** Issue #22 July 1st, 2007 **
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#1- News, News, News
In This Issue...
#2 - Digital Rights Management - Part Deux - Additional information about DRM.
#3 - HSBC RAL loan scam update - An update on my families HSBC problems..
#4 - A little Vista Experience - I've gotten the chance to use Vista a couple of times in the last two weeks.
#5 - Numbering pages in your documents - Carol's tells us how to do it in Word and OpenOffice Writer.
#6 - My Recommended Software - Need software? Check this list first!
#7 - The Lighter Side - Some humor to lighten your load!
#8 - Useful web sites - Websites I've visited lately that you may find useful.
In the next issue...
I'm planning a few product reviews for the next issue. As computer users we are always on the look out for the latest and greatest gadgets. If you're a laptop owner/user this is especially true - and especially complicated. I have a few products lined up that fit into the laptop category. Even those without laptops will enjoy these. After all, I'm sure you know a laptop user and because you read Daves Computer Tips I bet they think you are the go to guy for computer advice!
Computer Fund Update
The fund is currently at 52%. If you enjoy the site and newsletter please take a moment to donate. Your donation helps further my efforts to provide educational and humorous information to readers (like you), as well as enabling the purchase of a new computer with Vista. A new computer will allow me to present relevant Vista content in the newsletter, learn about Vista so I can answer questions, and provide a platform to test programs with Vista. Donation is easy. Click the button on the right and donate using your credit card with PayPal.
Here is where I beg!
Please tell a friend, relative, coworker, or complete stranger about my site and newsletter. Use any means necessary to spread the word about Daves Computer Tips. Remember "word of mouth" is the best advertising!
As always I appreciate your comments and suggestions about the site and newsletter. If you would like to share please contact me at dave @ davescomputertips.com.
Carol is our resident "Office Goddess". If you have Microsoft Office, OpenOffice questions, or suggestions for future Office articles shoot her an email at carol @ carolscorneroffice.com.
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#2 - Digital Rights Management - Part Deux
By David Hartsock
In the last issue of Daves Computer Tips Newsletter I talked about DRM and expressed my personal feelings on the matter. After the newsletter was finished I was doing some reading and came across additional information about DRM that I would like to share with you.
20 questions (and answers) about DRM with Microsoft - This is an enlightening and scary page I found on the Windows Vista Blog. The comments alone (there are hundreds) show the tide is rising against the RIAA and MPAA, as well as Microsoft for bowing to them.
A cost analysis of Windows Vista content protection, by Peter Gutmann - This is the most in depth analysis of the DRM subject I've read. It offers incredible insight and VERY in depth information. I highly recommend you read this! It may take you a day or two to get through it, but I believe you'll find it time well spent!
DRM is an incredibly complex topic. I couldn't possibly cover it with the scrutiny it deserves in this newsletter, otherwise this would become the DRM newsletter. I strongly suggest you learn about DRM by reading the content above. As we all move forward in a "Vista" world you will be affected by this. It's better to know what to expect before it happens than be scratching your head when your content won't work. Besides, you need to know who to blame!
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#3 - HSBC loan scam update
By David Hartsock
This isn't exactly computer related but it could be! I originally told you about my wife and I having our identity stolen in the March 15th issue of Daves Computer Tips Newsletter. Heck, I've been trying to find out who I am for years. Might as will add the credit agencies to the search (LOL).
In this day and age identity theft is a rapidly growing occurrence. Computers add to the possibilities, so I thought I would pass along our experience as a reminder to watch your back, both online and off!
HSBC was kind enough to send us both multi-page forms to fill out. Basically it amounts to a spelling and grammer test (I thought I was done with these). Write this phrase several times. Write the alphabet several times. Write the numbers 1 to 25 several times. Swear on your most valuable asset that you are an honest, hard working individual. Have it notarized and mail to HSBC to allow them to judge if you are innocent. Wait patiently.
Seems kind of funny to allow the company that didn't verify who they were giving a loan to in the first place to judge your innocence, but I digress.
