It turns out that the LG laptop modem that goes on sale Sunday–the only option at launch–is Windows-only, at least for now. (Verizon was nice enough to send out some demo units to reporters and I quickly noticed that the card works with Windows XP as well as both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vista and Windows 7, but not with any non-Microsoft operating system.)

Verizon had already made clear that, for the rest of this year at least, the company will have only laptop cards and that 4G smartphones wouldn’t come until next year. However, it looks like Mac users will also have to wait a little while.

A Verizon Wireless representative said that Mac drivers for the LG card are in the works and should come “in the near future.”

For those who do have a Windows computer handy, the new network launches on Sunday in 38 cities (as well as 60 airports). It’s pretty zippy too, offering downloads of 5 to 12 megabits per second and uploads of 2 to 5 megabits per second. Pricing starts at $50 a month for 5GB of data.

As of last month, Windows 7 was running on 93 percent of new consumer PCs. More interestingly, it’s being sold by 100 percent of Microsoft’s OEM partners–quite a bit more than the 70 percent that picked up Windows Vista during a similar time period. Sort of a startling admission, isn’t it? Thirty percent of the company’s OEM partners turned up their noses at Vista.

In any event, analysts have been predicting that Microsoft will sell 300 million or so Windows 7 licenses by the end of this calendar year. Certainly looks possible.

I marvel at the FaceTime video-calling feature on the new iPhone 4. Is this the only cellphone with this feature?

The FaceTime video-calling feature on the iPhone 4

A:

No. Some other phones have it, most recently the HTC EVO 4G from Sprint (S) and, soon, the Samsung Epic 4G, also from Sprint. But, in my view, Apple’s implementation is much smoother. Instead of requiring you to run an app, set up an account, or have a special user name, on the iPhone 4 video calling is integrated right into the phone-calling and contacts features. You merely have to tap on a camera icon to turn a regular voice call into a video call, or you can initiate a FaceTime call by tapping a button in a contact listing.

The two downsides of FaceTime are that, at the moment, it only works over Wi-Fi and it only works between two iPhone 4s. Apple (AAPL) says, however, it has made the necessary software open source, so others can adopt it, and claims that millions of devices will be compatible eventually.

Q:

I am running a two-year-old H-P PC with 3 gigabytes of memory. I use Vista Home Premium and only occasionally detect system slowness necessitating a reboot. Is an upgrade to Windows 7 really going to speed up my computer performance? Also, I assume that an upgrade from Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium can be done without a clean install, correct?

A:

If you are happy with the performance of Vista, I wouldn’t go through the expense and time of an upgrade.

However, based on extensive testing and continued regular use, I believe strongly that Windows 7 is noticeably faster than Vista, with fewer delays during daily use and faster booting and rebooting. And, yes, you can do the upgrade you describe right over your current Vista installation—provided you aren’t trying to switch to a 64-bit version of the operating system from 32-bit, or vice versa. You can find Microsoft’s (MSFT) official chart of the various upgrade paths to Windows 7 at http://bit.ly/pbStQ.

Q:

Could you please speak to the warnings on the Android phones that one receives when downloading an app? Some of the warnings suggest worrisome intrusions. For example, one I saw warns that it “Intercepts outgoing calls, formats external storage, creates Bluetooth connections, edits SMS or MMS, reads and writes contact history” etc. Are these malicious functions or am I over-reading the implications?

A:

In Google’s Android Market, unlike in Apple’s App Store, apps aren’t “curated” in advance—that is, they aren’t screened before being made available. To help compensate, Google (GOOG) requires a page of such warnings with each app. In most cases, these warnings don’t indicate any malicious intent on the part of the app creator, merely a list of the data and functions the app will need to access on the phone.

However, in a non-curated environment, there is a greater chance that malicious software will slip through and use this access for illegitimate purposes. On the other hand, there were a number of cases where Apple’s curated model wound up barring harmless apps under rules that weren’t well understood. Those apps would almost surely have made it into the Android market.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns at the All Things Digital website, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at walt.mossberg@wsj.com

And just how does the company propose to “make things happen”?

Well, that’s not entirely clear, but make no mistake, things are definitely going to happen.

“We’re working with our hardware partners, we’re tuning Windows 7 to work on slates,” Ballmer explained. “We’ve got the user base, we’ve got the user familiarity. We’ve got everything on our side if we do things really right.”

Of course that’s often the case with Microsoft (MSFT). The problem is, it doesn’t always manage to do things really right. Certainly, it didn’t manage it with Windows Vista. Or Windows Mobile. Or Zune. Or, more recently, Kin. Who’s to say this time will be any different?

Not that it even matters if it is, as Jefferies analyst Katherine Egbert wrote in a note to clients this morning: “If you stop thinking of Microsoft as an innovator and start thinking of them as a fast, low cost, mass market follower, you’ll stop being disappointed in their inability to divine new markets and realize they are staring at some of their largest growth opportunities ever.”

