Good reasons why NOT to buy WIndows Vista

When my last notebook burnt out last month I needed a quick solution. I identified a notebook that satisfied my needs and had a choice of operating systems. XP Pro, Vista Business or Linux. 

I selected Windows Vista Business. I got my previous notebook with XP. In spite of the warnings, the operating system was a huge improvement over the previous version. I upgraded to SP2 and had no problems. So in spite of the negative publicity, my thinking was that Vista will be around longer than XP, so I braved it. 

I created two user IDs on the machine. One for work (I do consulting) and one for me. Both were created with administrator status.

My first revelation was that the new version doesn't allow the user to do very much himself. Everything works on a series of wizards that try to do everything for you. You cannot select a printer from a list - you have to leave it up to the operating system to identify the printer and instal the appropriate driver. 

Connecting to a network proved to be a major problem. I connected to my home WAN without a problem and could use the Internet immediately. But do as I may I just couldn't see the other computers on the network. Nor could the system find the printer. I tried all sorts of things to get there. Eventually, I switched to my consulting user ID. All of a sudden I could see the home network! The printer was also there. 

Trying to connect to the printer was a nightmare. An option to add the printer resulted in a message that "You do not have sufficient rights to perform this operation". As mentioned already I have full administrator rights. 

The option to connect to the printer seemed to be the next choice. After a long wait, I was told that there is not enough memory to complete the operation. Close some applications and try again. Evidently 2 Gigs of RAM is not enough to instal a printer. All applications were closed, tried again, same result. Reboot, same result. 

After many attempts I did not manage to get rid of the insufficient memory message, but the printer did appear on my printer list. 

Having found the network on my work ID seems to have been enough. I can now access the network and printer from either user ID. 

Today I tried to use my scanner. This is a plug and play device - at least for all previous operating systems. Vista couldn't find a driver. I tried searching the Internet but could not find an appropriate driver. 

Several hours later, I detected a little call out from the active tray. Windows has identified a solution to my computer problems. Click here for more. The solution was to link to the Vista Hardware Compatibility List. I clicked, only to be told that I had to use Internet Explorer 6 or higher. I am using Opera and Firefox on the main, but it seems that Microsoft force you to use their much inferior product for any access to their sites.

The list had never heard of the model. 

Other issues are general issues. XP allowed me to set up multiple languages. Vista only allows one. All sorts of actions bring up the "insufficient rights" argument to prevent me from performing basic functions. Simple plug'n'play devices do not plug'n'play easily on Vista. 

I am now at the stage where I want to return the software to Microsoft. I would like a full refund. Windows XP was the first and only Operating System produced by Microsoft that worked properly. Why they introduced Vista beats me! Whatever its merits, the release of this product is obviously premature. 

My experience to date is that Vista is a substandard product, not nearly ready to be unleashed on the general public.

I will instal Ubuntu Linux - I have heard great reports - and switch to OpenOffice.org. 

Good bye Windows!

How to prepare for retirement

Planning for retirement is something that many people postpone until the last minute. But once the retirement day arrives and the pension is not enough, it is too late. Retirement funding is a key part of retirement planning that should start the moment that you begin to work.

Our society has created an expectation that after working until the age of 60 or 65 we should retire. Many companies actually force their employees to go at this age. But this is a perception that is changing. Life expectancy has increased, and many people remain healthy for many years after these retirement ages have passed.

When I was very young I remember working on a building site during my college vacation. One of the employees was turning 65 and on his birthday he retired. He was fit and strong at the time, but within six months there was a marked deterioration. He didn't even make it to 70.

Perhaps retirement is a concept that we should put behind us. Why should we have to 'give up' at a certain stage of life? Life is to be lived and lived to the full.

Perhaps the thinking process should rather be focussed to changing what we do at various stages of our lives. Having had enough of the rat race I would love to turn to writing as a full time replacement - so I'm busy preparing for that. Just don't give me the idea of giving up on anything because I am a little older!

Retirement brings with it a number of issues. The first that comes to mind is the financial aspect. Will the pension and savings be enough to see us through? What can be done if there isn't enough money? The second - and in many ways as important - is what you will actually do once you have retired. Doing nothing really isn't an option. Giving up your job does not mean giving up everything. Perhaps there is an interest that you have always wanted to pursue but never had the time. It could even be time to start a new business!

