Month: November 2021

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.