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Visit on the web, send an email , or call 830-9336 to learn more about our effective software training or to give us your comments and suggestions.

Small Business Owners: WindowWalk Computer Education specializes in QuickBooks and Simply Accounting training to help make your and your tax preparer's task easier. Take advantage of our ProAdvisor's 20+ years of small business accounting experience.

Accountants: Do you have any clients whose computer files are not in the best shape? We can help. Our on-site training is customized for each client's needs and we work directly with you to make sure your client maintains the books to your requirements.

Beginners: Our Windows Foundation course gives you all the basics you need to use your computer. Learn about the internet and email with us and raise your comfort level quickly to get you out exploring cyberspace on your own.

We want everyone to have a more comfortable experience with their computer. Call us today for a free assessment or consultation.

WindowWalk Computer Education is proud to serve you as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and as a member of:

Serving Seniors - Your Resource of Dedicated Professionals
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MICROSOFT WINDOWS VISTA

What Is It? Do I Need It?

Windows Vista is a new operating system from Microsoft that was released the end of January this year. We hope that the following articles will answer all of your questions about Vista.

First, our local computer expert, Andy Butler of Compatible Computer Services (CCS), will answer your most pressing questions about Vista:

So have you rushed out and bought copies of Windows Vista for all your computers? While there are some nice features built into Vista, few companies are expected to upgrade all their computers overnight. So what will happen?

- Some people will go out and get it because it is new.
- People buying new computers, for home or office, will find that Vista is pre-installed on their machine.
- According to Microsoft’s Windows Desktop License Availability policy, new licenses of Windows XP will be available for 12 months after Windows Vista is generally available. This means that XP could start to be harder to find starting January 2008.

- What will happen is that hardware and software manufacturers will concentrate on Vista and support for XP will decline.

- Vista will work happily alongside of Windows XP in a network.

As an example from history, Windows Millennium (ME) was officially supported till July 11 2006 but most hardware and software manufacturers dropped support for ME years before that date. Applications like iTunes, most games, Windows Media Player 10, or even the latest MS Office and Corel WP Office were never available to ME. For another example Norton Antivirus 2007 will only run on XP or Vista.

Windows XP will be "supported" for some time but at some point it will be harder to find new hardware or software for it. That timeframe is not yet known as it will be dependant on what the manufacturers and Microsoft decide to do.

SOME OF THE KEY FEATURES OF VISTA ARE:
- Increased security protection: Microsoft has stated that “Windows Vista is the most secure and trustworthy Windows operating system yet”.

- Significantly improved searching throughout Windows and Office: Vista introduces Instant Search which is an enhanced desktop search and organizer that helps you locate files and e-mail messages on your PC faster and easier.

- From the user’s point of view, it runs faster. New performance features help to make Vista feel faster and run smoother than Windows XP. Microsoft's goal was to create balanced performance by removing delays in everyday work.

- An improved user interface (the Desktop). 3D Flip, part of Vista’s user interface called Aero, provides quick viewing of all windows that a user has open. This is by far the most noticeable change that Vista has incorporated.

TO SUM UP:
- Unless you are an early adopter of technology, you don’t need to rush out a replace Windows XP yet.
- When you need to buy a new computer, buy Vista
- For the home, get Vista Home Premium, not Vista Basic. For business, get Vista Business.
- When your current computer dies – absolutely replace it with Vista
- Vista and XP can cohabitate very well together in a network
- In about a year hardware and software will start to label themselves as “Vista only”
- Unlike the XP rollout, most hardware and software either already or will very soon support Vista
- Vista requires more memory and a better video card than XP so expect hardware costs if you upgrade your current computer from XP to Vista

This article was authored by Compatible Computer Services; (902) 420-1212. CCS provides sales and service support for PCs and Restaurant & Retail Point of Sales systems and develops client-specific custom-built business software applications.

We have also found more interesting articles about Vista for you, click away:

CNET Review of Windows Vista Home Premium

Comparison Chart of Windows Vista Editions

Vista Upgrade Advisor - Can your computer run Vista?

PC Magazine's Review of Windows Vista

PC World: Living With Vista: First 30 Days

Back to Top

SURFIN' SAFARI

Some Useful and Interesting Web Sites

WHAT DOES IT DO?

