Tag: experience
February 02, 2009 by
Jason
1. Turn off unnecessary animations. When maximizing and minimizing windows, Windows does a little animation before the window goes away. Going into the “System” section of the Control Panel and turning this off in the Advanced Features section can reduce the amount of memory used by Windows, resulting in a more responsive operating system. Also, in this section, turning off shadows for the mouse cursor and shadows for windows can reduce memory and increase performance. This is definitely worth looking into.
2. Turn off startup items. Turning off items that start whenever you log on can decrease logon time drastically. QuickTime likes to start itself the second you log on, so turning it off is a good idea; if you don’t use QuickTime at all then you won’t ever need the process, and starting QuickTime manually is always an option. Other startup items to look out for are Google Update and instant messengers.
3. Run as few applications at once as you can. Just because you have a dual, quad, or even octo core processor doesn’t mean you should abuse it. Read More»
Posted in Computer | No Comments »
October 20, 2008 by
Jason Microsoft has been sending out surveys to selected Windows users. There’s nothing unusual in that. It does it all the time, but this one is seeking opinions on a feature dubbed the ‘Instant On Experience’. You may recall that this is something several mini laptop makers have been dabbling with. Asus are one of the first with a system called Splashtop. The idea is that if all you want to do is collect you emails, or surf the net, why should you have to wait ages for Windows (or Linux) to load? Instead, at startup you can opt to run a super-small Linux based operating system, which only takes a second or two to load and gives you more or less immediate access to the web. Microsoft is clearly taking an interest in the feature, possibly for the upcoming Windows 7 (rumoured now to be called ‘Stratus), which is due to make its public appearance next year. The survey also asks respondents what other applications they would like to see fire up in a just a few seconds, now they’re asking, how about Windows…?
Posted in Linux, Windows 7 | No Comments »
October 12, 2008 by
Jason Microsoft gave computer makers a six-month extension for offering Windows XP on newly-shipped PCs. While this doesn’t impact enterprise IT because volume licensing agreements will allow IT to keep installing Windows XP for many years to come the move is another symbolic nail in Vista’s coffin.
The public reputation of Windows Vista is in shambles, as Microsoft itself tacitly acknowledged in its Mojave ad campaign.
IT departments are largely ignoring Vista. In June (18 months after Vista’s launch), Forrester Research reported that just 8.8% of enterprise PCs worldwide were running Vista. Meanwhile, Microsoft appears to have put Windows 7 on an accelerated schedule that could see it released in 2010. That will provide IT departments with all the justification they need to simply skip Vista and wait to eventually standardize on Windows 7 as the next OS for business.
So how did Vista get left holding the bag?
Let’s look at the five most important reasons why Vista failed. Read More»
Posted in Windows Vista | 4 Comments »
September 08, 2008 by
Jason The Windows Experience Index measures the capability of your computer’s hardware and software configuration and expresses this measurement as a number called a base score. A higher base score generally means that your computer will perform better and faster than a computer with a lower base score, especially when performing more advanced and resource-intensive tasks.
Each hardware component receives an individual subscore. Your computer’s base score is determined by the lowest subscore. For example, if the lowest subscore of an individual hardware component is 2.6, then the base score is 2.6. The base score is not an average of the combined subscores.
You can use the base score to confidently buy programs and other software that are matched to your computer’s base score. For example, if your computer has a base score of 3.3, then you can confidently purchase any software designed for this version of Windows that requires a computer with a base score of 3 or lower.
The base scores currently range from 1 to 5.9. The Windows Experience Index is designed to accommodate advances in computer technology. As hardware speed and performance improves, higher base scores will be introduced. However, the standards for each level of the index stay the same. For example, a computer scored as a 2.8 will remain a 2.8 unless you decide to upgrade the computer’s hardware. Read More»
Posted in Computer | 1 Comment »
Firefox 3.1 codename Shiretoko Alpha 1 is available for download. The fully-fledged Alpha development milestone of the next version of Mozilla’s open source browser went live at the end of the past week. In this context, Mozilla managed to slip just a tad from its initial plans to make Alpha 1 available in mid-July. Firefox 3.1 only entered the code-freeze stage on Monday July 21, with the first build up for grabs on July 26. Still, Mozilla is moving full steam ahead to deliver the successor of Firefox 3.0 launched on June 17, downloaded over 8 million times just in the first 24 hours.
