Beware: Office 2013 Has NON-Transferable License

Normally Microsoft Office software is transferable from one computer to another, as long as it is uninstalled on the old computer.  No more!  Is MS really this greedy, that they would make you buy new software every time you replace a computer?  Apparently, yes.

Thanks to Woody’s Office Watch — to which I have subscribed for years — I have been alerted that the Software License Agreement (the SLA is the newer name of the EULA –End User License Agreement) has changed substantially for Office 2013.  And according to Office Watch, the change is fairly well hidden.

Here is the relevant language Office Watch cited in the SLA:

” How can I use the software?

We do not sell our software or your copy of it – we only license it. Under our license we grant you the right to install and run that one copy on one computer　(the licensed computer) for use by one person at a time, but only if you comply with all the terms of this agreement. Our software license is permanently assigned to the licensed computer. ”

or

“Can I transfer the software to another computer or user?　

You may not transfer the software to another computer or user.　”

It’s the same wording for both Retail and OEM copies of Office 2013. OEM copies are sold, usually pre-installed, on new computers.

Not satisfied?

The retail boxes of Office 2013 that we’ve seen include only the phrase ‘1 PC’ which is strictly true but doesn’t tell the whole story. We wonder if any ‘Fair Trading’ or consumer protection agency is prepared to take on Microsoft about the lack of clear disclosure of the changed terms?

Amazon is more careful about disclosing the Office 2013 terms. One of the bullet point ‘Product Features’ is:

” One time purchase for the life of your PC; non-transferrable“

Before concluding this post, and to satisfy myself, I went to the Microsoft Office site.  I searched for the SLA but could not find it so I used their live Chat feature.  The assistant in their online store was kind enough to find me the link so I could download a copy of the SLA and read it myself.  The language is identical to what appears above.  So before you plunk down your hard-earned dollars, be sure you understand what you are paying for.  Because if you buy the software figuring you will just reinstall it on your new computer the next year, you may be in for a nasty surprise.

Review of Changes in Latest Apple iOS

One of my favorite blogs is iPhone J.D.  It’s the place to turn to for all things Apple, related to the use of the iPhone and iPad by lawyers.  Their recent blog post, “Apple Releases iOS 6.1″ covers every change in the update, with clear screen shots and explanations.  It’s everything you want to know, and more, clearly written.

Should You Upgrade to Windows 8 OS Software?

I never advise clients to be one of the first to deploy a new version of software, unless they’ve been waiting for a bug fix. This is no exception.  From the pushback in the technoworld, it seems that Windows 8 is getting very mixed reviews.  Now I’m not saying it’s a disaster like Vista was.  Nothing Microsoft produces will likely be as bad ever again as Vista was.  But it seems that preliminary reviews indicate there is minimal gain, and the user interface is so dramatically different, extensive training will be required upon deployment.

I believe I read somewhere that Windows 7 will be available only for a limited time before Windows 8 will be forced upon new computer purchasers.  So if you’ve been holding off, you may want to push up your purchase decision while Windows 7 is still an option.  I have to say, Windows 7 has been delightfully reliable since its introduction. 

TechRepublic just released “The Executive’s Guide to Windows 8” which you can get for free by registering with their site.  Then you can make your own informed decision.  (Or you can keep monitoring my blog.  I’ll let you know when the time has arrived.)  But here’s a hint:  TechRepublic did a survey, and found that 74% of businesses have no plans to deploy Windows 8.

Hundreds of Free Security Software Packages

A tip-of-the-hat goes out once again to Gizmo’s Freeware for providing an updated listing of hundreds of free security software packages, along with reviews and live links.

In the past two weeks I have received literally dozens of spoofed emails from alleged Facebook friends, with toxic links inside.  Thankfully, I never click on links, unless it is clear why it has been sent.  I always think it’s worth a simple email asking that question before taking the risk.  But it reminds me regularly what a dangerous computing world we live in.  Which is why this update from Gizmo’s is even more valuable.

Say It Ain’t So: The End of iGoogle

My friend and colleague, David Bilinsky, just enlightened me about the upcoming end to iGoogle in his recent Thoughtful Legal Management blog post entitled “iGoogle *Disappearing* Soon!! “   Yes, folks, what has become the best home page, and the one relied upon by hundreds of attorneys to organize their RSS blog feeds, will be disappearing soon.  According to Google, “iGoogle will be retired in 16 months, on November 1, 2013. The mobile version will be retired on July 31, 2012.”

The angst many of us feel about the impending loss of iGoogle is evident.  Read this blog post entitled “Don’t Take My IGoogle Away!”  in ZDNet by tech writer Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols.  He says “Some people have even set up a petition to keep iGoogle alive.. I’m number 2,088 on the petition.”  Thanks for the inspiration, Steve, I’m signature 4,440.  Not that I think Google will reconsider, mind you, but at least I’ve added my name to those who agree.  (And I wish I were a gambler because I’d kind of like to play that number!)

