Recently upgrade to Windows 10? Seasoned Windows 10 veteran?

There’s always more to learn!

Check out our latest video to learn time saving tips and tricks using the Windows 10 Start Menu.

(To view the video, please visit this page on a desktop or laptop)

Access the data you need, when you need it.

Windows 10 is the new major release of Microsoft’s Windows operating system and is the successor to Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1.  Windows 10 includes several new features and important changes, in addition to its platform unifying design. Microsoft believes the future of Windows is as a platform for all. The strength of Windows is in the thousands of companies that develop for it and use it in their products.  Windows 10 is no longer just an operating system for 32 and 64-bit PCs, as it will also run on the ARM platform for smaller tablets and smartphones.

Here are some of the exciting new features:

1. Start menu: Customize your Start menu!  Windows 10’s new Start menu combines the Windows 7-like application list and the live tiles interface from Windows 8’s Start screen. However, note that you can right-click on any tile and select “Resize” to alter the tile’s dimensions or if you despise live tiles you can select “Uninstall” to wipe them from your system.
2. Make Mail your own: Windows 10’s overhauled Mail and Calendar apps are amazing compared to Windows 8’s dull offerings. They’re faster, more full-featured, and have customization options.
3. Schedule your restarts: If you’ve got pending updates that require you to reboot your PC, Windows 10 will allow you to schedule a specific time for it to do so.  Finally!
4. Virtual desktops: Segregate your open apps into discrete areas; literally multiple, virtualized versions of your PC’s desktops.
5. Action Center: Provides you with a single location for all your app alerts, along with quick access to some of the settings you utilize most often.
6. Improved security: Microsoft is addressing security threats by strengthening identity protection and access control, information protection, and is threat resistance.
7. Microsoft Edge: Windows 10’s new Edge is a blazing fast engine and forward-thinking tricks like intelligent, automatic Cortana integration for supplementing the info you’re looking at.  Also very exciting are Reading View and Reading List.  Reading View (the small book icon, next to the bookmark star) strips away ads, sidebar images, and other clutter to present a clean, straightforward reading experience. You can also share to the Reading List app, which functions like Pocket or Instapaper, letting you add a story for later reading. Click the bookmark star and opt to save the article to your Reading List rather than as a bookmark.
8. Cortana integration: Cortana’s finally made the leap to the PC in Windows 10.  Microsoft’s voice-powered personal assistant can be configured to take over the Search box.
9. Xbox Live integration: Windows 10’s new Game DVR function is supposed to be used for recording video proof of your most magnificent gaming moments, but it will also let you create videos of any open app or desktop software.
10. Enhanced graphics: Windows 10 will include new versions of DirectX and WDDM to improve game performance.

Why:  With several new features, including security updates, and a platform-unifying design, it marks the beginning of Microsoft’s new “Windows as a service” mentality.  Instead of releasing a new numbered version of Windows every few years, the company will continuously release new features and updates.  Microsoft has committed to support Windows 10 for a decade after the July, 2015 launch.

Who:  Windows 10 is available as a free upgrade to qualified devices running Windows 7 (SP1) or Windows 8/8.1 during the first year.  Users running Windows XP or Windows Vista, must purchase a copy of Windows 10 from the Microsoft Store or other retailer and do a “clean install”.

When:  It already happened!  Microsoft made Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro generally available on July 29, 2015 through a staggered release schedule. Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education editions were made available on August 1, 2015 through Microsoft’s Volume Licensing Center.  However, neither edition is included in the first-year-free program.

How:  Most Windows 7 (SP1) and Windows 8/8.1 users can get Windows 10 through the Get Windows 10 app.  Users can also download a Windows 10 ISO to be used on multiple PCs.  Here is step-by-step walkthrough.

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Even if your relationship with Gmail is love/hate, I believe you will LOVE these Gmail hacks.

“Unsend” a message!

