Checking out the Alamo automobile rental

One of the extra well-liked and reputable automotive rental service in the nation is the Alamo Automobile Rental company. It is extremely beneficial not solely thorugh phrase of mouth, but within the internet as well. The Alamo automobile rental firm is definitely a blessing to fixed travellers, particularly those searching for a method to make their travels be as comfortable as possible, it's best to check out the Alamo car rental firm and find out for yourself if they actually as good when it comes to their companies as they declare to be.

The Alamo automobile rental firm truly gives its customers varied service packages that they'll select from, from company applications to governement contractor applications to assembly and events probrams. Alamo automobile rental has your again (plus your head) covered. They'll truly offer you no matter automobile that you want (is determined by what you really need that time).

Other than quality service, Alamo automobile rental really prides itself for being able to deliver unbeleivably cheaper rates (as compared with their rival automotive rental services company) which just goes to point out how Alamo car rental has been dedicated to its client public. By sticking to cheaper rates, Alamo automotive rental agencies actually give their clients a very good value for their money. Alamo automotive rental can also be a sensible choice for businessmen who are jetting off from one state to a different, moderately, from one country to a different (thus the need for the non-public car). They really present businessmen an exlcusive and distinctive “enterprise journey program” which obviously is simply focused on delivering the needs of valued and busy businessmen.

Certain Alamo automotive rental insurance policies and guidelines include the following:

Informing them about a further driver in addition to any disabilities or sickness and complications. Your credit card number, mainly how you’re planning fot Alamo automotive rental’s excellent service. Correct papers, licenses and identification cards.

Nicely there are actually a lot more, However its actually best to focus on the extra vital ones. The Alamo car rental service adheres these strict rules and tips as a way to keep service effectivity and their good fame to the public.

Contacting them is definitely only a breeze, should you’re not able to find their listed number in the listing, you'll be able to just search for their quantity as a substitute, on the internet. The internet has a assorted and incredibly huge array of lists that will inevitably lead you to the Alamo’s car rental service’s number. However, you may also attain them by way of electronic mail. Geared in the direction of offering unparalled service to its loyal customers as well as those who are nonetheless looking for a automotive service rental that they wish to try out, Alamo car rental has offered the public with various methods of being able to attain them.

And talking of trying their best to provide their curtomers great service, Alamo automobile rental has truly outfitted their vehivcles with other companies that may probably prove to be very useful to their clients. Upon request, one could avail of the various “add-ons’ that only Alamo automotive rental can provide. From carphones to kiddie chairs. Alamo car rental service has prided itself for at all times being in the forefront of the automotive rental industry. Make sure you examine the out when you’re having some automobile rental problems, they’re sure they might help you out.

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5 Minute Guide to CRM

For any successful company, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is one of the most important factors in customer acquisition. It not only consists of building extensive relationships with customers and other businesses, but it also allows a company to find out how their product is viewed by their audiences. In order to have a successful product, a business must have a great relationship with the public. For instance, if Disney were to come out with a new product line, they would have to know who their audience is, what they expect out of a product, and the type of quality they want. Although it sounds like a difficult quest, it is actually quite easy to find this sort of information. Luckily, CRM software can help find out these answers. CRM software is extremely important for any company who is serious about accomplishing a goal. If they are ready to release a new product or just want to get better sales, these programs can help them determine what to do. Many businesses love CRM software because it allows them to analyze their customer’s behavior and why they react a certain way. Depending upon the money you want to spend, these CRM solutions can either evaluate your data that you put in yourself, or collect information from the website visits or e-mails you receive. When trying to find a great CRM solution, it is important to question your needs and what you want from the software. Many programs offer a different amount of features, thus it is important to break down what you would like. Also, you must remember that your employees will need to know how to use the software and understand the information that it presents. This may be a large problem if you have to train your entire staff. It not only forces you to spend more money than you need to, but it also slows down the process of building customer relationships. Although CRM software greatly helps a company reach their goal and make more money, there are other factors to think about. Unfortunately, CRM software may only take you so far. After all, it is only a computer program! Every successful business needs an intelligent and creative staff who can take the company to another level. If you don’t have a great team, your CRM software will only give you a massive headache. While there are many factors that go hand in hand with great sales, companies still need to focus on satisfying their customers. For that reason, customer relationship management helps both the customer and the business itself. After all, if there are happy customers, chances are they will go and tell their friends about their favorite product. We all know that word of mouth spreads easily, thus resulting in better and bigger sales. However, small businesses know how terrible it can be to face negative and unhappy audiences. It is mind blowing to think that a few customers can mean the end of a business. Luckily, with hundreds of customer relationship management solutions and software, companies are now able to find out how they can please their customers. Natalie Aranda writes on business and technology. CRM software is important for customer acquisition. Many businesses love CRM systems because it allows them to analyze their customer’s behavior and why they react a certain way. Depending upon the money you want to spend, these CRM solutions can either evaluate your data that you put in yourself, or collect information from the website visits or e-mails you receive. Web based CRM has gained the popularity because of the ease of implementation and lower initial cost.

