You can open as many browsers as you like at a time. There are several good ones. Internet Explorer seems to be winning all prizes at present as it can do literally everything. I have grown to rely on it. Netscape , however, offers a solid and efficient mail system . (but you cannot use it in XP as it presents a conflict.) The cleanest browser of all is Opera which loads more quickly than I can say, and is pleasing to the eye. You can download it HERE. Also install the MSN browser which you can get from Microsoft.com It is well designed, free and easy to use once you get the hang of it. It also gives you another free email name so you can retrieve email from any country. Downloading from one browser while surfing the web on another while getting your mail on a third is possible, although you might need to invest in more memory and perhaps a new video card from your local fix it shop. One reason for buying a new computer every four years or so, is that inventors are working night and day to give us shiny new functions. The older computers were not designed to respond to these gizmos. You can easily sell your old computer to someone who wants only to do email and word processing. There are lots of people learning these skills. You can give your friends a great deal while enriching your own web experience. But if you install new funcions into your existing computer, you can achieve a lot. Your call.

3. How do I place a shortcut onto my desktop?

Right click into the blank space on your screen. Select new and then shortcut. a window will open; hit browse. Go to C drive and then go to Program Files or Programs. Click on Programs and find the program you want your shortcut to open. Click on the name of that program and it will open. To find a shortcut to Word for example, the program to open would be Microsoft Office and then search within that window for the square icon which has a big W on it and click on that then say yes yes yes to all the questions that follow. The icon will pop up on your desktop within a couple of seconds. Then when ever you click on that icon, Word will automatically open. Voila! If you want your desktop to always look orderly and alphabetical, right click on the blank space of your desktop, click on arrange by name. YOU CAN DELETE any icon you want to on your desktop if it has a little arrow on it, as that arrow indicates it is a shortcut to a program. If it does not have an arrow, it is the program. Microsoft will not allow you to delete the essentials such as My Computer, Internet Explorer however. The way you delete an icon you do not want is to right click and hit delete. You follow the same process to cut and paste. Every time a drop-down menu opens, read it. It is trying to give you new functions based upon which new programs you have added or updated. If you are seeing lines under your links and icons and if that bothers you as it does me (too much clutter) right click on the big blue E on your desktop. Left click onto "Properties" left click onto "Advanced" scroll down to "Underline" and click "Never". That should clean it up.

4. How do I change the colors of my title bars and the type of fonts on them?

Right click in the blank space on your screen. A drop-down menu will open and if you look way down on the bottom of it you will see the word Properties. Click on that. A large window will pop up. Go to the tab at the top which says Appearance. The first color block showing will be the color which surrounds your icon titles on your desktop. Which ever color you select there will be the color that defines the title of your desktop icons. Choose the one which looks best with your chosen background. The window at the left side has a little black arrow on it. When you press that all the other color choices pop up. The most important ones are Active Title Bar and Innactive Title Bar. As these are the bars you are looking at all of the time while you are word-processing or surfing the web. Make sure you choose colors which are pleasing to your eye and which give you an emotional lift.

One tip is to make Tool Tips red with white font. It shows up more easily when you are trying to get an answer quickly. Another is to choose Selected Items then choose yellow with black font so you can see downloads begin and end without eye strain. Then, when you have arranged the appearance of your computer to suit yourself, click save as and type your name, such as Mary's Scheme then hit apply and then OK. Should you ever have a crash and your computer defaults to the original scheme you simply go again to Properties and Appearance and select Mary's Scheme and like magic, all is familiar.

5. How do I select my own background and screensaver?

Again, go to Properties as above and then Appearance. This time to to the Background tab or the Screensaver tab. Scroll down until you find one which pleases, then hit apply and then ok. That's all there is to it. There are lots of choices stored there, so have fun! You can also go to Webshots and download their excellent package free.

6. How do I do a monthly cleaning of my computer's system?

Go to your Start button then to Programs then to Accessories then to System Tools then to Defragment and then run start. If you are using Windows 95 or before, select scan disk, run that and then defragmenter and run that. The first time you do it, it could take an hour or more. After that it will be speedier, depending upon how much you use your computer and how new it is. The first time you run the wizard on an older computer, it will ask you to select dates for running it. Select the 28th of the month at dinnertime and make sure it is selected for each month. At the very end of this question session there will be a small button on the lower left which says RUN NOW? You say yes. From that time on it will run whenever you wish in addition to the 28th should you feel it needs it. If you have upgraded to the point where you need a more powerful defragmenter, download Executive Software Disk Keeper and also System Mechanic (google will find them). Or go to: IoloIt will take over your computer and keep it spotlessly clean. Do not let the Executive Software Disk Keeper run in the background, however. It will drive you nuts and slow you down to a standstill. Just run it once or twice a month to suit your needs.

7. How do I cut and paste? Why would I want to?

Cutting and pasting are real time and temper savers. If you have a picture or a paragraph of text which exists in one place and you want to use them again or instead in another place, you just hold down your left mouse button and keep it down until you have highlighted the entire area you want to copy. Then you right click and choose copy. Go to the exact place where you want it to reappear; (make sure your cursor is in the distinct point where you want the new info to appear) a new page or an email, etc. and go to edit and then hit paste. It's there! Now you see one of the huge advantages in computing.

