Microsoft Vista Support ending in less than a year

The extended support time frame for Windows Vista will expire one year from this week on 11 April 2017. That will mark the end of 10 years of total support for the operating system. Vista never really had a following but it did achieve 19% adoption at one time until Windows 7 came along.

There are still about 25 million computers running Vista still even though it has less than 2% adoption today. So what options do have? You can purchase a new computer or you can try to find an upgrade option to Windows 7. Looking at Amazon there are several options for around $75. However, I would suggest that you replace the hardware with a new system instead of upgrading just the operating system.

If you decide to take the software upgrade route, run Microsoft’s Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to make sure all of your hardware and software are compatible. Based on my experience Windows 7 ran very well on Vista era hardware and should be OK on many of those systems.

You should also consider the amount RAM in you system as well. Windows 7 will run on 4GB’s of RAM but does a much better job with 8GB’s.

While holding onto older hardware and upgrading to modern versions of Windows are not upgrades that are full of performance increases – it will at least get you onto an OS that has more support left than Windows Vista itself.

In today’s security landscape it is extremely important to be actively protected from security threats.

Bottom Line: The best option to choose that will result in the best performance for the money that you are spending is to purchase a new device to upgrade from Windows Vista. You will not only get current and better performing hardware but you will also be on a more modern operating system that is ready to handle the security threats that are out there.

Good Article by Ed Bott discussing why a Windows 7 reinstall from scratch is so time consuming...

We like Ed Bott's articles and if You are wondering why it takes so much time to reinstall Microsoft Windows seven from scratch he has written a great article that explains the painful process. Here's a link for that: Click to go to article

What is Miracast ?

Intel has been promoting their Wireless Display (WiDi) technology for quite a while now and we are starting to see some traction in the industry to include it in display devices and other types of components. 

So what is Miracast? Wikipedia describes it as such:

Miracast is a certification program of the Wi-Fi Alliance based on their Wifi-Display specification. It defines a protocol to connect an external monitor or TV to a device, and therefore can roughly be described as "HDMI over Wifi", replacing the cable from the computer to the display

So what do you do if your notebook has this capability but your wall mounted TV does not? Actiontec has a product called ScreenBeam Pro that turns any HDMI connection into a WiDi receiver. Priced under $100, you can easily connect a laptop or android device to that screen or projector with an HDMI connector and wirelessly transmit your video/audio signal to that device. 

Actiontec also has kits that will provide your with a USB transmitter that will connect your laptop that doesn't have the WiDi capability built in so that it will work with the receiver. This is a great solution for providing this capability.

Actiontec Brochure

Windows 10 Feature Cuts

Before deciding what you want to do about upgrading your Windows 7 or 8.1 operating systems to Windows 10, think about what programs that you use that may or may not be available to you in the new operating system.

Windows Media Center is one of those programs that I am sorry to see go by the wayside. Microsoft has been planning this for a while but it makes me unhappy to see it go. From Microsoft's Windows 10 spec page here are some of the other features that are being cut:

Feature deprecation section

• If you have Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 8 Pro with Media Center, or Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center and you install Windows 10, Windows Media Center will be removed.
• Watching DVDs requires separate playback software
• Windows 7 desktop gadgets will be removed as part of installing Windows 10.
• Windows 10 Home users will have updates from Windows Update automatically available. Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise users will have the ability to defer updates.
• Solitaire, Minesweeper, and Hearts Games that come pre-installed on Windows 7 will be removed as part of installing the Windows 10 upgrade. Microsoft has released our version of Solitaire and Minesweeper called the “Microsoft Solitaire Collection” and “Microsoft Minesweeper.”
• If you have a USB floppy drive, you will need to download the latest driver from Windows Update or from the manufacturer’s website.
• If you have Windows Live Essentials installed on your system, the OneDrive application is removed and replaced with the inbox version of OneDrive.

Most of these items you can live without but if you still have some things on on floppies that you haven't moved to other media, you may want to consider doing that before upgrading. I think most people have already done that but here is the impetus to do so. Entire experience at the store more people will be worried about Solitaire than anything else.

