The first thing that may come to your mind are words of disbelief. Yes this is a shock to anyone who knows anything about browsers. Actually 60 percent of companies use Internet Explorer 6 as their default browser.

There’s a huge gap between the number of companies that use Internet Explorer and companies that use other browsers. Between IE 6 and IE 7 they control 78 percent of the market. Firefox is in second with 18.2 percent, Google Chrome has 2 percent, and Safari has 1.4 percent.

So why do so many companies lead towards IE6? One of the reasons is that they go with the browser that was already installed on the computer. Since Microsoft creates Windows, Internet Explorer is always the first browser on the computer therefore a lot of companies just go with IE.

Once a company has decided to use a browser they will usually stick with it and block other browsers. This is because most companies worry about the security on new browsers as well as programs that may come with them.

Many companies don’t upgrade their browsers even though the upgrades include faster browsing, better security, and better tools. So if you’re in a company that’s looking at choosing a browser or you think your company has chosen the wrong browser, what can you do about it?

Each browser has pros and cons for each type of company. The four main browsers your company will look at are Internet Explorer 7 or 8, Firefox 3, Google Chrome, and Safari 4. So what are the differences between them?

Internet Explorer is great for companies that use several Microsoft programs and applications such as SharePoint. It’s also good for letting the company control what web pages can be used. It’s great for a company that wants a lot of security. The main downside is that the browser updates rarely include new features.

Firefox is a great browser in terms of all of the add-ons that you can get for it. There are several cool gadgets that you can have fun with however they are mostly geared towards consumers. Firefox is great for having better innovation than the others but has some lack in LAN control.

The New Google Chrome is questionable when it comes to security since it is so new.  However the browser itself is clean, fast, and offers many features that make it easier to work.

Safari 4 is also newer and therefore has questionable security. Safari allows for Mac and iPhone features that the other browsers don’t offer.

Overall which one should your company go with? Most likely the answer will be IE7/8 or Firefox 3 because of the security and features that they offer.

Source: CNET

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We all know that Windows 7 is coming with several new features, fixes and enhancements that will be an improvement over all previous versions. One problem that many computer users ran into with Vista is that they couldn’t run many of the same programs that they would have been able to with XP. Luckily Microsoft now has an answer for that.

XP virtualization is a new mode that is being added to Windows 7 in which users will be able to run programs off of the Windows 7 operating system. This would be similar to having to operating systems on your computer except that you won’t have to pick between them. You can simply run Windows 7 and then run the virtualization from there.

This mode will appeal to everyday users as much as it will businesses though. This is because there are many everyday users that use old programs for different reasons. Some are gamers that aren’t able to get many of their old games to work while others are elderly folk who don’t have the money to have the “fancy new hardware”.

The XP virtualization is geared towards businesses to help them feel more comfortable switching to Windows 7 even if they believe their software will only work on XP. This will certainly help boost early sales of Windows 7.

There is a downside to all of this as you may expect though. Since Windows 7 requires a lot less memory and system resources to run than XP you will need to have a lot of resources to run the XP virtualization. How much? Well you will need at least 2GB of ram as well as a processor that can handle the virtualization. Not all of the chips can handle it however most new middle and high end chips should have the capability to.

Source: CNET

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Online banking is a tough business. In fact some of the bank’s security systems are jeopardizing information security. We all know that are banking information is supposed to be completely private, and accessing someone else’s information without permission has its own punishments. But how do the banks know when an unauthorized user is getting into your account?

The trick lies with a program that accesses your personal computer’s information as you log in. This program looks at your device information to verify that it is the one that you normally use. It also has a tagging system which marks computers that are thought to be involved with hacking their networks.

This works very well for protecting your account, but there haven’t been any measures taken to insure that the information collected by the banks is being used correctly. These banks could turn around and sell all of your private computer information to advertisers if they wanted. Although no such thing has taken place to my knowledge, there is nothing there to say they can’t. It is even possible that this information could be hacked into and stolen.

If you’re like me, I’m sure you’re concerned about your banking information. Your information should remain secure as long as no one is able to get your personal user ID and password. This is why it is so important that you don’t give away that information to just anyone.

There are other programs that are used by banks that work just like the tagging system, but they work with other information. Some programs are able to determine what language, time zone, Flash ID, browser, cookies, and IP address is being used on the computers you use to access your account. You may be able to see your information on your roommate’s computer, but if you try using a computer across the country it might not work. A percentage of the factors have to add up in this system in order for you to see your banking information. Although this does provide an extra amount of security, it is risking your information in other ways.

Source: CNET

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Many computer users will buy a PC and run whatever systemoriginally installed on it. This may be because they aren’t tech savvy to install another operating system or they just don’t feel like trying new things.

