Learning shortcut keys seems daunting at first. Get over the concept that shortcuts are for computer geeks. Shortcut keys mean not having to drag the cursor across the screen to access common functions of the operating system and applications. Most shortcut keys are universal, performing the same functions in all applications. Most even translate to other operating systems like Mac and Unix. Take a few basic shortcuts to start with, like Copy (Control + C), Cut (Control + V), and Paste (Control + V). Continue using your menus as needed, but when you do, notice that shortcut key commands appear to the right of menu selections.

Keep Windows 7 updated. Microsoft releases updates whenever they identify and fix problems. Updates make the operating system more secure, and generally make things run more like they should. Set Windows 7 to automatically check for updates, that way you won’t even have to remember to check for them.

Uninstalling programs you do not use will improve system performance. Aside from reclaiming hard drive space, programs may add items to the system itself. These changes to the operating system can run in the background constantly, slowing start-up and system responsiveness. Stick with this simple rule: if you don’t use it, don’t keep it.

Buy and use a registry cleaner and anti-virus software to recover system resources and prevent malicious software from taking control. Security vulnerabilities not only open personal information up to attackers, but can also consume memory and other assets that your system needs to run at its optimum capacity. Registry cleaners help with unwanted software removal, while anti-virus software will proactively prevent malicious software installs.

New Windows 7 features like Jump Lists. Jump Lists grant quick access to commonly used documents, websites, songs, and other files. You can also pin files you want to always appear in Jump List. Windows Home Premium and higher also include Shake and Peek which allow you to push clutter out of the way. Using Shake and Peek can prove much faster than shuffling a bunch of windows around, just so you can reorganize them a moment later. Windows 7 includes plenty of new features to enhance productivity and efficiency. You can make Windows 7 even more responsive and speedy by trying a few of these suggestions.

Tablets – for those who like to consume and not create

Tablets are tailor made to consume large amounts of online and offline content such as web pages, video and e-books. In most cases they are not really that suitable for creating content such as long emails, documents or graphics. This is due to the majority of tablets favouring a touch screen with integrated keyboard in place of a dedicated (and easier to use) keyboard. While not having a dedicated keyboard is a disadvantage when it comes to creating content, it is a boon when it comes to portability hence the tablets suitability as an ultra portable content consuming device. Pros: – Ultra light weight – Long battery life – Great for consuming content (surfing the web, watching videos or reading ebooks) Cons: – No dedicated keyboard – Not suitable for creating content (long emails, documents, spreadsheets or graphics etc.)

Netbooks – content creation with maximum portability

Some have predicted that the netbook will die off as a result of the recent surge in tablet popularity. I’m not so sure this will be the case as netbooks do occupy a useful niche of their own. They are the perfect device where content creation abilities (emails, documents etc.) need to be combined with maximum portability. By marrying a dedicated keyboard with a small and slim profile monitor, netbooks offer much of the portability of tablets but are much more user-friendly when it comes to creating or editing content. Dealing with customers face to face in the Advanced Computers store, I have seen how popular netbooks are with travelling sales reps and self-employed tradesman and contractors. When you think about it, the portability, long battery life and dedicated keyboard make the netbook the perfect portable computing device for a mobile office. Pros: – Light weight – Long battery life – Great for creating content on the move (on the road, at school etc.) Cons: – Not quite as portable as a tablet – Small screen and keyboard size limits effectiveness as a portable workstation

Notebooks – efficient content creation on a true mobile workstation

If you are looking for a true mobile workstation where you can reply to a swag of emails, knock out a PowerPoint presentation or navigate your way through that ERP / accounting software you love so much then a notebook is the only way to go. The small keyboard and screen size of a netbook will drive you crazy if you are trying to get through a whole heap of work and a tablet will fare even worse. Of course in order to offer a decent size screen and the processing power to provide for a greater range of applications sacrifices need to be made. These sacrifices come in the form of weight and size (less portability) as well as reduced battery life. Pros: – Can run more powerful applications compare to tablets and netbooks – Large screen and keyboard allow for added productivity compared to other portable devices – Best choice for watching movies in bed (if that’s your thing) Cons: – Short battery life – Not as portable as tablets and netbooks

Horses for courses and having your cake and eating it too?

Unfortunately in the world of portable computing devices, it’s not always possible to have your cake and eat it too. Tablets, netbooks and notebooks each have their strengths and weakness and you will need to sacrifice certain functions and features when choosing one device over another. If the thought of sacrifice sends shivers up your spine, and your budget allows it, then a horses for courses approach where you own multiple devices and use each for their intended purpose could be the way to go.

