It has been ten days since Microsoft introduced Windows 7 to the world. Within the first 24 hours I had purchased the Family Pack that allowed me to upgrade three computers to Windows 7 Home Premium. I eagerly waited for delivery of the Family Pack to bring my home computers up to this new operating system.

Trying to determine the appropriate upgrade path to get to Windows 7 is not the easiest thing in the world. Microsoft has multiple versions of the operating system and a multi-column matrix that is supposed to help you figure out which version you need. Much of this is determined by what operating system you are currently running.

When Microsoft introduced Vista, there was a lot of discussion about how difficult the company made it by having so many different versions of their operating system to choose from. When Windows 7 was introduced, they took that to heart and reduced the number of versions; or so they say.

Windows 7 comes in four different flavors: Starter, Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. Of course each of these versions also comes in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Then of course you have decide if you need a full version or an upgrade so there is a staggering 12 different permutations to choose from. Not exactly a recipe for a good customer experience.

I had initially decided I would install Windows 7 Professional as it seemed to have the features I was interested in including having VPN access and bit-locker for when I need to work remotely. Unfortunately Microsoft does not offer a multi-pack of that version pushing me instead to Home Premium.

The Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack provides you with three licenses to install the software on three computers that already have some version of Microsoft Windows loaded upon them. If you have new computers or if your computers are running a different operating system then the Family Pack licenses are not supposed to work.

I say not supposed to since these are upgrade licenses meaning it is assumed a previous version of Windows is present. There are tutorials on the Internet that will show you how to get around this stipulation but to be in compliance with the license you should have a previous version of Windows.

That being said, it should be noted that unless you are doing an upgrade from Vista, you really aren’t upgrading as much as you are erasing the hard drive and starting over with Windows 7. The Upgrade option in the software only recognizes existing hard drive partitions containing Vista.

If you are running Windows XP or below, you are forced to do a “Custom Install” which basically overwrites your Windows installation installing Windows 7 in its place. This means you will lose all your data from your hard drive so it is imperative that you back-up before beginning this “upgrade”.

Before I actually installed the software I ran the Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see what software or hardware would not run or needed to be upgraded. On every one of the computers I tried the upgrade advisor stated that my video card was incompatible with the Aero interface.

It did not matter what video card I tried, ATI or nVidia, or the level of GPU, all of the configurations stated that I could not run the Aero interface. After a search on the Internet I found that in all cases the GPU was indeed compatible and worked fine with Aero. This of course put into question whether any of the information provided by the Upgrade Advisor was accurate.

The days of people having a single computer in their house have long since past for most people. It is not uncommon for a household to have several computers. In our case each member of the family has their own computer meaning we have six computers in our house. Three of the computers are running Mac OS X while three are under Windows.

When Apple introduced Snow Leopard I was able to buy a family pack that provided five licenses to run the new operating system. I was hoping that Microsoft would do something similar. I was relieved to find that Microsoft would offer a family pack but only for Windows 7 Home Premium. Further the licenses were limited to three rather than Apple’s five.

The cost of the Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack was set at $149.95 which is only $30 more than a single license of Windows 7 Home Premium. Of course it is $100 more than the Apple OS X Snow Leopard Family Pack and contains two fewer licenses so the deal is relative.

The Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack contains both 32-bit and 64-bit versions so that was a welcomed relief. The Windows 7 Ultimate version that I received contained only the 32-bit version. When I contacted Microsoft for the 64-bit I was told I needed to send in the 32-bit DVD and wait 30-60 days for a new disc and even then they could not promise I would receive one.

I started with my daughter’s computer which was running Windows XP Professional. Her computer had an AMD dual-core processor, 4 GB of RAM, an ATI video card, and a 320GB hard disk. The upgrade began and I sat back waiting for it to complete. In the middle the screen turned blue and the computer hung up. Finally after three hours I rebooted. The upgrade continued and completed normally after the restart.

I thought things were ok but when I tried to install Microsoft Office 2007 it failed with several errors about not having access to write to the registry. After another two hours trying various things to get Office 2007 to load I finally gave up.

I deleted the disk partition where Windows 7 was installed and created a new partition. After doing this I started the Windows 7 upgrade again and this time it went without issue. I was able to install Office 2007 and other applications. I have no idea what happened during the first upgrade but I was finally successful.

The next computer I upgraded was my son’s small form factor Shuttle with an Intel dual-core processor, 4 GB RAM, 750GB hard drive, and integrated graphics which was running Windows XP Professional.

In this case I ran the utility to transfer users and settings to an external hard drive. The transfer program worked well but you need to be careful. The application does not appear to differentiate between two hard drives so all of his music that was located on a second hard drive was transferred to the external hard drive.

I upgraded this computer to 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium. Since I was running Windows XP it erased the existing Windows system and installed Windows 7. This upgrade went without incident and once completed worked flawlessly.

