Microsoft, in all it’s quirkiness, has created a control panel to make you feel on par with the All Mighty; at least as it pertains to Windows 7.  Attaining your Omnipotent status is a quick and easy process.  I would be interested to hear what you think of this mode.  Do you find it useful?

Directions for God Mode:

To enter “GodMode,” one need only create a new folder and then rename the folder to the following:

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

Users are able to have a single place to do everything from changing the look of the mouse pointer to making a new hard-drive partition.

The trick is also said to work in Windows Vista, although some are warning that although it works fine in 32-bit versions of Vista, it can cause 64-bit versions of that operating system to crash.

For more, read “Understanding Windows 7’s ‘GodMode’” from CNET News.

The HP EliteBook 8530w is the latest 15.4″ workstation featuring the latest Intel processors and Nvidia Quadro FX 770M wrapped inside an impressively durable shell.  The Elitebook 8530w and 8530p (non-workstation version) replace the 8510w and 8510p, respectively.  Is it time for an upgrade at your office? Take a look and see what we have to say about this powerful workhorse!

The 8530w starts out at $1,499 but more powerful configurations top out at $3,549.

Our pre-production review unit as configured:

• Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 Processor (2.53GHz, 6MB L2 cache, 1066MHz FSB)
• Microsoft Genuine Windows Vista Business
• 15.4-inch WUXGA+ anti-glare (1920 x 1200)
• 512MB NVIDIA Quadro FX 770M Workstation GPU
• 4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM (2 x 2GB Configuration)
• 160GB 7200RPM Toshiba 2.5″ HDD
• Blu-Ray and DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
• WiFi, Ethernet, Modem, and Bluetooth Connectivity
• 8-Cell 73WHr Battery
• 3-Year on-site Warranty
• Dimensions: 1.1″ x 14.0″ x 10.4″
• Weight: 6.5lbs without power adapter, 8lbs with power adapter

The notebook that was provided to us is a pre-production unit, and this specific configuration for our notebook did not fit any of the preconfigured models available online, but a similar configuration with 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 RAM and a 250GB hard drive would cost $2,549 if ordered via the HP website.

Build and Design 

The HP EliteBook 8530w is a business workstation notebook, and as such consumers and corporations expect the highest quality of materials and the best features and designs for their money.  Does HP deliver? Oh yeah.

 The main body of the laptop is covered in the new “HP DuraCase” and “HP DuraFinish” which is essentially a hard plastic and strong magnesium alloy inner shell much like its predecessor strengthened by a brushed aluminum outer shell that is so scratch resistant you can’t even scratch it with steel wool.  The base of the laptop feels very strong and would definitely survive many bumps and bruises that other laptops might not.  There is no flex in the keyboard, except for a very minor amount of flex around the enter key directly above the optical drive.  The underside of the notebook is also similarly rigid and strong with the exception of the area immediately underneath the notebook’s optical drive.  Although we don’t recommend it, you can stand on this notebook and you’ll barely notice any flex beneath your feet.

The outer shell of the screen casing is made of metal, but the inner screen bezel is plastic.  You’ll also find a convenient keyboard light located at the top of the screen bezel. Just push the button on the top of the screen and a small LED pops out shining a light on your keyboard. This is perfect for typing while traveling in a car or airplane without turning on an overhead light to bother people sitting next to you. The laptop screen housing is also extremely solid and can barely be twisted even when significant force is applied.

On that note, I accidentally discovered how durable the “DuraCase” and “DuraFinish” are during our testing. I was checking something on the bottom of the notebook with the screen open and when I flipped the EliteBook 8530w over it slipped out of my hands and the back of the screen hit my desk with a solid “WACK!” Just so you understand how hard this notebook hit the desk, the impact was loud enough to make all my coworkers stop what they were doing and look to see if I was okay. The back of the LCD lid hit the desk with enough force that if the lid had been made of cheap plastic it would have snapped in half like a dead twig. 

