happy with Windows 7 and neat little software apps

I remember being away from computers for a couple of years (my computers were Commodore 64 and 128), I was going to get an Apple IIe but the first one I got was DOA and I was pressured into feeling like an ungrateful person so I ended up getting a color TV which to this day I regret. Flash forward to 1995 and coming across Windows 95 for the first time. I have to admit I was kind of imtidated of Windows 95 and stepped away from it for a couple of years because I felt I was too far behind. Flash forward to 1998 and and dug in and began messing around with Windows 98 and was so blown away, I never knew computing would be so much fun. This is how I feel about Windows 7

When Creating a Limited Account On XP Turned Out Well

When our desktop got a trojan horse virus I had to reformat the hard drive and this time I created a limited account for myself, my beautiful queen, our grandchildren. I'm not going to lie, running with the limited account on XP can sometimes be a pain in the neck but I have heard computer professional constantly advise doing this because in corporate America they do this all the time and I have heard Leo Laporte mention when surfing the web you really should do this unless you really know what you are doing when on the web. It came in handy this past weekend.

Our grandson loves the web. He loves going on Nickelodeon, The Disney website, YouTube from time to time and he finds games to play on the web so him surfing the web was no difference than any other weekend. But when my the wifey tried to open IE (Internet Explorer) or even her "My Documents" she could not open it. I tried time and time again and couldn't do it. I logged out of her account and into administration mode and IE opened up just fine so that means either our grandson did something or something happened when he was on the web. So what I did was ran my anti-virus and anti spyware first on wifey's files (no infections thank goodness), burned a couple of her files on CD, deleted her limited account and created another limited account for her...problem solved.

Now if I would have not created a limited account and left everyone in administration mode I would have had to find out why IE would not open, why I couldn't access the "My Documents" folder, it would have been a nightmare, and I would not have been a happy camper so creating a limited account, especially when surfing the web was a life saver and a lesson for me because this time I did the right thing and not being stubborning when it came to creating limited accounts. Are they a pain at times to use in XP...yes. Was it worth it this time, yes it was. In Vista it's much better when running in limited account mode because Macs has ran they computers this way for years now because with Macs you can not install anything without giving the password for your system.

My advise for anyone who has young people, if you want your system to be more stable and not worry about having to reformat your computer set up "Limited Accounts" for yourself and your children when surfing the web. It will save you heartache in the end.

I'm Trying To Hang In There With You Vista, But...

Listening to Windows Weekly with Paul Thurrott and Leo Laporte. I really enjoy the show but the more I am listening to episode 48 (which I have listened to episode 49) the more upset I am becoming. I understand what Paul is saying about not installing a Vista on a machine that is 4-5 years old, heck installing XP on a machine that's 4-5 years is not good because you have to consider your processor, do you have enough RAM or maybe the your computer can not handle more RAM (I have one machine that only goes up to 512MB and XP needs at least 1GB to run sweet and your processor should least be 1GHz) but for Paul to tell people to "get over it." is wrong.

First, I know this but many people do not know this but when you get a new computer with Vista people are not equipped sometimes to buy a new printer and sometimes a new EXternal Hard Drive, a new external dvd/cd burner. Not to mention people may have to buy a new office application...people do not have the income you have Paul.

Second, with the vague release for Vista Service Pack 1 for me that's not a good business. From what I'm seeing from Microsoft is like what must fast food restaurant attitude is "you'll get it when you get it." Microsoft sees that it was bad enough with the delay of Vista now SP1 may not be released to the public until this Summer. We would have thought that SP1 would have been released by now. I may be wrong but if you want to push people to Apple keep this up.

I have Vista and so far so good it's been good to me. I still have issues with Vista but I am dealing with it because I have other Windows machines but other people may not be as patient or many people may not have access to other machines. I like listening to you Paul because most of the time I totally agree with you when it comes to Windows but this time I cannot. People want to really give Vista a chance but with the constant delay from Microsoft it's hard to stick with them.

Please Stop Microsoft...Just Stop It Now

Microsoft in some way is like the police...when they get it right nothing is said but when things go wrong you hear about it from New York to San Diego. I remember in 2006 I tried Microsoft's OneCare and I had to end up reformatting my entire hard drive and swore not to use it again. Now a article from CNET has confirmed that OneCare still has major problems and I wonder if they should leave this type of computer protection to the experts. I truly feel for Microsoft because it seems when it comes to security application they keep dropping the ball.

