But the great news here is that for any student currently enrolled in a Tertiary institution such as a University or TAFE, you may be able to get an upgrade version of Windows 7 Home Premium for – wait for it – $49.95.

To take advantage of this – obviously awesome deal, you do have to purchase through the online Microsoft Store and you must have an eligible email which contains edu.au. Now while I am the first to yell out the benefits of using a Mac, I understand that there is a place in the market for Windows 7. In fact I have even been using it (while not extensively) since it came out as a beta release and to be completely honest this is a very worthwhile upgrade. If you are still using XP, what on earth are you waiting for get out there and get yourself windows 7.

So if you have a PC or even currently use a Mac and occasionally use Windows with boot camp I really feel it is worth the $’s to head over to the website and put your order in. The added bonus here if you are a student is that you can also get a copy of Office 2007 Home and Student for $79 when you get Windows 7. Together this adds up to less that a retail priced copy of Home Premium…this really is a no-brainer!

So if you want to take advantage of this offer head over to: http://www.microsoft.com/australia/windows/offers/windows-7-student-upgrade.aspx

As we all know it is important for us to keep our computers in good clean condition, not only for aesthetic reasons but also to maintain good functionality of your equipment and possibly most important of all for health reasons. When it comes to keeping electrical and computer equipment clean it is important to follow a few basic rules.

Cleaning Agents

When it comes to cleaning your computer, you want something that can both clean the computer screen to remove fingerprints and dust without leaving streaks, and you also want something that get all that built up grime off that thing you type on all day, the keyboard. These are the only things you need:

1. Rubbing Alcohol
2. Water
3. Microfiber (or lint free) cloth
4. Squirter bottle
5. Towel

Preparation

The mixture of the alcohol and water makes up the cleaning agent – this mixture is important as the alcohol helps to readily dry the liquid mix which is great for computer screens and the alcohol has good anti-bacterial properties.

You will need to mix these two liquids in your squirty bottle in a ratio of 1:1, that is equal parts of each, so for every 100 mls of rubbing alcohol you would add 100 mls of water.

Cleaning your Computer

The first thing to do here is to ensure that all of your equipment has been turned off and preferably disconnected from the power. Once you have done this it is important to remember that the cleaning solution should never be directly squirted onto any of your equipment as this can work its way into the electrical systems and in turn leave you with a faulty machine.

You will want to spray an adequate amount of liquid onto your lint free cloth to moisten it, you can then wipe over all external surfaces of your computer equipment. This mixture will remove greasy fingerprints and also that dirty grime that tends to build up on your keyboard. You may find that to adequately clean stubborn stains that a little extra elbow grease is required.

Laptops

Laptops here do require a little bit of different attention to a standard desktop PC. Given that the screens on a laptop are on a hinge it is important to take care when cleaning them. This is where the towel comes into play, you will need to lay the towel on a flat surface. Open up your laptop and place the computer on the towel with the back of the screen laying flat and support the computer by holding the main body. This is important because if you attempt to clean the screen while it is in it’s normal position you have the change of doing damage to the hinge.

Once it is laid down you are free to wipe over the screen as you would with any other flat surface, and apply the same technique to clean the other flat surfaces on your laptop.

Final Note:

There are computer cleaning sprays available to purhchase, if you choose to use one of these then there is nothing wrong with that. However I feel that the solution described above is probably a much more cost effective way rather than purchasing the commercial cleaning agents.  Further to this if you are really serious about keyboard cleanliness for hygiene reasons, a good way to get out all the dirt, dust and crumbs that build up under the keys is to purchase a can of compressed air. This is pressurised air and can be squirted in and around the keys to blow all of that grime away.

AppleInsider mentions in this post on their website a few very notable points which certainly lead to a new release of an iMac, there’s news of supply lines for the current model being restricted. Now in the past when this has been the case with other products such as the iPhone, iPods & Laptops it has almost certainly meant that there’s a new model on the way. To complement this it has been just over two years now since Apple first released the aluminium iMac in it’s current shape, all of these things say to me that it may just be time for an update.

