tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35022584151431010992024-02-19T07:36:15.334-08:00Murtaza Biggy's BlogMurtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-31894094464964790542010-01-08T09:48:00.000-08:002010-01-08T09:48:25.410-08:00BlackBerry V/S iPhone (Part 2)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Continued........</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHClNgo2Zd9h8NTOpE3SYmO7dCZENQItCcVxtzo3xRy5PwWdFAYRcMUD0_oFr_nToefxSfEsrxeBwjDy-krzUakU_N9V2yctFObj-K0-6ehU4Mvdc49pEr0E9QnFTX3hpBmhj7I0apQMaH/s1600-h/iphone_home.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHClNgo2Zd9h8NTOpE3SYmO7dCZENQItCcVxtzo3xRy5PwWdFAYRcMUD0_oFr_nToefxSfEsrxeBwjDy-krzUakU_N9V2yctFObj-K0-6ehU4Mvdc49pEr0E9QnFTX3hpBmhj7I0apQMaH/s320/iphone_home.gif" /></a><br />
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</div><div><b><span style="color: #000099;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">The iPhone</span></u></span></b></div><div><br />
</div><div>The iPhone is a brand of phone that is designed by Apple. The same Apple company that designs iPods. Apple announced the iPhone in 2007. And it immediately grew in hype, because everyone was expecting a killer phone especially because they already had a killer media player (iPod). iPhone started its sales in June 2007. And immediately it was awarded Time Magazine's Invention of the Year award in 2007. So far only 3 models of iPhones have been in the market and it already captures 50% of the American smartphone market. The iPhone is a fully touch oriented phone, with no keypad.</div><div><br />
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</div><div><b><u>So what is so magical about the iPhone?</u></b></div><div>The biggest advantage the iPhone has over its competitor is its Operating System / User Interface. Apple has simplified the way you interact with your mobile. All the settings and features are well laid out. Even a first time handler of the phone can get used to the phones interface in minutes. And the user interface is smooth and fluid. Navigating your phone makes it much more fun than a normal menu based smart phone.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>So the Interface is only good. Nothing exceptional?</u></b></div><div>The most exceptional feature of the iPhone is its Application base. As of today, the Apple Store has 101,635 applications for its iPhone. With applications that increase productivity, some very good looking games , and some down right funny applications for occasional laughs. There are some functionality adding applications as well and these applications will enable many new functionality that the iPhone didn't have when you bought it.</div><div>For Example;</div><div>It has a magnifying app, which uses the camera to magnify objects or text.</div><div>It has a barcode scanner app</div><div>It has a remote app that lets you control your computer from the phone via WiFi</div><div><br />
</div><div>Apart from that, the iPod service, which is so popular for music lovers, is embedded into the phone. So you have a phone and an iPod in 1 device.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Can the iPhone retrieve my E-Mails like the BlackBerry?</u></b></div><div>If you are using a web based mail like Gmail and Hotmail, then you can retrieve your mails just like the BlackBerry. But you will have to configure the internet manually in any country that you visit so as to have access to the mails. Unless if your network supports roaming of data services, then you will not need to re configure.</div><div><br />
</div><div>If you are using a corporate solution then the iPhone is not so easy to configure in the corporate environment. Its only possible if your company uses Microsoft exchange server as their E-Mail server. Anything else, and the iPhone cannot receive the emails.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Interesting, How about Movies?</u></b><br clear="all" />With a large 3.5" LCD screen which displays 16Million colors. Movie watching is extremely enjoyable. But its only 3.5". So its mostly helpful to travelers or places where there is no electricity and you want to enjoy a few movies to kill the time. It has definitely helped me during blackouts in Dar.</div><div><br />
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</div><div><b><u>Why doesn't the iPhone loose its value like other phones in the market?</u></b></div><div>As i mentioned earlier, the iPhone is a software oriented phone. 3 Years ago, with the first iPhone, it came with the iPhone Operating System v1.0. Today the current Operating System version is 3.1. BUT you can install v3.1 on the old iPhone. Making your 3 year old iPhone as good as the latest iPhone. Apart from a few hardware upgrades. The new iPhones aren't that much NEW! Hence the old phones don't drop in price.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>So the iPhone it is..?</u></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: red;">NOT REALLY </span></i></b>The iPhone has its downsides. </div><div><br />
</div>1. E-Mailing and Internet solutions aren't as great as a BlackBerry.<br />
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<div>2. The phone needs you to install their own iTunes software to be able to put songs, pictures, applications.<br />
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</div><div>3. Most of the important applications will cost 1 dollar.<br />
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</div><div>4. The large screen is likely to scratch or break easily if not careful.<br />
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</div><div>5. The Camera is the worst i have seen in a smart phone.<br />
<br />
</div><div>6. The reception is sometimes very unstable. I get 1 or 2 bars in places where my nokia gives me full signal<br />
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</div><div>7. The battery life is very poor. A power use who browses, calls, texts will have to re-charge the phone everyday. I have to recharge it twice a<br />
day.</div><div><br />
</div><div>8. It only has a built in Disk. No external memory is supported. So if you drop your iPhone and damage the disk, you are out of luck.<br />
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</div><div>9. The iPhone is only available in contracts in selected countries. And if you need an unlocked version, you either pay a High premium for a sim free phone, or get it illegally unlocked to support all other networks.<br />
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</div><div><b><u><span style="color: red;">Summary :</span></u></b> The iPhone is a very nice multimedia phone. Focussed for people who browse the internet alot as the large touch screen makes browsing really enjoyable. And those who want a phone that can hold their music and movies collection so they can listen and watch at their leisure.</div><div><br />
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</div></div>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-18708336919351839552010-01-07T05:22:00.000-08:002010-01-07T05:26:42.277-08:00Hands on 27" iMac from a Windows Convert!<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hello all,<br />
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I come from a Windows Background. Been using the Windows all my life. Hated Mac users, thought they were just spoilt rich kids paying over the roof for something you would get cheaper in the PC world.<br />
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Then i got fed up of my home built Quad core , 8 GB machine. It was a powerful system , by every time i tried to edit a large sized movie, it would hang on me. And i always kept my windows in tip top shape with optimizing and cleaning weekly. So i realized what good is a high end computer, when it wouldn't let me do multimedia editing. I had NEVER moved the mouse on an OSX, But i still decided to sell and get a Mac. It would give me a chance to explore OSX and prove my point that Mac is NOT superior to Windows.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So i bought this beauty.</span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="http://www.biggyujenzi.com/DSC01922.JPG" width="400" /><br />
<a href="http://www.biggyujenzi.com/DSC01922.JPG">Enlarge</a><br />
27" Apple iMac<br />
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One word <b>A.W.E.S.O.M.E!!!</b><br />
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Once i unboxed the machine, i was blown away by the build quality of the machine. its all Aluminum, it smelt so good!<br />
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It was large , much larger than my 22" HP monitor. And when i powered it up, i went through the intro video and just stared at the screen for a brief moment in disbelief at the beautiful quality and picture. I then realized what i junk monitor i was using before.<br />
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So after using this baby for 2 weeks now, i decided to write my views and hands on from a complete newbie in terms of Mac/OSX.<br />
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<b><u>I LIKE</u></b><br />
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1.The Screen, The Screen, and….The Screen<br />
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2. I can do anything with it from the word go, manage my photos, view pdf, back up, edit movies etc etc . All from the start , without any installs.<br />
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3. I love the Magic Mouse, with the BetterTouchTool, its made the mouse amazing. I have fairly large hands, and i don't find it inconvenient.<br />
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4. The table is so clutter free, i come from a PC which had wires all around on the table.<br />
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5. i salute the person who had the idea of Time Machine. Its like a baby can recover their files in an instant.<br />
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6. I really enjoy Front Row, i had been using my mouse on my lap whenever i wanted to watch a movie on a PC, and go to the desktop every time i wanted to change a movie. With front row and the apple remote. Its click click!<br />
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7. The System Preferences is very well arranged, it didn't take me long to master all the settings i could change. Its not like Control Panel, where you have to move around to find a particular setting.<br />
