Email Rampage! 8 Tips to Find the Bottom of Your Inbox

August 27, 2010 in email,time management with

This post is not for the faint of heart.

Things are going to get ugly with your inbox.

(Some might even say dangerous!)

And some email is going to get hurt.

Today, we are going to get to the bottom of your email inbox…

Have You Seen the Bottom?

When I tell people that they are going to empty their inbox, often their first response is,

“You can do that? Is that allowed?”

I have discussed the inefficiency of email communication before.  (See here and here.)

However, in today’s world, email is still the major communication for business.  For that reason, you need to stay on top of it and you need to stay current with it.

Not doing so has consequences.  These range from overlooked opportunities to late deliverables to missed communications.

So…are you drowning in your email inbox?  Or do you regularly keep it in check?

How to Get to Empty

Many people’s inboxes resemble the “Big Pile” method.  I have seen some  inboxes that have 3000+ messages in them.

They are big piles.

What would your boss say if he or she walked in to your cubicle and you had 3000 memos piled on your desk?  Probably not a good situation.

In today’s business world, the term “email bankruptcy” seems to come up frequently.  This refers to when a person falls so hopelessly behind in their email that they eventually declare bankruptcy.  They simply nuke their entire email inbox and start over.

I don’t agree with this approach.  First, there was probably something of value in your inbox that you just threw out.  Second, it doesn’t solve the problem and often you will be right back where you started in a short timeframe.

However, I do believe in keeping your inbox near empty.  And I believe in being tough with your email to keep it there.

Email Rampage!

Here’s where it gets a bit gruesome… this is the part when we get mean with our email.  Just in case you need to look away.

Set aside an hour (or two!) to do nothing but attack your email backlog.  Turn off the phone.  Shut the door.  Minimize interruptions.

Ready?  Let’s go…

8 Tips to Get to the Bottom of Your Inbox:

1. Get Stuff OUT of IN – You will never empty your inbox if you don’t have a place to put your emails.  You must have a “filing” method for getting stuff out of your inbox. Choose the method that works best for you.  But, make that choice, because it needs to be law for your inbox.  I prefer the simplest setup.  Some people create dozens of folders to categorize each and every email.  That is overkill.  With today’s search tools, I can find an email from 4 years ago in seconds.  No separate filing needed.  The only individual folders I set up are for travel and receipts/bills.  I archive all old email into one archive folder.  (BTW, Gmail does a wonderful job of this, in fact, it even has an “archive” button.)
2. Emails Are Not Todos – The reasons that many people leave emails in their inbox is because they are still “working on them.”  But, emails are not todos.  You need to get the tasks out of your communication stream.  You need to put the todos straight on your todo list.  After you have done this, then yes, file that email. If you need to reference it, you can always come back to your archive.  Most likely, you won’t need to.
3. Work from Newest to Oldest – Many want to start with the oldest email.  After all, those have been sitting the longest, and they feel more guilt about them.  However with email, often an issue has been updated in a more recent message.  So if you start from the back, you will find yourself responding to items only to read subsequent emails that the issue was already resolved.  How often to you see responses from team-members only to then see a second email, “Oh, I hadn’t read the other message yet.”
4. Deal With Email in Groups – To take the “Newest to Oldest” method even further, by dealing with email conversations by group or thread.  Let you mail client group the related messages.  Again, starting with the most recent, you can often archive a whole group of messages at once.  This makes batching down you inbox much quicker.  I do this both in Outlook and on my iPhone.
5. Delete Delete Delete! – Slash slash slash!  Do not be afraid to delete emails. This act bothers some.  What if I need it again?  Again? You haven’t even read it once?  Let it go.  If it is that important… it will come back.  You will get another message.  DELETE!
6. Set an Auto Archive – This is a powerful technique.  Set up your email client to automatically archive any messages over two weeks old.  This sets up an automatic rolling deadline, where anything you leave for more than two weeks disappears into your archive.  This is good, because it is there if you need it, and you don’t have to worry about your email inbox reaching 3000 again.
7. Don’t Respond Unless Needed – A mistake that many make when trying to empty their inbox is that they go down the list and try to deal with every email…meaning responding to each.  Don’t fall into this trap.  Not all emails need another email.  Don’t unnecessarily respond.  This leads to email Ping-Pong!  And of course, more email.
8. Remove Those Last Few Emails – When victory is in sight, most people stop short.  They end up with a handful of “important” emails that they want to keep in their inbox.  Don’t stop there.  Those last few emails are likely tasks that need to go on your todo list, and those emails need to be archived.  (Refer back to #1 and 2.)

