 | | New Windows 7 PC, please help me get started on the right track | | Dear CNET members,
Happy Friday! I fell ill this last Friday and was unable to deliver the newsletter to you and I apologize for that. Now that I'm back, I have a treat for you. Remember a few months ago when one of your fellow members, Ronald Grant, asked for your assistance in a survey for his college paper? It was in the newsletter titled: "Why are computers still so difficult to use?" Well, I have great news! Ronald completed his research paper and he e-mailed me and wanted to share it since so many of you contributed to it. So, here it is: "What leads to difficulties in using computers?" Ronald, thank you for sharing it; we hope you received high marks. I'd also like to thank all our members who contributed to his survey. It just makes me proud as a community manager to see so many people willing to go out of their way to share and help contribute to one another. You all are second to none!
Now let's get to this week's topic of how we can help Eric start off his new Windows 7 system on the right track, and how he can keep his machine running in tip-top shape for years to come. We received many helpful responses from our members--ranging from setting up robust security and maintaining your drivers and Windows updates to keeping your system lean with no clutter and partitioning your drive. One thing that many members mentioned time after time is to make sure you back up your data and continue to do so. I'm sure after you read through these answers that you'll be in great shape and will have a good idea of how to not only start off your computer on the right foot, but also some tips to maintaining a healthy system.
For those of you who haven't had an opportunity to respond to this topic to offer your personal advice and experiences on how you make your Windows 7 system run like a champ, step on up and chime in. The more we share, the better off we are. Thanks for your participation and have a spectacular weekend! For those of you in the United States, Happy Independence Day!
(Note: There will be no newsletters delivered for the next two weeks; it's time for me to take a overdue vacation. Talk to all when I get back!)
Cheers!
- Lee
Got suggestions? Send me an e-mail: messageboards@cnet.com | | | 
Lee Koo
CNET Community manager |  | | Last week's question | | | New Windows 7 PC, please help me get started on the right track
 I'm happy to say that I am a proud owner of a brand-new HP Pavilion Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit desktop. It's fully loaded with all the hardware bells and whistles--Intel i7-970 six-core CPU, 1.5 TB hard drive, 12GB of RAM, Blu-ray player with DVD-R, 1GB ATI Radeon video card, and more. Before I begin to really start using this workhorse, I want to start it off on the right track. I know there are a lot of tips and tricks scattered out there on how to properly maintain a PC, but I really want to nail down a solid list of routine tasks and procedures (software and hardware) to maintain it regularly to keep this baby running in tip-top shape for years to come. This computer took me a long time to save up for and I want to get the most out of my hard-earned money and make it last. Can you please help me out with that? All advice, recommendations, and coaching are welcome. I'm taking notes now. Thanks to all who can help out.
-- Submitted by: Eric C. | | | | Check out next week's question: | | | If I move on to a dSLR camera, what am I getting myself into?
 My wife's friend recently went on a trip to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and she shared her online photo album with us of her trip. I was just blown away by the beautiful photos she took! Her landscape photos, closeups of foliage and flowers, geysers, and rock structures were just incredible--so full of life with such details and vivid colors that it made me feel like I was physically there. Now I'm no shutterbug and only have a point-and-shoot camera that is pretty decent in taking photos, but seeing these photos of hers got me seriously thinking of moving on to a bit more sophisticated dSLR camera, which will allow me to take photos like hers. I know it takes quite a bit of patience, practice, and a learning curve to take great photos, but to start, I do need the tools first, right? What do you recommend I start with? I'm green to dSLR, but I want to know what I am getting myself into in terms of cost--from the camera to miscellaneous equipment to get me going. Should I invest in something basic or middle of the road or go all out? What would you recommend for a newbie like me. Any tips or advice for someone like me who wants to get into dSLRs will help out greatly on my decision. Thank you.
-- Submitted by: Steven O.
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