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Windows

Norton 360 verdict not in yet – don’t be a guinea pig

Norton has recently released a new version called Norton 360. Symantec claims that they have scrapped 80+ percent of their old code and the 360 version is a totally new program.

I have only seen it installed on one computer so far and I couldn't really see if it was any faster or slower than previous versions. Since the system I saw it on was also running Windows Vista, I couldn't tell if the sluggishness of the computer was caused by Norton or Vista.

I can say that I have Vista running on a very similar machine as the one I saw running 360 and it didn't seem any slower.

I finally did it

I purchased Windows Vista Ultimate (OEM version) and Microsoft Office 2007 in January. Yesterday, I finally installed them both on my HP computer I bought in December for the purpose of eventually installing Vista and the new Office. The installation was the easiest of any Windows I have ever installed and only took about thirty-five minutes, but the first boot took around 12 minutes. I backed up my data and used the Vista disk to format and install the new Windows.

This weekend on our show, we were accused of joining the "band wagon" of Microsoft bashers. Long time listeners of our show and visitors to our web site know the real story…just try to find a Linux or Mac tip on our site. They will be coming eventually, but up until now we have been solid Microsoft computer guys.

Future Windows Prediction

By now it is no secret that I have a unique super power. I can see the future of technology. Too many cell phone radio waves to my brain have caused me to have premonitions about the future of technology.

Two days ago, I was carried away in vision and I saw the future of Microsoft.

Microsoft knows they shot themselves in the foot with Vista. They knew before it was released that they would have to create a demand for it since it was replacing a superior product.

Now even the government is looking into getting away from Microsoft products. Linux seems to be the most popular option. This is where the prediction comes in.

Wow! Is Microsoft worried or what?

Is it me, or is Microsoft pummeling the TV, Radio, and of course the online advertising arenas? Almost anywhere I look, Windows Vista ads poke me in the eyes. Could it be because of the nearly 150+ customer visits I have made since Vista came out, only two of them were using Vista? Could it be because users are perfectly content with Windows XP and don't see (rightly) the need to upgrade to Vista? Could it be that the once bullet proof Microsoft name has tarnished with this release and the web has changed the rules about desktop computing? Could it be because Microsoft's sales figures are sorely lacking compared to the release of XP and 98? Could it be that so many business and government entities have 'outlawed' Vista in their space? Could it be the incompatible software and hardware numbers that are racking up?

Yahoo delivers profound haymaker to Gmail and Microsoft

Yahoo announced today that they will be removing all size limits to email storage on free Yahoo email accounts. The service will begin rolling out unlimited storage in May. Yahoo is also debating a lift on storage limits for Fliker.com photo sharing accounts.

Yahoo hopes that lifting the storage limits will lead lock customers in for good.

Even if Google does match the offer, the real loser in this battle is Microsoft and Windows. If you can access your email, calendar, documents, and photos from any computer anywhere no matter what operating system you are using, Microsoft will have a difficult time finding a market for future versions of Windows.

Always a love-hate relationship

Lately, I have been working with many Windows 98 and Me computers (and a few Windows 95). For basic functions, limited Internet browsing, solitaire, email, and word processing, these computers work fine especially with a high speed Internet connection. However, it is imperative that Windows 98 and Me users NOT install any software that was developed after 2003. Your hardware and software configuration may appear to meet the minimum requirements of the software, but let me assure you that the product will not work optimally and your system will slow down considerably.

This especially applies to security software. For Windows 98 and Me users: ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NEVER INSTALL NEW VERSIONS OF NORTON OR MCAFEE SECURITY PRODUCTS.

The solution to Palm’s unclear future

Of course no one at Palm is going to hear me but I have the cure for the problems at Palm. This week Palm Inc. announced record sales for the Treo Smartphone but they also announced terrible earnings.

At least once quarter there is a rumor that someone is going to acquire Palm in one way or another. The problem is that Palm has the best product of its kind on the market.

The Palm Treo is a near perfect device. Whether you use the Palm OS version or the Windows version, the Treo does exactly what it is supposed to do and it does it well. If you are a Treo user, it would take an awful lot to persuade you to upgrade. When it all comes down to it, the Treo offers 10 times the features of the RAZR by Motorola and it is 10 times as easy to figure out, the real problem is that it is almost 5 times the price at full retail.

A Faster computer does not equal faster Internet

Just as Rick mentioned that people often expect the computer to run faster once they have faster Internet, the opposite is also expected.

Often people on dial-up or slower DSL ask me once they have a new computer whether their email will go faster or their websites will load quickly. Typically the difference between a new computer and a Windows 98 machine with sufficient RAM will be barely noticeable.

It may take longer for programs like Outlook Express or Internet Explorer longer to start up on an older machine, once the program has loaded the actual reaction time for the Internet is pretty much unchanged.

Is Vista driving computer prices down again?

After the release of Vista we saw prices for desktops and laptops rise nearly 15% for equivalent Windows XP computers. Since Vista's release, the sales numbers for computers and Vista itself have been dismal and retailers are not happy. I opened up my local paper today at breakfast and found that Office Depot had three decent laptops on sale for under $900 all with 1 GB of RAM. One was $699. We haven't seen those kind of prices on laptops since before Christmas. It makes me wonder if Microsoft is giving some kind of incentive to manufacturers to lower their prices in order to help drive sales.

Do you really have that much time on your hands?

I hate to beat a dead horse, but I need to know. One of the most common responses I get from people who don't have a high speed Internet connection is, "I have plenty of time to wait and am in no hurry." While I admire the Zen like focus and calm nerves of these folks, I have to ask the obvious. "Really?"

Today, I worked with a customer who lives literally in the middle of the mountains…the nearest town (about 200 people) is more than 20 miles away and the phone line sounds like popcorn in a microwave and there is no cell service. She has been patiently using dial-up Internet service for more than 7 years connecting at speeds of between 12 kbps and 14.4 kbps on a good day. Yes, you read that correctly…12-14 kbps!!! That is half the speed of a poor dial-up connection…good dial-up connections range from 44 kbps to 52 kbps. An entry level DSL connection starts at 256 kbps. When I setup her new computer today, it took almost thirty minutes to download and install the flash plug-in for her browser. I ended up disabling graphics from showing in her browser and showed her how to view a graphic if she really needed to since a 54kb graphic would take nearly two minutes to load.