Windows 7 is a Success, On Track to Overtake XP This Year

I still like Windows 7. It is easy for an experienced Windows XP user to adapt to its minor changes. Likewise for a Vista user. This article comes from maximumpc.com.

"Over the last year, Windows 7 has slowly, but steadily been gaining market share. Now perhaps we can all just get together and call it a huge success. According to some Google analytics data, Windows 7 has blown by Vista, and should surpass Windows XP by year's end. What we're talking about here are usage statistics for various websites, but this is indicative of what regular consumers are running.

In July, Microsoft announced that they had sold 175 million Windows 7 licenses. That amounts to 30 million per month. Still, when Microsoft talks about this, there's no joy, no self-congratulations. It wouldn't be prudent to talk up the platform too much, but consumers seem pleased with Windows 7. Microsoft has avoided reliving the PR nightmare that the Vista launch turned into.

All the data shows that Vista users are upgrading at an astounding rate. This in and of itself is odd. In the past, most users have just waited until they bought a new computer to get the new version of Windows. It could be a symptom of widespread dissatisfaction with Vista, but the quality of Windows 7 is also getting XP users to take the plunge. Did you step up to Windows 7 from XP? Tell us about your experience."

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MVPS HOSTS File for August

Remember, this is a very good time to run Spybot - before downloading and updating the HOST file.


MVPS HOSTS File Update August-18-2010

The MVPS HOSTS file was recently updated [August-18-2010]
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
Download: hosts.zip (149 kb)
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.zip
How To: Download and Extract the HOSTS file
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts2.htm
HOSTS File - Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hostsfaq.htm
Note: the "text" version makes a great resource for determining possible unwanted connections ...
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt (605 kb)

15 Things Every PC User Should Know

This is a very useful list of items from pcworld.com. I must say that I am a little disappointed that they didn't include "keep your desktop uncluttered". I work on some PCs that don't have room for another icon! Really. A cluttered desktop will slow down the startup process.

But I digress. Here's the article, worth your time for some good basic advice.

15 Things Every PC User Should Know