#152 - A new Internet Explorer: Version 8

Microsoft always seems to be catching up. First Mozilla Firefox came out with tabbed browsing. A year later Microsoft comes out with Internet Explorer 7 with tabbed browsing. About 6 months ago Google introduced Google Chrome - the fastest browser around. Now Microsoft has introduce Internet Explorer 8 - supposedly faster.

I downloaded IE 8 last week and have been playing with it since. I will say that the first thing I did with IE 8 was to turn off all the new fancy bells and whistles to make it look like IE 7 and at least that works. Microsoft is bent on changing interfaces just for the heck of it. Vista added very few innovations, but it did look different then XP. Microsoft Office 2007 is all about different interface, much to its demise. People HATE Office 2007. Maybe Microsoft has ffigured out it needs to keep the familiar interface to allow a program to be usable.

IE 8 is faster then IE 7, but I won't say it is faster loading web pages then Chrome. Here are some other features: WebSlices is a nice looking feature. They seem to work somewhat like Apple’s customizable Dashboard clippings, except in this case the clipping lives in the browser.
Say there’s a part of a page you’d like to track, but you don’t care about the rest — a weather widget for example — the WebSlice would allow you to bookmark just that element. IE 8 will then track changes to that portion of the page, alerting you when new info is available. Other new features highlighted on the page include a revamped Favorites Bar, automatic crash recovery and better phishing protection. Even with Tabs, it's easy to get lost amid too many open windows. Tab Groups organize tabs in relation to one another. For instance, tabs that you open from the same site are placed next to each other and marked with the same color. The tabs can then be closed or moved as one unit. The Smart Address Bar in IE8 turns the URL area into a search field of sorts. Wait, this is JUST LIKE CHROME! If you type a word into the address bar, IE8 searches through your browsing history, favorites and feeds to find sites related to what you are looking for. The search results are based on titles of pages as well as keywords within the Web address and are divided into three groups: History, favorites and feeds.

You can download IE8 here: IE 8 Download

#149 - To Text or not to Text

I'm showing my age now. I don't get text messaging. I like a real voice to talk to or at the minimum an email message with real words spelled almost correctly. My cell phone plan allows for text messages to come in. I have to pay for text message out. So I'm asking my self, I don't have to pay for a cell phone call (till I meet my max minutes) so why bother texting when I can just call? I'm sure there are moments when texting makes sense. Like when you are at a game and can't hear, but hey you are at a game. Enjoy the moment!

States are passing laws concerning cell phone usage in cars. They are a few years late. When I drive around Covington, I'd say half the people I pass are on the phone. Now I really can't imagine how someone can drive and text message. I don't have enough hands to steer and type text message and my eyes don't split to be looking at the road and keyboard at the same time. Unless there is a massive crackdown with severe penalties, I don't think regulating cell phone use in cars will be effective. Its like the speeding laws. We see how well they work. What did work was $4.00 a gallon gas. I noticed people driving much slower when the prices were sky high.

Let me know what you think about text messages and texting while driving!

#148 - Email observations

I believe I have covered this topic before but I have discussed email options with several customers recently. Never hurts to cover a topic twice!

Email comes in several flavors - the most used is the POP3 ( Post Office Protocol 3) model. In this email method e-mail is received and held for you by your Internet server. Periodically, you check your mail-box on the server and download any mail. This standard protocol is built into most popular e-mail products, such as Outlook, Thunderbird and Outlook Express.

POP3 is designed to delete mail on the server as soon as the user has downloaded it. However, some implementations allow users or an administrator to specify that mail be saved for some period of time. POP can be thought of as a "store-and-forward" service.

I'm not a big fan of POP3 type emails (nTelos, TDS, Verizon). Why? - Because you download ALL the email to your PC. Good, Bad and Ugly. It clogs up your PC and if your hard drive crashes and you haven't backed up your email (not an easy thing to do) your email is GONE!

The other type of Email is web based. AOL, Yahoo and Gmail are of this type, though quite different. In web based emails, the emails are stored at the hosts server site. It can be brought to your PC, but that isn't the standard option.