What really catches my eye though is the thought that there may also be new peripherals such as an updated Mighty Mouse and Keyboard to go along with it. Personally I love the aluminum keyboard that was released with the original aluminium iMac. I find it easy and quick to type on, while also being nice and quiet, however I am considerably more excited about the possibility of a new mighty mouse.

Endgadget posted an article the other day about how Apple applied for new patents on the Keyboard and Mighty Mouse, these details were released on the American FCC’s website just long enough for keen eyes to grab some screen shots with pictures and all. I really do find the current Mighty Mouse a great mouse to use, and I think that it complements OS X very well. The ability to use and customise so many different buttons on the mouse in such a user friendly way is something that I seen on many other mice out there to-date. My one and only complaint about the current mouse however is that of the scroll ball. When it works it is genius, but give it some time and some frequent use and this thing gets so gunked up it renders it almost unusable.

The patents that were released seem to hint towards the new mouse containing some sort of multi-touch technology, if this is something that can replace the scroll ball while still maintaining the great user experience then I say bring it on! Given that one of our mighty mouse has a scroll ball that needs cleaning every second day I say that it is definitely time for a new model to come out.

I’m sure that by now you have all had the moment where you’re anti virus program spits out at you that you have a virus or some sort of infection on you’re system, now letting the anti-virus deal with it is all well and good, but adding this malicious software removal tool could save you a lot of pain.

My suggestion would be to let you’re anti-virus do it’s job and attempt to delete the infection, but after this is done add in another step. Due to the fact that virus authors are becoming more and more switched on to ways to exploit your system it makes it harder and harder to actually get a virus off your system.

The next step that I’m speaking of is to run the Malicious Software Removal Tool. Now for all Windows users this is actually something that is sitting right there on your computer, in fact Microsoft updates this on the 2nd Tuesday of every month (the same way it does with software updates). To find this program, go to your start menu. There is a ‘run’ selection, press on this. In the window that pops up search for ‘MRT’. This will launch a program, one this has loaded it will prompt you with a few selections – these are ‘quick scan’, ‘full scan’ and ‘custom scan’. For the purpose of locating and removing malicious software you will want to do a full scan. Note that this may take several hours depending on the size and speed of you’re computer.

This will locate and hopefully remove any malicious software that is on you’re computer, and may in fact save you from the need to do a complete system re-store. Now what if you can’t find this on you’re system, well the MRT is available from Microsoft’s website for download, follow the few quick prompts. This is a fairly small download and is under 9Mb in size so there really isn’t any excuse for not using it.

Well I hope that this helps out in determining if you’re anti-virus really is doing its job, while giving you a little extra piece of mind in knowing that you’re system is safe!

Well Apple have addressed this as well! Now in Australia we don’t have the saturation of Apple Stores that they do in America, but they truly are the best way to buy your mac. You get your own personal shopper to help you choose your preferred machine, if you need an Apple Genius will give you free training to get you up and running on your new computer and they will even help you migrate all of your data from your old machine (windows or mac) to your new computer. The stores always have a host of free workshops that you can attend as well that cover all different areas from basics of using your computer to getting the best out of photos, movies etc. Not to mention that they do have a very good reputation for helping out their customers if something goes wrong i.e hard drive crash, machine faults etc. There have been many stories of customers with computers out of warranty going in with a failed hard drive and having it replaced at no extra charge while they wait in the store. Now that I’m not sure would apply all the time but the point is it does happen.

If you don’t have the luxury of going to a store you can order online or over the phone or go to one of the many resellers – not always as knowledgeable but usually have a pretty good idea. With every computer you get a full year Apple Car (thats like their warranty) if you have any hardware issues and complementary 90 days free tech support. I have used this several times and the tech support is great! They are not condescending in any way and more than happy to help get your issues sorted. If you feel that you need further phone support than you can purchase additional Apple Care, definetely worth it if you are one to often call tech support.

I do feel that they look after their customers well and go beyond what is normally expected in retail – and really isn’t that the kind of service we all expect. Especially when paying a premium price in the first place? My belief is that if a company can provide continued good customer service, they will keep my business far longer than a company who doesn’t give two hoots about me.

