A Little Fun

There's plenty on the internet to give you a few laughs when you need it?  Warning:  there is nothing bad in these videos but I wouldn't want to scare young children or give them nightmares, so view them first before showing them to young children.

• Outsourcing:  always a sore subject, here are 2 videos that shed a different light on it. 

First, Outsourcing work.

Second, Outsourcing childcare.

• Using your talents, gifts, and possessions to create unusual art.

• And finally, a most useful product introduction (but don't watch while eating!)

Windows 7—Availability and Cost

According to my best sources, Windows 7 may be released by late September, early October, or at least in time for the Christmas season  (although rumors have it that October 22 is the date).  CAN you upgrade?  You can upgrade if you are running Windows Vista.  By this I mean that if you are running Windows Vista, you should be able to install Windows 7 as an upgrade and retain your programs, hardware installs and data--but this will also depend on the manufacturer of your software and hardware. If you are running Windows XP, you may be able to install Windows 7, but only as a clean install.  You would then have to reload all your software, install your hardware, and replace your data.  Click here to down Microsoft's tool to see if your computer can run Windows 7.

There are several versions available for pre-order at a reduced price.  You can click here to see the difference between the versions.

Click here to check out the pre-order reduced pricing.   Then decide if Windows 7 is something you will want.  If you would like more information, please contact me.

And if you are buying a new computer, buy it from a source that will offer you a free or low cost upgrade.  Beginning June 26, 2009, Microsoft has made the free or low cost upgrade available through major retailers like Dell.

Feedback, Why Do It?

How do we use feedback?

Feedback is vital to any business or person.  When interacting with you and working on your computers it is essential.  The need for feedback starts on first contact when we try to discern the nature of your problem.  We need to know what happened before your problem started.  Did you install a new printer, phone or other hardware?  Did you install some software?  Did you click on a certain web page or link?  Did you experience a power outage?  Did you install an update?  Or did it just happen out of the blue?  The answers to these questions can help us determine the action to take and the approximate amount of time it might take us to solve the problem.  However, this is not an exact science and a certain amount of guesswork still takes place! 

Next, when we are with you and your computer we need to know any other questions or issues you may have.  That way we can complete the job in fewer trips and make more efficient use of our time and yours.  Also, talking to you in person is usually a more accurate form of communication, although it may not be if we are stressed or tired!

Finally, we need feedback when we are finished.  No, you don't have to send a card or tip us, but we always appreciate a smile.  We know we have done our best and we like to know that you know also. And for those of you who are Angie's List members, and who haven't posted feedback or haven't done it recently.  Please do.  Here's a link to do it now.  Please note that called-in feedback to Angie's List does not create a detailed useful report on the web page.  So, please post it on the web!  I need it especially because once in awhile (recently, in fact) people who never see me, post a negative review.  And I do put feedback on my own website, so if you want it posted there, just send it to me in an email or use the Contact page on the website to send it.

Who are we?

When you contact us about your computer what do we do?

• We provide you with security.  We can examine your computer and tell you with a reasonable certainty that with all the concerns in your life, your computer need not be one of them! We check to make sure your software, including your operating system, is up to date and that internet connections are secure.
• We provide better communication and organization.  A computer is primarily a communications tool and a data organization tool.  Most people use it to communicate through email and web postings and to organize their written communications to family, friends, and professionals in their lives.  We make sure that all things work together well and help you easily locate what you need to ease communication. 
• We provide value.  Not only can we make your computer function better, we can help you relate to your computer better.  This is the most difficult part of what we do because while computers are built for the general masses, every person and business has specific needs and does things in a specific way.  We try to listen to your specific needs and make things work the way you need them to work.  But, if you don't think you are getting your point across, tell us.  Maybe tell us two or three times until we get it.  We can then recommend a workaround or the best free or low cost ways for you to do what you want to do.

Who should update to Windows 7?

The pre-release Windows 7 was made available for the first time time this month.  And people have asked me, "Should I upgrade to Windows 7?"  Here is my response:  If you have Windows XP, probably not, unless your computer was manufactured in the last year or two and you know that it could run Windows Vista (this will depend on the software you need to run as well as the hardware in your computer).  I know that most Netbooks sold with XP will run Windows 7.  I am running it on mine.  I also know that computers running Vista will run Windows 7, so if you have Vista and would like more features, more compatibility, less memory usage, and a more stable operating system--everything that Vista could have been, then you will want to upgrade to Windows 7.  If you are buying a new computer, ask the manufacturer (Dell, HP, or other) if they will throw in Windows 7 when it is released.

Repair or Replace?

