Net Work September 2021

Windows 11 is on the way

Paving the way for Windows 11, this month I reminisced about the earliest versions of the omni-present PC operating system. It was Windows 1.0 that gave IBM-compatible users a graphical user interface alternative to the DOS prompt (see the 1986 Steve Ballmer promo: https://youtu.be/EtuDS0ntaJY) and eventually Windows 95/98 and XP followed on.

Mac users will be flattered to see that the Windows ‘Start’ button, previously tucked away at the bottom left since the days of Windows 95 (see the original W95 ad on https://youtu.be/OPyWDMmYJhQ) has finally been moved along to the bottom centre of the screen.

Windows 11 requires a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to be installed on the motherboard, or it might already be built in. PM A typical TPM module is made by Asus (see: https://bit.ly/pe-sep21-tpm). Readers can expect to see lots more news, views and confusion emerging about forthcoming Windows 11 and the need for a TPM, and more information about TPMs is published by Microsoft at: https://bit.ly/pe-sep21-ms

A somewhat glitzy introduction to Windows 11 is available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/Uh9643c2P6k

Amazon Glacier archive storage

Large numbers of corporate and local government organisations worldwide now use Amazon AWS (Amazon Web Services), and more details and pricing of Glacier archive storage, intended for slow-moving data,  as discussed in this month’s column is available from: https://aws.amazon.com/glacier/

Synology owners can learn more about diskstation packages that are available for their NAS at: https://bit.ly/pe-sep21-syn  under ‘Package’. Coming soon are Synology C2 Password, an interesting-looking service for storing credentials securely in the cloud (see: https://youtu.be/gEDCCq5COXw), and Synology C2 Backup that allows individuals to back up all their Windows devices (https://youtu.be/u67BkolfBg4).

Are you owed a refund on your anti-virus software?

In June, Norton agreed to extend the cancellation rights of auto-renewal consumer contracts, see: https://bit.ly/pe-sep21-cma1  In May, the CMA did the same with McAfee. Users of this product should check the online judgment to see if they (now) qualify for a backdated refund: https://bit.ly/pe-sep21-cma2

Virgin Orbit and Spaceport Cornwall

The battle for low-earth orbit launches continues with Virgin Orbit (www.virginorbit.com)  offering a remarkable flexible launch platform into LEO using a 747 jumbo jet. They are also building a spaceport in Cornwall, England. See https://spaceportcornwall.com.