Zoomy - Technology Made Easy

11/23/2024

If you or anyone you know has an older Apple iMac or MacBook that is slow, can't update, or has a failing battery, I can provide software and hardware upgrades to considerably extend the life of your Apple computer for a very affordable price. Let's keep this older hardware out of the landfill, and get many more years of productivity from your older Apple Computer. Message me for a quote.

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01/12/2024

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10/04/2019

People are still struggling with multiple remotes for their home entertainment systems. I've seen as many as 7 remotes for one system. Here's a single solution remote to solve your issues forever:

Say goodbye to that jumble of remotes thanks to the Logitech Harmony 665 advanced remote control. It combines up to 10 other remotes into one, giving you better control over you home theatre setup. Twenty-three customizable buttons let you go directly to the content you love or commands you frequent...

07/12/2019

Are you suffering from FEATURE OVERLOAD? You are not alone. Digital clutter is a reality of modern life. If you want your technology simplified, give me a call, let's straighten out your digital closet. call 250-240-1957

12/04/2017

Mac vs. PC... which is better? I get asked all the time, should I buy an Apple computer? Is the Mac easier to use? Well the short answer is no, it is not easier to use. In fact, in some cases, it is a lot harder to use. Although I believe Apple is a great company that makes some great products, they also have their share of clangers. Three examples pop into mind: iTunes (which used to be pretty darn good) has evolved into a behemoth that confuses a lot of people. iPhoto (now renamed Photos) is awful if you are used to manually using folders and files on a PC. Try posting a photo ad to Craigslist using an iMac and Photos. Good luck with that. Completely unintuitive. Another myth: Macs don't get viruses. By golly, yes they do. Recently my business has become quite busy getting iMacs to run right. Lastly, Macs are stupidly expensive. If you're used to bashing Windows, you just might find Windows 10 a treat to use. No need any more for third party antivirus programs, Windows Defender is built-in, and MS got it right this time. Windows 10 is also easy to use for people who have grown up with earlier versions of Windows (Windows 8 was an embarrassing mistake for Microsoft, and they learned from it). Windows 10 is awesome. Conclusion: Bang for buck, a Windows 10 computer with equal specs to an Imac ( suggested minumum spec i5 CPU, 8Gbytes RAM, 1TB hard-disk) will cost half as much, will be equally reliable, and will be much easier to use if you want an easy way to use photos. Now, having said all that, I love my Apple iPhone and I do believe is one of the easiest products to use right out of the box. Apple definitely got this product right (except they don't allow end-users to expand storage). Anyone considering a Mac, please feel free to contact me for some free advice.

02/01/2017

Here's another way to get more life out of your older laptop or desktop computer. Install a SSD or SSD Hybrid drive, make your computer fast again! https://youtu.be/_HP7kRTSmhM

My tired old laptop was getting full, and it is like molasses to boot Windows 10 since I did the free upgrade. On impulse I bid on this new Seagate SSD-HDD h...

01/12/2017

If you have an older computer running Windows XP or Windows Vista, you are probably getting errors everytime you go online, saying that your machine is no longer supported by Microsoft.

Does this mean your computer is garbage, and you should throw it out?

NO! It doesn't!

If you hate throwing away unbroken computers because MS says it's obsolete,you have another choice; you can download and install a free operating system called Mint Linux. It is lightweight, modern, and easy to use. You don't need antivirus software, it is very secure.

Mint comes with Libre Office (compatible with all versions of MS Office) for your word processing and spreadsheet needs, Firefox for web-browsing, and Thunderbird for email. There is a vast library of free software for downloading, you can do virtually anything on Mint Linux that you were able to do with Windows, only faster and easier. Will it handle Skype? Yes. Will it handle DropBox? Yes, and many other programs too.

Preserve your old photos and documents, Mint Linux will handle it perfectly. All with the simplicity of an iPad!

Here at Zoomy.com, I will do the conversion for you for $120. Better than shelling out $500, or possibly much more, for a new Windows or Mac computer!