So this concludes the series, I hope that these posts have been of some help without me coming across as too much of an Apple ‘Fanboy’ (the name they give to people who are fanatical about macs) but the reason I have posted this is because I believe there are just too many people out there who are too frustrated with the experience they get from their PC’s that they don’t use them to the full ability. I’m passionate about this because we made the change and haven’t looked back since – those photos sitting on your hard drive, you will do things with them on a mac. Have home videos that you never got of the tapes and haven’t looked at them since? I promise you will finally do something awesome with them on a mac!

A little clip you might enjoy

When it comes time to look at purchasing your new computer you will undoubtedly think about how much you want to spend. Now before you look at the price tags on the Mac compared to the PC cousins in the stores there are a few things that you really should be aware of. It is no secret and Apple don’t pretend to hide the fact that they have a premium product with a premium price tag, in fact Microsoft advertising frequently reminds us of this. Here are a few reasons why I believe it really is worth spending the extra $’s.

1. Software: Yeah fair enough, you can get a PC at a nice price, but what you fail to realize is just how much you will then need to spend on software to do what you want. One of the benefits of Mac’s is that they come bundled with a stack of preloaded software. The iLife suite of programs is the best example of this and it includes iPhoto, iWeb, iDVD, iMovie & Garageband. To get movie editing software even equivalent to iMovie on a windows system you would be spending in the range of $200 up, and that’s one program! This all comes bundled with your computer, you also have the choice to pay about $100 and get a fairly full featured lineup of Word Processing, Spreadsheet & Presentation software. That price tag really beats microsoft’s Office price! By the time you spend what you need to on your PC you would have spent enough to buy a Mac anyway!

2. System Longevity: We all know that the computer and Technology industry progresses at an astounding speed, and no matter what computer you buy it will become outdated quicker than you would like. Traditionally speaking if you purchase a windows system, once Microsoft release a new version of their operating system if you want to get it you would have to upgrade your system for a faster meatier one. Windows 7 will be an exception to this rule as it actually has lower system requirements than Vista, however with the Windows 7 price tag – you’re going to wait until you purchase a computer with it already installed anyway. Mac’s just keep trucking! A great example of this is Melissah’s mums computer is an Apple eMac. These were built between 2002-2006, I would put its age at probably 2004 ish. Now admittedly it is slower than our much newer system (of course) but it has kept up and doesn’t suffer any of the problems that a PC of a similar age would be suffering. Also on this point, Apple prices new operating systems at incredibly reasonable prices, the next one to be released in September will be priced at about A$50, that is if you already have the most recent OS, but standard pricing is about A$130, that sure beats Window’s $700 OS in my books any day!

So I really feel that the benefits of spending a little on your system initially will reward you in the long term with lower operating costs in terms of upgrading your OS when that time comes as well as running the appropriate software you need.

This is the beauty of a Mac, because apple controls everything you know that they have optimized their operating system to run optimally on the hardware you have in the computer because there is only one set up available and that’s the one Apple put in the computer to start with. This is where they good stuff comes in for the home user: say for example you just purchased a new digital camera heres two scenario’s:

Windows: Plug it in, please install drivers, muck around finding drivers, install, doesn’t work because driver is too old, find the right one, install, restart, ensure you have the chunky memory hogging software that came with the camera to get your pictures off, and then finally get your pictures off the camera

Mac: Plug the camera into the computer, give it 5 seconds, your photo software opens and you can do what you please with your photos.

As Apple knows the hardware in your computer they can bundle all of the drivers necessary on the computer and ship it so when you plug in your device it works!

The other advantage of this is that OS X (the apple operating system) is designed specifically for this platform, this means that your system is a very stable system. You will notice that even if a program stops responding (which is inevitable on any computer) it won’t crash your whole system, that single affected program will shut down leaving the rest of your work space in tact. Its these nice little things that make using your personal computer a pleasure and not a task.

I will start by saying that if you are a gamer and a serious one – you will undoubtedly be better off with a Windows machine. If you are the person that your family and friends come to when they have an issue with their computer then chances are that you have a pretty good knowledge of computers while also having the patience to troubleshoot when things go wrong. If you are this person then switching to a Mac may not suit you but wouldn’t be out of the question

I believe that the typical home user should be able to use their computer without having to worry about having to worry about knowing what a system registry / .dll file / driver is: they should have the ability to use their computer with ease and without frustration and know that when they open a program it is going to do what they want – the first time. It is for these people especially that I would suggest a Mac.

