Welcome to Leo's Mailbag!

Not every question gets answered on Ask Leo!, and not every answer gets published. Here you'll find a peek into my mail bag where you'll see some of the many direct responses that may not end up on the Ask Leo! main site.

Perhaps you'll find your answer here!

Can I combine two PCs, laptops to get a larger processor power?

> From: A Computer User
> Sent: January 23, 2012
> To: Ask Leo!
> Subject: Can I combine two PCs, laptops to get a larger processor power?
>
> Leo,
> Can I combine two PCs, laptops to get a larger processor
> power?


while theoretically possible it only works for software that
has been specifically written to use more than one pc. in a
very practical sense the answer is no.

Thanks for asking,

Leo

Should I look into USB3?

> From: A Computer User
> Sent: January 18, 2012
> To: Ask Leo!
> Subject: Should I look into USB3?
>
> Leo,
> Is USB3 worth investing in? I have yet to find a USB2 device
> that gets anywhere near the potential transfer rates. Do you
> think one stands any chance of "real" decent transfer rates
> with USB3?


I'd wait until USB3 shakes out a little more. I'm less
concerned about transfer rates which I'm sure will be better,
but for acceptance and usage by a larger percentage of
computer and component manufacturers.

Thanks for asking,

Leo

Where did a download go?

> From: A Computer User
> Sent: January 10, 2012
> To: Ask Leo!
> Subject: Where did a download go?
>
> Leo,
> I run Windows 7 Proffessional, which is up to date, an Intel
> E6500 CPU and 4Gb RAM. I use Firefox 9.0.1, Chrome 16.0.912.75
> and sometimes Flock. I thought to download the Windows 8 Beta
> to have a look at what the hype is about. It took three days
> of intermittent downloading, due to the miserable performance
> of the local ISP. On the Firefox Download menu
> (Tools/Downloads), there is the Windows 8 ISO file, but it is
> nowhere to be found anywhere on either of the two HDD's Any
> ideas what might have happened to the file ?


If you right click on the item in the download list in
FireFox, one of the options should be to "Open Containing
Folder", which should open Windows Explorer on the folder into
which the download was placed.

Thanks for asking,

Leo

Wireless mouse interferes with WiFi

> From: A Computer User
> Sent: January 3, 2012
> To: Ask Leo!
> Subject: Wireless mouse interferes with WiFi
>
> Leo,
> Toshiba laptop running win7 ultimate. For a long time I have
> had trouble with Wifi connection constantly falling out,(
> always resetting the modem brought it back.) but was time
> wasting and a pain. First I thought it might have been the
> 2.4 g cordless phone I used, so replaced it with a 5.8g, this
> had no change still lost connection 3 or 4 times a day. Moved
> laptop/ modem, and all else I could in case it was
> interference of some kind causing the problem, nothing cured
> the trouble. After many months and thoughts and remembering I
> was using a 2.4g wireless mouse, replaced it with a USB cord
> type, this has cured the problem. I still would like to be
> able to use a cordless mouse but have tried a number all of
> which causes the wifi drop out problem. I have a number of
> friends who are having the same trouble and would like to have
> your views and possible work around solutions.


Some routers allow you to switch between different frequencies
eg 2.4ghz and 5ghz. I believe this requires that both devices
support 802.11n. You can check if your router allows this or
get one that does. Alternately you can try a bluetooth mouse
(admittedly in that same 2.4 range), or a wireless mouse from
a different manufacturer - they sometimes use different
frequencies, or do so in a way that doesn't interfere as much.


Thanks for asking,

Leo

Which browser is best?

> From: A Computer User
> Sent: December 21, 2011
> To: Ask Leo!
> Subject: Which browser is best?
>
> Leo,
> Which browser uses less ram memory? IE, Firefox, or Chrome?
> Little test I did showed Firefox had 687,xxx in memory but no
> extras, chrome had 265,xxx in memory but 6 extra programs in
> memory, and IE had no large block but had about 10 blocks of
> 67,xxx of memory. Bottom line there is no clear winner here.
> I like all the browsers, each has good points and few bad
> points. Who is winner on secitury? I am using Windows 7
> Ultimate.


Who wins on any measure depends on who you talk to and how you
use your browser. And when you ask. I'm currently running
Chrome because it felt like FireFox has been getting a little
bloated. IE is coming back in to favor somewhat as IE9 is more
secure than previous versions. Honestly, though, unless you
encounter a specific problem any of the three are good and I
have a difficult time recommending one strongly over the
others.

Thanks for asking,

Leo