There are several things that may affect the speed of your computer as it ages.  Here are some of the main factors.

Updates: Updates to your software, device drivers and operating system may require more computing power than your older versions did. This can be due to new features being added which may require more CPU cycles, RAM and storage space on your hard drive.

Installed Software: If you have software, device drivers or other applications installed that request to be loaded at boot up could cause your computer to start slower.  Antivirus apps, firewalls and other security software’s must start up immediately to help increase your security.  Any printers or other devices attached to your computer that requires start up during boot can also increase your over all boot time.

All of these items can also lead to a overall slower experience causing your main applications such as web browsers or word processors to run slower.  More tasks require more RAM which requires your computer to use virtual memory from your hard drive.

By installing additional Ram if applicable you may help to offset this effect.

And last but not least:

Uninstall Software: Most apps support a uninstall procedure but many uninstallers leave temporary files, items in windows registry and startup tasks to now non-existing files, device drivers that are now not needed.  By installing and uninstalling a lot of applications the leftovers can slow your computer’s overall speed performance.

We hope you enjoy our choice of favorite links from this week.  Share some of your personal favorites that we may have missed, or tell us what you think of ours, by posting a comment below.

5 Things You Can Tell From the Words I’ve Taught My iPhone

Apple Chief Says Errors Made on Tracking Issue

Obama Wants Feds to be Tech-Friendly

Apple Explains White iPhone 4 Delay

Survey: Green IT Issues Carry Heavier Weight

Read the Fine Print: Why the Lawsuits Over Phone Location Tracking are Bogus

Top 5 Things People Buy Online

What tools of the trade do you use to make your life as a designer easier?

I use the same tools that any other designer will. My brain. A pen/pencil. A sketchpad. A computer. Adobe’s Creative Suite. The Internet. A desk and chair. Some of these change slightly as electronics become more powerful, and as I learn more about life, but essentially, we’re all using the same tools. It’s how we use them that makes the difference.

 What is your next planned software or hardware purchase?

No plans. I recently bought a new iMac, but there’s nothing else I need at present.

What do you see as the next evolution in design in terms of trends?

I really don’t pay a lot of attention to trends (as I define the word). To me, a trend is like everyone wearing denim shirts, or cutting their hair a particular way — basically anything fashion-related. If a design project is based upon a trend, the client will need an update upon every whim of the public. Good design is timeless.

Could you share a favorite recent design project that you worked on and tell us a little about it?

A fairly recent project was for a New York-based company named Pinebank: http://www.davidairey.com/pinebank-asset-management/ (portfolio updates to follow soon).

 What are your favorite websites or blogs that you frequent?

Here are the design blogs on my subscription list: http://www.davidairey.com/design-blogs/ (I spend a little time most days checking my feed reader).

 Any advice or tips for someone wanting to become a designer or improve their quality of work?

Plenty. Here are a collection of blog posts aimed specifically at design students and self-employed designers: http://www.davidairey.com/advice-for-design-students/ (the reader comments are well worth a look).

 Have you found a particular theme or industry that has become your favorite to work with and/or design around?

One favourite aspect of my job is how with almost every new client, I’m learning about a new industry or profession. This keeps me motivated, because in one respect my clients are paying me to learn about them and their businesses, and who can complain about being paid to learn? Sure, I do a lot more than simply research, but it’s an important part of the process. To answer your question, there’s not one particular client industry that I enjoy more than another. They’re all fascinating in their own unique ways.

Having worked in both the UK and USA, have you found that there’s typically a great difference in design trends between the two countries? If so, what differences have you noticed?

Trends again. They come and go. What ties the most successful design studios and agencies together is their ability to create design that’s appropriate for the client, more distinctive than the competition, memorable for the onlooker, and adaptable across a wide range of media. Such studios can be found all over the world.

David Airey is a graphic designer specializing in brand identities, a design author, and creator of two blogs centered around various topics in graphic design.

Portfolio: http://www.davidairey.com/portfolio/

Blogs: logodesignlove.com and davidairey.com.

Enjoy some our favorite links of the week!

Alabama Math Whiz, 9, Launches Web Business

Facebook Makes its Server, data center design open-source

A Liquid-cooled Wii in a Custom Aluminum Case

Goodbye, Flip: Seven pocket camcorder alternatives

Twitter ‘follows’ Facebook by hiding Tweets

Mac vs. PC: User Differences fit stereotypes, study shows

Seagate buys Samsung’s hard drive biz for $1.38 bln

 Who or what influenced you to get into the design field?

I have loved creating for as long as I can remember. I love to design and build a wide variety of things. When I was younger, I would create comic books, music, paintings, stories, clothes, toys, accessories, and anything else I was interested in at the time.

At one point, I realized that I wanted to be an artist when I “grew up” because I wanted to spend every day creating new and interesting things. I knew what I wanted to do; I just didn’t know how I would make a living off of art until I discovered the Digital Arts class offered at my high school. This class introduced me to the world of graphic design and, as a result, the possibility of being paid to create ideas and art. I had found the right career for me.

Where do you get your creative inspiration?

It depends on the project. I’ve found that I can get inspiration from the most ordinary objects. There have been times when I’ve developed the design of an entire project around a single word.

What tools of the trade do you use to make your life as a designer easier?

I use the Adobe Creative Suite for the majority of my design work. I also use almost any browser you can think of to test websites, although I’m not sure if this makes my life easier.

I know for a fact that my life as a designer is made easier by my Wacom tablet. I can create things quickly with my Wacom, and it doesn’t leave my wrists in pain like a standard mouse does.

What is your next planned software or hardware purchase?

I would like to get a Cintiq21UX. It is a giant Wacom tablet with a built-in display. It looks amazing, and I’m willing to bet it would speed up my design process exponentially.

What do you see as the next evolution in design in terms of trends?

I believe companies will be requesting more websites and other design projects that are designed to appeal especially to women. This will result in more projects with feminine colors and patterns, curves, rounded corners, and a crafty or handmade look.

This quarter, every potential client who has contacted me for a project has requested a feminine look.

Could you share a favorite recent web or graphic design project that you worked on and tell us a little about it?

I recently began volunteering as a teaching assistant for a program that educates middle school students about the graphic design industry. This is just one step in my larger project of becoming a design teacher. One day, I would love to teach design at the college level.

What are your favorite websites or blogs that you frequent?

http://www.mashable.com

http://www.smashingmagazine.com

http://www.twitter.com

http://www.thedailyshow.com

Any advice or tips for someone wanting to become a designer or improve their quality of work?

Continue learning. Be interested in many things, and continue learning new things. By cultivating a broad knowledge of diverse fields, you are able to discover more connections and develop more new and interesting ideas. 

Take the time to learn about your client’s company, products and services, and target market. The more research you do, the more informed your design decisions will be—resulting in a more effective design. 

Have you found a particular theme or industry that has become your favorite to work with and/or design around?

One of the reasons I enjoy being a freelancer is because it presents me with the opportunity to interact with and learn about many different industries. I like the variety. I never know who will contact me with an interesting project next.

Jessica Greenwalt is a freelance graphic designer, web developer, and illustrator with 6+ years of experience in all three areas. After speaking with Jessica, it is obvious that the passion for creating that she felt as a young girl has not faded during her years as an adult in the industry. She has worked with a variety of clients all over the world, is involved with several organizations, and is taking steps to accomplish her goal of eventually teaching design at the college level.

Portfolio: http://www.jgreenwalt.com/portfolio/portfolio.html