In technology especially, often times the price you see advertised is not what it will actually end up costing you.

Here are my top 5 tech shopping 'gotchas' that you should be aware of:

Be Cautious of the 'cheapest'

In order for any item in technology to be the cheapest in any category, corners have to get cut. In some cases, those corners aren't important on the surface, but the biggest games are played with the cheapest items in tech, so be suspicious and do your homework. If it sounds too good to be true, there's probably a catch, so be alert.

Beware the Battery

Batteries are a profit center for manufacturers and retailers. Low cost technology often comes with low capacity batteries. For instance, a cheap laptop may run for less than an hour on the battery that comes with it, forcing you to buy the upgraded battery at a premium. Always ask if an 'upgraded battery' is available for any device you are buying, and compare the difference. This can quickly expose any tricks being played in this area.

Avoid the 'Premium Cable'

Cables are another big profit center for retailers, which is why you will see really cheap printers advertised that don't come with a cable. Unlike analog cables (like speaker wire) there is no improvement when buying 'premium' cables for connecting digital devices. Digital signals are either on or off; there is no 'quality' improvement possible. O's and 1's either make it across the cable or they don't, there is no in between.

Bypass the 'B.S.' - Bundling & Subsidies

A very common ploy in recent times is the use of 'bundling' or 'subsidies' to attract customers that aren't paying attention. Bundling is the practice of requiring a customer to purchase the 'bundle' in order to get the price on the base item. For instance, you may see a digital camera advertised at a really low price, but the fine print disclaims that only a handful of units are available at the price unless you also buy the optional carry case, memory card & spare battery bundle along with it.

Subsidies are how the cell phone industry has tied their customers to long term contracts for years and now we are seeing computer 'deals', especially in Netbooks that are using the same tactic but with caps and overage fees if you use the Internet too much!

Eyeball Extended Warranties

Extended warranties continue to be one of the most confusing purchases for tech buyers because the 'what's covered & what isn't covered' isn't that clear at the point of purchase. Let's be very clear on this; Extended Warranties are a big profit center for retailers.

To make things worse, the salesman that sells you the warranty has nothing to do with executing the warranty (and probably won't even be working there anymore when you try to make use of it down the road.)

That is not to say that all extended warranties are bad, after all it's like any other insurance policy; it's great if you have a problem and a waste if you never end up using it.

In computers, extended warranties typically cover the hardware but not the most common problem you will likely have: operating system corruption, infection or other software related issues.

Expensive laptops are one of the few exceptions to the rule, since laptops are proprietary, expensive to repair and more likely to suffer physical damage because of their portability, but make sure you understand the details.

Bonus tip: Don't get Flogged!

The Internet is a great resource for researching your potential purchases and getting recommendations from others is a great help. The popularity of blogs has created a new category of 'informational' sites known as 'flogs' (fake blogs). What appears to be a personal recommendation for a product or service is nothing more than a clever marketing strategy by some organizations.

One of the easiest ways to spot a flog is if the only topic being discussed in any of the postings is this one product or service, especially if there is only one post. Most bloggers generate new posts on a regular basis and discuss a variety of topics.]]> Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:30:54 +0700 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21743 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21742 This scenario is more likely to play itself out in business environments, but some consumers may also have special software or older peripherals that would benefit from this feature.

For those that tried to migrate to Windows Vista in the past and ran into a compatibility issue, this feature was specifically added to address your situation.

Certain versions of Windows 7 have an optional feature called Windows XP Mode, which unlike the 'XP Compatibility mode' that was in Windows Vista, is an actual complete copy of Windows XP with SP3 (Service Pack 3) that can run as a 'virtual' system within Windows 7.

This means that older or outdated applications and peripherals that would only work in Windows XP can run in a virtual session that will appear as just another icon in Windows 7 (and it's really cool how smooth it works!)

But, before you get too worked up about this creative approach to migrating older users and applications, there are some 'requirements' that you should know about.

If you have old XP based applications, then you probably have old XP level hardware, which isn't likely to support this new feature.

In order to support XP Mode, you will need a newer computer with a processor capable of 'hardware virtualization' (AMD-V or Intel VT), at least 2 GB of RAM and a recommended 15 GB of free drive space.

Note: Hardware virtualization support must be turned on in the computer's BIOS, which is generally off by default.

