[Download Show #41 as MP3]
Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks
- Operating Systems
- Windows
- Windows XP
- Minimum Requirements (From Microsoft)
- 64MB RAM
- 1.5GB HD
- 233Mhz Processor
- Suggested Requirements
- 128MB RAM
- 1.5GB HD
- 300Mhz Processor
- Longevity
- Its strength lies in that it is tried and tested
- Great game support
- Lots and lots of updates
- Windows Vista
- Minimum Requirements (From Microsoft)
- 512MB RAM
- 20GB HD with 15GB of free space
- 800Mhz Processor
- Suggested Requirements
- 1+ GB RAM
- 100+ GB HD
- 1.5+ GHz (AMD 1800+)
- Comes on computers already!
- Windows Aero
- "Elegant, more visually compelling desktop experience, greater ability to visualize and work with your information and a smoother, more stable desktop experience."
- It's pretty, yes.
- More functional? Depends on whether you're used to XP. If you've learned XP, upgrading to Vista is likely not worth it, unless you are really all about pretty.
- Conversely: If you have never used XP, you've only used it a little bit, or are more familiar with a Mac, then Vista might be right for you.
- Instant Search
- "Helps you find whatever you need quickly and easily, whether it's on your PC<>
- New technology? I think not.
- Copernic Basic Agent
- Yahoo Desktop Search (X1)
- Google Desktop
- X1 Professional Desktop Search
- Lotus Notes
- Shared Network Drives
- Exchange Public Folders
- Archived PST Files
- Complete PC Backup and Restore
- Shadow Copy
- Self Healing Technology
- Windows Fax and Scan
- Windows SuperFetch
- Preload Applications into Memory
- New Network Center
- Windows Flip 3D
- Internet Explorer 7
- Windows Sidebar / Gadgets (vs. Widgets)
- Windows Photo Gallery
- Upgrade as you go
- Windows Server 2003 / XP Professional 64bit
- What is the deal with this 64bit stuff? I have a 64bit processor, should I get a 64bit OS?
- Mac OSX
- Locked Hardware from Apple, Pros and Cons
- Pro: Knowing the hardware you're developing an OS for makes that OS run exactly as expected when you run it
- Pro: It does come with a large amount of the software that someone might need to say, download and print their photos, capture, edit, and burn a DVD of a home movie, browse the Internet, type a document, or other similar common actions...
- Con: ...But when you want to get a piece of software that maintains your bank account information for your business, host a website off of your machine, or even make a podcast.... sure, the software exists, but your options are severely limited.
- Con: The hardware and software is bundled.
- Con: It's expensive.
- Con: Upgradability compared to a PC is limited, and expensive.
- Con: There's not as wide an array of software available.
- iMovie
- iPhoto
- Expose
- Dashboard
- Time Machine
- Spaces
- Opera / Internet Explorer
- Linux - A free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds with the assistance of developers around the world. Developed under the GNU General Public License, the source code for Linux is freely available to everyone. As their site puts it: "Linux is causing a revolution in the world of computers."
- Minimum Requirements
- 8 MB RAM
- 50 MB HD
- 3 1/4" Floppy
- i386+
- Keyboard + Mouse
- Recommended Requirements
- 512 MB RAM
- 80 GB HD
- CD/DVD ROM
- USB Ports
- 1.5 GHz+
- What is a distribution?
- What are some of the more popular "distros"?
- Why Linux instead of OSX or Windows?
- What's the difference between Linux, OSX, and Window
Security & Privacy
- Windows XP Security vs. Windows Vista User Account Controls
- What are User Account Controls
- From Wikipedia - "aims to improve the security of Windows by limiting applications to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase in privilege level. In this way, only applications that the user trusts receive higher privileges, and malware is kept from receiving the privileges necessary to wreak havoc on the operating system."
- Basically it allows the user to give programs they trust access while denying access to those they do not
- This means that the users stay in a non-administrative mode for doing day to day tasks and only gives admin privledge when they are needed.
- XP Security
- XP before Service Pack 2 did not have much security and the first user was immediately an Administrative user
- Most people used this default user to do all their tasks which meant any program they ran had full access to the computer
- Pre-SP2 XP did not have a Firewall, and the installation of the Firewall and turning it on by default was considered a major step in security for Windows PCs
- FYI, you are better running XP as a non-administrative user without anti-virus than you are when running as an admin with anti-virus
- Which one is better?
- Verdict is still out.
- While Vista keeps you in a non-admin mode by default, the UAC popups when trying to do even the most simplistic of tasks makes it a little annoying.
- Seeing how most people will run XP as an administrator, the default non-admin user in Vista can be viewed as better even if the UAC makes it annoying.
- Also, if you really know what you are doing, you can turn off the UAC alerts, but we would not recommend the average user doing this as it takes a level of security away that might otherwise prevent the installation of malware/spyware.
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