The financial aspect is very important. Ideally, you should be in a position to be financially independent by the time you reach retirement age. This is something that doesn't happen by itself. The younger you begin to invest, the better. Fifteen percent of your income should be dedicated towards savings and investments. Retirement funding is good, but should be limited to the amount that can be claimed as a tax deduction. The remainder should be spread in a number of directions - property, equities, and perhaps investment funds of various types. Invest aggressively as early as possible and reap the rewards later. As you near retirement age, the investments should be less risky.

For many people escaping the rat race is a good reason to retire. But giving up work in the formal sector does not mean having to give up living a useful life.

South Africa: Is this the end of the dream?

South Africa began its miraculous transformation to democracy in 1994. Nelson Mandela - a sole example of leadership in our generation - was at the helm. People rallied to the call for unity and transformation. The process had begun. A declining economy was transformed into one of grow into one of growth. The nation united behind the new leadership.

Mandela was not a power seeker, and chose to withdraw from the race at the next election.

Thabo Mbeki became the new leader. His term in office has proven to be worse than dissapointing. Initially, he chose the side of the Aids denialists. He denied the link between HIV and AIDS. He asserted that poverty was the cause. He rejected the call for anti-retrovirals, citing the potentially harmful side-effects. The crime problem was swept under the carpet and office beared held office because if their struggle credentials. This approach was a disaster for those suffering from Aids. How many could have lived?

Zimbabwe is perhaps the bigger tragedy. In spice of ever increasing evidence that Robert Mugabe’s government was distroying the country and with it democracy, Thabo has remained a loyal friend. True, Mugabe and Zanu did provide shelter and assistance during the ’struggle’ years. But loyalty to Mugabe who had become nothing less than a dictator is not our style. Even now,with Mugabe the clear loser in the Zimbabwe election, Mr Mbeki continues to provide support. Even asMugabe’s forces inflict great terror against its own population, the support continues.

Huge emphasis has been placed on Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). A policy that has seen a small minority of the ‘previously disadvantaged’ achieving great wealth while the majority endure great poverty with no sign of relief.

While there may be forces at work that exploit the fears and dissatisfaction of under-privileged South Africans, it is perhaps the poverty itself that can take a large portion of the blame for the recent xenophobic attacks against the huge immigrant community. Like Chamberlain, Mbeki will not take a stand against a dictator and human rights violations in the neighbouring country.

The world had great hopes for South Africa. South Africans were full of hope for a better future. But as the rigours of daily life for many continue to be tough questions of survival that hope has faded. The attacks on immigrant communities in Alex and other communities throughout the country have put a sever strain on the migrant community. They have shown South Africa to the world in a negative light.

Is the dream over?

Yes, you can talk to anyone in the world for free!

If you don't have a broadband Internet connection then you are missing out on the possibility of talking to your friends and family around the world - for free. There are many ways to do this, but the most well known - possibly because it was the first - is Skype. Skype allows you to call anyone with an Internet connection - absolutely free - from anywhere in the world. You can talk for as long as you want and if you have a web-cam, then video calls are yours for the taking.

All you need to get started is a computer with a broadband Internet connection and a microphone and speakers. Optionally you may add a headset, or a USB phone that simply plugs into your computer. The software can be downloaded free and within a few minutes you could be ready to start talking.

Many other chat options - such as MSN or Google Chat - allow you to do the same. Voice quality is generally good, but at times there may be a delay before hearing the response.

The only limitation is that the people that you want to talk to must be linked to the Internet and have their Skype connection running. It is possible to call a land-line phone from Skype. A facility called Skype-Out allows you to prepay units. The facility allows for almost free calls to phones around the world.

With the great technology available on the latest generations of cell phones, mobile VoIP has become a reality. VoIP using the Skype, Google Talk and other VoIP networks is readily available for most of today's higher end phones. Get your own back for exorbitant cell phone charges by using your cell phone to make free international calls.