HSBC pronounced us "innocent" and even provided copies of the original checks issued. Included on the copies were the signatures used and the location cashed. Interestingly all checks were cashed at the same location, a small grocery store. During a subsequent phone conversation an HSBC rep actually told us that the tax preparer, for whom they were issuing loans, was being investigated. Hmmm. Imagine that! Maybe they should have investigated them before they stole our identities?
HSBC says our credit reports "should" be corrected in 90 days. We all know that we get one free check each year. Did they provide us a way to verify they will actually fix our reports? Of course not!
After I published the first newsletter account a reader contacted me and suggested I check out his site, My Fair Credit. There's a lot of good info there.
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#4 - A Little Vista Experience
By David Hartsock
During the last two weeks I've had the opportunity to set up two laptops for friends. Both are HP's. One was a middle-of-the-road 15" DV6000z running Vista Home Basic. The other a loaded to the hilt 17" DV9500t running Vista Business. This has been a great learning experience. It's allowed me to see the new HP line in person, see the size difference between 15" and 17", and get some hands on time with 2 different versions of Vista.
These laptops look amazing! The tops are piano black and both the keyboard area and top have an appealing design molded into the plastic. Placing my laptop next to these would be like parking an old rusty Ford Pinto next to a brand new BMW. The design is very modern. The screens on both are bright and have a very nice color. The difference in design, display, and speed in only 3 years is hard to believe! Here is a picture showing my 4 yr old ZD7020 next to a new DV9500.
The picture doesn't do it justice. I added my wallpaper to better show the difference in the displays. The easiest way to show the improvement in efficiency is to show you the power supplies for both laptops. Mine is the top. The DV9500 is the bottom and it's easily 1/3rd the size.
Back on topic, The first one I setup was the DV6000. Most manufacturers add a ton of bloatware (unneeded and/or unwanted programs) to new computers. HP is no exception. It took over 3 hours to remove all traces of bloatware. On the DV9500 I used a variation of a method I mentioned in the March 1st issue. The method I used should work for any new computer. I'll have more info in the next issue. I want to make sure there are no problems before I talk about it. I will point out it only took 1 hour to perform, compared to 3 hours to remove the bloatware manually on the DV6000.
I installed quite a few programs on both computers. It's been 4 months since Vista's release. I was worried there would be compatibility issues with some of the software I was asked to install. I did not experience any compatibility problems with any software I installed, which was a pleasant surprise.
A few things about Vista I found...
I hate the User Account Control feature. UAC may be beneficial to the average user during normal use, but when you are installing lots of software and making many changes it's annoying! I turned it off on the DV9500 until I was finished.
In XP My Documents is actually found in c:\documents and settings\user name\my documents. My Pictures, My Music, and My Videos are all found inside the My Documents folder. In Vista these folders are completely separate. They are now located in c:\users\user name\, where you will find separate Documents, Music, Video, and Pictures folders.
Display Properties in the control panel is now called Personalize.
The programs list in the Start Menu is automatically alphabetized (a nice touch).
The Vista Sidebar, available in every version except Vista Home Basic is nice. It's not a new idea, but it's implementation is cool. I spent a couple hours browsing the ever increasing amount of gadgets Microsoft has.
Vista takes a LONG time to boot! Vista has a new Sleep function that is a combination of the old hibernate and standby options. Hibernate wrote the contents of RAM to the hard drive and standby put the computer into a very low power state (keeping RAM powered to not lose your data). The problem with hibernate is it took an amount of hard drive space equal to your RAM size, and standby was fine unless you lost power. Sleep does both so your data is safe even if power is lost. I think Microsoft imagines everyone (laptops especially) using sleep instead of rebooting as a usual method. Reboots take 2 to 3 minutes. Entering and starting from the sleep mode takes 10 seconds.
Add/Remove Programs is now called Programs and Features.
Updates aren't performed through the browser anymore. There is a separate control panel applet for updates.
Networking in Vista is improved. Common settings are easily found. Wireless seems to be more user friendly. If you have a home network it displays a useful diagram.
