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<P class=MsoNormal
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Vol. 8, No. 33<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 2">
</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>9-11-08</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>1 Another Blue
Hippo<SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>2 Snake Oil<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>3 LHC now online,
AOL makes (ahem) improvements, Yahoo iPhone, new Opera, Volt pics like greased
lightning</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>4 Uninstall
cleanup</FONT></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1.5pt solid">
<P class=MsoNormal
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><FONT
size=4>5 SP3 revisited</FONT></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Several years ago we
took on the notorious “No Credit Check!” computer reseller Blue Hippo.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They were at the time advertising
through Insight and offering low-end computers, which you fully paid for before
they were shipped to you, then continued to charge you weekly payments for
another 39 weeks because they “extended you credit” without a check.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Victims paid between $1500-$2000 for a
$400 computer.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Unfortunately, Blue
Hippo is still in business and still advertising on WDRB, but no longer on
Insight.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Also unfortunately they
have been replaced by yet another group of scam artists called Guaranteed
Consumer Credit.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This bunch is even
more brazen, bragging on their website (</FONT><A
href="http://www.gcf4all.com/"><FONT color=#800080
size=4>http://www.gcf4all.com/</FONT></A><FONT size=4>) that they actually SAVE
you money over Rent-to-Own or credit cards.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>They even provide a
handy chart (</FONT><A href="http://www.gcf4all.com/faqs.html"><FONT
color=#800080 size=4>http://www.gcf4all.com/faqs.html</FONT></A><FONT size=4>)
that gives details.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Of course they
list a year of payments for their systems vs. five years on a credit card, and
to my knowledge nobody has ever suggested that RTO was a good plan.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>You’ll note they
don’t give an APR or any information on the amount “financed” in that
chart.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You should smell a rat right
there, but let’s look at what they have for the quoted $29.99/wk
payment.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>At </FONT><A
href="http://www.gcf4all.com/desktops.html"><FONT color=#800080
size=4>http://www.gcf4all.com/desktops.html</FONT></A><FONT size=4> this is
their “Best Seller”.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It looks like
a Dell to me, and they claim they sell top-of-the-line Dell and HP “Business”
computers but they conveniently forget to mention the model.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>They specs on this
screaming beast are listed as:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>“Intel 2.0 GHZ
processor (256.2) </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>17” Flat panel LCD
monitor </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>1 Gig DDR2 Memory
</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>80GB Hard Drive
</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>48X32 CDRW/DVD Combo
</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>V.92 PCI Data Fax
controllerless modem </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Integrated 10/110
Networking </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>104 Key Keyboard
</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Two Button USB
Scroll Mouse </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Microsoft Windows
Windows Vista Home </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>2 Stereo Speakers
</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Microsoft Works 8.5
</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Business
Productivity software pack </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>3 Year Ltd Warranty,
On-site Service”</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>The description has
all kinds of problems.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Such as an
Intel WHAT processor?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Celeron?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>P4?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Core2Duo?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And what exactly does 256.2 mean?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Vista Home
WHAT?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Basic or Premium?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Regardless, 1 GB of RAM is about half
what is needed for Vista to run anywhere near as well as XP on 512 MB. And the
80 GB hard drive and CD-RW/DVD drive are both very basic and usually included in
an entry-level system.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>And do they hire
people with no English skills whatsoever to write these specs?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>What the heck is Microsoft Windows
Windows?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And what exactly is a
10/110 network adapter?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Last time I
checked, and I work with networks every day, they came in speeds of
10/100/1000.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>MS Works is an
inexpensive Office alternative that costs around $20 with a new PC and the
“Business Productivity software pack” is one of the OEM packages of crap that
can be added for about $3.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Think of
all the garbage programs pre-loaded on new “Brand Name” machines that feature
all of those programs you never use. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Since I had no model
number to use I just went to Dell.com to configure one as close as I could to
