Windows XP has been a widely used standard OS for many computer users and businesses alike for the past 10 years now. It has changed the computing world much like Windows 95 did, back in the day. However, many people have become set on using it and ignoring the newer editions like Windows Vista/7 or the future 8. This may not sound like a bad thing to some. Many may argue and say that you don’t have to worry about security gaps/holes, etc. Yet the reality is that users are bleeding money out.

Lets break it down.

1. With older software, it has allowed hackers to develop new ways to break into systems and wreck havoc on them. Yes, XP has been updated a lot with service packs and security updates, but you can only do so much to protect yourself. Users and hackers both know it inside and outside now, which is very dangerous for users as a whole.

2. Windows no longer offers wide support for the OS, which can be bad news for users. This means that they are no longer actively fixing, releasing updates or building software to support it. So if you do find a new software that you want, you will likely see that it will not run XP. That is both for Microsoft and non-Microsoft products.

3. Security isn’t as strong with it as it is with Windows 7. Viruses and trojans have a log history with it, as well as an existing consumer base. What worked 10 years ago for security will not work for today’s. It also brings enough problems as it is.

As you can tell, you are have more than enough reasons to switch-but if that still does not do it for you, maybe this will. XP users are spending five times the money Windows 7 users are in security. As we pointed out before hand, security and updates are a huge problem for today’s users (even for those who believe their computers are clean). From buying the limited support offered by Microsoft to a top of the line anti-virus and older software, you can see that it does cost a pretty penny to keep up. It is very high maintenance when compared to Windows 7. Tell us if you agree or disagree with these findings by IDC?

I have a HP G60 laptop that recently had my power adapter wear out. So I have been searching for a place that sells one online and have not had any luck yet. I checked out HP’s website and they are selling it for over a $100 dollars (and no, I have no warranty). Um, no thanks! I know a few other places sell them, but I need to know where to look for the best price.

So tell me where you have bought power adapters, and if you liked their service. I want to make sure that I get the best deal for my buck and not to get a dud.

Thanks in advance!

Comcast, COX, Time Warner Cable, Bright House and Cablevision have teamed up to offer free Wi-Fi access to all subscribers of their services. This means if you use you Time Warner, you can access Comcast Wi-Fi outside of your network. This is good news for those who are seeking ready access to Wi-Fi outside of their own networks. The launch of the service will take a few months to launch nationwide, we can expect 50,000 Wi-Fi spots to be labeled as CableWiFi.

The reason is to compete with the popular cell phone provider’s roaming network agreement. Cable companies have felt the pain and wanted to offer their own similar service. This can easily be considered good news for most people in the US, who do use their cable providers for Internet service. Here is what Cablevision’s head of project management Kristen Dolan had to say about this news.

We believe that WiFi is a superior approach to mobile data, Cable providers are best positioned to build the highest-capacity national network offering customers fast and reliable Internet connections when away from their home or business broadband service.

I am pleased to see that they have indeed made this happen. While I know we do have to wait until it is launched, it is good news to see that they want to stay competitive. It seems like carries are trying to switch over to Wi-Fi, which is partly why cable companies are jumping the “shark” so to speak. How do you feel about this news? Are you glad that they are joining forces? I think it is wise, and maybe it will even lead to even more exciting projects between them. I think we can all agree that phone carriers need some more competition than they have as of right now. Hopefully cable companies will be able to fill that void.

Ah, some Apple love at long last! Apple is rumored to launch photo sharing features on the next upgrade for the iCloud at the June WWDC. iCloud is a cloud computing service that allows users to access their files anywhere at any time. Much like rest of the cloud based services, Apple is hoping to grow and improve their service. As of now, you can get 5GB free when you first sign up for the service.

Wall Street Journal claims that this new feature will be another attempt at them making their own social network of sorts. While nothing has been confirmed yet, Apple has been known seeking for new ways to expand into social media. The feature would allow users to comment and view their friends photos who share them. The event kicks off in San Francisco on June 11th.

