blog – Benediktson Computer, Inc.

Convenient Single Chip Computers

I have worked with Raspberry Pi computers and consider the 400 to be an excellent choice for a second or third machine in a house. It browses the web well, reads email like a champ and can do wonders with word-processing or spreadsheets. This year, there is a new inexpensive general purpose computer on the block (from a competitor), the orange Pi 800 featuring the Rockchip RK3399 System on a chip processor.

Where the Raspberry comes with Raspian Linux, the Orange comes with Orange Pi OS (both will run various versions of Linux). Orange Pi OS is a variant of Android that can be set to look just like Windows 11 or Mac OS or IOS, or, presumably, just like your smart phone. Early reviews of the Orange 800 indicate it is a bit faster than the Raspberry 400 and offers a great platform for those whose needs can be met by internet based access. Both of these can be had for around $120 (with shipping) and are designed to connect to your modern Television.

Throw into the mix a variety of Chromebook choices in the $100-$300 range and this is a great year for upping the flexibility of your TV. Any of these three types of devices can stream video from your favorite service, browse the web, etc.

There is a subtle difference in color, maybe not obvious in the above photos, along with a few different ports on the two devices; though, both devices provide ethernet, USB 3, camera card port, and a keyboard (computer located inside using the keyboard case as a heatsink). In addition, both provide wifi and bluetooth.

No longer recommending HP

And, again, I am fighting with Microsoft store trying to get software for an HP printer loaded on an up to date, smooth running Windows 10 computer. I avoid using Microsoft store as much as possible. If I want a program from a particular author or production house, I go the their website to get it; it really is much safer that way. Apple Store and MS store are just too attractive for hackers and thus too dangerous to use. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I avoid them like the plague.

HP, in its infinite wisdom, forces you to use MS store in order to get (among other apps for their products) HP Smart. Unfortunately, I have had real difficulties trying to get this software through the store ( so far 3 of 10 freshly setup machines and 5 of 23 established machines have refused to load the software) and now that I don’t have a choice, it gives me a strong reason to stop recommending HP printers and scanners.

I guess what frustrates me most is that it is simply one program (in this case) which is both necessary and problematic to load from the MS store. They (HP) could simply resume including it on their website and distribution media and resolve this problem while simultaneously removing the need to sign into a Microsoft account and have a good internet connection for the printer and the host computer.

Return to Silver City, Grant County

Once again fall is upon us and here we are once again in lovely Silver City. Each year it seems to take longer to unpack and set up the house and workspaces than I expect; but, at least we are partially functional and ready to start helping folks with their computer concerns.

With Windows 11 now available as an upgrade and an array of new devices from cell phones to personal computers and quite a few devices in-between, there will be plenty of experimenting and learning to do. Chip shortages or not, the technology sector advances at an incredible pace.

This year, I have seen Unix/Linux devices mature their user interfaces so they can compete directly with Apple and Microsoft offerings for user-friendliness and simplicity. I have worked with a couple of incarnations of Google Chrome (and chrome-based devices) and found them to be fantastic choices for a large portion of users because they are more simple to use, faster responding, and yet still excellent at all things web-based.

Now, more than ever, the user has good choices for most tasks that are well served by computers and other electronic devices. True, some tasks will require considerable expenditures in equipment, training, and patience to achieve an elegant level of operation; however, for many, the costs in all categories will be less than they have been in the past.

5G Cellular amd its potential impacts

Well darn, now that 5g cellular and 5g ultra-wide-band have been deployed for a while, I had hoped to be able to write a column about the health impacts of exposure to the new RF (radio frequency) radiation that makes 5g possible. Unfortunately, folks growing a third arm or other whatever from spontaneous genetic changes are blaming it on the covid vaccines. Worse yet, running a fever (as a result of exposure to 5g radiation) is being blamed on the covid virus and those diplomats who have been coming down with RF exposure symptoms are being blamed on the Russians and the Chinese (using a new kind of weapon).

On a more serious vein, it is too soon to have any useful data on the impact of long term exposure to the new 5g RF radiation. And we live in an environment where there are too many alternate potential causes for the kind of symptoms that could present this early in the experiment. This does bring up my primary complaint. We did not do the kind of long term exposure testing for these new protocols and the use in public areas of RF radiation of this frequency at this power level that historically was required for Government approval of its general use. This time, we the people are the experimental population (sounds a bit like fast tracked approval of the covid vaccine to me).