This Gmail feature made headlines recently.  There are so many reasons this app could save your life.  Have you ever sent an email half finished?  Have you ever replied to all with a personal message to the original sender?  Have you ever let your emotions get the best of you and replied to an email that made your blood boil?  Well, this new feature gives you a certain amount of time to change your mind and “Undo Send”.  After a designated time has passed (you can choose up to 30 seconds), only then will your email be sent.  Phew!  Here’s your Step-By-Step guide:  http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-unsend-a-sent-email-from-your-gmail-account/

Fake a timestamp!

The Boomerang app is utterly amazing!  It allows you to schedule emails, set up snooze messages, and get reminders. You can schedule emails to go out at any time, so it’ll look like you’re sending something at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, even though you scheduled it on Saturday at 2:00 am. You can also choose to “boomerang” emails, meaning you can mark an email to leave your inbox and return on a certain date. Let’s say there’s a reminder for a networking event next month and as much as you want the email, it’s cluttering your inbox. Just choose to “boomerang” the message, so that it leaves your inbox for now but returns two days before the event. You can also ask Boomerang to send you a reminder if nobody replies to an email, so you’ll never forget to follow up with people again.

Gmail keyboard shortcuts, Oh My!

To enable them for Gmail, go to the gear on the top right-hand corner of your main page, go to Settings, scroll down to “Keyboard shortcuts”, make sure they’re turned on, and then save your changes. Now you can plow through your email without leaving the keyboard. Need to draft a new email? Just press “C”. Need to mark something as important? Just press “+”. Need to mark an email unread? Just hit “Shift + U”. Get ready for your boss and coworkers to be amazed at how quickly you get through the morning emails.

Immediately pull someone’s name, title, mutual connections, etc…

Have you ever stalked one of your prospects?  Yea, of course you have!  Searching for them on LinkedIn, trying to see if you have any mutual connections, wait, how do you spell their name?  Problem solved!  A new Gmail extension called, “Rapportive”, is your new best friend.  You can now pull up LinkedIn profiles right inside of Gmail, so you can see someone’s profile alongside your message.  Rapportive will give you quick information to “warm” up your email whether you are sending or receiving an email.

We hope these tips and tricks help to put your mind at ease while you’re “Gmailing”!

Thanks for stopping by, see you next time!

Finally!  Windows 10 is here and we’re here to answer some of the most common questions.  If you have additional questions, please comment in the comment section below and we’ll respond as quickly as possible.

1.      When can you get it?

• July 29in 190 countries.

2.      How much will it cost?

• Windows 10 will be available as a free update for all users with official Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 licenses until July 29, 2016.
• Users who don’t have a previous Windows license will have to pay for a fresh copy of Windows 10. Windows 10 Home will cost $119 and Windows 10 Pro will cost $199.

3.      How do I get the update?

• Microsoft’s anticipating a high volume of downloads on July 29, so there’s a queue. To be notified when your free Windows 10 upgrade is available, download and install the “Get Windows 10” App to reserve your slot.

4.      How long will the update process take?

• The update process is said to take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. However, we recommend setting aside a minimum of one hour.

5.      How many versions of Windows 10 will there be?

• There will be seven versions of Windows 10. Most consumers will be getting Windows 10 Home. Smartphone and tablet users will get Windows 10 Mobile (formerly called Windows Phone 8.1). Businesses will get Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Mobile. Educational institutions will have access to Windows 10 Education and Windows 10 IoT Core.
• You can find more detailed breakdowns for each version of Windows 10here.

6.      How do I get Windows 10 now?

• Too excited to wait? You can download a beta version of Windows 10 right now!  Just sign up for the Windows Insider Program and you’ll get instructions on how to download and install Windows 10 Insider Preview.  Make sure you back up though!  It’s beta software and bugs are highly likely.

