Yo wassabie, The computer that I'm building is for myself, I have been waiting a LONG time to do this build. I am 14 (2012) turning 15, I wanted to build a computer ever since I was 8, any why not start now. I know I have to update the parts a bit, but this is kinda all I can really do for now due to income. This video shows my PC at the moment. I decided to build an AMD system because it is cheaper than an intel system and I just personally prefer it for now. Parts are pretty expensive, and im not just looking for the most expensive like some idiot. I'm looking for the parts which provide bang for buck and have awesome performance. I know the AMD FX series isn't that good compared to the Phenom II x6 series. But AMD has stopped making the Phenom II processors for now. I live in Australia and this site has to be one of the best for buying parts in my opinion. This video contains 2 parts, the part where I show off my co mputer at the moment and the part where I show you the parts im going to be getting at the end of the year. Make sure to thumbs up and comment on what you think. Sorry for the derping during this video ;) Site: www.mwave.com.au
bestcomputersprices.blogspot.com AMD Budget Gaming PC Build (Update #1) 2012
Now that weÂ've covered IT hardware, computer security and disaster recovery (please see parts 1 & 2 of this series), letÂ's look at the vast array of other bits and pieces that you need to make things happen quickly and efficiently in your home business.
Accounting
Issuing invoices, processing payments (and part payments), chasing outstanding invoices, recording expenses, managing bank accounts, setting money aside for taxÂ… DonÂ't be fooled into thinking you can handle your accounts manually (or with Microsoft Excel). Although itÂ's technically possible, even if you only have a few clients, there are simply not enough hours in the day to manage it properly without a proper accounts package. (Copywriting is a relatively low volume service based business, and I still wouldnÂ't be able to manage everything manually.)
I recommend MYOB Accounting Plus V15. I havenÂ't tried Quicken and the wide selection of other tools out there, but I know MYO B does a good job for the home business. It makes BAS statements a breeze (if youÂ're in Australia), not to mention annual taxes. It also takes a great deal of the pain out of issuing invoices and chasing down outstanding invoices.
Managing emails
Email is a brilliant tool for the home business. Unfortunately, it can also be a headache. To begin with, thereÂ's spam. IÂ've tried a few spam filters, and I have to say that Spam Assassin is my favourite. My web host supplies this as part of their hosting package. I set it to level 2 (the second most sensitive level), it flags all suspect emails, and I simply move them all to a dedicated spam folder using a rule in Microsoft Outlook.
But even with spam sorted, managing emails can be a challenge. Microsoft Outlook stores all emails in a single .pst file. When you run a home business, it doesnÂ't take long for that .pst file to become very, very large. In my experience, as it gets bigger, Outlook gets slowe r, and less reliable (i.e. it crashes often). ThereÂ's an official file size limit for some versions of Outlook (I think itÂ's 2GB), but I donÂ't think itÂ's wise to let your .pst file get anywhere near this size.
The best way to solve the .pst file size problem is to stop using Outlook as an archiving tool. Instead, archive all attachments and old emails to disk outside of Outlook. You can do this manually, but itÂ's clumsy (if youÂ've ever tried, youÂ'll know why). YouÂ're far better off using tools designed specifically for the purpose. The best tools IÂ've seen are sold by TechHit.com (http://www.techhit.com). Specifically, MessageSave (http://www.techhit.com/messagesave/) archives emails and EZDetach (http://www.techhit.com/ezdetach/) archives attachments. Importantly, they donÂ't just save the email/attachment to disk as a file, they also do it intelligently:
• Both append the details of the email to the filename (e.g. senderÂ's name, email address, send d ate and time, etc. – you choose).
• When you archive an attachment, EZDetach keeps a link to the archived file in the original email.
• To open an archived email, you simply locate it in Windows Explorer and double-click. It opens in Outlook.