The Aero interface is amazingly attractive. Windowblinds provided this look in XP, but now it's native to the operating system.
In XP System Restore was changeable easily by the user. Vista only provides an easy way to enable or disable System Restore. In Vista it uses 15% of your hard drive by default or 30GB of a 200GB drive. It's possible to change this using vssadmin.exe from an elevated command prompt. Enter /? for a list of parameters.
There are many people around the internet claiming Vista is extremely slow. I have not seen this on either of these computers. Performance was very snappy, as were some of the higher resource programs such as Photoshop.
Unfortunately I had to give both laptops back. I fought long and hard, but it is near impossible to separate a new computer from it's owner. I've been a big proponent of Dell laptops, but to quote Will Smith in Men in Black, "I've got to get me one of those!". The HP laptops are nice. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I drooled a little.
What do you think about Vista's differences?
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#5 - Numbering Pages in Your Documents
by Carol A. Bratt
Numbering Pages in MS Word
The easiest way to number pages in a Microsoft Word document is to click on the Insert menu and select Page Numbers, and choose to have the numbers either at the top of the page in the Header space or at the bottom of the page in the Footer space. This dialog box also allows you to choose whether you would like to have a page number on the first page of your document. Also, if you choose to start your numbering from a number other than 1, you can click the Format button and type in whatever number you would like to start with.
If you find that you need something a bit more complex, there are different strategies to use. For example, if you would like your page numbers to be shown as 1 of n (n being the total number of pages in your document) you would follow the steps below:
Click on View and select Header and Footer.
Once you have set up Headers and Footers, double-clicking on either of them will achieve the same thing and is much quicker.
Once you have opened the Header or Footer, your document text is grayed out and you will see a box at the top of the page labeled Header. You will also see the Header and Footer toolbar.
Assuming you want to place your page numbers in the Footer area, click the ninth icon on the Header and Footer toolbar, shown highlighted in yellow above. This will switch you to the Footer area at the bottom of your page.
Once you are in the Footer area, click on the first icon you see on the Header and Footer toolbar, which will insert the current page number. Or you could simply click in the footer and type the word Page and a space and then click the first icon to insert the page number. You can also type another space and then go to the Insert menu and Select Field which will open up the Field dialog box. In the Categories pane on the left of the dialog box, select Page. Another way to do it would be to click on the Insert AutoText on the Header and Footer toolbar and select either Page, or Page x of y.
It is really quite a simple operation. You could even create a macro to it all for you if you so choose.
Now the Same Operation in OpenOffice
The most common use or a header or footer is to insert page numbers in OpenOffice. Follow the steps below to have perfect page numbering:
To place page numbers at the top of the page, create a header. For page numbers at the bottom of the page, create a footer.
You can create the headers and footers very easily as explained below.
- Choose Format | Page to open the Page Style dialog box.
- Click the Header tab or the Footer tab.
The Header and Footer tabs are just about identical except that one creates headers and the other creates footers.
- Select the Header On check box or the Footer On check box.
- Specify the rest of the settings for the header or footer as follows:
- Same content left/right: Inserts the same header or footer content on both even and odd pages.
- Left margin: Sets the left margin between the page and the header or footer.
- Right margin: Sets the right margin between the page and the header or footer.
To place your page numbers at the top of the page, create a header. To place your page numbers at the bottom of the page, create a footer.
- Click inside the header or footer.
- Choose Insert | Fields | Page Number.
- To move the page number, select a page number (on any page).
- Choose the desired alignment you wish on the Object toolbar.
- Choose Align left for a left-aligned page number, Centered for a centered page number, or Align right for a right-aligned page number.
You now have page numbers throughout your document in either the Header or Footer area.
The two programs are not all that dissimilar in some areas.
