What does this mean?

Basically, it means that Microsoft is no longer providing security updates, bug fixes, or patches for your edition of Windows.  It also will not provide any technical support, other than the information that exists on its websites. Your operating will still function as it always did, but if you encounter a problem or someone finds a security hole, it will not be addressed outside of Microsoft’s web-based knowledge base.

How do I know if I have an affected version?

By right-clicking on My Computer in Windows 2000/XP or by right-clicking the Computer menu option on your start menu in Windows Vista, and then selecting Properties, you can see what version you have.

Selecting My Computer Properties in Windows XP

Selecting Computer Properties in Windows Vista

If you have ANY version of Windows 2000, you are out of luck and no longer have support.  When you get to the computer properties screen, Windows XP will indicate the Service Pack right under the “Version 2002″ text.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Information Screen

If this screen indicates that you are running XP Service Pack 1, XP Service Pack 2, or it does not reference a Service Pack, then your operating system is going out of service.  If it references Service Pack 3, then you are up-to-date (for now).

For Windows Vista, the computer information screen looks a little different.  If you have a Vista Service pack, it will be indicated right under the copyright notice.

Windows Vista Computer Information Screen

For Vista, if either Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2 is indicated, then you are up to date from a support perspective.  If no version is indicated, then you are out of support as of July 13, 2010.

What should I do?

Windows 2000 Users: Get a new computer.  Seriously.  If you are still running Windows 2000 in 2010, you are in serious need of some new hardware and software.

Windows XP Users: You may want to think of upgrading to Windows 7 (we recommend you skip Vista) if your hardware can support it, or purchasing a new computer if not.  Windows XP is being slowly phased out, and it’s only a matter of time before XP3′s support will drop as well.  However, if a new computer or operating system is not feasible at the time being, you can upgrade to Service Pack 3.

Windows Vista Users: Although I consider Windows 7 to be a far superior operating system, Windows Vista still has plenty of years of shelf-life left.  If you’re still on the original version of Vista, simply upgrade to Service Pack 2.

Wrap-up

Dealing with an Operating System going out of support is important.  If a virus comes out that affects your O/S, or a security vulnerability is found, Microsoft will release a patch to fix it on supported operating systems, but ignore unsupported ones.  Microsoft has a pretty good policy compared to most companies on backwards version support, so people shouldn’t complain.  Windows XP was released in 2002, eight years ago, so the fact that there is still a service pack of it being supported is pretty good (although much of this has to do with the market failure of Vista; expect the phase-out of Vista to be much faster).  So, if you’re affected, at the very least, update to the latest service pack, or go out and treat yourself to a brand new Windows 7 based computer.

‘NAS’ is short for Network Attached Storage. Basically, it’s a machine on your network that serves as a big hard drive for the users of that network. They’re very common at large- and medium-sized businesses, and they’re popping up in small businesses and homes more and more. On a home network, you can give each of your users a chunk of disk space on the NAS for their documents and media. It’s not recommended to actually install programs to the NAS, but this stuff, especially photos, music and video, can quickly take up a very substantial amount of hard drive space. Having it all in one place reduces duplication, and allows to set up a workable backup regiment.

A consumer-level NAS works more like a little network device, rather than a computer, even though, deep down, it is basically just a PC. You usually don’t actually interact with the operating system on the device, but instead a web interface or a piece of software that you install on some other machine on your network. There are even some routers to which you can connect storage (via USB, usually) that can then act like a NAS themselves. Ars Technica recently had a quick write-up on NAS devices; it’s worth reading.

If you’re a little more technically savvy, you might consider just buying a smaller desktop whose sole purpose would be to store your users’ files. Then you could dispense with the web interfaces and whatnot, but you would have to be comfortable with configuring those file services yourself. Microsoft sells Home Server to help with that, as well. Any number of Linux distributions would be ideal for this purpose too. You could also be sure that it includes a DVD burner to make those backups even easier. A home server, though, is a bit more than a NAS. And it’s enough of a topic for a whole other article..

