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Vol. 2, # 14 - Apr 8, 2010 - Issue # 30 |
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Which is the Best eBook Reader Software for Windows 7?
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- Editor's Corner
- Which is the Best eBook Reader Software for Windows 7?
- Follow-up: Windows 7 Security
- Quotes of the Week
- Cool Tools
- News, Hints, Tips and Tricks
- Windows 7 "iPad Killer": Okay, I want it. Now when can I get it?
- Tips to optimize IE 8 performance
- Ultimate Windows Tweaker gives you more control
- Into Skins? Check out Rainmeter
- How to: Using the New Windows 7 Features
- How to index encrypted files in Windows 7
- Windows 7 and Vista Security
- 16 security vulnerabilities in QuickTime patched by Apple
- Question Corner
- How do I add or remove startup programs in Windows 7?
- Windows 7 Configuration and Troubleshooting
- Power Options changes don't show up in the Control Panel applet
- Turn off the secure desktop
- Fav Links
- This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
- Product of the Week
- Driver Genius Professional 9.0: Are your Outdated Drivers Slowing Down your PC?
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- New antivirus + antispyware engine with firewall
- Advanced anti-rootkit technology
- Cutting-edge Proactive Protection
- Full email protection: Outlook and Windows Mail
- Ideal for Netbooks that need malware protection
- No automatic credit card charge each year!
Try VIPRE Antivirus Premium now for 30-days FREE!
http://www.win7news.net/100408-VIPRE-Antivirus-Premium
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Editor's Corner |
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Which is the Best eBook Reader Software for Windows 7?
There are a plethora of eBook reading devices on the market, from Amazon's
Kindle to Barnes & Noble's Nook to Sony's simply named Reader. And of course,
the just-released Apple iPad and the soon-to-come HP Slate hope to capture some
of that market, too. The big sticking point for many folks, when it comes to
buying a dedicated eBook device, is the need to carry around yet another device.
Many of us already take our laptop/notebook/netbook and our smart phone with us
wherever we go - now we're supposed to lug around a third piece of hardware,
too? It seems redundant, even if the readers are relatively thin and small.
One option is to install eBook software on your smart phone. Although it's
gotten little press recently, Microsoft Reader is still available for Windows
Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 phones. Microsoft Reader was the first eBook software I ever
used, way back on my Pocket PC-based PDA, and I liked it. But Microsoft seemed
to abandon it, and it became harder and harder to find books for it, so I never
bothered to install it on my most recent WinMo phones. My current one runs
Windows Mobile 6.5, and I learned that there are some issues with installing it
on that OS, although it can be done:
http://www.win7news.net/100408-Win-Mobile-and-MS-Reader
There are a number of ebook reader programs available for the iPhone and
Blackberry, but if you use a Microsoft phone, you'll find fewer options.
However, the good news is that you can still get the benefits of the most
popular readers. If you already have a lightweight portable computer, you can
now simply install the eBook reading program of your choice and use it on your
existing hardware. I recently downloaded and tried out the top three eBook
programs from Amazon, B&N and Sony. All three provide the software as a free
download for various versions of Windows. I installed all of them on my Windows
7 ultra-portable notebook computer. Since I couldn't include screenshots in this
article, I did a companion blog post with the screenshots, which you can see at
http://www.win7news.net/100408-Comparison
The first reader that I installed was the Sony Reader Library, simply because my
VAIO came preconfigured with a link to it. There are versions for Windows (XP,
Vita and 7) and Mac OS X 10.4.11 or higher. The download is around 20 MB and
the installation is pretty straightforward. The InstallShield wizard guides you
through the process, by which you select the region where you'll be using the
software and accept the EULA (which has some very strange clauses, such as the
one that says "the software is not intended ... as online control equipment in
hazardous environments requiring fail-safe performance, such as in the operation
of nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation or communications systems, air
traffic control, direct life support machines or weapons systems, in which the
failure of the software could lead to death"). Maybe that's just a standard
clause in all Sony software - it never would have occurred to me to use the
Reader in those situations.
