Seeing as our friends at Microsoft have just abandoned something in the region of 500 million XP users (according to reports), why not upgrade to a Mac for the cost of a DVD.

You what! You're kidding, it can't be done - surely not?

Well, yes it can, sort of.

You will know that I've been extolling the virtues of Linux Ubuntu for some time now because of it's ability to use the same hardware that you've been running Windows XP on for years. Linux Ubuntu is based on an age old Operating System (OS) called Unix that's been around since the dawn of computers. The Mac OS is also based on Unix.

Now, it make perfect sense to upgrade to Linux Ubuntu. Why? Becasue you no longer have support for Windows XP and the latest iteration of Windows - 8.1 - is such an awful pile of junk, it should be avoided like the plague. In addition, you will need to buy a new PC to run the newer Windows OS because it's unlikely run on your old hardware at all. Linux will!

Ubuntu have just released their latest version of the most popular Linux OS to date, 14.04 LTS (long term support). This means it has full support and updates for the next five years at least, before the next release. Compare that to Microsofts 3 year program.

Now compare this - Linux Ubuntu is FREE, Microsoft will charge you to upgrade their system. BUT, you can't run the latest version of Windows on your old XP machine (not that you'd want to) - you CAN run the latest version of Ubuntu though.

You cannot buy an English version of Windows in Spain without jumping through a few hoops. Similarly, getting Windows in English delivered to Spain is just as much a pain.

Have you noticed you can't buy a new PC sporting Windows 7 in the UK from the big chains like PC World. That's because sales of Windows 8 has been so dire, Microsoft won't let them.

This is not rocket science.

What does this mean for me?

It means you're running an OS that is more secure and is FREE. You have FREE community support. You have tons of FREE software to do just about anything. You will not be running an OS that is a dream for hackers to break into.

When you get an infected email from your friends hacked email account, it will probably not affect you. Why? Because Windows viruses don't affect any other OS.

In five years time, the next version of Linux Ubuntu will still be FREE. There'll have been 2 more versions of Windows in that time. If you need to replace your PC in a couple of years, you can buy one a lot cheaper without Windows on it and install Ubuntu, or just buy one with Ubuntu already installed. Even if it's not the most up to date version of Ubuntu, it won't cost a penny to update it to the current version.

You can download Linux Ubuntu here and there are full instructions how do put it on to a DVD and install it too.


All registered brands and trade marks acknowledged.

This latest scare affects all versions if Internet Explorer (IE) from version 6 - 11, that includes the version you're using. Are we surprised, not really!

I've never had much faith in IE once I realised Microsoft leave the settings wide open so it's easy for people to steal your information by default. Unless you know what you're doing, you will always be at risk using IE. I've also known my Internet settings change following Microsoft updates.

These are reasons I will not use IE. These are also the reasons why you shouldn't be using IE. Add to this a report I read a couple of years ago where the guy behind IE openly admitted it was rubbish. He cited Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox as being far superior to it.

I would agree on both counts there although I wouldn't recommend Firefox just now because I find it crashes too regularly. Even on PCs that I'm asked to maintain remotely, I can see that Firefox crashes a lot. The only plus side is, it's a lot more secure than IE.

I can't get on with Google Chrome some of you will shout. How do I get Google Chrome some others will shout. What are you talking about some will say.

Some will even say, I use Google all the time then open IE because they don't know what we're talking about. That's perfectly fine because if everybody knew what it's all about, I would be out of a job.

I always use Google Chrome because it's faster.

Anybody wanting to try Google Chrome, please download it from www.ninite.com. Once the download process starts, it will download and install in one go without you having to do anything else.

Yes, it is different, that's because it isn't IE. No, it doesn't have all the cumbersome toolbars that get added to IE, because toolbars break things - keep away from them. Most of you don't know how to use them but insist on keeping them - WHY?. No, don't sign in to google unless you already have a gmail account, click the skip now link.

Most people won't use it because they think it's black magic or, because we always use IE, or in reality, they don't want to learn something new because they're scared of change.

A lot of people will simply accept that Windows has IE built in so that must be what you have to use. I only use Windows because I have to, so I can keep up to speed with how bad it is.

I'd much rather be using Linux Ubuntu. None of my clients that have tried Ubuntu has ever needed to come back with problems. I do, however, have to still visit these people to sort out their Windows machines. Says it all really.

Registered brands and trade marks acknowledged.

How the mighty fall.

Bitcoins, the on-line currency that was recently worth over $500 per coin has suddenly disappeared - along with all its' investors money. Oooppppssssss.

They've deleted all their Tweets from Twitter and their CEO resigned on Sunday.

It would appear that Bitcoins has 'lost' 744.408 of its' users bitcoins worth almost $360 million. Seems they didn't foresee the way their system could be used for fraud and put a halt on all withdrawals earlier this month but by the time they'd stopped all trading on Monday, the bitcoin value had plummeted to just $130 - ouch.