So, whether you’re upgrading from Vista, you’ve been holding out since XP, or you’re thinking about jumping (back?) to Windows from Mac or elsewhere, there’s a lot to take in about this latest OS from Microsoft.

A Little History

There’s a wide perception that Microsoft dropped the ball on their last major release, Windows Vista. Whether this perception is justified or not (I don’t think it is), it’s out there, and quite prevalent, so Microsoft has had to address it. You might say that Windows 7 is Microsoft’s main effort in this regard.

Microsoft completely redesigned how hardware interacts with Windows Vista, so there were understandably some growing pains. For instance, at one point, crash statistics from Microsoft indicated that almost 30% of Vista crashes were caused by one vendor’s poorly written video drivers. Despite that initial instability, the hardware layer in Windows Vista is widely accepted as far superior and more secure when compared to XP. Good thing, because of all the changes in Windows 7, that part of the OS has remained unchanged. In fact, in most cases, you can use the same drivers in 7 that you used in Vista.

The name is perhaps a little confusing. Windows 7? This is the seventh one? Well, apparently by somebody’s count at Microsoft, it’s #7. I can’t complain too loudly, though. What the heck does “Vista” or “XP” mean? At least Windows 2000 was released around that year. There are definitely worse names than “7″.

So What’s New?

From the perspective of the guts of the operating system, i.e., how programs run and how hardware interacts with the system, little has changed from Vista to 7; it wouldn’t be entirely unfair to think of 7 as a minor update to Vista. The big changes have come in the interface

The Taskbar – This is probably the most noticeable interface change in Windows 7. The taskbar was polished up a little in Vista compared to XP, but the Windows 7 taskbar is a new animal entirely. Microsoft has sort of made the QuickLaunch toolbar (shortcut buttons on the taskbar) the central idea, and taken a few logical steps. You can now “pin” shortcuts to the taskbar, like you could with QuickLaunch, but now, when you start a pinned shortcut, it just highlights that button on the taskbar. Any subsequent instances of that program you start are all collected under that button.

So, if you have 7 Mircosoft Word documents open, there’s just one button on the taskbar for them all.

Windows 7 thumbnails

Hovering your mouse pointer of the button will pop up thumbnails of the windows associated with that program, and you can switch to those windows by clicking the thumbnails (like Vista). Just hovering over a thumbnail, though, brings that window to the forefront, making all other windows on your desktop transparent but leaving their outlines in place (referred to as “glass”), without actually switching to that window. Move your mouse away, and your windows all fade back to their prior state. It’s a little hard to explain, but it truly makes life easier if all you need to do is look at another window quickly. It’s much faster than switching to another window, and then switching back.

Using Aero Peek with "Glass" effect

Another use of the “glass” feature is functionally similar to the old “minimize all windows” button (or Win-D). Instead of minimizing all windows, you can just hover over a button at the the right end of the taskbar, and all non-minimized windows go “glass” so you can see your desktop. Since gadgets are now free on the desktop (rather than being confined to a sidebar in Vista), getting a clear, quick view of the desktop has some utility. Clicking that button does the same old “minimize all windows” trick.

Windows Live Essentials – Not exactly new features, but updated software. Perhaps for anti-trust reasons, Microsoft has opted to remove several pieces of software that used to come standard with the OS. They’re now available separately, but still for free. Windows Live Essentials is that collection of software, including Photo Gallery and Movie Maker. Also included is software called Family Safety, which allows parents to control access to certain websites, including email filtering for Microsoft’s webmail, Hotmail.

There are, of course, many many more new features, but I’m just trying to point out those that would be quickly noticeable. The best list I’ve found is the wikipedia article on the topic.

Still Using XP?

