Brian Nelson
Brian Nelson (MCSE, CNA) is a professional freelance writer and small business owner with the freelance writing business ArcticLlama, LLC. Brian’s experience includes network and systems administration, financial planning and advising, and he even has a degree in Biochemistry. Brian specializes in several areas of highly technical writing for ArcticLlama including technology, science and medical. He is also a freelance financial writer specialist. He lives in Colorado with his wife and daughter. Brian contributes articles on Windows Server 2008 and other related topics.
- Website: http://www.arcticllama.com/
Brian Nelson has written 95 posts for TrainSignal Training
TrueCrypt the Windows Privacy Improvement Utility
By Brian Nelson ⋅ July 13, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment
Microsoft Windows comes under a lot of fire for its various security holes which can compromise your data and privacy. Add to that the numerous truck-sized wholes that are constantly found in Internet Explorer and you’ve got reason to be concerned about who has access to your data and how. Ready for a top-notch Windows [...]
Most Important Windows Utilities: Backup Software
By Brian Nelson ⋅ July 7, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment
Right after learning where the power button is and how to log on, one of the first maxims of computing that any user learns is to save often. Just as important, though frequently overlooked, is its corollary which is to backup frequently. Without a backup, what good are those files that you saved often in [...]
Speed Up Windows Programs By Replacing Acrobat Reader
By Brian Nelson ⋅ June 29, 2009 ⋅ 6 comments
A few weeks ago I talked about Adobe Acrobat replacement along with 7 other must have Windows utilities. Last week I showed you how to use CCleaner to improve Windows performance. Today I’m going to show you how to speed up your Windows by replacing Acrobat Reader. What started out as a tiny little utility [...]
How to Use CCleaner to Improve Windows Performance
By Brian Nelson ⋅ June 22, 2009 ⋅ 4 comments
CCleaner — Make Windows Faster, More Stable & Free Up Space Recently, we talked about 8 must have Windows utilities. Some improved Window’s default functionality via replacement utilities. Some of the top must have utilities improved security and privacy. But, CCleaner provides a critical function for high-performance Windows computing that doesn’t even exist in a [...]
Pando: Sharing Big Files The Easy Way
By Brian Nelson ⋅ June 4, 2009 ⋅ 3 comments
Pando is an online service that takes a different look at how larger files are sent and shared across the Internet. What Pando is not, is another online storage site. Today I’d like to tell you what Pano is about, how it works and what it can and cannot do. I’ll also tell you if [...]
5 Great Things About Server 2008 — Is an Upgrade Worth It?
By Brian Nelson ⋅ May 27, 2009 ⋅ One comment
The recent buzz surrounding Windows 7 has been the big news about Microsoft these days. However, Microsoft did just release SP2 for Windows Server 2008. Can IT get just as excited about the new server OS? Here are five great things about Windows Server 2008 and information that will help you decide if upgrading is [...]
8 Must Have Windows Utilities
By Brian Nelson ⋅ May 19, 2009 ⋅ 4 comments
With each new version of Windows, Microsoft incorporates more functionality and features. Some of these are welcome additions, and some of them seem like ill advised bloat. But, for all of the additions to Windows over the years, to get the most out of your computer, there are still features and functionality that you shouldn’t [...]
Windows 7 Killer App Is Windows XP
By Brian Nelson ⋅ May 5, 2009 ⋅ One comment
One of the major criticisms of Windows Vista was that for whatever benefits and drawbacks it did have, there was no compelling reason to upgrade. That is, there was no killer application to compel users to upgrade leaving Microsoft with no options other than to try and force people to Windows Vista by ending their [...]
GoGrid or Go Home – GoGrid Cloud Hosting
By Brian Nelson ⋅ April 21, 2009 ⋅ 2 comments
GoGrid Cloud Hosting provides online servers for cloud-based applications and other services without the hassle or overhead associated with building and installing servers and networking at your own location. Reasonable rates make this an option for most any online service offering. Cloud Computing and "The Cloud" Not long ago, being online meant having a [...]
