www.talkingsoftware.co.uk

RSS Feed Homepage

The annual PC buyer guide, by Walt Mossberg
2007-10-18 11:01:00
He's been silent for a little while, but only to come back with this....Walt's PC Buyer guide! "It’s time for my annual fall PC buyer’s guide and, surprisingly, 10 months after Microsoft’s Vista operating system emerged, Vista is still the biggest puzzle in consumers’ computer-buying decisions. Back in January, when I reviewed the massive new operating system, which took more than five years to develop, I called it “unexciting” because many of the breakthrough features Microsoft had planned for it had been jettisoned, and most of the rest were already present in the rival Apple Macintosh operating system, OS X."
More About: Guide , Walt Mossberg , Mossberg , Guid

Free Apple Safari Web Browser Download!
2007-10-10 17:32:00
Having a bad day?  Need cheering up?  Like free stuff? Then why not try the faboulous free download of Apple 's Safari web browser!  Here's what Apple have to say about it: Blazing Performance Safari is the fastest web browser on any platform. Elegant User Interface Safari’s clean look lets you focus on the Web — not your browser. Easy Bookmarks Organise your bookmarks just like you organise music in iTunes. Pop-up Blocking Say goodbye to annoying pop-up ads and pop-under windows. Inline Find Search any text on any Web site with the integrated Find banner. Tabbed Browsing Open and switch between multiple web pages in a single window. SnapBack Instantly snap back to search results or the top level of a Web site. We'd love to hear your opinions on Safari, how do you think it compares to Internet Explorer?
More About: Download , Free , Browser

Throw away the hard drive, not your personal files!
2007-10-08 17:58:00
Recent research suggests that almost 40% of discarded hard drives still contain sensitive information.  Think about how much personal and financial information you keep on your PC.  Now think about it in the hands of an unscrupulous new owner! Stop screaming!  Calm down!  Take a deep breath! We have the solution! It’s called Acronis Drive Cleanser 6.0 This product will wipe hard disks to the highest data destruction standards and you can relax, safe in the knowledge that data can not be recovered from a disk that has been wiped this way. The good news doesn’t end there, it’s very reasonably priced (especially when you consider the expense and trouble it could save you) and it’s available to download so you don’t have to sit at home waiting for the postman!
More About: Personal , Hard , Files , Hard Drive

Space Money!
2007-10-08 17:56:00
Good news for those of you planning to holiday in the outer reaches of the universe! The boffins at Travelex, a foreign exchange company, have finally found the solution for all your intergalactic shopping needs – Space Money !  The ‘Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination’ is apparently valid currency in all known galaxies and will enable you to buy souvenirs from whichever interplanetary gift shops you plan to visit during your Space Holiday or your forthcoming business trip to Saturn. Next week we hope to announce the invention of other incredibly vital space-related products such as The Space Lawn Mower, The Space Shed and The Space Space Hopper. Do you have any suggestions for Essential Space Products?  We'd love to hear them! 

Dexter doesn't download!
2007-10-04 16:06:00
This is Dexter . Dexter thinks he’s it.  Dexter always has the latest gizmo and reads all the fashion magazines to make sure he’s wearing the right trousers.  Dexter doesn’t just have a haircut, he employs a Hair Design team to produce a variety of bizarre styles, the best of which is then selected and sent to Dexter’s Personal Hair Technician so that when he arrives at the Salon, on his breathtakingly fashionable moped, nothing is left to chance and Dexter receives the most futuristic haircut possible. Yes, Dexter has devoted his life to being at the forefront of new developments in almost every aspect of his life.  Except one… Dexter has his software delivered by post! So every time the postmen go on strike, every time the dog chews up the mail, every time someone at the sorting office spills their tea all over the parcels, Dexter loses his software. If you don’t want to be like Dexter (and let’s face it, who would?) then take the smart option an...
More About: Download

Royal Mail Strikes!
2007-10-04 16:03:00
Royal Mail workers started the first of two 48-hour strikes today which reminds us all of the advantages of downloading your software purchases.  If you need your software quickly and reliably, we offer a download service on many of our products. 
More About: Royal , Royal Mail

