EU Made It’s Bed
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Jun 15, 2009
..and now PC users in Europe have to lie in it.
The European Commission on Thursday laid out mixed responses to Microsoft’ s move that will strip Internet Explorer out of European versions of Windows 7:
“As for retail sales, which amount to less than 5 percent of total sales, the Commission had suggested to Microsoft that consumers be provided with a choice of Web browsers,” the Commission said. “Instead Microsoft has apparently decided to supply retail consumers with a version of Windows without a Web browser at all. Rather than more choice, Microsoft seems to have chosen to provide less.”
So why did Microsoft decide to keep Internet Explorer out of its upcoming release of Windows 7?
If you’ll remember, the EU spent years going after Microsoft on antitrust matters related specifically to its bundling of products with Windows. Outside of the EU’s objection to the inclusion of Windows Media Player on all Microsoft OSes, they also the inclusion of Internet Explorer and cried “foul” by hurling anti-trust allegations (and threats) in Microsoft’s direction.
What the EU fails to understand is that this isn’t 1996 any more. There is no more Netscape to protect against big, bad Microsoft. The web browser has evolved into an Internet utility, a program “type” instead of a program itself. It’s an application, and the EU just interfered with your ability to use it.
In an attempt to spin this in a positive light, the EU offered the following:
“As for sales to computer manufacturers, Microsoft’s proposal may potentially be more positive,” the commission said. “It is noted that computer manufacturers would appear to be able to choose to install Internet Explorer–which Microsoft will supply free of charge–another browser or multiple browsers.”
What this means is that if you’re buying a new PC in Europe, you could be faced with the sales question “Would you like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome or Other?” Even though this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, a problem arises when a new copy of Windows 7 is purchased through retail channels and installed on a system as an upgrade. If the PC is on a high-speed connection, how are you supposed to load the browser of your choosing without the ability to browse?
To right this wrong, I have a suggestion for the EU:
Take the millions of dollars you obtained from Microsoft in sussing out this idiocy, get with AOL and have them show you how to create a ton of CD’s to distribute to end-users. Doing this will not only allow upgraders the ability to load a browser, but you will ultimately be funneling money to Netscape in the process… 13 years too late, mind you, but no one expects government agencies to act quickly or efficiently, so it will all work out in the end.
LOLCHRIS
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Jun 15, 2009
Win7 Pricing Leaked
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Jun 11, 2009
Microsoft hasn’t released the official pricing for Windows 7 yet, but an internal Best Buy memo that was leaked to the web last week indicates that company plans to sell the upgrade version of the software for $50 (Home Premium) to $100 (Professional). No price was given for the Ultimate edition, but it’s likely that most users will be happy with Pro since - unlike the Business edition of Vista - it includes Windows Media Center and all other features of Home Premium in addition to the ability to join a domain and use EFS, Remote Desktop as a host, and other business-oriented features.
E-Mail Links on Web Sites
Posted by Brian Gallutia on May 26, 2009
The following post is a “cut and paste” from a small newsletter article that we sent out back in March of this year. Over the Memorial Day weekend, spammers who utilize the backscatter method of sending out mass e-mails were in high-gear and jammed customer inboxes with spam that appeared to be coming from their e-mail accounts.
Hopefully the following post will be of benefit to you and your business (and ultimately, your sanity):
Big No-No: E-Mail Links on Web Sites
A long-time customer of ours has had a web site with a third-party hosting company for a few years now. A couple months ago, this customer decided to allow her employees to utilize email accounts under the umbrella of the company’s domain name. In my book, this was a good decision since emailing employee@yourcompanyname.com projects a more professional image than emailing from a personal AOL or Bellsouth address.
After a couple of weeks, the customer called PCS complaining of the huge amount of spam that they were getting in their inboxes. Since the email addresses still had that “new electron smell,” I did some digging and discovered that the company’s web designer put all of the employee’s email addresses on the company web site.
At face value, posting email addresses on a web site is a good idea because one of the primary reasons to have a web site is to open a dialog with potential prospects and customers. Unfortunately, the sad reality is that once your post an email link on a web site, a spammer’s bot will find it, record it, and use it for nefarious spamming purposes, which ultimately will result your company investing in spam fighting solutions that could possibly hinder communications with visitors even further.
