Save Your iPod from Windows Vista

Do you have an iPod that is connected to a PC running Windows Vista? If so, you should ensure that you download the following patch to prevent your iPod from being corrupted.

I still think that it is quite ironic that the iPod can be corrupted after the "Safely Remove Hardware" message was displayed.

It's also somewhat ironic that Microsoft and Apple partnered to develop the fix, especially since the iPod is a direct competitor with the Zune.

Times sure are changing.

Bill Gates, Be A Hero

In a case that smacks of McCarthyism, Russian headmaster Alexander Ponosov has been found guilty of using 12 illegal copies of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office on his school’s computers.

Have the Russian authorities lost their mind?

In a world where gangs of hackers steal millions of dollars of software each year, this teacher is being prosecuted for allegedly stealing software worth approximately 5,000 rubles, or $194 American dollars.

What a joke.

In a previous Tech Free Press posting, I urged Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates to be a hero and intercede on Ponosov’s behalf. Instead, Microsoft issued the following statement:

"Our interest is not in prosecuting schools or teachers, it is in helping students develop the technology skills they need in the 21st century. Mr. Ponosov's case was initiated by Russian authorities under Russian law. Microsoft neither initiated nor has any plans to bring any action against Mr. Ponosov," Microsoft said.

Surprisingly, Uncle Bill didn’t listen to my recommendation back in February. Maybe now that readership of this blog has increased to nearly 70 readers per day he’ll realize that my opinion matters more.

Then again, he does own the majority interest in the largest software company currently in existence and has more lawyers than I have readers.

I have to do something about that!

Perhaps an e-mail to Mark Cuban would help. He may not get as much credit for philanthropy as Bill Gates, but Cuban knows how to shake things up when it really matters.

To be fair to Bill Gates and Microsoft, Ponosov brought some of this trouble on himself. The case was thrown out of court in February, but it was reopened at Ponosov’s urging because he was not found completely innocent.

Doh!

Regardless, it’s time that this case was ended once and for all. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called this case “utter nonsense.”

At least he understands.

Hopefully someone will step in and help this poor, addled soul. Anyone who has charges against themselves reinstated needs some outside intervention.

Loyal readers, please help. Let’s e-mail Bill Gates and ask him to help Mr. Ponosov. According to several sources, Uncle Bill’s e-mail address is billg@microsoft.com.

Do I really think that this e-mail address will work? Probably not.

But hey, you’ll never know what the response will be unless you ask.

Wow! Yeah, right.

Amazing.

That's the only word that can describe the feeling that I had more than a decade ago when I realized that people were lining up in front of Best Buy to purchase the newly released Windows 95.

Twelve years later I find myself wondering if these same people are standing outside once again anxiously awaiting the latest operating system release from Redmond.

If they are, then they are probably not going to feel the same crush of excitement as midnight approaches because the lines will be much shorter this time around. Despite much fanfare from the folks at Microsoft, the vast majority of people that I know are quite ambivalent about tomorrow's release.

Certainly none of them are going to wait in line at midnight just to be the first uber-geek to take the new OS for a spin. In fact, most of my friends have already been beta testing Vista for several months.

Without a doubt, society has evolved from novice computer users to savvy technofiends who are so technically advanced that a new operating system has become as exciting as turning on a light switch.

I think that there are several reasons for this change in attitude. First of all, our society has more important things to worry about. The world was a much simpler place back in 1995. The Internet era was still in its infancy and Google wasn't even a gleam in the eyes of Sergey Brin or Larry Page. In those days, a high speed Internet connection was a 56k modem.

Now, you can purchase Vista on-line and download the operating system directly to your computer. There simply isn't any reason for uber-geeks to stand outside in the frigid Wisconsin winter.

I think that the primary reason for this change, however, is that society has become so overloaded with technology that a new operating system is not really all that exciting. Granted, Windows Vista appears to contain a wonderful user interface and some fairly solid functionality, but on the whole it doesn't really do that much more for the average computer user than Windows XP.

Almost everyone I know is more excited with advances in cool technology such as the iPhone, the Blackjack, the Wii, and the iPod. In fact, many of my friends have recently gone to the dark side and jumped on the Apple bandwagon.

A new Microsoft operating system just doesn't have the excietment that it used to have. The changes that accompany Vist are revolutionary in some respects, but they just aren't as jaw dropping as when we moved from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95.

As I've just seen on the news, there is a small group of stalwarts standing outside waiting for midnight. I commend those hearty souls for braving the frigid Wisconsin winter, but this time around I'm even more amazed that anyone would stand in line at midnight just to buy a new operating system.

Sorry Microsoft. There just isn't a Wow factor this time around.

Amazing.

It's October 12 and Milwaukee had its first snowfall of the season today. Personally, I like seeing the snow fly early. No, I don't enjoy the cold or look forward to firing up the snow blower.

I'm happy because now the Christmas ads don't seem so out of place in 70s and sun. And now that I'm starting to get into the holiday season, it's time to start thinking about what I want for Christmas.

Thanks to Microsoft and the delays with Windows Vista, one thing that I can put right at the top of my list is a shining new PC. Yes, you read that right. I'm happy that Windows Vista is delayed until January. Actually, I'm thrilled with the timing of this delay.

No, I don't wish Uncle Bill or Microsoft any ill will. In fact, this year I'd like to send them a great big thank you card. So should you.

This holiday season computer prices for new systems will drop drastically as retailers try to get rid of their stock of XP systems in order to make room for new Vista laden machines in January. This means that we should all be able to get some fantastic deals on a new computer system this year. I, for one, can't wait!

So, as we make our list and check it twice, here are the things that we should ask Santa and the elves to install in the new computer that's under the tree on Christmas morning.

• A lightning fast 3 GHz processor
• At least 1 GB of RAM
• A DirectX 9 video adapter that supports WDDM, has at least 128 MB of RAM, pixel shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel

Happy computing!