Most people like to keep things. Whether we are organized about it or not, many of us find it hard to part with souvenirs, mementos, photographs, magazines… items that may have a sentimental meaning but that also take up space that may be at a premium. We don’t all have storage room to spare.

This same problem arises with our computers. Once upon a time, people were excited to have hard drives that could store several gigabytes of information. Today, we press our desktops and laptops to be literal warehouses for our music collections, digital photographs, videos, movies and podcasts – not to mention the work files and other documentation that we might actually need. Drives of 30GB or 40GB, that once seemed to offer endless storage, are easily filled to overflowing.

Enter the storage savior – the terabyte drive. A terabyte (designated as TB) is equal to 1000GB. Now THAT is some space and breathing room! More and more, computers are being sold with terabyte hard drives. In fact, there are also 1.5TB and 2TB drives already on the market and some technology analysts are predicting that the sky will be the limit with 3-6TB drives coming in the next few years.

So what is one to do when the budget will not allow for the replacement of a current desktop or laptop computer that is wheezing to accommodate with its 30GB hard drive? One of the easiest solutions is to purchase an external terabyte hard drive. These drives can be connected to the existing computer via USB port and will provide instant storage expansion. Not only useful for the music and photo storage mentioned earlier, an external terabyte drive can function as an excellent backup medium for multiple computers in the same household.

Some very reputable names in computer technology offer external terabyte drives at reasonable prices. For instance, Iomega offers their Prestige 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive in the $100 price range. Compatible with either a Mac or a PC, this hard drive’s aluminum construction with brushed silver finish comes with a stand and looks great on any desk. It promises a data transfer rate of approximately 480 Mbps.

In the same price range, one might select the Western Digital My Book Essential 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive. This little powerhouse takes up no more space than a standard paperback book and several of the drives will easily group together. Also PC and Mac compatible, this is another “plug and play” external hard drive. No installation to be concerned with – simply connect it to an available USB port. This Western Digital terabyte drive is marketed as energy efficient because it will turn itself on and off with the computer.

No matter which brand of terabyte drive is chosen, this technology gives the user not only the option to back up their entire existing hard drive but it can also be used to store millions of photos, thousands of hours of video and tens of thousands of hours of music. So, there is no longer any need to delete items to create internal hard drive space or to back up to endless numbers of CDs or DVDs. Acquiring an external terabyte drive makes storage pains a thing of the past.

Window 7 is the newest Operating System to be released by Microsoft Windows, which is set to release mid-2010. But before it is released, it has given out the pre-release edition, Windows 7 RC1. You can now test Windows 7 for free legally by downloading it from the official Microsoft windows website and installing it into your computer, whether it is on a Microsoft Windows operating system or even a Macintosh.

The Windows 7 RC1 that is very similar to Windows 7 the final release except it might still have a few different functions. This is because the program is still being refined and the pre-releases are, as the name suggests, released before the final show. To install it, you will have to have the following specifications first.

o 1 GHz processor for either 32-bit or 64-bit
o 16 GB of available disk space if you’re using a 32-bit or 20 GB of available disk space if you have a 64-bit
o 1 GB of RAM for 32-bit and 2 GB of RAM for 64-bit
o A DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or a higher driver

If you have all of these, then you are on your way to Windows 7, otherwise you might want to update your computer to make it fit these specifications, because it is well worth the trouble.

Although this is a pre-release version, it is not unsafe or unstable. This very much resembles what one will experience with a real OS which makes a PC user happy. The dock on the Windows 7 is much like the OSX from Mac, but still unique.

There are also a lot of multi-touch features available such as the multi-touch piano application and the multi-touch paint program which allows you to draw with all then fingers. There are also many individual widgets like weather which you can add to your desktop which are similar to the Widgets on Mac. The computer also minimizes and maximizes windows by itself, snapping into the grid. Similar to Vista, the windows can be previewed by rolling the mouse over the taskbar, but unlike Vista, the taskbar is always transparent, rather than turning opaque.

For those of you who had problems using Windows Vista, Windows 7 will be able to answer all your needs. It was created to be more user-friendly while still keeping the functionality of Vista. And even if you loved Vista, you will love Windows 7 even more. Windows 7 also comes with many free background images that were created by the world’s best graphic artists for you to choose from on your computer. Doesn’t that sound great?

This might sound like one of the greatest free rides in terms of software; the fun has to end sometime. And that date has been confirmed to be on June 2010. But even starting in March 2010, the system starts to malfunction and becomes very unstable. These are measures to make you want to buy Windows 7, and after using the Windows 7 RC1, you will definitely want to get the final release.

It is believed that the first desktop personal computer for office use was designed in the 1970s. The leap that this technology has taken in the last four decades is so remarkable that it makes one wonder just how the transformation has taken place from a giant computer of those days to the compact notebook computers of today!

With the advent of the computers also arrived the age of the internet. Whilst in the old days one had to connect to the internet using the dial-up connection of a land-line phone, nowadays the options have multiplied. There are now Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, wireless connectivity, fiber optic connections, bluetooth and homeplugs to help people connect their laptops to the internet.

Notebooks are being manufactured to very high standards these days, packing in a lot of drive space and memory for an affordable cost. Their portability makes them an ideal choice for people on the move, and for those who like to work out of different rooms in their homes. Other than the midsized notebooks and the desktop replacement notebooks, there are other more streamlined versions such as the thin and light laptops and ultra lightweight models.

Now, the newer versions are netbooks or mini-laptops, which are even smaller and run on very lower power. With powerful processors of renowned brands and a decent RAM and sizable drive volume, these little wonders have simplified the lives of busy people – professionals, students and executives alike.

Bluetooth that tethers a mobile phone for broadband access and wireless local area network that covers large areas for people to access as they remain mobile are some of the ways people can remain connected to the internet using a laptop. The newer versions also feature a built-in webcam, so that people can have video conferencing using the internet, even when they are on the move!

With the progress made on the manufacture of laptops, there has also been a rise in the number of useful software that have been developed. Voice Over Internet Protocol is by far the most useful of these software, which enables users to connect to the internet and call any PC/laptop user in the world at almost no cost.

Nowadays, most students carry around their coursework in their laptops. It becomes easy to simply connect to their work even in the classroom, take notes as the tutor is delivering a lecture and store their data safely. Laptops run on both main power as well as batteries, so carrying around spare batteries is not uncommon.

Some top names are in the laptop manufacturing business, such as Sony, Toshiba, Dell, Hewlett Packard, etc. The name they carry behind them assures laptop users of a reliable machine with good after-sales service and support. With newer models being made available almost on a daily basis, and with state-of-the-art features being included constantly, people tend to chuck away their old laptops for newer versions. This brings to the market a number of good quality, branded secondhand laptops at very affordable prices. Moreover, many of these manufacturers also offer credit facilities to help you buy your laptop now and pay later in installments.

Upon reflection on this technology that has taken the world by storm, it seems amazing how a massive immovable machine that was once a personal computer has now become a device that can be easily slipped into a handbag and carried around. Laptops, and its newer and smaller versions, and ease of connection anywhere at anytime, have truly made the world a smaller place!