Don’t forget that the first month in August is always tax free weekend at your retail stores. This includes most computers and other electronic equipment. The idea is to help lower the cost for things that are necessary for back to school. Please check out the link from the NC Department of Revenue for more information about what is included in tax free weekend and what does not qualify. This may be a way to find good deals on laptops, desktops, and other computer equipment. Just remember most stores know it is tax free weekend so they may only have small quantities available in store and if you need to special order, tax free may not apply.

Good luck and happy hunting.

In our last post we talked about ways to buy used equipment that still has warranties etc. However, there are still good deals to be had if you want to use Craigslist, Ebay, or a local reseller. Some things to keep in mind if you choose to go this route are:

1) Plan out how the computer will be used beforehand and don’t be afraid to ask. As of this writing (July 2010), a good used 2-3 year old Windows laptop will average around $400.00 or less and a desktop will be cheaper. If you find a particular computer you like, see what a similar one is going for on Ebay to get an idea of the “street price.”

2) For Craigslist and Ebay, check the computer’s service tag (Dell) or serial number before you buy. Go to the manufacturer’s website and check for history on the computer. If you’re using Ebay, make sure the seller has a good rating (at least 99%) and go through their feedback. How easily do they handle returns, are previous customers satisfied, etc.

3) If you find one you’re interested in, look at the case on the computer. If the plastics or metal look discolored or scratched, or you have broken hinges, move on. Any external damage could mean more damage on the inside.

4) Lastly, has the drive been formatted and a fresh copy of Windows or OS X been installed and does the seller have a copy for you? From a business perspective, it’s better to start with a clean install and load only the software you have a licensed copy and need on the computer. Having a lot of extra software installed you don’t need and which may not be properly licensed or installed can cause problems later when you don’t have time for them.

If you have any doubts or concerns, contact a reputable computer consultant and they can help you walk through the process of purchasing used computer equipment or even checking out a computer you might be thinking about purchasing prior to buying it.

One thing on everyone’s mind today is saving money and one of the largest expenses for small businesses is their technology costs. As a technology company, we see the current costs and understand how quickly equipment can depreciate and become obsolete.

Buying used or refurbished is a great way to go but as a small business owner this can also be a problem. First, what has the laptop or desktop has been through? Second, is the price reasonable for a used computer? Lastly, can you be sure that this equipment isn’t stolen?

The easiest way to save money buying used or refurbished is by going to the manufacturer’s website and looking at their online outlet. Lenovo, Apple, Dell and most other vendors will have an online site for off lease, opened box, or refurbished equipment. The big advantage here is you get a computer from the manufacturer with a full warranty and clean system.

In another blog post we will be following up with the best practices to follow when purchasing a used laptop, desktop, etc. from either Craigslist or Ebay.

Office 2010 Initial Reviews

This week we got our copy of Microsoft’s Office 2010 and we upgraded a field laptop Friday night. This laptop runs Windows 7 Professional and was running Office 2007 Service Pack 2. The installation itself was very straightforward but it did take over 30 minutes total as components like the Outlook Connector were upgraded.

Initial impressions of the new look is that it looks more like Office 2003 with the Office 2007 toolbars. The biggest obvious change is that the 2007’s Office Button is gone. In its place is the File tab which will be more familiar to long-time Office users but combines some of the features of the Office Button.

The biggest change in the user controls that most people will notice is Outlook 2010 toolbar. Many of the features have been moved andwe’re sure that’s going to throw a lot of users.

We continue to make notes over the next several weeks and will have further reviews for you in a few weeks. If you have any questions, call or email us (info@setms.com) and we’ll be happy to help.

Now that summer thunderstorms are here, make sure you plug your computer, router, printers, and other equipment into a surge protector or even better, a battery backup. These are great because they keep a power surge from zapping your equipment during a power flicker and provide a few minutes of battery power so you can safely turn off your computer. They are a little more expensive than a power strip but a lot less expensive than replacing your computer’s power supply or motherboard.

