The internet is full of source sites that offer help with computers. I subscribe to several newsletters that are information specific to help me keep on top of the changes going on. This page will offer some of the most useful links that I have found as well as links to other pages that will be organized by category.
CNet is a good source site for information about computers, hardware, software
and shopping. Click on the link to find answers to just about any computer
question.
ZDNet is the base site for Ziff-Davis publishing and is a wonderful resource for
information on all things computer. They not only offer in-depth coverage of
computer related news, but house archives full of articles written for their
various magazines. The site features an easy source for shareware programs as
well as product reviews and online price comparisons. I subscribe to several of
the newsletters they offer via email and check this site several times a week.
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Special Offers from Dell Home Systems
For my web site I am running a Dell XPS T450 with 128 meg of RAM. It has a has rewritable CD drive, Zip drive, floppy drive and two hard drives. To keep up to date with the hardware you should expect to upgrade your system every three years. It is part of the cost of doing business on the internet. I am currently leasing my computer from Dell and have been happy with the hardware and support that I have received.
Buy your computer from companies that offer the best support. The cheapest price won't do you much good if you can't get help when you need it. When buying extras, spend the money on memory, hard drive capacity and a good monitor.
My Simon is a way to comparison shop for hardware and software. It will search
for the item you want and then show you where to buy at the lowest prices.
I run Windows 98 Second Edition for the operating system. I don't know anything about the Mac OS although I have heard from friends who are loyal to it, that it is a good platform especially for graphics. I have a love hate relationship with Microsoft, as do most users, but feel that without their dominance in computers, we would not have had the standards necessary to have evolved as rapidly as we have. The operating system is bloated, buggy and prone to crashing quite unexpectedly, but in truth, most of the problems I have encountered come from third party programs that won't behave well with others. With Windows as the platform, I will list the main programs that I use:
Microsoft Office Suite 2000: Word 2000, Outlook 2000, Excel, and IE 5
InfoSelect This is a freeform database that I have used for years. The way it works is that program indexes every letter that you enter in note style pages that are organized into folders. It has a very fast search engine that will search as you type for all references and then pops them up. This is handy because you can cut and paste information and then find it again by searching for any word or letter combination. If I want to pull up every reference to salt all I have to do is type it in and they appear. Form base databases are handy for mailing lists or structured information, but can be confusing and difficult to learn. Infoselect is a good match for the way I work and I recommend it highly.
Clipmate This is a handy shareware utility that adds amazing functionality to the clipboard. It tracks clipboard items and allows you to retrieve old clip items, save for long term retrieval, power paste lists of copied items and much more. It sits in the systems tray on your desktop and makes copying and pasting a much easier job. This is an essential utility that I use everyday.
WinZip Zip files are the universal compression program for transferring files. If you download files from the internet or want to compress files for archiving you will need a compression program and this is the one I recommend.
SecondCopy Backing up is made easy with this program. You can set it up to backup your critical files automatically at given times. It is simple to use and makes a boring, but fundamental chore easy. High recommended.
WindowWasher This is a simple utility that solves an annoying problem, it cleans Windows of temporary internet files, cookies, and recycle bins in one click. It is shareware, well designed and handy.
It is essential to have virus protection. I use the McAfee Clinic which is maintained via their web site. You are automatically notified of any updates and taken to the clinic for installation. After my son's computer was infiltrated by hackers, we found out about it when I received a $400 excess usage charge from my ISP, I installed a firewall on both our PC's. I used ConSeal from Signal 9. McAfee bought the company and you can now get good firewall protection from the same site. Is it necessary? When the hackers couldn't use my son's account anymore they signaled a file they had imbedded in his computer and erased his hard drive. No one is chasing these hackers down and the only one who can prevent them from doing damage to your computer is you.
Shareware
I have been a fan of shareware programs and routinely download and use them. If I like a program and use it, I pay for it. Most of these programs have been developed by individuals and small companies and they rely on trust to get paid. They fill holes that are not addressed in the commercial programs and because they small and specialized, they are upgraded frequently and are very responsive to user input.
Download sites for shareware:
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