Use Windows Easy Transfer over a network to migrate from XP to Windows 8

This hand article from TechRepublic discusses the use of Windows 8’s Windows Easy Transfer tool. If you are planning the big move before Windows XP’s support vanishes next April then this may be helpful to you. While not 100% this will help with the process. One of the drawbacks of using this tool is that it does not transfer applications.This means that you will have to manually reinstall those applications that you are using to access the data.

Another product available out there for you to use is a program from LapLink called LapLink PCmover that we have had pretty good luck with migrating not only your settings and data but also most of your applications. This is very handy and if you wish to purchase a copy for yourself it only costs $59.95. So if you are ready to make the big move to either Windows 7 or 8 from your XP machine this may be a product you’ll want to add to your toolbox.

• Easy-to-Use Wizard
• Now Includes Free Transfer Assistance!
• Set it and Forget it
• Undo Feature
• Complete Selectivity
• Multiple Transfer Scenarios
• User Profile Selectivity

Desktop shortcuts disappear in Windows 7

Article ID: 978980

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Remove all but 4 broken shortcuts from your desktop

Keep the number of broken shortcuts on your desktop to four or less. You might accomplish this by removing all but 4 of your most used shortcuts on the Desktop. If have more than 4 shortcuts, you can also create a folder on your desktop and move the shortcuts to that folder. These shortcuts will not be removed since they don't sit directly on the desktop. 

Method 2: Disable the System Maintenance troubleshooter

If you must have more than four broken shortcuts on your desktop, you can disable the System Maintenance troubleshooter.
Note If you disable the System Maintenance troubleshooter, all the maintenance tasks that it performs are disabled. Therefore, we recommend that you use Method 1.
To disable the System Maintenance troubleshooter, follow these steps:

1. Click Start

   

   , and then click Control Panel.

2. Under System and Security, click Find and fix problems.
   Note: If System and Security is not displayed you will need to change how you are viewing Control Panel. To change your view, click the down arrow in View by and select Category. View by is located in the top right corner of the Control Panel.

   

3. On the left navigation pane, click Change settings.
4. Set Computer Maintenance to Off.

Activating Windows 7

I know this is simple and easy but here it is in case you don’t know where to go.

Microsoft News…

This has been a busy couple of weeks for Microsoft with the introduction of the Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets. StatCounter has stated that Windows 7 has garnered more than half of the worldwide operating system market. Windows 7 is officially more popular than Windows XP by their count.Net Applications claims that Windows XP still holds 43.61-percent of the OS market, with their data showing that XP edges out Windows 7 ever so slightly, with Windows 7 sitting at 41.59-percent. Who ever you wish to believe we are seeing the acceptance of Windows 7 as a primary Windows Platform.

So what about Window 8? Microsoft is hoping that you will take advantage of their upgrade pricing they have announced. There are two options available for you to choose from. If you purchase a new Windows 7 computer between June 1st and the end of the year you can get a Windows 8 pro upgrade for about $15. That’s a pretty good deal. They have also announced that you can get Windows 8 and Media Center for download for anyone that is running Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 for $39.99 or if you want your own media it will cost you $69.99. This upgrade will run through January 31, 2013.

Windows 8 Pro upgrade settings, files, apps migration details:

• From consumer Windows 7: Can bring everything, which includes Windows settings, personal files, and apps.
• From Windows Vista: Can bring Windows settings and personal files.
• From Windows XP: Can only bring along personal files.

"You will be able to create your own bootable USB or .ISO file, which can be burned onto a DVD for upgrade and backup purposes. If you prefer, you also have the option of purchasing a backup DVD for $15 plus shipping and handling," Microsoft said.

