PCSDesk

Comcast Service Interruptions

Brian Gallutia — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:59:07 +0000

Comcast and Comcast Business customers in the Middle Tennessee area are experiencing connectivity problems at this time. These problems are currently affecting PCS’s operations, so there will be a delay in working with our customers this morning.

Twitter Fun

Brian Gallutia — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:17:21 +0000

I don’t know how many of our customers use or enjoy Twitter, but one of my New Year’s resolutions was to “get on the bandwagon” and figure out what makes this micro-blogging site so popular.

I have to admit, when I started out on Twitter I was getting depressed and upset by the sheer number of people that could not spell, type, or articulate simple thoughts. That all changed for me when I came across the topic #scifidiseases.

I got to witness people’s creativity and humor in a very unique way. Even though the topic has stagnated, it is still worth a read, especially if you’re as nerdy as we are at PCS.

If I stumble across any more gems I’ll be sure to post. Until next time..

Win7 Notebook Special

Brian Gallutia — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:48:47 +0000

Asus UL50AG-A3B Windows 7 Pro Notebook

Intel Core 2 Duo CULV Processor SU7300 : 1.3 GHz
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 + XP Pro 32 Downgradable
3GB DDR2 800 MHz SDRAM, 2 x SODIMM
15.6″ HD (1366×768) LED Backlight, Color-Shine (Glare-type)
Intel GMA 4500MHD Graphics Controller
250GB 5400rpm 2.5″ 9.5mm SATA
8X DVDRW Super Multi
5 in 1 card reader, SD,MMC,MS,MS-Pro,XD
0.3 Mega Pixel web camera
Integrated 802.11 b/g/n / Atheros AR8132M 10/100Mb
1 x Microphone-in jack / 1 x Headphone-out jack / 3 x USB 2.0 ports / 1 x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert / 1 x HDMI / 1 x VGA Port (D-Sub 15)
Built-in stereo speakers / Altec Lansing co-brand speakers / SRS Premium Sound
Keyboard : 30.2mm size
Battery Pack and Life : 8 cells
Dimension (L x W x H in inches) : 15.4″ x10.4″ x 0.6″-1.05″

$899*

*Sales Tax, Shipping and Delivery/Installation not included in price

Win7 Business PC

Brian Gallutia — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:00:34 +0000

PCS Windows 7 mR Business Workstation
Intel G41RQ Motherboard
Intel Dual Core E5300 (2.6Ghz) CPU
Kingston 2GB DDR2 RAM (2 x 1GB)
Black Mid-Tower Case w/ 350 Watt PS
Western Digital 500GB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
36 in 1 USB Internal Card Reader
Sony OptiArc 24X SATA DVDRW Drive w/ Software
Integrated Sound/Video/LAN
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
Logitech PS2 Keyboard and Mouse

$649*

*Sales Tax, Shipping and Delivery/Installation not included in price

Win7 High-End PC

Brian Gallutia — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:30:28 +0000

PCS Windows 7 hE Business Workstation
Intel Q45CB Motherboard
Intel Quad Core Q9400 (2.66 Ghz) 1333 FSB CPU
Kingston 4GB DDR2 RAM (2 x 2GB)
Black ATX Mid-Tower Case w/ 400 Watt PS
Western Digital 1TB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
36 in 1 USB Internal Card Reader
Sony/NEC Optiarc 24X SATA DVDRW Drive w/ Software
Integrated Sound/Video/LAN
Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (64 bit)
Logitech USB Keyboard & Mouse
$949*

*Sales Tax, Shipping and Delivery/Installation not included in price

Win7 Entry-Level PC

Brian Gallutia — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:00:51 +0000

PCS Windows 7 eL Home System

Intel G41RQ Motherboard
Intel Dual Core E5300 (2.6Ghz) CPU
Kingston 2GB DDR2 RAM
36 in 1 USB Internal Card Reader
Enermax Black Mid-Tower Case w/ 400 watt PS
Western Digital 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 2 HDD
Sony Optiarc 24X SATA DVDRW Drive w/ Software
Integrated Sound/Video/LAN
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Logitech PS2 Keyboard and Mouse

$589*

*Sales Tax, Shipping and Delivery/Installation not included in price

Win7 RC Pre-Expiration

Brian Gallutia — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:30:31 +0000

Beginning March 1, the Windows 7 Release Candidate will start to shut down every two hours in preparation for the product’s expiration on June 1, 2010. What this means is that you will need to backup and migrate your data to a RTM (released to manufacturing) version of Windows 7 or your system’s previous operating system.

The Windows Team blog has a post where you can find more information on this topic.

MS Office 2010 Pricing

Brian Gallutia — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:59:49 +0000

Microsoft revealed pricing on its various Office 2010 retail lines this week. So, without further ado..

The Product Key Card will only be available for purchase via OEMs and electronic retail outlets. The Product Key Card is a single-license card with a key that lets users unlock Office 2010 software preloaded by the PC manufacturer. Please note that this option does not come with media (IE: a DVD install disc), which accounts for the lower price tag.

MobileMe Outages

Brian Gallutia — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:34:47 +0000

Today multiple customers reported issues with Apple’s MobileMe service in that they could either not get their emails or emails happened to get “stuck” in their accounts and never juggled properly to their mobile devices.

PCS confirmed that there was indeed a problem with the service as reported on the MobileMe web site.

If you own an iPhone or Macintosh system and experience issues with MobileMe from time to time, we invite you to check MobileMe’s status page at..

http://www.apple.com/support/mobileme/

..before making any changes to your personal configurations. If problems persist, feel free to contact us for assistance.

Display Cleaning

Brian Gallutia — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:18:30 +0000

A long-time customer and friend asked PCS for advice on the best way to clean his computer displays:

..what should I use to clean monitor screens? Is Windex OK? How about on my laptop, which is covered with fingerprints?

Our first response is to NEVER USE Windex to clean LCD displays. Windex contains a substantial amount of ammonia, which over time will damage the protective coating that lies on top of most LCD displays.

Another reason not to use Windex for display cleaning is that a lot of people like to go hog-wild with it, allowing it to collect on the display and “drip down” before wiping. If the Windex happens to reach the bottom of the display, enough could collect and damage the LCD’s electronics, causing distortion and pixel-loss.

Another “do NOT do” is to not use paper towels to clean a display. Paper towels contain a lot of fibers and particles that could scratch a display, especially those displays with anti-glare surfaces.

So what is the best way to clean a display?

Grab a microfiber cloth and gently wipe your screen to free it of dust, fingerprints and any other smudges.
If cleaning solution is required, sometimes wetting one side of the microfiber cloth with water and gently wiping the screen will provide enough moisture and allow you to clean the screen with the dry side of the cloth. If your display is really “gunky”, you can make your own cleaning solution using a half-and-half mix of 70 percent isopropyl alcohol and distilled water.

If you have any questions, feel free to post comments on this post by registering on our site.