How Computer Programs That Wipe Hard Drive Work

It can be an advocacy but usually, companies that dispose old computers when they buy new units often donate the equipments to institutions and to some people who need personal computers. This is a widely acceptable practice. But are you ready to give much more than the worth of the personal computer you are donating? You might not be fully aware of it but when you are giving your old personal computer to other people, you are also giving the recipient the opportunity to access your old files and information saved previously on the hard disk. Even if you have deleted the files in the Windows operating system and in the Recycle Bin, there would always be traces of the deleted file somewhere within the hard drive of the computer. The simple process of deletion would only remove the shortcuts to the files. In actuality, the files are still there, though you could hardly trace them. But imagine if in the long process of donating, the personal computer goes to the possession of an expert who could be able to restore and retrieve the deleted files. There are many recovery and restoration software available in the market that could facilitate instant retrieval of deleted files. Will you be willing to afford to lose sensitive information like trade secrets, personal information, confidential data, bank and credit account numbers and contact details of clients? Much more, will you be willing to take the risk of sharing such important and confidential information to some unscrupulous people who might use the data inappropriately, maliciously and fraudulently? If not, then, it is high time you wipe hard drive of your computer. Disk wiping is the process of erasing saved data on storage devices like compact discs, thumb drives and hard drives. When you wipe hard drive, you are ensuring that all previously deleted files on the personal computer would never ever be recovered or accessed even with the use of the most powerful data recovery software. Wiping hard drive is actually working by overwriting the entire hard drive not just once but several times. Thus, you can rest assured that no data or file would ever remain in the computer memory for life. To put it simply, it is impossible to retrieve data that have already been overwritten. The process is irreversible. How does the process work? When you wipe hard drive, the process generally overwrites the whole disk with zero or one. A reformat would follow. The overwriting process takes on and repeats itself several times, solidifying the security purpose. That is the reason why such computer programs usually take some time to complete. When you wipe hard drive, you are practically disk wiping applications by overwriting master boot record, the partition table and each sector present in the computer hard drive. When you wipe a hard drive, you are ensuring the safety and confidentiality of all files that had been saved and later on erased from the computer memory. Such pertinent data and information would never ever be accessed by anyone, especially the unauthorized ones. If you are interested in wipe hard drive , check this web-site to learn more about wiping disk.

Registry Cleaner Software - Why To Use Registry Cleaners?

Registry Cleaner Software - Why To Use Registry Cleaners? A registry cleaner software as the name suggests is used to remove all invalid entries in the registry and also make the registry faster by optimizing it. The cleaner works by removing the junk and clutter data that has built up in your registry that has happened due to installation and deletion of programs as well as deleting and creating files and even surfing online. It is necessary to run a full scan of your registry with the registry cleaner regularly like once in a week, etc. Your operating system as well as all the applications on your computer depends totally on the registry as configuration of all software and hardware resides in it. There is not a single task that your computer cannot perform without the help of your registry. The registry instructs the operating system, the hardware and all the software applications what functions they have to perform. Every process in the registry takes place in the background as a result of which you don t know what is actually happening. Many times you may observe that your computer crashes or a software application hangs up with an error message. Hence you will need a registry cleaner to wipe out all these consistencies and make your computer run smoothly again. However if the cleaner fails to solve your problems then you will have to reinstalling your operating system or even formatting your system. You will need to backup all your data before you format your system. But this case happens rarely because nowadays registry cleaners software are intelligently built to fix any registry errors. So how can the registry get damaged? As mentioned before, installing and removing programs the entries in the registry are removed or changed. However some of the entries in the registry are not removed properly as a result of which there are failures and system errors. With the help of the registry cleaner you can purge these invalid entries thereby making your computer s performance better than before. A registry cleaner also solves the problem of missing and corrupt files in the registry. There maybe some registry entries that get overwritten when you are trying to install a new program and a registry cleaner comes in handy as it may simply reverse the effect. Somehow, not every registry software is good. you might find one that does not even have the feature that you will need to optimize your computer. Yes, you will not only clean your registry but you will optimize your computer to run at its best performance. Find out the best software in the review at Why to use registry cleaners ? Alexandre Frings is a computer technology enthusiast and self proclaimed expert. His site Registry cleaner review offers simple yet effective information to help you realize how important it is to maintain your registry regularly.

