443-992-7394

Twitter LinkedIn Google+ Facebook Blog Posts Comments

You are here: Home / Archives for Windows 8

Hackers Will Be Attacking Windows XP Users in the Next Year

August 23, 2013 by

Some people do not like change; they become so accustomed to a certain way of doing things. This is not only in regards to a daily routine, or a habit that needs breaking, but a certain type of software as well. Many Microsoft users still have Windows XP installed on their computers (whether it is a home or office computer), not because it is the best operating system, or even the easiest to use. But because people get comfortable with what is familiar. However this may pose an issue in the next year.

Apparently, hackers are storing information that exploits vulnerabilities in Windows XP and will unleash them when Microsoft stops  supporting the Windows XP operating system next year.

What Does This Mean for Windows XP Users?

If you are a Windows XP user worried about the safety of your computer and documents in the future you are now left with two options.

  1. Accept the change and upgrade to Windows 7 or Windows 8. Both of these operating systems come with a slew of new features and upgrades that you will probably love once you adapt to change.
  2. Pay Microsoft the high premium they are charging to have them continue to support Windows XP so you don’t have to adapt to a new operating system. However this won’t save you. No matter how many future vulnerabilities are discovered, Microsoft will no longer be updating Windows XP. The hackers know this and will begin taking over machines that run Windows XP en masse.
This is not a small problem. There are millions of people still running XP on business machines with critical information on them, or on home machines with all the credit card accounts listed in a file somewhere. These could all become compromised.

Disaster Recovery Services from Working Nets in Baltimore, Maryland

At Working Nets, we were founded to provide small businesses, like yours, with expert information technology support they needed. Our disaster recovery services help ensure your vital business data is kept safe and secure!

If you have any questions about Disaster Recovery, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today! You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Source:

http://bgr.com/2013/08/13/windows-xp-hacking-vulnerabilities/

Filed Under: Computer Security Baltimore Tagged With: , , ,

Windows Blue: The Evolution of Microsoft Windows

February 28, 2013 by

The buzz around the IT world has grown louder and louder recently. Windows Blue, which is either an update to Windows 8 or the de facto Windows 9 (we don’t know), has been THE hot topic as of late, especially when the Chinese-language Win8China website posted the follow:

  1. Windows Blue development has passed Milestone 1.
  2. Microsoft will release a preview version of Windows Blue sometime in early June (June 7th seems to be the rumored date).
  3. The final product is slated to be released “a few months” after the public preview, most likely in August.
  4. Windows Blue will be faster, use less power, and run with a new, smaller kernel, version 6.3.
  5. Windows Blue will support more screen scaling.
  6. There is even some talk of “multi-screen applications.”
  7. “The Bing team is working closely on Windows Blue to improve search in a significant way,” said Tom Warren.

So what is Windows Blue? Well, we don’t know. Still, while we don’t know much about Windows Blue, one thing is for sure. Windows Blue represents a shift from Microsoft’s standard three-year upgrade schedule, opting more for an Apple-like one-year rolling revisions. After all, if you can’t be ‘em, join ‘em.

Are you excited for Windows Blue (whatever it is)?

If you have any questions, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Sources:

Windows Blue: How Will Windows 8 Evolve?

Filed Under: Review / Opinion Tagged With: , ,

Windows Sales have declined since the launch of Windows 8

January 11, 2013 by

“People always fear change. People feared electricity when it was invented, didn’t they? People feared coal, they feared gas-powered engines… There will always be ignorance, and ignorance leads to fear. But with time, people will come to accept their silicon masters.” – Bill Gates

Well, Microsoft has recently changed, launching its newest version of its popular operating system, Windows 8, and people have not been receptive. In fact, window sales were down 21% after the first four weeks Windows 8 was on the market.

“Windows 8 has captured 58% of Windows computing device sales. Comparatively, Windows 7 had garnered 83% of such device sales in its first four weeks of release,” according to the NPD Group.

However, it is unclear as to whether the drop in sales is due to the release of Windows 8 or the fact that Microsoft increased the average price of its machines from $433 to $477 after the release of the new operating system. The only thing that is for certain is that Microsoft Windows sales are down. But Microsoft should have saw this coming, right? Public opinion of Windows 8 was not good when the product was demoed before its full scale launch. If you recall from one of our previous blog posts a few months ago, before the launch of Windows 8, most analysts were not very high on the new operating system.

