I realize that many of you have already been exposed to Google Buzz, or at least heard the name, and that this article might seem a little untimely.  After all, Google Buzz was released about a month ago (February 9, 2010).  The reason I waited to comment on Google Buzz was two-fold: 1) The initial reaction to Google Buzz was panic! (early issues with privacy) and 2) I wasn’t sure if I would even use Buzz for personal and/or business updates.  Why would I review or recommend a product for the JumpstartMyPC.com audience if it (Buzz) wasn’t a useful tool that would help you get more out of your PC?  Well, I finally spent some time with this new application and I think I’ve wrapped my mind around it.

What Exactly is Google Buzz?

According to WikiPedia “Google Buzz is a social networking and messaging tool from Google, designed to integrate into the company’s web-based email program, Gmail. Users can share links, photos, videos, status messages and comments organized in “conversations” and visible in the user’s inbox.”  The definition is spot-on, but other than the Gmail integration, what makes Google Buzz any different from MySpace, Facebook or any of the other social networking sites out there?  I could post a bunch of screen-shots and commentary, but a quick video will explain Buzz much more effectively.

To me, Google Buzz is the Lite version of social networking.  Why?  Because you don’t have to spend an eternity setting it up, the feature set is very limited and (this is the best part) the distractions are minimal.

Setup

• If you have a Gmail account, you are already a Buzz user.  Just look for the link under your inbox.
• If you want to try Buzz and see what it’s all about, all you have to do is sign up for a FREE Gmail account.  **If you decide to stick around, you can import your old mail and contacts fromYahoo!, Hotmail, AOL or other webmail or POP3 accounts (which covers just about everyone).
• Add personal information or don’t!  This is entirely up to you.

Limited Features

• Post your own buzz-worthy links and photos.  Follow others to see what they post.  That’s it!  If you can copy and paste, you can use Buzz!
• There are no apps, so you don’t have to worry about joining the Mafia or taking care of your Farm-Town/Ville.

Distractions Gone

• Ads are limited to a tiny little bar at the top (almost forgot about it even being there).
• Again, no apps – meaning no games, clubs, groups, etc. to join or worry about.

The Verdict

Click Here

My overall opinion of Google Buzz is “wait-and-see.”  Google will not give up on Buzz any time soon and (as blogger Dan Sung put it) “it’s the refinements that will make it into something deeper and more diverse.”  Who knows what the future holds for Google Buzz?

However, I have some suggestions for those of you with different “backgrounds.”  Depending on your current setup (email), affiliations (other social networking sites) or tolerance level, you might want to give Buzz a chance.

Scenario 1: The Rookie

You have email and use it to communicate with a limited group of friends and family.  Either you don’t care about social networking or you are one of the “I don’t want to know what everyone is up to all the time and I don’t care to let others know what I am doing at any time” camp.

Suggestion

Google Buzz is perfect for you!  Just sign up for that FREE Gmail account and add ONLY the people that you already email.  Don’t give out this new address to anyone but those you already email.  Post away using the Private option and you won’t have to worry about anyone else seeing what you submit.  If you like it, hang around.  If not, delete the account and walk away.

Scenario 2: The Middle Man

You tried Facebook, but it wasn’t your thing.  Too much going on and you are too busy to check it all the time.  You post an update here and there, but don’t really “feel” like a Facebook person.  Twitter sounds like something only a bird would do or maybe you are just a little bit curious to see what’s going on in the Twitter world.

Suggestion

Google Buzz might be a good way to ease into sharing a bit more.  Using Gmail means that Buzz is literally one click away and (as we pointed out) there are limited distractions.  You can “follow” people or companies that you have an interest in and check your Buzz when you have time.  No pressure.  You don’t even have to post anything if you don’t want to.

Scenario 3: Social Guru

You are everywhere in the social networking world: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  You can’t get enough new information and you love the applications and “noise” of these sites.  You follow several blogs and/or have a blog of your own.

Suggestion

Buzz might be too little for your needs.  You would just be reinventing the wheel if you had to set up another profile.  However, a Buzz page would be a good way to increase your audience and spread the word about your online presence.  OK, maybe you should try it out anyway.

Here is an example.  I have a 2 year old Dell laptop that I am working on currently.  The owner was having an issue with their wireless internet connection (Wi-Fi).  The connection would drop regularly on the laptop, while all other computers in the house continued to function properly, and the only viable solution was to run a cable from the router to the laptop, which was in a different section of the house.  Not only is a cable like this expensive, but there was now this horrible eyesore running across the floors of 2 rooms and a hallway.  Needless to say, the owner was not happy and wasn’t sure where to turn.  After about 30 minutes of testing, restarting, changing settings and getting frustrated, I decided to check for a driver update.  Bingo! Problem solved.

What is a Driver?

