Volume 4 Issue 3

Tame That Monster!

May/June 2006

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Happy Spring!

Finally the snow is gone and the flowers are blooming. It's time to think of happy summer times. We all like to get in shape for the summer and, for most, that means neglecting our computers. We think summer is the best time to get your computer in shape for the fall season. You can make sure that your computer is maintained and running well to avoid a crisis when you least need one. You can also undertake some training that will ensure you are not wasting your valuable time when life is busier. What a great feeling it will be when you and your computer are running at peak efficiency and you are sitting back enjoying the memories of a great summer.

WindowWalk Computer Education specializes in QuickBooks and Simply Accounting training to help make your and your tax preparer's task easier (and cheaper!). Take advantage of our instructor's 20+ years of small business and personal accounting experience.

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

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

WindowWalk Computer Education offers on-site courses and hourly training ranging from the basics to advanced "power user" features. We pride ourselves in making your computer education a fully personalized, comfortable, and convenient experience.

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.

SURFIN' SAFARI

Some Useful and Interesting Web Sites

Nova Scotia Travel	Spring is finally here and summer will not be far behind. Check out all of the events and cool places to visit in our fair province. Discover the wonders in your backyard.
Halifax Weather	Travel is great as long as the weather co-operates. Check the daily and long range forecasts available online from Environment Canada. There are lots of weather-related things to do and see at this site.
IMDB	If travel is not on the agenda this summer, check out the Internet Movie DataBase. Everything you always wanted to know about every movie ever made can be found here. When you need to beef up your movie trivia facts there is no better web site.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

Ad-Aware SE Personal

Ad-Aware fights back against programs called adware and spyware (or badware). These programs, often installed without your knowledge, send information about your surfing habits to ad companies, which, in turn, send you more pop-up ads and spyware. Ad-Aware can help by checking for and deleting the badware programs from your computer.

Ad-Aware SE 1.06 is the latest version of Lavasoft's popular and venerable antispyware program, and not surprisingly, it continues to meet the high standards that Ad-Aware is known for. Long considered the grandfather of antispyware programs, Ad-aware keeps getting better. Of all the antispyware software tested by Download.com, Ad-Aware SE finished in the top three, removing virtually everything we threw at it, and it finished number one in overall performance. Ad-Aware SE is available in two versions. Ad-Aware SE Personal is free and will quarantine and remove spyware on your PC. Ad-Aware SE Plus sells for $29.95 and includes real-time protection, automatic updates, and advertising block features that are disabled within the free edition. Either edition of Ad-Aware should be a must-have for every PC desktop.

SAY WHAT!?

Sound Like a Computer Wizard

Home Page	A Home Page is a web site that you see when you first open your browser program (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, etc.). Your home page should be a site that you visit often or like to view. Many people use Google.ca as their home page, so they can start searching for information right away.
MP3	MP3 is a file type that compresses standard audio tracks into much smaller sizes without significantly compromising sound quality. This type of file is commonly used in music players like the iPod or a cell phone with internet access. Smaller song files are easy to download and store on a computer.
DVD	Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc. A DVD is a high capacity optical disc that looks like a CD (Compact Disc) but can store up to 26 times more data. These discs are most often used to record movies or to back up large amounts of data from a hard drive.

HARDWARE HELPER

TOP 5 MULTI-FUNCTION PRINTERS

Epson Stylus CX6600

CNET Rating: 8.1 Excellent

This upgrade of the popular CX6400 pledges more of a good thing: a low-cost, semi-standalone, multitasking, photo-loving all-in-one.

Specs: Multifunction , Flatbed scanner , Color , Color , 1 year warranty , PC , PC , Mac , Mac , Personal printer , Copier / printer / scanner.

HP OfficeJet 7410

CNET Rating: 8.0 Excellent

You'll get what you pay for. The 7410 provides the latest all-in-one features and functions -- for a price.

Specs: Multifunction , 1 year warranty , PC, Mac , PC, Mac , Digital , Fax / copier / printer / scanner.

HP Photosmart 2710 All-in-One

CNET Rating: 7.8 Very Good

Whether you work from home, in a small office, or with varied home printing, scanning, faxing, and copying needs, this all-in-one takes care of business.

Specs: Multifunction , 1 year warranty , PC, Mac , PC, Mac , Fax / copier / printer / scanner.

Canon Pixma MP780

CNET Rating: 7.3 Very Good

The Canon Pixma MP780 is well suited for home offices or businesses small enough to get by without a networked multifunction printer.

