Windows7

Ok, so we waited for a few months to go by before writing a short review on Windows 7. Why?  Just to be sure that it was as good as it SEEMED to be.

Yes, Microsoft has hit a home run! Windows 7 is the best thing I have seen in a very long time. I have found it easy to install, with most drivers found on the Windows installation. Networking and printer setup is a snap.  

Windows 7 comes in 3 versions: Home, Pro, and Ultimate. All 3 come in 32bit and 64bit selling at the same price. Pro and Ultimate have a Windows XP mode that should be able to run software that requires XP. Although I have not yet tried it myself, I believe it will work.

I may be the first to say this out in the open, but Windows 7 is just an upgrade of  Windows Vista, with all the bugs worked out. However, it does have a lot of eye-candy and features that Vista did not have.  Its best inprovement is in the performance.

Windows7 Upgrade

If you purchase a qualifying PC with Vista Premium, Vista Premium 64, Vista Business and Vista Ultimate you MAY qualify for a free upgrade version of Windows 7 operating system.  The software itself does not ship until Oct.  however it’s free nonetheless.  Below you will find a list of all the MFG websites that you can visit  to see if you qualify for the upgrade.  For the most part any, system with the above mentioned operating systems qualify – however some MFG have different rules, which is why you will want to visit these websites.  This is all the information we have currently.
Manufacturer	Website
Acer	www.acer.com/win7upgrade
Asus	http://event.asus.com/2009/windows7/
Averatec	https://ebiz.mentormediacorp.com/win7Averatec/terms.asp
eMachine	www.emachine.com/win7upgrade
Gateway	www.gateway.com/win7upgrade
HP	www.hp.com/go/windows7upgrade
Lenovo	www.lenovo.com/win7
MSI	N/A at this time
Sony	www.sony.com/windows7
Toshiba	http://laptops.toshiba.com/windows7upgrade
Samsung	http://www.samsung.com/windows7

 

According to Microsoft, roughly 90% of Windows users purchase the operating system preinstalled with a new PC.  Any PC purchased with Windows XP or Windows Vista since October 2001 qualifies for a discounted upgrade to Windows 7, for a price as low as $50.

So where do you stand if you want to upgrade?

 You will pay between $50.00 and $120.00 for the upgrade if you purchased your system between October 2001 and June 2009. If after June 2009, it will be FREE.

AVG Antivirus

AVG is a global security solutions leader protecting more than 80 million consumers and small business computer users in 167 countries from the ever-growing incidence of web threats, viruses, spam, cyber-scams and hackers on the Internet. Headquartered in Amsterdam, AVG has nearly two decades of experience in combating cyber crime and one of the most advanced laboratories for detecting, pre-empting and combating Web-borne threats from around the world. Its free online, downloadable software model allows entry-level users to gain basic anti-virus protection and then to easily and inexpensively upgrade to greater levels of safety and defense in both single and multi-user environments. Nearly 6,000 resellers, partners and distributors team with AVG globally including Amazon.com, CNET, Cisco, Ingram Micro, Play.com, Wal-Mart, and Yahoo!.

We sell AVG Antivirus because our customers are satisfied with AVG solutions.  

Founded in 1991, with corporate offices in Europe, the US and the UK, AVG is focused on providing home and business computer users with the most comprehensive and proactive protection against computer security threats.

With more than 80 million active users around the world, the AVG family of security software products is distributed globally through resellers like Personalized PC’ s and through the Web and supports all major operating systems and platforms.

Employing some of the world’s leading experts in software development, threat detection and prevention, and risk analysis. AVG is uniquely positioned to spearhead innovation in the industry. The company continues to invest in R&D, teaming with leading universities to maintain its technological edge.

AVG has experienced significant growth in the last few years, becoming the world’s fourth largest vendor of anti-virus software measured by installed user base. The company will continue to expand and address the needs of the global market through improved technology and broader language and platform support.

Surge Suppressor OR Battery Backups

Computers, phones and other electronic equipment can be seriously damaged when a sudden change in electricity demand sends a surge of excess voltage through your building’s electrical utility lines and phone lines. Surge protectors (also called surge suppressors) connect to your equipment and your wall outlet. They save your devices by keeping most of the excess voltage from reaching the devices. The damaging surges and spikes (even for a second) can happen when an air conditioner or other motor-driven equipment switches on or off. Surges and spikes can also be triggered by lightning storms and when your utility company switches power from one area of the power grid to another.

Although the terms surge suppressor and surge protector are often used interchangeably to refer to the same type of product, true surge protectors usually lose their surge-protection ability after they’re hit by a single electrical surge.  To make sure you’re getting the protection you need, check the product’s capabilities before you buy. Remember, you get what you pay for.

A surge suppressor, or protector, defends computers and electrical equipment from voltage spikes. It does this by regulating the voltage a device is fed. If the voltage spikes to an unsafe level, surge suppressors will short or break the connection to the electronic device. This prevents damage to essential devices like computer and network systems, communications equipment and other important electronic devices. Larger models can often protect entire networks and devices that use huge amounts of power.

Battery backups will take control of the electric current of connected devices and give you time to shut down your computer system preventing loss of data and lessens the chance of corrupting the operating system files. If you look closely at the unit, you will see that most have two different sides of protection. One side offers battery protection, while the other is just a surge suppressor. Do not plug in anything other than the computer and monitor on the battery side. All other devices plug in the surge side. This gives you more time to shut down the system. Also, the battery time on the box is with this set-up in mind.

