CyberCoyote — June 1, 2009

NEWS and NOTES
Windows 7 RC

Microsoft has released their first (and likely last) "release candidate" for Windows 7 in preparation for final release. Microsoft will only say that they hope that will be in time for holiday PCs. Look for the final version on October 15, 2009.

I've been running Windows 7 RC here for three weeks now. My own results mirror the glowing reports I've read. I was happy with the Beta for Windows 7 on my five-year-old machine in AZ, and now the RC is near perfect for my two-year-old PC here in WA.

Windows 7 has big security advantages over XP. That's a major reason it works better for me. I'm running Windows 7 with a security setup that is simpler than what I needed for XP. The end result is better security, without the hesitation and aggravation that a comparable XP defense imposes.

I've only run into a couple of small problems using Windows 7. They're due to drivers and programs that suppliers haven't updated yet. Microsoft Update even found a new driver for my ATI graphics, so "Aero" is working fine. Windows 7 itself has been flawless.

The release candidate is free, but it turns into a pumpkin next year. I'll upgrade my main PCs with a licensed version before then though. You might want to try the RC yourself, but heed the words below from Microsoft:

 The RC is free and will be available at least through July 2009. However, because Microsoft isn't providing technical support for the RC, we strongly recommend that only experienced computer users sign up. How experienced? At minimum, you should be comfortable backing up a computer, formatting a hard drive, burning an ISO file to DVD, and installing an operating system from scratch. You should also be comfortable troubleshooting problems on your own.

[Download Windows 7 RC]
[Frequently asked questions]
[What's new in Windows 7]
[Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor -- is your computer ready?]
[How to install Windows 7]

Ancient history

This is how CyberCoyote looked nearly 5 years ago. Most of the links still work because the Wayback Machine also preserved the pages they point to. This old page may look waaay too wide on your screen. 800 by 600 pixels was pretty standard back then. I didn't know about designing for mega-resolutions like 1600 by 1200 pixels.

You can use the Wayback Machine to find other old pages too — if you can figure out an address (URL) that is close enough. For example, here's what Ford's website looked like at the turn of the century, before the troubles began.

TECH TOPICS
Move your email

Is this you? You're putting up with an old email account because you're reluctant to take on the task of moving your messages and contacts to a new account. Or maybe you would like to consolidate two or three email accounts into one. But breaking up is hard to do. As Google said, "It's like getting out of a relationship."

Well, it's not as hard as it might seem though. There are some nice online tools that make it relatively easy. For example, Google is making it easy to switch (may not show up in your account for a while) from standard Yahoo Mail or other accounts to Gmail, and bring your old stuff with you. A related article shows you how to switch into and out of other kinds of accounts, including Hotmail, Yahoo!, and many ISP accounts.

Google had this to say on May 13th about when the migration tool will show up in your account: "You'll know it's on for your account when you see the Accounts and Import tab (formerly just called Accounts) under Settings."

There's an alternative that you might like. MailStore is a slick program [free] for backing up messages from many kinds of programs and accounts. Use it to download your old messages from accounts you want to abandon. As a bonus, it is easier to find and read your old messages in the MailStore archive than it was in their original location.

Netbooks

Last month I wrote about All-in-One computers, which lie between Laptops and PCs in terms of usability, portability and price. You've probably heard about netbooks too. They're more portable and considerably lower in price than notebooks or laptops. Just the thing for surfing from your couch.

PCWorld has an informative article on How to Buy a Netbook, along with a set of reviews on the Top 10 Netbooks, plus more information. I think they've got netbooks sized up pretty well.

If you hold out until the holidays, you'll probably see netbooks with better CPUs, and running Windows 7. More ultra-thin laptops will be available too, some of them costing only a couple of hundred dollars more than netbooks.

SECURITY
Patch those programs

It used to be that keeping Windows patched was the only thing that was critical. Cyber criminals now target programs that connect online — browsers, email clients, security software, instant messaging programs, media players — and also programs that open attachments — Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Adobe Reader, photo viewers, etc.

I use Secunia's (free) "Personal Software Inspector" (PSI) to monitor all my programs, so I can update them as soon as an update is available. [how to use] [Secunia Forum]

ODDS and ENDS
Spokane duck day 2009

Spokane's goofy momma mallard did it again. She picked the same concrete awning, twelve feet up on Sherwood Savings, for her nest. After a few weeks, on Friday, May 15, a dozen ducklings appeared.

They were ready to leap to the sidewalk early Saturday morning. That didn't work out well last year until a loan officer helped out. Joel Armstrong was on the sidewalk again to catch the new brood. After they were all down, momma mallard lead them to safety on the river two blocks away. The newspaper documented the drama in a slide show and published a story for your enjoyment.

Geography lesson

I know many of you have traveled to a majority of the states. But how long has it been since you brushed up on your geography? If you can start this USA map puzzle at Level 3, and finish it in less than 3 minutes, then I'll be impressed. It must have been 65 years since I last tried one of these.

What's in a name?

A Kissimmee Utility lineman received a severe shock at an electrical substation in Florida, and was hospitalized in stable condition. His name? Robert Crisp.

That's all, folks.