Enhance Your Windows XP Experience

A college education is not required to learn how to use computers or the internet today. Just a few hours of use is enough for even a beginner to lockdown on the basics.

Windows XP and the Microsoft experience! Wild horses in the 21st century.
Computers have come a long way since DOS and the Commodore 64.
Marketed in August 1982, the Commodore 64 was an 8-bit home computer with 64 kb of RAM, and sold for about $600.00.
Look what is needed and available now so we can enjoy our free time at home and even away from home for some of us.
This site does not exist to praise Microsoft or degrade any other PC conglomerate, but rather to show you a means to an end.
There are literally tens of thousands of software programs and services available to the consumer, but what product to choose is the question.
The first question in resolving this is to know why you want or bought your computer.

Home business?
Kids education? Your Education?
Love of the Internet? Email? Blogs?
Listen to music? Copy music? Edit Music? Make your own Music? Listen to music your way?
Watch Movies or Video? Edit Video? Make your Own Movies or Videos?
Video Gaming? Online Gaming?
Learn how to Make Money?
Learn how to Make More Money?
Learn how to Increase your Income Legally?
Learn how to Save Money?
Budget Money?
Research?
News?
Or just the plain old "All Around Experience"?

What ever your reason, manufactures today can custom build a computer to your needs.
Most computers off the shelf have enough horsepower to perform the majority of these tasks with ease. The most basic upgrade at the time of purchase is in more memory. If you are spending your hard earned money on a computer, go ahead and do a memory upgrade. It will be well worth the few extra dollars. Your computer will run smoother and will be able to handle the increased demand you will expect from it.

Do this before connecting your new computer to the internet:
1. After getting your computer put together and "BEFORE" you connect to the internet make sure that the Windows XP Firewall is turned on and that system restore is turned on. If you have a firewall other than Windows firewall make sure it is on. But not both firewalls at the same time.
2. Most new off the shelf computers come with a trial version of an Anti-virus program. Make sure it is installed and turned on and set for automatic updates.
3. Connect to the internet.
4. Follow the registration guide that came with your computer.
5. Download any updates for your XP system.
6. You are now set for a safe experience on the internet.
7. By the way, it is essential that you have an anti-virus program of some kind to protect your computer from the nasty bugs that are on the internet. A happy computer is a virus free computer.

Some programs that I like and have gotten used to:
AD-AWARE by LavaSoft (not adware)
ZoneAlarm Security Suite by Check Point (Firewall and anti-virus)
Norton 360
AVG Anti-Spyware
Advanced WindowsCare by Iobit
CleanMyPC Registry Cleaner
iTunes
LimeWire Pro
AVIedit
4U AVI MPEG Converter
WIN ZIP
DFX for Windows Media Player
Adobe Acrobat Professional
Adobe PhotoShop
FreshUI
Nero

As you can see, there are as many programs as there are appetites. There is essentially no limit as to what you can find. I am no expert by any means. Programs are trial and error to see if they suit your needs. Most programs come with a free trial period. If you like it after the trial you can buy it.