ClearType: The undiscovered tool for most XP users

If you use windows XP with LCD monitor you will see font like upper image, but if you set up ClearType you will improve your vision dramatically (lower image).

Every laptop or desktop LCD monitor owner should give ClearType Tuner a try, because it might save your eyes or spare you a headache or two from squinting at the microfine type that many LCDs render. After all, it is free.

Microsoft PowerToy installs a new tool in your Control Panel. At startup you walk through a helpful wizard that displays different ClearType settings to help fill in and smooth out screen text. CRT display owners can try these tools, but generally we have found they work best for LCDs. Once you pick the best combination of letter density and smoothness for your eyes, the program sets it permanently. You can apply the setting as the default for all users on your system.

After Installing ClearType you will find a tool added to control panel to configure or reconfigure ClearType to select best vision.

In all, we love the change this simple tool has made on the usability of our laptop. It is one of those sweet little Microsoft giveaways that remains undiscovered by most users.

What google knows about you?

Google is launching a new feature that lets you view what data is being stored on a range of Google services. Google Dashboard also will let you control at least some of that data and how it’s used by Google and even delete it.

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Dashboard provides a summary of the data in Google products you use while signed in (if you’re not signed in, that data isn’t associated with you). For now, Dashboard aggregates Gmail, the photo service Picasa, Calendar, Google Docs, Alerts, YouTube, Web history, and some others. As early as next week, Google will start adding more services, such as Checkout, Google Groups, and SideWiki.

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Google says Dashboard wasn’t prompted by rising concerns about corporate use of people’s data. But I don’t doubt that Dashboard is intended to blunt complaints that Google collects so much data. In fact, Shuman Ghosemajumder, Google’s business product manager for trust and safety, made a point of telling me that the company had briefed some regulators around the world on Dashboard.

Reasons Some XP Users Should Hold Off On Windows 7

Microsoft created a problem for itself with Vista, prompting many users to stick with Windows XP. People have been using XP for seven years now, and regardless of how good Windows 7 might be, many might have a hard time leaving their security blanket behind. I've been using Windows 7 for months now, and I really like it, but there a number of reasons why XP users might want to stay put a little longer.

• Extended support until April-8-2014. It's true that Microsoft has discontinued mainstream support for XP, but for most people this matters little. Microsoft will continue to provide security patches and per-incident phone and Web support for XP for years to come.

• You live on the Web. Perhaps the features and applications an OS has to offer you are irrelevant. Maybe everything you do is in Firefox or Chrome and you could care less about Aero, the Improved Task bar, Jump Lists, Snaps, Gadgets, Libraries and Home Groups. If your computing experience consists of Google Apps, Hulu, YouTube, Facebook and Gmail, you just might not care all that much about what OS is underneath it all.

• Microsoft's latest security features are freely available to download for XP. IE8, Windows Defender, and Windows Security Essentials are applications that help make Windows 7 secure. Security has become a priority for Microsoft, and it has made these apps freely available to XP users. While Windows 7 may be Microsoft's most secure OS to date, XP is also more secure than ever.

• You've got your computer set up just the way you like it. Unfortunately, Microsoft was a little shortsighted when it omitted a direct path for XP users to upgrade to Windows 7. If your computer is a finely tuned machine with all your apps and settings just right, it can be highly disruptive to have to install and configure everything from scratch.

finally If you a windows XP expert, do you think it worth to upgrade?

NO PAID ANTIVIRUS ANY MORE

Microsoft Security Essentials is the name of Microsoft’s latest Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware software for Windows operating system.

Microsoft's new anti malware solution, Microsoft Security Essentials, is now available for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Let's find an unobtrusive app with a clean interface that protected us in the dark corners of the Internet.

this is official site of security essential where you can download it:

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/

Notes:

• Microsoft Security Essentials is available for Windows XP 32-bit (8.61MB), Windows Vista/7 32-bit (4.28MB), and Windows Vista/7 64-bit (4.71MB). The final build number is 1.0.1611.0. Microsoft warns that MSE should not be installed alongside any other antimalware application. Indeed, MSE's installer disables Windows Defender completely, which makes sense as it is a sort of superset to Windows Defender. It builds upon Windows Defender by offering both real-time protection and on-demand scanning for all types of malware.

• It is all free of charge. all you need is pass the Windows Genuine Advantage validation to install MSE (Microsoft Security Essential).

• You will never need any antivirus or internet security running beside MSE.

• Microsoft claims it designed MSE to run quietly in the background, only alerting users when there is an action for them to take, while at the same time limiting CPU and memory usage.

• Based on what I've seen so far, I have to recommend that you at least give the product a download. Everyone currently using free antimalware software should give it a shot, and those with paid solutions should think about taking MSE for a spin before renewing subscriptions.