Apple’s new iPod line

If you thought that the iPod line had already expanded enough then think again, as Apple has just announced it’s new lineup, and expands the line with one more product called the iPod Touch.

Most of the designs of these new iPods are exactly as you’d expect them to be, but the new iPod Nano seems to be raising a few eyebrows. In the following paragraphs I’ll take a look at all the new, or refreshed iPods and all of their main features.

iPod Shuffle
The iPod Shuffle was the only player that didn’t receive any relevant modifications. The only thing that changed in the iPod Shuffle was it’s color. It is now available in 4 different colors, one of them being red, from the Product Red campaign.



iPod Nano
For the first time in Apple history, the new “younger brother” of the iPod is bigger than it’s predecessor, but for a good reason. According to Steve, a lot of people wanted to watch videos on their iPod Nanos. So Apple cooked up a new Nano which is wider than before, but crams a very nice and high DPI 2″ screen, and all of the features which were exclusive to the iPod 5.5 before.



A few days before it’s unveiling, a picture started circulating the internet about a possible “Fat iPod Nano”, and it appears that that picture, and all of the claims made before it (”screen occupies 50% of the player”, “it’s wider than before…”) were all true.

Unlike most iPods before it, the new Nano’s design isn’t that attractive at first. I think that it takes a while to grow on you, since you probably associate the image of the Nano as a very slim and thin device.

In terms of storage, the new Nano will be available in 4GB and 8GB models, but the 4GB will only be available in metal gray, while the others will have all of the colors seen above.

The software is a bit more appealing now, and showcases your album artwork while you’re browsing the menus on the right side of the screen. You can also browse your pictures using Coverflow, which looks as great as ever. The only difference is that the iPod’s Coverflow has a white background.

You can also purchase and use the games that you could with your 5th generation iPod. Although that’s not a feature that I find particularly attractive, I guess it’s nice to finally be able to play some different games on the go. The iPod Nano comes with three built-in.

iPod Classic
One of the things that Steve mentioned, is that a lot of people give the iPod it’s own name, and refer to it by it’s generation number. With this iteration of the iPod, they decided to give it a name, so it is now called iPod Classic.



Besides having an all-metal finish, similar to the Nano’s, this new iPod has an incredible storage capacity. The low-end model comes with an 80GB disk, and the high end model, which costs $100 more, comes with a 160GB disk. This means that the high end iPod now comes with as much, if not more storage than all Apple laptops (and with more storage than my own laptop!).

iPod Touch
Grab an iPhone, take out the phone functions and… voilá! iPod Touch.



It comes with Safari, just like with the iPhone, and YouTube also. And you can also purchase music from the brand new iTunes Wifi Music Store. This new feature will also be available on the iPhone at the end of this month. And if you head down to a Starbucks with Wifi, you’ll be able to purchase the song currently being played there or use the iTunes Music Store on your iPod Touch or iPhone for free.

(No matter how many times I look at it, Starbucks seems to be getting the better end of the deal)

The iPod Touch will be available in 8GB and 16GB models.

iPhone
No, the iPhone didn’t get a fresh design. Come on, it’s only been two months since it’s release! It did however receive a surprising price drop to $399 (the 8GB model) and the 4GB has been dropped. If you run to a local Apple or At&t store, you can purchase the 4GB model for $299.

Oh, and I almost forgot. At the end of this month, you will be able to create ringtones via iTunes from any song you have with a simple custom editor. It will cost $.99 (yes, the same price as the whole song).

MacBook Air

MacBook AirBuy Now Overview Design Features Wireless Mac OS X + iLife Tech Specs
Major minor details.
The brilliance of multi-touch.
MacBook Air includes an oversize trackpad with multi-touch technology. You can pinch, swipe, or rotate to zoom in on text, advance through a photo album, or adjust an image. This gesture-based input so successful on iPod touch now comes to MacBook.



Trackpad Gestures
MacBook Air’s revolutionary multi-touch trackpad lets you navigate your applications more efficiently.

Scroll Swipe Pinch and Expand Rotate Screen Zoom Tap Click and Drag Click, Drag and Lock Secondary Click A Secondary Click B src="http://images.apple.com/macbookair/images/features_gesture_poster20080115.jpg"
Trackpad Gestures
MacBook Air’s revolutionary multi-touch trackpad lets you navigate your applications more efficiently.

Scroll Swipe Pinch and Expand Rotate Screen Zoom Tap Click and Drag Click, Drag and Lock Secondary Click A Secondary Click B src="http://images.apple.com/macbookair/images/features_gesture_poster20080115.jpg"
Trackpad Gestures
MacBook Air’s revolutionary multi-touch trackpad lets you navigate your applications more efficiently.

Scroll Swipe Pinch and Expand Rotate Screen Zoom Tap Click and Drag Click, Drag and Lock Secondary Click A Secondary Click B src="http://images.apple.com/macbookair/images/features_gesture_poster20080115.jpg"
Trackpad Gestures
MacBook Air’s revolutionary multi-touch trackpad lets you navigate your applications more efficiently.

Scroll Swipe Pinch and Expand Rotate Screen Zoom Tap Click and Drag Click, Drag and Lock Secondary Click A Secondary Click B
A smart LED display.
The backlit LED display allows for an even thinner build. It provides instant full-screen brightness the moment you open MacBook Air. The mercury- and arsenic-free display is also more power efficient, which translates to longer battery life.
Thin is in the details.
The innovative now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t port hatch flips down to reveal (and closes to hide) all the ports you really need: a USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack and a micro-DVI port that supports DVI, VGA, composite and S-video output. Even the MagSafe power connection has been reconsidered and slimmed to fit MacBook Air.
src="/macbookair/images/index_videooverlayposter20070807.jpg"
Flip-down door.
The innovative port hatch flips down for access.
So thin yet so expansive.
MacBook Air comes with a way-more-than-generous 2GB of RAM built in — ample memory for working with your favourite applications. The 80GB hard drive provides plenty of storage space. And you have the option to upgrade to a 64GB solid-state drive, which has no moving parts for enhanced durability.1


Micro. Chip.
MacBook Air performance is as impressive as its form, thanks to its 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. This chip was custom-built to fit within the compact dimensions of MacBook Air.
Built-in iSight camera.
Unlike most other ultraportable notebooks, MacBook Air includes a built-in iSight camera. It’s so smartly integrated, you hardly notice it’s there. The iSight camera and iChat software make video chatting easy anywhere there’s a wireless network.2

The battery is slimmer.
The performance isn’t.
The MacBook Air battery is our thinnest ever, yet it doesn’t compromise power. You can access the web wirelessly for five full hours.3

Sony announces new Vaio Type-R

No readers, Sony isn’t introducing yet another type of laptop. The Vaio Type-R is a desktop computer aimed for media professionals with top-range specifications in all aspects and a sleek, although slightly outdated, design.

In terms of specifications, this machines will be available with either a Core 2 Duo or a Core 2 Duo Extreme processor, 3GB of RAM and a choice between 4 graphics card, including the relatively new Geforce 8600. The Operative System also matches the rest of the specifications, at least in terms of price. It’s the Windows Vista Ultimate edition.