the quoted specs.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Here it
is:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Intel® Celeron ®
Processor 440 (2.00GHz, 800 FSB) </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Genuine Windows
Vista® Home Basic Service Pack 1</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>17 inch SE178WFP
Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>1GB Dual Channel
DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz- 2DIMMs </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>250GB Serial ATA
Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™ </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>16X DVD+/-RW Drive
</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Integrated Intel
Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>7.1 Channel Audio
</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Dell USB Keyboard
and Dell Optical USB Mouse </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>56K PCI Data Fax
Modem </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Integrated 10/100
Ethernet</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Stereo
Speakers</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Microsoft Works 9.0
Office Software</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>3 yr In-home
Service; 24/7 Technical Support</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Add in $3 for that
“Productivity” software and this package comes to $753.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Shipping would likely be around $30, so
let’s just round up and say $800.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Notice how the hard drive is a 250 GB instead of an 80 and the optical
drive is a DVD-RW instead of a combo.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>And the warranty is three years, not two.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>This is not a system
I would buy since I know Dell and the quality of their low-end parts, but it’s
close to the under-powered system listed on the website for $1569.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ah, but there’s more.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>The Better Business
Bureau obviously gives this company an Unsatisfactory rating but the review at
</FONT><A
href="http://www.dc.bbb.org/report.html?national=Y&compid=013335705"><FONT
color=#800080
size=4>http://www.dc.bbb.org/report.html?national=Y&compid=013335705</FONT></A><FONT
size=4> includes this little gem:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>“According to
information in BBB records, consumers who order products through the company
agree to a non-refundable activation fee of $99 to set up a layaway account. If
the purchase/layaway agreement is cancelled by the customer prior to completion
or if the company terminates the agreement, an early Termination Fee of $175 is
due. Funds paid to the layaway account prior to full payment would be forfeit if
the account is terminated. As always, the BBB advises consumers to read and
understand the terms of any contract or purchase agreement before signing the
agreement.”</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>So that $1569 is
actually $1668, or more than twice the price of the actual unit.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Even if you didn’t pay for it outright
but put it on a credit card with an ungodly 28% APR you would only pay $1024 if
you knocked it out in a year.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Even worse given the
pitiful BBB rating, Guaranteed Credit Funding offers an excuse from </FONT><A
href="http://www.gcf4all.com/disclaimer.html"><FONT color=#800080
size=4>http://www.gcf4all.com/disclaimer.html</FONT></A><FONT
size=4>:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>“Our status with the
BBB varies from “Satisfactory” to “Unsatisfactory” depending upon when you view
our company’s standing. The BBB deems a company’s status as “Unsatisfactory” if
a company has two (2) unresolved consumer complaint cases. Since 99% of the
cases filed with the BBB turn out to be false claims, as a company, we do not
reward malicious conduct by voluntarily releasing ill intentioned customers from
their contractual obligations merely because they file a complaint with the BBB.
We will have an “Unsatisfactory” status from time to time due to unresolved
customer claims. In all of these instances, we have provided the BBB with
irrefutable evidence of the complaining customer’s obligations, but the BBB is
ill equipped to affectively follow up with the thousands of complaints the BBB
receives from consumers against hundreds of companies. The BBB attempts to
update our status in a timely matter but some times it is physically impossible
with the relative staffing available to the BBB. The BBB also does not
accurately report on the size of a company and the number of customers that
company has. The number of complaints filed against our company based upon the
number of active customer accounts currently equals .0001% of our customer
base.”</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>It boils down to
this.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Much like Blue Hippo, this
company uses misleading advertising and hidden fees to screw the end user and
you would do much better to just save for a PC if you can’t buy one
outright.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You’ll have enough money
in much less time to just pay it off and until then you can use library
computers for free if necessary.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>I only bring this up
because I’ve seen commercials for this group two days running (Tuesday and
Wednesday) on G4.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If these are
contracted through Insight they really need to review what they advertise.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Not sure if complaining to G4 would do
much if it’s national but it can’t hurt to try.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>It certainly seemed
to work on Blue Hippo…</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Kevin Mefford,
Editor</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A
href="mailto:pcguru@microdome.net"><FONT
size=4>pcguru@microdome.net</FONT></A></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4><IMG height=358
