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 What’s my vitals?
by Richard Tausch
o Operating System version, Service Pack, Memory, and CPU
This is more of a tidbit, albeit an important one, rather than a full article. However the vital information (listed above) is something you will want to access easily, especially if a Tech asks you for this which often happens when you system is being worked on. This information is accessed on Vista as well as Windows 7, and in the same manner. If you are interested in knowing your system vitals, or a Tech person asks you about your system, it is good to know where to find this quickly. Click Start, then right-click on the computer icon and left-click on Properties and you will see a screen similar to the one below.
Note: Once a service pack is released and your system has it installed, it will show up just under the Windows edition below. This information is valuable, especially if you install software that has recommended hardware specifications. This is where you will look.
If you want to know about the size of your hard drive, click on Start, Computer, and you will see the size and how much free space you have.
In the next article you will learn how to stylize your Windows 7 system.
Here´s to happy computing!
Richard Tausch, MCSE, CCNA, CompTia Security +
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General Disclaimer
CCAR does not guarantee the reliability or quality of any of the products, links, software, or hardware of the vendors mentioned in CCAR Help Blog articles. Nor do we have a vested interest in any of those entities whatsoever. You hereby acknowledge that any reliance upon or use of any of the aforementioned shall be at your sole risk. CCAR reserves the right, in its sole discretion and without any obligation, to make improvements to, or correct any error or omissions in any portion of the information presented on this site.
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Tip of the Month
Month’s Supply of Inventory – Explaining it to Consumers
Month’s Supply of Inventory (MSI) shows the time, in months, that it would take to “sell” the remaining inventory for the month in question. This metric is a one number summary of how market supply and demand are changing from month to month.
Please note: this data is from San Diego
To calculate this figure, take the number of properties that were For Sale on the Last Day of the month divided by the number that went Under Contract (Pending) during the month (the most contemporaneous measure of buyer activity). Calculated this way MSI becomes a “leading” indicator of sales activity.
Using the “same” month comparison over different years is a popular real estate yardstick because there is no seasonality involved in the measurement. Thus, any changes that have taken place are primarily due to market forces, for example, the collective behavior of all consumers participating in the market.
Adding the “linear” trend line helps you recognize whether the rate of sales activity is changing over time or not; and to what approximate degree. An upward sloping trend line indicates an increase in MSI (sales rate is slowing); a downward sloping trend line indicates a decrease in MSI (sales rate is increasing); and a flat trend line indicates that there has been very little change in MSI (the rate of sales).
Generally, anything that is below 3 months is considered a strong sellers’ market, 3-6 months is a balanced market, and above 6 months is a strong buyers’ market. What is your market inventory doing?
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 • How to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 7 Premium or Ultimate
by Richard Tausch
o How much is that upgrade in the Window? Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor & Windows Anytime Upgrade options
If you have Windows 7 Premium and at some point decide to upgrade to Professional or Ultimate, you can do this via the Windows 7 operating system disc if your system came with the disc, or from within your Windows 7 you can go to Start, type Windows Anytime Upgrade in the search box, and then click on Windows Anytime Upgrade.
• Upgrade costs:
• Premium to Professional: $90
• Premium to Ultimate: $140
• Professional to Ultimate: $130
If you are considering upgrading your current Vista or XP system to Windows 7, it is my opinion that if your desktop or laptop is over a year old, it is often better to buy a new laptop or desktop with Windows 7. The reason is if you upgrade your current system, you could be carrying over bugs or a pre-existing condition into the new version. On top of that with the cost of a new laptop or desktop with Windows 7 already on less than $350.00 that is a deal that is hard to pass up.
So if you consider that the Windows 7 software alone costs $200 on up, this means that with new computer (desktop or laptop) that costs $350, you would paying only $150 for the hardware (desktop/laptop)!
Let´s not forget that if you were to upgrade XP to Windows 7 on a newer system, the upgrade only allows a clean install, meaning it will NOT preserve your applications and settings, you have to reinstall your applications. Not a perfect scenario.
