RHFtech Help Desk (and more)

The Windows 7 Calculator looks meek and unassuming when first opened. But it has some super abilities hidden behind its Clark Kent surface.

A quick trip to the View menu shows that can be changed into a scientific, programming, or statistical calculator.  “Okay.” You say. “That is not so exciting.”

But it does more. It also converts units. Need to convert temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius or vice versa? How about feet to meters or liters to gallons (UK or US)? This calculator has you covered. There are lots of other preprogrammed conversion units.

But wait it does more. It also has some built-in worksheets that you might want to use. Need a mortgage calculation? It can calculate the highest purchase price you can afford, the down payment required, the monthly payment or the mortgage term in years. There is a worksheet for vehicle leases, and another calculator for fuel efficiency in either mpg (US) or L/100 km (everywhere else).

Oh yeah, there’s still more. It does date conversions too!

It does not slice or dice, and I did not see a 50 year guarantee. Maybe in Windows 8?

This is about Windows Explorer not Internet Explorer.

The new Windows Explorer in Windows 7 is one of my favorite things about Windows 7. Microsoft added some nice enhancements over the Vista version.  And Vista’s Windows Explorer was quite different, and better, than Windows Explorer in XP.

The two most obvious changes in Vista from XP were the changes to the left-side panel and the addition of the breadcrumb address bar. The breadcrumb address bar is a webpage-like navigation tool. It is a big improvement over the older XP address bar. The left side panel was changed in Vista into a combination of Favorites and directory trees for your computer and network. The Favorites area is shortcuts that you can easily add to using drag-and-drop. 

Windows 7 adds Libraries and Homegroup to the Vista-style left side panel. It also adds the Arrange by: feature to the Libraries view.  The View option—icons, lists, details, etc.— is now an icon called More options and is located on the right side of the Windows Explorer toolbar next to the Preview Pane   icon, which is a toggle switch for Preview pane on or off.

The Library Arrange by: choices vary with the type of library.

Documents	Music	Pictures	Videos

If you spend a few minutes playing with and learning about Windows 7 Windows Explorer you are likely to see what a nice utility it has become.

The Windows key is a special key that appears on a Windows keyboard. It has the Microsoft flag logo on it and may also have the word Start. A variation of it exists for the Mac keyboard. Here it is known as the Command key or the Apple key and sports a Saint John’s Arms symbol . Do you know what these keys do and when to use them?

Some of us are accomplished typists and use the standard keys without looking or thinking about them. Others cannot type and instead hunt and peck. Most of us are somewhere in between. You are probably familiar with the Control (AKA Ctrl or ctrl) and Alternate (AKA Alt, alt or option) keys and may know how and when to use them. The Escape key (AKA Esc or esc) sits on the upper left of the keyboard. Pressing Esc often terminates a running process or closes a window. Windows keyboards also have a Property key, located to the right of the Space bar, which when pressed usually calls up a context menu, performing a function similar to a right mouse button click.

The Alt and Ctrl keys appear on all computer keyboards. They commonly appear twice, on the left and right sides of the Space bar. They perform similar functions in Windows and Mac OSX operating systems, providing additional functionality when pressed simultaneously with other keys. For example, Ctrl+C in Windows copies highlighted content into a system buffer, while Ctrl+V pastes it. Ctrl+P calls the printer dialog in many applications. (Mac users replace the Ctrl key with the Command key to activate these features, e.g., Cmd+P calls the print dialog on a Mac.)

My first memory of using the Ctrl key was on a time-sharing system in the early 1970s. The terminals I worked on used paper rather than a monitor to display input and output. We loaded these terminals with continuous fan-folded paper that came in cartons. We would rip the top off the carton and then load the beginning of the paper into the terminal. We used a lot of paper. Sometimes we needed to kill instructions to the computer, perhaps we had typed in a wrong number or the paper was jammed. Ctrl+C would send a stop instruction across the telephone lines to the computer. A few years later when I began using WordStar on a PC Ctrl+C became copy and the kill function had become the unwieldy Ctrl+Alt+Delete. The Mac equivalent is the Command+Option+Esc shortcut.