The best way to avoid this pitfall is to have your web designer create a simple form on your site that will not only hide your email addresses from prying bots, but will also allow you the opportunity to ask the visitor questions in order to zero in on the reason why they’re contacting you. Utilizing an intelligently-designed form will also allow for data retention (IE: “recording” the form submission in a database to be retrieved later) and compensate for employee turnover within an organization.
Win7 Thoughts
Posted by Brian Gallutia on May 18, 2009
It’s been almost two weeks since I took the plunge and installed Windows 7 RC 1 on my primary work system, and so far, the experience can be summed up as “wow.”
Anyone who knows my company knows that our allegiance lies with our customers and not with a particular brand, product or vendor. For example, if after a consultation we feel that a Macbook Pro is what you need to get your work done, then that is what we’ll recommend you get. My team and I won’t try to convince you that you’re making a bad decision based on what we happen to have in stock.
With that said, you can believe us when we tell you that this up-and-coming version of Windows won’t force you to upgrade: it will make you want to upgrade.
One of the primary issues with Vista, and the reason why people didn’t embrace the new OS, was that the user interface and design changes felt disconnected, as if the OS was designed by committee rather than created with the end-user in mind. Another issue that added insult to injury was the UAC (User Access Controls) that premiered with Vista, which created the illusion of security rather than actually providing it (since most users shut off UAC in order to actually get work done on their PCs).
With Windows 7, the disconnects and false-sense of security are gone. Microsoft finally, finally, FINALLY did what they should have done years ago: they asked users what they wanted instead of telling them what they are getting. The result is a more fluid, stable, fast and flexible operating system, the likes of which are a long-time coming.
Over the next few weeks, as our team gets more familiar with Windows 7, we will be posting more thoughts, opinions, how-to’s and Q&A’s for anyone interested in learning more about Microsoft’s next offering. It’s an exciting time to be in computing, and it’s an even more exciting time to consider moving away from XP.
Windows 7 RC Goes Live
Posted by Brian Gallutia on May 5, 2009
Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!
Today, instead of celebrating the Mexican Army’s courageous defeat of French military forces on May 5, 1862, Microsoft is hoping to win it’s fight against bad Vista press by releasing Microsoft Windows 7 RC to the general public.
For more information and to obtain your very own copy to try, you can visit the official Microsoft download page here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx
Of course, PCS does not recommend you install this program on your work system, since most of our customers use proprietary software that may not play nice with Windows 7. However, for those of you with home PC’s (and a good backup), go nuts!
PCS will be evaluating this latest release candidate over the coming days and will be posting our findings on this site. As always, remember to share your experiences with us so we can all get a better understanding of what this OS has in store.
Get XP While the Getn’s Good
Posted by Brian Gallutia on May 4, 2009
Microsoft Windows XP’s time has finally come…again.
In the past, we have held off on reporting on the “Death of Windows XP” because, quite frankly, Microsoft never stepped up to the block to drop the axe. The factors that staid Microsoft’s hand range from the public’s unwillingness to accept Windows Vista to XP’s steady sales in the OEM market. Now with the impending release of Windows 7 and the positive reviews that it has been receiving in the tech press, it looks like Microsoft isn’t going to offer any more reprieves to the aging OS.
On May 31st, 2009, Microsoft WindowsXP will no longer be available to system manufacturers. When their supplies have run dry (which would be expected a couple of weeks into June), that’s it - there is no more XP.
If you are a business owner or manager and your business runs on Windows XP, you may want to take the following into consideration when planning for this eventuality:
- Can your current computing environment last another 1 to 2 years until your software vendors upgrade their applications to be Vista or Windows 7 compliant?
- What is your software vendor’s upgrade path in the next 4 to 6 months? If your business runs on proprietary software, do they plan on supporting Windows Vista, or are they going to jump into supporting Windows 7?
- What plan do you have in place when a workstation fails and Vista or Windows 7 is your only option?
If PCS or our community can help you map out your IT needs for the next few months, please register on our site and post your questions to the comment thread. You are also invited to open a dialogue with us directly via our contact form.
