Showing posts with label microsoft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label microsoft. Show all posts

Windows 7 And Mac OS X Snow Leopard
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

This fall we have major upgrades for Windows and Mac. Windows 7, the successor to Vista, is slated to be shipped on October 22, 2009. Mac OS X 10.6, code-named Snow Leopard, is set to ship in September. What will these new operating systems mean for you, and when should you think about upgrading?

Windows 7 will look like Windows Vista, but there are some improvements meant to simplify the user experience such as changes to the Taskbar. Performance should be improved, especially if you have a 64-bit processor. Security is bolstered based upon Vista's User Access Control feature, which disallows administrative privileges without typing a password. I'm also looking forward to BitLocker, Microsoft's encryption option. It's interesting to note that, for reasons related to antitrust investigations, Windows 7 will ship without Internet Explorer in Europe. I'm curious why U.S. users don't rate the same advantage, but I digress. If you want Windows 7 you will likely have to ramp up your hardware. Microsoft claims it will work with a 1GHz processor and 1GB of memory, but since Vista hardly works without at least 2GB we can assume Microsoft's system requirements, as usual, are not the same as the real (read: functional) ones. And just to keep things confusing, Microsoft is offering six different versions of Windows 7.

Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) also offers improved performance for 64-bit Macs. It's supposed to function faster than Leopard while taking up less hard drive space. One thing I already like about Snow Leopard is the price. Existing Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5) users can upgrade for just $29. This is a far cry from the past, when we had to pay full price for the new version. It's about time, Apple! The Mac community is eagerly awaiting improved integration with Microsoft networking. Mail, Address Book, and iCal will provide built-in support for Microsoft Exchange 2007. We'll have to see if this makes life easier in mixed PC-Mac environments, or if it will offer a serious Outlook equivalent for those of us still struggling with Entourage.

As with any new operating system, I don't recommend you jump on the bandwagon immediately unless you have a pressing need for the new features. For example, some Mac users may want to start testing Snow Leopard's integration with Microsoft networks right away. Otherwise, wait a while and see how things go before making your decision.

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Posted byTriona Guidry at 3:12 PM 0 comments  

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Goodbye, Microsoft Money
Friday, June 26, 2009

Microsoft Money has been discontinued. The software will no longer be sold after June 30, 2009. You can keep using the program, although yearly tax updates will cease after January 2011. After that you can still update the tax tables manually, but under Microsoft's lifecycle policy the software will no longer be supported. If you are using an older version of Money, it is not recommended that you upgrade at this time, and I certainly wouldn't buy extended service options.

If you want a specifically Microsoft financial product, there's Office Accounting Professional, which is to Money what Intuit's QuickBooks is to Quicken. If all you want is a basic register, this may not be the right product for you. Besides Intuit, you might also look into Peachtree as an alternative to Microsoft Money. Whatever you choose, make sure you can export your data into a common format like CSV or Excel, just in case your accounting software decides to go the way of the dinosaur.

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Posted byTriona Guidry at 8:12 AM 0 comments  

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Is Microsoft Security Essentials Worthwhile?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Microsoft has released a beta (test) version of its upcoming Security Essentials program, which is scheduled to be rolled out to consumers in September. Microsoft Security Essentials is, essentially, a stripped-down version of the ill-fated OneCare. The question is, will it do a better job of helping consumers protect their computers from viruses and spyware?

My guess is, not really. Sure it's free, but so are other programs with better reputations for removing the gunk from your computer. Even so, most free programs do not offer the complete protection of a full-fledged security suite. My fear is that the presence of Microsoft Security Essentials may lure some consumers into complacency, with the impression that their computers are adequately protected when they're not. I already see this with programs like Windows Defender and the monthly Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, neither of which are suitable replacements for real security software.

Of additional concern, and the reason I'm mentioning this now even though the software's still beta, is that scammers will undoubtedly glom onto this just as they grab any popular headline in their attempts to con you into fake antivirus software. Just because something claims to be "that new software from Microsoft," don't believe it unless you're downloading from a bona fide site.

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Posted byTriona Guidry at 2:29 PM 0 comments  

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