If you want to see if your computer is capable of supporting Windows XP Mode, you can run Microsoft's Hardware-Assisted Virtualization Detection tool here: http://bit.ly/1qPcbl .

In addition, the only versions of Windows 7 that support XP Mode are Professional, Ultimate & Enterprise edition which means that if you get the Home Premium version, which is the least expensive, you don't have this option.

The reality is, you won't need this feature to simply surf the web, exchange e-mails and write some letters; it's only for those will special programs and older peripherals.

Microsoft did a much better job of addressing the compatibility issues that were created when they released Vista and has an easy to use Windows 7 Compatibility Center that allows you to check the compatibility of most popular hardware components and software programs here: http://bit.ly/uD96n .

The XP Mode feature is a godsend to corporate IT departments as it provides a much more comprehensive way to migrate to Windows 7 without the expense of updating old custom programs that were designed to run in Windows XP.

What is very important to understand is that this is not a replacement for Windows 7 and should only be used for specific programs or devices that won't work in Windows 7.

For instance, if you plan on using XP Mode, you wouldn't want to surf the Internet from within the XP session because it would expose you to all of the vulnerabilities that Windows XP has.

Windows 7 is significantly more secure for web browsing in today's hostile Internet environment (keep in mind, Windows XP was designed to deal with security threats that existed in 2001), so minimizing what you do in XP Mode is prudent.

As you may have already realized, this feature is not designed to be setup by the casual user, so if you think you might have a need for the feature, consult a knowledgeable technical resource or your local computer expert to review your specific situation before you spend the money on something you don't actually need!]]> Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:24:12 +0700 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21742 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21741 Without question, the future of personal computing is in the 64-bit realm. 64-bit processors and operating systems have been out for quite a long time, but primarily only useful to very knowledgeable techies that had specific tasks they needed to address (such as video editing, computer aided design, graphic design or gaming).

Windows 7 is poised to change all of that for even casual users, but in my opinion, if you commit to it right now, you are on the back end of the 'leading edge' (which is often translates to the 'bleeding edge' because of the problems that come with new technologies).

Here is why I view 64-bit computing in the late stages of the leading edge:

- 64-bit Operating Systems require 64-bit processors (which you have, but most older computers don't)

- In order to take full advantage of the 64-bit platform, you must also have 64-bit applications, which are few and far between for the casual computer user

- You must have 64-bit drivers for all of your hardware and peripherals (forget about support for really old components, printers, scanners, etc.)

- You must have 64-bit Anti-Virus software & other vital security software

- You're wasting your time if you don't have more than 3Gb of RAM (and actually 4-8 Gb to really make it worthwhile)

- You must be willing to put up with companies that are still trying to get their drivers and software compatible with 64-bit operating systems (which, thanks to Vista, is becoming much less of an issue)

While having a 64-bit operating system can be viewed as 'future-proofing', the question you have to ask yourself is: are you willing to take the chance of compatibility problems in order to be ready for the future? (iTunes seems to be a common configuration issue for many 64-bit converts on Internet forums.)

For most folks, seeing any appreciable difference between a 32-bit & 64-bit system while surfing the Internet, checking e-mail & writing letters is likely to be slim to none. Power users, hardcore gamers and vertical application business users are a different story, but that's not who reads my column.

None of the 'average user' tasks really stress a properly configured 32-bit system. With all the 64-bit hype, too many users are improperly blaming the '32-bit limitation' as the reason why their computers are running so slow.

The reality is that most folks don't properly maintain their computers and are inundated with unnecessary programs, hidden malware and cheap hardware (that wouldn't have a prayer of running a 64-bit OS anyway!)

For those buying a new computer with lots of 64-bit friendly hardware and lots of RAM, you're in a much better position to make the transition than those with older systems that have just barely enough hardware to run a 64-bit OS.

As to your upgrade question, you can purchase the upgrade version of Windows 7 64-bit, but you will have to do a 'clean install' (wipe everything out and start from scratch) as you cannot perform an 'in-place' upgrade going from Vista 32-bit to Win 7 64-bit.

In review, 64-bit is absolutely the way to go if you can verify your hardware, peripherals, drivers and programs are all compatible with a 64-bit environment.

If you are technically incapable of determining these things, too lazy to do the homework or don't want to have to wipe out your existing Windows Vista installation, stick to the 32-bit version (or consult a knowledgeable professional).