The 8530w survived without a scratch and everything continued to work perfectly.

When HP says that this mobile workstation “has been tested and meets the military standard
MIL-STD 810F tests” they mean this notebook is built to last. The HP engineers responsible for the 8530w certainly impressed the team here at NotebookReview.com.

Additionally, the 8530w also features hard drive shock protection in the form of the new HP 3D DriveGuard which will help to protect your hard drive in the event the laptop gets dropped or violently bumped … or smacks into a desk because an editor wasn’t paying enough attention.

Of course, with all this rugged durability built into the deisgn you have to expect a trade off, and the trade off in this case is weight. If you didn’t already notice, the EliteBook 8530w tips the scales at six and a half pounds! If you add the power adapter your travel weight then becomes a full eight pounds. While this isn’t horrible for a desktop replacement, if you plan to travel with the 8530w you need to be prepared for how massive this mobile workstation really is. Start lifting weights at the gym after you order your EliteBook to prepare yourself.

Finally, in the same way that the gray and black exterior and smooth design suits a professional environment, so do the internals. The EliteBook 8530w uses two simple plastic covers on the bottom of the notebook (each held in place with two Phillips head screws) so that the user or your IT department can easily access the hard drive, wireless cards or RAM for fast upgrades. The rest of the notebook interior is protected by Torx screws which help deter unqualified employees from messing around inside their work-issued notebook. The bottom of the notebook also features a dedicated docking station port, external battery port, and a convenient place to store your business card.

Screen and Speakers

The 8530w comes equipped with a 15.4″ anti-glare widescreen with the highest resolution possible for a screen of this size.  At 1920 x 1200 pixels, this high-definition display is capable of displaying the finest details in workstation applications like Maya, CAD, 3dsMax, and more.  Or course, you can also enjoy this extra resolution for 1080p movies when you use the BluRay optical drive.

 When viewing the screen from straight ahead, colors are rich and the contrast is excellent. High-definition movies (compliments of the BluRay drive) are absolutely stunning.  Horizontal viewing angles are almost as impressive, and the vertical viewing angle from above is likewise impressive. The only time the screen starts to disappoint is when you view it from below … but the overwhelming majority of users will never view the screen in this way.

HP generally impresses our editorial staff with the quality of the speakers used in their notebooks, and the speakers in the 8530w were no exception. The built-in speakers are above average with a good range of highs. middles, and acceptable lows and do not sound tinny at all.  The highest volume settings are more than loud enough to fill an office with sound for a presentation, but are still clear and not distorted. The only negative about the speakers is their location on the front edge of the notebook.

Since the speakers are located on the front edge of the notebook the sound isn’t being directed up and toward the user when the EliteBook is used as a laptop. In fact, our staff usually refers to laptop speakers with this type of placement as “crotch speakers” because the speakers are directing sound to your waist rather than your ears. If you’re using the 8530w on your desk this isn’t a problem, but if you’re a road warrior constantly working from your lap then you might be annoyed by the speaker placement.

The headphone jack on the 8530w works well with the three different brands of earphones I used during the test. No static or other noise was noticed through the jack besides imperfections in the audio source itself.

 Performance and Benchmarks

 Our pre-production EliteBook 8530w came with the Intel T9400 processor, clocking in at 2.53GHz, and jammed packed with 6MB of cache. For graphics, HP included an Nvidia Quadro 770M series video card with 512MB of GDDR3 memory. A fast 160GB 7200 RPM hard drive was also included, which helped applications load without much lag. This workstation consistently exceeded our expectations, thanks in large part to the workstation-class GPU. Serious users will find this machine packs plenty of power for even the most demanding tasks, and “normal” users who are only concerned with working in Microsoft Office and encoding the occassional video for work will have more power than they know what to do with it.

