Edges of notes from the Hank Skawinski talk in September:
Now is the time to purchase a new computer – the prices and capabilities are going to be the best you have seen in years. To say that XP is debugged is not true but it is the best thing going at this time. If you are somehow assuming that Vista will be the panacea for all computing, just remember that XP was not really usable until SP2 and that VISTA, with all of its new code, will probably not be worth much until SP2 comes out (Hank says SP1). We have something that generally works now in XP although it seems especially vulnerable to viruses.
Keep in mind, however, that the basic structure of Microsoft products is an object time association of modules to do a task. Linux is formed quite differently by assembling the various parts into one unchanging lump that performs a task and there are no modifications to the core at all - unlike the Microsoft products.
Linux is not ready yet by a long shot, but it has the best possible probability to be useful enough soon in selected environments where the demands of total compatibility with Microsoft are not present. Hank believes that if Quickbooks were ever ported to Linux, Microsoft would immediately begin to lose market share.
Linux is great to use for word processing and spreadsheets, etc. But when Linux fails to load properly at install time, having a Microsoft background will be of little use. The learning curve of dealing and operating in Linux is as great as the transition from DOS to XP.
Vista is merely an update to XP. Yes there is a bunch of rewriting of parts of it, but the underlying concept of the core program being modifiable on the fly means that Vista will have the same patch problem and the same vulnerabilities as XP. So Vista is no improvement. Thus, if you feel constrained to go out and get the Vista Beta, plan on waiting two years until it is ready for the consumer no matter what the Microsoft hype states. Since industry is just now beginning to use XP, industry will not be shifting to Vista for many years when we single persons have finished acting as guinea pigs and problem-solvers for Microsoft.
The latest craze for laptops having dual-core seems to be something that it is worth waiting for. The current crop are fast and relatively inexpensive. Power consumption constraints used to limit laptops to about 1.6 MHz, but the new crop allows technology to go though that limitation..
Acronis is required for backups. With a dual capability of the Acronis Backup and a dual-layer DVD (now standard) you will be able to back up your entire computer seamlessly onto an 8.5 GB Dual Layer and be able to restore from a pseudo-drive whenever you need a few files restored.
Having a external USB drive for backups is required for the safety of all of your data. A second partition on the hard drive is a great convenience but it, too, will go away when the hard drive fails. So dual layer DVD and/or USB external hard drive are the recommended solutions. Notice that the terms blu ray and HD don't even enter into the equation yet.
Technical note: DVD-R should be used because the -R is compatible with older computers.
If you want to see the current ads of various suppliers, go to www.MercuryCenter.com and review what is on sale.
Buy Pioneer DVD drive because they have updatable firmware so the latest formats can be read.
If your computer is slowing down, don't forget that MSCONFIG/STARTUP is your first line of defense. Turn off ALL of the non-essential programs and reboot. If the speed of the computer is back to normal, then add just what you need or (better) just take your lumps by waiting a few extra seconds if you start up a program that normally is not needed. If no improvement, then it is time to start the spyware, virus, ill-behaved-program search using techniques too long for here.
Happy computing!
Hank Skawinski gave his overview of the state of computing and computers. Hank strongly advises backup your computer with Acronis (available from our November speaker Gene Barlow), preferably on an external drive and DVD or CDs. Hank also recommends Grisoft's AVG Antivirus (Free) and ewido antispyware ($30) instead of Symantec or McAfee (overpriced for what you get). Don't get Maxtor DVD burner; they tend to fail. Look for online Fry's ads at www.MercuryCenter.com, go down to "online ads", and go to the Fry's or whatever link.
Have you ever thought about putting your family pictures and videos onto DVD? We've all collected a lot of pictures over the years, as well as family videos, but we have no convenient way to view them other then in albums, or having to hook up a video camera to the TV, or setting up a slide projector and screen. Many people these days don't have the time or don't want to take time to do these things.
DVD has made looking at pictures a lot more fun, with menus, music and a nice case that looks neat on the shelf and doesn't take up much room. If you don't have the time or inclination to do it yourself, my service can help you. I can organize your pictures, videos and digital files, and can also protect and preserve the originals by transferring the data to a more permanent medium, since film, prints and video tape don't last forever. Here is a list of my services:
For video transfer, I accept the following formats: VHS, DV tapes, Camcorder DVDs and digital formats such as JPEG & TIFF.
For digital files, I accept them on digital camera cards, CDs and DVDs.
All pictures are scanned at 600 dpi, slides or negatives at 2400 dpi. All pictures are saved on CD or DVD in JPEG format, or your preferred format. With picture, slide, or negative scan orders, you will receive an index of pictures in Acrobat file format. Jewel cases for CDs will have a nice front and rear insert.
Transfers up to 2 hours of video & pictures to DVD are $40. This service includes motion menus & custom points, and a DVD case with outside label and disk label. Extra copies are $10 each. For a slide show of pictures or slides, I can add music that you provide to me (CD, audio tape or digital format).
Let me know if you're interested in my service. I hope I can help you have a pleasant experience with your pictures. I can be reached at Cell: 650.867.2852, or
It would be good to donate your old but still usable computer, but First Clean Off Your Files from your hard drive! The best way to guarantee reuse of your computer/Laptop is to leave the harddrive and cables and mounting tray in the computer/Laptop. However, you want to first destroy all the information on your harddrive to avoid identity theft. The way to destroy the data is to use a software utility program that OVERWRITES your data with random data. Software application programs that destroy [overwrite] your data include: Active@Killdisk, DataEraser, WipeDrive, etc.
Here are some websites from an internet search with free one-time download disc-wipe software:
www.thefreecountry.com/security/securedelete.shtml
www.softforall.com/Utilities/FileDisk/R-Wipe_andClean_PC_Privacy,_Hard_Driv e_Clean09040071.htm
You can find more, including more information on why this step is absolutely essential, by typing data destruction software into your internet search engine.
Our 8 November 06 speaker Gene Barlow of User Group Relations will have a security package that will do this, and he'll give us a club discount. If you can't wait, visit his security page at www.ugr.com/security.html.