I have gotten a several emails about Windows 7 recently (and even a couple about Vista). Since I am in the middle of a large Win7 architectural and deployment project, I thought I would take time and jot down some thoughts and try to answer the emails in the progress. 

I don’t want to do a feature by feature comparison of Vista and Win 7, because there are hundreds of those available. I could spend the next three months writing about XP Mode(virtualization), multi-core performance improvements, TRIM support for solid state drives, the new task bar, and on and on.   Within Microsoft the company, they changed the way they managed code internally during Windows 7 development. While this won’t necessarily lead to better code, it did speed development time and allowed more time for quality assurance testing.  These are all great features and topics, but I want to take a consumer’s view of what happened between Vista and Win 7.

Windows 7 has been available for less than a year and it has already surpassed the market shares held by Apple’s OSX and Windows Vista.  There will always be those who follow OSX in a cult-like fashion, but it seems that Vista has become a distant memory to even the most ardent Microsoft supporters.  How is it that Microsoft can release an operating system that infuriated people then turn around and release a successor a couple of years later and have people claiming it is the best operating system ever?

What was so wrong with Vista?

From a consumer point of view, Vista was a train wreck when it was released  in 2006.  Specifically:

1. Bugs: Microsoft and their legion of followers cannot deny it, there were bugs. Vista was a re-write of the Windows client.  During the development process, there were numerous delays and feature cuts.  At one point early in the development process, Microsoft even stopped development completely to push XP SP2 out the door. Microsoft was feeling pressure to release this much anticipated operating system. With any re-write, especially on the magnitude of Windows, there will be bugs.  It is obvious this pressure forced Microsoft to release the bits before Vista was ready.  As a result, there were many more bugs than there should have been on release day.  I’m sure Microsoft was taking the “we’ll fix it later” approach just to say they shipped by a certain date.  Within weeks Microsoft began to publish reliability and performance patches.
2. Drivers: Like many things, the driver model changed from XP to Vista. As a result, all hardware drivers had to be rewritten. (This is the reason that some legacy devices won’t work with Vista/Win7) Even though there were several preview versions of Vista, hardware makers were not ready.  I saw a stat that claimed Nvidia video drivers were the number one cause of all Vista crashes — but I have no way to verify this.  This wasn’t just an Nvidia problem, they were just the most visible.
3. Hardware: The hardware requirements in Vista were dramatically higher than in XP. No longer would 512 MB of RAM be sufficient to run Windows.  Vista would require a minimum of 1 GB to operate, and 2 GB to operate proficiently.  The same leap in performance was also required for the processor.  Many early adopters were the first to buy Vista, but also the first to realize their XP-era computers could not handle the load.
4. Crapware = bloat:The scourge of crapware started in the XP days and reached a peak with Vista.  Mainstream computer manufacturers were adding their own utilities on top of the core operating system. Plus, they were offsetting the cost by allowing other vendors to place their apps and utilities on the system.  True, most of the craplets could be removed, but the problem was that if you ever needed to restore your computer to factory state, the DVD that shipped with your computer included all this junk.  Take for example my sister-in-laws Vista laptop.  This Dell laptop had decent specs with 3 GB of RAM and a solid CPU.  However, it took nearly five minutes for the laptop to boot to a usable state!  I got a hold of it and found media players, photo editors, printer monitors, wireless managers, and all kinds of unneeded garbage that she didn’t install.  Why would she need Dell’s wireless manager when the one built into Windows is clean and works very well?  After I removed the junk, it went from a five minute boot to under one minute!
5. Core Apps: Why did Vista include Windows Mail, Windows Photo Gallery, and Windows Movie Maker if they were also developing a new set of the same utilties called Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Photo Gallery, and Windows Live Movie Maker.  It wouldn’t have been so confusing had the new Live apps actually replaced the bundled apps.  Instead, when you installed the new apps, it left the old ones behind too. If you has JPG files set to open in Photo Gallery and PNG files set to open in LIVE Photo Gallery, it would get really confusing very quickly.

As a side note, there is a free utility called The Decrappifer which claims it will scan your system and remove all this junk.

Why didn’t Windows 7 suffer the same growing pains?

Fast forward to 2009 to the Windows 7 release.  Why didn’t the problems listed above impact 7 in the same way they did with Vista?