Software Problems? Find Fast Solutions Online

Software Problems? Find Fast Solutions Online It never fails. Your deadline is looming and disaster strikes. Some weird error message pops up. Or you realize you don t know how to complete a critical step formula in Excel. Or maybe you just want to add a little polish to your Excel or Word document to impress the boss. Where do you go for help? There is a vast array of on-line solutions available to you that can provide answers to MS Office questions quickly. F1 - your best friend Every professional application has extensive help documentation available, usually accessible by pressing the F1 key or clicking on the help menu. You can either browse the file to find your answer or type a phrase into the search window to get instant answers. Help files are great for basic or even advanced functionality. However they focus on how the application works, not how it doesn t work, so are less useful when you have problems. They are also no help if you don t know the right phrase to search on; you can t find help on how to use a widget if the help file calls it a doodad. Knowledge bases Software manufacturers often have extensive knowledge bases at their web sites. These take the help file one step further, illustrating techniques beyond what on-line documentation does. They can also be excellent troubleshooting sources. Copying and pasting an error message into a knowledge base can give specific help on your problem. But knowledge bases suffer from some of the same limitations as help files, most notably the "I don t know what to call it" syndrome. Official support forums Official support forums can be an important addition to a knowledge base, allowing users to ask a wider range of questions. They can get those questions answered by experts who are well versed in all aspects of the applications. The problem is that most software companies don t offer support forums, since they require too much employee time to be effective. Those that do are often swamped by users, so it can seem hard to get anyone s attention. User group support forums The lack of official support forums has spawned the creation of many user groups with their own support forums. There may be expert users in the crowd who can provide insight on troubleshooting and techniques that would be hard to find in some dusty manual. Then again, these people are under no obligation. There is no guarantee that a question will be answered quickly or at all. Nor is there any guarantee a given forum will actually have those "expert users" you need. Plus, some people on these forums are just jerks. Training Centre User Support Forums Some MS Office training centres fill that support gap with User Support Forums. Originally set up for customers of training courses, some like the one at Best Training are now open to everyone. Here, Microsoft Certified Trainers answer questions on Microsoft product, usually within just a few hours. Training Centre User Support forums offer a nice balance of benefits. You can explore open ended topics without tedious browsing of help files or knowledge bases. Answers are customized and relevant to your unique situation, not just general instructions. You can also rely on professional demeanor and certified experts. Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on a Microsoft Office support forum , visit http://www.MicrosoftTraining.net/ .

Steps To Maintaining Your Personal Computer

1. Safety First!! - Protect your computer from viruses and spyware. Many PCs will come with a free trial version of an Anti-Virus Software. However, once this trial expires, what should a basic home user do? It is very common for people to either choose to go without Anti-Virus, or to pay for a subscription to Norton. However, Norton produces annoying pop-ups and warnings, and also takes up so much of a computer s RAM that it will actually slow down the PC s performance. I recommend AVG s Anti-virus. It is a free program that provides very sufficient protection for your computer. It can be downloaded at the link below. AVG should be updated and a scan should be performed AT LEAST once a week. Additionally, you must protect your computer from spyware. According to Microsoft, "Spyware is a general term used to describe software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent first." It can be very harmful and is commonly overlooked when basic users are protecting their PC. A very useful program to sweep your system of spyware is Spybot Search & Destroy. It is also a free program and can be downloaded at the link below. It should be updated and a scan should be performed once every couple of weeks. 2. Don t make your hard drive work too hard. Like any car or home appliance, a computer s hard drive will suffer from "wear and tear." You can usually expect a hard drive to last 4-5 years but that can be greatly increased by giving your hard drive the occasional tune up. The first step of doing this is running the Windows Disk Cleanup Tool. This is done by clicking Start --> All Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools --> Disk Cleanup. It will scan your computer, and provide you with a list of files you can choose to remove. This will remove any files on your computer that may not be needed and are simply taking up space. Disk Cleanup should be performed approximately once a month for the average user. Next, you should run the Disk Defragmenter. The hard drive can become fragmented with a greater frequency of new software installations, internet downloads of movies or music, or simple creation of files. Fragmenting of a hard drive occurs because all files are stored in sectors and when a file is opened a needle has to find all parts of that file on the hard drive. When a file is created it won t be one large package, but many small packages that make up the whole. When these packages are stored, they will be placed in the first open area on the hard drive. If a hard drive is fragmented, the packages will not be placed together and will force the drive to work harder to build the file. This can decrease both the lifespan of the drive and the speed of your computer. Defragmenting simply places all of the files in a position that relieves the stress on a hard drive. It can be done by clicking Start --> All Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools --> Disk Defragmenter. You can then click analyze in Windows XP and it will give you a response on whether or not you should defragment. Windows Vista now allows you to schedule how often you would like to defragment. This should be done AT LEAST quarterly for an average user but might need to be done more often for some. 3. UPDATE!! Windows allows a user to permit automatic updates, so take advantage of it. This can be done by clicking Start --> All Programs --> Windows Update. It should be set to automatic so that you can be as up to date as possible on the built in security measures that windows has already installed. It is also a good idea to check on updates for any programs that you have installed. This is not necessarily needed but is recommended to get the most out of your programs. It can usually be done by opening the program and then looking for "Update" in the Help Menu. 4. Do Some Spring Cleaning All computers have fans that encourage air flow through the tower to ensure that the processor runs at a cooler temperature. Dust and pet hair can clog these vents and overheat your processor. This must be cleaned to prevent a very expensive repair. Every computer technician has a story about a computer that they opened up and everything was caked in dust. Don t let this be you. It may be intimidating to some to open up the computer s case, but it is quite simple. Go to your local PC shop and purchase a can of compressed air, which will only cost a few dollars. MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS UNPLUGGED!! Open up your computer s tower. It should only be a couple of screws but if you can t figure it out then you probably shouldn t open it in the first place. Use the compressed air to remove any of the dust on the motherboard, fan and processor. Close everything back up and you are all done. You can also use the compressed air to clean your keyboard. Use alcohol and a soft cloth to clean your monitor s screen. You can also purchase a CD-ROM Cleaner that will clean your drive. It is basically a felt cd that is put in the drive to clean the optical lens. Follow these steps and you will greatly increase the performance and longevity of your computer. AVG Download Spybot Search & Destroy Download Innovative Network Solutions Michigan Network Service and Web Design

