#89 - More on the Vista Trail

I'm working a laptop for a college student. The university requested Vista, so that's what we got. The university also specified 2GB of RAM (memory). I couldn't find a laptop that met the other specifications and came with 2GB of memory, so I purchased one with 1GB and was going to upgrade it to 2GB. Here is where the fun starts. When I got the laptop there is a bold sheet(8.5'x11") of paper from the manufacturer saying they recommend 2GB of memory for use with Vista. OK, then why did they just sell a computer with only 1GB? Well, that was nice, what is better is the way the manufacturer put the 1GB in the PC. The laptop has 2 memory slots. Logic would say they would put in a 1GB memory module in the first slot and leave the second slot free for the upgrade to 2 GB that they recommended (but didn't even have in the catalog). Of course, what the manufacturer did is populate both slots with 512MB chips so that in order to get to the 2GB that THEY recommend you have to take out BOTH chips and add 2 1GB chips. What a waste. And wait there is more. The first slot is easy to get to on the back of the laptop. The second slot requires you to REMOVE the keyboard from the laptop and mess around on the mother board. Jeez Louise!!!! Could they have screwed up this any more? I think not.

Another customer was given a nice shiny new Dell PC by a relative. It came in with Vista AND 512MB memory. Talk about slow PCs and it is brand NEW! Now Vista will run with just 512 MB memory, but you CAN NOT run any other programs (even IE) with that little memory. I can't believe anyone sells a PC and Vista with that little memory.

So that's just this weeks issues. More to come I'm sure. Just be forewarned if you order VISTA order enough memory.

#88 - Vista ramblings

A customer bought a wireless mouse and keyboard to work with their new Vista Laptop. I decided to sell them the Microsoft brand, figuring it would not have Vista issues. Well you could see this coming, of course the driver in the box DID NOT WORK with Vista and I had to download one from the Microsoft site. The Microsoft site was not very clear in what was required to make this system work and it took two downloads and I had to run two driver programs (1 for the keyboard and 1 for the mouse) even though this was a system sold in 1 box. Sheesh.

On the other hand, I have been impressed with the Network Utilities found in Vista. It is easier and clearer to set up a home/small business network with Vista. Now having said that, it really wasn't that much harder to set up a network in XP, just a couple more steps.

Well Vista will be our only choice come February. Enjoy

#87 - Apple with lots of new products on the horizon

The much anticipated release of the Apple iPhone kept the media in a tizzy all weekend. The media seems to love seeing people in lines waiting for products. Now don't get me wrong, I think the iPhone is a nice piece of technology innovation. Unfortunately Apple decided to put its apples in the AT&T (Cingular) basket. AT&T has horrible coverage in the Highlands (just ask our Lumberjack baseball players). So its not really a viable option for the Mogas.

Also recently release is Apple TV. This is a box that can wirelessly stream content from your iTunes library or play content direct from its hard drive. This means you can enjoy almost anything on your PC, Movies, Photos, Music, podcasts and Videos on your TV. Setting this box up is a breeze and running your files is simple. The bad issue is that you have to have an EDTV or HDTV to see the results. Also the files must be iPod compatible. Some video camera formats aren't. Cost is $299 for you uber geeks!

The biggest anticipated product is the new version of the Apple OS, code named Leopard. It was scheduled to appear in the spring, but was pushed back to the fall so that the iPhone could come out on time. Leopard promisses a new approach for backing up your data. Called Time Machine, this syncing program is supposedly the best backup built in to an OS ever. The Time Machine name refers to a feature that allows you to go back in time and find old files and system settings. Another new feature is Spaces. This one lets you operate several desktop area's simultaneouley. For example you can run your media type programs (iPhoto & iTunes) in one Space and your office applications (Word & Excel) in another. You can instantly switch and not have any issues. We'll let you know how this one looks in the fall.

#86 - Happy 4th of July

I wonder how many people take time on the 4th of July to check out a blog? What do you do with your spare time? Surf the Internet, Garden, Golf, Run, Hike, Watch TV, Read? I'll bet alot more of you surf the Internet then you did say 5 years ago. High Speed (Broadband Internet) has made all the difference. Content is another. If you can't find it on the Internet does it exist??? I went looking for a part for an Anderson door I have. No problem. I found a pdf with all the part numbers and literally 100s of dealers who want to sell me that part. Wow!