Maybe they should just concentrate on getting Vista stable so this OS will not end up like another Windows Me. Many computer experts say time and time again that whenever Microsoft purchases a product of a company it turns into lead. Microsoft, get your own house in order before trying to venture out to other avenues. I'm saying this out of love because I am tired of Microsoft being the butt of the computer world jokes.

What Nintendo Got Right

I'm a geek but a simple geek and when it comes to gaming console I have fallen away from the whole genre...until this Christmas. I played Nintendo Wii with my grandson Casey, and I have to say, I want one. Why? Because for me they make gaming fun again. Come to think about it the last gaming console I really had fun with was a Nintendo. I have had a PlayStation, we have a PlayStation2 (and the only time I really use it when the grandson is over and if we do not play games like Star Wars, Crash Bandicoot I do not use unless to watch movies on it) and forget buying a PlayStation3 or an XBOX 360, I can't see myself paying that much for a gaming console. I have buddies that have these gaming console but I'm going to be honest, I do not like the sport games, especially WWF (my grandson has tried to teach me to play the game it makes me just sick and tired just thinking about it). If it's not a adventure game or just "fun" I'm not interested.

Christmas has sparked my love for video games with the Wii. Nintendo, known for Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers, games that make me want to go out and plunk down money. I'm from the old school. I pulled up old games for my grandson on the net (Space Invaders, Tempest, Battle Zone, Elevator Action, and of course Frogger & Ms. Pac Man)...games for me that makes time fly. I'm not taking away from the XBOX and PlayStation gamers but for me I do not want to take hours on top of hours learning to "this combination" and "that combination" to play a game. Some gadgets I want to learn, I need to learn but when it comes to gaming, I want to not think so hard, I just want to play and have fun.

Nintendo did right and what the other two companies(Microsoft and Sony) did wrong was two things...first the price of the console and two...they made their gaming cosole fun. Even with the low end of the Playstation 3 (40GB unit) the price is still $400 and the low end of and XBOX 360 is $350. The Wii is $100 less and most of their games are $10 less than the xbox 360 and playstation 3.

I'm not knocking the true gamers because that is your thing. The graphics in these games now blow me away and if I was into sports, adventure(well, I do like adventure games but I think to die hard gamers "Crash Bandicoot does not count) but some of us just want to turn on a game console, learn a few moves and have at the game. I guess the only bad thing is that Nintendo can't make them quick enough to stay on the shelves which is a shame because from what I'm hearing they lost $1 billion because of this but this should let the other two companies know that most of us just want to have fun and to be able to share with the entire family.

Nintendo, you got it right.

For more info on how Nintendo is running rings around its competitors check out...

With Wii and DS, Nintendo has two hit game devices

Small Hiccups with Vista

This post is not to dump on Microsoft's new OS Vista...just a warning for people. This article on CNet is just confirming what I feel about Microsoft products...wait for about 6 months to 1 year before upgrading.

From what I have been hearing so far so good but people have been having some trouble with Vista. To me this is not because it's a crummy OS(Operating System) but as I have and will always say, when it comes to Microsoft, the first year that any of their products are released to the retail public, that's the "Beta Version" to me.>>>more

Tech News for Thursday evening

Hello and good evening everyone,

Once again I'm finally making it in and tired as heck but I have to post tech articles before I crash because, I live for this...Christian devotions and tech news, makes me feel good. Sad note, Ed Bradley died today. He is one of the reasons that I write and keeps me going because Mr. Bradley proved that you can be yourself and be a heck of a reporter. Many people respect Mr. Bradley for his reporting and he will be missed.

Well folks, I'm packing it in for the night so as always...Be Blessed, Be Safe and Have a Great night.

