With the new FireFox 3 browser coming close to completion, benchmark after benchmark is being run on nearly all the popular browsers to see how they stack up. Cybernet News writes about how the daily build of the new FireFox 3 browser renders java more quickly than all of the other major browsers.
So the verdict? Well, I personally install FireFox on all my computers at home and in my office because I like the customization options available that aren’t available with any of the other major browsers, but there are more than just FireFox and Internet Explorer available.
Apple’s Safari is a very fast and minimalistic browser. The con about Safari is that there is no customization available.
I really can’t think about any pros on Internet Explorer except the fact that you don’t have to download or install anything. It comes preinstalled on all new computers running Windows.
Opera was the original tabbed web browser. Unfortunately I have not used it in a few years (not since I adopted FireFox), so there’s not a whole lot I can really explain about it. I know it is customizable and offers most of the benefits users demand from their web browser.
Finally, my current favorite: FireFox is currently stable in it’s 2.0.12 release. This browser is very customizible. It is also very easy to use.
Take a look at the major players, and choose for yourself. Everyone has different preferences. Use the browser that best fits you.
I have been thinking about something lately. Why has the price of technology risen so much over the last few years? It seems that even the older stuff still costs a lot of money. Because of these high prices, it’s almost impossible to build a computer for the same price as purchasing one from Dell or HP anymore. But do not fear. I have decided to put a guide together to build a $300 computer. All components will be purchased from New Egg, and it will be a computer designed to complete basic office tasks (email, internet, word processing… in short, it’s not a high powered gaming monster).
MSI Barebone Computer – Includes case, motherboard (onboard graphics, sound, and LAN) – $69.99
Celeron 1.6 Ghz Processor – $43.99
512 Mb Memory – $10.99
80g Hard Drive – $36.99
ASUS CD Rom – $11.99
15″ CRT Monitor – $89.99
Keyboard – $3.99
Mouse – 3.99
Now this doesn’t build a very pretty computer, but it does build a functional computer. The total before shipping comes to $271.92. There’s bound to be some shipping costs depending on where you live (Shipping to me was $49.24). Also, you can save some money if you can cannibalize a cd-rom or a keyboard and mouse from an older computer.
As far as software is concerned, I’d recommend that you go to www.ubuntu.com and get the Ubuntu operating system. It’s not difficult to use, and it already has everything installed that the standard user would need. It uses Open Office.org as the office suite. Firefox is the web browser, and best of all, you can have them send you a cd for free.
So there you have it, it’s the $300 computer. You would obviously need someone to build it for you if you don’t know how to, but it does exist!
Disclaimer: These components were priced on February 27, 2008 and are subject to change at any moment. Because I have used a third party for component pricing, I cannot guarantee any of these prices.
Back in 2004, Microsoft lost an antitrust ruling in the EU. The summary: Microsoft had to offer competition some of the key information at a reasonable price to competitors. Now these competitors aren’t in the operating system business. No, they are in the media player, browser, etc. business. These are actually areas of business that Microsoft doesn’t make direct profits from. Well, Microsoft decided to offer the materials, but at an exorbitantprice. Because of that, the EU charged them a lump sum of 899 million Euros (the sum of daily fines running from June 21, 2006 to October 21, 2007). Hopefully, this will give Microsoft a reason to change their tune.
Are you a person who wants to do what you can to preserve the environment? Well, now the computer has become the target of energy savings. Let’s face it, many people leave their computers on all the time. If you still have a computer with a Pentium 4 processor or older, you are using a lot of energy. Ars Technica has written a guide on how to build a “Green” computer. They even went through the work of picking out the components for building a green gaming computer and a non-performance based computer.
So if you are interested in going green, check out the article.
I decided to start a list of utilities that everyone should have on their computer. The following is a list of the applications and the websites for their providers/download links. Please have at least one of the applications from each category. Run regular scans (at least once/month) and you will have less of a chance of becoming a victim.
Antivirus software:
It really doesn’t matter which antivirus software you get, as long as it has a definitions updater.