Mozy Online Backup

Ask people if they have backed up their computer data lately and you get a whole range of answers, from “What’s a backup?” to “Are you kidding, I backup twice a day.” Most of us are somewhere in the middle, backing up when we think of it and if we have time. Kudos to those who are conscientious and backup their data regularly. The danger with irregular backups is that when your hard drive disintegrates with your data, you only have a fairly old copy of your work (or play). Everything else is irretrievably lost.

There is an easy and free solution to computer back up problems. Mozy is a secure, automatic remote backup service for any PC in any home. It’s easy to install and setup. You don’t need any new hardware and you don’t have to pay for a subscription service. No more burning CD’s or DVD’s. If you have a broadband (high-speed) internet connection you are ready to go. Mozy will automatically backup any files you select to a 2 Gigabyte secure storage for free. You can even schedule the backups for times that are convenient for you.

Learn more about Mozy

SAY WHAT!?

Sound Like a Computer Wizard

HARDWARE HELPER

HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray

Blu-ray and HD-DVD are rival incompatible formats, a situation that recalls the Beta vs. VHS battle that stifled the early growth of the VCR and home-video market in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Despite an attempt to unify the two standards in 2005, the corporate godfathers of the two formats – Sony for Blu-ray and Toshiba for HD-DVD – failed to come to an agreement. What that means to you is that no Blu-ray player will be able to play HD-DVD discs, and no HD-DVD player can play Blu-ray discs. If a movie comes out in one format, there's no guarantee that it will be available in the other. Certain studios could release movies in both formats, but you'll still have to be careful not to buy the wrong version of the movie.

Comparison Chart for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD

With both HD-DVD and Blu-ray becoming available this spring, the question becomes: which is the horse to bet on? At this point, from the perspective of the editors at CNET, the answer is: neither. As much as we're looking forward to the availability of HD movies, we think the industry's failure to offer a single DVD successor makes it impossible to recommend either of the two rival contenders.

Reasons to Wait Before Buying

SOFTWARE SEARCH

Quicken vs Money

Last year, both Intuit Quicken 2006 and Microsoft Money 2006 were well-designed personal finance programs that offered similar features, such as helpful expense pie charts and budgeting help, but we didn't find that one tool far surpassed the other. This year, however, Intuit has earned our Editors' Choice award for Quicken Premier 2007.

That's not just due to Quicken's new layout, which nicely displays your cash flow within bold boxes instead of showing a long text list by default. Other highlights include the ability to pull up mini windows within a register of transactions so that you can see instantly what you've spent at a particular store. In addition, only Quicken lets you securely store pictures of checks, receipts, and invoices so that you can toss your paper copies.

The ability to update data from your various online accounts makes both programs breezy; however, you'll need to set up Web-based accounts at your financial institutions first. Some users still have qualms about turning over their data to a third party via the Internet. If so, you can use both Quicken and Money locally.

Should you choose to connect with your online accounts, Quicken stores your various passwords for banks, credit cards, and investment accounts within a PIN vault that you can't access outside the program. And Microsoft encrypts its transactions, but we feel a bit less secure with Money because it requires a Windows Live ID, which you may use for a slew of other, more casual online services, such as mapping. Make sure to pick a hard-to-crack password and change it often. While travelers might like that you can access your Money details online, take care not to do so if you're surfing via an unprotected Wi-Fi hot spot, say, at the airport.

Read the full review and see a comparison chart at CNET

WEB WARY

All About Viruses

Part 1 - What Is a Computer Virus?

Like viruses that infect living beings, computer viruses infect your computer. They are software, and are often attached to other software or documents you might receive. When you run the virus's software or the file the virus has infected, the virus can infect your computer's software.

There are many types of viruses and terms for them, but we'll use the general term 'virus' to make things easy.

Like the flu virus, a computer virus must spread from host to host to survive. When we get the flu, we cough and sneeze, and tiny particles carrying the virus spread the flu to other people.

With computer viruses, the virus is designed to spread from your computer to other computers. Here are some of the most common ways they spread:

1. Once the virus has infected your system, it may automatically send out emails containing more copies of the virus using the address book in your email program. This type of virus is called an Internet "Worm," because it is a self-propagating virus. For example, an Internet worm crippled tens of thousands of computers and slowed down parts of the Internet on the weekend of January 29, 2003.