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8. Expose + Magic Mouse = Time saved. Its so easy, tap 2 fingers and u have all your open windows.<br />
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9. Spaces = i never agreed to the idea of different desktops when i was in windows, i always closed the windows when wanted to do something else. Space is a new thing, and i am starting to use it more often<br />
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10. Hardware and Software from the same company, means no driver issues. In windows after a clean install, id have to waste time installing drivers.<br />
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11. I can run windows for whenever i need to use some programs made for win. Nice!<br />
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12. Its really easy to install applications.<br />
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13. Boots and Shuts down so fast.<br />
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<b><u>I DONT LIKE</u></b><br />
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1. The Finder doesn't allow cut / paste? WHY? - I know Pathfinder, but im still talking about the OSX built in softwares!<br />
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2. The Finder doesn't let me view my Documents folder in a layout where the Folders on top with order and the files below with order.<br />
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3. iPhoto, why doesn't iphoto have better folder management of pictures?<br />
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4. Why cant i have favicons in bookmarks bar in safari.<br />
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5. Applications don't close them when i close them. Im not stupid, when i say closed…CLOSE it please!<br />
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6. Why cant i open a text file on the desktop, i have got so accustomed to this feature in windows. I use it very often.<br />
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7. When i open a picture in Preview, i cannot see the other pictures in the folder by clicking next, i have to open another picture manually. Seriously???<br />
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I guess so far this is it….<br />
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<b><i>To those who are reading this article and thinking of converting to the Mac Side, take the jump. And you wont regret it. </i></b><br />
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You definitely get , what you pay for.<br />
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Thankfully i have not got a cracked screen, noisy HDD or screen flickering. I cant seem to notice any yellow tinge, and i will not run any tests on it to find it either.<br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><i>"You cant go looking at flaws on your honeymoon right?"</i></b><br />
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</span>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-22532437875479012542010-01-06T00:14:00.000-08:002010-01-06T00:14:40.051-08:00BlackBerry V/S iPhone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3IcgUZPmzW2TOkJNUL215H0kbK4KTNiplW_uwPa0dFg_RUHylB9Nsd4jEzPn-03Ys7VeF1juV67cSEO-9un2tKWIoTx_xtFvdx4qyJgkcCzPLAwUOlLjk2w05-pxjERZxTHY4OkI3sMf/s1600-h/bbvsiphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3IcgUZPmzW2TOkJNUL215H0kbK4KTNiplW_uwPa0dFg_RUHylB9Nsd4jEzPn-03Ys7VeF1juV67cSEO-9un2tKWIoTx_xtFvdx4qyJgkcCzPLAwUOlLjk2w05-pxjERZxTHY4OkI3sMf/s320/bbvsiphone.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Dear Readers, </span><br />
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</div><div>During my holiday break, many people saw me browsing through my iPhone and asked me a question, why don't you use the Blackberry. And many even asked me, i have a Blackberry, what benefits will the iPhone give me. I'll try to give you just the basic advantages of both these devices so that you can make an informed decision the next time you plan to buy it.</div><div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23Fcqqhxt9EpvVGNeLASzOU0h7D_OFXhVUId4S8Od3HdRDw6Vo2m0xUjMaLlrVimME7XIoZ4_P2aewKQcB8zlRT1zjP_2fbIWQ8Fvc55r6azQt1Sg6pD7AEpJOLk1m5mPmzRZ9HnSp6SZ/s1600-h/blackberry-bold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23Fcqqhxt9EpvVGNeLASzOU0h7D_OFXhVUId4S8Od3HdRDw6Vo2m0xUjMaLlrVimME7XIoZ4_P2aewKQcB8zlRT1zjP_2fbIWQ8Fvc55r6azQt1Sg6pD7AEpJOLk1m5mPmzRZ9HnSp6SZ/s320/blackberry-bold.jpg" /></a><br />
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</u></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>BlackBerry</u></span></span></b></div><div>Over the past few years Blackberries have taken a huge surge in market share, mostly because this phone is suited for the young generation who chat alot and meant for the business man who want their E-Mails to be delivered to them immediately wherever they maybe. This seems pretty convincing for anyone looking for a phone to buy the Blackberry. But remember, although you may buy a BlackBerry, your local cellphone service provider HAS to support BlackBerry services as well if you are to take full advantage of it. For example i remember a business man who brought a BlackBerry to me , and wanted to configure his E-Mail and Internet on it. But he came to me with a sim card from a network who did not provide blackberry services. The phone will work for calling and texting, but you will not be able to access Internet or Email. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>All Phones provide internet, why Black Berry?</u></b></div><div>The reason why businessman prefer a BlackBerry is because whenever he lands to any country that supports roaming on his sim card, he just lands and switches on his mobile and he is connected. Receiving his Email immediately. Likewise, he can just buy a simcard locally which provides BlackBerry services and be connected.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Why is everyone always texting on a BlackBerry, is it FREE?</u></b></div><div>Yes and No. </div><div>Although it may seem they are using the SMS service to text. They are not. They are actually using the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). BBM is a propriety messenger only supported on the BlackBerry over the BB service. You can add friends to your contact list using their BB Pin. All BBM users will have their own unique BB Pins. All BlackBerry owners can communicate using the BB Messenger for FREE. Anywhere in the world, you can send and receive messages from friends in your Messenger list for FREE instantly anytime anywhere. Nice isnt it?</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>How does BlackBerry sends/receive Mails so efficiently?</u></b></div><div>For those of us who use Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or any other web based emails. It is as simple as connecting your phone to the internet and it will fetch emails from your inbox at designated intervals using either Push or Pull service. Which honestly any phone can do as well.</div><div>The biggest use for the BlackBerry is in the corporate world. BlackBerry phones are integrated into the company's e-mailing system using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The working of this Service is quite complicated to explain in details, but in short what it does is that all mails that come in can be distributed to the employers using their designated pins. So if there was a meeting for which person X, Y and Z are to attend. Only they would receive a meeting memo to their BB.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>How does BlackBerry Handle multimedia?</u></b></div><div>BlackBerry is not well known for its multimedia prowess. With a small screen, and the resolution and color depth not matching the iPhone, BlackBerry is not for a person who watches movies or listens to songs. Its ideally meant for businessman. The BlackBerry does have a large touchscreen phone as well, but the color is not amazing to be able to enjoy movies on it.<br clear="all" /><br />
</div><div><b><u>Design, Functions , Features, Camera etc etc....</u></b></div><div>In terms of design, the BB is pretty consistent on it. Most of the BB has a QWERTY (full keyboard) and a small track ball. The phone looks sleek and makes you look sophisticated when you are using it. </div><div>Apart from that , i will not discuss functions or features on this article because the models differ. And this is article is not meant to be a review, but just to widen your knowledge about what the phenomenon called "BlackBerry" is.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u><span style="color: red;">Summary :</span></u></b> BlackBerry is an outstanding phone for businessman who travel to different countries And for those people who have many of their friends locally or internationally using BlackBerry. As the free messaging turns out to be a big money saver!.<br />
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</div><div><b><u><i>Next up....The iPhone...Soon.....</i></u></b></div><div><b><u><i><br />
</i></u></b></div>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-83654871041525517852010-01-04T08:36:00.001-08:002010-01-04T08:41:16.700-08:00Windows 7 Mini-Review (Part 2) - User Interface<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEYkkCoNNh-q2PufDTwCb-61Z4UZtKllC4G898iNPDwzK63IxmU3PbnUcc0ulJSvVzlHlV0-SPXY9QmQSogGntXE12Ehxj8lX_5Zv0SOSMz9fAcuU_snNL0tB_0q_efE6WjL38XCwJ1DM/s1600/windows_7_vienna_logo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEYkkCoNNh-q2PufDTwCb-61Z4UZtKllC4G898iNPDwzK63IxmU3PbnUcc0ulJSvVzlHlV0-SPXY9QmQSogGntXE12Ehxj8lX_5Zv0SOSMz9fAcuU_snNL0tB_0q_efE6WjL38XCwJ1DM/s320/windows_7_vienna_logo-1.jpg" /></a><br />
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Dear Readers, <br />
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If you have been using Windows Vista , you will be confused as to what Windows 7 has to offer in terms of User interface. Windows 7, looks mostly like Windows Vista. But there are a few upgrades which makes 7 a very user friendly OS. And it makes the workflow a smoother one for those who use computers on a daily base.<br />
When Vista was released, the looks were a positive upgrade over XP, but creating a highly graphical OS had its negative effects, which was its performance. So Microsoft tried their level best in tweaking the graphic stack, in which they succeeded and Windows 7 can finally be called Smooth n Sexy OS! <br />
