7/2/08: Disable Your Screensaver to Save Energy

One morning not long ago, I was eating breakfast and idly listening to NPR as usual when a familiar name caught my attention.  A scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where I used to work about 10 years ago, was basically explaining why computer screensavers were bad for the environment.

Frankly, before I heard the NPR story, I never gave screensavers much thought (I’ve always just used the default Windows or Mac screensaver), so it never occurred to me that they could actually be a bad thing.  Sure enough, I did a little online research and ran across some very interesting information and statistics.

In case you didn’t already know, screensavers have been around almost since the dawn of personal computing.  In the early days, monochrome cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors were susceptible to “phosphor burn-in” if left displaying the same image for too long, eventually leading to a permanent shadow or ghost image on the screen.  Screensavers were developed to automatically change the images on CRT monitors during periods of user inactivity, thereby saving their screens from permanent damage.

Modern CRT computer monitors are much less susceptible to phosphor burn-in than older models due to improvements in phosphor coatings and also because the images they display are generally much lower in contrast than the stark text and graphics of earlier monochrome displays.  LCD monitors, which have all but supplanted CRT monitors nowadays, are not susceptible to phosphor burn-in because their images are not directly produced by phosphors.

For these reasons, computer screensavers today serve no real practical purpose.  With very few exceptions (SETI@home comes to mind), they have become nothing more than a form of decoration or entertainment.  But not only are they obsolete, worse still, their continued use is actually harmful to the environment.  You see, contrary to popular belief, screensavers do not save energy.  In fact, those seemingly innocuous graphics zipping around your screen consume as much processing power as you actually doing work.  And not only do screensavers needlessly draw power while they are running, but they may also prevent your system from going into a low-power sleep mode (referred to as “Standby” or “Stand by” in Windows) when not in use.  A typical computer with a screensaver running can use well over 100 watts of power, compared with only about 10 watts in sleep mode.    

How big is the problem?  Well, figuring that a typical CRT monitor uses 60 to 120 watts of electrical power, depending on its screen size, the University of New Hampshire once estimated that if their 5,000 computers ran screensavers an average of 20 hours a week (including nights and weekends), the annual power consumed by those screensavers would cost $28,000 dollars and produce atmospheric emissions of 750,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, 5,858 pounds of sulfur oxide, and 1,544 pounds of nitrogen oxide (http://www.energy.unh.edu/Tips_ScrnSavrs.htm).  Considering that there are around 600 million PCs in use today, we are talking some big, ugly numbers.

In fact, according to NREL, every time you leave on a computer when it is not in use, you are wasting energy (http://www.nrel.gov/sustainable_nrel/energy_saving.html).  They recommend turning off your PC, monitor, and other peripheral devices “at night and during any prolonged absence such as weekends or vacation time….  Contrary to popular belief, turning equipment on and off does not shorten the life span of computers or related equipment.”  (Please note that as an alternative to simply shutting down your PC, you can set it to hibernate, which stores whatever is currently loaded into memory onto your hard drive and then shuts down the PC.  That way when your PC comes out of hibernation, it returns quickly to its previous state.)

During the day, NREL recommends limiting screensaver use and setting your computer’s power-management features to turn off your monitor after 10 minutes and your hard disks after 20 minutes.  Studies have found that hard disks are not affected by frequent shutdowns and may actually last longer due to reduced heat stress and mechanical wear.  (Please note that NREL’s recommended power management settings are generic and that you should adjust the settings to accommodate your own computing requirements.  In particular, their recommended settings may not be best for frequently used public access computers or servers that must run all the time.)

Lastly, NREL recommends purchasing LCD monitors, which use significantly less energy than CRT models and are easier on the eyes as well.

5/5/08: File Compatibility Issues with Microsoft Office 2007

In the past few months, I’ve received a growing number of calls from users who are unable to open certain Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, usually received as email attachments. A few of my coworkers have also reported similar problems lately. All of these problematic files had one thing in common: their normal three-letter file extensions were all appended with an “x” (e.g., .docx).

In case you didn’t already know, the “x” indicated that these files were most likely created in Microsoft Office 2007 and saved in new default file formats based on the Extensible Markup Language (XML), an open standard. Microsoft calls this new open standard Office Open XML (OpenXML), which was designed to make it easier to move data and files between disparate applications and also to produce file sizes smaller than those saved in the older binary file formats (e.g., .doc, .dot, .xls, .ppt).

