The options for XP users

From April 8^th 2014 Microsoft has withdrawn support for Windows XP is most popular operating system. This withdrawal of support basically means that security holes will not be patched leaving any user open to potential hacks.  A number of anti-virus companies have promised to still support Windows XP but they will never provide full protection.

So the simple answer is if you have a computer with Windows XP you can use it as much as you like as long as you do not connect it to the internet.

If you are connecting it you have the potential for your computer to be used maliciously by others.

So what are the options?

Option 1: Buy a new computer

In many ways this is the most sensible option.  Certainly Microsoft are hoping that people will do this.  You then have a choice of three operating systems by Apple, Microsoft or Google Chrome.

Currently Chrome is somewhat limited as it ties into everything Google, which for most people will not be suitable especially if you have favourite software you enjoy, which might be incompatible.

Apple is the choice for those with endless pockets as you would get a computer which would be first class, virus free (mostly) and once you get the hang of operating it, a fairly limitless computer. For the majority the option of outlaying this sort of money is a little prohibitive. So this leaves Microsoft.

 

 

Which Microsoft Operating System (OS)?

The current Microsoft OS is Windows 8.1 which is a little difficult for some people to get to grips with as it has the metro screens as well as the desktop.  My experience of this is that as an OS it is ok, but far from great.  It requires a lot of RAM (Random Access Memory) to do task and hangs frequently. The metro apps are goofy looking and some barely work whereas others such as Skype (a Microsoft Company) work very well. From a security perspective I like this OS as it is possibly the most secure.  Also running a 64 bit computer allows for more operations potentially to be undertaken at once. 

Would I recommend it for people to move to Windows 8.1from XP?  Possibly, but I would add caveats. I would add a start menu similar to Windows 7 using something like Start Menu 8 from iObit (http://www.iobit.com/iobitstartmenu8.php) which makes you have a start button and menu system that is intelligent, an also allows you to boot into the desktop thus avoiding the horrendous Metro windows.  I would also recommend at least 8MB of RAM and the best processor and specification you can get. You also have the option of a touch screen, which might appeal to some but for the general user this is more hassle than it’s worth. If you want a touch screen, get a tablet computer (see below).

 

Option 2 Upgrade your existing computer

Upgrading a computer seems a sensible idea and is, in the short term, a cost effective solution. The choice of which OS to upgrade to will depend on the specification of your old XP computer. 

By the nature of XP, most computers running it will have fairly poor specifications by current standards.  This means low RAM, slow processor etc. Upgrading to another Microsoft Operating system might not be possible if your specification is too poor.  Your Microsoft upgrade options are Vista, which is universally acknowledged as Microsoft’s worst OS ever; Windows 7 (which is like Windows 8 but runs on 32bit computers and does not require the power that Windows 8 does; or finally the other option is Linux.

Windows Vista

I would avoid this upgrade at all costs, it is buggy and not worth paying for.

Windows 7

This is my choice of OS and one I have used on a couple of old computers.  The joy is that it is easy to learn and works in the same way as other Microsoft Packages.  You can also run older programs on compatibility mode, so any XP purchases can still be run on Windows 7. It is a safe and secure option and my clearest winner for upgrade at this time.  Before you make any choice try the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor (http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=20) to see if your system is compatible and will work well with it. The downside is that support for this OS will stop soon, but it is more stable and less resource hungry than its later updates of 8 and 8.1. Also if you are use to Windows this is the best option.

 

 

Linux

I could do a whole entry on Linux and very nearly did. No matter what computer you have you should be able to install Linux onto it and still have a functioning computer.  It is likely you will need a pared down version but you can still install Linux and have a working computer for free complete with free office software to help word process, spreadsheet or make a  presentation. Linux is open source and this means it is free from viruses and updates are regular and plentiful.

I am a Linux newby and have downloaded and installed a few OS’s to tryout. These include Xubuntu (http://xubuntu.org/) , SolydXK (http://solydxk.com/homeedition/solydx/), Linux Mint (http://www.linuxmint.com/) , and Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/). My overall impression of all of these Operating systems is that they are great or even fantastic. They are easy to install, and you can install them alongside your Windows XP installation, but boot directly into the Linux installation of your choice. The downside to Linux for me is the part after you have downloaded your OS and installed it.

Linux is not Windows, it takes a while to get use to certain things not being the way they were. If I were to recommend an install for newbies like myself, I would head for SolydXK which gives a Windows feel to your computer.

Linux requires the user to participate in the system, whereas Microsoft try to stop people doing this by locking them out. In Linux you have to learn to code a little to sort out any issues, such as getting new drivers or installing software correctly.  I have little doubt you could get away with not using code for a while but before long you will be called on to “sudo apt-get” something. The plus side to this is the Linux documentation and support sites are excellent so if you know how to search for your problem, there is a solution out there.  They can be a bit Techie thought.