You can upgrade Vista to Windows 7 (if your hardware is compatible), but let´s say you run an upgrade, your computer will still be the same age and if it gives out at some point, you have lost money on Windows 7. The reason I say this is because if you do decide to buy a new computer, those already come with Windows 7 and you are left with that extra copy you bought and no longer need.
The end result of buying a new system instead of upgrading may result in fewer headaches and a better computer as well. It´s hard to argue against that unless you have a newer system that cost you quite a bit of money and that your newer system is capable of being upgraded to Windows 7.
If you already have Windows 7 and are upgrading to another version or Windows 7, you will most likely have compatible hardware because 7 to 7 uses the same hardware.
If you do decide to upgrade your current system, either from Vista to Windows 7 OR Windows 7 to a different version of Windows 7 you will want to run Microsoft´s Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor first. You can download this by going to the following link:
• http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1b544e90-7659-4bd9-9e51-2497c146af15&displaylang=en
In the next article, I will cover how to look for basic hardware and version information on Windows 7.
Here´s to happy computing!
Richard Tausch, MCSE, CCNA, CompTia Security +
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General Disclaimer
CCAR does not guarantee the reliability or quality of any of the products, links, software, or hardware of the vendors mentioned in CCAR Help Blog articles. Nor do we have a vested interest in any of those entities whatsoever. You hereby acknowledge that any reliance upon or use of any of the aforementioned shall be at your sole risk. CCAR reserves the right, in its sole discretion and without any obligation, to make improvements to, or correct any error or omissions in any portion of the information presented on this site.
 Windows 7 versions, versions and more versions
by Richard Tausch
o So many choices, what should I do?
Now for the shock¸ there are a total of 6 versions of Windows 7. But, no need to be overwhelmed, we will cover just the 3 popular versions shortly. Here is full list for your entertainment and pleasure:
• Starter: Only sold with new PCs. For “emerging markets,” Basically the core system without any of the eye candy, desktop enhancements, or extra security features. Limited to three concurrent applications.
• Home Basic: Starter with more than three apps allowed.
• Home Premium: This one is included on most PCs. It´s missing the extended security and mobility features of Professional.
• Professional: Everything in Premium, plus encryption and network features more business-oriented.
• Enterprise: Like Professional, but includes Bitlocker and Applocker among other system-management capabilities geared toward volume-licensing.
• Ultimate: Everything included.
So, if you have one of the versions listed below of Windows 7 and are considering upgrading or have not yet purchased Windows 7 and would like to know the differences, below you will see key points that separate each of the popular versions of Windows 7. The most important thing to remember here is that in order to log on to a work domain (usually medium to large companies) you will need Windows 7 Ultimate or Professional. If you are 100% home-office, or rarely go to the office, or you don´t log into a domain there, Windows Home Premium should be able to meet all your needs.
If you are thinking about buying a specific version of Windows 7, this comparison chart will help you. There is also Windows 7 Starter version which you will find on the smaller Netbooks. To clarify, Netbooks are smaller sized laptops that are not quite as powerful as typical laptops but usually suffice for the applications and software involved with real estate and people who do not want that nagging shoulder ache that can come with carrying around a heavy laptop.
In the next article, I will cover the basics of deciding whether to upgrade Vista or XP to Windows 7, the advantages and pitfalls.
Here´s to happy computing!
Richard Tausch, MCSE, CCNA, CompTia Security +
Printable Copy
General Disclaimer
CCAR does not guarantee the reliability or quality of any of the products, links, software, or hardware of the vendors mentioned in CCAR Help Blog articles. Nor do we have a vested interest in any of those entities whatsoever. You hereby acknowledge that any reliance upon or use of any of the aforementioned shall be at your sole risk. CCAR reserves the right, in its sole discretion and without any obligation, to make improvements to, or correct any error or omissions in any portion of the information presented on this site.
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