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Windows 7: Worth the Hype?

We are on the brink of a new operating system from Windows, the preferred OS for business and gamers.  We found ourselves initially unimpressed with XP, only to grow fond of it (after the bugs were shaken out of it).  We thought Vista was pretty, only to get let down while trying to deal with the computer asking us, “Are you sure?” every time you wanted to add software or hardware.

Now we have the new OS on the block with the Spartan title of simply “7.”  The question is, is 7 the lucky number for Microsoft? On first glance, it looks like Vista, but there are a few things that users of Vista will notice—first of all, it runs faster, opens and closes faster, starts up and shuts down faster…the benefits of a stripped-down, optimized core.  You may find your pickup-truck pc has gotten the radio and fuzzy dice pulled out and a jet-engine now sitting under the hood.  Also, the taskbar has undergone a little revamp, but the interface is neat and tight, making things easy to find and sort through.

What does this say for businesses?  If you have XP Pro on your company systems, keep them—but plan to pick up Windows 7 in a year or so.  By that time, any last-minute problems will have been cleared out, making this the go-to OS for mid- to high-level PCs.

Fasten your seat belts.  The wild ride is about to commence.

(Post by Dayne Chastant)

All about the gadgets

I have always been a fan of gadgets and there are websites out there to fulfill my never-ending quest for them. My most recent acquisition was an iTouch this is a "dangerous" gadget to be in possession of for a person who is always on the look-out for productivity or reading or word-game tools.

There are 85,000 tools available for the iTouch. 85,000! There are so many applications (apps) that there is an app to manage the apps. True, I believe in organization, calendars, to-do lists, tracking of schedules, etc. but if I needed an app to manage my apps, wouldn't that be like having a PDA to manage my PDA? Granted, I do have two (okay, four) no-longer-used PDAs in my desk drawers. I haven't used them in years (actually since I discovered the joys of a Blackberry) but I still haven't tossed any of them.

I'm certain that if I didn't always have a "fear" in the back of my mind that I will run out of space on the iTouch, I would be more than loaded up with apps. For now, though, I am spending my time on my ZombievileUSA app and the 2012 app. In the event of a zombie invasion or the end of the world, I *will* be prepared.

(Post by Robbi)

New games on the horizon

It's always a bit difficult when you have the red X's on your calendar marking down the dates until a new PC game comes out and then the date gets bumped back. I am speaking of Bioshock 2 that has now been moved back until February 2010. One bonus, I think you can call it that, is that the game developer has a website that offers tantalizing glimpses into what will be offered when Bioshock comes to a PC near you!

In the meantime, the countdown (for me at least) continues to be Alan Wake. It has an anticipated release date of November 25. The idea of "fighting" vehicles that come alive (ala Stephen King) with a flashlight is something I think I can wrap my arms around as I run out of ammo rather quickly in most first person shooter games. I don't think I will run out of flashlight, though. Any writer who may be considering a foray into computer games, might want to check out Alan Wake as he is best-selling author turned frustrated writer.

(Posted by Robbi)

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