 

Option 3: Buy a Tablet computer

Tablet computers are coming into their own and they are easy and cheap to buy. If all you use your computer for is surfing the Internet then a tablet is an ideal choice. If you want to run an office or do presentation they become more limited. iPads have a range of software that can be purchased to help with office functions, so purchasing the latest iPad along with a Bluetooth keyboard might be a short term viable solution.  You would require cloud accounts to upload your documents to as memory on most tablets is limited.  If you were considering a rival by Android the Google Nexus 7 seems a good possibility and something that could be used in a similar way. I would try to avoid tablets that have their own proprietary software built into them (eg Samsung) where the company that produce the tablet put their own version of an operating system in complete with helpful tweaks, which can prove very annoying and can limit your ability to use certain software.

 

Option 4: Use a Smartphone

This might sound stupid, but these days many Smartphones are up to the same standard of operational capacity as an XP computer.  You can download apps which can do what you could do on your computer.  Microsoft, for example have release a free version of their Office software for phones exclusively so a phone is a real contender but I would suggest you avail yourself of cloud storage for all documents and key material as your phone could be lost, and you would not want to lose all your data along with it.

And so the winner is....

As you would expect, there is no winner. You could upgrade your computer to Windows 7 or run a Linux installation on it.  Your could buy a brand new computer and use the XP computer for off line things such as a media centre to play movies and picture shows on.  You could buy a tablet, a Bluetooth keyboard and some cloud space. Or you could start to use your Smartphone in the way it was designed to be used as a mobile computer.  The choice is yours and only limited by your budget and your computer know how.

Getting Touchy about touchscreens: Why I still have a standard Windows computer

We live in the mobile generation, a time period characterised by wireless connectivity. I admit most of my time I spend on either my tablet or my smartphone, but I still have an old, Windows XP netbook which I would loath to give up.

For all the whizz that smartphones and tablets are, and they are brilliant at many things, there are some things I think they really fail at. The most noteworthy of these is the ability to do what I am doing now, which is typing.  I agree that there are apps that can allow you to dictate something and it will be translated into some semblance of text, but traditionally data input is done through the keyboard.

When I type the keys are depressed and the text I am typing appears almost instantly on the screen, as if by magic.  I also have an inbuilt spell checker which tells me where things do not make sense.  When I do to correct something I use my mouse to pinpoint the exact location of the thing that needs changing and  then I highlight it or type over it, or whatever action is required.

Have you tried this on a smartphone or tablet?

Well if you have you will know the keyboard  often makes me mistype things and I end up with words joined by a 'V' which means the spell checker is lost for a solution.  Also trying to get to a word at the beginning of a line is almost impossible. If a word is identified as incorrect the touchscreen seems to never quite get the exact location of my finger's contact correct.  Even using a capacitive stylus, which helps a little, still means that where I am thinking I am pressing is not where the screen tells the device I am pressing.  A mouse on the other hand goes where I want it to.

Highlighting things in Android is cumbersome to say the least, in fact often it is better to delete the whole thing than try to highlight things as this can be so hit and miss and takes so much time to get correct.  Again a design flaw is that the screen often misinterprets where I put my finger of stylus.

I have also used a Bluetooth 3 Keyboard on my tablet, but it appears that the speed that I type is a little too much for the tablet so I get a severe lag and often whole words are missed making it a little like using some of the dication softwares, which require regular corrections.

It is interesting to me that this piece has taken less than 5 minutes to write on my netbook but I wonder how long it would take on the tablet.  I also must admit I love my mobile devices and have used them often to write things on.  I am a great fan of Google Keep and Evernote where many ideas are stored for later use.  Both allow me to write a lot which is great, and both have the facility for voice messages, but I tend to stick to manual input.

The question on my mind is will this be addressed soon?  If mobile technologies are to succeed in the real world to facilitate health and social care as well as business, a basic requirement is that a touch screen is accurate. My old Palm device had a great programme to calibrate the screen to your touch, in which you pressed on X's on the screen and the device would calibrate itself, why isn't this available to smartphones and tablets?

It seems a basic requirement that is a fundamental for all Android, Windows (not tested) and Apple devices.

Who said that? - using voice actions to control your phone.

Voice Actions: controlling your phone by your voice

For many years most smart phones have been able to use voice actions to control the phone.  Although initially in a rudimentary form, as a voice search we now have Siri on the iPhone and iPad and Google Now for Android users as well as a range of other bespoke Assistant apps that can be downloaded.

What I find interesting is: how many people actually use their voice to control their phone?

I use it sporadically, often when I remember to, not as a default. I have tried using it with Google Maps to speak a post code of the address I am driving to and been flummoxed by the lack of the software to differentiate between the letters, of its ability to add spurious letters or numbers to what I have said.

I have tried voice searches with marginally more success, but I am still on a 50% hit rate here.

Thus, I am sitting here contemplating what other do and how they find using voice activated operations on their phone.  This becomes even more important with the rise of voice actions as a key development strand in iOS and Android devices.

Thus question 2: are the main smartphone companies following a white elephant or do we actually want voice control?