In AOL's case, it stores your emails on its servers until read and then for up to a week. If you want to store the email on your PC, you can save it there. You can also set up AOL to save all your email on your PC. In Gmail's case, it store emails forever on its servers.

You can set Gmail up to act like a POP3 and bring the email to your PC if you desire. Yahoo mail works much like Gmail. Both Gmail and Yahoo mail let you store just about unlimited email on their servers. AOL has limits as to the amount you can save on their servers. AOL has wonderful group and a great personal file cabinet to organize your emails. Gmail and Yahoo are plainer with less email organization features.

Which one is right for you? I don't know. Email is generally free so its a matter of personal preference. I have a Verizon, ntelos, Gmail, vt and AOL accounts. I mainly use the AOL and Gmail accounts. Set a new one up and see how you like it. If you do just email everyone in your contacts or address book and move to the better email! (just let nick know so he can keep you on the newsletter list!)

#147 - XP, Vista and Windows 7

You know Microsoft may be slow, but they aren't dumb. After getting another earful on how horrible the Vista operating system is, they have delayed once again the end of XP. I feel like the boy crying WOLF. This time the last date that you can buy a new PC with XP installed will be July 31, 2009. I've been burned on this so much, I'll just say that I can still get dual XP/Vista PCs and leave it at that.

The new operating system, Windows 7, has been released in Beta form (that means you can download it and install it on a PC, but it will be very buggy and will expire in 2 months). It looks like a slimmed down version of Vista. If you are using special software in your business that will not run on Vista, it probably won't run on Windows 7. Windows 7 uses Vista as a base, but Microsoft is supposedly cleaning up much of the bloat and hassle factor.

Reportedly one bad move that Microsoft made with Vista will continue in Windows 7. The introduction of Vista found 4 different versions you could buy. Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate. There were also 64 bit versions to ad to the confusion. We are hearing that there will be 6 versions of Windows 7. That is just nuts. I think you could dummy it down to two versions, home and business. Oh wait that's what XP had. Some people never learn...

#146 - What's New in 2009?

There will be a big battle in the processor world in 2009. Both Intel and AMD have announced new families of processor chips that are significantly faster then the existing Dual Core technology. You will see these chips by the end of the first quarter in high end laptops and desktops. I'm not sure who buys those high end machines. My customers are mostly price sensitive and in the recent past you really couldn't tell the difference between a 2.3 GHz dual Core and a 1.8GHz Celeron processor running Word and Excel.

The mini laptops will make a bigger mark this year. Introduced in 2008, the mini laptops have screens around 8-9" diagonal. They barely fit a keyboard in (usually with tiny function and directional keys). They usually don't have an optical drive (CD/DVD). They only weigh 2-3 pounds and fit in just about any carry on bag you have. They are priced below $500.

Prices on LCD monitors are down right now. If you want to get a better display now is the time to buy. I'm not sure we'll see any bigger sizes, but prices on the larger 19 and 22" screens are what a 17" screen display priced out in January 2008.

I heard a rumor that the Wireless N standard will finally be complete in 2009. That should drive down the price of routers and we'll see the N standard in more laptops.

Windows 7, the replacement for the Vista disaster, will be sold before the end of the year. I heard this from a Microsoft employee who is fairly reliable. Microsoft sees the handwriting on the wall - Businesses are staying away from Vista in large numbers. Even if they just rename Vista it will help anemic Vista sales.

#145 - Happy New Years!

I believe the whole country is looking forward 2009. I know Microsoft is. They will cut off Windows XP on January 31 and they hope will finally start making money on that horrible operating system Windows Vista. They are working on the next operating system, but it won't be available till the end of 2009 at the earliest.

Most tech firms are hurting this New Years. Sales of everything but LCD TVs are down. PCs, Monitors, Printers you name it, its not selling well. Business is generally the driver on tech sales and business has put buying anything on hold. Maybe the Obama stimulus package will work to stimulate the economy. We certainly need stimulating.

So what will be new in 2009? I would guess that PC's will continue to get smaller, memory cheaper and hopefully the Internet will get faster. I think GPS's will appear more new cars and phones. More tech companies will go out of business or get bought. We are still pleased that we sell HP products. They will be around for the long haul. Their printer sales will support the weaker PC market through this downturn.

