New Microsoft Windows Phone 7

Microsoft is releasing a new smartphone called the Windows Phone 7. I haven’t gotten a chance to get one yet, as they are not released. It is scheduled to be available November 8, 2010.

Microsoft is taking a big step into the smartphone market. Smartphone sales are supposed to pass the Desktop/Notebook sales with the next couple of years. With Apple and Google Android based smartphones dominating the market, it is a large gamble for Microsoft. In order to keep up with the technology sector, Microsoft has got to hit a home run with the Windows Phone 7. With the Apple iPad the hottest product around, Microsoft’s success with the phone will also be very telling as to the future of the company and tablet PCs.

Check out the following video review by a third party:

Windows Phone 7 Overview

I personally think the phone looks really great. It looks smooth, easy to use interface, and the phone itself seems very snappy, something that I would be happy to get away from my sluggish Palm Pre for. The other great thing about the Windows Phone 7 would be the automatic synchronizing of data. One of the largest problems smartphone users have is trying to keep all their photos, music, contacts and data synchronized a crossed a vast array of devices from desktop to laptops to smartphones. With the Windows Phone 7 and a WiFi home or office network, all you have to do is walk into wireless network range and when the phone is idle it will automatically start syncing up the data. No cables to plug in, no nothing. That sounds unbelievably awesome. Overall it is going to come down to price. I would guess that the Windows Phone 7 can’t be more that $400, certainly an affordable price. Anything over that and Microsoft prices themselves right out of the market. It would be great to a $300 price tag, or even a $200, but I can’t believe we will see it that low at launch. If you are in the smartphone marketplace, you may do well to wait until after November 8th to see what kind of price this phone has and what kind of buzz it creates in the market. If Microsoft plays their cards right and this phone is a true rival or better than the iPhone, with Microsoft’s money banks behind it, this could be a true marketplace changing phone.

Windows Phone 7 – More Videos at the Microsoft Store

Pandora Internet Radio

Well since I got a new phone (and I’ll be blogging on that someday soon here) I have been obsessed with Pandora Radio. Once I started it on my phone, I found out you can also listen to it on the Internet too.

I had heard of Pandora before but I had never really tried it. I knew it was a radio site but never really knew how awesome it was.

Basically you can go to http://www.pandora.com and sign up for a free account. Once you are signed up, you just type in an artist or a song name and it will play music similar to that song or artist.

I typed in the Oak Ridge Boys and it started playing music by the Oak Ridge Boys, the Statler Brothers, Randy Travis, etc. Once you get that all figured out, you can crank it up and the quality is surprisingly clear. I started hearing songs that I haven’t ever heard, or haven’t heard in a very long time. It’s a great way to discover new music.

They pay for it through advertising, but the advertisements are anything but intrusive. They have about 1% of the advertisements that we hear on the radio every day. Hope Depot, NetFlix are the only advertisements that I have really heard so far.

But the coolness doesn’t stop there. Since it plays random songs, there are obviously going to be songs that it plays that you really don’t want to hear. That’s where the thumbs up or down comes in, because if you don’t like the song just give it a thumbs down and it will never play on that station again. If you do like the song then just click the thumbs up and it will play that song more often and more songs like it. Once the song gets old, just tell Pandora your tired of it and it will not play that song again for one month.

If you’re like most of us you enjoy different types of music. In that case, just setup a separate station. Every song or artist you type in creates a new virtual station. You can have lots of different stations that play all kinds of different music depending on your mood and what you want to listen too at the moment.

When you click the thumbs down button it will stop playing that song and play the next. You can also click the next button to not thumb down the song but just not play it then and move on to the next. The contract with the record industry keeps you from being able to skip to many songs per hour, so once you use up your skips you are stuck listening. You can always quit listening for that period of time though.

You can upgrade your account and get the Pandora desktop application, unlimited listening, no ads, higher quality audio, and it will allow you to skip songs more often.

The best part is you can listen for free, and that is what makes it the coolest thing ever. I should also mention I have nothing to do with Pandora Radio, I am just a happy customer.

Windows Anytime Upgrade?

OK, there has been some confusion on behalf of all the upgrade editions of Windows 7. People are seeing different prices for different editions, and some editions look cheaper then others. There is a reason why these editions are cheaper. In order to clear up the confusion, here are the differences and the reason for the cheaper price.

These editions contain only a product key and will unlock features of the chosen edition. You must currently be running some edition of Windows 7 on your computer in order to use the Windows Anytime Upgrade. For example, if you bought a computer that had Windows 7 Starter Edition on it, you could purchase Windows 7 Home Premium Windows Anytime Upgrade for $79.99, type in the key, and upgrade the Starter to Home Premium.

These editions are full retail and include a product key and a DVD retail version of the software. Because they do include the DVD and manuals, they are more expensive.

So the next time you see the product images for the Windows Anytime Upgrade, make sure you are not fooled by the cheaper price – unless you are running some sort of Windows 7 already, you will need the retail edition. Don’t be fooled!

Click here to read more about the Windows Anytime Upgrade (takes you to Microsoft).

The Different Editions of Windows 7

As we have been reporting to you Windows 7 is coming October 22. There are less editions then there was with Windows Vista, thank goodness, so it makes it a little less confusing as to what edition you should run.

We have posted a chart here showing the different editions that are available. Each edition is more expensive as you go, and some features are not available in other editions. Professional edition will contain all of the features of Home Premium, and Ultimate will contain all of the features of Professional, and so on.

The biggest difference is the “Windows XP Mode” which is only available is Windows 7 Pro and Windows 7 Ultimate. This mode lets you run older applications that only run in Windows XP, and allows you to run them in Windows 7. If you have older applications that you will still be using and are worried about them being compatiable when you upgrade to Windows 7, then this is going to be the deciding factor.

