Digital Signage at Work

Digital signage has many benefits. It can increase sales, make clients aware of your other products and services, display public information (date, time, weather, news) and shorten perceived wait time. Our latest client to have it installed is using it for all of these reasons and they have also found a unique way to use their sign as well. Mobil 1 has installed a pit cam to show their customers what is going on under their hood and they are displaying it on their digital screen. For liability reasons, clients cannot go down into the pit area to have a look at what is going on under their vehicle and the ability to show any areas of concern adds to the credibility of Mobil 1’s service technicians.

When the sign is not being used to show their customers what is going on under their vehicle, it is being used to display advertising for other local businesses.  This does more than offset their monthly costs for the sign, it creates a revenue stream. As for the businesses that are advertising on their digital sign, they are getting a captive audience, who is viewing the sign because it is also displaying what is happening under their vehicle.

Mobil 1 is also using some of that screen time to share their other services with that same captive audience and to display news and weather feeds that help to shorten the perceived wait time for their clients.

Digital signage has proven to be an innovative way for Mobil 1 to market their services, create a revenue stream and increase their credibility with clients. If you feel that digital signage could be a solution for your marketing needs or you are looking to generate some revenue, please give us call or send us an .email. Monthly leasing options for a 42” screen with a player PC start at $149.00

-Janet F, Digital Signage Consultant

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
#1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca

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How Do I Know if I Need a New Hard Drive - Traditional vs SSD

Easy answer; If it has failed or is failing. An easy way to tell if it is failing; listen to the hard drive itself for a clicking or grinding sound, couple that with degrading performance and it is likely that your hard drive is on its way to a better place. If you notice these symptoms try to do a backup as quickly as possible, or call your local Northern Computer technician to have us save the data before it is too late.
If you have decided to upgrade or replace your hard drive then you have a few things to consider: Interface, style, storage size, data transfer rate, form factor etc etc.

In years gone by the standard interface for hard drives and other devices was IDE, more recently a shift has been made to SATA. Without overloading you with computer jargon; IDE is slower/bigger (bigger being a problem for heat dissipation within the computer case,) while SATA is fast and getting faster and has a very small footprint within the computer. To sum up, older PC’s (5+ years old) will very likely run on a IDE interface, while anything newer than that will give you the option of both IDE and SATA.

In recent years there has been a movement from the standard spinning plate hard drive (very likely what is in your PC) to what is called SSD or Solid State Drive. A solid state drive is exactly what it sounds like, solid with no moving parts. The benefits to a SSD drive are significant; lower failure rate, smaller form factor, higher transfer speeds of data, less consumption of power. The major downfall at this point is the cost and storage size. With a typical spinning platter hard drive costing less than 10 cents for GB and the typical SSD running closer to 1 dollar per GB, one can argue that the cost outweighs the benefits. As with anything in technology prices continue to decrease, and soon enough SSD will be the standard is personal computers.

- Ryan R, Network Support Technician

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
#1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca

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What the Hecks in Your Computer - Part 3: Hard drives - A good news - bad news - good news story

The design of hard drives , although basically the same concept implemented 31 years ago in the original xt ibm microcomputer (and barrel sized  5 megabyte drives in ibm mainframes before that),  have undergone drastic changes to increase speed and capacity over time. The first microcomputer drives having 40 megabyte capacities where now 2 terabytes and  larger are becoming common and inexpensive. The idea of a fast spinning magnetic disk with a floating head reading and writing was a quantum leap forward from floppy disk and tape used previous – both in speed and capacity.  Without the hard disk the multimedia and graphical interface properties we enjoy today would simply not be possible. Likely the computer revolution would not have happened and so many things would be different. The fact we are still using the same technology 20 years later speaks to what an incredible design the hard drive is.

So what is the bad news? Hard drives can fail. All drives are sold with a “mean time between failure” rating in hours (ie 100,000)from the manufacturers. So they certainly acknowledge the possibility. The reality is a drive may fail early in its life (called infancy failure), later in life or never untill  eventually it’s recycled. When you realize the construction of the drive includes a head floating less than a hair width above a platter spinning at 7200rpm on a spindle that sits on a tiny bearing  – you can see how this could fail.  Preparation for failure is key because if the drive fails it can mean catastrophic data loss. There are data recovery methods that can recover data from a failing or totally failed drive and they vary in cost from a few hundred to thousands of dollars, depending on what work is required and how the drive has failed. By preparation for failure we mean a good backup plan. This used to be only for servers but now even home users with priceless photos, purchased music and school projects should be prepared by doing regular backups. The types of backup include usb hard drives, usb keys, on line backup services and many others. Even Windows 7 includes a very good backup program.

Back to the good news... SSD or solid state drives are slowly taking over the hard drive market and because they have no moving parts they are far less prone to failure. They currently have a high cost per megabyte compared to conventional drives- and there are some compatibility issues- but they are the logical heir apparent to the hard drive empire.  Solid state memory being used in mp3 players, ipods, tablets and phones are helping price go down and capacity come up to the point where solid state drives can only succeed eventually. Backup will always be needed because of issues of theft and disaster, but the primary need will soon not be guarding against hard drive failure, Good news indeed for most users.


Click here for Part 1: The Motherboard
Click here for Part 2: The CPU
Click here for Part 4: RAM

-Paul C, Service Bench Supervisor

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
 #1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca

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How to Clean Your Laptop

Cleaning a laptop computer is a simple process that can help to improve the overall performance of your notebook. It's an important maintenance task to do regularly - yearly or more frequently as needed, to get rid of dirt and dust that can damage your display or other parts, affecting your laptop's performance.  