On the positive side, 5g is providing the kind of high speed internet alternative (where available) that is needed to carry out some (if not all) of the new video conferencing, distance learning, home office operation, and so forth that our modern times require. It is not just from the tower to your phone (or other 5g device) either, 5g allows the cell towers to carry much more bandwidth more reliably and (soon if not already) at a lower cost (power draw, equipment and maintenance).

So, if you are one of the unlucky that does not have access to good wired internet or “old style” wireless internet but do have a need for reliable, fast (by current standards) internet access, it may be time to contact local providers and see if any provide 5g services to your location and what kind of service they can provide you with at that location.

As an additional tip, while it does take some time, contacting your existing source of internet and asking about improved services they can provide can often prompt them to “upgrading” you to newer more cost-effective, faster service. If they don’t have any such advances available, your asking can help them understand the demand within their service area and speed up their move to provide better service.

Getting Your Webpage favored by the Search Engines

I have been told that it is an arcane art getting your webpage selected for prominent display by the search engines (getting the first listing or on the first page) and that it requires the efforts of a highly paid professional. I reject this notion; my experience has shown that a few straightforward and common sense tactics can get any web page favored by the search engines.

The various search engines are sufficiently open about what they “score” highly for selection. Recently, Google and Bing posted notes regarding changes to their scoring schemes; both now favor pages that include content for the vision challenged in addition to favoring “living” and “dynamic” pages. This is good news all around. The web has become very visually oriented; to the extent that, until recently, the sight impaired, and those with limited motor control (and a vast array of other situations that create challenges to experiencing web content) experienced the web in an extremely reduced quality.

Whatever the reason you are building a web presence, providing your message to the maximum audience is desirable. Being mindful of the newer guidelines for the search engines not only helps you get higher on the page but also allows you to include more of the potential audience. A marketing specialist can help you get a higher percentage of reached individuals to engage with your content, while building pages that the search engines favor helps you reach a larger audience; both factors are extremely important in forming a successful campaign.

There are simple things we (as builders of the website or blog) can do to achieve favor within these new guidelines. When posting a photograph, try fully describing both the photo and its association with the text or other materials surrounding it; often this can be entered as text in the “alternate text” field associated with the photo. Similarly, when embedding a video or a table of numbers, or a graph, fully describe it and how it applies to the material it is meant to enhance or exemplify. If you are using WordPress, media items (photos, videos, sound recordings, charts, etc.) can easily be annotated as you place them from the media library with a title, a caption (visible to all), alt text (used by screen readers, search engines, visible to those requesting text mode or whose browser settings prevent picture loading), a description (available to the same group as alt text). All of these can assist in getting search engine favor and in helping to identify the importance of that media to both the search engines and all viewers.

A quick hint for WordPress users; if you will use a media item multiple times and want different annotations, create multiple copies because the annotation stays with the library entry, not the “instance” on the page. As you format the “page” remember that we want the page to be dynamic; in this case, I refer to the ability of WordPress and other page layout products to format the page differently to optimize its appearance and function for various kinds of viewing devices (smartphone, tablet, PC, Mac, etc.). This can involve choosing larger fonts (14pt and above recommended for the small displays and the visually impaired); avoiding hard to read fonts (artsy but more difficult to read for all), and good white-space balance (this is many things but it amounts to adding white space to make paragraphs easier to spot, photos, tables, and graphs easily identified with the text they enliven but not jammed into, and more).

Understanding that the page will be reformatted based on the viewer’s device might lead to using larger or smaller elements (media or text); but, generally, the use of a moderate-sized and easy-to-read font for all text will go a long way here. Breaking up parts of the page to separate different thoughts you are expressing may also assist the reader (particularly after the dynamic page layout engine shapes it for small displays).

In addition, you want to include “tags”; this is your chance to give the search engines words or phrases that you think your content explains or is the answer to. If someone was searching for “this tag” I want my page provided at the top of the list or prominently in the list. This makes “tags” an important consideration and a powerful tool to get your page presented to those searching for your offerings. Depending on what tools you use to create your pages, “tags” will be available in different ways; in WordPress, each post and each page has a field that you can paste your tags into. A quick step back; when we were filling in the alternate text and description fields for media earlier, we would like to include (smoothly, artfully) those same tags in the descriptive text for those media. Back to “tags”; these are not sentences, the search engines are looking to match a key word or 2, maybe, 3-word phrase, and the “tags” themselves are primarily here for the search engines. It is extremely rare for a viewer of a page to dig in deep enough to ever see the tags associated with it.

