Microsoft recently announced that their new version of Microsoft Office likely to be named Microsoft Office 2013 will be released early next year.  As previous, there are likely to be different prices depending on which version purchased. Using the current prices of Microsoft Office 2010 at Staples you can pay as little as $119.99 or as much as $499.99. The price is influenced by whether you are purchasing a CD, the version being purchased and how many machines it is licensed for.

Microsoft Office is the best known and the best office suite software. It also is the most expensive. There are free alternatives to Microsoft Office that are compatible with Microsoft Office applications. The three main ones are Google Drive, Libre Office and Open Office.  Each has their own features and you would need to determine which is best for you if you choose to go the free route.

Google Drive formerly Google Docs is web based and requires you to have a Google account.  You can use it when you are not online but there are certain constraints that you need to follow.  For one you need to be using the Google Chrome browser. This should not be an issue because many (myself included) view Google Chrome as the best browser out there for accessing the internet. It is great for sharing files whether it is with selected people or with everyone.  You can choose whether people can only view the file or edit it as well. You can collaborate in real time with others who have editing privileges as they can change the file contents while you are also working on it.

Libre Office first launched in September 2010 is the new kid on the block.  When Open Office was purchased by Sun there was concern that Open Office would take a different path and perhaps not be free. This led to Libre Office.  While there are many similarities, you can edit files in a Portable Document Format (PDF) in Libre Office but not Open Office or even Microsoft Office.  It is not the most user friendly interface to do so but it can be done. Libre Office and Open Office have components for spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, word procession and database. Google Drive does not currently support a data base application among its components.

Open Office is in essence the predecessor to Libre Office.  As mentioned previous when Oracle purchased Open Office there was concern over the future direction of it.  In 2011 Oracle donated Open Office to the Apache Software Foundation. There are many similarities between Open Office and Libre Office as noted above. Open Office is easier to download but you cannot edit PDF files using it.  The interfaces for both are similar to Microsoft Office (MS Office). Open Office offers more Templates on its site than Libre Office but Libre Office offers more functionality by offering extensions. Per Wikipedia some notable users of Open Office are Singapore’s Ministry of Defense, and Banco do Brasil.
  
So do you continue to use Microsoft Office or do you switch and if so which do you use?  From a personal standpoint being a power user who also uses Microsoft Office in my line of work as I now am also creating customized Excel spreadsheets I will continue using Microsoft Office.  If you are not a power user of Microsoft Office and do not need to use it for work, using a free version is a viable alternative. The free versions offer approximately 75-90% of the features  offered by MS Office. The features not offered in the free versions tend to be more advanced.  I also find the three programs noted user friendly.  The more expensive versions of MS Office include Outlook, Publisher, Access and OneNote.  Access is a database program as Base in both Open Office and Libre Office are as well.  Draw is an alternative to Publisher again in both Open Office and Libre Office.  There are good free alternatives to OneNote and Outlook as well.

If you wish to know more about which Office Suite you should use or about saving time and even $$ from Microsoft Excel spreadsheets call me at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com

What would happen on a trip if you were to lose your passport, credit cards, driver's license, etc?  I find it to be a good idea to scan all except the credit cards and then save it as a word file using Microsoft Word (MS Word).  As for the credit cards, I make a list of that using MS Excel. I have the name of the card in one column and the card number in another column. You can also do a list in MS Word.  Using MS Excel is a personal preference. 

In saving these files I make sure to password protect them. Since the method to password protect a file differs by program used and version of that program you need to go to the help section to determine how to password protect the file. I then email the file to myself. What I am doing here is adding an extra layer of security to information that if it fell into the wrong hands would make me more susceptible to identity theft. One would need to know both my email password as well as the password I am using to protect the respective files that contain this sensitive data. I would suggest making the passwords for your email and files different.

One does not have to limit to just credit cards, passport and drivers license. Scanning current drug prescriptions you are using and saving them to a word type file is another good idea where you have a copy of the prescription. This way if you were to lose the prescription drugs you had packed, you should have an easier time refilling it. You can also put the numbers of your travelers checks in a file as well. I also keep my phonebook in my Google contacts list so should I need a number I can get it wherever I have an internet connection which would include my smartphone.

Doing all of these is not a magic bullet should you have a loss. It will however make it easier to travel and in the case of a passport get a replacement more easily in the event of losing any important documents. I would also suggest that you avoid using an unsecured public wireless network to obtain any of this. If you have a smartphone, you can likely access this information using it. That said another way to store your files is if you are using a syncing program likeDropbox or Sugarsync. You can log onto the one you are using to access the information in question. I will suggest here that you do not save this information on the hard drive of any computers you may be travelling with. Better that it is in the cloud where the data and you are not in the same place. Also should your computer get lost or stolen, you can still access it from another computer. If anyone is interested in opening a Dropbox account let me know before setting up your account. I will send you an invite to join Dropbox and both of us will get an extra 250mb of free storage. A win/win for both of us. Note: as I mentioned in my blog last week, you cannot upload or save a password protected file in Google Docs.

Hopefully you will never need to access these files in an emergency.  However, having them in an emergency can make your life easier when it occurs.

Sooner or later you will find yourself in the market for a new computer. It could be a replacement for an existing computer, your first computer purchase (not likely if you are reading this), or an additional computer.

When that time comes you need to keep a few things in mind. The first is probably what will you be using your computer for? Will you use it for word processing, surfing the net, photos, etc? While you need to realize your use may change as your computer usage evolves, you should not purchase much more of a computer than what you will need. Don’t purchase a computer that is suited for games when you will only be doing surfing and word processing.