8. How do I save pictures from the internet into my own computer? Is it free?

You simply right click into the center of the picture you want, select save photo or save target, depending on which browser you prefer and then when a window pops up, choose the file you want to save it into and give it a name which will help you remember which photo it is and then hit save. It's there. And free. Before you do this make a file called something like My Artwork within My Documents so you can find it easily.

9. How do I save music into my computer?

First you make a file within My Documents called My Music or the like. Then go to Emusic.com or any similar site. Choose a song to download as an example to experiment with and follow the instructions for downloading. If you don't have Windows Media Player or Real Audio and you have a computer large enough to handle one or both, download a media player first. I like the Windows Media Player because it works with virtually all Microsoft Operating Systems. Music Match is wonderful and free and sensational Music Match) Download the music you wish and it should play automatically after downloading. The fastest site at which to find and order new cd's on the web is CD NOW which has virtually everything that has ever been recorded and ships over-night. Also ArtistDirect.com is a real find.

10. How do I make a purchase on the internet?

Go to a site like like Amazon and buy a paperback or a cd just to practice and feel comfortable with the process. When it comes time to choose a net name choose something simple like johnscott and a password like xxxxxx for instance. All lower case, no spaces or punctuation of any kind. Answer all the other questions Amazon will ask you like where you want it shipped and the like. When the process is complete, print the receipt they show you on the screen and file it in your internet purchase file for future reference in case it comes bent or damaged in some way. You should have your book or cd in just a few days. Be sure to store your net name and password in a small book for this purpose. And know where you hide it.

11. How do I create my own a website?

If you have pacbell you have their software already in your computer with step by step instructions on how to design your free website. If you have Netscape, they offer a similar service in their "composer". Thirdly, you can go to http://www.geocities.com and make a lovely page free there with their simple wizard. This page was written in Dreamweaver + Fireworks which, if you want the best, can be purchased from Macromedia on the web. It is expensive but literally a dream to use. In Dreamweaver, what you see is what you get and you do not really need to know html at all. It's got every luxury of high speed web design plus it contains Allaire Homesite which is the very best editor in the industry. The free ones are not dumb though. My website contains both.

12. What is the best news on the net?

I rely on Salon. It is beautiful to look at and is updated every few seconds so you can usually get the news even faster than tv provides it. Find Salon at: http://www.salon.com which also has a highly literate chat room called Table Talk which you have to sign up for and then wait a couple of days while they check you out to be sure you are not a hacker or a poseur, then they send you an e-mail saying you are now a member. Very nice San Francisco e-magazine.

13. What is the fastest most accurate search engine?

It is Google. Very clear graphics. No ads. Just the most pleasing search tool going. Get it at http://www.google.com and when you do make it your opening page by going to options or preferences in your browser and then typing in that blue address above. Then hit apply and then ok.

14. Do I need to learn html? What is it?

Html is the acronym for hypertext markup language. The language of the computer programer. If you want to learn html there are lots of free tutorials on the net. But if you want to design a website quick, just buy Microsoft Publisher at Office Depot or at microsoft.com You don't have to know anything and you are online in less than an hour. Great program. About $75 including a current rebate. Always install new programs from My Computer/Control Panel/Add/Remove Programs. This way you know they will enter on the correct path.

15. How do I make a file?

In any program, go to file and then new and then folder. A folder called NEW FOLDER will pop up. Type the name into it that you want and then click in the white space to lock it in. Most new folders should be made within My Documents so you can find them easily.

16. How do I send a photo by e-mail?

After you have typed you message look at the top and you will see a paperclip or the like which means attachment. Click on that. A window will open, scoll to My Documents and then My Pictures, select the one you want to send and then click. A copy of the photo is now in your e-mail. Hit send. If you want to see how it looks to the recipient, look in your sent file, click and there it is on your screen exactly the way they received it.

17. Why do some pictures take so long to download when I receive them in my e-mail?

Because the person who sent it did not reduce the size. If you send a full size photo through the e-mail system, it can slow to a crawl. There are a couple of things you can do to avoid this mistake. First, if you have XP, you have everything you need in the simple imaging and paint programs. If you have '95 or '98, you will probably need to download paintshop pro at http://www.jasc.com free for thirty days to try. If you love it you can buy it for about $79 or so. I recommend you get the cd in case you ever have a crash, you can reinstall it. This program will make a photo any size you want with just a click. A photo going over the net should normally be only about 3 X 3 inches in order to send quickly. You can also reduce the size in your accessory file called Imaging but it is not a really great and thorough program like paintshop pro. Most computers do not come with a zip opener (insane) so if you cannot open your zip downloads go to hotfiles.com and get the (see question 18) Winzip program. It is intuitive and easy to use (another conflict with XP which has its own zip opener built in)

18. What is the best source for freeware on the net?

I feel it is http://www.hotfiles.com because they rate their products by stars. If you see one with five stars, you know millions of people love it. A lot of their software is free, some is a trial version which allows you to try it for thirty days or so. Some you have to purchase before using. Don't fill your computer up with junk though. Be discerning. Some cheap programs and fonts can really mess up your system.