Right off the bat, I ran into annoyances with the Sony Reader. First, you have
to register to download books, even free ones. When I tried to do so, I found
that your account is apparently linked to your Adobe account, and I guess I
already had one of those linked to my email address - but I had no idea what its
password was. Instead of simply having a link to request that they mail the
password to my email address, they popped up a message telling me to go to
www.adobe.com to request my password. What
a hassle. Once I got signed in, I
selected to "buy" a free book, and was glad to see that they do indeed let you
do this without entering credit card information.
The interface is simple, with a button to display the Table of Contents (which
is clickable, so you can go to any chapter quickly), a button to create a
bookmark, a "Notes" list (which displays your bookmarks), and a button to
highlight a selected section of text (you can attach a comment to the
highlighted text, which also appears in the "Notes" list). There is a "Find" box
with which you can search for words or phrases, and there is an "Export to File"
option that lets you save some or all of the notes to an .RTF file. The
navigation buttons include First Page, Previous Page, Next Page and Last Page.
There is also a button to change the display size of the text, and Full Screen
option to hide the menus and panes and display only the book pages to fill the
screen. All in all, it provides for a very usable reading experience on my
laptop, and Sony also offers a program whereby you can borrow eBooks from
participating local public libraries. You can download the Sony Reader Library
at
http://www.win7news.net/100408-Reader-Download
Next, I tried the Barnes & Noble Reader. The current version is 2.0, and you can
read books in both eReader and Palm Doc formats (.PDB files), as well as ePUB
format. The software will run on Windows 2000, XP, Vista or Windows 7. The
installation routine is similar to that of the Sony Reader Library. B&N also has
eReader apps for the iPhone, Blackberry, and Mac, but not - irritatingly - for
Windows Mobile devices. Let's hope that when the Windows Phone 7 devices come
out, there will be an app for them.
The first thing you notice, when you open the program, is that it contains - in
addition to the library and store - "The Daily," which provides a few free
articles from the B&N blogs and lets you know if there is a new issue of one of
your eNewspapers or eMagazines. Clicking the Shop button in the left pane takes
you to the Barnes & Noble web site, where you can buy books. The site claims to
offer more than a million titles. As with the Sony software, you have to create
an account before you can do anything.
Interestingly, the B&N Reader had several free titles already populating the
library, including Merriam-Webster's Pocket Dictionary as well as a few
classics, so you can actually try out the Reader before you create an account. I
like the way the Library is organized in the B&N Reader; whereas Sony's was
divided into Books, Audio, Pictures, Notepad and Purchased, the B&N categories
are (to me, the more useful) All Items, eBooks, eMagazines, eNewspapers and "My
Stuff" (where you can access titles on the local computer that you bought
elsewhere). Perhaps if I were going to use the Reader software for audio and
pictures, I would appreciate Sony's setup more, but I have other apps that do
those things better.
Something else I like about the B&N Reader is the "Now Reading" section, which
has quick links to take you to the last read page and table of contents, and to
display your bookmarks, annotations and highlights. To me, it just has a more
intuitive feel, but your mileage may vary. There is also more configurability.
Not only can you set the font size, but also the colors for regular text, links
and selections, line spacing, margins and whether to use full justification
and/or underline links. Finally, there is a "Lend to a Friend" option that lets
you use the LendMe technology to share eBooks with others for up to fourteen
days. This is important, because one of the big complaints about eBooks (and a
major reason many people won't buy them) is the inability to lend them out as
you can with paper books you buy. You can download the B&N Reader at
http://www.win7news.net/100408-eReader-Download
The last reader I tried was Kindle for PC. It offers the advantage of a large
number of ebooks available for the Kindle (more than 450,000 titles) - but still
not as many as are claimed by B&N. You can install it on Windows XP SP2 or
above, Vista or Windows 7. The first thing you notice about this one is the
quick installation, with no install wizard and no EULA to accept. It also has
the simplest interface of the three. There is no left pane, just a few buttons
across the top (including a Menu button where you'll find the few available
configuration options). Your books are shown in the main pane on the Home
screen.
To get books, click the "Shop in Kindle Store" link, which will take you to the
web site. Here you can find what appears to be the largest selection of free
books, which includes classics, limited-time promotional offers and links to
Internet Archive, Project Gutenberg and other sources of free material. You can
sort your books by author, title or "most recent."
