About

Working with Windows
Some may cheer Windows while others (mostly) wave an angry fist in the air, but being that 90% of all PCs have this brand of operating system installed, it is somewhat safe to say, that it is here to stay (until something better comes along). I have been a Windows user since the beloved Windows 3.1, DOS 6 OS, which jump started my fascination with all things computers, operating systems, hardware, software, and how to squeeze and nudge the most out of them.

This, dare I say, quest has run straight through all the Windows Operating System iterations including Vista and hundreds of forms of hardware and software, each more powerful (but not always better) than the last. Take Vista's two option setting for UAC for example, who green lit that nonsense? Those advanced/users with Vista know exactly what I am talking about. Yes, I am quite sure I want to change the desktop wallpaper to a jpeg of my dog, thank you very much, (in Windows 7 this annoyance is fully addressed, and not just with a simple on/off setting). Vista, in my opinion, was just terrible... it has not one iota of the fluidity and intuitiveness that 7 has.

I have a deep respect, and mad love for computers and the technology (also the many problems and frustrations) that comes along with it. I hope that some of my enthusiasm will excite you and guide you further into your computing experience. While most of my experience has been hands on, I have also attended college level classes on computers, electronics, computer science and web programming. I am always looking to learn more, and I am always seeking more degrees and certifications to further my usefulness.

Windows 7 Release Date: October 22nd 2009!
After skipping Vista completely, I have been messing around with some pre-builds of Windows 7 and it looks as good if not better than Vista, with a complete tray and takbar overhaul it might prove to be a whole lot calmer and a less bloated & frustrating animal that Vista was/is. The entire OS, from the beta's, is far more user friendly and tweakable, meaning that settings can be adjusted for power users and newbies and everyone in between. There are more internet/Wi-Fi/networking connectivity streamlines and MS seems determined to integrate the OS/web/desktop with an emphasis on all facets of media. Some of that is cool, so heavy gamers will just have to shut down, again, those unwanted services. The widget panel side thing is gone... it was useless anyway.

Windows 7: Intuitive, Innovative and a Success!
I have been working routinely with the final build of Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (fresh install from XP) and I have nothing but praise for this iteration of Windows.

Full review and details to follow.

In the Beginning
My first home computer was an Intel 486 25Mhz box made by ESS (some obscure no name brand) with a 120MB hard drive and a whopping 4MB of RAM, which was at the time, a rocket ship! I loved the idea of having a computer (imagine all the possibilities) and I could not wait to get the thing up and running.

I got it booted up, and right out of the box my first real venture into tweaking was accidentally deleting the entire system folder (to create more room). I was like, "This folder seems to contain nothing but a bunch of nonsense and therefore holds no great importance to the operation of the computer." So with a few innocent clicks the system folder was gone. I felt like a genius. This computer stuff... hey, I got this, easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Upon the reboot and instantly getting the ominous, horrible and oft times indiscernible BSOD (blue screen of death) I realized that I had made a grave error. I felt ill, and the computer was like, "Are you kidding me?" I think it actually made a gulping sound. Then there was a series of angry beeps, then it slapped me across my face.

Needless to say, there were no quick fixes for my inadvertent guffaw, and I had to re-install the entire OS (from floppies, but the entire 3.1 OS was only on 7 of them), and if you are an avid tweak maniac, re-installing the OS will become a regular practice until you reach that magical spot of being satisfied*. OS nirvana.

Fun times!

*I think that has happened only once, in the entire history of computing, some random guy in Arizona was totally and utterly satisfied with his computer setup... there were no more tweaks or tricks left... it was perfect! Rumor has it that he sat there staring at his computer for a bit, then he suddenly hoisted it up and threw it against a wall, smashing it to bits.

quick tech tip #1: It is absolutely critical to have a data backup plan! Always remember to backup (and maintain a current backup) of your important data on CD/DVD, a flash drive, portable drive or on a second hard drive, or a drive image. There are many different, but painless and easy solutions to this and EHFCS can help you decide and implement which is right for you.

The Day before Yesterday
So much has obviously changed in computing. Everything is far more powerful, faster, productive and fun than ever thought possible, and computers, computer tech, components and software changes exponentially, meaning that that super fast CPU or motherboard you bought today becomes yesterday's news the moment the box is opened (think Moore's Law), and in a huge way that is exactly what's exciting about the future of technology.

quick tech tip #2: When buying or building a new PC it is not impossible to plan ahead and make smart purchases that allow for future component upgrades to prolong computer use without having to spend a fortune again in a few years. It is important to ask as many questions as you like and not be intimidated by fast talking sales geeks. The second you feel not listened to, find someone else to help you.

I closely follow all the current trends and the computer tech zeitgeist from the newest motherboards to the better liquid cooling packages and everything in between. Being up on the latest helps us help you make the right decisions for all of your computing needs. We are here to help, so ask as many questions as you like, there is no such thing as a silly question.

Today and Beyond
Currently I own a home-built Intel® Core™2 Extreme Quad-Core Processor system with an Asus P5N72-T Premium motherboard and 4 gigs of DDR3 DOMINATOR™ memory, two WD Caviar® Black™ 750MB hard drives and two XFX nVIDIA GTX XXX 8800's in SLi (the 8800's have already been surpassed by the not so great 9800 line, and the even newer nVIDIA 2XX CUDA architecture boards, which has been surpassed by the ATI 5XXX series).

I recently updated to the Cooler Master Cosmos 1000, the Asus Striker II Extreme, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 with 8GB of DDR3. I'm waiting a little bit before I jump into an SSD (prices need to plummet) triple channel Core i7 system.

Woot! ...of coarse all of this is moot in a year or less!!!

I look forward to hearing from you regarding all of your computing needs, whatever they may be. I will do my honest best to make sure that all of your issues are solved, questions are answered and that you are completely satisfied and comfortable with your computer and are headed in a more productive and comp-u-knowledgeable direction. Or, if you simply want the job done... no questions asked... and you have no care or interest in how or why, that you just want the damn thing to work... we can do that too!

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