The reason is I have been working with the Microsoft's new operating system, Windows Vista. The version I am testing is Beta 2. The public release is scheduled for approximately January, 2007.

I wanted to install and configure it myself to see what is good and what is bad at this stage of it's development. I never for a moment thought it would curtail my other activities to the extent that it did. I certainly won't bore you with all the details, but I do want to reinforce that beta software, especially operating system beta software, should NOT be installed on your main computer. If you have only one computer, then wait for the official release. (Of course I wasn't that smart.)

The short story is that Vista does not yet support many hardware items and their drivers. (I had no sound until I purchased a new sound card that advertised it had the drivers for the Beta 2 version of Vista.) In addition many software programs do not yet run on the Beta 2 version. So, even though I got Vista running, I was severely restricted in what I could do.

To resolve this, I had to fetch my computer to the 'fix-em-up shop' (Computer Pals) and ask the technicians for help. They installed a second hard drive, and now I can boot into Windows XP from one hard drive, and do all my regular stuff. I can also boot into Vista from the other hard drive and continue my research on this new operating system.

Vista aside, their is much to share about what is going on in the world of computers, and over the next few days I will be posting my take on these developments here on my blog.

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Here's how to set up the encryption for your Wireless Router. Following the directions supplied with your router, log onto your router (similar to logging onto a web page) and go to the security section. You will be given some choices of which security encryption technique you want to use. DO NOT select the 'WEP' encryption as this is an older technology and can be hacked fairly easily by someone who knows what they are doing. DO select the 'WPA' or 'WPA2' encryption as these are more secure.

Once you select your encryption method, your router will generate a complex password - including capital letters, small letters, and numbers. This password is case sensitive so make sure you copy it correctly. Now turn on your wireless notebook and ask to see signals in range. The signal from your router will appear, usually with a 'padlock' beside it, meaning the transmission is encrypted and cannot be used without the password. Following the instructions from your router, type in the password and then the notebook will have the ability to receive and de-crypt the encrypted signal from your router.

You're done!  No one without the password installed in their notebook can share your Internet connection.

If all this seems a bit confusing or complex -  help is available. Companies like Computer Pals (who else?) will come to your home and set up, secure, and test your Wireless Router connections.

If you need us give Computer Pals a call at 610-377-5321.

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That is just so wrong. I wish these computer geeks would come down from their ivory white towers and meet the people I am privileged to meet at Computer Pals. And it's my strong opinion that people are not much different in the rest of the USA.

Just a little research shows the problem is not with intelligence, but with available time and priorities. The average person I see at Computer Pals has a job, children to raise and ferry about to various school functions, is responsible for grocery shopping, yard work, and just might allow themselves some time for a hobby, etc., etc.

Now let's look at what these computer geniuses are expecting us to do. Yes, we need an Anti-Virus program, and yes we need an Anti-Spyware program. Both of these must run resident (always running in the background) and the Anti-Virus should be updated at least twice a day. Also, we need a two-way Firewall (Try and find one that gives you plain English descriptions for what is moving into and out of your computer) . And don't forget the never-ending updates to secure the Operating System. We must also secure our computer by regular back-ups. In addition we need to perform periodic computer tune-ups.....  Getting tired yet?  Seems like a lot for an average computer user. AND IT IS!

Are the suites offered by Norton, McAfee and others able to do all this effectively? NO!

Is there one program that does ALL of the above effectively and automatically? YES!! And the name of that one program is Microsoft Windows Live OneCare. Below is a screen shot of my Windows Live OneCare as of 5/01/2006:

A picture is worth a thousand words. There it is. And if this isn't enough, OneCare puts this icon in the system tray:    If this icon is Green, all is well. If it is Yellow, then some action is needed. Click on the icon and allow OneCare take care of it for you. If the icon is Red, there is a more serious action required. Click on the icon and allow OneCare take care of it. Green, Yellow, Red - what could be more simple.

