It’s quite something to realise that you’re listened to because you know nothing. My entire job with TakTikTech is built upon this. I am not a geek – I am a consumer.
Therein, as a consumer and someone without a jolt of scientific nor computer ‘oomph’ behind them I shall confess the following – when it comes to computers breaking down; going slow; blue-screening or whatever the latest correct tech phrase is, I simply sit at my desk and groan, panic and wonder who the hell to call to sort it all out. So far both the Geek Squad and Dell have come admirably to my rescue.

However – and I wasn’t too thrilled – I was recently approached to trial PC Tune-Up 2.0. Not the most exciting product title but on the CD cover it promises the following: -

• Keep your PC fast
• Keep your PC up to date
• Keep your PC running like new.

Ok, that got my attention because my laptop is so buggered frankly that I had to ask Dell to lend me a system whilst I went abroad for 2 months as I couldn’t trust my own. Take a moment please and think about that. I have a laptop with 120GB drive full of my life and it’s so knackered I couldn’t contemplate taking it with me. I was instead willing to go through the rigmarole of uploading hopefully all necessary bits & bobs to a new laptop (netbook) than drag my brick of a machine along ...
So, I sat down yesterday morning, with an hour to spare and looked at this single CD package. Hmmm. I hate trials like this. My IT bod – CB, the web manager – was miles away and I was about to faff around in an attempt to make my laptop better...
Idiot, I thought as I loaded up the disk.

With a rather bland green and black CD case, I opened it up and thought “Kudos” – the instructions were blissfully simple. Firstly, there was a ‘tick box’ list of system requirements for the disk to work – and I mean literally – there’s boxes to tick and the list is only 5 items long and not a single one is longer than a sentence or technically orientated.
Fine – even I knew my laptop qualified. I shoved the disk into the drive. It installed in seconds and frankly what follows now is a rave-fest. I love this product and if you read on (I would), you’ll understand why.

The interface is simple and straightforward. There is NOTHING threatening about it. There is a voluntary registration request – and they explain why registration would benefit you. You can by-pass this option if you wish. How refreshing!
Laymans terms are used throughout, explaining clearly what areas of your computer are being scanned and why.
To my amusement you are asked to rate your satisfaction with your computer and that is then compared to a Worldwide database. I gave my system 4/5 (80%) but was advised it fell into the lower half of 24% worldwide. In which case then, considering what my laptop had been through, it was doing pretty ok by me.

My systems speed, stability and performance were all checked. PC Tune-Up 2.0 registered 6 speed issues, 7 stability issues and 3 performance issues. Throughout all of this, the interface showed me what part of the process it was at and an explanation.
After the scan was complete – and this really got my attention – PC Tune-UP 2.0 proceeded to upload a new graphics, audio and internet driver for me. Better still, it extracted and installed the drivers without me having to touch a button!
A quick re-boot and another scan and voila, my laptop was deemed to be working well. That’s what PC Tune-Up 2.0 said. Me? All I know is that my system hasn’t locked up, blue-screened or taken 10 minutes to boot up. I frankly don’t know (nor much care for) the in’s and out’s of what PC Tune-Up 2.0 has done – what I do care about is that it said on the box that it would make my laptop run better and it is doing.

The package is for a one year licence and valid for three different users.  At this time, this product gets 8/10 – two points off because it didn’t grow me a MacBook Pro.

RRP: £29.99 / €39.99 with a one-year subscription for up to three PCs in the household.
For more infomation see http://www.ca-store.co.uk.