Another interesting aspect about this computer setup is that it comes with a Sony LCD monitor, and I thought they weren’t making them anymore.



If you like cars you know that when you see a "Type R" logo it means business...well...it simply is exactly the same thing with computers and in particular Sony's notebook: the VAIO.
The Vaio Type-R was made for the video entertainment, as a result you get a Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Duo Extreme up to 2.93Ghz but also 3GB RAM and the choice between 4 graphic cards including a Geforce 8600 and Vista ULTIMATE as OS.

iPhone owners get $100 back

A lot of people were upset that iPhones are now $200 less. A Letter from Steve Jobs on Apple's site not only apologizes to early iPhone adopters, it promises them $100 in credit to the Apple Store in an attempt to make amends. This will hopefully calm the fires that are burning among many of the Apple faithful that feel “cheated” by yesterday’s $200 price drop.



Open letter from Steve Jobs: To all iPhone customers

I have received hundreds of emails from iPhone customers who are upset about Apple dropping the price of iPhone by $200 two months after it went on sale. After reading every one of these emails, I have some observations and conclusions.

First, I am sure that we are making the correct decision to lower the price of the 8GB iPhone from $599 to $399, and that now is the right time to do it. iPhone is a breakthrough product, and we have the chance to ‘go for it’ this holiday season. iPhone is so far ahead of the competition, and now it will be affordable by even more customers. It benefits both Apple and every iPhone user to get as many new customers as possible in the iPhone ‘tent’. We strongly believe the $399 price will help us do just that this holiday season.

Second, being in technology for 30+ years I can attest to the fact that the technology road is bumpy. There is always change and improvement, and there is always someone who bought a product before a particular cutoff date and misses the new price or the new operating system or the new whatever. This is life in the technology lane. If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you’ll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon. The good news is that if you buy products from companies that support them well, like Apple tries to do, you will receive years of useful and satisfying service from them even as newer models are introduced.

Third, even though we are making the right decision to lower the price of iPhone, and even though the technology road is bumpy, we need to do a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers as we aggressively go after new ones with a lower price. Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these.

Therefore, we have decided to offer every iPhone customer who purchased an iPhone from either Apple or AT&T, and who is not receiving a rebate or any other consideration, a $100 store credit towards the purchase of any product at an Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store. Details are still being worked out and will be posted on Apple’s website next week. Stay tuned.

We want to do the right thing for our valued iPhone customers. We apologize for disappointing some of you, and we are doing our best to live up to your high expectations of Apple.

Steve Jobs
Apple CEO

New Line of iPods Not Compatible With Old Third Party Video Gear

on the street is that the video out function on the new line of iPods is locked if used in conjunction with old video cables and docks from third parties. Apparently, the new iPods will only work with cables featuring Apple's authentication chip (read: official first party products and a handful of third party), leaving long time video iPod owners in a bind if they have iPod video gear lying around.

A1 Pro Keyboard

I'm not one who uses my number pad much, but I'm not certain if I'd be willing to go without it. Not even with this very cool feature on the A1 Pro Keyboard. In fact, I'm not certain what the handwritten identity feature even does, but I can only assume it is some sort of handwriting recognition or drawing interaction of some kind.

For some odd reason, this only costs about $25.48, which seems like some sort of misprint. After all, I just got a keyboard and mouse for about $100. Well, feel free to check it out for the low price.

Homer Simpson USB Hub; Not Classic Simpsons

Well this is for all Simpson Lovers

But beaware This is what gizmodo had to say :

Unlike the television show, the Simpson's official merchandise line usually sucks big time. This USB hub is no different; the six inches of plastic will spin around and yell, "Woo-hoo!" Everytime you plug in for some juice... every damn time. Fortunately, there is an option to turn off Homer's spinning/yelling action, for the preservation of your sanity. However, chances are, if you just dropped $50 on this you have already lost your sanity. No USB hub in the land will save you from living out the rest of your life as Jim Carrey in Me, Myself and Irene. You will of course not be as good looking, charming or funny and you'll have an annoying USB hub. Tough break, kid.

Verizon Voyager : Is it really an Iphone Killer ??

The Voyager is so awesome, your hand will tremble in fear


Here is what Voyager have to say :

Watch out Apple: Verizon has announced the Verizon LG Voyager to be released in the Fall of 2007, a product that will directly compete with the Apple iPhone. And, according to the Verizon Wireless Chief Marketing Officer, not only is it the best phone but, “It will kill the iPhone.” Wow…

Not only will the Voyager have a touch phone exterior (like the iPhone), but users will be able to unclamp the phone to reveal a second screen that comes with a full qwerty keyboard! This feature makes the Verizon Voyager a much more viable option for consumers taking full advantage of wireless internet access like sending and recieving e-mails and web browsing.

Along with a sleek, stylish and shiny look, these are some of the perks the Verizon Voyager will sport:

HTML browser
Full V CAST-capabilities
V CAST Mobile TV
V CAST Music
Ability to play .mp3, .wma and unprotected .aac files
V CAST Video
High-Speed Wireless Broadband Access
Removable microSD memory (8GB) for users wanting to take advantage of the Voyager’s incredible multi media platform.
The Verizon Voyager should be in stores for the holidays and it will definitely give the iPhone a run for it’s money!

How do I change my drive letters?

In Windows XP, right-click My Computer and then click Manage. In the left pane under Computer Management click Disk Management and you will see a list of all drives in the right pane. Right-click the drive or device whose letter you want to change and click “Assign the following drive letter”. Assign the drive letter and click OK.

To change removable drive letters in Windows 98/ME, right-click My Computer and then click Properties. Click the Device Manager Tab click on CD-ROM to display the manufacturer and type, and click on Properties. Under the Settings tab, choose a new drive letter and assign the same to both to “Start drive letter” and “End drive letter”.

To change physical drive letters in Windows 95/98 requires complex sniffing into the registry, which I don’t recommend for newbies. Instead, use a neat little piece of freeware called Letter Assigner, which brings the features in XP—for changing drive letters—to Windows 95/98/ME.

128GB of RAM

A SA forum member recently posted what 128GB of RAM looks like in a server. Continue reading for more pictures.
There are 8 dual-core Opterons in there somewhere, running at 2.8GHz each (as I recall) … but they’re hard to see as they are tucked away under 128 Gigabytes of RAM

Must Read: 140+ Ways to Speed Up Windows XP

Well here I am posting a complete list of ways you can boost your computer speed..
I have previously also posted about such Ways :
Configuring the Paging File
Stopping the Start-up Program
Defragmenting your Hard-Drive
Removing Visual Effects
Saving Hard Dsik Space

Now i am posting some more Windows XP tweaks..

1) More RAM : If a PC has less than 512 MB of RAM, add more memory. This is a relatively inexpensive and easy upgrade that can dramatically improve system performance.

2) Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you're not sure, here's how to check: First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key. This process may take a while; it's important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.

3) Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a “searchable keyword index.” As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system.
The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP’s built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for. Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you’re a typical system builder, most of your clients are small and medium businesses. And if your clients have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it.
Here’s how: First, double-click the My Computer icon. Next, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck “Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching.” Next, apply changes to “C: subfolders and files,” and click OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as “Access is denied”), click the Ignore All button.
4) Update Drivers : Update the PC's video and motherboard chipset drivers. Also, update and configure the BIOS. For more information on how to configure your BIOS properly.See this Article for more information about this.

5) Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can "prefetch" portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete. 6) Once a month, run a disk cleanup. Here's how: Double-click the My Computer icon. Then right-click on the C: drive and select Properties. Click the Disk Cleanup button -- it's just to the right of the Capacity pie graph -- and delete all temporary files.
7) In your Device Manager, double-click on the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device, and ensure that DMA is enabled for each drive you have connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by double-clicking on Primary IDE Channel. Then click the Advanced Settings tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to "DMA if available" for both Device 0 and Device 1. Then repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel.

8) Upgrade the cabling. As hard-drive technology improves, the cabling requirements to achieve these performance boosts have become more stringent. Be sure to use 80-wire Ultra-133 cables on all of your IDE devices with the connectors properly assigned to the matching Master/Slave/Motherboard sockets. A single device must be at the end of the cable; connecting a single drive to the middle connector on a ribbon cable will cause signaling problems. With Ultra DMA hard drives, these signaling problems will prevent the drive from performing at its maximum potential. Also, because these cables inherently support "cable select," the location of each drive on the cable is important. For these reasons, the cable is designed so drive positioning is explicitly clear.
9) Remove all spyware from the computer. Read about the Spyware here. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Any free software that requires spyware to run will no longer function once the spyware portion has been removed; if your customer really wants the program even though it contains spyware, simply reinstall it. For more information on removing Spyware visit this Web Pro News Page.

10) Remove any unnecessary programs and/or items from Windows Startup routine using the MSCONFIG utility. Here's how: First, click Start, click Run, type MSCONFIG, and click OK. Click the StartUp tab, then uncheck any items you don't want to start when Windows starts. Unsure what some items are? Visit the WinTasks Process Library. It contains known system processes, applications, as well as spyware references and explanations. Or quickly identify them by searching for the filenames using Google or another Web search engine.11) Remove any unnecessary or unused programs from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel.
12) Turn off any and all unnecessary animations, and disable active desktop. In fact, for optimal performance, turn off all animations. Windows XP offers many different settings in this area. Here's how to do it: First click on the System icon in the Control Panel. Next, click on the Advanced tab. Select the Settings button located under Performance. Feel free to play around with the options offered here, as nothing you can change will alter the reliability of the computer %96 only its responsiveness.
13) Visit Microsoft's Windows update site regularly, and download all updates labeled Critical. Download any optional updates at your discretion. 14) Update the customer's anti-virus software on a weekly, even daily, basis. Make sure they have only one anti-virus software package installed. Mixing anti-virus software is a sure way to spell disaster for performance and reliability.
15) Make sure the customer has fewer than 500 type fonts installed on their computer. The more fonts they have, the slower the system will become. While Windows XP handles fonts much more efficiently than did the previous versions of Windows, too many fonts -- that is, anything over 500 -- will noticeably tax the system.

16) Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data.

17) Check the system's RAM to ensure it is operating properly. I recommend using a free program called MemTest86. The download will make a bootable CD or diskette(your choice), which will run 10 extensive tests on the PC's memory automatically after you boot to the disk you created. Allow all tests to run until at least three passes of the 10 tests are completed. If the program encounters any errors, turn off and unplug the computer, remove a stick of memory (assuming you have more than one), and run the test again. Remember, bad memory cannot be repaired, but only replaced.

18) If the PC has a CD or DVD recorder, check the drive manufacturer's Web site for updated firmware. In some cases you'll be able to upgrade the recorder to a faster speed. Best of all, it's free.

19) If you're sick of a single Windows Explorer window crashing and then taking the rest of your OS down with it, then follow this tip: open My Computer, click on Tools, then Folder Options. Now click on the View tab. Scroll down to "Launch folder windows in a separate process," and enable this option. You'll have to reboot your machine for this option to take effect.

20) At least once a year, open the computer's cases and blow out all the dust and debris. While you're in there, check that all the fans are turning properly. Also inspect the motherboard capacitors for bulging or leaks. For more information on this leaking-capacitor phenomena

USEFUL TOOLS
TUNEXP has a simple boot speed up tool http://www.driverheaven.net/dforce/showdoc...oc=txp_download
MSCONFIG - Go to 'start\run' and type msconfig
SERVICES - Goto> Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services
TASK MANAGER - Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete
GROUP POLICIES MANAGER - Goto>Start>Run type in gpedit.msc>click ok (useful tool for many tweaks)(available only to XP Pro)
DEFRAGMENTER - Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter
BOOTVIS - http://www.soft32.com/download-BootVis-19687-5.html
STARTUP CONTROLLER Panelhttp://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml
REGISTRY CLEANER - look in software forum for best registry cleaners
CCLEANER http://www.ccleaner.com/
ADAWARE - http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
XPLITE (removes items from xp -use with some caution)http://www.litepc.com/xplite.html
O&O DEFRAGGER V6.5 helps at shortening the boot - http://www.oo-software.com/en/products/oodefrag/pro.html
Cacheman - http://www.outertech.com/index.php?downloa...&imageField.y=9

TUNEXP all in one speeduper
Many people have mentioned that Tunexp has an all in one system optimizer which seems to speedup booting
havent tried it but im sure its good
http://www.driverheaven.net/dforce/showdoc...oc=txp_download





FASTEST REBOOT - KILL EXPLORER.EXE
This is the fastest way to Refresh (reboot) explorer.
Instead of completely rebooting because of system crash or new registry input or other reasons.
simply
Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete (at the same time)
OR
on an empty space on the Taskbar >right click it > click Task Manager

then in the Task Manager window
Right Click on Explorer.exe
end process
click yes
(explorer items will disappear)
then click on File in the menu
New Task
Type in explorer.exe
ok
explorer and the registry will then be freshly reloaded


FAST REBOOT II - DON'T..
Simply Don't reboot....
Either put it on Standby or Hibernate
Only reboot unless you need to because of software hardware changes
***The Hibernation option uses system resources so turn it off as it also uses alot of space***
(To disable Hibernation goto power options>Hibernate>unmark enable)


REMOVE JUNK FILES before Shutting down
By removing junk- the windows registry and system won’t have to load them up on reboot.
Use a Junk temp Cleaner like CCleaner http://www.ccleaner.com/, window washer, etc (see software forum for more)
to remove junk from your system before you shutdown.

