Following my advice in previous columns, he logged onto the Internet and compared his system with XP’s list of requirements. He quickly found that Windows XP did not yet support his new brand name flat bed scanner (new within the past month. Windows XP did not yet support either of his two digital cameras. His anti-virus program would be ineffective, thus requiring him to buy the newer version to upgrade. When he added up the cost of buying new software and the inconvenience of doing without his scanner or digital cameras, he decided the Free Upgrade was simply too expensive to accept at this time. He put that free upgrade certificate back in his filing cabinet and said perhaps next summer he might get it back out and look into using at that time if drivers are available.

Since last month’s column, I have had more time to get hands on XP experience as some of my customers purchased new XP based systems. Each of them has found their peripherals (printers, cameras, scanners, cordless keyboard / mice) often had problems with incompatible software drivers.  But the good news is that the manufacturers are peddling as fast as they can to ship tested drivers to support their products on Windows XP. 

Microsoft is also pushing out software “patches” or “fixes” for Windows XP on a daily or weekly basis. I’ve been encouraging my XP customers to use the Windows Update Feature frequently while online to look for updates. Yes, the operating system will routinely check for updates, but I prefer to manually check from time to time. They have already addressed some of the security issues being complained about XP, but I have yet to hear from other (non-Microsoft) authorities whether these patches have fixed the problems completely. I’m still disinclined to use the “Passport” function that XP tries to prod you into using automatically.

I know of some Realtors in the San Antonio area who will be facing a challenge in the next month or two. Due to a recent decision by the SABOR (San Antonio Board Of Realtors) to discontinue dial-up access to their MLS database services, Realtors are now being forced to use the Internet and their Web browser to access these services. It was only a matter of time before this came about, but the restrictions are tight. Don’t plan on using Windows XP to access this software anytime soon because it is not “certified” for use on Windows XP at present time. The new software is called “RE/Xplorer 2.0” and requires the use of Windows 98, ME or 2K, and the use of Internet Explorer 5.5SP2 or 6.0. If you are running an earlier version of Windows, you may be faced with a system upgrade. But read the fine print before you jump into a Windows XP system. Yesterday, I upgraded one of my Realtor customers to work with this new system. I had to update her WindowsME system by upgrading DirectX to 8.1, activate her ActiveX inside of Internet Explorer, and then upgrade her Internet Explorer to a compatible version. Fortunately for her, she had switched to Roadrunner months ago, so she was already positioned to utilize this new software. I found RE/Xplorer to be very graphic intensive and slow loading even over a cable connection, but it was packed with features that I found to be very convenient to a Realtor, such as live searches telling you how many properties matched your criteria as you narrowed down your selection. At least you don’t have to worry any longer about exceeding your license by installing on multiple computers at home and at work. There is no license to install, but you do need to be current in SABOR’s database before you will be able to log into their system.

Viruses continue to be a huge problem among those PC owners who don’t keep their anti-virus files updated. I get at least one call per day from a customer with virus problems. Variations of the Goner, Badtrans and Magistr viruses seem to be the ones I’m running across the most, often together on the same machine. While I’m personally a fan of Norton’s Anti-Virus with their “Live Update” function that keeps your computer updated automatically, I would encourage you to check your anti-virus files at least once each week. Turn on your anti-virus automatic update feature if it has one to protect your PC. Updating once a month might not be enough to keep your system running clean. 

Free Antivirus Updates
You can get free anti-virus updates or free trials from Norton. McAfee also offers free anti-virus updates / free trials. Trend Micro also offers a free updates and a free30 day trial version of PC-Cillin.

More free stuff:
If you want to compare your Internet speed, check out  DSL Report  or  Speedometer . Internet connection speeds can vary depending upon time of day, or so the commercials claim as the battle between DSL and Cable continues. Personally, my experience has been that Cable wins out over DSL, due to ease of setup and speed. DSL has continually been more of a problem to configure than Cable in my experience, and DSL speed will depend upon how close you are to SW Bell’s central switching office.