Welcome to our February 2017 Newsletter
NEWS FROM THE SHOP
If you’ve been thinking about a new computer, come see us. We’ve got access to a number of different name brand systems and we also build custom systems.
Nice basic systems can be had in the $500 range and really super systems will generally fall in the $1000-1200 range.
MICROSOFT SUPPORT
I have lost track of the number of times I’ve heard of someone getting a call from “Microsoft” or seeing a popup on their screen telling them to call an 800 number to deal with an infected computer. These are almost ALWAYS scams designed to separate you from your money. If you let the scammers into your computer, they will typically lock things up until you pay them some outrageous amount of money to fix your computer.
We offer Safe Computing Packages for our residential clients. For a single fixed price each year, we’ll install anti-malware software on your computer and be just a phone call away so you can call US when you get one of those phone calls or popups. Trust me, any of our Safe Computing packages will be less expensive thanpaying the scammers to get your control of your computer back.
ALL THINGS GEEK
I’m going to depart from pure computer / Internet stuff this month and talk about something else I’ve been watching. Given that I’m both a geek and a car nut, the topic shouldn’t surprise anyone:
One of the more interesting tech developments over the past few years is the way that electric vehicle (EV) sales have started to take off. It used to be that someone driving a hybrid or an EV could easily be classified as a “tree hugger”. That isn’t the case anymore. People looking for cars that are economical to operate are starting to give EVs and hybrids a closer look. Toyota brought hybrids to the mainstream with their line of Prius models. Other car companies have followed suit with a range of hybrids to suit just about any need.
Although only about 1% of all cars sold currently are EVs or Plug-In Hybrids, with January’s sales being 59% over January 2016 numbers, things won’t stay that way for long. Cars that you plug in are already at the point where they are less expensive to operate than conventional gasoline powered cars. With battery prices continuing to decline, electric cars will become a very attractive option.
The 2017 Chevy Bolt, which won’t arrive here in Florida until mid-summer, has been named the Motor Week Car of the Year. With a 230+ mile range, it will fill the needs of most people. It is the first mass market pure EV that would work as a daily driver for me. Up until now, the range of affordable EVs has been too low to cover my periodic drives around the Tampa Bay area. A 70 mile range doesn’t cover my round trips to St. Pete or Tampa. A 200+ mile range covers it with range to spare.
Plug-In Hybrids are also very attractive. The second generation Chevy Volt uses regular gas instead of premium and promises to have a 1000 mile range between fillups. I can believe Chevy’s range claim. My son’s first generation Prius Plug-In, which a much shorter pure EV range, is easily capable of 700 plus miles between fillups. The biggest advantage of a plug-in hybrid over a pure EV is that you get the best of both worlds: Economical EV power around town and no limit on how far you can drive on a road trip. My son drove his Prius Plug-In all the way from California to Florida!
Most folks plug their cars in at home overnight to recharge. Public charging stations are popping up around the Tampa Bay area and they will make it easier to drive around without burning dead dinosaurs. We’ve got a handful of charging stations around town now and I expect that number to grow.
Where will this all go? My prediction is that we are looking at a sea change in cars similar to what we saw with the Internet over the last 20 years or so. Regardless of what we, or our leaders, believe about global warming, the economic benefits associated with electric vehicles will drive the sales growth of these vehicles.
We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It’s our way of keeping you posted on the happenings at our shop.
Thanks for your business!
Best regards,
Rob Marlowe
Gulfcoast Networking, Inc.
6335 Grand Blvd
New Port Richey, FL 34652
727-847-2424
(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)
©2017 Gulfcoast Networking, Inc