Sites worth visiting for computer advice
Each day I get emails from readers looking for help with a computer that has decided to imitate me — to retire and take frequent naps.
I answer when I can but since it’s just me and Lucy the Beagle, there are times when I can’t get to every email. And, more frequently than I like, I just don’t know the answer myself.
Shocking, I know — but there you go.
I also get questions when readers are shopping for a new computer, HDTV or some other gadget. At times I’ve sampled enough products to have an opinion but often I haven’t tried many of the competing models and don’t feel comfortable offering an opinion.
Luckily there are some terrific resources on the Web, places I trust when I need help. Over time
I’ve found sites that are usually both reliable and trustworthy. That’s a big deal since the kind of sites I just described are in the minority. I’ve visited places where most of the advice is just plain wrong or is written in a clumsy way that makes following the advice — even when it is correct — a little like trying to figure out what Lucy the Beagle has on her mind. On top of that, some of these websites seem to be nothing more than a thinly disguised site run by marketers and designed to praise second-rate software and hardware.
Let me recommend a few places worth visiting. Keep in mind that although these are the cream of the crop, they’ll also sometimes offer bad advice or be unclear at times. They’re better than most others — but they aren’t perfect like the two of us.
Bleeping Computer (www.bleepingcomputer.com/): I remember having trouble fixing a bug that hijacked my browser. I thought I knew what I was doing but — in trying to fix it myself — soon realized I didn’t know enough. I logged on to one of the forums on this site and left a posting about my trouble and what I had tried. Within a day a computer professional, not some amateur, answered and offered more than advice. He offered to help me fix it, to stick with me through the process, making suggestions on what to try next. It took three days of back and forth messaging but the problem was indeed fixed.
Tom’s Hardware (www.tomshardware. com/): You’ll find both reviews and tutorials here. The nifty thing is this: The information is sophisticated enough for someone who already knows his way around a computer but is presented in an easy-to-read way so even a novice will be able to follow along. That’s one heck of a trick. I invite you to give it a try.
Cnet (www.cnet. com/): The reviews here are honest ones. That’s a big deal since many sites seem to favor the companies that advertise on the site and offer reviews that are, to be charitable, sugar-coated (or if you want the cold way of saying it) outright lies. I’ve had a lot of experience using the reviews myself and, while I’ve disagreed a few times, I think this is the best hardware review site on the Web. And the reviews cover more than computers. Name any consumer product category you wish — cameras, computers, HDTVs, home audio, you name it — and you’ll find reviews. One thing to avoid here: The site also offers downloads; in the past I’ve downloaded software that had more bugs than a rotten log. Maybe that’s been fixed, or maybe I was just unlucky, but stay away from the downloads.
PC Magazine (www. pcmag.com/): Like with any good magazine, you are offered coverage of new products, new computer threats as well as some credible reviews of new products. The fact that this is a magazine means there’s a lot of emphasis on what’s new. But there’s another benefit to the magazine format: The writing is first rate and designed to be both informative and entertaining. It’s a place well worth a visit.
Give these sites a try. And you may have some of your own that have been a help. If that’s the case, please email me and tell me about your own discoveries.