system

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)

Recently, Best Buy announced its alliance with SanDisk and RealNetworks to develop a music service set for release on October 15th, 2006. (Source: tgdaily.com ) The arrangement uses RealNetworks' Rhapsody service via the Best Buy Digital Music ... electronic store. The system will be available to customers of the SanDisk Sansa e200R line of Rhapsody MP3 players. (Source: technewsworld.com ) Rhapsody is currently the largest subscription-based music service, while SanDisk is the number two producer of MP3 players (falling behind Apple). The SanDisk Rhapsody MP3 players have been reported to cost $ ... (view more)

Have you ever taken a good, long, hard look at everything stored on your computer? Chances are there are heaps of redundant and unnecessary files that are taking up valuable disk space and cluttering up your file system. Why are they there? What's ... their purpose? And how in the world did they get on your PC in the first place? If you've owned a computer for any length of time, you have inevitably downloaded, installed, and later gotten rid of program after program. What you may not realize, though, is that uninstalling a program often leaves you with "leftovers." Now, you'd think that the " ... (view more)

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)

When it rains, it pours. Nintendo has finally let the cat out of the bag about several highly coveted bits of information regarding its new system, the unique and innovative Wii. The Price The Price Tag for the Nintendo Wii is set for $250 (in the ... U.S.). Does anything else really need to be said? Let's compare the Wii with its other next-generation counterparts: Sony PlayStation 3: $500 or $600 (U.S.) depending on which model you get. Microsoft Xbox 360: $300 or $400 (U.S.) for the Core or Premium versions respectively. Obviously, Nintendo is pricing itself much cheaper than its competition ... (view more)

System Safety Monitor System Safety Monitor (SSM) allows you to track down Microsoft Windows operating system activity in real-time and to prevent undesirable actions from various malware and Spyware programs. SSM's main goal is to discover and ... block malicious actions of any application. http://syssafety.com/product.html Outlook Attachment Enabler Control what attachments Outlook has deemed to be unsafe and be free to open any attachment you like. You can also add to the default list of blocked attachment types. http://www.veign.com/download_app.asp?app=109 (view more)

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)

I have been getting many questions lately about imaging and backup software. Since so many users have had questions about it, I decided there might be other folks that had similar questions, but were too shy to ask. OK -- so what is Imaging and what ... is Backup Software? Imaging and backup software fulfils very important roles in computer maintenance. However, the need and use for each is very different and that difference will determine which software you will need to support your system. The Backup Typically, a backup creates a 'copy' of any file that is NOT in use. If the file is 'open' and ... (view more)

For the hardcore programmers out there, be warned that the anticipated Windows Powershell scripting technology has already been targeted by a group of European virus writers. A mischievous Austrian group has developed a malware code with the ... potential to shut down Microsoft's Powershell program, a major part of the upcoming Exhange Server 2007 (set for release in late 2006 or early 2007). (Source: microsoft-watch.com ) Windows Powershell is the newest command-line shell from Microsoft, an engine that serves as the controller of system administrative tasks. Its main draw is that it allows ... (view more)

Firetune For Firefox Tweak and optimize Firefox with a mouse click. http://www.totalidea.com/content/freeware/freeware.html Top 10 System Administrator Truths With enough time and effort, anyone could be a System Administrator. Really, it's not ... hard, it just takes practice, methodology, and trial and error. A lot of trial and error. These truths will certainly get you on your way. http://www.misterorange.com (view more)