If you are somewhere in-between, wait a little while so that more of the issues can be discovered and you can benefit from the learning curve forged by others.]]> Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:07:58 +0700 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21741 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21736 The process of backing up critical files is one of the most overlooked essentials of owning a computer even though everyone realizes how important it is. It's astonishing how many people fall victim to human nature every year (I'll get around to it... )

Data recovery on a severely crashed hard drive can cost several thousand dollars to recover, so addressing this before your next crash is a lot less expensive.

The fact that you're asking if it's working suggests that you may not completely understand what you bought.

Here are the top backup mistakes made by most users:

Mistake #1 - Buying an external hard drive but not buying any backup software

Too many companies are selling external hard drives as 'backup systems' but they don't bother to include the all important backup software that is essential to success.

The reason they don't include the software is to appear to be a cheaper alternative and assume that the user understands that some form of backup program needs to be setup.

Add to the equation that most folks don't read instructions and you have a recipe for disaster.

THE most important part of the backup process is the backup software, but the industry knows that people buy based on price and they don't read packaging or instructions, so they play on those behaviors.

Mistake #2 - Installing backup software but not setting up the automatic scheduler

If you think that you can rely on a human remembering to run the backup software, you should think again. In our service business, the most common thing we hear from folks in need of data recovery is "I meant to run a backup, but never got around to it".

How often should you set your scheduler to backup? The answer is based on what you are willing to lose. If you backup once a week, you are saying that you are OK with losing up to a weeks worth of work.

Mistake #3 - Not verifying your backups

Assuming that everything is working fine is a very dangerous way to live. The only way you will ever know if your backup system is actually doing its job is to verify the data that is being backed up.

It can be as simple as manually looking for a recent picture or document that you created to see if it's on the backup drive or better yet, turning on the 'verify' option in your backup program.

If you turn on the verify option, after each backup the program will go back and compare the files against the originals to make sure they are the same (this is also a good way to be alerted to a failing backup hard drive).

Activating this option essentially doubles the amount of time that it takes to backup, which is why many folks turn it off, but that's a huge mistake. Set your scheduler to backup and verify in the middle of the night so you don't care how long it takes.

Mistake #4 - Only having one copy of your data

Redundancy is a critical part of a good backup strategy or you will have very little time to discover file corruption issues. If you backup over yesterday's backup with today's data, you won't have any recourse if you corrupted a file during the day (the bad file will overwrite your last good version).

Understanding the difference between a full backup and incremental backup sessions and how to schedule them is critical (read your manual or get some help!)

BIGGEST BUSINESS BACKUP MISTAKE - No off-site data sets

Businesses should especially incorporate some form of off-site data sets in case of fire, flood, theft or any number of business interruption possibilities.

With today's plethora of online backup services, both consumers and businesses would do well to include an online backup of some sort to compliment any localized external backup system.

A well designed backup strategy is one of those fairly complex issues, so don't take it lightly. If you're not comfortable making decisions on what to use or on how to setup a good backup system, ask someone for help. This one is far too important to leave to chance!]]> Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:45:40 +0700 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21736 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21735 P2P networks exist for music, video, sewing patterns, recipes and now for lending and borrowing money.

The concept of lending money via the Internet evolved from the successful use of micro-lending in third world countries (www.kiva.org). Loans as small as $25 were capable of assisting entrepreneurs in third world countries get a start in a small service business.

The P2P lending concept (also referred to as person-to-person lending or social lending) took it to the next level, which was to get many folks that were willing to invest $25 -$100 to pool their investment capital to fund larger projects.

You can seek funding for everything from student loans to paying off credit cards to home improvements to small business loans. Virtually any borrowing need that in the past required a traditional lender is possible via P2P lending sites and usually in a much shorter period of time.

Today, there are two distinct ways to use these Internet lending sites: to create a structured loan program to pitch to your friends and family or to pitch total strangers for funding.

Think of these sites as providing the same service that Ebay provides: an online way to get buyers and sellers together. P2P lending opens up the opportunities for both borrowers and lenders of all types anywhere on the Internet to connect.

As with any lending situation, there are pros and cons for both borrowers and lenders.

Borrowers will likely pay a higher interest rate or be required to secure the loan in ways that a traditional lender or credit card company wouldn't, but because you get a more direct opportunity to connect and discuss with lenders, your personal situation might be more of a factor.

