Saturday 29 September 2012

Windows 8 vs 7

Some interesting user preferences emerging ...

Over half of surveyed Windows 8 users prefer Windows 7: Over half of surveyed Windows 8 users prefer Windows 7
Well, this can't be good news for Microsoft, as a recent survey of Windows 8 users found that just over half of them still prefer Windows 7The survey comes from Forumswindows8.com, an independent help and support site for the new operating system. After polling 50,000 active Windows 8 users, 53 percent of respondents said that Windows 7 is still their favorite Windows OS while only 25 percent said that they preferred Windows 8. When asked about individual Windows 8 features, fast boot up and shut down times came out on top with 56 percent saying it was their favourite feature. Easy installation came in a close second with 50 percent citing it as their favourite feature, while Internet Explorer was a distant third with 35 percent of respondents.

First, the bad news...

The much-touted Windows 8 UI (formerly called the Metro UI) came in further down the list of favorite features, garnering praise from only 22 percent of those surveyed. The charms bar, another Windows 8 staple, only resonated with 13 percent of users, and received the lowest ranking for favorite Windows 8 feature just above "other." According to the survey, the number one weakness to be improved in Windows 8 is the price, with 35 percent of respondents saying it is their biggest concern with the OS. Users will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 for only $39.99, or $69.99 at retail, for the first few months. However, in February after the promotional period ends the price jumps up to $199.99, which is where the price concerns may stem from. After price, the major Windows 8 concerns were system requirements and software compatibility, which were respectively listed as the top concern for 26 percent and 25 percent of respondents.

Now, some good news...

It isn't all bad news for Windows 8 though, as the people surveyed said they like the idea of using the operating system on tablets. And, 35 percent said that the Microsoft Surface tablet was their first choice, compared to 33 percent saying Android and 26 percent wanting an iPad.
Windows Phone 8 also beat out the iPhone with 29 percent saying they would prefer Microsoft's mobile OS compared to 22 percent favoring Apple's smartphone. Both were well behind Android though, with 42 percent saying they prefer it over either Windows Phone 8 or an iPhone. Windows 8 will be Microsoft's biggest shift for its operating system yet when it launches on Oct. 26. Although according to Intel, the OS may not be completely ready in time for launch, with final optimizations and improvements to get patched in after the fact.

Google Alerts

Short of emails? Set up some Google Alerts! ...
If you like to track what is happening in a given topic, set up a Google Alert to news, blogs etc and get a report every day. 

Stay informed with Google Alerts: Andy Wolber explains how to use Google Alerts as a contemporary digital version of the old-fashioned clipping service.

Windows 8 Upgrade

Simple explanation of Windows 8 software upgrade ...
I think Windows XP upgrade would really be done by a "clean start" installation most likely on new hardware. The upgrade price is attractive as long as the clean start installation process  can recognise it as an upgrade even though not on the original platform.

Follow the right Windows 8 upgrade path: Upgrading to Windows 8 may not be as simple as you think, this infographic will help.

MS Office 365 Pricing

More Microsoft confusion in the pipeline ...
The $99 per annum options seems expensive even if you can load it on 5 devices! I am assuming that the 3 Licence Pack of Office Home & Student will no longer be available. Free Google Docs looks increasingly attractive for the light user.

Microsoft's Office 365 Home Premium to cost $99.99 annually per subscription: Microsoft has announced the consumer and small-business prices for the new Office suite, which will be sold both via traditional single-device, perpetual licenses and via a new annual, multi-device cloud subscription.

Netgear Wi-Fi Booster

Boost your Wi-Fi signal for $69 ...
A simple way to extend coverage to upstairs or a distant corner of the house.

Netgear home Wi-Fi booster keeps your mobile devices connected:
netgearmobile2We’re connecting from every corner of our homes on smartphones and tablets and Netgear’s new Wi-Fi Booster for Mobile can strengthen your wireless coverage. The WN1000RP has an unobtrusive wall plug design and is simple to set up and link to your existing router to boost the signal into the area of the home or office where it is located. It’s as easy as pressing the WPS (wireless protection Set-up) button on your browser and the WPS button on the WN1000RP to make the connection.

Friday 28 September 2012

Hidden Rootkits

So what are Rootkits and how to get rid of them ...
Have tried the BitDefender's Rescue Disk but without success so far. Although it loads and the menu comes up, it crashes once you try running a scan. The GMER utility does work but takes a long time. The test system came up clean (thank goodness!)

By from PC Plus Issue 324 
 Tutorial: How to discover hidden rootkits

How to discover rootkits

Once upon a time, viruses were about chaos, destruction and loss of data, but that was before criminal gangs realised that computers could be used to extort and defraud, and could even be used as cyber weapons. For the past decade or so, online crime has continued to evolve faster than the industry that has sprung up to protect us from it. Malware of all kinds is becoming stealthier as the rewards become more lucrative, and today even the most basic botnet client can cover itself in a shroud of invisibility. So how do you detect such an infection and give your network a clean bill of health? This requires deep scanning - far deeper than your normal antivirus software can provide.

