My PC Consultant News

Come out of the darkroom and go digital
With a little training, the tools in Windows can help you view, organize, edit, share, and print your digital pictures.
Want prettier pictures?
Find the help you need to take and edit pictures like a pro in this digital photo guide.
6 tips to taking better pictures of the great outdoors
Award-winning photographer Kevin Gilbert shares some simple techniques you can use to take your outdoor photography to the next level.

Finding files that don't want to be found
Use Advanced Search in Windows Vista for hard-to-find files.
Set up and maintain Windows Vista
Find out how to set up the new features in Windows Vista to keep them running smoothly.
Sluggish system? Rev it up
Try Windows ReadyBoost, and use removable storage space to speed up your computer.

Ready for some real, and practical, Mac advantages? Here are a few reasons to consider making the switch.

Contrary to Microsoft marketing honcho David Webster's snarky recent assertion, Macs aren't "washed with unicorn tears" -- at least as far as I know. However, lots of extremely rational reasons exist to choose a Mac running OS X over a Windows PC. Macs can leave you happier and more productive than you would have been if you'd bought a Windows system, and feeling you got good value for your money even though a Mac is never the cheapest option.

I'm no hidebound advocate for the supremacy of Macs in every instance -- the last two computers I've bought have both been Windows laptops, and I cheerfully and sincerely wrote an article called Eight Reasons Your Next Computer Should be a PC to accompany this one. But when friends toss the eternal "PC or Mac?" question my way, these are the points I bring up in favor of the Mac. They're listed in rough order of their positive impact on your everyday computing experience as I see it.


1. Macs are consistently consistent.

Windows Vista reminds me of the legendarily inexplicable Winchester Mystery House -- a place with endless wings and far-flung rooms connected by twisty staircases and secret passages. And every time Microsoft does a redecorating job (also known as an upgrade), it moves some stuff around for no apparent reason. OS X's logical, minimalist interface simply involves fewer things that must be learned and relearned, and Apple messes less with it in new releases such as Leopard. Bottom line: It's easier to get stuff done.


2. The joy of predictability.

Anyone who's ever suffered the indignity known as a Kernel Panic knows that Macs aren't bulletproof. But logging thousands of hours both on Windows PCs from multiple manufacturers and on Macs has convinced me that the average Mac is meaningfully less flaky than the average PC. In my experience Macs crash less, suffer from fewer inexplicable slowdowns, deal better with tight memory situations, and boot up and shut down quicker and more reliably. I don't pretend to have all the answers why, but it presumably doesn't hurt that Apple is the only company in the business that writes its own operating system and designs its own hardware.


3. Who needs security headaches?

If the Internet's bad guys ever decide to pummel OS X with the same intensity that they've pounded on Windows for years, the free ride for Mac fans may end. But for now, this fact is indisputable: A Mac owner who uses no security software at all runs less risk of being infected by spyware or a virus than a Windows user who obsessively protects his or her PC. In the last week alone, two Windows-using pals have been crippled by attacks; I've never heard even one real-world horror story from a friend about a Mac security meltdown.


4. Crud, or the lack thereof.

Windows is an infinitely better operating system when it isn't smothered by the demoware, adware, and other unwantedware that so many PC manufacturers splay onto the Start menu, the desktop, and the System Tray. Macs are utterly free of such junk, as well as native-to-Windows irritations like word balloons burbling out of the System Tray, Windows Activation, and User Account Control. And while PC manufacturers sometimes fix things about Windows that weren't broken--take the inscrutable Wi-Fi utility that Lenovo bolts onto Windows Vista--Apple wrote OS X in the first place. You can't tamper with your own OS.


5. Details count.

You can buy a perfectly pleasing Windows PC that matches a Mac's CPU speed, RAM, hard-drive space, and other specs for a lot less money. But it won't have an AC adapter with hooks that let you wrap up the cord for travel, or a MagSafe connector that won't get damaged if it's accidentally yanked out of the computer. It won't have an oversized touchpad with multitouch gestures that help you navigate through documents and around the Web. And it will likely be heavier and bulkier than a comparable Mac. Next time I encounter a Microsoft executive tsk-tsking about the onerous "Apple Tax" imposed by a Mac's needless glitz, I'm tempted to ask him what car he drives--and whether he chose the model with the cloth seats and hand-cranked windows, or one with a few creature comforts.


6. Apple is one of the world's best software companies.

Forget about all those Macs, iPods, and iPhones for a moment: Apple's applications are useful, enjoyable, and innovative, from the iLife creativity suite (whose presence on every new Mac is in itself an argument for the platform) to industrial-strength tools such as Final Cut Pro. Most run only on OS X. (The Windows versions of iTunes, Safari, and QuickTime are okay, but Apple does its best work on its own operating system and hardware.)


7. The Apple Store's Genius Bar rocks.

Buy a Mac, and you qualify for free in-person technical support from a patient rep with a deep knowledge of your system. I've had Geniuses do everything from reinstall my OS to replace broken keys on the spot. Microsoft has announced plans to train "Windows Gurus" to provide similar customer care at other retailers; it's worth trying, but there's no way it's going to replicate the Genius Bar experience. There are simply too many PCs from too many companies running too many variations on Windows for any one person to be an expert on everything.


8. Hey, Macs are PCs.

By which I mean that Leopard's Boot Camp feature--and better yet the Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion virtualization utilities--let you run Windows, and Windows applications, on a Mac. (I do it myself on my Macs to use such Windows-only apps as TurboTax Business, as well as Office 2007, which I prefer to Microsoft's Mac version of Office.) I'm listing this last because I ultimately see running Windows on a Mac as a last resort: It's usually not necessary, and it degrades some of the other virtues of the Mac, such as protection from Windows security risks. But when it's valuable, it's really valuable.

