Newsletter Archives

• Susan Bradley: Don’t install IE 10 on Windows 7

  Posted on July 11, 2013 at 09:48 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Many of you know that I regard Susan Bradley as a modern saint — she knows more about Windows updates than anybody I know. Part of that is her exposure to lots and lots of different machines, which she has to keep working as part of her day job.

  I’ve recommended that people go ahead and install Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 7 — but use Firefox or Chrome. (I tend to use Chrome more these days.) Susan just wrote a very good riposte to that recommendation:

  One of the reasons I haven’t given the all clear to IE10 is that when you install IE10 and then need to run the system update readiness tool that does a check for system corruption, due to how the IE team didn’t quite properly name some of the file in the spell checking add ins, it throws off the bogus error that you have corrupted files.

  I’m holding Microsoft to the fire until they release an update to the tool. I don’t want users to think they have corrupted systems, when they don’t.

  Add to that there’s still many IT pros complaining about compatibility with web sites, which leads me to hold back and not give the green light. It’s pushing many a IE user over to Chrome/Firefox.

  I haven’t personally encountered the problem Susan talks about – but then again, I don’t have thousands of machines at my disposal.

  In the end, for normal everyday use, I don’t have any problem recommending that you install IE 10 on Win7. But I’ll stick to my over-riding recommendation, going back many years: keep IE updated, but don’t use it.

  Windows Patches/Security Internet Explorer 10, Windows 7

• Overview of LibreOffice

  Posted on March 14, 2013 at 12:34 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  The new Windows Secrets Newsletter is out, and Fred Langa has a thorough overview of LibreOffice (and OpenOffice), a free alternative to M$ Office. Well worth reading, even if you get Office free.

  Cough, cough.

  Susan’s Patch Watch column also has some good advice for would-be patchers, and pointers to details about the problems with IE 10 running on Windows 7. (Patch Watch is paid content — but you get to decide how much you want to pay for Windows Secrets Newsletter.)

  Office News, Windows News Internet Explorer 10, Libre Office, Windows 7

• Microsoft shuns its own Silverlight while embracing Flash

  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 21:13 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  I honestly didn’t see this one coming, not from a million miles away.

  I can’t begin to imagine how Silverlight developers must feel – along with the corporate types who signed off on developing Silverlight sites.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch.

  Windows News Flash, Internet Explorer 10, Silverlight, Windows 8

• Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 beta now available

  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 14:57 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Er, Release Preview (it’s a beta – just about ready for prime time).

  This from EP (thanks, EP!):

  Hey Woody.

  A few days ago, Microsoft has finally released Internet Explorer 10 release preview for Windows 7 SP1 (yay  for Win7 users).  read here:

  http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2012/11/13/ie10-fast-fluid-perfect-for-touch-and-available-now-for-windows-7.aspx

  Windows 7 users can download IE10 pre-release here:

  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/ie-10-release-preview

  or the following Microsoft download pages:

  (IE10 pre-release 32bit):

  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35712

  (IE10 pre-release 64bit):

  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35709

  EP

  Windows News Internet Explorer 10, Windows 7

• What we still don’t know about the new Windows

  Posted on August 2, 2012 at 21:52 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Lots.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch.

  Windows News Internet Explorer 10, Windows 8, Windows RT

• Google Chrome vs IE 10 in Windows 8 Metro

  Posted on June 13, 2012 at 19:11 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  I was stunned by how well Chrome works.

  If you have Windows 8 RP, follow along with the steps in my InfoWorld Tech Watch article. Bet you’ll be surprised!

  Windows News Chrome, Internet Explorer 10, Metro, Windows 8

• Internet Explorer 10

  Posted on June 11, 2012 at 18:41 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Even Microsoft can’t get it right.

  Frustrating. Very frustrating.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch.

  Windows News Internet Explorer 10, Metro Music app, Windows 8

• Flash is on Windows 8, but that’s just part of the story

  Posted on May 30, 2012 at 07:26 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  There are a whole bunch of shoes that have yet to drop.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch.

  Windows News Flash, IE 10, Internet Explorer 10, Metro, Windows 8