Bits & Bytes;
An occasional newsletter from MCS
March, 2006
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In this issue:
Phone-y Info
Looking into Windows
Signs, signs, everywhere
signs
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As of April 1st, we have a
new phone number (no joke!)
615 / 975-1111
Please make a note of it and
call if you need anything!
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Windows Vista -- Your next
operating system?
A few folks have called to
ask whether they'd be wise to wait for the next version of
Windows -- called "Vista" -- before buying a new computer.
Here are some thoughts.
First, Windows Vista is
scheduled to be on store shelves by Christmas of '06, but if
history is any judge, don't hold your breath. Microsoft has
a long and dismal record for getting products to market on
time. For example, Windows 95 was supposed to be called
Windows 94. They gave themselves a whole year, but still
couldn't get it out the door. Same for Win 98 (initially
dubbed Windows 97). Since then, they've gotten no better at
production, although they've wisely stopped dating their
products (Windows XP, for example). If Vista hits the
streets before Spring of '07, it'll be a miracle. Meanwhile,
literally thousands of updates and patches have turned XP
into a fairly reliable operating system. So, if you're
thinking about a new PC, there's really no reason to wait.
(Would this be a good time to
mention that we're here to guide you through the complex
choices involved in buying a new PC and to help you get the
most bang for your buck, or would that be nothing more than
shameless self-promotion? ;-) Either way, just give us a
call and, with the answers to a few simple questions, we'll
be glad to advise you over the phone. There is no charge for
this service.)
Second, early promotional
materials from Microsoft indicated that Windows Vista would
be a quantum leap over its predecessor. They talked about
"four pillars" of technology that would put it far beyond
Windows XP. Among them were a new file system -- the way in
which information is stored on your hard drive -- designed
to give it enhanced security and greater stability. Also,
you may have seen early descriptions of the "Aero"
interface, where programs and files seem to float on the
screen in a 3-D effect. Well, it all sounded wonderful when
they first began talking about it but as time passed, each
of the four major improvements was dropped from the final
version because (you guessed it) they won't be ready in
time. They'll be released one by one over the following year
or two (or three), as updates. In other words, although the
initial release of Vista will certainly have a slick new
look, beneath that it will probably be a fairly minor
upgrade to Windows XP. Over the past several years,
Microsoft has released two compilations of updates and
patches for XP called Service Packs 1 and 2. Some insiders
are suggesting that Vista will be little more than "Service
Pack 3".
And lastly, ever since
Windows 1.0, every new release has been incredibly buggy. As
always, our advice is to be patient and wait for some of the
worst problems to be worked out. Let someone else have the
headaches.
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Feeling old? This won't
help.
Signs that You've Grown
Up:
> A $4.00 bottle of wine is
no longer "pretty good stuff".
> Your house plants are alive
-- and you can't smoke any of them.
> You keep more food in the
fridge than beer.
> 6:00 AM is when you get up,
not when you go to bed.
> You hear your favorite song
on an elevator.
> You watch the Weather
Channel.
> Having sex in a twin bed is
out of the question.
> You've gone from 3 months
of vacation to 2 weeks.
> You no longer take naps
from noon to 600PM.
> Jeans and a sweater don't
qualify as "dressed up" anymore.
> Older relatives feel
comfortable telling dirty jokes around you.
> You don't know what time
Starbucks closes.
> Your car insurance premiums
have gone down and your car payments have gone up.
> You feed your dog Science
Diet instead of McDonald's leftovers.
> Sleeping on the couch makes
your back hurt.
> Dinner and a movie is the
whole date instead of just the beginning.
> Breakfast food no longer
includes pizza.
> "I just can't drink the way
I used to," has replaced, "I'm never going to drink that
much again".
> Most of the time you spend
in front of a computer is for actual work.
And lastly...
> You read this entire list
looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you.
;-)
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Happy computing!
Questions? Problems? Give
us a call!
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