19. What is the best photo editing program?

Adobe Photoshop without a doubt. You can order it at http://www.adobe.com. It is expensive and difficult to learn but well worth both the money and the time. The College Of Marin teaches beginners Photoshop as do most colleges. Paintshop Pro is the beginner's Photoshop. Once you get Photoshop though, you never use anything else. Another tip: because Photoshop does so much, there are very few people who even know all it can do. To leap this chasm, subscribe to Photoshop User. It is expensive, about $99 per year but it tells you every little thing. They also sell videos of how-to's for about $28 each and a three pack for about $75.

20. What is the best photo sharing site on the web?

I say shutterfly. Easy, quick and wonderful free software. The whole thing costs nothing. They hope to make their money by printing copies for you of photos others send to you by the net. I hope they do because I use the site daily and I find it better than all the others combined. You can download their free software at http://www.shutterfly.com

21. What about viruses?

There are several programs which profess to block viruses. The Pentagon has been hacked. So has Microsoft. The best protection you can get, however is a trustworthy internet provider such as your telephone company. They routinely test for viruses before any of them can reach your site and in my opinion, this is the best service you can buy. McAfee Virus Scan Online provides excellent virus protection and can be instantly downloaded. It costs about $24 per year. If you purchase Norton Antivirus at http://www.symantec.com be sure you get the one which is compatible with your system. For instance Windows ME cannot use Norton 2000. Creates havoc and shut-downs and indescribable misery. It can, however use Norton 2001. Go figure.

22. What font manager should one use?

You should never have more than one hundred or so fonts installed in your system. If you are a graphic designer however, you probably have about 3000 which causes anything from sluggish computing to total instability. The finest font manager available is Adobe Font Manager Deluxe available at http://www.adobe.com under text. If you have more than one hundred but less than one thousand, Corel makes a nifty one included in their 10,000 clip art package for about $20.00 which is easy to use (drag and drop) and constantly searches for every font in your system and displays what each one looks like in a number of sizes. Great fonts sites are http://www.fontgarden.com where you can download new free fonts daily. Another innovative site for Frank Lloyd Wright fonts as well as Picasso and Matisse is http://www.p22.com The work of a group of talented California font designers can be found at http://www.emigre.com The last two are expensive (from $29 to about $120 each) but they will make your work look like you paid a designer thousands of dollars to design and have it typeset for you.

23. Do I have to use Internet Explorer just because it is in my computer?

You may prefer Netscape and use it most of the time, or you may be on AOL and think that is sufficient. But you should, after you are already on the net, double click on your big blue E Internet Explorer icon on your desktop and surf the net there at least once a month. Reason being, you will fail to receive your automatic Windows Updates free unless Internet Explorer is open once in awhile. Go to your start button after you are already on the web and select Windows Update. It takes awhile to come up because it has to evaluate what system you have and what new fixes you need. The update site will automatically check everything you really need and you can also check anything there you might want like new fonts or clipart utilities. Then hit download and before you know it, your computer works like new. A note here about upgrading your software: as long as you upgrade from within Microsoft the operating system you own (windows 95 or 98 or ME for example) you will be fine. If you decide to purchase an entire upgrade however, from 95 to 98 for instance, there is a danger you will lose the use of some of your peripherals such as scanners or printers. The reason for this behavior is that different operating systems require different drivers. You can usually download the new driver from the internet quickly, but in some cases, the manufacturer of your printer or scanner does not have the driver ready yet. That can be a problem. Before you go from 95 to 98 or 98 to ME, talk to a tech online and be certain the right drivers are available. HP cannot serve Windows ME on several of their scanners. Canon's N122OU works perfectly on ME however. XP is another animal altogether. Check out all your programs to see if they have the drivers for XP before installing it.

24. How do I know when to use .jpg and when to use .tif? What does all this stuff mean?

The three letters which follow the names of your files designate what they are. .txt for instance means text. .doc means a Word document. .pub means it is a Publisher document. mp3 is a music file and midi is a music file which is rendered by a midi synthesizer. .jpg means the item is a picture or a photograph and it will look good on the web. .tif means the item is a picture or a photograph which, some professionals feel, looks better when printed. If you are not sure, save it as a jpg because you can always change your mind about clipart or pictures later. A .gif is a vector formatted image but should never be used for photography. .jpgs are condensed to take up less space and are readable by all web browsers. That is the reason most images sent over the web are in a .jpg format.

34. Why would I need a zip drive and what exactly is it?

There is a key on your keyboard up near the F12 key entitled Print Screen. You tap on that key once and then go to your paint program which is at start, programs, accessories, paint. Click on paint and when the program opens, click on Edit and then Paste. You will then see the page you were looking at on your browser. Hit File then Print. The page will then print. Magic.

If your question is not answered above, e-mail me here

See you on the net!

 

Sharron Belson

 

My Favorite Links:

 

Home Page

The Marin Poetry Center Website

Poetry Lovers Online

Central California Poetry Journal

Live Journal - Your Own

Salon Online Magazine

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