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USA Today
- Edward Baig
Dec 27, 2006
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The eggnog is gone, gifts unwrapped. And all across the USA, people are desperately trying to figure out how to get their brand-new electronic devices to do what they're supposed to do.
USA TODAY is here to help. Reporter Michelle Kessler solicited guidance from seasoned Best Buy Geek Squad agent Chris Barnes. Personal Technology columnist Edward C. Baig weighed in with his own advice. Here are tips and traps to help you get the most out of your newest toys, without having to shed tears on your owner's manual, assuming the product even came with one.
Computers and home networking
PCs have long moved past letting you just process words, crunch numbers or surf the Web. Today's machines often double as sophisticated home entertainment systems, some with built-in TV tuners. Consider hooking up a good pair of speakers to play digital music or connecting a TV to play digital video.
To best take advantage of all your new PC has to offer, you'll want a speedy Internet connection (commonly through DSL or cable) and a wireless home network. Purchase a small box known as a router, which when coupled with the computer's "Wi-Fi" capabilities, will let you surf throughout the house.
Transferring digital music or photo libraries from an old PC to a new one can be difficult because the files can be large. Instead of burning hundreds of CDs, consider purchasing a universal serial bus (USB) drive. They're simple, reusable, and 1 gigabyte models can be found for less than $40, though they won't hold much data. Just plug the USB drive into one computer, copy files, then plug the gizmo into the new machine.
If you're moving a lot of files and programs from an older computer, consider a PC migration program such as PCMover from Laplink.
Traps. Not all programs can be transferred from one machine to another. You may have to download — and pay for — new versions. Some new PCs come with trial versions of software that expire after a few months unless you pay an extra fee. Evaluate these choices carefully, since it may be cheaper to shop around. But make sure you always have up-to-date anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware protection. Computers without them are vulnerable.
Installing a home network can get technical, so you may seek help from a tech-savvy neighbor. Most important, make sure to turn on wireless security settings to prevent your system from being hacked. Such settings may or may not be turned on by default.