Volume 3 Number 9 Issue #52 Circulation 20,017 July 11, 1997

Welcome to another exciting issue of ComputerFAQs. We have two bits of news for everyone. First, it's almost that time of year again: the Buffalo Computer & Business Show is going to be held on October 15 and 16 at the Buffalo Convention Center. If you would like more information on attending or exhibiting, give us a call. We would be happy to send you some free tickets. The second bit of news? We are proud to announce that we have added more staff and are now able to offer Same or Next Business Day Priority Service to our valued customers - even without a service contract. Here's how it works: for an small priority-service charge we will dispatch a technician to your home or office within 2 hours of your call (or by 9:30 am the following business day if your call is received after 3 pm). If our technician is not on time, there is no additional service charge, and you receive $25 off your first hour of service. If you would like complete details on this new service, please call and request document #707111. We are doing more to be your complete source for computer products and services. Please call if there is any way in which we can assist you.

Q: I just upgraded my system from a Pentium 60 to a Pentium 120 chip and I'm quite disappointed. I would expect the computer to run twice as fast. Instead, the increase in speed is minimal. What else can I do, aside from buying a new computer? > Geoff, Amherst NY

A: Depending on the kinds of applications you're running, you will generally notice more of a speed increase by upgrading your system's memory (or RAM) than your processor. Your system's microprocessor is what does the actual calculations, but if you have more memory, your computer can work with much more data, much faster, because it doesn't have to take the time to go out to the relatively slow hard drive to get more information. If you have 8 MB of RAM and a Pentium 60 processor, you will notice more of a speed increase by simply upgrading to 16 MB of RAM. However, for a real market performance increase, you should upgrade your RAM and your entire motherboard/processor. This will give you a very fast processor, lots of RAM, and a nice fast system "bus" (the thing that transports all of your data to it's various destinations). We currently are running a special on memory and motherboard upgrades. If you would like more information, call and request document #707112. >Don

Upgrade Your PC To A Fast 6x86 P166+

Are you tired of waiting for your computer? Allow us to recommend a motherboard upgrade. It's like putting a whole new engine in your car - but at a fraction of the cost of a new system. We can take your old 486 or Pentium and upgrade it to a fast new 6x86 P166+ system for as little as $355. This price includes a new motherboard, processor, and service. If you would like complete details on this offer or information on any of our system upgrades (memory, hard drives, and so on), please call and request document #707113. There is no obligation.

Q: Whenever I boot my computer up, I get this message that says, "Press DEL for Setup." What exactly is this? Is it something I should do, or just leave it alone? >Nelson, Angola NY

A: The setup message you are receiving is to let you know that if you want to modify you system's internal settings, you need to press DEL. What are these internal settings? For the most part, they're only for us computer technicians. We call them CMOS (or you may hear them referred to as BIOS) settings. They control things like what kinds of hard drives you have in your system, how your PCI bus works, and so on. Unless you're sure, it's best to stay out of there. >Don

COMPUTER TRAINING

We have classes available in Word, Excel, Access, WordPerfect, PowerPoint, Windows 95, Publisher, Internet, Web Page Design, and much more. For a complete schedule of classes, please call and request document #707114. We have also extended the deadline on our six-week Microsoft Access Developer Course to August 1st. If you would like more information on this class, please request document #707115. We look forward to seeing you in class!

When was the last time you had your computer's oil changed? We highly recommend our PCDoctor Preventative Maintenance service to all of our customers at least once a year. Only $49 carry-in or $59 on-site. Request document #707116 for details.

Q: We just lost all of our company's data to a virus, but we have virus protection software installed that we bought a few years back. Why did this happen? >Michael, Buffalo NY

A: Virus detection programs are only as good as the viruses they know how to detect. Make sense? If you have a two-year-old scanner, it can only find viruses that were out two years ago. Believe us, a lot of new viruses have been released over the past two years! You should try to stay current by subscribing to a virus update service. There are several good packages available from McAfee, Symantec, and others that make sure you get regular updates. Request document #707117 for details. >Rick

Amicron Technology Services offers the finest in custom-built

COMPUTER SYSTEMS

Amicron July Special: Cyrix 6x86 P166+, 16 MB RAM, 1.3 GB Hard Drive, 16X CD-ROM, 16-bit sound, 33.6 fax/modem, includes a 14" SVGA monitor, includes delivery and installation and a free Introduction To PCs class. An excellent buy at only $1299.

Amicron Alpha: Cyrix 6x86 P166+, 16 MB RAM, 2.1 GB Hard Drive. Perfect for the office on a budget. $881.

Amicron Beta: Cyrix 6x86 P200+, 32 MB RAM, 2.1 GB Hard Drive, 8X CD. Our mid-range business computer system. $1089.

For more information on our custom-built computer systems, call and request document #707118.