There is a Bottom

Despite myths to the contrary, there is a bottom to your inbox.

And you can get your inbox to empty.  Because email is virtual clutter, it is easy to let it pile up.

Get tough with your email.  Go on a rampage to get it under control.

Then be consistent to keep it under control.  Quick attacks from time to time will prevent you from having to work down from hundreds (if not thousands) of emails again.

Do you need to go on an email rampage today?  When was the last time you saw the bottom of your inbox?

Related Posts:

TMN’s 9 Rules for Work Email

7 Ways to Be Ruthless With Your Email

Email Ping-Pong!

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Some of the most sage advice on the topic of emptying your inbox. I use two folders to clean out my inbox regularly: Do Now and Waiting on someone to Do.

I am a sucker for devices that share my name. Here you see the latest eReader and Tablet, respectively, from Velocity Micro. Borders will be selling them packaged with the Borders reader app. The Cruzer name is reminiscent of the Cruzer line of Sandisk USB drives, of which, I have two.

 

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You Shall Not Pass!

Submitted by: Frankie Sez Exlax

Increased fines didn’t help, so the transportation commission hired a mad scientist.

Incorrect source or offensive?

monsters, robots, traffic

This funny was posted on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at 9:31 am

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This one would do well here in Miami...

Venting Frustration Will Only Make Your Anger Worse

Nobody recommends bottling up your anger, but venting your frustrations may actually be much worse. Quiet reflection may be the best cure for pent up frustration.

Photo by Eat Our Brains

David McRaney, of the excellent You Are Not So Smart blog, explains how catharsis (the act of cleansing or purging) is entirely useless in letting go of your anger.

Releasing sexual tension feels good. Throwing up when you are sick feels good. Finally getting to a restroom feels good. So, it seemed to follow, draining bad blood or driving out demons or siphoning away black bile to bring the body back into balance must be good medicine. Be it an exorcism or a laxative, the idea is the same: get the bad stuff out and you'll return to normal.

It's drug-like, because there are brain chemicals and other behavioral reinforcements at work. If you get accustomed to blowing off steam, you become dependent on it.

Common sense says venting is an important way to ease tension, but common sense is wrong. Venting – catharsis – is pouring fuel into a fire.

While you certainly don't want to neglect your problems, studies found that doing nothing was more effective in helping anger dissipate that venting those frustrations. While it may feel good, venting only keeps the anger present.

McRaney's full post is a long but good read, providing a lot of useful information on why catharsis doesn't help relieve your anger and advice on what to do instead.

Catharsis [You Are Not So Smart]

Send an email to Adam Dachis, the author of this post, at adachis@lifehacker.com.

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There's a little tidbit that I need to learn...

More than three dozen of America's wealthiest individuals and families have joined Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in agreeing to give away at least half their fortunes to charity.

The announcement was made Wednesday by The Giving Pledge, an effort officially launched by Gates and Buffett earlier this year to persuade the richest people in America to commit to giving the majority of their wealth to the philanthropic causes and charitable organizations of their choice, either during their lifetime or after their death.

In addition to Buffett and Gates — America's two wealthiest individuals, with a combined net worth of $90 billion, according to Forbes — 38 other billionaires are taking the give-it-away pledge. They include New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, entertainment executive Barry Diller, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens, media mogul Ted Turner, David Rockefeller, film director George Lucas and investor Ronald Perelman.

"We’ve really just started, but already we’ve had a terrific response,” Buffett, co-founder and chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said in a statement. “At its core, the Giving Pledge is about asking wealthy families to have important conversations about their wealth and how it will be used.

"We’re delighted that so many people are doing just that – and that so many have decided to not only take this pledge but also to commit to sums far greater than the 50 percent minimum level.”

Bloomberg, who made his fortune from financial news and information services company Blomberg L.P., added: "If you want to do something for your children and show how much you love them, the single best thing — by far — is to support organizations that will create a better world for them and their children. And by giving, we inspire others to give of themselves, whether their money or their time.”