by Jerry Jackson 

http://www.notebookreview.com/printArticle.asp?newsID=4631

We all want to save money these days. One way seems like a no-brainer.  We should turn off our PC’s at night when they aren’t making us any money.  After all, a PC and monitor can burn the equivalent of several 100 watt light bulbs. However, the answer may not be as clear as it seems.  At night is when your computer performs maintenance on itself.  Think of it as a nightly checkup while you are tucked in bed.  Around 2 A.M is when many computers are set to download and install updates from Microsoft. These updates help keep your operating system up to date and the bad guys from exploiting weaknesses in your security.  In the still of the night is also when your anti-virus meticulously scans each and every file looking for potential malware that has slipped in undetected during the day. Given this reality, does it really save you money to shut down that PC at night?  Maybe not when you consider that the cost to clean up an infected PC can run several hundred dollars.  So what is the best way to be Green and save green?  Check the settings on your Anti-virus and Microsoft updates.  Make sure they are set to update nightly.  Then reach up and push the power button on the monitor. You will still save 100’s of watts of electricity without compromising your IT security. 

Steve Marks

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 – by Jennifer Johnson

Microsoft plans to release its Office 2010 software suite in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors, making it the first Office suite to support both versions. As its name suggests, both versions will be available sometime next year. In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson said “Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Microsoft Visio 2010, and Microsoft Project 2010 are scheduled to enter technical preview in the third quarter of 2009 and become available in the first half of 2010.” After the productivity suite is shipped to manufacturers, Chris Capossela, senior vice president, Microsoft Office has said it takes six weeks to four months or more to reach PC users.

Applications included in Office 14 suite are Word 14, Excel 14, Powerpoint 14, Outlook 14, Access 14, InfoPath Designer 14, InfoPath Filler 14, Publisher 14, Groove 14, InterConnect 14, SharePoint Designer 14, OneNote 14, Visio 14, and Project 14.

One of the most significant new features of Office 2010 is the addition of a Web-based version of the software. Microsoft announced this feature at its Professional Developer Conference in Los Angeles last September. The company has said there will be a free, ad-supported version. Microsoft is still working out fees for businesses who want a version without ads. A Web-based version would make it possible for Office to run on Linux or the Apple iPhone.

Office 2010 was formerly known by its codename, Office 14. As you’ll recall, Office 2007 was codenamed Office 12. Microsoft skipped “13” because it was supposedly suspicious and superstitious about the connotations associated with the number. Screenshots of the latest Office suite (in beta mode) were leaked in January.

Combined with Windows Vista, Office 2010 is set to push 64-bit onto the masses. Until Office 2010, the suite has only been available in the 32-bit flavor. The benefits of running Office in a 64-bit environment may not seem very exciting at first, but it could help expedite 64-bit adoption among other vendors. Moving to 64 bits also provides the ability to take advantage of more RAM than the 4GB limit that exists with 32-bit OSes. Theoretically, 64-bit systems can support up to 16.8 million terabytes, though other system limitations make that quantity of RAM unfeasible at the present time. In addition, users who access large databases and spreadsheets as well as those who use multiple programs simultaneously could benefit from the move to 64-bit.

Microsoft also plans to roll out Service Pack 2 for the Office 2007 suite on April 28th.

December 22, 2009 (Network World) In choosing Howard Schmidt as cybersecurity czar, President Obama has someone who has held a similar job in a previous administration, has varied experience at high-level corporate jobs, was a frequent panelist at security conferences and who has even written a book on defending the Internet.

Schmidt served under President George W. Bush for three years, ultimately resigning after producing the “National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace.”

Because of his high profile past as CSO of Microsoft and CISO of eBay, during which he spoke often at public forums, there is a broad record of his thoughts on network security, from smartphone threats to equating cyber security to physical security. ( See Ten 2010 IT Security Predictions)

The new cybersecurity coordinator favors government promotion of education, research and prodding vendors to produce more secure products that will work their way into everyday use.