Apple has had the Ipad out for a couple of months now and we are seeing a new trend in consumer electronics. So far it’s the only thing out there that has Apps and touch capability as well as portability. However, Google realized the power of the Android platform and how fast the Android phones are giving Apple IPhone a run for their money.

As the market demand for portable larger format tablets heat up we are seeing a new push to get other models to compete with the Ipad. In response Dell is getting ready to release a model of Tablet to allow use of the Android platform and still have something that is application ready. Say hello to the Dell Streak Tablet. Also there is a new type of competitor which is a hybrid of a tablet and a laptop. As this gets more popular you may find that more companies will come up with a hybrid but for now here is a look at the Lenovo Ideapad U1.

Microsoft is realizing that it has to be competitive with the way Google has been taking over with all these new offerings from web mail to shared file upload sites etc. Microsoft realizes that eventually something was going to have to give and so they will be offering applications in Office 2010 that can be accessed from any computer. Please note of course Microsoft will be keeping most of the better features in their paid version of Office 2010 but still having something being offered “in the cloud” could be beneficial to users who already use and love Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.

Please check out the article/ blog post at Local Tech Wire that shared this information with us.

Yesterday McAfee released a virus definition update (the latest data to keep your computer protected against the newest and worst viruses). This update caused major problems for XP and Windows 2000 users. Thousands to Hundreds of Thousands of computers may have been affected by yesterdays update. The update causes a harmless necessary Windows operating system file to be seen as a malicious virus and quarantines it and then deletes it. After the scan is completed it then reboots your system and the computer freezes upon reboot. There is a way to fix it once this has been applied but it takes time and proper focus to make sure that the newest version of McAfee is removed and Windows gets the proper file it needs reinstalled. If you find that you recently applied a virus defintion update and you have been using McAfee then please contact a skilled computer technician to help you in a timely manner. We are here to help and can get you back up and running if you have encountered this problem.

For reference please see the link from ABC.com

Most people who are around the small business community have heard that they need to use social media to help get information out on the web about them and their business or non-profit. My Carolina Today had a great video about how to use Social Media for business/ non-profit. If you are still confused after watching this video feel free to give us a call and we’ll sit down with you to talk about it. We can help you start using social media or we can help you maintain your social media. The web can be an overwhelming place and is moving in new directions faster and faster… make sure you keep up with it.

Each day one of the first questions that we get asked is “what can I do to protect myself and my identity while online?” First and foremost we tell everyone to be cautious what you put on the web. The web never forgets. You can do searches and find things online from the original inception of the internet. Our company has even found things that were posted in the early ’90’s still out there indexed for people to find. The internet never forgets.

However, with the outgrowth of social media and information indexes growing by leaps and bounds each day we are finding more and more information that is being saved and able to be indexed right now or even years later. Something you say in a forum today will be able to be searched and researched by our children in the future. Add to that the instant update always connected to the net people who use social media for whatever reason who post things that are potentially dangerous to themselves. More likely than not, they didn’t even think it was posting something that could be dangerous. Every day we read horror stories of how someone’s house was robbed while they were away on vacation, all because they “tweeted” or status updated that they were out of town. There is even a whole website dedicated to spreading how dangerous this can be. (See the site Please Rob Me).

Every day there are people who are online or see what you are doing and can be vicious if they want to be. Does this mean that we need to stop all social media? No, it doesn’t. As a company we have a blog (see what you are reading right now) and we have a twitter account and a facebook. However, we take precautions to make sure that we don’t post something that could be dangerous to us or our clients. We use common sense when posting. Do we say we are visiting somewhere, sometimes, but we don’t post things like how long we will be gone. We also don’t post public things about our children on the internet.

The key is just to be cautious. You can use Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, Etc…but just remember that the internet never forgets and if someone sees it, they could be out to do something malicious, mean, hurtful, or even downright illegal. Protect yourself, your property, and your identity. If you have any questions and aren’t sure what is safe to post, just ask. We’ll gladly be there to help you figure out what is too much or too revealing. Good luck and be safe out there.