Special Image Techniques with Dreamweaver CS3

Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 allows users to create web pages easily, using intuitive menus and buttons rather than learning cryptic HTML coding. Dreamweaver courses can help new users become comfortable more quickly, and can teach even advanced users a few new tricks. Here are some examples of the advanced techniques a student can pick up one of these courses. Use the Alt field to reach all viewers One problem with images is that not everyone can see them. Some visitors may be vision impaired and "viewing" your page on software that reads the text to them. Others might have images turned off so they can browse the web faster. If you put important information in your images, those visitors may be frustrated and leave, leading to lost business. Alt fields are also important places to insert keywords to enhance your search engine ranking. When Dreamweaver courses teach you how to insert images into your web pages, they will discuss the Alt field on the property inspector. This is a line of text that will be displayed in browsers that have images turned off, or will be read to vision impaired visitors. By making your web site accessible to all users, you are able to serve a larger customer base and take a step toward improving your search engine ranking. Use image maps for easy site navigation Basic Dreamweaver courses demonstrate how easy it is to add images to your web site. At its simplest, an image is simply a decoration on the page. It is easy to turn the entire image into a link to allow the user to click on a thumbnail to see the full size image. Heat map studies have shown that users are more likely to click on images than on hyperlinked text. A more sophisticated use of an image taught in Dreamweaver courses is to allow the user to click on different parts of the image to go to different destinations. For example, a travel agent could use a map of Europe to allow users to easily select their destination country and list hotels and other amenities in that region. Give a page some flair with a background image Most images on web pages are foreground images that the text flows around. Dreamweaver courses teach students how to add a background image that will display behind the text. A simple texture can give a page the appearance of parchment or vellum. A landscaping company might want a background of lush vegetation. Another company might want copy of the company logo behind the text on every page like a watermark. A background image can add sophistication to a page and can even transmit subtle messages to the visitor. However, care must be used that such images don t interfere with the text. The colours should be muted and low-contrast and the final product should be viewed at a variety of resolutions to be sure the desired effect is maintained. Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on a Dreamweaver courses , visit http://www.MicrosoftTraining.net/ .

Repairing Win32 Errors Made Easy

Win32 errors can be irritating. They can also be potentially fatal for your computer. These annoying little errors indicate that your Microsoft operating system (OS) is not running as it should, and repairing these errors is vital not just for the well being of your PC, but also for your peace of mind. Janine Reeves, a 31-year-old dance instructor from New York, got so exasperated with constant Win32 errors on her PC that she stopped using it for a time. "I never realized, and no one ever told me, that these errors were linked to my habit of constantly installing and uninstalling applications," she says. What s the link, you may well ask. Well, without going into any technical questions, suffice it to say that improper installing or uninstalling of applications causes Win32 errors. This is because Win32 is the 32-bit API for all modern Windows versions. API stands for Application Programming Interface, which is what makes your OS run smoothly. WinAPI (short for Windows API) is made up of system DLLs that implement all its functions, and what happens with applications that are improperly installed or uninstalled is that the DLL files are corrupt or damaged, which affects the functioning of the API, and generates Win32 errors. Assuming all that is clear so far, how does one go about repairing these annoying errors? Well, you can take the long route and reinstall the applications, or you can take the short and painless route and clean Windows Registry. I can see your hands shooting up in the air so let me answer all your unspoken questions. All the data pertaining to the OS on your computer is stored in the Registry. And that includes all corrupt or damaged DLL files as well, which cause Win32 errors. Therefore, the best way to eliminate these errors is to rid Windows Registry of aforementioned files. While (very) advanced users can manually clean Windows Registry using Regedit.exe, I would absolutely not recommend it to the average user. The consequences of mishandling the Registry can be swift and fatal. So take my advice and download a Registry cleaning tool that will clean your Registry safely, quickly, and painlessly. While there are many reputable Registry cleaners on the market, RegCure is my top pick (visit the link below for a free download). And once your Registry is free from those corrupt or damaged DLL files, you will notice that your task of repairing Win32 errors is over before it has even begun. Jeff Wilson writes extensively about computer related issues like fixing those annoying Win32 errors, speeding up your PC, and how to protect your personal privacy on the Internet. To get a FREE download of Jeff s favorite Win32 error repair tool visit http://www.my-pc-helper.com .