Norton Antivirus (Symantec) paid subscription
McAfee Antivirus (McAfee) paid subscription
AVG Antivirus (Grisoft) free download/subscription
Malware check/removal software
SpyBot (SpyBot)
Ad Aware (AdAware)
This is just the initial list. I will be adding more as time passes.
Are you a plant enthusiast? If so, then Botanicalls has made something for you. It’s Botanicalls Twitter. This company guides you through the creation of a very high tech moisture monitor that actually allows the plant to post online when it is thirsty so that you can see if from anywhere in the world. Whenever you water it, it thanks you. Whenever it starts to dry up, it cries out for help. See an example here.
So, how do they do this? Well if you follow the link at the end of this post, then even you can have a talking plant. Botanicalls has designed the software for this, and all you need to do is invest a small bit of cash (approximately $150 for all the components) and some time to get your plant talking to you.
In order to protect copyright and trademark violations, Ebay has a program that allows manufacturers to log on and delete fakes. This is great for companies like Rolex, Nike, or any number of companies that get copied, but what room is there for these companies to go and abuse this power?
The Church of Scientology has shown that this power can and will be abused. Because of their cult-like structure, members are not allowed to associate with ex-members. This creates problems when new members need to buy some of Scientology’s extremely expensive materials. So, the answer? Ebay!!! Well, this was the answer for a few ex-members who wanted to sell the $5000+ e-meter for less than half price only to find that the item was removed. The seller broke no copyright or trademark laws. He was simply reselling a product that he bought.
If Ebay allows this, then what else do they allow that most Ebayers don’t know about?
See the full story here: Scientology abuses Ebay privilages
Google recently published an article on their ongoing investigation of malware on how it works. Malware is essentially anything that is installed on your computer to do something that you do not want: viruses, spy-ware, ad-ware, worms, etc. So what has Google found? Many (most) infections are caused by user ignorance.
Let me explain.
Many websites have advertisements. This is how they make their money. Because of this, malware distributors have found that they can link to websites which automatically download software to your computer without you ever knowing it. Why would they do this? Perhaps it’s to collect your personal information. Maybe it’s to analyze your online habits so they can advertise more effectively to you, or maybe they just enjoy being malicious. No matter the reason, there are some simple steps you can take to help maintain your computer, and to avoid having expensive computer tech bills.
1. Always have an updated antivirus program installed. If you don’t want to pay for McAfee or Norton, you can always download AVG Free Antivirus (http://www.grisoft.com/).
2. Don’t ever go to advertisers websites unless you know they are safe. I would only recommend going to advertising websites if it is from Google, Yahoo, or another MAJOR company. They have a reputation to maintain, and they will do anything to keep that reputation.
3. Run regular updates. I would actually recommend automatic updates if you are on Window’s XP. The automatic updater on Vista is not currently up to par, so be careful if you choose automatic updates on Vista.
4. Don’t use third party applications unless they have a strong reputation. There are many “holes” that can be programed into applications either intentionally or unintentionally. These holes can be exploited and cause you a lot of grief.
5. Don’t use an administrative account for your normal day-to-day work. Limited user accounts are not usually allowed to install applications. Administrative accounts can always install applications. Many of the malware injectors rely on the fact that you are using an administrative account for your day-to-day browsing.
Source: Google Online Security
According to the TechNet forums (Subscribers for testing pre-release software), Vista Service Pack 1 has been creating real problems with users trying to download and install using Automatic Updates.
Service Pack 1 is supposed to fix a variety of problems that users have noticed and complained about, as well as fixing some security holes. The problem is, when installed through automatic update, it has caused many computers to freeze on a certain installation point, and then restart. When the computer comes back on, it is attempting to continue where it left off only to cause it to reboot again in a never ending loop of frustration.
see the article here: Configuring Vista SP1
Any solutions? Check out the forums to see what they say, or else turn off automatic updates, and do it the old fashion way. That’s right, go to the Microsoft Website and have it scan for updates periodically.
If you are using Windows XP or Vista and you want a little more ability to easily customize your computer, then check out these utilities.
Powertoys for Windows XP
The area in the center explains each Powertoy and you can download them on the right (TweakUI is my favorite).
Unfortunately the only powertoy that works with Vista is SyncToy, but if you need something to ease backups, then this is it.