"I found that creating a script to run on shutdown that deletes the temp folder and history shaved 2.5 seconds on my boot time, down to 1.5 secs.
Create a batch file by doing the following:
1) Open notepad and enter the following lines:
RD /S /q "C:\Documents and Settings\"UserName without quotes"\Local Settings\History"
RD /S /q "C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\History"
RD /S /q "D:\Temp\" <--"Deletes temp folder, type in the location of your temp folder" 2) Save the file and then rename is something like deltemp.bat 3) Now click Start, Run and type in gpedit.msc --->Computer Configuration --->Windows Settings --->Scripts and double click on Shutdown
--->Click Add and find the batch file you created and press ok to set the script"

Clean your Registry
Use a registry cleaner occasionally - will help for faster load up and general performance - the cleaner your registry the faster it loads.
(CCleaner also does the basic cleaning-look in software forum for others).


Defragment your Harddrive Occasionally
Likewise having a clean ordered system helps
goto Start-(all)Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter then click on Defragment
or use other Defrag software such as Diskeeper


Remove SpyWare and Adware
Many programs put spyware or adware on your pc without your knowledge. These transmit info about your habits etc, and take up resources and tend to run at Startup (thus slowing it down). Use programs like Adaware & Spybot to remove these.


Scan for Viruses
Does this need to be explained?


Uninstall & Remove any Software \ Items you do not use
Simply remove programs you dont use thru "add remove programs" & also in "add\remove Windows Components" -


REMOVE STARTUP PROGRAMS
Many programs you install set themselves to run automatically when you start up your computer. Each program that runs on startup not only consumes system resources but also extends the length of time it takes your PC to fully boot.
it is generally unnecessary to have any programs running in the background (other than security software like virus-scanners or firewalls) disable your unwanted startup programs to increase your startup speed and conserve system resources.


Method 1 - Startup Controller Utility:
I prefer to use other start up controller programs such as Registry Cleaner to control what is allowed to startup.
(look on google for other Startup software-lots of freebies)
I would advize using this one : STARTUP CONTROLLER Panelhttp://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml



but
you can use the MSCONFIG utility
The 'startup' tab in MSCONFIG provides access to several other applications that are started at boot up and are running in the background.
By examining their Filenames and directories, you should be able to get a feeling for what is necessary and what is not.
Be aware than several viruses and worms have a habit of disguising themselves with authoritative sounding Windows system file names,
such as the Win32.spybot.worm as MSCONFIG32.EXE. Leave these for now if you are not sure. (this paragraph taken from pcstats.com)
Go to 'start\run' and type 'msconfig'
Click on the "startup" tab (furthest right)\
Unclick any items you don't want to load when windows starts.
after editing the msconfig utility and rebooting a pop warning will come-simply clik "do not warn me again"

"Do you ever uninstall programs and they are still listed under startup items in msconfig? Personally, I found myself with 30 such items from old installs.
Microsoft leaves you no way to clean up this list, but have no fear, I have figured it out for you.
1. Open MSconfig and click on the startup items tab
2. Open Regedit and navigate to HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Sharedtools/MSconfig
3. Compare the list of registry keys under startupfolder and startupreg with their counterparts in msconfig.
4. Delete the keys which are no longer valid.
5. Voila! You've cleaned up msconfig.

Check - Startup Folder in StartMenu
Goto Start > Programs > StartUp
Simply delete any programs you don’t want to load on startup. Windows does not put any critical files in here so relax.
This directory can also be a repository for various badness such as spyware and virus software, so if there are files here which are not shortcuts and you don't recognize them, you may wish to consider removing them.


Method 2 - From Within the Program
Open any program that starts up with windows-
goto options or preferences and look for something like "Start with windows" etc -
remove that and it wont load. (generally when you install a program it should politely ask you if you want it to start with Win).
e.g.: Messenger fans
To stop windows messenger from loading at startup.
go to tools-options-preferences-"uncheck”, run this program when windows starts, and run this program in the background.
You can still use it by clicking the icon, but it won't load with windows on start up.


Method 3 - RegistryDeleting*
1. Start --> run --> regedit
2. Navigate to : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
3. Delete any entries that you don't want to load up
***WARNING***
Deleting keys from the registry will not allow you to set them to startup again if you change your mind.(unless you backup and know how to revert it)
Use Registry Cleaner to do this, its easier and has backup feature

SLOW STARTUP DUE TO GRFX CARDS \ FIREWALLS\ ANTIVIRUS Software?
There are alot of complaints that some grfx cards -firewalls and antivirus can slow down boot like hell eg: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...dpost&p=2381357
I suggest either checking with the your grfx\security manufacturures support for any solutions, or search...
Norton seems to have a fix and all i know is that with AtiMobility you can remove them from startup (and services..).
or simply move over to a Lighter less resource eating security system.
if you have symantec AV ,turn the services to manual and dont make it startup (stated by demorgoron in http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...dpost&p=2409538
SlowBoottime with ZoneAlarm? - http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...=231506&hl=boot
See the IrCOMM2k Tweak at bottom for possible solution.


DISABLE UNNECESSARY SERVICES
Windows XP runs many services in the background. A lot of these are not actually necessary to the day-to-day operation of your PC, depending of course, on what you use it for. Different people will need different services enabled. The less services the better the performance the faster load up.
To judge for yourself which are necessary,

Goto> Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services
OR
right click on 'My computer'
select 'manage.'
expand 'services and applications'
then click 'services' to open up the window listing all available services.

The ones labeled 'started' are currently running, and the startup type 'automatic' denotes a service which is started by windows each time the operating system loads. By highlighting each service, you can see a description of its properties, and make an informed decision on whether you need it or not.
To stop a service from running, right click on it and select 'properties,' then stop it and make the startup type 'disabled.' If the description indicates that services which depend on the service you are currently examining will fail if it is disabled, you can go to the 'dependencies' tab to see which services will be affected. (paragraph from pcstats.com)

The Best Site I know that shows which Services you can Safely Disable is - Black Viper's Windows XP Home and Professional Service Configurations - http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm (scroll to bottom)

Here is another Site : http://www.overclockersclub.com/windowsxpservices.shtml

Demorgorn states: only do it if you know what you are doing and write down all the changes you make



PROCESSES - BASICS
You can see what processes are running on your pc by opening the task manager.(Ctrl-Alt-Delete)
In relation to the Services and StartUp programs the CORE system processes(+ internet access) that need to be running for Windows to function are:
csrss.exe
ctfmon.exe (do not disable if u need different languages-quoted from Slimy)
explorer.exe
lsass.exe
services.exe
smss.exe
svchost.exe (x4)
spoolsv.exe (printer...)
System
System Idle Process
Winlogon.exe
(+your firewall and antivirus programs...)
if any of the above .exes are named slightly different or are located outside of the system32 folder there is a big likelihood they are viruses.
( I have looked at 3 different machines running different services- and these are to my knowledge The Essential Core) There is an interesting little application called Procexp from www.sysinternals.com which shows which processes are effecting what on your system.


TURN OFF LOGIN & STARTUP SOUNDS
loading the sounds causes minimal delay but.....
Goto Control Panel-Sounds and Audio Devices-Sounds-
select -"start windows" -then in the sounds panel below select (None)
do the same for Windows logon and any others u want(alot off them).