CNN founder Ted Turner said he felt compelled to give back. "I’m particularly thankful for my father’s advice to set goals so high that they can’t possibly be achieved during a lifetime and to give help where help is needed most," he said. "That inspiration keeps me energized and eager to keep working hard every day on giving back and making the world a better place for generations to come.”

Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, and Buffett launched "The Giving Pledge" in June. The effort could funnel a colossal amount of money into nonprofit groups. If the individuals on the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans pledged half their net worth to charity, that would amount to $600 billion, according to Fortune magazine.

1. Click here for related content
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   2. Paul Allen to leave bulk of wealth to charity
   3. Vote: Would you give your wealth to charity?
   4. Gates, Buffett to megarich: Give it away

The United States has roughly 400 billionaires, about 40 percent of the world's total, according to Forbes. The 40 names that have pledged to date have a combined net worth surpassing $230 billion.

© 2010 msnbc.com Reprints

Wow. It's money that can be used for both good and evil. Here's hoping that only good comes from this pledge.

Abortion and the Help We Need

July 6th, 2010 by Len Gutmann

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There’s a beautiful soul I see at daily Mass. He’s a simple guy. I’ll call him “Bob” to hide his identity — which in his humility he’d probably prefer. He is who he is: the salt of the earth… and a beacon of light to the disabled sister he cares for at home. Somewhere in his late 40s, he’s an usher on the weekends and helps out whenever the parish might need him. He’s slotted on Friday mornings for an hour before the Blessed Sacrament at our parish’s adoration chapel.  That hour of his ends when the eight o’clock Mass begins.

I arrived shortly before Mass, and soon saw him leave the chapel to head to his pew just as the entrance hymn was starting up. The simplicity he shines out makes people smile. And on this particular summer morning, his red and green sweatshirt with “Christ is the reason for the Season” across the front had already made my day. But he looked troubled this particular Friday. I wondered if something was wrong… a cold, perhaps, or maybe allergies. I made a mental note to include him in my Mass intentions.

During Mass he cherishes his role as the one who moves the table out of the way after the offertory gifts are taken up. He does it with a certain reverence, taking his time to smooth the cloth on the table after he sets it ahead of the front pew — perfectly out of the way for the Communion line. This particular morning, he was taking his time with the table and its covering. I could tell he was carrying a heavy load inside.

On the way back from Communion, he usually has a peculiarly serene smile on his face. He finds such happiness receiving back the gifts that are transformed by the priest on God’s table. But this particular morning, his consumption of Jesus didn’t seem to be strong enough medicine for his troubles.

After Mass, he’ll wander over to tell me the headlines about the pro-life news that he’s read on the internet at the library. He wears his soul on his sleeve, usually grinning from ear to ear when he’s heard of positive news in the movement. When it’s bad news that he’s come upon, he frowns and tells it to me in sad, defeated tones.

He never stops telling me how great a job our parish’s small pro-life committee is doing, and apologizes often for his inability to help the cause, except by praying or giving something up — like pop, or his favorite television show. “It’s all right, Bob. God knows you can’t drive,” I tell him — to make him feel better about not being more active. He whispered to me, once, the real reason he can’t help us more: “Whenever I get thinking about abortion too much, it makes me have a bad day.” You see, he can’t bear it when God’s innocent creations are harmed.

On this troubled morning after Mass, he appeared to be holding back tears as he approached me in my pew. “Are you okay, Bob?” I asked as he took a seat in front of me.  Still thinking (or hoping) it was just allergies, I was ready to offer him a ride to the drug store.

“Something came to me before Mass… during my adoration hour,” he told me immediately. “Something about the oil spill that is making Jesus sad.”

I know him well enough by now, and sensed that whatever “came to him” wasn’t anything geo-political or apocalyptic. I wasn’t going to hear anything elaborate and scientific, nor anything fanatical. Just the reason he was upset. With Bob, what you see is what you get. And what you hear is probably what comes to him when he’s connecting with his best friend, Jesus.

He loves animals, and the spill has been bothering him lately. He’s seen the pictures of the pelicans and the dead fish, and he wants the oil to stop leaking into the Gulf more than most people do—especially people like myself who can drive and want it to stop before the cost of gasoline begins to skyrocket.

“Tell me, Bob,” I said.

“The oil leak goes on and on and lots of dolphins are going to die,” he said somewhat prophetically. “It’s all because of an abortion, and Jesus is frustrated because of it.” I thought I heard him correctly. He said “an abortion,” and not because of abortion in general. “I wish I could let the world know. It came to me… in front of Jesus,” he added, just so I wouldn’t think he was crazy about what came to him in prayer.

