You’re traveling out of state when a client calls with an emergency task. Unfortunately, the files you need are saved on your desktop computer back at the office. Sure, if you use a cloud storage service such as Dropbox or Box.net, you’ll be able to access those files remotely and help your client. But some people don’t trust the cloud with their valuable business information. For them, iTwin might be a good alternative. READ MORE
A USB drive is such a handy, inexpensive way to transport information that technology research analyst Gartner estimates 222 million USB devices shipped last year. But in some instances, those devices transport trouble as well. Small businesses in particular are paying a price for the convenience of using USB drives. As we grow more savvy to malicious attacks via e-mail and other avenues, cybercriminals are turning to USB drives to distribute malware. According to research by Panda Security, a whopping 25 percent of malware today is developed to disseminate through USB devices. The top two threats in security provider BitDefender’s most recent E-Threats report are spread through USB drives. “Just these two viruses account for 17 percent of the total number of malware apps in the world,” says Catalin Cosoi, head the Online Threats Lab for BitDefender. BitDefender is also seeing new samples of malware distributed via USB drive. “Most hackers are lazy and don’t want to spend hours and hours trying to hack secured computers,” Cosoi explains. “If they can attack an easy target with just a few clicks, they will do that. Spreading malware through USB devices is just as easy as it sounds.” Why you might be vulnerable The risk posed by malware-infected USB drives isn’t limited to small and mid-sized businesses. IBM apologized after distributing infected drives at an Australian security conference earlier this year. However, experts say small businesses are vulnerable because of these factors: Older operating systems. Windows Vista and Windows 7 offer much more protection against infected USB drives, notes Tim Armstrong, a malware analyst with security vendor Kapersky Labs. However, Windows XP remains the most-used operating system worldwide, and the malware exploits the “AutoRun” feature for removable media. Stick a USB drive into the port on a Windows XP machine, and you may find your every keystroke logged and sensitive business files distributed to servers halfway around the world. Even if your company has upgraded its operating system, your employee might be working at home on Windows XP. A lack of security know-how. Smaller businesses are less likely to have dedicated IT personnel or to have policies in place to combat risky USB use. For instance, Good Samaritans in your company may be inclined to pick up a drive found in the parking lot, then insert it into their work computer to see if they can find the drive’s owner. “Somebody could write a script on that drive that goes and searches for your sales database and contact list,” says Rich Baich, principal for security and privacy at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Alternative ways to share information. It may be easier for a small company to rely on USB drives than to take the time and resources to develop other solutions, such as working in the cloud. How to protect your business You can’t afford to ignore this threat, say security experts. However, there are smart steps you can take to insulate your business from the risks posed by malware-infected USB devices. These steps are essential: Maintain up-to-date security solutions. Make sure your security is up to date on all computers attached to your business, and enable Windows updates. Consider an endpoint security solution that can prevent USB drives from being recognized Disable AutoRun. Countless online tutorials detail how to disable AutoRun. To temporarily disable AutoRun, hold down the shift key as you insert a USB drive. Maintain a dedicated computer. If your business is small enough that it’s practical to keep all critical information on one computer, consider doing so, says Baich. Then, don’t ever insert USB devices into that computer. “Keep it very clean. Don’t go surfing websites, use it only for business functions,” he advises. Update your operating system. Lessen your risk by using a more recent version of Windows or another operating system. Use security-protected devices. “Although USB drives are a major culprit for spreading malware, they have also evolved tremendously over the years,” says Cosoi. “Some brands have built-in security software, which makes them safer. Look for these USB drives, and use them exclusively.” Educate your employees. In most cases, your employees are going to find the simplest, most convenient way to get their jobs done. It’s up to you to provide a means for them to move information when necessary and to outline the risks involved with USB drive use. Even posting a sign telling workers not to use unknown USB devices is likely to help. However, establishing a usage policy is your best protection. Parameters might include never running personal USB drives on work computers or business drives on home computers and passing along “found” drives to a designated employee, who can safely scan the devices. Consider alternatives. “It’s almost time to move away from USB sticks to cloud-based solutions,” Armstrong says. Break the USB habit by offering alternatives for file-sharing and storage, but make sure you have employee buy-in, say experts. “Companies should take this issue very seriously,” cautions Cosoi. “At BitDefender, we think USB-transmitted malware is more dangerous than e-mail or other ways of propagating malware.”