Now that we have some content on our webpage, hopefully very attractive to readers and search engines alike, it will help to go to the various search engines and “register” our page. In this step, the search engine is, once again, informed of the “tags” for our intended content and audience and you may choose to pay for higher placement or for advertising space. Some of the engines will allow you to enter a description or even a lengthy briefing designed to grab attention to your link(s) and provide business and or personal information (address, hours, phone numbers, email address, etc.). This is a process you can do or have a service or even an app do for you; I prefer doing it myself as it often gives me hints about what the search engine is looking for and what other entities are doing that might be in competition with me.

Don’t forget the importance of keeping your page alive; the need for updating the content on your page and bringing new material to it weekly or monthly.

Apple and the M1?

Now that Apple corp has started the migration to M1 architecture, one of the few really interesting features of Macs may be gone, the ability to run Windows business apps on a Mac. When Macs were based on the same Intel chips that Microsoft wrote Windows for, it was a simple matter of installing Windows on your Mac (via Parallels, dual boot, VM’s, etc.). Now that Macs are using the M1 (ARM) family of processors it isn’t near so straightforward.

Yes, I have read the articles reviewing Parallels 17 and all the great features it has (apparently including the ability to mimic an Intel system), you still have to load (thus far) Windows for ARM after you load Parallels in order to run windows x86 software. Before you go looking to buy a copy of Windows 10 for ARM, let me warn you there is no retail version so far (even though Microsoft sells a few products running Windows for ARM).

So, why did Apple make the jump to ARM architecture when it meant their machines would lose access to an extremely large library of professional and business software? Well, among current product families, the ARM family produces the least expensive to build computers with far less power consumption for a given level of performance. With Unix and a few flavors of Linux already ported to ARM, it had to look like an obvious choice for Apple. And, they could wrest back development and advancement control from Intel who has not been performing up to Apple’s expectations for a few years (Apple may have a number of other reasons to want to use chips and architecture that they are involved in the development of).

In conclusion, I would like to say this: Once you decide which software you are going to use, select from among computers that run that software best, most affordably, most reliably, and most easily maintained. Ignore (in this initial step) the Apple vs Microsoft or M1 vs Intel vs AMD questions until you have selected the software and determined which machines best suit your needs running that software. Then you may or may not have brand choices. A quick bit for the future, as more and more software (apps) are run from the cloud, you may find that ChromeOS products may start attracting a lot of attention (My initial testing of Chrome products using a variety of chips and chip-sets has shown performance to be markedly better than that of systems running Unix, Linux, Windows, Mac-OS, etc.).

New Scam (to me)

Aha, a new scam, well new to me. Support specialists claiming that the version of windows on your computer is a promo version or demo version or for some other reason not a valid version and it will stop working soon or on some fictitious date ( a real date but not one when your version of windows will stop working). With Windows XP, Microsoft learned its lesson and so does not make promo versions of windows available to system builders and refurbishers.

To my knowledge there are 4 kinds of windows 10, OEM Windows (available to small volume Original Equipment Manufacturers), Volume license Windows (available to a variety of large volume system builders, retailers, etc.) and retail Windows (widely available to most everyone). That leaves the type of Windows available to registered refurbishers.

Code wise they are all supposed to be identical, though all 4 are moderately customizable and I have encountered some differences when working with versions provided by Dell and HP. I have also encountered a few counterfeit copies of Windows 10 in the last couple of years; but, they failed licensing and initial updating,a trait my sales training with Microsoft taught me to watch out for.

So, if you have an existing machine that has been licensed and getting updates, you can be fairly certain that any pop-up messages or phone calls “alerting” you that your version of Windows 10 is about to stop being supported are SCAMS. For that matter, any copy of Windows 10 that makes it through the OOBE (original owners beginning experience) which includes activation, is a valid, fully licensed, legal copy of Windows.Ignore the scammers who want to fix your unlicensed copy of Windows (because it is licensed) and do NOT give them your money in any fashion.

What should a retail copy of Windows 10 cost? Home: $135 and Pro: $199 and you will find older copies reduced on occasion to $100 and $170 but Microsoft insists that these are not priced any lower than that for retail copies, copies priced lower may not be legitimate.

When will we see Windows 11? I have not seen any fixed date yet; but, we can hope it will be later this year. Initial word from Microsoft is that Windows 10 users will automatically be updated to the new Windows 11 shortly after the official rollout.

Internet Service in the 2020s

A reminder to read the contract carefully before signing on to an ISP. With users commonly streaming and video conferencing, restrictions on usage can be devastating. QoS (Quality of Service) clauses should promise a certain amount of bandwidth and uptime and while not customary on consumer internet contracts are common and recommended on business service (that is why business service tends to be more expensive).

