25. October 2009 by admin.

Like many, I pre-ordered my copies of Microsoft Windows 7 back in June of this year.  Amazon.com was taking orders, and you couldn’t beat the value: $99 for the Windows 7 Professional Upgrade version! So I ordered two copies, one for my laptop and the other for my main PC.

Locally, some of the office supply stores are offering a similar discount; but it seems they are tying it to a new PC purchase.

The installation was much easier than any of the articles I read online and in the tech magazine. I saw on the Toshiba site (my laptop is a Satellite with AMD Turion 64) that if I didn’t back up everything, when I installed Windows 7 it would erase it all!

Well, that’s just not the case.

Normally, I don’t put anything on the Windows drive except Microsoft and Windows files. So it wouldn’t have been any great loss if it had erased the drive. If you’re a techie-type person, you know that you can partition a single hard drive into multiple logical drives (C, D, E and so on).  In this way, you can set aside one drive - usually the C drive - just for Windows. Then have other drives for all your programs, photo’s, games, etc.

In case you’re wondering, there’s a great partitioning program out there called Easeus Partition Master. There are two flavors: the Home Edition, which is free for home users only; and the Pro version which costs less than $40. It is the best and fastest partition tool I’ve ever seen or used. And I’ve used several - all of which at the time were a lot more than $40. And there’s nothing wrong with the free version. It just works!

Back to the upgrade…

Check out the Tech Net site for information on the Windows 7 upgrade. It’s a bit different depending on whether you’re coming from Windows XP or Windows Vista.

From the time that I started running the Windows Easy Transfer tool - (to move all of my settings to an external hard drive - you can use a USB Flash Drive as well) - until completing the installation of Windows 7, was about 2 hours.

The transfer tool did it’s job, moving about 12GB of data to the external Seagate drive.  Then I started up the Windows 7 upgrade - it installed and worked!

I was really surprised how easy the backup and installation was. You need to know that I have been working with and installing Windows Operating Systems since version 3. And before that, I used an Apple Macintosh 512KE, which has (yes, it still runs - as long as I change out the 9 volt battery!) Microsoft Word (called Word for Macintosh) on it. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that Microsoft Word was running  in a GUI (Graphical User Interface) on the Mac - long before Windows came on the seen!?

Anyway, back to the Windows 7 installation. If you are considering upgrading, you should use the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor - to verify that your system can actually be upgraded. In my case, I recently built my Main PC, so I knew it would work. But yes - I ran the tool  - just in case :)  - because with software, there always seem to be surprises.

According to all I’ve read, if you are upgrading from Windows XP, you’ll need to re-install every program on your PC. Well, that’s a bit of a stretch. I can say, based on my experience that you will need to re-install all your programs that tie directly into the Windows operating system. Many don’t. And those that don’t, won’t need to be re-installed. In most cases, I just had to provide my serial number or key codes again. But you won’t need to re-install them all.

Of the major programs,  those I’ve had to re-install. Programs such as:  Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Acrobat Reader, CutePDF Pro, CutePDF Writer, Dreamweaver CS3, Corel Paint Shop Pro X2, Corel Painter Essentials 4, and of course - Microsoft Office XP. [I love Office 2007 - but will need to save up some more pennies first.]

Right now, I’m just finishing up cleaning out all the old programs that I won’t need anymore. It’s a lot of work…I have about 2TB’s of storage. (That’s 2 TRILLION BYTES of data storage space!) It’s not all filled, but cleaning up on this system, that means trashing hundred’s of Gigabytes of files - all being sent to the Recycle Bin.

I’ll try to update you on my experiences installing and running Windows XP Mode later. Suffice it to say - it really works!

– David

Posted in Windows 7, Real Estate Tech, Computers | No Comments »

22. September 2009 by admin.

The energy-efficient home is moving from the horizons of futuristic planners to the agenda of current homeowners.

It’s not so much a matter of newer technologies – though alternate energy sources like solar and geothermal are making considerable inroads in the modern home. It’s more a matter of improvements on very familiar furnishings and appliances. Put simply, these options save by losing less.

It may be well worth it to give your home an efficiency upgrade. First, you’ll want to figure out what needs fixing. To identify problem areas, contact a qualified professional and get an energy audit of your home. Some upgrades are simple and less expensive.

For example, one common problem is insulation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that proper ceiling insulation alone can reduce your heating bill by as much as 20 percent.