I ran the transfer utility again and it gave me errors that there was not enough room to restore the users and settings. After some troubleshooting I realized that the utility was attempting to restore his music that was located on a separate hard drive onto the Windows 7 boot drive. Once I told the transfer utility to only restore users and settings it completed successfully.

The final system I upgraded had Vista Ultimate 64-bit loaded on it. I had some issues when I tried to upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium since the system explained that many of the features of Vista Ultimate would be lost. I ended up just telling the system to do a custom install that would blow away the Vista data.

Once I chose that it upgraded the system without incident. All three computers are now running Windows 7 Home Premium and seem to be working well. They are all running Aero without incident so I am not sure what the Upgrade Advisor is looking for when it comes to compatibility.

So far Windows 7 seems faster than Vista was. The XP machines don’t seem any faster but they don’t seem any slower either so I guess that’s a plus. The kids like the Aero interface and in general have been happy since the upgrade.

I guess I would say at this point that Windows 7 is better than Vista was when released but it is still too early to tell whether the upgrade was really worth all the hassle that I seemed to have.

There is perhaps no subject that polarizes the motorcycle community quite like exhaust systems. It is not just the type of exhaust that is divisive, sound and noise are also factors when it comes to discussing exhaust systems.

Lately there has been a lot more negative press surrounding the use of after-market exhaust systems. Residents and other drivers are complaining of the noise pollution that accompanies many of the systems.

The complaints are most often the result of a biker installing an exhaust system without the necessary sound dampeners making their bike extremely loud. I have been on rides with bikers whose exhaust systems are so loud that they set off automobile alarms just from starting the bikes.

We all love a deep throaty sound that the Harley-Davidson Twin engine makes but bikes need to be aware of how loud their bikes have become otherwise we are destined to have legislature introduced that will limit the products that can be used on the street.

Already there are several states considering noise laws that make it unlawful for riders to install many products due to the amount of noise that the pipes produce.

The stock exhaust system on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle has been designed as a compromise between performance and sound. When I first bought my Night Train I was surprised to hear how quiet the stock pipes were. Most of the bikes I had been around before had modified exhaust systems.

For the first three years I rode with stock pipes on my Night Train and was under the impression that they were adequate for the type of riding I was doing and I was conscious of the noise implications and did not want to be identified as part of the problem.

The funny thing was that during those years I had several close calls with motorists who pulled in front of me or changed lanes as if I did not exist. I am a very defensive rider so I was able to steer clear of a potential accident but the trend was making me very nervous.

After my wife witnessed one of these close calls she made the comment that somehow the drivers of cars need to be more aware of cyclists. About this time I decided that I really wanted to change exhaust systems to something a little more open.

I selected the Vance & Hines staggered Big Shots exhaust system. I liked the look of the Vance & Hines pipes and was impressed with their reputation.

I was a little concerned about the noise level; I wanted something a little louder than stock but not over bearing. With the new exhaust system in place I started the bike up. I immediately knew the difference between this exhaust system and the stock system.

They are indeed louder than the stock pipes but are still within a reasonable sound range. Talking to my neighbors they admitted the bike was now louder but none of them would classify the bike as being obnoxious or overly loud.

With the new exhaust system I quickly noticed a difference. With a less restrictive flow than the stock exhaust there was an increase in acceleration. Besides the new pipes I also installed a change to the bikes jet system to make sure it was receiving the proper mixture of fuel.

I’ve been quite happy with the Vance & Hines exhaust system. Whether directly attributed to the bikes or some other factor I have not had the close calls I did before on the road. I believe the slightly louder pipes have resulted in drivers being more aware of my bike and therefore are less apt to change lanes or pull in front of me.

The quality of the exhaust system is first rate. The stainless steel pips with built in heat shields remain perfectly polished and lend a more street savvy look to the bike. The bright chrome pipes are a distinct contrast against the blacked out look of the Harley-Davidson Night Train making it all the more impressive.

While I do not condone extreme exhaust modification and believe we are all responsible for maintaining a level of peace by minimizing noise pollution I do think that a little more noise than the stock pipes are warranted to make sure the other drivers notice us. It’s a change I would definitely make again if given the opportunity. This bike upgrade may just have saved my life.

For whatever reason I always seem intent on being on the bleeding edge of technology. Perhaps it is an inherent desire to be an adventurer, maybe it is curiosity but I always seem to be upgrading or updating to new stuff well before I probably should.

These upgrades never quite work out the way I envisioned them. Oh sure there are some like Windows 3.0 that were so astronomically superior to the previous version that I never looked back but for every one of those experiences I have ten like the day I upgraded to Microsoft Vista on release day.

Today marks another one of those milestone days in Microsoft history. Today they released Windows 7, their follow on product to the highly unsuccessful Microsoft Vista. I shouldn’t say Vista was highly unsuccessful, after several months of pain and suffering it did get better.

