Windows 7 - Good Thing or Bad? 
The newest operating system developed by Microsoft to run on a WinTel
platforms is called "Windows 7". It will be available in mid October
2009. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Click here to visit the "Windows 7" home page to review the features of this new operating system.
Remember how bad "Vista" was when it came out? I expect "Windows 7" to have the same rocky start. I do not advise being an early adapter.
- "Windows
7" cannot be installed as an update to "Win XP". You can buy the less
expensive upgrade license, but all user installed options (such as
programs) will need to be re-installed.
- Upgrading
from "Win XP" to "Vista" and then to "Windows 7", is an option but costly in both time and money. A clean install from scratch
installation is better than an upgrade installation.
- This option addresses only users who need a new computer now.
If you buy a new computer running "Vista", many vendors are offering a
free "Windows 7" Software Upgrade Installation Kit when it becomes
available. This option is appealing in that you have the option of
re-installing "Vista" if "Windows 7" turns out not be for you.
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Netbooks - Time to Buy? 
What is an Netbook? A Netbook is a small laptop computer.
- Typically, its screen is no larger than 10". My current Dell laptop has a 15.4" screen.
- The keyboard is 80%-92% the standard size.
- The price point is $200 -$400.
Why consider a Netbook?
- Easy to transport. Small size and weight.
- Low on price.
- You want a basic computer to access the network and not much more.
Downsides to a Netbook?
- Not enough power to use standard Office applications such as Outlook and Word.
- Poor
experience when surfing web. You are constantly scrolling left and
right, up and down to view a web page. Viewing a web page on an iPhone
is a much better experience.
- No optical drive. You
cannot load software from a CD, or play music CD's. You will need to
buy an external CD drive (approximate cost $100).
- Hard to upgrade because the electronics are packed tightly inside of the case.
Recommendations:
- Buy a name brand such as Dell or HP.
- More is better. Get the biggest hard drive you can. Get the most amount of memory, the biggest screen and the biggest keyboard.
- Look for conventional
hard drives such as SATA. Do not buy a Netbook with a solid state hard
drive. Solid state drives are new technology and are still very
expensive. In order to meet the small price point for a Netbook, solid
state drives are in the 4GB to 16GB range. A SCSI drive will be
40GB-160GB.
- Do not consider a Netbook with less than 1GB of memory. Less than 1GB will mean that your Netbook performance is very slow.
- Anything less than a 10" screen will make surfing the web a painful process.
- If you can touch type, a keyboard this small may be frustrating to type on.
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