1. Bugs: Windows 7 was not a re-write.  In fact, you could even consider it Vista Version 2 — really.  Yes, MS made many improvements on the surface and under the hood, but the fact remains that most of Win 7 is, in fact, Vista. As a result, the opportunity to introduce new bugs went way down.
2. Drivers: Since Win 7 was not a complete re-write, the driver model did not change.  Even though most hardware makers updated drivers for Win 7, the Vista era drivers were sufficient in most cases.
3. Hardware: Once again, since Win 7 is really Vista Version 2, the hardware requirements did not go up.  So any Vista capable machine could run 7.  In fact, due to lots of work optimizing the operating system, you could actually run Win 7 on fewer hardware resources than Vista required!
4. Crapware: Yes, crapware still exists, but Microsoft has put limits on what can be installed.  In fact, they even limit the number of icons which can be “pinned” to the Windows 7 start menu.  With any new store-bought system, you should still examine what is installed and remove what you can. Dell or HP will try to sneak their wireless manager onto some systems. The Decrappifier works on Win 7 also!
5. Core Apps: Windows 7 did not include a photo library, movie maker, or mail client.  Instead, they directed you to a download of the new Live Essentials site.  This is much cleaner and allows the Live apps to be developed and released independently of the Windows Client. No longer will you have to wait for a Windows Service Pack to add functionality to the mail client.

The Truth About Vista.

It seems that the industry in general ignores this, but the truth is that Microsoft eventually fixed Vista and it became a good operating system.  Take this note I got from Robert R:

“Why are people telling me to upgrade to Windows 7 when Vista works perfectly for me? To me, Vista seems just as good as Windows  7.”

I wouldn’t say that Vista as good as Windows 7, but it definitelybecame good enough to run on a daily basis and to operate your business on. It took a few years to get to this point and many of the improvements were actually a result of the Win 7 development.

Even th0ugh there are many people using Vista (some liking it, some not) it has become the forgotten operating system and it is time to move on to Windows 7. In fact, there are already talks about what is going to be included in Windows 8! The damage is done.  Even those who have never used Vista, claim it is a horrid operating system.  Did you ever see those Microsoft Mojave commercials? The producers sat typical consumers down and asked them rate Vista.  Then, they unveil Mojave, Microsoft’s newest OS.  They then ask the same consumers to rate it.  The commercials show user rating Vista a 2 to 3, then Mojave anywhere from an 8 to 10.  Of course they drop the boom and inform them they are actually using Vista.  A little dramatic, but they were trying to overcome the stigma which the bad release caused.

Time to Move On

The point is, the damage is done and no clever marketing can undo it (well, maybe Apple’s marketing could). This is why Microsoft saw Windows 7 as such a ciritical release.  Even though this was really Vista Version 2, people saw it as much more and the results have been much much better for Microsoft, consumers and corporate users.

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1. Assuming you’re running Windows 7, can you complete your system with free applications?

2. Building on question #1, can you run your computer — including the operating system — on 100% free software?

3. Now that Windows 7 has shot past Vista market share (in just six months), I’ll post a high-level review of what made this forgotten operating system such a sore subject for many people. (Update 9-8-10:  Here is that blog entry: http://www.bowlesonline.com/from-vista-to-windows-7-how-did-microsoft-fix-windows/)

3. I got an Apple ipad for work (yes, for work).  What are my thoughts?

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Rugged Laptops

One of the great things about my job is that I get to test new gear from time to time. Most of the time this usually consists of new computers that are just new iterations of existing models. On occasion, something interesting comes along. Dell has half-heartedly been in the specialty market of ruggedized computers for some time, but has recently gotten more serious with a new line of laptops. Although the market is small, it is primarily dominated by the Panasonic Toughbook line. Dell has expanded their Latitude line by releasing a semi-rugged model (Latitude ATG), a fully ruggedized model (XFR), and a rugged convertible multi-touch tablet (XT2 XFR).

While the tablet is the most interesting to me, I have my hands on the Latitude E6400 XFR. All these models fall within the Latitude line and have the same internal specs as the mainstream Latitudes. As was explained to me by my sales rep, these are Latitudes which have had the cases removed and new cases applied by hand. The ruggedization work is actually performed by a third party company called Augmentix. Building, tearing apart, and rebuilding seems inefficient to me, but what do I know? Building a rugged line on the existing Latitude platform is good news if your business already has an investment in the Latitude line. All of your images, peripherals, and docking stations should work without modification.

What is a Rugged Laptop?

The term “fully ruggedized” is confusing to some. The term does not imply 100% waterproof. The computer is meant to withstand dirty conditions, moisture and rain, salty fog, and some abuse but cannot be fully submerged.  Update:  My Dell rep told me today that the XFR can be fully submerged in the case of a drop but should be immediately retrieved. There are no exposed ports, the speakers are enclosed, even the heat vents, speakers, and webcam are covered. The XFR achieves an ingress rating against blowing dust and moisture of IP65 (if you know what that is).  To further clarify what rugged means, there is a battery of military spec tests. The results are impressive.