Here's How: Set Windows 7 To Auto Log ON

Our Mark Stein recently sent over instructions on how to turn on Auto Log ON on a Windows 7 System. I also found this excerpt from Microsoft’s Channel 9 that suggests that you might not want to do this, but if your heart is set on bypassing this security function read on…

Although I don’t personally recommend this, there are some people out there who don’t want to bother with using a password to protect their Windows user account. Using a password in Windows isn’t required, only suggested. But even if you don’t fill one in, you still have to click your user icon to start the login process.

An easier way - although again much less secure - is to enable auto-logins for your Windows PC. This is possible in Windows 7, as it was in prior versions, but it takes a little finagling to do so. (And for good reason, darn it.)

Still, if you must do this, here’s how:

1. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to launch the “Run” dialog box.
2. Type in control userpasswords2
3. Press Enter. The User Accounts window will display.
4. Uncheck the option “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer”
5. Click “OK”
6. You will then be prompted to enter the current password and confirm it.
7. After doing so, you will no longer be prompted to enter your password upon login.

Use this tip at your own risk!

Windows XP only has two years support left

So, we are seeing the information coming to us from many sources but what does this deadline in 2014 really mean? So what is Microsoft saying to us? There are just two years to go. Two years to migrate your Windows XP-based PCs to a more modern operating system, such as Windows 7. Two years to enter the 21st century. Two years until XP support is over.

This week Microsoft began its two year countdown to the end of Windows XP support. The magic date is April 8, 2014. This is also true for Microsoft Office 2003. “If you still have some PCs running Windows XP and Office 2003 in your organization,” Microsoft director Stella Chernyak wrote in a post to the Windows For Your Business Blog, “now would be a good time to start migrating them to Windows 7 and Office 2010.”

The number of systems this will affect is huge. About 50% of Windows based systems (approximately 900 million) are still running Windows XP with that percentage probably much higher for enterprises. Microsoft downplays the benefits of continuing to use XP by stating that XP was “a great software release for its time”  but that the market and user’s expectations have grown with time. Most people would agree though, that Windows XP is no less usable today it just not able to take full advantage of today’s technology advances.

The number one reason most people tell me that they are hesitant in moving to Windows 7 is application compatibility. Either with actual programs or web applications. In most cases I haven’t seen this as a problem unless you are still running forms of DOS applications. Even then there are workarounds though not very elegant. Web apps are another concern though where in some cases older browsers are need to be used to function correctly. This has been a big problem especially since support for IE 6 has been dropped and the reported security problems with this browser version are well documented. This tie down of the infrastructure growth is something that needs to be addressed but in many cases is time consuming and could be quite expensive.

The number two and three blockers of Windows 7 migration have nothing to do with technology. Money and inertia are telling because in large institutions are like an ocean liner and you can move them easily from their current course quickly. In today’s tight economy everyone is looking at cutting costs not incurring new costs. We are all trying to learn to do with what we have for longer.

Paul Thurrott wrote:

XP, in some ways, is the best investment the enterprise ever made, the Windows version that refuses to die. Ironically, it came of age at a time when Microsoft was trying to grow beyond its roots as a maker of systems for smaller companies; in courting enterprises and big business, Microsoft had to extend the lifecycle for its platform offerings far beyond that of older products. And XP’s lifecycle was positively affected by the lateness of Windows Vista, which caused Microsoft to push things even further out.

So let’s go back to my initial question, what does it mean to you when Microsoft stops supporting Windows XP? Microsoft states: “An unsupported version of Windows will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update. These include security updates that can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, which can steal your personal information. Windows Update also installs the latest software updates to improve the reliability of Windows—new drivers for your hardware and more.” In other words, your system could become open to attack with Microsoft no longer plugging the holes like they currently do with their patch updates. In a locked down environment this may  not mean anything but very few of us live in that kind of world. The internet has become a large part of our computer experience and a necessary evil. We need to look forward starting now to work our way into migrating our systems to Window 7 so that we are not caught up in the problems that could occur down the road by not taking the necessary steps and upgrading your equipment/software.