While I applaud Microsoft's decision to move away from proprietary binary file formats to open standard, XML-based file formats, the change has caused a bit of grief for those who are perfectly content using earlier versions of Office, which based on my observations includes most of our member libraries, the CTLS office, and probably the majority of Office users everywhere.

Fortunately, Microsoft has provided the multitudes of pre-Office 2007 users with a relatively simple solution to file compatibility issues (other than biting the bullet and upgrading to Office 2007). Microsoft has released a Compatibility Pack that enables users of Office 2000, XP, and 2003 to open, edit, and save files using the file formats new to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007. And for those who are using even earlier versions of Office or who don’t have Office installed at all, the Compatibility Pack can also be used in conjunction with the Office Word Viewer 2003, Excel Viewer 2003, and PowerPoint Viewer 2003 to view files saved in the new formats.

To download the “Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats,” visit http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/. Please note that Microsoft recommends you install all high-priority updates from Microsoft Update before downloading the Compatibility Pack.

If you currently use Office 2007 and frequently share files with others who haven’t upgraded or need to work on your files on another computer that doesn’t have Office 2007 installed, there are several things you can do to ensure compatibility with previous versions of Office.

For one, you can easily save individual files in the old formats. For example, if you are working in Word 2007, just select “Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc)” from the Save as type drop-down list in the Save As dialog box.

You can even go a step further and save files in the old formats by default. For example, in Word 2007, click the Office button, then the Word Options button, and then select Save in the left pane. In the Save documents section, choose “Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc)” from the Save files in this format drop-down list. Please note that when you save a file in the old format that was originally created in the new one, a message may pop up advising that some of the formatting and features that are only supported by Office 2007 programs will be lost.

Office 2007 also introduced a new feature called Compatibility Mode, which ensures that the files you create in Office 2007 don’t contain any features that are not supported by earlier versions of Office. Compatibility Mode is automatically turned on when you open a file that was saved in the old file format, when you convert a file from the new format to the old one, or when you configure Office 2007 to save to the old file format by default. In Word 2007, Compatibility Mode also turns on if you create a new document from an old-format template (.dot). For more information about Compatibility Mode, including long lists of features that are impacted by using it, see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178998.aspx.

Finally, Office 2007 features a compatibility checker to detect any features that are not supported by earlier versions of Office. To manually run the compatibility checker on a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint 2007 document, just click on the Office button, select Prepare, and then click on Run Compatibility Checker. Compatibility Checker will then display a list of any incompatible content in the document. Compatibility Checker also runs automatically when you save a file in the old format.

3/17/08: MaintainIT Project Releases New Free Cookbook on Public Computing

The MaintainIT Project, a three-year project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help identify best practices of technical support for public computers, has just published a new second “cookbook” that is packed with useful tips and techniques from public librarians across the country.

The new publication, titled “The Joy of Computing: Recipes for a 5-Star Library," includes these topics:

• Setting Up a Wireless Network
• How to Avoid and Fix Wireless Networking Problems
• How Much Help Should You Provide Laptop Patrons?
• Wireless Acceptable Use Policies
• PC Reservation/Time Management Software
• Print Management
• Laptop Checkout Programs

The entire cookbook or individual chapters can be downloaded in PDF format from http://www.maintainitproject.org/cookbooks.

If you have not already done so, you can also download the first cookbook, titled “The Joy of Computing: A Cookbook for Small and Rural Libraries,” which covers topics such as technology planning, protecting and maintaining public computers, and technology training. Please note that if you downloaded a copy of the first cookbook prior to February 1, 2008, you are encouraged to download and print a replacement for page 32.

According to Chris Jowaisas of the Texas State Library & Archives Commission, who is on the advisory committee for the MaintainIT Project, the project is currently working on a third cookbook oriented towards an audience of tech and library staff in libraries serving 25,000-100,000 people.

For more information about the MaintainIT Project, including ways you can contribute to and participate in the project, go to http://www.maintainitproject.org/.