You should get the most recent operating system provided it has been around long enough to work the bugs out. Usually the operating system should be out a few months.


Consider your space requirements and where you will primarily be using it. If you live in a small apartment, will you have space for a desktop? Would a large laptop (11” and up screen) that is considered a desktop replacement be more suitable? If you have a desktop, you likely will not be moving it around much if at all as it involves a tower. Also keep in mind if you are purchasing a laptop, a bigger one tends to be less expensive.


With that in mind, if you are purchasing a laptop you need to know again how you will use it. If you will be travelling with it often, you should consider a smaller one. You also need to realize that the keyboard is not a standard keyboard that you would find with a desktop. You can buy an external mouse and keyboard to use with your computer but this will take up space in your computer bag which you should get if you are buying a laptop. If you are getting either an external mouse or keyboard, get the mouse. It is more value added to a laptop than the keyboard as far as speed is concerned.


Also note that more and more laptops these days come with a cam for videoconferencing.

You also have 3 other aspects to consider. Note that the minimums given are as of now and will change as technology changes. Random access memory (RAM), processing speed, and hard drive size. RAM is the most important. It is the memory used when your computer is on. Once your computer is turned off, this memory is no more. It is sometimes referred to temporary memory. The more RAM, the faster your computer operates and this is the most important of the 3 components. It is where the operating system all opened programs, and current data used are stored. Your minimum RAM should be 2GB and if money is not an issue, a minimum of 4GB. You also need to consider your hard drive size. Think of this as the drawer space for keeping clothes. It is your permanent memory as opposed to RAM memory. You should have a minimum of 160 GB of hard drive storage. If you will be storing, pictures, video, audio streams, you will need more depending on how much you plan to store. Processing speed is the speed of your computer. You do not need to get the fastest processing speed available. You should get 2nd or 3rd fastest. You will not notice the difference and you will appreciate the savings.

The next issue is MAC vs PC. There is a greater availability of software for a PC than a MAC but this gap is a lot less than it used to be. There are other factors to consider however. See below:


MAC Advantages

1. Not as Prone to Viruses.

2. Less Issues of Breakdown – also quicker to start up and shut down.

3. Excellent training. A lot is free.

4. Better maintenance and customer service.

5. Easier to use. However Windows 7 operating system has greatly narrowed this gap. It is competitive with MAC’s Snow Leopard Operating System.

PC Advantages

1. Owned by 90% of people and businesses.

2. More varieties (HP, Dell, etc).

3. Less expensive especially laptops.

4. More for businesses especially since more availability of software as noted.

Last but not least if you are buying a desktop, think about the screen size of your monitor. Again space considerations come into play.


By doing a little research into your needs and space availability you will be able to get a computer that works best for you.

Just like we all or at least should do an oil change every 3,000 miles to keep our cars running properly and go for an annual physical exam so that we are healthy and stay that way, we also need to do preventive maintenance on our computers.  We need to be proactive with our computers, cars, ourselves, etc.  Here are a few computer maintenance tips that will help increase the life of your computer:

1. Defragmenting your hard drive - This reorganizes the files on your hard drive that allows them to be accessed more efficiently. This should be done on a weekly basis.  If it is not done, your computer will operate at a notably slower  pace.  Go into your "Start" tab select "All Programs" then "Accessories", "System Tools", "Disk Defragmenter".  This can be set to run automatically.  "My Defrag" and "Defraggler" are free programs that will also defrag your computer.  Norton Systemworks is a security suite that offers defragging and can be purchased online and at stores. 
2. Your computer also accumulates files that you no longer need. These are files such as temporary internet files, deleted files in your recycle bin and windows temporary files.  To clean up unneeded files, go to your start menu.  In the search bar type in ""Disk cleanup" and select  the Disk Cleanup program shown on top.  The program will scan for files that can be safely deleted.  Select those files you wish to delete and select OK to delete.  This should be done on a weekly basis as well.  A free program CCleaner can be downloaded that will perform this and I recommend this program. 
3. Backup, Backup, Backup.  I cannot say this enough.  I recently did a blog about backing up data.  http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2010/06/back-up-back-up-back-up.html.  80% of computer users do not have backup software installed on their computer.  This is a cheap insurance policy against data loss.  Recovering data on your hard drive from a data recovery service will run about $500 minimum up to a few thousand. Recovery is not guaranteed. One service also prices out by emergency service which is 24 hours; priority service which is 3 days; and standard service which is 2 weeks turnaround time. If you want 24 hour turnaround you will pay for that level of service.  As I noted in my last blog, Dropbox can be used to back up your data as well in the cloud as well as to other computers. http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2010/06/dropbox-a-real-good-program-for-file-sharing-and-accessing-files-away-from-your-computer.html.  Up to 2GB is free.  You can also back up up to 50GB for 9.99 monthly.  I discussed other backup sites in my blog on backing up.  
4. Make sure your security and anti virus, anti spyware software are current and up to date.  If not, your computer is an open target for new viruses, malware, etc.
5. You also want to check your hard drive about monthly to fix file system errors and recover bad sectors on your hard drive.  This may take several hours so make sure you will not need your computer for a while.  Select "Computer" or "My Computer" Select "C:" and right click on and select "Properties" and then select the "Tools" tab. You then select Error Checking. Select automatically fix file system errors and scan and attempt recovery of bad sectors.  When you get the prompt asking if you want to run this the next time you start your computer, select yes.  Then restart your computer. Again, it may take a while to run.  

By following these steps you will help to extend the useful life of your computer.