Six years ago I had a potentially nasty experience with an ISP, at the time I posted the following to Facebook: “Looked at a contract for a local ISP today; I am totally aghast at the restrictions in this contract. The ISP only serves businesses but the contract has no QOS; instead, it has a QoS disclaimer clearly stating they do NOT promise to provide the advertised speed. Further, if you go over 30Gb in any given month, you pay 1cent per 2MB over. Thinking about it, I burn 20-40GB some days when we are home. Just think, no promise of performance and a 2-year contract with a $1000 penalty for an early exit!”

Many ISPs will advertise a specific package for general consumers but you can usually ask for and receive much better service (and at a higher price). If you are working from home and 12Mb/sec down and 2Mb/sec up service just won’t hold a conference call (let alone allow you to host one), call potential ISPs for your location and see about 50/10 or even 50/50 service for your location. ISPs have had a full year to adapt to the new needs of users and should have service plans available to provide whatever they need (some locations may not have all service types available).

It is also important to contact ISPs and request the level of service you need so that the ISPs can get a better idea of where they need to expand their infrastructure in order to provide for the needs of users in that area. Regular reminders that there is demand for more expensive services will help providers decide to build up the infrastructure to provide for those customers.

With 4G and 5G cell services becoming more widespread, it is also possible that internet over cell carriers may be the best option for some folks who are not “in range” of local services provided by ISPs. Products are emerging that can take a cell signal and provide connectivity for up to 100 connections (instant ISP), look to pay $300 or more for the equipment and a nice bit to the cell carrier each month; but, it may be the best service if you are out in the boondocks (internet service wise). Oh, yes there are also the wee jetpacks that cost roughly $100 each for those wanting to supply service for just themselves. Here again, read the contract carefully to avoid limits, costly overage fees, and “throttling” once you consume so much per day or billing period.

System slow?

Three customers this week with the same symptoms and Microsoft AND Google are the cause. Microsoft has some “necessary” updates they are pushing out and seem to not be recognizing customer settings regarding when updating or downloading for updates is preferred; so, the systems appear to come to a crawl with regard to anything internet-based and marginally performing systems come to a crawl regardless of what the user wants. On top of that, some clients using Google services are having some serious performance/lag issues even just picking up email (this goes back 10 days or so).

I confess that I initially took this quite lightly with a “they will fix it soon attitude” and like the Windows issue with printers and the spooler service soon was not forthcoming soon at all. However, these problems do point out some issues with how we use our computers currently. Far too often machines are fired up, used for a few minutes, and then shut down preventing important updates from loading let alone installing. Far too many of us rely on cloud and other types of internet-based services and interfaces and various “forces” prevent good service.

With more folks trying to work online, young folk doing school online, and businesses switching to cloud-based services, the demand on internet access continues to skyrocket causing bottlenecks, lag, and in some cases service blackouts. On top of this, service providers are having to greatly enhance security measures causing even more apparent outages.

So, a few of my hot topics.

1. Do not store important documents of any kind in emails. If it is important, save it to a hard drive, thumb drive, or other local to you storage. Even putting it on your desktop is a better solution than leaving it in your email.

2. If you set your computer to do updates at night or want it to do updates AND maintenance at night, it has to be left on at night. If you turn it off (close the lid) when you are done, it will do updates and maintenance while you are trying to use it and that goes badly.

3. Anything important to you needs to be stored in multiple places and in multiple ways (no, email is a bad idea). Services exist to do this behind the scenes but most use internet bandwidth to accomplish the redundancy so scheduling for after midnight and leaving the computer on gains even more importance.

4. A slow-running computer isn’t just annoying, it is also a really good hint that something is going wrong. It can be the aging of a storage device to failing memory devices to service errors (backup stuck, updates failing, updates, or maintenance running during prime time) to malware or other unintended apps running. Take heed and get it looked into.

System Maintenance

General maintenance of modern computing devices can involve both the hardware and the software (I’ll include data in the software) and is an important part of owning a computer. It can be performed by the user, a designated individual in the company or family, or by a paid professional; but I will reiterate, it is important that it be done and regularly.

Hardware maintenance often consists of cleanliness; both keeping the computer and its functional peripherals clean and cleaning them when they collect dust, grime, fingerprints, etc. Many CPU units use air flow to keep cool during operation and this can lead to dust accumulation which needs to be removed periodically (6 months in some environments, yearly, or even every 2 years in very clean environments). Monitors tend to collect dust and some may build up a haze, glasses cleaner is appropriate for most, some of the early plastic screens have special requirements (check with manufacturer). Keyboards and mice can often be spruced up by inverting and removing any debris, dust, etc. If sticky stuff gets into a keyboard, it is often best to replace but normal surface cleaners may be used in an attempt to clean, again, do so with the keyboard inverted to avoid getting detergents, solvents, and so forth onto the contacts of the keys.

