maybe just plug the belkin into the ups and then everything into that?
Yes, that would be great, except that APC Smart UPS specifically states not to do that. It says that each power cable should go into one receptor. It is an online UPS, so that there is no delay between losing power and the battery supplying it. I guess, but I do not know for sure, that the circuit would be overloaded if the Belkin were plugged into one outlet in the UPS. I will have to contact them.
They are great, I have just one box on the floor under my desk, easy to sweep around, doesn't collect dust and looks tidy.
Looks good, but I use 2 UPS systems to protect my routers, computer, and monitor. I wish that the UPS people would have a solution that looks like the Belkin.
My consulting practice, Geezer Computer Education and Consulting has worked with seniors for over 10 years. I am the Senior Geezer who came from the world of Information Systems.
(1) Remove all bloatware
(2) Install Norton Security Suite 2009 that offers a lot of protection very quietly (senior men watch a lot of porno)
(3) Low resolution on a large monitor - most like it at 800 x 600, but on very large monitors that can be higher
(4) Install Cloudmark or other strong spam tools
(5) Insttall Netcraft or other strong phishing tools
(6) Set them up with gotomypc and monitor their updates for them. Many seniors pay no attention to the system tray.
(7) Set them up with Roboform Pro and sync their passwords to a USB drive
(8) Automatically Sync favorites and pictures to USB drive
(9) Spend many days showing and explaining to them what a Window is, what a dialog box is, what a pull down is. There are many studies showing that Seniors have reduced 3D vision and have trouble distinguishing between the dialog box and the background window.
(10) Get rid of any programs not currently used. They can always be installed later.
(11) Teach them, using gotomypc, the difference between downloading and installing
(12) Teach them the most common terms they will need to explain the problem (monitor, computer, mouse, keyboard, router, modem, etc.) Do not assume understanding until they can explain it back to you.
I cannot emphasize enough the value of good remote control. Also, though Ubunto may be fine, they will not be able to get assistance as readily as if they have Windows. My seniors have actually loved Vista, though they were initially very skeptical about moving from XP.
Good luck, the seniors you serve well will definitely appreciate you.
Albert
Thank you for this suggestion. I program in a scripting language, am retired but enjoy it for fun and profit, and now I want to go into more sophisticated programming. This recommendation is perfect!
I have been buying computer parts online for as long as I can remember, though at my age my memory is getting less sharp. I follow a simple but time consuming process that takes me several days to complete. 1. I make a preliminary list of the parts I want 2. I search though PriceGrabber, PriceRunner, ResellerRatngs, and shopping.com 3. I select the vendor that has the lowest price for as many of the parts as I can find and then a vendor that has the remaining parts. 4. I read the reviews on those sites for the parts, which sometimes leads me to alternative parts. 5. I make another run with my final list of parts.
I then, invariably purchase from NewEgg, MWave, or ZipZoomFly. However, I just did a search of all my purchases made in the last five years and NewEgg is BY FAR the place I have ordered from most. I have found their ordering process to be exceptionally fast, the prices extremely competitive, and their historic data convenient for manufacturer warranties.
So good luck in the process. I read the comment several users wrote about buying locally. Though I agree, if you end up buying $2,000 worth of parts, that is nearly $400 you have spent on taxes and profit to the local establishment. I found that excessive for me.
Again, good luck and tell us what you did.
Al
Re:Non-Tech Percent of Web Traffic from Chrome
on
Google Chrome, Day 2
·
· Score: 1
My significant gaps are: No Roboform No All-In-One Sidebar No Colorful Tabs No AdBlock Plus No Dictionary No FlagFox No FoxMarks (though there is the ability to synchronize) No iMacros No Tab Mix Plus No Smooth Scrolling No Themes for very high resolution, large monitors Yes, I am spoiled by Firefox alright. Also there was a major carpet-bombing vulnerability discovered.
Look, we all know that our computer is important to us. I remember an earthquake in San Francisco where people were running out of their houses naked with only the computer in their arms because their entire financial lives were on it. When the earthquake hit, I reached over my desk and held onto my 21" monitor ($2,000+ in those days) because of how important it was to my business.
Yes, I wasn't and many aren't rational when it comes to our computers because we all have a love-hate relationship with it (them). So, when you bring your computer to a "repair shop" you are entrusting them with something that they must take care of. Forget that the law says they were probably grossly negligent and just try and put yourself in the customer's skin. YOU WOULD BE TOTALLY FRUSTRATED. You would have pain and anger. I strongly believe that she should get an enormous amount of money for that.