Excel 2007 - Main Interface Changes

Ribbon The Ribbon in Excel contains the same tools and options as before (with a few additions), organized in a different way (as mentioned earlier). The following describes each tab. Home-This tab contains the most commonly used tools for formatting cells and fonts, etc. Options are grouped by Clipboard, Font, Alignment, Styles, Cells, and Editing. Insert-This tab displays many of the tools from the old Insert menu. Options are grouped by Tables, Illustrations, Charts, Links, and Text. Page Layout-This tab contains many features from the old Page Setup window (File | Page Setup). The Themes options are new, predefined sets of colors, lines, fonts, and fill effects, comparable to a template. Customize them to keep a constant look and feel to your documents. Options are grouped by Themes, Page Setup, Scale to Fit, Sheet Options, and Arrange. Formulas-Many of the options from the old Tools menu and the Insert Function window can be found on this tab. Options are grouped by Function Library, Defined Names, Formula Auditing, and Calculation. Data-The options on this tab were found on the old Data menu. Options are grouped by Get External Data, Connections, Sort and Filter, Data Tools, and Outline. Review-This tab contains the commands you need to review a document, such as Spell Check, Track Changes, etc. Many of these items were on the old Tools menu. Options are grouped by Proofing, Comments, and Changes. View-In addition to the items that used to be on the old View menu, this tab also contains Excel s new Page Layout view. The view is comparable to that the Print Layout in Word. It allows you to view a document as it will look when printed. Options are grouped by Workbook Views, Show/Hide, Zoom, Window, and Macros. Office Button Excel s Office button displays a menu that contains commands from the old File and Tools menus and more. For example, the Prepare feature includes new options to encrypt your document and run a compatibility checker. Remember, if the menu item has a right-facing arrow on the right, additional related options are available. Access the Excel Options window by clicking the Excel Options button. See the explanation of the Word Options in the previous section. The Excel Options window is quite similar. Formula AutoComplete Improvements The Formula AutoComplete feature now makes it easier to create and edit formulas and minimize typing and syntax errors. After typing = (an equal sign) and the first letter(s), Excel displays a dynamic drop-down list of matching valid functions, names, and text strings beneath the cell. All you have to do is select an item from the drop-down list. Tables This new feature replaces the old Lists feature in previous versions of Excel with additional functionality. The Tables feature allows you to do everything Lists did with the following added benefits. · The autofilter and sort functions are improved. · You can scroll through just the table, leaving the headers visible at all times. · Tables automatically expand and reformat. · Source ranges for charts and other objects automatically adjust. Claire Blinman is the training manager at Computer Training Solutions in Bristol. Computer Training Solutions offer Excel training courses or call 0800 019 6882