To further increase the durability, my eval arrived with a solid state diskdrive(SSD) to reduce the chance of mechanical failure. Dell utilizes an alloy casing called Ballistic Armor Protection System featuring PR481 which they claim has twice the impact resistance of traditional magnesium alloy. (I’m assuming this Ballistic Armor is a marketing term made up by Augmentix.) I have performed some minor drop tests but can’t bring myself to really test the durability. Dell claims the XFR is first in class to achieve the military’s MIL-STD-810F specification for a four foot drop on plywood over concrete. My test was a two foot drop on carpet over padding as I prayed.

You would think with all the covered ports, that heat would be a concern. According to Dell, the XFR meets military standard MIL-STD for temperature extremes. Heat dissipation is managed by their QuadCool thermal management system (See photos below for the QuadCool vent).

XFR Performance

The computer does not lack horsepower. This is one of the most responsive computers I have used in the business laptop class. I am running Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit and it takes about 20 seconds from power-on to being in a usable state. Impressive. There does seem to be a refresh glitch with the Intel video driver from the Intel site.  I find myself having to minimize/restore various windows to force a refresh. There is also an Nvidia video option which probably does not suffer the same issues. (Update: I used Intel’s Auto Detect utility on http://www.intel.com/support/detect.htm and installed the latest video drivers. Refresh problem solved. This proves you should always update your drivers.)

I should note that this is not a Dell image with the typical bloat/crapware.  I installed Win 7 fresh from the installation DVD and added drivers from the Dell support site.  To further increase responsiveness, I am using Microsoft’s Security Essentials anti malware program and not a resource hogging program like Norton or McAfee.

Other XFR Observations

As I mentioned before all the ports are covered to prevent dust and moisture from entering the system. The port covers are opened by a two step motion by pressing and sliding the release.  These doors feel a bit awkward compared to the Panasonic Toughbook doors. The SD card slot is the most inaccessible. It is located behind the handle on the front of the unit.  Open the cover and inserting the SD card involves some phalange gymnastics. Even getting a good photo (see the gallery below) of the SD slot was difficult. Other than that, the design seems well thought out. This model includes a VGA, Display port, modem, Ethernet, three USB, one USB/eSATA combo, PCMCIA, SD slot, fingerprint sensor, and one 1394 Firewire port. Like all other manufacturers, there is a swift move from serial interfaces. This laptop is no exception. The serial port is following the steps of the parallel port and the diskette drive.

The battery is small and based on the body design, I don’t think an extended capacity battery will fit. (Although there is a “battery slice” option available for extended power.) With Windows 7’s power management features, and the SSD, battery life has been very impressive so far.

An important note is that Dell will not release an 6410 XFR.  They are sticking with the 6400 and will most likely release an update with the 6420 product refresh.  Interestingly, there is a 6410 ATG.

Dell XFR Accessories & Serial Port Adapter

There are NUMEROUS accessories available for the XFR.  There is a shoulder strap that screws in brass screws near the built-in handle.  There is a “battery slice” which is a flat extra large capacity battery that screws onto the bottom of the laptop.  To solve the lack legacy ports, there are two legacy port extenders which attach onto the bottom of the unit with metal screws. There is an adapter with one serial (RS-232) and one parallel port, and the other comes with two serials. These serial adapters are big and rugged, but they secure to the bottom of the unit very tightly.

UL Certification

The Latitude E6400 XFR is UL1604 Class 1 / Div 2 certified, but the ATG is not.  I believe you can get the Panasonic certified also, but only in a touchscreen unit. Keep in mind that these devices are only certified when all port enclosures are closed and locked. The Latitude ATG is not certified at all and no device that I have found is Class 1 / Div 1.

Dell XFR vs Panasonic Toughbook

This note is not a Dell vs Panasonic comparison. However, it’s hard to not make some cursory observations. Compared to the Panasonic Toughbook (CF-30 & CF-31) the XFR is a modern device.  While Panasonic invented this niche, the Toughbooks have stuck to their original design and compared to today’s standards seem bulky and ugly. For example, even though the CF-31 is new, it still has a 4:3 aspect ration, while the Dell has a modern 16:9 screen.  Panasonic claims they are sticking with the original form so that existing users can leverage their docks and truck mounts.

Furthermore, Panasonic’s driver update model is odd. First of all, you need to register to download updates. Then, since they don’t update model numbers often, you need to know what “mark” your Toughbook is (roughly equivalent to the date it was produced).  Then, once you get logged in, you download driver updates in packages.  On the other hand, Dell treats driver updates like they would any other Latitude. You simply browse to support.dell.com, select your model, and download the driver you need.  Much simpler.

