I was entering a Bell contest (as I am known to do) online and discovered that Bell is now offering a 16Mb download internet service! This is twice as fast as the highest speed offering Rogers has, and would provide unbelievable internet speeds. It costs $100 per month, but when you have a need for speed only the fastest internet will do!

While my feelings on Windows Vista's readiness are mixed, I think Microsoft has done a fantastic job with Office 2007. Outlook is vastly improved the area of reliablilty; a mailbox that we were trying to repair would not open in Outlook 2002 at all, but in Outlook 2007 it opened immediately.

The search function in Outlook operates so quickly that your search results start appearing even before you finish typing! Buckle your seatbelt!

Microsoft Word is also improved in a few areas. You can preview font style and size changes on the fly, and the letter mailing section is vastly improved.

Way to go on this one Microsoft!

I have been using Vista since January and have assembled a list of what I like and don't like about it.

First let's look at the positives:

• Searching is very quick. A search for a file on your PC will usually take less than 10 seconds
• Good Product Support: Windows Vista recognizes more hardware than XP as soon as you plug it in.
• Nicer looking interface: Mac users will be happy to see that Microsoft has changed the look and feel of Vista over to a Mac-like look.
• I also like that there is a "favorites" bar in the file window that gives you shortcut access to various file locations.
• Windows Update is built right into Control Panel, which is convenient.

And now the negatives:

• User Account Control is a feature that drives me batty. It asks you for confirmation after every potential security related action you take. It is too annoying and I disable it ASAP when working on a new vista PC.Older programs do not work that well (or at all). Outlook 2002 (XP) will no longer store your passwords as one example.I find myself with butterflies in my stomach when running any application on Vista for the first time.
• Some software tech support teams are simply saying "we do not support Vista" which I find very frustrating. HP has not released updates for quite a few of their printers for Vista so be aware of that.
• You need a very strong computer to run Vista as well. The specs for systems that run Vista are pretty gaudy.
• Also because of the many different flavors of Vista you may or may not get all the features you need. I discovered at a client's site that his version of Vista did not have Windows Scan and Fax which would have been useful to the client.
• The Power Off button does not power off the PC. I find this extremely annoying, as I have to remember to select Shut down or restart from a side menu. Power off should mean power off!
• Wireless network support seems to have lost a step. I am finding wireless connections sporadically disconnect.

All in all, I do not feel Vista is ready for prime time yet. Will keep you posted.

With so many options to choose from, there is no excuse to not backup your data. There are even no-cost solutions such as Mozybackup which backs up your data to an internet-based server. The free size limit is 2gb, which is enough for all your documents and, most likely, your pictures. Best of all, the more friends you refer, the more size Mozy gives you for your backup. Be a good friend and tell your friends about Mozy!

Another low cost option is a removable drive, which will set you back less than $200 in most cases. These drives are large enough to backup everything on your pc, and you can use Windows Backup to schedule a weekly backup onto them.

As you can see there is no longer an excuse not to backup. Please save yourself the stress of lost data and get a backup solution right away!

Lately I have had a client or two buy these mini PCs for their office. I do not like them because they are overpriced (you pay around $1000 for a computer that should cost around $600), some parts are extremely difficult to replace as they are made only for that particular PC and opening them for service is akin to opening a Sony Playstation for repair; not very easy! Standard sized PCs are definitely the way to go, particularly for a business.