According to Microsoft “A driver is software that allows your computer to communicate with hardware or devices. Without drivers, the hardware you connect to your computer—for example, a video card or a webcam—will not work properly.”  When you first get a computer, the hardware and corresponding drivers are loaded and functioning (hopefully).  Over time, you might add hardware, in which case a software installation CD handles the installation of the new drivers.  You might plug in a new device, like an external hard drive or a camera.  Windows automatically searches and installs the appropriate driver for you, in most cases.  But there are other times when updating a driver can be both helpful and might even yield some bonuses.

After a manufacturer has shipped a product and you buy it, things change.  New problems are discovered.  Operating systems change or are updated.  New technologies are introduced for storage, wireless networking, etc.  The manufacturer updates a driver for the device to handle these changes, but there is a big problem.  They don’t bother to tell you that there are new drivers!  There are softwares and mailing lists that you can implement to help you get the latest and greatest information, but very few people use these tools.  The only time people worry about driver udpates is when their PC or an installed device malfunctions (like the wireless networking adapter in my example).

Some driver updates are not purely the result of problems.  In some cases, a new driver can unveil added capabilities or features.  In the Wi-Fi example above, the installation of the new driver solved our problem, but it also gave us faster connection speeds and a new program for managing our wireless connections.  As it turns out, the wireless networking adapater (the part that was causing the issues) was capable of connecting via a newly approved wireless connection standard and the driver update was all it needed to “kickstart” this new feature.  The owner is now getting download speeds 3 times greater than before.

How Do I Know if I Should  Update?

This is where things get tricky.  It is possible to cause some damage to your system if you update using the wrong drivers.  In my opinion, the safest way to check for and obtain the proper drivers for your desktop/laptop is to visit the “drivers and downloads” section of your manufacturer’s web site.  Here are a few links to get you started:

• Dell Computers – Click Here
• Gateway Computers – Click Here
• Acer Computers – Click Here
• HP Computers – Click Here

What’s great about most of these sites is you can simply type in your make/model and they will provide you with the latest drivers for your hardware.  They have already tested the new drivers on a PC just like yours and know that the driver will improve performance.  Some manufacturers, like Dell, even have service tag codes for each PC.  This means you can check for a sticker on your tower/laptop, type in the code (letters and numbers) on their web site and find the drivers you need in just a few clicks.

Dell's Driver Wizard Helps You Locate the Proper Drivers

You might be able to find drivers on other web sites or even tell Windows to automatically locate the best driver for a device, but I would strongly urge against that.  These “other services” do not know anything about your computer, corresponding components or tweaks that the manufacturer might have made to your setup.  Installing a “bad driver” could crash your system or a single component.  It’s best to avoid issues like this by sticking with the manufacturer’s suggestions.

The idea behind LogMeIn Free is very simple and it is very easy to use.  Installation requires a few minutes of setup and access to the computer you want to control remotely.  When I first stumbled on this service I installed it on my laptop at home and then used my work computer to access and control that laptop from my office.  This allowed me to use my free time at work for something productive and gave me on-the-go access to files and favorites that I had stored on my personal computer.  I soon found myself using my lunch break to organize my iTunes library, clean up the hard drive, and perform basic maintenance on my personal computer from 27 miles away.  But this got me to thinking “what else can I use this tool for?”  I bet you are asking yourself a similar question like “why would I use or need this?”

1)  Multiple Computers – If you own more than one computer or have a personal and a work PC (like I did) you probably find yourself hunting for files, trying to remember the web site you recently visited or wishing you could use a program that you only have on one computer.   Using a software like LogMeIn Free allows you to do this from any computer with a high speed connection.

2) Home Networking – Maybe you have more than one computer at home.  Setting up a home network is not the easiest task in the world, so do away with the complications and just use LogMeIn Free to access the other computers in the house.  Not only will you be able to access the files, but you can take full control of the other computer, just as if you were sitting right in front of it.

3) Music – Take an older computer and turn it into an iTunes PC.  Having only iTunes and a large hard drive, you can use that PC in conjunction with your home stereo system as a jukebox.  Now any other computer becomes a remote control, from anywhere in the house.

4) Family IT – A one time install of LogMeIn Free on your relative’s PC allows you quick and easy access to their computer.  Now you can solve those PC problems without getting in the car and driving over.  Just log in and see what they see.  You could even take control of their computer and use it to do a little remote training.

5) Sensitive Information – Do you have private information that you don’t want others to access?  Maybe you are afraid that your company is checking on the contents of your work computer or you have to turn over your computer for repairs and you aren’t sure who will be looking at it.  By keeping your files on your personal computer, you won’t have to worry.

6) Insurance – Who knows what is going to happen at work next?  You could be part of the next layoff.  It’s a horrible thought, but are you prepared to hand over your work computer?  What is on there that you won’t have access to any longer?  Pictures, music, movies, etc.  By keeping these types of files at home, you won’t have to worry if that day ever comes.

LogMeIn Free does have some limitations, but what do you expect for the price of $0.00?  LogMeIn offers other products, in case you need a bit more control.  I actually ended up upgrading to LogMeIn Pro, which allows me enhanced file transfer features, printing capabilities and more.  I would say that the average user won’t need these features, but you never know.  Start with the FREE version and see what you think.  You will not be disappointed.