Windows lifecycle fact sheet

More Information from Microsoft:

Windows XP Support and End of Sales

Even though we ended the sale of Windows XP on October 22, 2010, we still plan to provide support for individual users and businesses until April 2014. For more information, see the Windows XP Help & How-to page. As Windows XP sales come to an end, it's also a good time to think about upgrading to Windows 7, which is designed to be compatible with many of the Windows XP programs you're accustomed to using.

My business relies on Windows XP. What'll happen if I have technical problems?

We understand some of our customers aren't ready to upgrade their PCs to Windows 7. Although Windows XP will soon disappear from stores, we'll continue to offer Extended Support for the operating system until April 2014. For more details, see the Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

Can I run my earlier Windows XP programs on Windows 7?

Windows 7 is designed to be compatible with the most popular hardware and software products you use every day. Thousands of these will work just fine. The Windows 7 Compatibility Center makes it easy for you to find out if particular programs or hardware work with Windows 7.

What if my business software only runs on Windows XP?

Some editions of Windows 7 support Windows XP Mode, which enables you to run older Windows XP business software right on your Windows 7 desktop. Designed primarily with small- and medium-sized businesses in mind, Windows XP Mode comes as a separate download and works only with Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise. Windows XP Mode also requires virtualization software such as Windows Virtual PC. Both are available free on the Microsoft website. 

Can I downgrade my OEM version of Windows 7 Professional to Windows XP Professional?

Burn ISO Images Natively in Windows 7

From Windows Experience Blog by Brandon LeBlanc 

We just had a question come internally about this and I thought that it might be interesting to have it available for everyone else as well…

Geeks and IT Pros often have to burn an ISO image (.iso file) to physical media such as a CD or DVD to test out and install software. We have made it easier to burn ISO images in Windows 7 by natively supporting the ability to burn ISO images directly within Windows without the need of a third party tool.

To burn an ISO image in Windows 7, all someone needs to do is simply right-click on an ISO image and choose “Burn disc image”.

This launches Windows Disc Image Burner, giving you the option to burn the ISO image to either a CD or DVD.

If you check “Verify disc after burning”, it will verify the ISO image burned correctly. Choosing to verify a disc you burned will require additional time so if you’re in a hurry, you will probably want to ensure this option is unchecked.

I often burn ISO images to a DVD-RW so I can re-use the media. What’s great about Windows Disc Image Burner is that it will detect that a DVD-RW has content on it already and prompt you asking if you would like to erase the disc and burn new content to it. This ensures you don’t accidently erase and burn over something important that may be on that DVD-RW disc. This is awesome because it lets me re-use DVD-RW media.

If you haven’t already discovered this feature in the Windows 7, you should give it a shot especially if you are burning ISO images quite a bit.

Is it time to start thinking about migrating to Windows 7?

Microsoft has already begun a major campaign talking up its soon to be released Windows 8 operating system. They are positioning it to try to make it relevant for the legions of iPad and Smartphone buyers to reconsider Windows as a choice for their operating system. While it is true that there are still some holdouts that haven’t migrated from XP to Windows 7 yet if you haven’t made the leap you may want to consider it soon. Microsoft wars that there will be no support for Windows XP beyond 2014.

“We are end-of-lifing XP and Office 2003 and everything prior in April 2014,” said Kevin Turner,  Microsoft’s chief operating officer, during a meeting with financial analysts this month. “So for all those companies that have the old products that haven’t quite started the refresh, guess what? ... It’s now time for [XP] to go.”

Typically Microsoft ends support for a product after 10 years which would mean this year but Microsoft extended support until 2014. Don’t expect another extension.

”We’re basically giving it a time-of-death stamp,” Turner said. Once it retires XP, Microsoft won’t offer support or security updates.