Asus Notebook Special
Posted by Brian Gallutia on May 3, 2009
ASUS X59GL-A1 T3400 Notebook
$849
Key Features Include:
Battery - 6 cells
Cache Memory - 1 MB
Display - 15.4″ WXGA (1280 x 800)
Hard Drive - 250G 5400RPM
RAM - 2 GB
Detailed Specifications:
Processor - Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3400(2.16GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, FSB 667MHz)
Memory - 2GB DDR2, Max Capacity 4GB
Display - 15.4″ WXGA (1280×800) Wide Screen LCD
Graphics Module - nVidia GeForce 8200
Hard Disk - 250GB 5400rpm SATA HDD
Optical Storage - DVD Super Multi Double Layer
Audio - Built-in audio chip
Connectivity - Fax/Modem Gigabit Ethernet 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Bluetooth
Interface - 4x USB 2.0 Ports ,1x VGA Port, 1x DVI Port ,1x RJ11 Modem Port, 1x RJ45 LAN Port ,1x Microphone-in ,1x Headphone-out ,1x Express card
Card Reader - 8-in-1 card reader, SD, MMC, MS, MS-Pro, mini SD w/ adapter, MS-Duo, MS-Pro Duo via adapter
Camera - Built-in 1.3 Megapixel Camera
AC Adapter - Output - 19V, 4.7A, 90W Input - 100240V AC, 50/60Hz Universal
Vista Business / XP
Warranty - 2 year global + 1 year accidental
Free Office Software?
Posted by Aaron on Apr 27, 2009
Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2007 sells for $399.95 per computer. If you have 10 computers in your small office and each one is supposed to have it’s own license, you would would end up shelling out over $4000 in software, shipping and sales tax.
Ouch.
The good news is there is an almost-identical alternative, which costs absolutely nothing. OpenOffice provides the same functionality as Microsoft Office but does not require you to purchase licenses for every computer.
What’s the catch?
Seriously, there is no catch: no signing up for anything, no “buy this software and get this productivity software free”, no “give us your email address so we can spam you.” The only requirement in using the software is to do a little heavy-lifting and decide on if OpenOffice is right for you and your business.
OpenOffice provides the following comparable software solutions:
- Writer (Microsoft Word equivalent)
- Calc (Microsoft Excel equivalent)
- Impress (Microsoft Power Point equivalent)
- Base (Microsoft Access equivalent)
These programs have the same features as Microsoft Office, plus additional features such as..
- OpenOffice can create PDFs of your documents WITHOUT requiring the purchase of Adobe Acrobat or a third-party product
- OpenOffice “looks and feels” like the old version of Microsoft Office (pre-2007).
- OpenOffice can read the new file formats from Microsoft Office (.docx, .xlsx, etc). Even Office 2003 can’t do that.
Even though the OpenOffice bundle includes Draw, which is a basic design and image layout program that has no Microsoft equivalent, there is one glaring ommission from OpenOffice’s impressive list: a Microsoft Outlook-type program.
Arguably, for some small businesses, this can be a deal-breaker since a lot of users depend on Outlook to not only keep their emails, calendars and contacts in order, but to also interface with their smartphones. The good news here is that Microsoft Outlook can always be purchased on an “as needed” basis, for a fraction of the cost of investing in the full MS Office package.
So what’s stopping you from jumping in to OpenOffice? Well, I’ve talked up the “pros” and provided one “con” so far, but there are a couple more items to consider:
- If your office uses Microsoft PowerPoint and you interact with other companies and individuals that use it as their standard presentation software, then I would recommend sticking with PowerPoint. Presentation software is usually unique to the company that makes it, so switching between PowerPoint and Impress presentations could cause numerous formatting and animation headaches.
- If your Office uses Microsoft Publisher, I would probably suggest that you stick with Publisher for the very same reason mentioned above: formatting.
So why try OpenOffice? Do I really need to say it again? It’s FREE and there is no commitment! You can download and install OpenOffice and run it in tandem with your current Microsoft Office program and try it for yourself. If you get stuck or have any questions about OpenOffice or this article, please register and login to post them in the comments area below. Your friendly PCS geek (that’s me) is ready to help.
Aaron
System Outtage 20090425
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Apr 25, 2009
Early Saturday morning at 12:09AM, PCS’s servers experienced down-time that was neither intended nor plan. The down-time was the result of Microsoft security patches being applied to key servers that did not respond well to the changes implemented.
At 10:14AM, all servers came back online and all services are now working properly. We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused and thank you for allowing us the time to address the problems.
If you have any questions regarding the outtage, please feel free to utilize our Contact Form here. Thank you again and have a great weekend.