The thought of buying a computer can be daunting enough without even thinking about going to a system that you haven’t had any experience with – this I know – while I consider myself pretty technically savvy we had just had enough of our PC’s, they were giving us all kinds of trouble. Being the impulsive type of people we are, drove all the way to Brisabane (Toowoomba didn’t have anywhere selling Mac’s at the time) and purchases an iMac our first Apple product other than an iPod. We were walking back to the car with our new computer in hand and all I could think amongst the excitement was ‘Oh my God what have we done!! We don’t know the first thing about Mac’s and this could’ve been a very expensive mistake that we have just made’. It turns out that within the two years of our initial iMac purchase we were so thrilled with our new system that we had purchased another two laptops, our little Apple famliy.

So hopefully over the next couple of days as I post my 5 reasons for choosing a Mac over Windows, this may lessen your hesitance to buy a Mac and help you understand why I truly believe they are a better choice for the General home user.

You may enjoy these ‘Get a Mac’ ads from the Apple Website > click here

It seems like a bit of a public relations campaign to me but they have fast tracked the start of this project to areas that currently have very limited or no broadband access. On one hand this is what you would expect a government project to do – look after the people who are missing out because the big corporations don’t think it is fiscally plausible to do so. But on the other hand when they are rolling it out to electorates where the Government holds marginal seats you have to wonder what their motivation is.

Whatever their motivations are it is going ahead and that means that while it will be quite some time possibly years before they have completed the project and supplied this technology to the whole country. It is promising to see that it is starting and this will finally move Australia to be technologically on the same playing field as America and other countries that are already taking advantage of this kind of infrastructure.

I personally can’t wait to have this technology connected at our home and I don’t think the majority of Australian’s actually realise what this is going to mean to them. It is going to revolutionize the way we use the internet, giving us high speed internet access opens up so many possibilities. I think we will see a big shift in how we all consume our media, with traditional media such as television and newspapers playing less and less of a role. As we get access to larger amounts of internet bandwidth it will be more feasible to ‘legitimately’ watch movies, consume television programs that we want when we want and get music

The first essential thing that you need to do when running a wireless network at your home is to ensure it is secured with a password. Due to the way wireless works you can’t stop the signals at the boundary of your property, this means that your neighbors, someone sitting at the bus stop down the road or in the car at the front of your property, if they have a wireless enabled device such as a laptop or smart phone have full access to your internet and private data.

For this reason the easiest thing you can do to protect yourself is to password protect your network. This can be done by accessing the wireless routers configuration panel, it will give you a number of options such as WEP & WPA, WEP is a good way to secure your network but is an older technology and because of they way it uses ’static’ methods of encryption or in other words the same encryption keys all the time it is therefore easy to be hacked into by somebody who has the know how and a bit of time. Therefore you are doing yourself a favor by setting up your system using WPA at the very beginning. This is a newer standard of encryption and lets you use a passphrase or password to enter into all of your devices, the router and devices then constantly update the type of encryption they are using so that makes it much harder for the bad guys to hack. For further information about the differences between the types of encryption check out this link > WEP or WPA?

This is just one step, but you can go even further than this without much more effort and it will ensure you’re doing all you can to protect your network. This next step involves changing the name and password for the router itself. Lets take the brand Netgear as an example, when you plug in your new router it it will have a default name for itself and usually it is something associated with the brand i.e your router may be named “Netgear…” this will be displayed as the network name. The reason this is significant is due to the fact that routers have their own generic administrator names and passwords so if a hacker knows what brand of router you are using, chances are that most people don’t bother changing the generic user names and passwords that are used to access the routers configuration settings and hey presto the bad guys have access to your network.

This brings me to my next point: after changing the routers default name (you may choose to use a name such as ‘Lukes Network’ for example) you then need to go into your routers settings and change the user name and password. A lot of the time they will use something like username- admin, password- password as the default. Simply by changing this you are infinitely increasing the security of your network.

In return for these few simple changes you have the peace of mind in knowing that not only your neighbors won’t be able to mooch off your download limit, but that all of the important and private information and documents stored on your home network and home computers will be protected from nosy hackers.