“An abortion?” I said. I was puzzled.

“Uh huh,” he said. “The person who has the smarts to come up with a plan to stop the oil….” Then the reality of what came to him descended on me.

“There should be a smart person in the world who knows how to fix it!” he explained.

“Yes, you’d think someone would have figured it out by now,” I agreed, hoping to steer him away from what I feared Jesus had spoken to his soul.

“There is someone,” he said, “but he’s not down there in the Gulf to help out. He or she has been aborted.”

“Oh, geez, Bob!” I almost gasped.  “Jesus told you that?” A long, quiet pause followed while his statement sent a wave of goosebumps up my arms. I truly did not know what to say. Then it dawned on me… this unsophisticated man could very well be right. With all the minds that never got a chance to go to college because of over 50 million legal pregnancy terminations, it’s quite likely that at least one of the “terminated” would have had a brain with the capacity to provide a solution.  I looked at the tabernacle and wondered why Bob’s best friend would trouble him with such a thought. I tried quickly to come up with something that would console this gentle guy who holds all living creatures so dear in his heart. Then something came to me.

“Bob, I think the Lord just told me something,” I said, breaking our silence. “We can pray.”

“I’m praying all the time,” he said soberly. “I don’t want any more animals to die.”

“Yeah, but we can pray specifically,” I explained. “If a person with the solution was aborted, then that means he is now with our Lord. And if he’s with our Lord, then he’s a saint, just like all the Saints.”

“You mean pray…  like ask for his intercessions?” he said.

“Just like that,” I answered. “He’s not gone completely. He’s somewhere in the world, just with God now. And if he… or she… would have had the solution, then that person still has the solution. We just have to ask God if that person can somehow share it with us here on earth.”

“How can we get the word out for everyone to ask him — or her — to intercede for us?” he asked me.

“I don’t know, buddy,” I said. Then I realized why he was telling me all this. I told him once that a Catholic daily website had published some things I wrote, so he thinks I’m a famous author.

“Maybe I can write something and send it in to that website I told you about, the one ran some of my stuff in the past,” I told him.

“That’s right, I forgot! You’re a famous author. Could you do that, Len?” he begged. He makes me feel so good about a little talent I often forget to share.

“I can try. It’s up to the editors. They decide if something is good enough to put up on their website.”

“I’ll start praying that they take what you write. I don’t have the internet,” he reminded me. “Can you tell me if they do. I’ll buy you coffee after Mass if they do.”

So dear reader, if you’ve followed thus far, could you do me a favor? A possible way to stop the oil leak may have come to a beautiful soul I know. It’s a “fix” which the oil company or the federal government would only laugh at, mainly because — to them — “things” terminated by abortion are not considered persons with brains. But the next time you have a moment in front of the tabernacle, could you ask God: if there is a person –  if there is a “victim-of-abortion saint” in heaven — and that person’s mind was meant to give us a solution, can he or she somehow send us the answer?

A man who cares dearly for his sister and his parish and “his” offertory table; who wears his heart on his sleeve and a Christmas sweatshirt to daily Mass in the summer; who will never be fettered by the chains of fame or fortune; who seems to have a sense about what saddens his friend Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament; and who is troubled when innocent animals die –he asked me to write this for him.

Me? I’m just looking forward to getting a peculiarly serene smile back on a face I see every day. And some pleasant conversation over coffee with a beautiful soul.

Len Gutmann lives in the Detroit area. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, and is active in his parish's pro-life group. A carpenter and the father of four, he writes with the support of his wife, and at the behest of JPII's call to work for the new evangelization.

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7 Comments For This Post

1. PrairieHawk says:
   July 6th, 2010 at 10:36 am

   This one practically knocked me flat on my back. I’m going to pray to the Blessed Sacrament right now.

2. peanutbutter says:
   July 6th, 2010 at 12:05 pm

   That oil spill–it looks like all the blood spilled by abortion.

3. Mary Kochan says:
   July 6th, 2010 at 6:13 pm

   Years ago I saw a cartoon of a child asking God why he had not sent us a cure for AIDS and God replied that He had, twice, but we had aborted it each time. It is simply staggeringto think of the gifts that God has sent us and that we have rejected by abortion. The art, the music, the books, the scientific breakthroughs, the leaders, the teachers, the friends. Just staggering.