src="cid:27D2ACDCCA1C4ECDAA757B27D29CD6A9@main" width=461 border=0
v:shapes="_x0000_i1025"></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Terry
Wise</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A
href="http://www.ratland.com/"><FONT size=4>www.ratland.com</FONT></A></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1.5pt solid">
<P class=MsoNormal
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=5>Tech News of the Week</FONT></H1>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Wednesday's
successful </FONT><A
href="http://blogs.computerworld.com/large_hadron_collider"><FONT size=4>test
run of a massive particle collider</FONT></A><FONT size=4> is being called "one
of the great engineering milestones of mankind." :<BR><BR></FONT><A
href="http://tinyurl.com/5exk3n"><FONT
size=4>http://tinyurl.com/5exk3n</FONT></A><BR><BR><FONT size=4>AOL said
Wednesday that it is revamping the site to offer increased choice and
customization, including access to third-party e-mail
addresses:<BR><BR></FONT><A href="http://tinyurl.com/46pxvv"><FONT
size=4>http://tinyurl.com/46pxvv</FONT></A><FONT size=4><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><BR><BR>Yahoo on Wednesday rolled out an
application for Apple's iPhone that enables users to manage their mobile
messaging and social </FONT><A
href="http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=networking&x=&y="><FONT
size=4>networking</FONT></A><FONT size=4> contacts with one
interface:<BR><BR></FONT><A href="http://tinyurl.com/6k4d8e"><FONT
size=4>http://tinyurl.com/6k4d8e</FONT></A><FONT size=4><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><BR><BR>Opera, the Rodney Dangerfield of
web browsers, has rolled to version 9.6 Beta:<BR><BR></FONT><A
href="http://tinyurl.com/46elmu"><FONT
size=4>http://tinyurl.com/46elmu</FONT></A><FONT size=4><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><BR><BR>Wieck Media, a clearinghouse for
automakers' pictures, Wednesday </FONT><A
href="http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100007979&docId=l:848822929&isRss=true"><FONT
size=4>posted photos of the production 2011 Chevrolet Volt </FONT></A><FONT
size=4>on a media information Web site for just 12 minutes before taking them
down:<BR><BR></FONT><A href="http://tinyurl.com/4yxvys"><FONT
size=4>http://tinyurl.com/4yxvys</FONT></A><FONT size=4> </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN><BR><FONT size=4>Copy us on the good
stuff!</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Matthew
Dattilo</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A
href="mailto:thepcgurus@gmail.com"><FONT
size=4>thepcgurus@gmail.com</FONT></A><FONT size=4> </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A
href="http://www.mattstodayinhistory.com/"><FONT
size=4>www.mattstodayinhistory.com</FONT></A></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1.5pt solid">
<P class=MsoNormal
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=5>Download of the Week</FONT></H1>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT size=4>Revo Uninstaller is a great free
program that uninstalls programs and cleans up the mess they tend to leave
behind.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>What's better than the free
Revo Uninstaller? The portable version of the program is better, which doesn’t
need to be installed (and thus uninstalled) itself. Like Vista’s Programs and
Features, Revo offers a convenient interface for launching your installed
programs own uninstallers. But after Revo does that job, it cleans up the mess
that the uninstaller left behind.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Just download the zipped file, unzip it and run revouninstaller.exe.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You can even run it from a portable
drive.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It's free here:
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><A
href="http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html"><FONT
size=4>http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html</FONT></A><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT size=4>Select the portable
version.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT size=4>Carlita
Lupino<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><A href="mailto:Cards57@gmail.com"><FONT
size=4>Cards57@gmail.com</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1.5pt solid">
<P class=MsoNormal
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT
size=5>Email Question of the Week<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H1>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>Q:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have an icon which says that updates
are ready to install. Looks like it is Windows Service Pack 3. I am still using
Windows XP and I bought my computer in Dec. of 2006. They gave me the Vista
disks but I don't want to load. I have not heard anything about Service Pack 3.
<BR><BR>Can you give me some info?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=4>A:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I would consider it safe to go on and
install Windows XP Service Pack 3. I've not had any issues out of it, and
consider that any issues that did come out with it to be taken care of.
The only thing to watch out for is if you have a processor manufactured by AMD,
because in some cases, a file that Service Pack 3 puts on the machine can cause
an issue until it is taken care of with a patch. If you have an AMD,
processor, get the patch from here: <SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><A
href="http://tinyurl.com/4f8k94" target=_blank>http://tinyurl.com/4f8k94</A>
</SPAN>and run it before you run the SP3 update.<BR><BR>Hope this helps, and let
us know if you need assistance,<BR><BR clear=all>Daniel A. Williams<BR></FONT><A
href="mailto:daniel@thepcgurus.com" target=_blank><FONT
size=4>daniel@thepcgurus.com</FONT></A></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1.5pt solid">
<P class=MsoNormal
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<H3 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center; tab-stops: .25in"
align=center><FONT size=5>Contact info and legal stuff<o:p></o:p></FONT></H3>
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