Matt’s Desk: Editor’s Blog

A few days ago, I wrote about how Google could take on Apple in the Tablet Wars.  In that editorial, I focused on Android because there are already tablet-style devices available running the smartphone OS.  I ignored Google’s other operating system, Chrome OS, and its utility for tablets for two reasons: 

First,  I have no experience with the Chrome OS, I’ve only seen stories about its development.  Second, it has yet to be used in any meaningful way on any consumer device; i.e., it still isn’t yet ready for primetime. 

But Chrome OS is just as much a part of Google’s tablet toolkit as Android, mainly because Chrome was always intended to run on midrange devices like netbooks and tablets. 

I mention this because I wanted to point you to a recent post on the Chromium Projects web site. The post contains several mockups of a tablet running the Chrome OS. 

According to TechCrunch:

“… it appears that these mockups were put together by Glen Murphy, Google Chrome’s designer. In other words, there’s a good chance that the final version of Chrome OS will resemble this.”

Pretty cool.

-M

Since Apple tablet speculation went into full swing last year, some have predicted the new device would prove to be an eBook reader killer:

Why buy a single-use, grayscale Kindle, the logic goes, when you can have a full color, multimedia experience with Apple’s tablet?  Kindle and other eBook readers, they say, will die a quick and lonely death following an iSlate/iPad/Whatever-its-called release.

This argument is not without merit.  I’m sure many love the idea of reading full-color, interactive magazines and books on a beautiful screen.  Count me among them. And there’s no doubt a traditional display offers many more features than today’s boring ol’ e-ink.

But as interesting as this may seem in concept, I contend that reading for hours on a regular, backlit screen – even if it’s cutting edge – just isn’t realistic.

Apple has had months to add Windows 7 support to Boot Camp – the utility and driver bundle which allows Windows to run on its Intel-based systems – but have seemingly been uninterested in getting the popular product updated.

Until today.  This afternoon, Apple posted Boot Camp v3.1, which includes support for all versions of Windows 7 (except Starter, apparently), 32-bit and 64-bit.  If you’ve already installed Windows 7 under Boot Camp 3.0, I would recommend that you update as soon as you can.

If you’re still running Vista under a previous version of Boot Camp and plan to upgrade to Windows 7, there’s also an additional download which will make the upgrade process smoother for you.

You can run Apple Software update to get the new software, or download the files manually:

Boot Camp 3.1 Software Update for 32-bit Windows

Boot Camp 3.1 Software Update for 64-bit Windows

Boot Camp 3.1 Utility for Windows 7 Upgrade

On my personal list of the best new gadgets of the past five years, Amazon’s Kindle is unquestionably near the top. Though it wasn’t the first eReader available, it was the first to blend a usable form factor, acceptable title selection, and no-PC-required content distribution in a way that made it a viable choice for avid readers. 

Quite honestly, I love the thing.

But as smitten as I am with the Kindle (specifically the Kindle 2), I’m becoming an increasingly harsh critic of its ecosystem. And if Amazon wants Kindle to become the phenomenon it deserves to be, two changes must be made. 

Problem 1: Kindle Book Prices

The idea of being able to download and begin reading a book in seconds for a reasonable price is an attractive one, even for casual readers.  And this was the promise made when Amazon began shipping the original Kindle in 2007. 

Over the past two years, however, the $9.99 price ceiling has begun to shatter. 

If you follow tech news, chances are you’ve heard at least something about the Net Neutrality debate. For those whose interests aren’t as peculiar as my own, Net Neutrality is, in a nutshell, a principle which states that all data moving along an Internet connection should be equal. It would forbid Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from differentiating between types of data and limiting or blocking services the provider deems undesirable for whatever reason.

Largely a philosophical exercise for most of its history, Net Neutrality has grown increasingly relevant as the Internet has become a more powerful tool. In 2007, for example, Comcast began quietly interfering with its customers’ use of BitTorrent.  This raised a real-world question: does an ISP have the right to limit its customers’ access to Internet services, technologies, web sites, software, video, etc.?

Scattered in with the omnidirectional praise for Windows 7 is a seemingly-big, often-discussed bugaboo: not all Windows users upgrading to the new OS can do an in-place upgrade to the Windows 7 version of their choice.  This fact has sparked some of the only complaints aimed at the new OS, and generally speaking, I agree with the main point: an in-place upgrade should be an option for more users.

But should they use it?  More on that later.

In case you’re wondering, an “In-Place” upgrade is one where you have Vista installed on your PC, pop in the Windows 7 upgrade disc, and wait while the Win7 installer copies new files over old, giving you a new OS without having to reinstall programs or backup and restore data.  In short, an In-Place upgrade is Vista one minute, Windows 7 the next (well, within the next few hours). Every file and program is right where it was before. 

