Windows XP support ends April 8, 2014

Many hospitals and health systems are still running Windows XP. Microsoft will be ending support of Windows XP approximately one year from now. Here is what you will find on the Microsoft website:

After April 8, 2014, there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates.

Running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 in your environment after their end of support date may expose your company to potential risks, such as:

•Security & Compliance Risks: Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This may result in an officially recognized control failure by an internal or external audit body, leading to suspension of certifications, and/or public notification of the organization’s inability to maintain its systems and customer information.

•Lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) & Hardware Manufacturers support: A recent industry report from Gartner Research suggests "many independent software vendors (ISVs) are unlikely to support new versions of applications on Windows XP in 2011; in 2012, it will become common." And it may stifle access to hardware innovation: Gartner Research further notes that in 2012, most PC hardware manufacturers will stop supporting Windows XP on the majority of their new PC models.

Use your iPad as a second monitor: Air Display by @avatron

No April Fools here. You really can use your iPad as a second PC monitor.

Using two monitors really enhances productivity. You can read something on one screen while you type on the other. Or, you can copy something on one screen and paste them to an application running on the second screen. At work, I use two monitors but when I'm traveling, I'm often confined to a single monitor which is my laptop screen. There are apps that can transform my iPad (or iPad mini) to act as a second monitor.

Air Display by Avatron is an example of one of these apps that lets you use a spare mobile device as a second monitor for your Mac or PC. You have the option to use a spare Mac, PC, iPad, or Android tablet to serve as a second monitor. In other words, you can configure your second monitor like this:

Mac -> Mac
Mac -> Windows
Mac -> iPad
Mac -> Android


Windows -> Mac
Windows -> Windows
Windows -> iPad
Windows -> Android

You need to purchase separate apps for each second monitor configuration. I chose to use my iOS devices as a second monitor, so I grabbed my iPad 3 and my iPad mini. 

There is a little lag when you move windows around on the second monitor, but overall the app works quite well. I spent most of my time using my iPad 3 as my second monitor. My iPad mini worked as well, but it definitely felt slower than the iPad 3. My primary PC was a Windows 7 laptop.

All you need is the Air Display app (running on your second monitor device), drivers for your primary device, and your devices need to be connected on the same Wi-Fi network.

Migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 or 8

Support for Windows XP will be ending soon. Are you ready to migrate to Windows 7 or 8?

Here is a free, on-demand webinar on the topic of Migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 or 8. This webinar is presented by UBM Channel.

If your organization has been holding onto its XP OS for fear of a badly managed migration or serious downtime, it’s time to look at the consequences if you don’t. With support for XP set to expire, there are dangerous waters ahead, but those can be safely navigated if you have the right plan in place.

View the webinar here.

How you can get Windows 8 Pro for $ 14.99

Windows 8 is right around the corner and Microsoft just launched their Windows Upgrade Offer for people who can't wait to buy a new PC. Between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013, you can purchase a new PC running Windows 7 and you can get an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99.

Windows 8 will come in a few different versions and flavors:

• Windows 8 (both 32 and 64 bit)
• Windows 8 Pro (both 32 and 64 bit)
• Windows RT (also known as Windows on ARM or WOA)

The first two versions are for standard PCs running x86 processors. I'm eager to see Windows 8 in action.

Windows RT is for ARM-based devices like tablets that are designed to be thin, light, and have ultra-long battery life. Unfortunately, devices running Windows RT won't have the capability to run many Windows-based applications.

I admit that I'm a still bit unclear as to whether Windows RT is Microsoft's competition against iOS and Android. After all, they have Windows Phone, but there is no tablet running the Windows Phone OS. How will Windows RT compete against all those iPads and Android tablets out there?

You can learn more about the Windows 8 upgrade offer here.

Happy birthday Windows XP! You're 10 years old!

If you're still using a PC running Windows XP, give that PC a birthday hug! It's 10 years old! (OK, the PC may not be 10 years old, but the operating system is). It's hard to imagine using any piece of computing equipment for 10 years. These days, computers are lucky if they last 3 years before getting replaced with an updated system.

Most of my computers are running Windows 7. I have one running Vista and a few that have dual-boot options so that I can run XP. However, none of my main machines are running XP at this point.

Computers running XP were sold in retail settings through 2010.

I bet your hospital still has many computers running Windows XP.