1/2/08: QuickTime Alternative

In our September and November 2007 newsletters, I wrote about Real Alternative and Foxit Reader, which are alternatives to two prime examples of bloatware, RealPlayer and Adobe Acrobat Reader respectively.  As I mentioned previously, bloatware is one of my pet peeves, so I decided to write just one more article about a leaner alternative to Apple’s QuickTime Player for Windows: the simply named QuickTime Alternative.

As much as I like Apple products (my current home computer/music server is a tiny, virtually silent Mac mini that dual boots between Mac OS X Leopard and Windows XP Pro), many Windows users, myself included, feel that Apple’s QuickTime Player for Windows has become rather bloated.  The latest version, a 20.3MB download, uses two to three times more RAM than Windows Media Player 11 and inundates you with iTunes ads as well.  If all you want to do is play the occasional QuickTime media content, like an online movie trailer (or perhaps the latest amusing Mac vs. PC ad), QuickTime Player sure seems like overkill.

QuickTime Alternative makes it possible for you to play QuickTime media content without having to install the bloated QuickTime Player.  According to the Codec Guide website (http://www.codecguide.com/), the free QuickTime Alternative is a trimmed down version of QuickTime—the download size is 11.7MB—that contains only the essential components needed for playing QuickTime media content that is embedded in web pages.

Codec Guide says the advantages of QuickTime Alternative are:

• Quick and easy install
• Ability to make an unattended installation
• No background processes
• No unwanted stuff and other nonsense
• Smaller size

If you want to download and play QuickTime files on your PC, the QuickTime Alternative installation package also gives you the option to install Media Player Classic, the same open-source media player that is bundled with Real Alternative.  Please note the installation package does not include any components for playing QuickTime files with Windows Media Player or other DirectShow-based media players.  If you want to use Windows Media Player, Codec Guide recommends you download and install the K-Lite Codec Pack from their website, which contains all the DirectShow filters that are required to play QuickTime files.  However, based on my experience with the K-Lite Codec Pack, I recommend you stick with Media Player Classic.

The latest version of QuickTime Alternative works on Windows XP, Server 2003, and Vista.  For more information and to download it, go to http://www.codecguide.com/about_qt.htm.

11/1/07: Foxit Reader: An Alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader

I am not a fan of Adobe Acrobat Reader.  The latest version is a big download, almost 31MB, and once installed runs slowly, requires frequent updates, and consumes large amounts of system resources.  Moreover, it often slows to a crawl or even freezes if I move too quickly through a PDF document that is still loading in Internet Explorer or Firefox.

In our September 2007 newsletter, I wrote about Real Alternative, which is a great alternative to the bloated RealPlayer.  Since bloatware is one of my pet peeves, I decided to write this month’s article about a much lighter, faster, and friendlier alternative to the ubiquitous Acrobat Reader: Foxit Reader.

Foxit Reader from Foxit Software is a free PDF document viewer that supports Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, 2003, and Vista.  According to Foxit Software’s website, here are some of Foxit Reader’s compelling advantages over Acrobat Reader:

• Incredibly small: The download size of Foxit Reader is only 2.13MB, a small fraction of Acrobat Reader’s size.
• Breezing-fast: When you run Foxit Reader, it launches instantly without any delay. You are not forced to view an annoying splash window displaying company logo, author names, etc.
• Annotation tool: Have you ever wished to annotate (or comment on) a PDF document when you are reading it?  Foxit Reader allows you to draw graphics, highlight text, type text and make notes on a PDF document and then print out or save the annotated document.
• High security and privacy: While other PDF readers often silently connect to the Internet in the background, Foxit Reader highly respects the security and privacy of users and will never connect to the Internet without users' permission.

In addition, the recently released Foxit Reader 2.2 offers a greatly improved text selection feature and many new features, including word capturing, advanced searching, minimizing to the system tray, and bookmarks synchronization.

I used Foxit Reader as my default PDF viewer for the past couple of months and found it to be an excellent alternative to Acrobat Reader.  It launched noticeably faster and used less system resources than Acrobat Reader.  It displayed PDF documents within Internet Explorer 7 without a hitch, loading fast and never freezing up.  Unfortunately, Foxit Reader will not display PDF documents within Firefox, but users can get around this problem by installing the PDF Download add-on at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/636.

For more information about Foxit Reader and to download it, go to http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php.

