A change of plans…

If you read OnMouseClick last week, you know that this week’s column was supposed to be about optimizing your computer to run at the fastest speed possible. Instead, I am going to write about something that should be of concern to everyone who uses the internet — which I expect is almost all of us.

No matter what type of internet connection you use, the browser software installed on your computer deciphers code that is sent over the internet and creates the web pages displayed on your screen. If you use a PC running under Windows, there is a good possibility that the browser on your computer is Microsoft Internet Explorer, and by using it you could be placing your computer, and the vital information on your computer, at risk. A serious security flaw was discovered in all versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer, but this problem is most serious for users of an older version, Internet Explorer 6 running under Window XP.

In laymen’s terms, the vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer  can allow a hacker* to enter your computer remotely and at the very least cause the computer to crash. What has proved most troubling about the problem is that Microsoft was apparently aware of this problem in September, but it released a fix only after the media reported that computers at GOOGLE were attacked by Chinese hackers. It is widely believed that the security breach was possible because of a flaw in Internet Explorer.

While Microsoft has released a software update to fix the problem, your best alternative against future problems is to keep your browser software updated regularly. The most current version of Microsoft Internet Explorer is version 8, which runs on both Windows Vista and Windows 7. The pervious version, Internet Explorer version 7, runs on Windows XP and Vista. While the flaw in Windows Internet Explorer appeared in all versions of the software, the newer operating systems, Vista and Windows 7, protect computer systems in a more robust manner, and version 6 of the software was the most vulnerable.  

An alternative to upgrading to a newer version of Internet Explorer is to use one of the other available browsers, the most popular of which is Firefox. Firefox is very powerful, sports a user friendly interface, and and most users who have switched to Firefox claim they would never use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer again. As with all browser software, security flaws are periodically discovered in Firefox, but the developer, Mozilla, has been very proactive in identifying and patching the flaws. 

There are three other browsers in common use, Safari, Chrome and Opera. Originally designed by Apple as part of the OS X operating system, Safari now runs on both Windows and Mac computers. Google recently introduced Chrome, which has been gaining popularity since its release in July, and the final browser choice is Opera, a little know, but powerful application that is more popular for mobile devices. 

Whichever browser you choose to use, be sure to check for updates on a regular basis. Most browser updates are released for security purposes and by not keeping your browser software current, you are putting your computer, and the vital information stored on your computer, at risk.

Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Opera are all available as free downloads for Windows and Mac: Firefox (current version 3.6) www.mozilla.com/firefox, Safari version 4 www.apple.com/safari, Chrome version 5 beta www.google.com/chrome, and Opera 10.10 www.opera.com. 

*Hacker is a computer programmer who breaks into a computer systems and attempts to steal, change or destroy information.

Faster please, faster…

American is a fast paced society, and even us “retired” folks like things to work fast, especially when it comes to our computers. A complaint I often hear is “what can I do to make my computer run faster,” or “my computer seems to be running much slower than it used to.” This week’s OnMouseClick will attempt to analyze what makes a computer fast, or slow and next week I will describe what we can do to ascertain if our computers are running at their optimum speed.

At the heart of all computers is the microprocessor, and the speed at which it executes instructions is known as clock speed.  For some perspective, one gigahertz (GHz) is approximately a billion cycles per second, and a megahertz (MHz) is approximately one million cycles per second. In 1990 a fast computer ran at 4.47MHz per second, while today the slowest computers run at least 1GHz.  The higher the number of gigahertz, the more instructions a computer can execute per second, and the faster the computer will operate. Most of the computers on the market today operate at 1.2GHz to 3 GHz. However, the clock speed number is not the only variable in determining how fast a microprocessor preforms, nor is it necessarily the most accurate. Another variable to consider is if the microprocessor is a single or dual-core processor (as mentioned in an earlier column, some expensive computer also have quad-core processors). In simple terms, in a single-core system streams of information must be processed one at a time, while a dual-core system can processes two different streams of information simultaneously, speeding up the entire processes.

I am often asked if adding RAM (random access memory) will make a computer run faster, and the answer is a qualified yes. Most of today’s computers come with one or two gigabytes of memory installed, which is enough for doing basic tasks. However, if you regularly operate several programs at once, open a multitude of web pages, or work on photo, video, or audio editing, you put a strain on the installed RAM. When the computer requires more memory than installed, it 

resorts to using a portion of the hard drive as a virtual memory location, which slows down system performance. When more RAM is installed, the computer will run more efficiently, and will seem to run faster. 