Skype has been struggling to produce a Symbian version of its software. Their system only works on two Nokia phones. For everything else, another solution is necessary. It is called Fring. Fring can be installed onto any cell phone that uses the Symbian or Windows Mobile operating systems.

Fring is both more than Skype and less. Fring brings together all the different VoIP computer interfaces - Skype, Google Talk, Twitter, MSN and others. It allows you to use voice calling and text messaging using any of these systems. Unfortunately, video-calls are not available. Not yet.

Using the system over a 3G cellphone network is less than ideal:

• Firstly, there is a built in latency of about 1 second which can be irritating.
• Secondly, the cost of using data using cell phone technology is still high - no matter what the cell phone companies say!
• Thirdly, I have heard it said that the South African cell companies charge more than just the data charges if the technology is used for VoIP. I find this hard to believe - and eagerly await a denial of this practice from the Cell Phone Companies.

The ideal solution is therefore to connect the cell phone to the Internet using a wireless ADSL connection. Many of the newer phones can connect to a WLAN. This gives you the best of both worlds. Mobile Skype with good speeds and crystal clear sound!

To install Fring, simply browse to www.fring.com on your phone, select the download option and follow the instructions. Alternatively, follow the link on your computer and enter the required details. You will receive an SMS on your phone - just follow the directions.

In search of the secret of life

The sixties and seventies were an age where people pondered the meaning of life. Money was not everything in those days and the world was full of young people seeking alternatives to simple material gain. Journeys to the east were not uncommon. Turn on, Tune in Drop Out! A favourite phrase, coined by Dr Timothy Leary, the guru of LSD and one of the gurus of the new age. Get out of the rat race, expand your conciousness and ‘tune-in’ to the universe.

The search for meaning - one of the all-time imponderables of life - became a key focus. It was a time of rebellion, rejection of the ‘establishment’ and taking on new values.

Murray had grown up in Hampstead - a good middle class suburb in North London. At the age of fifteen he had shoulder length hair and a bushy beard. He too was interested in finding out what it was all about. Why are we here? What are we doing on the planet, and what are we doing to it? In the same year his grandmother passed away. They had been very close in a rather strange way. She could never understand the long hair. A fifteen year-old with a beard! Or the drugs and the strange music. But at her funeral Murray just laughed. He couldn’t help himself. Her death had a profound effect on the boy and he found his thought turning more and more to the Secret or Life.

After completing his schooling Murray sought out an adventure. There must be someone in the world that could help in in his quest!

The journey began in London. Across the channel to Amsterdam. Hitch-hiking through Italy, Greece and on to Turkey. To Kabul in Afghanistan - home to some of the world’s finest hashish - and on across Asia. At every stop Murray asked the same question. “What is the secret of Life” but he got no answer. As the journey drew him eastward Murray began to get hints of a man that may be able to provide the answer. On to India. The gurus sent him here and there, but every lead was false.

Eighteen months of travelling, living as cheaply as he could was beginning to have its effects on the young Murray. He was missing his family and friends. Everything they did here was wrong. Murray began to miss those same conventional features of his home that he had left. His journey took him around India, to Opium dens and Hindu temples. The Mighty Ganges.

But travelling on a train one day Murray met a bearded guru that told him of a Tibetan Lama of 330 years that knew the secret of life. With a dwindling money supply Murray began this final stretch. As he neared his target more and more people confirmed the story.

High in the Himalayas was a little cabin. As Murray entered the dimply lit room his eyes fell on a man of infinite age. The Lama’s beard extended towards his belly and he was dressed in a simple robe. After sharing a bowl of rice, the old man asked Murray about his search.

“Ever since I was a child I have wondered about the meaning of life. But when my granny died my thoughts turned to finding the secret of life. I have travelled through Europe and Asia. I have explored the length and breadth of India. Then my quest brought me to you. Do you know the secret of life?“

The old man puffed away at his pipe and sipped a glass of water. “Young man,” he began. “The secret of life is something that I sought for many years. It is something that many are afraid to find. But I found it. Yes, I have the secret of life.”

The young man waited expectantly, but the Lama remained silent. “Would that be something that you would share with me?”