Win Friends and Influence People! Become a MindGenius!
2007-10-04 12:11:00
If we’re honest, most of us would probably admit to not being quite as organised and productive as we’d like to be.  For all our best intentions, we can easily be distracted or pushed for time, leading to tasks being mismanaged, badly executed or missed entirely.  But how can we improve, you ask?  How can software.co.uk help us? Well, unbelievable as it may seem, although we run one of the world’s most reliable software websites, sometimes even we aren’t as organised and productive as we’d like to be!  That’s why we started using mind mapping software from MindGenius.  That’s right, unlike many companies we could mention, we don’t just sell the products, we use them too! Mind mapping is an increasingly popular research, planning and communication tool for individuals and organisations.   As you can see, it’s a keyword driven system that breaks down ideas and information into more easily manageable pieces.  This allows...
More About: People , Friends , Influence

Acronis True Image – Is the Home Edition right for the Home User?
2007-10-03 15:19:00
If you’re looking for backup software for your home PC and have found the Acronis True Image range, you’d probably quite rightly assume that their Home Version would be the ideal choice for your requirements. But would it? We’re not so sure.  Obviously it’s slightly cheaper than the Corporate version but what exactly do you lose when you buy the Home Version? More than you might expect… With the Corporate Edition it is possible to add a plug-in called Universal Restore which enables an image to be restored to different hardware.  This may sound quite dull but it’s actually an important distinction.  Because Windows is configured for the hardware it sits on, if you restore the image on the backup disk to a different machine, it doesn’t work.  What this means, in layman’s terms, is that if your PC made by Manufacturer X breaks down, is stolen or bursts into flames,   it’s  assumed that you will replace the PC with another PC fro...
More About: User

Even better than the gold plated MacBook Pro!
2007-10-02 18:29:00
We’re always trying to bring you the latest developments in software and technology news and today is no exception.  The internet is buzzing with reports of the new gold plated MacBook Pro!  So far it’s only a prototype but soon we’ll all be able to buy one, assuming we have more money than sense and suffer from a crippling inferiority complex that can only be cured by outrageously vulgar displays of personal wealth. Let’s assume you’re demented enough to want to own a gold plated Macbook Pro, what other incredibly expensive blinged-up computer related products could you purchase?  We’ve used our contacts in the Industry to find these top secret, hush-hush products that are as yet untested and unreleased but we thought you’d appreciate this exclusive opportunity to read about them. Pure Plutonium Mouse – It’s the most expensive Mouse in the history of the world!  Made from pure plutonium, it causes extremely violent illness in the user, swif...
More About: Gold , Macbook Pro , The Go , The G

Best backup: incremental or differential?
2007-10-01 17:27:00
Mark, our CEO, is here to guide you through the Backup Jungle!  With his metaphorical machete of wisdom, he’ll be carving a safe path through the undergrowth of confusion.  Follow him or face the wild beasts of data-loss alone! ‘Incremental’ and ‘differential’ are efficient methods of creating what I’ll call ‘ongoing backups’.  Starting from the first full backup, they form a chain of backups that enable you to go back to your files as they were on any backed-up day.  If today you realize that two weeks ago you overwrote a file, your ongoing backup will allow you to go back to the file as it was two weeks ago, or three weeks ago, or yesterday. Of course, you could achieve an ongoing backup by taking full backups every time, but that would be enormously expensive on storage space.  Incremental and differential backups are much more efficient because, instead of storing all the data every time, each backup only stores change.  Your disk ...
More About: Diff , Creme

Why are we so bad at back up?
2007-09-28 16:29:00
Prompted by Acronis’ recent award, we started to wonder why, even though it’s relatively cheap and easy, so few of us actually bother to back up the files on our PC. We all have files we don’t want to lose, personal memories or  documents that can be priceless to us.  Yet research shows that only around 25% of us are backing up our files.  So why do so many of us put it off until it’s too late?  Is it Cost?  Confusion?  What do you think? ‘Because we lead such wildly exciting and glamorous lives, we simply don’t have the time!’  was the reason given to us by one member of staff at software.co.uk but we’re pretty sure he was being facetious.  We suspect that the real reason is that it’s one of those rather dull but rather important jobs that we know we should be doing but never get round to.  In all reality, your PC is unlikely to blow up tomorrow and that can give us a lack of urgency. But is it really worth the r...
More About: Back , Back-up