Software maintenance amounts to determining what needs to be updated and getting those apps updated in addition to running storage backups (your files and data) and garbage file removal before finally getting the storage drives defragmented. Some commercial software utilities will perform these tasks for you; but, at least once a month, these operations should be done manually to ensure that they complete and do what is expected of them.

Regularly: keep underside of mouse, surface of keyboard, and touch-pads clean.

Annually: check air intakes and clean if warranted. Check cooling system and clean if necessary. Remove any build up of debris or dust in the interior of the CPU case.

Monthly: perform or verify backup of important data. Remove excess files, temp files, etc. Run a defragment of all storage devices to verify error-free operation and optimize file access speed.

Weekly: verify versions for operating software (check that auto-updates are working as expected) and check on versions of security software (should never be more than 3 days old); manually update as necessary.

Example: Once a week, check that Malwarebytes is up to date and that Microsoft updates have been loading (settings, updates). Have Auslogics defrag set to run weekly and Ccleaner set to run continuously. Once a month, run Ccleaner manually to clean files and the registry; then run Auslogics defrag and have it defrag and optimize. Every six months (at the beginning of summer and winter) visually inspect the case (CPU box) and if any dust buildup is evident anywhere on the outside, open it up for cleaning or contact the person or service responsible for that service to schedule and perform a thorough cleaning.

Warning from Microsoft & Warning about the warning

Ahem, here we go again. Microsoft has published a call for users of all Windows versions from Windows 7 to Windows 10 to allow a new set of security updates that correct a vulnerability in their (Microsoft’s) print spooler service. A third party spotted the vulnerability and then published it along with why they found it to be a serious problem and Microsoft claims that this has lead them to make this plea to users.

How serious is this vulnerability? Folks who have not installed HP printers on their system and thus have the original form of the print spooler may include this vulnerability which can allow a remote agent to authenticate code as being from a supervisor account and initiate its execution (a hacker’s dream situation). So far, none of the mainstream anti-malware, anti-virus packages (Norton, McAfee, Eset, Avast, and more) provide protection against this kind of assault; but a few products do by design (Sophos, Malwarebytes for instance) because they do not look for specific behavior or content but rather activity, propensity, and links + paths in addition to the standard methods of protection.

This event caught my attention because a couple of watchdog services and magazines flagged these updates as buggy or potentially problematic. If you happen to have a printer that uses special features in the driver (HP, Brother, Kyocera, and a few others), these security updates could disable printing or some features of printing or possibly even the normal boot sequence for your system or server. Yet another third party claims to have released a set of tools for correcting the bugs in the security updates; but, I have seen no evidence of the efficacy or safety of those tools thus far.

A second issue is that Microsoft has long since removed the option for users to pick and choose security updates of this level of importance, so they are likely to install with no notice to the user and no opportunity to avoid them. We will know the updates have been installed when something goes wrong, after it is too late to do anything about them.

Intel delays new server chips

So, today’s news gave me a chuckle. Many years ago I was fortunate enough to be present for a keynote speech by an upper echelon individual with Intel who confessed (or boasted) that there was no competition for Intel in the CPU business, that they had several years of future tech waiting to be introduced but that it would not be introduced until the appearance of competition was met. She went on to explain how Intel always managed to have processors that were always 6 months or a year ahead of anything the competition could produce.

Now, step ahead a decade or two, and a new CEO takes charge at Intel and proclaims that he will get the chipmaker back on track and begin releasing new technologies as they are developed and production techniques and resources made available. In today’s news, I see a production spokesperson for Intel saying they won’t meet the new deadlines proposed by the CEO, and advances that he had promised for this year may be released next year, sometime.

One scenario I see is that the new CEO learned a lot more about how Intel profits after he gave that speech and is dialing releases out a bit later to allow current products to sell enough to cover development costs and targeted profit for the company. Another possibility is that the competition really has caught up and Intel has lost its supremacy in this facet of the tech industry. In neither case do I see any potential that supposed chip shortages from other manufacturers are having any impact on Intel being able to deliver the next generation of CPUs for servers (today’s announcement) or general-purpose computing devices. Intel has long held firm control over the supply lines required to bring its products to market.