As Dave writes, Google gives the impression that there are lots of replacements ready and waiting.  We’re all hoping they’ll clue us in as to what they are.  I have used separate RSS feed readers.  Several in fact.  But they require that you remember to go to their site to see what’s new, or endure endless emails telling you how many unread posts there are waiting for you.  Hated that. 

Well, how about Chrome?  How about it?  It’s not compatible with all my programs yet, like QuickBooks, so I’m not going there.  Besides, what’s to stop them from pulling the plug on that in the not-too-distant future?

You can also subscribe to have blog posts delivered to your inbox in most instances.  But I don’t have to tell you that this can quickly clog your inbox so badly, it’s difficult to find the urgent stuff.  You might be thinking that you can just make Rules in Outlook to route the emails to a folder.  Yep, that works for just a few.  But when you have as much going on as I do, with dozens of client folders that require Rules, you quickly hit the ridiculously low limit that Microsoft arbitrarily puts on their rules.  You can read my previous blog post “Are You Having a Problem With Your Microsoft Outlook Rules” to find out more about that.

So what’s left?  I don’t know, but I can assure you I will be searching for a suitable replacement which offers the same level of convenience and organization.  I will sorely miss having my favorite gadgets such as the “dog of the day” picture, and the daily Sudoku, along with all my RSS feeds organized in the order I want them.  And to have them on my desktop, and laptops, appearing exactly the same, with no extra effort.  Frankly, I could care less about the tools for my iPhone or iPad.  They’re not the tools I’m using when I’m reviewing my feeds.

I stumbled upon a post entitled “Two More Alternatives to Your iGoogle Home Page” written by tech writer Rick Broida on PCWorld.  He suggests All My Faves, which I find visually undesirable for these old eyes, and Protopage.  I will have to give this a more thorough review before coming to any conclusions.  In a previous blog post he recommended MSN or Yahoo.  But these are tools mostly for news monitoring.   I monitor legal industry and related technology blogs.  Plus they too seem way too busy for these weary eyes.  His last recommendation, Netvibes, looks promising.  I’ll be exploring that further, along with Protopage.  If you have experience using either, I’d love to hear from you. 

Stay tuned for feedback as my replacement search continues, along with the countdown to the sad end of iGoogle.

Are You Ready for Windows 8?

I’m not suggesting you run out and get Windows 8 as soon as it’s available.  I never allow my clients to venture out onto the bleeding edge unless they have no choice.  That’s a risk better undertaken by large firms with ample IT staff, who are accustomed to the bumps and burps of new software.  And it isn’t even time yet, since the Developer Preview was just released a couple of months ago. 

If you’re still using Vista, you shouldn’t even wait to upgrade if your system is capable of running Windows 7 and you can afford to migrate, as Windows 7 has been great from day one, and is so superior to Vista they’re not even in the same league.  Good old reliable XPsp3 is also ready for retirement in favor of Windows 7.  Windows 7 is more stable.  And that’s a much easier upgrade than from Vista.  

When will it be time to upgrade to Windows 8?  I’ll let you know.  Right now the feedback is very limited.  Stay tuned.

Nonetheless, eventually you will be upgrading your operating system to Windows 8.  It’s inevitable.  So you might as well check now to determine whether upgrades or replacements will be required to become Windows 8 compatible.  A quick visit to the Microsoft Compatibility Center will help you check all your devices and software.  That way you can spend your near-term dollars more wisely, by making sure they will work well for the next generation of software as well.  And that’s really the whole point of this post.  You don’t want to spend money now on software or hardware which will ultimately require replacement or further upgrade to run on Windows 8.  That would be foolish.

According to a WorkYourOffice blog post, the official minimum system requirements by Microsoft for computers to run Windows 8 are:

• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
• Taking advantage of touch input requires a screen that supports multi-touch.

The post has a downloadable link for an executable program which purportedly checks your computer automatically for Windows 8 compatibility.  But since I am not familiar with this blog, I am reluctant to run it.  Despite the fact that it is a post which has been sited by one of my favorite blogs:  Gizmo’s Freeware.  Instead, I have chosen to visit the official Microsoft site, even though it’s a little more involved to check items by category.  And that is the link I have provided at the top of this post.  I couldn’t find a link on the Microsoft site to the program mentioned in the WorkYourOffice post.  That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, especially since the Microsoft site is so complex, but one can’t be too careful.

Are Your Apple Apps Crashing?

I have been having a lot of difficulty downloading and updating my iPhone software and apps.  I thought it was just me until I came upon a recent article in CNET Daily News pointing a finger at the App store.  If you’re having a problem, you may want to report it to Apple, instead of just assuming you’re the only one with the problem, or it’s just a temporary glitch.

