How to boos your PC Speed

Frustrated with slow computer speed? Hate it when your computer slows down while you access the Internet.

And you simply bang your head when your computer takes ages to search your files. You desperately wish that your PC could gain some speed.

Don't worry. You can easily overcome this.

Here are some easy-to-do tips which can boost up your PC speed.
Clean up disk errors

Whenever a programme crashes or you experience some power outage, your PC may create some errors on hard disk. This slows down computer speed.

For this, check and clean any errors on the computer hard disk.

To run Disk Check go to My Computer. Now, right-click on the drive you want to check for errors and click Properties.

In Properties dialogue box, click on the Tools tab. In the Error-Checking section, press the Check Now button. Access Check Disk to check for errors on your computer.

Depending on the errors, it may take up to an hour to check and clean. This must be followed at least once a week.

Remove temporary files
Your PC stores temporary files whenever you browse through the Web. Also, your PC stores temporary files when you work on programmes like Microsoft Word or Excel.

This ends up slowing down your PC speed. To overcome it you can use the Windows Disk Cleanup screen to rid your PC of these dead files.

To run Disk Cleanup go to My Computer. Right click on the drive you wish to check for errors and click Properties. In the Properties dialogue box, click Disk Cleanup. You can also use Disk Cleanup to clear unused files from your PC.

After scanning, the Disk Cleanup dialogue box lists the files you can remove from your computer.

Your PC stores temporary files whenever you browse through the Web. Also, your PC stores temporary files when you work on programmes like Microsoft Word or Excel.

This ends up slowing down your PC speed. To overcome it you can use the Windows Disk Cleanup screen to rid your PC of these dead files.

To run Disk Cleanup go to My Computer. Right click on the drive you wish to check for errors and click Properties. In the Properties dialogue box, click Disk Cleanup. You can also use Disk Cleanup to clear unused files from your PC.

After scanning, the Disk Cleanup dialogue box lists the files you can remove from your computer.

Organise your data
Often when you search files your PC takes a lot of time to track them. This is because computer breaks files into pieces to increase the speed of access and retrieval.

However, once updated, computer saves these files on the space available on the hard drive, which results in fragmented files. This makes your PC go slow because it then searches for all of the file's parts.

You need a Disk Defragmenter programme to needle all your files back together.

For this, go to My Computer and right click on the drive you want to check for error and click Properties.

In the Properties dialogue box, click the Tools tab, and then in the Defragmentation section, click Defragment. In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, select the disk and then click Analyse.

After analysing your PC, the Disk Defragmenter pops up a message asking whether you need to defragment your computer or not. Once you defragement your PC, it will reorganise files by programme and size.

Install anti-virus
Biggest culprits behind slow PC performance are viruses and spyware. Both end up reducing your PC speed. Not only this they can also destroy your data and tamper files.

Also, with the 24X7 online environment, it is important to have anti-virus and anti-spyware programmes installed for secure online experience.

These programmes need to be frequently updated to avoid any attack on your computer.

You can do a recee of the Net for popular anti-virus and anti-spyware solutions. There are also several paid options like McAfee, Norton Anti-virus and Trend Micro.

Reduce page history
Is your PC giving you trouble while accessing the Internet? Don't worry. For Internet Explorer users, Microsoft has some rescue options for faster Web browsing.

To improve your PC speed, first reduce the size of your Web page history. For this go to Internet Explorer, and on the Tools menu click on Internet Options. Then go to the History section and type in the number of days you want to keep pages in history.

Preferably reduce the number of days as this will reduce the size of your Web page history.

Automate Microsoft updates

For Windows users, Microsoft frequently release updates which may help boost up your PC speed. For this activate automate Microsoft Update so that your computer downloads and installs all the latest updates without giving you any trouble of finding any new releases.

Go to Start menu and click Control Panel. In the Automatic Updates dialog box, check the Automatic check box. If your PC finds any new updates, it will automatically download and install them. This will help you keep your computer up to date.

