Article
by Thomas Burns
Is Your Hardware Outdated?
The question businesses and individuals fail to ask as often as
they should is “Is the hardware outdated?” Surprising
as it may seem to some people, many do not understand that computer
hardware can become outdated or that outdated hardware could shut
down their business for some period of time. Especially in a time
when such a large portion of everyone’s business is tied up
with the internet or with their networks and systems, old hardware
can cause problems.
The current rule of thumb about the life of a computer is 3 years.
I think that can depend on how you use the computer or the network
in your business. Back in the days when computers were used primarily
for word processing functions or simple database applications, outdated
hardware might not matter too much. But in today’s business
environment – in fact, even in personal use environments –
your hardware can make or break your business.
Let’s consider some of the ways outdated hardware can affect
your business.
1. Your monitor fades or flickers. This is incredibly
irritating. Either your monitor or your graphics board could be
the problem. Monitors wear out, just like TVs. An old graphics board
might not have the sophistication or power to handle the more enhanced
graphics used today.
2. Your computer keeps shutting down. How much
work have you lost because your computer shut down while you were
in the middle of something? How many sales did you lose because
your system was down for 6 hours? Where do you have accessories
plugged in? Does the port have its own power source? Is that power
source adequate to run the accessory?
3. You keep losing your internet connection. Do
you really think all those websites are having that many problems?
It might not be your internet service provider. The problem might
be outdated DSL hardware. We are communicating faster and faster
every year. An old DSL modem can easily cause connection problems.
4. Your files start looking like someone translated them
into Cyrillic or something. This is probably a symptom
of a dying hard drive. When a hard drive dies, you stand to lose
some or all of your files – program files and data files.
5. Does your computer slow down or lock up when you have
three programs open? If so, you are probably running low
on memory. Memory is another capacity of computers that is being
upgraded constantly. Don’t confuse storage with memory. The
more sophisticated and complex the graphics and other files become,
the more memory they require. Chances are that an older system will
have far less memory than newer models.
6. Your printer can’t understand what your computer
is telling it to do. This problem can reside in the printer,
in the cable connecting the computer to the printer, in the print
drivers, or in the printer memory. Don’t you just hate finishing
a spectacular report and not being able to print it?
7. It takes forever for your programs to do as instructed.
It is very frustrating to sit and wait while you computer saves
a file or updates something. If you find that your programs are
running exceptionally slowly, it could be because you don’t
have enough memory, or because your processor is outdated. Older
systems have less memory and slow processors.
8. The flyer you just approved seems to have different
colors or the lines are not as sharp. You probably have
an old graphics card; or your monitor may be low-resolution. Either
can cause color distortion and loss of sharpness.
9. You are working away fine until your computer suddenly
locks up. This can result from any of several causes. Your
computer could be overheating, or you could be out of hard drive
space, or you could be using outdated software. You probably find
that the only solution is to shut down the computer and reboot.
But you’ll probably lose what you were working on. If your
computer locks up without any error message or other apparent explanation,
it could be a sign of a RAM (Random Access Memory) problem. But
it could also be an indication that there is a problem in the system
board.
These are just some of the ways outdated hardware can cause problems
for system users and for businesses. Keeping your system up to date
and having it checked regularly can help you avoid expensive problems.
About the Author
Thomas Burns, founder and CEO of Intelligent
Networks Services (INS) has been an industry expert in
computer network and technology for over 20 years. Under his careful
supervision, INS has become a leading, full service IT support company
servicing small to mid-sized businesses in Silicon Valley. INS’s
goal is to save their client’s money by focusing on preventative
maintenance and intelligent network designs.
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