A USB drive is such a handy, inexpensive way to transport information that technology research analyst Gartner estimates 222 million USB devices shipped last year. But in some instances, those devices transport trouble as well. Small businesses in particular are paying a price for the convenience of using USB drives. As we grow more savvy to malicious attacks via e-mail and other avenues, cybercriminals are turning to USB drives to distribute malware. According to research by Panda Security, a whopping 25 percent of malware today is developed to disseminate through USB devices. The top two threats in security provider BitDefender’s most recent E-Threats report are spread through USB drives. “Just these two viruses account for 17 percent of the total number of malware apps in the world,” says Catalin Cosoi, head the Online Threats Lab for BitDefender. BitDefender is also seeing new samples of malware distributed via USB drive. “Most hackers are lazy and don’t want to spend hours and hours trying to hack secured computers,” Cosoi explains. “If they can attack an easy target with just a few clicks, they will do that. Spreading malware through USB devices is just as easy as it sounds.” Why you might be vulnerable The risk posed by malware-infected USB drives isn’t limited to small and mid-sized businesses. IBM apologized after distributing infected drives at an Australian security conference earlier this year. However, experts say small businesses are vulnerable because of these factors: Older operating systems. Windows Vista and Windows 7 offer much more protection against infected USB drives, notes Tim Armstrong, a malware analyst with security vendor Kapersky Labs. However, Windows XP remains the most-used operating system worldwide, and the malware exploits the “AutoRun” feature for removable media. Stick a USB drive into the port on a Windows XP machine, and you may find your every keystroke logged and sensitive business files distributed to servers halfway around the world. Even if your company has upgraded its operating system, your employee might be working at home on Windows XP. A lack of security know-how. Smaller businesses are less likely to have dedicated IT personnel or to have policies in place to combat risky USB use. For instance, Good Samaritans in your company may be inclined to pick up a drive found in the parking lot, then insert it into their work computer to see if they can find the drive’s owner. “Somebody could write a script on that drive that goes and searches for your sales database and contact list,” says Rich Baich, principal for security and privacy at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Alternative ways to share information. It may be easier for a small company to rely on USB drives than to take the time and resources to develop other solutions, such as working in the cloud. How to protect your business You can’t afford to ignore this threat, say security experts. However, there are smart steps you can take to insulate your business from the risks posed by malware-infected USB devices. These steps are essential: Maintain up-to-date security solutions. Make sure your security is up to date on all computers attached to your business, and enable Windows updates. Consider an endpoint security solution that can prevent USB drives from being recognized Disable AutoRun. Countless online tutorials detail how to disable AutoRun. To temporarily disable AutoRun, hold down the shift key as you insert a USB drive. Maintain a dedicated computer. If your business is small enough that it’s practical to keep all critical information on one computer, consider doing so, says Baich. Then, don’t ever insert USB devices into that computer. “Keep it very clean. Don’t go surfing websites, use it only for business functions,” he advises. Update your operating system. Lessen your risk by using a more recent version of Windows or another operating system. Use security-protected devices. “Although USB drives are a major culprit for spreading malware, they have also evolved tremendously over the years,” says Cosoi. “Some brands have built-in security software, which makes them safer. Look for these USB drives, and use them exclusively.” Educate your employees. In most cases, your employees are going to find the simplest, most convenient way to get their jobs done. It’s up to you to provide a means for them to move information when necessary and to outline the risks involved with USB drive use. Even posting a sign telling workers not to use unknown USB devices is likely to help. However, establishing a usage policy is your best protection. Parameters might include never running personal USB drives on work computers or business drives on home computers and passing along “found” drives to a designated employee, who can safely scan the devices. Consider alternatives. “It’s almost time to move away from USB sticks to cloud-based solutions,” Armstrong says. Break the USB habit by offering alternatives for file-sharing and storage, but make sure you have employee buy-in, say experts. “Companies should take this issue very seriously,” cautions Cosoi. “At BitDefender, we think USB-transmitted malware is more dangerous than e-mail or other ways of propagating malware.”