BoomTown took the corporate All Things Digital jet–aka Virgin America, seat 10A–up to Redmond, Wash., today to attend Microsoft’s annual Financial Analyst Meeting, which also includes a passel of media drones like me.

I will be liveblogging the event all day, which is essentially a cavalcade of top execs from the software giant taking the stage and showing off their wares.

There should be a little bit of swanning, since Microsoft (MSFT) turned in very good financial results last week, posting a huge increase in earnings and revenue due to the uptick in PC sales and the intro of the Windows 7 operating system. Losses at its Online Services division remained high, so thank goodness for servers and tools!

Here we go:

8:15 am PT: I was late due to the completely confusing streets of suburban Redmond, all of which look exactly alike, as does every building on Microsoft’s sprawling campus. I am a streets of San Francisco girl, obvi.

In the Conference Center, though, things had not started well past the 8 am start time, as we await the entry of investor dude Bill Koefoed.

U2′s “Beautiful Day” was playing over the sound system, which it was not up here in the Pacific Northwest this morning–it was kind of cold and gloomy, a la “Twilight”–but hopefully will be for sparkly Microsoft execs. We’ll see!

Finally, Koefoed came out and started in on feedback, touting the newly renovated investor relations site, which he is “pretty proud of.” It is nice looking, as are most of Microsoft’s hand-out materials.

In fact, he sent me an excited note last week, because I posted Microsoft’s pretty fourth-quarter slides.

Dear Bill: You need much better things to get excited about! Like the new Magic Trackpad from Apple (AAPL)! Wait, I mean Windows Phone 7!

Koefoed moved quickly to point out last week’s strong results, which is no surprise. When you’ve got lemonade, make more lemonade!

Then he outlined the various Microsoft’s eight “core” businesses, such as Xbox, Bing, Microsoft Office, Windows Azure and, of course, Windows, that the company will be going over.

That’s a lot of core, isn’t it?

Some questions to be answered: Business PC refresh and share momentum? Impact of iPad/slates? Windows 7 phone? Expense control?

Beautiful or not, it was going to be a looooong day.

8:42 am: A jaunty Kevin Turner, Microsoft’s COO, bounded out. He tried to get the crowd more lively, but this was not to be unless there was a lot more coffee.

I had great hopes for a goofy quote this morning from Turner, who declared at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference earlier this month about Apple’s antenna controversy: “It looks like the iPhone 4 might be their Vista, and I’m okay with that.”

I don’t know about you, but insulting a competitor by shooting off your own foot is a gift that keeps on giving to me.

In any case, Turner said Microsoft was now “leading with the cloud,” a move that the company had been resisting in the past. Now: All in!

He outlined all the various services for business customers. “We are the market leader in cloud services for business,” said Turner, noting Microsoft had been too quiet about the inevitable move of data and software services to big services in the digital sky.

(Actually, in its secret heart, Microsoft was hoping this whole Internet thing would go away and it would be back to a PC on every desktop, but that horse has left the barn, so it’s cloud time!)

Next up for Turner: The much deserved popularity of Windows 7. Of course, since Vista was Microsoft’s Antennagate–except much, much, much worse–it was not hard to be better.

Turner then moved on to bashing Google (GOOG) and other competitors. Turner put up some quotes from Jaguar employees, after the car company switched to Google for email and other services.

One said Google was like vinyl seats. Ziiiiing!

Next Turner victim: VMware (VMW)! He claimed its products were pricier and not cloudy enough.

As for Linux: Meh!

Oracle (ORCL): Customers don’t want to be locked into the land of Larry Ellison!

Cisco (CSCO): Just you wait, John Chambers!

9:19 am: Turner headed off and Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie started in on his speech, titled “Reimagining Microsoft’s Future.”

That would be the client plus the cloud, natural user interface and something he called “working on your behalf.”

Mundie launched into his future-dude schtick, but he’s not exactly Alvin Toffler, so I started desperately mainlining the caffeine.

He talked about movable data centers, the “Internet of Things” and other cloud innovations, but there is no new idea here to blow your mind.

Is it too much to wish Mundie would talk about an invisibility cloak? Instead, it was the orchestration of data authority.

That will apparently be a new data marketplace product, codenamed Dallas, to shop for giant data sets and more.

Mundie than showed off some personalization-driven features in the Bing search service, which are also not new concepts.

For example, he showed a menu, embedded in a table, that might know what you like to eat at a particular restaurant you frequent.

This is what would be on my table and there is no need of a fancy computer table to know this: Donuts, donuts, donuts.

Speaking of which, FAM minions: Where the heck were my donuts?

Mundie then moved onto Kinect, once called Project Natal, the actually cool gesture interface for gaming that will be available for Xbox soon.

