Tech gurus are often skeptical when new products hit the market that closely resemble existing products. Maybe you are one of them. Perhaps you did not immediately see the benefits of iPad mini when you can have a full-sized iPad at your convenience.

However, the iPad mini has been yet another immensely popular product in the Apple line for a reason. The following are some of the benefits of iPad mini. Perhaps they will coax you to ditch the iPad mini’s bulkier counterpart.

Size

If you did not glean this obvious benefit from the name of the product, the iPad mini is smaller and therefore more portable. The iPad mini is only 7.9 inches diagonally. This is significantly smaller than the 9.7-inch screen of the traditional iPad. Not only does the iPad mini take up less space, but it’s also easier to handle when you decide to record video or shoot pictures. You may have seen someone out in public trying to do this with a traditional iPad — it does not seem too easy.

Affordable

The iPad mini is not going to break the bank, either. If you opt for an iPad mini that operates on WiFi only, the product will set you back around $329 (16 GB version). However, if you plan on running 4G, that’s certainly not one of the huge benefits of an iPad mini. This tacks on significant costs and a 16 GB iPad mini could balloon to over $450.

Speed

Just because the iPad mini so small, does not infringe on its speed or memory. This product runs on an Apple A5 dual core processor. This is the same chip that is used in the iPhone 4S, and many look at the iPad mini as larger version of an iPhone.

If these benefits of an iPad mini are not enough to sway you, there might be another version on the horizon. Apple is notorious for rapid firing updated versions of their products, and many techies are already circulating rumors about an iPad mini 2. Anything that does not suit you fancy with an iPad mini could soon be resolved.

Need Help For Your Tech Issues?

Whether you want expert advice on which gadget best suits your needs, or need help repairing a device, TalkLocal can help you find the right people. Let us know your problem is and we’ll connect you with someone that can help within minutes.

If you have a new Windows 8 computer, you might want to know how to troubleshoot your Windows 8 DVD drive when it does not work. This issue can often arise following a Window 8 install. Following the installation process, Windows 8 does not recognize CDs or DVDs. There are, however, a number of steps you can take in an attempt to repair this problem before you have to call in the professionals.

How Do You Know Your Windows 8 DVD Drive Is Not Working?

Even though the tray physically slides out, your DVD drive still might not be functioning correctly. When you insert a DVD or CD into the drive, its presence should be indicated in the File Explorer. If this does not happen, your computer is not recognizing the DVD.

Check Connections And Reset Power

This could be a result of a random hardware issue. These are very easy to fix. You can check the Windows BIOS to see if the drive is recognized. If it’s not, then the problem probably lies in the computer’s hardware.

Ensure that all of the right connections are being made internally. This is an easy for desktop owners, who can open up their towers to make sure that the drive is connected properly. It might help to detach all of the cords running to the drive and reattaching them.

Make sure to restart the power to your computer. Occasionally, that alone will do the trick.

The Automated Process

Running the “Find and fix problems” process can help you efficiently troubleshoot a problematic Windows 8 DVD drive. Simply take the following path to access this feature, and allow the system to diagnose the problem and offer some possible solutions.

Control Panel > System and Security > Find and Fix Problems

Select “Hardware and Sound” and click “Configure Device”.

Finding Professional Help

Not everyone is savvy with computers, which is why the services of a quality computer repair technician are so important. They are also hard to find. With TalkLocal, you can type in a little information about your problem and we’ll have the right professionals call you, ready to assist. It’s literally the quickest way to fix any of your computer woes.

If you are looking to install an internal hard drive, you have likely encountered one of two problems:

          – Your existing hard drive is fried and will no longer work.

          – You want to reinforce your computer — maybe it’s a custom built computer — with additional hard drive space.

Either way, learning to install an internal hard drive is a must, and is certainly not as hard as you might think it would be. Follow these general steps and you can successfully pull of this technological feat on your own.

1. Turn off your computer and disconnect the power cord completely. Expose the internal workings of the computer and always make sure to identify the components before you start unplugging or moving things around.

2. If you are replacing the hard drive, locate it first. This might be the toughest part of the whole process — which isn’t really tough at all. Once you locate the hard drive, slide it out of its cage or wherever it is mounted and unhook all of the cables leading in to it.

3. If the old drive needed rails or any other sort of mounting tools, make sure to transfer those over to the new hard drive. This will let the new hard drive seamlessly slip into the space where the old drive was housed.