The Windows key has many shortcuts. I frequently use Windows+E, which launches a Windows Explorer window, Windows+R, which launches a Run… dialog, and Windows+F, which launches a Find or Search dialog. A relatively complete list is located at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_key#Shortcuts. Windows key uses differ between Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. Windows 7 introduced many new Windows key shortcuts.

The Mac Command key is different that the Windows key. It is used more like the Windows Ctrl. Thus, Cmd+C is copy and Cmd+V is paste. My favorite use is Cmd+Space to call up Spotlight, the OS X search utility. A comprehensive list of Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts can be found at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343.

I find the Windows and Property keys to be quite useful. They add consistent functionality across Windows versions and applications. The Mac Cmd key seems less well implemented, perhaps because I have used Windows for 24 years but Mac OS X for less than five years. Its function varies by application. The consequent lack of consistency makes it less useful and forces me to use the mouse rather the keyboard.

I just got an NVIDIA update for a Windows 7 64-bit computer’s video card, via Windows Update. My computer’s video card performance went from a rating of 1.0 to 6.9. And the computer’s Base score, its overall rating, went from 1.0 to 5.9.  

A system’s Base score is the lowest rating for any of the tested hardware devices.

The highest possible rating in Windows 7 Experience Index is 7.9. The highest possible rating in Vista is 5.9.

The Base score of 5.9 is limited by the primary hard drive, a 1TB Seagate 7200 RPM with a 32MB cache. I suspect if I replace that drive with a solid state drive (SSD) the computer’s , current 5.9 Base score would rise to 6.9, the video card’s current ratings.

I just sent the following comment to the Microsoft employee, Alex Kochis, Director, Genuine Windows, responsible for the Windows Genuine Advantage program. (It should be named Windows Genuine Pain-in-the-ass Program.)

I am a TechNet member and a Microsoft Partner. I am running Windows 7 Ultimate RTM (64bit). Windows 7 reports that "Windows has been activated".

I keep getting alerts "You may be a victim of software counterfeiting…"

I am not. Your god awful Genuine Advantage software is in my face and only because you don’t know what you are doing. I once had a Vista machine terminated by your servers going down. I am more than a little tired of this.

I am frustrated and angered by your incompetence. Either get this right of go away but stop annoying me.

Steven Sinofsky versus x Steve Jobs

The User Interface (UI) is the point at which we interact with all sorts of devices. System designers control the UI. They hope to create a positive, seamless User Experience (UX). The UX is a feeling based upon the ease and pleasure we experience in performing common or infrequent actions. Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch have a great UI that delivers a marvelous UX. Newer automotive UIs break established automobile control practices placing the uninitiated at sea. That is not a good UX for them.

Snow Leopard (SL) is the latest iteration of the Mac operating system. Windows 7 (W7) is Microsoft’s. The SL UI is little changed from Leopard, its predecessor OS. There are subtle tweaks that many users will not notice or access.

The W7 UI enhances the Vista UI. Vista implemented significant UI changes from Windows XP, most noticeably a redesigned Start menu and Windows Explorer window. W7 adds some neat eye candy via its Aero features that are fun to demonstrate and to use, and make the UX better. The redesigned Taskbar and the addition of Jump Lists to Start menu and Taskbar application links are a big change from Vista or XP.

Menus/Shortcuts

Apple separates application shortcuts from its menu bar. These may appear on the desktop, the Dock or in the Application folder. The menu bar is a relatively static object that displays whichever application has the system focus, even if it has no exposed or open window.

Many users do not appreciate what an unwieldy bit of UI the Dock is because it is great eye candy. It has bouncing, zooming icons and the Genie effect when we minimize windows. This entertains but masks the Docks deficiencies. It takes up a significant part of the window. Its functionality is non-obvious and is limited.

