Novel Technology Part 2

        It's been almost three years since I did a piece about hardware that novel writers should focus on (Click HERE to read original post). However, in the past year the entire industry has changed to the point it's exciting instead of the lull we had for the last six years. I'm mostly updating the two areas where things have changed the most: CPU's and storage drives. Far as printers, keyboards, and monitors, everything is the same as that old post.

The first major change to CPU's is AMD is now competing again with Intel. AMD and Intel in very,very basic terms are like Ford and Chevy in the processing world. The world's computers in the last 15 years will be either running an AMD or Intel chip. Even Macs are running Intels now.

       Without going into very boring details, AMD was not offering the same or close performance as Intel for almost 6 years. So, for six years, Intel would launch the equivalent of a new car with ONE extra horsepower every year during this period. In other words, every new launch was as exciting as decaf coffee.

However, March of this year, AMD took a sledgehammer to Intel, and woke up the entire industry. The reason this is great is when AMD and Intel fight, we get newer hardware worth the wait. Now, they're launching systems with, sticking to the car analogy here, 50 to 100 more horsepower versus 1 horsepower. It's at the point where waiting is worth it.

       The other unique thing is multi-core / thread CPU's are becoming the normal these days. You will see cores and threads. Here's a quick summary of what core and thread mean:

- Core – the physical processing part. A quad-core for example means there’s four physical processors i.e. it’s like a system having four Pentium 4’s inside it.

- Thread – The splitting of a CPU’s power virtually. Not all tasks need the core’s full power, so it will divide itself in light loads such as what I’m doing now: playing music and running Word.

       The reason for this information is because more core / more thread CPU's are becoming very affordable. There are 6-core / 12 thread CPU's are under $200. About a year ago, they would cost $400 or more. The more cores / threads in a system, the more programs you can run at once without lag. I don't know about everyone else,but when I'm writing I will have music playing, an Excel file, a Word file, few Notepad files, and a web browser open all at the same time. If I tried to do this on a single core system (think a 2006 Pentium 4), I wouldn't be able to run them all at once without the system freezing. I'm currently one a quad-core, so there's no noticeable lag. Again, more CPU's / threads, the more stuff you could run at once.

       There is where I explain why all this matters when it comes to writing. For the first time in years, we have two major choices again, and with the new stuff coming out, it's almost at the point we're were back to "wait till this comes out" mode. Again, last five years, the market was nothing more than a new model number, and no juge difference in performance. There is so much new technology hitting the shelves within the next few months in both desktops and laptops, I'm al,pst afraid to suggest a system unless it's needed now.

       The biggest two things that are coming out for desktops are motherboards for Intel's new line CPU's that are finally an improvement versus last years models, plus AMD is going to launch another series of processors. As a writer, I'm waiting to even look at a new system to replace my 3 year old system till they both launch. The Intel motherboards will make their new $120 quad-core CPU more affordable and attractive, and the AMD's won't require additional hardware to run your monitor. Again, when these do come out, a new writing system will be more affordable and actually be faster, and will show up on store shelves some time after 2018. On the laptop side of things, AMD is slowly launching their products, but nothing out through the computer manufactures as of yet. Also, Intel's new line isn't out fully as well. Again, more cores /threads in a newer laptop = better multitasking.

       With all this being said, here's what I would consider on both AMD and Intel as of today for a desktop writing system. I wouldn't go higher than a $200 CPU because after that, you will only benefit if running heavy, heavy 3D games, Photoshop, or 4K video editing.

- Intel -

Lowest: Core i3 8100 - As mentioned above, this is the new $120 quad-core from Intel.

Highest: Core i5-8400 - 6-cores for $200

- AMD

Lowest: Ryzen 3 1300 - $110 quad-core

Highest: Ryzen 5 1500 - $190 for 4-core / 8 threads

       Whatever CPU you do get, always at least get 8GB of RAM. With Windows 10, 8GB is the ideal amount of RAM for office work. The absolute lowest I would is 4GB, but even with 4GB, the system can lag. Anything higher won't make a big difference to justify the cost. The absolute highest I would go is 16GB, but I'm quite happy with 8GB of RAM. After that, it becomes more about bragging rights about how money you can spend. Even the newest PC games don't even suggest 16GB of RAM.