9/10/07: A Real Alternative to RealPlayer

A long time ago, RealPlayer was a relatively small and benign application.  Its current version, though, is a prime example of bloatware that pushes the line between software and spyware, consuming large amounts of system resources and installing all sorts of unwanted stuff onto your computer.  By default, RealPlayer also reports users’ viewing and listening preferences back to RealNetwork's servers.  Unfortunately, other popular media players like Windows Media Player and QuickTime cannot play Real-formatted files, forcing most users to just bite the bullet and install RealPlayer.

Fortunately, a free application fittingly named “Real Alternative” ends the tough choice by letting users play RealMedia files without having to install RealPlayer.  According to the Codec Guide website (http://www.codecguide.com/), Real Alternative supports all RealMedia formats (.ra, .rm, .rmvb, .ram, .rpm, .rv, .rp, .rt, .rnx, .smi, .smil, etc.), including streaming content and RealMedia content that is embedded in webpages.

According to Codec Guide, here are some of the advantages of Real Alternative compared to RealPlayer:

• Quick and easy install
• It's easy to make an unattended installation
• Proper uninstallation
• No background processes
• Use a player of your own choice
• Low on resources
• No advertising, no registration forms, nothing annoying

And here are a couple of its limitations:

• .smi and .smil files only play the first part of a clip. This is only a problem when the clip consists of multiple parts. These files are not very common. These files do play correctly when embedded in a browser.
• The RealMedia DirectShow splitter does not work with streaming content. You must use the included Media Player Classic to play streaming content.

Please note that Real Alternative is available in two versions: regular and “lite.”  The only difference between the two versions is that the regular version comes bundled with Media Player Classic, which is required if you want to play streaming RealMedia content, and the lite one does not.  (Media Player Classic is a free, compact, open-source media player that has a similar look and feel to the old Windows Media Player 6.4, but it has lots of extra features, including the ability to play movie DVDs.)  I have found that Real Alternative works best when it is installed with Media Player Classic, so I recommend that you download and install the regular version.

The latest version of Real Alternative works on Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, and Vista with DirectX 7 or higher installed.  For more information and to download it, go to http://www.codecguide.com/about_real.htm.

7/9/07: Microsoft Releases Latest Version of Free Public Access Computer Protection Tool

On June 22, 2007, Microsoft released Windows SteadyState, a free software tool that can make the lives of librarians easier by protecting their public access computers against accidental or malicious changes by patrons.

Windows SteadyState (WSS) supersedes the Shared Computer Toolkit (SCT) for Windows XP, which itself superseded the Public Access Computer Security Tool.  Many librarians may be familiar with the Public Access Computer Security Tool, which came preinstalled on computers that were donated to libraries as part of the Gates Library Initiative in the late 1990s.  Microsoft claims this new version is easier to download, set up, use, and maintain than its predecessors.

How Does It Work?
WSS protects a computer in two basic ways.  First, it restricts what a user can access on the computer, allowing you to control which programs, settings, features, disk drives, and websites are available to each user.  For example, you can restrict access to the computer’s C: drive but allow access to a removable USB flash drive.

Second, WSS uses two different methods to wipe away any changes a user makes to the computer and remove any files they may leave behind.  Once a shared user profile is configured and locked, all normal traces of the user, such as Internet history, cached web pages, or files saved to the Desktop, are deleted from the profile when they log off.  Additionally, a feature known as Windows Disk Protection clears all changes made to the hard drive at each reboot.

What’s New?
As stated earlier, WSS replaces SCT and improves on it in many ways.  According to a Microsoft FAQ, here are some of the main improvements:

• Easier to install - The simplified setup process now includes a file-based Windows Disk Protection technology that lets you install SteadyState without changing your disk partitions.
• Easier to use - A unified console lets you graphically control all your settings and options within a single interface, including the ability to export user profiles to other computers.
• More powerful - More options are available to restrict what programs and features users can access. New default security levels (high, medium, low) make it easier to control the many options.
• Easier to update - SteadyState now supports Windows Update technology, so you can push updated user restrictions to your shared computers at the same time that you’re pushing updates to other programs like Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer.
• More scalable - For server-based networks, the new group policy support for Windows Disk Protection means it can be managed in an Active Directory environment.