4. Connect the information and power wires to the new hard drive and slide it into place.

5. If you are adding an additional hard drive, find a vacant spot to house the drive. Once you do, locate one of the loose data cables inside the computer, which are attached to the motherboard. Connect the data cable to the new hard drive before fixing it in place. You will also need to locate a free power cable and plug it into the new hard drive as well.

6. Finally, format that hard drive. With an operating system like Windows, this can be done via a simple, automated process.

Need Help?

Not everyone is confident tooling around inside their computer to install an internal hard drive. If you are one of them, try using TalkLocal to find someone that can help. We connect you with local technicians that are eager to help. The best part of all is that you won’t have to waste hours searching through the phonebook to find someone. Let us do the work for you!

Custom-building a computer can be quite rewarding, but building a computer on which you can play your favorite games is doubly rewarding! You get to customize all of the specs you want, so that your computer performs at the highest possible level. And you get to really test the limits of a machine that you built. Here is some advice on how to build a gaming computer.

Factors To Consider

When building your own gaming computer, the main factor you need to consider is frame rates.  Building a gaming computer involves a lot of parts but it does not have to cost a lot.  You can construct yourself a great system that runs video and computer games with phenomenal clarity.

The biggest trade-off you face when you build a gaming computer is between graphics and performance.  You can deal with this problem by choosing whichever you need for the games you play.  If you play fast-paced games, you should choose performance.  If you need quality visuals, choose graphics.

Below is a list of the parts you can use to build a gaming computer that is balanced between both performance and graphics:

– CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K

– Graphics Card: XFX Radeon HD 6870

– Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68MA-D2H 8GB

– Memory kit

– HDD Storage: Samsung SH-B123L BD-ROM

– Optical Drive combo

– Case: Coolermaster HAF 912

– PSU: corsair builder series CX600 600W

– Operating System: Windows 7 Home premium

– Power Supply

Assemble these parts in the same way you would put together a regular computer.  Use as much space as you need and do not clutter the device.  You should remember that the mounting posts on the motherboard need to be installed in the microATX mount posts instead of in the full size holes.

Seek Professional Advice

If you cannot figure out how to build a gaming computer you should try to talk to a professional so that you can get the best help possible.  The easiest, fastest way to get in contact with reliable local IT service technicians is to use TalkLocal. Just tell us what issue you’re having, your location, and availability, and let us do all the work.  Within minutes you will be connected to up to three professionals, for free!

If you are a computer gamer, you were probably stoked to find that Windows 7 offered a new version of DirectX — the software that makes for crystal-clear picture and ear-popping sound for most PC games. DirectX 11 promised to better harness the power of multi-core processors and provide for a more enjoyable gaming experience.

You won’t be able to experience any of this if you find DirectX 11 not installing in Windows 7. The following is some insight if you find you are unable to use DirectX 11.

Graphics Card Doesn’t Support DirectX 11

If you suspect that DirectX 11 not installing in Windows 7, it might just be a case that your current graphics card does not support it. You will have to do a little research to confirm that this is the case. However, if your graphics card does not support DirectX 11, you can always revert back to an older version of DirectX, which should be available on your computer.

Of course, the more expensive alternative is to upgrade your graphics card (i.e. Nvidia 400 series and above or other cards that support DirectX 11).

Do I Have To Manually Install DirectX 11?

DirectX 11 comes standards on Windows 7, so you will not have to manually download this software. To ensure your computer is equipped with DirectX 11, you can run your Windows updates. However, DirectX 11 will only run if you have the proper hardware (current video card) to support it.

Your system will automatically have the DirectX files that you need, based on your computer’s hardware.

Get The Most Updated Version of DirectX 11

While you will not have to manually install DirectX 11 on your computer, you can seek out the most updated version. These latest versions will be available on the Microsoft website and can be downloaded via an easy step-by-step process.

Confused Yet?

If you are only a casual gamer, your head might be spinning right about now. A computer repair technician would be able to supply you with the knowledge you need to keep your machine up to date. Find one through TalkLocal and cut through the hassle of shopping around in the phonebook.

Cookies are not just a delicious treat. You may have heard this term thrown around on the Internet and asked yourself: What are Internet cookies?