BOOTVIS UTILITY - Boot Defragmenter
Confirmed in this thread: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...4&hl=boot&st=15
Usefull tool to see all info about which process are doing what, when & howlong during startup.
Made by Microsoft to help speed up Windows XP boot times.
"Bootvis.exe is a performance tracing and visualization tool that Microsoft designed to help PC system designers and software developers identify performance issues for boot/resume timing while developing new PC products or supporting software.
Please note that Bootvis.exe is not a tool that will improve boot/resume performance for end users. Contrary to some published reports, Bootvis.exe cannot reduce or alter a system's boot or resume performance. The boot optimization routines invoked by Bootvis.exe are built into Windows XP. These routines run automatically at pre-determined times as part of the normal operation of the operating system.
If you are an end-user seeking to resolve issues for boot/resume performance on your PC, we recommend that you contact the vendor from whom you purchased the PC. For information from Microsoft on specific issues, you can search Knowledge Base for Windows XP product issues related to "resume time."
Source of Quote : http://www.soft32.com/download_19687.html

How To use Bootvis
Go to the 'trace' menu and select 'next boot and driver delays.'
Bootvis will prompt to reboot. Reboot and wait for Bootvis to start again.
Go to the 'trace' menu and select 'optimize.' Reboot again. Wait for Bootvis to complete its analysis. Your boot times should now be optimized.
Download Bootvis: http://www.soft32.com/download-BootVis-19687-5.html


CHANGE BOOT SEQUENCE
A simple way to speed up boot is to change the boot order your Bios goes thru
Normally its
1.CD
2.Floppy
3.Hardrive
Change it to Hardrive first and you save seconds needed for the pc to check thru the list
go to the 'advanced BIOS features' section of the BIOS
and change the 'First Boot Device' setting to 'Hard Disk' (instead of floppy\cd etc)


SERVICE PACK DELAY BOOT?
See this http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...dpost&p=2400424
According to korsairr
"youre right...
drivers then service packs = fast boots
service packs then drivers = slow boots"



BACKGROUND INTELLIGENT TRANSFER
(If you haven’t already disabled it in Services)
If your system hangs about 2 or 3 minutes at startup, where you can't access the Start button or the Taskbar, it may be due to one specific service
(Background Intelligent Transfer) running in the background. Microsoft put out a patch for this but it didn't work for me. Here's what you do
Either disable it in services
or
1. Click on Start/Run, type 'msconfig', then click 'OK'.
2. Go to the 'Services' tab, find the 'Background Intelligent Transfer' service, disable it, apply the changes & reboot.
from tweakxp.com


NOGUIBOOT tweak - Disabling System Boot Screen
Submited by AresXP : http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...=217309&hl=boot
This tweak removes XP boot Logo at start up (shaving off a few secs)
*****Note:you will only see a black screen at bootup and prevents the displaying of boot messages such as Checkdisk***
Goto start - Run - type in MSCONFIG
in the system configuration utility- goto BOOT.INI - mark the /NOGUIBOOT-ok
reboot
you will get a pop warning after reboot-click the ignore in the future\don’t remind me etc.
OR
Goto C:/ find you your Boot.ini file and add " /noguiboot" right after "/fastdetect".




REMOVE LOGIN SCREEN
The welcome Login screen use alot of resources
These methods prevent xp from asking you to login so it goes directly to the user interface. Remember that removing the welcome login screen you’re making yourself more vulnerable in relation to security reasons

Method 1 - For one person pc users
If your the only one using the pc - do you really need to Login every time? (well for Security Reasons yes...)
Get rid of the Login by simply removing your password.
Goto - Control Panel>User Accounts>click on your Account>Change password>make sure all the fields are empty(ie:remove the passwords)>click Change Password-Done

Method 2
1. click on "Start" - then click on "Run" - and type
"control userpasswords2"
2. click OK
3. On the Users tab, clear the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" check box and click "Apply".
4. Select the user you want to log on & click OK. A dialog will appear that asks you what user name and password should be used to logon automatically, just click "OK".
Then go to Control Panel / User Accounts, and click “Change the way users log on or off”, and untick both “Use the Welcome Screen” and “Use Fast User Switching”
Taken from post by: Dirk Diggler http://tweakxp.com/tweak320.aspx


USE THE OLD WIN2000 LOGIN SCREEN INSTEAD
By switching to the 2K style welcome screen, many things speed up drastically.
goto the Control Panel > User Accounts.
Click "Change the Way a User Logs On or Off".
Uncheck "Use the Welcome Screen"
***The one downside is that you can no longer have multiple users logged on at once***

Speed-up log-in tremendously!
If like me you've tried everything else and your log-in and log-off to XP is still tremendously slow then you might try this little trick. First, if there are any other users on your computer see if they have a similarly long log-in. If they don't the problem might be your roaming profile, which is a folder where XP stores your settings you can access them from anywhere in the network. Since these profiles can get really bloated(as in my case) and are not really necessary unless you log-in from different computers in a large network, you should disable it. Here's how:
1. Right click on My Computer, select the Manage option.
2. From the Management Console, select the Local Users and Groups option.
3. Double-Click on the Users folder that appears on the right panel.
4. Right click on the account with the slow log-in and select Properties.
5. Click on the Profile tab of the Properties Window.
6. Erase(but keep note a not of this) whatever path appears for Profile Path under User Profile and Local Path under Home Folder: LEAVE THESE LINES BLANK.
7. Reboot. Try to log-in into the problematic account, you should see a significant speed-boost, the computer might warn you once or twice that your Roaming Profile is not available, ignore it and it will go away,
Note: You also will not have your settings and files that a roaming profile provides across a network.
submitted by Arif AnwarHi (reviewed by Allan 5-11-03) http://tweakxp.com/tweak1759.aspx
(not tested by me)


Reduce wait time after XP boots
A common performance problem with Windows XP is 'start lag,' in which the operating system boots up normally, the desktop is visible and usable, but programs will not start, and selecting icons and using the start menu are extremely slow. This can take anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes to clear up, and can make using the operating system extremely frustrating, especially if you are in a hurry after the reboot.
This delay is generally caused by Windows XP's networking services looking for other computers and advertising their functions over the computer's network connections.
If this problem is driving you nuts, there is a way to reduce or eliminate the delay, though if you are attached to a home network, it will reduce your computer's functionality on that network.

If your computer is not attached to a home network:
Right click on 'my computer' and select 'manage.'
Expand 'services and applications' and select 'services' to open the services window.
Highlight the 'workstation' service, right click and select 'properties.'
Set the 'startup type' dropdown box to 'disabled.' Click 'ok.'
Note that you will need to re-enable the workstation service should you wish to network your PC in the future.