Remote computer support for medical offices

What do you do when your office computer has a problem? Do you call your most technically capable in your staff to evaluate the problem? If you're a part of a large group practice, then you probably have the luxury of enterprise support systems. However, most small practices really can't afford to invest in robust support packages, so they sign up with minimal support coverage (or none in some cases). If you're using an electronic health record (EHR) in your office, you really can't afford to have computer problems slowing you down. Depending on your needs, you may want to consider a remote support system for your office. In many cases, these providers will be more cost-effective and they provide service 24 hours each day. You'll need a robust Internet connection since these remote support service providers rely on that Internet connection for remote computer access. This way, a support technician can see what you're seeing and even control your computers for support. Seeing the screen helps decrease on-site visits and reduces phone support.

Perhaps you've had some experience using some remote desktop applications such as GoToMyPC or Remote Desktop that's available within Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, and 7. There are other Remote PC options such as LogMeIn or Windows Live Mesh.

74% Of Business Computers Still Running Windows XP

According to this report from the Business Insider, "Microsoft Says 74% Of Business Computers Still Running On Windows XP." In the world of health care, that percentage is probably much higher. How many hospitals are running Vista or Windows 7?  Given that Windows XP was released in 2001, it's quite an amazing story of a computer operating system that just won't die.

I wonder if Microsoft will need to extend their support on Windows XP (Service Pack 3 or SP3) beyond April 8, 2014. That's when support for Windows XP is supposed to officially end, and 2014 will be here before we know it.  If you're still running Windows XP Service Pack 2 (and you haven't updated to SP3), then your support just ended a few days ago on July 13, 2010.  Make sure to update to SP3.

Speaking of Service Packs, the public beta of Windows 7 SP1 is now out for public consumption. If you have a PC running Windows 7 and it's not a mission-critical PC, then maybe you'll want to play around with SP1 to see if you notice any improvements.

Extended support for Windows Vista will end on April 11, 2017. Given that Vista was released in 2007, does it seem fair that Microsoft will only support it for 10 years?

I think Microsoft will be forced to extend support for XP beyond 2014. That's my prediction and you can quote me on it when it happens. 

Are you still running Windows XP in your office?

If you're still running Windows XP, you should know that Support for Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) will end on July 13, 2010. You really ought to have Service Pack 3 (SP3) if you're running Windows XP. On April 8, 2014, support for all versions of Windows XP will end.

Do you think you'll still be running Windows XP in 2014?

Citrix and Wyse allow you to run Windows on your iPad

If you're familiar with the concept of virtual computing, then you'll appreciate this snippet from ZDNet:

Citrix and Wyse have both released virtual desktop applications for the iPad that let people run Windows applications on Apple's tablet. On Friday, Citrix announced the immediate availability of its Receiver virtual office client and GoToMeeting web conferencing client for the iPad. On the same day, thin-client specialist Wyse separately introduced a version of its PocketCloud app for the same device.

Now, what does this mean? It means that you don't need to wait for a Windows-based tablet as long as you know how to set up a remote PC so that you can run a Windows virtual machine on your iPad.  I'm waiting for Citrix to release GoToMyPC for iPad.

Details of Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 emerge

SP1 = Service Pack 1

Windows 7 is probably the best operating system developed by Microsoft. When Vista was released, I don't think many people would have said that about Vista. Well, Service Pack 1 or SP1 will be coming out in the distant future and it sounds like it will mainly consist of some minor fixes, tweaks, and enhancements. I don't think we're going to see significant changes to Windows 7.

To learn more about SP 1 for Windows 7, visit the Windows 7 Team Blog.

Windows 7 is the fastest selling Microsoft OS

It's no surprise that Windows 7 is the fastest selling Operating System (OS) created by Microsoft. I'm a huge fan of Windows 7 and I think that the folks at Redmond did a great job with this OS. I wasn't a huge fan of Vista, so I was running XP on most of my machines. I still run XP on some of my older PCs, but I run Windows 7 on all my mobile devices and tablets.

According to PC World, Microsoft has sold over 90 million copies of Windows 7.   I still remember beta testing Windows 7 RC on some of my machines.

Get ready to upgrade your old PCs if you plan to stay current on modern software. Microsoft Office 2010 is coming soon and if you've got an old PC, then you may have some trouble using newer applications that require larger amounts of RAM and more processing horsepower. I wonder how the slow netbooks will run some of these new apps.

