Free software
Bad news A lot of free software is rubbish. Many paid-for programs are rubbish as well. Loads of it is pre-loaded by manufacturers 1 and starts of its own accord serving to clutter up your system, use resources, open up security holes and many worse things. The next post in this series will cover how to slim your system
Good news You can do just about everything for free. Paying for programs should be an absolute last resort. Read more
Filing system organisation
Is your computer little more than an electronic heap of documents? has anyone ever shown you how to organise your files properly? This article explains essential file system organisation and how to make it happen.
The basic theory is simple you have four different types of file on the computer
Programs – Archive – Current – Temporary
Basic tips for browsing
A lot of the power of the internet comes from using a web browser. The trouble is that the content providers have their own agenda and want to direct you to their own sites, skip over important but profitable opt-outs, serve endless advertisements and capture all your private information for more marketing. What this post is all about is using a browser to do what you want to do with it.
There are two sections here: Firstly getting rid of the avalanche of clutter that obstructs your daily browse. Secondly getting new tools to make what you want to do a lot easier.
Photographs
Digital photography is wonderful. Once you’ve found out how to copy from your camera to your computer there are a few more basic skills you should learn.
Working with files
In this part we’ll just look at the main tool you use for manipulating your files and a couple of things about naming conventions. (File management – how to organise a filing system will be dealt with in a following part.)
A lot of people labouriously plod through my computer to eventually find the directory they want. Read more
Email tips
Email is one of those things that many people find they need but find it a lot of hassle for the occasionally useful message. We’ll proceed on the basis that it is a necessary evil which can be kept in check with some simple good habits. Learn to love it.
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The mouse
We use the pointer all the time to find and click. Here are five practical basics:
Scrap the mouse and use a trackball instead. Being able to whizz around the screen by moving your thumb in a controlled motion beats finding where you last left the mouse, making space for it on the desk, lifting it back to get another swipe and dropping it off the edge of the table. If you have one with a cable that’s getting entangled in the other desk clutter and if you have one without the batteries keep running out. Read more
Five basics – series introduction
Coming soon to this blog will be a series aimed at reluctant computer users. Many readers will recognise either themselves as struggling with bl***y computers or often spend time helping others out.