MyAnswers: How to use Google Drive's free space to host your web site for free.

The following MyAnswers solution 2314 is now available:

How to use Google Drive's free space to host your web site for free.

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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

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MyAnswers: New licence for Office 2013 is a concern and may put people off upgrading.

The following MyAnswers solution 2313 is now available:

New licence conditions for Office 2013 is a concern and will alter my recommendation on purchasing the retail version of Office 2013.

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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

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Toshiba Satellite L500 function keys no longer work after upgrading to Windows 8 Pro

One of the problems in upgrading the operating system in your computer is not knowing what will and what won't work after the upgrade.

It has been a couple of months since upgrading my Toshiba Satellite L500 notebook, but recently I noticed things not working on my notebook that worked under Windows 7. Initially I didn't think that much about it and thought perhaps I'd forgotten how to use the feature and then found a different way to do the same thing. In hindsight I realise that the function keys on my Toshiba Satellite no longer work.

For example I connected up my computer to a large screen. Normally I'd hit Function+F5 and switch between screens. It didn't work. Hmmm. Right click on the Desktop, select Personalise and then select the second screen. This wasn't working properly and the second screen wasn't being seen by the software. It did work in the end but certainly not as expected.

The next example is I went to do some testing with Bluetooth. Function+F8 allows me to turn Bluetooth and wireless networking on and off, or so I thought. That's also didn't work and neither does adjusting the screen brightness using the function keys.

The functions keys on the Toshiba Satellite L500 are no longer working and because of the age of the notebook, there doesn't appear to be any drivers for Windows 8. You can work around these problems but it does take some hunting to find the right functionality. Bluetooth required going into both setting areas of the Desktop mode and the Metro mode. Certainly took more effort than Function+F8.

Based on the number of glitches I've seen on installing Windows 8 I'd find it hard to recommend for others to upgrade their computer. As a consultant if a client requires me to upgrade their computer to Windows 8 and functionality they want doesn't work, they aren't going to blame Microsoft, they'll blame me and that can potentially damage a good client relationship. Over the years I've had a number of Microsoft updates seriously affect clients and until they fully understand the fault is with a Microsoft update they blame they computer support person.

The time taken to fix issues, to determine workarounds, and if required provide training to a client takes take and time is money for clients. If you add the cost of the upgrade plus the time to upgrade, there's a good chance that money could be a very good part payment for a new compute. Chances are a new computer will run much faster and have a greater capacity than the old computer.

When getting a computer consultant to upgrade your computer make sure you understand the cost involved and think about whether it is better to pay for the time to upgrade, or perhaps put the money towards a new computer. A good consultant will provide advice and guidance which assists you and is in your interests. Too often I see unprofessional consultants who are simply interested in making their fees and don't look after the client's interests first and foremost.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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MyAnswers: How can I get to the BIOS settings on my Toshiba notebook running Windows 8 Pro?

The following MyAnswers solution 2312 is now available:

Since upgrading my notebook to Windows 8 Pro I can't get into the BIOS to change a setting. I'd like to boot from a DVD. How can I do this under Windows 8?

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Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

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Why has Microsoft crippled the Windows Surface RT tablet?

I kept thinking today, when something doesn’t quite make sense there is a hidden reason I’m not seeing. I was thinking about Microsoft’s Windows Surface RT tablet. Initially I thought Microsoft were simply copying Apple. Apple has been very successful releasing a restricted device, making billions in revenue from apps as you can only buy apps from their app store.

The problem with copying is you never become the leader. You only ever become a second player because the main player in the game is always ahead of you. I actually thought Microsoft should lead and not follow.

As the Microsoft Surface RT device stands it is crippled in the following ways:

• The general user can only install apps from the Microsoft store.
• Included is Office 2013 RT, but the version is crippled by not including macros and you can’t install the full version of Office.
• The Mail app is very limited. You can’t even include a link in your signature and I’m not sure there is a better alternative available.
• Office 2013 RT is only licensed for personal use so all those people using Office 2013 without an enterprise or similar licence are breaching their licence terms.

