Who Does Online Shopping Better? - Amazon, Google, or Bing

Online Shopping Ventures

Who does it better: Amazon, Google, or Bing?

I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I don't like shopping. Wandering around a store, searching for what I need has no appeal to me. As an Amazon Prime member, I find online shopping to be closer to my taste. I search for what I want, click "purchase” and I’m done. Yet Amazon isn’t perfect. The selection can be poor or the search results yield things completely unrelated. Do Google or Bing offer a better selection, or an experience worthy of paying a few bucks for shipping? I ventured online to find out.

I decided to shop for new lunchboxes for the kiddos to take back to school.


Starting with Amazon I typed "lunchboxes" into the search criteria and was rewarded with ... Tupperware. Huh? A company named "EasyLunchboxes" makes a Bento Box Lunch container and Amazon apparently thought that's what I wanted. Results were not much better when I refined the search to "Kids' Lunchboxes." There were plenty of cute options on the first page, but there was also an assortment stuff that was definitely not a lunchbox. I only reviewed the first 24 results out of 2,150 returned, but I expect my search to hit pretty darn close to what I am looking for in that size of a sampling.

Microsoft's search engine Bing is launched through www.shopping.com. My search for "lunchboxes" was rewarded with nearly all of the first 40 returns fitting my criteria. To the left was an option to sort by those options offering "free shipping," which is a nice feature. Another difference: Bing lists the vendors, right on the search page, something you have to dig deeper to find with Google and Amazon. I found listings from JC Penny, EBay and Etsy. Bing even linked me back to Amazon. When you order, you do so directly from the vendor once you've clicked on the product link.

Google Shopping surprised me. Even though Amazon is my default shopping site, I still expected Google to offer the most robust and refined results. Yet I when typed "lunchboxes" into the search bar, over half of the first page (including the first 3 entries) were not lunchboxes at all, but plastic containers, and hardly any of the items on the page were kid-related. Really, Google? At a time of the year where nearly every other vendor is screaming "Back to School" you don’t refine results to such a common category? While Google returned the highest number of results (a whopping 143,000) their relevance left something to be desired.

Amazon's robust rating system is hard to beat, too. This lunchbox has 181 customer reviews, as opposed to Google's mere 4. Incidentally, searching specifically for "R2D2 Lunchbox" via Bing resulted in nothing remotely similar.

 

Hard Drive Diagnostics

Keep One Step Ahead of Your Hard Drive

Hard drive failure can be devastating, particularly if it’s been a while since you backed up your data. It can lead to costly data retrieval or worse, loss of data if your drive becomes completely corrupted. Don’t be caught by surprise: make it a habit to regularly run a hard drive diagnostics software tool or at least know what to do if your drive begins to show signs of imminent failure.

A traditional hard drive is similar to a DVD or (for those of us that remember them) a record player. Data is written to one or more “hard” disks that spin really fast; there’s a read/write spindle that accesses and records data on the disk. Physical drive failure is sometimes precluded by an audible clicking that indicates that the spindle isn’t properly moving over the disk or that the disk itself is no longer spinning smoothly. In other cases, a failing drive will lead to reported errors upon boot up, intermittent system crashes, or unexplained “glitches.”


The first step if you suspect that your drive may be failing is to back up your data as soon as possible. The more you use a failing drive the more you risk the data that’s stored on it becoming completely inaccessible. For more info on backing up your data, see my article here: http://www.callnerds.com/data-backup-basics/

Even if your drive isn’t showing signs of imminent death, it’s a good idea to get forewarned of potential problems before they affect your productivity. Integrate a hard drive diagnostics test into your routine maintenance and aim to scan your disk at least a couple of times a year. The process can take several hours, so plan to run the scan after hours.

Windows XP, Vista or 7 users should run the disk check application integrated into Windows to scan for bad sectors and run basic reliability tests. Open “My Computer” or access “Computer” via the start menu and right click on the drive that you want to test. Typically you’re going to select “C:” though if you have data stored on a secondary drive you should run the check on all drives, one at a time. Click on “Properties” and choose the “Tools” tab from the options that appear. Select “Check Now.”