Dell Latitude XFR Photos

Here are some photos of the XFR. Sorry for the lack of professionalism, my wife sold her studio a few years ago so all I have now is my dining table.

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Click here to view the embedded video.

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Raymond has an MBA and is seeking employment as a Financial Analyst, Budget Analyst, Investor Relations Analyst or anything financial related.  Raymond’s geographic preferences are Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Stillwater, or any nearby city.  However, we will relocate as needed to Dallas/Ft. Worth, Kansas City, or other area.

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• AdSense Manager – This plugin allows you place Google AdSense ads on your blog.  Using this plugin, I place one banner ad at the bottom of the page and as a widget on the right side.
• Akismet – REQUIRED plugin to kill spam.  Keep it updated and it will do an excellent job for you.
• Bookmarkify – This plugin places a footer on each article which allows you to share the post through email, Facebook, MySpace, Digg, StumbleUpon, and many many many other services.   There are other plugins which accomplish the same thing, but this is the one I started with and am familiar with.
• Enhanced WP-ContactForm – Allows you to create a CONTACT page with enhanced features referrers, spam protection, and allows the commenter to cc himself.
• Google XML Sitemaps– REQUIRED if you want search engines like Google, Bing, & Yahoo to index your site.  The sitemap is created automatically and is updated each time you create a new post. When the  sitemap is updated, the major search engines are notified automatically.  Very useful and efficient.
• IE6 No More – This is for the IT geek in me.  I’ve noticed on my blog and my wife’s photo site that there are still many people using Internet Explorer 6.  Do you realize IE6 was released in 2001?!? Many of the malicious attacks which are around today were not even conceivable when IE6 was developed. As a result IE6 is considered security Swiss cheese. Microsoft finally took the browser seriously in subsequent releases.This plugin places a banner at the top of each page for all IE6 users suggesting they upgrade to IE8 or another modern browser. I modified the plugin slightly for my use.
• Kontera ContentLink– The purpose of my blog is not to make money. However, I do have this plugin enabled to create paid links based on certain content.  I haven’t gotten a check yet.
• NextGEN Gallery– A REQUIRED plugin if you want to included photo galleries in your WordPress blogs.  Once you figure out the basics, this is extremely useful. This plugin is updated often.
• Official StatCounter Plugin– I use statcounter.com to track usage on all my sites.  This plugin automates the task of placing the invisible StatCounter code in your blog entries.
• Subscribe to Comments - This handy plugin allows your readers to subscribe to comments on your various posts.  I just added this one this week – I wish I would have thought to add it before.
• Random Image- While not a plugin, I use this script to rotate my header image.  With each new page load, this script displays a random image.

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By the way, does anyone know what kind of tree this is?

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By the way, if you like the Autumn theme in the screen shots below, you can download for free in this post.

The following screen shots show the Windows Phone 6.5 menu before and after editing. You can clearly see the “Getting Started” item is present in one shot and missing in the next (ignore the time stamps).

Below is the interface of the Home Screen Customizer tool. It’s simple and does its intended job well. To remove an item simply tap the “X” – don’t worry you can add it back if needed. The red heart denotes which menu item is highlighted at load time.

After you customize the menu you can remove the app, or it is small enough to leave in-place. Thanks to these guys for creating this great free app. It is something I was looking for.

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• The Tilt 2 is a little larger than the pure.
• The Pure has a 5MB camera and the T2 has a 3.2.
•  The T2 has a very nice speaker phone, I’m not sure what the Pure has but it wasn’t obvious.
• The T2 has a physical keyboard, the Pure does not. This contributes somewhat to the larger size of the device, but they did a good job keeping the keyboard as thin as possible. This obviously makes the Tilt 2 thicker than the iPhone.
• The T2 seems to have a nicer screen than the Pure.

Although I don’t use the physical keyboard much anymore on the original Tilt, I went with the Tilt 2 over the other devices I considered. It felt good in my hands, the screen was one of the best I have seen, and believe it or not, I use the speaker phone.

So how does the new Tilt 2 compare to the original Tilt? It’s night and day:

• The old Tilt had Windows Mobile 6.0 or 6.1, the new one has Windows Phone 6.5 which is basically the same OS but with a much needed face lift.
• Included in 6.5 is a vastly improved mobile Internet Explorer.  I can’t even begin to describe the improvement here. 
• The Tilt now feels like a brick in my hands compared to this sleek ergo device.
• The new Tilt has a radio. Haven’t tried it yet.
• The screen, as I mentioned before, is amazing on the T2. At the time, the Tilt screen was nice but we’ve come a long way.
•  The Tilt had no accelerometer so the only way to change the orientation was to slide the keyboard out or hit an onscreen button. The T2 does have an accelerometer but it is very underused with the bundled software. The bundled game Teeter does an excellent job demonstrating the capabilities.