Upgrading from SCT
If you are currently using SCT, you cannot upgrade directly to WSS. You first have to uninstall SCT and the User Profile Hive Cleanup Service.  However, most of the shared user profile restrictions that you configured with SCT will be retained after you uninstall it, and they will be recognized by WSS and reflected in its user console.

Unfortunately, if you created unallocated space on a hard drive in order to use the version of Windows Disk Protection that came with SCT, WSS will not reclaim that space.  If there is a lot of extra space on the hard drive, you can just leave it as is.  But if you are running short on disk space, you will need to use a third-party utility like BootIT NG or PartitionMagic to reclaim the unallocated space.

Initial Test Results
After testing WSS on several computers running Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed (Windows Vista is not supported yet) and Microsoft Office 2003, I found it to be much easier to download, set up, use, and maintain than its predecessors, just as Microsoft claimed.  However, this new version still has some of the same shortcomings as SCT and what I believe are a few minor bugs or oversights by its designers.

For instance, when you select the High restrictions option on the Windows Restrictions tab under User Settings (which is the appropriate option for most public access computers), the Start Menu > Programs menu in the shared public profile (named “Patron” in my case) is still too cluttered.  Unwanted shortcuts remain, including Command Prompt and Address Book, while desired shortcuts like Microsoft Office, Paint, and Calculator are missing.  As with SCT, I had to login as an administrator, navigate to the “C:\Documents and Settings\Patron\Start Menu\Programs” directory, manually delete unwanted shortcuts, and then copy-and-paste desired ones from the “All Users” profile.  Microsoft should have added another tab to User Settings that lets you more easily customize the Start Menu shortcuts for the shared user profile.

One of the minor bugs I found in WSS involves the Session Timers option.  On the General tab under Session Timers, you can select the Always display the session countdown check box to configure a notification to appear telling users when their session is about to end.  The session timer notification remains on the screen throughout the session, which many of your patrons would probably appreciate.  According to the WSS handbook, the notification can be moved but it cannot be minimized or turned off by the user.  Despite all efforts, I could not budge the notification from its default location in the lower right corner of the screen.  If left on, the notification could block parts of your patron’s displayed documents or web pages, something they definitely would not appreciate.

For more information about Windows SteadyState, including links to download the tool and to additional resources, go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx

3/1/07: CTLS Introduces New Remote Support Tool

Thanks to a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CTLS has just purchased a 1-year subscription to LogMeIn Rescue.  This is an advanced remote support tool (see http://www.logmeinrescue.com/) that should significantly improve the TANG Specialist’s time to resolve technical support issues and reduce travel time and costs.  Because LogMeIn Rescue was purchased with funds from the Staying Connected Grant Program, a grant to help public libraries in rural or less wealthy communities sustain their public access computing capability, the tool must be used primarily to support public access computers.

LogMeIn Rescue offers a number of advantages over other remote control products that I have used in the past, such as RealVNC, Symantec pcAnywhere, and Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection.  One major advantage is that LogMeIn Rescue is web-based and requires no pre-installation of software.  It also uses secure, end-to-end 256-bit SSL encryption, the same security levels used and trusted by major banking institutions, which is built into Internet Explorer and Firefox.  In short, I no longer have to worry about pre-installing software on remote computers or adding and configuring additional ports and services on library firewalls.  LogMeIn Rescue truly offers on-demand, anywhere-to-anywhere technical support.

LogMeIn Rescue is also incredibly easy to use, both for remote users and for me.  I can connect to a remote computer in 30 seconds or less by using one of two methods: 1) by directing the remote user to www.logmein123.com and then entering a unique 6-digit PIN code; or 2) by sending the remote user an email with a unique direct-connect URL link.  Afterwards, the remote user clicks on ‘Run’ a couple of times to install the small LogMeIn Rescue Applet and then clicks ‘OK’ to grant me access to the computer.  The remote user does not require Administrator rights on the computer to run the Applet.  After the remote support session has ended, the Applet automatically removes itself from the computer.

Once I am connected to a remote computer, I can easily chat with the remote user using the White Board function, transfer files between computers, collect detailed, real-time system diagnostics, and reboot and then reconnect to the computer automatically, even if it is left unattended.  And I am not limited to one remote session at a time: I can conduct up to 10 concurrent remote sessions with a tabbed console interface that lets me toggle easily between sessions.