There are two optional check boxes: “Automatically fix file system errors” allows Windows to fix software errors found during the scan. “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors” allows the software to identify and partition off sectors of the drive that aren’t functioning properly, and then instruct your system not to write data to those sectors in the future.

If you don’t have access to the tool integrated into Windows or if it doesn’t give you the information you need, consider installing the free version of HD Tune (www.hdtune.com), designed for home users looking to scan a single drive. It will scan your disk for errors and give you access to the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) information that your hard drive maintains. This data can give you a reasonable idea of the health of your hard drive. Access to additional tests, monitoring and support for scanning external drives is available to those who opt for the Pro version ($34.95).

Most hard drive manufacturers offer free diagnostic tools that you can download and use to test the viability of your drive. Under the same Properties menu box you accessed to run Windows’ disk check program, select the Hardware tab. Your hard drive’s manufacturer and model will be listed among “All Drives.” Use this info to search online for your hard drive manufacturer’s diagnostic tool.

Tech for Students

Tech for Students Reviewed

The best in Technology for Education

If you’re replacing an old, reliable PC that just isn’t cutting it anymore, or you’re outfitting your student with some computing power, the back to school season is a prime time to buy electronics. The wave of shoppers drives down prices as retailers compete for your dollars, so it’s a good time to find a great deal. But with all the choices – desktops, laptops, Ultrabooks and tablets - how do you pick the best device to suit your needs? We’re here to help you choose.

Desktop tower: Even though their popularity is waning, there are benefits to a stationary work station. The lack of mobility is great for younger students. Just set up the family PC in a high traffic area to monitor your kid’s online activities, and you’ll never have to track down the computer under junior’s bed when it’s time to power down at night. They’re also friendlier to clumsy fingers: if Johnny spills his soda on the desk you may have to replace a $20 keyboard, but sticky liquid on a laptop can take the whole system out of commission. They’re more cost effective to upgrade, so the system will likely last you longer than more portable alternatives.

Pick a desktop is you are looking for a family PC and have younger students.

Laptop vs. Ultrabook: The benefits of an all-in-one mobile computer are clear. It takes up less space, can be used anywhere and could accompany your older student to class if necessary (although they’re still a bit big to handle the surface space offered by the typical college classroom desk). While monitors aren’t as large as those that usually accompany a desktop PC, they’re comfortably sized to accommodate the long term use expected to compose a term paper or, say, research the mating habits of alpacas.

While laptops and Ultrabooks are usually lumped into the same category when you’re cruising the electronics store, there are some key differences. Ultrabooks are often referred to as “next generation” laptops. They’re smaller, thinner and similar to a tablet with an attached keyboard and a fully-functional Operating System. While this may all sound good, keep in mind that these systems trade their upgrade capability for lightweight portability. Components are stripped (you won’t find an optical drive) or soldered to the motherboard to reduce weight and size, so the memory and hard drive that you buy it with will need to last you the life of the device.

Pick a laptop for a household with older students that you trust to use the system unattended but where out-of-house travel is likely to be minimal. Laptops are available with larger screens than Ultrabooks, so they can better accommodate multi-taskers who like to split screen multiple applications simultaneously. Also, a laptop is a good pick for students who will be using it for extended periods of time, anyone who needs to connect to a variety of shared peripheral devices like communal printers, or anyone who will need a DVD drive.

Pick an Ultrabook when portability is paramount. If your student will be taking the system to class on a regular basis, travelling with it to offsite study locations, or has an exceptionally small workspace available, an Ultrabook may be the best choice.

Tablet: While tablets are gaining popularity, they are not designed to seamlessly replace a fully-functional computer. Consider them a Smartphone with a larger screen that requires a WiFi signal to work optimally. Tablets typically run a mobile OS which is pared down from the software offered on a laptop or Ultrabook. They don’t offer as many connectivity ports, so many functions (like printing or transferring data) will likely require that you connect over a shared WiFi network. You won’t have a disk drive, so content will have to be downloaded from the device’s affiliated App store, limiting you to software developed for mobile devices.

