Can you recommend a 64bit PC to run a DTP package on? I need a fast machine with a good graphics card, lots of memory and a large hard disk and currently find my present one (32bit) slows to a standstill due to lack of memory. I heard HP can recommend a suitable machine to meet my needs.

You don’t mention the DTP package, but let’s assume it’s something professional like Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress. Also, I’m going to assume by ‘PC’ you mean a conventional desktop computer and not a notebook.

So, on these assumptions, I think you have two basic options. The first is to find a good, high-end PC and make sure it has enough memory, processor power and storage for DTP. The second is a little more interesting – it involves upgrading to an HP Workstation, which will give you a lot more capability, performance and expandability while still running Microsoft Windows 7 and your favourite applications.

Option 1: HP Workstation. A high-end HP Workstation, like the HP Z series, can support multiple hard drives, powerful graphics cards, multiple monitors and lots of RAM. See 'Workstations explained' for more information. An ideal configuration is 8GB of memory, a high-performance Professional Graphics Card, quad-core processor and two hard drives: one SSD drive for the operating system and a big, fast conventional drive for your data. This combination would make a very powerful DTP system. The Z210 Small Form Factor packs workstation performance into a surprisingly compact, desktop PC-like case. Or for more performance and expandability, take a look at the Z400. You can find the perfect Workstation for your needs with our Product Selection Wizard.

Option 2: High-end PC. An HP Compaq 8200 Elite would work well. It comes with Windows 7 Professional 64-bit and a powerful 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i3, i5 or i7 processor and support for a range of graphics cards, up to 16 GB of memory and plenty of storage. I would recommend at least 4GB of memory and a dedicated graphics card (e.g. the AMD Radeon HD 6570).

Ultimately, the choice between these two options is about price but if you use your computer for demanding digital work (as you do), it generally pays to get the most powerful, expandable computer possible. Not only will it have a longer useful life but it will also improve your productivity.

HP Agony Aunt

We published this answer on September 2011. Product specifications change all the time and so it may be out of date by the time you read it. But please send in your own questions for the HP Agony Aunt.

Are any of your notebooks available with a matte screen? NOT a shiny "anti-glare".

All our business notebooks, such as HP ProBooks and HP EliteBooks come with matte anti-reflective screens which work well in office lighting conditions and for viewing documents. Our consumer notebooks have the shinier anti-glare style screen, which are, arguably, more suitable for watching movies and viewing photographs.

HP Agony Aunt

We published this answer on August 2011. Product specifications change all the time and so it may be out of date by the time you read it. But please send in your own questions for the HP Agony Aunt.

What is the best notebook for working with Photoshop and PaintShop Pro? I need the best graphics speed and the best speed to upload and download large pictures. Also, I don’t want to have any problems with crashes and plug-ins.

If you’re looking for the best performance in a portable PC, you should definitely look at HP Mobile Workstations. They are high-end notebooks with the latest Intel processor technology, dedicated graphics processors and lots of memory. All three elements – processor, graphics and memory – are essential if you want to work with large photo files.

HP Workstations are certified by major software companies, including Adobe, so you can be sure that popular applications will run smoothly. HP’s exclusive Performance Advisor application comes pre-installed and it will help you resolve any problems with applications and driver settings and optimise the system’s overall speed.

We recommend the HP EliteBook 8560w Mobile Workstation. You get a choice of powerful processors and you can add up to 32 GB of RAM.

For more information, check out HP EliteBook Mobile Workstations, HP’s Product Selection Wizard and our article: Workstations explained.

HP Agony Aunt

We published this answer on May 2011. Product specifications change all the time and so it may be out of date by the time you read it. But please send in your own questions for the HP Agony Aunt.

HP has a complete range of laptops, starting with basic, low-cost HP Mini netbooks at one end of the spectrum and running up to incredibly powerful HP EliteBook mobile workstations at the other end.

Choosing the right one for you is about getting the right combination of price, performance and portability.

Another important point is to make sure you get a business notebook rather than a consumer PC. This ensures you get features such as security software, power management tools and the right level of build quality for business use.

Since you ask for a recommendation for a sales person, let's assume that portability and battery life are important. There's no point getting a laptop that runs out of juice in the middle of a presentation or one that is so hefty that you can't carry it easily. Given these parameters, can I suggest good / better / best alternatives?