There are quite a few things to consider over the next few years. Most of us that are in the Microsoft house have a large commitment to their infrastructure and it would be difficult to make a complete change to another operating system. Windows 7 and the soon to be released Windows 8 are new operating systems, and though they retain some backwards compatibility with previous versions it is ever more apparent that you need to make the leap and either embrace the new operating systems or make a break and move on to something totally new.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Fujitsu Q550 - W7 Tablet should be available in July

Fujitsu Stylistic Q550

The Fujitsu STYLISTIC Q550 is a Slate PC that really works for you whether you are a prosumer, work in business, government or SME. It combines a brilliant display with precise and pressure sensitive pen input plus a touch screen for multiple touch input. It brings you the ideal tools for creating data and collaborating. You can get logged in and working fast and secure with the built in fingerprint and SmartCard readers. If you lose your device or it's stolen, Advanced Theft Protection will allow administrators to track, recover and if necessary delete the data on missing slates. The STYLISTIC Q550 is fast-on, with a balanced weight distribution and a special coating to keep it in your hands. The screen image auto-rotates and reflows your content so you'll always be looking at your work right side up. You'll always be connected to your work through the internet no matter where you are with embedded mobile broadband. You'll be able to work more efficiently because you'll never have to hunt for a hotspot again. With WLAN, and Bluetooth you won't lack for a way to connect with the world and stay on track. Active pen input is just like writing on paper. It gives you the power to fill out forms, mark up plans, and brainstorm with all of the benefits of electronic collaboration. Edit, share and save your electronic documents with all the familiarity, flexibility and exactitude of paper. You work all day, so your slate has to keep up. The STYLISTIC Q550 gives you power to work all day long, and your battery is detachable in case you've got to work overtime. You'll never be stuck searching for a socket when you should closing the deal.

Download Spec Sheet

Main Specifications Product Description Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 - Atom Z670 1.5 GHz - 10.1" TFT Dimensions (WxDxH) 10.8 in x 7.6 in x 0.6 in Weight 1.9 lbs System Type Tablet PC - slate Built-in Devices Speaker, wireless LAN antenna, Bluetooth antenna Embedded Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 1.2) Security Chip , fingerprint reader, SmartCard reader Processor Intel Atom Z670 / 1.5 GHz Cache Memory 512 KB RAM 2 GB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR2 SDRAM ( 1 x 2 GB ) Card Reader Yes Hard Drive 62 GB Solid State Drive Display 10.1" LED backlight Multi-Touch High-Bright TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ) - 16:10 Graphics Controller Intel GMA 600 Audio Output Sound card Networking Network adapter - IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0 Wireless NIC Ralink RT3572 Notebook Camera Integrated - 1.3 Megapixel (back), 0.3 Megapixel (front) Input Device Digitizer, touch-screen, Tablet Pen Power AC 120/230 V ( 50 - 60 Hz ) Battery 4-cell lithium polymer Run Time (Up To) 8 hour(s) Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Microsoft Office Preloaded Includes a pre-loaded image of select Microsoft Office 2010 suites. Purchase an Office 2010 Product Key Card or disc to activate preloaded software on this PC. Manufacturer Warranty 1 year warranty General System Type Tablet PC - slate Built-in Devices Speaker, wireless LAN antenna, Bluetooth antenna Embedded Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 1.2) Security Chip , fingerprint reader, SmartCard reader Width 10.8 in Depth 7.6 in Height 0.6 in Weight 1.9 lbs Processor Processor Intel Atom Z670 / 1.5 GHz 64-bit Computing Yes Chipset Type Intel SM35 Express RAM Installed Size 2 GB / 2 GB (max) Technology DDR2 SDRAM Configuration Features 1 x 2 GB Storage Controller Type Serial ATA Serial ATA Interface Serial ATA-300 Storage Hard Drive 62 GB Solid State Drive Card Reader Type Card reader Supported Flash Memory Cards SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card Display Display Type 10.1" Multi-Touch TFT - IPS LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight Max Resolution 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ) Widescreen Display Yes Image Aspect Ratio 16:10 Features Anti-glare, Outdoor View, WideView