If your computer is part of a home network:
Go to 'start\control panel\network and internet connections\network connections.'
Right click your current network connection (should be 'local area connection' unless you have more than one network adaptor) and select 'properties.'
Uncheck the 'File and Print Sharing' box and press 'ok.'
*********Note that this will disable your computer's ability to share files and printers over the network, though it should not affect your ability to access such resources on another system. pcstats.com********
___________________________________________________________



TURN OFF BIOS DISK DETECTION
Most modern motherboards will attempt to detect any IDE devices, such as hard drives and CD drives, during the POST sequence each time the computer boots. By configuring the BIOS with the correct drive information, you can shave a few seconds off your boot time by avoiding this detection process.
To do this enter your system's BIOS setup screen.
Depending on your motherboard, you may have an IDE drive auto-detection menu. If you do, simply select it to automatically set your drives. If not, configure the drives through the 'standard CMOS settings' menu.
Note that some motherboard chipsets (like Nvidia's Nforce 2) do not allow this auto-detection to be disabled.
From pcstats.com
(not tested)


DISABLE BOOT VIRUS DETECTION
The boot virus detection setting is a holdover from the early days of computer viruses, when the greatest threat was from virus programs that wrote themselves into the boot sector of hard disks or the partition table. Some motherboards are equipped to monitor any attempt to write to these areas during boot up, and halt the process with a warning for the user.
Since every version of Windows after 3.1 needs to write to these areas during install, and the modern virus style of choice is the email worm, this feature is now obsolete. Disable it for convenience and increased boot speed.
It will commonly be found in the 'advanced BIOS features' section of the BIOS.
from pcstats.com
(not tested)


DISABLE AUTODETECT DRIVES
Submitted by SaLiVa (see post below)
Heres another tip: The BIOS usually has Auto Detect Drives on default. This takes a while to scan through the drives, so Set your BIOS to None for non existing drives, so that it skips the drives you dont have. And set it to Manual for those with drives in them. And I think you save 1 second on Start Up.




LESS GLAMOUR MORE SPEED
By not using sexy effects in windows you will increase general system performance and bootup since the core (classic) interface gets loaded first anyway.
In otherwords avoid using alternative Boot Screens-Login Screens and other Heavy interface enhancers

Choice 1 - Remove Glossy Effects
Right click "My Computer" and choose properties.
Click on the advanced tab, and than performance settings.
You now are now in the visual effects tab,
check "adjust for best performance"
and uncheck every squared box in the box
(I would keep "use drop shadows for icon labels" because it’s worth the look on the desktop)
(if you want to keep Windows styles then keep this marked "use Visual styles..." at bottom)
Click OK, OK

Choice 2 - CLASSIC Style - Remove Interface enhancers such as Windows styles
Remove the Windows styles or other interface enhancers. This will bring back the Windows Classic shell - which runs & loads faster.
Right click on empty space on your desktop - click Properties
on top click Appearance - "windows and Buttons scheme"on top select - Windows Classic Style.
ok.

Remove Desktop Image
By simply having a one color desktop background (instead of an image) Xp wont have to load it.(or make sure your image isnt too heavy in kb)
goto>Display Options>tab Desktop>select "None" and choose color

REMOVE UNWANTED FONTS to increase Boot Speed
Windows checks and loads fonts during the startup process, therefore having a large amount of font files can cause performance to drag during startup. The simple solution for this (if you do not expect to use the majority of these fonts constantly) is to move the unnecessary fonts to a new directory elsewhere on the hard disk, preserving them in case they are needed, but preventing them from loading upon startup.
To do this:
Create a new directory called 'font backup' or something similar on your c: drive.

Go to 'start\control panel\fonts' and select all fonts (for now, we will be more selective later). Drag and drop all the fonts into the backup folder you just created. Things will get garbled for a moment, never fear. Windows XP will automatically re-install the base fonts that it needs to display text into the font’s folder in a second or two.

Now you have the bare minimum of fonts installed. Go through the backup folder and cherry pick the fonts that you are sure to use (like Times New Roman or Arial).
If you removed a large volume of fonts, your system should now boot faster.
if not then just copy the fonts back to the original font’s folder
***Note: You won't be able to access the fonts in Word or Notepad if they are removed from original folder***
from pcstats.com
Demorgorn's advice is : for deleting fonts automatically,i reccomend using Font Frenzy ,shareware with 40 days trial that can delete those unneeded fonts



THE PREFETCH
The Prefetch is located here C:\WINDOWS\PREFETCH
The listing of programs in the Prefetch are there so that programs loads faster.

A: Clean you’re Prefetch for obsolete programs
if you see any programs which are no longer in use - delete them. CCleaner does this automatically for you.
Don’t worry if you delete any others cause they will be put back the next time you startup that specific program.

Here is a simple batch file for cleaning your Prefetch completely (do it occasionally once a month or so)

del C:\Windows\Prefetch\*.*
@ECHO SUCCESS
@PAUSE
EXIT

copy & paste it in notepad then save it as EmptyPrefetch.bat
***It has been suggested that cleaning your Prefetch too often decreases system performance.***

B: Increase speed by tweaking prefetcher settings
This is a unique technique for XP, which could improve the performance significantly by tweaking the prefetcher (which is a cache folder).
1. run "regedit";
2. goto [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\EnablePrefetcher];
3. Set the value to either 0-Disable, 1-App launch prefetch, 2-Boot Prefetch, 3-Both ("3" is recommended).
4. reboot.
It should decrease the boot time and the time it takes to load programs.
submitted by Dr. Dong (reviewed &/or edited by Allan 5/7/03) tweakxp.com
(not tested)

C:Totally DisablePrefetching*
Submited by Industrious http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...ndpost&p=771187
You can disable totally Prefetching via the registry!
Run regedit.exe then go to:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\MemoryManagement\PrefetchParameters
Change EnablePrefetcher value from 3 to 5 (decimal)
***Not tested-dont know what effects this has***

DISABLE AUTO DETECTION OF EMPTY IDE SLOTS
Submitted by Bold_Fortune : http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...=222045&hl=boot
"Saved 1.5 Seconds Off My Boot Time, I know I know, Big Deal"
It worked for me!

Another quick trick for a faster boot up is to disable the auto detection that Windows XP uses to determine if there are IDE devices present in any of the IDE slots on the motherboard. More specifically, disable this feature on any empty slots to prevent the operating system wasting time and resources checking them.

Right click on 'my computer' > select 'properties' > Go to the 'hardware' tab and select 'device manager' to open the device management window.

Expand 'IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers' and highlight the 'primary IDE channel.'
Right click the highlighted entry and select 'properties.'
Go to the 'advanced settings' tab.

If either IDE slot on the controller is empty, the 'device type' dropdown box will be not grayed out. Set it to 'none' to disable auto detection of IDE devices on that particular slot.

Repeat the above steps for the 'secondary IDE controller.'
Note that if you wish to add a new IDE device, you will have to reset the 'device type' setting to 'autodetect' in order for Windows to use the new drive.