Carol writes the monthly Word Bytes Newsletter with more tips and tricks each issue. Visit Carol's website for more great Microsoft Office tips and tricks! Visit Carol's site at www.carolscorneroffice.com
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#6- My Recommended Software
Anti-spyware and Anti-malware Software
Webroot SpySweeper - Daves Computer Tips Seal of Approval Winner! See the test results HERE. Spysweeper provides the best protection of the seven anti-spyware programs tested! Great detection and removal rates with a small real-time protection memory footprint. This is the one you want! SpySweeper includes the ASK toolbar. Be sure to uncheck this option during installation. Free 14 day trial.
CounterSpy - Runner-up in my Anti-Spyware test. Not only does CounterSpy scan and remove spyware, it also uses real time protection. Real-time protection prevents spyware infection. Free 15 day trial. Winner of Computer Shopper Magazine's Best Buy Award!
Antivirus and Firewall Software
ESET Smart Security - New from the maker's of NOD32. Antivirus, Antispyware, Antispam, and Firewall all wrapped into one effective, swift, and low resource package. It is what I use to protect each of my computers!
Kaspersky Antivirus - Kaspersky is my second choice for antivirus software. A good program that is very close in performance to NOD32. Free trial.
Online Armor Firewall - You shouldn't be on the internet without a software firewall that offers inbound and outbound protection. Online Armor is the Best of the Best. Online Armor uses an interface that is easier to navigate than most other firewalls and the protection level can't be beat! Online Armor is available in both a free and reasonably priced paid version, which offers even more protection!
Audio and Video Software
Acoustica Audio Converter Pro - This program converts audio formats and bitrates. Perfect for those with portable audio players or large music collections. 30 day trial.
Adobe Premier Elements - Elements is the consumer version of Adobe Premiere. It costs 1/6th the price, but is very capable of making videos that will impress everyone.
DVDFab is my favorite DVD software. I tried over 30 different programs before settling on DVDFab. It offers every function of the other programs and more! Copy, burn, shrink, convert for mobile devices, or convert for streaming. Almost all of the other programs I've tried did not function as advertised, were extremely slow, or did not have features that worked as advertised. DVDFab works, and works as advertised! It's easy to use, has a pleasant user interface, and it updated often.
Computer Hardware
Crucial Memory - Memory (RAM) is the upgrade that gives any computer the best bang for the buck. If you want to speed things up with more memory, why not purchase it from the leading source of quality RAM memory. Great selection, good prices, excellent support, and a lifetime warranty! A real winner!
CyberGuys - The place to get those hard to find cables and accessories for your computer!
HP Computers
- My current pick for new laptops and desktops. In the current market I don't think you can beat HP's combination of price and performance. Their laptop line is very cost effective and the design is absolutely beautiful!
Newegg - Newegg.com is known for great service and awesome pricing on computers, upgrades, and electronics. If you're looking for computers, computer parts, or electronics you owe it to yourself to start here! Great Products. Great Prices. Great Customer Service!
Computer Maintenance Software
Diskeeper 2008 - My current favorite defrag program. As files are written and erased from the hard drive they begin to leave "spaces" behind. When the drive is written to again files are broken up to fill in these spaces. This causes the drive to go to several different locations to read an entire file, which slows performance greatly. Diskeeper has several advanced features such as; automatic defrag, scheduled defrag, and the ability to defrag the MFT (Master File Table) and paging file. 30 day trial.
Registry Mechanic - A very thorough and efficient registry cleaner and defragmenter. A definite must to maintain peak performance and stabile operation. 30 day trial.
Computer Utility Software
Acronis True Image 11 - Do you value the data on your computer? Do you value your time? How much time will you spend recovering data and returning your computer to its original state after a hardware failure or software glitch? True Image is my #1 choice in backup tools. Whether you choose file or image based backups (you should use both!) True Image will perform better than any other application I've used. Disk images created with True Image are generally 10-20% smaller than those from comparable programs. If your time and files are as important to you as mine are to me this is a must have.
Acronis Disk Director - My favorite tool to partition, format, and resize hard drives.