       The second focus is storage. I know everyone has seen or heard about SSD. An SSD in very basic terms is imagine an internal thumb drive big enough to hold Windows and your programs. Yes, they do make the system very snappy, and you can have the system completely off to ready to go in under 15 seconds. I've been on the fence about getting one,but from what I've been told, they won't make you write any faster since you are the biggest bottleneck about how fast the words appear on the screen. One day, I'll get one since they do help in other aspects, but if I had to go with a SSD or a traditional hard drive for a desktop, I rather have a traditional hard drive due to the bigger storage capacity for the money. Now, on a laptop, SSD because they’re not prone to fail as easily say if it happens to drop because there are no moving parts inside, and they do help with battery life.

       My final thought is this: don’t spend more money than needed. I bought my system for $500 three years ago, and it’s still going strong. A $2,000 system won’t make you a better writer. The limit all of us writers face is imagination, not technology. If you do go overboard with technology, spend the money in something that can save you and your work the most heartache, and that’s backup devices (See HERE for more information). Until then, happy writing.

"Computer Fight!"

     I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time. As most now, I’m a computer geek first, and this idea has been on my mind for months. Now, with a new launch of processors from Intel this month, I figured I will write my thoughts about the state of new computer hardware. As some might have read over the years, every six to twelve months, new hardware is launched, which in theory is supposed to be exciting. Honestly, for the past few years, the launches of supposed updated hardware have been appealing as a keg of O’Douls at a college party. However, since March of this year, new releases are worth looking at due to one word: competition.

     In the hardware industry, competition between the major companies is always a good thing. I mostly focusing on processors today: Intel and AMD. Intel is, in sode terms, Coca Cola. A brand everyone has heard of because of countless ads over the years, and the fact shelves were always full of Intel based computers. AMD, on the other hand, is like RC. Even though AMD has been around, you mostly hear about them through word of mouth, or from the person you went to for computer advice. AMD could never truly compete outright, but they did one thing very well: beat Intel in performance while costing less. It always been about the best bang for your buck with AMD.

     However, AMD was more like Pepsi for a few years: Intel and AMD keep fighting to be the top company. For a few years, AMD was actually beating Intel in performance. There was a time during the early 2000’s where AMD was suggested way before Intel during the Pentium 4 era. This was great because the industry was exciting. Every new release from AMD or Intel was worth reading because it made you wonder who was taking back the performance crown. 

 

     Sadly, around 2007, AMD began to lose the rivalry. By 2011 or so, AMD was back to fighting to stay in the market. It came to a point AMD was only suggested when Intel was too costly for one’s budget. They weren’t bad overall, but dollar per dollar comparisons, Intel was the way to go. A $80 Intel CPU was outperforming a $200 AMD chip in the one area that truly drives the market: gaming. So, AMD retired itself to being the go to for basic, everyday web browsing systems. 

 

     This lead to Intel being the equivalent of GMC launching a new Corvette every year with five extra horsepower. They honestly quit innovating for the past five years, and got lazy.A new product with such a small performance increase being released because there wasn’t no other viable option. There’s actual test of a six year-old Intel chip being tested against their newest offerings. The difference in performance was only ten percent. In fact, most reviews of Intel’s new release became copy and paste. The overall thought was this: “Unless building and/or buying a new system, not worth the cost.”

     However, the fight is coming back as of March. Before I go into what’s happening, some very, very layman terms. All new CPU’s will list cores and threads when you look them up. Here is what they mean:

- Core – the physical processing part. A quad-core for example means there’s four physical processors i.e. it’s like a system having four Pentium 4’s inside it.

- Thread – The splitting of a CPU’s power virtually. Not all tasks need the core’s full power, so it will divide itself in light loads such as what I’m doing now: playing music and running Word.

     What happened this year which has shook up the industry is AMD finally launched a CPU that blindside Intel: Ryzen. This new launch came down to this: a $500 AMD CPU with 8 cores / 16 threads is trading blows even with Intel’s $1000 newest 10 cores / 20 thread offering. The difference in performance is so close that AMD systems make hardcore enthusiasts wondering if the extra $500 going Intel is even worth it to save a few minutes on some tasks. Once you factor in that a motherboard for Intel is $400 versus $200 for AMD, it’s a tough sell to even go with Intel these days. In other words, they’re fighting once again, and this makes me happy because unless it’s purely a PC gaming system (Which Intel still outperforms AMD as of right now), I would suggest AMD over Intel once again.

