Seasons
Greetings!
I put out a letter once in awhile to bring you an update on a variety of
issues. The format is designed to highlight just some key
issues, and avoid bogging you down with technical matters.
Some of the free software mentioned here can be found at
www.tribal-software.com under
Downloads. Feel free to forward this letter to anyone who
could use the information.
Phone Changes & Billing Information—Santa
Fe callers can still use 466-6125; my cell
phone is Albuquerque based and long distance to Santa Fe
(505-450-9300). Alternatively, you can use the toll-free number at 866-945-2211. To
keep billing costs low, consider having me remote into
your computer to save on transit time and costs. Also,
some remote work may take place out of state and get
billed by our Nevada office to avoid the cost of local state sales taxes.
Remote Access—It
is now our standard method for computer support, and I’ve
a simple way for you to set this up if you are interested.
This feature can be enabled on any system and will also
allow you to access your computer if you are traveling
away from home. The product itself is free and can be
setup with or without my help.
Antivirus and Anti-Spyware Software—Check with me at least once a year so you
don’t pay out money unnecessarily for Norton, McAfee,
etc., as I am usually able to find excellent products that
cost nothing. If it is time to update your antivirus
software, or if your trial-ware on a new computer is
expiring, email me for a free download and save yourself
the typical annual subscription. This goes for
anti-spyware software too. Consider
running a manual scan every few months just in case your
virus checker’s automatic schedule gets bumped for some
reason. Virus and spyware attacks can be expensive, and
your periodic attention on this will save you money and
time.
Image Resizing—Many
of you have mastered the art of downsizing your images.
There are free products to do this both for Windows XP and
Windows Vista; contact me if you need one, or go to the
Downloads section of this website. Don’t be among
those who unknowingly send 10 megabyte images over email;
it’s a skill that takes less than 5 minutes to learn.
Surge Suppression—Purchasing
a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for $50 is excellent
insurance against power surges and blackouts. These are
usually more robust than a simple surge arrest power
strip. Most office stores will carry them, and you don’t
need to install the software that comes with it – just
plug in your computer, monitor, modem and/or router, and
you’re done. Don’t plug in printers and other
non-essential devices as they can drain the battery
unnecessarily.
Buying a new computer?
As of this letter, the minimum specs to shop for include
2GB (gigabytes) of RAM (but aim for 3 or 4 if you can), a
160GB hard drive, a 2GHz Intel Core2Duo processor and a
512MB video card. Get the best processor you can afford to
lengthen the life of your system, but don’t feel compelled
to pay a premium for the latest and greatest. Usually the
best values are a notch or three down from the top. Plan
on spending between $900 and $1,200 for a new system with
these specs.
Two Monitors—The
time has come for many of you to consider getting two
monitors, 19” or above. Most video cards have dual DVI
outputs (ask for that) which let you plug in two monitors
at once. Your Windows desktop will span across the two
side-by-side monitors. Multitasking becomes easier as you
don’t have to keep minimizing and maximizing your various
windows. Highly recommended if you are seeking optimum
working efficiency.
Email Backup—Many
of you already have a backup process. If not, do get in
touch with me. It’s a painful process to lose valuable
data. However, many backups are not catching email and
addresses automatically and need to be configured
depending on the email client you use (Outlook, Outlook
Express, Microsoft Mail, Thunderbird, etc.). Put this on
your checklist the next time your computer person comes
by.
Windows Vista—At
this point, it won’t be easy to get an XP system anymore
unless you buy an XP CD on Ebay or elsewhere. Microsoft
has stopped all XP sales and only a few computer
manufacturers will sell systems with XP on it. Vista runs
about 30% slower than XP, so you’ll need a pretty robust
machine to keep it running fast. All in all, Vista isn’t
so bad once you learn the nuances.
MagicJack
– There is a pretty amazing little hardware device that
can give you a working phone number for only $20 a year
with free long distance calls to the U.S. and Canada. The
MagicJack is slightly larger than a small box of matches,
plugs into a USB port, and has a phone jack on the other
end to plug in any standard phone. You get a local phone
number with it (in major cities at this point) and can
make all the long-distance calls you want. It’s an
excellent way to replace a second phone line, add a fax
line or just have a portable number to complement the
minutes you might be putting on your more expensive cell
number. It requires a running computer and broadband
internet connection to work. Go to
www.magicjack.com
for info or send an email to me with questions.