So you’ve purchased Windows 7, Microsoft’s latest and greatest operating system, and found it to be fast, stable and full of features to support your small to mid-sized business. Critics agree the Redmond, Wash. software giant have their mojo back, after delivering the much-maligned Windows Vista a few years back. To get even more out of the leaner and meaner Windows 7 for your growing business, here we provide a handful of productivity-enhancing tips and tricks — with some help from the experts. One-click access Windows 7 lets you “pin” large icons to the taskbar for a one-click launch of your favorite applications or files. To do this, simply right mouse-click on a file or program icon and one of your options will be to “Pin to Taskbar.” Run your mouse over these taskbar icons and you’ll see a live preview of what’s inside as a thumbnail image — and even multiple websites open as “tabs” in your browser. “A lot of people rave about this feature as it’s a fast and easy way to manage and access documents and other files you need,” says Microsoft’s Sandrine Skinner, a director within the Windows 7 small business group. “I know a manager of a personal staffing company, for example, and she uses pinning to prepare the desktop for temp workers.” It’s a snap You’ve got a widescreen laptop or computer monitor, so why aren’t you taking advantage of this added real estate? Windows 7 makes it easy to do just that by letting you view multiple files or applications at the same time. Called “Snap,” simply open a couple of programs — such as Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer 8 — and then hold down the Windows key (beside Alt) before using the right or left arrow keys to snap them beside each other. You can also drag and drop content from one to the other (such as a website photo into Paint or highlighted text into Word). Lock it up Your employees likely carry around a laptop, netbook, or USB thumbdrive with company data on it, but what happens if the computer or drive is lost or stolen? The Enterprise and Ultimate versions of Windows 7 include “BitLocker” protection that can encrypt files or folders — preventing anyone from accessing them unless they know the password. Simply right-click on a drive letter (such as F:) in Windows Explorer to enable BitLocker protection. “This reduces the risk in case the device goes missing, and makes up for the fact that employees, consciously or not, don’t always put data security at the top of their to do list,” says Carmi Levy, an independent technology analyst based in London, Ontario. “With the BitLocker To Go feature activated, however, nothing gets copied unless the target device is encrypted.” Kick it old school It’s not secret Windows Vista was plagued with software and hardware compatibility issues, therefore Microsoft made this one of the top priorities in Windows 7 — including an optional “Windows XP mode” for those businesses who need it. “We’ve heard companies tell us ‘this software here is my bread and butter and if it’s not compatible with Windows 7 I won’t upgrade,” explains Skinner. “We listened.” To serve and protect No computer should ever be powered on unless it has at least some protection against malware — such as viruses, spyware, rootkits and the like — especially for computers used for business. “While full-blown security suites from market leaders like McAfee and Symantec do a better job, the free Microsoft Security Essentials tools, along with Windows Defender and Windows Firewall, are more than adequate, and should be activated no matter what other solutions you have in place,” advises Levy. Get outta my way If things get too cluttered because of multiple programs open at the same time — such as a Web browser, word document, calculator, e-mail, and sticky notes — simply grab hold of the program you want to see clearly, by clicking and holding on the top bar of the window, and give your mouse a shake left and right. This will automatically minimize everything else. Do it again and it brings back all the apps that were minimized.