Computer Buying Tips - How To Choose When Buying A Computer

How to choose when buying a computer - is asking "what is the most popular computer" the right question? First off, I ve found that a lot of people start thinking about this by asking "what is the most popular computer?" and letting the answer to that decide the question for them. Well, this isn t necessarily the best idea. Just because something is popular doesn t necessarily mean it s the best -- for example, fast food restaurants are popular places to go, but I think we all know they don t serve the best food in the world. Here s the thing to remember when thinking about how to chose when buying a computer -- you should generally avoid the big brand names. Yes, this might surprise you, but in my opinion, it s usually not a good idea to buy from one of the big brand name companies (there s one exception that I ll get to in a minute). Here s why: dollar for dollar, you re generally going to get a worse deal than if you go with a reputable "generic" or "white box" store. A lot of people have low price as the first thing on their list when they re trying to figure out how to chose when buying a computer. So they go with a cheap brand name and spend a few hundred dollars on it, and they think they re getting a good deal. But what they don t realize is that it s common for a lot of the big brand companies to sell very out-of-date computers in their lower price ranges, and from what I ve heard, they also often sell computers with parts they know are bad! I m not kidding about this -- most of the big computer companies out there, when they sell their least expensive computers, are trying to unload old inventory that s been collecting dust on their shelves for a long time. They sell it to you as if it s new, and maybe it is in the sense of never purchased before, but it s hardly new in terms of the technology. And the more disturbing part of this is that from what I ve heard, those computers often have parts in them that are *known* to be bad parts! You see, when a chip manufacturer like Intel makes a computer processor (the "brain" of the computer), they test it to make sure it works. Makes sense, right? But inevitably, many of them fail these tests. Now you d think these bad parts would be thrown away, but no -- from what I ve heard, what happens is they still sell them to the big computer companies at a discount, and those companies put them into their computers anyway. What you can do with a bad processor a lot of the time is set it to run slower, and while it may not be running at full speed, it works well enough to pass the tests. But the parts are still bad! Sure, they may work OK for a while (maybe just long enough to make it through the warranty period) but they have more little "glitches" and end up breaking down sooner. So if you can find a reputable local company that sells computers they assemble themselves, you ll get a well built computer for a lot less because you re not paying for the brand name. A family-owned store like that is the only place I d buy a Windows PC, personally. So earlier I mentioned there was an exception among the big brand names -- if you ve been reading my articles or my email newsletter for a while, you might have already guessed which one it is -- Apple. Apple is the only big brand name computer I personally would buy (I m writing this on a MacBook Pro). I do this partially because I ve used a lot of different types of computers over the years, and really don t enjoy using Windows much. But I also do this because Apple doesn t deliberately put bad processors in their computers, or try to sell out-of-date computers as new. Some people complain that Apple s Macs are overpriced, but that s actually not the case -- when compared apples to apples (excuse the pun) they tend to be in the same price range as a Dell or HP of the same general specs. So bottom line is, here s how to chose when you re buying a computer: if you want to stick with Windows, then support a local business and go to a good store that puts your computer together for you from parts. And make sure you ask them to put Windows XP on it, not Windows Vista (for reasons I ve covered in a previous 3-part article about the problems with Windows Vista). Or finally get away from Windows and switch to a Mac. Either way, you re getting a better deal. Hope that makes sense and helps with your decisions on how to chose when buying a computer. Worth Godwin is a computer coach with over 13 years experience helping computer users in Plain English. He s also worked "in the trenches" as a hardware and software tech, solving real-world computer problems. More Plain English computer articles like this one are available on Worth s site. Read more basic computer lessons on his blog, or you can join Worth s free newsletter to have plain English computer basics sent to your inbox and get your computer related questions answered. Worth also has developed quick, easy CDs that make it easy to learn computer basics with both Apple Mac lessons and Windows computer lessons, all covered by a 1-year unconditional money-back guarantee.

Free Anti Spyware Remover Software Review

Most people don t realize that there is over a 90 percent chance that their computers could become infected with spyware when they surf the internet.Those of you who have suffered from these types of infections will know the effects and how difficult it can be to remove it in which success can only be achieved with the help of a free spyware remover program.Lets briefly talk about how spyware infects your PC and what symptoms indicate a possible infection. Firstly spyware is defined as any piece of infected software which installs itself onto your operating system without you awareness and has the primary objective of monitoring user activities and stealing information.So it basically gathers information about your surfing activities and other personal information related to banking details, passwords, usernames and email addresses which it sends to distant users who either abuse it or use it in the form of advertising against you. There are many ways in which spyware can infect your operating system but the most common methods include freeware application downloads,engaging in instant messaging chats, opening infected email attachments and from surfing websites which trigger malicious background installations without your awareness.The various symptoms you may experience include severe degradation in speed,deleted desktop shortcuts,missing application files,formation of unknown toolbars,changing of your internet browsers default homepage and browser redirecting. In order to prevent your pc from experiencing these symptoms it is recommended that you frequently scan your pc with a free anti spyware remover tool which will safely quarantine and remove any potential threats that may reside on your system. When it comes to choosing the best free spyware remover program I highly recommend Xoftspyse.This tool has continued to gain huge popularity because of its powerful spyware removal abilities and continues to keep my pc infection free. If you wish to download the latest free version and scan your pc immediately please visit the website below. Xoftspyse Spyware Remover

Feature Creep Issues in Artificial Intelligent Decision Matrix Software

One thing which programmers know all to well is that those who will be using the software that the design will in fact always want more. Usually this occurs at the first face-to-face meeting with the end user or company providing such solutions to that end user. Those who are working closely with these programmers need to stay within bounds to prevent the cost over runs that often occur, yet also discuss possible futures and uses of the decision making software. Scalability is very important, as there will always be future needs. One question, which often needs to be asked is: How many criteria can your system take? This is because more systems maybe developed along the way and further criteria, due to "Feature Creep" and thus will need to be added to serve the users "wants, needs and desires." Users and programmers who fail to ask such questions will find themselves with implementation delays, unworkable systems and software, which becomes obsolete rather quickly. This serves neither the programmers deigning the system or the user, company or agency, which intends to have a bullet proof system, one which is truly able to render good decisions based on the most important of data. We see all too often millions of dollars spent on artificial intelligent software systems, which serves no real purpose for the user and actually complicates the process and is more often then not, completely ignored. Think on this. "Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/ . Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