Full story here.


There are other implications to this as anybody who now gets infected with the Cryptolocker virus might have a problem getting their files back as the villains behind it were using the anonymity bitcoins offered to ply their trade.

So what happens now is anybodies guess as I'm not aware of any other on-line payment system they can hide behind for more than a couple of days without being found out. Long term, that's a good thing but for the short term, many people will be up the creek without a paddle. Don't let it be you.


Don't have nightmares - back-up your data - stay safe.

Starting on the 1st April, we will be lowering our monthly line rental on standard installations from €11.98 to €9.99.

This will apply to all our existing customers currently paying €11.98 monthly rental and for all new standard installations from that date.

What are you waiting for? Our line rental and call charges are lower than just about everyone else on the market so get connected NOW and save!

Our standard pricing beats BT & Virgin in the UK and Telefonica, Direct Telecom, Spantel and Europa and many others in Spain.

Why are you paying more than you need to?

We can even integrate your existing phone line into our voip system with no extra monthly rental allowing you to easily take advantage of our rates. Typical rates are €0.007 per minute to UK and €0.012 per minute to Spain.

Yes, you read that right, less than 1 cent a minute to the UK, that's 1 hour for only 42 cents so work out how much you're overpaying with your current provider or if you'd like us to do the maths, just send a copy of your current bill and we'll do it for you - no problem.

All prices include IVA

It never went away really but it's back again on the Costa Blanca.

I had a call today from one of my customers. She had received a call claiming to be from Microsoft but because she wasn't quite sure about things, she sensibly asked for a number to call them back on.

The person on the other end refused and started to threaten her claiming he was going to revoke her Windows licence and stop it working altogether if she didn't co-operate.

Anyway, long story short, she called me to double check this guys story. Yes, it's a scam!

How do you know it's a scam Clive?

Firstly, and most importantly, Microsoft will NEVER call you, let alone call you to let you know your computer has a virus.
Secondly, how did they get your telephone number? Did you give it to them? I don't think so. If you bought a new computer, you might have given your details to the manufacturer but that wasn't Microsoft.
Thirdly, if you bought a computer with Windows already on it, it's the computer manufacturer that is responsible for your copy of Windows, not Microsoft.

Microsoft are only responsible for RETAIL copies of Windows purchased by you and installed by you (or your friendly PC guy) and NOT the OEM versions that manufacturers and system builders use.

So, the bottom line is:
If you get a call claiming to be from Microsoft, it isn't! End of story.

There are a number of things you can do if you get this call but the easiest is to tell the caller you're just going to turn the computer on, lay the phone on the table (don't hang up) and carry on with your day (after all, it's his bill, not yours).

Surf safe everybody.


Registered trade marks and brand names acknowledged.

It has been announced by Microsoft that Windows 8 has reached the 200 million licence milestone. This figure includes licences for all new PCs & tablets shipped with Windows 8 on them as well as upgrades to 8.1.

Whilst this sounds all hunky dory for the worst operating system ever released by Microsoft, in my mind it's distorting the reality.

Why?

OK, isn't Windows 8.1 just an update on Windows 8. If I bought a PC with Windows 8 on it, that's 1 licence. If I then upgrade to 8.1, that's another licence being claimed but in reality, it isn't because I already bought it and the upgrade is a service pack.

Apply the same method of Enron calculating to XP and you'd have multi-billion licences issued as it went through SP1, 2 & 3.

Even taking that into account, if you then consider how many people have dumped Windows 8 because it's so counter-productive and the figures are even less rosey.

Windows 8 is sixteen months old and, without admitting it, Microsoft are already talking about dumping it themselves. This being the case, why should they expect us to keep buying it - because they know we will.

No, I'll re-phrase that. Because they know that YOU will. I won't install it on any of my machines. I'll stick with XP, 7 and Linux for the time being as, in my opinion, they're all far superior to 8.

Let's add something else to the mix. The life window of Win8 was to be 3 years, as it's sixteen months old now, it still has a further twenty months to go before being replaced with Win9. Our good friends at MS are now suggesting that the next 'upgrade' to Win8 will be Win9.

Reading between the lines, this confirms that Win8 is not worth wasting any further money for development effort on their part unless the 80 million users out there create a huge stink!

Hold on! Didn't you say 200 million earlier?

Yes I did. What you need to do is forget the SP1 upgrade and then factor in all those millions who downgraded from 8 to 7. 80% of my clients asked me to downgrade from 8 because it was so awful to work with.

Lets add another condemning figure into the mix. Win7 reached 240 million licences in just twelve months - Win8 hasn't got there yet after sixteen months even though its' release was carefully timed to take advantage of traditionally high volume sales periods.

