All of you can now see the newsletter/daily web site update subscriber number over to the right of this article. If you are a subscriber, thank you very much, I appreciate your support. For those of you who are not yet subscribed, please enter your email in the box and click subscribe. It takes just a moment, and you’ll never… Read More »Help Rick…please!
NOTE: This is an older article, please see my latest Computer Security recommendations here. AVG 8.5 is still free (for home users), it is being offered now, but it isn’t at all critical to get yet. If you still haven’t upgraded from 7.5 to 8.0, then go the whole nine yards and get 8.5. But if you are using 8.0,… Read More »No rush to get AVG 8.5
Lately, I’ve noticed that Google has been trying to help search results by adding similarly worded search terms or phrases to the end of the first page of results. If you aren’t quite finding what you hoped to find, try clicking some of the Google suggestions. Also, Google announced today that they will be expanding the web page summaries included… Read More »Two new features for your Google searching
Despite the extreme professional presentation of all my videos (tongue firmly planted in cheek), I thought it might be interesting to give you a look into some of the stuff that hits the editing floor. I estimate that for every minute of video you watch of mine, it takes me about 3-5 minutes to produce it. The video explains this… Read More »Rick’s video bloopers
I reached the end of my week with Windows 7. I hope you enjoyed reading the coverage and watching the videos. If you haven’t caught all of them scroll down to the end of this article to link up to them or go back to the home page and scroll further down the page to see them.
Overall, I think Windows 7 does a nice job, but feel that they should have waited on Vista and put this version out instead. In many ways, Vista was a wasted 2 years for Microsoft…except maybe it was a giant beta version of Windows 7 on our dime and time.
In today’s short and final video in this series, I discuss a few of the things that Microsoft has omitted from Windows 7 and how they hope that we replace it by using their Microsoft Live web applications. The biggest glaring absence is Read More »7 Days with Windows 7 – Day 7
Are you really still using Internet Explorer after all these years of me promoting and talking up Firefox? If you are, Microsoft released IE 8 last week, and already people are running away from it because of compatibility and stability problems. Like always, hold off on these types of upgrades for at least 3 months and let others be the… Read More »Hold off on the Internet Explorer 8 upgrade
Today, I demonstrate for you a brand new feature in Windows 7 called the Problem Steps Recorder. An interesting feature designed to help users record steps they take when walked through something by tech support so they can re-trace their steps. It can also be used to make a recording to help others. It’s a little rough and takes a web geek to edit (if needed), but an interesting feature new to Windows 7.
Next up, I show you the new Windows 7 Screen Magnifier. It is the first upgrade since Windows 95 for this tool, and finally adds the much needed and appreciated spotlight feature that will allow users to select an area that will follow the cursor and magnify anything around it.
Lastly, I talk briefly about theRead More »7 Days with Windows 7 – Day 6
I answered 25 questions in 10 minutes (YouTube limit) this week. Great questions as usual from all over the globe. This week’s questions come from Brian, Maurice, Harold, Pam, Kathleen, Bill, Ed, Deidre, Judy, Sue, Michael, Juia, Kaljo, Ron, Dick, Thomas, Neil, Robert, Jose, Mike, AmaLia, Eric, Barb, John, and Jon. I haven’t pointed this out before, but I answer… Read More »Rick Answers his email Videocast – 036
On Day 1, I briefly pointed out some differences in the new Windows 7 taskbar. However, after using Windows 7 for a few days, the taskbar changes are significant enough that I wanted to focus on it for today’s video.
The major changes, that I think work quite well, include:
I promised a couple of days ago that I would explore and explain some new features in file management with Windows 7. I aim to keep my promises, so hear I go. The two biggest changes to file management in Windows 7 lie in the additions of Libraries and easier folder Favorites. To me, Microsoft made a mistake getting rid of the Common Tasks pain implemented in Windows XP which was great for beginners, but I won’t cry over spilled milk.
The Favorites option in Windows 7 allows you to drag a folder you need to access often, either local or on the network, to the Favorites folder, and it will be available to you quickly from everywhere. I like it. Simple, and easily managed.
The Libraries function may help some business users, but I know it will be too complicated for the average computer user. In theory, you can drag like folders together to form a Library. The Library would hold, for example, all your spreadsheet documents from multiple folders, side-by-side. With the powerful searching capability and Jump Lists (I explained in Day 1), I think this feature willRead More »7 Days with Windows 7 – Day 4