Speed up your computer using ReadyBoost

Did you know that you can use a USB flash-drive or memory card to speed up your Windows Vista or 7 computer?  YES, you can.

Allow me to explain:

When Microsoft released Microsoft Windows Vista in 2006 it included a component/feature called ReadyBoost in the Operating System (which is also present in Windows 7 which was released in 2009).

Now ReadyBoost is a feature of the OS where a flashdrive or any flash memory card for that matter can be used to help a computer that suffers from having too little memory/RAM.  

You see, a Windows-based computer with limited or too little memory will need to find space to store data that is being worked on if it is to avoid crashing/freezing.  Normally it would turn to your hard drive and use it as a form of memory (virtual memory), the problem with this arrangement is that the normal mechanical hard drive is still much slower than RAM and even though it does alleviate the problem to a certain extent it will still test your patience.  Enter Flash memory which not only addresses this problem of speed by providing a speedier alternative but it also cost less money.

The initial idea behind ReadyBoost was to allow persons to get a performance jump/boost (as you'd expect from adding more RAM to your computer) without having to spend the money to actually buy RAM to add "under the hood".

Now there are a few limitations:

1. The flash drive or memory card should have at least 1 gigabyte (GB) of free or available space
2. The flash drive has to be of a certain speed (which the computer will check for you)
3. ReadyBoost does not really benefit a 64-bit operating system
4. and you cannot use the flash drive while it is being used as ReadyBoost

On the plus side:

1. It will help speed up you system (once it is low in memory/RAM)
2. It is a much cheaper alternative to buying RAM
3. It requires no technical know-how to set up

How to turn ReadyBoost on or off 

Update: ReadyBoost works in Microsoft Windows 8 Pro as well.  Just finished testing it.

Browser Tip - Get Home Quickly

In order to return/get to your browser's homepage quickly you can simply press ALT + Home on your keyboard.  I know it works on Google Chrome and Microsoft Internet Explorer perfectly.

NB: If you're a web user then your browser's homepage is the first page/website that is launched when the browser opens.  If you're a website developer the homepage is the first page that is seen by someone accessing your website.

All about Cloud Computing

Cloud computing/technology is all about using remote servers which are accessible over the Internet to access your applications as well as to store, manage, and process your information, rather than using a local server, personal computer or secondary storage medium.
In short cloud computing is about having your information and applications stored somewhere on the internet (which is referred to as the cloud).

As with all things, cloud computing comes with both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

1. Portability - your applications and data/information can be accessed from any where in the World once you have access to the Internet.  This is one of the main reason why you should consider cloud computing especially if you use smartphones and tablets - being able to access ALL your stuff on the go
2. You do not need to buy any additional storage hardware
3. It is a perfect solution for backing up your data
4. The maintenance of the storage facilities are taken care of by the cloud service provider

Disadvantages:

1. There is heavy dependency on Internet connectivity. You WILL NOT be able to access your stuff without an Internet connection
2. There's little to no way of knowing where your stuff is actually stored (in terms of a physical location)
3. You will have to rely on the security of your cloud service provider.  This means your stuff is only as secure as the Cloud provider makes it to be

Final Thoughts:

Cloud computing/technology is the future of computing and with most of the cloud service providers giving away free storage space these days there is no time like now to get on board.  Whether you decide to sign up with Dropbox, Box, Skydrive, iCloud or Google Drive, you should consider checking out cloud computing today.  

I got on-board the cloud computing bandwagon a long time ago and have found it to be indispensable.