Windows Xp Upgrade Cheap Free

How to Get iOS 5 Beta for FREE Today!

Josh provided some great sources for getting iOS 5 beta for under $10 , but there’s still another alternative in getting the beta of Apple’s developer preview for the next-generation iOS software. To do this, all you need is a little Google (or Bing) searching and a bit of patience as the procedure is truly not hard.

Before you proceed with the upgrade, we should warn you of a few things, just to be clear. First, this is a beta software and bugs can exist. Second, you cannot downgrade to iOS 4.x if you change your mind or if you find that the beta doesn’t suit your needs. And third, you’re on your own if you brick your device. Your mileage will vary with Apple’s support center if something goes wrong with the beta.

Now, on to the fun stuff. Gizmodo had posted some great instructions on loading the software and activating it without registering your device through Apple’s developer program or via the cheap third-party alternatives. Essentially, all you’ll need to do is download the iOS 5 IPSW file from the web. You can locate this by using a search engine and downloading it unofficially. Next, update your phone through iTunes. When you connect your phone, click ‘Check for Update’ with the following keystrokes: Option and click on the Mac or Shift and click on the PC.

After it updates, a new activation screen will appear. To bypass activation, here’s what you do:

A gadget junkie writing about tech. Having grown up in Silicon Valley, I have discovered my passion and love for technology. Inspired by a vision of a truly mobile lifestyle, I began my foray into mobile tech with the PDA era. After owning my first Palm Pilot, my obsession expanded to include UMPCs, tablets, MIDs, smartphones of various platforms. And despite what some may call a tech addiction, the best moment of my week is during the weekends when I get to shut off my gadgets and spend time with family, friends, and loved ones in sunny California. As software, hardware, and the emerging cloud become better evolved, someday, there will be that perfect mobile device that will truly help people to balance work, life, and fun, melding the physical world with the digital. Hit me up on Twitter @chuongvision or Skype (ID: chuongvision).

The comment, “Second, you cannot downgrade to iOS 4.x if you change your mind or if you find that the beta doesn’t suit your needs”, is not true.I know this because I screwed up installing iOS5 beta not knowing about the activation. I have the Touch 4G and it was completely screwed up, couldn’t do anything with it. I had almost given up when I found this link - http://iphoneism.

Mastering the dark art of Windows virtual desktop licensing

Virtual desktop infrastructure isn't just for enterprises -- companies of all sizes can virtualize Windows desktops without breaking the bank by using products with low infrastructure requirements. But the question is how to license Windows virtual desktops in a way that is cost-effective.

Microsoft offers a few different options for licensing Windows in virtual desktop environments, but let's start with a way to avoid licensing costs altogether.

Licensing Windows virtual desktops -- for free Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate include a free license for XP Mode , which lets IT run a Windows XP virtual machine atop of Windows 7. Organizations need Microsoft's Virtual PC and a special copy of Windows XP -- both of which can be downloaded from Microsoft.

Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate with XP Mode costs $100 to $150 more than Windows Home Premium -- an operating system that may work for very small organizations using Small Business Server.

Backup: Any server or desktop system running in a virtual machine is stored as a file and can be backed up by simply copying the file. If a desktop or server running as a virtual machine fails, it can be restored quicker than a physical machine.

Application compatibility: It may be easier and cheaper to run a Windows XP application in a virtual machine on Windows 7 than to purchase an application upgrade solely to get something that will run on a new Windows 7 PC.

Management simplicity: A few standard virtual machine images or server-based Windows sessions can ensure that staff always has access to an optimized, stable, working environment.

While XP Mode is great for running legacy XP applications on Windows 7 machines, you can't run Windows 7 in XP Mode, because that would violate Microsoft's rule that only one copy of Windows 7 can run per PC (unless your company has Microsoft Software Assurance ). So, even if you fork out big bucks for a retail copy of the second OS, you can't legally run Windows 7 in a virtual machine atop the installed version of Windows 7.

However, there is a way to legally run Windows 7 in a virtual machine at no extra cost. This bleeding-edge approach involves running something other than Windows as the operating system on the PC, and then running Windows 7 in a virtual machine on top of it.

Organizations that want to try this are probably best off getting the OEM or a system builder to build a custom image. For example, Linux running on the physical machine, OEM Windows in a virtual machine, with a backup of the Windows-based virtual machine also stored on the computer's hard drive.

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