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 / DVD-Writer Drive
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 Brampton Fair Grounds. While we can’t say that
we walked the full 12 hours straight, we did manage to stay up all night and
complete 20 to 30 laps around the 1 kilometre track. I lost count about 4:00 in
the morning. Our team from the Prostate Cancer group raised about $2000.00.
Altogether, over $350,000.00 was raised by the thousands of people that
participated.
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.