*Source : Indiatimes News Network

What iPhone doesn't have

iPhone sequel is red hot. Even as it rolls out across the world in phases, the demand seems to be increasing with each passing day.

And as every buyer would proudly wink and declare his iPhonic status, the have nots will recoil and steel their resolve to acquire one.

By now you would surely remember by heart what the iPhone has. But wait, do you also know what it does not have?

We bring you a list of features that tells you what even the iconic iPhone doesn’t have...

Miss 1: Little on the looks front

Apple products are known for their design and looks. So, expectations about a new look were high. In fact, rumour mills worked over time on the looks of iPhone 2, it was speculated that the new back of the phone will no be longer metal -- but the whole thing will be glossy black, from top to bottom.

However, the new iPhone offers nothing new in terms of looks. The 3G iPhone looks pretty much like its predecessors.

The new iPhone is only about 0.1 ounce lighter than the previous model. The 3G iPhone shows a few cosmetic changes from the front, with similar display size and resolution, and the single Home button placed below the screen.

The phone's black plastic skin back has been replaced by silver-aluminum back. While the 8GB model comes in black only, the 16GB version is available in both black and white.

Miss 2: Video camera

There were speculations for a higher-resolution camera and a possible support for digital video recording. However, 3G iPhone disappoints with the same 2 megapixel camera and no video recording option and flash and optical zoom too missing.

This is specially a dampener since video recording feature is today found in most cell phones, even those at the lower end. Also, most of Apple’s rivals in the cell phone space like Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung are offering higher version cameras.

Sony Ericsson recently introduced an 8 megapixel camera. Samsung already has one in the range. Others Nokia and Motorola too offer 5 megapixel camera phones.

Miss 3: Multimedia deficit

Another sorely missed out features are multimedia messaging and voice dialing. Users can send text messages or snapshots via email, but there's still no MMS (multimedia messaging) feature on the iPhone!

Also, the phone disappoints fans who were hoping for a bundle of new multimedia features in 3G iPhone

Miss 4: User replaceable battery

User replaceable battery and tactile feedback for the touchscreen, both have been given a miss in the new iPhone. User-replaceable battery is a serious drawback.

Though Apple reportedly claims that it left out the user-replaceable battery because it adds bulk and weight, users can’t help comparing it with other smartphones.

Miss 5: Incompatible Bluetooth

Users were expecting a landscape keyboard, capability to cut and paste, expanded memory and additional Bluetooth profiles - which all too is missing.

For example, while iPhone supports Bluetooth headsets, the lack of keyboard or headphone would be a hindrance for those who want to optimise their experience with wireless peripherals.

Also, 3G iPhone does not have A2DP Bluetooth. Users may also sorely miss the support for Bluetooth stereo or in-car Bluetooth handsfree.

Miss 6: No support for Adobe Flash

Adobe says it is working on iPhone Flash, but sadly for now there is no support for Adobe Flash in 3G iPhone.

Presently, when users will browse through Web pages with Adobe Flash it will display empty spaces with missing icons. Apple claims Flash would run too slowly on the iPhone.

Thus, the lack of Flash support for the Safari Web browser limits the access of several websites on the iPhone.

Miss 7: No cut-and-paste

This may be hard to digest. BlackBerry has it, Nokia has it, however, 3G iPhone lacks it.

Most of the smartphones available in the market support the cut and paste feature, but somehow Apple has preferred to stay away from it.

* Indiatimes News Network dt 14 7 2008

The speed spur

Here are some freeware add-ons that speed up application loading and improve system performance.

Adobe Reader Speed-up: (Size 245 KB) This software disables the majority of plug-ins that are completely useless for most users. Adobe Reader Speed-up supports any version of the Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader software, both Normal and Full/ Professional, from version 3.0 to 8.0 and upwards.