According to Mozilla’s own release criteria, Firefox 3.1 is meant to be nothing more than “generally usable for testing websites and features”. Developed under the codename Shiretoko, version 3.1 of Firefox has not, as of yet, officially been made available for download. Still, the Firefox 3.1 Alpha 1 bits were published to Mozilla’s FTP servers over the past weekend. Read More»
Posted in Firefox, Internet, Linux, Mac, Software | 2 Comments »
Here is an attempt to collect the 50 popular and best firefox extensions which make your browsing, downloading and navigation in Firefox as easy as possible, while harnessing the full power and features of Firefox.
These extensions should work on the latest versions of the Firefox. Use the extensions which work best for your needs. The fastest way to install these extensions from developer sites is to drag them to the url bar.
When you upgrade to a new Firefox version, some extensions might not work till the AddOn owners upgrade them, use the Nightly testers tools to remove compatibility issues. Read More»
Posted in Firefox | 3 Comments »
Microsoft has made Origami Experience 2.0 available for download. A collection of programs designed to enhance the user experience of ultra-Mobile PCs, Origami Experience 2.0 is set up to integrate seamlessly with Microsoft’s latest Windows operating system. In the Redmond company’s vision, UMPCs upgraded to Windows Vista should also feature Origami Experience 2.0, as the project announced at the Consumer Electronics Show January 2008 was finalized. In fact, even as early as the start of May, the Origami team was hinting that the downloads of 2.0 were planned to go live with the final bits.
“The Origami Experience 2.0 is designed for Ultra-Mobile PCs that run Windows Vista. To run the Origami Experience 2.0, a UMPC with the following specifications is recommended: minimum 100 MB of available hard disk space; minimum 1 GB of system memory and touch panel display (required for Origami Picture Password),” revealed Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc.
A total of four applications have been packaged into Origami Experience 2.0. Users running Windows Vista Business; Enterprise; Home Premium; and Ultimate on UMPCs will be able to enjoy the added power, flexibility and functionality of Origami Experience 2.0: Origami Central, Origami Now, Origami Picture Password and Touch Settings. Read More»
Posted in Office, Software, Windows Vista | No Comments »
It’s possible to have Vista and chow down on your XP cake, too, if you apply a free — for now — virtual machine.
If you’re stuck with a Vista PC, but you really prefer using XP, I’ll show you how to set up XP as a virtual machine on Vista, plus some tricks you can use to get the most out of this setup.
Why you should give virtual machines a free try
It’s unarguable: Windows XP operates more quickly than Vista (a fact that PC World recently demonstrated even with the new Service Pack 1 installed on Vista). Additionally, no one who’s independent of Microsoft’s payroll suggests that device drivers are just as easily available for Vista as they are for XP, or that Vista supports as many software applications that people own. Read More»
Posted in Computer, Windows XP | No Comments »
February 18, 2008 by
Jason Advanced Micro Devices is promising nothing short of the freedom of exploring the ultimate digital entertainment experience via a new software product made available for download exclusively for Windows Vista. And not only this, but the AMD LIVE! Explorer is designed to integrate exclusively with the Home Premium and Ultimate SKUs of Vista. The remaining limitation is the fact that the application will only run on ADM processors. AMD plans to deliver free access to the software for all the customers that buy an AMD LIVE! PC. According to the CPU maker, the AMD Phenom 9000 Series quad–core processor will be synonymous with a top experience of the explorer.
“The AMD LIVE! family includes products, applications, and services designed to work together for the ultimate entertainment experience virtually anytime, anywhere. AMD LIVE! PCs use superior technologies, including multi-core processing power and cutting-edge graphics, to bring you The Ultimate Visual Experience. From your computer monitor, to the 50-inch plasma screen in your living room, to the 2-inch LCD on your cell phone. Read More»
Posted in Hardware, Software, Windows Vista | No Comments »
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