 | | | Vol. 3, # 85 - Aug 20, 2009 - Issue # 94 | |  | All About Aero: Is it Just Another Pretty Interface? |
| - Editor's Corner
- All About Aero: Is it Just Another Pretty Interface?
- Follow-up: Close encounters when migrating to Windows 7
- Quotes of the Week
- Cool Tools
- News, Hints, Tips and Tricks
- Court tells Microsoft to stop selling Word, but it's not as bad as it sounds
- Windows 7 RC download comes to an end
- Upgrading Windows 7 RC to RTM: it can be done, but ...
- Looking for a solar powered computer?
- How to: Using the New Vista/Win7 Features
- How to find out your computer's address(es) in Vista or Windows 7
- Vista/Win7 Security
- What's new with Windows 7 Security
- Vista/Win7 Question Corner
- Can I get the classic start menu in Windows 7?
- Vista Configuration and Troubleshooting
- Media Center Extender doesn't work after you install a firewall
- "Turn off display" setting changes unexpectedly
- Fav Links
- This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
- Product of the Week
- Driver Genius Professional 9.0: Are your Outdated Drivers Slowing Down your PC?
|
 | Protect Your Credit Card Number From Theft
Why do I need a firewall? Together with antivirus and antispyware, a firewall is a "must" to protect your computer. PC Magazine gave the Sunbelt Personal Firewall a "Very Good" rating with 4 Stars and a conclusion of "good protection". Unlike the Windows XP and Vista Firewall, you can tell the Sunbelt Personal Firewall to look carefully at the data leaving your browser, so that sensitive information like your credit card numbers, email address, bank account, social security number and PIN code do not get stolen.
Benefit from our special 50% discount offer for the unlimited home site license*. Special Offer ends August 31st:
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-SPF
*Live in the UK? You get a 50% discount too! | |
| Editor's Corner | |
All About Aero: Is it Just Another Pretty Interface?
One of the most noticeable changes introduced in Windows Vista was the Aero interface, and it's carried over into Windows 7. Some folks love it and others think it's a waste of system resources. Some say it makes Windows look like a Mac (which could be good or bad, depending on how you feel about Macs). Heaven knows it's a lot prettier than the XP default interface, which many have likened to a cartoon look. Of course, die-hard Windows old schoolers still prefer the classic NT style interface, which most of us ran in XP.
But is Aero just a collection of memory-hungry eye candy, or is it more than that? Can turning on Aero actually make your system more responsive instead of less? Some folks seem to be having that experience. Exactly what comprises Aero and how does it work? What kind of video card do you need for it? Let's take a look at some of those questions.
Perhaps the most famous characteristic of Aero is the "Glass" theme that makes window borders (and in Windows 7, the taskbar) transparent. Although the Mac OS X window borders in its Aqua theme are not transparent (they have a brushed chrome look), the transparency is reminiscent of the translucent colors used in the OS X interface. You can set the level of transparency in Aero, by changing the settings of the "color intensity" slider. In both Vista and Windows 7, this is done through the "Personalize" option when you right click an empty spot on the desktop. You can also turn off the Glass effect if you want.
Some changes have been made to Aero in Windows 7. For one thing, it's been made more "touch friendly," with larger icons and title bar buttons. This makes it easier for you to navigate with your fingers, if you have a touch-enabled screen. We recently upgraded our HP TouchSmart "kitchen computer" from Vista to Windows 7 and find that the slight size increases definitely make it easier to click or drag objects with your finger. Windows 7 itself has better touch screen support built in. Those who use Windows Mobile touch screen phones will be familiar with the gestures, such as "press and hold" to right click. I'll cover the touch features in depth in a future edition of the newsletter.
In Vista, when you maximized a window, the Glass effect went away and the window borders became opaque. In Windows 7, they remain transparent. It's a little thing, but it's aesthetically pleasing to Glass fans (and you wouldn't have Glass enabled in the first place if you weren't a fan, would you?).