In short, Internet cookies are implemented in an effort to make your experience on the web more customized and efficient. To do this, a web server stores bits of information on your computer so that it can later retrieve it. Cookies are incredibly common and have been around for the last decade or more. Many users that do not fully grasp the concept of cookies — or general detractors — argue that it is a violation of a user’s privacy. Keep in mind, though, cookies are far from spyware.

As you read on and explore more about Internet cookies, you can be the judge.

How Do Internet Cookies Work?

In order to answer: What are Internet cookies? You have to know how they work.

When you visit a website, the site assigns an ID and places a cookie on your computer. Your activity on the website is stored so that it can be used to make your browsing experience more user-friendly. The website can also use data from your computer to determine your location so that it can cater to you on a local level.

For example, if you are ordering something on the website and fill out an order form, that information will be stored in the site’s database so that if you ever ordered something again, you wouldn’t have to fill out another form. The information would already be there.

Are Cookies Harmful?

Cookies do not give anyone the opportunity to spy on what you are doing on your computer or retrieve personal information. These are only used to enhance your experience while browsing the Internet. Those that consider cookies a breach of privacy are simply off base.

Types of Cookies

There are two main types of Internet cookies:

Session cookies: These cookies only run while you are visiting a site. Once you close out, the cookie goes away.

Persistent cookies: These cookies remain on your machine for future visits to a website.

Need Computer Help?

Whether you want to further explore the question: What are Internet cookies? Or need technical help, TalkLocal has you covered. We can connect you with computer repair technicians right in your local area for free. Try us out.

Don’t you hate spending half of your time online waiting for web pages to load? There could be a variety of reasons why your web pages load slowly. To diagnose the issue, try booting your computer in safe mode with networking. Open any web page. You can also check the web page loading time using different web browsers. If the loading time doesn’t improve when in safe mode, then there is probably a problem with your Internet connection. If the loading time is faster than usual, then there is a problem is with your computer. If your computer is the problem, try the following methods to speed up web page loading.

1. Reboot Your Modem

2. Turn off your computer.

3. Unplug the modem. Leave it unplugged for one minute.

4. Plug in the modem.

Restart your computer after the modem lights flash and remain steady.

Limit Multimedia On The Web Page

The more content there is on a web page, the slower it will load. If you limit the amount of multimedia that your computer must process, then the web page will load faster. To customize these settings for Windows:

1.     Click Start > Control Panel.

2.     Double click Internet Options.

3.     Click Settings.

4.     Under the Multimedia heading, uncheck the settings you would like to disable.

5.     Click OK.

Use Antivirus Correctly

Antivirus software must store many files and logs when it performs a scan. This information is not overwhelming, but unnecessary or duplicate files can affect the response time of your web pages. Scan your computer with a program like Free Window Registry Repair to find out the condition of your registry.

Maintain Background Programs

Along with antivirus software, other processes run constantly and can often slow down your connection. Programs may be silently updating in the background while you are browsing the Internet, which results in a lag. To maintain your background programs in Windows:

1.     Click the Start button >> Run.

2.     Type “msconfig.exe” in the command screen.

3.     Click Service or Startup in the System Configuration Utility.

4.     Uncheck the programs you want to stop running.

5.     Click OK.

Further Assistance

If the above methods fail to improve your browsing experience, you can always have your computer examined by a professional. TalkLocal can connect you with up to three computer technicians in your area within minutes. Our service is fast and free!

A computer’s USB port is essentially the floppy or CD drive of this generation. So many of us load information (computer programs, pictures, music, documents, etc.) to a computer through a flash drive that connects to a USB port. Even more importantly, many of us use USB ports to connect our peripherals (printer, keyboard, hard drives). Needless to say, if you have noticed that your USB port stopped working, you have a significant problem on your hands.

The following are a few ways you can attempt to remedy this situation.

Restart The Computer

On occasion, your computer will simply not load the drivers correctly. If your USB port stopped working, the solution might be as simple as restarting your computer. This gives the machine the opportunity to load the drivers correctly, and if it does, your USB port would again be able to detect any hardware that is plugged in.

Try this first. If it doesn’t fix the problem, here are some other possible solutions.

Install Windows Updates

If you are using a computer with Windows as an operating system, make sure that all current updates have been installed. To do this, go to the ‘Start’ menu and take the following path:

All Programs > Windows Update

The updates could provide your machine with what it needs to allow the USB ports to function properly once again.