 

According to ZDNet.com, even hard-core Windows 8 fans prefer Windows 7 by a two to one margin.

 “We really don’t think Windows 8 will get significant traction as a PC OS in a corporate environment,” said Gartner analyst Steve Kleynhans. “Why? Because Windows 8 is a “plumbing” upgrade. This is an upgrade that drastically changes the technology without adding significant improvements.” “An SMB is unlikely to decide ‘Windows 7 is no longer good enough, I must have Windows 8!’,” said Analysys Mason analyst Patrick Rusby. “Windows 7 is proven and popular.”

Do you have Windows 8 or have you used it? What do you think about the new operating system? Do you love it, hate it, or are you indifferent? We want to hear from you!

If you have any questions, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Sources:

Windows Sales Down 21% Since Windows 8 Launch

Brainy Quote

Filed Under: IT industry, Opinion, Review / Opinion Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Windows 8 vs. Windows RT: Microsoft’s new Operating Systems explained

October 24, 2012 by

As you probably know, Microsoft is expected to launch its newest operating system, Windows 8, later this week. And in our last blog post, we posted several opinions (mostly negative) about the upcoming launch of Microsoft Windows 8. But what you may not know is that Microsoft is also debuting a second operating system, Windows RT.

PCs and Tablets powered by x86 processors (both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms) will run Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro. Devices on an ARM platform or WOA will run Windows RT.

  • Windows 8: Touted as Microsoft’s “full” version of Windows, 8 supports all of the same software as Windows 7, Vista, and XP, but also runs a batch of new, tablet-like apps available through the Windows Store.
  • Windows RT: Windows RT is a feature-limited tablet version of Windows 8 designed to run on ARM processors. Unlike Windows 8, RT will not support any older Windows software. Windows RT runs only Windows Store apps and built-in software. This means you won’t be able to download any software that is made to run in the desktop environment. This means no third-party browsers…no third-party games…no third-party anything for that matter.

Windows 8 and Windows RT look the same, but behave completely differently. And as you can imagine…or as you may be experiencing…this can be quite confusing for consumers.

If you have any questions about Windows 8 and Windows RT, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

At Working Nets, we work closely with each client to determine their IT needs, and how to meet them quickly and inexpensively. We’ll meet with you and perform an extensive system review before creating a detailed, comprehensive strategy to meet your unique needs.

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

 

Filed Under: Explanations, IT industry, Review / Opinion Tagged With: , , , ,

Windows 8 is set to be released next Week. What is the Public saying?

October 17, 2012 by

The release of Windows 8 is right around the corner. But why does no one seem excited? According to Microsoft, Windows 8 is “Windows reimagined and reinvented from a solid core of Windows 7 speed and reliability.” But what does the public think?

Unfortunately for Microsoft, public opinion has not been in favor of Windows 8. In fact, the closer Microsoft gets to unveiling its newest operating system and the more the public learns about Windows 8, the less likely they are to implement it.

Windows 8 Reviews

 

  1. “We really don’t think Windows 8 will get significant traction as a PC OS in a corporate environment,” said Gartner analyst Steve Kleynhans. “Why? Because Windows 8 is a “plumbing” upgrade. This is an upgrade that drastically changes the technology without adding significant improvements.”
  2. According to ZDNet.com, even hard-core Windows 8 fans prefer Windows 7 by a two to one margin.
  3. “An SMB is unlikely to decide ‘Windows 7 is no longer good enough, I must have Windows 8!’,” said Analysys Mason analyst Patrick Rusby. “Windows 7 is proven and popular.”
  4. “[Windows 8] really seems to be designed for tablets and phones,” said Working Nets own David Spigelman. “While you can install and run it on a desktop or notebook, it’s really not designed for that.”

Checkout How People React to Windows 8

Do you think you will make the switch to Windows 8?

If you have any questions about Windows 8, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!

At Working Nets, we work closely with each client to determine their IT needs, and how to meet them quickly and inexpensively. We’ll meet with you and perform an extensive system review before creating a detailed, comprehensive strategy to meet your unique needs.

Welcome to Working Nets – your virtual IT Department!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

 

Filed Under: IT industry, IT Tips Baltimore, Review / Opinion Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,