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Tips & Tricks

"I have a lot of people who ask, what kind of computer do I buy? When I use to ask this question I would invariably get the answer, "the most you can afford" which frankly wasn't of very much help. So here is the specifics of what I recommend you look for"
 
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Julie's computer tips and tricks. Volume 1

Right Click For Fun

Let's start with some easy fun stuff.
I will be assuming some level of competence as you obviously were able to get to this page. If I use any terms you are unfamiliar with or if you feel lost please e-mail me immediately at so that I can fix it for everyone else.

Right Click (no silly not write click):

Most of you have mouses (mice meeses) with at least 2 buttons and a wheel.
The button on the left is the one you are most use to using to select things on your computer. Most computers are set up so that you have to click twice called "double click" to select something. This prevents accidentally opening files and starting programs running.
The button on the right does new and interesting things... BUT you only have to click once and then you will get a menu with some choices. When you click the right side button it is called right click. Right click anywhere on your desktop where there are no icons. You will get a menu with some choices.
The first is almost always: Arrange Icons By: when you let your pointer rest over this a sub-menu appears with more choices. Try them all out. None of them are permanent and you will not be removing anything.
Now move your pointer down to New: when you let your pointer rest over this a sub-menu appears with more choices. When you select one of these it puts a new one on your desktop.
Now move your pointer down to properties: when you select this you display properties box appears (usually found in settings under control panel). You can play with this box as much as you want to change the look of your display. Stay away from the advanced buttons for now unless you are feeling brave today.
Right clicking on an Icon will bring up a menu of choices. Most of them are self explanatory.
Right clicking on images in documents or on the internet will allow you to save pictures as jpg files. These can be fun to use or even educational. Play around with right click and see how many new things you can do. If you find something you want to try but are unsure of what it does, send me an e-mail and I will post your question here for all to see and learn from.

Julie

 

Julie's computer tips and tricks. Volume 2

All About Pictures

I will be assuming some level of competence as you obviously were able to get to this page. If I use any terms you are unfamiliar with or if you feel lost please e-mail me immediately at so that I can fix it for everyone else.

All about pictures

First some basics. In order to look at a file, whether it is text or pictures your computer needs to run a program to change the digital data (ones and zeros) into something that the average human can make sense of. Some programs for looking at text include MS word (.doc), MS notepad (.ini), acrobat reader (.pdf), MS excel (.xls), MS PowerPoint (.ppt) and all programs that process e-mail such as outlook and thunderbird. Just about all of these programs can also display pictures, but that is not what they are designed to do and they don't do it very well. If you save pictures with one of the programs listed above, in time (the more you use it) your picture will degrade and become fuzzy and out of focus.
Some programs designed for pictures are MS paint Adobe Photoshop Adobe Photo Deluxe. And just about any program that came with your camera or scanner has a picture running program. These programs will allow you to save programs in different formats such as Bitmap aka bump (.bmp) Joint Photographic Experts Group aka JPEG (.jpg) Graphics Interchange Format aka GIF (.gif) Tagged Image File Format aka TIFF (.tif) [avoid PNG for now.]
The definitions are below but the short answer is this:
Save images as Bitmaps or bumps because they will never degrade, but they do take up disk space so consider burning disks or saving on a portable hard drive to keep them forever. JPEGS are small enough to email and use in projects but will also degrade and get fuzzy with use. Gifs and Tiffs are to send to the printer for quality hard copy images.

To save an image in a particular format follow these steps:
1) right click on your image whereever it is.
2) select save as picture from the menu that appears
3) select a location to save the picture from the buttons on the left or the dropdown menu at the top
4) at the bottom where it says file name, type a name for your picture
5) under the name box select save as type from the drop down menu and select jpeg, or bmp or whatever you need.

Definitions
Bitmap or a raster image corresponds bit for bit with an image displayed on a screen, probably in the same format as it would be stored in the display"s video memory.
JPEG is a commonly used standard method of compression for photographic images.
GIF image employs lossless data compression so that the file size of an image may be reduced without degrading the visual quality
TIFF is a file format for mainly storing images, including photographs and line art.

Julie

 

Julie's computer tips and tricks. Volume 3

What do I buy? Or Hardware 101

I will be assuming some level of competence as you obviously were able to get to this page. If I use any terms you are unfamiliar with or if you feel lost please e-mail me immediately at so that I can fix it for everyone else.

