With the introduction of Windows Vista and Windows 7, one might be concerned with simple things such as ” will this work with my printer?”, ” will it still run my software?”. Windows vista let us know that sometimes, it’s not always easy upgrading to a new operating system. At PCRetro Rentals, we can rent you a desktop or laptop that will help you with the upgrading process. I have heard that to load the Windows 7 upgrade to a computer that is running Windows Vista, Microsoft’s site ask’s that you upgrade a “clean install”, which means a hard drive that has been formatted. Microsoft is asking you to lose all your data to upgrade? Odd? I think so. If you rent a desktop or laptop from us, you can back up your important information to a working, running, windows XP system, and then later on transfer that irreplaceable data to your new system running Windows 7.
No matter what your needs. We can help you. From simple weekend presentations to months long training. Contact us today and let us tailor a rental agreement to suit your needs. http://www.pcretrorentals.com/contact-us/

Heres a few tips and tricks to upgrading or migrating to the new Windows 7 operating system that is due to hit stores, and computers on October 22, 2009.

1. The Upgrade Is Worth It
We’ve written about Windows 7’s strong points as well as the weaker points of Windows 7. On balance, we’re confident saying this is the best Microsoft operating system yet. If you’re running any earlier version of Windows, you’ll almost certainly want to upgrade — and you should feel no hesitation about buying new computers preloaded with Windows 7.

2. But It Will Cost You
Apple offers an upgrade to its latest operating system, Snow Leopard, for $30 — and you can even take advantage of it if you don’t have the previous version, Leopard. Not so with Microsoft: You’ll need to pay $120 for the upgrade — or even more, depending on which version you get (unless, of course, you’re a smart shopper and can find a discounted price. See tips 6 and 7 below for details on which version to buy and how to find discounts.) As with previous versions of Windows, Microsoft has created a bewildering array of variations.

3. Double-Check Compatibility With Your Hardware
Paranoid about losing access to some of your third-party accessories and software after upgrading? You should be, at least a little bit. Microsoft claims Windows 7 will work smoothly with most third-party gadgets and software, but to be on the safe side, you should check out the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. The tool automatically scans your system and provides a report of any potential issues that arise, as well as steps to resolve them.

4. Scout for Computers Shipping With Windows 7
If you’ve been shopping for a new computer — but waiting for Windows 7 to come out first — there’s a Microsoft tool to help search for new computers that ship with Windows 7. It’s called PC Scout, and it searches for computers based on your preferences. As of this writing, the results don’t bring up Windows 7 systems (since Windows 7 isn’t officially released yet), but the website clarifies all the computers listed in the database are eligible for a Windows 7 upgrade. That means if you purchase one of those computers today, all you have to pay is $10 for shipping, and you get the Windows 7 upgrade free. By the time Windows 7 ships, the PC Scout should be showing results for computers that include Windows 7.

Amazon customers shopping for Windows 7 computers: There’s a web page just for you. Amazon breaks down lists of netbooks, notebooks and desktops specifically shipping with Windows 7, so definitely check those out.

5. Upgrading From XP? Back up Your Data, Wipe and Migrate
Windows XP users cannot do a straight upgrade; they’ll have to back up their files, format their hard drive and perform a clean install. After your fresh copy of Windows 7 is on your computer, Microsoft offers a tool called Easy Transfer to migrate your files.

(If you’re a Vista user, you’ll be able to upgrade without doing a clean install — though fresh installations are generally recommended for optimal performance anyway whenever you switch to a new operating system.)

6. Know What You Want
Disregard the awful, intimidating Windows 7 upgrade chart when you’re picking a version to buy. Choosing the right version really isn’t as complicated as Microsoft has made it sound in the past. Consumers: The vast majority of you should go with Windows 7 Home Premium. Business users: Most of you will want to go with Windows 7 Professional. (There’s a Windows 7 Ultimate edition, but that’s aimed at a very niche audience of ultra geeks who want to do everything they could possibly imagine doing with their computers.) Again, if you want to be safe, use the Upgrade Advisor to check your hardware and software compatibility.

7. Look for Limited-Time Discounts
If you’re buying Windows 7 while it’s brand new, you shouldn’t be paying the full price. Microsoft and its partners are holding a weeklong sale called “7 Days of Windows 7.” Companies offering Windows 7 discounts with Microsoft include Best Buy, Dell and Acer. You can sign up to hear about daily offers on Windows.com. Also, you can check discount-aggregation sites such as PriceGrabber.com or Froogle.com to find the cheapest Windows 7 deals.

** Credit to www.wired.com for these helpful hints.

Back to school is fast approaching. With that in mind, one of the best things to do, is rent a laptop or desktop for your school projects. There comes times when school projects are a part of life. Parents with one computer households soon learn that having one computer is just not feasible. When your student has a need for a computer, an affordable solution is to rent a second computer for the duration of the project. This will free up the time taken on the household computer without having to commit to the expense of purchasing another computer. To get a free quote, please do not hesitate to contact PCRetro Rentals and we can help you with all your back to school computer needs!

