How to make the most of your desktop computer

These days having a personal computer at home isn’t unusual, but when it comes to managing our desktop PCs are we really making the most of them. With so many options and uses for our desktop computers there really is no excuse just to use your PC for work only.

For one thing, desktop computers can help us be ultra organised with the latest options for storing photo’s and videos. Uploading the latest pictures from our digital camera or footage from your video camera means you can safely file your photos and even make amendments to them before you take them to be printed. There are also many sites online where you can load up your snaps and share them with friends and family around the world, helping you keep in touch. When it comes to videos desktop PCs can not only provide a great place to store those precious memories but you can also find easy to use editing software to help you transfer your recordings onto DVD.

Image courtesey of Expansys

In the same way desktop PCs can be a great place for storing and sharing music, whether you are uploading your favourite tunes onto a MP3 player or using your PC as a unique music player. Design your own play lists for every mood, or organise all your favourite CD tracks without having to listen to the whole album.

Desktop computers generally come with some kind of broadband connection as standard, so making use of the Internet is a definite time saver. Forget reams of unwanted mail and keep track of accounts and bills online. It can save you plenty of wasted hours standing in the bank if you sign up for online banking, making transferring money and paying bills a synch.

If you spend a lot of time on the phone then your PC can also help you save some money. Once you are online sign up to Voice over IP services such as Skype, which essentially helps you keep in touch with family and friends around the world via your broadband connection. Use desktop computers as a phone and with the addition of a web cam you can see and hear your friends and converse in real time.

And if that’s not enough to get you rushing to your PC why not convert your desktop computer into an entertainment system. These days you can easily play your movies on your telly from where they are stored on the computer, or even transform desktop PCs into a telly, watching all your favourite shows from your desk.

17 thoughts on “How to make the most of your desktop computer”

  1. It’s the age old question of if your buying a new PC what exactly are you going to use it for. If it’s for gaming then you’ll need this and if your just surfing the web you need this. There are alot of people that buy a gaming PC and only surf the web. They don’t realize that there are alot of other functions you can get out of your PC and these are some that people don’t even realize are available. I use SKYPE to save on my phone bill calling to friends in Japan.

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  2. well, the article is great, but who has desktops anymore?:D come one, now with notebooks, ipads, iphones, smartphones, etc.. having a desktop is live driving a 50 years old car… although, I think that car would be quite a catch now:D

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  3. This is definitely a great article about how the home computer has really become an indispensable tool rather than just an at-home luxury. There are some really great features for keeping in touch with family who might otherwise never see new children grow or be able to share in their lives.

    With things like Skype and Flickr, having video chat with them and being able to see their pictures (without having to print out and mail anything!) can be a time saver and a great way to brighten your day.

    We use this all the time now that my daughter’s a little older and can interact with vid chat. She’s 7 months, and she loves talking on the computer to her granddad!

    Delena

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  4. I’ve found my computer a godsend for storing all my digital photographs and getting them reprinted via some of those brilliant online photo sites, those days of just having a computer for word processing and spreadsheets are well behind us 😉

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  6. Do you think that people till now are using desktops? most of the people out there have got there own laptops, netbooks portable pc’s ect…

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  7. lol.. one guy asked who uses desktops anymore:)) well, i guess 90% of the companies have desktops for their employees, not to mention that last year, the desktops were still having a percent of about 79% or so from the total number of personal computers

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  8. Good article. I really agree that a computer can make for a great media center or communication device. I don’t think enough people take advantage of these features. I have even stopped my cable and gone with a media center only approach. Between antenna, netflix, hulu, and network websites, I don’t feel like I miss much.

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  9. That is exactly why I kept mine. I have external Hard drives i store my most important data but you make great points here.

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  10. An interesting piece. I actually wrote an article a few months back suggesting that, in many cases, a laptop makes much more sense than a desktop. It’s aimed at small business users, but still applies to many home users as well. But of course, if you already have a desktop computer, you should definitely get the most use from it as possible.

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  11. Well, desktops are slowly getting replaced with laptops, ipads and notebooks! If they are to be back into business, they should be manufactured with greater speed and storage capacity when compared to their older versions. If the article was published a few years ago, it might have been really useful but nowadays people know what to do with their gadgets, don’t they?!

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  12. Great post.I agree that personal computers are very much useful in communication system and entertainment.By connecting Skype to our mobile phones we can communicate with our relatives,friends using PC’s.Even I am using this Skype to communicate with my friends.thanks for your information.

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  13. Personal computers are not mostly used in homes but still 90% systems available in companies are desktop so its worth to know these things listed in the blog

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  14. nice article…i think desktop is the best device to use at home rather than a laptop or any other device as desktop is convenient
    Tech75…http://tecknowspot.blogspot.com/

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  15. Desktop computer is an indispensable device. Notebooks and laptops never will replace them, simply because of big displays and high performance. As for me, I use desktops for producing music and it’s much more comfortable, than using laptop.

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  16. Nice article. I wonder how many desktop users are there anymore? Because one can do all “operations” you’ve

    mentioned on a laptop too. It’s true that a desktop PC is better when watching shows or storing data. I guess it

    depends on personal preference whether to have a desktop or a laptop.

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