How To Get Rid Of a Computer Virus

How many of us are on our computer and you click on something you want to see and you wait and wait and wait? What is going on? So you hit escape on your keyboard or keep on clicking on some other program. Now everything seems like it is frozen. So you simply reboot the computer and you get the same result. We might have a virus! A computer virus is a harmful computer program which will damage files or your computer, and which is able to duplicate and spread itself within a computer or computer network. Usually the computer virus is hidden within a program, file or document. Sometimes while we click on a website or download a file that we found on Google or yahoo we downloaded a virus. From the Internet this abuse comes from hackers and virus creators. Their sole intent is to cause chaos and/or harm to your computer system and millions of other computer systems all over the world. How do you combat this? You need an Internet security system. First, you need to always be in a control of your actions as clicking on any links in emails from places such as Amazon, PayPal, and Ebay which you would not be expecting otherwise, if you do that that could be a possible threat to your security system There is a few things that you can do to get rid of these problems. Uninstall Unnecessary Software. Use Microsoft Disk Cleanup Utility. Use Windows Update. Clean Your Registry. Defragment Your Hard Disk. Reduce Your Startup Selections. Buy More Memory. Viruses are the first and last word in computer infiltration. Simple ones simply tie up your computer, whereas complex ones can do virtually anything to an unprotected computer. No one should browse the web without good antivirus software! I have really looked into some anti-virus applications and came across one that has tested virus removal programs. Some of them are great, most of them get the job done (more or less), and too many simply don t work. Check out my Blog spot and let me know what you think! Email: doughguy@gmail.com For more information please visit my blog spot at: http://getridofvirus.blogspot.com/

Why Should You Compare CRM Software Systems?

Why Should You Compare CRM Software Systems? Shoppers compare prices and look for discounts before finalizing any purchase. It is always a matter of getting the best deal, the best fit, and, of course, the best price. Software shoppers should take this cue and compare CRM software systems before anything else. If you are in the market for CRM software, take a look before making that dive. Different Business Needs Software that keeps track of business transactions can make the job easier. However, you have to compare them to make sure you are getting the right one tailor-fitted to your needs. If you own a shoe store, you need to keep tabs of the following: number of shoes sold for different categories and styles, peak and slow periods, number of staff, bills due and payables collected, and total amounts due to your business. CRM software that is applicable to your specifications is available, but you have to compare CRM software systems before making a final choice. The software does not come cheap, and that s enough reason to take that extra precaution. Be reminded that software that does well for a bookstore or shoe store will not be suitable for a big processing plant. Getting Automated The variety and the bulk of information required will vary from one business to another. Work done manually and managing sales process and sales data, can be cut in half with the appropriate software. Buyers must compare them to check if they are better off with sophisticated or simple application. To avoid the hassle and post purchase problems, get the assistance of an e-clearing house to eliminate all the attendant worries. The e-clearing house can match your needs with the qualified supplier. All you have to do is fill up a questionnaire stating your requirements. You can also request for affordable software considering your medium-sized enterprise. Your requirements will be matched with suppliers offering the right CRM software. The suppliers will submit quotes, and you can make your informed decision with the help of the e-clearing house equipped with the experience on different software systems. Coursing your purchase through an e-clearing house hastens your search for the CRM software, reducing cost, stress, time, and effort. You don t have to compare software systems every now and then when your company needs the technology at the soonest possible time and within budget. The e-clearing house will take care of this problem. It will provide information, tips, and advice in selecting the software for different business categories. What Do You Expect From A CRM Software? There are varied CRM software solutions and if budget is no consequence, you can get an entire package. But if this is not the case, you have to settle for top priority needs like live chat options with customers and online customer assistance, or tracking and updating information on customer spending behavior to be able to tap opportunities to offer new services/products. You don t need software that has several programs. This will be costly and another waste of company funds if not all programs can be used for the business. Be very specific when you look for the correct software. Re-entering all that data to suit the software is expensive and a waste of time. Compare them to find which one can assure the smooth transition of your current programs to the software function. Expect the seller to provide the training for all key users of the system in your company. You might also want the provider to give you an in-house consultant until all of you have fully grasped how the system works. But all of this begins with the responsibility of making good when you compare CRM software systems. Before you take the plunge, compare CRM software systems and customer relationship management software after you ve brushed up on the current CRM definition . Visit http://www.CRM-Software-Guide.com today for more information.