Tablet specials for September 2011

To celebrate the ascendancy of tablets as the new ‘must own’ electronic device, Advanced Computers has a number of tablets on special during September 2011.

ACER Iconia A500 10.1″ 1GB 16GB Android
Only $768.99 inc. GST

ACER Iconia A500 10.1″ 1GB 32GB Android
Only $858.99 inc. GST

BlackBerry PlayBook 16GB
Only $819 inc. GST

For more information on the above specials or to find out more about our range of tablets, netbooks or notebooks, pop into our store or contact us.

Snap is one of the very best new features debuting on Windows 7. It is a quick, easy, and fun way to resize open windows by simply dragging them to the edges of your screen. You can expand a window vertically, expand it to full screen, or have it appear side-by-side with another window depending on where you drag it.

You can arrange windows side-by-side with Snap to compare documents or move files from one document to another with drop and drag functionality. Simply drag one document to one side of the display by the title bar until an outline of the document occupying half the screen appears, then release the mouse button. Drag another document to the other side in the same manner and the documents will snap together and fill the display screen.

Peek is another feature that is new and available with almost all versions of Windows 7. Peek gives the user the power to see past all open windows directly to the desktop and all its applications. By pointing to the end of the taskbar, you can watch open windows go transparent, revealing all hidden gadgets and icons. You can quickly reveal a hidden window by by pointing to its taskbar thumbnail which will cause it to be the only window displayed on the desktop.

For users who frequently have a large number of open windows, Shake is a feature that allows users of this type to quickly focus on one single window. To use Shake, simply click the top of a window pane and give the mouse a shake. Every window that was open will instantly disappear except the one chosen.

These new features that come with Windows 7 make it an indispensable tool for secretaries, freelance writers, news and writing editors, and many other professionals who use computers on a daily basis. There are many other tools and features that are new on Windows 7 that make it more than worth the time and cost. Just the features detailed here can save time and money through greatly increasing worker productivity.

An important feature that has been around since the 2007 edition of Microsoft Word is the ability to select or create a theme document. A theme is a set of fonts, colors, and graphical effects that a user can apply to an entire document with just a click of the mouse. These themes are also available for documents created in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint so all of a company’s documents can have a new and consistent look. This feature is very desirable for small business so customers can recognize your documents at a glance.

You’ll find an entire set of built-in themes on the themes gallery on the page layout tab, in the Themes group. You can mix and match the colors, effects, and fonts of the themes to create a custom look. Simply select different colors, effects, and fonts from their respective galleries on the Page Layout tab.

Microsoft Word 2010 also makes it easy to add graphics to your document to illustrate any key points you may have. All you have to do is choose a layout from the SmartArt graphics. The graphic that you choose will depend on the type of message the user is trying to convey. For example, if the user wants to illustrate connections, a Relationship layout is the best choice. If the user wants to display a decision tree or flowchart, a Hierarchy graphic is the best way to go. To show how parts relate together as a whole, a Matrix flowchart is the best choice.

One of the easiest ways to customize a Word document is to use the built-in headings provided. To add a heading style simply type the text you want as a header and highlight it. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the heading style that suits you best. If you don’t find one that suits you can can click the More button to expand the Quick Styles library and place your pointer over the style you’d like to preview and click the one you want.

Custom themes and headings are just a few of the many ways a user can make their documents unique using Microsoft Word 2010.

All-in-one PC’s – no more awkward computer cases!

As the names suggests, all-in-one PC’s do away with the need for both a monitor and computer component case by combining them together into a neat slim line and space conscious PC. You simply plug in a mouse and keyboard into the monitor / component housing and you are away! Apple were probably the pioneers of this concept with the original iMac in 1998, but since then many other computing giants such as HP, Dell and Acer now offer excellent all-in-one PCs. If you have a desktop with a large case or tower, upgrading to a modern all-in-one PC will help free up some valuable work space around your desk. Furthermore, with the advance of technology, having an all-in-one PC doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice performance with a number of all-in-one systems now offering high spec CPUs and graphics cards.

Multi function printers – the end is nigh for the humble scanner and fax

Well it must be said, the end has been nigh for the fax machine for quite some time and I’m sure most people don’t own one anymore. But it’s not uncommon to see standalone scanners every now and then needlessly taking up desk space next to a printer. The solution? A multifunction printer of course! Modern multifunction printers combine printing and scanning ability and in some models the ability to send faxes as well. If your workspace is being compromised by the need to house both a printer and a scanner / fax, upgrading to a multifunction printer is a simple and cheap (have you seen the price of entry level MFPs?) way to claim some additional workspace.