Hosting your website
For a home business or small business owner – whether youÂ're in copywriting or any other field – a good web host must be affordable, but must also be secure and deliver excellent customer service and technical support (very few of us have people on staff who can handle the technical stuff without good support!).
I did quite a bit of research, and decided to go with AussieHQ (http://www.aussiehq.com.au) for my copywriting website. This has been one of the best business decisions IÂ've ever made. I was previously with WebCentral and IÂ've found AussieHQ better in every respect. Their prices are very reasonable, I believe their data centre is safe and secure, and their technic al support is unparalleled. In fact, I can say without hesitation that they are THE BEST SERVICE PROVIDER IÂ've ever dealt with. Every time IÂ've called for tech support, IÂ've spoken with knowledgeable people, right off the bat. IÂ've never been put on hold, and IÂ've never had to leave a message requesting a call-back. My problems have always been solved. And I get Spam Assassin as part of the deal.
Oh, and while IÂ'm talking about web hosting, I should mention SmartFTP (http://www.smartftp.com/). For just USD $ 36.95, you get a great tool for uploading files to your website. Simple and intuitive to use (which, in my experience, is rare with FTP products).
Internet access
If youÂ're after a good Internet Service Provider (ISP), I recommend Westnet (http://www.westnet.com.au). IÂ've been with a few ISPs (including Optus, BigPond & TPG), and Westnet are far and away the best, in my humble opinion. While their prices are about average, their supp ort and customer service are awesome. To begin with, tech support is all in Australia and theyÂ're very knowledgeable and helpful (although you sometimes have to wait on hold or leave a message to get a call-back). And they actually go to great lengths to solve problems, rather than just pointing the finger at the customer or the infrastructure provider (normally Telstra). And itÂ's not just me who says so; theyÂ've been voted best for customer support by actual customers, a number of years running.
TIPS:
1) If youÂ're in Australia, no matter who you choose as your ISP, ensure that you know what speeds you can actually expect from your connection and what ISPs are supposed to say in their advertising, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. See http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/779405 .
2) Install Unblocka ([http://www.unblocka.com/]) to tweak your computer to give you optimal internet speed.
Finding things on your computer
While Windows Explorer has a search facility, itÂ's slow and, in my experience, not very effective. I much prefer Google Desktop (http://desktop.google.com/). It continuously indexes your computerÂ's hard drive – much as it indexes pages on the World Wide Web – so that when you search, it delivers the results instantly. Very handy!
Generating a good search engine ranking
Search engine ranking (SEO) is way too complex to discuss in one short section. Instead, IÂ'll recommend a few starting points:
• For a good grounding, download my free eBook at divinewrite.com/seosecrets.htm.
• If you have a good understanding of SEO and want to engage in article submission (aka article PR, article marketing, article distribution), go to http://www.articlepr.com if you want to distribute your articles yourself, or go to http://www.articlemarketer.com or http://www.isnare.com if you want an article submission service.
• If you want to quickly and easily create a Google sitemap, download the SoftPLUS Gsite Crawler from http://gsitecrawler.com/ .
The right advice
We all need advice, every now and then. Two great sources of advice are:
• Whirlpool forums (http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum.cfm) – For advice and discussion on all things related to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), web hosts, general computer issues and VoIP.
• Divine Write Copywriting forums (divinewrite.com/forum) – For advice and discussion on all things copywriting and SEO copywriting.
Conclusion
Obviously, the selection of tools and providers above it nowhere near exhaustive. But itÂ's a good start and it covers the things that most home business operators would have trouble with, whether their business is copywriting (like mine) or virtually anything else.
If you do happen to be in copywriting or SEO, or you just do a lot of writing, please see my list of copywrit ing tools & SEO copy tools at divinewrite.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=19.
For information on what computer hardware you need for the perfect home business IT setup, please see part 1 of this series. For information on computer security and disaster recovery, please see part 2 of this series.
More The Perfect IT Setup for Home Business - Part 3 of 3 - Miscellaneous Software & Services Articles
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