Regardless of what is happening behind the curtain at Intel (and AMD and ARM), new CPUs, support chips, controller chips, memories, and storage devices are being released on a regular basis to provide a continuation of ever bigger, faster, physically smaller devices as demanded by this society. Recent moves by Microsoft and Google have guaranteed that non-Intel chips will enjoy equal support in the operating systems and apps made available to the public. This is a huge win for the consuming public, enjoy!

Windows 11 update & Announcement by Microsoft

Well, actually this is just my initial take on the upcoming product now that Microsoft has replaced the rumors with a statement of what to expect from their CEO.

Ye-ha! Windows 11 is coming. When asked, in an interview, the CEO of Microsoft said the big change coming in Windows 11 is that they have moved the start button to the middle of the taskbar. Yep, that is the exciting thing to look for; but, he was quick to reassure folks that you can put it right back in the corner if that is where you want or need it.

Actually, there are some interesting “things” planned for Windows 11 when it is released. The overall “feel” we are supposed to get is that of inclusion. Windows 11 is expected to be able to run Android apps and the Store (Microsoft Store) will include titles from the google store and others. Overnight this will take the Microsoft Store from being the biggest (most diverse, most titles) to much bigger yet. The CEO of Microsoft also hinted at improved linkage and interoperability with your Android Cellphone.

Windows 11 will also install and run on a larger variety of processors and architectures including ARM (Apple? old? and new?) and an undisclosed list of others. Stated targets were hardware from Apple and Google. So, more inclusion. The CEO of Microsoft emphasized that they were hoping Windows would become the center of your business and entertainment efforts without restricting what you did from there; but, starting from Windows.

What will happen to existing owners of Windows 10? Here, the CEO of Microsoft was less than clear; however, he hinted that the Summer (maybe fall) update for Windows 10 users would be to Windows 11 simply as part of the normal update process and new systems would start to come with the Windows 11 version after rollout, whenever that occurs. How will you know? Presumably, your start button will move to the center of the taskbar after the update. Little to no other changes are expected to be noticeable for existing Windows 10 users.

Unintended tasks for your device?

I have been thinking lately about how to describe (in English) why modern computers don’t feel a thousand times faster than the computers from a decade ago or more (at heart they are more like 10,000 times faster). So, why aren’t these new machines just instantaneous in responding to all of our requests?

To start with, many of us are hooked on these lovely graphic user interfaces which eat oodles of system resources and performance. Add to that all of the really nice little accessories (alarms, calendar features, spell checking, grammar checking, etc.) that we all love and load without a second thought. What? you didn’t load any of that stuff? Well, if you are running an Apple IOS or Microsoft Windows, then they are already there (part of the package).

Does it seem like your computer is real busy at times but not responding to you? You are probably correct, your computer is busy doing “background” tasks. It could be updating, synching a drive, or the cloud, or to another device or two. It could be running a security scan, indexing files, fixing file errors, or searching the web for advertising items to match your interests (inferred from your web activity, searches, etc.).

Much of this is “stuff” that users have little control over, some of it is stuff you can remove from your computer’s to-do lists, and still other stuff can be removed by a good anti-malware program (which may also eat up some performance and resources). Carefully choosing which tools to use and which ones to avoid can make a big difference. In the long run, modern computers are usable by a much wider range of users because of these conveniences (called bloat and other negative terms); but, the price we pay might be well worth noting the next time you wonder why your 6-year-old computer seems incredibly slow.

Another cause for poor performance can be an aging storage device. Yes, hard drives and even SSD’s suffer some performance reduction as they age. A 3-year-old hard drive is likely to show a 30-50% decline in performance compared to a new one of the same type while a 5-year-old SSD may show a 20% reduction in performance when compared to its self when it was new. At some point, you may wish to consider replacing your primary storage device simply to regain that performance level from when the device was new. This will also improve the odds of avoiding catastrophic storage failure or simple data loss.

Predatory Obsolescence?

Thinking about the new OS releases and product releases from Apple, If this sounds a bit worse than planned obsolescence, I could agree with you; but, it is well within keeping with the history of most of our high-tech device providers. They are in business to make money and one way their success is measured is in the number of new products sold. How better to drive sales than to actively make older products less functional? This is not the first example we have seen of this and it won’t be the last. As consumers, we have some control over the success and failure of these kinds of acts on the part of providers. Please consider carefully, your actual needs and “wants / wishes” before reinforcing this kind of behavior on the part of these tech providers.

