When looking around the web, one of the most common type of websites available are free download sites.
Within these websites, it’s common to find games for free, videos and pictures, and free driver files for your computer system. The question is, how reliable is it to use some of the sites, and is there any danger associated with it?
Indeed, there is danger associated with using these websites.
Let’s take, for example, the free driver file download sites. While the majority of the sites are reliable, and the drivers would be safe to use, there are sites that are designed to attract visitors for advertising revenue purposes, as well as to install malicious software on your computer system.
The most common of these are trojans, which can track your surfing habits on the web, as well as key logging, which will send any information that you type back to the virus creator.
drivers for laptops
Sometimes, these key loggers are used to get your credit card information, home and address information, name, phone numbers, and any other information that you happen to type. This could be instant messaging, twitter messages, Facebook messages and passwords.
Sometimes, the software is not malicious in nature, but is corrupt at its core. The dangers associated with using a corrupt driver are many, most prevalent would be crashing your operating system.
The problems with this can range from being a simple inconvenience to the devastating loss of information, by you having to format and reinstall your entire operating system.
The safest bet is to use the manufacturers websites themselves to download driver files for your computer system. Unfortunately, not all manufacturers have updated drivers for their older computer models.
So, it is up to you to decide whether you wish to run the risks of using one of these websites or not. The main thing to watch out for is an abundance of advertisements on the website, as well as a spammy page in general.
An example would be if you see a website announcing “Acer laptops drivers free downloads,” it’s probably a safe bet that this would be a spam site. It’s not always the case, but the risk is there.
Just be safe about where you surf, and everything should be fine. Don’t download anything for your laptops from anyone you do not trust. This is just smart practice.
Apple MacBook MC516LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
- Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging
- 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA Graphics
- 250GB Hard Drive, 8x Double-layer SuperDrive, 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
- 10-hour Battery Life, Glass Multi-Touch Trackpad
- 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for millions of colors
Meet the fastest, most powerful MacBook yet. It now features next-generation NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics, a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and 2GB of memory. That means MacBook can handle everything from surfing the web to the most graphically intense 3D games with ease. It also features up to 10 hours of battery life and a glass Multi-Touch trackpad that supports inertial scrolling, right-clicking, and Multi-Touch gestures. All in a streamlined, durable unibody enclosure. Meet the fastest, most powerful MacBook yet. It now features next-generation NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics, a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and 2 GB of memory. That means MacBook can handle everything from surfing the web to the most graphically intense 3D games with ease. It also features up to 10 hours of battery life and a glass Multi-Touch trackpad that supports inertial scrolling, right-clicking, and Multi-Touch gestures. All in a streamlined, durable unibody enclosure. The 13-inch MacBook with LED
List Price: $ 999.99
Price: Too low to display
Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
- 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
- 250 GB Hard Drive, 8x DVD/CD SuperDrive, 4GB DDR3 RAM
- 13.3 inch LED-backlit display, 1280-by-800 resolution
- NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256 MB of shared memory
- Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard Operating System
Carved from a single block of aluminum, the MacBook Pro is a true engineering achievement. Its patented unibody enclosure is the product of precise machining. The new energy-efficient architecture in the MacBook Pro, gives you dramatically longer battery life. On a single charge, the battery in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro lasts up to 10 hours, and you’ll get up to 1000 full charge and discharge cycles — that’s nearly three times the lifespan of typical notebook batteries. MacBook Pro gives you more options for high-performance graphics, starting with the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics processor in the 13-inch model. It’s up to 80 percent faster than the previous generation and is even more energy-efficient for everyday tasks like writing email and surfing the web. Every MacBook Pro has a pristine LED-backlit display with wide-angle viewing and a color gamut usually seen only on a desktop display. So whether you’re watching a movie or making one, you’ve got
List Price: $ 1,199.00
Price: Too low to display
eMachines eME527-2537 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
- Intel Celeron processor
- Intel GMA graphics and Windows 7 Home Premium
- 15.6-inch HD widescreen display
- Integrated 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi certified wireless
- 160 GB Hard Drive
eMachines eME527-2537 Notebook comes with these specs: Intel Celeron Processor 900, Windows 7 Home Premium, 15.6-Inch HD Widescreen LCD Display, Intel GL40 Express Chipset, 2048MB DDR3 1066MHz Memory, Intel Graphics media Accelerator 4500M, 160 GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive, 5-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader, Audio Support, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, 2 – USB 2.0 Ports, 6-cell Li-ion Battery (4400 mAh), Up to 3 hours of battery life, 6.0 lbs. |2.7 kg (system unit only), AC Power Adapter, AC Power Cord, Wireless Setup Card, Registration/ Limited Warranty Card, Norton Internet Security Trial (60-day insert)Stay productive and have fun with the eMachines eME527-2537 Notebook featuring reliable Intel Celeron processing, 15.6-inch HD widescreen display, Intel GMA graphics and Windows 7 Home Premium. It is everything you need to easily accomplish deadlines, browse the Internet, keep up with your social networks, have fun with digital media and more, on-the-go. Everyday Mobility eME527-253
List Price: $ 399.99
Price: $ 364.79
Dell Latitude D600 14.1-Inch Laptop – 512MB RAM, 30GB Hard Drive
- Intel Pentium M 1.6 GHz Processor
- 30GB Hard Drive
- 512 MB RAM
- 24X CD-RW / DVD-ROM
- 14.1 in TFT active matrix, ATI Mobility Radeon 9000
Dell Latitude D600 Pentium M Centrino 1.4 Ghz 512 MB 40GB CD-RW 14.1″ Radeon 9000 Integrated 10/100 56K Built-in WIFI Windows XP Pro (NO COA or Restore CDs) AC Adapter Battery (not tested). 30 Day SATISFACTION GUARANTEED warranty. PERFORMANCE: This laptop is very fast having a full 1.4 Ghz of processing speed and plenty of power to run most any programs. With a Pentium M Centrino processor you’ll be on the cutting edge with the latest in Laptop Processing power. EXPANDABILITY: The Latitude D600 has a modular bay located conveniently on the front that can hold an optical drive (CD/DVD/CD-RW/COMBO/DVD-RW see specs for which drive is included with this option), floppy drive, an extra battery or second hard drive.
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