To configure this, just double-click the Reader Speedup.exe and select speed up radio button and click Start button. On the next screen, Select Speed-up Mode as "SpeedUp - Fast (recommended)" and click Start button and Click Finish. It also supports advanced tweaks such as disable automatic updates, splash screen on Reader's startup, browser integration, etc. To access Advanced tweaks screen, just click the link "Tweaks" on the main screen. It has the option on main screen to restore to original settings at any time. For more information, please refer the readme.txt file. You can download this from http:// www.download.com/Adobe-Reader- SpeedUp/3000-2378_4-10720728.html

FireTune for Firefox (Size 621 KB)

This is aimed at bettering your browsing experience with Firefox. According to your specific computer speed and Internet connection speed, FireTune will optimise several internal settings of Firefox for better performance.

To configure this, just double-click FireTune.exe. It is advisable to take a back-up of original configuration before making any changes. To do this, please click "Create backup of configuration" button on the main screen. Just click "Tune it" button to optimise your settings. It supports other useful settings such as "Turn on autocomplete for URLs, Optimize Firefox memory usage, etc. It has, on the main screen, the "Restore original configuration" option to restore to original settings at any time. It can be downloaded from http://www.totalidea.com/content/ downloads.php

Photoshop SpeedUp (Size 311 KB)

As its name suggests, this software significantly decreases the time it takes to load Adobe Photoshop by disabling the plugins that you may not need. There are several options such as whether to load the Adobe fonts, load the presets, and set the memory usage. You can restore the original settings at any time. Adobe Photoshop SpeedUp is freeware, works with Adobe Photoshop versions 3 through 8. Restore to original settings with a click of the Restore button at any time. You can download this from http:// www.acropdf.com/products.html

Tunexp 1.5 (Size 1 MB)

Tunexp maximises the performance of Windows XP. The tweaks are presented in five categories such as Memory and file system, Hardware, Internet, Services and Miscellaneous. The documentation is neatly presented. Please read the documentation for "Recommended action" for each setting before making any changes.

During the first run, you will initially have to choose your Windows location (for instance, drive C).

It supports the following tweaks: Disable Paging Executive, Faster Shutdown, File Allocation Size Tweak, Optimise Prefetch, Increase NTFS Performance, IO Page Lock Limit, Clear Prefetch Folder, Defrag Boot Files, Ultra-Fast Booting, Enable UDMA-66, Speed-up Windows IRQ Handling, Increase DNS Cache, Messenger Etc. This software is useful for advanced users and can be downloaded from http:// www.download.com/TuneXP/3000- 2086_4-10290929.html

M. SAMPATH

The Businessline dt. 14 7 2008

Inspired decor, personal style

Decorating your room? Priyanka Joshi speaks to a few interior designers who offer tips on how to adapt hot styles and trends for your home.

Raise your hand if you know what an inspiration room is. No, no...it isn't a place to meditate or think quietly. An inspiration room could be any room, any attractively decorated room that is, that you've seen in a magazine, a showroom, or even in a friend's home and admire, but don't have the pocket to afford.

Good and affordable home decor may sound impossible, but it does exist. As the clich goes, you just need to hunt around a little to find it. Here are three dominant looks that you are Go green
Chances are parts of your home and lifestyle are already green  you're just unaware of it. A big part of going green is not just about reducing consumption but also reusing and recycling stuff.

If you've decided to remodel your home or room instead of building or buying a new one, you've already taken a step in the green direction.

"Natural fibre rugs, beeswax or soy wax candles can add eco flair to your decor. Another unique, elegant and green decorating tip  adorn your home with mosaic bamboo tiles to add warm tones to a wall or make a floor interesting," suggests Jessica Karani, owner of Mystique, an upmarket home decor store in Mumbai.

Prices vary from product to product, starting at a low Rs 150 for the soy wax candles, and rising to Rs 1,500 and more for the mosaic bamboo tiles.

How eco-friendly your furniture is depends on the material it is made from, how it is processed and what finishes have been used, so choose carefully, recommend design experts.

Buy second-hand (or vintage, if you like), and you're greener than if you buy the most eco-friendly of furniture. Plus, consider how much lighter it'll be on the pocket. "Natural tree bark and old wood artefacts and furniture are part of the green trend too," finishes Karani. Prices here start at Rs 500.

