July 1st begins a new era for GST at 6.0
percent. It also means Federal Income Tax will go up slightly for many
individuals to help pay for it. There will be some compensation for lower income families
however. Remember to implement these tax changes before you begin processing
your July Invoices and Payrolls.
Windows Vista will be Microsoft’s newest Operating
System and is likely to be released around the end of the year. It is currently
available in a Beta Test format for users that want to get an advanced look at
it. This is not an Operating System that we are recommending to the average
user. The reasons for this are as follows:
1) Windows XP has been Microsoft’s Flagship since 2001. As
such it has been well tested, is quite stable and is compatible with virtually
all computers and software available today.
2) Windows Vista as a new Operation System is bound to have
a few bugs out of the box and a large number of incompatibilities with many
computers and different versions of software.
3) Windows Vista will only run efficiently on relatively
fast computers with specifications equal to or better than the following:
-
3.0
GHz Processor
-
1
Gigabyte of Ram
-
160
Gb or Larger Hard Drive
-
256Mb
Advanced Video Card
-
DVD
Player /
By comparison, Windows XP will run on
much more basic computers. You can purchase a good computer to run Windows XP
for as little as $300.00. To run Windows Vista, you will pay about $1200.00. As
this level of computer becomes more common, the pricing will likely drop as
well, but that may take a year or two to happen as demand often dictates
pricing.
4) Windows XP will remain an option on new computers for at
least two to three years after the launch of Windows Vista, so there is no rush
to convert to it until such time as you absolutely need Windows Vista to run
some new program that you want. In this case, you may consider a standalone
computer to perform this function, one that has no backward compatibility
issues with your existing computers and software.
For some users Windows Vista will provide definite
advantages. The high-end computer and video card requirements will permit an
enhanced visual experience with much higher image resolutions. Programs such as
Graphic Design, Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing and Ultra Sophisticated
Computer Games will benefit from the available power. The average business user
on the other hand will get some benefit from the increased speed of the new
computers but little else if they do not use any of the target programs to
perform their day to day work.
It may be some time before we know what effect the new
system has on Libra’s Dos Mode Operation. We heard ominous warnings prior to
the release of Windows XP only to find that Libra ran just fine on Windows XP.
On the other hand many older Windows 95-98 programs would not run at all on
Windows XP. Many banks and institutions took several years to complete changes
to their on-line systems to cure these problems. Windows Vista may or may not
precipitate similar problems. Since a much higher number of individuals use
on-line services now as compared to 2001 this would likely be an even bigger
problem unless Microsoft builds in necessary backward compatibility.
Microsoft has issued a number of warnings for Windows
Vista regarding incompatibilities with some common software. This is still
however, very much a “Buyer Beware” situation. They are not likely to provide
fixes for relatively unknown software programs regardless of how vital they are
to your organization.
Our thanks to those companies and individuals who
sponsored us for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay For Life at the
Prostate Cancer like so many forms of Cancer is on the
rise. Men are recommended to have a check-up and an annual PSA test starting as
early as 40 years of age. While Prostate Cancer is less common in men in their
40’s and 50’s it is often more dangerous at that age. Remind your husbands,
brothers, fathers and yourself, if applicable, to have
it looked at next visit to the doctor.