Mike Stone

Anybody who has experienced a hard drive crash or some catastrophic system failure knows about the importance of backing up their data, but how often do you think about the safety of your files in terms of “winding up in the wrong hands?”

The threat of data theft and the escalating consequences of losing client information are increasingly frightening prospects in the business world today. Hardly a month goes by without some incident report involving a stolen laptop that contained the personal records of customers, clients, patients, or colleagues.

In the last issue of the Fiat, I addressed the disappointment I had with Apple’s new iPad. This drew ire from folks online, but I stand firmly by my opinions.

Rather than continue down this path of negativity, though, I thought it might be a good idea to expand on alternative products that might interest people looking for an iPad-like device, but without the limitations of a constrained OS.

This past Wednesday, Apple confirmed many months of internet rumors by announcing their new portable product, the iPad.

Technically not a tablet (the general consensus is that a “tablet” must have a physical keyboard, otherwise it is a “slate”), the iPad allows you to browse the web, check e-mail, read Word and Excel documents, read E-Books and listen to your music.

All of this is offered on a 9.7-inch multi-touch touchscreen with WiFi, affordable 3G Broadband (on certain models), built-in speakers and a 10-hour battery.

So what’s the problem? As it turns out, everything.

As we ride with confidence into the New Year, the act of giving and receiving gifts weighs heavily on our minds. It is during these times that I am presented with the second-most frequently asked question by friends and family, “Where can I get a good deal on a computer for Christmas?”

Dear Mike,
I found it ironic that just when my computer drastically became slower, an article about keeping a clean computer was in the Fiat Lux.

The battery for my Acer Aspire 5050 died recently and I have a new one on the way covered by the warranty, however, I had to ship my old one. At first it was normal but by Oct. 31 around noon it was slower than my dad’s first computer from the early 90s.

Working for the ITS department, I handle my fair share of computers infected with viruses, spyware, adware and other forms of malware. Such attacks have become so commonplace that they are simply an accepted reality for Windows users.

“I've been working on some projects in the library that are saved to my U Drive. Is there a way to access them on a personal computer (i.e. not a university owned computer) without trying to cram the large files onto a jump drive, the size for which I don't even know exists?”
- Anonymous

There are actually many ways to accomplish this. In terms of speed, reliability and usability, the best way is to mount the U:Drive on your system as a network drive.

I received two very good questions for this edition – not via e-mail, but rather by people that stopped me on the sidewalk. One of these questions I was able to answer right away, but since it is a common question that may benefit a larger group of people, I’ll still post it here.

“How do I set up my external hard drive so it can be used by Mac and PC?”

It’s the beginning of a new year and there’s a whole lot of great stuff that’s happened since May. Apple just released OSX.6 “Snow Leopard,” Microsoft is on the brink of releasing Windows 7, Netbooks are gaining ground in a big way, and Steve Ballmer is looking more and more like the monster hiding under my bed.

As many of you are heading home for the summer, there is a decent chance you will consider the possibility of buying a new laptop for the coming school year. However, there’s a lot to think about when taking this plunge.

It is extremely important to pay close attention to the price of a computer before deciding on your purchase. When I say “price," I don’t mean the white tag attached to it at the store. I’m referring to a price that is often referred to as “TCO”: Total Cost of Ownership.