Once upon a time, Microsoft introduced Windows Vista, assuming Windows XP users would upgrade to the new operating system as a matter of course. We all know how that turned out. This past October, Microsoft tried again, with the release of its newest operating system, Windows 7. This time around the new operating system is gathering kudos from users and reviewers, who praise the features and performance, and the fact that Windows 7 does not demand as much computing power as Windows Vista did. Oddly, experts also all note that Windows 7… really isn’t all that different from Vista after all. “I look at Windows 7 as new service pack for Windows Vista,” says Christopher Blake, workstation administrator, The Benchmark Group, an architectural and engineering firm. Still, he says, the new name made it easier for Benchmark to opt for the upgrade. “In my opinion, Vista was a good operating system for the enterprise, but the problem was really psychological. People hated the word ‘Vista,’ and we would have been martyrs if we’d tried to roll it out.” Like The Benchmark Group, the majority of companies that stuck with Windows XP in the face of Vista’s real or reputed problems now face an additional challenge as they plan their move to Windows 7. While upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 is merely a matter of installing the new disk, an upgrade from Windows XP means reinstalling all the applications on the computer as well. “I don’t know if the intent was to reward the people who upgraded to Vista or punish the people who stayed with XP, but they did not include a user-friendly tool for migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 — and they knew that was what most of their customer base would be doing,” Blake says. Still, the new features in Windows 7 make it appealing to both end users and IT staff. Most smart phones and mobile devices are recognized instantly when they are plugged in, and mobile workers can now have laptops that recognize their location and sent print jobs to the nearest printer, while the IT team gains the ability to install software remotely and handle power management more efficiently. “Now is the right time for us to move to Windows 7, because we’re seeing that we can benefit from the new technology and new features,” Blake says. Time to switch With Microsoft committed to security support for Windows XP (with Service Pack 3) until at least 2014, is now the right time to move to Windows 7 for your company? Yes, if you want Windows 7’s new features, if your users do a lot of mobile computing, and if you use mostly standard business applications such as QuickBooks and Microsoft Office. Also if you are buying new desktop computers, since the new machines will likely come with Windows 7 preloaded. No, if you don’t want to buy any new hardware, since moving to Windows 7 will probably require new video cards for some computers at the very least. You should also wait if your company uses large numbers of unusual or custom applications. “Our accountant clients use a huge number of different applications, and I wouldn’t even consider upgrading them right now because too many of those applications won’t run on Windows 7 yet,” notes Byron Patrick, CEO of Simplified Innovations, a managed IT provider that supplies both IT services and leased equipment to small business clients. Windows 7 does come with Windows XP Mode, which creates a virtual XP environment within a Windows 7 computer, for the purpose of running any applications that don’t run on Windows 7. But managing a virtual personal computer inside of a physical personal computer may be a bit much for some users. “Like any computer, it has to have network access set up, be connected to a printer, and to the Internet,” Patrick says. “Expecting corporate users to handle all this may be unrealistic.” Ready or not To its credit, Microsoft has provided some tools this time around to help you determine both whether the hardware you have will be adequate to run Windows 7, and whether the applications you have are compatible with it yet. “We have a compatibility wizard built into Windows 7 that will scan the hard drive and let you know if your hardware and software are Windows 7 compatible,” says Lee Sabow, marketing manager in the Windows Client Organization at Microsoft. Or, if you want to find out before investing in the new operating system whether your applications will work with it, you can find out at Microsoft’s Compatibility Center, he says. If you do decide to go ahead, Patrick recommends copying the data off the computer to be upgraded, and then formatting its hard drive before installing Windows 7. “On any system, when you have the opportunity to wipe the slate clean, it’s great,” he says. “And by doing it now, you avoid any anomalies that might occur because of the upgrade.” As for installing the new operating system itself, he says, it’s easier than with any previous Windows installation. “With Windows XP, halfway through there were things we had to click to continue the process. With Windows 7, we have it loaded on a USB drive. We plug it in, set it to install, and half an hour later, it’s done.” For small group upgrades, it may make sense to reinstall applications manually, but Blake advises using an automated software deployment tool if you’re upgrading more than 50 users, especially if you only have one or two IT staff members to handle the job. “Most tools won’t deploy the operating system itself, but they will deploy the applications,” he says. “He advises choosing a tool with reporting capabilities, so you can see what upgrades have been successfully completed and which users have which software installed. “You have to know what’s going on in your environment before you can manage your environment,” he explains. The Benchmark Group uses a KBOX appliance from KACE for software deployment, he adds. However you do it, make sure to build in enough time for testing the new operating system with your company’s applications, and also for training on how to use it. “Don’t get into a situation where the upgrade will become a pain point for people,” Blake says. “We have time, so take it slow, and do it right.”