The basic rules for in-place upgrades are these: (1)If you have XP, no in-place Win7 upgrade for you. (2) If you have a version of Vista installed, you can in-place upgrade to that same version of Windows 7; so, for example, with Vista Home Premium 32-bit installed, you can do an in-place upgrade to Win7 Home Premium 32-bit, but not Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit or Windows Business.  And (3) you can upgrade any version of Vista to Windows 7 Ultimate, but only to the same bit version (32-bit Vista Anything to 32-bit Ultimate, 64-bit Vista Anything to 64-bit Ultimate).  See the chart above for further clarification (click to enlarge).

Any Windows 7 installation that does not fit condition 2 or 3 must perform a “Custom Install.”  A custom install is just a clean install, and here (finally) I come to the point of this article:

Unless you have some specific reason for not doing so or are a Level 1 novice user, bite the bullet and do a clean – or custom – install of Windows 7 on PC, even if you can do an in-place upgrade.

Why?  Two reasons (mainly).

General Cleaning & Maintenance.  After years of use, PCs accumulate a lot of files, registry entries, software configuration files, update installers, performance logs, crapware, etc.  Doing a fresh install of Windows every year or two keeps things running smoothly and gets rid of junk you don’t use, and in many cases, don’t need.  A new OS release is the perfect opportunity to do a little digital cleaning.

Stability.  Upgrading from one OS to another is a major to-do.  This is one reason Microsoft offers such limited in-place upgrade options.  There’s a lot of work involved and many, many possibilities for errors, failures and mishaps.  When you do an in-place upgrade, files and configurations are jiggered.  A clean install puts everything right where it ought to be, just how it was intended by the designers, leaving you with a pristine experience (at least from a software point-of-view).

Now for the bad(ish) news: just because a clean install is better doesn’t mean it’ll be easy – it’s a lot of work.  You must backup your files, make a list of all the applications you need to re-install, deactivate software tied to user accounts (like iTunes), etc.  But the work pays off in the end because you slim down, get rid of software you installed and ran once back in 2007, and un-clutter things all around.

If you must do, or choose to do, a clean “Custom Install,” Microsoft has even created a tool called Windows Easy Transfer which can copy your files and settings to an external hard drive, then copy them back once Windows 7 has been installed.  You will still have to re-install software, though.

So if you can’t do an In-Place upgrade to Windows 7 on your PC, don’t be sad – be glad.  A clean install will be better for you anyway because your computer will run better for years to come. 

As is so often the case in life, this problem is, for many users, a lucky break.

If you’re a Windows power user who’ll never need telephone support for Windows 7, consider an OEM version of the upcoming OS.

Since OEM versions aren’t upgrades, you can do a fresh install without any of the usual upgrade headaches. Plus, OEM versions are much cheaper than the full retail versions (for example, the Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit OEM version is $110; $220 for the full version), and even a bit cheaper than the upgrades.  And if you build your own PC (or use Windows in Boot Camp or Parallels with your Mac), an OEM version of Windows 7 is certainly the way to go IMO. 

I have used OEM versions of Windows for years because I know I’ll never need Microsoft phone support and I build all of my desktops.  I also use an OEM version of Windows on my MacBook.

OEM versions of Windows 7 are now available for order from NewEgg.com.  Buy from NewEgg before October 10 and save a few extra bucks.

Check Prices:

Windows 7 Home Premium OEM: 32-bit   /   64-bit

Windows 7 Professional OEM: 32-bit   /   64-bit

My Logitech MX Revolution (the best mouse I’d ever owned)died recently after a year and a half of heavy use. While I was disappointed to see the device fail, I was thankful when Logitech honored their three-year warranty and sent  a replacement free of charge.

The MX Revolution had been discontinued by the time my unit was kaput. In its place, Logitech sent the Revolution’s successor, the Performance Mouse MX.  Similar to the MX Revolution, the Performance Mouse MX might well have been called the MX Evolution, as it primarily builds on the strengths of its predecessor while correcting some of its flaws.

The Logitech Performance Mouse MX looks almost exactly like the MX Revolution, with slightly different angles, a tweaked button arrangement and metal trim. The functionality has been improved, with Logitech putting a lot of thought into the model’s wireless usability.