For lenders, you can generate a higher rate of return than CDs or money market accounts, but clearly there is much more risk. On the other hand, lenders have the ability to perform due diligence via the Internet along with spreading the risk with many other lenders.

Here are few of the more popular sites that have been in this arena for a while:

http://VirginMoney.com - Part of the Virgin empire created by Sir Richard Branson, this site can assist you in putting together a 'social lending' package to get loans from people you know for real estate, business, personal or student loans.

http://LendingClub.com - One of the largest gathering places for P2P lenders and borrowers with one of the better reputations with the online community. Unsecured personal loans ranging from $1,000 to $25,000.

http://Prosper.com - Much like LendingClub.com but less stringent requirements for both lenders and borrowers (likely higher risk for lenders).

http://GreenNote.com - Student loan specific P2P lending and investment site.

The cons of P2P lending are definitely more substantial for lenders than it is for borrowers, so if you think you want to give it a try as a lender, be very careful about the hype on the returns and default rates.

Most of the negative comments online from those that have invested via P2P sites was in the 'higher than publicized' default rates and the relative return on their money after fees and defaults being less than advertised.

The biggest thing to watch as a borrower is all the potential fine print that could allow for the terms of the loan to be changed if you don't make payments.

For those that want to formalize lending arrangements with friends and family (including automatic payments direct from the borrower's bank account) these sites could prove to be very helpful, but as always: Do Your Homework First!]]> Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:52:36 +0700 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21735 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21734 The first thing to do is turn it off and take out the battery (iPhone users don't have the battery removal option, so turning it off is critical). The biggest mistake that's made in these panic situations is repeatedly trying to get the device to power up hoping that everything will be ok; each attempt could be your last!

Your best chances of recovery will be to not turn it back on until you are absolutely certain that all of the moisture has been removed or has evaporated.

Liquid is a fantastic conductor of electrical energy and can easily cause an electronic 'short', which causes electricity to flow across circuitry in improper channels (thus the term 'short circuit').

If your smartphone has a memory or sim card, be sure to remove it as well as the data stored on it could also be at risk.

Depending upon the amount of time that it was left on while wet, you may be able to simply get the device cleared of the water and have it work perfectly.

Once the battery has been removed, open or remove any other panels or slots then wipe down all the surfaces with an absorbent paper or cloth towel. Rotate it various directions to see if you can coax any large collections of water out of the unit.

The next step is to either let the device sit in a warm and dry environment (like on top of a stereo receiver or cable converter box, but away from the open vents) so the liquid can evaporate; usually within 12 to 24 hours.

If you want to accelerate the evaporation, a long standing trick in electronic circles is to put the device in a sealed container filled with uncooked rice then place it in a warm environment like in your car in summer months or in the afore mentioned locations.

For those that have the misfortune of dropping a device into a liquid other than water, the task will be more involved, especially if the liquid has a sticky residue like soda or coffee.

In those cases, the electronic surfaces that have come in contact with the sticky liquid will have to be cleaned with either isopropyl rubbing alcohol or a plastic safe electronic spray cleaner.

In order to do this, it will typically require that you take the device apart to reach the surfaces that need to be cleaned.

As with the water, if you don't clean off the sticky residue even after it's had enough time to evaporate, you risk the chances of the residue shorting out the circuitry as well.

If you don't know how to take apart your device, you can use one the more useful technical resources that will show you via video: YouTube!

If you search YouTube.com for your specific device with the term 'take apart' in front of it, you will likely found dozens of videos that show the step-by-step process for taking the unit apart so you can completely clean the electronics of the sticky residue.]]> Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:06:03 +0700 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21734 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21732 To make things worse, it's entirely possible that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or mail service is stripping out messages before your local spam or junk mail filter can do its inspection.

When this happens, you will have no idea that a message was ever sent, because it won't ever make it into any of your locally accessible traps.

To be fair, mail systems have to deal with an enormous quantity of mail, the vast majority of which is junk messages. In every test of our mail servers over the years, over 94% of all messages were tagged as spam and another 3% were tagged as 'suspected' spam.

This means that on average, only 3% of the messages coming to our mail servers have passed all of the tests to be considered legitimate mail.

With this absurd ratio of 'spam to ham' it's no wonder why so many messages get mishandled.

Set the spam filter too low and lots of junk gets in; set it too high and lots of legit mail won't get through.

The battle rages on between spammers and spam filtering technology, but there are a number of things you can do to reduce the chances of getting your messages filtered.