Recently I received a survey from Apple to complete.  They may regret requesting my feedback, because it was far from positive.  Let me say that I unequivocally love my iPhone and iPad.  I never thought I’d say that, at least not publicly.  But I know a good tool when I use it.  I have never regretted that my “last straw” frustration with my Blackberry caused me to throw it out the car window.  My husband was astonished, to say the least.  I had been a loyal, but increasingly frustrated, Crackberry addict through three models in a row.  It was a mostly-reliable but frustratingly limiting business tool.  Everything beyond the usual was such a hassle to accomplish.  I felt like the phone was purposely interfering with my ability to be more productive.

My reticence to use the iPhone was mostly based on security concerns.  But I made the leap regardless.  From day one, without so much as a helpful guide to follow, I was more productive than all those years using a Blackberry.  Everything was faster, more intuitive, and more fun.  That being said, my frustration with the App store has been ongoing since purchase.  S L O W W W W W  That about says it all.  It is the slowest darned app to load, connect, navigate, download, update, and whatever else I need to do. 

If Apple is smart, it will take heed of the customer dissatisfaction in this area, and make some improvements.  Since there seem to be some quality issues, it’s time for an overhaul of it’s worst single point of failure.  Want to hasten the process?  Make sure you let Apple know if you’re experiencing similar problems.

Free Browser-based Speech to Text Software

Once again I must tip my hat to Gizmo’s Freeware for clueing me in on the latest free tools.  Glad someone else is out there monitoring the world wide web for the latest and greatest! 

We know that no speech-to-text (voice recognition) software is perfect.  So I’m amused when attorneys look at the accuracy percentage of various packages, (Dragon NaturallySpeaking by Nuance is now up to 99% accuracy), and quickly calculate the number of errors per thousand words, whereupon they turn up their nose with an “unacceptable” snort.  Come on, your secretary is more accurate than that?  I don’t think so.  Even the most experienced secretary misses an occassional word either in typing or proofing.  Most of the “new generation” of assistants out there can’t spell, and they sure as heck don’t know how to proofread.

Anyway, I plan on checking out TalkTyper at my earliest moment.  You can read the original Gizmo’s post here.

Google Knowledge Graph

I keep track of changes in search engines through the popular “About.com: Web Search” blog.  The most recent post informed me about the new Google Knowledge Graph.  This is something that I’ve been hoping would appear in a “mainstream” search engine for a long time.  Instead of bringing up tons of matching words, we’re getting closer to a conceptual search wtih this new algorithm.  I think you’ll find it much more useful.

By the way, if you’ve not looked into all the various categories of information About.Com offers, you really should.  There’s something for every possible area of interest.  It reminds me of the early days of searching on Yahoo, with with way more categories to focus in.

Closing with a simple question . . . what the heck happened to the second half of May?  It went by in a nonosecond.

Do You Like Free Stuff?

No, I don’t really expect you to answer.  It’s a rhetorical question.  Of course you like free stuff.  We all do.  But we’ve been raised on the notion that there’s nothing good for free.  Not true.  And there’s a resource out there that reviews and categorizes the good stuff for you.   I’m talking about Gizmo’s Freeware.    I’ve been a subscriber for a long time, and have always appreciated the tips. 

Here’s the perfect example.  For my mother’s 88th birthday present, my sister and I gave her a Kindle.  Best darn thing we ever got her next to the gym membership we got her for her 50th birthday.  But Mom is such an avid reader – sometimes going through a book a day –that she eats through our gift certificates like a hot knife going through butter, and runs up quite a tab on her credit card as well.  She is always looking for the “bargain” books, regardless of whether or not she is really interested in the author or genre.  If the book is under $1 she’ll read it. She’ll be in heaven when I help her bookmark some of the 446 Places for free e-books and audio downloads recently published by Gizmo’s.  It will be an easy thing to download whatever she wants and move them to her Kindle.

Don’t have a Kindle and don’t want to purchase another piece of electronic stuff?  Well, how about free software that will turn your laptop, netbook, or desktop into a great e-reader?  Yep, Gizmo’s provides tips too, in addition to the details and links.

What do you like?  Are you an iPad or iPhone user?  Have you been to their App store?  It’s overwhelming, isn’t it?  There’s a ton of free or no cost applications.  Sure there are end-user ratings on some of the stuff, but nonetheless I’ve had the distinct displeasure of downloading many apps based on high ratings, and been sorely disappointed.  Gizmo’s isn’t the be-all and end-all expert, but when they review something and rate it highly, I have a higher level of confidence, based on experience, that it will work as I expect.  And the fact that they aggregate applications in meaningful ways that make sense to me, make them a great resource.  Take a look for example, at their list of the Best Free iPhone Apps.

I own no stock in Gizmo’s.  I’m just a fan who likes to share with others what I find useful.  Enjoy!