#144 Costs are going up.

HP Inkjet Cartridges, Print Heads, Photo Value Packs and LaserJet Supplies price hikes. As of Jan. 1, 2009, HP is increasing the list prices on Inkjet cartridges, print heads, photo value packs and LaserJet supplies by approximately 5% on average. Actual price increases will vary by part number. PCSS will be passing on this increase as well most retailers.

PCSS will increase our hourly rate from $74 to $79 effective January 1, 2009. We increase our rates every 2 years so we maintain this rate until 2011. Thanks again for your support.

Our distributors (those who sell us the PCs & Supplies) quickly changed their freight policy when fuel prices went up. We used to get free freight on orders over $500. Now for one distributor we only get free freight on orders over $1000 and at another only if the order ships out of one warehouse and is over $1000. Since gas prices have plummeted no one has changed their freight policy back. This means PCSS can't order products every day. We have to wait until we get an order over $1000 or our prices will have to be higher to cover the additional freight cost. This is especially true on heavy items like PCs and Printers.

Good news is PC and laptop prices are as low as we have ever seen them. Remember Windows XP goes away in January 2oo9, so if you think you need a new PC order soon if you want XP.

#143 Technology kills the local store?

In the holiday rush we'd like to ask each of our customers to consider doing much of their holiday shopping with local stores. A dollar spent locally goes around 3 times in the community. A dollar spent at an Internet store supports the Internet stores community not yours.

The new business model for sales may be strictly getting on you PC and ordering, but local stores also provide Internet sales. Take PCSS. You can check out our sales items on line or just email us with your request. We will get it to you before Christmas and make sure you have the right item.

If your local stores go out of business it will effect you eventually. A world of shopping that is nothing but Walmarts and Internet stores is a very scary future. Personal service is still alive and well in your local communities!

Buy Local!

#142 - The end of the mouse?

No Mickey Mouse is safe as is the common house mouse (mus musculus). The mouse we are worried about is the PC mouse. Way back in March of last year we did a blog on the humble beginnings of the PC Mouse: #23 Mousing Around. Now we are talking about its demise?

Well technology changes and here are some of the successors to the mouse. Every laptop owner has an alternative to the mouse. The touch pad or the IBM eraser head is standard input devise on most laptops. Tablet PCs also have touch screens or stylus screens to get their input. The latest smart phones have touch screens and the newest Apple Mac laptops have no buttons just the Multi touch Track Pad. The Track Pad like the iPhone lets you pinch, drag or tap the pad to make know your desires to the computer. We've also seen cameras installed in displays the record your motions and translate them to selections on the PC. People have been embedded with chips that let your muscles tell the PC what to do (Sci Fi fans are thrilled, the ACLU not so much). Everyone in the Technology game is trying to get away from the electronic rodent.

Now you may say "Not so Fast" Nick! I love my mouse or my wireless mouse. I even bought one to use with my laptop because I hate the touch pad thingy. We'll that may be the case. However if touch screens become less expensive, I doubt you will still request a mouse when a simple point and tap will do. Virginia Tech has placed PCs with just touch screens as public PCs in the Inn at Virginia Tech. They take some getting used to, but it does seem like a better way to input your needs to the PC.

Now lets not talk about the end of the keyboard quite yet.

#141 - Windows 7 - Microsoft's Answer to the Vista disaster

Good news. Microsoft supposedly listened to the avalanche of customer complaints about Windows Vista. A new version called Windows 7 is on the drawing board and supposedly fixes all the Vista glitches. Here is an excellent early preview: Windows 7 Preview.

Bad news is the predicted release date (the earliest we would see it) is for holiday season 2009. Only a year away! Also bad news is that Microsoft is still saying no more XP after January 2009. So Microsoft will have almost a full year of nothing but Vista complaints to wallow through from its customers.

Remember the preview version is just that and Microsoft has been know to carve out any "feature" that doesn't really work before publishing the software(and they've been know to leave in quite a few that don't work right!).

We will continue to sell and recommend XP until the last day it ships in new PCs.