7.      What are the minimum specs my computer needs to run Windows 10?

• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster
• RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
• Free hard disk space: 16 GB
• Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
• A Microsoft account and Internet access

Highlights

• Return of the start menu merged with the tiles from windows 8 (pin and unpin)
• Separate/virtual desktops for independent work spaces
• Thumbnails of windows not just icons
• Windows 10 is a hybrid of windows 7 & 8
  • If you have used both you should pick up windows 10 in no time.
• One app store across all devices
• Mac OS 10 biggest rival
• Free to existing customers
• Shifting focus from desktop to the web
• Cortana voice assistant
• New browser called, “Edge”.
  • Users will be able to mark up web pages and Cortana will be baked in.

Thanks for stopping by, we’ll see you next time!

The Lenovo ThinkPad W Series presents updated models to the W500 and W700 lines with the ThinkPad W510, ThinkPad W701, and ThinkPad W701ds – a dual-screen system. These ISV-certified, high performance mobile workstations offer industry-leading innovations to Intel processor performance and high-end graphics.
Workstation users make their companies money based on what they produce on their PC within their “8-hour” work day. They must have a solution that offers stability, reliability, and performance regardless of what that day’s agenda holds. Only a few companies offer workstation-class hardware, and Lenovo is proud to be prominent in that minority. ThinkPad W Series lets users perform without hesitation.

The W Series is powered by the all new 2010 Intel® Core™ Processor Family, including up to the quad-core technologies of the Intel® Core™ i7 Mobile Processor Extreme Edition. This platform is loaded with smart and energy efficient technologies that automatically deliver extra performance when users need it most, such as Intel® Turbo Boost Technology to multiply the cores and threads for many common CAD and DCC applications. Intel® Hyper-Threading also enables each processor core to run two tasks at the same time.

The W Series alone has 123 ISV certifications, which is critical to the Series’ target audience. What’s more, high-end graphics from NVIDIA are integrated to handle the most demanding of those applications. These unrivaled graphics are up to eight times faster than their previous generation, and have a 24-36 month life cycle that customers standardize on a supported system for a longer period of time.

Lenovo ThinkPad W series key features include:
•An up 100% gamut panel les users view and work with the entire range of colors visible to the human eye
•An integrated color calibrator delivers consistent and reproducible color that reduces touchups, costly and time-zapping reworks, or even lost sales (along with increased portability and reduced external technology costs)
•USB 3.0 transfers HD movies, CAD drawings, high-res images, large financial data sets, and uncompressed video 10 times faster than USB 2.0
•RAID 0, 1 offers increased data-write speed and data backup
•Multitouch and Lenovo SimpleTap offer enhanced usability
The ThinkPad W Series is engineered for professional users who must have the greatest
performance and reliability that only an ISV-certified mobile workstation can provide. Such users include photographers, animators in the DCC space, scientists, financial traders, graphic artists, medical imaging personnel, engineers in the CAD/CAM/EDA space, and researchers in the oil and gas field. These customers make their livings using graphically and computationally intensive applications, and require a level of mobile powerhouse performance to design anywhere (even on-site with their partners) that cannot be achieved with a standard laptop or desktop.

LENOVO ENHANCED EXPERIENCE FOR WINDOWS 7
Faster Bootup and Shut Down

•Optimized boot – up to 56% faster and 40% faster shutdown process Win7-Lenovo Enhanced Experience
Built For Business

•Performance – robust, energy efficient systems with Intel Core-2 processors and multi-touch
•Work from anywhere – longest battery life, widest array of connectivity options, Access Connections
•Ultimate video/audio conferencing – light-adaptive two-megapixel camera, digital array mic, HQ speakers, dedicated keys, optimized for MS Office Communicator, Skype included
•Security – fingerprint ID, Self-encrypting drives, Hardware Password Manager, Rescue and Recovery
Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows® 7 Resources

•Learn About Windows® 7
•Learn about Lenovo Enhanced Experience
•Win7 for Business
•Win7 for Education