Other energy draining can be solved by replacing old fixtures with more modern and efficient models. Windows, doors and skylights equipped with sealed double or triple panes also reduce heating and cooling costs, and are features for which utility companies often offer rebates.

The EPA notes that air leakage from gaps in your home’s structure – holes for plumbing and wiring, for instance – accounts for 25 to 40 percent of the energy a common home uses for heating and cooling. Similar troubles come from inadequately sealed duct joints and otherwise inefficient, older heating and cooling systems. All can be repaired or replaced.

Even conventional systems such as ventilation can release enough heat from your home to cost a fortune in unnecessary bills. Upgrading these systems can pay for itself – and later pay off as an attractive resale value when possible buyers of your home want to benefit from this form of savings.

And when you’re ready to go from finding the problem to fixing it, the government doesn’t just supply the bad news – it provides some solutions, as well. The EPA’s “Energy Star” rating has appeared on numerous products, identifying efficient appliances and other home furnishings that enable vast savings. Energy Star central air conditioners can save 20 percent on cooling bills.

Studies have shown the resale advantages of homes with lower energy costs. Look for such solutions, and buyers will be more likely to look into your home. Your utility bills, Energy Star fact sheets and other documentation can be attractive proof to present to prospective buyers.

In the short term, you can save on some of these improvements even as they enhance your home’s value. In addition to offering expert advice and home-selling solutions, real estate brands such as ERA Real Estate, feature the ERA® Select Services® network of national and local vendors with leading household products, often at a discount.

Consult a local ERA Real Estate professional on how to navigate the options and opportunities available for the energy-conscious homeowner. Your investment in the future can have many returns right in the present.

Posted in Home Appliances, Energy Savings, EPA, Real Estate Tech, Green Tech | No Comments »

7. January 2009 by admin.

Even though I’ve had a cell phone for years, I put off getting a true smartphone. I thought it would be easier to have a separate PDA, a cell phone, a voice recorder, a laptop and mobile broadband access.

What was I thinking?!

Last week, I drove over to the Verizon Wireless store in Columbus, GA (it’s just across the river from here), and got the Blackberry 8830 smartphone.

Well, I actually went there to return the Blackberry Storm - really cool looking, but the super special touch screen didn’t seem ready to play. (Nothing worse than hitting a button which didn’t light up or activate - but another nearby did light up. But it still didn’t do anything.)

And the built-in accelerometer seemed confused. At the slightest movement of my hand, it would go to horizontal mode. And it was still vertical in my hand!

It was the Storm that brought me into the sheepfold of the smartphones! In the field of software development, the common wisdom is to wait for version 2 or greater of anything. Unless you want to be the guinea pig..er, tester for the software company. Unpaid, of course.

My experience with the 8830 has been fantastic. Everything I really needed as a Realtor in one compact and useful package.

There are several things I like about this phone, but I think the primary benefit to me is push email. I can set up to 10 email accounts to come directly to my phone, instead of having to rush to my tethered computer and pull up my emails.

And the very close secondary benefit is Internet access. No, not just on the phone - it allows my laptop to connect as well, via a USB cable!

I had Verizon’s Broadband Access service from May of this year, until I got the Storm. For reasons that I cannot understand, the USB modem for the laptop could only connect to the web if it could see a broadband access tower.

However, even if I had cell phone service in an area, the modem didn’t.

The strangest part is, with my new Blackberry and a much more affordable Data & Web package - I can access the Internet from anywhere I get cell phone service. Go figure!

If you haven’t made the jump to a smartphone, maybe it’s time to take a look!

David

Posted in Real Estate Tech, Smartphones | No Comments »

14. December 2008 by admin.

Everywhere (including here) you see references to “green this” and “green that”.  Since I work in the real estate industry, I have some thoughts on all of this “green” talk.

Green tech uses some new and some old technologies to save you real cash.  For example, the growing use of Geothermal Heating & Cooling in new home construction. This one area of RE Tech can save you thousands of dollars! And if you live in the South, that can be your savings the first year of use.

A friend of mine uses Geothermal for his newly constructed SIPs home - and his power bills during the hottest months of July and August should have been in the $40 dollar range. And he’s cooling a two-story home! And, getting hot water from the same system.

Then there’s solar panels, which is both an old and new technology. Old in the sense that it’s been around for a long time. And, new in the way newer development technologies are creating more and more efficient and useful panels. Find out if your state offers any incentives for using solar power. Here’s another source of info on “Green Power”.

Posted in Green Tech | No Comments »