In-car Internet hits the road
story from CNN.com|Tech

When Stephen Devine drove with his family from their home in Massachusetts to New York City, he spent two frustrating hours trying to find a place to park his 9-foot-high camper van, which won't fit in most garages. In the end, his 17-year-old daughter found a place to park online -- and she didn't even have to leave the van to do it. Devine's van is equipped with TracNet, a system that allows passengers to access the Internet on a vehicle's video screens. Launched in September by Middletown, Rhode Island-based KVH Industries Inc., TracNet brings the Internet to the installed screens in a car, truck, RV or boat. It also turns the entire vehicle into a wireless hot spot, so passengers can use their laptops to go online.>>>more

Phishers Pick $2.8 Billion From Consumers' Pockets
story from techweb.com

Criminals running phishing scams are raking in more money than ever, with the average loss jumping fivefold in the last year and the percentage of money recovered plummeting, according to a survey published Thursday by research firm Gartner. "Phishing e-mails are getting through, and when they do steal, phishers are getting five times the amount they did in 2005," said Gartner analyst Avivah Litan. "They're getting better, much better, at their schemes." Litan pegged the total loss to phishing in the 12 months ending Aug. 30 at a whopping $2.8 billion. Although some analysts have pegged phishing attacks as leveling off, Litan scoffed at the notion. "It was presumptuous of us to think that phishing would be solved, much like spam has been, and would be only so much 'noise' on the>>>more

Yahoo to embed instant messaging in e-mail
story from CNet.com

Yahoo is planning to embed instant messaging into its Web-based e-mail program within the next few months so that people can have live chats in Yahoo Mail, even if they don't have an instant-messaging application installed, a Yahoo executive announced on Thursday. Brad Garlinghouse, vice president of communications, communities and front doors at Yahoo, gave a technology preview at the Web 2.0 Summit here of a new feature planned for Yahoo Mail that seamlessly integrates instant messaging. Garlinghouse said the reasoning behind melding instant messaging and email is to improve the overall "user experience," something which can be lacking in many so-called Web 2.0 services.>>>more

Web 2.0 Replaces Music Teachers
story from wired.com

In the cacophony of mashups, widgets and collaboration tools demoed at the third annual Web 2.0 Summit here, one rang out as the biggest crowd pleaser: a musical instrument instruction web app with a golden ear and infinite patience. Called In the Chair, the application encourages music students and budding guitar heroes to play along with real musicians by syncing scrolling sheet music with a prerecorded video of a band playing the song. The app monitors your playing through your computer's microphone, and gives you instant feedback on whether you played the right note with the right timing.>>>more

Microsoft, Universal ink deal involving Zune
story from msnbc.com

Microsoft Corp. says it had struck a deal with Universal Music Group aimed at allowing the company to do more with a feature of its Zune portable music player that lets people share songs over a wireless connection. Under the deal, Universal will receive a payment for every Zune player sold, in exchange for which Universal will provide more access to artists and rights to music. Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Microsoft, declined to comment on the financial specifics of the deal late Wednesday, beyond saying that it>>>more

At Web 2.0 Summit, a Look At What's in Store (and Storage)
story from washingtonpost.com

Jeffrey P. Bezos, chief executive of Amazon.com Inc., outlined his ambitious strategy for selling online storage and computing power before a crowd of entrepreneurs gathered here Wednesday for the Internet industry's marquee conference and annual pep rally. Speaking to a crowd that seemed almost giddy over the potential of the Web, Bezos detailed a corporate strategy that seeks to transform the Internet retailer into a provider of Web-based storage, computing power and other logistical services for businesses. The idea is to allow other companies to spend less time wrestling with computer infrastructure and more time on their core business.>>>more

other news:

Democrats Take Senate; Concession in
Virginia Completes Midterm Sweep
story from nytimes.com

Democrats gained control of the Senate on Thursday, giving them a majority in both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994 and increased influence over President Bush’s policies at home and abroad, starting with the war in Iraq. The Democrats picked up the seat they needed to capture the Senate when the Republican incumbent in Virginia, George Allen, conceded to Jim Webb, his Democratic challenger, completing a broad realignment of power in Washington. Including two independents who align themselves with the Democrats, Democrats will have a 51-to-49 advantage in the new Senate.>>>more

Ellison wins 2nd term as Lauderdale NAACP chief
story from miamiherald.com

Fort Lauderdale NAACP President Marsha Ellison fended off a challenge today from two opponents, including one she narrowly defeated to earn her first term. Ellison won another two-year term as head of one of the largest NAACP branches in South Florida after her defeat of challengers William McCormick and Al Calloway. McCormick was president from 2000 to 2004. Calloway, a columnist with The Broward Times, is a former branch vice president and longtime member who joined the NAACP as a college student in Atlanta in the 1960s. When she won her first term in 2004, Ellison became the second woman ever to lead the branch since Eula Johnson, who was president from 1959 to 1967>>>more

wednesday tech evening news

Good evening everyone, It's been another long day/night for me but I'm still hanging in there. Here are some articles that caught my eye earlier today.