And please, don't tell me that people should back up and protect their identities with safe computing. We all know that, but many do not truly understand what it means to be safe. Once, I tried to get a NASA employee to spend the money on a backup system. She said she could not spend any more money. A few weeks later, she called me up crying. She was designing a cage to hold some animals in an early space shot and all the drawings were lost and not backed up - she felt that she would lose her job. I once had to go to a Senior Manager in a large, well-known company to advise him that one of his department managers refused to buy virus protection and the Michael Angelo virus was going to hit on a specific date (I forget the date). He thanked me, gave me a bonus, and fired his manager, but I took an enormous risk in trying to get them (in the olden days) to practice safe computing.
So, the bottom line is. I really empathize with the customer and I hope that she gets all the money the courts are willing to give her.
Look, my company sells to the smallest part of their market; we sell to retired people in Planned Developments in Florida.
Microsoft has given me absolutely the best support of any vendor.
I find the training from the classes I have taken to help me do a better job installing small servers and desktops.
I find their products, though buggy initially, to be far less buggy then almost any other application the size of Microsoft's and they definitely improve over time.
I ENJOY participating in the beta tests and I will bet that most of the Beta testers do also, despite our occasional gripes. We do not do this only to help Microsoft. We influence the way the final products evolves, we help make it a better product for our clients, we enjoy seeing things WAY before others do, and many of us are absolutely addicted to this thing called a PC.
When I call Microsoft for help in solving a problem I cannot, they stick with me until it is solved, no matter how long it takes and occasionally no matter how high up in the engineering they have to escalate it. They certainly do not support me because I make them millions, because I am a small fry. They help me because their employees are motivated to do the best job they can. Try getting that support from Dell, Gateway, HP, Adobe, Symantec, Autodesk, or any of the other big companies: forgedaboutit!
Could Vista be improved upon? You betcha. I also am willing to bet that it will improve, that Microsoft will make a fortune from Vista's eye candy and improved (though certainly not infallible security), that those of us who sell to and support small and large customers will find that our customers DO like the product, and everyone will benefit from the clever way they market the product and put pressure on the hardware manufacturers to keep their drivers working.
So, there you have it from a 68 year old geek. I complain also, but I do like Microsoft and their products. I bet that those of you reading Slashdot do also, but do not like to admit it.
First of all, the SANS Institute, www.SANS.org has lots of procedures that you could try to get them to implement that are not terribly invasive. They also document the nature of attacks in lay terms.
However, I am afraid, that your position on this will NOT be supported. Most of the problems occur from user error and not from outside attacks. Even in your IT environment, probably most of the support time and resources that have to be hired are those that buy a new keyboard when someone spills coffee on theirs, inserts a floppy (if that is still possible in an organization) that comes from an infected outside computer, erases files that they feel they do not need like ntdtect, and so one - just look at your own company for insights.
Therefore, I suggest that the solution for you is to:
Purchase and install Spybot on their computer, the price is right
Purchase and install the self updating associated Spyware Blaster - $9.00 (an inexpensive gift)
Set up their automatic Windows Updates
Get rid of Internet Explorer and install Opera, again the price is right.
Install an antivrus program, even a free one will probably suffice.
And, above all, get them into some classes about Windows or Office, or whatever they are using.
Good Luck!
I just went to the SB Audigy update site and they do have drivers for Vista. Did you check it out?
I have downloaded RC1, backed up my system along with a recovery DVD, and I plan to install Vista in the next couple of days.
Why? Because many new computer buyers will have their new computers shipped with Vista in about 3 or 4 months. With everything everyone of the commenters have said, it will take awhile to become familiar enough with Vista so that we can help and profit by that help.
My market place is unique. I help seniors in "Active Adult" communities use computers. Believe me, if you youngins think it is awkward, clutsy, and hard to use, imagine a 60 year old person using a computer for the first time. As people get older, their spatial relations ability wains and I am eager to see if Vista helps them or hinders them with the Aero interface. Since most seniors tend to buy cheap computers they might not even have the "benefit" of the Aero interface. It may be that I need to see which versions are best for my clients to buy.
My final comment is that we should thoroughly learn and become knowlewdgable about Vista and any and all of its quirks because no matter what we prefer to use, the currently largest installed base is MS Windows. If MAC takes off and people use a virtual Windows OS as well as the MAC, we had better know it well to be of use to the mainstream user.