I wasn’t sure I would like this phone at first, but after I removed some proprietary HTC/AT&T stuff I am thrilled with my decision. Namely, I removed the TouchFlo 3D and enabled the default 6.5 UI. The TouchFlo interface is nice looking and great programming but it’s not that efficient or useful. You can flick photos and emails all around, but it seems more for show and selling phones in the store than it does for actual use. The TouchFlo interface quickly becomes a nuisance and gets in the way. On the other hand, the native 6.5 UI is efficient and very natural to use.

Note: Even though Windows Phone 6.5 was officially released just last week (as of this writing on 10/21/09), there are already rumors and leaked builds of 6.5.1 (or 6.51).  I’m sure there will be an HTC upgrade in flash ROM format when this is officially released. HTC did this with the original Tilt providing a ROM upgrade from Windows Mobile 6.0 to 6.1.

Here are a couple of screen shots of the TouchFlo and the native Windows Phone 6.5 interfaces.  Both have a nice look in these screen shots, but you can’t get a sense of their usefulness until you get your hands on the device.

How to disable the HTC TouchFlo 3D interface:

Start > Settings > Today > Items. Now uncheck TouchFlo and check “Windows Default” – This will give you the new 6.5 UI. I really like this interface, it is very Zune and/or Windows Media Center like. (Don’t get me wrong, there is room for improvement in 6.5.1 and the complete rewrite of Windows Phone 7.) Alternatively, if you prefer the WindowsMobile 6.1 look, you can select your own items for the Today screen. However, I find the 6.5 interface very useful and efficient.

How do I remove my Microsoft Live or Hotmail account?

This isn’t exactly obvious, but if you set up a Live or Hotmailaccount and want to remove it, follow these steps: Start > Windows Live > Switch LiveAccounts This will remove all emails and account settings which you previously entered.

How to create your own Windows Phone 6.5 Theme:

I haven’t done this yet, but it looks simple. Simply go the site, select your phone, select your preferences, and if desired supply a background image. You’ll then get a link sent to your phone to install the theme: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/downloads/theme-generator.mspx

Remaining questions I am working on. Can you help?

• The phone came bundled with some software I can’t remove. Specifically, how do I remove Opera Mobile 9.5? I like Opera but I prefer to use 9.7. Skyfire is also a very good browser that supports Flash. 
• How do I remove the “Getting Started” menu item? This problem is solved HERE!
• How do I add/remove any item in the Windows Phone 6.5 menu?
• Why is there a preinstalled YouTube app but no shortcut?  Most users will never find this app buried in the folder structure.

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Additionally, the guest OS (XP in this case) runs on a virtual hard disk (VHD).  The VHD is actually a large, single file on your physical disk.  To the host system this is a single file, but to the guest OS, this looks like a physical disk.  From the host you can move this file around, back it up, delete it, etc… Keep in mind that if you delete this file, you are essentially deleting your guest operating system.

To get started, you need a virtualization engine such as Microsoft Virtual PC (also free).  Once VPC is installed, you need to download XP Mode (this is a large download since it is a full copy of XP SP3).  The setup is painless. The only info you will need to provide is an admin password for your XP instance. Obviously, you can customize all kinds of settings but the defaults are acceptable for running XP. If needed, you can go back later and adjust memory, disk size, etc.

Once the setup is complete you can do anything within the virtual instance of XP as you would do in any other OS. You can install applications, surf the web, change the wallpaper, etc…

In this image you can clearly see XP with IE6 running within Windows 7

So why would you want to run Windows within Windows? I can think of several scenarios in which you would need to run XP within Win7.

1. Keep in mind that Microsoft’s biggest competition for Windows 7 isn’t Linux or Mac OSX, it is XP itself.  Windows XP is everywhere in corporate America. Applications have been written to run on XP since 2001. Many of these apps will indeed run in Windows 7 but there are many that will not.  In a perfect world, the developers would go back and update the apps and provide free upgrades, but Microsoft realizes this isn’t going to happen. So, in order to hurdle the compatibility barrier, they decided to basically give corporations the ability to run the apps in XP within Windows 7.  Not exactly efficient, but a solution exists.
2. No matter how successful Windows 7 is, there will still be people running XP for years to come. Unfortunately, many of these people still run Internet Explorer 6. Web and app developers need a method to test their sites on this older technology. Instead of keeping an old PC around just to test their site on IE6, they can simply fire up XP Mode with IE6.
3. Since the guest OS is installed on its own virtual disk, you can use the virtual instance as a security sandbox for anything you wouldn’t want to do in your host system.  If something gets hosed, just delete the virtual disk and reinstall XP Mode.