Ubuntu 9.04 may be something that you want to consider installing. Even if you’ve never installed another operating system before Ubuntu may change your views. The operating system has all of the elements a top operating system needs. It moves fast and smoothly, you don’t have to worry about things jerking while you try to move them, and above all else you can expect to find things in the user interface where they should logically be.

Some users of Ubuntu have noticed the speed difference over operating systems such as Windows Vista. Some of the most noticeable differences take place when you run multiple programs and test the operating system’s multitasking capabilities. Ubuntu also has fixed problems with installing drivers.

Microsoft has produced its greatest operating system yet with Windows 7. However, the Leopard operating system has erratic behavior that has lowered its ranking as an operating system. The bottom line is that Ubuntu has risen to a level where it can compete with Mac and Windows.

It’s amazing to see such a beautiful operating system emerge so unexpectedly. While there are other operating systems that are free and open source such as Linux, Ubuntu combines the best of both worlds.

If computer users have never tried another operating system before, then you may want to try Ubuntu before you run out and purchase the latest release of Windows or Mac’s OS. It’s free to try and who knows you may like it better than other operating systems.
You may be surprised to find that Ubuntu is truly a diamond in the rough.

Source: CNET

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Consumers are in a frenzy about Windows 7. Many are thankful that Windows Vista is going out of style already. Consumers are highly anticipating the release of Windows 7 after the Windows Vista fell flat on its face after its debut. Even though it has become a stable operating system, PC users are still ignoring Vista including businesses. However how many businesses will actually welcome Windows 7?

There have been many websites that have been predicting the downfall of Windows 7 before it has even been released. These studies suggested that this was because IT administrators prefer Windows XP and many businesses are worried about the credibility of Windows 7.

In a study done by Dimensional Research, Windows 7 is expected to be the biggest operating system for businesses. In fact their study shows that 46% of businesses are planning on upgrading or starting to upgrade before the end of the year and 80% of IT professionals plan to do it within 36 months!  If you’re not sure how big of a jump this is then you should know within the first year of XP’s release it only had 10% of the market share and only about 25% after two years.

Another study backs this up by asking the IT decision makers of 80 companies when they were planning on upgrade or if. These companies all have more than 1000 employees mind you. The results showed that half of them planned to upgrade to Windows 7 when it launches while 46% plan to do it by the end of the year. Also 55% of the companies plan to do what are known as system wide upgrades rather than simply upgrading when they need new PCs.

If these projections hold true then not only will Windows 7 be the most successful operating system with businesses at its debut, but it will also be a breathtaking record. The fact that so many IT professionals are willing to upgrade to Windows 7 shortly after it releases not only shows the potential for the operating system but the stability of it.

Source: ZDNet 

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There was a discovery back in 2004 of a new material called graphene. Graphene is a unique material that is a type of pure carbon. If you’ve heard of buckyballs or carbon nanotubes, then you’ll be glad to know that graphene is related to them. The problem with those materials is the way the carbon is rolled up. The material also has unique properties that will enhance processors and other electronic devices. Not only is it stronger but it can move electrons through itself much faster.

So why isn’t more work being done with Graphene? Well the first problem is that it requires a specific process to be made. Researchers have found a way to mass produce it however it will take some time to implement the process.

When it comes to computers and other electronics, researchers try to find materials that will allow for an increased frequency. Currently researchers are having a tough time creating devices that can obtain frequencies above 5 gigahertz. However graphene could potentially allow for systems that use 1,000+ gigahertz frequencies.

Granted the work with graphene is still being tested in the laboratory it’s possible within the next two or three years that systems with graphene will have widespread availability. While this may sound very technical the truth is that this new material will propel the systems of the twenty first century. If you’ve dreamed of seeing computers that were insanely fast then you will see your dream come true in the next several years.

It’s hard to fathom how fast computers and electronics will become. Maybe we’ll see cell phones that have no bounds when it comes to range. While the future is unknown one thing is for sure. Graphene will forever change the way electronics work and the technology that we have.

Source: Science Daily

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Ever wonder how toolbars seem to just sprout on your Web browser?

Don’t blame malware on this one. This is one of the very few instances where a worm is not the sower of the problem. In fact, that annoying add-on which shrinks your browser’s viewing space may have probably been caused by you.

A good number of us harbor the habit of just blindly clicking on “Yes” and “OK” whenever we’re installing something in our computer. As a consequence, we overlook some queries or prompts by installation wizards regarding the inclusion of toolbars. We could always say no to toolbar offers. But since we’re too busy tinkering with our Facebook account during the installation process, we unintentionally gave our imprimatur to that annoying add-on.