     Now, keep in mind even though Intel launched this month, AMD has a new line coming out this summer as well. AMD is launching a 16 core / 32 thread monster. With this on the horizon, the old question that used to be around is coming back: Do I buy now or wait to see what the new products offers? This means everyone wins because if AMD and Intel keep going back and forth, when you do buy a newer system, the performance over your five year old system will be noticeable. In fact, in the $100 to $200 range, I would go with AMD way before Intel because AMD offers more cores / threads for the money which is great if you do a lot of multitasking. 

 

     In conclusion, in any industry, competition is always a great thing. Without it, there’s no more innovation. The companies will keep slapping on shiny new labels on the same boring product, and act like they’ve made huge changes while raising prices. I hope this trend keeps going because for years because the biggest innovation in the PC world was leaning towards LED lights on EVERYTHING. Now, with real hardware being launched that does offering innovation, the market will shake up, and everyone will reap the benefits. In the end, I’m rooting for AMD to keep winning this fight.

Wonderful Scammers

        I know I’ve been posting a lot about the Microsoft scammers, but today I decided to explain in more detail why they’re scams, and the tricks scammers do to make people think they have a virus on their system. The reason they’re scams is because Microsoft or any computer company never tracks viruses on a single system. They honestly don’t care if you do. The only time Microsoft will step in if there’s a virus that’s spreading across networks like crazy, such as the new ransomware spreading around (For more information, click here). Even then, they don’t have you call a number and/or call you. If every computer company tracked viruses, we would still be running 98 because Microsoft resources would have been tied up fixing every single infected PC.
       Now, below is an image of a typical scam site:

       The main reason this is a scam is the fact no major web browser (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Edge, and Firefox) can detect if you got a virus by default. Also, I can load them on my smartphone, which has nothing to do with Windows. If it was a legit threat, your antivirus would throw up a warning way before a browser will. Also, the only way a browser could in theory detect an issue if say you enabled the toolbar or extension your antivirus installs. The closest a browser get to blocking possible issues is warning you if a site is been reported as unsafe, and will stop you from seeing that site unless you ignore the warnings. In fact, the way I triggered that scam site to load by mistyping facebook as facebo0k. A simple typo of a website n the old days would only load a screen saying “Server Not Found”, but today, it might launch the scam.
       The other way they can generate is by clicking on the wrong links. The three major sites that generate these pop-ups are Facebook, Google, and email. In email, the best advise is if you don’t trust the sender or the email itself, don’t click on anything and delete it. On Facebook, they are created by the ads on the side, the ones that say something like “17 Reasons” or “Check This Out!”. On Google, they’re mostly caused by searching for computer help, and clicking on a bad link.
       There’s also the scam calls where someone calls out of the blue, and tries to tell you that you got a virus or a major computer issue. First, no legit computer company will call you out of nowhere. The way all of them work is you have to make the first contact before they’ll even call. The best way to avoid these is if you don’t know the number, do not answer them. If they’re a legit company, they’ll leave a voice mail. If you do answer by mistake, hang up if they make any type of claim they’re tech support that you didn’t even call. The scammers will do everything to keep you on the line, and it’s all a script. They don’t know anything about your system to the point they’ll call a household that only has Apple products, and will try to say their Windows systems are infected.
       The scammers main goal overall is try everything to access your system through legit software, and lock it to the point it can render the machine unless you pay them more than what most systems are worth, or a price that is so high, you can buy 8+ systems. No matter what, NEVER let strangers into your system no matter what nonsense they’re spouting. They’re not hackers because without you installing the software, they know nothing about your machine. If it was truly a legit hacker, they wouldn’t even have you on the phone to install software. They could be in your system, and you wouldn’t know it.
       Now, this is more to explain what they’ll do if gained access, which again I’ll stress only allow companies and/or people you trust access your system. Everything I’m showing is built into all Windows since at least 98, and only two can in theory show you if you’re infected. These four things I’m going to show are used to troubleshoot Windows issues and fix performance issues, so most people don’t know they exist. The only way to access two of them is by launching them through a command or know what folder they’re stored in. In order, they are Command Prompt, Services, System Configuration, and Event Viewer.
       The first one, Command Prompt, is very simply DOS. Below is what it looks like:

   
       This is the only one you can find within the Windows Start Menu, but has nothing to do with malware or virus checking. Far as I can recall, it could been used back before Windows XP to check for malware, but now, it’s mostly used to check for internet issues. The way scammers use it is type in legit commands, type in wrong commands which triggers an error message, or paste something into it.
       The second is called Services. Below is what it looks like:

       This is one of two that are buried within Windows that you have to know either where it’s at, or how to load it. The lies you would here is how everything that shows Running is a virus. Services are background applications that are built into every version of Windows. They manage networks, printers, etc. If they weren’t running, Windows wouldn’t load properly. I’m not going to show where it’s located, or how to access it because you only mess with services if told by a company you trust, or know what you’re doing because disabling the wrong thing can crash Windows.
       The second one buried deep within Windows is called System Configuration, as shown below:

        This is one of the four that can tell you if there’s a virus or malware on the system. This application handles how Windows boots, and what loads when the system fully loads. Like Services, just because it’s running it doesn’t make it a virus. The major use for System Configuration is to disable unwanted programs from running at startup. Some malware will show up here, and a computer repair person can disabling it from running when you boot the PC. Again, not doing into too many details because the wrong thing here can disable critical parts of Windows causing instability.
       The final one is Event Viewer:

 Event Viewer records anything hat has happened to Windows has had since you first turned on the PC. This one isn’t quite as buried as Services and System Configuration, but it’s buried enough that most users don’t even know it exists. The main reason this is even loaded is to figure out what or why a PC keeps crashing. Again, only computer guys look at this to troubleshoot PC issues. All systems will show errors and warnings if you loaded Event Viewer. Even on my system, which is barely a week old, I have errors and warnings that show up.
       The final part of Windows I’m going to mention is what I’m going to call the startup password. This application again is so buried within Windows, you have to really know what you’re doing to even think of messing with it. When enabled, it requires a password to be entered to load Windows. This is what scammers use to basically lock you out of the system unless you pay their outrage fees. I’m not going to show you what it looks like or the actual name because if it’s enabled, and you forget the exact password, you will have to wipe out Windows and all your personal files to remove it. I know what I’m doing, and I don’t mess with it unless required. In other words, you, and even your computer person, should never mess with this startup password.
       Overall, I hope this knowledge as enlighten some to how the scams work, and why you should never allow anyone access to your system unless you have their complete trust. Also, the other thing I can stress from this is always keep your security software up to date, as well as run Windows updates whenever they’re available. The updates aren’t sent out to cause your system to take forever to reboot. They’re sent out to fix things that can allow a program to gain unwilling control of your system. Also, if the link looks funny, when in doubt, don’t click on it. The last tip is never Google phone numbers. If the company hasn’t posted on on their official website, they don’t provide one so never one you find on a web search (Perfect two examples: Facebook and Google). One final thing:


NEVER ALLOW ANYONE ACCESS TO YOUR SYSTEM UNLESS YOU TRUST THEM AND / OR THE COMPANY THEY WORK FOR!

Four Steps To Strong Passwords

        Over the past few weeks, there’s been a lot of people who had an online account password cracked. I begin to wonder how strong their old passwords were, and how secure the new one is. In this day and age, passwords being stolen is a bigger security risk instead of actually hacking into a home PC. With almost everything being done online, a secure password is the best defense you can have to keep your accounts safe.

  

       Now, password creating can be broken down into four main categories. The first is avoid common passwords that any password cracking tool can do within minutes. The second is try not using the same password for everything. The third is to make them strong enough that unless they really want in, most people would give up. The final categories is writing them down.

       The first one sadly is still being practiced. A common password is passwords that is so generic, people can type them into any site to access an account with seconds. The most infamous example is the word password. This one is so overused that some sites will reject any password that even resembles the word (Example: P@ssw0rd). Another bad example is typing across a row of the keyboard such as qwertyuiop . I will not deny for accounts that I use for purely junk emails, I’ve used some of the passwords on the list linked below. However, if someone really wants my junk email that bad, they can have it. The accounts were mostly created because a site I was one really wanted an email , so losing them is not the end of the world.