• GOOD. HP ProBook 5320m (starting at £419). This is very compact and it includes a powerful Intel® Core™ i3-350M processor and a good screen. Check out this YouTube review for more on this model.
  
  
• BETTER. HP ProBook 6550b (starting at £597). This adds a faster Intel® processor, a larger screen and an optical drive but it's a bit bigger and heavier than the 5320m.
  
  
• BEST. HP EliteBook 2540p (starting at £1200). This has a super-fast Intel® Core™ i5-540M processor, the latest security and management technology, HD graphics and it's very compact and light.
  
  

You can get a minimum £150 cash back if you trade in your old laptop for a new HP ProBook and they come with the HP Satisfaction Guarantee – we are so confident our products are reliable for business that you can now trial qualifying business laptops for 30 days and if you are not 100% satisfied, you can return the product for a full refund.

(All prices are correct at time of publication.)

I would also recommend some accessories to maximise the notebook's usefulness:

• Extended life battery. A nine-cell battery will let you work all day without recharging. Alternatively, if you're driving from appointment to appointment, a car charger will help keep your laptop fully charged.
  
  
• HP Notebook Projection Companion. A tiny projector for presentations. This is a real asset for sales people because it lets you give a presentation almost anywhere without carrying around a big heavy projector. Check out this video review.
  
  
• HP Virtual Rooms. Sales people can save time and reduce travel costs by using HP Virtual Rooms to give online presentations to clients without leaving the office. More information at HP Virtual Rooms.
  
  

We have more resources to help you choose the perfect notebook for your business:

• How to choose the right PC
• Interactive advisor for personalised IT advice for your business.
• Computer wizard to help you find the perfect HP computer for your needs.

HP Agony Aunt

We published this answer on February 2011. Product specifications change all the time and so it may be out of date by the time you read it. But please send in your own questions for the HP Agony Aunt.

I have just purchased a new HP Notebook, which I'm very pleased with. However, I have one problem. The notebook is loaded with Windows 7 and Office 2010. I'm having difficulty in converting scanned documents into PDF files. My HP printer is a few years old (OfficeJet 6110). My previous laptop computer had installed HP Document Imaging, but my new one doesn't. Previously I was able to scan a document on the printer/scanner with HP Doc Imaging, then convert the resulting file into a PDF file. Please can you suggest a solution. Thank you.

It's likely that you installed HP Document Imaging on your old laptop when you set up the printer for the first time. You should be able to reinstall it from the original driver disk that came with your printer. Alternatively, you can download the software from HP's website. Select Software and Driver Downloads, Windows 7 and then the HP Printer Install Wizard for Windows 7 under utilities. If a Windows 7 version of the software is available, this tool should install it.

Failing that, you might consider buying third party software to convert scans into PDF files. Two possibilities are: Adobe Acrobat X Standard and Nuance PaperPort 12.1.

HP Agony Aunt

We published this answer on February 2011. Product specifications change all the time and so it may be out of date by the time you read it. But please send in your own questions for the HP Agony Aunt.

How can I improve my pc as a web site developer?

Typically, website developers use a mix of graphics tools, such as Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Expression Studio, and development tools such as Adobe Dreamweaver. You may also run multiple web browsers at the same time for compatibility testing. All these applications demand memory, fast disk speeds and, to a lesser extent, processing power. There is lots of evidence that multiple monitors can improve productivity; for example with code on one screen and a web browser on the other.

So, the best PC for the job is probably a workstation. A high-end PC, like the HP Z series, can support multiple hard drives, multiple monitors and lots of RAM. See 'Workstations explained' for more information. If your PC is more than three years old, it may be worth buying a new workstation to replace it because the cost of upgrading an old PC may exceed the cost of a new one relative and you won't be able to add enough extra performance to make the upgrade path worthwhile.

But your question was about improving your PC rather than replacing it so I would recommend upgrading your memory. The minimum goal is 4GB and perhaps 8GB or more if you're running lots of programs at the same time. If you're using Windows 7, install the 64-bit version if you need to access more than 4GB of memory. Also consider adding a fast (7,200 or 15,000 RPM) second hard drive to store your data files. Adding a second monitor is another good idea. With a series of small, incremental upgrades, each costing around £200 or less, you can make your PC much more productive.

HP Agony Aunt

We published this answer on February 2011. Product specifications change all the time and so it may be out of date by the time you read it. But please send in your own questions for the HP Agony Aunt.