Throw in a grass-cloth wall covering, bamboo flooring and you get a simple, uncluttered room that fosters earthiness. If you're in the market for new furnishings, look for products that are chemical-free or made from renewable or reclaimed materials like paper and discarded wood.

Expressive invention
Of all the trends that are bursting on the scene this year, one is predominant: the ongoing integration of new technologies into everyday lifestyles. Mobile phones, MP3 players, home theatres, speakers and similar digital assistants are part of most households these days.

Inspired by their energy and pace, this trend advocates a decor emphasising graphic lines, in which 1960s- and 1970s-style furniture is arranged beside the high-tech equipment. The effect is "walls down"  functional, bright and clean.

Sounds too austere? Not at all, opines Radhika Gupta, owner of MoonRiver. Gupta's lifestyle concept stores are present in Delhi and Mumbai, and are expected to open soon in cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad.

She and her team of interior artists have styled villas and super luxury apartments for leading real-estate developers and individuals.

"Our patrons are boldly asking for oversized prints, stripes and psychedelic patterns boasting of strong colours," says Gupta, and adds, "Stainless steel, very light or dark wood and glass are also being used for surfaces while people want to accessorise with coloured plastic or dull metal for a touch of the fanciful."

Here too, luxury is the key. Designer labels do hold strong with furniture and accessories by well-known labels more sought-after than ever.

Although walls and other key surfaces are usually seen as providing a neutral background  often in grey, beige, white or black  the use of bold accessories and prints brings colour into play and conveys a refreshing naturalness. Result  decor that expresses a bit of whimsy but is still chic and neat, and all yours for anywhere between Rs 40,000 and Rs 60,000 a room.

Dramatic differences
"Warm-coloured metals like copper, bronze and gold, coordinated with precious woods, crystal, shantung silk, velvet and embroidery create an effect that's as dramatic as it can get," says Karani.

The ensuing look is both refined and welcoming and Gupta wagers that, at Rs 50,000-Rs 75,000 for a sitting area, it won't eat into your budget too. "Bright-hued furniture pieces, mostly in reds, greens and purples underline a dramatic effect," says Gupta.

Inspiration also means infusing your individual style into the design rather than replicating an exact duplicate. Most experts recommend trying to get as close to the "inspired" look and style as possible and then moving on.

Gupta suggests "warm, elaborate, rich, shimmering, embossed and embellished" as the catchwords of the season. So put in an ebony piece from Africa in one corner and a Moroccan brocade pillow and a mirror brought back from a trip to Europe in another.

This season, also go vibrant with spicy tones of red, fuchsia, turquoise and bright yellow for accessories. A symbol of luxury and wealth, aubergine, which emphasises both the sumptuous and the beguiling is the season's hottest colour.

The Business Standard dt. 12.7 2008

India’s top outsourcing cos

The findings of Black Book of Outsourcing 2008 have not been too pleasing for the Indian IT industry. The 2008 list sees several Indian outsourcing companies failing to find their way in the Top 50 list. The list shows how Indian companies are losing their grip over the outsourcing market and also called for better delivery from Indian vendors to improve their act.

Leading Indian companies like Infosys, Hexaware, EXL Service and ICICI Firstsource failed to make the cut this year due to low client approval ratings.

Firstsource (formerly ICICI), a four-year top ranked performer fell the most of any outsourcing company to 1550 of 1690. Indian IT bellwether Infosys too fell out of the Top 50 circle to rank at 59 this year. According to the survey, most of these Indian outsourcers were deficient in their delivery levels.

However, with the losers, the Indian industry also had some winners. These companies with their consistent delivery levels and solid models continued to gratify clients across industry verticals. Here's meeting the top BPOs of India Inc.

Wipro

The first Indian company on the Black Book of Outsourcing list is Wipro. The IT major climbed a few positions to make its entry at no six.