Running XP in a virtualized environment is not new or groundbreaking. So what makes XP Mode different?  For one, you actually get a free licensed copy of XP (most virtualized copies of XP are boot-legged).  Secondly, unlike some virtualization engines, the experience is seamless. You can easily copy/paste between the host and guest systems and there is a single mouse which traverses all instances without synchronization. Next, and really cool, is the ability to add a shortcut to a virtualized application within XP to your Windows 7 start menu.  This is significant because it hides the XP OS and only exposes the application to the user.  This is referred to as publishing an application in XP Mode and is enabled by putting the application in the ”All Users” group in the virtualized XP start menu.

In this screenshot, you can see a link to Google Chrome which is installed in the XP virtual instance. Chrome is not installed on Windows 7 in this example.

..and here is Chrome running in XP Mode without XP being visible.  Keep in mind Chrome is really running in a virtualized instance of XP.

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We haven’t had land-line service in our house for six years.  It just seemed like an unnecessary expense month after month when we both carried around cell phones.  Yes, I’m aware of the 911 argument but it has been a risk we were willing to take.  Things change, we had kids, and moved out of a dense neighborhood onto some land. Gentry, my wife, was concerned that 911 service would have a difficult time finding us via cell phone. Plus, our primary babysitter doesn’t have a mobile phone.  So, to ease all concerns, we bought the Magic Jack. I can honestly say… The Magic Jack works.
 

What is the MagicJack?

There are two components to the Magic Jack: 1. The device itself and 2. A yearly service component.  As far as I can determine the device has several purposes:

1. It is a USB storage device which, once plugged into your PC for the first time, automatically installs the MagicJack software.  (Updates are automatically applied as needed.)
2. It is a phone to USB converter. You can use any old touchtone phone.
3. It also serves as a licensing device.  The installed software won’t successfully start on your PC unless this is plugged in.  You can take the device form PC to PC with ease without breaking any license agreement.

There are a couple of service plans available. We signed up for a three year plan for just a few bucks per year.

How does the MagicJack work?

Just in case you didn’t know, it’s not relly magic. Once plugged into your computer, a program known as a softphone launches and connects to a remote PBX somewhere on the Internet. The cool thing is that all the magic is transparent to the user — all you see is an onscreen phone app.  This is no different than other softphones which are common in corporations.  One of the great things about a softphone is that you are not bound by your home.  You can take your laptop with you to a hotel or Starbucks and make/receive calls as if you were sitting at your desk. Unlike other softphone solutions, the MJ must be plugged directly into your computer so the software can validate your license.

A phone is NOT required – yes, that is correct.  You can plug the MagicJack in and use your built in speakers/mic as a speakerphone.  Alternatively, you can plug in a headset to another USB port or even a Bluetooth headset.  Again, a phone is not required as a long as the MJ is plugged in to a USB port.

Can I pick my own phone number with a MagicJack?

Yes, well, kinda… You select an area code and prefix and you are offered several number options to select from.  We picked an area code for an area in which we actually live, but I would assume you can pick any area code that is available.

Does MagicJack offer 911 serivce?

Yes, when you run through the initial setup you are required to supply a physical address where the MJ will be used.  In the event you make a 911 call, the emergency service will be dispatched to this address.  Keep in mind that if you make a 911 call from Starbucks or a hotel room, the dispatcher will still get your home address.  Oops!

Does MagicJack offer voice mail and other enhanced services?

Yes, these are all included.  In fact, when you get a voice mail it will send it via an attachment to your email address on file. Caller ID, Call Waiting, and 411 are also included.

Can you fax with a MagicJack?

Yes, you can send and receive faxes with an external fax machine.  What’s not as obvious is that you can also send/receive faxes using the same Windows PC that your MagicJack is plugged into.  It sounds hokey, but you need to run a phone cable from your fax/modem port to the MagicJack — yes you have a phone cable in two ports on the same computer.  From here, you would fax like you normally would from within Windows — just set up your fax as a new printer and “print” to it. So, you should be able to fax anything you can print including Microsoft Word docs, email, photos, drawings, whatever…

Will MagicJack run on Windows 7?

