Month: October 2006

Categories
Uncategorized

Your questions: Should I upgrade to Windows Vista?

I was asked via email this week a couple of times for my opinion on whether consumers should upgrade their Windows XP computers to the upcoming Windows Vista. Today in the Seattle Times, there’s a question from a reader of the Personal Technology Q&A column who asks “whether there would be any advantage to my upgrading to Windows Vista?”


The author, Patrick Marshall, recommends that they hold off on upgrading from XP until Vista is glitch-free:



“I wouldn’t recommend anyone upgrade to Vista on a machine they care about until the new operating system starts shipping, and maybe even for a while after that. I’ve been using Vista on a test machine for several months and there are still a number of glitches.


“Once Vista ships, you may want to consider upgrading, especially if you’re using your computer for such things as online banking. Fact is, while Vista offers a new slick look to the operating system, the more significant improvements are in security.”


OK, that makes sense, and falls in line with my general advice: waiting until Windows Vista is released and shipping makes sense for many consumers. At our home, not all PCs have been migrated to the latest Vista builds for various reasons… mainly related to legacy games for the kids that only run under Win9x compatibility mode. Many advanced consumers and computer users have already installed the Vista release candidates to get an early look at what to expect. I know of many consumers using the latest versions of Vista, and their experiences have been generally positive.


At home, I have found that the latest release candidate performs much better and is more reliable than XP (disclaimer: I work at MS), and admit that I run Windows XP and Vista side by side for various reasons. (In one case, I’m waiting for a hardware BIOS upgrade for my Tablet). That’s why I set up a dual boot system when I started with Vista RC1.


PC World published their own Ten Reasons to Buy Windows Vista last February, when they said…



“while the sleek new look and polished interface caught my eye, it’s what’s under the covers that impressed me most. Microsoft’s done a great job of improving security across the board. Things like Windows and spyware library updates are streamlined, and I definitely appreciate the more robust Backup software.



“Here’s what to be excited about:




  1. Security, security, security.


  2. Internet Explorer 7.


  3. Righteous eye candy, with the Aero Glass interface.


  4. Desktop search.


  5. Better updates via Windows Update, making it easier to keep your PC secure.


  6. More media: Windows Media Player, Windows Photo Gallery, DVD Maker and a new Movie Maker.


  7. Parental controls.


  8. Better backups with improved built-in data-backup software.


  9. Peer-to-peer collaboration.


  10. Quick setup.”

If you have one PC at home, run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor to evaluate your current PC, as I mentioned in a previous post. That will provide a good assessment.


There are also reasons that some customers may decide not to upgrade, due to PC hardware limitations or legacy software incompatibilities – that will be the case for our kid’s PC, until we test their must have game software. That includes their favourite educational software like Encarta that is included in Microsoft Student, edutainment titles (Knowledge Adventure’s Adiboo!), general entertainment titles like our own Zoo Tycoon, online sites like PBS Kids! to MSN Games and Disney’s ToonTown (which seems to work fine so far in IE7). 


I’m off now as the kids are up – time to finish making Halloween costumes. We have an extra hour thanks to daylight saving time.


More information:



Tags: , , , , , .  


 

Categories
Uncategorized

The best kitchen PC… a laptop?

Here’s a blast: in 2002, Jerry Honeycutt wrote that he was putting together the kitchen computer that he’d been dreaming of.



Kitchen PC, circa 2002“I want to build one that fits unobtrusively next to the mixer until I call it into service to browse the Internet, check mail, and chat with friends.”


“For all my effort to make this computer as tiny as possible, I feel like it’s too big for my kitchen. It doesn’t just sit next to my mixer; it actually replaces the mixer and all of the space around it. If your kitchen is small, you might want to buy a laptop to use in that room. However, this project cost around $1000, and that’s not much to spend for a good laptop. On a final note, protect any computer that you set up in your kitchen with a surge protector. Considering the appliances with which the computer shares its circuitry, this is a smart idea.”


Fast forward to 2006 and the article in PC Magazine on The Kitchen PC:



The Kitchen PC“Our Kitchen PC is all you will need to bring your kitchen into the digital age. This PC is more than an updated recipe box, of course: It has features designed for the special needs of the kitchen, and it solves all the problems of heat, size, and communications.” 


In our house, we find that the best kitchen PC — which is also a family computer — is a laptop. It allows for th emost flexible movement from the prep area to the kitchen table, it works when the power fluctuates and accesses the home network remotely.


Also of interest: The Digital Home: The Kitchen (from Nov ’04)

Categories
Uncategorized

Problems accessing the Internet with Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor? Try this

Yesterday I recommended the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor in my post “How can I find out if my PC is compatible with Windows Vista?”


A reader commented that he having difficulty using the application, getting an error msg that he “didn’t have an internet connection and it can’t contact the web service.”


So I tried it out on my remaining PC at home that is not running Windows Vista (waiting for an updated driver) and the Upgrade Advisor (aka VUA) ran fine. Then I tried it on the kid’s PC, which runs Windows XP due to the number of old games running under Windows 9x… guess what? Upgrade Advisor failed to connect to the Internet.


Well, I spoke with the Upgrade Advisor team (thanks, guys) and they gave me the following advice: if you have problems connecting to the web service during the scan, please carry out the following steps:



  1. Launch Internet Explorer

  2. Go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Connections -> LAN Settings

  3. Select option for “Proxy Server” and use address field: “itgproxy” with Port: 80

  4. Check option to “Bypass proxy server for local address”

  5. Click “OK” twice, and re-launch VUA to initiate the scan

  

Categories
Uncategorized

Of interest: Dvorak on the best digital SLR camera for the money

John C. Dvorak wrote in his Inside Track column (v25n10) about the Best Camera for the Money Dept. Now, this was from May when he noted that at a keynote address at one of the largest users groups still operating that “every other member was shooting photos, and all of them were using the same camera: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30.”


“This camera does a lot right. Although it has a fixed-mount lens, it looks like a hot digital SLR, both stylish and professional. Its 12X Leica zoom lens, combined with an 8-megapixel sensor and image stabilization with in-camera image processors, is pretty much all you need short of professional gear.


“The camera is underappreciated because Panasonic still shows zero marketing prowess. If these guys ever wake up, they will dominate the industry along with Sony, another company that fell asleep at the wheel. I visited with both companies at the Photo Marketing Association show, and Panasonic still talks a big game and Sony is still arrogant. I see no changes. It’s now getting funny.”


More info:



Tags: , , .

Categories
Uncategorized

“How can I find out if my PC is compatible with Windows Vista?”

The New York TimesTechnology section has an article online today “On the Horizon: A Vista Upgrade.” In it, the author provides some answers to the question: How can I find out if my current computer hardware (including my scanner and printer) will be compatible with the coming Windows Vista system? Will this be as simple as merely downloading new drivers?


From the article…



“If you are holding off on any hardware purchases until after your Vista upgrade, Microsoft recently announced that about 250 hardware and software products for sale this holiday season will be labeled “Works with Windows Vista” or “Certified for Windows Vista.” Products with the “Works” label will work fine with Vista, but “certified” products (including some graphics cards), will be able to take better advantage of certain Vista features.


If you are planning on installing Windows Vista on your current computer, you can check to see if your hardware can handle Vista’s system requirements at www.windowsvista.com/getready.”  


Many PC OEMs (like Dell, HP, IBM, Gateway, Toshiba, Sony…), third party manufacturers and software makers are beginning to list the products that are compatible with Windows Vista. To check your current PC, you can evaluate your current PC with the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor.