The Internet: Past, Present and Future

Who knew that years ago when the internet first came to be that it would evolve into what it is today. I’m sure that someone had a vision, but for the everyday user, the fact that we can now do almost anything by just pressing a few buttons is amazing.

There are not many people in the world today who do not access the internet at least once a day. Whether it is to send an email, make a purchase, or check your bank account, the internet has quickly become part of our everyday lives.

Just a few years ago we were tied to our homes or business if we wanted to access the internet. Not only that, we were tied to the phone line. If we wanted to be on the internet our phone would be busy. Now most of us have some kind of wireless set up in our homes so we can access not only several computers within the house, but also many other forms of entertainment. We can stream movies through the internet whether it is on a laptop computer, or a dvd player. Now we don’t even need the DVD player, we can stream them right from an internet TV. And thanks to technologies and websites like http://www.direct.tv, choosing the right entertainment service and package is now easier.

So once we became mobile within our homes, the internet was taken a step further. You don’t even need a computer any more to access the internet, all you need is a phone, or other 4G enabled device. You can be riding in a car and searching the internet for a place to stop and eat or get gas.

It is always interesting to see what is going to come next. Just when you think that there is no where else to go, someone takes it a step further. With the advancement of the internet there are some other things that are going away. People are using the internet to work. There is no longer a need to be in the same location as the people you work with.

Work, play, and everyday life are going to keep being changed and affected by the internet.

Filed Under: Computers, Internet Tagged With: , ,

Maximize Your Mac Experience

If you’re a new Mac user, having recently switched over to the “Apple” from their more dominant competitor, you may have noticed that you’ve got some learning to do. There are some major differences between the two competing systems, and they extend far beyond branding. One of the cool things about Macs is the ability to set up different options immediately available by sliding the mouse into one of the four corners of the computer screen. They’re called Hot Corners. Setting them up with frequently desired options will help make your Mac experience fruitful.

 

Hot Corners Setup – Simply click on the System Preferences button, typically located in the dock upon start-up. From there, select the desktop and screen saver button. Click over to screen saver, and locate the hot corners button in the lower left of the screen. From there, select the things that you seem likely to use most often, based on your personal preferences. Fortunately, Apple provides a lot of widgets from which to choose. Some of the more popular, and useful, ones follow, but choose any that interest you!

 

Widget corner – This selection allows you to choose from many handy widgets. One widget pulls up the five day forecast for your local area in a flash. No more waiting until you hit the weather channel on tv! Another provides a calculator function. Tired of yellow stickies everywhere? Use the one on your computer to prevent losing important notes! Screen saver – scroll into a particular corner and your computer screen switches instantly to your favorite screen saver, saving your pixels.

Filed Under: Computers, General Tagged With: , ,

Windows XP Service Pack 3

windows is so secure

Image by Dan_H via Flickr

If you are still using Windows XP you want to make sure you are running it with the latest service pack installed. Since the release of XP in 2001 they have had three major updates. Each of these was released in what Microsoft called a service pack. The latest update which was released in 2008 was service pack 3.

There are a couple of reasons for making sure you are running the latest update. First of all the update has important security, and performance updates that will not only make your experience better, it will also increase the security and safety of your computer. The second reason for using the latest update is because Microsoft is phasing out their support of XP and they will only support users who are running SP3. The support for service pack 2 stopped in July of 2010.

You can get the update by turning on your automatic updates. It will automatically download service pack 3. Once it is downloaded you can easily finish up the installation with just a few mouse clicks. You will need to have either service pack 1 or service pack 2 installed on your computer before you can install service pack 3. Both of these are also available as through the automatic updates.

If you don’t have automatic updates you can also go to the Windows website and use their Windows Update. If you are not sure what version you are running all you need to do is go to your start button and right click on My Computer. Click on Properties. Look in the System section to see what service pack if any is listed.

Filed Under: Computers, Microsoft Windows Tagged With: , ,

Windows XP vs. Windows 7

windows 7 in VirtualBox on windows xp

It may be hard to believe, but Microsoft’s Windows 7 biggest rival is Windows XP. Because the company offers continued support for many of its products, one of its biggest problems is convincing users that they need to upgrade to a new and better product that they are offering. XP is in the process of running out of support though, and it is now only offered in a limited capacity. There is also only support offered for those who are running the system with the latest updates. Microsoft has a strict schedule that they follow when it comes to supporting their systems.

So when you compare Windows XP to Windows 7 who comes out on top? The answer to this really depends on what you are looking for. Windows XP is currently running on many netbooks where it seems to have found its perfect place. XP is a basic operating system that is you basic nothing fancy operating system. It is quick, and compatible with almost everything. If you are looking for cool effects or an HD interface you will need to go elsewhere, but if you want a system that does not need a lot of maintenance XP is the way to go.

Now we introduce Windows 7. Those XP users who just skipped right over Vista may now be considering upgrading to Windows 7. It has a new bar that sits at the bottom of your screen allows you to manage your windows and programs.  Windows 7 brings the best of both XP and Vista to life, with good speed and a great new look.

Filed Under: Computers, Microsoft Windows Tagged With: , ,

Plug-Ins: What are They and What Do They Do

Adobe Flash Player Icon

Image via Wikipedia

You probably hear the term thrown around quite often when you are dealing with software and web browsing, but is a plug-in and are they safe?

The simple definition of a plug-in is that it is a small piece of software that applications use to increase their functionality. There are many software packages that use plug-ins including web browsers, Photoshop, and several video and gaming applications. A plug-in will add a specific function to a larger application or customize it.

The two most well known plug-ins are Adobe Flash Player, and Quicktime. The reason that many applications use plug-ins is because using them make the size of the application needed smaller. It also makes it easier to add new features to existing applications.

There are several different functions of plug-ins. For example, web browsers often use them to increase the number of formats they can show. If they cannot support some kind of format such as a video player it will look for a plug-in that does support it show that the browser can play it for you.

Extensions should not be confused with plug-ins. They are similar, but there is a small difference. While a plug-in has a specific capability, an extension is something that becomes a part of a web browser. An extension usually changes and existing function in a browser or adds to the function, while a plug-in will help the user to perform some specific task. They both increase the function of some aspect of the browser though, so they are often grouped together.

Most plug-ins are safe, as long as you are getting them from a reputable source. It is important to make sure that the plug-ins you have on your computer are kept up to date, because an outdated one can be a security risk. If you use Firefox, you can have the browser check your plug-ins to make sure they are up to date.

Filed Under: Computers, Internet Tagged With: , , , ,

The Differences Between Windows XP Home and Business Editions

If you have been around computers at all you know that Windows XP is an operating system developed by Microsoft. You may also know that there are a few different versions of it. The most commonly used versions are the Home Edition and the Professional Edition. The two versions have several similarities, but there are also a few key differences.

The first difference is the most obvious. The home edition was designed for users at home or for small businesses. The professional edition was designed for use in an office or corporation that has some kind of centralized administrator. The login page for both editions look similar, but the home edition is a basic login with not authentication needed. The login page for the professional edition can be changed so that domain authentication is needed.

The home edition automatically assigns all users to the owners group giving them full control of the computer. There is a restricted users group available, but a user needs to be assigned to it. With the professional version all users need to be assigned to a group. Each group has different permissions depending on the level, with some users having only administrative rights.

The last difference is that the home versioin will only support a computer with one CPU. The professional version will support a dual processor. There is also a server edition of professional that supports several processors.

Even with these differences, the fact that both versions have the same basic platform is what makes it so easy to use. The previous versions of Windows required different drivers making them more difficult to use. Windows XP is also extremely stable since it is based on the previous version of Windows specifically NT and 2000. There are also other stability provisions implemented such as a Microsoft driver approval. This means that a driver has been checked for stability by Microsoft.

Filed Under: Computers, Microsoft Windows Tagged With: , , ,

Should Users Stay With XP or Upgrade?

Windows XP logo

Image via Wikipedia

With the release of Windows 7, many users are wondering if they should stay with what they have or if they should upgrade to the newest version. Before spending the money to upgrade there are a few things you should keep in mind.

According to Microsoft, they are planning to support XP until 2014. If you think about it, that is probably longer than the computer you are currently using will last. In order to upgrade to a new operating system you may need to also purchase new software, some new hardware, and it may even mean buying a new computer.

Since there is no way to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 you will have to erase your hard drive before installing it. This means that once you install it you will have to reinstall all the information you had on your computer including all the programs and all the data. If you have been using XP for years, this could be more work and more of a risk than it is worth. You will also need to find out if your computer can even run Windows 7. Microsoft has a download you can use to find out if your system can handle it. If you use this download, it runs on your system and will then let you know if you can run Windows 7.