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<strong><em>So what all makes Windows 7 "Smooth n Sexy"?</em></strong> <br />
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If you install Windows 7 yourself, the first glimpse of the desktop will be a clean and pristine crystal screen. With only the Recycle bin on the desktop. Of course Laptop/Desktop manufacturers who will bundle Windows 7 with their hardware are likely to add crap on your desktop, so the first look will vary from user to user. <br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-size: small;">The New Task Bar</span></u></strong> <br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IY28TFIKI/AAAAAAAACWw/oFPc3w-q4v0/s1600-h/taskbar%5B4%5D.jpg"><img alt="taskbar" border="0" height="16" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IY4C5mUiI/AAAAAAAACW0/CikMQJGqQ0w/taskbar_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline;" title="taskbar" width="413" /></a> <br />
This is the biggest change in Windows 7 over Vista. The Taskbar has been revamped to become a powerful, yet a simplified tool. The taskbar is the bar at the bottom of your screen where the Start button is located. <br />
The task bar in Windows 7 manages an application shortcut and currently running window on the same icon. This helps in keeping the taskbar tidy when you have many applications open and gives you quick access to opening your programs. <br />
The icon also provides a Quick View option, so you just hover your mouse over the icon and the open window will become visible to you on the screen. <br />
<div align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IY5FR-oLI/AAAAAAAACW4/mjQMgfQF_-I/s1600-h/quicklook%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="quicklook" border="0" height="136" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IY6otHS5I/AAAAAAAACW8/Xouqi5w6XAo/quicklook_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline;" title="quicklook" width="387" /></a> <br />
(Quick Look at Documents in the Taskbar)<br />
</div>The icons in the taskbar has a new feature called "Jump Lists". These are quick tasks which are relevant to their respective programs. For example if you have MSN Messenger icon on the taskbar, without opening the MSN window you can easily sign out, go away mode, or view options directly from the taskbar. <br />
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IY7sq48wI/AAAAAAAACXA/r0WlCr2WkZg/s1600-h/jumplists%5B2%5D.png"><img alt="jumplists" border="0" height="244" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IY85LNBBI/AAAAAAAACXE/achxoEvGFTs/jumplists_thumb.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="jumplists" width="164" /> </a><br />
<div align="center">(Jump Lists showing quick tasks in the Task Bar) <br />
</div>The task bar also has a revamped notification area. This is on the far right of your screen, where you see the volume and network button. Now you can assign which icon to be visible and which to be invisible. So you can have your taskbar clean and tidy. <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IY-Ko4qMI/AAAAAAAACXI/FfG255hk3W8/s1600-h/noti%5B2%5D.jpg"> <br />
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<img alt="noti" border="0" height="216" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IY_U6dfkI/AAAAAAAACXM/3eXDf2kQ9Es/noti_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="noti" width="244" /> </a><br />
<div align="center">(Notification Area) <br />
</div><strong><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Gadgets</u></span></strong> <br />
Gadgets are small floating programs which give you quick access to information. Like Clock, Calendar, Weather, News. This feature was already there in Vista, but it was part of a SideBar program. Hence if you wanted to add gadgets to your desktop, you would have to have sidebar open. Which takes up extra memory. In W7, The gadgets are standalone and can be added to the desktop. This reduces the memory usage and makes windows seem faster on computers with less RAM. <br />
<br />
<img alt="gadgets" border="0" height="244" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IZAZDkzsI/AAAAAAAACXQ/gNloweNw0Eg/gadgets_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="gadgets" width="131" /><br />
<div align="center">(Gadgets)<br />
</div><strong><u><span style="font-size: small;">Aero Peek</span></u></strong> <br />
This is a new feature added to improve your productivity. Aero Peek has 2 simple features; <br />
<br />
<strong><em>1. Desktop Peek :</em></strong> There is a small grey area on the bottom right of your screen, where you can just move your mouse over that area and ALL your open windows will turn transparent, and you can get a view of your desktop. <br />
<div style="height: 146.14%; width: 436px;"><img alt="peek" border="0" height="42" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IZBIFDjwI/AAAAAAAACXU/zjACzsTZjaA/peek_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="peek" width="198" /> <br />
</div><div align="center"><div align="left"><div align="center"><div align="left"><div align="center">(Desktop Peek can be enabled by hovering over the transparent box on the right) <br />
<br />
<strong><em>2. Application Peek :</em></strong> This will turn all other open windows transparent and only display the window you are currently trying to focus on. This is particularly helpful if you want to peek at a window without clicking on it. You just move your mouse over the open program icon, and it will display the window. <br />
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IZCbRwKlI/AAAAAAAACXY/znXIEJb1nf8/s1600-h/peek2%5B2%5D.jpg"><img alt="peek2" border="0" height="122" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IZDnKPnpI/AAAAAAAACXc/IpLwYpwOdzA/peek2_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline;" title="peek2" width="244" /></a> <br />
(Transparent Boxes are other open windows, but i am peeking at only the one i want to peek at)<br />
</div></div></div></div></div><strong><u><span style="font-size: small;">Aero Shake <br />
</span></u></strong>You take the top title bar of any window, and drag and shake the window, All other open windows will be minimize accept the window you are shaking. Its helpful when you have 20 windows open, and you only need to work with 1. You just shake that 1 window, and the other 19 windows will be minimized to the taskbar. Shake it again and they will return to its original state. <br />
<strong><u><span style="font-size: small;">Aero Snaps</span></u></strong> <br />
This is a feature that i have got so hooked to, that i cannot really work on Windows without it. <br />
Snap on Top :: Drag any window to the center of the screen and your window will be maximized. <br />
Snap to Sides :: Drag the window to the Far right of your screen and it will attach itself on the right occupying 50% of the screen. Same applies for dragging it to Left. This is VERY helpful if you want to work with 2 documents simultaneously with both sharing 50-50 of the screen. <br />
<strong><u><span style="font-size: small;">Aero Themes</span></u></strong> <br />
Windows 7 comes with a large variety of pre installed themes, with their own Wallpaper, Color Scheme and Sounds to match the theme you select. The themes are very well though of in terms of style. <br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IZEn1uJSI/AAAAAAAACXg/EeAgolSIH4k/s1600-h/themes%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="themes" border="0" height="87" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_omB5fXaVgz8/S0IZF0xD_DI/AAAAAAAACXk/qk3GwytpQpw/themes_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline;" title="themes" width="426" /></a> <br />
<strong><em><u>Coming Soon : Compatibility Mode and Windows XP Mode…….</u></em></strong>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-15872484730705675782009-12-01T10:37:00.000-08:002009-12-01T10:57:58.676-08:00Why use Liquid Cooling in Computers.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJerju1YDaN-HHlrqJYENQGmme50KiHebrvIhqZ3RvobAFCu62EUXLYzVirRY23AR1XdxKAn0oHs0VEzmigT5J1HQ0osctNkf6WTNuahgg1c8PFvBRrIsdc4TynJ6oVxh7epp8PjCSQYJ/s1600/n762345331_3802237_8163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJerju1YDaN-HHlrqJYENQGmme50KiHebrvIhqZ3RvobAFCu62EUXLYzVirRY23AR1XdxKAn0oHs0VEzmigT5J1HQ0osctNkf6WTNuahgg1c8PFvBRrIsdc4TynJ6oVxh7epp8PjCSQYJ/s320/n762345331_3802237_8163.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Dear Readers,</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><div><br />
</div><div>For the past 3 years, i have had a personal hobby to create high end desktops with Liquid Cooling System (LCS). Most of the people think LCS is just for bling bling effect, which is only half truth. LCS plays a major role in keeping my computer running smooth and stable by cooling it efficiently.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: auto;"><br />
</div><div>I will try me best to simplify this article as best as i can.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>What is Computer Cooling?</u></b><br />
</div><div>Computer Cooling is a way to keep your computer processor (the brain), cool. Because the processor is made up with millions of electric transistors which generate heat when operating. And faster processors mean more the transistors, hence extra heat generated. If the CPU is not kept at operable temperatures, then system failure is imminent and the lifetime of the CPU is drastically shortened. While there are many ways to cool the processor, the most common is Air-Cooling. For air-cooling, the processor comes in contact with a heat sink, which removes heat from the processor and transfer it to its aluminum block, and then on top of that bock is a fan, which removes heat from the heat sink. And the cycle continues, hence your CPU has less heat, and is operating at reasonable temperatures.<br />
</div><div>The main setback with air-cooling is that the fans are NOISY. And if your processor is running at maximum load, then the heat produced is high, and that results into fans running at its fastest speeds to remove the access heat. Another disadvantage of air-cooling is Dust. If the fans accumulate dust, it will not efficiently cool the processor.<br />
</div></span></span></span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a name='more'></a><b><u>So Why Liquid Cooling?</u></b><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<br />
<div>The thermal conductivity of liquid water is about 25x more than the air. Thermal conductivity is a property that describes how well it transfers heat. So obviously liquid has a huge advantage over air-cooling as it allows for much faster transfer of heat.<br />
