Well I waited a week since it's release and Windows 7 has resulted in no service calls. This tells me one of two things, either the new operating system is so good it requires no work or nobody in the commuity has upgraded to the new Windows 7. I would like to think from a consumer perspective that it is a solid operating system and there will be no problems with it. But, from a business perspective obviously that would not be a good thing. Either way i'll be interested to see when our 1st Windows 7 job comes in-house. Dan Computer Medics of Northern Virginia LLC www.CmoNova.com [+]

Dear Valued Clients who are DSL customers (or cable customers), Let me first state that I am very satisfied with my DSL at home. Yesterday I received this message (way below) from AT&T. Because much of our B/F (break/fix) work comes from slow machines, virus infected machines, etc, I thought it might be beneficial for me to give you some background information before you jump on the FREE download below (or consider any FREE product), I want to let you know why I do NOT download the FREE software offered by my ISP (or Comcast either). Also just because you have a Mac, does not mean you are immune: http://www.macworld.com/article/135900/2008/10/antivirus.html 1. Free is not necessarily FREE. What do I mean by that? Just because something is FREE does not [+]

What I am about to write/discuss is probably not going to make me very popular, but it has been my experience that working with other 'believers' for the most part has been horrendous. Why? I am a Christ-follower and I have learned over the years not to ANNOUNCE/Advertise that I am Christian due to the following: 1. There are expectations on ethics, standards of conduct and professionalism that are missing many times due to assumptions when someone announces "I am a Christian" that many times do not reflect a Christ-follower on both sides. 2. These 'assumptions' many times turn into attacks about faith versus dealing with the job, quote, proposal, etc. Many times this usually happens when it comes time to pay the bill. 3. Good-faith handshakes are not in good faith... they are many times doorways for abuse of free work, incessant [+]

As some of you may know I am a big advocate of Wordpress. I also really enjoy the StudioPress themes from Brian Gardner. Recently I went to the site to ask a question about something and low and behold Brian came out with a new theme called "Executive Theme".  Needless to say when I saw it, I downloaded it and am currently using it for a brand new site I am doing for a customer. Brian's themes are pretty amazing and the Executive Theme is no different especially with the little bells and whistles he has put into this one. If you are into Wordpress then you owe it to yourself to check it out. If you are not into Wordpress then you should be ;) And get ahold of a StudioPress package and start seeing how easy web design can [+]

A follow-up to my previous Piracy post found at http://mandersoconsulting.com/blog/files/Pirated_Software.html One of the reasons I gave to the reason people pirate was laziness. That’s accurate to a certain degree, but it only goes so far. Some developers that put out software which require an activation scheme, or DRM software, or a license server, have done so to protect their software from being stolen. And I could go into the whole “pirating software is/isn’t stealing” bit, but that’s tired. The point is, the developer put restrictions into the usage of their software so they could get paid for their work. That’s fair. But that crosses the line too often. Case in point, Brady. Brady makes label printing software and hardware for scientific applications, mostly labs. They sell the label printer, they sell the labels, and they sell the software to run the printer. [+]

Featured Business Business: Catanoso Computing Website: www.catanosocomputing.com Owner: Nicholas Catanoso Family: Nicholas, Anne, Nick First Job: Garden Greenhouse and Nursery (with family) Where did you grow up: Cape May County, NJ What did you want to be when you grow up: I wanted to take over and run my family business's. How did you end up owning your own business: I always had a strong interest in computers and technology. This eventually led me to start my own business in computer repair. What is the biggest decision you are wrestling with now: Considering I am also helping run my family business's I am wondering how much more I can take on with my computer repair business before I have to consider hiring someone to help. What is one thing you would change about your job: Nothing What do you like most [+]

Even thought it is only October I figured I'd throw this out there now. In most communities there is an organization that runs a program where you sign up to give Christmas gifts to children from families that need assistance. Our family has been doing it for years and our daughter especially really enjoys it. You can pick as many children you want and you are told their age etc and what kinds of things they would like. They put a limit of how much you can spend for some reason (but we pretty much ignore that) and you can make it a family affair to get the items you need. Once you get them you can wrap them, etc and then deliver them to the location where you signed up. Economy is tight, everyone has bills, I am well aware of that. [+]

Having recently had a chance to review the program Instant Housecall I can now say what an amazing program it is. I have used most every remote package software on the market. Some of the things that I look for in a remote program are: *Cost *Reliability *Features *Customer Support Instant Housecall has them all. The price is reasonable, the features are there, very reliable, and customer support was exceptional. Some of the things you can do it for are: *Service and Maintenance *Spyware Removal *Virus Removal *Warranty Service *Remote Troubleshooting *And more.... Nothing makes a customer happier then you telling them you can just remote into their comptuer and fixing the problem. Nothing makes a tech more happier than using a program that actually works when you need it to....Instant Housecall does just that. The Assocation of Computer Repair Business Owners [+]

Have a business that i've done work for in the past. Recently it was decided they needed a new server for "file storage". Their current network is a SBS setup so it stood to reason to just get another SBS box and join the domain, transfer files and we are all set....Not sure where the problem came in, told the customer exactly what system they needed due to them wanting to get it on their own. Went the other day to do the job and opened the box the new "server" came in and realized they ordered what appeared to be a used server. Well it was a case that was not only worn out but had rust on it...Should of known then it would become a problem. Continued to open the box and fired it up. Low and behold I [+]

If you are in the IT world then it is important to utilize forums. Not only can you find out answers to typical problems that you are encountering but you can also pick the brains of other business owners or technicians like yourself. Your best bet is to find a few forums and see what suites you or utilize them all. Obviously there are a lot of forums out there to pick from. It is important to join a forum with a wide range of people from seasoned vets to new people that way you get answers from all types. Trust me answers will vary depending on experience. Simple rule of forums is this "be professional"...Does not sound like a hard concept to follow but trust me you'd be amazed how many just can't grasp the concept. If you join a forum [+]