Norton and McAfee are some of the worst resource hogging "ad-ware" out there!  They are the first things I uninstall from a new computer.
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Ya, it really is true that there's an app for just about every task.  But the truth is, if I'm already sitting at my desk with my PC turned on in front of me - I just can't think of many things that I would honestly pick up my iPhone for that I couldn't do faster and better with a mouse, full size keyboard, and a full-blown browser... until today.  I just discovered the app for Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com) and it is so vastly superior to the PC experience for finding car values in every way conceivable that I doubt I will ever visit kbb.com again!

What is your favorite smartphone app?
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  1. Install a firewall on your computer.  Windows Firewall, included free with Windows, is a good choice for Windows operating systems.
  2. Install good anti-virus software.  For Windows systems, I like Microsoft Security Essentials because it works well, it's free, and it's unobtrusive.
  3. Keep your OS and other software up to date.  Use automatic updates.
  4. Limit admin privileges.  Most employees should have "standard" user accounts.  On a computers shared by a family, only Mom or Dad should have admin accounts.
  5. Be wary when opening email attachments or accepting file transfers.
  6. Avoid pirated software.
  7. Use strong passwords.
  8. Do not use any file sharing programs like Kazaa, Limewire, Gnutella, etc.  Avoid all websites that are unreputable, especially file-sharing or pornographic sites.  A virus can be installed on your computer simply by visiting a webpage with harmful content!  
  9. Install a good internet filter.  This will help you avoid sites with harmful content, including phishing sites.  OpenDNS is used by thousands of schools and business, and has a free version that is very effective.
  10. Last, but not least... be prepared for the worst! Have an effective backup strategy. Automatic is best. The backup service that I personally use is crashplan.com.


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OK, maybe "solid" was not the right choice of adjectives.  Today I'm on my 3rd iPhone 4s in about a month.  The first one had a short in the silence switch.  Verizon swapped it out for me.  The 2nd one had intermittent audio problems while on calls  and Apple finally swapped that one out for me.  Isn't there some law of electronics that says when you produce millions of something, if you do it in China, this type of thing is going to happen?    

I'm not planning on trading it in just yet.  Aren't all phones made in China these days?  But I am amused how on the back of my phone, Apple tries to soften the phrase "Assembled in China", by also saying "Designed...in California".  Nice try.  It's still made in China.  It still has cost me hours of headache and troubleshooting.  So next time someone tells me they love Apple products because they "just work", well... I suppose they are the lucky ones.
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I'm impressed with the iPhone 4s.

My prior phone was the Palm Pre Plus with WebOS.  I liked WebOS, and would have loved to see what WebOS could have done with some serious hardware.  But the clowns at HP  have effectively killed off WebOS and never gave it that chance.  R.I.P. WebOS.  Time to move on. 

As I evaluated new phones, one of my first criteria stemmed from WebOS's biggest deficit, hardware with enough processing power.  There were some features I would be willing to sacrifice, but not that. My new phone would have to be smooth and responsive, with horsepower to spare.  The iPhone 4s is exactly that.  And coupled with some  of the long-time-coming features available in iOS 5, this is a solid, mature, and polished smartphone, with no sacrifices.  A phone any die-hard WebOS user  would love.
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