Tips

Windows 7 is an all-ages show

My great aunt is 92 and, as of Friday, she's a Windows 7 PC.

Now, Hilda is already not your typical nonagenarian. She is frequently online, does her finances in Quicken and recently abandoned AOL for Gmail (something I still haven't gotten my parents to do).

Unfortunately, while her mind is quick as ever, her Windows XP PC had slowed dramatically over the past few years, becoming nearly unusable. It's one of those things that many find so irksome about Windows PCs.

In any case, Hilda (I'm sparing her some spam by not including her last … Read more

Students find problems with Windows 7 upgrade

Microsoft's discount Windows 7 upgrade for students has proven to be a tough assignment for some of those who signed up for the offer.

The software maker is offering students the option of buying a downloadable upgrade version of Windows 7 for $29--a significant savings off the full boxed copy of the new operating system. However, a number of students have reported problems when trying to download and install the new version of Windows.

In a blog posting, Microsoft says it is aware of several issues that folks have encountered. Most common is the fact that folks can't … Read more

I just bought a Vista PC, how do I get my free Windows 7 upgrade?

Now that we're past the official release of Windows 7, most new PCs should come with it pre-installed. But if you purchased a new computer with Windows Vista recently, or for whatever reason end up with a Vista system in the near future, there's a very good chance you're eligible for a free Windows 7 upgrade.

From the period of June 26, 2009 through January 31, 2010, many major PC makers are offering free upgrades to Windows 7 for those who buy a Vista-powered laptop or desktop. The deals are all essentially the same, and, as expected, … Read more

Two snags to watch for when upgrading to Windows 7

Generally, I've been a big fan of Windows 7. From the beta to the release candidate to the release-to-manufacturing "official" release, upgrading has been a stable, sane experience. Except for two repeated problems, that is.

In some cases, driver compatibility is still an issue. It's not as big as it was with the beta, which suffered from problems that everybody was expecting. However, as you can see from the error warning at the bottom of this image, Ericsson has yet to release a stable driver for the mobile broadband card in my Lenovo T400. The longer … Read more

Snow Leopard: Sort your Expos? windows

In this quick hint, you can learn how to sort your active windows using Snow Leopard's Expos? to help increase your workflow organization. After activating Expos? (by opening the Expos? application or using the F3 or F9 keys), users have the ability to reorder the application windows, either by application or alphabetically (based on the name of the window).… Read more

Basic Workflow Tip: Get to files in Finder quicker

By using Spotlight and a simple key command, you can get to files in Finder much quicker. This tip is particularly useful when searching for files to add to folders, getting information about files, or attaching them to emails. First, activate Spotlight by pressing Command + Space or clicking on the Spotlight icon in the top-right of the Mac OS X menu bar.… Read more

CNET's Quick Guide to Netbooks

The low-cost, low-power family of laptop computers known as Netbooks have become a tempting choice, offering access to basic PC tasks for a fraction of the price of traditional laptops or desktops. But wading into the Netbook waters is not as simple as it looks. These once-uniform machines have splintered into different subcategories, each offering different features at different prices.

Our handy Netbook guide offers tips and advice for picking the perfect Netbook. Things to keep in mind include how much you want to spend, how long the battery needs to last, and if mobile broadband access is a necessity. … Read more

Workaround for iPhone eating draft e-mail

I recently posted my experiences with a serious bug that I discovered on my iPhone 3GS after it lost the entire contents of two different e-mail messages. The bug appears to be caused by a problem with my e-mail accounts on MobileMe or Gmail and accessing them later on my iPhone.

The steps that I have used to demonstrate the bug, which I've been able to successfully replicate every time on my iPhone running OS 3.1 or 3.1.2 and my MobileMe account are posted in My iPhone eats draft e-mail--yours could too.

After providing Apple with … Read more

Disabling or customizing mouse acceleration in OS X

OS X has a built in mouse acceleration curve which most people get accustomed to; however, in some instances having acceleration for mouse input can be frustrating. There are several tools and utilities available for managing the acceleration curve in OS X, which can help you customize how your mouse behaves globally as well as for specific applications.… Read more

Windows 7 improvements to help audio recording

Most of the audio engineers I've met--both home and professional--are Mac people, and Avid's ProTools running on a Mac is often cited as the industry standard. But there are Windows loyalists out there.

In late 2007 I took an introductory audio production class taught by David Huber (who wrote one of the bibles on the subject, "Modern Recording Techniques") and Scott Colburn (who has produced albums by The Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, and Sun City Girls, among many others). Both of them used Nuendo from Steinberg (which is basically the upmarket version of Cubase) as their … Read more