Toolbar offers can usually be encountered when downloading and installing essential Web programs such as Instant Messengers, Web browsers, plug-ins, and even office suites. Many of these browser attachments can be helpful. The Yahoo! toolbar, for example, features pop-up blockers. Google’s toolbar makes it convenient for you to quickly search for something by plastering a search box on top of your browser.

However, toolbars do clutter your browser and reduce viewing space. Some of its features may already be a superfluity such as pop-up and spyware fenders since this is already a staple function of almost all antivirus software.

Be careful whenever installing something that you’ve downloaded on the Internet. Chances are, they’re bundled with toolbars and other offers or features that you don’t need.

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At first glance it appears that the Netbook craze may take over the laptop market. Many consumers are getting involved with Netbooks because of the portability and the cost efficiency of them.

In the economic downturn that exists, many products are losing sales as people tighten up their budgets. Laptop sales for example, are expect to fall by approximately 12 percent in 2009. In the meantime, Netbooks are actually experiencing a dramatic increase of sales. There are supposed to be nearly 21 million Netbooks that ship this year alone. To put that in perspective in terms of growth, that’s nearly double the number of Netbooks that was shipped last year.

Why the explosive growth you may ask? The biggest factor is the price point. Many companies are offering Netbooks at an extremely low cost. One example that you may have heard of is the 2 year plan through AT&T where you can get a Netbook for about $50.

While Netbooks seem to be the product everyone’s turning to, it’s unlikely that we’ll see laptops disappear. A Netbook may seem like a great investment at the time however after hours of use you’ll start to notice the downsides of a Netbook. Since the device is much smaller that means everything that you’re used to is going to be much smaller including the keyboard and screen. This can cause problems if you plan to use your Netbook for business or for extended periods of time as you may start to feel the anti-ergonomic effect of a Netbook.

The bottom line is that Netbooks are here to stay because of their inexpensiveness and their portability. However it’s unlikely that they’ll be the main use of portable devices by consumers that use laptops for work. If you are thinking about a Netbook you will want to weigh the cost effectiveness to the ergonomic disadvantage before you buy one.

Source: PC World

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In case you haven’t noticed, CRT monitors are slowly marching their way to the Smithsonian. With LCD and plasma production costs going down, PC makers are bundling their CPU’s with visuals that could fit even the most cluttered desk in the office.

The situation was different just two years ago when LCDs were just testing the market. CRTs still dominated the scene as they still provide the best graphics. These bulky monitors might be heavy on the scale, but they’re definitely lighter on the pocket.

One thing that initially turned off potential LCD buyers was the product’s pixel flaw. Many buyers reported dead pixels that litter their screen, producing tiny black spots that cannot be brushed back into color. In case you don’t know, dead pixels cannot be resurrected anymore.

Another thing that drove away many from plasma is its picture quality. While recent models have considerably improved display vibrancy, it still hasn’t totally answered problems regarding viewing angles. I’m sure you’ve noticed that LCD pictures are crisp when viewed straight on, but fade on other angles. HD LCDs may have already solved this dilemma, but they’re still too expensive.

Whatever your doubts or misgivings on LCDs, they’ll inevitably phase out CRT monitors. You may not be too happy on their picture quality (yet), but at the rate that manufactures are improving the technology, you might find yourself swapping that bulky contraption on top of your CPU with a thinner one next year.

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As security advances so does the opposition. Many malicious software makers are starting to notice that the average PC user is becoming smarter when it comes to avoiding emails that could be potentially harmful.

Recently these malicious programmers have started to take a different path. They have begun to create different types of threats. One type that you may have already seen is where the program will inform the user needs to download security software. Three other major programs which are known as Win32/FakeXPA, Win32/FakeSecSen, and Win32/Renos have been found on millions of computers.

Attacks have also been taking place in common files such as .PDF and .DOC. Even Adobe Reader 9 and Acrobat 8 have had several exploits in them. While there are updates out for these programs, many users don’t update their software. For example over 90 percent of attacks in Microsoft Office have been from an exploit that could be fixed with a simple update. Surprisingly this update is over 2 years old!

While many PC users look for updates through Microsoft they rarely look to update other programs. There are a lot of PC users that believe that the Microsoft updates will solve everything. While Microsoft does run the PC business due to most users using Windows, they can’t watch over every company’s individual software issues such as the issue with Adobe.

It’s surprising how many people have issues with malicious software but do nothing to fix it. There are updates for programs coming out all the time to fix these holes and help prevent attacks however many users don’t seem to check for updates as they should. Microsoft alone last year released 78 updates that fixed 155 issues.

Therefore if you are having continuous problems with attacks you should ensure that everything on your computer is up to date. While you may update Windows constantly it’s not enough to stop someone from attacking your computer.

Source: CNET

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