Meet a Windows Enthusiast: MSherwood

MSherwood is a Windows Forums moderator and runs a blog over at MyWindowsPC. In this interview, you’ll get to know him better and learn about some of the things he likes to do.

Who is MSherwood? What does he like to do outside the world of computers?
Well, computers only take up a small portion of my time. When I’m not on a computer, I’m at work in investment operations, plugging away at my information systems degree, or spending time on one of several hobbies, which include:

• Spending time with my wife
• Playing Golf
• Playing/watching baseball, or any other sport for that matter
• Taking care of living things, especially my freshwater aquarium and bonsai

What is your favorite quote and why?

“You can always become better”
-Tiger Woods

First of all, I love Tiger Woods. I love the way he plays the game, I love how competitive he is, and I love how he shows in this quote that even if you are the best in the world at something, you can become even better if you have the desire. I hope that someday I can be the Tiger Woods of something.

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
Wow. The ability to give myself any other superpower? Does that qualify? Seriously though, I would probably want to fly. I’ve always had a fascination with airplanes and flight, and it would be pretty cool to fly sans the plane part.

What encourages you to help people on Windows Forums?
The sheer frustration we can at sometimes face with computers. For those of us who grew to adulthood without the internet for the most part, when you face a problem and have limited resources and contacts it becomes very difficult to find a solution. Now that everyone can be connected we have the best minds on the job and usually find a solution within a much shorter timespan. When I grew up there was no help and it was all trial-and-error. I think that is where all the gurus come from.

Do you have any plans to start a website?
You betcha. I have very limited experience with HTML and Javascript but after I get my blog going steadily on MyWindowsPC I will probably convert that over to my own website. I want to focus on new software and developments from the Microsoft community mixed with reviews and tutorials on how to get the most out of Windows and Windows Mobile (my new baby), among other things. Right now there are so many forums that cover these areas but not one place where you can go to get the information on all of them. I want to bring all of that together. I may even branch out to security and other things depending on where my knowledge takes me the next couple of years. It will be a lot like Mintywhite but focusing on things outside of Windows as well.

Where do you see your website in five years?
Well, hopefully I’ll be doing a preview on Windows 9, Windows Mobile 8, Office 16, and creating a community of techies that help each other get the most out of all these things. If I’m only a fraction as popular as Mintywhite I’ll count myself lucky.

You’ve tested Windows 7 extensively, do you think this OS will replace XP in the near future?
Definitely yes, for a couple reasons:

• Microsoft wants it to. It’s cutting support, stopping patches, and really pushing enterprises towards 7. XP will die the death this time.
• In my opinion, it blows XP away. I’ve been using 7 exclusively since the Beta launch and the performance and eye candy just can’t be matched. And that was a beta. Everyone gripes, “Oh, but XP is so stable and works on older machines” and that’s true. But 7 is stable, and one day your old hardware won’t cut it anymore. And even Vista is stable, to a certain extent. I’ve used them all, and 7 is the best by far. It optimizes new and old hardware to its fullest extent and offers the easiest OS to use from Microsoft… ever. So although XP may still be stable like an old trusty pickup, I’d rather drive the Ferrari.

What is your number one Windows tip?
Never give up. If you don’t like the way something works, chances are it can be changed. If something isn’t working, chances are there’s a fairly easy solution. Computers are excellent tools and they’ll do whatever we want them to if we know how to order it around. So keep at it, ask for a little help, and in no time you will be enjoying your PC to a fuller extent than you ever have before.

Thanks MSherwood! Good luck with your new blog and everything you love to do. Thanks for your help!