We all love new technology. Either because we are trend setters or the tech is actually functional and it makes our lives easier - doesn’t matter - we love it. But lets be realistic - not many of us can’t afford the new tech or willing to be the guinea pig of the new tech. Which brings us to Microsoft Vista and the clamor that has existed to have this brand spanking new operating system and do away with the old XP.

Over the years it seems some people, mostly the techies, have wised up and realized that while it might be nice to run the beta or new operating system on a test PC at the office it might not be such a great idea to be running it for regular use. Since Vista’s release earlier this year a number of techies have ended up reverting from Vista to XP due to the alleged problems with lack of drivers,incompatible applications and general instability of the OS. We are now ten months into its release and a number of these issues have been resolved but others have rared their ugly head. It had gotten so bad that Microsoft had even allowed OEMS to sell laptops and PCs with both copies of XP and Vista just for those people who were getting too frustrated with Vista and its ailments and wanted “out” in a cost effective way (they didn’t have to buy XP). This very well might be the model that MS should adapt for future new releases of its Operating System but only time will tell.

There is every confidence that Vista will become as stable and reliable as XP after it has grown out of its toothing pains. In a few months it will have reached the ripe age of 1 year old and its first Service Pack will be not too far behind. However, it is obvious that the business sector in Jamaica and overseas will more than likely wait until then to consider widespread adoption of this new incarnation of Windows as its just too risky to do so at this point in time.

How many of us though are happily using Vista today and what are the stories of those who think its the operating system from hell. Let us know your thoughts and horror stories.

Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan will get access to a free wi-fi service next year to keep in touch with friends and family.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in a statement: “In recognition for the work of all our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan - and to help our troops stay in touch with home - we will provide additional funding from the reserve to double the number of internet terminals and provide free wireless internet for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan so they can email their families from their living quarters.”

The service will be provided by Paradigm – the team in charge of the Ministry of Defence’s £2.5bn satellite system - and will be password protected with wireless points put in the living quarters of service personnel; it will operate at speeds of 128Kbps.

Project Mercury – a program to increase the number of telephones and hard-wired internet machines in Iraq and Afghanistan - is due to complete in December 2007, with work to install wi-fi access to begin immediately after this project is complete.

The wi-fi network should be completed for Easter 2008, and the final cost of the service is still being calculated.

The wireless internet service will be part of the Operational Welfare package available to all those deployed on operations – which includes the provision of DVD players, radios, television sets and 30 minutes of free phone calls per week to anywhere in the world.

Source silicon.com  by Gemma Simpson