Finally, he finished up with a video clip of a medical triage assistant. Great, even less customer service from hospitals. The demo was flatly freaky.

The morning session wrapped up with a visit to the technology showcase to “expect the unexpected,” although I was not expecting that in any way, and then it was off to lunch.

Next up in the afternoon session: CEO Steve Ballmer at 1 pm PT.

Is there a device that would enable me to watch streaming movies from Netflix directly on my TV, without using a computer?

A:

Yes, there are many. A small portion of Netflix’s huge catalog is available for streaming, as opposed to viewing on DVD, and the company has struck deals with various makers of set-top boxes and other TV-connected hardware that allow these movies to be played directly on a TV. Among these are the Roku digital video player, TiVo digital video recorders, and the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles. The simplest and least expensive is the Roku, which starts at around $80. A complete list is at netflix.com/NetflixReadyDevices.

Q:

I’m going to graduate school, and need a PC mostly for word processing. I am not interested in gaming, movies, etc. I am looking at the Asus UL20A. Is that a good idea?

A:

I haven’t reviewed this model, but, if you’re comfortable with its keyboard and screen, you should be fine using it mainly for word processing (though it’s capable of many other tasks). However, there are many competitors in this size and price range, and, unless you have already done so, I’d suggest shopping around to make sure the Asus is the best choice for you.

Q:

Which version of Windows (XP, Vista or 7) runs best using Apple’s Boot Camp?

A:

I have run all three just fine on an iMac using Boot Camp, Apple’s built-in feature for booting Mac hardware into Windows when you like instead of into Apple’s (AAPL) own operating system. However, I would suggest Windows 7. It’s much better than Vista and much more modern than XP.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox and my other columns, free of charge, at walt.allthingsd.com.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at walt.mossberg@wsj.com

The report on Windows 7 users could be good news for Microsoft as it tries to improve customer satisfaction after problems with Windows 7’s predecessor, Vista. But Forrester points out that Microsoft still has “hurdles to leap” in getting people to upgrade.

Windows launched in October of last year and showed strong early sales. The survey used in both Forrester reports was conducted in December and gives a further indication that consumers see Windows 7 as an improvement. More than 80 percent of early adopters rated their satisfaction with the operating system as a 4 or 5 on five-point scale, compared with less than 75 percent for Windows systems overall.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

But after receiving reader requests to review magicJack, I decided to do so. To my surprise, it worked pretty much as advertised. It has a few drawbacks, and extra fees for added services, such as vanity phone numbers. But I found magicJack easy to set up and easy to use, and it yielded decent, if not pristine, call quality. I even tested customer support—a source of complaints online—and found it friendly, fast and responsive.

MagicJack looks like an oversized USB flash drive. On one end is a standard USB connector for the PC; on the other is a standard phone jack to plug in a phone. It’s compatible with PCs running Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, as well as with all Intel-based Macs. It works with both corded and cordless phones, and comes with software for dialing, though you can also dial directly from a connected phone.

The low annual fee covers calls to and from any phone on any telephone network—landline or cellphone—not just phones connected to computers or to other magicJacks. The only restriction is that the numbers called must be in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can also buy low-cost prepaid international minutes, or take your magicJack abroad to make free calls home. You can move it among different computers and locations.

MagicJack can also be used without a phone handset, via a computer headset or the computer’s built-in microphone and speakers.

YMAX’s magicJack

There’s nothing new about Internet phone calling. Companies like Vonage and Skype have been doing it for years. But magicJack is different. It emphasizes calling to and from phones on regular wired and wireless phone networks, and its prices for calls to and from such non-Internet-connected phones are much lower.

For instance, the lowest plan advertised on Vonage’s (VG) Web site for calling regular phones in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico is $17.99 a month, or about $216 a year, versus magicJack’s $20. And Vonage gives you only 500 minutes a month, while magicJack sets no limit. Skype charges per-minute or monthly fees for calls to regular phones and an added fee to receive incoming calls.

The maker of magicJack says its low prices are possible because the product is produced by a privately held Florida company called YMAX, which is also a phone carrier. The company also runs ads inside its software. You can buy the device at a wide variety of stores, even drugstores and convenience stores.

I tested magicJack on both a PC and a Mac. The software resides inside the magicJack itself and installs each time you connect it.

In my tests, I made and received calls on both computers, using a single landline phone and using a cordless-phone system in my house after plugging its base station into the magicJack. In the latter case, I could make and receive calls from cordless phones all over my house. I exchanged calls with both landline phones and cellphones from the magicJack.

The call quality was good, except for a few times when the connection got scratchy for a second or two. Most of the people I called said they couldn’t tell I wasn’t on a regular call. The system offers voice mail, call forwarding and conference calls, and you can save contacts.

A couple of times I didn’t get an immediate dial tone, and had to hang up and try again.