This leads to question 3 and 4: if you do use voice commands what do you use them for and how often?

Finally are voice actions the way of the future or are we looking for an alternative scenario such as gestures?

Update

 In recent years, voice control has improved considerably and therefore many people are using this method with increasing success. Voice controlled apps are getting more accurate and the more they are used the better and more accurate they become as they have a learning programme built in which recognises the idiosyncrasies of your particular voice.

Although I suspect that they will never be that popular in public, in private it is great to just say "OK Google" and then ask your question or request an action. One issue that I have noted is that the accuracy is effected by background noise, which is a issue considering we live in such as  loud world.

Now a new post

I have just uploaded a new post for one of my other blogs called the Telecare Blog on a new #Smartphone service for people with #dementia http://goo.gl/mkpaF  #google

Computing today and the challenges of tomorrow

When I was growing up, computers were being invented. I recall my brother getting his first calculator, which was made by Casio and could add, subtract, multiply and divide to fifteen decimal places.  It was a large fat device and the buttons were very dodgy and kept misreading the touches.  It was fantastic for showing off with, it could do pi (π) to fifteen places, which was the sort of thing that people in the playground would think of as cool, in some schools.

The Casio Calculator

My first experience with a computer was at university, where we had to log in via DOS and use DOS commands to do simple functions.  These were basically used as calculators for large sums.  I will always recall the dread of the “\CD” “C>” prompts, which at the time seemed be some sort of Masonic code to people like me who were more concerned with humans that computers.  The computer screen was a cathode ray tube and provided a black screen with small white/grey writing on it when you typed.  I also recall some using early rudimentary word processing packages that allowed you to type something and then print it. 

Floppy disks were huge and bigger than the 7” single we all possessed.  They were fragile and easily broken or corrupted. They fitted snugly into the post box like slot in the computer and made various crunching noises as their whirred around.  This means I have witnessed and used a range of floppy discs from the 8-inch, through the 5 ¹⁄₄-inch, to the 3 ¹⁄₂-inch floppy disks and now the flash drives and other media formats.

Floppy Disks

The computer screens changed from black and white to green and black and then eventually black and white pictures were produced which were followed shortly after by their colour compatriots.

The computer itself changed colour from grey to black to white and now can be obtained in many colours.   The once huge computer, which was a mainframe, changed to being portable and then a laptop, netbook and currently a tablet computer or phablet.   

The internet when it arrived was obtained via a wire and called the Ethernet; this then became a 14-54kb mobile data/fax modem that everyone at the time used. This allowed pages to load before your eyes. Line by line, the page would slowly come into view.  Web pages were designed to be small and light, so they could load quickly.   I recall when I started doing my first web pages back in the 1980’s, I would send the URL of the page to a site that would tell me how fast the page would load.   This also meant that a good web page would load fast and have few pictures on the page. The current wireless modems and superfast 3g or 4g speeds of today not only download web pages in fractions of a second. Wireless connectivity has freed the computer from the ties of cables and extensive battery life allows greater flexibility.

A network terminal with two floppy disk slots

Today, your computer can download movies or play games wirelessly anywhere where there is a wireless network point.

What does the future hold for computing?

It seems there are some interesting challenges ahead. The ubiquitous computer provides the ability to embed computing into everyday objects, so the social world can be more accessible. The use of voice recognition provides greater flexibility for devices, but no one wants to constantly chattering to the ether. Similarly, virtual technology and 3/4g provide excellent opportunities for communication and gaming, but virtualisation has it's own limits. There is a optimum for sized devices and although different devices might have different size requirements, for different functions but there will be an optimum size derived eventually. Ideally, on one the one hand it would be ideal to have technology that reads thought commands, this could also be extremely problematic or even dangerous in certain circumstances.

So the challenges are becoming apparent, they centre on improving technology from a person- centred perspective. The challenge is to find out what people want and need from technology, and delivering just that, no less and no more.  

I would also suggest that part of this challenge is to provide an off switch so the always on society can also be the sometimes off.  Privacy and security are to be more of an issue the more things are networked together.

As we invest more of our future technology, reliability and survivability are also critical elements. Technology should not fail and if it does systems should be in place to ensure that data survives.

Some of today's wireless technologies

Battery power is also the issue for the mobile user, especially owners of smartphones and tablet computers who are forced to charge their devices daily. We are increasingly becoming tied to power points to charge our phones, laptops, tablets, MP3 players etc.

As technology becomes more embedded in everyday objects we will also see the increase in need for more reliable battery power or the ability to recharge as the battery is used.

The future is a mass of possibilities, like the missions to space, the Universe seemed within our grasp, and technology offers the potential for considerable good as well as possible doomsday scenarios. We need to encourage the good and hinder the bad.

Most importantly it is important to recognise that the current improvements made by technology are temporary and the equilibrium or normality of service will be reinstated eventually. This will inevitably involve a considerable amount of technology, but this should be technology that supports us, not technology that we are supporting.

Controlling technology or being controlled?