When you’re surfing online, be it online shop or insurance online, you are risking your computer.

Here are a few steps I find useful, according to my experience

Turn off system restore

Once you encounter a virus, turn off the system restore at once. Some virus can trace back into system restore and ruin all restoration the computer generated. This may result a total missing of files and folders.

Safe mode

When you log into safe mode, a lot services/processes will be stopped. Network is one of them. Some viruses depend on certain services/processes to work probably. There are times I log into safe mode, and delete the virus manually, and it works!

Anti virus, please?

There are a few users don’t like to install anti-virus programs, they find it resources consuming and depend heavily on System Restore. The bad news is, if you don’t have an anti-virus program to warn you about virus, the virus may already ruin all your restoration. Formating become the way to kill the virus as well as your hard drive.

After a few experience of small and big viruses, I started to be very caution of websites I surf and program I download. Majority of computer users don’t like to read, especially a warning pop-up. They will blame it on Windows that is not working well, when the fact is the warning is to tell them what to be caution for.

These steps is no guaranteed though, but it may works under some virus.

Good taskbar (The Good)

I like it when I can adjust and manage my windows taskbar. My arrangement is like this: Frequent used to Occasion used.

Annoying taskbar too (The bad)

Seriously, the preview is wasting time. Why would one need it? If you know and understand the consumer behavior about the Dock in Macintosh, you should applied what Macintosh has. It’s your R&D sleeping on the day job. I hate MSN to be appear there when it should be in a tray icon.

Good speed (The Good)

Seriously, the startup has been improved from Vista. It’s like taking safe weight loss pills. Well, good eye-candy on booting screen, I like it the most.

Task manager (The bad)

So they said, they have speed up the system by cutting down all the nonsense process. But, do they really work like that? Not exactly. At first grace, you might notice that there are less than expected process in the list, because they hided all others processes. Click on the “Show processes from all users” and you’ll see all the processes like you used to see on Windows XP and surprisingly, it is more than what Windows XP used to have. Improvement? I’ll see it later again.

1. Start menu – No bigger display?
2. Explorer Information – Why so much crowded?
3. Effect – Whatever it is, I’m looking for productivity not eye candy

Still stick with Windows XP and Ubuntu at the moment

Now I’m trying to wipe the entire Windows 7 to Ubuntu then to Windows XP again. It seems to be some problem with my Windows XP disk when detecting in Windows 7…

Mac is safe from viruses

Well, it depend how you use the computer. Many of my friends does not have an anti virus program and still happily deleting virus themselves, my brother is one of them. Attacking Windows does not mean Windows is bad, if Microsoft support does not solve this problem, then, it is bad, but they do solve the viruses problem don’t they? Mac is save because the system is different.

Windows can play lots of game

Does those Windows users know that there was this game link on Apple website? Diablo, Age of Empire, SimCity, you name it. Sure not so much game, but still, Mac can play games. The reason behind those game maker to make lots of Windows games because the market they have, not because they don’t like Apple computer.

Mac is all about plug and play

Look into the library, you’ll see a whole list of drivers that you didn’t even know. Mac pre-installed all printers and camera drivers so you don’t need to install. But this, take lots of space away from your hard disk. Windows tried to give you more space instead of wasting those in drivers alone.

Windows is more customisable

Really? How long you with the desktop? If you’re a gamer, I bet you’re playing full screen, no? If you’re Internet geek, I bet the browser is maximized mode, no?

I can list a lot more, but I think I’ll pass. Anyhow, there should be a clear understanding of the marketing of each of them. Mac are more into premium machine, PC is everywhere built-in with Windows.

Mac made the hardware and software themselves, they keep the market forever – Royalty. Every product of Apple is interlinked, so you have an iPod, you’ll need an iTunes, to run iTunes on the best mode get a Mac. To get support from Apple, you’ll have to get to Apple store. Clear enough? Apple building royalty slowly every single day.

Unlike Apple, Microsoft mass market their operating system. They linked themselves with the government (smart move). If your Windows crash, there are thousand of stores outside can assist you. Microsoft doesn’t care that, all they know is to market the product out to the mass, heavy advertisement and etc.

In the end of the day, both are actually running almost the same. The price is the only differences. If price is not your concern, you will definitely get a Mac (that’s why we said Mac fanboy are rich). If you have a budget, go for PC, nothing wrong with both of them anyway.

Just give me a nice box cutter, I am going for PC next Budgeting my money these few months. I am going with Ubuntu Linux recently and the upcoming PC will be a Linux machine too!

I am no pro in Ubuntu, not even a beginner yet. But I’ll try to share as much as I could to support open source and people’s mind about Linux Macbook is now a part time machine for me. An entertainment machine that play music and movie while I’m working with Ubuntu. It is a design tool for me.

Windows function

I find they are the same as Windows. The familiar windows, windows sidebar and etc. Funny thing is, there are still people thought that Linux use only Terminal command. This is so yesterday! Especially Ubuntu, *.deb is the installer like *.exe.

Flexibility

Ubuntu combined both Windows and Macintosh into one. Well, not exactly Macintosh, Mac can’t customise at all with fresh install machine, unless installing some application. Windows has a few option though, especially Vista, basic, Aero and classic. Basic theme will look like Windows Classic, but taskbar and the menu is way customisable compare to Windows.