Here in my northern office I continue to work from a seven year-old computer (new SSD hard drive 2-years ago) without missing a thing that is offered in the new hardware. Upstairs, I run my entertainment system with $100 Raspberry Pi 400. When I need a computer for some application, I take care to analyze what I actually need and then I build a wish-list of other features and abilities that would make that product or me more efficient in the appointed tasks. From that (and some experience, not all good) I decide on a product to fill the demands for that application.

I titled this post as Predatory Obsolescence because, more and more, I see consumers choosing products because they are new or flashy, or shiny instead of because they fit their needs and wishes best. The manufacturers are using this behavior to their advantage and have helped us build a culture of “throw away and replace” instead of adapting perfectly capable products to our needs. Yes, they are being predatory; but, we are acting as their willing prey.

Updated OS’s from Apple

It may not be news to most; but, Apple has released an updated OS for many of its product lines that may contain a “gotcha” for the owners of older Apple products. Apple has taken a step forward in optimizing their OS’s for the new M1 family of products. Unfortunately, this has been done at the expense of the stability and performance of products using earlier chipsets (like the Intel-based Macs). If you have one of the non-M1 based products, please discuss the pros and cons of upgrading (before you take the leap) with a Mac professional.

This act on the part of Apple highlights the importance of having good backups, keeping installation materials, and remaining vigilant in the face of “newer is better” cultural bias. Apple is doing what they promised to do, providing new and potentially better computing experiences for their customers with their new products. It is our responsibility as consumers to carefully choose what we purchase and how we maintain those products.

Shame on you Apple

Well, while the rest of the industry sleeps through the spring doldrums, Apple has once again announced their new lineup of computing devices. I have a number of issues with this latest announcement and a few well-done’s to go with. First, those who predicted what Apple would release back in February, well done, most of you were right on. Second, now that we have official pricing, shame on you Apple for doing what was predicted which was, in part, to use your improved control over components to artificially overprice second-rate products. Looking at the new iMacs, I see the entry-level product at $1299 which lacks important connectivity options, utilizes (reportedly) an underpowered graphics chipset, and no ethernet connector or USB connectors. Pony up $1499 and you get an improved graphics chip, a couple USB 3 ports, and an ethernet port. Remember these are entry-level units with a display that would have been mainstream a few years ago and most everything is similar too but NOT industry standard.

Apple also announced a tracking “chit” that is small, has a limited range and reminds me a lot of the first “Tile” products. They also released a new pair of iPads using the new M1 chip architecture at ridiculous prices.

I really had hoped that using the M1 SOC architecture would give Apple the impetus to release reasonably priced units with state-of-the-art capabilities and features; so far it looks as if I will be disappointed on both of these points if and when Apple actually starts shipping these units. You see, normally reviewers would already have a few of these new units in hand to test, take through their paces, compare with previous products and competing products, etc. However, no such preview devices have been forthcoming and the order date for these products is upon us with supposed delivery dates one month away. I begin to suspect that this delivery date (already pushed back once) will be pushed back because the products really don’t seem to be ready for prime time let alone mass production.

On another front, will the M1 perform as promised? Initial testers of the MacBooks using the M1 have been reporting a wide range of performance from far slower than the intel predecessors to nearly as fast as the intel predecessors when pre-testing promise was for a new era of much better performance. Mind you, this is a brand new chip in a brand new architecture running software arguably tuned for the intel chips and architecture and it may take some time before we see what this new processor can do (it is the big brother of the chips driving Raspberry Pi units, so it is actually unfair to call it new). Time will tell; but, so far, not ready for prime time.

My personal stand on the performance issue is that Intel can and will provide processors and architectures superior to whatever Apple actually markets to continue their dominance in the processor industry. That AMD has thus far been able to sneak past them many times in the performance / $ category still causes me to smile. It is this kind of competition that keeps the industry fresh and the frontiers pushed back as our demand for raw processing power continues to grow.

NFT’s and Blockchain

I have been reading again and ran into a wonderful obfuscation of new technology. I refer to the term NFT or non-fungible token which is the technique or new technology being used to secure large transactions or to securely identify objects of value. This is a technique most easily understood when it is used with blockchain transactions thereby guaranteeing a secured transaction of a unique item (non-fungible).

Blockchain is a maturing technique for performing secure electronic transactions, exactly like the transaction when you make an order through Amazon. A blockchain is a completed transaction complete with redundant replicas held “in the open” (on the internet), security is enhanced because each participant has a complete record (or exhaustive ledger) of the transaction, by including non-fungible tokens, the item(s) become unique, greatly enhancing access for the intended owner while making it much more difficult to interfere with the intended delivery.