Windows 7, Microsoft’s next computer operating system (OS), is looking to win over skeptics disappointed with the much-hyped but often-maligned Windows Vista. While it’s not available until Oct. 22, the early buzz is uniformly positive — “Microsoft’s mojo is back” seems to be the general consensus — but does this mean your business should upgrade to Windows 7 at launch, if at all? First, a look at a few new features and improvements over past operating systems. Benefits to upgrading A key focus to Windows 7 is speed and compatibility. From faster start-up times to quicker program launches to overall performance, Windows 7 addresses many of the speed issues found lacking in its predecessor. This is true even for underpowered netbooks and older PCs. And when it comes to hardware and software compatibility, Windows 7 will work with more accessories and programs, which wasn’t the case when Windows Vista debuted in early 2007. “It’s no secret Vista had a rough start — the ecosystem just wasn’t ready for it — and as a result it frustrated many users,” says Michael Silver, research vice president and analyst for client computing at Gartner, Inc., a Stamford, Conn.-based research and consulting group. “Windows 7 will address many of these concerns.” “In all fairness, though, Vista wasn’t as bad as its reputation. Plus, Microsoft made many improvements to that OS over the past three years,” adds Silver. “So Windows 7 will build on these Vista tweaks, and add better memory management, a more intuitive user interface, and many networking enhancements, too.” Windows 7′s streamlined interface includes a cleaner desktop and task bar, which now lies along the bottom of the screen, and a preview of what’s inside by simply hovering your mouse above the icons. Carmi Levy, an independent technology analyst based in London, Ontario, agrees with Silver. “The user interface is also light years ahead of Windows XP and Vista — and finally gives Windows users something to brag about when they meet Mac users at parties.” For the sizable number of companies out there still running Windows XP, Windows 7 should offer much of what they like about XP, adds Levy. “This includes relatively snappy performance on older or trailing-edge hardware, excellent driver availability, and industry support — plus improved security and desktop administration.” Levy says Windows 7′s “touch” support will also be compelling to some users. “Windows 7 will have built-in support for multi-touch gestures, handwriting, and voice, for those computers built to support alternative input options.” Timing your upgrade Benefits aside, Silver believes a small or mid-sized business must assess how old their computers are before considering an OS upgrade. “Generally, we don’t recommend an organization upgrade all PCs at once to a new OS, spending money on something that might not bring you a discernable return of investment. But if the computers are relatively new you might already be eligible for a free Windows 7 upgrade.” If not, says Silver, a company might want to wait until the PCs need replacing and “skipping Windows 7 won’t be an option at that point.” He predicts: “This version is going to be very popular.” Levy agrees that businesses using Windows XP will be pleased with Windows 7, but what about businesses currently running Vista? “Although Windows 7 can conceivably deliver faster performance on equivalent hardware, upgrading operating systems on existing desktops and laptops is not an insignificant undertaking,” she says. “Software has to be tested on a new operating system, as does all related hardware that the machine connects to on the corporate network” Levy adds. “Similarly, no matter whether you’re running Vista, XP, or even something older like Windows 2000, you never want to be the first company on your block to adopt a new OS.” Levy says companies interested in upgrading might consider working with it in a test or pilot environment, “and then implement them on all PCs after Microsoft has had a chance to work through the inevitable set of bugs that will affect any new operating system.”
