I was reading an article that stated 1 in every 3 laptops will die within the first three years.  Shockingly enough I would suspect that number to be a lot higher rather then 33%.  I dove further into the issue to read the article include more information about companies like HP, Acer and Gateway manufacturing some of the worst laptops with a surprising 25.6% hardware fail rate from HP.

While the article goes on to include facts such that most (20.4% hardware vs. 10.6% accidental damage of spills and drops) are to blame on the manufacture, can we really say that the user is not to be blamed?  I agree that not all companies are created equal but they do use the same parts and products from the same companies such as Intel, nVidia and AMD.  What the Tech?  Users create and most of the preventable problems that will occur in any sort of technological breakdown.

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I just bought a new computer and I want to make sure I have an anti-virus on the computer before I go onto the internet.  My last computer died because I had too many viruses on it so before I even go onto the internet on the new one, I want some protection.  Do you recommend any good free anti-virus programs?  Will it offer the same protection as a paid anti-virus?

Congratulations on the new computer!  I’m glad you made sure to have some protection on the computer before you connected to a website online; you’re very right about how fast you can contract some nasty infections on a computer on an unprotected machine.

There are plenty of free options out there which can protect your computer but I recommend one of them more then the others.  Check it out below and feel free to use the download link I provide to obtain the program instantly.

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Bing vs. Google…its become the new debate of search engines. Has Microsoft finally made a product that can compete with something released by Google? Many people have written off Windows Mobile (smart phone software) right after the release of Android…but I think there is one feature that Microsoft has done a great job with that Google will never be able to compete with until it offers a similar product.

Bing Cashback is Microsoft’s weapon against Google and it’s working. Have you explored what Bing Cashback can do for you?

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When I type in www.yahoo.com it changes to m.www.yahoo.com and displays everything on the left side of the screen.  How do I change this back?  I do not like the new look of the page and it makes things more complicated for me.

Yahoo! has been experimenting with some changes within the past couple years including their aesthetics on their homepage.  Most websites are constantly trying to stay updated with the times, including looks, and are making a push to become more web 2.o.  Yahoo! has been in competition with Google and Microsoft for their search engine efforts and their other marketed homepage features, so staying current with better features and better improvements is always on the agenda.

Read more about the New Yahoo! Hompage

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After attending the Windows 7 Launch Event, Microsoft graciously gave each attendant a Windows 7 Swag Bag!  The burning question I’ve had from a lot of readers is what is a Swag Bag and what does it include; especially from Microsoft…?

I took some pictures late last week and got some time to post them today.  Let us know what you think about the swag we made out with!  Oh, and the bag will be given away to a beloved staff member here on What the Tech for all their volunteered time…got any suggestions for who deserves it the most?

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As of the recent release of the Motorola Droid, I’ve started diving deeper into some of the features that separate out phones more and the inclusion of a full qwerty keyboard has become essential today.

Excitingly enough, I’ve been given the opportunity to review the Motorola Droid from Verizon Wireless for the next couple weeks, and I was doing some background research on how important the feature of a real (not virtual) qwerty keyboard is on new phones released. My investigation led me to an interesting article about the large volume of text messages sent daily across the nation here in the US; if you text, you’re going to want to see this…

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I bought a PC which is pretty new and my friend told me that it could be eligible for a free Windows 7 upgrade.  Where do I go to find that out?  Is there a link out that I can check to see if my computer is eligible?

I’m glad you’ve been keeping up with technology and are aware of a possible update!  I highly recommend you check out your options to see if you are Windows 7 eligible.

For those of you who are unaware of this, most computer manufacturers offer some of their most recent machines that were sold a free or discounted update to Windows 7 which should be taken by anyone who is offered it.  A discount on Windows 7 is more of a reason to switch over to one of the best operating systems released by Windows.

Here are some links to check out if you’re computer is eligable.

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I’m having trouble with a program on my computer, Green AV, and I think it’s spyware?  How do I remove it?  It won’t uninstall in my add/remove programs panel and it seems to be hogging up a lot of my system resources.  Thanks.

Green AV is one of the more annoying spyware programs which likes to disguise itself as the popular and powerful AVG Anti-Virus; ironic huh?  It constantly prompts you to upgrade the program while warning you of false security tags about your computer having malicious files installed.

The removal process of this dangerous rogue spyware is quite simple and will ensure you go back to browsing safely again.

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Hi, I just bought a new microphone for my PC, but every time I try to use it I get a lot of feedback.  It’s pretty close and connected to the computer so I don’t see why it will not work.  I can hear anyone talking to me through the speakers very clear but when I try to talk back, it gives me a lot of feedback.  Please help!

Ahh, I wish that companies who manufactured PC components included better instructions for their consumers.  While you may have your microphone plugged in correctly into the right port on your PC, there may be a couple reasons why you are receiving feedback from it while trying to use it.  Lets try troubleshooting this problem with a couple solutions to fix your feedback problem.

The first part to check is the connection into your computer.  Make sure your microphone wire is securely fixed into the port in the back of your PC (or wherever your Mic In port is) and that it is in the right color; most computers today associate the color red with recording.  If it is even a tiny bit loose, you will hear some feedback for the lack of proper connection between the port and the wire.

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I want to transfer my documents and favorites from hard drive on desktop computer to my laptop.  I have a flash drive but don’t know how to use it.  I’m a klutz in cyberspace… so do you have any easy instructions for me to follow?  Many thanks in advance!!

A flash drive is a wonderful new tool that every computer user should understand.  It allows for an easy and fast transfer of files from one computer to the next.  In some cases, you can even take your flash drive straight from your computer with pictures and hook it up to an appropriate printer to print directly from the flash drive without a computer!

To transfer over some of your document and favorites from your hard drive of your desktop computer to your laptop, we will be using a flash drive like you mentioned.  Make sure you have both computers nearby, a clean flash drive and your computers powered on.

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