I have used our MagicJack on Windows XP, Vista, and Win 7 without any difficulty.  I did notice in XP, that while the jack was plugged in, there was an IP Telephony update listed in WindowsUpdate.  I installed this update and didn’t notice any difference good or bad. This was an “optional” update so those of you who have updates set to automatic might not get this one.

What are the drawbacks or disadvantages of using MagicJack?

This is a best effort service designed to run over residential broadband.  As a result, the voice quality is not equal to traditional phone service.  Additionally, MJ requires an active Internet connection and will not work if you lose access for any reason (including power loss).  Compare this to traditional phone service which gets its power from the TelCo central office and gives you a constant dial tone even if you lose power.

What’s the result?

I highly recommend MJ for personal use. Considering the price, it is very low risk. It is a great way to shave some money off your monthly utility bills. However, MJ does not offer any service level agreements (SLA) so it may not be a wise solution if you are running a business and require consistent voice quality.

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Contact Joey or Gentry for more info:

918-809-4566

gentry@gentryfoto.com

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Obviously you will need a series of photos from a single vantage point. You can have two photos up to as many as you like.
Here are some tips to remember when taking your photos:

• Make sure each photo in your series has a bit of overlap so the software will know where the stitching points are.  It is safer to have too much overlap than none at all.
• When taking the photos, try to keep your camera in the same position and at the same angle as you rotate. A tripod or monopod will help for larger shoots.
• If you have the know-how and a capable camera, set the exposure manually. Doing this will prevent different exposures on the various photos. If you don’t know what this means, then don’t worry about it – just shoot!

Let’s get started.
Open WLPG and find the photos you want to stitch together. Select these photos. As you can see in the screen shot below, I am using a series of seven photos from the interior of Boone Pickens Stadium. The photos were taken with a camera placed on my knee and span 180 degrees from end-zone to end-zone. (These are old photos from April, 2008 before construction was complete.)

 

From the menu, select MAKE > CREATE PANORAMIC PHOTO

This process could take a few seconds to a few minutes depending on how many photos you are trying to stitch together. After this process completes, you will be prompted to give your panorama a file type and name. This is the ONLY OPTION you have in the process.  The default file type is JPG which is sufficient for emailing, posting to Facebook, etc… However, if you wish to do serious editing or print this professionally you will need to save the image as a TIFF.  TIFF files are not compressed and are much larger than compressed JPG files. Typically, photo editing software gives you the option of how much compression to apply but for some reason it is a fixed level in this software. Remember, more compression equals more degradation of the original image.

That’s it!  Your image may have some strange edges as a result of the stiching processing compensating for the placement and angle of your camera. If you don’t like these edges then simply use WLPG or any other photo editor to crop it square.

What started as seven individual images from a camera balanced on my knee is now an end-zone to end-zone view of Boone Pickens Stadium.

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Click here to see the panorama.

Tips:

• You can zoom in and out very quickly using the scroll wheel on your mouse.
• Use your arrow keys or mouse to navigate around.
• Since this is a 360, you can pan one direction continusoly as if you are spinning in a circle.

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Click here to view the embedded video.

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When Vista was released, this functionality was not included in the box, and Microsoft didn’t produce new PowerToys. Now, there is an open source clone of the Image Resizer PowerToy that works on Vista and Windows 7. It is identical in nearly every way. If you run Vista or Win7 and need a simple way to resize images check it out.  It doesn’t get easier or simpler than this:

http://www.codeplex.com/PhotoToysClone

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1. Highly Recommended: The most dramatic single UI change you can make is implementing the Royale Noir theme.  I don’t know the full story on this theme, but it was developed at Microsoft as an alternative to the default blue/olive Luna theme. For some reason it was not included with the original XP release or any subsequent edition or service pack. It is obviously the basis for the default look in Vista. I am using it now on my work laptop. You can download Royale Noir here – I’ve included a read me.txt file on where to copy the files. Here is more info on Royale Noir at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royale_Noir

2. Highly Recommended: Most people know about PowerToys. These are XP add-ins that have been around since 2001. These are free useful utilities developed at Microsoft that weren’t included in the base XP code.  http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

a. You will want the alt-tab replacement. Although this is not as cool as Vista’s “Flip 3D” it is a definite improvement over XP’s out of the box alt-tab look. This PowerToy gives you a screenshot of the Window (verses a boring icon) as you alt-tab through your open windows.

b. Also consider Virtual Desktop Manager. This may not be a Vista specific tool, but it is useful if you have a need for multiple desktops. This utility allows you to switch among different desktops without having to login as a different user. You may have one desktop for work, for home, etc. Or you may have a specific desktop config for working on photos, one for gaming, etc…

3. Highly Recommended: Turn on Clear Type. This is a font smoothing technique that has been built into XP forever. I’m not sure why Microsoft didn’t turn it on by default. It dramatically improves the way fonts look on your screen. (This same option is also available and disabled by default in Windows Mobile.)  Display Properties > Appearance > Effects. 

