Windows 9 Needs To Be Microsoft's Best OS Ever

Talks of a 2015 release of Windows 9 has been making it's rounds with the codename "Threshold" and I can't help but jump in with my take on the news.

I've been using Windows based machines since about 1995 and although it wasn't until the release of Windows 98 would I acquire my very own Compaq Presario, I can safely say that my overall relationship with Windows has been love/hate.

It was the only game in town right? I sure as heck could not afford a Mac at the time, nor did I have a clue what Linux was, so like everyone else, I would wield a Windows operating system and I've owned every edition from 98, all the way to the current Windows 8.1.

Now, I'm one of the few techies out there that didn't think Windows 8 was a complete abomination. In fact, I have gone in the complete opposite direction and tried to inform people that it was actually a pretty decent system under the hood. It's even much simpler to use once you get used to the subtle changes. Windows 8.1 also turned an alright system into a great system.

But alas, the world is not full of me and Windows 8 never gained much traction between geek and everyday consumer alike. Even Microsoft is embarrassed about this as millions would voice their opinions sharing a strong distaste for the new UI.

I think most of us agree that Windows needs an overhaul and Microsoft certainly tried to bring Windows into the modern world, however people just aren't willing to plunk down hundreds of dollars on a less than excellent OS when there are now viable alternatives - and some of those alternatives costing zero dollars.

So where does that leave Windows 9? I believe it will need to be Microsoft's greatest Operating System to date. They have competition now within budget to mid-range systems. Ubuntu is gaining more and more traction and Chrome OS has been putting a dent in market share. Plus, Android on the desktop/laptop is on the horizon.

Instead of me talking about what I think would make Windows 9 awesome, (I'll do that in a later post) I would like to point you to some Windows 9 Concept Designs where you can find 7 different possibilities of what Windows 9 could look like.

There probably isn't going to be much of a collaborative yawn when 9 strikes either. It's either going to wow, or it's going to be damned to the ends of eternity. It needs to make an impact and it needs to leave people with no reason to switch.

But what if it doesn't? What if it fails miserably? Is Microsoft's reign as king over? That is still very unlikely but it could certainly sound the death trumpets in what could be the beginning of the end. It's still largely a Windows world in both consumer and enterprise land.

I would suggest that Microsoft not hype their shiny new system in the least and keep information about it well below the radar. Users are going to have really high expectations following a not-so-dazzling release in it's previous incarnation.

If it's not a great system, will it be the end of Microsoft? No, but if it's not their best system ever, you can bet people will start looking elsewhere for their computing needs.

And that is not how you sell Operating Systems.

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Keep Your Windows Machines Running Efficiently in 2014

I have repaired countless desktop and laptop computers and the majority of the repairs could have been avoided by taking simple preventative measures to keep these systems safe and running efficiently. Of course, I don't expect the average user to be as vigilant as I am when it comes to security but I think everyone should have a standard set of tools on their Windows machines. I will reveal mine here.

Malware including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojan horses are usually the biggest problems that will infect the host machines and usually without the user ever knowing that this is causing the slowdowns, crashes etc.

No matter how well a system is designed, it is always vulnerable to attacks and your data could be compromised without notice so it's very important to stay on top of things in this ever evolving digital planet.

As the world starts utilizing Operating Systems other than Windows, these malware threats are becoming less and less common but that doesn't mean we should stop worrying about security. Just because someone hasn't broken into your house in a while doesn't mean you should stop locking the door!

Use a Current Version

First and foremost, if you are a Windows user like most of the planet then I highly suggest using either Windows 7 or Windows 8. If you are using anything lower than that then it's time to upgrade. You may be satisfied with your old XP machine but it has become an unsafe system and support will end on April 18th 2014.

If you are not fond of Windows 8 then please at least upgrade to 7. Windows 7 is probably the best overall Windows OS of all time so you can't go wrong there!

Don't Pay for An Antivirus Program

Well, you can if you want, but I never have and I have NEVER gotten a virus in all my years of being an avid internet user and computer geek. I have always used either AVG or Windows Security Essentials which is now called Windows Defender. The most important thing is to keep your Antivirus up to date and do regular scans. You can download AVG here OR Windows Security Essentials here . Do not try to install both, just pick one! I am currently using each program just on different machines.

Spyware Removal

Spyware will accumulate and although not very harmful like a virus, spyware is super annoying and it can really slow down your system and  I mean REALLY slow down your system. For this, I recommend downloading Spybot - Search & Destroy . It's an older program and it's not as pretty as some of the new programs out there but it really gets the job done all for free.

It's important to note that when running this tool, you should be "Running as Administrator" as it doesn't run automatically in that mode Also, you will noticed the "Immunize" and "Search for updates" buttons which you should run on a weekly basis.

Advanced System Care 7

I put this tool directly in the bold heading for a reason. It's awesome and has kept my machines running efficiently for years. This is a one stop maintenance shop. While that may not sound very good as usually "do it all" programs don't "do it all" very well, this is program is an exception.