The biggest downside of the magicJack compared with regular phone service is that you have to be running an Internet-connected computer, with a magicJack installed anytime you want to make or receive calls. Also, as with all Internet phone systems, you have to register your address with 911 emergency systems.

With magicJack, you get a new phone number. The company says it is working on allowing you to port your existing landline number. You can keep your landline number for use on some phones or when you’re not using magicJack.

I found magicJack worked better on Windows than on the Mac. At one point, magicJack customer support had to send me software to patch the Mac version. But the company claims it is fixing that with a new Mac version coming soon.

YMAX also says it plans to roll out this year a Skype-like service that won’t require any magicJack hardware, just a PC or an iPhone. It also plans a new version of magicJack to turn cellphones into wireless magicJack handsets.

I don’t know if those diet pills in the TV ads work. But magicJack does.

Find all of Walt Mossberg’s columns and videos online, free, at the All Things Digital Web site, walt.allthingsd.com. Email him at mossberg@wsj.com.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20100217/magicjack-review/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20100210/parallels-fusion-windows-on-macs/ http://allthingsd.com/20100210/parallels-fusion-windows-on-macs/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:04:07 +0000 Walter S. Mossberg http://ptech.allthingsd.com/?p=1173 One of the advantages of the Apple Macintosh is that it’s the only computer consumers can buy that is able to run both Apple’s own Mac operating system and Microsoft Windows on the same machine. That means that, if you prefer the Mac environment, but need to run a program only available in Windows, you can do so on the same Mac, and even at the same time.

For instance, while I am writing this column on a Mac laptop in the Mac OS, using the Mac version of Microsoft Word, I am also simultaneously running the latest versions of Internet Explorer and Outlook—which aren’t available for the Mac—in Windows, on the same machine. I can switch back and forth among these programs with ease.

Now, the two most popular software products for accomplishing this feat, Parallels and VMware Fusion, have been updated to run faster, and to support the latest versions of the two operating systems, Apple’s (AAPL) Snow Leopard and Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows 7. Each costs $80 and requires a Mac running an Intel processor.

I’ve been comparing these latest versions, called Parallels Desktop 5 and VMware Fusion 3, using each to run Windows 7 on the same Mac laptop powered by Snow Leopard. My verdict is that, after falling behind Fusion for awhile, Parallels is now the best choice again. In my tests, it proved to be both faster, and more capable of handling the heavy-duty visual effects in Windows 7.

Both programs work by creating a so-called virtual machine—a software version of a physical computer—on the Mac. Inside these faux PCs, you can install any of dozens of operating systems and the applications that run on them. That includes numerous versions of Windows, including Windows XP and Vista, and, now, Windows 7. In order to do this, you will have to buy separately a new, full (not an upgrade) version of Windows, which costs about $200.

VMware Fusion’s Aero feature with Flip 3D effect

Both programs can run either the full Windows desktop, or individual Windows programs with the desktop hidden. Parallels now comes with a new mode, called Crystal, which integrates the Windows system even more, by placing the Windows Start menu and system tray icons in the Mac’s own top menu bar.

These virtual-machine programs shouldn’t be confused with Apple’s own built-in solution for running Windows on a Mac, called Boot Camp, which also has recently been updated to handle Windows 7. Boot Camp can’t run the two operating systems simultaneously; you must reboot the computer to switch between them. That gives Windows sole control of the hardware when it’s running, but many people find Boot Camp inconvenient. I didn’t test Boot Camp for this review.

Fusion 3, from Silicon Valley company VMware (VMW), is a relatively minor revision. The latest version is mainly designed to add speed, simplify the interface, make it compatible with Snow Leopard and Windows 7, and to improve graphics performance. It achieves most of these goals, but I still found it ran more slowly with Windows 7 than it did with Windows XP. It also was significantly pokier than Parallels 5.

In addition, I found that Fusion had occasional trouble with the transparency effects in Windows 7, such as its ability to turn transparent Windows that are open so you can see your desktop. It also occasionally switched off Windows’ new Aero feature, which offers live previews of task-bar icons. It sometimes turned all my Windows desktop icons white momentarily.

The bigger story is the comeback of Parallels, which is made by a Swiss-based firm of the same name. It was the first virtual-machine program for Intel-based Macs, but got eclipsed by Fusion. Now, the fifth version of Parallels is much faster and much better at the sophisticated graphics upon which Windows 7 relies.

In my tests, on a 2008-vintage MacBook Pro with 4 gigabytes of memory, Parallels 5 started up and had Windows 7 ready to roll nearly two minutes faster than Fusion 3. Windows 7 Home Premium launched from a cold start within Parallels about a minute faster than it did inside Fusion. And, when I restarted Windows 7 with several common programs running, it took two minutes and 23 seconds in Parallels 5, versus over four minutes in Fusion 3.