As you might expect, if you’re upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7, it will be quite a shift for your regular computing tasks. As for a family PC, not much has changed from Vista to 7, but XP users will welcome features in 7 that were originally introduced in Vista to make family and multi-user computing easier.

Not only is there a Parental Controls control panel item in 7 (and Vista), but you can also choose which games rating system to use (i.e., ESRB in the US, , and you can restrict individual users from playing games with certain ratings. You can set time limits and maintain a list of dis-allowed software, all on a per-user basis. The game ratings restrictions are quite fine-grained, but I would say that the approach of the list of allowed programs is a little cumbersome. To block programs, it looks like Windows basically finds all .exe files, and turns it into a check list. Would everyone remember to allow explorer.exe? I think this could use some work. A little guidance and helpful default settings would go a long way.

Also, trying to have a limited user account, as opposed to an administrator, wasn’t very workable under XP. On that operating system, software would try to do administrator-only tasks with a limited user account, and just crash or cause some other issue. Vista and 7 can very easily elevate to administrator permissions (with a password, of course), or just cancel the whole operation. Actually, it’s as much a matter of the software as the operating system, but with Vista, software developers finally got on board with the multi-user and limited user paradigm.

Worth the Upgrade?

I don’t want to recommend or not recommend Windows 7. If one of the features discussed above or in an article linked from here sounds like a deal-maker to you, go for it. I personally think this is a compelling upgrade from both XP and Vista. Do keep in mind, though, that if you’re coming from XP, you’ll be able to buy the Upgrade package, but you will still need to do a complete install, so get ready to back up your data. Coming from Vista is an easy decision, though. 7 is basically Vista++.

If you’re happy with your current set up, whether XP, Vista, or something else entirely, I would suggest waiting until you purchase a new computer, and get the operating system preinstalled.

Windows 7 is released at retail on October 22^nd, 2009. I’m basing my review and opinions on the Release-to-Manufacturer version, widely released as a preview by Microsoft.

What is VoIP?

Voice over IP (or VoIP) is a technology that essentially uses the Internet to place phone calls, rather than traditional phone lines.  When you make a call, the call is routed to the recipient or to a central server farm that eventually reaches the recipient’s local calling area, and connects out to traditional phone lines in that area to eventually reach the recipient, as if it were a local call.  VoIP has been around for some time in different forms.  When I was in graduate school living in New York, I had a VoIP calling card which allowed me to call my then-girlfriend and now wife for reasonable rates that fit a poor graduate student’s income stream.  The quality was poor and there were often dropped calls, but it got the job done.  VoIP has come a long way since then, and is now a fairly reliable means of communications.  There are several different flavors of VoIP that provide different options, and the choices can be somewhat confusing.  Here, we will look at three different providers that represent a fair cross-section of what is out there on the market.

VoIP Providers

Skype: Skype is the most common of the VoIP providers.  Skype offers the ability to use a computer headset and microphone to make phone calls anywhere in the world.  Skype involves downloading an application that acts as the desktop phone system, and allows users to talk to each other for free if both are using Skype, or for very low rates to call actual phone numbers either domestically or internationally.  Skype also allows users to video conference, and to have an inbound number to receive calls to the desktop.  Skype is a good application for free and low-cost phone calls, but it is not a replacement for a land-line or mobile phone.  For one thing, you have to be on your computer to use Skype, and it does not support any kind of emergency-911 service.  If you’re looking for a cheap way to supplement your traditional phone line to make cheap long-distance calls, Skype provides a good option.

Vonage: Vonage is a VoIP service that acts as a traditional phone service.  Vonage takes the place of your local phone carrier, but sends all of its calls over IP.  Vonage is a subscription-based service that connects to your cable or FiOS broadband connection through a specific Vonage router provided as part of the service.  Vonage allows you to choose your router, and unlike Skype, supports emergency-911 by configuring your locality when setting up your account.  However, Vonage is subject to power failures and your broadband connection, which can have a tendency to experience problems more frequently than traditional or mobile phone networks.  Still, Vonage is a good option for people who want a low-cost long distance carrier that mimics a traditional land-line setup.

