XP AND AOL 7.0

WINDOWS XP AND AOL 7.0

October 30, 2001

* Please be assured that I will never sell or share your email addresses with anyone else! I respect your privacy!

Hello Everybody!

Hope you are all doing well, and coping with the world.   There are so many changes happening in all arenas, technically and personally, it is kind of overwhelming.

On a technical level, let's take a couple of issues that I have been dealing with the past few weeks.

A) Is Windows XP a good operating system, and should I change to it?
B) Is AOL 7.0 a good thing to download?

My thoughts on the new Windows XP are varied. You, of course, would have to get used to a really different looking desktop. It's pretty, but no more useful that the one you already have with Windows ME or 98 or 95. Everything tucked away in a different place now.   Some things are easy to find, like Programs, still in the start menu; and they've figured out that the programs are the most popular item on the start menu, and you can find it sooner. Maybe it's more table, this> is the most pronounced feature of EVERY NEW AND IMPROVED operating system year after year. The jury is still out on this. There is a home version, and that is what most of you should purchase if you have the adventurous spirit to upgrade. It does come standard on all new computers.

Speaking of upgrading, if you're so inclined, you must be sure you have the system requirements, and they are hefty. Here are the main elements
that you need to even give XP a go:

Minimum hardware requirements:

* 233 megahertz (MHz) Pentium or higher microprocessor (or equivalent) (believe me when I tell you, you'll need a faster microprocessor to really be able to enjoy this; it will be too slow if you don't!)

*128 megabytes (MB) recommended (64 MB of RAM minimum; 4 gigabytes (GB) of RAM maximum) (be sure that you have at least 128 MB of Ram, nothing less will do!)

* 1.5 GB of free space on your hard disk (now that's a lot of space!!)

You must ACTIVATE your copy of Windows XP by using any of the following methods:

Activate Windows XP by using the Internet:

If you use this method, the Windows Product Activation wizard establishes a connection to the activation server, sends your installation ID, and then processes the activation request.

Activate Windows XP by using your modem:

If you have a modem but you do not have an Internet connection, the wizard detects your modem and establishes a connection to the activation server through your phone line.

Activate Windows XP by phone:

If you do not have a modem or an Internet connection, you can activate Windows XP by calling a Microsoft customer service representative. The Activation Wizard displays the toll free number that you can dial.

Okay, it's sounding like a major pain in the petootie to me. I know that many of you will rush out and buy it. I will not be standing in your path :), and I wish you well. I think I will observe from other people's computers, and solve their problems as they come up. I will be investing in a book or two on the Windows XP operating system, and I will try to help as your questions arrive. I'm always a skeptic with new programs, and I'm really happy with the old ones, right now. I'll be writing more on XP as it becomes apparent to me, so if you want to wait, I should have more information in the following months. I'm not guaranteeing that I will be in favor.

(I hope that the person who emailed me for advice on XP is reading this, because I lost your email, so if you have any other questions, email me again, thanks :).)

My thoughts on that ever-loving AOL, downloading 7.0, are, in a word, DON'T! WAIT FOR THE DISK! Then, really evaluate your 6.0 before you leap. AOL is notorious for crashing computers with their damaged downloads. I have already been picking up the pieces of a few computers that absolutely refused to work after the fateful download. I'm hoping that they really have improved the program, because I think it needs improving, but I haven't got to actually witness the program yet, because it doesn't work. I suspect that the 7.0 version is a mad dash to keep up with the Jones' (Microsoft) to unveil something at the same time. Appearances have always mattered much more to AOL than the real functionality of their program. So, I'm exercising tolerance when I tell you that the 7.0 version MAY be an improvement, but we won't know any time soon. Wait for the Disk to be given away before you attempt it.   That's my advice.

**This just in...the subscription renewal price for Norton Anti-virus software has just risen from $4.20 to $9.95. Still a bargain, but not quite the bargain it once was. I do urge you to go to the 2001 version for the automatic live update feature. It will keep you protected for a solid year automatically, and that's a real improvement. It really works with the human nature not to update, so if you still have the 2000 version, you might want to invest in the 2001 or 2002 version. It's worth the peace of mind. And with the recent price increase for the renewal subscription, with rebates available, you don't spend much more than that to upgrade to the newer version.

On a personal level, many have expressed their well wishes for the devastation of Sept. 11th. And many have asked me how we are. Let me tell you about one of my children for a moment. My 8 year old son, Jake, insists on kissing me or his dad, grandpa, or grandma good bye every time someone walks out the door. Now this doesn't sound so strange, I know, until you consider that he was kind of shying away from kissing over the last year or so. I just started to notice the urgency last week when I left for 15 minutes to run an errand; my son was in the shower, and I just dashed out the door. Jake's dad, John, was home at the time, so no need to panic; but when Jake got out the shower, he was so upset that I had not told him goodbye, and kissed and hugged him. Of course, I did hug him when I returned to all the tears, and when I asked him why he was so upset, he told me, "I'm afraid that when you leave, you won't come back because a terrorist will kill you." Our lives will never be the same, and my son has to face his fears at such a young age. We'll adjust, we have to, but the ripples from September 11th just keep going on. I'm not trying to make any of you sad, but I just had to share that with you, so you would really understand how the U.S. and the children are being effected. This land we live in is the home of the brave, but the innocence of children is shattered at such a young age. We will survive! Please say a prayer for our fighting men and women. Thank you.

I meant to tell you about my friend, Bob McElwain's, new book, but I couldn't work it all in. I should have sent something to you all a couple of weeks ago, and life prevented me. I will, send some information to you all in a week or so. I am so fired up about this book, and I don't want it to be an afterthought, so I will feature it at that time.

Hope you all have a wonderful November, and I hope that you have enjoyed this month's newsletter. I enjoy communicating with you all.   Talk to you soon...:)

May God bless you all and keep you safe!

I appreciate all of you. Remember that I will have all these monthly issues of my newsletter available at my websites, along with other information:

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