Beyond that, I found Parallels 5 handled the graphical previews and transparent effects in Windows 7 more quickly and smoothly than Fusion did. The Aero previews of running programs in the task bar appeared more quickly.

Also, I found Parallels 5 played high-definition video in Windows more smoothly than Fusion did. It also seemed to slow down the Mac side of the computer less.

Parallels isn’t perfect. In particular, it displays a black screen for a bit during start-up, something the company says it hopes to fix. And, while it shares the Mac’s printer, it confusingly mislabels it.

Neither of these programs is the answer for Mac owners who want to run the latest heavy-duty games or other graphics-intensive programs in Windows 7. For them, I recommend either Boot Camp or a separate Windows PC.

But, if you’re looking to run typical, everyday Windows programs on a Mac without rebooting, Parallels 5 is now the best solution.

Find all of Walt Mossberg’s columns and videos online, free of charge, at the All Things Digital Web site, walt.allthingsd.com. Email him at mossberg@wsj.com.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20100210/parallels-fusion-windows-on-macs/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20100203/monster-devours-hotjobs/ http://allthingsd.com/20100203/monster-devours-hotjobs/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:00:46 +0000 John Paczkowski http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/?p=34210

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20100203/monster-devours-hotjobs/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20100203/windows-7-sales-also-boot-faster-than-vista/ http://allthingsd.com/20100203/windows-7-sales-also-boot-faster-than-vista/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:00:03 +0000 John Paczkowski http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/?p=34123 It took about a year for Windows Vista to claim 10 percent market share, something its successor, Windows 7, has managed in just three months. New data from Net Applications show Microsoft’s latest operating system accounting for one in 10 computers accessing the Web as of the end of January.

Not much of a surprise, really, since Microsoft (MSFT) said during last week’s earnings report that it shipped a record number of copies of Windows during the December quarter. The company has sold some 60 million Windows 7 licenses since launching the operating system on Oct. 22, with returning consumer demand driving a healthy 35 percent year-to-year increase in Windows licensing revenue for the quarter.

Clearly, Windows 7 is on a nice hot streak right now–something, I think it’s safe to say, that never happened with Vista. But is this streak driven by the broader PC market rebound that began prior to the operating system’s launch or by Windows 7 itself?

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20100203/windows-7-sales-also-boot-faster-than-vista/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20100126/much-better-bill-gates-visits-the-daily-show-version-2-0/ http://allthingsd.com/20100126/much-better-bill-gates-visits-the-daily-show-version-2-0/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:39:33 +0000 Peter Kafka http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/?p=15519 Bill Gates dropped by “The Daily Show” last night to chat up Jon Stewart. He did pretty well!

And the Microsoft (MSFT) founder did much, much better than on his first visit to the show in January 2007–a strained conversation capped off by Gates’s abrupt/awkward departure from the set.

This makes plenty of sense: Last time, Gates was promoting Windows Vista, a task that would make anyone nervous.

This time out, Gates was talking about his foundation work, along with some esoterica like his recent foray into Twitter. He also handled Stewart’s obligatory iPhone barb fairly well.

Here are last night’s seven minutes, followed by the last half of Gates’s first attempt. If you watch the latter, make sure to catch the last couple seconds.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Bill Gates Pt. 2
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20100126/much-better-bill-gates-visits-the-daily-show-version-2-0/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20100122/just-following-the-money/ http://allthingsd.com/20100122/just-following-the-money/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:42:33 +0000 Nitrozac and Snaggy http://voices.allthingsd.com/?p=20423

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20100122/just-following-the-money/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20100107/using-an-old-iphone-as-an-ipod-touch/ http://allthingsd.com/20100107/using-an-old-iphone-as-an-ipod-touch/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:00:56 +0000 Walter S. Mossberg http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/?p=527 I still have an old iPhone that I replaced as my phone with the newer model. Can I use the old one as an iPod Touch? Will I be able to download apps for it and access iTunes for music and movies?

A: Yes. Old iPhones that are no longer activated as phones can still be used like the iPod Touch. Their Wi-Fi capability still works, as do their apps, email and the Web browser, the app store, the iTunes store and the built-in iPod for playing music and videos. Of course, any function that involves connecting to the Internet will require you to have Wi-Fi coverage, since the device can no longer connect over the cellphone network. But you will even be able to make phone calls over the Internet using a voice-over-IP app like Skype.

There’s lots of advice on how to switch to a Mac from a PC. But what’s the simplest way to move my stuff in the other direction, from a Mac to a PC?

A: To my mind, the simplest thing to do would be to hook up an external drive to your Mac (either a flash drive or a larger USB drive, depending on how much data you have) and copy all your personal files to it. Then, plug the drive into your PC, and copy the files to the appropriate folders there. Some data, like saved email, may require conversion, or may not be readable at all. And there’s no point in trying to move your Mac programs, since they won’t run on the PC. You’ll have to obtain new PC programs, or download the PC versions of programs you liked using on your Mac, such as iTunes, Safari, Microsoft Office or Firefox.

