Welcome to the N-Tech Solutions Customer Newsletter for November 2009!
by Nathan Woodcock
As part of our commitment to providing an IT service that is professional, straight-talking and enjoyable we publish this newsletter every one or two months to keep in touch, have some fun and maybe even point out a few handy computer related things you didn't know. If you'd prefer not to receive this email simply click the unsubscribe link at the bottom on this newsletter. This newsletter is a bit late due to a crazy October. We've moved house which also means moving the office and workshop and everything else that involves - mail redirection, missing deliveries, phone transfers, internet setup, all the while managing the three kids and two contractors. We managed it quite well I think, although we may have missed a few phone calls so if you couldn't get through to us in this period we do apologise. And thanks to those who have mentioned they have missed the newsletter, its nice to know it's read and useful to people. Looking for an Additional Contractor
Business is quite steady at the moment with the usual ups and downs all small businesses experience but we are finding occasionally we're having trouble getting to a job as quickly as we'd like. So we're looking for another casual contractor to help us out on an ad-hoc basis, growing to more regular work as time goes by. The suitable person would have great IT skills for home based problems (PC hardware and software support, home networking, ADSL and wireless, virus removal etc), their own transport and ABN and be reliable, trustworthy, presentable and keen to work in a business whose focus is on looking after the people they visit as much as looking after their computer problem. If you know someone who might be interested, please have them email me a CV and cover letter to
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Windows 7 is Out
Windows 7 has been out for a few weeks now and initial reaction from consumers seems good. Apart from enhanced stability and performance, the fact that it runs well on existing hardware means you can upgrade your Operating System without necessarily having to fork out for a whole new PC. But for businesses who have been considering replacing their aging PCs now is the time to do it. The governments 50% tax rebate for eligible business purchases expires at the end of the year so many businesses are taking the opportunity to upgrade before then.
The Professional and Ultimate versions of Windows 7 also come with XP Mode which will allow you to run Windows XP applications that will not run natively under Windows 7. It's a great feature for those businesses running legacy applications that cannot be up[graded to Windows 7 or that are cost prohibitive. Be aware though that your hardware (specifically mainboard and CPU) must support virtualisation, either AMD-V (for AMD CPUs) or Intel-VT (for Intel CPUs). Also, as you are effectively running a full XP operating system within your Windows 7 system, you also need to take care of security for Windows XP, effectively meaning anti-virus for XP and Windows 7. And finally, running two operating systems on one PC does mean that they are competing for resources so you may see a performance hit while using XP mode. Anti-Virus
Again this week I've seen a couple of PCs with performance problems that have anti-virus that hasn't been updated for over a year. This is a guaranteed way to slow your PC down and risk losing your files and indeed often requires a complete wipe and reload of Windows. There's no reason for it - if you don't want to pay for a commercial product there are plenty of decent free Anti-virus programs out there, such as Avast and Avira. AVG has just released its latest version 9, and users of version 8 and 8.5 need to download the new version to continue receiving free updates. In the paid versions, I would recommend Avira and ESET NOD32. I would avoid bloated suites like Norton 360 and Trendmicro Internet Security Pro - they have too large a footprint on your system and include many features which slow your system down without a noticeable increase in security. I see as many viruses and spyware on systems running these products as i do the free products. The best way to avoid viruses is to educate yourself and your staff and children on the main ways viruses get in. The single easiest way to get a virus is via email - people open up attachments from strangers or click on links which download or run programs that put rubbish on your PC and avoid your AV software. Just don't do it. If your kids or you use file sharing software like Limewire or other bittorrent software, you need to be careful about what you download. Never download an executable file (.exe or .bat). Stick to music and movies, although even these can be loaded with a viruses in some instances, and you need to be aware of copyright law. It is still illegal to download copyright music and movies on the internet (this covers about 99% of what people use Limewire for).. Performance PCs Intel's i7 CPU is the latest offering from the chip giant, providing staggering performance for desktop PCs and making them the choice for gamers and performance PC users. Featuring quad core performance, huge onboard memory and DDR3 triple channel support, Intel claims "they are the best desktop processor on the planet." However they are significantly more expensive than a performance core2duo CPU based system. A mid range i7 CPU based system with triple channel DDR3 memory (RAM) and compatible mainboard might set you back in excess of $1600 for the computer alone. And if you want to take advantage of the increased memory support you need a 64 bit operating system version, which also means you need to check that your other hardware (printers etc) has 64 bit drivers. | Government Small Business Tax Incentive 50% and valid until December 2009:
The 50% deduction on capital purchases over $1000 for eligible businesses is still in place. Make those business purchases before the end of the year!
Local Business Focus...
In this new side column each month we mention local businesses that we have had personal experience with and can recommend as good quality, good value, and ethical. Need a carpenter or someone to do those renovations you've been considering? Try Brett Fewster at On The Tools. Brett is a qualified, registered carpenter with experience in all aspects of domestic building and renovations. With over 25 years experience in the building industry he takes pride in his reputation for reliable, professional service and quality craftsmanship. Call Brett on 0412 368 398.
Education Tax Refund Don't forget if you have school age children you can claim 50% back on eligible expenses for the kids. Click here for more info. Discounts on Microsoft Help Books http://www.mspress.com.au is Microsoft online book store with books at all levels and for all Microsoft products. Order through us and get 10% discount. Some titles that might be of interest include "Step By Step Windows 7" and "Windows XP Plain and Simple" |