I have to say that I hope they can make it work. While I am not a fan of cloud based storage, I do think that they could be on a path to landing their own social network. It could become the next Facebook, thanks to all of the fans of Apple out there. I suppose only time will tell us for a fact about what will happen, but it does look like a hopeful start for them.

Do you use any cloud services? If so, which one and what do you like about it? I only use Google Docs and I do love it. But I use that more as an office suite than anything else. However, I am tempted to try iCloud! Apple sure knows how to sell itself to me and I am sure I could find some usefulness for it one way or another. I just don’t think I will store anything vital on it by a long shot.

I told you last week about the rumor about Microsoft launching the Xbox 360 and Kinect bundle. Now we can officially say that it has happened. Microsoft has officially launched the bundle, which will include a 2-year Xbox Live Gold plan that will require you to pay $15 a month fee.

It seems like Microsoft is hoping to move the consoles that have stalled in the past 2 years thanks to no price cuts. However, many people won’t be pleased to know that cancelling the subscription could increase the cost up towards $250. But that isn’t the worse of it, the Xbox Live Gold subscription won’t support some of the additional features that a regular Xbox Live Gold subscription would. It would be mainly for online gaming only.

On top of all of this, it is also concerning that the next year we should expect the newest Xbox generation. With being locked into a 2 year agreement on an older version could hurt, since most games will likely be released for the newest one. While PlayStation 2 has managed to do well in sales even after the third console came out, Microsoft should not expect the same for their previous consoles. So for those considering it, you should think about if you would rather wait for the newer generation or not.

Also, I want to add that you can typically buy a gently used console for around $99 during Christmas time at stores like GameStop. They typically  sell them for a low price without a contract, which would give you savings in the long term. Best of all is that all hardware sold used at GameStop is tested, so no worries about buying a lemon are needed. However, that will be up to you to decide if you wish to buy an Xbox 360.

It is being sold at Microsoft Store retail locations only at this point.

Price

Laser printers seem to be a higher upfront cost at this point, with inkjets being much cheaper. While some inkjet models suck ink cartridges dry, many people don’t realize that laser printers also often use more toner than needed. It can be annoying for many who cannot afford to pay a couple hundred every few months to refill both toner cartridges. Granted, they do sell cartridge refill kits, they are not as easy to obtain. Inkjet cartridges are much cheaper and are also much easier to refill at home. So in the long run, it might be cheaper for those who use their printer a lot to invest in an inkjet.

Wireless

Many of the printers from today are wireless capable, so you should have no issue finding one that does feature that.

Size

Laser printers are traditionally bigger and bulkier. You won’t find one that is smaller or more compact, which means those with tight space might find themselves pressed for space. Inkjets are usually much smaller and have become more compact for those who need a small unit.

Risks

Inkjets have the risk of spewing out ink when you replace your ink cartridge. But lasers bring breathing risks, ozone, and other small risks that make them more dangerous than the classic kind.

Quality

You may hear people say laser printers produce the better picture, and while that might be true-inkjets have come a long way. Many now produce amazing quality images and copies, so the price increase might not be easy to justify.

Energy

With the new trend of green technology, many are wanting certified green printers. The good news is that you should find both types of models having the green features that many seek for. HP comes to mind as one who uses that as a standard in today’s market.

Overview

I will say your need for one will depend on how much you want to use it and what you will use it for. If you print a lot of glossy photos , or need high quality documents, a laser might be your better option. Also if you can afford the price increase or hardly use it, then you may find it as a good choice. However, for those in need of a printer that will require a heavy use may not want to invest if they do not have extra money to spend on toner or maintenance.

Tell me, do you use inkjet or laser? If so, do you like your model? Let’s start a conversation on printers and see which one really stands out the most.