4. Replace the old yellow XP balloons with new glass notifications. This guy has created a free simple balloon replacement meant to look more Vista like. The source code is also available if that interestes you. http://mpj.tomaatnet.nl/vista/glasstoasts.html

5. Convert the XP start menu to a Vista-like start menu with this free utility. This is a nice utility for freeware but it is a little sluggish on my system. http://www.vistastartmenu.com/index.html 

6. One really cool Vista feature is the live previews you get when you hover over a minimized item in the taskbar. Visual Task Tips is a free XP implementation of this. http://visualtasktips.com/  Again, it’s good for freeware but has room for improvement. For example, previews are not available for all minimized windows.

7. IE7 and QuickTabs. Don’t forget the QuickTabs (Ctrl-Q) feature that is built into IE7. If you have IE7 then you already have QuikTabs and didn’t know it. This allows you to quickly see all your IE tabs in a simple thumbnail layout. You can rearrange the thumbnails by dragging them around.

8. If all the above still doesn’t do what you are needing, there is a highly rated utility call Vista Inspirat which should do all the above (except for the PowerToys) in one install.  I have not used it myself, but it does look cool.  http://www.crystalxp.net/news/en181-vista-inspirat-ultimate-2-brico-pack.html

Obviously this does not turn XP into Vista and you don’t get all the new Vista features like window transparency, enhanced security, media center, a new graphics model, etc. These tools will give you a fresh look to an aging Windows XP.

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Your vs You’re:

This is a personal pet peeve. A coworker had an email tag-line that stated: “Sometimes your the bug, sometimes your the windshield.” I wanted to tell him he was embarrassing himself with every email he sent, but he eventually selected a new tag-line. “You’re” is simply a contraction of “You Are.” Use “Your” to show possession.
• What is your problem?
• You’re it!

To vs Too vs Two:

Two is a number, Too means also or excessively, and To generally describes the receiver of an action
• Take this to Bob.
• I want to work. (In this case, to is used with a verb)
• I like pizza too (meaning also)
• I like pizza too much (excessively)
• I have two arms.

Lose vs Loose:

• Lose is the opposite of win.
• Loose is the opposite of tight.

A lot vs Alot:

• Alot is not a word!

Compliment vs Complement:

Compliment means to flatter someone. Complement means to accompany or complete.
• I compliment you on your work!
• Your blue tie complements your blue suede shoes.

Regardless vs Irregardless:

• Irregardless is not a word! Use regardless.

Whether vs Weather:

Whether means “this or that.”  Weather is the climate.
• Whether you select option one or two, you’re a winner!
• The weather outside is frightful.

Sight vs Site:

Sight is vision. Site is a place.
• You’re a sight for sore eyes
• This is my website

Its vs It’s:

This one is understandably confusing since it breaks the apostrophe rule for possession. “It’s” is simply a contraction of “it is” or “it has.”  To show possession, use “its.” A good test of this is to substitute the word “his” in place of “its.”  If it makes sense, then use “its” if it doesn’t make sense, use “it’s.”
• It’s my turn. (It is my turn.) (Test: HIS my turn?!??!)
• It’s cold outside. (It is cold outside.)
• The Hummer is known for its fuel consumption.  (Test: The Hummer is known for HIS fuel consumption.)

Waste vs Waist:

Waste means trash or to wrongly use. Waist is a body part.
• Don’t waste your money!
• She has a tiny waist.

Blessed vs Blest:

Someone help me out here. Can “Blessed” be used in place in “Blest” these days? I always thought this was the proper usage:
• Bleesed are the meek – as in “Bless-UD”
• We are very blest

Peaked vs Peeked vs Piqued (added 1/5/10):

You might think that something peaks your interestbecause the work “peak” refers to the high point.  However, the correct word is “pique.”  This is a French word that translates to stimulate or anger. Here are the proper uses of these words:

• The lecture piqued my interest.
• The mountain peak was in sight. 
• The dog peeked around the corner.
• The dog peeked at the mountain peak and his curiosity was piqued!

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8/20/08 Update: In the last panorama there are several cows near the pond. See if you can find them. You will need to view the photo in full size.

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Can anyone help me out? Who is this Mr. Roboto?

Domo Arigato. 

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Charleston Vacation Gallery #2

Charleston Vacation Gallery #3

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