Still there were more than a few annoyances that remained with the operating system and of course the gigantic black eye it received at launch that caused the product to never gain a strong foothold in the marketplace.

All of that is about to be forgotten as people begin to purchase and upgrade to this new version. Release day is almost anti-climatic since public beta versions of he software have been out for what seems like years.

Many of the problems users suffered through with Vista have been cleaned up and there are sufficient amounts of new features to make this a must have for many Microsoft Windows users. Considering most people are probably still using Windows XP, this is a necessary change to make the platform more reliable and safer.

Today was not just the release of Windows 7 though. It was also the grand opening for the new Microsoft store in Scottsdale Arizona. Yet again Microsoft is “borrowing” from Apple’s success to open their own branded store hoping to cash in at the retail channel.

The store has a grand opening at 10 AM but people have been lining up well before that. It is probably equal parts curiosity and free swag that is bringing the people out to this event. For the first 1,000 people in the store Microsoft is giving away free gifts. For the first 100 in the store they are giving away concert tickets.

As part of the grand opening, Microsoft has spared no expense and has brought in a recording artist to entertain the customers. In Scottsdale the entertainer is Ashley Tisdale from the Disney Channel. Ms. Tisdale has a couple of albums under her belt but she is best known for her work in Disney’s High School Musical trilogy.

What that means though is that the Microsoft Store will be inundated with a combination if geeky Microsoft fan boys and tween mall rats. That may not be the best demographic to target your new operating system and products to but that’s what they are going to get at least on the first day of business.

I think Microsoft needed to do something especially in Arizona where interest in the new Windows 7 platform does not seem to be gaining a lot of momentum in the market. There is some buzz as there always is just as a new product is released but not nearly as much as Apple seems to raise when they release a new product.

With an Apple introduction there seems to be lines everywhere as people wait for an opportunity to purchase one of the first ones. When Apple introduced the iPhone people camped out for days waiting in line for a chance to purchase. Stores even opened early to get through all the mobs of people lined up.

For the Microsoft Windows 7 release none of the local stores appear to be doing anything more than having a kiosk with the new operating system and someone who can answer questions. I have not found any stores in the immediate area who planned a midnight opening or any special coming out party.

This is in stark contrast to just this past Tuesday when several businesses had a midnight opening to allow people the opportunity to purchase the movie Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen. It makes you wonder what Microsoft is doing from a marketing perspective if a DVD sale for a Hollywood sequel garners more press and excitement than a new operating system.

I’m still undecided whether I will make a trip to Scottsdale to see the new Microsoft Store for myself. Although I plan on upgrading to Windows 7 before the week is over I find my excitement is waning a little. Instead maybe I’ll stay home and watch Transformers 2 on Blu-Ray. After all it is the hottest movie of the season according to the Geek Squad at Best Buy when I was there Tuesday night at midnight.

After nearly three years of using Movable Type as the engine for my personal blog I have decided to change direction. It is not that I disliked Movable Type or that I found it incapable of doing the job. It just seemed like whenever I needed to change something it took longer for me to do than it really should. Although I am a card-carrying geek that doesn’t mean I want to spend all of my time learning and relearning how to get something done.

If I were to pinpoint one aspect of Movable Type that caused me angst it would have to be the template system. When I first started with the software it was the feature that drew me to using Movable Type. I loved the idea of creating templates to make my blog just a little bit unique.

What I did not fully comprehend was what impact that would have in the long run. Whenever Six Apart would introduce a new version of Movable Type, they would upgrade the default templates. I took that to mean that my site would immediately benefit from the new features built into the templates. Unfortunately I was wrong in my assumption.

In order for me to take advantage of the new templates, I would have to incorporate the changes into the “theme” that I was using. Initially I had selected a theme that would give me the look and feel I wanted. As my needs and ideas changed I would “tweak” the theme to include a new feature here and there. The result was a theme that worked for me but now deviated dramatically from the default templates.

This deviation meant that I was unable to take advantage of the newer default templates without having to do a full rewrite incorporating my changes into the new templates. That wouldn’t be so bad except I had to do that with each new version. I soon found that I was spending more time managing templates than I was actually writing which is never a good thing.

So after three years of this never ending cycle I came to a cross roads of deciding whether to again update the templates to my blog or find an alternative. Since I had a few days to kill with my family out of town I chose to move to a different platform.

I selected WordPress as the new platform for my blog. It seems quite robust and offers many of the features I had come to rely on with Movable Type. I’m now evaluating the engine and making a few additions where necessary to see how it will handle what I am trying to accomplish. So far I have been impressed with the software overall.

The key is going to be how does it handle the migration of data from Movable Type. Without a good migration utility this exercise will end quickly and I will be back to using Movable Type. As I progress down this evaluation I’ll try to note what I’ve found in case anyone should attempt what I am about to do on their own.