NTX Tech Glad to see you made it here. Browse the questions to the right, and come back often. I have still more articles to come in the near future. Please let me know if there's something you need and can't find.
It's been a while since the last one, but there's been a new recall of notebook batteries, affecting mostly HP, and to a lesser extent Toshiba and Dell. Affected by the recall are HP Pavilion: dv1000, dv8000 and zd8000, Compaq Presario: v2000 and v2400, HP Compaq: nc6110, nc6120, nc6140, nc6220, nc6230, nx4800, nx4820, nx6110, nx6120, nx9600, Toshiba Satellite: A70/A75, P30/P5, M30X/M35X, M50/M55, Tecra: A3, A5, S2, and Dell Latitude: 110L, Inspiron: 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, 5160. You can read the entire notice here.
I have had the opportunity to obtain and run 
Windows 7 on my machines. Windows 7 is the next version of Windows, due October 22, 2009.
Read about some of it here... (Updated for RC1)
UPDATE (May 4): The Release Candidate (RC1) for Windows 7 has been released to the public for free. It will be good to use until June 2010, so if you want an updated operating system, there's no reason not to get a copy of this and install it. You do have to do a clean install (it's a good idea anyway) and install all your programs, but I think the work is worth it. It is still technically a test version, but it is just what it's called: a Release Candidate, and it is supposedly going to be the only RC before the final product ships. I plan to install this on my main machine, probably next week. (It takes me about 8 hours to set up a machine with all my programs)
UPDATE 2 (June 26) - Windows 7 is available for pre-order at half price (for a very limited time) for Home Premium and for Professional. Ultimate is currently NOT available for pre-order. I ordered my copy from New Egg. You can get it from Microsoft here, or from the following retailers:
You can also now buy a new computer and get the Windows 7 update when it is released in October. I've been telling people to hold off buying...now's the time. If you buy a PC with Vista now, you should get a free or very low-cost upgrade to 7 when it comes out. Be sure to ask before you spend your money. In my opinion, Windows 7 is a must-get.
PCWorld has put out a very good rundown on buying Windows 7.
Microsoft has released Service Pack (SP) 2 for Office 2007. It is available through Microsoft Update, or you can get it here. Be aware that it is 290 Mb, so if you have dial-up, well, I'm sorry. Remember, this is for Office 2007 ONLY. According to the Microsoft download page, this SP contains all of the Public Updates, Security Updates, Cumulative Updates, and Hotfixes released through February 2009. It also has some new features, such as support for the OpenDocument Format, and built-in Save As PDF/XPS support. There was a previous seperate add-on that allowed you to create PDFs in Office. Now it's part of the application. That's great news.
You've probably heard about and seen the tiny laptop computers that are becoming more popular. They're called "netbooks", and can be great for casual Net surfing and e-mail. If you think you may do more than that, consider carefully, because they have small screens and small keyboards. Gina Trapani amassed a collection of comments about the most popular brands and models from people who have used them. You can glean a lot of information if you read carefully.
The news is full of items today about the Conficker Worm, also known as Downadup. The easiest way to find out if you have it is to try to access a security site like Symantec or McAfee. If you can access these sites normally, you may not have the virus. If this is the case, and you are still concerned, download the Downadup repair tool from Symantec. If you can't access Symantec, you can get the fix from me here. It's the same file I downloaded from Symantec. This tool scans your entire hard drive, and will remove the worm if found.
The main way that you can stay protected from this and other worms is to keep Windows updated! Do this religiously and you will cut down on your risk. Set your Windows Update to update automatically. You also need to make sure your Anti-Virus software updates continually.
UPDATE - April 1 came and went with no real evidence of any serious threat from this worm. That doesn't mean that it is gone, or it's harmless. This is just a reprieve and a learning opportunity. Like I stated above, if you don't religiously update Windows and your anti-virius software, start doing it!
There's also an interesting page called the Conficker Eye Chart. This is another way to tell if you have the Conficker worm.
HOT---UPDATE #2 (April 9) - Conficker is now going to ask for $50 to remove it. You can read the article from PCWorld here. Essentially, if you are infected with the latest version of the worm, you will get popups telling you that you are infected, and you can pay $49.95 to have it removed. I talk about this kind of scam. PLEASE, DO NOT RESPOND TO ANY KIND OF POPUP THAT TELLS YOU TO PAY TO REMOVE MALWARE!!!
