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Updated: New Computer Recommendations and Best Practices

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Buy a Mac

MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro

When you buy a Mac you get a system with the best hardware available and highly dependable software out of the box. The only reason not to buy a Mac is cost. I have not found a single Windows app I can’t run on my Mac with a little help from VM-Ware. Is a Mac perfect? No but is a lot closer to computing nirvana than any PC I have ever used.

If you can’t buy a Mac buy a PC With At Least

  • Processor: Intel i5 mimimum
  • Memory: 8 Gb of RAM minimum
  • Hard Disk: 250GB SSD or 1 TB Hard Disk minimum
  • Monitor: 21”

Operating System

Windows 10

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Welcome to the Gutenberg Editor

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This is the demo post that WordPress provides when you first use the Gutenberg Editor interface.

The goal of this new editor is to make adding rich content to WordPress simple and enjoyable. This whole post is composed of pieces of content—somewhat similar to LEGO bricks—that you can move around and interact with. Move your cursor around and you’ll notice the different blocks light up with outlines and arrows. Press the arrows to reposition blocks quickly, without fearing about losing things in the process of copying and pasting.

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Spring Forward – Apple Event

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Screen Shot 2015-03-09 at 11.23.51 AM

Apple TV

HBO Now – Apple exclusive launch partner. All programing past, present and future. All you need is a broadband and an Apple TV, iPhone or an iPad.

Release is set for April 12th at a price of $14.99 per month.

25 million units sold to date.

Reduced price from $99.00 to $69.00

iPhone

Apple Pay – 2500 banks now support Apple Pay. Tripled the number of retail locations since launch.

CarPlay – Every major car brand has now committed to support Apple CarPlay. (Even Toyota?)

Home Kit – Lots of new device support announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January with many more expected throughout the year.

Health Kit – Benefits to medical research. Apple announced a new Research Kit software framework integrated with HealthKit to provide information to medical researchers in areas such as Parkinson’s Disease, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Asthma and Breast Cancer. As to privacy, Apple will not see your data, you decide what if any apps are installed and what information is shared. Project will be open sourced. The first five apps will be available today.

Mac

New Macbook

  • 2 pounds – lightest mac ever
  • 13.1 mm thin 24% thinner
  • All metal enclosure
  • Full Keyboard to the edge – All new full size keyboard 4x more stable 40% thinner. New backlight systems
  • 12in Retina Display 2304×1440 pixels – Larger pixel aperture.
  • Force Touch Trackpad – Taptic engine adjustable click feel, Pressure sensitive, new force click gesture.
  • First fan-less MacBook
  • 67% smaller motherboard
  • Intel Core M – 5 wall power consumption
  • 35% more battery size – all day battery life
  • 803.11 c – Bluetooth 4
  • 1 port for USB-C works for Power, Video output, USB, Port etc. all in one connector.
  • New colors Silver, Space Gray and Gold
  • Worlds most energy efficient notebook.

$1,299.00

Apple Watch

Time – Accurate to within 50ms of UTC.

Thousands of apps at launch.

IOS 8.2 Available for download today includes Apple watch app.

Apple Watch Sport – Aluminum

Sport Collection – Aluminum

  • Silver or Space Gray
  • New stronger alloy
  • $349 – 38 mm
  • $399 – 42 mm

Apple Watch – Steel

Watch  – Stainless Steal

  • $549 – $1,049* – 38 mm
  • $599 – $1,099* – 42 mm

*Depending on band choice.

Apple Watch Edition – Gold

Edition – Gold

Priced from $10,000

Preorders start – April 10th

Battery Life –  No word.

Windows XP – End of Life

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Windows XP - Blue Screen of Death

What are we going to do about Windows XP?

Microsoft is ending Windows XPs service life on April 8, 2014 and it really is time to say goodbye. Microsoft will no longer be offering operating system fixes and no defenses against viruses and other online dangers.

There have been three versions of Windows since Windows XP and a lot has changed in the world of computer hardware so Windows 7 and 8 upgrades are really not an option for most people. If your computer is older that two or threes years you are not going to be happy with a Windows upgrade.

Windows lifecycle fact sheet http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle

Four Options

1. Replace Your Computer – This is the option that Microsoft (and the industry as a whole) recommends. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/xp/upgrade-options.aspx.
2. Upgrade Windows – (Not really an option for older computers)
a. Windows 7 Upgrade – Windows 7 Upgrade Edition is a hard to find commodity these days. I could not find a reliable source for this article. Plus it will probably not run well on your old hardware.
b. Windows 8 Upgrade – There are a lot of complaints about the Windows 8 user interface and I do not recommend running it on old hardware. http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/productID.264951000
3. Linux – Ubuntu
4. Do Nothing – Hackers and scammers are going to be targeting computers still using Windows XP and you are going to be vulnerable.

What do you use Your Computer For?

If you are the type of person who is basically just on the web, looking at videos, reading email and occasionally sending a picture than a tablet computer such as an iPad may be right for you.

For business users it is still possible to order computers from Dell and many other manufacturers that still have Windows 7 which is a lot more like the Windows XP you know and love. You will usually find more of these computers in the business section of the manufacturers website.

Connections Recommended Minimum Systems Requirements

• Intel i5 or grater processor
• At least 4 GB of RAM MINIMUM! 8 GB is what I recommend to my clients as a starting point.
• 500 GB or larger hard drive

Why Must I Change?

You can blame it on the Internet. For all of the amazing things the Internet offers comes with the downside. One of them as well or ability a speed is going to exposure to you keep using it. It’s time to let go!

 

WordPress How To: Image Galleries

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Nerd Difficulty Level

Level 1: Easy

This video is for WordPress beginners who want to learn how to use WordPress Galleries.

In This Tutorial I Will be Demonstrating How To:

  • Add media inside the post content editor.
  • Add new images or selecting existing library images for your gallery.
  • Select multiple images for gallery insertion.
  • Re-arranging photo order inside galleries.
  • Allow for viewing single images in the WordPress Attachment Page.
  • Placing other content above and below image galleries.
  • Navigating through images in WordPress image galleries.

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WordPress How To: Set Featured Image

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Nerd Difficulty Level

Level 1: Easy

This video is for WordPress beginners who want to learn how to set the featured image in a WordPress blog post.

In This Tutorial I Will be Demonstrating How To:

  • Add a featured image to a post
  • Why you need a theme that supports this feature

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WordPress How To: Upload Images From Your Computer to Posts and Pages

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Nerd Difficulty Level

Level 1: Easy

This video is for WordPress beginners who want to learn how to add an image to a WordPress blog post.

In This Tutorial I Will be Demonstrating How To:

  • Add an image from your computer to a post or page using the Add an Image icon in the Visual Editor
  • Add and edit the image information in the From Your Computer tab in the Add an Image screen
  • Image alignment and changing image size

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