Slashdot Mirror
maybe just plug the belkin into the ups and then everything into that?
Yes, that would be great, except that APC Smart UPS specifically states not to do that. It says that each power cable should go into one receptor. It is an online UPS, so that there is no delay between losing power and the battery supplying it. I guess, but I do not know for sure, that the circuit would be overloaded if the Belkin were plugged into one outlet in the UPS. I will have to contact them.
Seriously a good idea. I got a bunch of these http://www.belkin.com/surgeprotection/concealed/
They are great, I have just one box on the floor under my desk, easy to sweep around, doesn't collect dust and looks tidy.
Looks good, but I use 2 UPS systems to protect my routers, computer, and monitor. I wish that the UPS people would have a solution that looks like the Belkin.
My consulting practice, Geezer Computer Education and Consulting has worked with seniors for over 10 years. I am the Senior Geezer who came from the world of Information Systems. (1) Remove all bloatware (2) Install Norton Security Suite 2009 that offers a lot of protection very quietly (senior men watch a lot of porno) (3) Low resolution on a large monitor - most like it at 800 x 600, but on very large monitors that can be higher (4) Install Cloudmark or other strong spam tools (5) Insttall Netcraft or other strong phishing tools (6) Set them up with gotomypc and monitor their updates for them. Many seniors pay no attention to the system tray. (7) Set them up with Roboform Pro and sync their passwords to a USB drive (8) Automatically Sync favorites and pictures to USB drive (9) Spend many days showing and explaining to them what a Window is, what a dialog box is, what a pull down is. There are many studies showing that Seniors have reduced 3D vision and have trouble distinguishing between the dialog box and the background window. (10) Get rid of any programs not currently used. They can always be installed later. (11) Teach them, using gotomypc, the difference between downloading and installing (12) Teach them the most common terms they will need to explain the problem (monitor, computer, mouse, keyboard, router, modem, etc.) Do not assume understanding until they can explain it back to you. I cannot emphasize enough the value of good remote control. Also, though Ubunto may be fine, they will not be able to get assistance as readily as if they have Windows. My seniors have actually loved Vista, though they were initially very skeptical about moving from XP. Good luck, the seniors you serve well will definitely appreciate you. Albert
Thank you for this suggestion. I program in a scripting language, am retired but enjoy it for fun and profit, and now I want to go into more sophisticated programming. This recommendation is perfect!
I have been buying computer parts online for as long as I can remember, though at my age my memory is getting less sharp. I follow a simple but time consuming process that takes me several days to complete.
1. I make a preliminary list of the parts I want
2. I search though PriceGrabber, PriceRunner, ResellerRatngs, and shopping.com
3. I select the vendor that has the lowest price for as many of the parts as I can find and then a vendor that has the remaining parts.
4. I read the reviews on those sites for the parts, which sometimes leads me to alternative parts.
5. I make another run with my final list of parts.
I then, invariably purchase from NewEgg, MWave, or ZipZoomFly. However, I just did a search of all my purchases made in the last five years and NewEgg is BY FAR the place I have ordered from most. I have found their ordering process to be exceptionally fast, the prices extremely competitive, and their historic data convenient for manufacturer warranties.
So good luck in the process. I read the comment several users wrote about buying locally. Though I agree, if you end up buying $2,000 worth of parts, that is nearly $400 you have spent on taxes and profit to the local establishment. I found that excessive for me.
Again, good luck and tell us what you did.
Al
My significant gaps are:
No Roboform
No All-In-One Sidebar
No Colorful Tabs
No AdBlock Plus
No Dictionary
No FlagFox
No FoxMarks (though there is the ability to synchronize)
No iMacros
No Tab Mix Plus
No Smooth Scrolling
No Themes for very high resolution, large monitors
Yes, I am spoiled by Firefox alright.
Also there was a major carpet-bombing vulnerability discovered.