The first is kind of obvious; don't be a spammer. When I say this, I mean don't ever send mass e-mails to everyone in your address book. If you need to send large groups of people a single message, look into services (such as ConstantContact.com) that know how to do it without being tagged as a spammer.

Since you are a business, never send mass e-mail to anyone that has not 'opted in' to your dispatches. If you are trying to connect with an individual, then send an individual personalized e-mail.

Many ISPs will automatically tag any message that goes to a large number of their users simultaneously as spam, unless all of the technical details of mass mailing messages are being followed (and these rules are constantly changing).

It's possible the format of your e-mail or signature is increasing your spam score before you even begin typing your message. Images or certain keywords can instantly increase the spam score of your message.

If you want to see if the base structure of your message is causing problems, send it to spamscore@politemail.com and you will get a detailed report highlighting any content that could cause your message to be tagged as spam.

If you send a lot of mail out, you can also install a free program from http://www.mailingcheck.com that can scan your messages to give you an idea of the spam score before you send them.]]> Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:37:15 +0700 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21732 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21730 The process for recovering lost files from a failed hard drive can be quite extensive and time consuming, which generally causes the cost of recovery to be expensive.

Hard drives are fairly complex mechanical devices that operate at very precise tolerances and any failure in any of the mechanical or electronic devices will render your data inaccessible.

Many people assume that the amount of data they want retrieved is the basis for what the recovery should cost.

Whether you need 1 file or 10,000 files has no real bearing on the cost of the recovery, because the real work (and expense) is resurrecting the hard drive in order to get any data at all.

The act of copying files from a recovered drive (once it has been rebuilt) requires very little time and requires no human interaction once the process is started.

In general, there are two very common data recovery scenarios: logical and physical.

A logical recovery is performed on a hard drive that is mechanically and electronically functioning properly but the data has become unusable due to corruption or file damage from user error, external hardware failure or virus attack.

Hard drives have a 'table of contents' that guide the computer to the location of the stored files. If the table of contents becomes corrupted, locating the desired files becomes impossible for the operating system (Windows, MacOS, etc.)

Logical recoveries can be performed by technicians that have the knowledge and tools to work with data at the binary level to reconstruct the lost files and tend to be less costly.

Physical recoveries are necessary when a hard drive has experienced a mechanical or electronic failure. Physical recoveries require substantially more resources, tools and experience and must be performed in climate and dust controlled environments.

To add to the cost, often times a 'donor' hard drive must be located that can be used for spare parts. Locating a donor that is an exact match is critical or the recovery attempt will be unsuccessful.

Locating a donor requires far more than just finding another hard drive of the same size from the same manufacturer. For example, if you have a Seagate 80Gb hard drive that was manufactured in Malaysia, the donor can't be a drive that was manufactured from the Thailand plant because it won't have the exact same version of the firmware or supporting electronics.

The secondary market for used hard drives that are cataloged at this level is substantially more expensive than going to a used computer store and grabbing whatever they have lying around, so paying $200 - $300 for a donor once it's located is not out of the ordinary.

The worst case scenario is a hard drive that requires both a physical and a logical recovery as the cost goes up even further since two separate recoveries are required in order to recover the data.

Of course the best way to avoid ever having to pay an expensive data recovery bill is to keep your pictures, music and data files backed up regularly!]]> Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:15:56 +0700 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21730 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21728 The fact that anyone can connect also means that those with malicious intent can be lurking as well.

While I agree that there are security risks when connecting to public wifi systems, I wouldn't say that 'anyone' around you could electronically 'see what you are doing'.

In order to intercept your transmissions, a fellow user would have to install special software called a 'packet sniffer' which secretly copies unsecured packets transmitted on the same network or create a 'man-in-the-middle' exploit to trick you into connecting directly to their computer instead of a wifi access point.

Packet sniffers are readily available on the Internet and any motivated 14-year old could figure out how to use one, but that doesn't mean that everyone around you has one.

The other issues is even if they can see what website you are surfing while you are at the airport, no harm is done unless you access your e-mail account, an online banking site or other normally secured resources on the Internet.

Secured sites on the Internet will show up as 'https:' instead of 'http', so if you do need to type sensitive information into your computer, make sure you are doing it on a page that has the 'https:' prefix so your transmissions are being encrypted.

