Tech Blog

Microsoft Front Page is no more in name only, so here are the facts…

RIP Microsoft Front Page… Well sort of… In reality it is in name only. But the web editing software package from Microsoft still exists. It has a new name and it is called Expression Web. It is designed for home users, small business users and beginners who wish to develop web pages for themselves and businesses.

Microsoft has decided that Frontpage as a single version of the web editing software package doesn’t fit in well with everybody and businesses of all sizes, so as well as releasing Expression Web it has also released Share Point Designer 2007, a web editing package designed for larger businesses.

Frontpage is like Windows, it is not expected as a single version to fit in with everybody’s needs, so I am of the view that Microsoft has made a wise decision to revamp the web editing software so that everybody who wishes to create web pages can choose the right version of the package that suits their needs.

I would hope it would clear up the air and confusion, and erase the impression that the web editing software from Microsoft no longer exists. It still exists with a different name.

See the Microsoft website for more details of Expression Web and Share Point Designer. Both those packages can be bought from Microsoft as well as retail computer shops.

Microsoft One Care finally replaces Norton

Years after using Norton for antivirus and PC health, Norton has been shown the door. The reason? A new antivirus software from Microsoft now exists, and I have been less than impressed with Norton especially under Vista. To start with Norton Antivirus 2007 was not a true Vista application to start with even with the patch designed to make it work with Vista. In actual fact Norton Antivirus 2007 was a memory hog and it actually slowed my PC with 1 gb RAM, 100 gb hard drive and Vista Home Premium preinstalled. So as soon as the subscription message came up to say that Norton subscription has ended for 2007, I decided to ditch Norton and decided to buy Microsoft One Care, a new antivirus software package from Microsoft. The result? My PC ran faster because the One Care package works smoothly and is far more integrated with Vista I have not looked back.

Mobile Internet is not the same as PC Internet

For anybody wishing to consider surfing the net and checking emails on their mobile phones that has the features available on them, beware… Be warned! This warning even applies to 3G and Next G coverage areas. It may be very wise to ask for a data pack with an allocation limit each month, similar to the internet plans on the PC. However it must be remembered at all times that the mobile internet is a subset of the PC internet. Anybody who wishes to dismiss my comments I just made on the mobile internet can do so at their peril however they may risk receiving a bill that they may never be able to pay back. I have heard of reports that the bill from reckless use of the internet on mobiles can run in thousands of dollars if not hundreds of dollars. So please consider it very carefully by reading the facts on the internet usage on mobile phones.

Never lend a mobile phone to anybody else especially phones with email and internet features on them. Never! When a mobile phone with internet features included is lost or stolen, always go to the telco shop first thing as well as the police and ask for a bar to be put on the phone in case the thief uses the internet part of the phone. Failure to do so may see you receive a bill having to pay for someone else’s usage and it may be impossible to pay it back.

Anybody who already has a data pack is strongly encouraged to please check their data usage on either the mobile or on the PC. It’s important to do so because sometimes the data usage can be misleading due to tech problems or other factors. Failure to check usage can lead to bigger bills than they are expecting. So be warned.

Anybody who is interested to include data packs as part of their mobile plans or have any questions that can be asked on the issues of internet usage on mobile phones can go and see the telco retail shops in their respective area. Bear in mind that there are no unmetered sites when surfing the web on mobile phones so remember that at all times.

William Walker