good for you! yes it is extremely important to keep check on all the things that need updating not just windows updates many of those items leave you very vulnerable to intrusion. I like to use the Secunia tool to help determine what needs updating. Secunia Online Software Inspector (OSI) I agree the teams on the support forums are awesome folks.

How about contacting Vivitar, here is the link. I went to the web site but could not find the driver for the 3750, it may not be supported any more, I,m guessing the new computer does not see the camera when you plug it in in to the computer... Here is a link that might be useful: vivitar help

Cleaning a keyboard really is dependant upon what the normal hazards happen to be. If it's the cookie crumbs, dust and an occasional oyster shell or something, then yes, turning it and tapping is good, followed by some compressed air and then set it on end and give it a good heavy spray of glass cleaner, preferably one with a high alcohol content to help dry quickly. I would always set it in front of a fan and turn it every few hours to aid drying. However, I'm not one that gets the cookie/cracker crumbs. I do get dirty/greasy fingers on the keys so a wipe with a damp paper towel works fine for the keys. And I have one, well actually two other "hazards". The feline friends contribute a lot to cushioning the keyboard keys. For that, a soft "camel hair" or even a soft duster brush or soft paint brush does a pretty good job, but occasionally I need to pop the keys off as they quit working and pull out the fur accumulation. It does however work as a powder puff and removes the dust with it quite nicely. One should be backing up any valuable data on a regular basis. I'm not a big bookmark fanatic so that's not a big deal. I have a webpage set up that I use more for "bookmarks" so that gets backed up and occasionally to the internet so it's available there if I lose the computer. What is important is my actual address book with phone numbers, addresses and the like. I use a very simple program called Ajour and I back that up regularly. I also have an alarm program with birthdays, anniversaries and reminders to do simple routine chores so that gets backed up. I can't even venture a guess how many times people would bring in computers to my shop in tears that their entire life was on there and we had to try to recover data because they didn't back anything up. Talk about mixed feelings! First you want to give them a hug to comfort them, but then again you wanna slap 'em silly for being so stupid!! LOL As far as cleaning the innards, it's really not difficult. Shut down the computer, UNPLUG IT and take the cover off. The best thing for ridding it of dust is again compressed air (I have a compressor with a spray nozzle but canned air will work too) and spray out. Pay particular attention to the CPU heat sink, all fans and the power supply. You'll be amazed how much dust builds up in there. Don't be alarmed by it, it's doing its job of moving the air through and let's face it, air is dusty. I would usually start with blowing out the power supply since that's usually the worst and it shoots dust back into the case, then go to work on the CPU/heat sink and fans, then get around the RAM and any corners that may hold dust. Dust in an insulation so if it's around any sort of chip that builds up heat it can contribute to premature failure. Before you put it back together, power it up and make sure it boots properly in case you dislodged a RAM chip or something and also check to see that all the fans are working properly and aren't being obstructed by wires or anything. If you have a lot of loose wires it's a good idea to tie them off with cable ties or electrical tape to keep them from stopping a fan or air flow. Don't use wire twist ties from bread bags or something - they contain wire and can short out contacts and even cut insulation on the wires. Once clean, close it back up and pat yourself on the back for being a kind and thoughtful owner! Oh, it's a good idea to do this about once a year, in case you were wondering. As far as how often to backup, it depends at what point it would be a catastrophic loss. It should be before that point. For some, never. For some, every minute or so. Really depends on the person. Also, for the keyboard letters, a fine point marker ("Sharpie" type) works well, then cover it with some clear nail polish, a piece of clear tape or something and it won't wear off so easily. Or even some colored nail polish to write it on there, or paint or what have you? Other ideas for places to back up to: the internet, flash drives, another hard drive connected to the system either internally or externally, another computer around the house, a friend's system, writable CD Roms... Most anything will work, it's more important to do it, than to obsess over onto what. Remember that backing up on your own system is OK if the file gets corrupted, however if your system is stolen (and I've had mine stolen twice) then you lose it if you don't have it backed up. One time they even stole my backup tapes! So a good hiding spot for the backup is a good idea too but just remember where it is.... I have a backup drive around here somewhere and I'll be a snaggletoothed Canadian if I can find it!!! :) (Just kidding Canada!!) But seriously, I don't know where it is. Getting old stinks! Happy computer operation and maintenance everyone!

A lot depends on how much you want to spend. A tablet would be the most portable and with wifi available you can easily get online, you can do pretty much anything you'd do on a laptop. The hardest part is the typing on the virtual keyboard and learning the basics of using a tablet. I feel my 8" screen on my Vizio is about perfect for me. The 7" that I have is just a little small and the 10" gets large and awkward and heavy. One great thing about them is the numerous awesome apps you can get free that can do so many things. If you have never used a tablet why not go try one and see if you like it. I was just at Costco and saw they have the Vizio Vtab 1008 tablet in stock again and I believe the price was reduced. They were $189. I have both a netbook and a few tablets I like both but if portability is important I go with the tablet. For the price and what it does the Vizio is hard to beat. One important thing in tablets is screen resolution you want to go with the highest level.