for HDDs is largely staying the same. If you're interested in learning more about SSDs and how they can fit into your company's IT, please contact us.

With the recent release of Windows 8, many PC users have been looking to upgrade from older systems that are slow and unresponsive. It’s not just Windows users, in fact, an increasing number of Mac users are noticing this as well. Many attribute this to the fact that a computer is old, but there are other factors at play as well.

Here’s five reasons why your computer may run slow:

It’s all in the mind Well, mostly all in the mind. Technology, especially laptops and mobile devices, is advancing at such a fast pace that new devices constantly push speed boundaries. Use a laptop from last year and it just feels slow, when in truth the difference between last year;s and this year’s model is normally not noticeable performance wise.

Another reason is because of the other devices we use. Think of any new flagship mobile device, it's really fast; most of us have and use these devices on a daily basis. While they may not look it on paper, many mobile apps are simply faster than their desktop counterparts.

Think of accessing email on your computer.You have to find the program, click on it, wait for it to load and then wait for the program to fetch new emails. Compare this to your mobile device where you tap the Email icon, and have nearly instant access. While both programs offer the same service, they do work differently with the mobile apps, constantly looking for emails while computer counterparts usually look for emails only when the program is open. This usually means the mobile app is perceived to be quicker.

It’s partly because of experiences like this, that everything is available instantly on the mobile device and less so on computers, that some users perceive their system is running slowly due to being used to using a mobile device.

It's what you've downloaded Another reason why your computer might be running slowly is because of the programs you’ve downloaded. If you torrent, visit explicit websites or simply click on and agree to everything, your computer will run slowly because many of those seemingly helpful programs are actually malware or viruses that when installed will slow your computer down, or worse steal confidential information and files.

The same goes for explicit websites and torrents. Many of the ads and pop-ups contain viruses that can install themselves, or be installed without you knowing. For torrents, files may contain viruses disguised as movies or other popular file types. If you torrent, or visit explicit websites you should have malware and virus scanners operational and up-to-date. That new movie just out in theaters and already a torrent? It’s likely a virus, steer clear of them. It's probably better if you don’t download illegal torrents at all.

It’s how you run it There’s a common belief out there that computers are meant to be left on and that turning a computer off will somehow harm the internal components. This is a myth, there are only three times a computer should be constantly on:

1. It’s acting as a server;
2. It's connected to a network where administrators install updates overnight, and;
3. You’re working with programs that take a long time to run like CAD or other 3D/video rendering.

If you computer doesn't fall into these criteria, then it’s perfectly safe to turn it off. What does this have to do with a slow computer? Computers left constantly running have proven to have increased degradation of both kinds of memory, especially RAM; and the processor. Both RAM and the processor are integral components related to running programs. A degraded stick of RAM or a stressed processor will slow computers down. Turning a computer off when not in use will extend the life of the components while also reducing electrical draw, meaning cheaper electric bills.

It’s the Wi-Fi Most offices, stores and homes now have Wi-Fi. The only issue is, current Wi-Fi routers are limited in the connection speeds they can offer. Have a 300Mb connection, and a 85 Mbps Wi-Fi router? The Wi-Fi connection speed will be a maximum of 85 Mbps, which will decrease depending on how far you are from the router and how many users or devices there are connected.

If you’ve had the router for more than a couple of years, and noticed that your computer is really slow when surfing the Internet or running Internet related programs like Office 365 or online games, it may be time to upgrade to a faster router. If your business connection is slow, then it’s best to contact a vendor to help upgrade all your systems. This could also indicate a virus or other form of malware infecting your system. Running a Virus and malware scan could help as well.

It’s old Finally, your computer may be running slow because it’s old. A PC or Mac from 5-7 years ago has close to the same processing power of the modern smartphone. Combine this with constant use - especially for laptops - a full hard drive, and any of the above reasons, and your computer will be slow compared to when it was brand new. You can try wiping the hard drive and starting again, but computers older than about seven years will likely not be able to run the most modern programs efficiently.

For example: Still on a computer running Windows XP and want to upgrade your current copy of Microsoft Office to 2013 when it’s released? Not going to work. Using a Macbook from 5 years ago, and want to upgrade to OS X 10.8 to take advantage of the supposed speed gains? Most MacBooks won’t be able to run it efficiently enough to notice a gain in speed, resulting in a slower operating experience.

There are many reasons as to why your computer is running slowly. If you’re unsure, you can always contact us, we can help.

The person who designed a white keyboard and white laptops should be fired. Sure, they look spiffy when you unbox them, but after a few months of use some keys have gone a lovely shade of light brown, and the body of that once pristine computer is decidedly less so. This should be a clue that your computer needs to be cleaned and not heeding these warnings may shorten the life or decrease the performance of your computer.

Here’s the main external parts of your computer you should clean on a regular basis and how to go about doing so. We recommend that you exercise caution when opening the case to your computer and not to just go in and clean willy-nilly. Some internal components are incredibly fragile and you could render your computer useless.

Keyboard Most people naturally rest one hand on the keyboard, this near constant contact means oil and dirt from your fingers will be transferred to the keys, causing a buildup of grime overtime. You may also find other nasties like crumbs get under the keys and can potentially hinder the operation of the keys.

The best way to clean a keyboard is by using compressed air, which can be found at any store that sells computers or computer parts. When cleaning, hold your keyboard upside down and blow the air into the spaces inbetween the keys. Sir Isaac Newton’s good friend gravity will take care of the rest.