Disable Parts of GROUP POLICIES MANAGER - gpedit.msc
This will dramatically speed up the login process - If you don't need to utilize Group Policies on the local machine, you can disable parts of it.
Login as Administrator.
Go to Start/Run type in gpedit.msc and click ok.
Right click on the Local Computer Policy entry and select Properties from the menu that appears.
Add checkmarks to the two options within the Disable section. Close out.
Reboot.
Notice the login access time has decreased dramatically.
submitted by The_Wizard tweakxp.com
(not tested)


TIMEOUT DUAL BOOT TWEAK
If you have a dual boot process - you can edit the time xp displays the choice page. the default is 30sec. Lower the seconds (10 9 8 etc) and it’ll take less....time
Goto - Control Panel > System > Advanced > Startup and Recovery > Settings > Time to display list of operating systems
or
edit your boot.ini file in C:\ and change the number after 'timeout"


Very SLOW BOOT WHEN NETWORKING
On some XP Pro installations, when connected to a network (peer-peer in this case), the computer boot time can be over 1:40. The system seems to freeze after logging in and the desktop may not appear or will freeze for a minute. As timed with the utility, Bootvis.exe, the problem was with the driver mrxsmb.dll, adding over 67 seconds to the boot time. Turning off and restoring file and printer sharing eliminated 65 seconds from the boot time.
1. Alt-click (or right click) on Network Places > Properties
2. Alt-click on Ethernet Adapter connection > properties
3. Un-check "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" > OK
4. reboot
5. If you need file or printer sharing, repeat the above, re-check the box and re-boot again.
submitted by Pete Erskine


DISABLE UNUSED PORTS & DEVICES
This is done by disabling your unused devices in Device Manager.
for example, if you don't have input devices that are connected to one of your USB’s or COM ports, if you have a integrated sound card or video card that you have upgraded, or if you do not use a floppy drive on your system, it pays to disable them will give you an extra performance boost in booting. The same goes for extra network cards.
Of course, the standard rule of thumb applies here: If you do not know what it is, leave it alone.

Yes I’ve tried this. I've disabled every devices that currently has no use for my pc and it worked great. My booting time is much faster than before.
Go to Control Panel -> System -> Hardware tab -> device manager
Disable devices that you don't use for your PC and then restart.
submitted by Xpentours http://tweakxp.com/tweak1645.aspx And PcStats.com
(not tested but logically correct)
for example
DisableUSBRootspower
It could be that your computer is trying to save power for any of the USB Device connected.
1. Right-click My Computer, click Properties, click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
2. Double-click the Universal Serial Bus controllers branch to expand it, right-click USB Root Hub, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Power Management tab.
4. Click to clear the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power check box, click OK,
5. Do the same with all USB ROOT HUBS.
6. Then quit Device Manager and restart your system.
These troubleshootings should help your Computer
(got this off neowin a long time ago)

IF You have TWO HARDDRIVES
If you have two Hard disk (note hard disk not partitions) move the page file to the other hard disk... and make it smaller if you have more RAM.
Submited by C}{$ http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...ndpost&p=395699
(not tested)


ENABLE BOOT DEFRAG
A great new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot Defragment. This places all boot files next to each other on the disk to allow for faster booting. By default this option is enabled but on some builds it is not so below is how to turn it on.(Y is good)
1. Start Regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
3. Select Enable from the list on the right.
4. Right on it and select Modify.
5. Change the value to Y to enable and N to disable.
6. Reboot your computer.


Speedup boot time by IMPROVING NTFS CHECK
CHKNTFS is the command used to set the AUTOCHK initiation count down time. You can reduce it from default 9 seconds to a much lower value say 4 seconds. Go to command prompt and type CHKNTFS/T:4
This command would set the AUTOCHK initiation count time down to 4.
(don’t know where I got this)

PROCESS IDLE TASKS TWEAK
Please read thru the entire of both these threads for more info
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=233437&st=0 by AresXP - Lighning Fast Startup
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=232067 by samxt - Add ProcessIdleTasks cmd to your Start...., menu conplete with icon. For Xp home/Pro


IrCOMM2k Tweak
I stumbled upon a COM port driver. I installed it to my computer and noticed that XP loads almost instantly with the Norton Anti-Virus and Firewall at startup. I booted my computer again and it loads almost instantly. Usually I have to wait more than 5 mins because I have a DSL modem but it's a dynamic ip, meaning, I have to wait for the modem to search for an ip available and it takes painfully long. Anyway, to fix this, download IrCOMM2k.zip at this site http://www.ircomm2k.de/.
Download : http://www.stud.uni-hannover.de/~kiszka/Ir...k-1.2.1-eng.zip
submitted by Bruce Rabe tweakxp.com
(not tested)


BOLDFORTUNE'S and NEOMAYHEM'S DELETE FILES TWEAK
BoldFortune and Neomayhem have made an Amazing lists of items which you can delete from Windows.
By removing as much as possible from windows it will logically load faster.
Read the entire thread.

BoldFortunes "Slimming Down Windows XP: The Complete Guide" http://hollow-refuge.net/Bold/viewtopic.php?t=229
and

NeoMayhems "Making your windows folder smaller" http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=80511






DLL & EXE Editing
There are ways of editing the core xp .dlls to make them lighter - making the icons, bmps, avi's less grfx intense and generally making .dlls smaller for faster load.
This requires knowledge of Resource Hex editing.
**Do Not attempt if you dont know what your doing**
These 2 sites focuses purely on playing with windows : http://www.virtualplastic.net/html/art_hack.html#winxp
http://wint.virtualplastic.net/
Search on this Neowin for .dll \ .exe tweaks, resource hacking etc for more
hacking explorer.exe - http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=225692



After StartUp....Clean you’re Ram ?
If you use a Ram cleaner emptier etc after startup you will notice that there is always alot of info filling up the ram 31%?.
Use a ram cleaner to get a fresh start.
Don’t really know if this helps but....



QUESTIONABLE - UNCERTAIN TWEAKS

Use the INTEL APPLICATION ACCELERATOR??
If your computer has an older Intel chipset (pre-865) you may benefit from downloading and installing the Intel Application Accelerator . This software replaces the Windows XP ATA (hard disk and IDE device) drivers with ones specially designed for Intel chipsets, improving disk performance and boot time.
*****Please make sure that your computer conforms to the system requirements before installing the accelerator.******
Pcstats.com
(tested but didnt change anything-not the right system)


Speed up Network Browsing??
(I am uncertain whether this tweak speeds the bootup in anyway but since my logic states that if explorer.exe loads, it will immediately will also check links to other pcs etc-this twk removes the possibility - this is a good tweak nonetheless)
There was a bug in windows 2000 that would cause the scheduled tasks folder to be searched when ever the user would browse network drives. Microsoft developed a fix for this bug. The fix fixed the problem and it also had nice side affect of speeding up browsing of Microsoft networks. Below are instructions how to apply the fix.
1. Open up regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace.
3. Find a key named {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}.
4. Right click on it and delete it.
5. Restart
submitted by James Penneck tweakxp.com


UNLOAD DLLs TWEAK??
I have not tested this-someone please confirm?
I heard somewhere (tweak manager) that unloading your dlls from memory supposedly speeds up boot time.
To enable it here is the registry code.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AlwaysUnloadDLL]
""="1"


I think this should be sufficient enough to give you a headache

Touch Screen Laptop HP Pavilion tx1000

The HP Pavilion tx1000 Entertainment Notebook PC brings a new personal mobile computing experience with a ‘twist & touch’ screen display. The most innovative design enables you to enjoy the best entertainment and productivity experience. The Following features will enough to bring HP tx1000 into top level Notebook series.