And computers, like new cars, are complex to service. If you bought a new Chevrolet, you would feel more comfortable taking it to the Chevrolet store to have it serviced by mechanics trained to work on your complex automobile.

Doesn't it make sense to let Microsoft service your Operating System which they built? It's a no-brainer. Microsoft got it right!!

To find our more about Microsoft Windows Live OneCare click HERE

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Redeeming part or all of your bonus pack is easy. Stop by or call Computer Pals at 610-377-5321 or go to www.localpcbuilder.com . The D-Link Wireless Router with Firewall free (after $50 rebate) alone is worth consideration. If you have any questions stop in or give us a call at Computer Pals.

Bonus Packs must be redeemed by August 15, 2006.

This 'Buy Local' offer is not available for computers purchased from Dell, Gateway, HP/Compaq, etc.

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Important to note is that our sponsors have set a table for our use. The real value is the wonderful group of folks who sit at the table and exchange questions and answers. As I write this, we have over 500 registered members (and hundreds of visitors) who have created more than 10,000 posts about computer related topics. Whatever your question, the answer is probably already waiting for you. If not, ask!

Having participated in this forum from the beginning, I can tell you we have many, many instances of frustrated users who have found solutions - not from the hardware and software vendors who sold and profited from the item, but from the knowledgeable members of the forum who give of their time and expertise to help each other.

You can access the forum directly by clicking HERE, or thru the 'Discussion Forum' link on the ComputerWise Web Site, or the 'ComputerWise Forum' link on the Computer Pals Web Site. Detailed instructions (very easy) for registration for the forum can be found HERE.

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Note that everything is now on 2 tool bars which takes less space up top, allowing for more of the web page to be viewed below.

Looking at the first toolbar we have the back and forward arrows, the name of the page currently selected, the green block to reload the page, the red X to close the page, and the search engine. The default search engine is 'MSN Search' but one mouse click will change the default to Google. I would think everyone will do that straight away!

The second toolbar starts with the gold 'star' which drops down a menu of our Favorites, Feeds (more on this later) and History . The second button is a gold 'plus' which allows us to 'add to' and 'organize' our Favorites. The next icon which appears as 4 small blocks or pages, is only visible when we are using 'Tabbed Browsing'. If the icon is clicked we can view the names of all web pages that are open and select which we want to view.

Tabbed Browsing is one of the great features added to IE7 Beta 2 Preview. While we view a web page we can click on the small grey tab to the right of the open page tab, and open a second web page, and then a third, and so on. We just click on the tab to return to a previous page. If we have so many pages open we can't read the tabs, then we can click on the icon that looks like 4 blocks or pages. The remaining icons on the second toolbar are for Home Page, Feeds (more later), Print, Page View, Tools, and by clicking the double chevron, Help. Simple and functional. More features in less space!

Of course security has been improved. This may cause you to make some adjustments in the way you view marginally secure or insecure pages. I don't consider that a problem.

Now about 'Feeds'.    From Microsoft:

"Scanning a site to see what you've read versus what's new can be tiring. And it's frustrating to find that there's nothing new to read after all that work. With IE7 Beta 2 Preview, we added a convenient way of interacting with the internet: Subscribing to feeds.    (Inserted by Asa: If the Feed icon is orange, then the web page supports feeds and you can subscribe by clicking. If the icon is ghosted then feeds are not supported)

Feeds are a different format of the website's content that allows software to determine if there is something new available. It can range from a new article in usatoday.com, a new movie release on Netflix, or a new journal entry on a friend's blog. With IE7 Beta 2 Preview, you can subscribe to your favorite websites' feed and read new updates directly in the browser."

To view a feed you click on the Favorites icon (star) and select 'Feeds' and select from the list of feeds to which you subscribed. To the best of my knowledge all feeds are free.