Basically, LogMeIn Rescue will enable me to provide better technical support to all of our member libraries.  In particular, I will use it to assist libraries in installing, configuring, and troubleshooting issues with software that was purchased with funds from the Staying Connected grant.

2/1/07: Hardware Requirements for Windows Vista: Microsoft vs. Reality

As I discussed in the January 2007 CTLS Newsletter, which you can download from our website, the minimum hardware requirements to run Windows Vista will be much steeper than any previous Microsoft operating system.  Here is an excerpt from my article “Introducing Microsoft Windows Vista”:

According to Microsoft, just to install and run the core features of Windows Vista with the basic user interface, a PC must have at least an 800 MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, and a 20 GB hard drive with a minimum of 15 GB of free space. To experience the “premium” features of Windows Vista, including the…Windows Aero interface, requires a PC with at least a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, 128 MB of graphics memory, and a 40 GB hard drive with a minimum of 15 GB of free space.

First, I suggest you ignore the first set of minimum requirements.  An 800 MHz processor and 512 MB of RAM does not even meet my minimum recommendations for Windows XP systems.  In addition, the fancy Aero interface is a major attraction of Vista.  Not only is it nice to look at, but Aero actually makes it easier to navigate in Vista.

That leaves us with the second set of minimum requirements, which is more in line with modern PCs.  Unfortunately, it appears that Microsoft may have also understated these requirements, which a number of sources say are unrealistically low.  In particular, a recent white paper published by hardware analysis firm iSuppli concluded that Microsoft understated Vista’s minimum hardware requirements by quite a lot.

The white paper, entitled "Compute Systems Cost Analyzer - Sorting Out the Requirements for Windows Vista," states that a much more realistic expectation is for consumers to plan for either a 3 GHz single-core processor or a 2 GHz dual-core processor for their desktop systems.  A 1.5 GHz processor may be suitable for notebooks.  The paper also recommends 2 GB of RAM.

Perhaps the one area most likely to need upgrading before you install Vista is the graphics memory.  Once again, Microsoft appears to have understated the minimum requirements.  If you want to run the Aero interface (trust me, you really do want to run it), here are Microsoft’s minimum graphics requirements for Vista:

• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) driver (a graphics driver architecture that is new in Vista)
• 128 MB of dedicated graphics memory
• Pixel Shader 2.0, 32 bits per pixel capability

DirectX 9 was introduced by Microsoft in December 2003, so if your graphics card is more than three years old or so, it will probably not work with Aero.

David DeJean, a writer for InformationWeek, recommends a dedicated graphics card with at least 256 MB of memory instead of Microsoft’s recommended 128 MB.  Citing a test from ATI, a major graphics card manufacturer, DeJean says the reason is WDDM: “If you try to run anything more demanding than the Windows Basic interface on a graphics card with less than 256MB of graphics memory, Vista will allocate 128MB of system memory for graphics, which may impact overall system performance.”

The Bottom Line
While it is clear that Microsoft may have understated Vista’s minimum hardware requirements, in reality, most new PCs purchased in the last couple of years should have little trouble running the new OS, perhaps needing a simple RAM boost or a better graphics card.  Older and less capable PCs may still run Vista, but they will probably have to do so without the fancy Aero interface.

1/2/07: Introducing Microsoft Windows Vista

As you may have heard by now, on January 30, 2007, Microsoft plans to release a new operating system named Windows Vista.  In contrast to Windows XP, which was initially released in 2002 and basically just an update to Windows 2000, the new operating system represents an entirely new version of Windows.

The new operating system includes many new features and improvements, far too many to list here.  Highlights include new security features for better protection from viruses and other malware (short for malicious software), enhanced file searching and organization, streamlined backup and restore protection, and much better power management and performance than previous versions of Windows.  Undoubtedly the most noticeable new feature is a stunning, elegant new user interface called Windows Aero, which offers spectacular visual effects such as glass-like chrome on floating windows and a translucent Start Menu and Taskbar.

Microsoft will offer no less than five different editions of Windows Vista in the U.S.: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate.  Each edition is focused on the needs of a specific type of user and offers a different set of features.  Most public libraries will probably be interested in the Business edition, which corresponds almost perfectly with Windows XP Professional, the most common desktop operating system in libraries today.