At a time when many small to mid-sized businesses are looking for ways to hold down costs, Locum Leaders, an Alpharetta, Ga., temporary medical staffing company, is looking toward future growth. The company renegotiated with its software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider, reducing annual and per user costs but also committing to paying upfront on an annual basis. In this economy, paying upfront might seem like a leap of faith for a company that previously operated on a month-to-month basis with its software provider. However, Alex Gramling, vice president of marketing for Locum Leaders, says it was a well-researched, calculated move. “As we looked at the trajectory growth of our business, it made sense. The more people you have [using the software], the higher your bill is,’’ says Gramling. “We wanted to cut that cost. In exchange for a cost reduction of close to 50 percent, we agreed to pay up front on an annual basis. “Everything is negotiable in this economy, and now is the time to make investments in growth.” The time might be right to negotiate Because software vendors are also facing tough economic times, they’re more likely to offer concessions on upgrades and bundles. “If your business is stable and you have capital dollars to spend, you are probably in a very good position to extract some very good deals out of vendors today,’’ says Jeffrey Gordon, a professional negotiator and author of the book and blog“The Software Licensing Handbook.” Gordon says the climate to make a deal might be right if your business meets one of these criteria: Your business has planned for growth. If you’re adding new users or a new software product that expands your footprint with a vendor, you can likely ask for some consideration in return. Your software contract allows for annual renegotiation or adjustments based on the current state of the economy. You don’t yet have a contract in place with a software vendor. Concessions to consider A bit of creativity can help when it comes to asking for concessions, say the experts. For instance, the slow economy can work in your favor when it comes to personnel, says Bob Corrigan of IFS North America, an enterprise software vendor. “Right now, enterprise software vendors like IFS might be in a position to price more aggressively on hourly rates for services staff involved in the upgrade process because backlogs are not where they were a year ago,’’ Corrigan says. It’s also likely that your own critical personnel will have the time to implement upgrades because of the economic slowdown, Corrigan points out. Other possible concessions include: Asking a vendor to renegotiate mid-contract in exchange for extending the contract. Asking for a break on annual maintenance fees or on the escalation of annual maintenance fees. Changing the nature of your arrangement with a vendor, as Locum Leaders did. Offering to pay upfront on an annual basis brought significant savings to the company. However, Gordon cautions that businesses should evaluate carefully whether investing that much capital is a wise choice. If a discount isn’t substantial or your company’s outlook is unsure, you might be better off simply investing the capital, he says. The two-way nature of negotiation Locum Leaders brought research to the table in its negotiations, showing the vendor projected growth and offering cost comparisons to comparable vendors. “We told our vendor, ‘Let’s try to bring costs in line with these other vendors,’’’ says Gramling. “The thesis goal is not about just nickel and diming someone to get a better value for something you’re not going to use. It’s understanding their pain points as well as your own.’’ In some cases, large vendors are unlikely to offer concessions to small and mid-size business, says Gordon, the professional negotiator. That’s why several experts say now likely isn’t the time to upgrade to Microsoft Vista. Waiting for Windows 7 is a better option for small businesses, says Jay S. Hemmady, a veteran CIO of mid-level businesses. The improvements Vista offers over XP aren’t substantial enough to warrant an upgrade right now, Hemmady says. It’s most important to remember that it’s not a deal if you don’t need the upgrade or the service, says Gordon. “Just because the economics have changed doesn’t necessarily make your needs change. Buying for a hazy future, an unsure future, just because you think something may happen is too risky. You have to make some very strategic decisions.”
With credit tight and profits down, “I need a new computer,” are the last words you want to hear from your employees. But chances are, you hear them all too often. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average lifespan of a personal computer is only 2.4 years. But it doesn’t have to be this way. “Most computers are discarded when their hardware is perfectly good,” says J.J. Schoch, vice president of marketing, iolo technologies, publisher of the popular PC tune-up software System Mechanic. Why do so many mechanically perfect computers get replaced? For one thing, it may be difficult to distinguish between hardware and software problems. If a computer is slow, glitchy, prone to crashing, and takes forever to load applications, its user is likely to demand a new one. And some software problems are so bad they’re not worth fixing. “If a computer is badly infected with malware or has other severe security-related problems, fixing it may not be practical,” explains Ed Correia, CEO of managed service provider Sagacent Technologies. Yes, you could clean it off, but if it’s going to take 20 hours of expert IT time to do it, it might more cost-effective to buy another one. With that in mind, here are 5 tips for getting the longest use from personal computers lives by protecting both their hardware and software: Keep the computer free of unneeded applications. Unused or obsolete applications leave bits of code behind that can clog up your computer, eating up RAM and slowing everything down. Besides being a software problem, too much leftover code can also lead to hardware failure, by causing your hard drive to spin more than it needs to, thus wearing it down. “Your hard drive can wind up looking like Swiss cheese,” Correia says. One way to get rid of unneeded code is to use tune-up software, but Windows also has a disk cleanup feature. Make sure the system tray and registry are also free of unneeded applications. Keep images of your computers. The operating system, configuration, and applications on a computer can be stored as a space-saving image, which makes it easy and quick for IT staff to restore them. Being