Keep track of your original computer documentation...

Lately too many customers have had to wait for repairs on their computers because I needed to order recovery CD sets from the manufacturer. This time and expense can be avoided if you do two simple things when you buy your new computer: 1.  Save all disks and/or documentation that comes in the box 2.  Since most manufacturers no longer send along recovery CDs and operating system CDs, it is up to you make them. Look for a...

Great digital photography debate topics

Technology is no different than politics in that there are a variety of topics that people have opinions on. While you may not know much about these topics now, what you know about them can have a great impact on knowing who to listen to when it comes to learning more about digital photography and related topics. PC vs. Mac: The Mac people will tell you that Macs are better for graphics, easier to use more stable. PC...

CDBurnerXP free CD burning and DVD burning softwar...

It’s already Wednesday and I just noticed that I haven’t posted anything all week. I better make this one count. I have helped a number of people do basic reformats lately and often they have old copies of Roxio EZ CD Creator. Any version older than 6.0 can cause some serious problems with Windows XP and AVG antivirus. If you would like to create music or data CDs or  data DVDs, CDBurnerXP is a free program...

Another sony proprietary technology bites the dust

For every Apple device that becomes a standard there is a Sony technology that becomes obsolete. Apple and Sony both got off to a great start in the early 80s. Apple introduced the Mac and Sony gave us the Walkman. From that point on, Apple has had only a handful of market failures and Sony has had nothing but. Sony announced their latest casualty this week by discontinuing their proprietary ATRAC audio compression file...

Stop buying floppy disks

  I have seen a number of people lately who have insisted on backing up on USB flash drives and floppy disks. Having two backups is always a good idea, but the era of  the floppy has come and gone. What’s wrong with floppies? 1. They scratch 2. They bend 3. Even a small particle of dust can hurt them 4. Almost any magnet can corrupt them – such as setting them too close to a computer...

Fun with Cameroon Pet Scams

I really love English Bulldogs. Recently I became aware of a common pet scam that is based on every other over seas Internet scam. Someone from Cameroon posts a desired breed up for a ridiculously low price. He/she asks for money plus shipping. You never get the dog. Here is my recent correspondence with one such scammer. I have resorted the posts from oldest to newest so you can enjoy the events as they occurred. For...

When to use CDs , DVDs or flash drives

With so many options for backing up today, people often get confused on which method is right for them. Typically there are three methods for backing up: 1. CD or DVD 2. Flash drive 3. External hard drive The method you choose should depend on the type of backup you are doing. CDs hold 700MB (about 300 pictures) while DVDs hold 4,700MB. But the amount of data that they hold is not as important as what you use the disks for....

Have you ever heard of these things called books?

I took a quick trip to Portland last weekend. While I was there I went into a few used book stores and bought some books to read on the long drive back. I was riding with my wife and Mother-in-law, both of which enjoy driving as much as I don't. Conversation was interesting but they got tired of me pretty quickly. They would sit for hours trying not to talk in fear that if they started a conversation, I might try to get...

Why haven’t software companies adapted to Vi...

It is no secret that I am not a big fan of Vista, however I understand that Microsoft isn't going to move backwards so Windows users will gradually have to adapt to the new OS. While consumers can take their time making the transition to the new Windows, there is no excuse for software designers who have dragged their feet in becoming Vista compatible. Although Vista has been out on the shelf for only a couple of weeks,...

Gadgets yield more gadgets

I have helped several people buy new computers lately. I don't sell computers or any other hardware so I am more of a personal shopper than a salesman when it comes to guiding people through their purchase. I think it's funny how gadgets always seem to yield more gadgets. Here is a short flowchart of how this process works. 1. A client calls and says that they need a new computer. They ask my advice on what they...

Transferring LP’s and Cassettes to CD

One of my customer's today was using an older Windows 98 machine to try and transfer LP's to her computer so she could then burn CD's. I will have some links at the end of this article for products that help perform this feat, but first I want to put into perspective the time involved: The average song is 4 minutes long. By the time you adjust levels, start and restart the song and then end the song to get it...

Organizing and Backing Up Photos

Getting organized: The best way to get your photos organized is to start with a system that works for you. My system is to create a single folder for all my digital photos on my hard drive. Inside that folder, called "Digital Pictures," I place a sub-folder for each month of the year. In each month's folder I may place more folders for each activity held during that month. For example: Digital Photos...

How to change your records to CDs

I subscribe to the "How to of the Day" tip from WikiHow.com. Yesterday then featured a great tip on how to change your old records into CDs. We have covered this a little on our website, but this tip is very thourough. ...

Give Picasa a try!

I just put that picture there to get your attention.  I’m not trying to brag, but I know more about digital photography than the average computer user. This is partly due to the fact that I took Photoshop classes in college for about three years. I love Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, but I can also appreciate that not everyone needs such a powerful program. Google has a free program called Picasa. Even with my...

Microsoft PowerPoint slideshows

Microsoft PowerPoint is a program for creating business presentations but many people use it for creating elaborate photo slide shows. In addition to discussing PowerPoint we also talked about a few PowerPoint alternatives. OpenOffice – a great free alternative to Microsoft Office Ulead Movie Factory – for creating Slideshows and movies on DVDs or CDs There are a couple of others that I failed to mention at the...