I've been using my Amazon Kindle for a few days now, and it is amazing.
You can read about its features and capabilities in depth on Amazon's site, but I'll touch on the basics here. The price for the Kindle itself is $359.00.
The Kindle is an e-book reader, which means you can load it with books, which you buy from Amazon, and read them anywhere. The Kindle holds up to 1,500 books. Imagine carrying those around. This thing is very thin and light. I find it easy to read. It has no backlight, which saves on eyestrain. You can adjust the text size, if you're in need of larger text. The Kindle will also read to you. It has a computer-sounding voice, but if you need it, it doesn't sound bad. The battery has an amazing life. The only time battery power is used is when you are connected on the cell network (you can turn it off), and when you are turning pages. Once a page is displayed on the screen, there is no battery consumption. In fact, when the unit is off, there are various portraits of authors displayed. Hard to believe it's not using power.
The Kindle connects to Amazon directly, through a cell connection. The cost of that connection is carried by Amazon, probably through the cost of the Kindle, or in the cost of the books, but brand-new books cost only $9.95. Many books cost less; there are even free books to be had. Some books I have looked at in paperback have Kindle prices comparable to paperback. So you can connect to Amazon anywhere you can get a cell connection, browse for a book, and download it directly to the Kindle. It usually takes 30 seconds or so. So no worrying about going to a bookstore, wondering whether the store stocks the book, or no waiting for a book to be shipped from Amazon. Amazon uses their 1-Click checkout, which essentially involves having an account with them.
In addition to books, you can subscribe to selected magazines and newspapers on the Kindle. These are available through Amazon as well. Newspapers are wirelessly delivered daily to your Kindle, and you don't have to step outside to get them.
I've read concerns about the Kindle not being like a real book; no immersion in the story, etc. I have not found this to be the case.
Speaking of case, the Kindle does NOT ship with any kind of protective case. You can buy one from Amazon, but I found a cover from M-Edge. It locks the Kindle in place, and is well padded and protective. Highly recommended.
If you are an avid reader, I recommend the Kindle.
You know how I feel about IE. Not really a fan. If you insist on using IE rather than Firefox, at least make sure you have at least IE7 installed. IE8 is now available, and you eventually will get it as part of Windows Update. If you want it now, you can get it here.
UPDATE (April 20) - It is reported that IE8 will be pushed out through Windows Update very soon. It won't be required; you can choose not to install it, but I would go ahead and do it. Better to have everything updated. You're less likely to have problems down the line.
It's that time of year when I get questions about what kind of computer to buy for a student. You can review my series of articles on Buying a New Computer here, beginning with Buying for a Student.
According to surveys conducted by the Consumers Union, while 90 percent of the nation is aware of the transition, 25 percent mistakenly believe that one must subscribe to cable or satellite after February June, and 41 percent think that every TV in a house must have a new converter box, even those that are already connected to cable or satellite.
In a nutshell, if you have cable or satellite, you're OK. If you have a newer TV with a digital tuner, you're OK. If you are using an old TV with rabbit ears or an outside antenna, and not going through any kind of set-top box, you need a converter.
Read the NY Tmes article here.
If you need a copy of Microsoft Office 2007, either for yourself or your college student, and have access to an active educational e-mail account (.edu), Microsoft's "Ultimate Steal" is back. You can get Office 2007 Ultimate for just $60.00 directly from Microsoft. This is legitimate; I've done it. The program can be installed on two computers. It appears that they have brought this deal back for the duration of the 2008-2009 school year. Get this deal while you can: Office Ultimate retails for $680.00.
How to Speed Up a Slow Computer (all my maintenance tasks on various pages combined into one procedure)
Reviews and Buying Guides
April 22
Added a couple of sites to my portfolio. Thanks, FASST and Plano FFA for the business!
February 18
Look for the new Search Bar up above. This uses Google to search for items within this site.
December 31
Added article on managing virtual memory settings
Read about the scheduled update
Vista SP1 32-bit download (434.5MB)
Vista SP1 64-bit download (726.5MB)
Vista SP2 32-bit download (348.3MB)
Vista SP2 64-bit download (577.4MB)
Look for it in Windows Update, or download here
Look for it in Windows Update, or download here
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