However, tablets can serve a purpose. If you have a shared family PC and older students that need an additional device to surf the net or check email, or want to stream content from tutoring sites or video chat with their study group, a tablet can be a handy tool. With the addition of a note-taking program and compatible stylus, your student can take notes in class and have them instantly transformed into digital, searchable text, making studying for exams a bit less daunting.

Pick a tablet if you need additional Internet access without a lot of workhorse capability.

If you’re still puzzled about the best device to outfit your student for back to school, drop us a line. We’ll help you narrow down the sea of choices to the computer or mobile device that’s right for you.

Moto X Announced

Moto X Announced by Google

There have been rumors around the internet for months concerning the “Moto X.” So what exactly is the big deal about this phone, which is the result of close collaboration between Google and Motorola?

Today everyone finally got their answers at Motorola's press conference during which they officially announced the Moto X. The phone is the first hardware manufactured by Google, which owns Motorola. As a result, the phone is sleek, glossy, and well-designed; any phone nerd's dream. It includes two cameras: a 10-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera. It can be customized with 16 or 32 gigabytes of memory. And the front panel, back panel, and accents, can all have their colors customized, with a total of 540 possible combinations.


But the real power of the Moto X doesn't come from its hardware. It comes from the software within. It's the first phone to use always-on voice activation for Google Now, which is included with the phone. Users can say “Okay, Google Now,” at any point, and the phone will start listening for commands. Users can use the voice interface to find directions, set alarms, search for information, or text contacts. Google Now also detects when the user is driving and provides navigation instructions for relevant waypoints.

In addition, the phone responds to gestures like a double-twist-of-the-wrist, which will pull up the camera from any screen. The idea behind this is that users should be able to capture moments as they happen without having to go through menus to find the camera.

Another feature of the Moto X touted by Google and Motorola is the active display. The screen uses AMOLED technology, which means that instead of unlocking and turning the phone on all the way, users can touch the screen to get at-a-glance information about updates. The screen also stays dim when this display is up, so it's not distracting or painful in dark environments.

The Moto X will be available “...late August, early September” for $199 (16GB) or $249(32GB) with a two-year contract.

Image from phandroid.com

 

Mac vs Windows

Mac vs Windows: The Blow-by-Blow

The debate over which PC platform is best, Mac or Windows, has waged for years with both sides equally passionate about which OS reigns supreme. While there’s no single answer for every user, you can find a computer with the right characteristics to meet your computing needs. Here's the low-down on the matchup between Mac and Windows.

WHERE THEY'RE EQUAL:

Usability. You may have heard that Macs are more intuitive than Windows. In reality, neither OS is fundamentally easier to learn. Novice computer users will face challenges learning to navigate either a Mac or a Windows system, and a user experienced with one platform will definitely experience frustrations if they try to switch.

Design capabilities. Although Macs ruled the design world in the 80s and 90s, these days both operating systems are considered equal when you compare their design applications and abilities. Both Macs and Windows systems support a large variety of file types, offering cross-platform compatibility so designers can exchange ideas between Mac and Windows PCs with ease.


WHERE THEY'RE NOT:

Viruses and maintenance. Mac is the clear front runner in this category. While Macs are no longer virus-free, malware remains far less prevalent in Macs. Windows users are plagued with driver updates, security patches and a need for regular anti-virus/ anti-malware scanning, which can lead to clutter within the system and speed issues due to memory consumption. One item of note: because Windows is so experienced with combating malware, they're better suited to quickly address new security issues, whereas Apple tends to struggle with rapid response to new attacks.

Software and gaming. Windows is the big winner here, as it offers a much larger library of compatible software options and nearly three times as many applications in its app store (versus the Mac app store). While you’ll have no trouble finding Mac versions of big-name games or programs like Quicken or Photoshop, if you run a specific software application that isn’t as widely used you may find that it’s a Windows-only program. Graphics cards and compatible gaming hardware options are also limited for Macs, meaning gamers should stick to Windows.