Sadly, many web-based e-mail systems have a secured login page, but once you get past it, the rest of the pages are not secured. The easiest way to tell if your webmail system is secure at all times is to log in, then go to your Inbox and see if the 'https:' remained.

If your webmail does not encrypt pages after the login screen, then you need to think twice about using it on public wifi networks without adding additional security software, such as VPN - Virtual Private Network software (more on this later).

To avoid the 'man-in-the-middle' attack, be very careful to look at the icon next to each available connection when you are attempting to connect to a wifi network. A fake wifi connection will appear as two computers instead something that looks like an antenna.

This type of exploit is especially prevalent at airports or hotels that charge for Internet access. Hackers will setup something that looks like a free alternative to the pay services, which causes folks to try them first.

For most users, if you connect to anything and get Internet access, you don't think anything of it and continue on with your business, which is exactly what they want you to do.

Windows XP users can change a setting in their wireless network adapters to tell Windows not to allow connections to 'Ad Hoc' or machine-to-machine networks (Vista users by default have this turned on). Step-by-step direction for XP users can be found at: http://bit.ly/AOVxR .

The ultimate security for road warriors comes in two options: pay for a cellular based data service or use VPN software to protect everything that you type in public.

There are a number of free and low cost options for personal VPN software, but it's important that you understand the differences before making a decision. Free systems monitize the service by taking over your browser and adding a banner ad to everything that you do. In addition, these free services make money by giving advertisers targeted audiences, which means they will be tracking everything you do. If you want true privacy, don't consider a free VPN service.

If you only need to secure your system for a short trip, companies like SurfBouncer ( http://bit.ly/dThlV ) offer weekly or monthly options starting at $4.99 a week.

If you are on the road a lot more often or deal with lots of secured access while on the road, Witopia ( http://bit.ly/12durT ) offers services starting at $39.99 per year that works with both Windows and Mac as well as many handhelds such as iPhones & Windows Mobile 5 & 6 devices.]]> Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:24:27 +0700 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21728 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21723 If the iTunes libraries are completely different, then moving the files from the Windows system to your Mac library is pretty straight forward. You can use any form of storage to transfer depending upon the size of the library including CD/DVDs, flash drives, external hard drives or even your iPod or iPhone (more on this later).

If, however, both libraries have some of the same songs, you will want to be a little more particular about what you transfer so you don't end up with duplicates throughout your library.

Another variable is whether you are transferring purchased songs or music that you manually added via CDs to your Windows iTunes library. Purchased songs from the Windows system need to be authorized on the Mac system after they are transferred in order for them to play (you simply enter your Apple ID and password the first time you play the song).

You can authorize up to 5 computers to play your purchased music, so if you don't plan to ever listen the songs on your Windows system again, be sure to de-authorize the songs (click on the 'Store' menu, then on 'Deauthorize Computer' in iTunes 8. Older versions have it under the 'Advanced' menu, instead of 'Store'.)

Another consideration is whether you want to transfer your playlists, ratings and play counts along with the music. Manual copying will not transfer these items in their entirety, so this is where using an external hard drive or your iPod or iPhone as an external hard drive is a good choice.

Apple has a detailed, step-by-step resource that will walk you through using an iPod (or an iPhone or any external hard drive) to transfer your music, playlists, ratings and play counts from one computer to another at http://bit.ly/WcSv5 .

If your intent it to keep using iTunes on both systems, there are a number of resources you can consider that would allow you to "share" your library across your local network or via some web-based services.

iTunes itself has an option that will allow you to share your library with other computers on your network. In order for this to work, iTunes must be running and you must tell iTunes you want to share some or all of your music (Edit, Preferences then click on Sharing tab to change the settings).

If you really want to extend your ability to share your music library (let's say between home and the office, for example) you can install a program such as SimplifyMedia ( http://www.simplifymedia.com ) which is free.

Not only can you share the songs with your other computers anywhere on the Internet, you can also share them with your iPhone as long as you have a decently fast connection to support the stream.

And finally, if you want to keep your libraries synchronized across multiple computers on an ongoing basis, you can buy programs such as SuperSync (http://supersync.com ). You can try out SuperSync before you buy it as well.

Caution: because this is the most ambitious approach, it has the most complexities, which means it has more points of failure. Before using any kind of iTunes syncing program, be sure to backup all your music libraries first.]]> Fri, 3 Jul 2009 11:56:49 +0700 http://datadoctors.com/help/questions/question.cfm?id=21723