Donald Rumsfeld leaving, Vista's in the home stretch to be released, Google makes a 'boo boo'...you gotta love the news. Well everyone, I'm calling it a night.

Be Blessed, Be Safe and Have a peaceful night.

Some Tech News this evening:

Vista's last mile
from CNet.com

The last stop for Vista is a windowless conference room in Building 26, on Microsoft's sprawling campus in the Seattle suburbs. Each day, members of the Windows team gather inside this "shiproom" to go over the bugs that remain, and to debate which of these can still be fixed in the days left until the product is declared finished, a milestone that is expected any time now. The intense "end game," as these final weeks are known, is a well-worn tradition inside the shiproom, which is on the third floor of the Windows development building. The small room, with its dated, dark wood conference table has been the war room for every Windows release since Windows 2000.>>>more

Adobe Releases Tamarin
story from Wired.com

As we reported in this morning’s reboot, Adobe has open-sourced a bundle of code to the Mozilla Foundation under the name Tamarin. The whooping 135,000 lines of code in today’s release constitute the largest single contribution to the Mozilla foundation since its inception. The code consists primarily of the source behind Adobe’s ActionScript Virtual Machine, but that doesn’t mean Adobe is open sourcing the Flash player. ActionScript 3.0, the language used in the Flash Player v9.0, is based on an international standard by the name of ECMAScript. ECMAScript is also the basis of Javascript, which is the language behind the ever-growing AJAX>>>more

New MacBooks to use Intel Core 2 Duo chips
story from msnbc.com|tech

Apple Computer Inc. said Wednesday a new line of MacBook notebook computers will use Intel Corp.'s Core 2 Duo processors and be up to 25 percent faster than the previous generation. Apple announced the new consumer computers ahead of the holiday season with prices starting at $1,099. Last month, the computer maker said its MacBook Pro line of laptops would use Intel's Core 2 Duo processors.

Mozilla Patches 'Critical' Bugs in Firefox, Thunderbird
story from eWeek.com

It's a bumper patch day in Mozilla land. The open-source foundation released a batch of highly critical updates for the Firefox, Thunderbird and SeaMonkey brands and warned that unpatched users face the risk of PC takeover attacks. The Firefox update applies to Firefox 1.5x and does not affect the newer Firefox 2.0 version. Mozilla says Firefox 1.5.0.x will be maintained with security and stability updates until April 24, 2007. After that, support will only be extended to Firefox 2 users. The latest patch covers a trio>>>more

Linux Pact for $348 Million
story from nytimes.com

Microsoft will make two payments totaling $348 million to the Novell Corporation under an agreement to allow Novell’s open-source Linux software to work with Windows. Microsoft will pay Novell $240 million upfront in subscription fees to use the Linux software and an additional $108 million in upfront payments for use of patents, Novell said in a filing yesterday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Microsoft and Novell, longtime rivals, announced last week that they had entered into a broad set of business and technological agreements.

Google accidentally sends out e-mail worm
Story from ZDNet.com

Three postings were made Tuesday evening to an e-mail list that sends out postings to the Google Video blog. "Some of these posts may have contained a virus called W32/Kapser.A@mm--a mass-mailing worm," Google said in a note on its Web site apologizing for the incident. W32/Kapser.A is better known as the Kama Sutra worm. Some antivirus companies raised an alarm about the threat in February, but it ultimately shriveled. Kama Sutra was designed to overwrite files on infected computers on a specific date. However, the worm, which spread under the guise of pornographic content, caused virtually no damage. Google advises people who may have received the worm in e-mail or downloaded it from the group's Web site to run an antivirus>>>more

other news around the world:

SIUC chancellor is ousted
story from stltoday.com

Dogged by allegations of plagiarism and "intellectual dishonesty," Southern Illinois University's chancellor will be replaced with an interim chief of the 20,000-student Carbondale campus, the university system's president announced Wednesday. University President Glenn Poshard tapped SIU Provost John Dunn to temporarily succeed Walter Wendler, who was told last year that his contract, set to expire in June of next year, would not be renewed. Dunn's appointment takes effect Nov. 15. As a tenured full professor in architecture, Wendler will be reassigned to the school's College of Applied Sciences and Arts. Wednesday's announcement came eight days after a Poshard-appointed panel announced that Wendler admitted "lifting" excerpts from a strategic plan for a Texas school where he>>>more