“What is the government doing to make sure universities and companies have dollars to do research that will enhance security?” Schmidt said in a 2008 interview with Computerworld. “There is R&D that needs to be done that may not benefit homeland security but it might create the next generation of the Internet that is more secure.”

He thinks Internet security is greatly improved since the mid-1990s when he ranked the impact of a foreign cyberattack in the United States at 5 or 6 on a scale of one to 10, with 10 meaning attacks would have no effect. That has improved to 8 or 9 because the number of attack vectors has been reduced. “We have the ability to turn back attacks. We also could shut down systems that might be under attack and bring them internal,” he says.

Getting cybersecurity considered as important as physical security — such as protecting planes and ports — was a hurdle that is being overcome. Schmidt says he realizes the country can’t have two No. 1 priorities, but it needs to boost the effort put behind cybersecurity. “The government has recognized that work has to be done. We’re getting much closer to having them on equal footing,” he says.

In past interviews, he has said smartphones and other such mobile devices generate the most concern. “What they’ve been attacking on the desktop, they’ll starting attacking in our mobile devices as they become more like PCs in our pockets. We can’t wait five years to do something about it. We have to do something now,” he said

He has a subtle view of exactly what terrorists are likely to attack and what they are likely to preserve as potential tools for propaganda. For instance, they might leave cell phone networks and the Internet infrastructure in general intact rather than try to take them down. “Terrorists now can push Bin Laden videos to mobile phones,” he says. “They’re doing podcasts and Webcasts. To attack the Internet is not in their best interests because they’d suffer like everyone else.”

Instead, terrorists are likely to attack financial institutions to cause damage to the economy, but that is a tough task, Schmidt says. “I think it would be the most likely target, but also the most difficult to penetrate because of all the work financial services has done,” he says.

Looking ahead in a CSO story about security predictions for 2010, Schmidt says layoffs from the bad economy will prompt theft of corporate data or damage, aided by the vulnerability of network peripheral devices such as printers. “Using unsecured printers and network-connected security cameras that can be manipulated, employees are able to cover their tracks when accessing restricted areas,” he says.

He breaks privacy into two parts: protecting the data from outsiders and establishing and enforcing rules about who gets authorized to access it. “We basically need a bill of rights over privacy of information,” he says.

His thoughts on:

Social networking: “Vendors and purveyors of social media sites need to take a more active role in educating their users about threats like Bredolab in 2010.”
Passports with RFID chips: “I don’t think it’s a bad idea, but I don’t think security was as high a consideration as it should have been.”
Background checks for IT workers: “I think it’s not a bad idea…If people are involved in IT, they need some scrutiny to make sure they’re not at potential for doing bad things to the company or even to national security.”
Popularity of cloud computing: “The overall net effect will give us a better chance to develop more security in the cloud using better vulnerability management/reduction, strong authentication, robust encryption and closer attention to legal jurisdictions.”
Two-factor authentication: “With federation of the many various types of two-factor authentication that are around today we will finally see strong authentication become the rule, NOT the exception.
Tim Greene – Computer World

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Thinking of upgrading your Windows XP or Vista machine to Microsoft Windows 7?

In this article, Easy Computer Basics, Windows 7 Edition author Michael Miller gives you seven good reasons why you should upgrade to Windows 7, no matter which version of Windows you’re currently running.

Windows Vista was not Microsoft’s most popular version of the Windows operating system. Now, I personally think that Vista got a bad rap—many of the complaints were from users who just didn’t want to change—but Microsoft got the message and is rolling out the next version of Windows on an accelerated schedule.

How different is the upcoming Windows 7 from Windows Vista—and Windows XP? More important, is Windows 7 different enough—and better enough—to warrant upgrading? I think so, and offer the following seven reasons to upgrade from either Windows XP or Windows Vista to Windows 7.

Reason #1: It’s Fully Compatible with Windows Vista—but Runs Better

Here’s the dirty little secret about Windows 7: It’s really just an updated version of Windows Vista. That’s right; Windows 7 is kind of like a service pack (on steroids) for Windows Vista.

