August 11 Newsletter

I hope you are keeping well and fit and enjoying the summer sunshine.

Here’s a quick round up of some of the latest news from the computer world.

All in One PCs

If you are thinking of buying a new computer as the old one is on its last legs, then many of my customers are deliberating between buying a new PC and screen, or whether to switch to a laptop instead. Well, there are good arguments for each, but there is also a third option. Have you considered an All In One PC? Basically, an all in one eliminates the tower part of the computer, so the computer is actually built into the back of the screen, so all you get is a good sized monitor usually 21” or larger, (usually HD quality with built in webcam) and a wireless keyboard and mouse. That’s it. If you have wireless router and printer, then the ONLY cable you need is the mains lead, and nothing else. So, no more miles of spaghetti under your desk.

My son has just bought a new Dell All In One system, and I have to say that it absolutely fantastic, and I would definitely recommend it.

The Dell models range in price from £379 (although I wouldn’t necessarily recommend buying the cheapest model), up to a maximum of £850. I also like HP Touchsmart and Sony Viao as well, but they are usually a bit more expensive. John Lewis offer a really good selection of All in Ones if you wanted to take a look at one in the flesh.

Of course, Apple has been selling All in One computers for many years and they are still arguably the most stylish and best computers on the market, but they are a bit more expensive, around £1,000 ish.

If you need any help or advice on upgrading, then please call or email me.

Internet Explorer

Just before Christmas, Microsoft issued an urgent warning advising its millions of customers that Internet Explorer had become compromised and there was a problem with security for all users of it.

Since then they have supposedly fixed the problem and have now released IE9, which is supposed to be better, faster and more secure.

In my experience, IE9 is better than earlier versions, but I’m finding many customers are reporting varies bugs and problems when using it.

The bottom line is that I personally don’t like it and don’t use it.

I am advising my customers to switch to Firefox (www.firefox.com) for using the Internet. Its latest version 5 is free, and easy to install. It is fast to load and is customisable so it can look exactly the way you wish. I sometimes find that certain websites that can’t be viewed in IE will usually open in Firefox. It is also less open to hacking from outside, so I believe it to be more secure.

I also use a little known browser called Slim Browser, (http://www.slimbrowser.net/en/) which is really good and has many features not available on other browsers.

If you would like any help or advice setting this up, please let me know.

IT Training and support for business users.

I have been training people to use computers for around 12 years and I still love what I do. The vast majority of my clients are home users.

In recent times, I have been getting more and more enquiries from companies and business users for training and support.

So, I am now able to offer IT training and technical support for business users of any size, from small home based businesses to larger corporate clients. I’m working closely with a number of companies that can deal professionally and quickly with any IT training, as well as technical support and advice about upgrading systems and networks. I also work with a number of really good website designers who can revamp or design a new website from scratch.

So if you, or someone you know runs a business of any size, then I can definitely help to get their IT needs dealt with properly and professionally.

Internet Banking

Do you use Internet Banking yet? If not, why not? I have been using Internet Banking now for nearly 10 years now, and I have to say that it extremely efficient and convenient. It allows you to look at your up to date statements, pay bills, move money around to different accounts, as well as many other benefits.

The two reasons why many people don’t use it is firstly they don’t know how to set it up and use it, secondly there is still the concern about Internet Security and the chance of having your account broken into.

All of the major banks have extremely good security and as long as you don’t disclose your passwords or security details to anybody else, it is virtually impossible for someone else to access your account. I personally don’t know of anybody who has had their online banking account hacked into. Credit cards yes, but not internet banking.

I always prefer to be paid by Bank Transfer rather than by cheque, as the money is transferred on the same day, instead of having to wait nearly a week for a cheque to clear.

So if you would like help in setting up and using online banking, I would be happy to help.

And finally…..

By popular demand here is another 3D stereogram.

Can you find the hidden picture? First correct answer wins a copy of next week’s News of the World!

That’s it for this month. I hope you enjoy the summer.

Henry