Common Passwords

      Secondly, using the same password for everything can be just as bad as using a common password. Even if it’s not on the list, and is a very unique password, I try to make different passwords for anything I want to keep absolutely secure. However, even I’m guilty of using the same passwords for some things that I’m either too lazy to create a password for, or I keep forgetting the password that I got tired of resetting it the few times a year I have to log in
.

      Now, here’s where the fun begins. There are so many methods out there about creating a strong password that a Google search pulls over a million results. Overall, they all have the same guidelines which I’m now presenting below:

1) Minimum of ten characters. Some sites will go lower to say eight, but the more characters a password has, the longer it takes to crack.

2) Use a combination of capital letters, lower case letters, symbols, and numbers. Again, some sites say one of each, but the more you use, the tougher the password comes. The longest I will go is 15 total.

3) Avoid using common knowledge things, such as names, places, etc. None of my passwords for the things I absolutely want to keep locked have even my pets’ names.

4) Be random. Even a random phrase can make all the difference.

Here’s a few examples of what is considered a strong password:

Mar0oNEl#ph@nt5^

G$56ghty&()&)*fTgh

Ir3allyloveb@gels2

Un!c0rnsF@rtSR0cK

      If you want to get a rough idea how strong your passwords are, check out this link below:

Password Checker

       The final advise is write them down on paper, and store them somewhere safe. I know it’s easier to have the PC remember them, but the only downside is software and/or hardware will fail without warning. Then you’ll have to spend all day trying to either remember them, or go through the whole reset process. With having them offline on paper, you can get back into accounts within minutes instead of wasting a whole day trying to get back in. I have mine printed out because to be honest, I can’t remember them since mine can be that complex. In conclusion, if the password is so unique that you can’t memorize it, the less chances of it being cracked.

Tech News 03/25/16

               Today, I'm going to discuss two technology issues that been on my mind laterly. I'm mostly going to discuss Windows 10, as well as current scams. As usual, I'm breaking it down in very basic terms. 

-Windows 10

As some may have experience and/or read, Microsoft has made it where a PC running 7 / 8 will install Windows 10 if they are set up to receive updates automatically. In laymen terms, unless you configured Windows Updates out of the default settings, there's a good chance 10 will be downloaded onto the PC, and ready to install during a reboot. Now, before everyone gets up in arms, let me explain why this is happening.

The main reason Microsoft is trying to get everyone on Windows 10 is they don't want to deal with another Windows XP scenario. Windows XP has been the longest supported Windows in history, and no one should expect software to be supported for 10+ years all the time.  I'm saying this because despite support being dropped over 3 years ago, it's still being used despite how open it is to security threats. To be blunt, I know what I'm doing, and I won't even run XP. Now, with Google dropping XP support in April, I'm hoping Windows XP will finally go away.

Microsoft's biggest fear is over time, Windows 7 will turn into the new XP, as in no one will upgrade or get rid of it. To make things worse, Microsoft has extended support for 7 till 2020. Don't get me wrong. I still love Windows 7, but there will be a time it will be outdated, and harder to find support for it. Unless you need an older OS for a very specific reason, then I suggest upgrading your system every 3 years where they become cheaper to replace than repair so you're not facing this issue.

In case you're wondering why I barely mention Vista and 8 is because they were commercial flops. Like Star Trek movies, Windows releases follow a good-bad cycle. They release a good one, and the next one is bad. Vista was a failure at launch, and the new interface for 8 killed it. In order, here's the cycle for the last fifteen years or so:

Good: 98, XP,7, and 10

Bad: ME, Vista, and 8

Also, like XP, any Vista system should be tossed at this point. The level of support for Vista is getting to XP levels.

Far as removing 10 once it installs, I honestly feel unless you have a very specific program or reason, learn how to use it. It's the new direction of Windows, and honestly, it's not that bad. The interface is way easier than 8's, and it runs better than Windows 7.  Far as Office (since most people reading this are writers), I can verify every version from 2000 up does work on 10 with no issues.

-Scam Sites / Calls

Computers cams will always be a topic when it comes to technology. However, instead of going through their entire history, I'm focusing on the two major ones out there.

