Alright, I give in, I got an iMac

For years I did not have a Apple computer.  This was primarily due to cost more than function.  I recently got an iMac and plan on getting a Macbook Pro.  I would like to thank my capstone partner, John W. for the final inspiration for taking the plunge.  Yes, more expensive, but I must admit, there is a difference, a real difference.  I may need to add some Apple pages on here soon.....

Create your own Windows 7 System Repair Disc

With all due respect to the G@@k Squad and all those who would charge you an arm and a leg to repair your Windows installation, check out this article from Howtogeek.com.  It gives you step-by-step instructions on how to create the disc yourself.

Change a Windows Password without a reset disc

Great article for you from Justin Phelps from PCWorld on how to Change a Windows Password with a reset disc.  Check it out here.

Verizon rolls out new data plans...brace yourself

Verizon has completely restructured nearly all of its phone plans with something called a Share Everything Plan. The plans will give you unlimited text and unlimited voice. As for data, you have to pay for how much data you want a month. Then you have to pay another fee for each device that will use that pool of data.

Verizon said it would allow families to share data plans, ranging from $50 for 1 gigabyte to $100 for 10 gigabytes. It will charge $40 for every smartphone connected to the plan and $10 for each tablet. The new plan is optional for Verizon’s 93 million subscribers.  Under the new plan, a family of four could easily spend $200 a month for three smartphones and a tablet with a shared data limit of 6 gigabytes. One user with a 2-gigabyte plan for $60 would blow through the limit by streaming 30 minutes of video and five minutes of music and visiting five Web sites each day for a month.

Verizon is encouraging you to have multiple devices that can all share from the same plan, it's but can make your bill more expensive if you're an individual.  AT&T customers may soon face the same data-plan fate, as one AT&T executive said at CTIA. The plan change for Verizon begins June 28. If you upgrade your plan in the next two weeks, you can hang on to your current contract for the next two years. And if you've been hanging on to an old unlimited plan, you will also need to upgrade before June 28 -- otherwise the next time you upgrade, you'll have to get the Share Everything Plan.

Figures that I buy too soon

I am taking my last classes for an Associate's Degree and last week I bought an iMac from the Apple Store (very pleasant experience).  So it figures that this week Apple announces a back to school promotion that I miss by about 7 days.  

This year's promotion, which started Monday and runs through Sept. 21, gives current college students and incoming freshmen, parents buying for a college student, and teachers and staff members of all grade levels -- including K-12 -- the $100 gift card when they buy a new iMac, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. Refurbished Macs and the Mac Mini do not qualify.

Apple will award a $50 gift card to those who purchase one of the new iPads, the third-generation tablet the company launched last March. iPad 2s, which Apple still sells at a $100 discount, are ineligible.

On a brighter note, I think I will be getting a Macbook Pro, in a day or so, so not all is lost

Get your manuals now

It's well known that most of us do not ready manuals when we buy a gadget.  So much so that most companies do not even include them anymore when you buy something (Apple being a prime suspect).  Well what if you want that manual and cannot find it in the box (if it came with one)?  Try Retrevo.com.  The Retrevo site offers downloadable manuals for all kinds of electronics, from cell phones, to cameras to remote controls.  Although primarily a shopping portal, they store more than 100,000 manuals for products across more than 1000 brands.  When you reach the site, scroll down to the link for the User Manual section.  All manuals are in .PDF format, so make sure your Adobe Reader or Foxit Reader programs are up to date.