How do I get Windows 7? Windows Vista has been nothing but a headache for me.

A: You get Windows 7 by either buying a boxed copy online or in a store, or by downloading it from a Microsoft Web site, store.microsoft.com. Just be sure, for the simplest and most direct upgrade from Vista, that you buy either the comparable edition of Windows 7 as the edition of Vista you have–say, Home Premium to Home Premium–or upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate.

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

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20100107/using-an-old-iphone-as-an-ipod-touch/feed/ 1 http://allthingsd.com/20091231/the-year-in-wisecracks/ http://allthingsd.com/20091231/the-year-in-wisecracks/#comments Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:45:01 +0000 John Paczkowski http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/?p=31302

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20091231/the-year-in-wisecracks/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20091201/microsoft-probes-black-screen-of-death/ http://allthingsd.com/20091201/microsoft-probes-black-screen-of-death/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:11:35 +0000 Eric Savitz http://voices.allthingsd.com/?p=18565 Microsoft (MSFT) has confirmed that it is investigating a problem known as “the black screen of death” which seems to be affecting some Windows users, the BBC reports. The error results in a totally black screen after logging in. The company is looking into reports that the trouble is related to its latest security update, which was issued November 10; the problem apparently affects not only Windows 7 but also Vista and XP systems.

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]]> http://allthingsd.com/20091201/microsoft-probes-black-screen-of-death/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20091118/mossbergs-mailbox-16/ http://allthingsd.com/20091118/mossbergs-mailbox-16/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:38:03 +0000 Walter S. Mossberg http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/?p=497 We’ve got two Apple iMacs. I planned to buy the Apple Time Capsule to back them up until I read online reports that some seem to just die after 18 months. Can you recommend another backup solution for a home Apple environment?

A: The built-in backup program in your iMacs, called Time Machine, doesn’t require Apple’s Time Capsule product to work. It will work with almost any brand of directly connected external hard disk.

For instance, I back up my home iMac to a Western Digital drive that’s connected to it via a cable.

As for hard-drive life, it’s my experience that many seem to die sooner or later, especially if they are used heavily. I don’t know if the ones inside the Time Capsule are especially fragile. But, in just the past six months, I’ve had an external hard disk from G-Tech die on me; seen an internal hard disk on my home Dell die for a second time; and discovered that the hard disk on my colleague’s MacBook died.

One way to protect against the failure of a local backup drive is to consider, in addition to using an external disk, backing up your data to an online backup service like Mozy, Carbonite or SugarSync.

My Dell has Microsoft Vista but I can upgrade free to the new Windows 7. However, I was told my antivirus software won’t be compatible and my email will change—the program will no longer be “Windows Mail.” What do you recommend?

A: I regard Windows 7 as much better than Vista, but you are correct that many antivirus programs will require upgrading and Windows Mail will go away during the upgrade. You’ll have to install a new email program, such as the very similar “Windows Live Mail,” which can import your messages. So, the question really is one of trade-offs. If you’re satisfied with Vista, and would rather not perform these program replacements, you should stand pat. If you don’t like Vista, and are anxious to replace it, then the hassles you describe could be worth it.

Will Office 2003 work with the new Windows 7 operating system?

A: Microsoft, which makes both products, says the answer is yes, though I haven’t tested it.

Is it possible that the Verizon Motorola Droid, which doesn’t work in Europe, could be turned into a “world phone” that could work on European cellphone networks via an app somebody might develop?

A: An app wouldn’t be able to do that for the current Verizon Droid. It’s a hardware issue.

Verizon’s Droid, like most Verizon phones, is built to run on a type of network called CDMA that isn’t used in Europe or most other countries outside the U.S., which use a network standard called GSM.

To run on these networks, the Droid, or any other current CDMA phone, would need an entirely different radio, or two radios, one for each type of network.

Verizon offers a handful of so-called “world phones,” which have both kinds of radios inside, but the Droid isn’t one of them. Motorola may well make a new model with two radios, or even a model with one radio that would work overseas, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it did so.

What could be done with an app is to allow the Droid to make so-called VOIP phone calls via the Internet.

In fact, while I haven’t checked, there may already be such an app for Android—the Droid’s operating system—that would do so. But, in many cases, making such Internet phone calls requires the user to be in range of a Wi-Fi network. Some carriers don’t allow such calls to be made over their cellular networks.

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

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20091118/mossbergs-mailbox-16/feed/ 6 http://allthingsd.com/20091111/apple-uses-switchers-ad-to-keeping-smacking-windows-7/ http://allthingsd.com/20091111/apple-uses-switchers-ad-to-keeping-smacking-windows-7/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:03:13 +0000 Kara Swisher http://kara.allthingsd.com/?p=20498

While sales of Windows 7 are doing well–especially compared to the Vista, the previous operating system, according to many reports–Apple (AAPL) is continuing to slap the Microsoft (MSFT) operating system software around.

