PCS Win7 Upgrade Option
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Jul 28, 2009
Lately we at PCS have been tooting the Win7 horn loud and often, but you’ve got to understand: it’s been a loooong time since we’ve been excited about a Microsoft operating system that doesn’t make end-users feel like they have an upgrade-gun pointed at their head.
We are also well aware that sometimes a new system purchase has to happen sooner rather than later. If you are in need of a PC and you can’t wait for Win7, then we’ve got a solution for our customers.
PCS is proud to offer the Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program. Here’s how it works…
- Purchase a qualifying Windows Vista Upgrade Option from PCS (Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate) along with a new PC during the eligibility period.
- You (the customer) can then visit a fulfillment Web site to order the Windows7 upgrade at no additional cost.
- After Windows 7 is released, the customers will receive from Microsoft a comparable version of Windows 7 for installation on their PCs.
Please contact us today if this is of interest to you or your office between now and October 22nd!
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
Untangle your Network
Posted by Brian Gallutia on Sep 3, 2008
Tired of Spam?
Worried about spyware, viruses, and botnets on your network?
Employees visiting inappropriate web sites?
Do you wish you had more control?
Now there is a better way to manage your network.
Untangle delivers an on-demand suite of applications that run on a single server and will change the way you think about network software. Untangle lets you:
- control network activities that reduce productivity such as spam and inappropriate web surfing, which cuts into your company’s bottom line
- enable anytime, anywhere access for remote employees, and
- protects your computers and data from outside threats such as viruses, spyware, botnets and phishing.
PCS has recently secured a reseller agreement with the good people at Untangle after successfully testing and implementing this unique solution for a few of our most valuable customers.
Is your company in need of a good firewall that won’t nickle-and-dime you with expensive subscriptions and upgrades? Do you need to insure that your users are protected against virus and spyware attacks from the Internet? Is MySpace, Facebook and Instant Messaging eating into your company’s bottom line?
If so, let PCS outfit your business with a Untangle demo unit today!