I'm buying an HP Z200 workstation and I'm not sure whether I should go for the Quad Intel Xeon X3480 processor or an Intel Core i5 650 processor.

Thanks for your question. As so often in IT, the answer is 'it depends'. In this case, it comes down to the type and the number of applications you plan to run at the same time. This is because the Xeon has four processor cores vs. the i5's two. If you're running programs that can use multiple cores or you plan to run several applications at once, this will be a big benefit. However, you might get slightly better price performance by specifying the Xeon X3440 which still has four cores and is roughly 20% faster overall than the Core i5-650 but at a lower price than the X3480. On the other hand, for single task or single thread applications, the Core i5-650 is possibly a better option.

HP Agony Aunt

Dear HP Agony Aunt,

I wish to purchase a Z series workstation (I have studied the competition) but I am not sure whether to go for the Z400 or Z600 series, and the latter with one or two processors. I run AutoCAD Revit 2011 and AutoCAD Architecture 2011 plus the usual Office applications, structural calculation and heat analysis software. I also use Photoshop and video editing software.

I was initially thinking of a Z400 with 3.2GHz processor but would it be better if I went for the Z600 with the 2.53GHz (or two)? In either case I feel that the nVidia 4800 1.5Gb graphic card is the one to go for (as opposed to the 3800 initially recommended). Do you think 12 GB of Ram is ok, too much or about right for starters? I don't want to buy a machine that is almost up to its limit, but I don't want to over specify either.

I am a sole trader so the £3,000.00 or so will be a fair chunk of my capital but then the machine is up gradable and I'm fed up with stoking coal into my present 2.4Ghz quad (Q6600) 32bit machine (it's actual speed is 2.39GHz) and 3GB RAM.

- Power Hungry

Dear Power Hungry,

You're definitely making the right choice to go for a workstation to run those applications. Getting the extra processing power, reliability and software company certification will help you get through your work faster. Autodesk Revit and Adobe software will take good advantage of multi-core processors. Most analysis and simulation apps make use of multiple cores and CPUs too. Also, an HP Workstation is more expandable than a regular desktop which means that you can add more memory and storage over time, so it'll have a longer service life.

Let's look at the specifications in a bit more detail, starting with memory. I think 12GB is a reasonable amount of memory. On the Z400, that is probably the optimum amount of memory because of the way it handles memory. On the Z600, you have six DIMM slots for up to 24GB of RAM, so that would be a more future-proof option if you added more memory later. Video and photo editing can be very memory hungry and the more you have, the faster the software will run. You'll need to run Windows 7 64-bit to take advantage of all that memory, but I guess you already know that.

In terms of choosing between the Z400 and Z600, I talked to our Workstation guru, and he recommends the Z600 because of the extra performance boost your applications will get from having more processor cores. Ideally, he suggests, a dual quad-core system using the E5630 because it offers the best combination of price and performance within your budget. Extra processing power will improve the performance of your computation-intensive programs.

You may also want to consider investing in a faster hard drive, perhaps an SSD drive for your system partition and a second 10,000 or 15,000 RPM drive for data storage. This will make a difference to the performance of applications and the system as a whole because files will load quicker and you'll be able to access system data (e.g. the virtual memory page file) at the same time as application data (e.g. 3d models or graphics files) because they're on different physical drives. However, if you go for a single drive system, it's probably better to get a high-speed magnetic drive (10k or 15k RPM) than a more expensive SSD because the sort of work you do – video editing and CAE – is more about streaming performance than random access.

Ultimately, you may be better off with a higher spec workstation, better CPUs, more memory and a better hard drive and compromise a bit on the graphics card, depending on how complex your 3D graphics are. The price difference between the two cards you mention is a big chunk of your budget and only you can judge how much extra performance the higher-end card will deliver in your circumstances. Perhaps an NVIDIA Quadro 4000 is a good compromise – more performance without the high price of the 4800? Lowering your aim on the graphics card will give you some room within your £3,000 budget to improve the performance of other system components and get a better all-round system.

- HP Agony Aunt

Dear HP,

We're looking for a new PC for our business. We are not sure which is the best way to go on this one. Is it better for us to buy a laptop such as a HP Pavilion or maybe better to buy a PC. We need to use Photoshop a lot for our jewellery business and we are having a very large website made. We will need various connections for receipt printers and so on. I know Photoshop needs a dual core processor as it is a very heavy software. I also need the computer to be fast and viruses are my main worry always. As this is a new company we need trouble free life to make everything a success. Our website will be B2C and B2B and if our business grows then we may need more PCs.

- Looking for a diamond

There are quite a few related questions here. So, let's start with the first one: notebook or desktop? Mainly, this comes down to personal preference and how you plan to use the computer. If mobility is important – for example, if you plan to work from home sometimes – then a notebook is more flexible. However, it sounds like you're going to use this in your business, for example to print receipts and edit photos, so a desktop computer is probably better in your case. If you're using it in a shop, you can keep the box out of the way and just have the keyboard and monitor on the till which makes it a bit tidier, especially if you use a wireless keyboard and mouse.

You suggested buying an HP Pavilion laptop. This raises a second question: should you buy a consumer PC or a business computer? Superficially, they are similar but consumer PCs, like our Pavilion range, emphasise entertainment and home applications whereas our business PCs, such as the HP Pro and Elite desktops and HP ProBook notebooks, are designed for business users. For example, they have added security features, enhanced reliability and they come with preloaded software that businesses find useful, such as a trial version of McAfee Total Protection Anti-Virus. If you're buying for business, it's best to get a business-class PC. As you say, what you want is a trouble-free life. (On that subject, you may also want to take out an extended warranty with onsite support so that if you do have a problem, you get back to work sooner.)

The third question is around performance. How much processor power do you need to run Photoshop? If you're editing a lot of photos on a regular basis, it is probably a good idea to go for a multi-core processor, such as the Intel® Core™ i3 or i5. Extra memory will also help; 4 GB of RAM will make Photoshop more responsive because you can hold more of the image in memory without hitting the (slower) hard disk all the time. For regular office applications and occasional photo editing an HP Pro 3120 is a great choice but for the kind of Photoshop work you want to do, I'd get something a little more powerful, perhaps the HP Compaq 8100 Elite and I'd go for 4 GB of memory.

One final thought: if you're doing heavy-duty editing of very big photos, you might also look at entry-level Workstations – they're like regular PCs but more powerful. Something like an HP Z200 Workstation would give you extra memory capacity, 64-bit Microsoft Windows 7 and a choice of more powerful processors. It might cost more but it's likely you'll recoup that because you won't need to replace it as soon as a slower computer and you'll get more work done because it's faster.

You might find our detailed guide to choosing the right PC for your business. Also, check out our range of accessories for a wireless keyboard and mouse. For more information on keeping your business safe online, read our online guide on Business Answers. Finally, you might find our articles about doing business online helpful when you're promoting your new website.

Dear HP,

My application is intensive calculations for optical coating design. I want to replace my six year-old PC and would like to know the optimal solution. The software ("Essential Macleod" from The Thin Film Center and "Optilayer") make use of all available multi processors. The PC is also used for email, office, etc. and runs on a network. Workstation with Xeon or Desktop with Core i7 or Laptop with Core i7? Do you have comparative calculation performance?

- Need for speed

If you go to the top of the range HP Z800 Workstation, you can get a Intel Xeon X5660 running at 2.80GHz. This will give you six processor cores and 12 threads, using Intel Hyper-Threading Technology. That's seriously fast. Alternatively, you can opt for less powerful processors in the Z800 range or step down to the Z600 or Z400 ranges. Each step on the ladder is different trade-off between price and performance; although other variables such as RAM and processor also affect overall performance and price. However, even the cheapest Z400 model has a powerful Intel Xeon Dual-Core Processor that will make your six-year-old PC look like a slow coach. A mobile workstation, such as the HP EliteBook 8740w, is also very powerful with a choice of Intel Core i7 processors but will offer less performance and expandability than a comparable desktop unit; it depends on whether portability is a factor. You can download very detailed specifications for each model from the web pages here. In terms of benchmark results, you might like to look at the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation's results, although they are somewhat technical and focus more on graphics performance than the raw processing your application demands. You might find our white paper(PDF) on multi-processor workstations useful. I suppose you have a choice between portable or deskbound and a decision about price / performance. However, if you plan to run such a processor intensive application and you might keep this new computer for six year, it will probably pay you get the fastest machine you can afford.

