Windows 8? Save Money, Time and Headaches by Ditching Mircrosoft

This started as a post for my new Blog “easy business basics” first time live today. You can find it at http://easybizbasics.blogspot.com/. A couple of friends read this piece and suggested I make it available beyond my blog. It’s not information that you can’t find elsewhere, and it's not a miraculous solution, and that’s the point -- it’s common sense.

Windows 8? Save money, time and headaches. Ditch Microsoft!

This is not a technical feature comparison. If you are a big time video downloader, uploader, audiophile or serious gamer (isn’t that an oxymoron?), and if you must have the latest and greatest, stop, DON’T READ ANY FURTHER.

OK, let's start early. Microsoft will soon be telling us how wonderful their new version of Windows is. On Windows 8, one of the 'gotta have' features will be the ability to use Touch Screen technology. NEWS FLASH -- requires a new computer.

"Unlike other Windows transitions, this is a transition where you generally are going to need a new PC, whether it's a tablet or ultrabook with touch or a notebook with touch or a PC with touch or some derivative hybrid on all the above type of products..." Michael Dell (Dell computers)

Let's consider what we do with our computers. I'll use me, in this example. Because I'm retired and my youngest is maintaining a 4.0 in college, and I have the most wonderful wife any guy could wish for, I write blog stuff, newsletters for clients and do a little website creating. So, I spend hours (as in six-plus hours) on a computer at least five days a week. My point is, I use computers far more than the average user.

To illustrate why you may not need a new computer and/or Windows 8 here is what I use:

An 8-year-old Dell (it doesn't matter what brand it is) desktop (1.5 GB RAM) 80 GB HD XP OS
A 5-year-old Dell laptop 2.4 GB RAM 80 GB HD XP OS
A 2-year-old HP Mini 1GB RAM 200 GB HD Windows 7 OS
An HTC, Android smartphone, near 18 months old

Software? I have NOT used Microsoft Office software in years. Not Word, not Excel, not Outlook etc. Google Docs, with its FREE suite of word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and much, much more have been my choice for several years. And, I never worry about upgrades and NEVER spend a dime. I don't have to be concerned about new version, comparability, installing etc. New versions come to me in the form of an announcement of an upcoming change. I have never had the agonizing chore of learning the "new" features of a "new" OS.

I save virtually everything in the 'Cloud'. I can pick up where I left off using any of my devices, including my phone (which has Google Docs installed on it) anywhere there is an Internet connection. In fact, I recently used my Mini in a rural part of Illinois while visiting my daughter and family. Later, I switched to my 14-inch laptop to finish some clients' newsletters. In the several days I was visiting, I used my daughter's desktop to review some newsletter edits (easier to see on a bigger monitor). All without ever saving my work from one device to another.

So before you spend a lot of money, time and blood pressure points consider the above. Remember nothing is miraculous, but if you invest a little time and effort, the above is an easy, sound and FREE solution.

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