4. donmwesley says:
   July 6th, 2010 at 10:32 pm

   It is amazing the people God puts in front of us. Many of whom can be seen with their true physical splendor. This message reminds us that we must not forget all God’s children, even the ones we have not had the PRIVALEDGE to view all their physical being while here on earth. God has given us the gift to see ALL through him in prayer.

   In Christ name we pray

5. terrygeorge says:
   July 6th, 2010 at 11:48 pm

   lovely. I hope to see the 2nd part of this article soon, and an end to abortion…
   please help us Lord Jesus

6. microsoftsam says:
   July 7th, 2010 at 12:02 am

   When I showed a “friend” this article he said, “if people read a science textbook instead of The Bible we would have a cure for AIDS, and a solution to this oil spill.”

   I wish people weren’t so mean sometimes.

7. sandra124 says:
   July 7th, 2010 at 6:15 am

   Back in the early ’90′s BP was targeted as a corporation which contributed to Planned Parenthood. Many prolifers across the country wrote their headquarters and begged them to stop. I myself wrote, and responded to their reply. Shortly after this campaign BP announced they would no longer support PP. We pro-lifers should definitely be praying for this situation.

1 Trackbacks For This Post

1. Tweets that mention Abortion and the Help We Need | Catholic Exchange -- Topsy.com says:
   July 6th, 2010 at 9:21 am

   [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Religion News, James Pereira. James Pereira said: Abortion and the Help We Need: There’s a beautiful soul I see at daily Mass. He’s a simple guy. I’ll call him “Bob… http://bit.ly/d7IJLq [...]

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It's when we over-complicate things that we start to miss the simple answers that are right in front of us. All we need to do is open ourselves to a little divine healing, and we are soon well on our way.

Sergio Cruz | M: +1.305.403.9858 | scruz@cruzical.com | posts.cruzical.com

What a day Wednesday, January 27, turned out to be! All the conjectured swirling around the Internet was finally laid to rest with the unveiling of the Apple iPad. While the iPad name is certainly in line with iPhone and iPod, there may have been a better choice in name out there — although iSlate was definitely not it. Now, that the iPad has been revealed to the world, the pundits are screaming praises and crying foul. Truthfully, I was a little disappointed with what Apple released, but I know in a generation or two the iPad will evolve into a wonderful device.

Why was I disappointed? I was thinking with the webcams in many laptops, netbooks and even desktop PCs that often  go unused, a device like the iPad would be perfect for having video chats. In hind sight, perhaps holding a device with a camera while you are conversing is not such a good idea. Apple probably had great reasons for leaving the camera out; time will tell if they decide to include a webcam in future generations of the iPad. I had also hoped that the device would be closer to a laptop than the iPhone, but Apple was once again far brighter than I am on the subject. With 75,000,000 iPhone and iPod Touches shipped worldwide, that is 75,000,000 users that can already use an iPad — brilliant!

Among the pundits, are those who find the iPad a very nice device, and still others who can only complain about the device. I would like to focus on a few of the criticisms I have frequently read that make no sense to me. Ultimately, the iPad will not be for everyone — some will want to use it and others will want more from the device . I think that the two camps can peacefully coexist, but the proselytization of one camp over the other is not necessary. It’s not a holy war; it’s consumption versus production.

One of the frequent complaints I read is that the iPad does not support Adobe’s Flash software. For years, I have found Adobe Flash a hindrance to surfing the web. I have my choice of browsers, which for the most part can view all web sites equally — that’s why we have standards — but to view certain web sites, I have to use a Flash plug-in. Flash makes for another avenue of attack when viewing web pages. Granted, there are many avenues of attack without Flash, but why add another?

HTML5 is the next generation of web standards that will make things like Adobe’s Flash plug-in obsolete. Today, there are numerous browsers that can already view certain aspects of HTML5 and make web sites much more interactive without the need for plug-ins. I have begun using the new mobile Google Voice web site, which is built on HTML5 programming, on my iPhone and can tell you that it can do some amazing things. Using simple coding without the need for additional plug-ins, performance is increased, surface area of attack is maintained at a basic level, and web standards are maintained. After all, we are going to use an iPad to “hold the Internet in your hands as you surf it” (per Scott Forstall, Apple’s Senior Vice President of iPhone Software).