AP: Webb wins in Virginia; would give Dems control of Senate
story from USA TODAY

Democrats won the last undecided Senate race to complete an election sweep that ended Republican control of Congress, according to an Associated Press canvass of Virginia's close contest. The strong gains prompted President Bush on Wednesday to replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, architect of the Iraq war. If Democrat Jim Webb's victory is certified by the state, Democrats will pick up a sixth GOP-held seat and secure a 51-vote working majority in the Senate. That total includes two independents who plan to vote with the Democrats. The AP declared Webb the victor Wednesday night based on a canvass of election officials in all 134 localities where voting occurred. Webb, a former Navy secretary under Ronald Reagan, had>>>more

Hamas says death of 18 civilians will be avenged
story from GuardianUnlimited

The leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas called on his fighters yesterday to "activate resistance" hours after an Israeli artillery strike killed 18 civilians, mostly women and children, from a single family in Gaza. Khaled Meshaal, who lives in exile in Damascus, promised retaliation after a wave of artillery shells landed before dawn on a residential street in Beit Hanoun. Several homes were hit, all belonging to one family. The attack sparked international condemnation and came a day after the Israeli military ended a six-day operation in Beit Hanoun that claimed more than 50 lives. More than 350>>>more

Has Bill Gates Lost Touch With The Masses(or does he something we do not?)

Microsoft unveils Vista editions>>>more
from BBC News.co.uk

Let's be honest, it's still early to come out to give it thumbs up or thumbs down about Vista. I have learned over the years some products are good coming out of the gate, some products it takes time to build up steam to get going and other products are disasters before they even hit the shelves. How do I feel about Vista personally? I know I will have to use it later down the line, I will go out and purchase books on Vista but I may not begin using Vista until the middle of 2007 or 2008 because to me I think with Microsoft the first year their products hit the shelves is really the "test run".

from the BBC article people are not pleased so far but like I said it's early. One thing I still can't wrap my mind around is:

1. Why is it going to be six(6) versions of this product?
2. Why will it take about 15GB to run this OS(Operating System)?
3. What's the deal with the EULA? (I need to listen to Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott netcast again because I still can't make heads or tails of this thing)

I really hope Steve Jobs is taking notes of this what Microsoft is doing to it's core users. Steve and company can sit back and laugh at Bill or really take a good hard look at what not to do when it comes to your customers. Everyone knows that Microsoft is trying to bully people into Vista, they're not coming out with a Service Pack 3 until 2008 which as Leo puts it..."that means waiting forever because they can come out with Service Pack 3 this year." I have mentioned this in one of my post. I really wonder has Bill Gates lost touch with reality? Or maybe he has something up his sleeve. This year maybe the best year for Microsoft, maybe we should hang in there for the long haul, I hope for their sake because I know next year I'm working my butt off to get a couple of Apple machines and really get into Ubuntu because unless Microsoft pull of what Steve and company did with Apple, it's may take a long time for Microsoft to recover from this decision they have made with this OS. I'm not an expert and I'm learning more about the web, the different OS products and it's fun but I am a consumer that works hard to earn my money and when many consumers gets burned by a product where we have to plopped down $400 it takes a while for the average American to bounce back from that. But like I said in the beginning...it's too early to call.

Prove us all wrong Bill Gates...prove us wrong.

Be Blessed, Be Safe, and Have a Great Day everyone. :-)

other tech news:
Free Wi-Fi Router Promotion Slated For San Francisco
Wi-Fi Exploits Coming to Metasploit
Linux guru warns on security of open-source code

Christian wisdom for Friday:
An Overflowing Cup,
Loving Your Children from a Distance,
Saying I Do to a Financially Strong Marriage

netcast to help us grow:
When Punishment Is Too Severe
The Alternative
Trusting God When What He Does Doesn’t Make Sense

netcast to help us know:
iLifeZone13
The Dave Ramsey Show Podcast
KFI Tech Guy 286

image: google image

Wednesday Devotions...We're At The Half Way Mark

Empire Building>>>more
from RBC Ministries

This devotion is really good, it speaks of how churches and we as Christians need to remember the most important reason why we were put on this earth...to invest in other people. This also implies to our homes as well. In this day and age we get so busy with work, trying to make sure our bills get paid, pleasing our spouse, making sure that there needs are met for our children (I didn't say 'wants'...some of those are good for children but in this day and age we have went overboard. I will save that for another topic) which are things that we need to do day in and day out but do we sometime just sometime pull our wife or husband aside and spend that 'quiet' time with them. Do you spend time in the Bible with them, pray together. I have been guilty of this and I have to do better.