Of course, all the enhanced functionality and graphical improvements in Windows Vista come at a price—the minimum requirements to run it will be much steeper than any previous Microsoft operating system.  According to Microsoft, just to install and run the core features of Windows Vista with the basic user interface, a PC must have at least an 800 MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, and a 20 GB hard drive with a minimum of 15 GB of free space.  To experience the “premium” features of Windows Vista, including the aforementioned Windows Aero interface, requires a PC with at least a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, 128 MB of graphics memory, and a 40 GB hard drive with a minimum of 15 GB of free space.  Also, please note that Windows Vista ships on a DVD, so to install the operating system, a PC must have a DVD drive.

If a PC is already running Windows XP and you want to see if it can run Windows Vista, just go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/upgradeadvisor/default.mspx, then download, install and run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor.   

For more information about Windows Vista, see Microsoft’s official Windows Vista Home Page at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/.  And for an excellent, thorough review of Windows Vista, see Paul Thurrott’s SuperSite for Windows at http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/winvista.asp.

10/31/06: Internet Explorer 7 vs. Firefox 2: Battle of the Browsers

On October 24, 2006, the web browser battle intensified as Mozilla, a global group of users dedicated to building free software, released version 2 of its up-and-coming Firefox browser, now used by about 15 percent of those on the Web. Its release came just days after Microsoft released version 7 of its leading Internet Explorer (IE) browser, which is used by over 80 percent of Web surfers.

Firefox 2 offers no radical changes compared to version 1.5, which came out about a year ago. Version 2 now offers built-in protection against phishing websites—malicious sites designed to trick users into handing over valuable, personal information—but most other changes simply refine many of the same features, such as tabbed browsing and RSS newsfeed support, that are new to IE 7.

So what’s new to IE and Firefox? Improvements include:

• Upgraded Tabbed Browsing - Firefox popularized tabbed browsing, which lets you open webpages in separate tabs of a single browser window, allowing you to jump between them quickly and easily.

In Firefox 2, each of those tabs now has a convenient close button. In addition, you can retrieve a tab if you close it by mistake, rearrange tabs, and access all open tabs via a drop-down list button.

Tabbed browsing is new to IE 7, and this new feature is actually superior to Firefox’s approach in some ways. For instance, you can click on the “Quick Tabs” button to see thumbnail images of all your open tabs. Clicking on a thumbnail will take you to that tab. You can also add a group of open tabs to your Favorites.

IE 7 also includes a nifty session-saver option: When you close the browser, you can select an option to open the same tabs the next time you use IE.

• Improved Security - Both IE 7 and Firefox 2 now offer built-in protection against phishing websites and better protection from spyware.

IE 7 now features a "Delete Browsing History" option that clears temporary files, cookies, history, and saved form data and passwords, either all at once or separately, something you could already do in Firefox 1.5.

Microsoft also improved ActiveX handling in IE 7 and changed the underlying architecture of the browser to reduce potential areas of attack for hackers.

• Enhanced Search Engines - IE 7 and Firefox 2 both include built-in search windows, but now the latter includes an autocomplete feature that suggests search terms based on what you type in the search box. A great feature, but it only works with Google, Yahoo and Answers.com, at least for now.
• Better RSS Support - RSS feeds offer a great way to quickly check news and updates from your favorite websites. RSS support is new to IE 7 and upgraded in Firefox 2.

Firefox has always been a basic RSS reader, but Firefox 2 offers a range of new subscription options. For example, you can now add a RSS feed to a personal Bloglines, Google Reader or My Yahoo! webpage.

IE 7 includes many other new features, such as a bright new interface, quick page zooms and improved printing. Likewise, Firefox 2 offers additional new features, including some that were previously available through optional add-ons, such as spell checking and the ability to resume a browsing session exactly where you left off if Firefox crashes or has to restart.

The Bottom Line
So which browser should you use?

If you are a satisfied Firefox 1.5 user, upgrading to version 2 is a real no-brainer. You’ll gain a number of useful features and improved security, and you won't be thrown off by any major interface changes.

Confirmed IE 6 users have a similarly easy choice: IE 7 offers a huge improvement over IE 6, and its major security enhancements alone make it a must-have upgrade. Its user interface is very different from IE 6, though, so I highly recommend you take the quick welcome tour to get acquainted with it. Regardless, if you don't download IE 7 and install it soon, Microsoft plans to push it out as a critical Windows update sometime in November.