I believe the figures speak for themselves, even after the careful massaging by Microsoft. My opinion is forget about Win8 and wait to see what Win9 brings us.

In the meantime, you could try Linux which is totally free. Download Linux here.

Consider this! The vast majority of Servers out there delivering all those pages you visit on the internet and the worlds super computers, all run on Linux. Why? Not because it's free but because it's a lot more stable, it's faster and uses far less resources than Windows.

In short, it works better! It'll breathe new life into that old laptop/tower lurking in the cupboard and allow you to stream the internet to your TV. That way you don't have to spend money on these over-priced IPTV boxes being bandied around all over the place.


Opinions in this article are those of the writer. All brand names and trade marks acknowledged.

Some of you may have read about BT broadband hitting 1.4Tbps - yes, that's right, 1.4 Terrabits per second. That's absolutely phenomenal. What we also have to remember is that it was between two BT buildings, albeit some 250 miles apart. It's still a mean feat though - the ability to download 44 HD films in 1 second.

I certainly remember Virgin Media boasting 1Gbps internet around ten years ago but it's never made it into the public domain. They have to console themselves with the fact they can only really deliver about 10% of that - 100Mbps - to just a few people.

That said, according to uSwitch, they are the ISP providing the fastest broadband in the UK.

Well, with all this speed available out there, you would think the UK is brimming over with internet but nothing is further from the truth when you consider that 20% of London struggles with less than 3Mbps and there are vast areas of the UK where even 1Mbps is a luxury.

Wouldn't BTs' money be better spent honouring promises made some years ago - 6 UK cities would have superfast broadband by 2012 - superfast being average download speed in excess of 24Mbps and there is nowhere in the UK got that yet so why on earth are they bragging about 1.4Tbps.

All this reminds me of people I know who brag about all the qualifications they have and how clever they are but they don't have a clue how to do the job they've got them for. UK government and bankers also spring to mind here.

Really, what is the point of 1.4Tbps when it is unlikely to be delivered to the man in the street. If Virgin Media can't deploy 1Gbps over their exclusive fibre-optic network, will BT ever be able to deliver 1Tbps in a commercial environment when they still can't deliver 3Mbps across the UK and have still failed to provide superfast broadband to ANY town or city in the UK (according to uSwitch) 2 years after their promised date.

In Ireland, the situation is even worse. As some of you might know, we are agents for EuropaSat, providing satellite internet across Europe from the leaders in this technology - Tooway, SES and Avanti.

In Ireland we've had to stop promoting Tooway as it is now full to capacity. So, just for all you sceptics out there listening to the bar room 'experts' trashing this product, remember this. You can't sell a product to capacity if it doesn't work!

A new malware is out pretending to be part of CryptoLocker and using the same name in its lockscreen. This one displays a lock screen before you can access your desktop, blocks you from running any programs, and displays a box stating that you must fill out a survey in order to unlock your computer. It does not appear to encrypt any files and only blocks you from accessing your desktop. This is not a very professional looking malware, is coded in Visual Basic, and is probably the creation of a script kiddy. This malware was first reported here:

https://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=140110

The text of the screenlocker is:

CRYPTOLOCKER WARNING

Your computer has been locked and all your files are encrypted with 2048-bit RSA encryption. In order to unlock your computer and files you need to fill out a survey.

You must use only REAL information while filling a survey (name, surname, address, phone number...). SMS mobile phone surveys unlock faster.

After completing a survey, you will download a txt file containing the needed code to unlock your computer and files.

Once the right key is entered, this message will disappear forever, your computer and files will be unlocked.

At the end there is an Open Survey button that brings you to a page hosted at totally-legit.biz. This page contains javascript to show you a survey widget from sharecash.org. Sharecash.org offers a survey widget that developers can use to unlock programs they offer if someone fills in the survey.

Do not worry, this one can be removed and it does not appear to encrypt your files.

Octa-Core 6.5 Inch Android 4.2 Mobile Phone is a Clive Gray Computers first as it offers superb specifications including a MTK6592 1.7GHz true 8 core CPU, 13 Megapixel Rear Camera and 1280x720p Resolution for the next generation feel of mobile phones.

Finally a true octa-core smart phone has been released and Clive Gray Computers are first in the queue in receiving a batch of these unique and extremely powerful phones. This 6.5 inch display powerhouse of a phone has been designed to give the user a special experience into the world of multi-core. The heart and soul of this phone is the MT6592 Octa-core CPU that can reach speeds of 1.7GHz, this processor offers a higher performance at a lower energy, which can be a big issue in mobile devices as they operate using batteries. Since each and every core in a multi-core is generally more energy-efficient, the chip becomes more efficient than having a single large monolithic core resulting in a higher performance that uses less energy. This phone uses a true, authentic octa-core CPU, which helps it increase its benefits and optimizing the system approach to the absolute maximum. By permitting tasks to run at tandem with the use of multiple different cores, the phone’s octa-core cleverly allocates processing power to where it is required, both on a per-application and per-task basis. Being an Android mobile phone, the user has access to a whole new world of customization while still having a user friendly interface. Exploit the phone’s octa-core power by downloading applications and seem them run with ease. 

