Office 2010 is the first Office version to offer you a choice of either a 64 or 32 bit version. Everyone’s first reaction seems to be “gimme the 64 bit version.” This isn’t always best. It depends on how you use Office. First, does the 64 bit version make a difference? Yes, the performance is [...]
“How long should I keep my server?”
January 24, 2012 By
We, as in Bright Software, don’t really install servers anymore, but I get the “How long should I keep my server?” question a lot. I used to do hardware, years ago, and have in-depth knowledge of systems engineering. I know it’s difficult sometimes to trust the guy trying to sell you a new server because [...]
Windows Media Center. I’m hooked.
January 10, 2012 By
The new version of Microsoft’s Media Center is included in all versions of Windows 7 Home Premium, and Ultimate editions. I have been using Windows Media Center since 2004, with Windows XP, but the newer versions get better and better. I hooked a PC to my LCD TV and it allows my family to view [...]
In the Cloud @ Microsoft – So far, So Good
November 15, 2011 By
A couple months ago, Microsoft’s Cloud Computing had a very public outage. While inconvenient, I and our customers who use MS Cloud thought the support was very impressive. They handled it well; it was obvious they had a plan. They immediately offered discounts on next month’s bills. Obviously they were doing what they could to [...]
Slow Database System Woes
November 8, 2011 By
One of the most common questions people ask me is, “How can we improve system performance?” If your system has an agonizingly slow response time, you know it’s wasting employee time. You probably fear it will crash. It could be costing you customers too. Or maybe you’ve had some IT people look into it, but [...]
Use Access? Take advantage of Microsoft’s free version of SQL
November 1, 2011 By
Microsoft has a free version of SQL. It’s Microsoft SQL 2008R2 Express. It’s free, and more businesses should be taking advantage of it. Especially businesses using Access as their standalone database. I’ve watched office workers build their day around a slow Access database. Their end users press a button in their database, then they get [...]