Check Your Device

Say you plugged in a flash drive and it appears your USB port does not work. Make sure to try the flash drive in another USB port to see if it works. It could very well be that your device is damaged instead of the port.

Check USB Ports

If you find your USB port stopped working, it might not be a problem with your drivers. It could be that the physical USB port has been damaged or broken. Inspect the port to make sure nothing has broken off. If you find that it has been damaged, consult a professional that is able to replace them. Without a firm knowledge of building computers, this is not a do-it-yourself task.

When You Need Help…

When it comes to computer repair, it is essential to consult a professional that knows what they’re doing. TalkLocal specializes in connecting consumers with computer repair professionals in their area. We make sure that greatly-needed tech support is just a few clicks away. Try our service out for free.

Disk partitioning is useful for a lot of things and is made possible quite easily with Windows 7 and Vista.  The actual act of partitioning is separating a hard drive into multiple volumes. This is useful because it allows data on one volume to be stored and accessed independently from another. This mean if something happens to the partitions index file you can still reboot from another partition.

How To Repartition A Hard Drive In Windows 7

The first thing you should always do is back up your important files so that in the event that something goes wrong, you can recover any desired information. Here are the steps on how to repartition a hard drive in Windows 7.

1. Go to the Start Menu, right click on Computer, and select Manage.

2. Next, go to Storage and select Disk Management. This will show you all of the storage space that your computer can access.

3. Select the hard drive that you want to partition, right-click, and select Shrink Volume. This will scan your drive to show you how many megabytes you have available in storage space.

4. Next, type in the amount of space you want for the partition (Note: 1024 MB = 1 GB).

5. Now you’ll see the partitioned segment you just created, which will be unallocated. Right-click and select New Simple Volume.

6. The New Simple Volume Wizard should pop-up. This wizard allows you to specify a drive letter, mounting and formatting options, as well as the option to rename the volume. Click finish and you’re all set. You have successfully repartitioned your hard drive.

You can also check out the Microsoft Windows online forum for further questions with repartitioning a hard drive.

Need Help With Your Hard Drive?

If you have a Mac or another operating system and this tutorial is not an option for you, don’t worry. Simply go to the TalkLocal website and submit a request. In seconds, you will receive from calls from up to three local computer repair technicians who can provide you with professional assistance.

With all of the advancements technology has made, you may find yourself stuck in between two very good choices. The battle of Chromebook vs. tablet has become a popular one for technological warriors lately after new developments for both. So how do you pick? Well, honestly, your choice depends on your individual needs.

Chromebook vs Tablet – Your Options

Chromebook

This is basically a small laptop created by Google, partnered with Samsung and Acer. Right now, the most recent upgrade is the Series 5. This computer runs on Chrome OS — Google’s operating system — which is known for being the first OS heavily based around Cloud storage. Chromebooks only have about 16 GB of storage, but that’s because everything else is stored in the Cloud.

You Would Want A Chromebook If:

– You want a full keyboard.

– You do a lot of work that needs to be saved and accessible from anywhere.

– You often have Internet access. Chromebooks, being centered on Cloud storage, require Internet access in order to access a lot of other things. You can use a Chromebook without Internet, but doing so long-term would defeat the purpose of the Chrome operating system.

– You are willing to get used to a new OS other than Windows or Mac. Although it has been called user-friendly, it is still new and different.

Tablet

Tablets are touch screen pads with no keyboard attached. They come from multiple brands and typically run either Android operating systems or Windows. However, Apple does have a tablet called the iPad. The iPad runs on a Mac OS.

You Would Want A Tablet If:

– You need something highly portable. Tablets are very light and easy to move around. Even with a very durable, protective case on them, they’re not very bulky or heavy.

– You will truly utilize the touch screen interface. If you want a keyboard for your tablet, you’ll need to purchase it separately, so being able to use the touch screen keyboard proficiently will really benefit you.

– You don’t need a lot of memory. Especially compared to the Chromebook, which has loads of memory through the Cloud operating system, tablets can’t save a lot of data. However, if you want to save your work and then transfer it online or elsewhere, you’re good to go.

For Help Deciding Or To Fix Problems With Your Chromebook or Tablet

There are many variables that come into play when you’re deciding Chromebook vs. tablet. It all depends on what you need and why. If you need help deciding, or just want more information, let us know. At TalkLocal, we thrive on taking the work out of your search for local professionals.