Wireless keyboards and mice – cables are not your friend!

While upgrading to a wireless keyboard and mouse won’t save all that much space compared to the wired variety, what it will do is give a little more freedom to reposition your keyword and mouse to maximise available workspace. If you have never owned a wireless keyboard and mouse before I suggest you give it a try. Once you go wireless, you won’t go back!

Going where no PC has dared to go before!

As well as freeing up desk space, modern space saving computing hardware like the examples above also means the PC can now take pride of place in locations previously unsuited for a computer. Case in point, the kitchen bench. If you have a home with a large open plan kitchen where family often congregate, an all-in-one PC carefully tucked away in the corner of the kitchen bench is a great addition to this popular living area enabling quick access to music and the internet from both ‘hangers on’ in the kitchen and those in the hot seat.

For more information about the latest space saving computer hardware, contact us now or pop into our store.

A computer’s hard disk is a non-removable area that holds all the information available from the computer; over time, it loses its ability to store data efficiently. Performing a few tasks – some regularly, some when necessary – can boost the speed of PCs running on Windows® 7 and keep them performing at their best. You have probably already tried Disk Defragmenter; here are four other tasks to build into your routine, so that you stay efficient and productive:

1. Free up disk space

Don’t go on a deleting spree. There is a systematic way to freeing up space on your computer. Computers accumulate temporary files over time from any number of sources (mostly from Internet browsing). After a while, these temporary files will affect the computer’s speed. The Windows Disk Cleanup tool helps you to free up space on your hard disk to improve the performance of your computer. The tool identifies files that you can safely delete and then enables you to choose to delete some or all of the identified files. Disk Cleanup should be run about once per week.

To run Disk Cleanup:

• Click “Start”, then “All Programs”, “Accessories”, “System Tools” (this is also where you will find the Disk Defragmenter), and then click “Disk Cleanup”. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.

• When Disk Cleanup has calculated how much space you can free up, in the “Disk Cleanup for” dialogue box, scroll through the list of “Files to delete”. Clear the check boxes for files that you do NOT want to delete, and then click “OK”.

• When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click “Yes”.* After a few minutes, the process completes and the “Disk Cleanup” dialogue box closes.

2. Detect and repair errors

Whenever a program crashes or you experience a power outage, your computer may create errors on the hard disk. These errors will eventually slow your computer to a crawl. The Check Disk program identifies and corrects these types of errors, improving the PC’s performance. Check Disk should ideally be run once per week.

To run Check Disk:

• Click the “Start” button and then click “Computer”.

• Right-click the hard disk drive that you want to check, and then click “Properties”.

• Click the “Tools” tab and then under “Error-checking”, click “Check now”.

1. To automatically repair problems with files and folders that the scan detects, select “Automatically fix file system errors”. Otherwise, the disk check will simply report problems but not fix them.
2. To perform a thorough disk check, select “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors”. This scan attempts to find and repair physical errors on the hard disk itself, and it can take much longer to complete.
3. To check for both file errors and physical errors, select both “Automatically fix file system errors” and “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors”.

• Click “Start”. Depending upon the size of your hard disk, this may take several minutes. For best results, don’t use your computer for any other tasks while it’s checking for errors.

3. An external performance jolt

ReadyBoost can speed up computers by using storage space on most USB flash drives and flash memory cards. For ReadyBoost to effectively speed up a computer, the flash drive or memory card should have at least 1 gigabyte (GB) of available space. For best results, use a flash drive or flash memory card with at least twice the amount of available space as the amount of memory (RAM) in your computer.

To turn ReadyBoost on or off:

• Plug a flash drive or flash memory card into your computer.

• In the “Autoplay” dialogue box, under “General options”, click “Speed up my system”.

• In the “Properties” dialogue box, click the “ReadyBoost” tab, and then do one of the following:

1. To turn ReadyBoost off, click “Do not use this device”.
2. To use the maximum available space on the flash drive or memory card for ReadyBoost, click “Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost”. Windows will leave any files already stored on the device, but it’ll use the rest to boost your system speed.
3. To use less than the maximum available space on the device for ReadyBoost, click “Use this device”, and then move the slider to choose the amount of available space on the device you want to use.

• Click “OK”

4. Remove viruses, spyware and other threats

Viruses, spyware, adware and other malicious software unknowingly installed on PCs can compromise your personal information and damage precious files. At the same time, they slow down PCs and cause unwanted behaviour. It is important to install and/or run the necessary protection software that scans and rids your PC of such threats.