If you have grime on the keys, you can use a number of methods to remove it. The most popular is to use distilled, denatured isopropyl alcohol - commonly called electronics cleaner - and a lint-free cloth. Dip the cloth in the alcohol and gently rub it over the keys, you’ll be amazed at how much gunk will come off. For spaces in between the keys, use a cotton swab/Q-tip.

Before you attempt to clean the keyboard, be sure to unplug it from your computer. If you use a laptop, turn it off and disconnect the power cord. Whatever you do, don’t spray or splash liquid on the keyboard this will likely cause it to stop working. You should take care not to use bleach, acetone, ethyl alcohol, acid or pure water. While these liquids will clean the keyboard, some tend to eat through plastic, or just straight up ruin anything electrical; best to avoid them.

Mouse Once your keyboard is spic-and-span, it’s time to look at your mouse. As with the keyboard, unplug it before you clean it. For mice with trackballs, flip them over and undo the cover that keeps the ball in place - usually achieved by turning the cover clockwise - take the ball out and gently scrape any lint or gunk off the rollers on the side of the area where the ball is housed.

For optical mice, using a Q-tip/cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol to gently wipe down the mouse will work wonders.

Monitor Monitors, regardless of style, are dust and fingerprint magnets. To clean your monitor: turn it off unplug it, and run a lint-free cloth over the glass in a circular motion. If it’s really dirty, glass cleaner can be used. However, be warned that industrial glass cleaner will remove the anti-glare coating on the monitor, so look for a glass cleaner that’s safe to use on monitors instead - it should say so on the bottle.

Connector cables Cables are often the most neglected part of a computer, normally because they are black and it’s near impossible to see the dirt. Any Mac user who has had a laptop for a number of years can attest that the once white charging cord isn’t as white as it was when brand new. To clean any cable, first disconnect it from the power source. Use a cloth or Q-tip/cotton swab dampened in your, by now, good cleaning friend, denatured isopropyl alcohol, to clean the cable.

If the connector ports of the cable are dirty, don’t go dipping them in any liquid, this will likely ruin them. Instead, look for isopropyl rubbing pads, which have been dipped in a 99% isopropyl alcohol solution. If the isopropyl alcohol you have used for cleaning the other components is 99%, you can also use a cotton swab dipped in this solution. Just be careful not to apply any force and ensure the connector dries quickly.

Inside the case If you have a desktop, with a tower, chances are there’s a fair amount of dust inside the computer. This dust can slow components down, decrease the computers cooling ability and has, if left unabated, been known to be the cause of electrical fires.

Companies that have rented their computers from a vendor, or have machines still on warranty should not open the case, as they will void the warranty. If you feel the internal components need to be cleaned, contact your vendor and ask if they can come and clean your systems.

If you’re more of a do-it-yourself person, you can open the case to clean inside. Be sure to unplug ALL cords and when you lift the case off keep your hand on the metal frame. Be careful to touch NO COMPONENTS as a static shock could ruin them. Touching the metal part of the case should ground you. After that, you can use compressed air to blow the dust out of the case. You may want to do this away from the area where your computer is, as there can be a lot of dust.

After you have your computer case back on, plug in everything and start your showroom clean computer up. You may even notice it runs faster, or at the very least looks good. If you feel it’s time for a computer clean-up and have any questions then please contact us.

One of the integral components of any computer, or technological device for that matter, is the hard drive. It’s used to store all the information, pictures, programs, etc. Your computer needs hard drives to be able to run, and at this time there are two competing types of hard drive: Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid-state Drive (SSD).

Here is a brief comparison of Hard Disk Drives and Solid-state Drives.

HDD Hard Disk Drives are the most common type of storage drive in modern computers, and have been since they were first introduced in the 1960’s. HDDs are comprised of a series of disks that are coated in a magnetic material. Sitting just above these disks are a series of magnetic devices that can both read and write content on the disks using magnetism generated by electrical impulses.

HDDs are relatively cheap to purchase, with an average price of $0.07 USD per Gigabyte of storage space, and can rewrite data a near infinite amount of times. There are two major weaknesses of HDDs, the first being that they are made of moving parts, and any bump or shock can ruin the drive. The second weakness is their read and write speed, which hasn’t really increased in the past few years, compared to processors or other components.

SSD Solid-state Drives are a newer form of hard drive, around in one form or another since the 1970’s but not gaining popularity until the mid 1990’s. As the name implies, SSDs have no moving parts, data is stored in integrated circuits and can be accessed quickly. Chances are high that you use USB storage drives in your company. USB storage drives are a close cousin to SSDs, using the same form of storage - integrated circuits.

The biggest advantage to SSDs is that they’re extremely fast when compared with HDDs, feature moving parts, use less power to operate and are more resistant to shocks and damage. There are two major disadvantages to SSDs, the first being cost, on average, $1.50 USD a Gigabyte, an expensive investment for many SMEs. The second disadvantage is you can only write the data a limited number of times before the device becomes unusable, most SSDs last around 5 years.

While SSDs may seem expensive upfront, they do help computers run faster, which means you can buy a processor with a lower speed and have an SSD compensate. While they may only last 5 years, most computers don’t last that long, so normal users should be ok.

SSD or HDD There’s a hot debate going on on the Internet, should users go with SSDs or HDDs? The best suggestion is to go with both. Use SSDs to store essential programs like the OS, and HDDs to store data. That way you can experience fast booting and loading of essential programs, while not having to invest in a high capacity SSD.

While SSDs will most likely replace HDDs in the future as their cost per gigabyte is rapidly dropping, making them even more popular. At this time however, both drives will remain in production and you will probably see more and more computer manufacturers using both drives. What type of hard drive do you use? Do you think SSDs will help your business? Comment below, or contact us for more information.