• AMD Turion™ 64 X2 Dual Core Mobile technology will give maximum perfomance to multi-media applications for a more enjoyable entertainment experience. It accelerates current applications with HyperTransport™ Technology, for faster response and greater agility.





• Genuine Windows Vista for superior digital entertainment and advanced features

• HP BrightScreen technology. 12.1-inch touchscreen display. Enjoy bright, sharp images and crisp video clips.

• Protect your Laptop and data from unauthorize access with the built-in biometric scanner. Scan and register your fingerprint so only you may have access to the computer. Log on to email, banking or any password protected websites.

More Details Visit Here

Panasonic's 7mm DVD Burner, World's Thinnest But Still Feels Fat In This Dress

just rolled out its slimmest DVD burner yet, and this one looks like it hasn't eaten in a month. Just 7mm thick and weighing 3.5 ounces, if it got any thinner the DVD itself would be too thick to fit inside.


It's an internal slot-loading drive, made for a laptops that will now be able to be 2.5mm thinner than they could have been before, using the next smallest drive (also made by Panasonic) that's just 9.5mm from top to bottom.

It handles all the usual suspects, burning seven different types of formats including DVD-RAM and DVD-R, +R, DVD-RW, +RW, CD-R and CD-RW. Panasonic says it already started shipping this anorexic item to laptop makers last month, but didn't disclose pricing. If only this were a Blu-ray drive.

Product Page (Japanese translation) [Panasonic, via Akihabara News]

Balance Concept Phone

If/when released, the Balance Phone could be one of the most expensive handsets ever. Featuring dual touchscreen displays, 5.1-megapixel camera, 512MB of internal memory, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and a microSD card slot. Hit the jump for a video.

It’s a pretty neat design for sure, but whether it will work in the real world where phones are dropped and slammed all over the place is anyone’s guess

Nokia 6555

Nokia 6555 is a new slick 3G phone that Nokia unveiled earlier today. It’s basically a standard clam shell phone with one cool little detail - it has an analog timepiece on the cover. Photos and info inside.


Press information from Nokia

The new Nokia 6555 features a smooth-back fold design and original analog timepiece

Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced a new 3G mobile phone that pairs original design and quality workmanship with outstanding features. The Nokia 6555 meets the desire for aesthetic appeal with an external analog clock echoing the timeless elegance of high-end luxury. The Nokia 6555 is the first WCDMA phone with a smooth-back fold design with recessed hinge creating a seamless line when open. The phone’s gentle curve ensures a smooth and ergonomic user experience. The Nokia 6555 is an accessible option for discerning consumers. The Nokia 6555 will be available within the next month at an estimated retail price of approximately €200 before subsidies or taxes.



Adding to its attraction, the Nokia 6555 features a QVGA 16 million color internal display - twice as many colors as the human eye can see - for a brilliant, crisp resolution on a large 240×320 screen, making it perfect for viewing photos and videos. The camera featuring a 6x zoom gives even greater versatility and full screen portrait viewfinder so you can be sure you get the right picture every time. The self-portrait function on the camera and video sharing ability ensures that special moments are easily shared with family and friends.



“Mobile-savvy consumers expect superior quality and design. We understood that need, and so created the the Nokia 6555. The Nokia 6555 is a sophisticated accessory delivering the outstanding features that you expect from Nokia,” said Markku Suomi, Product Group Director, Mobile Phones, Nokia.

From the thin, narrow form factor with smooth lines to the 30MB user memory (with capacity for microSD expandable memory) and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, the Nokia 6555 sets the standard in its class.

Key features:
- Original smooth-back design
- Elegant external analog timepiece display
- Brilliant 16 million color display
- Video sharing
- WCDMA and quadband GSM functionality

Google Phone Confirmed By HTC Insider

over at Crunchgear has the exclusive on the "upcoming" Google Phone, supposedly set to launch in Q1 2008. His source is someone inside HTC, the company that Google's working with to pick one of 20 models to finalize their design.

On the software side, they're going to build a special version of Google Maps (complete with GPS), as well as have Gmail and Calendar compatibility. It's most likely going to have Google Docs compatibility too, but that wasn't specified. What's even cooler is that Google Talk, their free VoIP app, will be part of the suite. The OS could be Windows Mobile 6, or it could be a Linux-based OS, which would be even more interesting. [Crunchgear]

Truly Irresistible Technology: Sony Unveils Slimmest TV on Planet

Sony has revealed new XWL-1 TV which uses the latest Organic EL display technology and is the slimmest TV on planet earth, see the picture it’s just as thin as the thinness of coin super slim i would say.The new Tv is just 3mm thin and an 11 inch QHD screen which boasts of contrast ratio of 1000K:1 with vivid colours.This TV also has support for High Defination Videos, comes with a HDMI input port and QHD resolution display.

This display technology will really benefit the cellphone,smartphone industry as there is a huge demand of slim display units in mobiles and other portable market.

Sony’s XWL-1 TV will be available in Japan this december for around 1220€ (approx 1734$).Wide availability of the TV is unknown at this point of time.

PDF can Speak with Adobe

Did you know this?
You can listen to any PDF file.

Open any PDF file with Adobe Reader 7 .0 Or 6.0 and the short cut keys are:

Ctrl+shift+b - to hear the entire Document
Ctrl+shift+v - to hear a single page
Ctrl+shift+e - to stop
Ctrl+shift+c - to resume

Open any PDF File and experiment….

Faster startup of Windows XP……

If your computer takes a long time to become useable after starting up or logging on, or you want a clean boot of Winodws XP try this,
Click Start > Run > Type “msconfig” > On the Startup tab click Disable All and on the Services tab check the Hide All Microsoft Service box and then click Disable All.
Click Restart and Windows XP will restart with only the system services and applications running resulting in a vey fast logon / startup.
*******
N.B This tweak will disable all non-system startup sevices and applications,
so if you have anything you want to run in the background such as anti virus software do not disable that item.
Cleaning up XP Junk Via Batch …
Clean uo ur system TEMP, RECENT, HISTORY, TEMPRORY INTERNET FILES, & PREFETCH files Via a simple Batch File
Copy This Coading To Notepad And save it as Cleanup.bat
Please Note ALWAYS RUN THIS FILE FROM SYSTEM DESKTOP
**********
@echo Off
@Title Ghost Nt Cleaning System File
@
@cd\
@
Echo. Cleaning Prefetch Files
@cd %windir%\prefetch
@del /s /q *.* |echo. >nul
@cd\
Echo. Cleaning Temprory Files
@cd %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
@del /f /s /q /a s *.* |echo. >nul
@cd..
@rd /s /q Temp |echo. >nul
@rd /s /q History |echo. >nul
@@MD Temp
@cd\
@del /s /q *.tmp
@
@cd %USERPROFILE%\Recent
@del /s /q *.* |echo. >nul
Echo. Please Wait More For Last Cleanup
@del /s /q *.chk |echo. >nul
@
Echo. Cleanup Sucessfull