The good thing about being an incremental release is that there are no big underlying changes. Whereas Windows Vista generated lots of complaints about incompatible older software and hardware, that’s not going to be a problem with Windows 7.

Since the code base is essentially the same, if you have a system that works with Windows Vista, everything should also work perfectly with Windows 7. This makes it a no-brainer upgrade for Vista users; if Vista is working fine for you, Windows 7 should work fine, too.

Not only should Windows 7 be compatible with everything Vista, it promises to be more compatible than Vista was with older XP-era software and hardware. Again, think of Win7 as a Vista service pack; service packs almost always enhance compatibility. Microsoft has had a few years to add more programs and devices to the compatibility list, and that makes Windows 7 a more compatible operating system.

So all those “unknown devices” you had when you upgraded from XP to Vista should be recognized right out of the box with Windows 7. No more manual driver updates; expect the Windows 7 installation to be a lot smoother than what you had with Vista.

Even better, Windows 7 loads and runs noticeably faster than Vista did. Again, this is a side effect of being an incremental upgrade; Microsoft had the time to tweak things to make them run just a little better in the new operating system. Where Vista made many older PCs feel sluggish, you should find that Windows 7 installs faster, loads faster, and feels “snappier” in normal day-to-day operation. That’s no small thing.

In short, operation-wise, Windows 7 is what Windows Vista should have been out of the box. So if you’ve been waiting to upgrade from XP to Vista, upgrading directly to Windows 7 is the way to go.

Reason #2: Windows XP Mode

Talking about compatibility, Windows 7 features a new Windows XP Mode that promises complete compatibility with any Windows XP-era program. XP Mode is essentially a virtual PC environment that runs a fully licensed copy of Windows XP (with SP3).

If you have an older XP program that didn’t run under Vista, you can run it in Windows 7’s virtual XP Mode. You won’t know the difference because programs running in virtual mode look and feel just like normal Windows 7 applications; no separate OS windows are necessary.

Know, however, that Windows XP Mode is not built into the core Windows 7 operating system. Instead, it will be available as a free download for users of the Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions of Windows 7. If full compatibility with Windows XP apps is essential for you, make sure that you upgrade to one of these versions.

Reason #3: The Windows 7 Taskbar

Here’s my favorite new thing about Windows 7 (which, admittedly, might take some getting used to). It’s the new Windows 7 Taskbar, which looks and works much differently from any Windows Taskbar you’ve used before.

In previous version of Windows, the Taskbar existed to “hold” applications or documents that were currently open. That is, if you had an Excel worksheet open, a button for that worksheet would appear on the Taskbar. With multiple windows open, you could switch between windows by clicking that windows’ button on the Taskbar. When a document or application closed, its Taskbar button disappeared.

In Windows 7, the Taskbar still holds a place for open documents/applications, but also serves as a “dock” of sorts for your favorite applications. In this regard, it’s kind of like a blend of the old Taskbar and the Quick Launch toolbar, which was featured in Windows XP but pretty much ignored by the time Windows Vista rolled around. In other words, the new Windows 7 Taskbar displays icons or buttons for both open and closed applications—and for multiple instances of running applications.

Each button on the Taskbar has additional functionality, as well. Click a Taskbar button for a running application, and you see a thumbnail for the open document—or multiple thumbnails if multiple documents are open. Right-click a Taskbar button for either an open or closed application; you then see a Jump List, essentially a pop-up menu of recent documents and additional program functionality.

There’s more involved with the Win7 Taskbar, but you get the idea. Windows 7 packs a lot of functionality into that thin strip at the bottom of the screen, making the Taskbar much more useful than it’s ever been. Yes, it takes some getting used to; it works much differently from previous Taskbars. But the added functionality makes it worth the effort.

