Winter 2010 Newsletter

Windows 7^TM - Microsoft Comes of Age.....Again

The verdict is in and the overwhelming opinion is Windows 7, the new operating system from Microsoft, is a winner.  From our own team of technicians to a substantial number of our customers and Members who have either purchased new or upgraded their existing computers, all are simply delighted with the results.

While there are many new features that are impressive the real beauty of the changes rest in dramatic improvements to the how you interact with the computer (known as user interfaces) and enhancements to some of what you have already experienced.  Perhaps the most impressive of the new user interfaces is "Aero Peek" which places every open window (program) in a taskbar at the bottom of your screen and makes them transparent and available to you while working on your core task. The benefit to you is that you can simply run your cursor over these open items and find what you are looking for without having to maximize them. 

In this example you can see the desktop open to the easyTechCare website but also the "Aero" windows on the bottom showing the 3 word documents this user had open and was working on prior to going to view the website.  Once this user moves their mouse off the Word icon, those tiles will disappear giving them a full view of the screen again.  Or, move your cursor to one of the documents, click once, and poof, it will now be up on the screen and ready for you to use.

Many expert technology commentators have very positive things to say about the new operating system:

CNET wrote; "Windows 7 presents a stable platform that can compete comfortably with OS X (Apple's operating system), while reassuring the world that Microsoft can still turn out a strong, useful operating system.  Although the look of Windows 7 may seem to be nothing more than some polish applied liberally to the Vista Aero theme, make no mistake: this is a full replacement operating system and more than just "Vista done right." From driver support to multitouch groundwork for the future, from better battery management to the most user-friendly interface Microsoft has ever had, Windows 7 is hardly half-baked." (CNET Feb 25/10)."

Laptop Mag said; "If Vista left you somewhat disillusioned with Windows, we suggest you upgrade to Windows 7."

The Inquirer weighed in with; "Windows 7 is as pretty as Apple stuff, just as easy to use, and does not treat you like a moron."

And finally the authoritative Computer World concludes; "....it's finally time to upgrade."

If all of this has you thinking about upgrading your system, then we are here to help.  In fact for the next month we are offering you a special opportunity to recreate your system and enjoy the benefits of Windows 7 on your desktop or laptop for a special price of only $279.95 including Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.  Our approach is not simply to "upgrade" but rather for best results to rebuild your whole system from the ground up.   Both our experience and the opinion of many industry experts strongly indicate that this most effective way to ensure the best experience.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes on ZDNet writes, "The Upgrade Install from Vista to Windows 7 sounds like a trouble-free solution because it might save you hours of configuring and reinstalling programs. But, talk to any expert, and you'll get one simple answer-Clean Install is the best and "cleanest" option. It prevents any old garbage from ruining your new Windows 7 installation. So, are Microsoft gurus stigmatized from earlier Windows versions, where an upgraded operating system was much slower and more prone to errors?

"Bottom line, these issues mean that doing an in-place upgrade of an OS could be traumatic no matter whether you are starting with XP or Vista. This means that the old rules apply - for the best experience possible, you will need to nuke your existing install and start fresh. You'll also need to take care installing legacy drivers to make sure that you won't be introducing problems."

Jason Tramer System Engineer at an IT consulting company described his experience as follows;  "As a general rule in the IT industry we generally advocate clean install vs upgrade, however  when it comes to my home PC I can be lazy at times. I decided rather than doing a clean install I would upgrade my PC from Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate. I ran through the upgrade process and was immediately impressed with Windows 7 and disappointed with some weird issues my computer started having immediately after the upgrade.

1) Any time I opened an application (any application) the PC would freeze for about 4-5 seconds

2) After any reboot my Internet connection would not work unless I went into device manager and uninstalled and reinstalled my NIC

I attempted to troubleshoot the issue to no avail. In the end I wiped the thing and did a clean install of Windows 7 and now everything runs beautiful.

So to answer the question of upgrade vs clean install, always do clean install. Really, I should have known better.

So, enjoy all the benefits on this new release from Microsoft without any of the hassles.  Let one of the professionals at easyTechCare get the most out of your computer. Come on, it's EASY!

How do you fill your online time?

"I feel like my right arm is missing without my computer..."  These were the words of one of our customers as her computer got infected and was unable to get online until we resolved the issue for her.  It is a sentiment many of us experience when we do not have access to the internet and all the resources we have come to rely on.

 Two interesting articles recently take a look at how people spend their online time.  Perhaps most insightful was from a Rudder Finn survey in the Unites States that  indicated 100% of the respondents said they simply use the internet as something of a companion, to pass the time.  Other most popular uses were to educate oneself (96%), to connect with others (92%) and to do research (89%).There is an interesting parallel to a study done by "BabyCenter" titled 21^st Century Mom..Tech Mom" (from January of this year) that supports much of the activity centered findings from the Rudder Finn research.  More than 40% of these respondents indicated they wanted technology that "would help them be a better mother."  This was defined as getting help with activities like managing the family schedule, taking care of the family's health and wellness, recording and sharing photos and videos, and making the most of mom's time.

The Rudder Finn work went on to break out what people do online into 6 groupings from most common to least:

• Learn
• Have fun
• Socialize
• Express Oneself
• Advocate
• Do business
• Shop

It would seem then that is congruence between a study of the broader population (Rudder Finn survey) and the way mothers use the internet in terms of learning, playing and socializing.  The example of recording and sharing images over the internet speaks directly to the notions of having fun, socializing and expressing oneself. 

The BabyCenter research also uncovered an interesting fact that 40% of the moms said "that technology convergence in the home makes technology more useful for mothers, and 72% said they are now more likely to use their laptop in the kitchen or living room so they can be around their children while they go online."

Tina Sharkey, BabyCenter chairman and global president said, "Becoming technologically fluent is a must for moms juggling the ever-growing demands of household responsibilities.  And, of course, this is where easyTechCare is able to help.  Remember, we do more than fix what's broken, but are here also to help you get more out of your current technology or assist you in purchasing, setting up or integrating new devices that can help you deal more effectively with the day to day realities of your life.