Dropbox Online Storage Made Easy — For Free
By Brian Nelson ⋅ April 14, 2009 ⋅ One comment
Dropbox is an online storage service. In this crowded field, a service like Dropbox needs something to stand out. Dropbox’s hook is simple — simplicity. Store 2 GB online free in your box When it comes to online storage, there are dozens of players. Microsoft recently came on board with its SkyDrive offering as [...]
Is MDOP Windows 7’s Killer App?
By Brian Nelson ⋅ April 3, 2009 ⋅ 9 comments
One of the oft repeated criticisms of Windows Vista is that there was (and still is) no compelling reason to upgrade. After all, why spend over a hundred bucks to upgrade your computer when all you get out of it is some behind the scenes things. Maybe it is more secure, but if you run [...]
Windows 7 For Business — Features for Increased Manageability
By Brian Nelson ⋅ March 18, 2009 ⋅ One comment
If you have read a lot about Windows 7 lately, you aren’t alone. While Microsoft can hardly be happy about the beating they took over Windows Vista, it appears that in the long run, it may end up working out in the company’s favor. Everyone from mainstream journalists to trade publications to bloggers and other [...]
How-To Use Failover Clustering for High Availability on Server 2008
By Brian Nelson ⋅ March 16, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment
Server 2008 comes with many new features that make it easier to manage. It also comes with a few that make it an even more robust server computing platform for the enterprise. One of these features is Failover Clustering. Server clusters in Windows 2003 were so complicated to setup and manage that many companies opted [...]
Vista and Server 2008 Service Pack 2 RC Available Now
By Brian Nelson ⋅ March 12, 2009 ⋅ One comment
Vista SP2 and Windows Server SP2 — So Happy Together Much of the hubbub about Windows Vista has quieted down since Microsoft largely abandoned the product to refocus the court of public opinion on its re-branded Windows 7 OS instead. But, what many users, and unbiased commentators, have been noticing is that SP1 for Vista [...]
Windows 7 Beta Download Is Which Windows 7 Edition?
By Brian Nelson ⋅ March 9, 2009 ⋅ One comment
Microsoft caused a lot of buzz with its open Windows 7 Beta download earlier this year. With numerous users betting on a strategy of skipping Vista and waiting for Windows 7, it was a great opportunity to get a hands-on look at the next operating system forthcoming from Redmond. However, some confusion has rolled in [...]
How To Install, Configure and Use SNMP on Sever 2008
By Brian Nelson ⋅ March 3, 2009 ⋅ 4 comments
With the release of Server 2008, SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is now supported using IPv6. Prior editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 included SNMP support, but only with IPv4, even if the IPv6 stack was installed. Unfortunately, that means that SNMP management from Server 2008 will not communicate with SNMP services still [...]
Top 5 Tips For a Killer PowerPoint Presentation
By Brian Nelson ⋅ February 24, 2009 ⋅ 3 comments
PowerPoint 2007 comes with tons of new features and easier ways to use old features. Now, there is no excuse to not have a nice useful PowerPoint slide show. But, who wants nice and useful? You want a GREAT PowerPoint presentation and you’re going to get it when you use these Five Top Tips for [...]
Top 5 Worst Things To Do In A PowerPoint Presentation
By Brian Nelson ⋅ February 19, 2009 ⋅ 9 comments
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 provides a lot of great new features for designing, creating, and delivering presentations, so better presentations should be the norm. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ways to turn a regular PowerPoint presentation into a nightmare PowerPoint presentation. In hopes of saving you, and more importantly, your audience, the [...]
Microsoft’s Windows Vista Mojave Experiment’s Real Result
By Brian Nelson ⋅ February 5, 2009 ⋅ 19 comments
When Microsoft released the Windows Vista operating system to retail customers in January 2007, it was met by a wave of ambivalence and doubt. However, Vista was not unique in this regard. Business Week’s October 25, 2001 “Special Report” on Windows XP was titled “Not-So-Great XPectations”. But, unlike XP’s eventual march onto the computers of [...]
Free Guide To Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 Best New Features
By Brian Nelson ⋅ January 28, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment
Released as part of the Microsoft Office 2007 suite of applications, PowerPoint 2007 is the latest upgrade in what has become the de facto standard in presentation software. While much of the functionality remains essentially the same, there are some intriguing new features available for both slideshow presenters and those who create them. Here are [...]