Aero also gets some new Aero features that sound a little like a cereal ad: Snap, Shake and Peek. Aero snap is pretty cool; it allows you to drag a window to the right or left edge of the screen, and that window will automatically resize to fill exactly half the screen. Then you can drag another window to the opposite side, and have a nice side-by-side view of both windows. Unfortunately, this doesn't work quite as well if you have multiple monitors. On my three monitor setup, I can't "snap" a window to the "inner" side of a monitor - the three monitors are treated as one big one, sort of. That is, windows will only snap to the far left and far right, but each still only fills half the screen of its respective monitor, not half the total screen real estate. Snap also allows you to maximize a window by dragging it to the top of a monitor (it maximizes to fill that monitor only). I find this surprisingly useful. At first glance, I wondered why you would need this when you could just click the Maximize button, but dragging is (for me, at least) a quicker and more natural way to maximize windows. On the other hand, until you get used to it, you may find yourself maximizing and snapping windows when you didn't intend to.
Aero Shake is a funny one. I'm not sure why anyone would use it. Here's how it works: if you "shake" a window by quickly dragging it back and forth, all the other windows minimize. Shake it again and your other windows come back. It looks cool to demo but I have to say I've never really used it in doing my work. That's not to say that some other folks won't find it useful. I do like Aero Peek. That's the one that shows you a preview of each window when you hover over its icon in the taskbar. Vista has thumbnail previews, too, but they've been much improved in Windows 7. When more the same app has multiple windows open, you'll see all of them side by side, and you can right click a thumbnail and close, move, size or minimize/maximize it from there. And yes, this is a little like OS X's ability to manage windows from the Dock.
To run Aero, you need a video card that supports DirectX 9 or above and you need to have a WDDM driver installed (rather than the older WDM model). You also need Pixel Shader 2.0 support and at least 128 MB of video RAM. Microsoft also specifies that you should have at least a 1 GHz processor and at least 1 GB of RAM. These are pretty tame requirements for modern computers; even HP's $269 desktop system, for example, has a 2.3 GHz processor and 2 GB of RAM. But some older machines may not meet the specifications to run Aero, and some of the low cost netbooks might run it, or might not run it well.
It's often been recommended that if your Vista computer runs slowly, you should turn off Aero to take some of the load off and speed it up. However, a recent blog post titled "Five Controversial Ways to Speed Up Your PC" suggests that you turn Aero on to get better performance.
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-Speed-Up-Your-PC
The idea is that Aero offloads the graphics chores to the video card's graphics processor (the GPU) instead of using the computer's CPU. Does it work? On my Sony VAIO laptop, which had horrible performance issues with Vista pre-Service Pack 1, I really couldn't tell much difference whether I had Aero on or off. But I've heard from several people who say their computers do indeed run faster with Aero on. I would be interested in hearing from readers who have tried it both ways, to find out what your results have been. And just FYI, installing SP1 on that VAIO improved performance considerably, but installing Windows 7 on it (with Aero on) made it work like I had always wished it would.
Tell us what you think about Aero? Do you like it, or do you think it looks too Mac-like? Do you turn off the transparency feature or dial transparency up all the way? Or do you wonder why anyone would care one way or the other? Are you running Aero successfully on a computer that doesn't meet the published minimum specs, as some folks have done? Have you found that turning Aero on slows down your system, or does it speed it up? Do you like the new Aero Snap, Shake and Peek features, or do you think they're silly and useless? We invite you to discuss these topics in our forums at
http://Forums.VistaNews.com
Follow-up: Close encounters when migrating to Windows 7
In last week's editorial, I talked about some of the common problems that you might run into when you migrate to Windows 7, based on my own experiences and those of my friends and colleagues.
It looks as if many of our readers are installing Windows 7 RC or RTM without any major problems, although as one forum participant, Keith, said, "The one issue that I dread most when changing an operating system is finding all the correct drivers to use with that new system." This can indeed be a problem, although it's less of a problem when going to Windows 7 from Vista than it was when going to Vista from XP. That's because there were big changes to the driver models between XP and Vista, but in many cases, the drivers made for Vista will work fine in Windows 7. It's also a little harder to find drivers for the 64 bit edition of the OS, but vendors are starting to come around and make 64 bit drivers easier to get.