The menu offers only a few options:
- Settings
- Sync and Check for New Items
- Future Improvements
- Send Feedback
- About Kindle for PC
There are also links for Help, managing your Kindle (if you have one) and buying
a Kindle.
The settings dialog box is especially disappointing. Unlike the others, which
let you customize fonts and other aspects of the reading experience, the
Kindle's "Settings" consist of a button to "deregister" your account and a
checkbox to specify whether you want to automatically install updates when they
become available. And that's it.
The "Future Improvements" link offers some hope, though. It takes you to a web
page where you'll learn that there are plans to add the ability to create notes
and highlights, search for words or sentences, and zoom or rotate images. The
problem is that most of these features are already available in the competing
products. The Help link, instead of invoking a traditional Help file as the
other readers offer, takes you to the Kindle web site. This has the advantage of
being up to date, but it also means that if you have no Internet connection
(e.g., if you're reading a book on your laptop on a plane), you have no access
to Help. You can download Kindle for PC at
http://www.win7news.net/100408-Kindle-Download
Bottom line: all of these programs work and you can use any of them to read a
book on your laptop or desktop computer. Personally, I like the B&N Reader best.
Its interface seems friendliest to me, and I like its greater configurability
when it comes to customizing the reading experience. The Kindle software seems
unfinished in comparison to the others, but it's certainly the quickest and
easiest to install. The Sony program is the only one that specifically lets you
include audio and pictures in your library, and I like its easy ability to
access files on the computer's hard drive and SD card from within the reader
interface. Be sure to check out those screenshots on my blog to get a better
idea of what each interface looks like.
Each choice has its strengths and weaknesses and there's nothing to stop you
from installing and using all three.But that brings us back to the question: Do
you even want or need one at all? Some folks just don't like reading -
especially for pleasure - on an electronic device. They want to hold a paper
book in their hands. I'm comfortable with on-screen reading and I really
appreciate certain ebook advantages, such as the ability to take a dozen or a
hundred books with me when I travel. However, I think the price of ebooks is too
high for their value in comparison to paper books, and that keeps me going back
to the "real" bookstore and filling my shelves with the physical versions.
When I buy a print book, I know it's not likely to suddenly disappear from my
shelf, but with an electronic version, I'm much more likely to lose it. The
seller can even deliberately remove it from my library after I've paid for it.
And (except in limited cases as with the B&N "LendMe" program), I'm prohibited
from sharing my electronic copies with friends and family. For all those
reasons, I'm not nearly as willing to shell out ten bucks for an ebook when I
can get a (paperback) print copy for a few dollars less or a (discounted at most
stores) hardcover version for just a few dollars more.
I believe ebooks could really gain traction if the price were brought down to
$5.99. Since there are no printing, paper, storage and other distribution costs
related to physical books, that would still represent a decent profit and I
think far more people would be inclined to buy. Instead, it seems publishers are
about to go in the opposite direction. According to many reports, the days of
the $9.99 new release on Amazon and elsewhere may be nearing an end, with prices
set to rise to as much as $14.99.
http://www.win7news.net/100408-999-e-Book
I think that's a mistake. What do you think? Would you pay $15 for a ebook when
you can often buy the new hardcover for $18 or less with bookstore discounts?
What's the price point that would make you want to buy ebooks instead of paper
ones? Or is there such a price point? If you do read ebooks, what device or
software do you use to do it? Do you think it's worth paying a few hundred
dollars and carrying around an extra device to have a dedicated ebook reader? If
not, which would you prefer to use for reading ebooks: a laptop computer or your
mobile phone? Will ebooks eventually edge out paper books completely, whether we
like it or not? Will that be anytime in the near future? We invite you to
discuss this topic in the forum at
http://www.win7news.net/100408-Forum-Discussion
Follow-up: Windows 7 Security
Last week's editorial discussed the topic of Windows 7 security and it inspired
some good discussion. For the record, prior to UAC it was absolutely essential,
for best security, to use a regular user account instead of an admin account for
everyday computing. With UAC set properly, that's no longer necessary. In fact,
the reason Microsoft came up with UAC was because so many XP users were logging
on as admins and putting their systems in danger. What UAC does is pretty
simple: even though you've logged on with an admin account, you'll still run as
a regular user - until you give permission to elevate privileges. But as DavidW
notes, you still have to make that decision and if you just click to "allow"
every time you get a UAC prompt, then UAC is useless.