Hi HP,

I need a new laptop soon, but i don't use Windows, can i purchase a 'naked' laptop. Or one with Linux pre-installed?

- Curious

HP recommends Microsoft Windows 7 and it comes pre-installed on most HP Notebooks. We don't sell 'naked' PCs, meaning PCs without any pre-installed operating system. However, you can buy some models with SUSE Linux Enterprise 11, such as the new HP Mini 5103. However, it is pretty easy to install a Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu, in a dual-boot configuration, so that you have the option of choosing between Windows and Linux each time you boot up. In addition, many HP Notebooks come with HP QuickWeb, which is a stripped-down Linux-based operating system that lets you get online in seconds without booting your regular operating system .

Dear HP,

I'm taking my HP Mini on holiday to Florida soon. How do 'connect' successfully and do I need any accessories for my mini. Also, do I use the adapter you normally take with you on holiday. Do I need to purchase a dongle abroad? Help.

- Jetsetter

Here's what I do. To recharge, I bought a cheap plug adaptor at the airport and I just plug my existing power cable into that. HP Notebook power supplies are designed to work with US and UK voltages so you'll be fine. To get online overseas, I mainly use Wi-Fi wireless networking. Lots of hotels, cafés and airports have free or pay-by-the-hour connectivity. However, you can also use 3G wireless broadband over the mobile phone network. It's probably easier and cheaper to buy a prepaid dongle in Florida when you get there if you don't have easy access to Wi-Fi. You can also buy a prepaid SIM card for an existing dongle or built-in 3D mobile broadband modem (which is what I have). If you search the web, you can also find suppliers who will sell you a US SIM card or dongle before you go. The final option, which is the most expensive but most convenient, is to enable global roaming on your existing dongle or SIM card and pay roaming charges when you get there. However, on my smartphone, this runs to £6 per megabyte so the bills quickly mount up. I hope you have a great trip – send us a postcard.

Dear HP,

Is the HP LP2275W Monitor good for people with poor eyesight?

- Sore eyes

Small text can be difficult to read on any monitor so the first thing to do is to make sure you use fonts that are big enough to read comfortably. Some monitors have a built-in menu option to adjust the resolution. It's worth adjusting the system font size. Also consider using Window's built-in accessibility tools. If you're browsing the internet pressing Control (CTRL) and '+' (the plus sign) a few times can make a page bigger and easier to read.

The LP2275W is a good choice. This is a good quality monitor with ergonomic features. With an anti-glare coating on the screen, a good (1,000:1) contrast ratio and a bright back light this display should be good for everyday business use. You can adjust its height, tilt and swivel so you can position it for maximum comfort – this is important for ergonomics as well as minimising eye strain. The newer ZR24w has just been released and it may be a better choice because it is bigger and brighter with the same ergonomic features.

For more information, read our advice on creating an ergonomic workplace and Microsoft's Accessibility Tutorials .

Dear HP,

I keep reading about Twitter. What is it and why should I care?

- Perplexed

Twitter is a cross between a blog and a text messaging. People share short SMS-like messages, called tweets, with people have chosen to follow them and receive their messages. You can follow other people and you can encourage people to follow you.

Is it useful for business? A lot of companies use Twitter to interact with customers, share news and information and, in some cases, even sell products so, yes, it can be helpful. But like any kind of online marketing, you need to understand how it works and how to get the most out of it.

A good way to get started is to set up a personal Twitter account and experiment with it yourself before you launch a Twitter account for your business. Read our beginner's guide to Twitter for more tips.

Dear HP,

I read recently that the German government issued warnings about various web browsers. Which ones are safest?

- Online but nervous

Security firms, government agencies and IT companies regularly issue warnings about vulnerabilities in popular software and operating systems. For example, in the UK you can get alerts from GetSafeOnline.org . While individual alerts sometimes get a lot of press attention, the underlying message is really about staying up to date with patches and updates whatever software you use. This is because online criminals discover vulnerabilities in a piece of software and exploit them to install viruses. At the same time, software companies fix these vulnerabilities as soon as they are discovered. It's like an arms race. If you fall behind you are more vulnerable.

Make sure you use the latest version of your preferred browser and that you have anti-virus software on your PC with an up-to-date subscription. This will protect you from the vast majority browser-related problems. If you want to switch browsers, here are links to some of the most popular: Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 , Mozilla Firefox , Google Chrome , Opera and Apple Safari . You can also read our advice on how to protect your business online.