</div><div>While air-cooling is acceptable with 99% of the computer users, there are some hardcore users who will need Liquid Cooling Systems. The reason they need to resort to such extreme cooling is because they are over-clocking the processor.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>What is Over-clocking (OC)?</u></b><br />
</div><div>Over-Clocking is a method by which the processors are made to run at higher speeds than it was designed to. Meaning if you bought an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 Ghz, by over-clocking the processor, you can make it run at 3.0 Ghz. Its not as simple as it sounds though. By over-clocking you will void your warranty, blow up your components if not careful with the voltage setting etc. And not every user will be able over-clock the processor because of the time and patience it takes to tinker with the BIOS.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>AGAIN, Why Liquid Cooling?</u></b><br />
</div><div>Now that you know what over-clocking is, it will be easier to explain this question. So there are computer enthusiasts that over-clock their processor, to get better performance and cheaper price.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>Now here is the scenario, lets ASSUME you bought a Core 2 Duo <span style="color: #3333ff;">2.2 Ghz</span> processor. The processor is rated to run @ 2.2 Ghz<br />
</div><div>Currently operating with Air-Cooling inside your computer, the processor's temperature is <span style="color: #009900;">50 degrees.</span><br />
</div><div>If you OVER-CLOCK it to <span style="color: #000099;">3.0Ghz</span>, meaning you are asking it to perform faster, the processor's temperature will rise up to<span style="color: red;"> 90 degrees </span>due to the increase calculations.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>The fan doesn't have enough capacity to cool this processor down. So you will have to resort to liquid cooling system.<br />
</div><div>By adopting LCS, the temperature of the over-clocked 3.0Ghz processor will be around <span style="color: #009900;">45 degrees. </span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #009900;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div>So if a Core 2 Duo 2.2 Ghz processor costs 200$<br />
</div><div>and a Core 2 Duo 3.0 Ghz processor costs 500$.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>You manage to save 300 $ by over-clocking your 2.2 to 3.0.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>How Does Liquid Cooling Work?</u></b><br />
</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MmfDOCqWHzzq1kI1lMuke14n7DeShpPnqL8HKqYqIWKYNj_qLWI6Qpg-iBiPpXJUFVvWPCHfOyNZbZto6cgXBXuBpgvHt_-ctG8gv4TzlVnLnpoo0fDrU3N5i_fk-eL_RZwMOrxjWXxO/s1600/lcs1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MmfDOCqWHzzq1kI1lMuke14n7DeShpPnqL8HKqYqIWKYNj_qLWI6Qpg-iBiPpXJUFVvWPCHfOyNZbZto6cgXBXuBpgvHt_-ctG8gv4TzlVnLnpoo0fDrU3N5i_fk-eL_RZwMOrxjWXxO/s200/lcs1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">CPU Block -</span></b> This is a copper based, hollow block, which contains liquid inside. Which is placed on top of your processor so heat can be transferred away from the CPU and to the water.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XyS0ms3ZRXMuI9wIRL5w_3jJEy5qR7c5YVxz2V7NX3HG0WlmQ3Y74NozL37SRQpTETNAGH3YB7oJ0dELWcPS31Wk3jLtKkWQjCX8Vm_AiV65Jq0KOETOjSfyJK9wRotf2fNUoQ0TLb3p/s1600/lcs2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XyS0ms3ZRXMuI9wIRL5w_3jJEy5qR7c5YVxz2V7NX3HG0WlmQ3Y74NozL37SRQpTETNAGH3YB7oJ0dELWcPS31Wk3jLtKkWQjCX8Vm_AiV65Jq0KOETOjSfyJK9wRotf2fNUoQ0TLb3p/s200/lcs2.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">Radiator -</span></b> This receives hot water from the Block, and cools it and sends out cooled water out from another outlet.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxO5iBC_2vKSjLmKKpP4rmpHMc6Lc1rqSU1KNmAt5yA2ovcIHHcqrKWI6Zvd-cZiVnCAYETBWOOz0xH8DStB7V7coGuPACK5sWvls0DhUTqdSlduLwfsKKn0uXpIHX80bLq50tZnBx5ca/s1600/lcs3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxO5iBC_2vKSjLmKKpP4rmpHMc6Lc1rqSU1KNmAt5yA2ovcIHHcqrKWI6Zvd-cZiVnCAYETBWOOz0xH8DStB7V7coGuPACK5sWvls0DhUTqdSlduLwfsKKn0uXpIHX80bLq50tZnBx5ca/s320/lcs3.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">Reservoir (TANK) -</span></b> This is where the cooled liquid is stored.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1v4Won5xblwgfdpg2I-JVnXoR1ZY13HjMNXbNgEMasErvRZr6ZTb7l1BZn6HJ5IY0AP7BV8ZzZoFYKw6n2A3zQGwhOv-TPBv6KhQME5XBTcrJU4294eprK09Nly-bxp0p9keHTst_ZTnN/s1600/lcs4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1v4Won5xblwgfdpg2I-JVnXoR1ZY13HjMNXbNgEMasErvRZr6ZTb7l1BZn6HJ5IY0AP7BV8ZzZoFYKw6n2A3zQGwhOv-TPBv6KhQME5XBTcrJU4294eprK09Nly-bxp0p9keHTst_ZTnN/s320/lcs4.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">Pump -</span></b> This does the process of taking cold water from the tank, and sending to the CPU Block, and then to the Radiator and then back to the Tank.<br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>So all these 4 components are connected in a loop using a tube/pipe like in the image below.</b><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-MW1SKHLvznQ0nDtACzD7G66625Nzkt4C238qgFRoACOQUhEHnVLNFWyxJoHcsn3aNBCNKGEFff9AtGa8a504umCnjwpqj0ZacUbshrIFHO9M1VGJmadMn-WN5NU7gt7H4AyLP-3Voiq/s1600/1533-galaxy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-MW1SKHLvznQ0nDtACzD7G66625Nzkt4C238qgFRoACOQUhEHnVLNFWyxJoHcsn3aNBCNKGEFff9AtGa8a504umCnjwpqj0ZacUbshrIFHO9M1VGJmadMn-WN5NU7gt7H4AyLP-3Voiq/s320/1533-galaxy.jpg" /></a><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">------------------------------<wbr></wbr>--------------------</span></b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">THIS ARTICLE IS BY NO MEANS TRYING TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO OVER-CLOCK or USE LIQUID COOLING. </span></b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">IT IS ONLY MEANT AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION AS TO WHY I OVER-CLOCKED AND USED LCS IN MY CUSTOM BUILDS.</span></b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By over-clocking you will void your processor warranty, might damage your cpu/ram/graphics card in the process of tinkering with the settings. And you may blow up your motherboard if you try to install an LCS and fail to check for leakages.</span></b><br />
</div></span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-73362985903184009642009-12-01T10:09:00.000-08:002009-12-02T04:50:30.488-08:00Windows 7 Mini-Review (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEYkkCoNNh-q2PufDTwCb-61Z4UZtKllC4G898iNPDwzK63IxmU3PbnUcc0ulJSvVzlHlV0-SPXY9QmQSogGntXE12Ehxj8lX_5Zv0SOSMz9fAcuU_snNL0tB_0q_efE6WjL38XCwJ1DM/s1600/windows_7_vienna_logo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEYkkCoNNh-q2PufDTwCb-61Z4UZtKllC4G898iNPDwzK63IxmU3PbnUcc0ulJSvVzlHlV0-SPXY9QmQSogGntXE12Ehxj8lX_5Zv0SOSMz9fAcuU_snNL0tB_0q_efE6WjL38XCwJ1DM/s320/windows_7_vienna_logo-1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div>Dear Readers,<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Windows 7 is a very large topic to write about, and it can certainly not be written in 1 day, and within 1 mail. so i am going to write this review in parts, as days go by, i will keep on mailing you the follow ups. I might not cover each and every detail of the OS, else it would take me almost a year to complete it, but i will definitely tell you about the points that matter.</span></span></b>.<br />
</div></div><a name='more'></a><b><i><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">History</span></u></b></span></i></b><br />
Almost 3 years ago, Windows Vista was officially launched to the world. That was after 5 years of successfully capturing the Operating System (OS) market with Windows XP. The changes were significant. It was a revolutionary upgrade from Win XP. By bringing in new graphical interface, upgraded networking stack. Enhanced security and other nifty features. The changes were all good. But what good are all those features when the OS is bloated, buggy and unstable. At start Vista received good reviews from computer enthusiasts who used Vista on a very high end computer. But as the market started adopting it, more and more people ran into problems. I will not discuss the issues here, as this is not a Vista review. After all the negativity surrounding Vista, Microsoft had to come back with a bang. They had to keep all the good features vista had, but make it stable and reliable. And Microsoft rose to the occasion beautifully with their latest OS, Windows 7 (Seven).<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Introduction</span></u></b><br />
</div><div>Windows 7, by comparison to Vista, is a more compelling version. By offering enhanced usability, dramatically better performance, and seamless compatibility with older hardware and software. The major reason of its stability is due to the fact that they released MANY test builds of Win7 to their beta testers. Microsoft released test releases to the testers, the testers used and reported problems and bugs with the new version on a weekly base. This helped Microsoft iron out all the troubles it had. It is safe to say that Microsoft has tested Windows 7 for almost 1 year before finally releasing their product. Win7 has been finely tuned to provide a better work environment to make you more productive in the time you spend on the PC by simplifying your common activities.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>Mind you, Windows 7 is not flawless. There are some minor problems , which i have been complaining to them since beta releases, have still not been sorted out in the final release of Windows 7. I will of course include my dislikes in this review.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>So lets begin !!<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Product Versions and Prices</u></span></b><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>When Vista was released, Microsoft burdened users with 6 different versions of Vista. This was a headache for people looking to buy the retail version of the OS. It was so much easier in the days of Windows XP, when we only had 2 version, Home Edition and Professional. Although Windows 7 has a total of 6 product editions. Not all of them will be available to end users like us. There are only 3 versions of Win 7 you can buy as a retail package or upgrade package. Most of the users in East Africa will only get their version pre-installed with their laptop or desktop. But this part is for those who want to buy the OS separately or want to buy an upgrade from their current Vista.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><div>Editions that <span style="color: red;"><b>DON'T</b></span> matter to us. And <span style="color: red;"><b>CANT</b></span> buy!<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><i><u>Windows 7 Start</u></i></b><br />