Have a safe 4th of July and remember how lucky you are to live in a country were freedom is valued.

#85 - One Laptop per child an Update

I wrote about the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program several months ago in this Blog (Look in the archives!). I thought I would give an update on this important and ground breaking project.

OLPC isn't really about laptops, its about learning. The goal is to provide many of the disenfranchised children of the world a different way to learn. Laptops happen to be the media that was chosen. There are 1.2BILLION children in 3rd world countries, so there is no shortage of customers! Before we get too far along here is a link to their webpage: http://www.laptop.org/

The OLPC laptop has started to be distributed. Cost, right now, is about $150 per unit. Units have now been distributed in several countries. Feedback from the children has been marvelous. The units seem to be hardy enough and are having very few issues in the field.

The laptop has no moving parts, is water proof and dust proof, requires very little electricity and is self contained (other then a power cable). All the software on the laptop is open source (free) and most is modifiable (by the children!). Every laptop immediately recognizes other laptops and instantly form a network (the "mesh"). You can play games, browse the Internet together, collaborate and work on projects TOGETHER. Thus pushing the concept of Peer to Peer learning. You learn from each other and kids become the experts imparting knowledge that they have acquired by curiosity.

OLPC is gearing up for the massive distribution of the laptop. Over 80 countries have signed on to buy the laptops and distribute them in their countries. This will happen with the feedback the company is getting from the test distributions. The laptop has a unique browser that can save Internet sessions to use when you go home (and likely don't have Internet access).

We'll periodically keep you up to date on the status of this wonderful application of technology.

#84 The Google Empire Post 2

Google has lately ventured into moving more products on to the web. Google Docs & Spreadsheets lets you do you word processing and calculating on line. It takes a bit getting used to but it means you don't need that laptop everywhere you go. Google Docs & Spreadsheet

Another application Google is promoting is their online calendar. This is a wonderful way to share information with a group on what is going on. Google Calendar If your family is really technically savvy you can set up the family schedule online!

Google Books is a Nick favorite. You can search the full text in the books or for topics. A great search engine BEFORE you go to the library! Google Book Search

Need a quick look at what happened in financial Markets? Check out Google Finance!

We use the iGoogle for our home page under Internet Explorer. You can customize it to have the information you want not that your ISP wants! iGoogle

Google has recently added Google Notebook to their list of web utilities. You can clip useful information from most web pages. You can add clippings of text, images and links from web pages to your Google Notebook without ever leaving your browser window. Organize your notes.You can create multiple notebooks, divide them into sections, and drag-and-drop your notes to stay organized. Get access from anywhere.You can access your Google Notebooks from any computer by using your Google Accounts login. Publish your notebook.You can share your Google Notebook with the world by making it public.

Lastly Google recently purchase YouTube, the online home video phenomenon.

Here is the home of all the Google products: GOOGLEMANIA

#83 - The Google Empire Post 1

Google is one of those few companies I knew was good from the get go. I first saw the Google search engine in 1998. It was developed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Stanford University students. It just worked better and is still the best search engine. They have moved on from search and here is a brief list of Google products.

This blog is hosted on Blogger a Google application. We know it is very cool.

Google Desktop was a natural extension of the Google search engine to the PC. It searches and indexes everything on your PC. It is 3 times as fast as the search built into Windows.

Google Earth. Everyone loves this application when they see it. It is essentially a composite of all the satellite photos that are taken every day. You can zoom in on your house, place of work or next vacation destination from outer space. Very cool. I saw an article recently where the rescuers of Hurricane Katrina victims used it to search New Orleans when there were no recognizable landmarks.

Gmail. There probably are better email services (we like AOL), but this one has it all at a great price (free).

Google Hello is a web based photo sharing site. Again there are lots of competitors, but this one is a bit better.

Picasa is a very good desktop picture management software. You can organize, edit, rename and even display your digital pictures. We highly recommend this product.