Specs: Multifunction , 1 year warranty , Mac , Mac , PC , PC , Digital , Fax / copier / printer / scanner.

Canon Pixma MP500

CNET Rating: 7.2 Very Good

Families and digital photo hobbyists should consider the well-designed Canon Pixma MP500 for prints, but we were disappointed by its mediocre color film scans.

Specs: Copier / printer / scanner, Multifunction, 1 year warranty.

To read the full reviews, click here.

SOFTWARE SEARCH

QuickBooks Premiere 2006

In a world of overhyped software upgrades, Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2006 is the real deal. More than a step up over its predecessor, QuickBooks Premier 2006 is an extreme makeover, with a revamped home page that newcomers will find easier to master and a shorter setup interview with far fewer screens to navigate. Personal relationships are the lifeblood of small business, and QuickBooks 2006 takes this into account with streamlined, single-page views of customers, vendors, and employees along with all related invoices, estimates, and payments. The 2006 version of this popular bookkeeping app corrects some of the program's previous shortcomings by adding a faster SQL database, beefed-up (though not best-of-breed) inventory-management tools, and an audit trail that's activated by default. QuickBooks Premier 2006 is a great bookkeeper for both longtime users and first-time bean counters.

Premier is designed for companies with up to 20 employees, while Pro is for a business with 10 or fewer workers. Premier has advanced features, such as tools for creating business plans and an Expert Analysis tool that gauges your business's financial health against the industry norm. Industry-specific versions of Premier include manufacturing and accountant editions.

CNET Rating: 8.0 Excellent

The Good	QuickBooks 2006 has a shorter setup interview; an improved, flowchart-style home page; a faster SQL database; an always-on audit trail; and new modules for managing customers, vendors, and employees.
The Bad	The tech support for QuickBooks 2006 is expensive, and its inventory-management tools could be better.
The Bottom Line	QuickBooks Premier 2006 is the best upgrade in years. Its slick new interface is the best in small-business accounting, and its accounting toolkit is easy to learn. Small but growing businesses should buy it.

Read the full review at Cnet.com.

WEB WARY

Viruses, Hoaxes, and Scams

Gas Saving Product Scam

Whenever a disaster strikes, we are always disheartened to see the number of charity relief and other scams, as well as how quickly scammers begin to scam their victims.

Unfortunately, the same thing is often true with non-disaster situations.

Not surprisingly, now that gas prices are at the forefront of consumer concerns, we're seeing a lot of scammers come out of the woodwork to capitalize on high gas prices. So, we want to alert you so you can protect yourself.

Most of these scams involve products that claim to eliminate your gas woes.

The promoters of these products would have you believe that you can drastically and cost-effectively cut down your gas consumption by using their special gas-saving products.

But are these products legitimate, or are they simply scams?

Unfortunately, according to the experts, the majority of these gas-saving products are either useless or they can even damage your car.

The experts agree that the majority of these products either don't work at all, or the ones that actually do cut down your gas consumption will likely cost you more in damages to your car's engine than the money they are supposed to save you!

We are certainly not claiming that every gas-saving product is a scam. But we do recommend that you be VERY skeptical about these products and the claims that are made.

For 16 tips that actually will save you money on gas prices, click here.

To read more about viruses and scams, click here.

ASK TIZZIE

From the Email Files of our Resident Computer Monster

Question:

How do I know if I have a firewall?

Tizzie's Answer:

If your operating system is Windows XP, then you have a firewall. Windows XP has it's own firewall that is turned on by default. If you are using an earlier version of Windows (98, ME, 2000) then you would have to install a firewall program yourself. Some anti-virus packages include a firewall, such as Norton Internet Security Suite, or you can download a free firewall, such as Zone Alarm.

Send Tizzie YOUR Question!

TIPS AND TRICKS

Save Pictures from the Internet

When you are surfing the Internet and you find a picture that you would like to copy, right-click the picture and select Save Image As from the shortcut menu. The My Pictures folder in My Documents opens by default when you save a picture. Give the picture file a name and click the Save button. You can now find the picture in the My Pictures folder. Be careful of copyright infringement when you are using pictures from the Internet, some are free to copy and others are not.

You can also save an image as desktop wallpaper. Right-click the picture and select Save As Desktop Background from the shortcut menu. The picture will replace your current wallpaper on the desktop.

If you would like a link to your business on our website, please click here.

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2375 Roosevelt Dr. Halifax, NS. B3L 3H8