The old man took another long puff on his pipe and gazed at the young man’s eyes. “The secret of life” he began “is in old British army socks.“

Murray could not believe what he was hearing. Old British army socks? He was angry. “I have travelled thousands of miles across the world to find the secret of life and you tell me old British army socks?“

“Yes”.

But Murray was adamant. “No. It is not possible. Old British army socks are not the secret of life!”

The old man stared in disbelief. “You mean I’ve lived all these years on an illusion?!” The Lama rolled over. He stopped breathing. He was dead.

Murray’s quest was over. He returned home penniless to begin a conventional life in the West. He knew that he would never find the answer.

How I use the Internet

I first began using the Internet about fifteen years ago. That was just before the Internet became highly commercialized, but still had lots of sites and information on almost anything. Until then I had lived all my life without email and without this vast information and opinion resource. Internet banking and Wikipedia still belonged to the future. Microsoft had not yet entered the Internet browser market and Netscape was the leading browser available. Internet shopping was still a pipe-dream.

I soon discovered MP3s. I began downloading music by artists known and unknown. I explored music of different countries and discovered artists that are unknown where I live. In those days the only option that was open to me was dial-up. Some songs took almost an hour to download, often resulting in incomplete songs. This downloading of copyrighted material actually benefited the music industry. I managed to locate agents for artists that I had discovered to purchase legal copies of the CDs. The cost of dial-up was high enough to make it worth buying CDs when I was impressed by an artist.

The Internet soon became a major source of information and although some sites had to be treated with caution, much value was gained.

In 1996 I embarked on an MBA degree. The primary delivery mechanism of the university was distance learning. The on-line discussion forums for the course never really got off the ground, but the on-line delivery of study materials and articles proved to be of great value. So did on-line submission of assignments. The Internet really began to deliver value when the university's library enrolled me on several on-line journal libraries. Articles from all the leading academic journals of the world were available at my fingertips! I could access a huge range of information for my assignments and research at all hours of the day and night without leaving my home. The days of waiting while the library sourced the journal were over.

Following my graduation, I became a part time lecturer on a business degree course. One of my tasks was to run an on-line discussion forum. I became an e-tutor for a top UK business school and helped students from China, Canada, the UK, Australia, Europe and the Middle East to work their way through a variety of modules - all from my home in Johannesburg.

I participated on an on-line course on e-learning and ended up running courses for the same organisation. These courses are are time-consuming but rewarding, and I continue to run these on an occasional basis.

My wife complains that I am glued to my computer - but although she was computer illiterate until a few months ago, she now has a work at home job on the Internet for an on-line dating site.

Six months ago while searching for information for a newsletter I stumbled upon Helium.com. I contributed an article and then another. My first article was purchased by a publisher and I then won third prize for a contest! On Helium I read about blogging and blogging for money. I now have several blogs but have not made much money. At least not yet!

I have set up sites to display my wife's art.

On a daily basis, I use the Internet to access information, to find answers to technical and business issues, for Internet banking, and to get regular news updates.

The Internet has enriched my life!

Zimbabwe run-off amidst growing suppression

As the presidential run-off election in Zimbabwe draws closer, the use of brute force to suppress the opposition has been increasing daily. The opposition leader has been detained twice in as many days. Foreign diplomats have been detained and held by Mugabe's forces. The opposition has been banned from campaigning or holding rallies. Only Zanu-PF is allowed such privileges. Mugabe and Zanu-PF are leaving no stone unturned in its effort to ensure that Mugabe wins the run-off election.

South Africa has been well positioned to influence the course of events in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately the continued 'mediation' or 'quiet diplomacy' of the South African president has proven itself to be thinly disguised support for Mugabe's despotic regime.

The roots of this support is based upon a sense of loyalty between old comrades in arms. Mugabe provided real support to the ANC during its years of struggle. When a liberation leader becomes a dictator it is time for that loyalty to fall away. Mugabe has become a despotic ruler that has laid his own country to waste. Millions of Zimbabweans are unable to live in their own country. How long can misplaced loyalty be allowed to influence the future of Zimbabwe?

South Africa provides the gateway to the country and perhaps, the key. South Africa could play a much more decisive and influential role in this sad country.

Once again we can expect Mugabe to attempt to steal the elections. If he fails in that quest can we expect military rule?