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Our Campbell-office tech and all-round computer expert Borhan Zoufan answers your questions about computers and the Internet.
Hi Borhan. My question to you is this - how can I make sure my children, ages nine and 13, do not see inappropriate materials on the Internet? - Samir, Mountain View.
Samir, I am asked this question often. While there is no way to be 100% sure your children won’t access inappropriate materials, you can take steps that help. The most important thing you can do is to provide your children with age-appropriate information about the use of the Internet. Establish rules about revealing personal information, even about things that seem safe, like giving out the name of their school. Be sure your children know the danger of in-person meetings with online “friends”. Here are some more suggestions: 1. For younger children, place the computer in an open family area. 2. Utilize your Internet Service Provider’s or software-based parental control options to limit access to specific websites and to also control the amount of time your child can spend using the computer. 3.Require that children who have Facebook accounts “friend” you, and also require them to share their passwords with you. 4. Teach children to NOT click links for free products or cute quizzes that pop up on the screen. 5. Remind older children to not use file-sharing sites; they are a hotbed of viruses. There will always be kids who work their way around all safeguards. The best thing you can do as a parent is to make sure your children know your family’s stand on what is and is not appropriate Internet behavior. Hello Borhan, I have always used a PC but am thinking about getting a Mac as my next laptop. Do you recommend I make the switch? I am a student. - Ciara, Los Gatos. The Mac-vs-PC issue is kind of like Chocolate-vs-Vanilla - there is no absolute right answer! Here are some of the items you should consider as you make your decision. Macs have some really nice slide show and movie-making options, which might be useful for school projects. Another plus is the fact that Macs do not attract as many viruses as PCs. Of course, Macs are more expensive than PCs and that is often a big factor in the decision. PCs are less expensive, and today’s PCs with Windows 7 are very easy to use. If you’re a “gamer” a PC is probably a better option since there are more games for PCs than the Mac. And while PCs are more susceptible to viruses, if you take the correct measures you can stay virus-free. If you want a more specific recommendation, give me a call and we can work it out together! Borhan, I worry about power surges damaging my computer. What product do you recommend? - Luis, Almaden. Well, Luis, if you have a laptop, you don't need a surge protector because the notebook’s AC adaptor does the job already. But if you have a desktop computer, you are right to be worried. A power surge can damage your electronics and that can be very expensive to fix. A normal surge protector will provide partial protection: if there is a surge, it will turn the computer off. However, computers don't like to be shut down abruptly - they prefer to be closed down through the operating system software. A better alternative is a battery back-up, which includes a surge protector. The surge protector protects from the power surge and the battery keeps the computer running long enough for you to shut it down properly. I recommend the battery backup option to all my customers. To ask Borhan a question email
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, or just come by one of our stores and ask a tech to help you. We are always happy to give advice.
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