You can download Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 2 Preview HERE. This Beta 2 Preview is available only for WindowsXP with Service Pack 2. Be aware that it replaces IE 6. You won't have both browsers. Again, this software is BETA and to be downloaded at your own risk.

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Where am i going with this? Well, people tell me they keep their old phones for 2 reasons. First, that's how people contact them, and second, for their dial-up Internet connection. The first can be easily remedied by giving out your cell number to all the important contacts. This may take a couple of months to work through, but it can be done. The second is the key! Your land line is costing $25/30 or more per month. The difference between ProLog's dial-up service and the G3 cable service (which i recommend) is $17 per month. So you go from dial-up to cable and save approximately $10 per month. Look at that!

My research shows that in the next few years the old land lines will be discontinued. It seems the twisted pair copper phone lines are more expensive to put up and maintain. So the phone companies are requesting the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to discontinue this service as soon as is practical. What will replace the land lines? Cellular, cable, satellite, or some combined technology.

Several months ago i had my land line disconnected. I was amazed when i called Verizon. Never spoke to a human. I think option 3 was to disconnect service. The robot voice asked for a forwarding number, and i gave my cell phone. The robot voice repeated the numbers i had given, asked me to say Yes or No. When i said yes, i was told the transaction would be completed within a couple of hours and a final bill would be mailed. I waited a few hours and called my old land line, and listened while a pleasant voice told me that number had been disconnected and calls were being taken by "xxx xxx xxxx". Painless! No one tried to change my mind about dropping the service. They made it so easy it was like they wanted me to discontinue the service.

Ergo: Go from slow dial-up to super-fast cable for your Internet connection and SAVE money.

You're welcome! 

Have you seen the TV ads where you think you're in NASA's Control Center at Houston, only to find out that this is AOL's subscriber protection facility? Here (we are told) is the heart of the subscriber protection unit. No more worries about spam or viruses. These folks will protect you. Right? WRONG!

In an amazing display of stupidity, AOL has just announced that they will guarantee delivery of commercial e-mail to their subscribers for a fee of $.0025 for each e-mail! So if some business wants to send 'unsolicited commercial e-mail' better known as 'Spam' to 1,000,000 AOL subscribers, they just fork over $2,500 to AOL and the dirty deed is done. For 10,000,000 spams a business would fork over $25,000 to AOL.

I read somewhere AOL is claiming this is not bad spam. Is there 'good spam'? Isn't that an oxymoron? And who decides what is good and bad spam?   WHOA!    It's all bad! That's it. We didn't ask for it and don't want it. If we want to know about something we can Google it, but we don't want the information forced on us without our permission. And forcing it on subscribers without their permission is just what those filthy, rotten, smelly, slack jawed, mealy mouthed, maggot covered, vermin infested, slime balls at AOL are doing.   mmmm....   I guess i should make my point clear. I don't approve of what they are doing.

And what of the poor, poor subscribers who are being overcharged and sold out by AOL, for $.0025 per spam?

My first recommendation for an honorable Internet Service Provider (ISP): ProLog

My second recommendation for an Internet Service Provider: Anyone but AOL

Windows Defender is now free - as a beta - but Microsoft has announced that it will be included with Windows OneCare Live when it is formally released in June, 2006.

OK, now what is OneCare Live (Beta)? Windows OneCare Live is a program, also in public beta, that is: Anti-Virus, a 2-way Firewall, tune's up your computer on a schedule you set-up, and a really slick back-up program. When Windows OneCare Live is released (comes out of beta testing) it will also include Windows Defender. Is this a one-stop solution or what?

Windows OneCare Live when formally released will cost about $50 (for up to 3 computers) a year - that's less than the dreaded Norton. However, those of us who participate in the beta program will have the opportunity to purchase the first year for $20 (for up to three computers). Count me in!!

Again, these programs are still in Beta testing, so download at your own risk!

Windows Defender (Beta 2) - for more information and download click HERE

Windows OneCare Live (Beta) - for more information and download click HERE