Microsoft Releases Vista Requirements

Microsoft has published the requirements for Vista capable machines. According to Microsoft, a Vista capable machine must have at least:

-800 MHZ Processor

-512 MB of RAM

-A graphics card that is DirectX 9 compatible

-20 GB of hard drive space

These are absolute minimum requirements, the Vista recommended requirements are:

-1 GHZ Processor

-1 GB of RAM

-A DirectX 9 Compatible Video card with a WDDM driver, 128 MB of RAM, and 2.0 pixel shader

-40 GB of hard drive space

Even with the above specs, you will still feel Vista is sluggish. At least 2 GB of RAM will make things much faster.

IE7 Surfing Slow? Change Your Security Settings

Internet Explorer 7 comes with a few security upgrades that, according to Microsoft, help prevent infiltrations by hackers, malicious programs, spyware/malware and adware. The problem is that these upgrades cause a severe slowdown in browsing speed, making it downright frustrating to surf the Internet.By following these simple steps, you can turn off some of the security settings that come built-in to IE7, and greatly speed up your Internet browsing.

NOTE: These instructions only apply to Internet Explorer 7

1. Open Internet Explorer 7.

2. Click on the Tools button in the top right corner.

3. Click on Internet Options on the pull-down menu.

4. Click on the Advanced Tab.

5. Scroll down until you find the Security section.

6. Uncheck the following boxes:

a. Check for publisher’s certificate revocation

b. Check for signatures on downloaded programs

c. Enable Integrated Windows Authentication

7. Check the box to Disable Phishing Filter.

8. Click OK to return to IE7.

9. Close and reopen your browser so that the changes take effect.

Novell Releases Client 4.91 SP3

Novell recently released the newest version of client for Windows 2000/XP, Novell Client 4.91 Service Pack 3. The upgrade fixes a large list of bugs. However, we do not suggest upgrading to SP3 at this time, as we are still in the process of testing the new client for compatibility. We will keep you posted on our progress.

List of bug fixes - http://www.novell.com/documentation/noclienu/clientreadme/data/ncw_readme_sp3.html#bupghcr

Microsoft Office 2007

Microsoft released the newest version of it's productivity suite, Office 2007, on November 30, 2006 to business customers. The release is the first major overhaul of the software since 2003, and will be available to consumers in January of 2007.

The most noticeable change is the introduction of the "Ribbon", a new graphical user interface (GUI) that replaces the menu and toolbars that users are currently familiar with. The ribbon is essentially a widget that is exposed across the top of the window that shows what the program can do. Microsoft claims that this will consolidate all the related functionalities in one place and hence improve usability and ease of interaction. Office 2007 also includes new applications and server-side tools to improve collaboration and communication.

Another major change (and something to take note of) is that Office 2007 will use a new file format to save documents, known as OpenXML. This format is based on XML and uses a ZIP file container to compress files. This compression will lead to a 75% reduction in the size of files produced in Office 2007, however, this will also cause some issues with trading files between Office versions. Users of old Office versions will have to download a plugin in order to view and edit documents produced in the OpenXML format.

The goal of the new Microsoft Office user interface is to make it easier for people to use applications to deliver better results faster. The new design makes it easier to find powerful features by replacing menus and toolbars with a Ribbon that organizes and presents capabilities in a way that corresponds more directly to how people work. The streamlined screen layout and dynamic results-oriented galleries enable users to spend more time focused on their work and less time trying to get the application to do what they want it to do. As a result, Microsoft claims that people will find it much easier and quicker to produce great looking documents, high-impact presentations, effective spreadsheets, and powerful desktop database applications.

You can try out a free online demo of the new Office 2007 at http://www.runaware.com/microsoft/en-us/2007office/td . Let us know what you think.

The New Office 2007 Icons

Adobe Reader 8 Released

Adobe recently released the newest version of its Reader software, citing a new, streamlined interface with user customizable toolbars and security concerns as reasons to upgrade. Adobe also recently revealed that it's Reader 7.0 software had a critical security vulnerability that could allow a hacker to take over a computer. The new version fixes this issue.

Adobe Reader 8 features a “Start Meeting” button that launches Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, an Adobe-hosted software service that provides real-time online collaboration through Adobe Flash Player. The company claims that the new streamlined user interface and graphics acceleration in Reader 8 will enable people to more easily engage with ideas and information.

You can download the new version at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html .