Douglas Godbey

Thu
16
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

The Time Has Come: Thoughts on Vista, Microsoft, and Web 2.0

"The time has come," the Walrus said," to speak of many things. Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, Of cabbages and kings..." Not that I liken myself to the Walrus in Lewis Carroll's 'The Walrus and the Carpenter', but it is still time to speak of ... many things. In fact, things are changing with the speed of a run-away freight train, and you need to know the facts before things get out of hand. This is truly a cautionary exercise and not a case of 'Chicken Littleism'. Microsoft and Novell Microsoft and Novell entered into a collaborative agreement a couple weeks ago to develop a set of ... (view more)

Thu
19
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Linux vs Windows: Updating

We all know that Windows has a convenient tool called Windows / Microsoft Update that allows you to maintain your operating system and MS Office Suite with the latest code available. But what about downloading updates for all your non-Microsoft ... software -- such as: Adobe applications, your ZIP compressor, Spyware and adware cleaner, CD or DVD burning program, non-Microsoft web browsers and email clients, etc? In Windows, you need to update your non-Microsoft programs separately, and that takes a lot of time! Linux, on the other hand, has a better idea. Why not update everything that needs it ... (view more)

Wed
18
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Windows vs Linux: Free or Freedom?

Linux and "Open Source" software are "free." This means their license is a "free license," and the most common is the GPL (General Public License, otherwise known as the CopyLeft License). This license states that anyone is allowed to copy the ... software, review the source code, modify it, and redistribute it as long as it remains licensed with the GPL. Also, being free doesn't just mean free of charge, but also free as in Free Range (chickens?) and Land Of The Free! ;-) So why would you care about freedom when it comes to your operating system? Imagine that Microsoft disappears tomorrow (not ... (view more)

Tue
17
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Windows vs Linux: Ownership

Did you pay for Windows? Are you absolutely sure? If your computer came with a copy of MS Windows, then you most likely paid for it (even if the store didn't tell you). In fact, the price for a Windows license these days amounts to an average of one ... fourth of each new computer's price. So unless you obtained Windows illegally, it's a safe bet you probably paid for it. ;-) And unfortunately, a license of Windows doesn't imply that you own the software; it's like the road system and your driver's license: you bought and paid for your license, but you don't own the highway. In a nutshell, you ... (view more)

Fri
13
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Linux vs Windows: Stability

Have you ever lost your work because Windows crashed? How long has it been since you rebooted Windows because of a system error of one sort or another? When was the last time you received the infamous "Blue Screen Of Death" or other error messages ... demanding that your omputer needs to shut down and reboot for obscure reasons? Certainly, the latest versions of Windows, especially the XP and 2000 "Professional" flavors are considerably more stable than their predecessors. Nevertheless, the need for a spontaneous reboot happens often enough. Of course, no operating system is perfect, and people ... (view more)

Thu
12
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Linux vs Windows: Security

Viruses, Trojans, adware, and Spyware... MS Windows lets all these enter your computer easily. In a recent report I read, the average time before a Windows PC connected to the Internet (with Service Pack 2 installed) gets infected in about 40 ... minutes time (and as little as 30 seconds). And on top of that, adequate protection isn't always enough. Even with a firewall, antivirus, antiSpyware software, plus a more secure web browser and email client (such as Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird instead of Internet Explorer and MS Outlook), you'll still need to pray that pirates aren't smart enough to ... (view more)

Wed
11
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Linux vs Windows: Malware

I was chatting with a handful of my friends the other day when my favorite subject was raised -- Linux! Over the next few weeks, I'll try to write down the various things we discussed; it may open your eyes and get you to thinking more about Linux. ... ;-) The topic that got the ball rolling was the question, "Can you give me just one good reason why Linux is better than Windows?" In fact, the question came from a Microsoft Certified Engineer (MCSE). He is one of those guys that has to have solid, factual, and absolute proof, and not just so-so reasons. The FIRST item off the top of my head was, ... (view more)

Wed
04
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Advanced WindowsCare: One Stop System Maintenance

One of the things I dislike about Windows is the need for software utilities to take care of system settings and conditions. Battling such things as Spyware, viruses, registry hacks, and other things that directly impact the usage of our systems ... just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I've been involved with Information Technology for over 37 years on any number of systems, both large and small, and needing something to 'stick a thumb in the dike' seems wasteful of my time when there are other things I want and need to do. Don't get me wrong: some of the utilities have become highly respected ... (view more)

Thu
24
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

32-bit Vs. 64-bit Systems: What's The Difference?

Not so long ago, we received a query concerning buying a computer and what all the hype was about concerning 32-bit vs. 64-bit, and so on. Since the gift giving season is rolling around and prices for computer equipment is going down, I decided to ... try and give you all some help. 32-bit vs 64-bit Computing To start, let me explain the difference between 32 and 64-bit systems, and the 'why' behind it. In your computer, you have several 'items' that, normally, you don't concern yourself about. One of those is the 'data buss'. It doesn't go across town or anything like that, but it does provide ... (view more)

Thu
17
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

Announcing The Google Pack

For those that have had to reinstall Windows XP or have purchased a new computer with it pre-installed, getting a good selection of software to start with is sometimes a time daunting task. Google has done something about it, however. The Google ... Staff Engineers went through dozens of software packages and built a collection of software tools, utilities, and toys that are automatically updated for you -- and it's called Google Pack. Google states that the versions on some software may lag behind a version on some software packages, but that is only because the engineering staff check out each ... (view more)

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