Dear HP,

I have set up a blog but I'm not getting many visitors. How do I increase the traffic to my site?

- Lonely Business 15

Let's start by assuming you are writing something on your blog that your ideal readers would find interesting, if only they knew about it, and that you are updating the site regularly. So, how do you promote your blog? First, you need to make sure it is visible to search engines. Register it with search engines such as Google , dmoz , Yahoo! and Bing – the process is free but takes a bit of time. Second, submit the site and good posts to social bookmarking sites. For example, StumbleUpon , Digg , reddit , Delicious and so on. These sites help people find and share great content. Third, and most important, research a list of blogs that your ideal readers might already like. Read these blogs every day, submit comments, offer to write guest posts and generally join in the broader conversation about your particular specialist topic. Each time you do this, you create a link back to your site for other readers and blog owners. Over time, this will increase traffic to your site and, more importantly, you'll get the readers you value. Don't expect a big bang or a magic solution – blog marketing takes time and effort but a few minutes every day adds up very quickly. Check out the articles, including more detailed tips about increasing web traffic, in Web 2.0 for business.

Dear HP,

I can't afford to hire a full-time IT specialist but my company is growing fast and we need to get some serious technical support and expert advice. What's the solution?

- Helpless

HP has a network of qualified local IT specialists (we call them HP Preferred Partners) and they have the knowledge and training to help companies make the most of their IT investment. They may be able to offer you a support contract that takes care of your routine IT needs and they can advise you about your future plans. You can find out more about HP Preferred Partners and search for one in your area using our HP Preferred Partner site. It's worth talking to several companies and picking a partner that understands your business and talks your language. For more help in selecting the right partner, you may find our article on choosing an IT partner useful.

Dear HP,

I want to encrypt files on my PC so that thieves won't be able to access them if my computer is stolen. What's the best way to do this?

- Security-minded

You have several options and the right one depends on what you're trying to protect and the software you have. Some HP notebooks and desktops come with HP ProtectTools software. This includes a Drive Encryption module that can protect the whole hard disk, so you can be sure that everything is safe. Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise editions includes BitLocker Drive Encryption which does a similar job. If you don't have access to either product or you want to encrypt a folder or an external drive (e.g. a memory stick), another option is free, open-source encryption software. For example, TrueCrypt will let you encrypt parts of your hard disk or entire drives.

Dear HP,

I run a five-person photography business. Our pictures are stored all over the place and we're running out of space for them on some machines. I'm wondering whether I should buy a server or not and what kind of server would work best for me.

- Snap happy

Sometimes a server is overkill in smaller businesses, but in your case I would recommend it. Why? Because you have large files scattered across different machines. This means you run the risk of losing important work or wasting people's time searching for 'missing' files. You can buy an entry-level HP ProLiant ML110-G6 server with Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 for little more than the price of a good desktop PC. Add in plenty of disk space and you can store all your photos and other files in one place. It's worth getting some advice and help from an HP Partner.

Dear HP,

I recently bought a PC and I'm eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7. Should I upgrade or leave my computer running Vista?

- I'm a PC

There is always a small risk that an upgrade might go wrong but with a new-ish PC and a manufacturer-issued upgrade disk, you should be fine and I recommend the upgrade. Microsoft Windows 7 is more responsive and easier to use than its predecessor. See HP's Windows Upgrade site for more information about eligibility and upgrading.

For older machines, it's a more difficult decision. First, you'll have to pay for the upgrade. Second, you'll have to decide whether to upgrade an existing Vista installation (there's no upgrade path from Windows XP) or erase your hard disk and do a clean install. For machines that already run Vista, the upgrade should be painless. If you plan to upgrade, please visit HP.com and check that Windows 7 drivers are available for your model before upgrading. For older machines it may be easier to replace the whole computer and get Windows 7 with a new PC.

Dear HP,

I want to buy a new notebook PC but I don't know whether to buy a cheap 'netbook' style machine or a more conventional notebook PC. What do you suggest?

- Cheap but geeky

Netbook computers have two great advantages: they are cheap(-ish) and highly portable. A good example is the svelte HP Mini 5101. On the other hand, they lack features like a full-size keyboard, larger screen, security software, high-performance processors and durable construction that make more expensive laptops better suited for business use. These days, a good notebook, such as the HP ProBook 5310m, starts at little more than a high-end netbook but includes these extra features. So if you're buying it as your main portable PC for business use, go with a grown-up notebook. If it's more for personal use or for occasional, light business use then a netbook might work very well.