</div><div>This is Microsoft's lowest end and the cheapest model. This will probably be only bundled with low-end computers like the 9" Netbooks. And it is likely that it will not be available as a retail product.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><i><u>Windows 7 Home Basic</u></i></b><br />
</div><div>This will be sold in emerging markets like India only. And they will be bundled with low end laptops.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><i><u>Windows 7 Enterprise</u></i></b><br />
</div><div>This version will not be available to the general public. Only Microsoft's corporate partners will be getting the enterprise license.<br />
</div><div>-----------------------------<wbr></wbr>----------<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>Editions that we <b><span style="color: #33cc00;">CAN</span></b> buy as a retail product or upgrade.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Windows 7 Home Premium.</u></b><br />
</div><div><b>Retail CD : 200$</b><br />
</div><div><b>Upgrade CD : 120$</b><br />
</div><div>This is the version which 95% of all laptop manufacturers will bundle with their laptops. And probably this is the version which most of you readers will encounter in the future. This edition of Win 7 is targeted for most home and small scale business owners. With almost all of Win 7's major features installed in it. So if you are not buying a new laptop with Win 7 and want to enjoy the goodness of Win7, this is the version for you to buy<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Windows 7 Professional</u></b><br />
</div><div><b>Retail CD : 300$</b><br />
</div><div><b>Upgrade CD: 200$</b><br />
</div><div>This is targeted mostly at businesses that run a corporate network. It has key network oriented features like support for Active Directory, Remote Desktop, Automated Network Backup etc. If you are not part of a corporate network, then this version is probably an overkill and the extra price is not worth it for you.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Windows 7 Ultimate</u></b><br />
</div><div><b>Retail CD: 320$</b><br />
</div><div><b>Upgrade CD: 220$</b><br />
</div><div>This is the BIG DADDY of Windows 7. It has all the features that Win 7 can offer. Including features only available in the Professional category. But the extra features that this edition offers is really not worth the extra 120 $ you are going to pay for. The added feature is called Bitlocker. Which is a disk encryption tool. Not worth the extra $$$ in my opinion.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>It is clear, in my opinion, anyone who wants to purchase Windows 7 separately. The best and most logical option would be to choose<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3333ff;"><b>Windows 7 Home Premium.</b></span></span><br />
</div><div><br />
</div></div><div><b><i>Part 2 : Coming Soon.......</i></b><br />
</div></span>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-52276679519997404402009-12-01T04:13:00.000-08:002009-12-01T07:18:18.710-08:00What is an iPod?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXjbZRtwsjQOq9sfX4AXQu8e7kgBhoLYxIZyhF7XN0Z-MQqXFSoPrPulBiV1Hhu1ATjHmmvwzD27sqnFVncnmY6wyfQWH2akauDzN6VQqLvVTRRBNidqn2JjlJtW9QNR8IGFZde9Viacn/s1600/ipods_special_event_20070905.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410240382452246866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXjbZRtwsjQOq9sfX4AXQu8e7kgBhoLYxIZyhF7XN0Z-MQqXFSoPrPulBiV1Hhu1ATjHmmvwzD27sqnFVncnmY6wyfQWH2akauDzN6VQqLvVTRRBNidqn2JjlJtW9QNR8IGFZde9Viacn/s320/ipods_special_event_20070905.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 218px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div>Dear Readers,<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>How often have you heard the word iPod. Your kids tell you, they want an iPod, your friend tells you he has an iPod...iPod,iPod,iPod. But what is an iPod?<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>People usually make a mistake when using the name iPod, they often call every MP3 (Media Player) an iPod. An MP3 player is a digital format music player.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>iPod is a <b><span style="color: red;">BRAND</span></b> of portable media players which is sold by a company called Apple. There are many companies that make portable media players, like Microsoft have their brand called Zune. Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, Creative, all these companies make Portable Media Players or MP3 Players, but they are NOT called an iPod. It is like in the days of Walkmans. Every portable audio cassette player was being called a Walkman. But that was not correct. Walkman was a brand named by Sony. And iPod is a brand named by Apple.<br />
</div><a name='more'></a><b><i>Varieties of iPod.</i></b><br />
<br />
<div>There are 4 flavors of iPod you can buy.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUqsJhhlVJnc6cLw-VassDCgAUNhUSF4WFwYAOy7FAu-Fb214ajJLnEuTbRvPsscIY3WuFDay1_gbmjabmOjuoptlsSyP_tgOIPhJ4VHfhyphenhyphenJLbtqLTg6ZwTugoHX3JVBhYcXpITerMIt2/s1600/shuffle.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410242251092242802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUqsJhhlVJnc6cLw-VassDCgAUNhUSF4WFwYAOy7FAu-Fb214ajJLnEuTbRvPsscIY3WuFDay1_gbmjabmOjuoptlsSyP_tgOIPhJ4VHfhyphenhyphenJLbtqLTg6ZwTugoHX3JVBhYcXpITerMIt2/s200/shuffle.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 100px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUqsJhhlVJnc6cLw-VassDCgAUNhUSF4WFwYAOy7FAu-Fb214ajJLnEuTbRvPsscIY3WuFDay1_gbmjabmOjuoptlsSyP_tgOIPhJ4VHfhyphenhyphenJLbtqLTg6ZwTugoHX3JVBhYcXpITerMIt2/s1600/shuffle.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>iPod Shuffle : For the portable minded, comes in sizes 2GB and 4GB<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tGzPCEyfforphjMs_amaqzmS0x9S-ymDCGpuuCQl808GP-Zsisd5xrxEWy6y5Z6KnQAJO1-987nSZVWoO57UHlu6urcvLi-XFKOyK9-jG5RPdBZmsTQnBgGjxFT2fPBuU2ZjC9_F9SMp/s1600/nano.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410242245110028338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tGzPCEyfforphjMs_amaqzmS0x9S-ymDCGpuuCQl808GP-Zsisd5xrxEWy6y5Z6KnQAJO1-987nSZVWoO57UHlu6urcvLi-XFKOyK9-jG5RPdBZmsTQnBgGjxFT2fPBuU2ZjC9_F9SMp/s200/nano.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 188px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tGzPCEyfforphjMs_amaqzmS0x9S-ymDCGpuuCQl808GP-Zsisd5xrxEWy6y5Z6KnQAJO1-987nSZVWoO57UHlu6urcvLi-XFKOyK9-jG5RPdBZmsTQnBgGjxFT2fPBuU2ZjC9_F9SMp/s1600/nano.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>iPod Nano : For those who need portability , but with a screen . Comes in 8GB and 16GB<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDV6-65ZY0fqGgTsbFSsS5f57YKkdL3Dk_xAmxNvXqiMn2VkC84T1Ey37fOhEfao-lg6bPywimEMdk6yix5SuvBPlm5w9lSCXF9JE405WBM3z-y_OAU-bFfqgpiawWGDyCSF36rrT6ma0/s1600/classic.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410242239429092738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDV6-65ZY0fqGgTsbFSsS5f57YKkdL3Dk_xAmxNvXqiMn2VkC84T1Ey37fOhEfao-lg6bPywimEMdk6yix5SuvBPlm5w9lSCXF9JE405WBM3z-y_OAU-bFfqgpiawWGDyCSF36rrT6ma0/s200/classic.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 200px; width: 180px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDV6-65ZY0fqGgTsbFSsS5f57YKkdL3Dk_xAmxNvXqiMn2VkC84T1Ey37fOhEfao-lg6bPywimEMdk6yix5SuvBPlm5w9lSCXF9JE405WBM3z-y_OAU-bFfqgpiawWGDyCSF36rrT6ma0/s1600/classic.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>iPod Classic : For those who want all their songs on the go. Comes in 160GB<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4_oHJqrcj_45fdmUFraTM1pn5FUdjZu8SYd23jfkYv2rwPsEmwFkrGlV_-d7eV8dp_EMgvIcgRpNPatd5A_NPSdE2F5breJVGMXmxecNHkHggoCV2LGePBtNq6yyDzuTMQES_NuYOoZx/s1600/touch.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410242254323977026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4_oHJqrcj_45fdmUFraTM1pn5FUdjZu8SYd23jfkYv2rwPsEmwFkrGlV_-d7eV8dp_EMgvIcgRpNPatd5A_NPSdE2F5breJVGMXmxecNHkHggoCV2LGePBtNq6yyDzuTMQES_NuYOoZx/s200/touch.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 200px; width: 152px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4_oHJqrcj_45fdmUFraTM1pn5FUdjZu8SYd23jfkYv2rwPsEmwFkrGlV_-d7eV8dp_EMgvIcgRpNPatd5A_NPSdE2F5breJVGMXmxecNHkHggoCV2LGePBtNq6yyDzuTMQES_NuYOoZx/s1600/touch.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>iPod Touch : A Large touchscreen, ideally for watching movies. Comes in 8GB, 32GB, 64GB<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Why did iPod become so famous.</u></b><br />
</div><div>The major reason for iPod to gain market popularity was because of their hardware design and software simplicity on the iPod. Another major reason was its introduction of music store. Where you could purchase music directly from their computer software called iTunes and transfer it to your device.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Are there any Fake iPods?</u></b><br />
</div><div>Now in this "perfect world", you are always likely to get FAKE products for a named product, and iPod isnt an exception. I have come across many fake iPod's. The problem is, whenever i tell the owner its fake, they think lying. No one wants to hear their 50 dollar purchase was counterfeit right?....<br />
