Hello Blog Readers. I have been a reader/subscriber to Maximum PC for about 20+ years. From time to time I emailed them my thoughts on an article but alas I never saw my words grace their pages. when I got my 2014 Holiday issue I read 3 articles that I needed to comment on. I did email Maximum PC but I will not hold my breath. So I have opted to publish my email to Maximum PC here. So as you read the following pretend that you are reading the next issue of Maximum PC. To note, my subscription is paid in full for the next 3 years. Now my comments....
To the people of Maximum PC;
I got my Holiday 2014 issue and started reading it promptly. I desire to cover three points in this one email, so if by some lightning striking miracle you opt to publish part of it you may need to crop it.
Point 1 (The decline in the sales of tablets and increase of PC sells, from page 11 Gordon's comments and page 14 the tank article.) Is it possible that AT&T and Verizon are having a part in the decline of tablet sales? I am the local goto tech guy for my friends. I have several pieces of paper that say I'm tech smart, but...anyway. recently the big cell providers changed the way you get a phone. The brand new ones you buy with plans called Next etc. Because of this people now realize just how much a Smartphone cost and that they ARE a tablet. I have learned that the average customer never made the connection until recently. Something changed in the market. Cell phones are now the size of a tablet and you have to pay for it. Here are two recent examples of what I mean. One friend of mine had just bought a 10" iPad, it was the best in the world. Well last week she and her husband got new phones and she got a Samsung Note or something (regardless she did it right with Samsung). Well she made a comment "it's just like my tablet and does everything it does. I don't use my tablet anymore". My other example is the same. When people get their 7" 8" or larger cell phone they realize it IS a tablet so they save their money. I believe this Xmas we will see a sharp rise in tablet sells as people buy them as gifts. But after Xmas returns? More tablets will be returned than bought (those who bought one before Xmas and realized it was a waist). I think as 2015 goes along in late 1st quarter we will see an increase in PC sales, tax returns. If MS is smart they will offer a free upgrade from Win8.1 to 10 with those early 2015 sales. Me, I have a Dell Desktop (I have 3 DCSE) older model but fine. I have an Acer laptop, a Samsung Tab 4 and a $10 a month text and talk only cell. My tablet is my new book library, I read like a mad man.
Point 2 (MS Support Woes) page 22/23 letter by John. This is the number 1 question I have submitted to me. It is also the number 1 mistake newbies make and even some experienced techs. I have Office 2010 3 user license and have reinstalled tons of times and never had an issue. Here is where I suggest what may be happening. Let's use John in a hypothetical activation attempt. John gets the OS (OEM so no hassle) installed then installs Office and the Internet activation fails, so he calls the number, reads the never ending activation code and...here it comes...the question "How many computers is this copy of Office installed on" (something close). The user almost always misses this one. They answer "three". It seems the right answer, one license on mom's one on dad's then the one I just installed "3". But that causes the avtivatiin to fail, why, well it is not the answer MS was looking for. The question should be worded "how many systems is this copy of Office currently activated on?" Oh well only 2. So when John is asked that question his answer should have been 2, as it was not activated on the 3rd yet and that is what MS is looking for. The same holds true for retail installs of Win7, "how many computers has this copy of Windows 7 been installed?" ZERO (not oh, oh is a letter not a number at Dell we had to learn that) If you answer 1, the one you're working on it will fail. So for John in the future when installing Office and you're asked how many systems, exclude the one you're working on, it will never fail.
My 3rd and final point (The list page 18) When I was 14 way back in 1982 I was attending school in Sapulpa Ok, the library had just gotten in some new computers, I was stone eyed. But my first computer was not in your roundup. I guess to a tech person your first computer is a little like your first love (people love). My first was a TRS-Basic 80, and boy did I fall deep. I learned how to write Basic on that computer and I bought many floppies from the librarian, at $5 a piece. Of course the one program I learned to write first was "Enterprise". A simple grid with E=Enterprise, K=Klingon, B=Base. Everything was done by entering data on the keyboard. Fond memories with the TRS. I know you had limited space, but it would have been nice to see it listed.