Hardware. Almost all hardware is designed to work with Windows, a huge advantage when you need to upgrade or replace a malfunctioning part. If a key piece of hardware breaks or no longer supports your computing needs, Mac users have more limited upgrade capabilities.

Cost. Apple sells high quality systems for top dollar; they don’t offer budget models. They don’t sell a less reliable motherboard or a slower processor at a discount. Alternatively, there’s a huge variance in the quality and price of Windows-based PCs. A Windows PC with similarly reliable hardware wouldn’t be dramatically less expensive, but Windows systems are typically cheaper due to competition between manufacturers.

Apple doesn’t sell custom machines, so if you want a larger hard drive in your new Mac, you’ll have to get a more expensive model that likely includes additional upgrades you wouldn’t otherwise choose to pay more for.

In conclusion, Windows PCs offer a lower purchase price, but may require more time and money over their lifetime to maintain (in the form of malware removal and the replacement of cheaper hardware) than a Mac. [pullquote]windows offers a lower purchase price, but requires more time to maintain[/pullquote]While Windows systems aren’t inherently easier to use, the popularity of the platform means that you’ll have an easier time finding people to help you if you encounter a problem and will likely have fewer compatibility issues with peripheral hardware or when sharing data with others. On the other hand, Apple products work great together so if you already have other Apple gadgets a Mac may get along nicely in your electronics family.

 

Prep Your PC for Back to School

After spending the summer surfing the net, playing video games, and whatever else your kids do when you turn them loose on the computer, your family PC is probably in need of some R and R. Before you enter the season of homework and research projects, whip your system in shape to head back to school.

The first step to resuscitate the family computer is to clean off the deluge of programs and junk add-ons accumulated over the summer months. Wrestle the kids off the PC for a few hours and do some much needed maintenance. How thorough you get depends on what you use the computer for. Best case scenario? If you use the computer primarily for surfing the net, writing papers and checking email and you are relatively tech savvy, back up the data you want to keep, format the hard drive and reinstall the Operating System.


Before you get started, review the tips posted on Microsoft’s site at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/installing-and-reinstalling-windows-7. This may sound drastic, but most Nerds consider it good form to reinstall Windows every year or two to return your system to as close as you can to “factory fresh” (like it was when you pulled it out of the box). It gets rid of junk programs that have been installed, fixes corrupted applications and gets everything (software-wise) running smoothly again. That said, a basic user might find it daunting to have to get programs reinstalled and data back on the PC, particularly if the system is used for more than just Internet and email. It can also be pretty time consuming – like 4-5 hours of attention from start to finish.

If a format-reinstall doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you can still gain significant performance improvement by doing some relatively easy maintenance. Check out add/remove programs for a list of what’s installed on your system. Remove all the junk programs and browser toolbars that the kids installed when you weren’t looking. Similarly, cruise through the extensions or add-on section of your browser (usually found via settings) and remove all the search bars, games and programs that pop up and beep at you every time you go online.

Next, do a manual run of your anti-malware software (we like Microsoft Security Essentials) - being sure to check for, download and install any updates before scanning. Finally, run a registry repair tool and browser cleanup program like CCleaner (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download, free) to help repair any registry errors left after removing all the junk programs. Once you’ve got your system purring along again, set up separate user accounts for everyone that gets on the computer, reserving administrator privileges for yourself. Limit user privileges so that only the administrator can install or remove programs.

[pullquote]You can limit when your kids can use the computer[/pullquote]

Limit the damage your kids can do in the future by activating the parental controls integrated into Windows. Just open up the Control Panel window and under “User Accounts and Family Safety” choose “Set up parental controls for any user.” You can limit when your kids can use the computer (so they don’t get in trouble while you aren’t able to keep an eye on them), what games they can play and what programs and content they can access. You can monitor and limit the web sites they visit, too, so if there’s a site they frequent for downloading games that you suspect brings additional junk programs with each installation, you can block the site.

