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Microsoft Dumping Support for Windows 8.1 Users – Yes, you heard right!

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Windows8Devices

Microsoft has announced the release of the Windows 8.1 Update (Note the capital U).

This update will be the new baseline for Windows 8.1 which means that if you don’t install it you will no longer receive patches for your Windows 8.1 machine! This is causing a lot of grief in “computer land” as all new Windows computers are currently being sold with this version pre-installed.

But here’s the kicker. Windows 8 machines will continue to receive Microsoft updates at least until early 2016! Go figure.

Anyway, if you are a Windows 8.1 user you should keep an eye out for Windows 8.1 Update in your Windows update queue and install it.  The “good” news is that this update is a cumulation of all previous 8.1 updates and security patches which means that you do not necessarily need to be up to date with your Windows updates to install it.

Want to know how to install it? Check out this link.

If you are a Windows 8 user you can choose to either do nothing and still receive your security patches and updates or you can upgrade to 8.1 (free upgrade) and then, install the Update.

If this blog has not helped you at all and you are even more confused than before, you can hit me up on Facebook or drop me a line at support@thetechoffice.com.au.

PS. This Update includes new features that are pretty cool. I will give you some more info in my next blog. 🙂

 

Microsoft is ending support for XP! So what!?

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XPWallpaper

XP Wallpaper. Remember this?

You may have heard around the place that Microsoft is ending support for it’s 12 year old operating system XP. Here are some facts to help clear this up for you but, first things first;

Do I have XP? Well I’m glad you asked! You can quickly tell by looking at your Start button located at the bottom left of your computer screen.

startButton_XP

If your Start button looks like this then you have XP.

Don’t have XP? Don’t bother reading on!

Microsoft is ending support for XP on the 8th April, so what!?

So what, indeed;

  • This does not mean that your computer will stop working!
  • It does not mean that your antivirus will stop working.
  • It does mean however that your computer will no longer receive security patch updates from Microsoft. Therefore your computer will slowly but surely become more vulnerable to malicious attacks and viruses over the coming months.

What should I do?

  1. Do nothing – just be aware that over time your computer will become increasingly vulnerable to viruses and security breaches. This means that your personal information could be accessed or stolen at some point.
  2. Upgrade my computer to Windows 7 or 8 – bad idea! Don’t even think about it. If your computer is old enough to have XP installed on it then be grateful it has lasted this long without dying and quit while you are ahead.
  3. Buy a new computer – great idea! Check out Home Tech Guy’s buyer’s guide.

Having said all this, if your computer is not connected to the Internet then you can ignore all of this and carry on as if nothing happened! 🙂

Want further information?  Check out this Lifehacker article.

Have a great day!

Buying a new computer? Here are 7 things to look for.

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PCs
Thinking about buying a new computer? This checklist will help you through the process. This computer will be suitable for things like internet browsing, doing homework, watching movies, listening to music and saving photos. In fact it will be suitable for 90% of home users.
If you are shopping on a budget then the Budget Specs list is for you. If you want My Recommended Specs then jump down to them.

You can download this checklist here and take it to the computer store or to go shop online. It will make your decision much easier!

Budget Specs – if you are watching your spending:

PC or Laptop
 CPU Intel Core i3
 RAM 4GB
 GRAPHICS on-board
 HARD DRIVE 750GB or more
 DVDRW – a read/write DVD drive should be included
 OS Windows 8 or 8.1 – if you purchase a Windows 8 machine you will be able to upgrade to 8.1 for free when you get it home.
 MONITOR – 20″ or 22″ LCD – If you purchase an All-in-One PC (AiO) then you won’t need a monitor.

Price Guide: $750 to $1000 for a PC or Laptop. $150 – $200 for the monitor. $1000 – 1200 for an AiO.

My Recommended Specs – best “bang for your buck”:

PC or Laptop
 CPU Intel Core i5
 RAM 4 – 8GB
 GRAPHICS on-board
 HARD DRIVE 1TB or more
 DVDRW – a read/write DVD drive should be included
 OS Windows 8 or 8.1 – if you purchase a Windows 8 machine you will be able to upgrade to 8.1 for free when you get it home.
 MONITOR – 23″ or 24″ LCD – If you purchase an All-in-One PC (AiO) then you won’t need a monitor

Price Guide: $1000 to $1200 for a PC or Laptop. $200 – $280 for the monitor. $1200 – 1400 for an AiO

If you want to familiarise yourself with what is available you can check out store websites like Harvey Norman, JB HiFi and Dick Smith. Also check out the Dell website. You’ll be amazed how much you learn just by looking at what’s available and looking for the specifications I have listed. Fun hunting! 🙂

NOTES:
• These prices should include keyboard and mouse
• If you want to use video calling programs such as Skype you will need a Web Cam for your PC. Laptops should have a Web Cam built in.
• New PC’s usually come with Antivirus pre-installed. You should be able to get at least 12 months subscription included in the price of the computer.
• Do you need Microsoft Office? See my blog How to get Microsoft Office on 5 Computers for the Price of One.
• Ask about extended warranty.  Reputable brands come with a standard 12 months warranty but they also offer an extended warranty.  I always recommend 3 years for Laptops and 4 years for Desktops (PCs).

How to get Microsoft Office on 5 Computers for the Price of One

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Office365 Home Premium

You may have heard of Microsoft’s new online version of its Office Suite called Office365. This is a subscription based service that was originally released for businesses.

The good news is that Microsoft have released a home user version called Office365 Home Premium. Home Premium is available to personal users and entitles them to have Office Professional 2013 installed on 5 personal computers and/or mobile devices, including iPhones. Also, if you have any Macs in the house you will be able to use Office 2011 for Mac!

The subscription costs around $120/year and includes all Microsoft’s Office applications, 20GB of online storage and Skype credit.

If you have multiple computers at home and need Office on all of them then this could be just the ticket!

Copying and Pasting Made Easy – Windows/Mac

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When I work with customers I quite often find that they rely on using their computer mouse (or notebook touch pad) to Cut, Copy and Paste when using word processing (Word, Pages) and spread sheet (Excel, Numbers) applications. There is a much quicker and more convenient way to perform these tasks using Keyboard shortcuts;

Once you have selected the text (or numbers, formula) that you want to work with you can;

  • Copy by pressing CTRL + C keys (Command + C keys on Mac)
  • Cut by pressing CTRL + X keys (Command + X keys on Mac)
  • Paste by pressing CTRL + V keys (Command + V keys on Mac)
Text copied and pasted using keyboard shortcuts

Text copied and pasted using keyboard shortcuts

There are many ways to do the same task but in my experience these will save you considerable time.

 

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