2. If the virus is a macro virus (attached to a Microsoft Word document, for example), it may attach itself to any document you create or modify. If you send another document to someone by email, the virus goes along with it.

3. Sometimes viruses masquerade as a fun program (like an electronic greeting card) that secretly infects your system. If you pass the program along, not realizing that it contains a virus, you will be transmitting the virus manually to your friends, family, or colleagues.

Trojan Horses are closely related to computer viruses, but they differ in that they do not attempt to replicate themselves. More specifically, a Trojan Horse performs some undesired -- yet intended -- action while, or in addition to, pretending to do something else. A common example is a fake login program, which collects account information and passwords by asking for this info just like a normal login program does.

Many computer viruses are malicious -- in other words, they can erase your files or lock up whole computer systems. Other computer viruses are more benign -- they don't do any direct damage other than by spreading themselves locally or throughout the Internet.

Regardless, computer viruses should always be treated.

Look for Part 2 - What Kind of Damage Can a Virus Do? in the next issue.

To read more about viruses and scams, click here.

ASK TIZZIE

From the Email Files of our Resident Computer Monster

Question:

I am looking for a new computer to use at home and don't know what all the "specs" mean. Can you please explain these terms and numbers so I will know what computer I need?

Tizzie's Answer:

Yes, all those numbers and letters can be confusing. Let's get started.

The first one you are likely to come across is the processor speed of the computer. The CPU (processor) is one of the most important components in the computer and determines how long it takes to perform tasks, such as opening windows and downloading files from the internet. Processor speeds are measured in Hertz and now commonly in the GigaHertz size, therefore you will see something like 2.0 GHz. This is amazingly fast compared to 10 years ago when most computers were using 150 MHz (MegaHertz). Generally, processor speeds are so fast now that the naked eye can't tell the difference between a 1.5 GHz and 3.0 GHz. Unless you require super-speed to process graphics or play the latest games, the processor speed shouldn't be much of an issue.

The storage space of the Hard Drive is another important component to consider and determines how much "stuff" you can have on your computer. Your operating system and all other programs that you install, as well as your personal documents and pictures, are all stored on the hard drive. A large hard drive means you don't have to worry about running out of space for all those digital camera pictures you want to keep. Hard drive storage is measured in GigaBytes and the common size (for the moment) seems to be between 80 and 120 Gb. For most of us this is plenty of storage space, but there seems to be no limit to the size of hard drives being served up.

RAM (Random Access Memory) is the next most important component. The memory allows you to access the contents of the hard drive in any order which means that the larger the size of the RAM, the faster your processor can access and display your programs and data. RAM is measured in MegaBytes and GigaBytes and the minimum you should have is 512 Mb. Ideally, you want to have 1 Gb of RAM in your computer.

Less important, unless you are a gamer, is the Graphics Card. The graphics card determines how well your monitor displays pictures, videos, and animations. At a minimum your graphics card should be 128 Mb.

Another thing you need to consider is the CD or DVD drive for your computer. Make sure that you get a Re-Writable (RW) drive so you can keep copies of your important documents and pictures. A DVD-RW has become the new standard and allows you to save much more data on each disc.

You may also want to consider how many USB ports your new computer should have. USB ports are where you plug in your printer, scanner, camera, mouse, and other devices. Your computer should have a minimum of 4 USB ports but the more the merrier.

And last but not least, is the Monitor. There are two main types of monitors available now: CRT which is available in both standard and flat screen and LCD (flat screen). LCD screens have dropped in price considerably over the last few years and take up much less room on your desk. The most common monitor size (for today) is 17 " but you can also get monitors in much larger sizes.

I hope this helps you in your new computer search. If you are interested in a computer with the new Windows Vista, you will want to read the articles we have found to help you see what the new operating system requires to run on your computer. Happy Shopping!

Send Tizzie YOUR Question!

TIPS AND TRICKS

Click and Type in Word

Microsoft Word has a cool little feature called Click and Type that lets you have different paragraph alignments on one line. For example, you may want the first part of your text line to be centered but the last part to be aligned to the right margin. Normally, Word only allows one type of alignment per paragraph. To use Click and Type simply move the mouse pointer over a blank area of your document. The line alignment displays next to the mouse pointer as you move it across the page. Double-click at the line alignment you want to use and type your text or insert an object.