Finally, once you’ve got the system cleaned up and locked down, set up a family calendar and organization tool to make the school year easier to coordinate. Cozi (http://www.cozi.com/) offers a great, free family calendar and organization tool. Just set up a free account for your family and everyone logs in separately with their personal email address to view and update the family calendar. Each user can maintain their own calendar or see color-coded events on the master calendar, get reminders or alerts. If your school has an online calendar, you can set it up to automatically show events on your calendar, so you won’t miss another Open House. There’s also task management so that you can set up individual to-do lists for each family member or one for the whole family. Cozi syncs across Windows, Macs and a multitude of Smartphones and handheld electronics.

 

Upgrade to Windows 8

We received a great question from local reader Dorothy N. about whether or not she should upgrade to Windows 8.

I still have Windows XP.  I have read that Windows will not support XP after April of next year.  I like to have a start button and prefer using a mouse instead of my fingers to touch a screen, so have not bought a new computer.  I understand putting out a version 8.1, which will have a start button and be similar to the computer I am using.  I would be willing to buy a new one, if I can keep this feature.
I’m 77 yrs old, using my computer for e-mail and to look something up - I do not pay bills on-line, keep files, or send pictures. Should I wait for 8.1 to come out?  To buy... or not to buy?

Dorothy suggested in her email that others might have a similar query, and I agree. Here’s my reply:

 

First, just because Windows won't be supporting XP anymore doesn't mean that your system won't work anymore.  It just means that they won't issue new service packs so you may eventually notice compatibility concerns with new peripheral devices or software programs.  Also, there's a chance that XP will be more susceptible to malware if Microsoft isn't actively updating vulnerabilities in the OS any longer.

Also, while I have previously stated that Windows 8 is designed to work with touchscreen devices, you don’t have to ditch your keyboard and mouse to upgrade. The OS works on traditional systems as well as touch-devices. In fact, many of our technicians here at Nerds on Call prefer using a mouse and keyboard with Windows 8.


Windows 8 definitely looks different from Windows XP or Windows 7and the way you open programs, search and even shut down your computer is new.  Many people have made the switch and been perfectly happy after a few weeks of getting familiar with the new layout.  Based on the few tasks that you use your system to do, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to get used to Windows 8, even though your trusty Start button won’t be there anymore.

While I wish I could tell you that the 8.1 update will make Windows 8 more like XP or 7, it really doesn't.  The Start key won't give you the program list that you're used to seeing (at least it doesn't in the preview versions that have been released), it just gives you a way to quickly return to your desktop or metro start screen.

However, there are apps that will give you a Start button that appears and functions more like it does in Windows XP and 7.  While there are many choices available, my favorite is Start8 from Stardock (http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/, $4.99). Of the many that I’ve previewed, it creates a Start button that looks most like Windows 7 and includes most of the same functions (including a shut down and Run option). The app doesn't require the 8.1 update, so you need not wait if you’re otherwise ready to make the leap to Windows 8.

Windows 8 still defaults to the "Metro" interface upon start up which is more similar in appearance to a tablet with apps than the desktop startup screen you're familiar with. You can manually change some settings in Windows 8 to have the first screen you see on launch be more like the desktop layout you’re used to, but it takes some manual tweaking. Here’s a link to an easy walkthrough: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2043243/how-to-boot-to-desktop-mode-in-windows-8-1.html

All told, Windows 7 is much closer to the OS that you're familiar with.  It may make sense to opt for a new system with Windows 7 pre-installed instead of Windows 8. While it may seem counter-intuitive to buy a new system with old software, Windows will be supporting Windows 7 for many years to come and for the limited functions you’re looking to do it will save you the headache of relearning how to navigate your computer.

I'd recommend that you take a trip to an electronics store like Best Buy or Costco to explore what Windows 8 looks like and compare it to systems available with Windows 7 before you make your final decision.  If you can't get your hands on one in person, here's a video walkthrough that should give you an idea of how a new PC would look with Windows 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E1UxI5I_jo