9/27/06: FREE Domain Name Registration for Public Libraries

I was reminded recently about why it was so important to maintain your website’s domain name registration when one of our member libraries inadvertently let their registration lapse and lost their domain name and website address to an apparent cybersquatter. There is a chance the library will win back their domain name, but it will take a good deal of time and effort on their part.

One way to avoid a situation like this would be to use a reserved domain name ending in “.lib.tx.us” (for example, http://www.westbank.lib.tx.us/). Texas public libraries are currently eligible for free domain name registration through the UT System Office of Telecommunication Services (OTS), which is the domain name registration authority for the “.lib.tx.us” domain.

According to the OTS website (http://www.the.net/services/domains/index.php), “the .lib.tx.us domain is used for state, regional, city and county public libraries; private libraries; and library networks, consortiums and systems in the state of Texas...Currently, there are no registration or maintenance charges for domain names in the .lib.tx.us name space.”

If you would like to register a new “.lib.tx.us” domain name for your library, you should submit the LIB.TX.US Domain Registration Form at http://www.the.net/forms/lib-tx-us-form.php.

Using Yahoo! Mail with CYBERsitter

Several of the other regional library systems in Texas have TANG specialists just like me. Sharing information with these other TANG specialists has been a very valuable and helpful resource. Many of the IT problems that CTLS members encounter in their libraries have been experienced before by other public libraries across the state.

Here is a particularly useful article about using Yahoo! Mail with CYBERsitter, which was published in the Technical Assistance Bulletin, May 2006, by Mark Skinner of the Big Country Library System in Abilene:

CYBERsitter and Yahoo! Mail Fix

If you use CYBERsitter content filtering software, you may have received complaints from patrons that they are unable to send messages from their Yahoo! Mail account. Here are the instructions on how to fix this problem:

1. Open the CYBERsitter control panel

2. From the left side menu, click on the User Files button

3. On the right side screen, click on the Allowable Sites tab

4. Enter the following as allowable sites:

[yahoo.com]
[mail.yahoo.com]
[opi.yahoo.com]
[edit.yahoo.com]
[yimg.com]

5. Click the Save button

6. Close CYBERsitter

7. Restart your computer

Now, Yahoo! Mail should work correctly. Thank you to Nancy Mayo in Colorado City and Rhonda Castillo in Coleman for helping solve this problem!

9/1/06: Make Your Own PDF Files for Free - UPDATED

As my predecessor Marvin Perez wrote in a prior TANG Tech Tip, a document that has been converted to a Portable Document Format (PDF) file is usually smaller—sometimes much smaller—than the original document and “therefore easier to send in an email message or post on the Web. You can create a PDF file from anything you can print, regardless of the application or version. Best of all, PDF files are viewable by anyone that can download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader program.”

In short, converting a document to a PDF file reduces its size and also captures the fonts and formatting of the original document, preserving its appearance and allowing it to be viewed and printed on any computer regardless of its platform (e.g., Windows, Mac OS, Unix, Linux). Commercial products like Adobe Acrobat, Nitro PDF, and PDF Converter enable you to edit PDF files and add support for more advanced features like enhanced security and multimedia capabilities, but if all you want to do is simply convert your documents to PDF, there are a number of free PDF converters available that you can download off the Web.

In his original article, Marvin recommended two good examples of free PDF converters that are still available: Pdf995 and PDF Online. Now I would like to add my own example, one that I have used for a long time with great results: CutePDF Writer.

CutePDF Writer is actually very similar to Pdf995. Both utilities require you to download and install a Postscript-to-PDF converter (such as the recommended Ghostscript software) and a separate printer driver. Both are very easy to use and convert documents to PDF in much the same way. For example, to convert a Microsoft Word 2003 document to PDF using CutePDF Writer, you open the document in Word, click Print, select "CutePDF Writer" from the list of available printers, click OK, select the destination for your converted PDF file from the dropdown list and give it a name, and then click Save. It’s that quick and easy.

This is, however, one noticeable difference between the two free PDF converters: Pdf995 pops up a sponsor page in your web browser each time you use it and CutePDF Writer does not. So if the last thing you need are more annoying popup ads, give CutePDF Writer a try.