Pocket PC Guru

One of the best things about being a technology writer is getting to look at some of the newest and best tech toys on the market.  Recently, my parents bought a June 2009 15” MacBook Pro (the one with the new SD slot) for my mother.

My mission (and I have no choice but to accept it…)  is to install all the software, configure the Boot Camp partition (with XP Pro), etc. for her.

I am also fixing my father’s Fall 2008 15” MacBook Pro, and it's in the process of whisking its way here from Houston.  I’ll be writing a comparative review of it, my mom’s June 2009 MBP and my 13” Unibody MacBook.

The specs for mom’s MBP include:

• 3.06gHz Core2Duo Processor
• 4GB RAM
• 500GB HDD
• Non-removable battery
• 8x Superdrive
• Bluetooth
• Wireless N

Mom also got a free 8GB 2G iPod Touch as part of the really sweet deal.  BUT without further ado, here’s the unboxing video. The Comparative Review will have detailed pics of all three Macs.

For those running Macs, you might want to check Software Update.  I noticed that Apple released a nice iPhoto update tonight, downloaded it and installed it.  However, in classic Apple tradition, there’s little to no information on this update.  Clicking the KB Link (noted in the Software Update dialog box) just says you need to update to iPhoto 8.0.4, with a link back to the KB Page. I do love circular references... However, it does make reference to a problem with sudden app quitting in version 8.0.3.

However, this should make the app more stable, so if you use iPhoto, then you definitely need to download and install this.

No doubt about it, HTC is making some of the best mobile devices available right now. Case in point – the Touch Pro 2.

Thankfully, we’re getting a review unit, and Judie should be putting this thing through its paces and posting such exciting things as an unboxing, first impressions, and eventually her review.

Stay tuned, y’all… things are about to get really cool around here..!

Can't wait??  You can also catch a really cool review by our good friend Mark Briggeman (WM MVP) and colleague at mobilityminded.com.  Mark  has written an extensive review about the HTC Touch Pro2.

Twelve years is a long time to be doing anything.  I’ve been writing for just over 13, so I know how this is. Its a big deal; and its a LONG time to be doing anything of any real value (to you or to someone else).

Case in point – Ilium Software makers of such great applications like eWallet, ListPro, NewsBreak and Keep Track, is turning 12 years old! To help celebrate this huge milestone, Ilium Software is throwing a huge birthday bash.  Direct from Julie Van De Water, my great friend at Ilium,

A BIG five-day sale on all our software through our direct online store (for Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Palm OS, Windows PC). eWallet for the iPhone will also get discounted on the App Store. Just to leave you in suspense, I'm going to make you tune in next week to find out the specifics on the sale! On Monday, the full details will be available here.

--Lots of fun on the blog too! We'll be running contests during our anniversary week over at http://blog.iliumsoft.com with some really fantastic prizes. I could tell you more, but I don't want to ruin the element of surprise - let's just say I think everyone will have fun playing, and the winners will be treated very well indeed! And just so you know - you're eligible to win the prizes too, so be sure to stop by next week and play along.

 

These guys are some of the best guys on the internet, and yes, I’d walk through fire to help them out.  They’ve always done me (regardless of who I am writing for) the right way.  I can’t wait to see what kind of goodies are coming our way, so be sure to do yourself a favor and check out all of the fun!

For those of you still stuck with Vista, or those of you with Windows 2008 Servers, there’s some interesting news – Service Pack 2 is now available for download.

I haven’t tried to download any of these, as I am currently running Windows 7 on all of my personal PC’s.  The other two PC’s currently in the house, my wife’s MSI Wind and my daughter’s seriously hurtin’ PowerBook G4 both run Windows XP Home and OSX 10.4.11 (I think), respectively.  I did try to download the ISO, but the server must be seriously busy, as it just sat there for about 30 minutes or so trying to load the download page.

Windows Server 2008 & Vista SP2 – ISO  32bit/64bit
Windows Server 2008 & Vista SP2 - (KB948465) 32-bit – 350MB
Windows Server 2008 & Vista SP2 - (KB948465) 64-bit - 580MB

For more information on the service packs, check out TechNet.

A complete list of fixes (there are over 800) can be seen after the break.

Hot fixes and Security Updates included in Windows Server 08 Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2

"Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) includes all previously released updates for Windows Server 2008 and all released updates since Windows Vista Service Pack 1. Many of these updates are available to the public on the Microsoft Download Center and Windows Update, while others are only available to specific customers or partners.  It is standard practice to include all of these updates in a Service Pack and as such they are included in Windows Server2008 SP2 and Windows Vista SP2.

This document contains a list of these updates with links to their descriptive WebPages on http://support.microsoft.com.  There are other updates in Service Pack 2 which have not been released as updates and therefore are not presented in this list."