Google Voice: Google Voice is a virtual PBX system that allows users to connect a VoIP number to their other existing mobile and land-line phones.  When a caller dials a Google Voice number, it will forward the call and ring to all other numbers defined as linked to the Google Voice number.  Google Voice also acts as a calling-card type system to make outbound long distance calls.  Google voice also has advanced features such as voicemail transcripts, ability to route calls to different numbers based on who the call is coming from, and the ability to record calls and listen to them online.  Google Voice allows users to make use of more advanced features that VoIP and the internet allows that isn’t easily available on traditional phone lines, as well as offering a low-cost option for placing calls.

There are many other VoIP services, but most of them have similar characteristics to the three mentioned here.  With the news about Google Voice now being available as an app for the iPhone, VoIP has the potential to revolutionize not only the way we make traditional phone calls, but also the mobile phone market as well.

It turns out that Microsoft Windows Vista included just such functionality through the Windows Media Center, a free Windows extender that allows you to run your media (whether audio, video, or pictures) by use of a remote control, and includes an Electronic Program Guide and ability to DVR, as long as you have a tuner card to which you can connect your incoming TV signal.  However, because of restrictions imposed by the Cable industry, digital cable signals are often scrambled, and require a cable box to be able to change channels.  Most digital cable cards have no ability to descramble these channels, making them useless for any digital cable setup.

CableCard

The only exception has been a device created by ATI, the ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner, which takes a device known as a CableCard, which can be obtained from your local cable company (FCC regulations require cable companies to provide a free CableCard to cable subscribers upon request).  This card is the same card that would be used with a TiVO, and can also be used in the ATI cable tuner.  However, because of agreements between ATI and the cable industry, the ATI tuner was only sold directly to approved manufacturers for inclusion in new systems, making anyone who wanted to build their own DVR out of luck unless they want to buy a whole new computer.  Additionally, the shows recorded from the ATI tuner were encrypted so that they could only be watched on the machine that they were recorded on, making it impractical to share among multiple devices in your home, as well as causing serious problems if you were forced to rebuild your system.

Yesterday, Microsoft and ATI announced that as part of the release of Windows 7, the ATI card would now be sold retail, so that it could be added to any existing system that met it’s hardware requirements.  Additionally, the encryption restrictions would be removed, so that most shows (with the exception of premium content such as HBO and Pay-Per-View) can now be moved to other devices as needed.  This opens up a whole new avenue in the home media PC, and makes the DVR capabilities of the home theater PC actually a worthwhile enhancement to what can be achieved through a cable-company rented DVR.  I plan on ordering the card and assembling my own media PC following the release of Windows 7, and will chronicle the details here.  Needless to say, this announcement by Microsoft opens up a whole new avenue in creating a family media PC for all of your multi-media needs.

Today’s link is a write-up they did in response to a recent FCC report on parental controls across all sorts of media. The report is very comprehensive, but the article boils it down nicely. It’s definitely a good read for the parents in the audience tonight.

• Ars Technica: A parent’s quick guide to content blocking technologies

Your Router

A router is the device that connects all your devices to the external Internet. Whether you get your Internet access via cable modem, DSL or some other means, the router sits between your devices and the Internet, doling out all the networking goodness.

When purchasing a wireless router, you’ll usually find that it’s not entirely wireless. These days, the most common configuration sold seems to be a router with four Ethernet ports. There isn’t usually any practical limit to the number of devices you can connect wirelessly to the router, but you’re generally limited to those four wired devices. There are a few things to know about wired networking, but mostly, go with the fastest that fits your budget. 100 Mb/s (“Fast Ethernet”) is standard, but more devices now support 1000 Mb/s (“Gigabit Ethernet”). There’s no worry there, though, because you can mix and match those speeds, and the network will figure on its own out the fastest speed it can go. Generally, we suggest you future-proof your network by getting a faster router, and your devices can catch up later.