The W7 Taskbar and Start menu are more integrated. You can pin application or document shortcuts to either one. Aero Peak makes it easy to navigate to different windows or tabs within an application or across applications. The Taskbar consumes a small amount of the screen. (Advantage: Windows 7)

File Manager

Finder is the Mac file system application. It is kludgy by comparison to Windows Explorer. You can only resize the Finder window from one location, the lower right corner. Windows Explorer has 8 places for resizing, the 4 corners and the 4 sides. Finder has 4 views: Icons, List, Columns and Cover Flow. Windows Explorer has 8: Extra Large, Large, Medium and Small Icons, List, Details, Tile and Content. It also has a very useful breadcrumb navigation menu and links to favorites, libraries, Homegroup, Computer and Network locations. (Advantage: Windows 7)

Search

Search in both operating systems is robust and mature. Apple has Spotlight , which appears on both the Menu bar and in Finder windows. It is simple to access Spotlight by pressing the "CMD key + Space". Spotlight search is almost instantaneous and incredibly accurate.

W7 improves on the Vista Start menu search bar . It is faster and more accurate. It is a little bit slower than Spotlight but as accurate. It is easier to configure Spotlight preferences than Windows search. (Advantage: Snow Leopard)

Media

I find it easier to play or view media on Snow Leopard. But I don’t like the limitations imposed by Apple on how many and what machines with which I can share my iTunes.

I like most of the Windows 7 media applications better. I suggest you try the new Zune player application to see why.  Also Windows 7 lets you network your media files with any machine you want without limit. (Advantage: Tie)

Networking

x

Macs used to be much easier to network than Windows. W7 changes this. Its network wizards are easy to use and understand. Homegroup, networking 2 or more W7 computers, is simple. W7 is not as good at connecting to Macs as SL is at connecting to Windows. (Advantage: Tie)

Conclusion

x

I find the Windows 7 UX more pleasing than Snow Leopard’s. I think you will too.

The Magnifier is one of Windows 7’s great accessibility features. Most of us never need them: the Magnifier, the Narrator, the On-Screen Keyboard and High Contrast. But they are useful for those with impairments and for others in special situations. For example, if you have a problem with your keyboard you may find the on-screen one helps you out of a jam.

The Magnifier may be accessed via the Control Panel’s Ease of Access section. You can also start it using the keyboard by pressing the Windows Key + + (Win key   and the plus key   simultaneously.) It can be turned off using the Windows Key + Esc.

The Magnifier has three modes: full screen, lens and docked. You can change the magnification level and invert colors via the Options button .

Learn more about it at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Make-items-on-the-screen-appear-bigger-Magnifier.

I received the following questions in an email this morning:

I need to buy two new computers – a desktop and a portable.  I’m considering a netbook for the portable.

Do you recommend waiting until new computers ship with Windows 7?  Does it make sense to buy a netbook with Windows XP?  The Asus machines with XP claim up to 10 hours battery life which is certainly appealing.  What are your thoughts on the new Mac OS?

Here is my response:

• Do you recommend waiting until new computers ship with Windows 7?

Yes. October 22 is close. Waiting is advised.

• Does it make sense to buy a netbook with Windows XP?

No. October 22 is close. Waiting is advised.

• I’m considering a netbook for the portable…

Good choice. They are lightweight, conveniently small but relatively full-featured. Please note that they do not have optical drives (DVD/CD). This is not a problem for me but can be a handicap for others.

One key feature to check out is the processor.  I recommend getting one using an Intel Atom CPU N280 (or better) running at 1.66GHz. Many netbooks use the N270 (1.6GHz) or the Z520 (1.33GHz) to save money. These are slower chips that degrade the computing experience at the savings of a few dollars.

Note that netbook screens are typically 1024×600 resolution, which is a bit short on the vertical. I recommend running these with the Taskbar set to Auto-hide when not needed, to compensate.

