Open Sesame — for your CD-ROM tray!

If your computer is in a precarious or tight position, opening the CD tray can be cumbersome. Use this tip to have your computer open the CD tray for you. First, you need to create a shortcut on your desktop. Here’s how it is done: 1. Double-click on My Computer 2. Drag your CD-ROM icon to your desktop 3. Click on the Yes button from the resulting message box Now, any time you need to open your CD-ROM tray,...

MP3 Players

You can legally and in good conscience use and enjoy an MP3 player. An MP3 is a special compression code used to store music using less space. You may remember the now extinct Napster service where millions of people shared songs online using the MP3 format and the ongoing battle the music industry is fighting against ‘song swapping’. If you have your own CD collection, you can create your own digital music...

Learn to Use Your Digital Camera’s EXIF Data

In the olden days of photography, a true student of the hobby would carry a note pad and write down the shutter and film speed as well as the lens setting and information such as whether or not a flash was used. The photographer would then use this information as a reference in becoming familiar with the camera. Even with digital it is extremely important to learn how your camera reacts in various settings. Digital cameras...

Laptop vs. Desktop Computer II

Starting this week and for the next month, millions of students will be returning to school. Some of these students go to college, some to high school and some are adults going back to school part-time or nights. All these students can benefit from a computer. For the mobile lifestyle of students, I recommend getting a laptop. Laptops can not only be toted to class, the library or your home, more and more they can be...

Laptop vs. Desktop Computer

A question that has been popping up more and more lately from computer users looking to buy a new computer is: “Should I buy a laptop computer or desktop computer?” As with most computer shopping questions, the answer is ‘it depends’. In this article, I will point out the pros and cons of each and what type of user would benefit from a laptop. In terms of performance, both laptops and desktops handle...

Keeping Track of Your Computer Storage

This week?s tip is a prelude to my tip for next week and a follow up from last week?s tip. Following these steps, you can easily keep track of how much space you have on your computer for new documents and programs. 1. Double-click on the ?My Computer? icon on your desktop 2. RIGHT click on your hard drive (labeled C) 3. Click on Properties 4. An easy to read pie chart informs you how much free space and how...

Keep Your Computer Clean

I am often asked what is the best way to clean a computer. Here’s how to do it safely: In past tips, we discussed the importance of good air circulation around your CPU (Central Processing Unit)…the big box where you put CD’s and disks. One spot to start your cleaning is looking at the back end of the CPU and make sure that the vents do not contain too much lent and dust. If so, use a can of compressed air...

Is a Cordless, Optical Mouse in Your Future?

The two most used computer peripherals we use get the least amount of respect and thought…the mouse and keyboard. In fact, many of us shop for the cheapest possible mouse or keyboard when it comes to replace our existing one. If you still use a standard, corded mouse, you might want to strongly consider spending $30-40 on a new optical or cordless, optical mouse. The primary difference between an optical and standard...

Holiday Digital Photography

Nearly one out of every four homes in the United States own at least one digital camera. Chances are you are one of those households. And if you are one of those digital camera owners, you will probably be taking a few pictures this month. Following are some tips on how to take some interesting and fun photos during the holidays. * Keep your batteries charged or have extras available. “Kodak moments”...

Gaming Consoles vs. PC’s

While this gaming consoles (Nintendo Gamecube, Playstation2 and Xbox) may seem unrelated to computers, we assure you that it may have everything to do with the performance of your computer. While it many not seem practical to buy both a computer and a gaming console for yourself or your children, in the long run it will save you lots of money. A gaming console costs between $75-$250. A computer that handles the most...

Flat Panel and Laptop Monitors – Comfortable...

Flat panel monitors (those diminutive, skinny, sexy monitors no thicker than a couple of inches) now come packaged with many new computers. Their price drops over the past year make also them attractive upgrades for existing systems. Flat panel monitors use the same technology as the monitors laptops use..LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). These monitors look great and cause much less stress to our eyeballs, but sometimes the text...

Flash Memory Drives

A flash memory drive (a.k.a. thumb drive or USB drive) consists of a chip of memory (flash) mounted in a plastic case with a USB interface on one end (see the illustration for some examples). With Windows Me, 2000, XP and Macintosh computers, flash memory drives automatically get recognized as another storage drive on your computer. No installation CD’s, no formatting, just fast, safe removable storage. In addition to...

Digital Cameras

The Photo Marketing Association show was last week in Orlando, Florida and there were dozens of new cameras announced for the consumer level. If you have been putting off purchasing a new camera because you wanted to wait for the latest models, now is the time to consider making that purchase. This is also a great time to buy the older models at a closeout price. Here are the important features that you want to look...

Computer Add-ons and

Adding a few computer components or peripherals to your computer can breathe new life into your system and make you more productive at the same time. In this week’s tip, you will find some easy ‘do-it-yourself’ ideas for your computer. Cordless Mouse and/or Keyboard Lose the wires! Cordless mice make a great gift for a computing friend, and certainly for yourself. When shopping for one, make sure to get an...

CDR vs. CDRW

This week’s newsletter sparked a tremendous amount of email already about the use of CDR/W drives and their use. Specifically, newsletter readers were interested in knowing the difference between CDR and CDRW. In a nutshell, CDRW allows you to use a CD like a floppy disk and copy, delete and recopy files. CDRW’s do NOT work for music CD’s, and are not easily shared with other computer users. CDRW media also...