There was a bunch of unusually mean-spirited “Get a Mac” ads right when Windows 7 was released in late October, all of which stressed consumers dying to switch to Apple when faced with the prospect of upgrading their Microsoft software.

Now there is a name for them: “PC Switchers.”

It sounds a little naughty.

The ads, which began appearing a week ago, are now widespread–once again taking over the New York Times Web front page, as well as over at Wired.

Apple needs to be aggressive, of course, as it tries to chip away at Microsoft’s PC hegemony, which remains largely intact. Stressing consumer satisfaction is a natural weapon, of course.

Thanks to MacDailyNews for uploading the advertising to its channel on YouTube; you also can see the new video embedded here:

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20091111/apple-uses-switchers-ad-to-keeping-smacking-windows-7/feed/ 10 http://allthingsd.com/20091105/sirius-turns-a-corner/ http://allthingsd.com/20091105/sirius-turns-a-corner/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:00:34 +0000 John Paczkowski http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/?p=28324

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20091105/sirius-turns-a-corner/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20091105/well-what-did-you-expect-him-to-say/ http://allthingsd.com/20091105/well-what-did-you-expect-him-to-say/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:50:10 +0000 John Paczkowski http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/?p=28294 Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system is selling quite well, according to CEO Steve Ballmer. In remarks at a press conference in Tokyo Thursday, Ballmer said that Windows 7’s first 10 days at market have been more successful than those of any of its predecessors.

“We’ve had a great response here in Japan,” Ballmer said. “Certainly we’ve seen initial sales be fantastic. The first ten days were bigger than the first ten days of XP or Vista or any other Windows launch that we have done.”

And indeed that would seem to be the case. According to research outfit NPD, Microsoft (MSFT) sales of Windows 7 in its first few days on the market were more than triple Vista sales for the same length of time.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20091105/well-what-did-you-expect-him-to-say/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20091104/windows-live-email-tablets-and-vista/ http://allthingsd.com/20091104/windows-live-email-tablets-and-vista/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:05:16 +0000 Walter S. Mossberg http://mailbox.allthingsd.com/?p=484 I have just bought a new computer with Windows 7, and not only can’t I download Outlook Express, I can’t even find it. Is it there? Where?

A: Sadly, Microsoft killed Outlook Express—its free, fast and simple Windows email program—long before Windows 7 came out. In Vista, it was replaced by something called Windows Mail. Now, there’s no email program at all built into Windows 7, unless a PC maker chooses to include one. But Microsoft offers for download a free product called Windows Live Email that is the latest successor to Outlook Express. You can get it, alone or as part of a suite of free “Essentials” programs that used to be routinely part of Windows, at: windowslive.com/desktop.

I was told that Apple is developing its own version of the Kindle e-book reader. I wanted to purchase a Kindle for Christmas, but now I’m not sure whether I should wait for an Apple version.

A: I have never heard any Apple official say or hint that the company is developing a direct competitor for the Kindle, or is planning to make any dedicated e-book reader. What you may be referring to is that some Web sites have been speculating that the much-rumored forthcoming Apple touch-controlled tablet would be mainly intended to be an e-book reader. I haven’t any evidence of this either.

The iPhone and iPod Touch already can run a free Kindle app from Amazon that allows you to read Kindle e-books on those devices without needing to own a Kindle itself. And Barnes & Noble, which has also announced a dedicated e-reader, has a similar iPhone app. So I assume that any general-purpose Apple tablet would likely be able to run such an app as well and function as an e-reader—along with performing other tasks.

But that’s different than producing a dedicated reader with a screen and controls designed primarily for book reading and a companion electronic book store, something Apple currently lacks. It’s entirely possible Apple is going into the e-book business, but I know of zero hard evidence that this is the case.

Do you have any recommendations about switching an existing 64-bit laptop from Vista to Windows 7? I totally dislike Vista but I don’t know if the switch can be done.

A: Yes, it can, in most cases, unless your PC’s manufacturer for some reason isn’t supporting or recommending the upgrade of your particular model. Just make sure you get the comparable version of Windows 7 (say, 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium if you are currently using 64-bit Vista Home Premium) so you can do a direct, in-place upgrade that will allow your programs and files to remain in place.

You can also do an in-place upgrade if you opt to move up to the costlier Ultimate version. I would also advise backing up your irreplaceable personal files before you begin the process.

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

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at walt.mossberg@wsj.com

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20091104/windows-live-email-tablets-and-vista/feed/ 3 http://allthingsd.com/20091028/operating-systems-offer-new-choices-in-pc-shopping/ http://allthingsd.com/20091028/operating-systems-offer-new-choices-in-pc-shopping/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:02:04 +0000 Walter S. Mossberg http://ptech.allthingsd.com/?p=1061 Now that both Microsoft and Apple have finally shipped the new versions of their operating systems, Windows 7 and Snow Leopard, respectively, it’s time for my annual fall computer-buying guide.