Identity theft has been around for a while, but the cost to consumers has risen since criminals have gone online. This article summarizes everything you need to know about online fraud: common types of scams, how to prevent a scam from happening to you, what you should do if you see suspicious activity, and how to report possible fraud. Plus, learn six common signs of a scam.

For the past four decades, Star Trek has been influencing and predicting new gadgets and technologies. How close are we to Trek-inspired phasers, tricorders, and invisibility cloaks?
View the slideshow

New technologies threaten to render pointing and clicking obsolete. Here's a gallery of alternatives to the mouse.
View the slideshow

Apple's 17-inch MacBook Pro is the thinnest and lightest notebook in its category, and the system is well-engineered and powerful. It also boasts up to 8 hours of battery life--a very good thing given that the battery is built-in. All of this earns the MacBook Pro eWEEK Labs' Analyst's Choice award.
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As Microsoft delivers its Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) operating system to the public on May 5, company partners weigh in on the impact of the new platform to their products and customers. Microsoft is relying on some 10,000-plus partners to help promote Windows 7 to customers.
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Microsoft smartly used the Windows 7 Release Candidate release to MSDN and TechNet to prelaunch the new operating system.
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A speed test reveals that many of the performance boosts expected from Windows 7 may not be noticeable. But there are some areas where the new OS is significantly better. More>>
5/8/2009 5:00:00 AM By: Nick Mediati

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Brutal botnet steals data from 180,000 hacked computers

 

The Release Candidate of Windows 7 will be open for download by developers April 30 and for the general public on May 5. The update from Microsoft signals that a final version of the operating system will be available very soon.
4/27/2009 12:06:00 PM By: IDG News Service

Imagine being able to view your photos in a three-dimensional space. Now you can with Photosynth.

See suggestions about which files to back up - starting with those that would be hard to re-create.

Use our Password Checker to test the strength of your passwords, and get tips for making them stronger.

Learn why Web sites put cookies on your computer - and why that's okay.

Take these steps before you begin to help ensure you don't accidentally get viruses or spyware, too.

If you've installed all the latest security updates, your computer is probably not infected. Visit Microsoft Update to verify your settings and check for updates. If you can't access Microsoft Update, go to http://safety.live.com and scan your system.

Choosing a publisher

Online publishers provide a variety of options, from pocket-sized to paperback and hardcover books. Each charges a proportionate fee depending on the size, stock, and number of pages you require, and pricing plans differ for each publisher. Many online vendors offer custom publishing solutions. For example, some publishers even offer full-page photo spread formats, which can create a dramatic effect.

Some publishers offer print-on-demand (POD) services, while others include copies of your book in the initial retainer. A few even give you an ISBN number so you can sell your creations.

Optional editing and layout services are also available. Prefer going hands-on? Create your own cover, rotate or adjust pages, and plot out the entire manuscript. If you're short on time, let the professionals do it for you. Many publishers also give you the ability to add captions to your pictures.

Book publishers

In the end, only you can decide which option works best. Take a look at the some of the publishers that offer custom book making, and decide which one is right for you. Follow their step-by-step instructions for creating your custom book project, and then sit back and wait for the finished product to arrive.

Shutterfly

www.shutterfly.com

You can create professional-looking photo books with Shutterfly’s easy-to-use Web site. Shutterfly offers a variety of book styles, covers, and layouts to fit your project. You can choose a hardcover coffee-table style book, a soft-cover book, or a spiral-bound book. These make great gifts to celebrate a special occasion or commemorate a vacation.

MyPublisher

www.mypublisher.com

MyPublisher offers easy-to-use online tools and user-friendly publishing options with a variety of material choices. Creating basic picture books or oversized hardcover compositions filled with gorgeous, high-resolution pictures is easy with MyPublisher's proprietary BookMaker software.

AuthorHouse

www.authorhouse.com

Turn your visual essay, professional portfolio, or photographic journal into a color paperback.

Trafford Publishing

www.trafford.com

Ever wished you could work as a children's author? Dream no more. Send in your artwork and watch it become a beautiful picture book that kids of all ages will adore.

BookSurge

www.booksurgepublishing.com

A division of Amazon.com, this company lets you print any type of manuscript in marvelous color. Decorate your creation with plug and play designs, fonts, and templates.

Xlibris

www.xlibris.com

Cookbooks, catalogues, comics, graphic novels—this site's picture book program caters to all customers. Any sort of picture-based content is fair game as long as it's between 24 and 80 pages in length.

Web addresses can change, so you might be unable to connect to the Web site or sites mentioned here.

The sheer number of desktops, laptops, and servers running Windows makes them an easy and readily available target for malware writers and spammers. Assessment of an organization's requirements for protection against viruses, spyware, Trojans, and worms has therefore tended to concentrate on the Windows environment. Meanwhile, the network security risk arising from unprotected non-Windows computers has sometimes been downplayed or overlooked altogether. The fact that most malware continues to be written for Windows computers encourages the argument that investment in protection for non-Windows computers at the endpoint is unnecessary. So why, then, is it important for organizations to protect non-Windows computers?
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Despite current iPhone limitations, Skype 1.0.1 for Apple iPhone performed well in eWEEK Labs' tests, providing most of Skype's functionality--including instant message chats, presence and profile editing--on Wi-Fi, EDGE or (most likely) 3G. Voice calls are limited to Wi-Fi, but that can be a plus, depending on network coverage in your area.
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When you have looked at a video and you want to return to other things without having the video and sound running in the background, simply click the close application button (X) at the top right of the screen see figure 1

Figure 1

Microsoft will provide free or discounted Windows 7 upgrades not only to users who buy Vista PCs between June 2009 and January 2010, but also to people who buy a system that's been factory-downgraded to Windows XP, according to a report on the Web