Caveat: if your computer is old, it may struggle with graphic intensive chores like gaming or video editing. Mint Linux is an excellent solution if your needs are email, word processing, and exploring the web. Depending on your hardware specifications, Mint Linux can do anything that Windows can.

Pictured below, a ten year old Panasonic Toughbook with Linux Mint installed.

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12/20/2016

Free Tip: If you missed the deadline for your free Windows 10 update, which expired July 2016, you can still get it here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade

If you are still using Windows 7, 8 or 8.1, you should consider upgrading to Windows 10, which is much more secure than Windows 7, and much easier to use than Windows 8 or 8.1

Microsoft is committed to accessible technologies that empower people with disabilities to achieve more.

12/16/2016

Here's a free tip that can save you hundreds of dollars: Create a restore point on your computer, before trouble sets in.

The most heartbreaking scenario for me is to be called in to help someone with a broken, slow, or even unusable Windows computer. Whatever it was that broke the computer (almost always a virus or malware), if a restore point has been set, then it will be possible to revert the computer to a previous healthy state. Unfortunately, Microsoft in their infinite wisdom, ships Windows with recovery options turned off. If recovery options are turned off, then the only option left is a factory reset, which deletes all your apps, programs and data, and re-installs Windows to it's factory state. This will require a computer pro to do, is costly, stressful, and a real bummer if you haven't backed up your data.

The good news is that it's very easy to turn restore on. Here is a short video describing how to do this: https://youtu.be/AhcpiNzjD8c

In this video quickly learn how to create a System Restore Point in Windows 10. So if you ever have a Windows 10 problem you can restore your system to befor...

12/07/2016

It amazes me, with the speed of technological advancement, how quickly we come to take it for granted. We had a power failure Monday for several hours here due to snow, and of course this knocked out my internet, which I am completely addicted to. I'd much rather lose TV than internet, so strong is my addiction.

Anyhow, I went and shot some real estate pictures yesterday with my mind-bogglingly sophisticated drone, transferred some high definition pictures from a tiny little sliver of silicon, the size of my pinky fingernail, called a MicroSD card, and put them on my computer. I then used a free web-app called Pixlr (think Photoshop for Dummies), brightened the photos, adjusted contrast, drew some boundary lines, added some labels, and then saved them to Dropbox. I then shared the Dropbox folder with the client, and emailed her my invoice. Today, she emailed me an electronic money transfer to pay me. Product delivered and payment received, without ever leaving my desk. This routine has happened countless times with customers I have never met, and in some cases, have never even spoken to, using email as our only communication. It is all due to the miracle of modern communications called Internet.

Whilst it is true that many people get frustrated with computers, or get fooled by internet scams, it is important to remember that this technology was intended to make our lives easier. If you are one of the frustrated ones, please give me a call, and I will show you the safe and easy way!

12/01/2016

Myth: Apple computers never get viruses.
Myth: Apple computers never need rebooting

Last night I had the pleasure of joining a Skype conversation with three long-time friends from Whistler days. (How great that all four of us can get together, just like old times, whilst sitting at our respective desks in Parksville, Vernon, Whistler and Regina)

Anyhow, all three friends have converted wholesale to Apple as their computer of choice. One friend, the last one to convert, but who now worships at the alter of Apple, was having trouble getting Skype to work on his state-of-the-art $5000 Apple computer. I suggested a reboot. That fixed the problem.

Oh yes, back to the virus issue. I have now fixed FIVE Apple computers that became infected with viruses. It was fixed easily with Malwarebytes for Mac, so not the end of the world. Hopefully though, end of the myth.

Conclusion 1: Apples do get viruses, but less often. There are still many more Windows computers in worldwide use, in homes and businesses, than there are Macs. Therefore, according to the known laws of probability, there is greater likelihood of an infection to a Windows PC. But Macs can and DO get viruses.

Conclusion 2: if your computing device (including iPhone, iPad, or Android device), begins acting strangely, then it's time to reboot. Chances are better than good that rebooting will fix the problem. End of Lesson!

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