This guide stresses laptops, which have become the prevalent choice, but most of its specs also apply to desktops. As always, it is aimed at average consumers doing typical tasks, such as Web surfing, email, social networking, word processing, photos, video and music. It doesn’t apply to businesses, hard-core gamers or serious media producers—groups that need specialized or heftier hardware.

Consumers shopping for new computers this fall have a wide variety of choices with the new operating systems pre-installed, making the machines faster and better. Windows PCs are no longer burdened with the disliked Vista OS.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Windows hardware makers and retailers generally are trying to nudge you to spend more. They are anxious to guide consumers away from the popular, but low-profit, stripped-down netbooks to somewhat larger Windows 7 laptops from which they can make more money. This larger-size category goes by a variety of names, which can be confusing.

Windows vs. Mac: The arrival of Windows 7 makes PCs from Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Dell (DELL) and others much better choices than their Vista-equipped predecessors were. Microsoft (MSFT) has closed most of the gap with Apple’s (AAPL) Mac OS X operating system. Also, Windows PCs are often priced hundreds of dollars lower than Macs, and offer many more choices.

But Apple’s hardware is stylish and sturdy, and, in my tests, Macs usually boot faster than Windows machines. Plus, Apple’s chain of retail stores offers a better buying experience and strong post-purchase support. Also, in my view, Apple’s built-in software still has the edge. Snow Leopard is fast and reliable. And it comes with a full suite of excellent built-in programs, including email, photo and video software. Microsoft has stripped Windows 7 of such programs. Some PC makers have restored some or all of these in certain models, although I consider Apple’s counterparts better. Another huge plus: The Mac isn’t susceptible to the vast majority of viruses and spyware.

Cost: Prices on Windows PCs are creeping upward. You can buy a Windows PC for under $500, but many stores are pushing costlier models. And those $250 netbooks are much scarcer. Now, they typically run between $300 and $450. Apple has mostly stuck with its same, higher, prices, though it has boosted the specs on many models. The cheapest Mac desktop, the minimalist Mac mini, is $599. The cheapest Mac laptop, the new MacBook, is $999. The heart of Apple’s line starts at $1,199.

New category: Windows PC makers this season are pushing a category of laptop that is meant to fit between a netbook and a full-size laptop. It goes by a variety of confusing names, such as “ultrathin” or “thin and light,” though these models are often no thinner or lighter than some laptops of the past. They typically cost between $500 and $800, and often have 13-inch screens.

Memory: All Macs come with at least two gigabytes of memory, which is plenty for running Snow Leopard well. Mainstream Windows PCs have at least three gigabytes. But the cheapest Windows machines sometimes come with less. I recommend at least two gigabytes.

64-bit: PCs have long been based on something called a 32-bit architecture, but many models now use a 64-bit architecture, allowing properly written software to use more memory and run faster. If possible, buy a 64-bit computer, which is likely to dominate eventually, even though some software and add-on hardware may be incompatible at first.

Graphics: The new operating systems allow software makers to speed up some tasks by offloading them from the main processor onto the graphics chip. So, if possible, get a “discrete” graphics processor, which has its own memory. Otherwise, find a potent “integrated” graphics chip, which shares your main memory.

Processor: Mainstream Windows PCs sport fast, dual-core processors from Intel (INTC) or its rival, AMD (AMD). These pack the equivalent of two brains onto one chip. But many lower-price Windows PCs have slower processors, such as the Intel Atom, which are best suited for light duty. Apple models all use Intel’s dual-core processors, except for the highest-priced desktops, which come with quad-core chips.

Hard disks: A 250-gigabyte hard disk should be the minimum on most PCs. On a netbook, look for at least a 160-gigabyte disk. Solid-state disks are faster and use less battery power, but often add hundreds of dollars to the price tag.

Touch: Windows 7 lets you control the computer by touching the screen with your fingers, and some PC makers add their own touch-screen features. But this only works fully with newer types of touch screens, adding cost. Make sure any touch-screen model you buy has a full multitouch screen that supports all Windows 7 gestures. Apple uses the laptop touch pad, or its new mouse, as the multitouch, finger-gesture mechanism, instead of the screen.

As always, don’t buy more machine than you need.

Find all of Walt Mossberg’s columns and videos online, free, at the All Things Digital Web site, walt.allthingsd.com. Email him at mossberg@wsj.com.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20091028/operating-systems-offer-new-choices-in-pc-shopping/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20091022/windows-7-does-the-wow-start-now/ http://allthingsd.com/20091022/windows-7-does-the-wow-start-now/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:00:28 +0000 John Paczkowski http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/?p=27304

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