Of course, hardware vendors have an incentive to drag their feet on creating drivers for a new operating system. I can't help but believe that at least in some cases, they're doing it to motivate you to go out and buy a brand new printer, sound card, or whatever instead of waiting around for the driver for the old one.
I did want to address the post from bobp, who said, "Regarding your suggestion to use compatibility mode to run SETUP programs that won't install under Win7 - this is likely to cause that program to install itself assuming it truly is on Windows XP (or whatever mode you select) which can cause problems due to the incompatible (or at least inconsistent) use of data storage, such as \Documents and Settings\Username\Etc vs. \Users\Username\etc. Probably best to select Vista, rather than XP if possible to avoid such issues."
It's always best, when you use compatibility mode, to use the highest version OS that will work. However, the problem mentioned above generally is not a problem, because Windows 7 (like Vista) has the old Documents and Settings folder path in the location where applications expect it to be, but it's not a "real" folder; it's a link to the Users folder where Vista and Windows 7 store the information. You won't see Documents and Settings unless you check the folder option to make hidden and system files and folders visible (in Folder Options | View | Advanced Settings). So if a program is installed in XP compatibility mode and looks for something in Documents and Settings, it will be redirected to the proper location.
Finally, cebarnes had a problem installing Windows 7 on a Dell Precision T3400 with an Nvidia Quadro NVS 290 video card. Disconnecting the second monitor during Setup solved the problem. It's always a good idea to let the Setup program look for updates before installing (this is an option that you get when you run Setup), but sometimes you'll still run into problems like this that are caused by buggy drivers. Luckily, the second monitor worked fine after the installation and a video update. I've found that with most hardware, Windows 7 handles multiple monitors extremely well. In fact, it's not as picky as Vista about requiring that all your monitors use the same driver.
Thanks to all of you who wrote on this topic!
'Til next week,
Deb Shinder, Editor
feedback@wxpnews.com
PS: Did you know this newsletter has a sister publication for XP users called WXPnews? You can subscribe here, and tell your friends:
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-WXPNews
And for IT pros, there's our "big sister," WServer News, at
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-WServerNews
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Quotes of the Week
A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it. - Max Planck
The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency. - Bill Gates
The future has already arrived. It's just not evenly distributed yet. - William Gibson |
| | Protect Your Credit Card Number From Theft
Why do I need a firewall? Together with antivirus and antispyware, a firewall is a "must" to protect your computer. PC Magazine gave the Sunbelt Personal Firewall a "Very Good" rating with 4 Stars and a conclusion of "good protection". Unlike the Windows XP and Vista Firewall, you can tell the Sunbelt Personal Firewall to look carefully at the data leaving your browser, so that sensitive information like your credit card numbers, email address, bank account, social security number and PIN code do not get stolen.
Benefit from our special 50% discount offer for the unlimited home site license*. Special Offer ends August 31st:
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-SPF
*Live in the UK? You get a 50% discount too! | |
| Cool Tools |
| News, Hints, Tips and Tricks | |
Court tells Microsoft to stop selling Word, but it's not as bad as it sounds
Last week a court ruled that Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007 violate a patent held by a Canadian company, and ordered them not to sell new copies of the software beginning in mid-October. Microsoft plans to appeal and has filed for an emergency injunction. Meanwhile, it's only one aspect of the Word programs that violates the patent: its use of XML. That means Microsoft could patch the applications to go back to saving documents in the old non-XML file format. Or they could reach a settlement agreement with the Toronto company, which is probably the most likely outcome. In any event, despite some sensationalistic headlines, there's little chance that we'll end up in a "world without Word" anytime soon. Read more here:
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-Court-Ban
Windows 7 RC download comes to an end
If you want to download the Windows 7 release candidate, you'd best do it quickly. It will no longer be available on the Microsoft web site after Thursday, August 20. If you've already downloaded the software, you'll still be able to get a license key after that date, at least for a while.
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-Win7-RC-Ends
Upgrading Windows 7 RC to RTM: it can be done, but ...
Remember that Microsoft doesn't support upgrading from the RC to the final version, although there is a hack that will let you do it. Just remember that your hacked upgrade won't be supported by Microsoft.