able to re-image a computer solves the it’ll-take-so-long-to-restore-we-might-as-well-buy-a-new-one problem. And support staff can often re-image over the Internet, without even touching the computer. “Our standard procedure is, if someone’s having a problem and it takes more than an hour to fix, then we simply re-image,” Correia says. Maximize memory. “One inexpensive way to extend the life of desktop computers is to upgrade to the maximum amount of RAM possible, so the operating system does not have to use memory on the hard disk,” says Matthew Chang, president of the online coupon website eCoupons.com. Here again, the idea is to cut back on excess use of the hard drive, which fills in whenever RAM is overloaded. Adding memory will improve users’ experience, too, since RAM is much faster than disk. Minimize dust. Heat is anathema to computer components, so when their insides fill with dust, it traps heat, causing fans to work overtime, and wear out more quickly. So don’t set a computer directly on the floor, where it will act as a stationary vacuum cleaner — even a few inches’ elevation will help. And don’t allow smoking or incense use around the computer either, since smoke will fill it with dust fast. “I’ve heard of computer motherboards frying because there was a layer of dust on them keeping the heat in,” Schoch says. You can’t keep dust from getting in, he adds. “Air has to circulate in a computer to keep it cool, and with air comes dust.” The only remedy, he says, is to open the computer case and blow out the dust periodically. Hold off on Vista. Microsoft Windows Vista demands much more processing power than its predecessor XP. “It’s much, much more demanding, so we do not recommend installing Vista on existing computers,” Correia says. “Most computers currently in place don’t have the needed processing power.” While all these steps can help you extend personal computer life, in three to five years, he predicts this will no longer be a concern. “By then, most small businesses will be using virtual desktops running on servers in the back office, and employees will use thin clients (essentially a keyboard, monitor, and browser) to access them. It’ll be an initial investment, but then they won’t have to keep upgrading desktops. They can just keep using them until they physically break.”
Linda Musgrove never thought about hooking up a second screen to her office computer until the day her tech-savvy husband came home with a new monitor. She decided to have him install the new monitor alongside her old one — and voila — a convert was born. “Once I started using two, I couldn’t go back to one,” says Musgrove, proprietor of TradeShow Teacher, an Aventura, Fla., trade show marketing consultant. “Then he brought another one home and I started using three, and once I was using three he got me another one.” Today, Musgrove would be lost without her four-monitor arrangement: two standard 20” screens stacked one on top of the other and two 21” widescreens to the left and right. All are from Acer. Musgrove does a lot of graphic design work for her business and multiple monitors allow her to have a document she’s working on up on one, research materials on two others and her Facebook page on the fourth. “I can be working on one thing and while it’s saving I can jump onto something else,” she says. “I have ADD so I need to have a lot of things going on at once, and I really do work faster.” Musgrove powers her set up from a PC her husband modifiedwithanIntel Core 2 Quad 3 gigahertz processor and 6 gigabytes of RAM. Musgrove’s husband outfitted her computer with two Nvidia GeForce graphics cards, each with two digital video interface (DVI) outputs so there are connectors for each of her four monitors. Multiple monitor fans Multiple monitor, or “multi-mon” users as they call themselves, can be found in many information-heavy professions including graphic design, stock trading, software development, IT administration, and publishing. At one time, Ryan Thompson, owner of an independent IT business in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, at one time used five 19” to 21” standard CRT monitors lined up horizontally. It was a few too many monitors. “I started getting dizzy spells after a few days from turning my head too much,” he says. “I found I really only used the middle three effectively. The others basically devolved into scratch space and log output.” For Thompson, three feels about right, with a middle monitor rotated vertically for document editing. “Having a single monitor would be crippling,” he says. Like Musgrove, Tom Anderson stumbled onto using multiple monitors accidently. The last time that Anderson Analytics, his Stamford, Conn., boutique market research firm, bought computers he ended up with two extra flat panel monitors. He started using them and was immediately smitten. “It’s so natural,” Anderson says. “Whether you have e-mail up on monitor one and are surfing the Web or typing an e-mail response or other type of document in Word on monitor two, it’s so nice to have both there at a glance.” And like Musgrove, Anderson eventually upgraded to using more than two. Today he uses three identical 24” widescreen flat panel displays connected to a Dell Studio XPS 435 MT with an Intel Core i7-920 processor and uses a swivel office chair “so I can easily change my angle slightly,” he says. Anderson’s advice for anyone thinking about adding a screen? “Why wait, splurge, you won’t regret it.” SIDEBAR: Getting Started with Multiple Monitors If you’re interested in adding a second monitor to your desktop or laptop computer, here are some resources to get you started: Official Microsoft how-to guide — Step-by-step instructions for configuring and using multiple monitors with Windows XP. Linux user’s multi-monitor wiki — Instructions for setting up multiple monitors on Linux computers either in clone mode, where each monitor displays the same thing, or in “multihead mode,” where each monitor displays a separate session. Social Wallpapering — An online purveyor of background wallpaper with dozens of scenes suited to dual screens. Utility software — Multi-monitor utilities include programs such as UltraMon, which sets up a multi-monitor system, and Multi-Mon, which opens a new Windows task bar on a second monitor. Multi-Mon developer MediaChance also sells a heftier pro version that works with XP and Vista. Graphics expansion modules — External devices such as Matrox Graphics’DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go connect two or three monitors to a PC or Mac, laptop or desktop computer through the VGA or DVI output.
