Psalms 37:5

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Solotechie Computer Services--Christmas Newsletter

Hello again, everyone! 

Feel free to forward this on to some friends!  If you have an idea for a future newsletter, or if there's something you like or dislike, please let me know.  If you'd rather not receive the newsletter, that's fine; just tell me, and I'll remove you from the subscribers list.  If you're having trouble reading this in your e-mail, click here for the online edition.

Just wanted to start off the newsletter with a hearty "Thanks!" to all my customers--I do really appreciate your patronage, and I look forward to working with you in the future.

Computers

Pricing and specifications for pre-built desktop computers are on the site, but here's a brief rundown of the info, if you need a belated Christmas gift idea:

Price: $597 (plus tax, sorry)--Includes delivery, setup, and configuration of your existing internet account (within 20 miles of Fayetteville).
(The fine print: Does not include monitor or speakers, though I can include those at my cost if you need them.  Please check my website for up-to-date pricing.)

Internet Explorer 7

If you haven't already installed it, you might want to skip the upgrade to IE7 that Microsoft is touting as a "Critical" Security Update in the Windows Update service.  I made the upgrade to IE7 on some computers at a client's office, and within days had to uninstall it--a basic function the client needed, and had been using without trouble in Internet Explorer 6, wasn't working so well.  In addition, there are some websites that don't work so well with the newest version of Microsoft's browser.

If you already have Internet Explorer 7, and you're not having any problems, I would recommend you keep it--IE7 has a few pretty neat features (tabs, for one) that can definitely improve the web surfing experience.  If you have any trouble with the new version, you can simply uninstall it to revert back to IE6. 

Baby Update

Our daughter, Annika (rhymes with "Hanukkah", in case you were wondering) is growing fast, and getting cuter by the day (No, I'm not biased.)  Updated pics are here. 

(In case you're tuning in late, my wife and I were blessed with a baby girl, our first, on October 5th, 2006.)

My funny noise/babbling nonsense vocabulary is getting larger by the day, as well.  Thankfully, I haven't accidentally inserted any baby talk into normal conversations, but I do occasionally find myself rocking back and forth while talking to someone.  Only moderately embarrassing...so if you ever see me standing there, swaying like a porch swing in a stiff breeze, you know it's not from overconsumption of adult-type beverages.

FREE STUFF! (Firefox: A better browser)

Some of you may already know about Firefox, but for those who don't, it's a web browser, like Internet Explorer, that is being used by more and more people.

Here are a few of the reasons why...
 If you've not used Firefox before, you should try it.  Go to GetFirefox.com, download the program, and install it.  It's free!  FREE!

VOIP: Talk is cheap!

After a recent cell phone bill that was too high for my tastes, I decided to do something I should have done a long time ago: Set myself up with VOIP.  Now, if you aren't familiar with VOIP, it stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol, and it's a way of talking to someone else over the internet, through your computer.  With services like Skype and Gizmo Project, you can talk to Aunt Ethel in Timbuktu for FREE (Note: You both have to have a good, high-speed internet connection--NOT dial-up--and in most cases you both have to be using the same VOIP provider).  A microphone and speakers hooked up to your computer are all that's necessary, but a good-quality microphone headset will improve the sound quality greatly, and you can get wireless headsets, too, that will eliminate your having to be tied to the computer.

With Gizmo Project (the service I use; others are similar), you can also purchase "Call Out" credit, in order to be able to call standard telephone numbers.  You buy $10 or $20 worth of credit to get started, and then you can call Grandpa in Arizona (who doesn't even know how to turn on a computer, much less talk on one) on his home phone number, and save yourself a fortune over talking on your standard phone line.  Oh, and the best part: All calls to any U.S. phone are $0.01/minute.  Yes, that's One Cent per minute, with no monthly or recurring fees.

Now, if you don't want all the bother of having to use the computer to make your phone calls, you can do what we did here at home.  We purchased an ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter).  An ATA is a device that you plug into your high-speed network and a standard phone.  You use the phone just like you would any other normal telephone, but the calls are routed over the internet instead of through the phone company's lines. 

You can also buy a "Call In" number.  For $3/month (paid a year in advance), you purchase a local phone number so people can call you.  (Ours is a Chambersburg number, so most everyone we know can call it for free, and it costs us just one penny per minute.)  This sure beats paying $30/month for basic phone service, then paying for a calling card or long distance service on top of that!  (Vonage is one company providing VOIP services that include all that I've mentioned so far, but Vonage is a per month plan: It costs around $25/month, but you get unlimited calling for that price.)

Now, there is one thing that makes this option unattractive for most people: Lack of support for 911 services (the 911 operator, in most instances, won't know where you're calling from).  This can be a definite drawback, but the VOIP services are working hard to provide this functionality for their customers.

In case this was as clear as mud for you, just remember this: You can do as much or more with VOIP than with the telephone company, and for less money.

If you have questions about VOIP, or are thinking of exploring it as an option, please let me know--I would be happy to set it up for you or answer any questions.  (Initial setup and hardware costs are in the $150 range for a "per minute" provider.  If you'd rather a "per month" plan, Vonage provides all the hardware necessary to start making calls.)

Finally, Just for Fun:

Your computer definition of the day is:
Ethernet (n): something used to catch the etherbunny

I hope no one ever gets this error message:
Error: Keyboard not attached. Press F1 to continue.

Update: If you were wondering how Scotty and Fiddy (the two guys who were hitchhiking to all fifty state capitals in fifty days) did, well, they made it!  Details here, on their site.

Merry Christmas!

--Jeff


Solotechie.com     Rates     Remote Support     Contact Info    

Psalms 37:5