Dear HP,

I go almost everywhere with my laptop and I take it on long trips. I'm worried that it might be lost, damaged or stolen and I will lose all the work I did on it. How can I keep my data backed up while I'm travelling?

- Footloose

Backup is a bit like insurance. Utterly boring until you need it and then it's very, very important. Read our advice about backups in general on the HP Business Answers website. But the situation you discuss is a bit more unusual. If you lost your data at the end of a two-week trip, that would be a big problem. There are a couple of ways you could protect yourself. You could use a memory stick and copy your new work every night in the hotel and leave the memory stick in your bag or in the hotel safe. That way you'd still have your data even if you lost the laptop. However, memory sticks have a limited capacity and it might not be enough to backup all your files. Also, you have to remember to do it which might be a problem if you're very busy travelling. Another option is Norton Online Backup, which is available with new HP commercial PCs. If you have access to the internet, it will backup your files online automatically. A final option is a secure file sharing service from a third party; for example DropBox can synchronise files over the internet between different computers.

Dear HP,

I keep seeing "RSS" on websites. What does it mean and what does it do?

- Curious

RSS stands for 'really simple syndication.' Sometimes, it is called a 'feed' or 'channel' or 'web feed' and you might see the little orange broadcast icon that goes with it. It's a way for website owners to publish new content to the internet using a standard format. What's cool about an RSS feed is that you can use an RSS reader to browse through feeds from lots of different sites. This means you always see the latest information from each site. It's a bit like being the editor of your own newspaper. There are many different types of reader but one of the most popular is Google's. You can try it free at www.google.com/reader . A good place to start is HP's feeds and blogs.

Dear Expert Answers,

How do I extend the battery life on my laptop? I have to spend a couple of days a week on the road going from meeting to meeting. I don't stop long enough to recharge and, anyway, it's a bit embarrassing to be fumbling around with power cables when I'm supposed to be paying attention to my customers. But what usually happens is that the battery dies at some point during the day and then I have to recharge whether I want to or not.

- Running out of juice

You can extend the battery life of your notebook by using the Power Options in the Windows Control Panel. Switching to a more energy saving plan could give you half an hour or more extra time. Use the Sleep command to power down your laptop when you're not using it. However, it sounds to me like you need to get a bigger battery. Some notebooks support a secondary battery, for example in place of an optical drive. This is one option. Another choice is to buy a spare primary battery and swap batteries during the day. If you're going by car, you could also buy an HP Smart AC/Auto/Air Combo Adapter and charge your laptop in the car between meetings. For more information on accessories visit http://hp.com/eur/hpoptions.

Dear Expert Answers,

I have a couple of old computers that I want to recycle. How do I ensure that the data on them is erased properly so that I don't breach any data protection rules?

Privacy First

HP's Planet Partners programme will recycle your old computers if you are replacing them with new HP computers. We will erase them securely as part of that process. But to be doubly sure, certain HP computers have HP Disk Sanitizer software. This is built into the computer's BIOS and it will completely erase the disk for you. For computers without this feature, you'll need to get third-party software to do the same job, such KillDisk .

Dear Expert Answers

I share a PC with a couple of colleagues in the office. I don't use it very often but recently, it's started to get really slow. Not only that but I'm constantly interrupted by advertisements that keep appearing on the screen. What's going on? Am I doing something wrong? Have I got a virus?

Worried Sick

It sounds like you have some adware on your computer. Perhaps you or a colleague visited a dodgy website that installed it without asking or maybe someone has installed some software on the PC that included some unwanted add-ons. This is certainly unwelcome but you should be able to fix it. If you have anti-virus software, make sure it is switched on and that you have downloaded the latest version with the latest signatures (these are the files that tell the software how to detect the newest threats). Run a complete system scan. You can also run a free online scan using sites such as McAfee and Microsoft . Install and run Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool . Once you've eliminated all the unwanted software from your PC, you need to make sure that you can't be attacked again by getting up-to-date anti-virus software, making sure your firewall is switched on and updating your system software. Check the Security Center in your Windows Control Panel to see whether all these things have been done properly. And keep an eye on your colleagues to make sure they don't reinfect your PC!