It's super easy to run too. There is essentially only one button that you need to press upon loading it up and that is the Scan button. Of course you can totally customize it so that it only performs the functions you want it to -- most users have no trouble getting started with this one as the simplicity and ease-of-use is top notch.

It's also extremely powerful under the hood. It performs tasks like malware removal, registry defrags, vulnerability fixes, registry fixes, cleans junk files, disk defrag and system optimization and it does all of this very well. I run this program daily and let it do it's thing in the background.

I may go into more detail about this tool in the future but for now, get it on your machines!!

Backup

In the event of a meltdown you shouldn't worry too much because you've recently backed up all your files right? I'm going to keep this one simple and recommend just using the backup utility in Windows. Back it up to an external hard drive at the very least. You can find cheap external drives pretty much anywhere. Do not skip this step!! You'll be sorry if you did.

 Good Surfing Habits

I'm not here to tell you what you should and should not do on the internet but a rule of thumb I like to keep is "If you wouldn't do it in real life, don't do it on the internet." Now that is a pretty vague statement but I think most will get the gist. 

Also, if you download pornography or illegally obtain copies of software then you WILL catch a bunch of crap that will do a number to your system. Even the stealthiest computer hackers will catch a bug or two now and then but you won't catch them admitting it!

One more important thing to mention here is email. If you don't know the sender, don't open it. It's as simple as that. You should already have a good spam filter in place. People will deploy clever tactics to try and get you to open attachments in emails or they will try to obtain your information by using dubious tricks. Know what's coming to your inbox. If it looks fishy, it probably is!

Update All the Things!

It's vital to keep everything running on your system up to date. This may seem like a chore and is easier to do on other platforms but updating ALL of your software is crucial in keeping a squeaky clean systems. Computer Geeks usually love keeping their systems fresh and clean but the majority of the population don't like to worry about this step too much. Don't get behind on updates!

So that's it! These are the most basic precautions that I use to keep my systems running clean and malware free. There are plenty of other ways to go about doing this and I will deploy a few other tools from time but for the most part, these tips have left me with a lifelong, hassle free computing environment.

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Windows 8.1 Review

There is plenty that has already been said about the 8.1st incarnation of Windows and the tech world has deemed it unpopular to give this one any praise. Then again, there are a number of people who simply love the seemingly bi-polar yet very fast and very powerful Operating System.

Let's pretend for a second that you you're not totally against change because if you are, you should exit the tech industry immediately. Anyone still reading? Good. Let's move on.

The most immediate changes you will notice from Windows 8 to 8.1 are three things:

          1. There is a start menu. It makes it look prettier, but it doesn't add much funcionality.

          2. You can now quickly switch between metro apps via the sidebar.

          3. There is a quick access to all your apps on the start screen by pressing the down                         arrow.

These small changes really add to the value of Windows 8 but for a long awaited update, they are quite miniscule and I'm not sure if it's enough to sway people to jump on board, especially for those running Windows 7.

If Windows 8 was free, I would deem it a totally acceptable upgrade being that it is lightning fast and performs very well overall. However it costs more than 100 dollars for those who are looking to make the switch and just simply isn't necessary for those running Windows 7.

If you do make the jump from Windows 7, please bare in mind that it will be frustrating at first to navigate around because your brain is simply used to accessing your programs from Start. The biggest trick in 8 to reveal is that by right clicking on the new start menu, it brings up a nice list of settings such as control panel, task manager, command prompt, network connections, device manager etc.

I have been beating on one of my own Windows 8 machines for months now and it handles my online school work, collaborations, audio and video editing, daily tasks, heavy social networking (On Google Plus, of course), image editing, blogging and just about anything else you use a computer for-- Windows 8 has been a very positive experience overall.

I really want to listen to the higher up technology professionals and agree that it is terrible and a usability nightmare, but I have to strongly disagree with that notion. Microsoft maybe on a proverbial "nosedive" but I don't think Windows 8 should take blame for it.

I've heard the complaints since 8 hit the market and yet I still fail to understand what all the fuss is about. There are so many different answers to that question but if you "just don't like it" then that is totally fine, but as someone who has thoroughly handled this beast with as much real world testing as possible, I just can't make the argument for it being a bad OS. It really does make things simpler once you wrap your head around the fact that it's a little different than previous versions.

I'm not a big fan of many of the apps on the Metro side of the interface but it's quite easy to just ignore altogether if need be. Those apps are aimed more for tablets and phones but are still available to desktop users and some of them are definitely worth checking out but it's probably just going to be a passing phase as you continue to use the tried and true desktop.

Is it a must have "go out and buy it right now" OS? No. And I wouldn't go out of my way to upgrade, Unless you're still running XP or earlier. I would however, purchase a new machine with Windows 8.1 already installed.

What do you think of Windows 8.1?

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