What I am lacking is the multimedia and design tools Ubuntu can support. I’m not saying GIMP is not good, but it is somewhat not on the same like as Adobe Photoshop. From the key shortcut, interface and features. I am too used to Adobe applications to be honest, if it aren’t for Adobe applications, I wouldn’t need the Macbook as well.

Now that I have 2 laptops at home and a big LCD monitor, I seriously need some discount lighting as well as a bigger table

1, Windows theme

Forget about all those fancy themes. Get to the classic one, and you’ll get the best performance, well, not yet the best, but it speed up opening windows and start menu.

2, Windows performance

Right-click My Computer -> Properties -> Advanced -> (Performance) Settings. Use the custom and select onlt the one you think best fit you. You don’t need all those fancy fade in, animate minimizing windows and etc. It is a waste of resources.

3, Taskbar

Cut down the use of taskbar. There’s no use to open all applications like MSN, YM etc. Go to MSN and uncheck the startup with windows. Those slow down the starup speed dramatically.

4, Startup

A lot of programs like to startup with Windows, some program you hardly use, some program require you to click them in order to open though they have a startup item. Go to Run -> msconfig -> Startup. Uncheck your application. Becareful because those also include Windows systems file too. Uncheck only the one you think you know.

5, Windows registry

There are too many shit happen in the registry and it’s complicated at first. A lot of my friends don’t dare to touch there. Now, go to Run -> regedit. Especially in HKEY_CURRENT_USER and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. There is a SOFTWARE folder, look into there. Sometimes when you uninstall a program, the registry are still there, which mess up the registry and eventualy slow down the whole computer processing.

6, Defragmental

This is the time taking part. So in order to save sometimes, I recommend Auslogics Defrag (Freeware) which use lesser time than Windows original Defragmenter. This only need to do once in a while, you don’t need to do it everyday though.

These are for me. I don’t know what you looking for in a computer. I don’t play games, I don’t fancy about the eye candy theme. All I did is to maximized the operating system performance. Now I have the faster Windows I ever had. Welcome screen only stay for less than a second and I’m in desktop. Though I have to admit that it’s the processer that helps me achieve the speed.

Back to the laptop. Acer Aspire 4930 come with Linpus linux operating system. Due to some software requirement, I formatted it into Windows XP, the one I haven’t been using for the pass 2 years. However, the drivers CD that comes with this laptop was Vista compatible only, which means I’ll have to look for the drivers myself. My research came out a lot on 4930G model, though it has a better graphic card, the rest are still the same. It was a breeze experience back with Windows XP nonetheless. This is my Aspire spec:

Intel C2D 2.0GHz T5800
3GB DDR2 RAM
160GB HDD
GMA 4500MHD
Dolby Sound System
802.11 g/b/Draft-N
Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
5 in 1 card reader

Overall the performance is way better than the previous desktop I’ve tested (Dell Inspiron and HP Pavilion), probably because they’re running on Dual Core only. There will be more about Windows soon

2, It’s about design now. Though some (If not most) people still using PC. It depend though, some people buy a Mac machine because it is the Mac design, people will know he/she is using a Mac. Ok, it’s the ego Or sometimes, it’s about ethic.

3, Software. There’re actually 3 type of operating systems in the market. The revolution of using Intel on a Mac makes the possible of all operating systems to be install in all kind of computer. We’re all living in a great world isn’t it

Last thing I know, Apple better legalize and sell Mac OSX operating system only.

Anyway, anyone tried TinyXP? I heard that it’s only weight 55MB for the whole system to install. Even hackers also love feeding dietpills to the program I’m sure A lot of people would love it, not only it’s small in size, Tiny XP can be installed on an old machine that has only 40MB or RAM!

So, it’s the “transparency” age now? Or this is a need of consumer, so everyone should follow up and built something transparency? I’m still thinking about the graphic support though, Windows Vista require a high-end graphic card to support their interface, while Mac OSX Leopard need a mid-end graphic card, and how about Ubuntu? They was targeting those who are using a low-end machine… Does those transparency really low-ended? Let’s prepare Technomarine watch and wait until Ubuntu release the newer version.

Many people having problem with Macbook lines though, from YouTube and weblogs, but Mac sell this year raise so much that it became a myth for me. And my guess is, people buy Macbook for its design and performance, then they installed Windows on it. Why not? All I have to do is use Bootcamp and partition (More spaces) for Windows instead, and target the startup dick to Windows, so everytime I startup my Macbook, it will straight go to Windows, with some hard disk upgrade, I don’t need to worry about Mac OSX itself.

“The art of writing software involves a lot of borrowing from the work of others. Everyone does it, but Apple (AAPL ) is the master.”

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Well, before it launch, I see every demo clips available in Apple site, and my conclusion was like that before, well, not a master though. Let’s see what I got…

Watch out the Finder’s side bar, it’s just like Windows now, but adding a few more features though. (The design of the icons are not as nice as Tiger )

The Stack, looks just like the infamous Windows “Start” menu now. I can actually put the whole Application folder there and click when needed, isn’t it same? Now, if I put the whole Application as a Stack on Dock, why do I need to place my applications on Dock anymore?

Ok, just a personal point of view, don’t come comment shit on me Of course I’m sticking with Mac still, the stability of applications and system