Pictures will look great as the Android eight core phone has a 13 megapixel rear camera that makes capturing moments more special due to the higher pixels. Watch videos, view media and generally enjoy any that is shown on the 6.5 inch 5 point capacitive touch screen display of the cell phone as it has a 1280x720p resolution, which makes for a fantastic visual experience. Also, this octo-core phone supports 1080p video recording 

This is a large phone that is not so much of a burden because it has a 9.7mm super slim body that fits perfectly in the back pocket of your jeans making it convenient to carry. With many other features including Wi-Fi Miracast, 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal memory that can be expanded by an addition 32GB via the phone’s built in micro SD card slot, the Android octo-core phone is the perfect definition of next generation phones. 

Great for videos, games and web-surfing, the octa-core phone delivers a performance that no other phone on the high street can match.

At a Glance…

• Android 4.2 Mobile Phone
• MTK6592 Octa-Core 1.7GHz CPU
• 13 Megapixel Rear Camera
• 6.5 Inch Screen Display
• 1280x720p Resolution

All this for just €264.95

We are in the season to be jolly, fa la la la laaaa, la la la laa.
Time to part with lots of lolly, fa la la la laaa, la la la laa.
Bought a laptop from the auction, fa la la la laaaa, la la la laa.
Got it home and now it's crapped out, fa la la la laaaa, la laa laa laaaaa.

Jesting aside, buying a second hand laptop can be fraught with problems, depending where you buy it from.

Without exception, all the laptops I've seen at the various auction houses I wouldn't entertain. They look nice on the outside, all nice an clean (for the most part). It's when you start looking what's on the inside that you realise it's about to expire.

My rule of thumb for selling second hand pc's is - would I use it? If I answer no, then I don't see why I should expect my customers to either.

How do you know what to look for?

Firstly, look at the brand. Proper brands (Acer, HP, Toshiba) will usually be OK, although I wouldn't touch Acer or HP myself but if it's a cheapie brand, then don't expect it to last very long.

Well, if it's running, see who the previous owner was. If it says 'owner' or 'user' then you know it's been reinstalled with an illegal operating system (unless it has the manufacturers installation disc with it). Check that the operating system is the same one that's on the label on the laptop.

Check the size of the hard drive. If it's 80G or less, it's probably the original or a second hand one and if it has windows xp on it, it could be over ten years old. If it has a small hard drive and anything newer than windows xp, then it's definitely an illegal operating system and you should steer clear because it probably won't work properly. Again, check the labels on the laptop.

Another thing to look at is how much memory does it have. You need a MINIMUM of 1G to run xp or vista and more for win7. When xp first came out, it would run on a pc with just 128M of ram (memory) and many still have just 256M. Avoid these like the plague.

What programs does it have installed, if none, once again, it's probably a hookey OS so don't expect it to run properly. I have a customer who had a 'modified' copy of xp installed by somebody wanting to show off how clever they were. That has now crapped out to such an extent it's almost unusable and he needs a proper copy of windows installing now.

I'm always suspicious of 'modified' copies of windows. What has been modified, what has been added. It could easily have spyware added in, trojans or anything they desire.

I've also seen laptops for sale on facebook and enquired about them. Some definitely have the wrong version of windows on them because I checked with the manufacturers website. When I asked the seller (someone who sells them for a living) about this, the answer I got was 'that's what it had on it when I got it'. My comment about that is - liar.

I did ask some other questions as well, including recovery discs. He's selling machines with win7 on them 'with the disc that came with it'. Thing is, on checking, some of those machines came with vista ONLY - never had win7 on them at any time. That means you are paying over the odds for an old pc - and one that I wouldn't use.

I don't consider €200 to be a fair price for a five year old laptop. Why? Because the life expectancy is five to seven years for a decent model in good hands.

My advice:

• check the manufacturers website to see what version of windows it should have
  
• check labels on it - all laptops less than 8 years old will tell you the windows version
• check size of hard drive
• check how much memory (don't touch anything with less than 1G)
• make sure you have minimum 6 months full warranty (repair, replace or cash back)
  
• avoid 'modified' copies of windows
• insist on official recovery discs (it's built in to some pc's - HP & Compaq and others - make sure they work
• don't buy cheap models or nondescript brands
• do your research and know what spec you want
• buy from a recognised bona fide trader, not from facebook or the man in the pub

Sorry, I don't currently have any used laptops that I would sell to my clients.