Check out the chart, and then proceed to purchase the edition that is right for you. Obviously it won’t ship until October 22, once Windows 7 is released by Microsoft.

Windows 7 Is Coming, But Can You Upgrade?

Windows 7 is going to be released on 22nd of this month, so now may be a good time to go over a few of the options if you are thinking about upgrading to Windows 7.

1.) If you currently have Windows Vista installed on your computer, your upgrade is going to be easy. All you have to do is buy a upgrade retail version of Windows 7 and insert the disk into the drive, and let it install. As always, make sure you back up all your data and everything before the install, but if all goes well it will automatically keep your data and programs intact, with a very short downtime.

2.) If you currently have Windows XP installed on your computer, your upgrade is going to be a little bumpier. As long as your computer meets the specified system requirements of Windows 7, you can upgrade your computer. However, you must erase your Windows XP installation, and then install a fresh copy of Windows 7. This means that instead of just installing Windows 7, you absolutely have to back up all data, install Windows 7, then install all of your programs and transfer the data back onto the computer.

Either way, if you want to upgrade to Windows 7 you can probably do it. Contact Us today for some information and a estimate on how much it would be to upgrade your computer to Windows 7.

Waiting for Windows 7? Don’t Do It!

Windows 7 is launching October 22, 2009, a date that is coming rather quickly in the tech world. Unlike Windows Vista, Windows 7 seems to promise a better computing experience and better compatibility with programs. Higher security and better connectivity is always promised, and maybe Windows 7 will deliver.

If your looking to buy a computer system right now, it may seem to make sense to wait until it can ship with Windows 7, but this is not the case! Now is absolutely the time to buy. With the economy the way it is, Lenovo and FMDstore.com is working harder then ever to move product. And nothing screams that more then the Windows 7 Free upgrade program.

You can read more about this upgrade program by clicking here. Just make sure that you buy a system with Windows Vista that qualifies – Windows Vista Home Basic does NOT qualify. It has to be Windows Vista Home Premium or above! So if you buy a system with Windows Vista Business, you’ll get a free upgrade for Windows 7 Business. See how it works?

As a side note, should you even upgrade to Windows 7 as soon as it is released? A lot of people talk about how you should wait until all the bugs are worked out of it. Microsoft has gotten a lot better about releasing patches and fixes to its operating systems faster and more efficiently then it used too. If you have high speed internet (and most of you do now) you can download these updates super fast and super easy, if not completely automatically. If you are still stuck on dial-up, then a simple trip to your local repair shop (like FMD Network…..) will get those updates installed for you really quick at a decent price.

But all of that is besides the point, because even if you get the free upgrade now doesn’t mean you have to install it. You can still run Vista until you are ready to install the upgrade. It doesn’t expire, it doesn’t run out, install it when you are ready. That is the best part. If you are comfortable with your new computer running Windows Vista (and millions of people will be) then just stick with it until one day you get the itch to install Windows 7. By then, all the updates, patches and fixes will be released.

Maybe you should wait to install Windows 7 until everybody settles in with it, but you should definitely not wait to buy that new computer system and get your free Windows 7 upgrade.

Looking for High-Speed? Here Are the Options

One of the questions we get asked about the most is high-speed Internet. Many of our customers are still stuck on dial-up, and they are getting left in the dark. The FMD Network won’t even fix your computer at your house if you have dial-up anymore – we have to bring it back to our office where we have high-speed. With anti-virus updates, windows updates, and a whole slew of others high-speed is almost essential. Here are the options that you have, depending on where you live.

Just because it says here you can probably get the Internet if you live in town, doesn’t mean you can. Prices are completely approximate according to what we have heard on the grapevine, so call the company and ask before you order. Most companies offer different plans with different pricing. Some require contract.

1.) Cable Internet – The Best and the speediest, if you live in town you can probably get cable. Basically if you can get cable television you can get cable internet. If its available, get this. The wire will come into your house just like cable TV, go into a modem, and then to your computer. Charter Communications. $39.99 a month, monthly rental for modem.

2.) DSL – DSL stands for digital subscriber line and comes through the telephone line. Again, most people in the country cannot get this. The telephone lines have to be rigged with special equipment from the phone company. Unless the phone lines in your house are ancient you should be able to get it if you live in or near a town. Verizon. $19.95 a month.

3.) Cell Phone/Network Card – This Internet comes in through the cell phone. You run a cable from your phone to your computer and your connected. You can also purchase a network card (works just like a phone) and hook up that way. If you hook up through your phone, you won’t be able to talk on it at the same time, so if that is a concern make sure you purchase the card. Basically if you get a lot of dropped calls at your house, or your cell phone does not work well, then don’t even try it. Alltel/Verizon, $60 a month.

4.) Wireless Internet – Even though it is called wireless, it is basically not. The company will put a antenna on top of your house or office, and then wire it in. Make sure none of the other options are available before you try this one, but you will be pleased if you are switching from dial-up. This isn’t as fast as the others, but much much faster then dial-up. $150 setup, $29.95 a month.

5.) Satellite Internet – The best perk about satellite Internet is that almost anyone can get it. When all other options are not available, satellite will be. If you have DirectTV or dish network, there is a good chance you can get satellite Internet. The company will put a satellite on your house, office, on a post in your yard, wherever they can get the best clear view of the southern sky. In heavy downpours or a heavy snow it may cut out, but it will be brief. Wipe the dish off and you’ll be all set. HughsNet/Wild Blue $99 setup, $59.99 a month.
If you are trying to decide whether high-speed Internet is worth the cost or not, it is. Just go ahead and order, and you will never regret it.

The FMD Network has no affiliation or connection with any of these Internet companies, we simply posted it for informational purposes for our customers.