PC Mechanic, New Article

Easily Measure Your System Boot Time With BootRacer

Posted: 09 Mar 2011 08:30 AM PST

If one of the performance metrics you keep your eye on is your overall system boot time, rather than keeping a count in your head or whipping out a stopwatch, take a look at the freeware utility BootRacer. This tool takes the simplistic approach of doing "one thing well" and features:

Automatically calculates your Windows boot time.
BootRacer uses minimum of computer resources.
Runs under the non-administrator accounts.
BootRacer logs all the results to the history report and to standard event log. You can check events using Windows Event Viewer.

The results track both the time it takes to go from system boot to the login screen as well as from the login screen to the desktop. This information can help you determine where potential hold ups may be.

For the most part, I believe if you system is working well you shouldn’t start tinkering with startup processes to gain a few seconds of cold boot time. For a significant improvement in startup time, hibernate your computer when you are done for the day and then the next day the system will be usable noticeably faster. Regardless, this is still interesting information you might want to keep track of.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Easily Measure Your System Boot Time With BootRacer

Tablets Are Doomed If Star Trek Has Anything To Say About It

Posted: 09 Mar 2011 07:00 AM PST

vlcsnap-2011-03-08-18h30m10s242 Many people liken modern-day tablets to Star Trek PADDs because, well, they’re the same shape and both are used by touch, even if one is fictionally functional and the other literally functional.

PADDs in Star Trek are tools and rarely do you see them used for entertainment purposes. The major of the time they are used documentation and note-taking.

It’s very common in ‘Trek to have PADDs depicted as being generally annoying. Nobody really wants them around and in more than a few instances can be seen being thrown or knocked off table on purpose out of frustration.

It’s also common that nobody gives presentations using PADDs either. Whenever a presentation must be given – even for a small group of people – a large on-wall screen is used, similar to PowerPoint presentation shot on the wall via projector.

When real computer work needs to be done in ‘Trek, traditional terminals are used. Always.

When visual communications need to take place, terminals and laptop-like devices are used – but not PADDs.

In the world of Star Trek, the PADD is always third banana.

Food for thought.

(And for those wondering, the above photo is from this episode.)

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Tablets Are Doomed If Star Trek Has Anything To Say About It