</div><div>The main issue with a fake iPod is the build quality and sound quality. Yes if your budget does not allow you to buy an original iPod, then go buy a counterfeit, but don't expect it to last more than 6 months. <br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>How do i make sure i dont buy a fake iPod.</u></b><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>1. <b><i>The Price</i></b>. If you are getting a nice 8GB iPod for 30-50 Dollars. It is definitely a Fake or Stolen. Usually a genuine 8GB iPod nano costs around 150 Dollars.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>2.<b><i> The Design </i></b>: All fake iPod's that i have come across have screws holding the iPod together, be it at the back, or at the bottom. Remember a genuine iPod is seamless, and no screws.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>3.<b><i> Connector</i></b> : A fake iPod will have a mini USB port in the device, which resembles to the ones we use in mobile phones and digital cameras. A true iPod will use its proprietary 30 pin slim connector to connect to your PC.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>4. <b><i>Interface</i></b> : When you switch on a fake iPod, you will be greeted with colorful menus and bing bing sound alerts. A genuine iPod's interface is always pale grey and has no beeping noise to it.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Disadvantages.</u></b><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>All products are not always glory glory all the way. There are some features of the iPod that i dislike. <br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>1. The iPod doesn't have a user replaceable battery. So when your battery dies out after 2 years of usage, which is unlikely. You will have to go to an Apple authorized center to get it replaced<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>2. The music you transfer on your iPod, can not be legally transferred to any other computer. You can , but you need another software to do it.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>3. It is not Drag n Drop music. You will need a separate software to put songs on your ipod. You will need iTunes.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>------------------------------<wbr></wbr>------------------------------<wbr></wbr>------------------------------<wbr></wbr>----------------<br />
</div><div></div><div>Now you know what an iPod is. So next time you see and MP3 player, don't go around calling it an iPod !!<br />
</div><div><br />
</div></span>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-57956284583203184152009-12-01T04:05:00.000-08:002009-12-01T07:15:49.964-08:00Which OS in my new Laptop?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia6iIW63rlChFR9L1NGPFbKy2gg7oTfOXHUV6aN5mTvJaK2Rn4MOia1imeB7kPgZE0tMyCT958WXFE3c_fI0F1vYgSybSk4jfreh8OLOY7L2Bzuzc2q5pO3EQpoPzUe3SKtgVWIfC7Kxf/s1600/Picture1.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410239663853759666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia6iIW63rlChFR9L1NGPFbKy2gg7oTfOXHUV6aN5mTvJaK2Rn4MOia1imeB7kPgZE0tMyCT958WXFE3c_fI0F1vYgSybSk4jfreh8OLOY7L2Bzuzc2q5pO3EQpoPzUe3SKtgVWIfC7Kxf/s400/Picture1.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 94px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Dear Readers,</span><br />
</div></div><span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div><br />
</div><div>After i wrote about the specifications of a laptop for basic home/shop usage. I was asked one more question from you all, asking me what operating system should they choose. Currently there are 3 Operating Systems (OS) from Microsoft, functional in the market. Windows XP , Windows Vista and Windows 7. I will give you a guidelines as to which operating systems you should opt for. Of-course choices vary from user to user. But this is for those people who have no idea about the OS.<br />
<br />
</div><div><b><u>What is an Operating System (OS)?</u></b><br />
</div><div>In very short terms, the Operating System is an interface or a communicating agent between you and your computer. It is there to manage and co-ordinate activities on your computer. All Applications or Softwares that you install on your computer, MUST go through the OS to communicate to your Hardware. <br />
</div><div>For Example, if you want to watch a DVD with PowerDVD software. The Software must first go through the OS driver modules to make use of the DVD Reader and the Display codec to display the DVD itself.<br />
</div><a name='more'></a><b><u>Which OS for my Laptop/Desktop?</u></b><br />
<div><b><u><br />
</u></b><br />
</div><div><b><u>Windows XP</u></b><br />
</div><div>Windows XP The acronym XP was derived from the word eXPerience. Microsoft had promised a new experience for using computers. It was released in 2001. XP is now 8 years old. Meaning its the most mature OS out there from Microsoft. Over 8 years, all Software and Application developers had developed programs which were compatible with XP. And in that time the adoption of XP was huge. So big, that until today, no one wants to migrate to a newer operating system, because they have been using it for X years. And their program is only compatible with XP. And any old , slow hardware would work flawless with XP. Because its system requirements is the same as it was 8 years ago. Meaning even an old computer lying in the garage would work nicely with XP. So if you bought a newer laptop and had windows XP installed on it. You would feel its much faster and smoother then other OS out there. <br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Windows Vista</u></b><br />
</div><div>Vista was released in 2006. And immediately all laptop manufacturers adopted it and sold it pre installed on their laptops. The reason was that Vista was a complete re design of XP from the ground up. The new features in Vista were just too tempting for companies like HP, Dell , etc to not adopt it. I will not talk in detail about the features because this isnt a Vista review. From the visual experience point of view, it had AERO interface. Meaning a glassy look and felt good to the eye when working with it. But there were some Major dark sides to vista, <br />
</div><div>1. You needed a high spec machine to enjoy Vista in its full glory.<br />
</div><div>2. Many XP programs were not compatible with Vista<br />
</div><div>3. Aero would slow down the computer and hang the computer<br />
</div><div>4. Every time an unsupported driver was installed, it would show a blue screen and restart.<br />
</div><div>5. Everytime you performed a task, it would ask you if you were sure you wanted to do this (UAC)<br />
</div><div>6. Battery life on Laptops went down 40% as compared to XP<br />
</div><div>.....There are many, many problems people encountered in Vista, i cannot list them all.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>So the solution for most people was......to Downgrade to XP. I cannot even give you the count as to how many people have approached me to downgrade their Vista to XP. I do agree with these problems mentioned above, and so did Microsoft. To rectify this, Microsoft , over the past 3 years have released Vista Service Pack 1 and Vista Service Pack 2. These upgrades to Vista are very significant. And they make Vista a much better OS to use. But it still doesn't change the fact that to have a smooth computing experience , you need a high spec machine. And then Microsoft released a gem...called WINDOWS 7.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Windows 7</u></b><br />
</div><div>Microsoft hit the sweet spot in the OS market with this release. It was officially released on 22nd October 09. It had the same features and same glassy Aero interface which was in Vista. But they polished it so well, that so far, hardly any niggling bug has been reported. The new features in Windows 7 are extremely well thought of, and it makes using the computer fun while still increasing productivity. Everyone might say it is too early to judge. I agree. But i started using the test builds of Windows 7 last year, and i thought i would just use it for testing and do my actual work on XP. Since i installed 7, i have never gone back to XP. 7 is just so stable and reliable. And if my test build is so stable , i can only imagine that it would be perfect in the final version. Lets take a look at those Vista problems and see what Microsoft did to rectify them in 7<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><div>1. High Specs is no longer required for Windows 7. It works fine on low end computers<br />
</div><div>2. Windows 7 has a nifty new feature called "Compatibility Mode" It allows any old programs to run on Windows 7. Even if its only compatible with XP.. NICE<br />
</div><div>3. They re designed the graphic stack , so Aero feels very smooth<br />
</div><div>4. Most of the Drivers are supported with 7<br />
</div><div>5. You have the option to reduce the amount of time UAC popped up with that annoying question of running the task.<br />
</div><div>6. Battery life is now almost as same as Windows XP<br />
</div><div><b><i>.....These are the solutions to the problems i mentioned in the Vista section earlier.</i></b><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>So you see, Microsoft has really really worked hard with solving Vista's problems by launching Windows 7. I am working on a mini review of Windows 7 for you all. Which will cover all the new features and improvements. And probably make your adoption to 7 even easier.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>If today, you had to make up your mind about which OS to choose ,<b><i><u><span style="color: #3333ff;"> i would point you towards Windows 7</span></u></i></b>. Not only because its the latest and the greatest, but because its is the Best from Microsoft.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>Good Day!<br />
</div><div><br />
</div></div></span>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-83263526893195160942009-12-01T03:59:00.000-08:002009-12-01T07:51:12.991-08:00Files you delete, are NOT permanently Deleted!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5kXz5wsf8ZGZovrK3cpPZT72n8z5z-jvcY9VwBZ1QGPvD07f1IijhWTHVJeL4ZMXpVrttghZfdarX3N2Gx1blTlqjHp2UVinQv-f5YFVzVq7ZgBEdWfWIOSgGcCnfpAD5S9x8qAIiWff/s1600/paper-shredder.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410237097564768882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5kXz5wsf8ZGZovrK3cpPZT72n8z5z-jvcY9VwBZ1QGPvD07f1IijhWTHVJeL4ZMXpVrttghZfdarX3N2Gx1blTlqjHp2UVinQv-f5YFVzVq7ZgBEdWfWIOSgGcCnfpAD5S9x8qAIiWff/s320/paper-shredder.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 194px;" /></a><br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div>Dear Readers,<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Scenario 1</span></b><br />
</div><div>So you had a file , named, lets say MY ACCOUNTS on your computer, after you finished working with it, you decided to save it on your flash disk and delete the file from your computer, so that it can not be found in your PC when someone is trying to snoop into your files. You delete the file from the computer and then empty your recycle bin. And say all done, " no one can see my accounts file on this computer",...right?.....<b><span style="color: red;">WRONG!</span></b><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Scenario 2</b></span><br />