Sometimes it is good just have that one-on-one time with a person, mentor them, really find out what is going on in their lives. You never know how much of a impact that might have on he or she. Our God is so awesome that He can deal with the entire world and also give us that individual quality time, it's incredible. Jesus Christ gave us a blueprint on how to master this task by spending time with the multitudes, His disciples, and alone time with God.

We have a lot on our plate at this day and age I know, but let's not forget that sometimes building up that one person in your life is just as important as 'feeding the multitudes' as well.

Be Blessed,
Be Safe, &
Have a great Wednesday.

Praying For Our Children
by Christian Embassy Church

Faithfulness

"Let faithfulness never leave my children, but bind this virtue around their necks."

Proverbs 3:3

other Christian readings for today: Parenting in a Godless Age, Good for Evil, Head vs. Heart

tech news for this morning: Microsoft releases 6 patches for flaws, Copy never: DRM 'glitch',Vista Mythbusters #7: How much DRM is too much?, Cruising along the EVDO superhighway

netcast for your heart and soul: Living With Regret, MacBreak Weekly 10, 60 Minutes Podcast: Bob Woodward, The Alternative

photo: google image

Tight Security For Vista

Microsoft promises Vista security>>>more
from BBC News website

I for one really hope Microsoft will have better security for Vista as they say in the article. But one thing Jean-Philippe Courtois said that is very important...internet users must be smarter when surfing the web. I have mentioned this before but I will mention it again because I want you to have a better experience when it comes to surfing the web, using your computer.

1. First and foremost, use Mozilla Firefox as your browser not IE.

Internet Explorer is not a good browser period. Not only because of Microsoft but because their OS is used by most of us here in the US and abroad. When you have that market share you're going to have you stupid hackers, adware/spyware people trying to crack the software, find holes and flaws in the system plain and simple.

2. Have a good Anti Virus software installed on your system.

Most people use Norton or Mcafee which to me, my geeks brothers in crime, Luis & Javier, Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Robert Heron and many other are 'bloat ware'...software that bog down your computer. You need something that is light and goes to the heart of the matter. I have been using AVG (they have a free download from their site), Leo Laporte recommends Nod32 and believe or not Microsoft has their software package for about 50 bucks and from what I hear it's pretty good. Make sure you check for update, I'm pretty sure most of these software has a automatic update alert. I like AVG because I have it set to check for update everyday and it does like clockwork.

3. Have more than one Anti-Spyware/Adware software on you system.

I have Microsoft's Defender, Webroot Spy Sweeper, and Lavasoft's Ad-Aware on my system. I have them set to run every night. I like Webroot's and Microsoft's sofware, it lets you know when you have updates and like your previous Anti-Virus software, it doesn't bog down my system.

4. Watch what you click on when surfing the web....period

If you see a flashing alert saying, "YOUR SYSTEM HAS BEEN AFFECTED" do not click on it because if you do, that's it...most likely you're infected. And with most spyware it's really hard to get rid of and most likely, not all the time, you may have to reformat your hard drive and that's a pain. When you get your system the way you want it, make a image of your system. Most computers now have DVD burner, I recommend buying Norton's Ghost. Use this software to burn a image of your system before you do any major web surfing. this way if you get infected you can just pop your DVDs in your system and it will put your image back on your system and you're good as new. (what do I mean by image? Norton Ghost makes a image of your Operating System, Applications, everything you have on your system...better than the restore point we set for our system. Most likely it will take a 2-3 DVDs to burn so just be prepared but it's worth it.)

5. Set up a limited user account.

I hear with Vista it will have the feature that Linux, Unix, Apple's OS systems has had in place for a long time which is sweet. If you try and install any software it will ask for the password. But what I'm explaining goes for people who are still using XP and 2000. This is a pain in the you know what but it's best to surf the web, watch DVD movies in a limited user account. This stops anything or anybody for the most part of adding any type of software on your system. When in limited user mode you can do just about anything except run software. If you need to run software just right click the software you're wish to install, click on "run as" and put in the password and for the most part you are good to go. It's a pain at times because sometimes the software doesn't install properly. This is why Vista (from what I hear) the new feature that will let you do just about anything but when it comes to install software, it will ask for your password...which is much better.

