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Hi-Tek Peru - Your technology connection in Lima
Where to go for help PCs, PDAs,
Cellular Phones and Wireless Access devices
By F. P. Nagle

As much as I'd like to think that Hi-Tek Peru can answer all your questions, I know that's not the case and so I've put together the following list of web sites that may lead you in the right direction for all your PC / PDA / Networking needs. Each site is unique in the style in which it serves its public Most, if not all, require you to register (all are free), and all can provide you with the answers you may need NOW.

You should also recognize that a lot of people that have “found” the forums are there because they have encountered a problem and are looking for help. It's estimated that this is 10% of the entire consumer group and may or may not accurately reflect the majority of user's experiences.

So temper the problems related with the information that this “may” be a minority opinion.

On the other hand, others participating in the forums may also be some of the most knowledgeable users of each product, the so-called “power users.” The users who push a device to its limit and so therefore encounter problems the “man in the street” may never see.

For questions regarding PDA's, Pocket PCs, Smart Phones, and the new combined Mobile PC / Phones you can go to the following for information http://www.pdastreet.com/ and then of course select the forums http://www.pdastreet.com/forums/ to see what people are talking about and the potential problems you may be having with your purchase.

Another similar forum for PDA users is Brighthand located at http://discussion.brighthand.com/

When it comes to cell phones, there are forums designed to help new users, but you may want to start directly at the phone manufacturer's site. Here you can find the latest information about new phones being offered, their capabilities, and in many cases an Adobe PDF file of the user manual itself.

• Sony Ericsson - http://www.sonyericsson.com/
• Motorola - http://www.motorola.com/
• Nokia - http://www.nokia.com/

When it comes to PCs and Windows or Linux, the following forums may have the answer you're looking for:

Based in England, this site provides a wide range of technical support for all types of PC and PC related problems. http://www.tech-pc.co.uk/forum/.

A forum that I've used on quite a few occasions is the Experts Exchange. The members here have been most helpful in tracking down problems and offering unique and unusual solutions to PC problems. http://www.experts-exchange.com/

http://castlecops.com/ One of the best places to go to find out about PC security and to find help if you happen to become infected with any of the “things that go bump in the night” from last months Hi-Tek Peru article.

http://www.geekstogo.com/ Taken from their home page: “Need a tech expert? You've come to the right place. Browser crash? Computer too slow? Virus or spyware infection? Need some advice? We can help!”

Before you buy that new computer you may want to check out this forum to help you decide the right system for your purchase. http://www.pcguide.com/vb/

And not to seem influenced by the PC world, there are forums and sites for Macs as well. Want to hear the latest rumor what Apple is doing? Look no further than http://forums.macrumors.com/

And once again, referring to last months article about the things that can harm your computer, this Symantec site will let you check on EVERY virus known to Symantec to-date. http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/vinfodb.html

And going a step further, this Symantec site will let you know just what the current threats are when it comes to PCs and also offers up programs to help you remove specific infections. http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/

Have a Linksys router / wireless access point and want to find how to tweak it for optimum performance? Want to find out just how powerful it really is, and what Linksys didn't tell you? Did you know that the WRT54G (wireless access point router) is really a Linux computer inside? From the Linksys forum: “For under $100 US, the Linksys WRT54G is a capable Linux platform with 16MB of RAM, a 125MHz processor and support for 802.11b and g.” http://www.linksysinfo.org/

Ok, so you don't have a Linksys, but maybe you have a D-Link router, here's there main site. http://www.dlink.com/

And here you can get information about problems you may be encountering with your D-Link product. http://www.dslreports.com/faq/dlink

Here in Peru there are companies selling TrendNet routers and wireless access points, so here is the main site to find out about the company and its products before you buy. http://www.trendware.com/en/

A more generic site consumer oriented site to look for all kinds of technical information, product reports/comparisons and on-line “free” classes. http://www.cnet.com/

Similar to Cnet, this site provides loads of technical information with a business orientation. http://www.zdnet.com/

And of course there's always the PC Magazine site for current news and events. http://www.pcmagazine.com

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