Lately I've been dabbling in some great online resources for computer techs and computer business owners. The first one is Podnutz.com. Podnutz.com is a computer repair podcast that is excellent. The host of Podnutz is Steve Cherubino. He owns his own computer repair shop called Geek Force in Philadelphia and he is very knowledgeable about computer repair and business. Not only is he great at fixing desktops, but he is also a laptop WIZARD! I wouldn't even attempt to do a lot of the stuff he does with laptops.

Podnutz discusses a lot about computer business and is usually packed with great tips for new business owners and veteran business owners alike. And when Steve or his guests are not talking about business, they are talking about repair work. And that is awesome. So anyway, I am hooked on this podcast. If you're a techie, you should be too! Go check it out!

The next resource I want to talk about is Technibble.com. Technibble is a blog about computer repair and business, but they also have an excellent computer repair and business forum. In these forums you can ask for computer help or computer business advice. Plenty of friendly people, many of them owning their own computer businesses, will help you out in there. Technibble also sells a great computer business kit which is an excellent kit for people starting their computer repair business. It includes plenty of great forms that can help you run a professional business and keep track of information at the same time.

So Podnutz and Technibble. Go check them out. Two excellent resources for computer repair technicians and business owners.

Here is a list of items that I think every computer tech should have. I'll explain what it is good for and I've also provided links directly to the products I've bought on Newegg.

There are about 15 different English Windows XP installation CDs today, so when somebody screws up their system and the only thing they have is a product/CoA key, you need to be prepared.

First, let's cover the different Windows installations:

Windows XP Home Retail
Windows XP Home OEM
Windows XP Home Upgrade
Windows XP MCE 2005 Retail
Windows XP MCE 2005 OEM
Windows XP Pro Retail
Windows XP Pro OEM
Windows XP Pro Upgrade
Windows XP Pro Corporate
Windows XP Academic
Windows XP MCE 2005 Upgrade
Windows XP "Go Pro" Promotion Upgrade

Mastering your attitude is a key to mastering your success. Bad attitude is infectious and it is sometimes a hard thing to do away with. But it is important to be able to change your attitude for the better. The happier and more focused your attitude is, the more likely you are to drive yourself to success. One way to change your attitude is to use an affirmation. An affirmation is a statement that describes what you want. Effective affirmations are precise, positive, and written in the present tense. You may know affirmations under the popular name of "The Law of Attraction." Whether you want to call it The Law of Attraction or you want to call it exactly what it is, affirming, has helped many people adjust their attitude and attract the things they want in their lives.

To start using affirmations, you must first determine what you want. Now describe yourself as already having it. You could write something like, "I, Gabriel Diaz, am wealthy. I have more money than I could ever imagine. I live in a six-bedroom house in Irvine, California. I drive a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. My wife and I are very happy with eachother. She wears a beautiful Calla Cut diamond ring and is very happy with her life. We have a cute beagle that greets us every day with a wagging tail."

Believe it or not, some of the best computer applications are free. Why spend money for Norton Anti-Virus and Internet Security updates when you can get all of that for free? Actually, while I am talking about Norton, let me say something else. They are a huge scam! Don't buy Norton products. There business ethics are horrible. Not only do they constantly nag at customers and make things difficult for them, but they outsource their technical support to Mars! So not only have they gotten rid of American jobs, but they are also getting rid of global jobs!

Wow... why am I ranting about Norton? This was supposed to be an article about free computer protection software. So let's crack it out.

So I woke up from taking a nap today and I turned on my computer monitor. Usually when I turn it on, the screen shakes a little bit. This time it didn't stop shaking. I was quite frightened because I am poor as hell right now and I need my computer to do my online classes, work on websites, and for business. Anyway, luckily I was able to fix the problem. Here are some things I tried:

Many people are looking at the Economic Stimulus Check as a way to pay off debt or increase their savings. If you plan on paying off debt, saving, buying gas, or buying other foreign goods: You are defeating the purpose of this check. The government has made a stupid decision to borrow more money and give it out to the American people. What people want to spend the money on will not help the economy. The purpose of these checks is to help out American businesses and increase productivity in the U.S. economy.

So the government has made a silly decision to give out money. How can we make the best of it?

Planning your week ahead of time means that you will be able to get all of your work done in an orderly fashion. No more running out of time or being stressed out. If you schedule your days and stick to that schedule, you can overcome many of your problems. If you find yourself wasting your days away sitting in front of the TV or getting hooked on video games, plan those activities right out of your life! Don’t plan to watch TV, don’t plan on playing video games, and most importantly; don’t plan on procrastinating!

I am not saying planning is going to take care of all of your problems. But with strong determination and the willpower to stick to your schedule, you will become a more efficient person.

Sparing extreme cases cases like being locked in your basement for twenty years, individuals are responsible for what they create in their lives. You must realize that every outcome in your life is a result of your own doing. You getting a D on your test was not your teacher's fault and it was not your friends fault. It wasn't your moms fault. It was your fault. You created the D. Take a look at that grade and ask yourself what you did (or didn't do) to create the bad grade.

This philosophy does not only pertain to grades in school, but it also applies to every other aspect of life that has an outcome. Why don't you have enough money? You spend too much. You've dug yourself into a hole and now you can't get out. Take responsibility and then work to create a better outcome.

If you are responsible for what you create, then take the responsibility and change your life. Do whatever it takes to make the outcome better next time. It is a lot easier to blame somebody else for your problems. But the problems are not theirs, they are yours.

The short answer: Yes.

The long answer:

I am not somebody who likes to create charts and do mathematics in order to prove whether a piece of hardware is good or bad, so don't expect any of that. I am going to break this down into categories.

The Good:

Works on multiple windows platforms. The Tornado File Transfer Tool works with Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, and Windows Vista. It is completely plug-n-play compatible with everything except for 98SE. When you are using it on 98SE you have to download and install a small driver from TheTornado.com.