Materials

You'll need the following things to clean your laptop:

•Isopropyl alcohol. Because it evaporates quickly and doesn't leave a residue, isopropyl alcohol is safe to use on electronic equipment and LCD displays. Do not use: ammonia, tap water, mineral water, and household window cleaners.

 •Distilled or purified water or bottled water. Do not use: Tap water (can leave permanent mineral spots)

 •Can of compressed air, commonly available at office supply stores.

 •Lint-free cloth, like the kind used for cleaning eyeglasses. In a pinch you can use a soft, 100% cotton cloth. Do not use: paper towels, facial tissues, or scratchy or abrasive cloths.

 Prepare to Clean

 •Make sure the computer is off and unplugged, and remove the battery.

 •Make a 1:1 cleaning solution using the water and alcohol.

 •Dampen the cloth with the cleaning solution--it should be slightly moistened rather than very wet. Also, never spray anything directly on the computer; the liquid should go on the cloth first.

Laptop Parts to Clean - The general parts of the laptop you should keep clean are: the case, the LCD screen, the laptop keyboard (and touchpad), the ports, and the cooling vents.

1.      Clean the Laptop Case- Use the damp cloth to wipe down the exterior of the laptop. This will help you make it look brand-new again. Then open the lid and wipe the areas around your keyboard.

2.      Clean the LCD Screen - Clean the display using the same cloth or a new moistened one if the original is too grimy (again, don't spray any solution directly on the screen). Use gentle circular motions or wipe the screen from left to right, top to bottom.

3.      Clean the Keyboard and Touchpad - Use a can of compressed air to loosen and remove dirt, crumbs, and everything else that may be stuck in the keys. Alternately, you can use an old toothbrush to loosen debris.

4.      Clean the Ports and Cooling Vents - Use the can of compressed air to clean the case openings: the ports and cooling vents. Spray from an angle so the debris is blown away from the computer, rather than into it. Finally, use the damp cloth to wipe the keys and the touchpad.

Also, be careful when spraying the fans, because if you spray too hard liquid may get in the fan blades. To prevent the fans from overspinning while you're blowing the air on them (which can damage the fans), place a cotton swab or toothpick between the fan blades to hold them in place.

Last But Not Least - Make sure your laptop is completely dry before turning it on.

- Janet F, Marketing Coordinator

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
#1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca  or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca

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Pros of a Service Level Agreement

An SLA is a negotiated agreement between two parties designed to create a common understanding about services, priorities and responsibilities. Here are some ways to use an SLA to benefit your business.

Use the SLA as a communications tool. The value of an agreement may not be just in the final product. The very process of establishing an SLA helps to open up communications and identify areas that need improvement and clarification.

Use the SLA as a conflict-prevention tool. A good agreement helps to avoid or alleviate disputes by providing a shared understanding of needs and priorities. And if conflicts do occur, they tend to be resolved more quickly.

Use the SLA as a basis for gauging service effectiveness. An SLA ensures that both parties use the same criteria to evaluate service quality. Use it as an active agreement that has reviews on a predetermined basis to assess service adequacy and negotiate adjustments as necessary.

Northern Computer uses service level agreements (SLA’s) as much as possible with our clients and find they are an excellent tool for helping two parties improve communications, manage expectations, clarify responsibilities and build the foundation for a win-win relationship.

Even though establishing an SLA is for the most part neither a quick nor a simple process, both parties do benefit greatly from the outcome. Talk to us about how we can work with you to create a common understanding of your network services, priorities and responsibilities and how that can benefit your business.

- John G, Operations Manager

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
#1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca

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PC & Laptop Purchases - Retail vs Business

An important consideration when buying a laptop or desktop computer for work purposes is whether you should purchase a consumer model or a model specifically designed for business. Many computer manufacturers offer what appear to be the same make and model in both their home and business divisions, but they are actually not. Business computers are built to last, with higher quality components that are tested more rigorously. Parts used for consumer computers may be more generic or even cheap, while computers designed for professional use more often include higher grade materials and name-brand parts. This emphasis on durability means that the business class laptop or desktop you buy now should last you many trouble free years.

These computers offer more features for professional work, such as fingerprint readers, remote desktop control software, data encryption tools plus high quality mice and keyboards. The professional operating system version that comes on business PCs is also more suited for workers than the home version; Windows 7 Professional, for example, has features -- which Windows 7 Starter and Home editions do not have -- for easily joining a corporate network and using Windows XP software.  They are also bundled with business tool software such as backup programs, software migration and management tools.

Components in business class computers have longer lifecycles and models are typically available for 12 to 16 months. This means you can purchase the same model for additional staff as your company grows without having to change images or options.

Most business class laptops will feature aluminum or magnesium components that are more durable than the simple plastic components used on most consumer notebooks. This metallic case, internal metal structure, sturdier hinges and beefed-up display frame protect the system's innards from damage and help the business laptops handle the stresses of life on the road, stand up to scratches and survive minor drops and bumps. The battery life on business class laptops is generally longer than that on consumer device due to power management programs and better components. These business laptops also offer many more options such as docking stations, extra batteries and extended warranties not found on consumer lines.

Finally, business computer systems come with better support options and may be more easily supported by your employer's IT department as well. The default warranty on business computers is usually longer than those on consumer models and many offer onsite warranties or upgrades to 4 or 5 years. Business users also tend to get priority support, via a dedicated support line, and you can opt for on-site tech support available within hours rather than having to send in your computer for repair, which could take weeks.

At Northern Computer we service what we sell and can offer quick turnarounds on business class computers, laptop support and warranty repair. Like anything, you get what you pay for. Computers are an integral part of our business lives now and we simply can’t do without one. Investing in a business grade computer or laptop will provide your business with increased productivity, long life cycles, data integrity and reduced down time.

- Dave P, Senior Account Manager

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
#1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca

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