If you are happy with what your computer is capable with Windows XP and are not having any problems, there is really no reason to upgrade at this time. You can look into Windows 7 to see what it can do as opposed to what XP can do. From here you make a decision, but unless you feel like you absolutely have to have the latest and greatest thing out there, you will probably be fine with Windows XP  until it is time to upgrade your whole computer.

Filed Under: Computers, Microsoft Windows Tagged With: , , , ,

The Impact of the Internet on Business

Twenty years ago when someone thought about starting a business they thought about a place to have an office, they thought about the local newspaper and how to advertise to the people in their area. The internet has dramatically changed how we go about starting a business. To start, we often don’t even need a physical office. We don’t necessarily need to depend on local people to make up a customer base, and our local paper doesn’t even come to mind when we think about getting the word out.

The internet has had a huge impact on businesses both big and small. There are a number of things that have change in the course of the past twenty years with the growth of the internet.

  1. How we communicate. With the internet came a new way of communicating with employees. Email is now the most used way that employers contact their employees. An email not only gives both employee and employer a paper trail of transactions, it also is quick and easy.
  2. Physical location. It is no longer necessary to be in the same location as your boss or any of your coworkers. You can accomplish the same things through email and web based interactions that you used to need to do face to face. More companies are making telecommuting a viable option for their workforce. This can help to cut down on the overhead in several ways including office space and other day to day necessities.
  3. Marketing. The concept of marketing has changed dramatically with the growth of the internet. A business now has competition as far as the internet will take them. The scope of marketing has also changed with social networking. Print is only one option, and probably not the most effective.
  4. Research and Development. The internet is a huge source of information. It is probably the most used tool for finding out information about new products, and to find out what the competition is doing.
Filed Under: Computers, Internet Tagged With: , ,

How the Internet has Changed the Face of Shopping and Business

Once upon a time you had to get in the car, head to the store and shop around for the best deals. It could take you a few hours of shopping or a whole day of shopping depending on the items you were after. Then something happened that has forever changed the way everyone shops, run businesses and live in general. It is called the Internet. Once the Internet came up and went global, people all over the world are shopping online and learning more than ever.

One thing popular now is buying clothes online. Many people may have not realized it but if you have a favorite store, chances are they have a website. You can often times find items on their website that you may not be able to find in the store. Many now do their shopping from the comfort of their home. They hop online, find the items they need, pay and they are on their way. No longer do you have to go to every store in town to find the best deals on clothes, shoes or even music.

Businesses have had to adjust their way thinking as well. With so many shopping strictly online you have to have a presence on the Internet. You can no longer put off having a website. Your customers are looking for that. Many people only shop from home or while they are on break at work. If you are not on the web, you are missing thousands of potential customers.

Whether you are in business, own a franchise, or you are a shopper the Internet has changed the world as it once was. Buying clothes online, shoes online or even finding a home is all done in the convenience and comfort of your own home or office. Many people do not even venture out in to the storefronts any more. If you are a business you must have a website presence to be successful.

Filed Under: Computers, Internet Tagged With: ,

Adobe Digital Editions Software

The Adobe Digital Editions Software is a free download. This is a great software package for those that love to download eBooks. It is also a fantastic tool for writers who may want to create their own eBook.

The software provides a number of great features. One that many people will love is the file organization feature. If you have downloaded a number of eBook, this feature will help you organize them. You will be able to sort your eBooks by publisher, author and title. You can also create your own customized bookshelf to find the eBook you are looking for.

You can use a wide variety of tools to view annotations and bookmarks. You can choose how your eBook displays such as single or double page. You can also decrease or increase text sizes in publications that used EPUB. This provides a great deal of flexibility that will make reading your eBooks much easier.

Many colleges are switching to digital textbooks. The software has great features that allow you to make comments on your eBooks. You can also highlight sections that you can refer to later. This is a great way to make notes to your self.

Another wonderful feature is the ability to borrow electronic publications from public libraries. It is similar to downloading eBooks online and the only difference is the payment function. You can download from libraries all over the country.

For the aspiring writers, the software provides and easy tool to create your own eBooks. The software supports EPUB and PDF/A formats. It also provides a copy protection feature.

This free software has numerous tools for publishing and using eBooks. This is a great package that eBook lovers will enjoy using.

The software is compatible with Windows XP as long as you have at least the SP2 service pack installed on your computer.

Filed Under: Computers, Internet Tagged With: , , , , ,
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