In a year, when several Indian companies slipped ranks miserably, Wipro retained its position. According to the survey, Wipro's reverse outsourcing strategy in the US and UK has helped the company become a hot favorite among US buyers. Wipro's acquisitions are paying off and management is maximising synergies. Survey sees business transformation demands from clients propelling Wipro into a hugely successful 2009.

With over 19,000 employees, operating across nine different locations (India and Eastern Europe), Wipro BPO services include banking and capital markets, insurance, travel and hospitality, hi-tech manufacturing, telecom, healthcare sectors, finance and accounting, procurement, HR services, loyalty services and knowledge services.

Recently the tech major consolidated its entire consulting business under a single umbrella, Wipro Consulting Services. Facing tough times due to rising rupee vis-a-vis dollar and slowdown in its largest market US, Wipro reported its slowest quarterly earnings growth in the last five years as its clients cut back on technology spending.

The company is bidding for 12 contracts worth a total of $1.2 billion to help it meet its goal of becoming one of the ten largest IT companies in the world.

Satyam

Closely following its Indian rival Wipro in the list is Satyam. The fourth largest software services exporter Satyam is placed seventh in the list.

Satyam is the first company to be certified with e-sourcing capability model (eSCM) Level 5. The company recently reorganised its workforce to create almost 4,000 leadership positions, which is 8 per cent of its 50,000-strong workforce.

According to the survey, developing global archipelago of service centers makes this Indian ITO, BPO and engineering giant an annual favorite among customers.

Incidentally, Satyam is also placed at fourth position on the list of top 10 knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) vendors.

With US slowdown crimping outsourcing deals, the company reported an 18.5 per cent rise in the last quarter. The company stated that consolidated net profit for the quarter ended March rose to Rs 4.67 billion ($117 million) up from 3.94 billion a year ago.

However, the company is chasing 20 large deals in the $50 million-$100 million range to beat the slowdown tremors.

TCS

India's biggest software services exporter, Tata Consultancy Services ranks at 15th position in the Black Book Outsourcing list.

The survey states that TCS establishing a service center in Ohio helped it gratify major US clients. The over 100,000 employees and $4.3-bn strong company remains one of the few vendors to still able to sign super-sized contracts of the past, adds survey.

Like its rival Infosys, the company too has kicked off a succession plan to elevate younger executives into the top management cadre. Under the plan, the company has started a new leadership programme for executives in the age bracket of 35-43.

The Mumbai-based company has planned a capital expenditure of around Rs 4,500 crore for the current year. Of this, it will invest around Rs 1,467 crore in equipment and Rs 3,000 crore in land.

The company which derives 50 per cent of its revenues from North America is witnessing margin pressures due to sub-prime crisis and oil and commodity price escalation.

To address the risk, it has increased diversification across geographies, enlarged the basket of offerings and is focusing on enlarging global presence by strengthening global development centres.

Recently, it bagged a $11.5 million contract from the Uganda Revenue Authority to design and install a tax administration system. The project, funded by Belgium, Britain, the Netherlands and Uganda will bring in a new system that will cut costs and processing time while bringing fiscal transparency and financial accountability.

HCL
Noida-based HCL has bagged 21st position in Black Book outsourcing list. Founded in 1976, HCL is among the India's oldest IT startups, founded by Chairman and CEO, Shiv Nadar.

With $4.1 billion revenue, HCL has over 47,100 employees spread across out of 17 countries. The company's BPO unit has over 11,800 employees. It has offices in India, Ireland, UK and Malaysia.

It supports multi-lingual languages that include eight European languages and eight APAC languages. HCL BPO's focus verticals include telecom, retail, banking and financial Services insurance and hi-tech and manufacturing.

Recently, the European aerospace group EADS partnered with HCL Technologies (HCL) as a supplier for its product engineering and technical publication services. The services will be delivered through the company's design center at Bangalore.

In 2007, HCL was ranked at third position in Black Book of outsourcing list for Highest Satisfaction for Business Process Outsourcing. It has also been appraised at Maturity level 3 of People CMM.

NIIT

Founded in 1981, NIIT is the brainchild of two, young Indian entrepreneurs, placed at 36th position in the Black Book Outsourcing list.