Hardware
First, some basics. Hardware is the actual physical computer parts that run the programs that do what you want them to do (well most of the time). Software is the computer program that turns all those binary codes (zeros and ones) into things that human beings can actually understand, see and hear. (we are not yet to the stage where we can smell touch or taste software results)
I have a lot of people who ask, what kind of computer do I buy? When I use to ask this question I would invariably get the answer, "the most you can afford" which frankly wasn't of very much help. So here is the specifics of what I recommend you look for:
CPU, or Central Processing Unit, or Processor:
It is best to try and avoid systems with these processors unless you want to use a computer for the very basic functions such as word processing and general web browsing.

  • AMD Athlon 64 (Socket 754)
  • AMD Athlon XP
  • AMD Duron
  • Intel Celeron (Without the D Model Numbers)
  • Intel Pentium 4 (non-Socket T)
  • Intel Pentium III

The best overall value for your computing dollar. These are generally processors that used to be top of the line processors 6 to 9 months ago but now have hit that sweet spot in the price points from the manufacturers. While they are not the fastest processors on the market, they still perform very well in all aspects of computing. They may not have the total functional lifespan of the highest end processors, but the price to performance ratio tends to outweigh their longevity.

  • AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ to 4600+ (Socket AM2)
  • Intel Pentium D 900 Series
  • Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 to E6700

Video Card:
Video cards change every 6 months, so selecting the right one is difficult. If you want to have future capability, go for a card that supports DirectX 9 and has at least 128MB of memory. If don't have to be on the cutting edge of video technology, there is a wide range of choices to fit your needs. Things to consider now on video cards are DVI connectors for digital LCD panels and multi-monitor support. New systems should use PCI Express graphics cards over the previous AGP interface.
For best to budget graphics cards if you don't watch movies or play games on your computer:

  • NVIDIA GeForce 7900GS
  • ATI Radeon X1650 Pro
  • NVIDIA GeForce 7600GT

Memory (RAM):
RAM is important because if you don't get enough, your system won't run optimally. The minimum amount of RAM for today's systems should be 512MB even for budget systems. 1GB of RAM provides better performance. DDR memory is now used by all current systems with the most common being PC3200. DDR2 can be found on newer Intel systems. Budget systems may still use older PC2100 or PC2700 DDR. When buying memory, try to buy as few DIMMs as possible to allow for future memory upgrades if needed.

Hard Drives:
Hard drives boil down to capacity and speed. Most hard drives available now will provide you with more than enough storage. Look for 80 GB drive as the minimum.

Optical Drives:
Most systems sold now feature DVD burners, even the budget systems. It is best to make sure that you get a multiformat DVD burner that can support both the +R/RW and -R/RW formats. Speeds should be 16x for the recordable speed. Dual or Double Layer media support is also a common feature although less likely to be used due to media cost. If you don't need a DVD burner, try to at least get a CD-RW/DVD combo drive of 24x recording speed to allow for CD media storage and DVD playback.

External Connectors:
Many upgrades and peripherals to computers now connect through external interfaces instead of internal cards. Check to see how many and what type of external ports are available on the computer for use with future peripherals. Look for systems that have both USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 or FireWire ports. It should have at least six USB 2.0 connectors and one FireWire ports.

Monitors:
What good is a computer without a monitor? Consumers can choose between CRT or LCD monitors. CRTs provide a wide range of capabilities at a good price but are bulky. LCDs take up less desk space but cost more and have limited capabilities. Regardless of type of monitor, look at getting at least a 17" monitor capable of displaying a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels.

Specific to laptops:

Size and Weight:
Obviously the size and weight of a notebook is important. Ultraportables offer light weight and sizes but sacrifice items such as drives. Desktop replacements have equivalent power to desktop systems, but they are heavy and bulky making them difficult to carry around. When shopping for a laptop, make sure to pick up the systems and verify its something you are willing to carry. Don't forget to also consider the weight of accessories such as AC adapter when carrying around the notebook.

Networking:
The ability to connect to the net is integral to most notebooks today. Look for systems that include a built in 56Kbps modem and Fast Ethernet. With the rise of wireless networking, this is also found in most new notebooks. For the minimum amount of wireless connectivity, look at getting a notebook with 802.11b/g. Systems with an 802.11a/b/g will give you the most amount of connectivity.