Ralph Musgrove has had a glimpse of Windows 7 and he likes what he sees. Musgrove is executive vice president at Concord Technologies, a 40-person Seattle, Wash., developer of Internet-based fax services for mid-sized and large companies. As a Microsoft technology partner, Musgrove has previewed some features of Windows 7, the program that will eventually replace the often maligned Vista operating system software. Microsoft officials took the wraps off Vista’s successor at an October 2008 developers’ conference and has meted out additional details in the months that followed. Exactly when a finished version of Windows 7 will debut hasn’t been announced. Microsoft officials have publicly stated they expected to release a beta version of the software sometime in 2009 and a formal launch might come the following year. Musgrove can’t reveal everything he knows about Windows 7 due to non-disclosure agreements he has with Microsoft. But he can say that if the current pre-beta version of the operating system doesn’t change dramatically, current Vista users should be pleased with at least some of the upgrades, including a new taskbar and improved user interface. The new program should also appeal to people who access the Internet on devices that aren’t traditional computers, Musgrove says. As with many other established software programs, upgrades to the operating system is “more about usability than (changing) the plumbing in the background,” he says. No more security alarms For starters, a lot of the security features that Vista users found so annoying have been minimized. “You used to get a lot of ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ messages, which was great for my friends who don’t know much about computers but were a nuisance for people like me,” Musgrove says. Anti-virus programs “wouldn’t run without them so you couldn’t turn them off. In Windows 7, it’s dramatically smoother.” Windows devotees will also notice other improvements to the program’s user interface that account for more people logging on from something other than a desktop PC with a keyboard and mouse, Musgrove says. For example, Windows 7’s voice recognition features are better, he says, “and by the time it gets to beta it should be way more apparent.” Underneath the interface, some components and subroutines will change but many will remain the same, Musgrove says. A lot of Vista’s existing core application programming interfaces, or APIs, will be ported over to Windows 7 “simply to make the product compatible,” Musgrove says. “You can’t expect the entire universe to change their software just because you changed the plumbing.” According to Microsoft spokesman Joel Steinfeld , other Windows 7 highlights, include: Touch screen support that lets people zoom in or out by moving their fingers together or apart, and touch-sensitive controls for the Start menu, taskbar and Internet Explorer. A new taskbar with bigger icons that are easier to open on a touch screen, as well as open windows that appear as graphic thumbnail and expand to a full-screen preview when a user hovers their mouse over them. Jump lists that make it easier to find frequently used files Controls that automatically identify and connect devices on a small office or home network that are running on the operating system A feature called Device Stage that lets users of smart phones, MP3 players, cameras and other portable devices see the status of the gadgets and run common tasks from a single window. SIDEBAR: Windows 7 Resources To keep up with Windows 7 developments, check in with these Windows 7 blogs and resources: The official Microsoft Windows 7 Website Windows Developer Center — Everything there is to know about developing for Windows, including video tutorials, downloads, and whitepapers. Windows 7 developers blog — More Windows 7 code talk. Springboard Series: The Resource for Windows Desktop IT Professionals — A Microsoft-sponsored blog for developers that has podcasts and other regular features.
