Home & Small Office Computer Guide

Have you ever seen anything like this before?

That’s basically what both screens on one of my computers look like every now and again. Both screens get this misty overlay that disappears as soon as you click anywhere on the screen.

When it happened this time all I had done was hit ‘Print’ on a Notepad document. And before that it happened when I pressed F8.

Definitely weird and something our computer guy at Fraser Coast Computers is scratching his head about right now.

Perhaps not for Windows Vista

Microsoft has finally announced the release date for Windwos Vista to the general public - January 30. However, it won’t be the Vista that was first promised several years ago.

Among the features that are still part pf Windows Vista are improved graphics and a new search tool.

Missing from the new release is a promised more sophisticated method for sorting and organising data and several other features that would have made Windows Vista more appealing to consumers.

By releasing Vista in January instead of before Christmas Microsoft has dealt a blow to computer manufacturers who were hoping to use the new operating system as a marketing tool to increase sales over Christmas.

In an effort to still encourage people to buy new computers over Christmas Microsoft is offering coupons for free upgrades to Vista come January 30. It appears that these coupons are only going to be offered in the United States.

Need to save space on your desk?

Space is a major problem for many computer users. Whether you’re a multi-screen, multi PC user like me or just a home user with a small desk fitting today’s average PC tower onto or into your desk can be a real problem.

The other half of this partnership had been telling me for ages that there was a solution to my space problems and it really did take a while for that to sink in but last week it did. And this is the solution to my space problem:

This is the Aspire X-Qpack Micro ATX tower (sold in some countries as the Apevia X-Qpack) and it’s just 13.8″ long by 11.2″ wide. It stands just 9″ tall.

And if you think you can’t fit everything that’s in your current PC into one of these small boxes let me tell you that the one I currently have on my desk holds 3 hard drives, a DVD burner, a floppy drive, a dual head graphic card and a firewire card and, thanks to bigger fans and better ventilation than you’ll find in most towers, it runs cooler than the box it replaces.

Next week I’ll be replacing my other PC tower with another X-Qpack.

Not only are they small but they’re light-weight too and come in a range of colours. If you’re here in Australia talk to Rick at Fraser Coast Computers and in other parts of the world they’re available from Amazon.

Sanity and common sense prevails

It seems that reality finally became apparent to whoever it is at Microsoft who came up with those draconian Vista licensing terms.

The original terms that were going out with Vista originally only allowed users to transfer their copy of Vista to new machines twice. Now, someone has seen the light and now, according to the Windows Vista Blog you can:

You may uninstall the software and install it on another device for your use.  You may not do so to share this license between devices

In other words, if your hard drive dies, or your motherboard turns up it’s toes you can replace them and use the copy of Vista you already own. Under the old rule it was a case of three strikes and you were out till you bought a new Vista licence.