And one more thing....make sure you run Microsoft's update to install the latest update (this you will have to use Internet Explorer). That is a must.

I hope this helps you and just be careful what you click on when surfing the web, do not open any attachments, don't click on links in your email messages, copy and paste the link in a new window.

The web shouldn't be this difficult but we live in diffirent times but over all the web, computers are so cool.

Happy surfing

other tech news: Device helps navigate daily life, With YouTube, Google puts its competitors in a jam, Ballmer on PC's role in Web services world, Africa dust may hamper hurricanes

christian reading: Unloading the Baggage, Caring for the Care Givers, Fruit and Faith

netcast to listen to tonight: dl.tv, Turning The Rat Race Into A Pilgrimage, Trials Can Be Your Teacher, part 2

photo: google image

Am I Being Paranoid Or Is Microsoft Trying To Kill 2000 & XP?

Second third-party
fix out for Windows bug>>>more
from ZDNet News

Is it just me or is it that Microsoft just don't care about these serious security flaws that are popping up like wildfire in their OS? This may be a stretch but do you think that since Vista is coming out that they're trying to make people move to their new OS sooner? This is the second time in less than two weeks that Zero Day has come up with a patch for flaw in Windows 2000 & XP and they are not going to release the patch until next Tuesday, October 10th. These guys are acting like FEMA responding to an emergency.

This is why I'm am studying up on Linux at this moment and my next PC and laptop will be Apple. I'm not a tech expert, not by a long shot but Microsoft lag time for getting security patches sounds shady to me at the least. If I had a flat tire today do you think I should wait until next Monday to get it fixed?

And why are people using Microsoft IE..why? I'm not saying Mozilla Firefox is the, "end all of be all" browsers but everyday it's something horrific with this browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer). I don't use it and I'm trying like crazy to get my wife to get in the habit of using the Mozilla browser.

One more thing....why will it take a minimum of 15 Gigabytes to run Vista? I may be just a dumb ol' southern boy from Illinois but Mr. (Chris) Pirillo please explain this to me? I have the utmost respect for you and I have followed you for years (this is not a cheap shot by no means...you're really good with Windows, I would just like to know) I know today's computer hard drive have a minimum of 40, 60, 80 and even 100 GB hard drive but give me a break.

Most people are not going to be splitting atoms or trying to discover the next way to bend time and space, we just want to surf the web, play a few games, some programming, save our mp3s and photos.

I will not be moving to Vista probably until 2008 because to me the first year is really the test run for an OS system and dealing with Microsoft I really don't know.

I may be paranoid but to me I think Microsoft want to shelve Windows 2000 &
XP much sooner so they will only have to concentrate on just one OS system like Apple.

But hey call me crazy.

other tech news: Google buys founders' garage, Netflix Offers $1 Million Prize, Stolen cell phones give thieves ear bashing

christian articles: Supreme Court's new term, Why Darwinism is doomed,The Privilege of Knowing God

'My Space' For Seniors'?

Eons: 'MySpace' for the boomer set>>>more
from The Christian Science Monitor

This is a good thing really. Older citizens are becoming more and more tech savvy, which is good. Technology is so much fun, so much to learn and with everyone busy schedule we have to find a way to keep in contact. I keep in touch with Luis and Javier everyday, whether it's emails, instant messaging, cell phones, shooting each other web links...it's really cool.

Now the seniors are now getting into tech gadgets more and more. My grandmother in all honesty was really the first woman to me who hooked me on gadgets. She bought me one of the first Sony Walkman (it took four AA batteries), my first digital watch, my erector set, my train set (could never get that thing to work...LOL). She exposed me to so much good and I thank God for that each and everyday. I was listening to a podcast today with Leo Laporte and a mother was talking about getting a computer for her daughter who's traveling to Switzerland and this older lady knew what she wanted, not really guessing about the computer equipment for her daughter. This is a good thing. I :-)

other tech stories: Mozilla looks to Microsoft for security, ATand T to take back outsourced jobs, ATM Maker Readies Anti-Hack Patch

photos: walkman and autumn leaves