According to a “source” who told The Verge that Microsoft is about to announce a new package that will feature the Xbox 360 with Kinect for the low price of $99.00. The console will rock a 4GB hard drive for games and apps to be saved on it. Sounds like a good deal, right? Nope, it has a catch of a 2-year Xbox Live Gold account. The monthly fee will be $15 per month over 2 years, which will be pricey for some. In fact, some are reporting that it will be a $40 mark-up over the 2 year contract when you compare to buying the bundle and subscription separately . While Microsoft has yet to confirm or deny it, it is reported that the announcement will come out sometime next week.

I have to say, I am not crazy about the idea. Contracts are binding and annoying, plus they cost to cancel and I am not sure if the hassle would be worth it. While it would make a heck of a holiday gift, they should wait to release it until the holiday season is around the corner. Rest of the year it would likely not do well. I doubt even the hardest gamers would buy into it. I personally would rather save the money and buy them separately than save the upfront cost.

For those who are interested in the bundle, it would be sold at Microsoft stores. No word on if they will be sold at other retailers yet or not.

Tell me, do you plan on buying the bundle? If so, why? Same goes for those who are planning to not to buy it. As I stated before, I don’t feel the low price upfront saves you anything. If within 2 years you pay the full price and then an additional $40, it does not count as a deal. The only reason I can see anyone being willing to pay that much in the future is for a gift. Even then, if you did buy all 3 items separately you would still save $40. I am not sure why Microsoft thinks this would make a good deal.

Ah yes, only a month away from E3 and everybody is dying to see Nintendo’s Wii U. With the upcoming debut at E3, many gamers are looking forward to see how Nintendo wants to change gaming.
One of the few things we have heard is that they will not release the price for the console at the event. However, it will give the consumer the first look at the console that has fans excited for the new generation of gaming. They will also start offering most of their games via download, starting with New Super Mario Bros 2. As for the actual release date for the console, that will also be released after the E3 event.

In the meantime we do have a trailer to take a look at how games will run on Wii U. The game is called Rayman Legends and shows off the advance graphics and gaming experience that the newest console will feature. As with the actual console, no release date or price as been given by Unbisoft (who also confirmed this game is real). You will find the trailer down below.

But first tell me, are you looking forward to Wii U? I am curious to see how it will come out and how the sales will do. The Nintendo 3DS sold pretty weak until the holiday season and I suspect the same for this one. I personally fail to see how different it will be from the older Wii, but I will say that it will be hard to top off the original (besides the hardware). I also don’t think this console will change how the game industry works or thinks like the original Wii did.

So now it is your turn. Am I wrong or do you agree?

Last year AT&T warned unlimited data users that they would start policing their customer’s usage. However, it seems only now are they actively enforcing these rules. Back in 2010 they stopped selling the plans and started using a tiered base system. That appears to be their goal to move their previously unlimited customers onto. While some might say that is wise, it does appear to make customers mad.  Some are saying that they are looking to switch to a different phone carrier.

Data throttling appears to be a current trend. Internet service providers have done that to customers in the past. Sprint is the only one that has yet to do this to their phone service subscribers, while Verizon handles things differently.

As for future plans, it seems that AT&T will be sticking with their tiered data service.

What do you think about this news? I think that it is sick for them to do this without warning and let alone will force subscribers to drop their service. They are no longer the only iPhone service providers out there anymore. So if I was them I would try everything that I had to keep my subscribers pleased.

They allow you to pick what features you want, break it down so it is easy to understand and gives you the prices. They take out the research that you would otherwise have to make. It makes your end easier, which in the way is the whole point for seeking out cloud storage review(s). It will also give you an idea on what you can expect from certain services. Things like membership levels and how much storage you will have. It’s the features that you will want to know first of all before you sign up and pay for the service. These are the things that most people want to know before they fork over money, so reviews do come in handy.

Beyond that, they are also interesting to read for those who want to compete with other cloud computing. It will give smaller companies more info on what is lacking and what is competing out there.

This tool can be vital to many on different levels. It does not fit just one set of needs. Perhaps that is partly due why we see so many review sites since they do well and many seek them out. While some of you may not be a fan of these kinds of sites, they are worth checking out to make sure your investment stays protected.