Malware programs, posing as anti-virus software is on the rise and it’s spreading FAST! According to reports (CNET) tens of millions of computers are infected each month with this rogue software that poses as a legit anti-virus. What it does is infect your computer, then sends you false infection warnings, conning the unknowing into purchasing a fake license for software that is literally spyware and malware.
It’s truly sad when people do not have anything better to do than dupe people into thinking they need to pay for malware that wont do anything for them but infect their system even further than it already it.

So just a warning, keep your eyes peeled, DON’T fall for false infection warnings, keep a well known anti-virus installed such as norton, avast, panda, or trend micro. scan your system often, and do not fall for this scam.

I think that this will make blackberry much more user friendly for Mac users and could boost blackberry sales.

BlackBerry Desktop software, currently available only for Windows, is coming to the Mac.
(Credit: RIM)
At long last, Research In Motion is bringing its BlackBerry Desktop software to Mac OS X.
In a blog post on Monday, RIM announced that a version of its smartphones’ desktop software will be released this September for Apple computers.
According to the smartphone maker, users will be able to sync their iTunes playlists, calendars, contacts, notes, and tasks from their Mac. They will also have the option of adding applications, updating the BlackBerry when new software is made available, and managing multiple handsets on their Apple computers.

BlackBerry Mac software will let you sync your BlackBerry with iTunes.
(Credit: RIM)
Although users will be excited to know BlackBerry software is finally coming to their Mac, some of those users might not be satisfied. RIM said only Mac OS X versions 10.5.5 and up will be supported, meaning that Mac users who haven’t updated Leopard or those running Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger likely won’t be able to run the software.
Unlike iPhone software, which can be installed in both Windows PCs and Macs, RIM’s BlackBerry software has been available only for Windows; a third-party tool has been required to enable communication between Macs and BlackBerrys.
If you want to be notified when the software is available when it’s released in September, you’ll need to sign up on RIM’s Mac page.

I was looking into the next wave of processors for computers and found this. I cant wait to see what happens if this goes beyond the Core Duo Family.

“Waiting for a Core i7 laptop? While Intel is slated to release its first mobile “Nehalem” Core i7 processor in the coming months, the desktop counterpart has already spawned a cottage industry of benchmark-busting laptops.
“It’s completely revitalized the desktop replacement laptop,” said Kelt Reeves, president of enthusiast PC maker Falcon Northwest, referring to designs that have shoehorned a desktop Core i7 processor into a laptop enclosure.
At the very high end of Falcon Northwest’s lineup, interest has shifted to models with the Core i7 processor and away from models oriented around extreme-performance graphics cards, Reeves said.

Falcon Northwest laptop can use Core i7 processors running at speeds up to 3.33GHz
(Credit: Falcon Northwest)
For instance, the Falcon Northwest FragBook DRX Core i7-based models come with Nvidia’s lower-performance GeForce GTX 280M graphics processor instead of the higher-end Scalable Link Interface (SLI) technology, which uses two graphics chips. But performance has actually improved in many cases, Reeves said.
“It’s a much better balance of a very-high-powered CPU and a very-high-powered graphics card,” he said.
Only at the highest settings in popular games like Crysis and World in Conflict did laptops using older Intel Core 2 processors with SLI graphics offer any competition to the Core i7 models, according to Reeves.

AVADirect Clevo D900F Core i7 laptop: a lot of processing power means a lot of fans (count ‘em: 4)
(Credit: CNET Reviews)
But it may be too charitable to call these laptops. Sheer size and heat dissipation requirements almost defy laptop categorization. “There’s a huge set of heat pipes and copper cooling fins and fans needed to duct out all that power,” Reeves said.
Falcon Northwest is not the only company selling large luggable, heat-spewing laptops. CNET Reviews looked at the AVADirect Clevo D900F Core i7 laptop with the same Nvidia graphics processor and said that “the D900F handily topped all of the other performance laptops we’ve tested. Its processing results were more on par with the Alienware Area-51 X58 gaming desktop (using a 3.2GHz Intel Core i7 chip).”
Smooth Creations and CyberPower, among others, also offer laptops based on the Core i7 processor.
So when will the real deal appear? The first processor designated officially as a Nehalem mobile processor from Intel is expected to emerge by October. Code-named Clarksfield, it will be a quad-core processor, like the current desktop i7, but not impose the kind of thermal stress on the laptop enclosure that the current i7 does. Clarksfield is expected to have a thermal envelope (referred to as Thermal Design Power) that is below half of the current i7, which is rated at 130 watts for the highest-end processor.
Benchmark results for the Falcon Northwest Core i7 laptop are here.”

Credits to CNET.com for this Article

PCRetro Rentals will be at the NVHEC conference at the Dulles expo center friday July 10th and Saturday July 11th.  Stop by and check out our booth #221.

Or check out their website at www.novaconference.net for more information and directions to the Expo center in Chantilly, Va.