The only problem with installing large amounts of RAM is that software cannot always take advantage of the increased memory. Computer systems run in either 32 or 64-bit mode, and 64-bit systems handle data more efficiently, and are capable of managing large amounts of memory. An apt analogy is to think of a highway—a 64-lane highway can handle many more cars than a 32-lane highway, but controlling the larger highway can be an onerous job. And so it is with with computing; system software must be optimized to run in 64-bit mode. The most current version of Windows, as with Vista before it, comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, and which you install depends on the configuration of your computer.

Not all applications will run in 64-bit mode. If you are running current versions of software, you should not have any problems, but if you are running older applications (two or more years old) they may not work on a 64-bit system. If you are using an older application, check with the publisher to see if a newer version of the software is available. If you plan to upgrade to a Windows system, make sure you install the correct version for you system.

The question of 32 and 64-bit bit simpler for Macintosh users, since all recent Macs are 64-bit systems. The most recent operating system, OS X 1.6 (Snow Leopard) runs in 64-bit mode, but it is capable of running both 32 and 64-bit applications.

As promised in the TR Times ,the digital version of this column includes directions for finding out if  is 64-bit mode capable and if the installed version of Windows is 32 or 64-bit.

Is your computer 32-bit or 64-bit? Follow these steps to find out (works in Windows XP, Vista, & 7):

1. Open the START menu and select All PROGRAMS -> ACCESSORIES -> SYSTEM TOOLS -> SYSTEM INFORMATION
2. System Information will display information about your computer system in a SYSTEM SUMMARY. Look for the SYSTEM TYPE item.
3. SYSTEM TYPE will show one of the following:
• x86-based PC — this is a 32-bit computer system
• x64-based PC — this is a 64-bit computer system

My computer is 64-bit, how do I know Windows is running in 64-bit? Windows 7 runs on both system, so if you are running Window 7 on a 64-bit machine, you are good to go. For Vista and XP follow these directions:

1. Right-click on MY COMPUTER or COMPUTER, and then click on PROPERTIES.
2. If you see x65 Edition under SYSTEM you are running the 65-bit version of Window. If you do not see this, then you are running the 32-bit version.

If you want to upgrade your computer's memory, I recommend checking out the online memory reseller, Crucial. I have purchased from Crucial and the memory they sell is first-rate and their prices cannot be beat.

Looking into the crystal ball…

In the year 2000 the world was well into the information age, but I don’t think any of us could have foreseen the impact of technology at the end of the decade. Who would have imagined that by 2010 most of us would be doing our banking online, and that we could pay bills with the press of a key instead of by writing a check. An entire music library can be stored on an iPod, a device no bigger than a playing card and listened to at home, in the car, and in the gym. Thousands of books, magazines and newspapers can be stored on a digital reader like the Kindle, and new reading material can be downloaded in a matter of seconds. The internet has become ubiquitous, and for those of us with smart phones we can access it just about everywhere. 

Television sets are no longer picture tubes encased in cabinetry. They are the center of the home entertainment system with large, flat screens that can hang on the wall and display pictures in high definition. Most of the time our televisions are tuned into cable, which in most areas (TR cable excluded) means hundreds of available channels, even though there are times when little is worth watching! 

Playing movies on your TV has changed from VCR tapes to DVD discs to high definition Blu_ray discs.  It is now possible to stream movies and TV shows directly from the internet with a specially configured TV or attached Blu-ray player.  Video on demand is available for a per-movie fee from Amazon and Blockbuster, and unlimited streaming is part of a Netflix account. Eddie and I joined Netflix and bought a Blu-ray player two weeks ago, and we have been streaming movies directly to our TV ever since. 

We no longer get lost while driving, thanks to the GPS systems in our cars. Input the desired destination and the GPS system triangulates your current location and plots a route. Directions are given by voice (our’s is named Gertrude) and by a map display on the GPS screen. We also have satellite radios in our cars, and like cable TV choices, have a “limitless” choice of broadcasts that does not fade in or out while we travel. Live sports events back home, like the Yankees baseball games, are easily available, sometimes as part of a package or for an extra fee. Imagine a radio channel dedicated to Frank Sinatra available anytime, anywhere.

Finally, digital cameras have completely replaced film. The cameras we use today are much smaller than the ones we used a decade ago, produce higher quality pictures, and come with built-in features such as image stabilization, face recognition and high definition video.