Before throwing your PC out of the window or spending money on upgrades, go through these simple tasks to optimise your PC’s performance. And then, make sure you continue to do so at regular intervals to ensure optimum PC speed.

For more advice on how to speed up your PC pop into our store or contact us.

Gadgets allows users to inject their own personality into their online experience, and Microsoft has a host of useful gadgets that can be downloaded from their website. There is a To-Do List gadget that helps the user keep track of a full slate of personal and professional duties and calendar gadgets also are available to do the task.

If a user is looking for fun and amusing gadgets, there are a large number to choose from. The Windows Live gallery of gadgets features games like Sodoku as well as a variety of poker games. There are gadgets to help sports fans keep up with the latest scores in their favorite sports. You can even read your favorite comic strip on a daily basis.

One of the best free gadgets available for download for Windows 7 is the Digital Frame slide show gadget. It gives users a unique tool to show the latest pictures of your vacation, children, pets, and more. The gadget also lets the user decide how often the pictures change and how the pictures are shared. The user can utilize photo sharing websites, social networks, and other web locations with ease to show off their latest photos.

Want to keep track of the latest multimedia? Then you’ll have to download the zappingbox gadget from Windows Live. With zappingbox, the user has a gadget that will watch for the latest internet video sensations and and provide alerts when they happen. Want to know when the hottest concert tours are coming to town? Then you’ll want to download the OnTour gadget. A user can not only have the first look at upcoming concerts in the area, it allows for easy and quick ticket purchase as well. OnTour can also be used to sample music and link to the online store of the user’s choice.

Windows 7 has a wide variety of gadgets available on their Windows Live web site that can make a user’s work and personal life more productive and much more fun. With Windows 7, you can make much better use of the available gadgets than any previous version of Windows.

For more advice about Windows 7 pop into our store or contact us.

The best offense in virus removal is a good defense. There are specific steps you can take to keep viruses and other malware at bay. With a Windows operating system, it is imperative to keep it and other programs up to date. Install service packs and other updates as soon as they become available. If you have an older model of Windows strongly consider an upgrade. The later versions of Windows have better safeguards against malware and the software engineers at Microsoft spend considerably more time constructing solutions for Vista and Windows 7 than they do any other version. Java and your browser are two more applications that must be updated as soon as new versions become available.

Email is one of the most common ways viruses proliferate through computer networks. Never open an email from someone you do not know and never, ever open with one with an attachment or worse yet; open the attachment. At the instant the attachment is opened, the damage is done and one or more computers (especially yours) will be infected immediately. Never follow any link contained in a strange email, it most likely will direct you to a site filled with malware that will infect a computer the moment the browser loads it.

Once your computer has contracted a virus, action will have to be taken to remove it or the problem will only become worse. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a software engineer for a spouse you’ll most likely have to purchase some kind of anti-virus software solution. There are a number of freeware solutions out on the market, but the fact is you’ll most likely get what you pay for with one of these applications and it’s possible to even make things worse. The best course of action is buy a reliable and well-reviewed virus-removal software to fix the problem. Two of the top virus-removal software solutions on the market today are Norton by Symantics and McAfee. Both of these products are well documented as effective against all types of malware and they are updated on a regular basis to guard against new outbreaks.

By using good common sense users can avoid viruses and other malware, and the best course of action is to buy anti-virus software before one infects your computer.

For more advice about viruses and virus removal or to buy the latest virus protection software pop into our store or contact us.

The study they conducted found that moving from single 18-inch traditional-format monitors to 24-inch widescreen displays reduced the time it took to complete a task from 8 hours to 5-1/2 hours. Over the course of a year, that translates to a savings of up to 76 days in production, or about $8,600 per employee (based on a $32,500 annual salary; for people with higher salaries, the savings is greater). “The study revealed that large widescreen or dual-monitor configurations are recommended for use in any situation where multiple documents of information are an ordinary part of work,” said Dr. James A. Anderson, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and a Professor of Communication at the University of Utah. “Given a workforce with varying editing and spreadsheet skills, the 24-inch widescreen appears to be the most solid option overall.”

Given how prominent computer based activity is for people outside of the office these days, gains in productivity can also be realised at home. Less time checking the emails. Less time doing the household accounts and paying bills. Less time surfing the net to find the things you are looking for. If you currently use small monitor at home when going about your computing activities, you may very well be spending needless time that could be saved by using a larger display or dual monitors.

For more information on the latest monitors we have in stock, be sure to contact us or pop into our store.