This week I’d like to dispel a common misconception about two distinctly different pieces of standard computer hardware — that the two ways that your computer stores data are the same.
Technicians and marketers often assume the public understands when it comes to RAM and hard drives, so the terms get tossed around without much explanation. Let’s clear this up.
There’s an important distinction between an “operating system” and “office productivity software.” They’re two entirely different things.
Even still, confusion between them is not unusual. People often merge the two in their minds.
I’ve answered many support phone calls that began with, “I think there’s something wrong with my Microsoft.”
Understanding where your operating system ends and your office software begins will help you to troubleshoot problems when they arise or to seek outside help when necessary.
I want you to understand how your computer interacts with something called a “Domain Name Service Server,” or “DNS server.” You need to know this so you can understand one of the most dangerous threats to your PC in a long while, and how you might be vulnerable.
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Windows Vista hit the shelves on January 30, 2007. Almost a year and a half later, on June 30, 2008, Microsoft ordered a hit on Vista’s older (and arguably wiser) brother, Windows XP – announcing that Microsoft would no longer provide XP to retailers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for use on standard PCs and laptops, although XP will continue to thrive on Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPC). This final ax fell a mere three days after Bill Gates stepped down from his role as executive chairman at Microsoft.
It must have felt like Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse vanished all at once.
Unfortunately for Microsoft, not many consumers have been eager to embrace Windows Vista, even while most tech-related retailers have been happy to tow the line. Last year around Thanksgiving, an associate at Best Buy guaranteed one of my family members that XP was no longer available, and that the only choice for his new laptop was Vista. This wasn’t true then and still isn’t today.
For me, the decision to switch to a Linux-based operating system was fueled by the freedom it gave me. I had “played with” Linux for many years already, first installing it from floppy disks on an ancient IBM computer an elementary school had tossed out. At the time, Linux was thrilling, but not necessarily fulfilling.
Several years later, having watched from the sidelines as Linux gained in popularity and usability, I made the decision to exclusively use Linux on my work PC for at least a month — to force myself to use Linux-based versions of the programs I had grown to rely on for web browsing, emailing, word processing and even connecting to and controlling Microsoft Windows-based computers.
It wasn’t nearly as painful as I thought it would be, and it had unexpected results: I became a convert.
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You may already know what it is. If so, you probably either love it or hate it. You might use it only because it was turned on by default. You might not know about it because someone turned it off for you and you’ve not seen it since. You might just want me to cut to the chase and introduce the topic for the day so you can decide if you want to invest another five minutes reading the column or move on.
Fair enough. Today, we’re going to talk about the “Preview Pane” or “Reading Pane” found in Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express. When we’re done, you’ll be savvy enough to know whether it’s for you.
This week, a reader writes:
I started using Ubuntu [Linux] about a year ago when my old HP Pavilion 522n with Windows XP Pro started acting up for the billionth time. I couldn’t believe how easy it is! Any questions I had were readily answered via the Ubuntu Forums or a simple Google search. The Linux community is incredible — one of the best aspects … Linux is such a revolutionary possibility and people need to know about it…I love hearing about countries all over the world switching their schools, government offices, etc. to a Linux OS. Incredible.
Linux has found a home in the equipment rooms of businesses for many years. From dusty old PCs that run a tiny point-of-sale system to massive racks of clustered corporate servers, Linux is no stranger to hard work where scalability, security and reliability are crucial. If you’ve browsed the Web, you’ve benefited from Linux-based servers more than you realize.
E-mail is a convenient way to stay in touch with people. It is a critical tool for many businesses. However, anyone who has used e-mail for a significant amount of time will testify that wrangling e-mail can sometimes be a pain in the neck. Here are a few common complaints I hear about e-mail usage, and how you can steer clear of them.
Dell has made it easier to purchase several models of its popular laptops and personal computers from a Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Staples or Sam’s Club near you. Unfortunately, there’s an annoying caveat that I feel my readers should be aware of. Most folks are not aware that Dell will refuse to provide support services to you when you need it because, according to Dell, the retailer you purchased your computer from still “owns” it, not you.
M’excusez-vous, avez-vous vu mon dictionnaire?
If you use Outlook Express as your e-mail client but have decided to install Microsoft Office 2007 — Microsoft’s latest flavor of its flagship office productivity suite — you will no longer have an English spell-checking dictionary available in Outlook Express.