To me, that’s the biggest benefit of the iPad — holding it in my hands. I like to read in bed. Unfortunately for me, I like to read Internet news in bed, thereby necessitating some form of computer to surf the Internet to read news. I have been using tablet PCs for many years to accomplish this, and while functional, using a 4 pound laptop to read in bed is not very comfortable. Along came netbooks, which promised to give me a similar experience to a laptop, but in a lighter and less expensive package. Yet, you can’t fold most netbooks in a slate fashion, like I can with tablet PCs, and their weight, while about half most tablet PCs still left something to be desired.

The argument for netbooks against an iPad is that you can use the netbook to produce content, whereas, an iPad is for consuming content. So now, it’s more important to be a producer of content rather than a consumer of content? That’s the “geek” argument? There will always be more consumers than producers — that’s how a market system works. Apple was looking for a way to get into the hands of the masses, hence the iPad, a device for consuming media, and the low starting price, under $500. Steve Jobs took a jab at netbooks in his keynote address, and maybe he overtly targeted them for a reason, but the reality is, netbooks and the iPad are not similar devices.

Image via CrunchBase

As regular notebook computers continue to decline in price, the netbook market will continue to be squeezed into an ever smaller niche, whereas the iPad has created a new niche for itself with lots of room to grow. The iPad is an innovative device that may turn the computing industry on its ear, given time. For now, the iPad is a new gadget that will surely invite many computer aficionados, amateurs, novices and experts alike, to join the Apple world and surf the web from the other side.

Check out my take on the new iPad at http://computersight.com/computers/my-take-on-the-apple-ipad/.>

In the supercar league such as Ferrari and Lamborghini, there’s another name to be added – Honda. Don’t be surprised, Honda has already cheered its accomplishment as supercar manufacturer way back in 2005 with the Honda NSX-R GT. Of course, its been ages since then, but with the HSV-010 GT, Honda plans afresh. The HSV-010 GT has been developed as a racecar to compete in the GT500 class of the 2010 Super GT Series, and as it was with the NSX, again five examples of the car will take to the track for the race series. Powered by a naturally aspirated 3.4 litre V8 which produces 496 horsepower and 392 Nm (289 lb-ft) of torque, HSV (Honda Sports Velocity) will initially be developed as a pure racing machine but hopefully it will see the roads outside the racetrack.

Via: Diseno-Art509306

It would sure be nice to see this on the street as a replacement to my S2000...

What happens when an adult and a four year old have a barrier in their communication while they are playing with LEGO bricks? Read more over at http://socyberty.com/languages/perseverance/.>

In the small business space, I frequently see businesses purchasing computers at a retail store and then wanting to add them to the domain network in their office. The rub is that most computers purchased in retail stores run a home version of Windows, which cannot be added to a domain network. In the past, this was a costly mistake as a professional Windows upgrade needed to be installed to the computer, which usually meant purchasing a new Windows license (an upgrade version) and performing a fresh install of Windows. With Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade process, the costly mistake is not so costly.

Image via CrunchBase

I recently was helping a client with a new computer, and the computer that had been purchased was running Windows 7 Home Premium. I did a little research before arriving at the client’s site and found that it was a very easy upgrade process from Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional edition. Not having experienced this before, I was a little skeptical about the ease of this process. In the past, Microsoft was not known for the ease of upgrading the operating system.

Microsoft has included an icon to begin what is known as the Windows Anytime Upgrade. You click on the icon and are prompted to either purchase a license for the version of Windows 7 that you wish, or enter the product key for the version of Windows 7 that you have in your possession. “How could it be that easy?” I found myself asking. We proceeded through the Anytime Upgrade process and Windows 7 began to go step through the upgrade. The screens are very similar to the patching screens that Microsoft has been employing for Vista and Windows 7. After a few “Please Wait” screens and a restart, the computer was upgraded from Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional.

After the upgrade, we added the computer to the domain. This was almost two weeks ago, and I have only heard great things from this client about Windows 7. What possessed Microsoft to resolve all the painful upgrades that we previously had to endure? I can only imagine that years of criticism finally made a dent in the Microsoft armor, and the solution that they unveiled with Windows 7 is certainly slick. I am glad to see that Microsoft is finally making their varied products more accessible to consumers.

A great upgrade experience from Microsoft? Who knew? Read more at computersight.com.