To me none of this makes sense. I appreciate RT can’t run applications designed for Intel processors so most of the existing Windows software won’t run. That’s OK. Include the runtimes for the main languages and let developers recompile their software and the Surface RT could quickly become a cost effective alternative to the iPad with millions of applications available. Provide the full version of Office including Outlook or Windows Live Mail and the Microsoft Surface RT becomes something I’d seriously consider, as that long battery life is quite appealing.

So why not do it? Today the answer which came to me was it could cannibalise Microsoft’s own market for the Microsoft Surface Pro.

The Windows Surface RT is like a placeholder. A product which makes people think it is serious contender priced around the same as the market leader, but unlikely to gain market share due to the crippled nature of the device. Microsoft’s only saving grace is, as Windows users we have so much invested in terms of how we do things, that to change is much harder than simply paying the extra money for the Surface Pro.

The problem for Microsoft is the Surface Pro is priced as an up market device and if treated as a tablet it is very expensive with poor battery life. If treated as a notebook it is very expensive with poor hard disk capacity, a small screen and poor keyboard. You have to be prepared to pay the premium and accept the compromises. Some will, but some won’t. If Microsoft causes too much pain they’ll find people start looking at alternate ways to achieve what they do today.

If the Surface RT was made to be a more open device it may have a chance, but as it is, I’d find it very difficult to recommend to a client, either home or business user.

I may of course be wrong, but to me it makes more sense that Microsoft doesn’t want the Surface RT and similar RT devices to cannibalise the Surface Pro market.

The good thing is consumers will make their voices heard using their wallets. In my case I’ve already changed how I use email so my emails can now be accessed from any device (Windows, Apple, Android) and slowly my reasons (and dependency) for using Outlook are diminishing. My latest spreadsheet was created using a free online service, so for many basic and perhaps not so basic users, the dependency on Word, Excel and PowerPoint may also diminish.

I’m using a mobile phone or tablet a lot more of the time than my notebook so that means I don’t have to upgrade the notebook anytime soon and if others are doing the same, the PC industry and Microsoft are going to start hurting much more than they are now. The problem for Microsoft is if they don’t cannibalise their own product range someone else generally will.

Kelvin Eldridge

www.OnlineConnections.com.au

Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.

Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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Criminals breaching Australian tax system is a reminder that anything online is potentially at risk.

The following article is a reminder that we should all be careful and vigilant with the information we store online. If the tax department, with all the resources they have available can be breached, then the average person or business has little hope. Everyone needs to determine the risk and trade-offs they need to make with regards to using online systems.

Every Australian taxpayer's taxation information is at risk after criminals infiltrated the taxation system, finding a way to use the personal information of tax agents to log-in to the Tax Agent Portal.... Read More

The problem for the average person or business, is the businesses selling, or even providing for free online services, will not generally make you aware of the risks involved. To do so could put you off using the service and that means the loss of a sale. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use the services, it simply means you need to be as informed as possible to make the best possible decision you can at the time.

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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"We're sorry... This video format is not supported on this device." - Android tablet and Apple iPhone

Tablets and catch-up TV would appear to be a marriage made in heaven. You should be able to watch catch-up TV on a tablet or mobile device at your convenience, wherever you like, as long as you have access to the internet and appropriate bandwidth. Yet strangely the only devices you can reliably watch all the free-to-air catch-up TV programs isn’t generally a tablet or mobile phone.

The problem is we’ve now entered the era where the internet feels broken a lot of the time. Many companies use Flash to deliver videos and Apple and Android devices typically don’t support Flash. Had Apple not canned Flash on mobile devices and made such a big issue about Flash, we’d probably have a much better internet experience on mobile devices. Whilst the promoted line for not having Flash was performance, had Apple allowed Flash on the iPhone, iPhone and tablet developers could have produced apps for Apple’s devices without having to pay Apple a cent and I can’t help but think that had a lot to do with how things turned out.

The good thing is if you have a Windows computer, whether it is a desktop, notebook, and possibly even a Windows tablet (excluding Windows RT which only plays videos on sites approved by Microsoft) you can watch catch-up TV.

So next time you get the “We’re sorry….” message, just set aside that limited mobile device and grab a device which gives you a better experience on the internet.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Doncaster, Templestowe, Eltham and the surrounding area.

 

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