Access and security will always be at opposite ends of the continuum and the
more access you have (and the more convenient that access), the less secure your
system will be. My husband and I are IT pros and use our computers constantly.
We haven't had a virus or malware infection in years, but that's less because of
UAC or other security software on the local computer and more because of a) good
network edge security, using ISA Server/Threat Management Gateway and server-
based spam and malware filters and b) safe surfing practices; i.e. not going to
sites that are likely to be infested and when browsing outside our normal cyber
"neighborhoods," doing so in a virtual machine environment so the host computer
won't be exposed.
Thanks to those who participated in this discussion!
'Til next week
,
Deb Shinder, Editor
feedback@win7news.net
PS: Did you know this newsletter has a sister publication for XP users called
WXPnews?
You can subscribe here, and tell your friends:
http://www.win7news.net/100408-WXPNews
And for IT pros, there's our "big sister," WServer News, at
http://www.win7news.net/100408-WserverNews
Look for the Win7News fan page on Facebook!
Quotes of the Week
"Books constitute capital. A library book lasts as long as a house, for hundreds
of years. It is not, then, an article of mere consumption but fairly of capital,
and often in the case of professional men, setting out in life, it is their only
capital." - Thomas Jefferson
"You cannot open a book without learning something." - Confucius
"There is no friend as loyal as a book." - Ernest Hemingway
"The paperback is very interesting, but I find it will never replace a hardcover
book - it makes a very poor doorstop." - Alfred Hitchcock
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NEW! VIPRE® Antivirus Premium 4.0
VIPRE is the only antivirus software that does not slow down your PC, and now it comes with
integrated firewall!
VIPRE Antivirus Premium 4.0
- Does not slow down your PC
- New antivirus + antispyware engine with firewall
- Advanced anti-rootkit technology
- Cutting-edge Proactive Protection
- Full email protection: Outlook and Windows Mail
- Ideal for Netbooks that need malware protection
- No automatic credit card charge each year!
Try VIPRE Antivirus Premium now for 30-days FREE!
http://www.win7news.net/100408-VIPRE-Antivirus-Premium
|
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Cool Tools |
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News, Hints, Tips and Tricks |
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Windows 7 "iPad Killer": Okay, I want it. Now when can I get it?
More and more details about HP's Slate are leaking out, in the wake of the Apple
iPad's release. We now know it's going to be using an Atom processor and will
support 1080p HD video. It comes with 1 GB of memory (not upgradeable -
unfortunately) and comes with 32GB or 64GB of flash storage, but unlike the
iPad, will also have an SD card reader and USB port, as well as two cameras
(including one in front for video calling/conferencing). The price is right:
$549-599, compared to up to $829 for the iPad. Best of all: it runs Windows 7,
not a phone OS. You can see the comparison chart here:
http://www.win7news.net/100408-HP-Slate
Tips to optimize IE 8 performance
Microsoft has recently released a whitepaper on Internet Explorer 8 Performance
that includes tips for optimizing browser performance and fixing common
configuration problems that can slow down your web experience. The paper is a
free download in .doc format. You can get it here:
http://www.win7news.net/100408-Whitepaper
Ultimate Windows Tweaker gives you more control
If you like to be able to customize Windows all from one centralized interface,
you'll love this latest version of the Ultimate Windows Tweaker (2.1), which
works with both Windows 7 and Vista, 32 or 64 bit editions. In fact, it detects
which operating system you have installed and automatically offers you only the
tweaks that are relevant to your OS. Because it's an .exe file, you don't have
to install it; you just run it when you want to tweak your settings. It was
designed by an MVP and is offered as a free download at
http://www.win7news.net/100408-Windows-Tweaker
Into Skins? Check out Rainmeter
Want to make your Windows 7 desktop look special? Do it the easy way: skin it.
Rainmeter is a desktop customization tool that lets you transform your on-screen
work area into whatever suits your fancy. Add free-floating applets that go
beyond the Windows gadgets for system resource monitoring, email, RSS, weather,
application launching and more. And all the skins are completely customizable.