The first one is the scam site. When you click on the wrong link, you may see this screen:

This is purely a scam. If this was a true Windows error, it wouldn't be loading in your web browser. Second, it's such a scam, I can get them to load on my Android phone. In other words, never call the number, and don't freak out. It's all a scare tactic website, so whatever it's claiming is 100% nonsense. To remove it, either close down your browser, or worst case, reboot the PC.  That's how you fix them.

The second one is the scam call. A person who claims to be calling from a major computer company, mostly Microsoft, will say you got a virus. This is a scam as well since computers rarely, ever call you directly unless you called them first and make arrangements for them to call you back. Also, if Microsoft really did call everyone that has and/or had a virus on your system, they would do nothing besides phone calls. Again, hang up, and ignore whatever you say.

HTML For Kindle

Click here to access the information. I would have posted here, but Blogger didn't like my format.

"Word Processors"

I'm taking a break from my novel writing to discuss something all writers use: word processors. When I first started on PC's, you only had two real options: Word and Wordperfect. Now, there's so many free and paid options, it can be an overload of information. In fact, there's so many, that I could easily have 100+ installed on my own system. However, I'm going to discuss the few I've tried and/or used over the years. 

There is one thing I'm going to stress before I discuss the software. Regardless which one I've used, they all have this flaw: The built-in spell check / grammar check is not a true editor. Yes, spell check can be helpful, but no program will ever replace by hand editing. My example of why I don't trust them anymore is when spell check turned masacre into massacre.   Also, when I was editing a chapter by hand, I noticed I had three redundant paragraphs. Since there was no spelling errors, the software completely ignored it.

Now, I'm beginning my thoughts on the actual software. The first program I want to get out of the way is Word. Word is the word processor the majority of most editors, publishers, etc, will ask for when you submit a file. In my honest opinion, if you ever bought a program, Word is my first choice because it's the industry default. 

The main advantage of Word is when you submit a file made in Word, you know it works. I never had to fix any files when using one version of Word into another. Far as which version, since you got to buy it, always get the newest version. It's easier to find, and you know it'll be a valid copy. The downside is like a lot of word processors; it's not designed to be better at one specific writing task. 

Also, I won't deny it. I always finalize my novel files in Word. I found it easier to make sure the format is correct, insert page numbers, and other final touches in Word than any other word processor.  No matter how hard I tried to stop using Word, I will always use it at the end of my writing process.

Now, I may confuse people with this next software. The next program I prefer is Libre Office. Yes, there's always Open Office, which in very similar to Libre. However, I use Libre since it's updated more often, and they are quicker to fix any programming issues. Also, Libre is maintained by a community of programmers. 

                A very quick history of the two is Open Office came out first in 2000. When Oracle acquired Open Office in 2010, Libre Office was formed because Oracle was making it too corporate, not free and an open-source (Open source means you can actually download the codes for the program). So, most of the developers of Open Office left, and created Libre. In the end, Open Office is not longer open. If they could, they probably charge people to use it like Microsoft Office. 

Anyway, back to why I love Libre Office. The main thing about Libre besides it being free are the facts it works on any system out there, and will open Word files. You can install out on any computer out there. It runs on Windows, OSX, and Linux. The main reason I started using it more than Word is because I used to switch between Linux and Windows, and I didn't have to worry about the file messing up.

The other reason I love Libre is you can customize it. With my bad vision, the typical white background, black font of most word processors gets to me after a while. With Libre, I can change every color within the program, and customize everything. In fact, here's how my Libre looks:

Now, the biggest irks with Libre Office is some of the easiest things are a pain in the rear, and this is why all my final work gets done in Word. You have to go through six steps to insert page numbers. Also, resetting margins requires even more steps. It's a jack-of-all-trades program that buries useful tools. So, how I do my writing process is I type all my rough drafts in Libre, then finalize them in Word.

In the past few weeks, I've been messing with WPS Office. It's free, but overall, I've already uninstalled it. The nice thing is it can either look like old-school Office XP or the newest version. My problem is I had so many issues with my files while using it. Overall, I do install thins on systems where they MIGHT need to open a Word or Excel file. Bottom line, I will never use this for my novel writing.

My parting words are no matter which one you go with, choose what works best for you. There are more novel-geared word processors out there that people use, but I’m not a fan of them.  The main thing is no matter which software you run, keep on writing. The technology being used doesn’t make you a writer, but the imagination inside you do.