Video Graphics Processor / Vendor Intel GMA 600 Audio Audio Output Sound card Audio Codec Realtek ALC269 Audio Input Microphone Notebook Camera Camera Type Integrated Sensor Resolution 1.3 Megapixel (back), 0.3 Megapixel (front) Input Device(s) Type Digitizer, touch-screen, Tablet Pen Networking Networking Network adapter Wireless LAN Supported Yes Wireless NIC Ralink RT3572 Data Link Protocol IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0 Compliant Standards IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, IEEE 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0 Expansion / Connectivity Expansion Slot(s) 1 (total) / 0 (free) x memory 1 (total) / 1 (free) x Smart Card Interfaces 1 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A 1 x audio / video - HDMI 1 x audio - line-out/headphones - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm 1 x docking / port replicator Miscellaneous Features Administrator password, system password, hard drive password Compliant Standards CE, CB, EN 60601-1-2 Power Power Device External Voltage Required AC 120/230 V ( 50 - 60 Hz ) Power Provided 40 Watt Output Voltage 19 V Output Current 2.1 A Battery Technology 4-cell lithium polymer Installed Qty 1 Capacity 5240 mAh Run Time (Up To) 8 hour(s) Operating System / Software OS Provided Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Microsoft Office Preloaded Includes a pre-loaded image of select Microsoft Office 2010 suites. Purchase an Office 2010 Product Key Card or disc to activate preloaded software on this PC. Software Drivers & Utilities, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Norton Internet Security (90 days subscription), Fujitsu Battery Utility, Fujitsu Portshutter, Softex OmniPass Fingerprint Authentication Utility, Power Saving Utility, Fujitsu Touch Launcher, Microsoft Office 2010 Starter, Auto Rotation Utility, Fujitsu HomeLauncher, Fujitsu OnScreen Touchpad Manufacturer Warranty Service & Support 1 year warranty Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year

(PR) Acer Announces Iconia Touchbook Dual-Screen Tablet

Acer today announced that its much anticipated dual screen tablet, the Iconia-6120 Dual-Screen Touchbook is now available for pre-sale in North America. Providing a powerful, immersive touch experience like no other, it is the world's first and only tablet to offer two touch-enabled 14-inch high-definition widescreen LED backlit LCDs.

Click to read more ...

Windows 7 Pro Upgrade for Students: Why Do It?

Microsoft is offering inexpensive upgrades for college students to upgrade their Windows Vista to Windows 7 Pro for just $29.95. A post by Kristina Libby on April,1 (no this isn’t an April Fool’s Joke), on the Windows Experience Blog, talks about the reasons why you might want to upgrade. The site to click through to requires that you are a college student with a valid university ID.

Click to read more ...

Microsoft releases Service Pack 1 for Window 7

February 22nd began delivering Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1for public consumption. Make sure that you uninstall and pre-releases of SP1 before installing this RTM (Release to Manufacturing) version on your machine. You can get the downloads here. During the process of downloading the update you will have to validate your version of the software.

Overview

---

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 helps keep your PCs and servers on the latest support level. It also provides ongoing improvements to the Windows Operating System (OS), by including previous updates delivered over Windows Update as well as continuing incremental updates to the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms based on customer and partner feedback. This enables organizations to deploy a single set of updates.
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 will help you:

• Keep your PCs supported and up-to-date
• Get ongoing updates to the Windows 7 platform
• Easily deploy cumulative updates at a single time
• Meet your users' demands for greater business mobility
• Provide a comprehensive set of virtualization innovations
• Provide an easier Service Pack deployment model for better IT efficiency

Microsoft disables AutoRun on Windows XP/Vista to prevent malware infections | ZDNet

If you are still using Windows XP/Vista you may notice that the AutoRun function will stop working on removable media like flash drives. It will still work with CD’s and DVD’s but in an effort to help cut down on malware infections caused by the AutoRun attacks.

According to Microsoft, Win32/AutoRun remains the most popular method used by malware families of software. Microsoft suggests that XP user are more likely to be infected as compared to Windows 7 users.