Roboform - This program is the next best thing since sliced bread in my book! This program integrates into Internet Explorer and firefox. It generates very secure passwords at the click of a button. How do I remember these complex passwords? Roboform allows you to save passwords and personal data in an encrypted format. A master password (yes only one password to remember!) allows access. Roboform in IE and FireFox works like a super powered bookmark. You click the site you want to go to and Roboform opens the site, enters your username and password for the site (if required) and as if by magic clicks the submit button. If you shop online Roboform can enter your personal information and credit card information, which is also stored in a secure encrypted file, in one click. A real time saver with great security thrown in to boot! 30 day trial.
WinRar - What is commonly called a zip utility, similar to the more widely known WinZip. WinRar is faster and works with more formats for about 1/2 the price of WinZip. 30 day trial.
Desktop Utility Software
LogonStudio - Change the screen that appears when you boot Windows (the one with the moving bar graph). Hundreds of free skins available online. It's free.
Cursor XP Plus - Change the cursors on your computer. Hundreds of cursor packs are available online for free.
Icon Packager - Change the icons on your computer. Icon Packager puts you in control to change every icon with the click of a button. Tired of the plain icons built into Windows? There are hundreds of Icon Packs available online for free, which will add a truly personal feel to your computer.
WindowBlinds 6 - This is the icing on the proverbial cake. WindowBlinds changes the look and feel of Windows. By changing the appearance of the task bar, start menu, and any other window or program you open. It adds transparency, shadows, alpha blending, and animations. Hundreds of themes are available online for free.
Internet and Email
1&1 hosting - If you want to start your own website, blog, photo gallery, or have a personalized email address then 1&1 is for you. 1&1 can not be beat for reliability, features, support, and price. 90 day guarantee.
Google Gmail - The best internet based email (webmail) available. Each mailbox has a 6.5GB limit. The interface is superb, and the spam filter is top notch. You will never need to delete an email again! It has a great search function and a feature called thread view, which makes finding emails easy. A webmail account offers several advantages including not being required to change your email address if you change service providers. Gmail requires an invitation from a current member. If you are interested shoot me an email and I'll send you an invite.
Microsoft Outlook 2007 - Outlook is the current email client of choice for corporate America. I get well over 200 emails a day. Outlook has a few features I really need such as a plug in for automatic backups, office sounds which offers me some audible feedback, and the ability to change headers. I've used Mozilla Thunderbird and liked it a lot. With the amount of mail I go through I really need the features of Outlook. If you aren't a heavy user, or don't need the features I do then Thunderbird is a great alternative.
- An amazing, free, web browser. If you aren't using it you should be! Highly customizable through addins called extensions. There are thousands of extensions which can allow FireFox to do just about anything you can imagine. More importantly, Firefox is not subject to ActiveX, which is a large part of Internet Explorer, AOL, and MSN. No ActiveX means much less chance of getting spyware! Firefox also conforms to web standards more closely than Internet Explorer, which means you will see what the authors intended, not Microsoft.
Mozilla Thunderbird - A great free email client, from the same folks that brought us FireFox. Easy to use and highly customizable through extensions.
Photo and Picture Software
Adobe Photoshop Elements - Photoshop Elements is a consumer version of Adobe Photoshop. If you are serious about digital photos you will find Photoshop Elements a great program to have at your disposal. Elements provides all the functionality most will need at 1/6th the price.
Picasa - A great (FREE) way to organize, edit, and share your digital photos.
Comment on Dave's recommended software!
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#7 - The lighter side
After spending countless hours surfing the web in search of various funny or interesting things to share with you here are a few of my finds to lighten your day! I go through a lot to please my readers!
In the last issue I had the Laughing video, and it received quite a few comments. Our friend Clif, of Clifnotes fame, found a funny video of a young lady watching that video - Watch it here.
Mac vs. PC video - Yes another one, but these are so funny. I really can't help myself.
Reader Phillip Norton suggests you try a strategy game that boggles his mind - http://planarity.net/game.php. Consider me boggled!
Neighboroo - This site is very cool. Navigate to your neighborhood and find out all kinds of information.
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#8 - A few websites you may find useful
http://real-knowledge.com/ - This site has a boat load of information!
Optimizing Windows - Take a look and try a few.
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