The new buzzword is 4G—for fourth generation—and the implication is super fast speeds that make it a snap to watch streaming videos or download big data files on the go.

The catch is the carriers disagree about what counts as 4G. And the one organization that sets anything like an official definition has come up with a surprising conclusion: None of them deliver speeds that qualify.

T-Mobile USA is the latest to jump into the fray, boasting in ads that started running Tuesday that it owns “America’s largest 4G network”—the same one it advertised in March as the country’s fastest 3G network.

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As the intro to the video notes, Huntsberry was delivering his chat at a Federal Communications Commission hearing earlier this month. And as best I can tell, he was trying to alarm the FCC by pointing out just how easy it is to grab this stuff.

Along the way, he notes how many “legitimate” companies participate, in their own way, in the piracy value chain. Everyone from small storage start-up Drop.io, which allows users to host big data files for little or no charge, to Google (GOOG) and Yahoo (YHOO), which can point people toward pirate havens, gets tarred by Huntsberry’s brush.

Not surprisingly, the video inspired all manner of invective from my fellow bloggers, who railed about Huntsberry’s lack of sophistication, his temerity for asking the FCC for help in stopping piracy, and other offenses real and imagined.

I find it hard to get worked up about it, though, since I hear this stuff from media executives all the time. The big difference is that the ones who are most impassioned about it usually don’t want the FCC to stop piracy. They want the industry to offer compelling alternatives to piracy.

For instance, here’s a site someone who works for a very big media company points me to with some regularity. Said executive says it’s the latest and greatest in piracy. I wouldn’t know, because the download scares me off (and in case my employer is wondering, I don’t condone piracy, but I do write about it). So I’ll take said executive’s word for it.

In any case, the idea is not to tip me off about a great place to hoover up a camcorded version of “Pandorum,” but to point out how fast this stuff evolves and how difficult it is stop. I don’t see any harm in noting that, right?

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability.

In last week’s Mailbox, you said that Windows XP machines can slow down over time unless you do “a lot of techie maintenance.” What did you mean? I regularly defragment the hard disk, tweak the registry, and clean out temporary files, but my PC is still slow.

All of these things are helpful, though I don’t recommend that nontechie users “tweak” the Windows registry, which contains vital program information that can mistakenly be removed or altered if you don’t know what you’re doing. Another speed-enhancing tactic is to use a program like Startup Cop Pro (snipurl.com/b4v91) to prevent unneeded programs from running at startup, and one like PC Decrapifier (pcdecrapifier.com) to clean out craplets — unwanted pre-installed programs.

However, what I had in mind when I wrote that was something more drastic, something a number of techies I know do annually: a complete replacement of Windows. This involves first backing up all your files, and then performing what’s called a “clean install” of Windows XP that wipes out everything on the PC and starts fresh. You then would copy back all your data files and re-install your programs.

This can make the computer feel like new, but the problem is that it can be tricky and tedious for nontechie users. Depending on the source of the copy of Windows XP you are using for the clean install, you may have to locate and re-install drivers for peripheral hardware and for hardware features of your particular make and model of PC. You may run into licensing and activation issues with your re-installed programs. And you may have to download numerous patches and upgrades for Windows itself and for your programs.

I am considering buying one of the new MacBook Pro 15″ laptops. What do you think of the keyboard on this laptop? Is it easy to type on compared to other laptop keyboards? What do you think of the shiny screen?

Because keyboard and screen preferences vary from person to person, I strongly urge all laptop shoppers to try out models they are considering before buying, even if only for a few minutes at a retail store. Having said that, I find the MacBook Pro keyboard to be very comfortable and easy to use, with good key spacing and feel. I personally prefer matte screens to glossy ones, but own laptops with both types and find the glossy ones acceptable, if not optimal.

I use the Windows Mail program that came with Vista on my computer. You say Windows 7 won’t come with that program. Is there something similar that can be installed?

Microsoft will encourage people to download a similar free program called Windows Live Mail, which is closely tied to its Live online service. Or, you could switch to a competing email program, or rely on Web-based email.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online free of charge at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Still, backing up your files is important. Hard disks fail, and computers get lost or stolen. When those things happen, files that aren’t backed up can be lost forever, or may be recoverable only for a high price. Unfortunately, the process of performing backups and recovering files can be a cumbersome task.

So, this week, I’ve been testing a product that claims to make the process dead simple. In fact, its maker claims that the gadget, called Clickfree, is “Easier than making toast!”