If you're tired of staring at the same old desktop every day, check it out here:
http://www.win7news.net/100408-Rainmeter
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How to: Using the New Windows 7 Features |
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How to index encrypted files in Windows 7
If you have files on your Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate
computer that are encrypted with EFS, you can add them to the index. However, be
aware that when you do, text from your encrypted documents will be added to the
index. To protect against unauthorized access, you should encrypt the system
partition with BitLocker if you have Windows 7 Enterprise or Ultimate, or use a
third party full drive program if you have Windows 7 Pro. Once you've done that,
here's how you index the encrypted files:
- Click Start | Control Panel and type indexing options
- Click the "Indexing Options" result.
- Click the Advanced button.
- Enter your administrator credentials if prompted to do so.
- On the Index Settings tab, check the box labeled "Index encrypted files."
- Click Continue if prompted by the "Cannot verify data security" dialog box.
- Click OK.
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Windows 7 and Vista Security |
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16 security vulnerabilities in QuickTime patched by Apple
If you run Apple's QuickTime software on your Windows 7 computer, be sure you
get the latest patch, which addresses 16 different vulnerabilities, including
those that can allow arbitrary code execution on your computer. In addition, if
you use iTunes, a patch for it contains seven fixes. Read more here:
http://www.win7news.net/100408-QuickTime-Updates
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Question Corner |
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How do I add or remove startup programs in Windows 7?
QUESTION:
In XP, I could add programs to the startup folder that I wanted to start when I
booted the computer. I haven't been able to find that in Windows 7. How do I add
startup programs (and remove some of the ones that the computer vendor put
there)? Thanks! - Lil K.
ANSWER:
In Windows 7, the Startup folder for the current logged on user is at
\ Users \ \ AppData \ Roaming \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Start Menu \ Programs \ Startup
It is a hidden system folder, but you don't have to
navigate through the file system to find it. Just click Start | All Programs
and right click Startup, then select Open. You can drag or create program
shortcuts here, and to get rid of those you don't want, just right click them
and select Delete.
You can also disable startup programs via the System Configuration tool. Click
Start and in the Search box, type msconfig and press Enter, or select
System Configuration from the Administrative Tools menu. Click the Startup tab
and uncheck the boxes for the programs you want to disable.
Finally, you can add or remove Startup programs by editing these registry keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Run
And
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ RunOnce
Note that programs that must run with administrative privileges will not run
automatically. If you put them in the Startup folder, when you start Windows a
notification will pop up that says some startup programs have been blocked. You
can right click this message and give it permission to run.
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Windows 7 Configuration and Troubleshooting |
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Power Options changes don't show up in the Control Panel applet
If you configure power options for the active current power plan in Windows 7 or
Vista, those changes may not be reflected on the System Settings page in the
Control Panel Power Options applet. That's because the information on that page
is based on the registry settings for the preferred power plan. You can find
more information about this, as well as instructions on how to create and
customize a power plan, in KB article 935799 at
http://www.win7news.net/100408-Power-Options
Turn off the secure desktop
The secure desktop in Windows Vista and Windows 7 is there for a purpose: when
the desktop is dimmed, nothing else can run on your computer until you approve
or deny the UAC request. This protects against malicious programs that might try
to manipulate the UAC prompt - but it can be annoying if, for instance, you want
to take a screenshot of the prompt dialog box. And some people just don't like
having the desktop go dim. Well, you can turn this feature off - without
changing the UAC level. Find out how in KB article 975788 at
http://www.win7news.net/100408-Secure-Desktop
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Fav Links |
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This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
Disclaimer: VistaNews does not assume and cannot be
responsible for any liability related to you clicking any of
these linked Web sites.
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Product of the Week |
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Driver Genius Professional 9.0: Are your Outdated Drivers Slowing Down your PC?
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smoothly. When drivers get out of date, your PC can become unstable and you may
experience frequent crashes, frozen applications and slow boot up times. Driver
Genius Professional takes the hassle out of managing your drivers and will
automatically backup, update and restore all your PC drivers. Over 80,000
devices supported. Start Your Free Driver Scan now and find out if you have
outdated drivers that may be causing you problems with your computer! Win7News
discount coupon is on the product information page.
http://www.win7news.net/100408-POTW-Driver-Genius
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Copyright © 1996-2010 Sunbelt Media Services. All rights reserved.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Other products and companies
referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.
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