Looking into the crystal ball, what will technology bring us in the future? Television sets may be things of the past, and will be replaced by an all-in-one large-screen device that plays television, streams movies, plays music, connects to the internet, and wirelessly uploads photos and videos from our cameras. It will also function as a closed circuit video device showing our home and surrounding property. Cars will not only have built-in GPS systems, but they will have built-in telephones and computer connections. The GPS will be able to read real-time traffic reports and make route adjustment reflecting up-to-the-minute changes in traffic conditions. 

I don’t really have a crystal ball, and the technology described in the previous two paragraphs are, in fact, reality today. Smart homes have been built and auto manufactures have already introduced cars with the features described. A hint of the future was introduced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs on January 27 when he showed the world the iPad. The iPad, to be released in late March, is a tablet computer with a ten-inch touch screen weighing just over one pound. It is designed to provide information in a variety of ways; it will function as an e-book reader, like the Kindle, but it also can display video, browse the web, store and play music, and constantly update the front page of your favorite newspaper. It is too soon to tell if the iPad is going to become the next “it” device, but there is little doubt that it is a harbinger of the direction our digital life is going. It is an exciting time and the future promises major changes in our home, school, office, car and maybe some day here at TR.

I invite you to visit my photo blog at lindaslens.blogspot.com, My goal for 2010 is to post 365 photo and to share tips on getting better photos, 

All things Apple…

The first three OnMouseClick columns of the season discussed the necessary decision process if you choose to buy a new computer running Windows. Today’s column is all about Apple computers.

If you have an older Mac that still works well, what would make you consider buying a new one? If your hardware works fine, then you need to take a look at the software. Over the years, as computers have become more and more sophisticated, software has had to be upgraded, and even redesigned to keep pace. From 1993 to 2006 Macintosh computer were built around a Power PC microprocessor. In 2006 Apple introduced the first Macintosh with an Intel processor. The new processor has the ability to run faster, cooler and more efficiently, with the added advantage of being able to run Microsoft Windows and Windows based programs.

At the time the version of Macintosh operating system was OS X (pronounced O S TEN), version 10.4—code name Tiger. Apple introduces an upgrade of the operating system approximately every eighteen months, and in October of 2007 OS X 10.5 (Leopard) was released. Both Tiger and Leopard were backwardly compatible, and thus continued to work with both Power PC and Intel processors, and the software designed to work with them. Last August Apple released OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard), and support for Macs powered by the Power PC processor was eliminated. Anyone still using a Power PC Mac cannot run the most current operating system, nor can the computer run versions of software designed to work with OS X 10.6. Apple introduced many new features with Leopard, features that were refined with Snow Leopard. To take advantage of these features, a computer must be capable of running Snow Leopard. 

For anyone who wants a Mac, but also needs be able to run Windows software, an Intel Mac gives them that option. OS X comes with a program named Boot Camp, which enables the user to operate both the Macintosh and Windows operating systems and to decide which system to load at startup. There is also software available that allows you to run both Mac OS X and Windows simultaneously, with Windows appearing in a window on the Macintosh desktop.

Once you make the decision to upgrade, the choices are fairly simple. Unlike Windows, there is only one current version of Mac OS X. Whether you choose a desktop (iMac, Mac Mini or Mac Pro) or laptop (MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air) they all come with the exact same operating system installed.

If you are looking for a desktop computer, the most obvious choice is an iMac. An elegant, all-in-one computer and screen, there are four models, two with 21.5 inch screens and two with 27 inch screens. All four computers include four gigabytes (GB) of memory and either a 500GB or one terabyte (TB) hard drive (suffice to say that a 1 TB drive is very big), priced from $1,199 to $1999.

There are two distinct lines of Macintosh Laptops, the thirteen inch MacBook that comes with two gigabytes of memory and a 250GB hard drive with a base price $999, or the more powerful MacBook Pro. The MacBook pro comes in three sizes, a thirteen inch, 15 inch and 17 inch model. All but the lowest end model comes with four gigabytes of memory and range in price from $1,199 to $2,499. 

The best advice I can give anyone considering purchasing a new Mac is to visit one of the area Apple Stores, located in the International Mall near the airport or in Brandon Town Center. Plan to spend some time trying out each computer and choosing the one that is right for you.  After you make your purchase, you can get  help from the Mac users group, which meets on Tuesday’s at seven o’clock in the Citrus Center.