Sunday 23 September 2012

Upgrading to Windows 8

A worthwhile read if you are planning to upgrade ...
If you have a Windows 7 PC then the upgrade process should be fairly straightforward. Personally, I would not be attempting it until Windows 8 has settled down, maybe early 2013!

Upgrading to Windows 8: what you need to know (FAQ): Making sense of the the Windows 8 upgrade process.   

Amazon Kindle Fire HD

New Amazon devices at very competitive prices ...
The Tablet and E-Reader space is really hotting up with the functionality dividing line between Tablets and E-Readers getting more blurred with every passing month. The Operating Systems are really the only way to tell the difference!

Amazon announces new Kindle Fire HD tablets with LTE, 8.9-inch screen: Amazon heated up the tablet competition with the introduction of new Kindle Fire HD tablets, including a model with LTE capabilities and another model with an 8.9-inch screen that can display images at a resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels.

Sunday 16 September 2012

Surface: Cheat Sheet

Another very informative article on the Microsoft Surface ...
This article explains the key differences between the two Microsoft Surface models - RT versus the Pro. It also indicates the availability and price we might expect for each model.

Microsoft Surface: Cheat Sheet: Microsoft's Windows 8 tablets - all you need to know.

Asus Padfone Review

Now this is a bright idea ...
Just when you thought you had seen everything, ASUS has come up with the "Padfone". Not bad for around $1,000! Would appear that it has plenty of battery power.

Asus Padfone review - the tablet powered by a smartphone:
padfone2It’s not unusual for people to have both a smartphone and a tablet but Asus has united these two products like never before with the Padfone. As it’s name suggests the device is actually two products in one – a tablet and a phone and they literally fit together like a hand in a glove. The Asus smartphone fits under a flap on the rear of the tablet and provides its brains and data connection to access on a larger screen.

Google Chrome Sync

A great time saver if you use multiple PCs ...
As long as you make Google Chrome your default browser on all your devices.

Chrome Sync: Configure once, work everywhere: Sign in to Chrome and sync your bookmarks, tabs and settings across all your devices.

Microsoft Windows 8

A good Windows 8 reference article if you are interested ...
Probably worth a read if you are thinking of buying Windows 8 later this year.

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Microsoft Windows 8:
The good
  • Windows 8 embraces the future wholeheartedly. Log-in and boot times are fast, the apps look gorgeous, and the Sync feature brings seamless transition between devices.
The bad
  • The learning curve is steep and in-app navigation isn't obvious. There are just too many known unknowns here.

Facebook Shares Halved

Easy come  ...easy go ....
Looks like this is going to hot up in November when even more shares can be sold!
Facebook loses half its value since IPO
Brisbane Times
Facebook's stock has fallen to $US19 for the first time, meaning it has lost half its market value since the company's initial public offering in May. It hit that milestone on Friday, a day after the expiration of a lock-up period.

Sunday 9 September 2012

Windows 8 Is Coming!

A brief overview of the new Windows 8 start screen ...
A brave new world is approaching ... (October 26, I believe)

Learning to love Windows 8: The future is coming whether you like it or not, and it's called Windows 8.

Choosing a Tablet

A must read article for those considering buying a Tablet ...
This is a great summary of the things you should consider.

5 Tips for choosing the right Tablet

Asus Transformer TF700T

Very nice ASUS Tablet but also very expensive ...
You can buy a Lenovo Edge ThinkPad laptop for around $600 which makes this Tablet a very expensive proposition at over $900!


Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T is a tablet and a laptop:
transformerinfinity2The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity is designed for those who can’t decide between a tablet and a laptop – it’s actually both.
Analysts are already predicting tablet sales will overtake laptops which is why Asus has seen 2012 as the year of transformation.
And the result is the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T.

Outlook.com Review

Windows Live becomes Outlook.com ...
Well I'm confused. We had Outlook Express on XP, Windows Mail on Vista, Live Mail on Window 7 and now we have Outlook.com on Windows 8. Have a read of this review if you are interested!

In Depth: Hands on: Outlook.com review: In Depth: Hands on: Outlook.com review
Hotmail has never had a great reputation. In the early naughties it was the de facto webmail, but when Gmail launched in 2004, it struggled to keep up with the needs of savvier users.
Plugging it into Windows Live hasn't helped; the suite of web services is now a broken beast and Microsoft knows it; the whole of Windows Live will be reworked as we go into Windows 8 season.
We're betting you probably use Gmail, but it's really rather important to note that Hotmail still has a whacking 350 million users – and Hotmail is an extremely important product for Microsoft. So now it has rebranded Windows Live Hotmail as Outlook.com.
Outlook dot com