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-Upgrade-RC-to-RTM
Looking for a solar powered computer?
It may be a while before your dream comes true. Solar powered battery chargers for mobile devices exist, but they suffer from poor performance and are expensive. Anyone who's used solar landscape lighting or a solar powered garden fountain knows that they just can't keep up with their counterparts that plug into the electrical grid. Why is it so hard to make a solar mobile computing device? Read about it here:
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-Solar-Powered-Gadgets
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| How to: Using the New Vista/Win7 Features | |
How to find out your computer's address(es) in Vista or Windows 7
There are times when you need to know your computer's network address but first, you need to know which address you're looking for. If you're asked to type in the computer's address to connect to it with Remote Desktop, you need the IP address. If you're setting up MAC filtering on your wireless network, you need to input your computer's MAC address. Here's how to find both: - In the Start menu, type cmd to open the command prompt.
- At the prompt, type ipconfig /all
- If you need the IP address, look under the proper heading, depending on whether you're using a wireless or Ethernet connection, and find "IPv4 address."
- If you need the MAC address, look for "Physical Address."
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| Vista/Win7 Security | |
What's new with Windows 7 Security
Vista introduced much better security, but users weren't pleased because the security features were too "in your face." Windows 7 has made some changes that maintain a high level of security while attempting to be less annoying to users. There have also been enhancements to BitLocker, there's better support for biometrics, and there are new enterprise level security features such as AppLocker. For an overview of what's new in security with Windows 7, see my article at
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-Windows7-Security
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| Vista/Win7 Question Corner | |
Can I get the classic start menu in Windows 7?
QUESTION:
Apparently, Microsoft has eliminated support for the "Classic Start Menu" in Windows 7. The "Classic Start Menu" available in both Windows XP and Windows Vista permits one to use a Start Menu similar to that of Windows 2000. It isn't a matter of the "new" Start Menu being better or worse, but rather, personal preference. Some of us simply like the simple hierarchy of that "old style" Start Menu. - Dov I.
ANSWER:
It's true that Microsoft has eliminated the option to select the classic start menu, but you can still get a similar hierarchical menu on the Start menu, by following these steps: - Right click the task bar and select Properties
- Click the Start Menu tab
- Click the Customize button
- Navigate to Documents and select "Display as a menu"
- Click OK to close each dialog box
- Right click Documents in the Start menu and select Properties
- Click the Include a Folder button
- In the left pane, navigate to ProgramData \ Microsoft \ Windows \ StartMenu and select the Programs folder
- Click the Include Folder button
To see this process with screenshots, go to
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-Screenshots
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| Vista Configuration and Troubleshooting | |
Media Center Extender doesn't work after you install a firewall
If you've been using a Media Center Extender with your Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate computer, to view your TV programs and photos and listen to your music in another room, you may find that it no longer works after you install a firewall. That's because the firewall closes certain ports that need to be open for use of the Extender. Find out what to do about that in KB article 929541 at
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-Windows-Media-Center
"Turn off display" setting changes unexpectedly
If you had your computer set up to turn off the display after a certain time, and that setting unexpectedly changes, it may be because you set the "Put the computer to sleep" setting to a value that's equal to or shorter than the "Turn off display" setting. But there's an easy workaround. See KB article 934550 at
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-Turn-off-the-Display
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| Fav Links | |
This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
Disclaimer: VistaNews does not assume and cannot be responsible for any liability related to you clicking any of these linked Web sites. |
| Product of the Week | |
Driver Genius Professional 9.0: Are your Outdated Drivers Slowing Down your PC?
Find out with our Free PC Driver Check! Keeping your Drivers up to date is an essential step to keep your PC running smoothly. When drivers get out of date, your PC can become unstable and you may experience frequent crashes, frozen applications and slow boot up times. Driver Genius Professional takes the hassle out of managing your drivers and will automatically backup, update and restore all your PC drivers. Over 80,000 devices. Start Your Free Driver Scan now and find out how if you have outdated drivers that may be causing you problems with your computer! VistaNews readers can find the free scan here.
http://www.vistanews.com/O52HI2/090820-DriverGenius
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| About VistaNews | |
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