More Vista

Below is a list of the programs, printers, etc., that I attempted to install on Vista. I have included the ones that I had no trouble installing as well as those I had problems with.

I Had No Problems Installing

• Office 2007
• Macromedia Dreamweaver MX
• Macromedia Fireworks MX
• HP LaserJet 1012
• QuickBooks Pro 2007
• Quicken Premier 2007
• Sonic Record Now
• Adobe Acrobat 8 Standard
• Samsung 1710 Laser Printer

I Had Problems Installing

• Acrobat Reader 8 (I solved this by searching the internet)
• Alltel's Nationwide Broadband Card
• Konica Minolta 2400w Printer
• Kaplan Self Test Software
• The microphone jack on my laptop (it does not work)
  

My Vista Upgrade, Cont.

I am about a week into using Vista and I have to say that I love it! I am extremely happy with the program, and though I seem to like Office 2007 a little better, they are both big improvements over their predecessors. I had read a lot of information about Vista and Office 2007 and was expecting to be disappointed. However, the opposite has happened. The upgrade was almost hassle-free and I am impressed with all the new features. Still, I have only scratched the surface on most of the improvements and will continue to post reports on what else I find. Below are my notes on Vista from the week.

Pros:

• The new searches on Vista and Office 2007 are incredible
• Most of the programs I use moved to Vista without incident
• The sidebar, which displays gadgets like weather, a calendar, etc., is a nice touch
• Outlook 2007 is huge improvement, and I loved the 2003 version
• Windows Explorer and My Computer have better interfaces
• Wireless connectivity is much better
• Remote access is faster and more reliable
• The Windows view is impressive, as shown below:

Cons:

• Our color printer will not work with Vista yet
• A few interface changes do not allow customization
• WinDVD would not install
  

My Vista Upgrade

Last night I installed Windows Vista Business on my laptop. I am not yet brave enough to make a clean switch away from XP Pro so I installed Vista on a separate hard drive, leaving XP Pro still intact. As I better acquaint myself with Vista and Office 2007 I will continue to post my thoughts and experiences. I will not say much about the system requirements and how to do the upgrade; there already seems to be plenty of resources on those topics.

Here is what I've discovered so far about Windows Vista Business:

• Microsoft requires that you install Vista two times onto your blank hard drive. This is a feeble attempt to persuade you into buying the full version of Vista rather than just the upgrade (which is $100 less). More Info Here.
• Vista combines the look and feel of a Mac (which I like), with a functionality I am familiar with.
• There will be a learning curve. Vista is dramatically different than Windows XP and will take some time to get comfortable with the changes. The past versions of Windows did not change as much from version to version.
• It is the first version of Windows with an adequate backup built in. This is a very important feature when it comes to safeguarding your valuable information and pictures.
• Outlook 2007 looks incredible, however I have not used it enough yet to provide a thorough opinion.
• Vista runs well on my 2006 Dell Latitude D610, equipped with 1GB of RAM, a 1.8GHz processor and a Radeon X300 video card. The CPU fan kicks more with Vista than XP, which indicates that a newer dual core processor would work better.
• The boot up and shut down times are similar to XP.
• Vista found and loaded all device drivers without a problem.
• Windows explorer has a much improved interface, as shown below.
• Searching is much faster and full of great features.
• Windows Photo Gallery is impressive yet similar to Picasa.

That's it for now. I'll post more about Windows Vista soon, especially since this snow is making it impossible to go anywhere.

Give up on Norton & McAfee

It may surprise you that the first step I take when servicing a computer is to remove any previously installed Norton or McAfee security products. While these may be two of the more popular Antivirus applications, they are far from the best. Norton and McAfee fall short on their promise to protect against harmful viruses, leaving your computer vulnerable to attacks that can cause permanent damage to your data and privacy. Furthermore, these programs may slow your computer's performance and block e-mail and Internet sites you are trying to access. In short, Norton and McAfee fail to catch a great deal of Spyware and Adware, and can't be relied upon as your primary protection source.

The two Antivirus applications I recommend and depend on for my own computers are AVG Antivirus and CA Antivirus. These programs provide the highest level of security while allowing your computer to run at its highest capability and speed. In addition to the products I've mentioned, I also highly suggest staying away from security suites such as Antivirus, Antispyware, Firewall and Antispam. While these may provide an adequate level of protection, they also slow down your computer and could cause further performance problems.

Here is a list of programs I suggest you have installed: CA Antivirus or AVG Antivirus, Ad-Aware SE Antispyware (free), Windows Firewall, Outlook 2003 or 2007 (for junk mail) or CA's Antispam. If you have children who use your computer I also recommend installing Firefox as your web browser. It is much safer than using Internet Explorer.

Every computer I service leaves my shop with these programs installed and they have preformed extremely well. However, the best way to protect your computer is to just watch where you surf. Using caution and common sense and avoid all types of adult and music file sharing sites.