Gone is the thumb scroll-toggle-wheel found on the Revolution; in its place is a fully-rubberized thumb rest, which can be depressed to activate a Logitech task-switching utility similar to Expos? on the Mac. The same hyper-fast scroll wheel has been ported over to  the Performance Mouse MX, but there’s now a hardware button on the device body that toggles between click-to-click and smooth scrolling (on the MX Revolution, this change was made by pressing the scroll wheel).  This scroll wheel is the best available on a mouse, hands down.

The Performance Mouse MX also employs a new laser, which Logitech calls Darkfield.  This is supposed to make the mouse work better on traditionally difficult surfaces like glass.  I don’t use a glass desk, so I can’t tell the difference, though the mouse’s reaction does seem generally snappier; whether or not this is due to the laser, I can’t say.

What I like best about the Performance Mouse MX are the changes made to address some general wireless mice headaches.  First, the USB receiver has been made much, much smaller than that of the Revolution; in fact, it barely protrudes from the USB port at all, making it great for laptops.  This “Unifying Receiver” also works with a handful of other Logitech wireless products, making multiple receivers obsolete (sadly, there are only four other compatible devices as of this writing).  Despite its size, the smaller receiver seems to keep a connection to the Performance Mouse MX better than the much larger receiver found on the Revolution. 

I also like the new charging system; rather than a cradle, the Performance Mouse MX has a microUSB port in its snout.  When you’re running low on juice, just plug in the mouse to charge (to either a USB port or a wall outlet with the included charging adapter) and continue to use the mouse like a corded model. Logitech also includes a USB extender cable just in case your USB port or wall socket is too far away for the standard charging cable.

As painful as it is for me not to be able to bash something about this excellent mouse, I can direct at least one criticism at the Performance Mouse MX; it’s too expensive.  At $99 (the same price as the Revolution MX), it’s one of the most expensive mice on the market.  One Hundred Dollars is a pretty penny in today’s economy, but I do feel it’s justified for power users (those at a computer all day).  Perhaps they’ll shave a bit off the price in the coming months.

As much as I liked the MX Revolution, I must say that the Performance Mouse MX is a better device.  It seems to work more smoothly, it has much better wireless performance, and I love that if I forget to charge it, I can just plug it in and continue to work.

If you spend a lot of time at your desk – with a desktop or laptop – you’ll appreciate the Logitech Performance Mouse MX more than you know. 

It’s just the best mouse out there.

Available at:

Amazon     Logitech

============================================

I’m including a CNET video review of the Performance Mouse MX so you can see it in action.

I’ve been using and reviewing technology (hardware, software, services, and everything between) for years, and – quite frankly – it takes more and more to impress me with each passing year. Sure, there are things I like, things I use, things  I recommend, but it’s rare when something comes along that makes me want to tell everyone I know to start using it yesterday (if not sooner).

But this, dear reader, is exactly the way I feel about Dropbox.

Dropbox is a free, cloud-based file syncing and file backup service. Install a small application on your Mac or PC (or Linux box) and it creates a folder on your hard drive – your Dropbox.  Anything you place in this on-system Dropbox is automatically synced with your account folder in the cloud, which you can access from any computer with an Internet connection simply by logging in.

Now for the really useful part:  You can install Dropbox on other machines, too, and once installed and linked with your account, files you place in your Dropbox on one computer is not only synced with your folder in the cloud, but is also synced with every other computer linked to your account.

Say I’m working on a product review on my MacBook, and want to pick up where I left off back at the office.  No problem – I just save it to my MacBook’s Dropbox.  Once I’m in the office, the file is already waiting in my office PC’s Dropbox folder, just as I left it on the notebook.  I do a little work on my PC, and those changes are immediately mirrored to my MacBook, my home PC and the cloud – all without a single command or button or click. 

It’s just that simple.  It’s fast.  It’s behind the scenes.  It’s amazing.  And I love it.

Now for the best and worst news about Dropbox. 

First, the best news:

Dropbox offers a 2GB account – meaning you can sync and store up to 2 gigabytes of data between computers and to your cloud storage – free.  This is enough for most users.

The worst news is that if you need more than 2GB, you’ll have to pay for the extra space, a service called Dropbox Pro.  The fact that they charge for this additional storage isn’t what’s bad –  it’s that what they charge is too high.

The next step up from the free 2 gigs of storage is 50GB, and for this you’ll pay $10 per month.  The next (and only other) option is 100GB of storage, which is $20 per month.

I think Dropbox Pro would be attractive to more users at half the price, but if you really need the space, I suppose it’s worth it.  I just wish they offered either more tiers at lower prices (say 25GB for $3 per month), or lower prices for their two existing tiers.

Chances are, the included 2GB of free space is enough, though.  But if you need more, there’s a free 14 day trial of Dropbox Pro.