Is a smartphone a pocket computer?

How do you define the word "computer?" Here's how Webster defines it: a programmable usually electronic device that can store, retrieve, and process data.

Today, so many devices and gadgets qualify as a computer if you choose to follow the Webster dictionary. Of course, most of us expect that personal computers will run an operating system such as Linux, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows.

We now have specific terms for simpler devices that don't run a complete OS. The line between a mobile internet device or MID and smartphone is getting blurred all the time. At what point will a smartphone replace all these ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs) and micro PCs that are emerging? I often wonder about the role of these pocket-sized computers that run Windows XP, Vista, or 7. Does that really make sense? Or is Google Android sufficient?

For some people, the smartphone has become their pocket computer. They check e-mail, use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and they browse the Internet. You've seen those commercials on television where people are using their smartphone to stay productive outside of the office. Is that realistic? Are people actually doing that? How productive can you be on such a small device?

Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" Coming this Fall

It appears that Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" will be coming this fall. $29 for an upgrade really isn't that bad. However, maybe the bigger question is: will it really be worth upgrading from 10.5 to 10.6? I'm sure most people will spend $29 to upgrade.

I wonder if Microsoft could learn from Apple's example. If Windows 7 is only considered a "minor" operating system update, then perhaps Microsoft should also charge $29 for the upgrade from Vista to Windows 7.

Windows 7 Starter Edition

Microsoft has an interesting way of naming their Windows Operating System. Windows 7 will be offered in a "Starter Edition." I'm not sure how they picked that name, but one of the early circulating rumors stated that Windows 7 Starter Edition would limit you to run 3 applications simultaneously. Fortunately, this rumor has been dispelled (or you can say that Microsoft decided to change that aspect of Starter Edition).

If Windows 7 Starter Edition was meant for netbooks, why didn't Microsoft call it "Netbook Edition" or "UMPC Edition?" Are they giving up on the Ultra-Mobile PC?

Have You Tried Ubuntu 9.04?

Ubuntu is one of the most user-friendly Linux operating systems. If you have an older PC that you don't really need, you may want to install this free operating system and take it for a test spin. Why? I think it's beneficial to gain experience using multiple operating systems. You become a better computer user if you've played around with the different versions of Microsoft Windows (including XP, Vista, and now Windows 7). Plus, if you know how to navigate the Mac OS X, then you're in an even better position to help with troubleshooting and other technical problems.

Ubuntu is free and it also comes with many applications such as a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant messaging, and more. Why not take Linux for a spin? One of the nice things about Ubuntu is that you can install the operating system within Microsoft Windows (this is referred to as the Wubi installer). If you use the Wubi installer, then you'll end up with a dual-boot system.

Windows 7 RC (build 7100) to Expire June 1, 2010

Reports from Microsoft indicate that Windows 7 RC (release candidate) will expire on June 1, 2010. This is build 7100 which will be available to the public on May 5. I currently have it running on more than one computer and I haven't run into any major problems.

Windows 7 Build 7048 on Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC

I decided to give Microsoft Windows 7 another try on my little Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC. This is the older model that is thinner but also slower. The 800 MHz processor just isn't fast enough to run Vista effectively. I have to admit that Build 7048 is much better on the Q1 Ultra. I had tested some earlier builds and they just didn't work well at all.

There is another Build of Windows 7: Build 7077. I haven't had the chance to get my hands on that version yet, but that will be my next project (maybe I'll get to it next weekend). Rumors are that this build will become the RC of Windows 7. In the meanwhile, I will play around with Build 7047 this week and write about my findings. I've been running XP on my Q1 Ultra, but this week I plan to use Windows 7. My excitement for Windows 7 has been renewed. I'm not being overly optimistic (yet), but I am hopeful that this OS may replace XP on my Q1 Ultra.

Microsoft at HIMSS 2009

How many of you are enjoying HIMSS in Chicago? Microsoft is heavily involved at HIMSS (have you checked out Microsoft Surface yet?)

There are some great topics this year, especially with so much buzz around health IT driven by talks about economic stimulus. We've heard so much about this from President Obama. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed by President Obama on February 17, includes $19.2 billion for healthcare information technology (health IT). This means that there are many pieces to this gigantic pie for different companies raning from small and large corporations. How do you plan to contribute to the health IT revolution?