Lets face it, if you use a beta OS on your main computer you are taking a risk with your computer and your data.  Not only is this so, but whenever you move to the next version of an OS you should do a fresh install.  Of course, in the real world, a lot of us recognize that Windows 7 beta is more like Windows 7 free trial.  The OS is suitable for daily use and any issues can generally be worked around.  The main exception is for web developers who insist on testing for certain versions of operating systems and browsers, those dirty guys (warn and allow it to work if it can, don’t block and complain).  If you’ve decided that its worth the risk to use the beta on your main PC, or all of your PCs for that matter, you probably also don’t mind taking  your chances with upgrade installs.  I hold this view, although Microsoft differs and many so called experts believe you should always back up your data and then do a fresh install.  Unfortunately, since Microsoft doesn’t support upgrading the Beta of Windows 7 to the Release Candidate, and probably from there to the final either, they cripple the install image by making it check the Windows version, then complain about not being able to upgrade pre-release software and forcing you to end the install.

› Continue reading…

If you have a typical home network, you probably have a desktop PC and a laptop (maybe even a netbook).  The laptop probably connects wirelessly to your network and you may use it to access files on your desktop from time to time.  A scenario that you may run into is one where you either travel and have files you work on with the laptop that  you need to access from the desktop, or vice versa.  3rd party software, or a tool like Synctoy (from the MS powertoys), allow you to do so, but setup can be cumbersome, and then automating the process requires more work.  Windows XP contained a built in “Offline files utility” which was rough around the edges and required some setup.  Fortunately for Windows Vista/7 users, Offline file sync has been simplified.

› Continue reading…

I’m a Fedora fan, and I’m impressed with each new release, but in the end, its just nowhere near ready.  You have to do far too much research and under the hood work to get it to do everything you want it to do, and in the end, not everyone writes drivers for Linux, and the community doesn’t write drivers for everything.  The main problem to me is that the average consumer (non-savvy computer user), can figure out Windows from the start.  Basically with Linux you have to learn how to use the OS before you can use it as your daily desktop OS.  In Windows, you can use it as is, but then you can learn how to customize it to your liking and needs at your own pace, with little effort.

› Continue reading…