Miskin IT News

Operating System

Windows Vista isn’t for everyone. Some people find it good some find it an absolute pig with constant blue error screens and poor performance. Fortunately Windows 7, released last year, has already has shown to be everything Vista should have been with excellent usability and performance. Windows XP although dated still provides an excellent alternative and users with computers less than 2GB RAM should always consider staying with WinXP.

Of course Windows isn’t the only alternative for the PC. Linux based OS are becoming more popular especially on note-books and mini-books.

Linux (Unix) is a free open source operating system that has been around for far longer than Windows but has lacked the commercial backing or gaming platform in the past. As computers are becoming more powerful and software far cheaper these boundaries are less apparent and Linux based OS are growing more popular.

Linux OS such as Ubuntu offer a far more stable platform for PC’s as well as better security and performance which is why it’s popular with smaller computers. And of course most Linux based systems are free. The down side is that there is less support and is less user friendly, less compatibilty with hardware and software and doesn’t generally support games.

Security Software:

When choosing security software you should always consider the free alternatives as well as the paying software. The free software are generally as good as paying ones but have less features and usually not as ‘bloated’ which can cause problems for slower computers. As a whole if you’re internet usage is light and you can keep tabs on what your house-hold get upto then go for the free options.
You should have these 3 software installed: Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and a personal firewall.

Anti-Virus Recommended @ £29.99 or £39.99 for Internet Security: Kaspersky
Anti-Virus Recommended Free: Avast Anti-Virus Home Edition Requires registration to activate.
Anti-Spyware Recommended @ $26.95: LavaSoft Ad-Aware Pro
Anti-Spyware Recommended Free: SpyBot Search and Destroy
Zone Alarm Free Edition or Pro @ $39.95: Zone Alarm Firewall Zone Alarm Free Edition is definately recommended but caution is advised when using a personal firewall. You need to know how they work and what to do if things go wrong. The software relies on you knowing how to allow software and IP addresses access to the internet and what to do if you suspect it’s blocking applications that it shouldn’t be.

Word Processing

Microsoft Office has always been the software to have but with todays server based applications there is no need to pay for word processing, spread sheet and database software. Google has its own word processing software (Google Docs) that allows you to write documents using your web browser. Open Office is also a free application that is compatible with most extensions used with MS Office.

There are many other alternatives that can be used as office tools including AbiWord, Go-OO or Bean for OSX users.

Essentials

When you first install any operating system there are certain applications and upgrades you should always install to insure security and also media compatibilty with files you may encounter. Firstly you must always download the latest Windows patches using ‘Windows Update’ option. This is usually located in Start-All Programs menu or simply type it into the search bar if using Windows Vista.
The program you use the most will most likely be your internet browser Internet Explorer or if you prefer you can download FireFox or Chrome. Both thse browsers are recommended over Internet Explorer but the difference is usually marginal. However whatever you choose it’s important to update your Java and Flash player plugins which are required for sites such as Facebook or YouTube.
Many files you receive will likely to have been compressed (zipped). Windows supports some forms of compression but not all so the freeware application WinRar is recommended. It supports .rar, .zip, .z, .iso, .lzh, .tar and many others.
Many operating systems come with a media player but most simply don’t support a number of movie or music extensions. VLC Player is a media center that supports some of the less popular file types. WinAmp is a recommened media player mainly for music that allows you to customize it with some great plug-ins.
CD/DVD burning software is essential and many computers usually come with one installed but if not there are hundreds of freely available ones on the market. CDBurnerXP, AShampoo or Active@ ISO Burner are but a few.