Computer Speed

[Deleted User]

I'm getting sufficiently fed up with the slowness of these computers in the library to consider buying one of my own, but I'll be hopping mad if I spend a few hundred quid and end up no better off. How do I tell whether the slowness is down to:

the computers?
the library network?
the internet?
the websites?

GunJack

first off, on the library pc, right-click on My Computer and select Properties, will tell you what spec the machine is. Post that info up here for advice. (i bet it's old)

Mr_Toad

jack_pott wrote: »

I'm getting sufficiently fed up with the slowness of these computers in the library to consider buying one of my own, but I'll be hopping mad if I spend a few hundred quid and end up no better off. How do I tell whether the slowness is down to:

the computers?
the library network?
the internet?
the websites?

If they are anything like the PCs in my local library then they are ancient. Also the network tends to be slow, my library has at least four machines sharing the same BB connecton and they may well be sharing that connection with the staff PCs.

[Deleted User]

GunJack wrote: »

right-click on My Computer and select Properties

If I right click on the My Computer icon I get nothing. If I left click, and then right click on the My Computer window I still get nothing.

The computers are about 10-12 years old, but I'm not sure that's the whole issue. Sometimes it's obvious where the problem lies (MSE and Wiggle are notoriously slow sites, for example). Sometimes it takes 15 minutes to log in, I assume that's the library network. Other times I can type in a word and then sit back in the chair and watch it appear one character at a time over a period of about 5 seconds, I'm not sure where the hold up is there.

The problem that irritates most is pressing a button and nothing happens. Several seconds later you press again, and then the command gets executed twice over.

I've grown increasingly exasperated with the speed of most electronic equipment over the years, it just seems to go from bad to worse. As processors have gone from MHz to Ghz clock speeds, the time taken to acknowledge commands if not execute them has just got slower and slower.

visidigi

the problem with machines like that is they are locked down, most of the functionality is removed from the interface, and it all has to be logged and stored.

The speed of reaction on screen either means the machine is slowed by the locked down nature, that the screen is being 'virtually' delivered from a central server/machine or its just completely broken.

If you have your own machine this shouldn't happen, it should be fairly straightforward and quick - I wouldn't take a library PC as anything other than a stone with electricity running through it

[Deleted User]

Oh, Bliss!

I've treated myself to a computer of my own, and it's loading webpages in about a second compared with 10-30s in the library! :j

Jnelhams

Now remember to download Avast or Avg antivirus,, CCleaner, and LibreOffice all free and will save you a packet over the commercial stuff.