Acronis wins WindowsNetworking.com Readers’ Choice Award.
2007-09-28 16:24:00
Congratulations to Acro nis, their True Image Server software was selected the winner in the Backup Solution Category of the WindowsNetworking.com Readers’ Choice Award s. 
More About: Wins , Cron

iPod Touch Addicts - We're here to help!
2007-09-27 13:04:00
You lucky people! Today we’re featuring another video from the bearded IT Guru himself, Walt Mossberg. He’ll be sharing his wisdom on the  iPod Touch and if, like us, you’re a gadget addict then you’ll find it well worth watching. Gadget addiction is a condition that can lead to tension at home and work, caused by those who fail to understand why you absolutely have to have the latest gadget.   To help, we’ve compiled five excuses for you to give less understanding friends and family when they mention that perhaps your money would be better spent on inconsequential trivialities such as food, clothing and shelter! 1)      I am involved in a head-to-head gadget battle with Norman from Accounts.  If I don’t get this gadget I will lose the battle and be forced to work in the nude for a week. 2)      I am a multi-tasking super genius.  If I don’t have a variety of gadgets and gizmos at my fingertips, my mas...
More About: Ipod , Addict

Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Back On The Internet!
2007-09-27 11:30:00
Another busy day at software.co.uk, the new and improved website is gathering pace and will be revealed to the world very soon!  Obviously we have to keep most of the details top secret but it seems only fair to warn you that you are soon to be subjected to INCREDIBLE value!  SHOCKINGLY low prices!  And a service that will TERRIFY our so-called competitors!  Be afraid, be very afraid!
More About: Internet , Thought , Back , The Internet , Safe

Windows Vista – Make it Faster!
2007-09-26 17:01:00
Here at software.co.uk we’re always trying to find new ways of making our customers lives that little bit better, whether that’s by keeping the prices low on our fantastic range of software products or, as in this case, by responding to a desperate plea for help.  Maurice from Wimbledon emailed us to say ‘Hi, I’ve recently had the dubious pleasure of purchasing a PC with Windows Vista .  I’ve noticed that it runs surprisingly slowly, especially when compared to the speed of XP.  Any advice from the boffins at software.co.uk?’ Well Maurice, we had the same problem but don’t worry, we have the solution! It’s all down Microsoft’s decision to limit the CPU power setting to 50% via a default setting.  You can liberate your machine from this irritating restriction by opening the Power Options control panel and changing the speed to ‘High Performance’.  Happy now, Maurice? On a related note, Microsoft are now offering an option to downgrad...
More About: Windows Vista , Make , Aster

X-Drive.com...so secure that even signing up is hard.
2007-09-24 15:41:00
  It's been an exciting day here at Software.co.uk!  Have we been abseiling?  Wrestling with bears?  Juggling chainsaws?  No, we've been signing up with X-Drive , the secure online storage from AOL.  We were impressed with their claims, we want 'peace of mind', we want 'better security' and like anyone on the cutting edge of e-business, we want 'smart space to do more'. And once we'd spent an hour negotiating their sign-up page that's pretty much what we got! We did a little digging around to see what other users thought and it seems we were not the only ones to be suffering at the sign-up.   Plenty of people seem to be spending far too much time trying to register a username and open an account.  'Is it worth it?', we hear you ask.  Well, it certainly has some attractive features, especially when you consider the 5GB version is FREE. Security-wise, they offer 128-bit encryption to protect your files during transfer. ...
More About: Hard , Secure , Signing