NIIT is a first timer on the Black Book list with top scores from clients in banking, financial services and insurance, travel, retail and manufacturing sectors.

The BPO unit of NIIT, SmartServe (NSS) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NIIT Technologies. Its main operations are based out of Gurgaon with a disaster recovery site in New Delhi.

NSS has a wholly-owned subsidiary in UK which caters to its marketing and customer management requirements.

The company recently entered into a training joint venture with Genpact to nurture talent for outsourcing companies. The joint venture plans to set up training facilities in several Indian cities, including Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune in the first year of operation.

In phase 2, the JV also has plans to set up operations at other emerging outsourcing destinations like Dalian, Changchun, Shanghai and Xian in China, and Manila in the Philippines.

Patni

Ranked at 45th position in the Black Book Outsourcing list Patni Computer Systems is a provider of information technology services and business solutions.

The survey states that Patni remains steadfast to its offshore model of keeping long-term clientele happy by maintaining low costs while expanding Europe-centric strategies and staff.

With over 15,000 service clients across industries, the company has 22 sales offices across America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and 20 global delivery centers across the world.

* Indiatimes News Network dt.9 7 08

TIP-OFF

Here is some freeware software that could be of help during everyday computer usage.

Dictionary Software (the first two)

WordWeb 5.5 (Size 7.44MB)

This is a one-click English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows that can look up words from almost any program. It works off-line, but can also look up words in web references such as the Wikipedia encyclopedia. Features of the free version include: Definitions and synonyms, Proper nouns, Related words, Pronunciations, 1,50,000 root words, 1,20,000 synonym sets, Fixed web reference tabs etc. It can be downloaded from http://wordweb.info/

Merriam-Webster Concise Dictionary (Size 1.59MB)

This contains more than 40,000 entries, clear and concise definitions, written pronunciations, and variant spellings. The iFinger engine under the hood works both online and offline, checking spelling automatically or allowing you to run manual text searches for specific queries. Internet required while installing this software. Download from

http://www.download.com/Merriam-Webster-s-Concise-Dictionary/3000-2279_4-10059666.html

Mozilla Firefox 3.0 (size 7.14 MB)

A small, fast and easy to use browser, it includes tabbed browsing and pop-up blocker. The new version 3 has improved performance, Add-ons manager, download manager, Smart Location Bar, better password manager and malware protection. Please look up

http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=2248

Gadwin PrintScreen (Size 2.75 MB)

This captures the contents of the screen with a single keystroke. The captured screen can then be sent to the printer, or saved to disk as a file in six different graphics file formats (BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, TGA). Gadwin PrintScreen can capture the entire Windows screen, the active window, or a specified area, when the hot key is pressed. The hot key defaults to the PrintScreen key but users can define other keys too to initiate a capture. Gadwin PrintScreen allows you to e-mail the captured images to recipients of your choice.

http://www.gadwin.com/download/ps_setup.exe

ExplorerXP (Size 410 KB)

This is a fast, small, compact file manager for Windows 2000/XP. Unlike the regular Windows Explorer, it displays the total size of each folder and allows you to browse multiple folders from a tabbed interface. It also supports Multi rename, split and Merge, etc. You can download it from http://www.explorerxp.com/

ExtractNow (Size 1MB )

This utility allows you to extract multiple archives quickly and easily. Supports ZIP, RAR, ISO, BIN, IMG, IMA, IMZ, 7Z, ACE, JAR, GZ, LZH, LHA, TAR, SIT archive formats. Extract files into current directory, named folder, or favourite folder of choice. Integrates with Windows Explorer via special context menu items

http://www.extractnow.com/

Stickies 6.5a (Size 975 KB)

Stickies is a PC utility to try to cut down on the number of Post-It notes you leave stuck to your monitor. It is a computerised version of those notes.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download5501.html

Recover Files (Size 1.17MB)

This is file recovery software that allows the user to recover accidentally deleted files, even files removed from the Recycle Bin, network drive, compact flash card, portable drives, in a DOS window, or from Windows Explorer. Download from http://www.download.com/Recover-Files/3000-2094_4-10715455.html

FlashGet (size 4.4 MB)

This is a download manager. It uses MHT (Multi-server Hyper-threading Transportation) technique, supports various protocols such as HTTP, FTP, BT, MMS, RTSP and has document management features.