A similarity all of these worms share is a common propagation method. They all abuse the autoplay feature of Autorun, many by creating or manipulating Autorun.inf files on network drives and removable media, so that when a user connects, the malware is automatically executed on their system. On average in 2010, about 9% of Windows 7 Security Essentials users reported seeing one of these families at least once per month in comparison to 13% of Windows XP users. In other words, a Windows XP user was 43% more likely to report one of these Autorun detections in any given month in comparison to a Windows 7 user..

Here is a good article on how Autorun.inf works and what it is used for.

Microsoft disables AutoRun on Windows XP/Vista to prevent malware infections | ZDNet

CES 2011

Last year Jude and I had launched our video studio right about this time and had produced some videos about products that we thought were neat and that we wanted to have. Many of these products never came into production as is the nature of the beast, but it is still interesting that the same basic theme this year seems to be the same as last year.

Hands down I think that one of the most exciting products of last year was the iPad and I am so glad that I found a way to justify my purchase because once I did get it into my hands, I found many more uses for it then I originally imagined. One of the things that I do daily is look for either new applications or peripherals to add to my collection of supporting items for my iPad. My two newest purchases being speaker docks that charge my iPad and iPhone while playing content. Productivity enhancements and ease of sharing data between systems is still my biggest concern when choosing a new application.

So, enough of my Bully Pulpit! The main focus of new and improved upcoming products include iPad type devices either using Android and Microsoft's Windows for operating systems. Throw in products from HP and RIM and we have a large number of choices in many varying sizes. For many of these we will still have to wait and see if they will actually reach production.

Another carryover from last year is the eBook reader. My feeling is that Amazon and Barnes and Noble are our two leaders with Sony in as a distant third. I am not sure that there is any more room for anything else out there but when people see a successful product they will try to ride the coattails of those products with what they feel is a better mousetrap.

3D TV was introduced last year but this year we see it being put into almost everything with a screen. I am not sold on this yet as anything more than a gimmick, but there is a lot of money being poured into it.

Believe it or not there are some interesting things happening with desktop and notebook computers with the new integrated video residing right in the same silicon with the CPU. there are many benefits to be found doing this that I will discuss in some follow-up articles. But we are seeing a small resurgence in Tablet Notebooks (convertibles), and more units in smaller more powerful form factors.

I haven't seen any new product groups yet but we are still pretty early in the show for me to determine that, more on this later. Anyway, over the next few days we will be perusing CES from afar and as we come up with products that we fill compelling, we will be sure to bring them to your attention.
So for now I'll go back to work and see what I can find!

October 21st marks the anniversary of Windows 7’s Introduction so how well has it done?

Well the report card shows in excess of 240 Million licenses sold in one year. Is this good? Microsoft points out that this makes this the fastest selling operating system in its history. This is not so surprising with the promises of Vista falling short and with XP getting a little long in the tooth as well. Just a thought. Don’t take me wrong, I love W7 and now after more than a year of working with it you would have to pry it from my proverbial dead hands. But is it surprising that this product is such a success? I don’t think so. It is a lot more polished when you compare it to Vista and the added features over XP really are a great benefit on a daily basis.

Growth seems to be accelerating and that is a good thing. Windows 7 in a home environment integrates all of you systems so easily and in a business environment things are only getting better with Windows Server 2008 R2 which is based on the Windows 7 kernel integrating all of your systems together. When you see tighter and more efficient integration of hardware, operating systems and application software it can only be a better outcome.

Check Out this Windows 7 Media Center Guide

I came across the How-To Geek’s tutorial for Windows 7 Media Center users and I had to share it with you. In this How-To Guide you’ll find a collection of tips, tricks and tutorials for using WMC in Windows 7. The guide features everything from getting started with your TV Tuner setup to using add-ins like Boxee and so much more. The article is really long, but definitely worth checking out, even if you’re already a Media Center user. You may be surprised to find something you didn’t know!

For example, did you know you can set up event reminders, use parental controls, connect Windows Media Center to Windows Home Server, read RSS feeds in Media Center, or tweet from Media Center?  Those are just a few of the features covered in this detailed guide. You can read the rest of it here.