How do you decide whether to repair or replace your computer.  The general rule for appliances is that if it costs more than 2/3 of the cost to purchase a new one, you should purchase new.  How do you figure the cost of the new computer?  You must figure the cost from the seller (I am using an example of a Dell with features similar to my own older computer)  Dell is selling this computer for about $700.  You must also figure the cost to backup your personal data and install it properly on the new computer.  This could be in the $100-$150 range or higher depending on the amount of data and where it is located.  So, let's now call it an $800 dollar computer.  There is also the cost of installing your own software, security software, setting up email, adjusting preferences, etc.  Let's just add on another $100 for that.  These are just estimates after all!  So the actual cost of the computer is $900 and 2/3 of that would be $600.  So you could spend up to $600 on that old desktop computer before it might be time to replace it with a new one.  You also might look at it another way:  what is my old computer worth?  Old computers aren't worth much to anyone else, but to you they are worth what it would cost you to replace it.

Now there are exceptions to every rule.  It often does not make economic sense to spend $600 because you might be replacing all the major parts and still have 1 or 2 parts which might fail imminently   So let's drop the cost to $300.  That would be 1/3 the cost of the new computer.  For  perhaps $300 (I am including parts and labor in these estimates), you could have your hard drive replaced and everything reloaded and reset.  For perhaps $150 or less, you could have your power supply replaced, or your video card.  For $100 or less you might be able to add more memory.   You get the idea:  Spend more than $300 on that old computer and it might be a waste of money when the next thing fails.

When we recommend a new computer, we are doing a quick economic analysis of your old computer.  The same sort of analysis that I performed in the paragraph above.  We also consider other reasons to replace a computer, which have little to do with economics.  The first reason is that your computer may not be able to be upgraded because of limitations built into the computer.  Many low-end computers have a memory limitation.  In that case, there is nothing to do but buy a new one.  The other instance is where software or hardware that you need will not work or not work well with your old computer because of its limitations.  This happens most frequently because of a global hardware change such as when computers changed from parallel ports to USB, or because of an underpowered processor (some programs will not work with low-end processors). 

If the repair or replace dilemma still puzzles you, please contact me and I can give you an analysis based on your situation.

Microsoft Virtual PC

What you can do with an old operating system and old programs.

A virtual PC is one that does not really exist.  Of course you have a box with a computer in it but it is running Windows Vista or Windows 7, or even Windows XP.  Now, if you want to run a program that only works in Windows XP or Windows 98, what do you do?  Windows Vista and 7 have compatibility modes that work well, but not for every program.  So you need to run that program in a Virtual PC that runs Windows XP (or even Windows 98 or 2000).  To do this you need sufficient memory to run the older operating system on top of what you need to run your own computer. You also need sufficient hard drive space to allocate to the Virtual PC.  You will need a legitimate copy of the older operating system and Microsoft Virtual PC, which is free for the download.

I am running a softball league program (with very good tech support) that was released in 2004 in Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 running Windows XP.  I set up everything I would need to do the league schedules:  a legitimate copy of Windows XP, Office 2007, the scheduler program, Firefox web browser, and Windows Live Writer to post the schedules to the blog site. 

This is a safe way to run or test any program because your own computer's operating system remains untouched no matter what happens in the Virtual PC.

Windows 7 Experience--Update

The best application for better serving you!
In my continuing test of Windows 7 Beta, I have come across the most useful application to date.  It is currently called Record Steps to Reproduce a Problem and is found under Troubleshooting.  However, the name and location could change by the time Windows 7 is released.  When this program is run it presents a simple red record button which, when pressed, records every step you take on a computer.  When you have finished you stop recording and it prompts you to save a file.  You can then email the small, compressed file to me and I will be able to see every step you took that is creating a problem for you, along with screen shots.  This is very useful for you and me, but just think of the other applications!

You might ask me how to do something and rather than explaining I can record the steps and email them to you.  In fact there may be a number of uses I can't even imagine.  So if you have any ideas, please send them to me.  Or comment below. 

Economic Climate Ideas?

What businesses should survive.
I recently read a review of a book about Marco Polo and the Polo Trading Company.  The review pointed out that a business can remain profitable despite what the government does.  The criteria for remaining profitable are these:

1. Provide what people want.  I hope you all want friendly, personal, reliable, honest, computer service. And that's what I provide.  No sales or gimmicks.  Just good service.
   
2. Offer true value.  That's why we DON'T charge you $99/hour.  After paying expenses at the hourly rate I charge, I can make more than the federal poverty guidelines.  And that's all I need.
3. Offer exceptional service.  I hope the service we provide would be the rule, rather than the exception, however I have been the victim of poor service that that I would consider no service at all, but often seems to be the rule for some businesses, so maybe my service is the exception!
   
4. Have a good reputation--always my goal! 

Internet Explorer 8 problems

IE 8 is a great fix for Internet Explorer, but it keep certain other programs from working properly.  Two that I know about are Best Case bankruptcy software and Turbo Tax online.