FlashGet can call anti-virus automatically to clean viruses, spyware and adware after finishing download. Check it out at http://www.flashget.com/index_en.htm

How many 'brains' your PC has?

SAN FRANCISCO: Just how many "brains" does your personal computer need, anyway? Not that buying a PC was ever as easy as, say, buying a toaster or an electric toothbrush, but the companies that make the electronic brains, or microprocessors, for PCs today have managed to make it even more complicated.

It used to be that Intel Corp, the biggest maker of chips that are the central computing engines of PCs, and rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc would sell to PC makers versions of the same chip that run at faster speeds.

As far as consumers were concerned, Intel made Pentium chips and AMD made Athlon chips. Yet that hasn't been the case for a while now, and in the last few years, the choices facing consumers when they go to buy a PC have mushroomed.

With computer games becoming more mainstream and more people making and editing digital pictures and home movies, PCs can now boast microprocessors with two brains, four brains, and soon, even more.

But does the average Joe really need such souped-up chips?

"It's an interesting question," said Tim Bajarin, a long-time technology analyst and consultant with Creative Strategies. "If the basic issue is productivity like Web browsing, word processing and e-mail, you don't need all that much. A dual-core processor is good enough."

f I only had two brains
Dual-core processors have two brains instead of one. Intel sells dual-core Pentium and Core processors, as well as quad-core chips for more demanding PC uses such as editing high-definition video of a family vacation or intensive games.

"When you actually break it down, the base processors like 1.3 to 1.6 gigahertz are more than enough," Bajarin said, noting the basics are fine if you're watching a YouTube video or a network TV show online, though the video quality won't be anything like a regular TV, let alone high-definition TV.

AMD's website invites visitors to compare its different microprocessor offerings: The AMD Phenom, Athlon and Turion chips. All of those come in varying clockspeeds, or how fast a chip will perform the instructions or tasks it's given.

On Intel's website, once you navigate past seemingly simple introductory pages, you find 11 different basic products from which to choose, including the Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 with Viiv technology, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, Pentium dual-core and Celeron processor. And those are just the desktop versions.

"The reason we got into a multi-core world was not because we needed more and more cores to do the computing work, but because Intel and AMD had run out of room to increase the frequency on the processor," said Endpoint Technologies analyst Roger Kay.

Before Intel and AMD started selling chips with two or more cores, they had simply cranked up how quickly the transistors -- the tiny switches that make up semiconductors -- could turn on and off to process computing tasks.

But as chips ran at higher and higher frequencies, the processors began using too much power and generating too much heat inside cramped desktop and notebook PCs.

So now consumers choose from different dual- and quad-core offerings (AMD even sells a processor that has three brains). And prices for PCs from brand name companies now range from $300 to $4,000 and more for a high-end extreme gaming PC.

With that sort of variety, PC makers like Dell Inc and Hewlett-Packard Co and the processor makers have responded by placing all the different types and speeds of PCs into three basic categories that you can think of as every day computing, some performance and lots and lots of performance.

"What you've got is basically good, better and best, but the PC makers don't like you to call it that," Kay said. For those who want to surf the Web, watch online videos, store music and photos, watch movies, do word processing and e-mail and keep a home budget, a PC with a dual-core processor from either AMD or Intel should do the trick, analysts said.

But consider spending more for a quad-core system if you plan to edit HD video you've taken with your HD camcorder, have a budding musician in the family who likes to mix digital music tracks, or are into the latest hard-core video games that are especially taxing on processors and video graphics chips.

"This particular question goes back almost to the beginning of computing: You basically try to buy the most computing power you can afford, with the understanding that you can expect applications will continue to get better," Bajarin said.