I was always a stubborn child. When my mother asked me not to put my hand on the hot frying pan, I did it anyway. I burned myself and didn’t like it. Until five minutes later. I was stubborn and perhaps a few thousand times more stupid than I was stubborn.

A few years later I wanted a Super Nintendo. My parents thought that my Commodore 64 was enough. I disagreed.

I went out in all weathers to sell Christmas magazines. Ran sweaty up and down stairs in high-rises selling thesauruses, books on crocheting and crossword magazines to dear old ladies, lonely bachelors and families. In the end, I had sold enough to get money for a Super Nintendo. I played my ass off. Literally. I sat and played so long and for so many years that I still have a flat butt. In those days you could buy a gaming console and you had it for years. It was less disposable.

Today, you buy a cell phone a month. I know I sound like an old man and I might be bitter because I have no ass but it's the truth. Therefore, it is worth it to optimize your gear in every way you can instead of buying new stuff.

Ignore the advertising for the new laptop and devote your time to speed up the computer you have instead. Do not be afraid of the c-cleaner, defragmentation and reinstallation. There are plenty of forums where geeks are just waiting to help you with the finer points.

Bonus 1: How can you speed up your Windows XP and perhaps avoid Vista.

Bonus 2: Another way to make your computer more efficient.

Text: Navid Modiri