| Untagged | 13 May 2009 12:00 AM |
| My Comptuer is Toast! Part 3... by Arthur Kaljian | |
Continuing from our topic in the previous entries, Stability refers to how reliable the computer acts over time, from both the hardware and software side. If hardware is defective, it generally will show up within a few days of setup.
Hardware that has no issues for a year will most likely remain issue free until something physically wears out. Experience shows that the average computer life today is about 3 years before physical failure, excluding defects.
Some brands are better than others and some components are better than others. It is important to know or to discuss with somebody who does know the difference in reliable and stable hardware. My personal experience with Compaq brand desktop computers pushed me to exclude them from any consideration since 1995.
Software on the other hand has a high failure rate. Due to the bugs and loopholes in most windows operating systems, software can corrupt at any time during the life of a computer. Sometimes is it a minor issue, sometimes it can require a complete re-install.
Most of the service calls my company deals with are the result of software failure. Since software is not warrantied, usually this means repairing the software or reinstalling the entire system from scratch.
Ensuring stability can be summed up in a simple slogan many of us have heard, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." In other words, for business purposes, use the software you need. Do not install extraneous software that can adversely affect your business.
A good example is torrent or limewire type software. Yes, it can be convenient to use these programs while working, but they can severely disrupt your computer when they infect your machine with viruses, bugs or unwanted spyware.
Another example is Microsoft Windows ME (millennium edition). This operating system was released by Microsoft but admittedly it was a very buggy and had so many issues that we recommended upgrading all those we encountered without even diagnosing specific problems.
Understanding what hardware and what software combines to make a stable computer is what computer consultants do. Experience, a good knowledge base and the ability to research the latest information makes the difference between having a computer that works for you and a computer that you are working for.
Next time we'll discuss COMPATIBILTY.
