Parts And Service For The College Computers

Going to college for the first time can be daunting enough without the extra trouble additional materials such as computers can give. Learning how to use your computer correctly can help you avoid a lot of wasted time and money. In college, you should be worrying about making the grade and not making your computer work.

Setting up your computer is not as hard as you think it is. Your brand new computer usually comes with installed software that you will find very useful as you work on it. If you are using PC, you probably have an operating system installed such as Windows XP or Vista. Some even throw in Microsoft Office applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc. all of which will be very helpful in writing papers and creating presentations. Another feature that is usually already installed is your internet browser such as Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera or any other application used to surf the net for research and email.

If you don't already have the software you need to do your tasks in campus, you will need to purchase and install them yourself. Those software come with easy to install instructions. But you have to make sure first that your computer can handle each software's system requirements. Take note of processor speed, operating system, memory or RAM, and hard disk space.

Another very important application you should have installed is an antivirus software. Whether it's AVG, McAfee, or any other application, it's always good to be protected. Updates are normally available online from the merchant site so it's better to check for updates once in a while.

Aside from the software needed to perform certain tasks, college students should also invest in the following computer peripherals:

* Printer. You need one to print reports, essays, term papers, and ultimately your thesis. Hard copies are still the norm in schools despite green peace's bid for a "paperless society". Although some merchants give you a free printer if you purchase a computer for them, you would still need to buy ink cartridges and paper.

* CD/DVD Drive. Most computers come with a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. It is important to have one when you need to install software that normal come in a CD. Also, consider investing in a CD burner or writer so you can store your files in CDs and clear out space in your computer for faster processing speed. This would also prevent loss of files in case your computer crashes.

* USB Drive or Stick. This little baby will come in handy to copy and store files from your computer. Faster than burning your files on CD, the USB drive, depending on the brand, can store up to 4 GB of whatever you need to copy. Since it's no longer all that new, they're not at all that expensive and can be carried around your neck like a necklace with a 2 inch pendant. Be aware though that if you remove the drive without stopping the application first all your files in that drive may be erased or corrupted.