Battery Life:
How good is a portable computer going to be if you are only able to get 30 minutes of computing time on a single charge? Try to find the manufacturer's listed battery life for the standard battery. Look to get a system with at least 2 hours of battery life under normal conditions. If you need extended time unplugged, look for laptops with media bays that can double as extra battery slots or have extended life batteries that can be purchased.

For more information visit www.about.com and search for your specific question

 

Julie's computer tips and tricks. Volume 4

Files unzipped

I will be assuming some level of competence as you obviously were able to get to this page. If I use any terms you are unfamiliar with or if you feel lost please e-mail me immediately at so that I can fix it for everyone else.

What is a Zip File?
A Zip file is sometimes called an "archive" file. The Zip file itself is really just a container... it holds the real files inside it. The purpose behind the Zip file is transportation and storage. The Zip file acts like a ziploc sandwich bag - it holds contents inside for easy transporting and storage. This makes Zip files (and their counterpart Rar files) very valuable to file sharers and downloaders.

How Do Zip Files Work?
A Zip file achieves three things:

  1. It bundles one or more files into a single container file.
  2. It compresses (archives) its contents to be as much as 90% smaller size.
  3. It can provide an optional password padlock on its contents.

Is 'Zip' the same as 'WinZip'?
Although many people confuse the two, they are technically different.

  1. "Zip" is the generic file format of a compressed archive.
  2. "WinZip", like "WinRAR" or "PKZip", is specialty software that creates and manages Zip files.

"Do I Need WinZip Software to Use Zip Files?
No, you can use multiple different software products for Zip files. In 2006, the two most popular Zipping products are WinZip and WinRAR. Either product will open, unzip, and create Zip files for you.

How Do I Unzip Files?
First, you need to download and install either WinZip or WinRAR archive software. Once installed, the archive software should now be part of your Windows or Macintosh system. You open you a Zip file by double-clicking it.
One of two prompts should appear:

  1. "Unzip or install from an existing Zip file" in the WinZip Wizard. This Wizard will then walk you through the steps to unzip-extract the files.
  2. "Extract files to..." in the WinRAR Wizard. Just like WinZip software, you will be prompted for the next steps. Give it several moments to do its job, and your files are now decompressed as separate complete files. You now use those files like you would any other files. If you want, you may also delete the Zip original file to now save space.

For more information visit www.about.com and search for your specific question

 

Julie's computer tips and tricks. Volume 5

Register or Renew WOCN, PCR membership

(1) Go to national website at http://www.wocn.org

(2) Click on Member Center in the tabs on the grey bar over the main banner

(3) If you have never been a member before:

  1. Click on join now link at the right of the page and follow the online instructions to enroll.
  2. You will be directed to designate an affiliate when you select PCR (Pacific Coast Region) you are automatically signed up for both the National and the Regional membership list.
  3. Remember you must use the contact us link on PCR membership page if you want your e-mail posted on the local website.

(4) If you are a current or recently lapsed member:

  1. Click on member login link at the right of the page.
  2. If you have never logged on to the national website, click on the request assistance button on the lower right of the page, and follow the online instructions.
  3. If you forgot your e-mail or password use those links instead and follow the online instructions.
  4. You are automatically signed up for both the National and the Regional membership list.
  5. Remember you must use the contact us link on PCR membership page if you want your e-mail posted on the local website

 

Julie's computer tips and tricks. Volume 6

The Polaroid Healthcam and grid film are no longer manufactured.

The Polaroid Healthcam and grid film are no longer manufactured.

In order to go digital you want something nurse-proof, fast and easy to use and a dedicated photo printer dock at each nurses station.
Some possible digital alternatives under $200 include:

Any of the Kodak EasyShare cameras with an EasyShare printer dock for charging and printing out photos the V1003 and the V1253 have gotten good reviews and have more than 10 megapixels for clearer printouts and photos

HP Photosmart products frequently come as a set with printer and camera together. These usually run in the 5-7 megapixel range the A445 has some good reviews although I did not think the images were as good as the other brands

Canon Powershots have good reviews if you can find the right combo of camera and docking printer. The Canons are a little larger than the rest, the Pro being it would be harder to pocket and take home, and the con being that they look a little more technical than the rest.

More to come as I collect more data, but I wanted to get this out to you all as fast as I could

Julie