Wireless Security

You can set your router to one of two basic modes: open or secured. If you leave your wireless network open, anyone within close physical range can connect to the Internet, and your home network, through your wireless router. That’s generally not recommended, though some people make a point to host an open access point. We recommend, though, that you secure your home’s wireless network.

The industry’s first attempt at wireless security was WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), which was intended to offer the same level of security as physically controlled network plugs when the “plug” is simply the air. For various technical reason, this didn’t end up working well, and this security model is highly discouraged because it is very easy for a motivated person to gain access to a WEP-secured network.

The best wireless security method widely used today is called WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), the most secure variant being WPA2/AES, which is a revision of the original WPA using an encryption method called AES. This combination is known to hold up very well to even very motivated attackers, and it is widely supported on any new wireless router. The instructions for setting up this level of security vary slightly with different routers, but it is still a very straight-forward process. See your router’s manual for set up instructions.

Wrapping it Up

Setting up a wireless network in your home can be intimidating. Just keep a few of these terms in mind, along with your budget. Setting up a wireless router and your devices to access it has only become easier with the introduction of new technology. With a little time invested, you’ll have a low-maintenance, secure, easy-to-use home network.

That might sound like a bad thing, but really, it’s very good. In reality, Windows Vista is a very good performer on recent hardware. Releasing a new OS gives Microsoft the opportunity to really polish its next OS. The new OS: Windows 7. Read all about it:

• Microsoft’s official website
• Wired: 7 Good Reasons to Switch to Windows 7
• You can still download the release candidate and try it out, until August 20th. After that date, you’ll still be able to get an install key from Microsoft, but it might be harder to find the download.
• If you’ve bought a new PC with Vista recently, you will probably be able to upgrade to Windows 7 for free or very cheap.

Before the final version comes out in October, we’ll do a full review, especially in setting up Windows 7 to use in your household. Stay tuned.

Now we don’t have to worry about which type of cable to use when connecting our computers in a network. For most household purposes, Wi-Fi is sufficient. When properly configured, Wi-Fi is a fast, secure, simple way to create a home network. There is a lot of jargon and terminology to get your mind around, though.

So what is Wi-Fi? The word means “Wireless Fidelity,” a play off of “Hi-Fi” meaning “High Fidelity,” but knowing that doesn’t really help. The intent when Wi-Fi was developed was to create a wireless equivalent to the main consumer wired network technology, Ethernet. Appropriately, Wi-Fi is also sometimes referred to as “Wireless Ethernet.” That might be a bit more explanatory, but there’s still a good deal more to understand.

So, how do you get Wi-Fi into your home? You’ll need a wireless router, which will usually have an external Wi-Fi antenna or two for connecting wirelessly, but it might also have a few wired Ethernet ports as well. Having both wired and wireless connectivity in the same router can be very convenient.

The technology and standards around Wi-Fi are pretty well-established these days. Technically, the term “Wi-Fi” is a certification that a device is compatible with these standards. But there are actually several sometimes-mutually compatible types, with the most common being 802.11g, but 802.11n is quickly superseding it.

You see, there have been several iterations of this technology. Early on, 802.11a and 802.11b competed (note the different letters at the end of the numbers), but weren’t really mutually compatible, because they operated on different radio frequencies. Along came 802.11g, which was much faster, and designed to be compatible with 802.11b. Most new 802.11g routers still support 802.11b. Most recently, 802.11n was introduced, and it’s faster still.

The letters following “802.11″ refer to updates and refinements to a defined standard, the IEEE 802.11 standard to be exact. So, technically,  802.11b and 802.11n, etc. are all wireless networking protocols that have some degree of inter-compatibility. The particulars of this standard aren’t important, and there’s a lot more to it than what will be discussed in this article. Just know that, for everyday purposes, the term “Wi-Fi” has become synonymous with the 802.11 family of wireless networking standards.