Look, we all know that our computer is important to us. I remember an earthquake in San Francisco where people were running out of their houses naked with only the computer in their arms because their entire financial lives were on it. When the earthquake hit, I reached over my desk and held onto my 21" monitor ($2,000+ in those days) because of how important it was to my business. Yes, I wasn't and many aren't rational when it comes to our computers because we all have a love-hate relationship with it (them). So, when you bring your computer to a "repair shop" you are entrusting them with something that they must take care of. Forget that the law says they were probably grossly negligent and just try and put yourself in the customer's skin. YOU WOULD BE TOTALLY FRUSTRATED. You would have pain and anger. I strongly believe that she should get an enormous amount of money for that. And please, don't tell me that people should back up and protect their identities with safe computing. We all know that, but many do not truly understand what it means to be safe. Once, I tried to get a NASA employee to spend the money on a backup system. She said she could not spend any more money. A few weeks later, she called me up crying. She was designing a cage to hold some animals in an early space shot and all the drawings were lost and not backed up - she felt that she would lose her job. I once had to go to a Senior Manager in a large, well-known company to advise him that one of his department managers refused to buy virus protection and the Michael Angelo virus was going to hit on a specific date (I forget the date). He thanked me, gave me a bonus, and fired his manager, but I took an enormous risk in trying to get them (in the olden days) to practice safe computing. So, the bottom line is. I really empathize with the customer and I hope that she gets all the money the courts are willing to give her.
Impeach the current President and Vice President. It is the only solution.
Microsoft has given me absolutely the best support of any vendor.
I find the training from the classes I have taken to help me do a better job installing small servers and desktops.
I find their products, though buggy initially, to be far less buggy then almost any other application the size of Microsoft's and they definitely improve over time.
I ENJOY participating in the beta tests and I will bet that most of the Beta testers do also, despite our occasional gripes. We do not do this only to help Microsoft. We influence the way the final products evolves, we help make it a better product for our clients, we enjoy seeing things WAY before others do, and many of us are absolutely addicted to this thing called a PC.
When I call Microsoft for help in solving a problem I cannot, they stick with me until it is solved, no matter how long it takes and occasionally no matter how high up in the engineering they have to escalate it. They certainly do not support me because I make them millions, because I am a small fry. They help me because their employees are motivated to do the best job they can. Try getting that support from Dell, Gateway, HP, Adobe, Symantec, Autodesk, or any of the other big companies: forgedaboutit!
Could Vista be improved upon? You betcha. I also am willing to bet that it will improve, that Microsoft will make a fortune from Vista's eye candy and improved (though certainly not infallible security), that those of us who sell to and support small and large customers will find that our customers DO like the product, and everyone will benefit from the clever way they market the product and put pressure on the hardware manufacturers to keep their drivers working.
So, there you have it from a 68 year old geek. I complain also, but I do like Microsoft and their products. I bet that those of you reading Slashdot do also, but do not like to admit it.
Albert
First of all, the SANS Institute, www.SANS.org has lots of procedures that you could try to get them to implement that are not terribly invasive. They also document the nature of attacks in lay terms. However, I am afraid, that your position on this will NOT be supported. Most of the problems occur from user error and not from outside attacks. Even in your IT environment, probably most of the support time and resources that have to be hired are those that buy a new keyboard when someone spills coffee on theirs, inserts a floppy (if that is still possible in an organization) that comes from an infected outside computer, erases files that they feel they do not need like ntdtect, and so one - just look at your own company for insights. Therefore, I suggest that the solution for you is to: Purchase and install Spybot on their computer, the price is right Purchase and install the self updating associated Spyware Blaster - $9.00 (an inexpensive gift) Set up their automatic Windows Updates Get rid of Internet Explorer and install Opera, again the price is right. Install an antivrus program, even a free one will probably suffice. And, above all, get them into some classes about Windows or Office, or whatever they are using. Good Luck!
I have downloaded RC1, backed up my system along with a recovery DVD, and I plan to install Vista in the next couple of days. Why? Because many new computer buyers will have their new computers shipped with Vista in about 3 or 4 months. With everything everyone of the commenters have said, it will take awhile to become familiar enough with Vista so that we can help and profit by that help.
My market place is unique. I help seniors in "Active Adult" communities use computers. Believe me, if you youngins think it is awkward, clutsy, and hard to use, imagine a 60 year old person using a computer for the first time. As people get older, their spatial relations ability wains and I am eager to see if Vista helps them or hinders them with the Aero interface. Since most seniors tend to buy cheap computers they might not even have the "benefit" of the Aero interface. It may be that I need to see which versions are best for my clients to buy.
My final comment is that we should thoroughly learn and become knowlewdgable about Vista and any and all of its quirks because no matter what we prefer to use, the currently largest installed base is MS Windows. If MAC takes off and people use a virtual Windows OS as well as the MAC, we had better know it well to be of use to the mainstream user.
Your comments are welcome.