Dec 3, 2009 | computers, hardware, laptops, netbooks, shopping, Windows7
The variety of notebooks is overwhelming and new models are appearing daily. The market is starting to look like this: Netbooks with 10”-11” screens, powered by Intel’s weak Atom processor, with 1-2Gb of RAM, running the stripped-down Windows 7 Basic. You’ll likely...
Dec 2, 2009 | computers, hardware, shopping, Windows7
It is harder than ever to generalize about computer specifications. You have to consider whether you want something special – a touchscreen; a space-saving case or all-in-one computer; stylish colors; or something else that takes you to something different than...
Nov 24, 2009 | Vista, Windows7
It’s one of those little things that nagged at me. When you click on the Start button in Vista and Windows 7, there’s a power button next to the search bar. Everybody has a strong opinion about what that button ought to do. It turns out people rarely agree about what...
Nov 19, 2009 | Internet, security, Vista, Windows7, WinXP
Two weeks ago my son clicked OK on a message about some security problem. He called out and asked me about it after he clicked. By the time I walked in and unplugged the network cable, there were seven malware startup programs and services installed and over 700 files...
Nov 11, 2009 | computers, hardware, Vista, Windows7
I gave in to the allure of dual monitors. Maybe you should too. If your computer runs Vista or Windows 7, it probably can run dual monitors without any fuss. Look in the back of the computer next to the place where your monitor is plugged in – you’ll likely find an...
Nov 5, 2009 | security, Windows7
User Account Control (UAC) was introduced in Vista to make it harder for bad guys to write software that could take over your computer. By default, its volume has been turned down in Windows 7. Here’s some background about why you might want to turn it up again on...