I have three ASUS Eee PC 1000HE netbooks sitting next to me here in the office. Two are running Windows 7, the other is running the version of XP Home it came with. One is mine, the others are a client’s. Real battery life is between 6-8 hours of use, depending upon what you are doing. Watching video will run them down faster. Surfing the web or typing a Word document will not.

I tested the newest one two days ago by playing streaming audio until the battery quit. I got about 6.5 hours of constant audio. The battery hasn’t been fully conditioned yet so I expect slightly better times in actual use. If you close the netbook when not actually in use, thereby putting them into standby, they will last a whole day and then some since standby uses very little juice.

Most netbooks can be upgraded from the 1GB of RAM to 2GB. I recommend doing this.
Before committing I suggest you go to a local retailer—Best Buy, Staples, Walmart, etc.—and try typing on the netbook keyboards. Netbook keyboards are not full-sized and some people have issues with the smaller keys.

• What are your thoughts on the new Mac OS?

I suggest you read my blog post from last Thursday, Snow Leopard, snow job or honest upgrade, for an extended answer but…

I wrote to a Mac-oriented colleague yesterday, "IMO, Windows 7 leapfrogs Leopard/Snow Leopard in easy-of-use and usability. I think that Apple is now playing catch-up in the desktop/laptop OS world."

He wrote back, "…on this missive I can’t disagree with a single thing you’ve written. Which, of course, leaves me sorely disappointed!."

If you go Mac you will have a transitional period, a week or two, until you familiarize yourself with the differences. You will also need to invest in new software since Macs do not natively run PC applications.

I wanted to test Windows 7 on an old HP Pavilion DV4305US that I own. It is not the original configuration as the hard drive and RAM have been upgraded. The machine’s specs are:

• Intel Celeron 1.40GHz CPU
• 1GB RAM
• 250GB hard drive
• GPU – Mobile Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express Chipset
• 15.4 inch screen, maximum resolution 1280×800
• Weight – 6.5 lbs.

The machine had been running Windows XP Home. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate (32-bit) as a new install and not as a migration. (You cannot upgrade directly from XP to Windows 7 as you can with Vista.) The installation went off without a hitch. It took about an hour.

Everything is working fine with one minor issue. The video card is not capable of running Windows 7 Aero. This would be fine except that the Windows Basic scheme is drab, drab, drab.

I found a hack to change the taskbar color from light blue to black and now the UI is not so bad.

The machine’s Windows Experience Index is 1.0 due to the GPU. If not for that the CPU’s 2.6 rating would be the low number. The actual user experience is satisfactory. There is no perceived performance hit compared to Windows XP.

The HP connected immediately to the existing Windows 7 HomeGroup. I was able to share files and media among this machine and the other Windows 7 machines I have. It was simple.

Once again Windows 7 does the job.  

Updating to Windows Live Movie Maker (version 14.0.8091.0730) from a beta on my Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit machine was typical of many Microsoft software installs, fail upon fail upon fail. This should have been a simple process. It wasn’t. 

I saw the dialog window pictured to the left many times this morning.  Clicking on the link “Get more help with this error” was useless.

I finally had to uninstall every Windows Live application, reboot and then reinstall the whole kit and caboodle. I invested close to an hour this morning fiddling with this. It would be nice if Microsoft paid me for my time. It would also be nice if they fixed these type of problems with the Windows Live applications installer the way they have cleaned up dealing with issues in Windows 7.

One positive emerged when the applications were finally reinstalled. I was worried that I would lose my settings for Windows Live Writer and Windows Mail. Setting these up is not difficult for me but it does take time. I was concerned that I would have to lookup and re-configure my credentials for email accounts and accessing my blog’s administrative console. Fortunately, these two applications’ settings were retained and no new configuration was required.

Coincidentally, Microsoft Security Essentials (beta) just informed me that a new version was available. Updating MSE went off without hitch.