More Software, Prizes & Newsletters?
2007-09-20 15:05:00
Indeed! Our ever expanding range is rapidly taking huge proportions, with all sorts of amazing new products. Where on our site? Now now, let's try to be patient...Very soon more products will be going live! To make things even more interesting we're running two competitions in October with some amazing prizes, AND we've got introductory offers on some new products... So yeah, that's us. Question is: what do YOU want from the UKs favorite Software site? Send us an email with any suggestion for ANYthing at all and we'll consider it. As a thank you, we'll enter you in our competitions giving you the chance to win some amazing software! Just some of the ideas we've heard so far...1) More products for Mac!2) More Walt (Mossberg)3) Review new software4) Sell remaining stock at discount prices5) Special pages for Students All good ideas, and let's face it, we all want to see more of Walt Mossberg! Stay tuned for more from the land of Software....
More About: Prizes , Newsletters

Paragon Drive Backup?
2007-09-19 13:08:00
It's time to come clean, to tell you what we should've done a long time ago. There's no point in hiding it any longer, you'll find out soon enough anyway! So here it is... We've got LOTS of new software going on sale soon! We mentioned O&O a few weeks ago which is about to be launched. Well, there's more. Another addition to the Software.co.uk range is Paragon . Let's take a closer look at Drive Backup 8.5... Drive Backup creates a backup image of entire hard disk, including operating system backup with all user preferences and settings, applications and data files. Paragon's Hot Backup Technology enables to create hard drive images in real time without Windows reboot or any application's interruption. You will be able to completely restore operating system with all installed and configured applications, valuable documents and files with no reinstallations required. You can also restore separate files form hard disk's backup image. The up-to-date hard disk backup ima...

Walt is at it again...
2007-09-17 15:53:00
There he is! It's Monday or W-day, today looking at cutting your phone bill through some clever VOIP use. It's not available in the UK just yet, but keep an eye out for this amazing tool.

Web OS ajaxWindows: worth it?
2007-09-13 16:49:00
All week we've been looking at pc solutions for you, valued end-user. After yesterday's solution to get the BBC iPlayer working on Vista, today we're looking at Web Operating Systems, Web Desktops or 'Webtops'. A few days ago, ajaxWindows was launched. Its CEO, Michael Robertson, is well known from MP3.com and Linspire. No stranger to succesful IT startups, Robertson has achieved one goal. The launch of AjaxWindows has received a lot of media attention, instantly crashing its servers. We managed to sign in for 30 minutes on Tuesday, before the whole site went down for 2 days. However, now that we're back online, let's take a closer look at the concept and whether it's any good... Admittedly, the interface is well designed. While it is similar to the competition the graphic level is very good. So what makes it special? 1) Gmail. ajaxWindows synchronizes with your Google mail account, allowing for 2.5 gigabytes of storage space, as well as a secure backup device. 2) Syn...
More About: Worth , Wort

BBC iPlayer on Vista?!
2007-09-12 11:14:00
When the BBC anounced their on demand online video player expectations were high. By now we know that the corporation didn't think it necessary to include Vista , Mac OS & Linux users in their phase 1 introduction. To overcome this problem for Vista, here's our tutorial on how to get it to work! 1) First of all, register for iPlayer on the BBC website, by clicking here 2) Next, download the Microsoft User Agent String Utility here, and install it 3) Launch Internet Explorer 7 from the User Agent String Utility in the start menu. IE7 will now act as IE6 4) Download all the content you want to wacth here! Please bear in mind that every time you want to watch the iPlayer you need to use the start menu shortcut. The BBC has stated that at this stage it cannot recommend this procedure to the general public, although we've found it to work like a charm! There is a Vista version due to be launched soon as well. Again, our thanks go out to James Woodall for sharing his knowledge.
More About: Layer

4OD on Windows Vista
2007-09-11 11:29:00
Every day we receive emails with questions about Windows Vista . Since the launch of on demand video services such as Channel 4's 4OD and the BBC iPlayer, everyone seems to be asking: How can I run this program on Vista? Today we'll run you through a solution for 4OD which allows you to install and run it on Windows Vista without any problems. While this method has been tried and tested by us, it should be pointed out that this method is not in any way recognized by Channel 4. 1) Manually download the installation file from the Channel 4 website:http://www.channel4.com/4od/insta ller/channel4_on_demand.exe2) Manually install Windows Orca, which can be found in Windows SDKhttp://support.microsoft.com/default.a spx?scid=kb;en-us;Q2559052) Run the file, it will fail but will extract a file3) Search your PC for demand.msi the and select the option "Include non-indexed, hidden, and system files"4) Copy the file "Channel4 on Demand.msi" to your desktop5) Open the MSI...

