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Microsoft

“That’s such old technology”

I was reading a review of smart phones the other day and had to comment on a topic that comes up frequently in technology…old technology. You all know that my philosophy is 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Too often, I think companies roll out upgrades simply for the sake of upgrading when their original product functioned perfectly. Think about products like Norton AntiVirus, Microsoft Word, McAfee, Acrobat Reader, and others that hit a peak of performance and features about six or seven years ago and did their jobs well. After that, the company's programmers (maybe pushed by managers) continued to roll out product after product with very little extra functionality, but an awful lot of extra junk that was not needed nor is it used. All leading to products that slowed down computers and didn't increase efficiency in any way.

I still think that we are in the infancy of the technology age and many products and technologies need to be continually pushed and improved, but sometimes products perform all the needed functions and need not be over laden with the extra weight of unnecessary code. Microsoft Word worked great in the 1997 version and no

Future proofing your new PC

We have talked at length about the upcoming Windows Vista on our show and eluded to it here on the site. Microsoft says that it will come out in the first quarter of 2007 which leaves us about six months give or take. Adam and I had our first look at Vista during this year's Consumer Electronic Show (CES). We weren't impressed. Since then, I have read many Vista articles, reviews, blogs and even downloaded the beta version of Vista. I'm still not impressed.

All that being said, at some point you may want to upgrade to Vista (or its upgrade). I don't recommend waiting for Vista before buying a new PC because I truly believe that Vista will be a flop for the first six or so months (putting us into 2008). BUT, when you are buying a new computer or laptop, you might as well plan a little for the future. Here's what I'm telling callers and clients this month about what to look for in a new computer.

I should have trusted my instincts

I teach my kids to trust their instincts when making decisions, taking tests, and dealing with people. I try to do the same, but sometimes my brain (or maybe ego and curiosity) gets in the way. Over the past few years, we have talked at length about computer security and the dangers of not being secure.  After spending many hours hunkered down over an infected computer and trying to get overwhelmed computers fixed, we have come to a conclusion about fixing some of these problems. In some of the worst cases, it is cheaper and quicker to backup up the necessary user files then format the hard drive and start over with a fresh install of Windows, its updates and the proper security software.

Three ways to scroll

Whenever I tutor people on their computer, I always tell them that there are five ways to do almost anything in Microsoft Windows, but there are no wrong ways.

When I pick a particular skill to teach, I choose the method that is 1. universal and 2. involves the least amount of steps.

There is one exception where I teach three methods. When I teach people how to use the scroll bar in a Window I think it is important to show the fast way, the slow way, and the way that moves up and down a list at "reading speed."

The slow way: Every scroll bar has a little triangle at the top and at the bottom. You can move one item at a time through the list by making quick mouse clicks on either on the top or bottom triangle. This method is great when you want to carefully browse through a list such as a list of "Smiths" in an online phone book.

Repair/Reinstall Outlook Express

We had a caller who had a problem importing and exporting her address book in Outlook Express. While we still haven't found a solution for her exact problem, this link will take you to Microsoft's support site that explain's how to repair and reinstall Outlook Express.

FAX from your computer…

I wrote this Windows 98 fax tip many years ago, but I realized this week that some people still do need to use a fax. Here is some updated information for faxing with Windows XP:

Setup the FAX

If your computer has a modem, you should have the Microsoft Fax already setup. To see if it is ready to go, click Start –> Control Panel and double-click the Printers and Faxes option. If you see the Fax in the installed printers you are ready to go. If you don't see it next to your other printers, then Click the "Setup faxing" option from the task lists on the left and follow the instructions.

Sending a FAX

  1. Any image (including scanned images) or document you can view on the screen, can be faxed following this method:
  2. Open the document in it program (Word, Excel, etc)
  3. Click File –> Print from the menus
  4. Choose the Fax from the printer options
  5. Click Print
  6. The Fax wizard will start where you can type the name of your recepient and their phone number (if it is long distance, DO NOT enter the area code, instead type: 1-area code-phone number).

Receiving a FAX

  1. Call the party who needs to send you a fax and give them your phone number.
  2. Click Start –> All Programs –> Accessories –> Communications –> Fax, and then click Fax Console to open the Fax Console.
  3. On the toolbar, click the Receive Now button when you hear your phone ring.

 

Another hobby horse: Don’t let your kids fix your computer

Yesterday I wrote about how much I dislike poorly custom built computers. Today I saw a similar situation – computers custom built by kids.

By kids I don't mean children or young goats, I mean offspring.

While at home this family's two sons had built and maintainted the two family computers. Now those two sons have moved away from home and married.

I was called to fix things up and the call went something like this, "Hi, we need your help. My two sons usually fix the computers but now they both live out of town and they don't have the time when they come to visit to fix the computers."