Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability.

A friend’s Windows XP PC is having troubles. He wants to copy its contents onto a separate backup drive. Will he encounter problems if he tries to transfer this material to a Windows 7 unit he plans to buy when available?

He should have no problem at all with the data files, such as Office documents, music or photos. However, it may not be possible to transfer the programs and settings without reinstalling them from the original disks or downloaded installation files. And he may also have to re-install any patches or updates to these programs. Microsoft plans some sort of system to make this process simpler than it might be, but I don’t yet know how it will work.

I am not a super techie but would like to view Internet videos from my computer, attached to my TV. What do you recommend? Is there a system or a product that would be best for my needs?

You very likely don’t need any special product, other than the right cables and, if need be, adapters, to connect your computer and your TV. This choice depends on the details of your computer’s graphics capabilities and output ports, and the input ports and capabilities of your TV. All of this is much easier if the PC and TV are relatively modern — say, two years old or less. But, whatever their age, you should visit a competent electronics store that sells cables, provide the staff with the details of the two products, and seek their specific advice.

With the rising popularity of the netbook, do you know, or expect, that Apple will come out with a netbook? I would be very interested in getting one.

I know of no such plans. In fact, Apple officials have said they have no interest in producing a netbook, which is a small, inexpensive laptop, and have disparaged the category. However, Apple is quite secretive, and sometimes enters categories it had previously laughed off. Also, there are persistent rumors that Apple is working on a flat, tablet-style computer — perhaps a much larger version of its iPod Touch pocket-size device. If these rumors prove true, such a tablet might compete with netbooks.

Our daughter has asked for nothing but a Nintendo DS game system for more than a year now. Her birthday’s in two weeks. She says she’d be happy with the cheaper DS Lite, but is it worth going with the new DSi for $40 more? Do you think the DS Lite will become obsolete, in terms of new games for it?

Obviously, this depends on your budget, and I don’t think there’ll never be another new game for the DS Lite. But if the $40 price difference isn’t an obstacle, I’d go with the DSi, because I assume that, over time, more and more games and other software will emerge that will run only on the higher-end model.

• You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online free of charge at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Q. Is there any way to watch high-definition TV on a Mac in real time — not downloaded from a service?

A. As on Windows computers, there are add-on TV tuners for Macs that can both receive and record TV programs in real time. Some of them can handle high-definition programming. The best-known company that sells such tuners for the Mac is called Elgato, at elgato.com.

Q. I’m interested in your perception of the Treo’s future. I currently use (and generally like) a Treo 650. I’d like to upgrade, but I’ve read recently that Palm’s future is uncertain. I wonder if you think the Treo is on a slippery slope down, while the Apple iPhone will likely improve.

A. I do believe that Palm has allowed its software to stagnate and hasn’t moved fast enough to make its hardware thinner and cheaper. However, there are also some positive signs at Palm. Its new Centro phone is pretty good, smaller and less costly than a Treo. And the company is receiving an influx of funds and talent from a group of outside investors with experience at Apple, among other places.

Palm’s fate and future may depend on the success of a project it has undertaken to create an entirely new operating system. But the outcome of that effort won’t be known for quite some time.

The iPhone, which is already very good, will likely get better, as it is just at the beginning of its life. It has raised the bar for other smart-phone makers, such as Palm, especially when it comes to software. But I expect other companies to match at least some of the iPhone’s features and style, which means Apple will have to hustle to keep its lead. In the past five years, Apple has done very well at staying ahead of competitors in the design of its computers and portable music players. But the cellphone business is full of companies with more imagination than the typical PC maker and more resources than many makers of portable music players, so the challenge for Apple will be greater.

Q. My mom is legally blind and has difficulty working with email and downloading files. I try to help her by phone, but it never works, and we live far apart, so I can’t just go over to help her. I would like to install an application on her PC where I can take over remotely from home. Do you have any suggestions for this type of application?

A. There are a number of possibilities. One very simple option is a program called CrossLoop, at crossloop.com. Some versions of Windows, such as Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista Ultimate, also have remote desktop control built in.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Can you recommend a device that would allow me to surf the Web on a bedroom television connected via Ethernet and to control the device via a wireless keyboard or remote control?

Perhaps the most direct approach would be to buy the MSN TV 2 device from Microsoft that is specifically meant for browsing the Web on a TV from a distance and can be used with Ethernet. It costs $200, plus a monthly fee, comes with a wireless keyboard and remote, and can be ordered at msntv.com.

A second option would be to buy a small computer with a wireless keyboard and hook it up to the bedroom TV instead of to a computer monitor. For instance, I have surfed the Web this way using a tiny $599 Mac Mini computer from Apple, which comes with a wireless remote and accepts almost any wireless keyboard, though it doesn’t come with one. There are numerous Windows computers that could do the same, and many cost less, though most are larger.

Another method would be to use a game console capable of surfing the Web, even if you have no intention of playing games. These are made to work with TV sets, and some can use a wireless keyboard and/or wireless controller to do the job. For instance, the $250 Nintendo Wii game machine has an optional Web-browsing function.

Apple has released a Windows beta version of Safari. Is it any safer to use than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer?

It’s too early to tell, as the Windows version of Safari is still in beta and is very new, to users and hackers alike.

Certainly, operating in Windows will make Safari much more vulnerable to attack than it is on the Macintosh operating system, if only because the writers of malicious software aim their firepower overwhelmingly at Windows. While Internet Explorer is hardly impregnable, it has become safer over the years, and Microsoft certainly has much more experience battling Windows security issues than Apple does. Apple has already issued some security updates for this new version of Safari and will undoubtedly have to keep issuing more to keep ahead of the bad guys.

I am thinking of buying a ThinkPad laptop from Lenovo with AT&T BroadbandConnect. Do I still need to buy some sort of card from AT&T and insert it into the laptop, and must I pay a subscription fee to them?

No, and yes. The laptop likely has the modem for AT&T built in, so you can connect to the Internet via AT&T’s cellular network without buying an external card. However, the service isn’t free. You can’t use it without a subscription, which typically runs $60 a month.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online free of charge at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com