HP Slate 7 Australian release date and price.

The HP Slate 7 was launched in February with a release date as yet unknown in Australia. You can go to the HP site and register your interest and I believe they'll let you know. The good thing is you can opt out of other email contact by HP and I tend to trust HP will do what they say.

The HP Slate 7 according to the site starts at $199. The US price was $169 and US prices don't include tax, so the price isn't too bad and it raises the bar (or lowers) in terms of price expectation.

The HP Slate 7 has a lower price so you should check the specs. The front camera is VGA resolution and the rear 3 megapixel. Low certainly but that really depends on your needs. The 7 stands for 7" diagonal screen size. What surprised me with Google's Nexus was how much smaller the screen was compared to Apple's Mini iPad which is 7.9". The size difference is because quite an amount of space is taken up with the on-screen Home button whereas with the Mini iPad the home button is hardware based and located in the bezel area.

I have an Acer 10" Android 4.1 tablet and really I have to say I'm disappointed with Google's software. It is flaky and even if I use Google's Chrome browser it doesn't work properly with Google's own sites. I use IMAP for email and the email client won't configure correctly for me. Overall I'd find it hard to recommend a Google Android device.

Personally I prefer the full experience I get with a Windows based notebook. There are many sites which simply don't work with Apple and Google tablets, so when people ask me if they should get a tablet to replace their ageing PC, I say the tablet can't replace their PC, but they can use the tablet for much of their usage. In the same way we now use our mobile phones for many things we'd have previously done using a desktop computer. I look forward to the day when Microsoft releases a tablet which is 7", runs full Windows (not Windows RT), is a decent price, giving me portability and long battery life. For any reasonable amount of typing I'd still need a decent keyboard, which I have waiting for when the right device is released. Not really sure Microsoft will ever deliver the product I want, so in the meantime I'll continue to migrate as much as I can away from being dependant on Microsoft applications.

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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Adobe Flash Player Internet Explorer Security message 'This program will open outside of Protected mode'.

Today every time I open a website I get a pop-up Internet Explorer Security message about Adobe Flash Player. I'm using Internet Explorer 10 under Windows 8. I expect millions of users will be in the same boat. They've done nothing unusual and then all of sudden they get a rather disconcerting error message.

This one falls completely into Microsoft's corner. The Adobe Flash Player is built into Windows 8 by Microsoft and not Adobe. You would think Microsoft could get this right with their own software. I can't help thinking no wonder it is so hard for other companies who don't have the inside knowledge.

In MyAnswers solution 2345 I provide the approach I used to fix the problem for myself. Clients can find the solution in the Microsoft section under Internet Explorer or the Recent Solutions page.

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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Office for Mac 2008 reached end of support on April 9th 2013.

The preferred Australian English spelling files I produce for Microsoft Office work with Office 2008 and Office 2011 on the Apple Mac. When I read the article below I thought it was interesting that Mac versions of Office only have a five year support life whereas Office on Windows has a ten year support life.

A popular Office for Mac version reaches the end of the support line... Read More

Those using Office 2008 will probably not notice much difference when support ends. I remember the approach we used to use in IT was to only upgrade a couple of times a year, unlike the always on update we currently have. I often wonder how many of the updates are really needed by most people. If you only create and edit your own documents and not open any documents from others (particularly from the internet), the risk would be relatively low.

Those running five year old versions of software (or even older under Windows) will have obtained excellent value from their software, particularly when compared with the yearly licence model Microsoft is currently promoting.

- 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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SmartyHost now owned by MYOB increased domain renewals by around 50%.

I received a noticed from SmartyHost a while ago saying the domain renewal would be $29.50 per year or $59.90. Previously I'd paid around $40 which I was happy with even though I could get a lower price elsewhere. With the first of the domains up for renewal I decided to move across to the domain company I use which charges around $12 per year. That's a saving of $17.50 per domain and with eight domains that's a saving of $140 per year.

If you know the process and are the registered holder of the domain, it doesn't take too long and I found there was no noticeable down time, although I would always prepare for 24-48 hours of minor instability when changing things on the internet. In the case of just changing from one domain registrar to another I can't see any reason for down time but always be prepared. 

The biggest mistake I've seen people do, is to let their web site developer take control of their domain. That can result in taking hours to get control back over the domain. A couple of companies I've seen put their partners first (web developers, hosting companies, computer support people) before the customer that actually owns the domain. That can mean moving the domain away from the domain company just to regain control over the domain again.

As an example one client I assisted took over five hours over a couple of weeks to get control back of their domain from their web designer they had fallen out with. They had already tried a number of times with other support people over a period of months. Only that the domain registrar screwed up they would have taken much longer. Then they went and let their new web design company move their domain under their control and have simply moved from a problem situation to a future problem situation. I'd had recommended they now register the domain in their name under their control but the new web design company did a sale pitch on them.

When I started registering domains many years ago I'd use what I considered to be the main domain registrar at the time. Since then the domain name market has been opened up and instead of paying $140 for two years I now pay $24. If you have multiple domains that can be a considerable saving.

A month or two before your domain name comes up for renewal is a good time to review your options. If your situation is simple it is easy to save some money. Some people I've seen leave it to the last minute and that is a bad time to make a change.


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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When replacing older computer monitors with wide-screen displays we often find people complaining the screen is smaller.

One grumble I used to get when replacing older monitors and LCD flat screen monitors is even though clients had purchased a bigger screen it now locked smaller. The reason is screens are measured using the diagonal. For a given screen size wide screen monitors with a 16:9 ratio when compared with older monitors having a 4:3 ratio, are actually shorter. For a user this means their screen appears smaller and very few people like going to a smaller screen.

In MyAnswers solution 2341 I examined the maths behind screen sizes and how to determine the new screen size to give the same vertical size.

The most obvious example is the humble TV used in the lounge room. Until recently the 26" screen was pretty much the standard screen size in the lounge room. However if you replace the 26" TV with a wide screen flat panel TV you'll need to purchase a 32" screen otherwise images will appear smaller. Yes you do get more screen space on the sides, but since the vertical size is smaller, images will be smaller.

When purchasing a new screen and moving from the older 4:3 ratio to the new 16:9 ratio, if you want to have the same vertical size, this is one time where upsizing really makes a difference.

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: Homegroup icon just appeared on my Windows 8 desktop

The following MyAnswers solution 2340 is now available:

Homegroup icon just appeared on my Windows 8 desktop for no apparent reason.

Click here to obtain the solution.

Click here for related solutions.

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

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Alert: Optus MMS Service from 61269022348@optusmobile.com.au

Yesterday I received a number of faked MMS Service emails under the Telstra name and today I received a number of emails faked as Optus MMS Service. The email has the subject "Optus MMS Service from 61269022348@optusmobile.com.au" where the number chances. Attached is a zip file which contains malware. The zip file is has name such as "MMS - BG4S25OR.zip" but the section after the hyphen changes. Only one antivirus software package commonly used in Australia identified the malware.

You should delete these emails.

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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