By JAMES DERK, Scripps Howard News Service

Far and away the most common question I get asked in my email is "what kind of computer should I buy" -- as if I have a hidden recommendation that I only give to people who write in.

It's no secret that I am a big fan of Apple hardware, mostly because of its quality and overwhelmingly good customer care, especially for those who live near an Apple retail store and its "Genius Bar."

Apple's move into "cloud computing" -- announced Monday at the company's Worldwide Developer Conference -- was hotly awaited. Now that CEO Steve Jobs has taken the covers off iCloud, the Apple user stands to gain.

As I spent the long weekend fixing various infected PCs, I lost count of the number of times I used a write- protected 16-gig thumb drive on which I have loaded a ton of amazing utilities.

The mailbox is bulging with reader mail. Lt's get right to it.

Q. I have a Dell Dimension desktop with a Pentium 4 processor and I am thinking about ways to upgrade it to make it faster. I have already maxed out the memory. Do you think a motherboard swap is possible in this box? Would it generate a noticeable improvement?

Last month's massive hack on the Sony PlayStation Network has given the online gaming world a wake-up call as, weeks later, Sony Corp. still is struggling to bring the hugely profitable network back online.

The episode underscores the need for more cyber security at both individual and corporate levels.

A new survey of Americans is showing what many computer hobbyists already have assumed: the arrival of the tablet PC is sending huge ripples across the electronics landscape.

It's pretty rare when a product is considered revolutionary, especially the relatively lowly scanner.

But the folks at The Neat Company have found a prime target, namely that giant stack of paper on your desk, dining room table or office. Their goal with NeatDesk ($399 list) is to do away with all incoming paper and to be your one-stop drop for everything.

A particularly nasty and persistent virus is making its way around the Windows computing world these days.

I've had a few weeks of hands-on time with the new iPad2 now and I can finally offer an opinion on whether the upgrade is worth it.

The answer is a solid yes.

Carol edited -- waiting for Jim's response.

COMPUTE-OVERWRITE (Derk, SHNS) -- The columnist answers readers'It has been weeks since we popped open the mailbox, and it's chock full of readers' questions. I will try to answer them for the general good.