NFT’s are simply another means of improving the security of transactions (generally electronic transactions). No doubt we will find other uses; but, this is an adequate purpose for developing such a technology. The ability to create and securely exchange unique tokens simply makes any electronic transaction utilizing this technology far more secure. Previously, the combination of large prime numbers in a complicated series of formulas provided this security function; but like any mousetrap, the mice (hackers) eventually learn to breach and claim the cheese.

Security on the internet is not a fixed point; but, rather a moving target that requires constant innovation and vigilance. The more attractive the prize, the harder the hackers of the world will work to breach that security. Unfortunately, as they develop new tools and techniques for circumventing existing security systems and practices, they will sell that knowledge to finance their future attacks and developments. We, the consumers, get run over in the wash as amateur hackers gain access to professional tools and techniques. I believe that our best defense is to remain uninteresting.

Printers, choosing based on cost

I won’t say I entirely agree with Joanna (of the Wall Street Journal who recommends an ink Tank printer), nor do I entirely disagree. The cost of cartridge inkjet printers over the life of the printer is artificially high (ink cost) and her math is spot on regarding what it costs for those who regularly print ( $1200 or more over the life of the printer if you print a few pages each and every day); but, my experience says there are a lot of consumers who print a few pages once or twice a month and leave the printer alone for the rest of the month.

For these people, the inkjet printer has always been expensive because the heads get dried ink on them and eventually have to be cleaned (burning through lots of ink) and eventually leading to the failure of one or more nozzles and forcing either an expensive repair or less expensive replacement of the printer. If you are one of these folks and you insist on having your own printer (to avoid the inconvenience of having printing done by a service and then picking it up), then consider an inexpensive laser printer. If you let it sit for a few months between printing sessions, you may want to take the toner cartridge out and shake it or gently rock it back and forth; but, it is highly likely to print just fine after a long time being ignored and the cost per page will quickly favor the laser for users who print sporadically.

Calculating the cost of any printer over the long haul (please restrict yourself to a 5-year expected life for a printer in today’s world) is a simple matter of figuring out how much paper you have been using and then using the manufacturer’s estimate (I know, but I have found these estimates to be close enough) for toner or tank life and doing some really simple math to determine which printer will be the most cost-effective for you. For instance, my wife and I buy 2 reams of paper most years for 1000 pages of printing a year, and our little laser printer (using the XL size toner) prints 3000 pages per $80 cartridge so I expect to buy one additional toner cartridge over the life of the printer to print roughly 5000 pages (5 years at 1000 pages per year). As a result, my $130 printer will cost $210 over that 5-year life to print 5000 pages.

Installation difficulty also factors in; if you have to hire a technician to set it up, you will need to factor in another $60-$125 for that service unless you can find a full-service retailer (who may charge slightly more for the printer) but include delivery and set up in the price. Here is where I put in my pitch for HP and Epson who both have superior installation routines that make it possible for most users to set up their own printer.

Laptop Features

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal today that really has me upset. The journalist (writer) was tasked with identifying and elaborating on what could and should be done to improve the modern laptop for its role in remote office and meeting activities. The author suggested that the number one thing that needed to be done was to make us look better in the meeting (visually) and went on to describe daemons (running utilities) that make it look like we are excited by the content or engaged with the meeting even if we aren’t.

Sorry folks, but what a waste of effort. How about improved audio and video compression firmware to reduce the bandwidth required to carry on a meeting of a given quality? Or, perhaps, adding lighting to the edge of the display panel so the machine can automatically compensate for low lighting, glare, background elements, and so forth?

Other things I would like to see that are not available on the average laptop include larger (and yes heavier) batteries so you can run on battery power for 8 hours or more while operating meetings, searching videos, etc. A keyboard enhancement that allows you to change the “click” volume to suit your activity (silent while in a meeting to clearly audible for burning the midnight oil with your laptop), this might mean having a keyboard that is capable of being silent most of the time. An external indicator to inform the user if the Microphone and/or camera is actively transmitting or collecting audio and video (a common feature on external cameras but not the built-ins on most laptops).

I am sure that those of you who often use a laptop for virtual meetings and the like have some other features that would make that laptop a better tool for your home office. I know that my biggest current issue is that many people do not have enough bandwidth at home to comfortably carry out a meeting from home and honestly, many rural areas don’t have that kind of bandwidth available for any price. My experience is that most organizations have gone with Zoom (which has some real issues including being a bandwidth hog); but, the nature of meetings is that groups, organizations, and businesses needed to standardize and many chose products they had been using well before the pandemic impacted our activities.