So, who needs Wi-Fi? If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already determined that you need it (or maybe you’ve already set up your install). More specifically, there a few good use cases:

• Do you have lots of computers? Do you have lots of Wi-Fi capable devices? Keep in mind that in many cases, this can include video game consoles, mobile phones and other devices. Do you have separate PCs for children? Spouse? A media server? A home-theater PC? If you have a bunch of Wi-Fi-capable (or potentially Wi-Fi-capable) devices, it might be simpler and easier to set these devices up for wireless rather than stringing network cable all over your home.
• Maybe you just have one or two devices, but the external internet connection just isn’t in a handy spot. The DSL hookup is at one end of the house, and you really want your PC in the office, all the way at the other end. Rather than getting the utility company to re-wire (if that’s even an option), you might just set up a Wi-Fi router at the internet connection, and leave your PC where it is most convenient for you.
• All current-generation video game consoles support Wi-Fi one way or another. Especially if your console(s) isn’t especially near your router, a Wi-Fi connection might the easiest way to go.
• Another interesting advantage is the ability to offer house guests easy internet access. They just bring their Wi-Fi-enabled laptop or device, and once you give them your access information, they can connect to the internet without having to use your PC.
• What if you just have a PC or two? And they’re near your main internet connection? It might be that Wi-Fi just isn’t for you at this point, but perhaps you’d like to set it up now, before you really need it.

When shopping for a wireless device, the packaging will usually reference one of these letters, but it may swap out “802.11″ for “Wi-Fi.” Sometimes not. The baseline device you would want to consider would be a G router, but for just a little bit more, an N router is much more future-proof. Especially with the rapid pace of wireless technology innovation, unless you have a good reason to stick with a slower G router, you should consider investing in a faster N router. N also has some other advantages that can make the higher price tag easier to justify.

So, now we’ve covered some terminology and technology. Next time, we’ll discuss some more practical items so you can make an informed decision when you decide to purchase a household router.

• We recently got a new TV, and it has the standard HD audio/video plug, HDMI. Because of this, I made sure to get a PC with built-in HDMI.
• My particular PC/TV combination seemed to have trouble with a lot of desktop resolutions, until I put it at 1080p (1920×1080), which is the native resolution of the TV. Before I set that, it would seem to run okay for a little while, but the moment I asked it to do anything intensive (start a video, play a game), the picture and sound would often cut in and out. Once it was 1080p, I didn’t see that issue anymore.
• At 1080p, it can be hard to make out the text and icons of the Windows interface, even on a pretty large TV. Vista (and the upcoming Windows 7) has a nice DPI adjustment feature. Just search for ‘DPI’ on the Start Menu. This scales up the whole interface, giving you a usable interface, even from 10 or 15 feet away.
• I initially set my TV display ratio to 16:9, so the display would take up the entire wide screen. Oddly, though, this cut off the edges of the picture a little. After some Googling, I tried a suggestion to set it to Auto instead. Bam! The whole picture, edges and all, showed up.
• I suggest getting a wireless keyboard with an integrated pointer (mouse). Many have trackpads or other laptop-like pointers built into the housing of the keyboard. That way, you don’t need to string a wire or wires across the living room to wherever the PC is.
• The particular PC has both on-board audio, and the audio that’s part of HDMI. Sometimes, on boot up, it would want to use the on-board audio instead of the HDMI, so there would be no sound from the TV. I ended up disabling the on-board audio from the BIOS.

A home theater PC is great way to watch the increasing amount of video on the web. Not only are there movie trailers and Youtube, but Hulu is great for watching TV episodes and movies. If you’re a subscriber, Netflix is also great on a TV. All of these assume you have relatively fast internet connection (probably at least 500 KB/s consistenly).

A home theater PC is great way to bring the web into your living room, so everyone in the house can enjoy it.