Reason #4: New Aero Features

The Aero interface was new to Windows Vista, and Windows 7 adds even more Aero functionality. New to Windows 7 are some cool windows-management features that you can use with your mouse, your keyboard, or (if you have a touch screen PC), your fingers.

For example, the new Aero Peek feature is useful when you’re working with multiple open windows. Want to see what’s on the desktop below all those windows? You no longer have to minimize them all; just hover over the Aero Peek button at the far right of the Taskbar; the windows go clear, and the desktop becomes visible. Aero Peek is also activated when you hover over a Taskbar thumbnail; the window for that thumbnail is highlighted, and all other windows are made transparent. It’s kind of neat.

Also new is Aero Snap, a way to quickly maximize and dock windows to the sides of your desktop. Quickly drag a window to the top of the screen, and it maximizes full screen. Even neater, you can drag one window to the left side of the screen and another to the right, and you get a perfect side-by-side setup. Aero Snap can also be enabled with keyboard shortcuts, and is perfect for touch screen use.

Finally, Aero Shake lets you minimize all open windows save one by “shaking” the current window with your mouse or finger. The window you shake stays open while everything else minimizes.

Reason #5: Less-Intrusive User Account Control

One thing most users, me included, despised about Windows Vista was User Account Control. UAC came with good intentions, a way to reduce virus infections, and spyware intrusions, but ultimately just got in the way by asking the user to approve too many mundane actions. I found it much more acceptable to risk infection and turn the darned thing off.

Microsoft heard your complaints and rejigged UAC in Windows 7 to be much less intrusive. In fact, you’ll hardly know it’s there; about the only confirmation dialogs you’ll see are when you’re installing new hardware or software on your system. Some critics are saying that this makes Win7 less secure than Vista, but I think it makes it more usable. Less nagging is a good thing.

Reason #6: You Can De-Microsoft It

Microsoft caught a lot of flack over the years by throwing all sorts of non-essential applications into Windows and calling them part of the operating system. Sorry, Microsoft, email programs and video editors are not core operating system components. Nice of you to include them (for free), but better apps are often available elsewhere. (And, of course, the producers of those apps cried foul on Microsoft for unfair competition—fairly, in my humble opinion.)

Whether for legal or other reasons, Microsoft decided to not include some of those apps in Windows 7. Oh, Microsoft still supplies apps such as Mail, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, and the like, but you have to download them manually (for free, still) as part of what Microsoft is now calling Windows Live Essentials. They’re no longer installed as part of Windows, which frees up hard disk space for those apps that you either never used or replaced with something better.

Along the same lines, Microsoft now makes it easy for you to specify competing applications as default programs in Windows. Don’t want to use Internet Explorer as your web browser? No problem; a few clicks of the mouse and you can configure Windows 7 to use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox as your default browser instead.

There’s a Default Programs button right on the Start menu; this opens a window that lets you configure all the default applications on your system. You’re no longer locked into Microsoft apps; instead, you can set your favorite non-Microsoft applications as the system’s defaults. Choice is good.

Reason #7: Revamped Apps

Finally, Windows 7 offers some major upgrades to some of those little applications that you might not use that often, but still kind of need. For some of these utilities, this is the first upgrade in more than a decade.

Take, for example, the Windows Calculator. Previously, the Calculator offered little more than you could get in a ten-buck standard consumer calculator. Not so in Windows 7; the new Win7 Calculator functions as a standard calculator, a scientific calculator, a programmer calculator, and a statistical calculator. That’s added functionality to the nines, my friends.

Also updated in Windows 7 are Windows Paint (with a new Ribbon interface), WordPad (also with a new Ribbon), and Windows Media Player (with a new minimal Now Playing mode window). If you use these apps at all, you’ll appreciate the updates.

Oh, and Microsoft has done away with the intrusive Sidebar introduced in Vista; instead it lets you place individual Gadgets directly on the desktop. That frees up more desktop space while still providing specific functionality. Good deal.