</div><div>You sold your old computer or laptop to someone , you decided to format the computer and re install Windows , so its completely clean and no traces of your old documents and passwords. And you think that formatting and re installing of Windows removed traces of your documents and passwords and bank details...right??.....<b><span style="color: red;">WRONG!</span></b><br />
</div><a name='more'></a><b><u>How is that possible....?? Delete means DELETE right?</u></b><br />
<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Well yes Delete means Delete, but only Delete from your eyes. Not from the Hard Disk. <br />
</div><div>When you delete a file on your computer, it goes into recycle bin, and when you clean your recycle bin it is removed from the computer. That is the concept built into everyone's mind. But thats not what happens in reality. All computer data , files and folders, have a pointer system, sort of like a book library indexing. What Windows does is that it finds all the pointers from your files and indexes them , so they can be accessible to you whenever you call for a file. Now when you delete the file, Windows is only deleting the pointer from its index. Meaning the file is no longer available in Windows. It doesn't actually erase the file. A<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">ll it does is flagging that part of the drive where the file was located, as being available for new data and removing the location of that data from the index directory. Until that region on the hard disk is overwritten with new data, the old data can be potentially be retrieved. CONFUSED?? Ok here is a simple example.</span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Imagine a book library. All books are indexed A-Z. And all book names are indexed on the reception computer as well. So whenever a reader wants to find a book say "You can Win" the computer will tell the reader the book is available in Y section of the library. But if the librarian deletes the entry on the computer for "You can Win", a reader will not see that name in the Index of the computer, and will think the Library does not have this book. While in reality , the book still exists on the Y shelf, only not visible on the Index.</span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><b><u>So how are my files recovered?</u></b></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Files are easily recovered using utilities that try to find un-indexed data or finding files that don't have pointers on the Hard disk. Until that part of the hard disk is re written by other data several times, files will be retrievable.</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><b><u>So how do i erase them permanently?</u></b></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">To my point exactly. To erase these files securely, you need keep writing and deleting files on your hard disk over and over. Which is really not possible with the time it takes. So there are a few free utilities that can do this, i will only mention one for now. <a href="http://eraser.heidi.ie/" style="color: #112508;" target="_blank">Eraser</a>. What Eraser does is that it writes that area of deleted data several times. So your file can never be retrieved. PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THESE UTILITIES. Erasing the wrong files , and you will never retrieve your data again.</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Good Day!</span></span><br />
</div></span>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-74864096238202477202009-12-01T03:54:00.000-08:002009-12-01T07:49:16.728-08:00My 250GB Hard Disk shows 232 GB when Empty!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdrbkwuLqCOLtJMVungddIi4rBmwJ5NZhxHXilfAbTZ8WYikPyr7HXDSOJEvFTQoI2-usBETHS0uNGgqA-UKtf6Af1uquBGYd7dg0T9uxRJfTbtYIfsNB8YgwcXbQjz1DeGWXW0PcWbwH/s1600/wdd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdrbkwuLqCOLtJMVungddIi4rBmwJ5NZhxHXilfAbTZ8WYikPyr7HXDSOJEvFTQoI2-usBETHS0uNGgqA-UKtf6Af1uquBGYd7dg0T9uxRJfTbtYIfsNB8YgwcXbQjz1DeGWXW0PcWbwH/s200/wdd.jpg" /></a>Dear Readers,<br />
</div><br />
<div>Most of us who perform day to day computing on a PC are most likely to have a Flash Disk or External hard disk as their source of backup or data transfer from one PC to another. And with the Price per GB at its lowest , in today's market, why not have a bigger storage for a cheaper price than it was a few years back right. So you go out happily and buy a 250 GB hard disk, or any other size for that matter. Now when you get home, and first plug in the hard drive and you open My Computer, you are shocked to see that your 250GB hard disk has 232 GB of free space. And your hard disk is brand new and completely EMPTY !!. and you Ask......<br />
<br />
<b>So where is my 18 GB ??<br />
</b><br />
</div><br />
<b><i> I paid for 250GB and i am getting 232GB, have i been cheated by the seller? Did the seller sell me a fake Hard Disk? Is there a Virus on my computer ?<br />
</i></b> <br />
.... the answer is <b><span style="color: red;">NO.</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>This is what happened to your 18GB...</b><br />
<div><br />
A computer detects 1024 Bytes as 1 KiloByte, but Hard drive manufacturers like Seagate, Samsung, Western Digital, decided it would be easier for consumer if we rounded up that figure by saying 1000 Bytes as 1 KiloByte(KB) or 1 KiloByte(KB) is 1000 Bytes. Trying to simplify things so it would be on the same context as Grams to Kilograms.<br />
</div><div><br />
These manufacturers can advertise and make decisions themselves, but they cannot force computer to do so. Hence the computer is always recognizing it as 1024 Bytes.<br />
<br />
So why do i care!?? ........<br />
<br />
You bought a hard disk which was supposed to be 250,000,000,000 Bytes(B)<br />
This is how the computer translates it,<br />
</div><div><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">1024 B = 1 KB</span> so <span style="color: blue;">250,000,000,000 Bytes(B) divided by 1024</span> = 244,140,625 KiloBytes(KB)</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
</div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>1024 KB = 1 MB</b></span><b> so <span style="color: blue;">244,140,625 KiloBytes(KB) divided by 1024</span> = 238,418 MegaBytes(MB)</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">1024 MB = 1 GB</span> so <span style="color: blue;">238,418 MegaBytes(MB) divided by 1024</span> = 232 GigaBytes(GB)</b><br />
<br />
So a computer will recognize it as a 232 GB Hard Disk<br />
<br />
If you change the value of 1024 to 1000 like most hard drive manufacturers do, you will get the end result as 250GB, which is what they advertise. They tried to simplify the consumer experience when it came to defining the size. Its easier to say 250GB then 232.5 GB<br />
<br />
</div><div>For your reference, here are all the drive/disk sizes with its advertised size vs actual size.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Advertised size :: Actual Size</i></b><br />
1 GB :: 0.93 GB<br />
2 GB :: 1.68 GB<br />
4 GB :: 3.72 GB<br />
8 GB :: 7.45 GB<br />
16 GB :: 14.90 GB<br />
32 GB :: 29.80 GB<br />
100GB :: 93.13 GB<br />
120GB :: 111.75 GB<br />
160GB :: 149.01 GB<br />
250GB :: 232.83 GB<br />
320GB :: 298.02 GB<br />
500GB :: 465.66 GB<br />
640GB :: 596.04 GB<br />
1000GB :: 931.32 GB<br />
<br />
if i still wasn't clear above, please don't hesitate to write to me, i'll be more than happy to answer your query to the best i can.<br />
<br />
Good Day!<br />
</div>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-84375544913993294802009-12-01T03:46:00.000-08:002009-12-01T07:13:02.101-08:00Which laptop for Basic Home/Shop Usage<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRMknRtpIQKM8KMW_4qriK8z5Ueh9QO17B9bWV8NP9kV2y6R-IrJDpwJcpmZHkD5BDaZbbI5SBkAKdQQaFV3JPRD7DPyMzGDMffWbJ7au03oQF-eD9GRmg6iho0FZ5KZ_b4eFhXehV2uh/s1600/laptop.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410233221972689394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRMknRtpIQKM8KMW_4qriK8z5Ueh9QO17B9bWV8NP9kV2y6R-IrJDpwJcpmZHkD5BDaZbbI5SBkAKdQQaFV3JPRD7DPyMzGDMffWbJ7au03oQF-eD9GRmg6iho0FZ5KZ_b4eFhXehV2uh/s320/laptop.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 254px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Hello All,<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Clearly we are always put under a dilemma whenever we decide to buy a laptop. With all the varieties out there, it is sometimes almost impossible to find the perfect laptop that falls under your budget. There are 5 Major companies that provide laptops for our market, Dell, HP, Toshiba, Acer and Sony. There are many other brands as well, but 98% of the East African market is flooded with these 5 brands. Now most of them have the same quality of build. Some just charge premium for their name. What you should actually look in a laptop is the specifications. I am here to help you what specifications you should choose if you are looking for a Basic laptop for Home and Shop use.<br />
<br />
