A month ago I finally decided to put a few dollars towards upgrading the RAM on my computer from 1GB to 2GB. It was really easy to install. All you do is remove a screw or two and pop out the old RAM and slide in the new RAM. It is as simple as that.

I noticed that performance increase from my laptop after doubling the amount of RAM I have. Programs seem to be much more snappier, to open and to do tasks. Another thing I noticed, which was really odd, was that the time it takes for my computer to go into hibernation is a bit less than before. You would think that it would take longer to hibernate with more RAM.

I am very happy with my RAM and recommend that everyone that doesn’t have 2GB or more of RAM upgrade ASAP, especially if you are using Windows Vista. RAM is cheap anyway and shouldn’t cost you a fortune. You will be much happier with more RAM, just like I am.

One of the things that Vista comes with is the sidebar. The sidebar can be filled with all sorts of widgets… erm… I mean gadgets, that can do various things. I have eight gadgets currently on my sidebar and they each have a use for being there. Here I am going to tell you what gadgets I use, as well as providing links to where you can download them from. So here is my list from top to bottom.

The gadget at the top of my sidebar is called Simple Date. I tell you now, it is far from simple. It can do a lot, not only tell you the date, but also the weather and temperature. It also has buttons so you can open task manager, and even shutdown and restart your computer with it. This gadget can do a bit more than what I have just said, I just don’t use half the functions it has. I only use it for the basic time and date, as well as the weather. The gadget is also highly customizable, to the way the type is displayed, the the background and colours.

Multi Meter Dual Core is an essential gadget that every sidebar user should have. Basically what it does it tells you your CPU usage, as well as your RAM usage. It is very interesting to see how much of your computers processor and memory you are using as well as knowing if you are using too much memory or if your processor is doing a heavy task.

Is really useful, and good to know how much hard drive space you have used and how much you have left. Multi HDD Meter is the gadget that can display this information. Keeping track of how much hard drive space you are using is essential so you know when you need to clear space for new data, or possibly even require more space. Having this easy to read indicator on your sidebar makes keeping track of hard drives simple.

This is another must have gadget, but this is for notebook users only. It is Some Life, and it shows information about how much charge your battery has. Not only does it show you that, it also shows you what the battery is doing, if it is being used, if it is charging, and when your battery is full and not being used. It is much easier just looking at the sidebar than clicking the battery icon in the taskbar.

Uptime Meter is a fun little gadget that displays your computers uptime. It shows your computer current uptime, your record uptime, and even your total uptime. It also has a clock on the gadget. This has no real use but it is cool too see how long you can keep your system up without restarting it (or before it crashes. )

If you connect to the internet using wireless, then iStat Wireless (Mod) is a must have gadget for you. It displays your signal strength in a graphical form, as well as showing the strength percentage. It also has the name of the access point you are connected to, and the IP address of the computer in the network, and even your external IP address.

This is a another non-essential gadget but it is always exciting to countdown to a certain date, and Count Down does that for you, right on your sidebar. You tell it the name and date of an even and it will count down the days, hours, minutes and seconds till that point in time. This could be your birthday, a holiday, or even the date of that next episode of your favourite television show, Heroes :p

These are all the gadgets I use, except one, and that is the analogue clock gadget that comes with the sidebar. It is nice to have an alternative view of the time form the old digital display that computers do. The top five gadgets come from the same place and all have the same (or similar) skins as each other so the gadgets look like they belong in the sidebar together, which makes it look more polished and nice. Do check out these gadgets and tell me how you like them, or if you have a better gadget that functions the same as on of the ones here.

Yesterday, one of the desktop computers gave in. The thing just would not work. It had a good life, seven years with no problems what so ever (except for viruses and spyware.) My sister was using it as we replaced it a couple of years back. We looked around a few shops at the computer and decided that maybe a laptop computer would be an option, rather than a desktop. The price of a laptop isn’t that much different from a desktop and depending on what you use your computer for would depend on if it is a good idea to go portable or not.

We ended up getting a new laptop, same series as mine, only a higher model. The main differences are the better processor, an AMD Athlon X2 1.8Ghz, 120GB Hard Drive, Bluetooth and Vista Home Premium. Other than that it waspretty much the same, except for Compaq’s new (ugly) logo. It is a huge upgrade for my sister, going from a 1.3Ghz, 30GB Hard Drive with 512 RAM. I wouldn’t notice that much of an advancement but for someone using such a low spec computer, this computer would be blazing!

Some of the thing I like about this one, than my model, is the precessor. Yes, its a little faster but what makes it better than mine is the heat. With the new laptop, you hardly feel any warmth coming from the thing, where as mine, you always feel heat coming from it, and depending on the conditions, it can even get to the point that it burn you if it touches your skin too long. I would benifit from a cooler processor because I use my computer on my lap and it can get uncomfortable when using it for a while, and even be unbearable if the weather is hot as well.

Another thing that is great about it is the bluetooth. This is one thing I have never experienced in my life, and for a lot of people, its the normal, even old technology. I was surprised about how great it work. Sending a picture from a cellphone took 30 seconds, from capture to looking at it on the computer. I know there are other things you can do with bluetooth but just sending a picture amazed me. I have no idea why our digital cameras, Mp3 players and other common devices don’t use bluetooth to communicate with computers. Bluetooth is a great feature, but personally I wouldn’t use it because I do not have any bluetooth devices. Still, it was amazing to play with.

The final little difference is Vista. Yes, I have been using Vista since February, or so I though. You really aren’t experiencing Vista unless you are using Home Premium or above. Home Basic in my books, doesn’t count anymore. It is stripped down, I don’t even know why they even have this version. To me it seems like a bloated XP with a fancy skin on it, nothing mch new here. I love the smoothness and animations of Premium, especially the Flip3D. It is so pretty to look at and I can’t believe they would have a version without it. To be honest, the visual features is the only real selling point of Vista, yet they have a version that lacks all that.

Do I wish I could have that laptop instead of the one I have now? Yes! Would I trade what I have for that one? No! This is my laptop and I am going to keep it forever. I wouldn’t trade it in for anything. I wouldn’t mind a new laptop in the nearish future so we will see what happens. Some more RAM and Home Premium would be nice to get and would make this last until it is time to upgrade. MacBook Pro, I’m coming, just wait a little longer!