Well that is my three points. Perhaps 1 of them will make the next issue, but I will not hold my breath. In 20+ years subscribing, reading, writing letters my words have never graced your pages."
So there it is, my published comments to Maximum PC.
To the people of Maximum PC;
I got my Holiday 2014 issue and started reading it promptly. I desire to cover three points in this one email, so if by some lightning striking miracle you opt to publish part of it you may need to crop it.
Point 1 (The decline in the sales of tablets and increase of PC sells, from page 11 Gordon's comments and page 14 the tank article.) Is it possible that AT&T and Verizon are having a part in the decline of tablet sales? I am the local goto tech guy for my friends. I have several pieces of paper that say I'm tech smart, but...anyway. recently the big cell providers changed the way you get a phone. The brand new ones you buy with plans called Next etc. Because of this people now realize just how much a Smartphone cost and that they ARE a tablet. I have learned that the average customer never made the connection until recently. Something changed in the market. Cell phones are now the size of a tablet and you have to pay for it. Here are two recent examples of what I mean. One friend of mine had just bought a 10" iPad, it was the best in the world. Well last week she and her husband got new phones and she got a Samsung Note or something (regardless she did it right with Samsung). Well she made a comment "it's just like my tablet and does everything it does. I don't use my tablet anymore". My other example is the same. When people get their 7" 8" or larger cell phone they realize it IS a tablet so they save their money. I believe this Xmas we will see a sharp rise in tablet sells as people buy them as gifts. But after Xmas returns? More tablets will be returned than bought (those who bought one before Xmas and realized it was a waist). I think as 2015 goes along in late 1st quarter we will see an increase in PC sales, tax returns. If MS is smart they will offer a free upgrade from Win8.1 to 10 with those early 2015 sales. Me, I have a Dell Desktop (I have 3 DCSE) older model but fine. I have an Acer laptop, a Samsung Tab 4 and a $10 a month text and talk only cell. My tablet is my new book library, I read like a mad man.
Point 2 (MS Support Woes) page 22/23 letter by John. This is the number 1 question I have submitted to me. It is also the number 1 mistake newbies make and even some experienced techs. I have Office 2010 3 user license and have reinstalled tons of times and never had an issue. Here is where I suggest what may be happening. Let's use John in a hypothetical activation attempt. John gets the OS (OEM so no hassle) installed then installs Office and the Internet activation fails, so he calls the number, reads the never ending activation code and...here it comes...the question "How many computers is this copy of Office installed on" (something close). The user almost always misses this one. They answer "three". It seems the right answer, one license on mom's one on dad's then the one I just installed "3". But that causes the avtivatiin to fail, why, well it is not the answer MS was looking for. The question should be worded "how many systems is this copy of Office currently activated on?" Oh well only 2. So when John is asked that question his answer should have been 2, as it was not activated on the 3rd yet and that is what MS is looking for. The same holds true for retail installs of Win7, "how many computers has this copy of Windows 7 been installed?" ZERO (not oh, oh is a letter not a number at Dell we had to learn that) If you answer 1, the one you're working on it will fail. So for John in the future when installing Office and you're asked how many systems, exclude the one you're working on, it will never fail.
My 3rd and final point (The list page 18) When I was 14 way back in 1982 I was attending school in Sapulpa Ok, the library had just gotten in some new computers, I was stone eyed. But my first computer was not in your roundup. I guess to a tech person your first computer is a little like your first love (people love). My first was a TRS-Basic 80, and boy did I fall deep. I learned how to write Basic on that computer and I bought many floppies from the librarian, at $5 a piece. Of course the one program I learned to write first was "Enterprise". A simple grid with E=Enterprise, K=Klingon, B=Base. Everything was done by entering data on the keyboard. Fond memories with the TRS. I know you had limited space, but it would have been nice to see it listed.
Well that is my three points. Perhaps 1 of them will make the next issue, but I will not hold my breath. In 20+ years subscribing, reading, writing letters my words have never graced your pages."
So there it is, my published comments to Maximum PC.
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