Another week, another theme
2007-09-10 12:59:00
This week we'll be focusing on issues that matter to you. Do you have sleepless night over Vista compatibility? Unsure how to protect your data? Still in doubt whether PC or MAC is the way forward? Not to worry, all this week we'll be looking at these and many more issues to help you. If you're looking for special software and you can't find it, we'll aim to offer it on www.software.co.uk. Tomorrow we'll be looking at On Demand video players on Windows Vista, and how to surpass any restrictions. In the mean time, if you have any issues you'd like to suggest, please mail us on blog@software.co.uk!
More About: Week , Theme

Friday...Recruitment Day!
2007-09-07 13:38:00
Yes, it's that time again. Time to place a vacancy on our beloved blog. We're currently looking for...an intern! So if you're a business student, get in touch...(may want to read the ad below first) Challenging Internship in the UK! At Software.co.uk we specialise in all things Software. Since 2005 the company has rapidly established itself as a high growth, high potential software reseller. Based in Hamble, just outside of Southampton in England, a small but dedicated team runs its operations with a strong focus on expansion. See www.software.co.uk for additional company information. To help us achieve our goals for expansion, we’re looking to recruit one intern for a duration of at least 5 months. The intern will work on a variety of tasks, supporting the day to day activities. These tasks include: 1)      General marketing support2)      Account management3)      Sales support4)      Adminis...
More About: Friday , Recruitment

Take it away...Walt!
2007-09-06 11:40:00
Well there it is, after all the excitement our first post by Walt Mossberg. Today he does what he does best: review software!

If you can't stand the heat....
2007-09-05 12:33:00
Things are really starting to heat up at the Software.co.uk offices. To support our expansion efforts, we're bringing in more staff. Then there's the first monthly newsletter which is going out this week (sign up! newsletter@software.co.uk) and we're launching a whole range of new products! Which products? Well we can't say too much but to give away a little.... O&O Defrag 10! We've just received word from Berlin that we'll be offering the O&O range over the coming months, including Defrag 10: Professional Edition. O&O Defrag 10 is the newest generation of the very successful O&O Defrag. Simply, quickly, and securely, you can get the maximum performance out of your expensive hardware investments - and all this with only a tiny investment of time and energy! The new O&O Defrag 10 Professional Edition for Windows-based workstations unlocks the hidden Performance of your computer. This software will optimize your hard disk in Windows Vista, XP Home, Windows ...
More About: Heat , Stand

September's HOT ISSUE: CO2, your computer and YOU
2007-09-04 14:13:00
Talkingsoftware.co.uk is linked with the Software.co.uk Newsletter: Talking Software. Today a preview of this month's newsletter with its HOT ISSUE: CO2, your computer and YOU In recent months you can’t have missed the trend. From Live Earth to higher taxes for Chelsea tractors, CO2 emissions are definitely a hot item. You may not realize it but by using your computer you can make quite an impact on the environment. We’ll show you how you can play your part, and save a pound or two in energy bills at the same time. Believe it or not but according to ZDnet your PC puts about 1000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year. A large part of that is due to inactive computers left on standby overnight. It is therefore time to act with our 5 top tips, helping you help the environment. Tip 1: Change your Power settingsOne of the main ways to actually reduce the power your pc uses is through enabling the Power Management Feature. Control Panel     |Power O...
More About: Computer , September , Issue

Aaaaand it's September!
2007-09-03 18:29:00
Brace yourselves, Autumn is here...And to commemorate the end of summer let's answer some of your questions. Brian (location unknown) is dying to know what the difference is between Acronis True Image Server and Acron is True Image enterprise server. For those of you who don't know what Acronis is, have a look here. Well Brian, they both offer great back up facilities, with the one main difference being a console which allows you to manage all of your Acronis Enterprise Servers and Corporate Workstations from one machine. We do advise you to have a look at the Acronis Knowledge Base, which gives you all the information you need.
More About: September