Look for these important surge protector and surge suppressor features:

1. A high joule rating. The joule rating tells you how much energy it can absorb. When your suppressor reaches its capacity, it can’t protect your equipment. The higher the rating, the longer the suppressor will last.
2. A low clamping voltage rating. That tells you how much voltage the suppressor will send to your devices before diverting the voltage to the ground.
3. An alarm or light that alerts you when your surge suppressor has stopped working and needs to be replaced.
4. The amount of insurance the company pays if the unit fails.
5. See if loss of data is covered by the insurance. Some devices cover loss of data, other not.

All-in-one surge protectors and surge suppressors

Save space and money by safeguarding several devices with a single, multiple-outlet surge suppressor. You can also buy a surge protector power strip, but make sure it offers sufficient protection. For the most versatile protection, install surge suppressors that protect your equipment from power surges that shoot through your phone, cable and data lines as well as your electrical lines.

 For maximum protection, look for power surge protectors that are equipped with power shut-down protection. This feature ensures that your equipment is protected even after your surge suppressors reach their capacity.

It’s not just devices such as computers, copiers and phones that need surge protection. Be sure to safeguard equipment like security systems and barcode scanners.

Surge suppressors won’t save equipment from major lightning strikes that hit close to your building. During a heavy thunderstorm, you’re better off unplugging your computers and other equipment.

THE BIG QUESTION: SHOULD I LEAVE MY SYSTEM ON ALL THE TIME?

Keeping all this information in mind will hopefully assist you. Oh, and one other thought … no matter what, always back-up your data. If you do not, you run the risk of losing important files, pictures, etc. should you be the victim of a surge that renders your hard drive unresponsive!

Antivirus Software

Customers often ask us which is the best antivirus software to use. We have found that they are all good as long as you do your updates at least every  day. Also, we do not recommend the security suites, system works packages, or Norton 360 All-In-One Security, even AVG Security as well as all the other so called security suites. They are too system resource hungry and will slow down the best of computer systems. We do like Symantec’s Norton Antivirus along with Microsoft’s firewall which comes built in with all  of Microsoft Windows Operating systems. Grisoft’s AVG is another very good antivirus program. They offer a free download as well as the paid professional version. We are a local distributor for them, so stop by and pickup your copy today! We sell AVG in many different forms ( 1 or 2 year licenses for one or multiple computers). We also have a network version for small business or home use. The free version can be downloaded at www.download.com or by clicking on the link found on this site.

Should I Upgrade MY Windows OS?

We recommend that you do a fresh install of Windows Vista rather than an upgrade. Vista is a much different operating system than Windows XP. Many of your programs will not work with Vista and doing an upgrade might cause the system to “BLUE SCREEN” rather than boot. No matter which way you choose, you MUST backup all data that you do not want to lose. The Vista DVD has both the upgrade and a full install option, so you will not have to buy a separate DVD - as was necessary with older operating systems.

Follow these steps to hopefully ease your transition from Windows XP to Windows Vista:

First, run the Vista Upgrade Advisor by inserting the Vista DVD and clicking “check compatibility online.” The advisor will check your hardware and advise you of upgrades that are necessary to make your system Vista compatible. It will also check drivers that need to be upgraded, as well as warn you of the needed replacement or upgrade of programs. A word of caution here … we have already experienced the advisor telling us the upgrade was a “go,” and after upgrading, our PC did not boot. This left us with only one choice which was fdisk, format, reload (thank goodness for backing up).

Second, backing up data is fairly easy using the Vista disk when upgrading from Windows XP. Simply insert the DVD in your Windows XP system and run the “Windows Easy Transfer.” This little app will backup email, My Documents, and Favorites. You also need to manually backup nonMicrosoft program files such as Quickbook files, Kodak Share files, iTunes, etc. (any programs that save data to their own directories).

Third, insert your Windows Vista DVD into the DVD ROM of your XP system and select “transfer files and settings from another computer.” Click “Next.” Make sure all programs are closed. You can perform a complete transfer of your data using an external hard drive, a transfer cable, a USB cable, or onto a network. You can also select to backup to CD or DVD. Click “Next” to continue. Click the “Browse” button to navigate to whatever media you have chosen. This app will allow you to transfer all user accounts or just your main account. To transfer just your main account, click on the “Advanced Options” button. The next dialog box will display the files and folders that will be backed up and how much disk space is necessary for that backup. Use “Customize” to fine tune your backup. You are now ready to install Vista!

If your Computer was formatted.

If you just brought your computer home, there are some final touches you should consider as you are hooking your computer tower back up.

First, you need to install any peripherals that were not at the shop when you brought in the computer. These can include printers, scanners, webcams, digital cameras, and wireless mice and keyboards. If you have any of these peripherals, you will need to install them by following the manufacturer’s directions.

After you have installed any devices, or if you do not have any devices, you will need to install any additional programs. We install only those programs you supply the software and product keys for when at our location. You will need to install any other programs or games you wish to continue to use. Additionally, you will need to re-download any third-party programs (AIM, Yahoo messenger, etc.) or contact your Internet service provider for assistance in the set-up of your email.