</div></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Screen Size = 15"</b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ok so if you are planning on browsing the internet and watching movies, then we have narrowed it down to the fact that you want a 15" laptop. Mind you a 15" laptop isnt very easy to carry around. But most of the time you will get used to it. There are portable laptops like the 13" and 10", but they are solely for business purpose and watching movies and browsing isn't much fun on those laptops.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Hard Disk = 250 GB</b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This is where everyone thinks , The Bigger, The Better. While i agree with that, i still don't think the extra price is justified. So the minimum hard drive size you should look for in a laptop is 250GB, that is going to be more then enough storage for you. For those who don't understand the GB factor , here is what a 250GB can hold, combined.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">200 Movies + 5000 Songs + 10,000 Pictures + Your Documents = 250 GB<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So 250GB should be more than enough for an average user. If a seller tells you to add 100 USD for 500 GB hard disk, then you would rather by an External 500GB hard disk for the same price and keep your 250GB as well. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>RAM/Memory = 2 GB</b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This is usually the major component that you shouldn't skimp on. My advise is that a minimum of 2GB RAM is a must. 3GB is good too. But dont fall for the trick if the seller tells you it has 4GB. Because most 32bit Operating Systems (Vista, XP, 7) dont use more than 3GB of RAM, unless its a 64bit Operating System, which is highly unlikely on laptops in the average price range market.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Processor = Core 2 Duo 2.0Ghz or higher.</b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This is the brain of your computer and will do all your work for you. There are other variants like AMD Athlon X2 , and Celeron, but i strictly advise that you buy a Core 2 Duo. There is another variant called Core Duo 2. DONT BUY THAT. Go for Core 2 Duo. The AMD Athlon X2 are good, but the Core 2 Duo has the best battery usage and heat management. I have seen people make a mistake of buying a Celeron , because its cheaper. My personal advise is that DON'T buy a Celeron, it will not last you long.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">These are the standard options that always come with a Laptop these days;<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Wifi - Wireless Network Connectivity<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">LAN - Wired Network Connectivity<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Modem<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">DVD - Writer.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I have given you this advise based on what i feel a basic consumer would need. If you think you have the extra cash to spend and want everything latest and greatest, its your decision. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The last time i checked the laptop with all the above specification i mentioned was priced at 650 USD in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). Here is an advertisement i received on my E-Mail last week<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">----------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">DELL VOSTRO A860 <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">CORE 2 DUO 2.0GHZ <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2GB RAM MEMORY <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">250GB HDD <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">DVDWRITER DL+/- <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">15.6” TFT SCREEN, <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">WIFI, <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">LAN , <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">WINDOWS VISTA HB, <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1YR WARRANTY TO BASE<br />
</div></div>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3502258415143101099.post-15197338449881598402009-12-01T03:25:00.000-08:002009-12-01T07:10:59.551-08:00What is the Best FREE Anti-Virus in My Opinion<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WIyWG5P-0_3SzYi_1CTmQjl0L2CmWSWZAdN-RAmONqRrP7ztf2fZGBrRb53ea5R20zWLwJgn5dnczEh7TWa9lA4WDXeq3FoYvBYMci05S-d9AWshTIOBOTHs8usnLq6AuW6oKW9BQpk_/s1600/Pict3e1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WIyWG5P-0_3SzYi_1CTmQjl0L2CmWSWZAdN-RAmONqRrP7ztf2fZGBrRb53ea5R20zWLwJgn5dnczEh7TWa9lA4WDXeq3FoYvBYMci05S-d9AWshTIOBOTHs8usnLq6AuW6oKW9BQpk_/s200/Pict3e1.png" /></a><br />
</div>No less than twice a week, i get a phone call from a fellow friend/family/colleague or simply a random person asking my advice on which anti virus to use for their laptop or desktop. Most of these people are on the look out for an antivirus because they have been severely infected and have had some data loss. That is the time when they realize the need to protect their computers with the right anti virus.<br />
</div><br />
The Anti-Virus market has significantly increased over the last 10 years, especially after the arrival of Windows XP. Although Microsoft has taken many strides into bringing built in protection to Windows, they still fail to stop the Viruses completely. That is when Anti-Virus companies like Norton, Kaspersky and Eset started making money for their protection by selling yearly licenses to their softwares. <b><i>But do you really need to pay for an Anti-Virus??</i></b> 2-3 years ago, i would have said yes, today, the answer isn't as straight forward as YES or NO anymore.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>I am today going to focus on the answer<b><u> NO (I don't need to pay for an Anti-Virus)</u></b><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>So what are the free alternatives to paid Anti-Virus software like Norton?<br />
</div><div></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<b><u>1. Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) </u><span style="color: red;">My Recommendation</span></b><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0U_YPSJanBmUZE2pYd_bdSNjZI2pcdLvj2eMOnyOgPyuFvJjPlqxTrvh1S55or6bHP8IyuGXqkc9YTazrfdodC-jFx7wJjhxlPX2gGyz4jzBS1qa1gwsd24X8o833OVUhSAOybnKmQFOA/s1600/Microsoft-Security-Essentials-Beta.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410228933095394866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0U_YPSJanBmUZE2pYd_bdSNjZI2pcdLvj2eMOnyOgPyuFvJjPlqxTrvh1S55or6bHP8IyuGXqkc9YTazrfdodC-jFx7wJjhxlPX2gGyz4jzBS1qa1gwsd24X8o833OVUhSAOybnKmQFOA/s320/Microsoft-Security-Essentials-Beta.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 264px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
</div><div>I have been testing Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) for almost 8 months now since it was in Beta testing phase. Now it is finally a complete product and best of all it is FREE. It is unusual for a giant like Microsoft to release a free application like that, but they have nevertheless done the impossible. I will not go into the details as to what is the core technology behind MSE, because i am trying to keep this article simple enough for even the most amateur computer user like my dad to be able to understand. <br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Interface</b><br />
</div><div>MSE has a very simplistic design, that even the most illiterate of computer user can navigate through. its just has 4 Tabs ; <b>Home, Update, History </b>and<b> Settings. </b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<b><i>Home : </i></b>You can start a computer scan from this tab and ensure that your antivirus is running in optimal condition.<br />
</div><div><b><i>Update :</i></b> Its where you update your Virus Definitions<br />
</div><div><b><i>History : </i></b>Your scan and clean logs<br />
</div><div><b><i> Settings :</i> </b>Where you change default actions when a virus is detected. <br />
</div><div>If your Home tab is <span style="color: #009900;"><b>Green</b></span>, then you are protected. If its <span style="color: red;"><b>Red</b></span>, then you have to take the actions advised by MSE to get yourself protected.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Performance and Speed</b><br />
</div><div>Microsoft Security Essentials performed very well in the tests that i ran, almost 97% of the virus loaded on my flash disks i scanned were detected and deleted. Microsoft did a wonderful job in keeping the running size of MSE down to minimal. So having this Anti Virus installed on your computer will not slow it down.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Finally</b><br />
</div><div>You will require a genuine windows computer to be able to install MSE, you can download MSE from this Location (<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/" style="color: #112508;" target="_blank">Download</a>).<br />
</div><div>Remember to Update the virus definitions after installing MSE, because an antivirus is only useful when it has its definitions up to date.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>2. AVG 9.0 (Free Edition)</u></b><br />
</div><div><b><u><br />
</u></b><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijN4417FRUThB4QO3IxyNIsEtGQ9uGqZZ-YhZ9uDV-7OR6JKF-roJUDTkmeY7JSA6U-3r0q3DvvSEscL4uFpYwt-XF3fYMpGILOP2tEi7BLX7Hb-p0IGjzpGQjQZmpYHjxU51Ia0yhnJ3B/s1600/Avg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410232144092490978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijN4417FRUThB4QO3IxyNIsEtGQ9uGqZZ-YhZ9uDV-7OR6JKF-roJUDTkmeY7JSA6U-3r0q3DvvSEscL4uFpYwt-XF3fYMpGILOP2tEi7BLX7Hb-p0IGjzpGQjQZmpYHjxU51Ia0yhnJ3B/s320/Avg.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 238px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
AVG was my favorite free Anti Virus before MSE. And it still performs admirably when installed. AVG are available in 2 flavors, the free version and the paid version. So obviously the Free version are lacking some features that are only available to paying customers. Not to worry, even the free features available will suffice your need for basic protection on your computer.<br />
<br />
<b>Interface</b><br />
<br />
<div>The interface on AVG is a bit clunky with lots of icons on the page, although they are very useful ones, they really dont serve the purpose of being easy to use by an amateur.<br />
</div><div>You are good to go if all the icons are Green and have green check mark next to it. <br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Performance and Speed</b><br />
</div><div>AVG performs well considering its price , which is FREE, and AVG stopped 88% of virus i threw at it. As far as speed is concerned, AVG lacks in this field , with its usually being the anchor slowing down my booting process. But its better to be protected than not right.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Pros n Cons</b><br />
</div><div>An amazing feature that AVG has is its Link Scanner, which will alert you whenever you are about to visit and malicious site which will try to infect your computer. Bravo!<br />
</div><div>The Major con on this is that AVG keeps irritating me about upgrading to its Paid version every week with a small popup every now and then, this is what i dont like. Atleast MSE doesnt do that.<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Finally</b><br />
</div><div>You can download AVG from this Location <a href="http://download.avgfree.com/filedir/inst/avg_free_stb_en_9_40_free.exe" style="color: #112508;" target="_blank">(Download)</a><br />
</div><div>It is free and can be installed on any computer. <br />
</div></span>Murtaza BiGGyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015515394980868491noreply@blogger.com1