Google Talk is an Instant Messenger host. You can only talk with other Gmail customers, but there are lots of features that make it fun to use.

#82 - Who needs to fold a Map?

My father loved maps. He would plot out our annual summer vacation with great delight. His sisters belonged to AAA so he would get a 'Trip-Tik" made and we would all follow the sights and scenery according to the Trip-Tik. Lovely info like: 'I-95...traversing primarily rolling woodlands, with pleasing scenery. Good grade and alignment.' Wow who knew that was I-95?

I still belong to the AAA (Mainly for that great battery charge and tire change service for the Mrs.). We go on a car trip about once a decade, but when we do I call the dutiful AAA agents and ask for the Trip-Tik. AAA last year went digital and now you can generate your own Trip-Tik online or just ask for one online. I've found the online information more accurate and, well duh!, easier to change. For example we are going up north this year so when I put the request in I said "Please keep us away from congestion and New York City." That fell on deaf ears and the Trip-Tik came in with tons of I-95 through Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Newark. Oh they did avoid NYC. On line it was simple to see that there is a route to the west that avoids all those cities (I-81).

This will also be our first big trip with our GPS. I haven't programmed the route yet, but Garmin lets you plot out your route with waypoints and stops. Any changes you make on route are automatically recalculated and off you go! So is this our last Trip-Tik? I'll let you know after the July trip! Bon Voyage!

#81 - The Internet Highway?

Technology is moving to have the Internet make an appearance in your car. In fact if you have a Verizon or Cingular (AT&T) broadband wireless card you can be on the Internet via your laptop. Ford is heading in a different direction. They see that the technology of those who want to be always connected is more then just the Internet.

Ford Motor Company announced the launch of a new factory-installed, in-car communications and entertainment system that is designed to change the way consumers use digital media portable music players and mobile phones in their vehicles. The Ford-exclusive technology based on Microsoft Auto software, called Sync, provides consumers the convenience and flexibility to bring into their vehicle nearly any mobile phone or digital media player and operate it using voice commands or the vehicle’s steering wheel or radio controls. This sounds very cool. Ford says the system will eventually include getting updates and content (ie connecting to the Internet).

Autonet Mobile, meanwhile, wants to turn your car into a rolling hotspot. Autonet's book-size router plugs into your cigarette lighter and connects to the same kind of high-speed cell networks used by wireless PC Cards, while broadcasting a secure 802.11g network in your car (and a little beyond). Autonet has two big advantages over wireless cards: It is better at managing handoffs when you move from fast networks to slower ones, allowing for seamless data streaming. And everyone can share one connection, so Mom can watch YouTube on her laptop while Sis IMs her posse and Junior plays multiplayer games on his Mini Play station.

Gee and I thought the purpose of the car was transportation. Turns out it is Entertainment!

#80 - Marketing in the 21st Century

Well I must be doing something wrong. I was visiting a long standing client the other day and noticed a big box of supplies (toner & ink) in the office. I asked where they got them from and Quill was the answer. After shaking my head I handed out my price list that shows PCSS has much better pricing then Quill on Toner and Ink cartridges. The reply I knew was coming came "I didn't know you sold printer supplies!" Where have I gone wrong?

Modern marketing lore says you have to show a customer your message at least 8 times before it sinks in. In our media crazy age we are bombarded with advertisements so much that we tend to ignore all but most outrageous. Quick name ONE of the hyped super bowl commercials from 2006! No? Well what about one from 2007? Remember these advertisers paid Mega Million $$$ for these ads. Having said that I guess I don't feel so bad. The PCSS advertising budget is much less, in fact it almost doesn't exist.

PCSS tries to promote our offerings through our email newsletter, web site and seasonal hand outs. On every one of these items there is a listing or link to the products we sell and services we provide. So even if you read all three, we still don't have your complete attention. We try to target our pitches to existing customers and our target audience - Small Business Owners. I'd be thankful for any suggestions that you may have for improving our marketing. PCSS does not target the entire world as customers so that limits where we advertise and how we get our message out. Maybe we should consider subliminal ads. BUY PCSS, BUY PCSS, BUY PCSS...