Thin And Light - Ultraportable Laptops

In recent years, the big players in the laptop arena (Sony, Toshiba, HP, IBM, etc.) have begun producing ever more portable laptop computers, weighing in as little as 2.8 pounds and offering as much as 9 hours playback. Often portability would come at the cost of sacrificing functionality in favour of a smaller footprint or longer batterylife. Thanks to advancements such as Intel s new low voltage processors, and some ingenious design, for the most part this is no longer the case (though there are some notable exceptions). You can now purchase an ultraportable laptop computer weighing in at a little over 3 pounds (or less) and still maintain enormous functionality, such as running Microsoft Windows Vista, and perhaps more importantly, maintain extra long batterylife – as long 9hrs in some cases. There are an increasingly diverse range of ultraportable computers, so some caveats are in order. For instance, we will only look at laptops with a screen between 11 and 13.5 inches – smaller and we re in the realm of handheld computers. Also we will want to impose a maximum weight of 2.5 kilograms or 5.5 pounds – theres no point in an ultraportable if you need a back brace to carry it. The following is far from an exhaustive list, but it should prove as a good cross-section of the market. Apple Macbook starting at €1,119 / £749 Ever since Apple computers switch from PowerPC to Intel processors in 2006, they have been increasly nudging their way into the traditional PC market; and nevermoreso since the release of Bootcamptm – a free program from Apple that gives you the ability to install and run Microsoft Windows operating systems on Apple hardware. The recently upgraded Intel Core 2 Duo powered Macbooks offer quite alot for their pricepoint. Starting from €1,119/£749 the ultrathin, ultrabright widescreen wonder (as Apple put it) packs in many high spec components not often seen even in high specification laptops such as the built-in iSight webcam, remote control, gigabit ethernet. and firewire-400. Unspurprisingly the cheapest model on offer leaves you wanting, at €200 cheaper than the next best model, you miss out on a supermultidrive - the fancy jack of all trades of CD/DVD writers, an additional 512MB RAM and 20GB Hard Disk space amongst others. Although the graphics processor of the MacBook is far from the ideal, it is sufficient for most purposes including video playback, and even Windows Vista s Aero glass interface, remembering of course that ultraportable computers aren t designed to meet the needs of modern gamers, and probably never will be. Pros: Can play host to either MacOS X or Windows XP / Vista Starting at only €1,119/£749 you get alot of bang-for-your-buck Considerably more stylish than your average brick Cons: Can only purchased online or at an Apple Retailer, which are few and far between. Though in recent months, more and more highstreet stores are selling Apple computers. If your a windows user, you may find the one-button mouse thing irretating. At 2.3 KG it s at the very upper limit of ultraportability Poor integrated graphics sharing 64MB of main memory Score: 3/5 Sony VAIO TX starting at €1,999 Wild claims and high prices abound the Sony VAIO TX series of ultraportable laptops. With a screen size of 11.1 inches and with such high-end features as a carbon fibre chassis, weighing in at a nearly undetectectably 2.7 pounds and a battery life of upto 7.5hr per charge, its no surprise that the VAIO TX series comes in at the most expensive of all, with prices starting at €1,999. If there was an ultimate portable laptop, it would be the Sony VAIO TX. With battery life alone at upto 7.5hr it should recieve such a title, but add to that its deminutive size, its more than ample memory of 1GB RAM and 80GB Hard Disk, the Sony VAIO TX is truly the most portable of the ultraportables. That being said, not all is sunshine and lollypops. The TX series, in its effort to cut down on space has lost a little of usability in the process. Although by definition an ultraportable computer should be small, In this reviewers opinion, the TX series perhaps went a little too far, at least with the screen. With a widescreen screen size of only 11.1 inches diagonally, and a resolution as insanely high as 1366 x 768, one gets the feeling that to even use this tiny display on a regular basis would require either a magnifying glass or some prescription spectacles. In addition to the resolution being dispraportionate to screen size, I also feel that perhaps the trackpad could do with a little more in the way of size. For such a small display, controlling the cursor can be a nightmare at times. Pros: Truly in a class of its own Carbon Fibre chassis High spec in a small package Integrated supermulti-drive Cons: Native resolution of the display is insanely high for such a small screen Trackpad is too small or inaccurate for the native screen resolution Expensive Score: 4/5 Dell XPS M1210 starting at €1,299 Certainly not the prettiest of the ultramobiles, far from it infact, the Dell XPS M1210 series makes up for the chunky looks by packing in lots of functionality. With 1GB RAM, 120GB Hard Disk, 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and integrated DVD +/- RW by default, the Dell XPS M1210 is arguably the best value for money of all the ultraportable computers. It has its failings however, apart from looking like a plastic brick and a weight starting at 1.93KG. Thats most definitely with minimal offerings, its far from being the best contender in the ultraportable field. However if price is an issue, this machine packs alot into a very small space at a very reasonable price. Pros: Possibly the best value for money Cons: Truly the ugliest of the bunch Score: 4.5/5 Samsung Q35 starting at €1,450 By far my favourite of all the ultraportables, the Samsung Q35 offers not only great functionality at a reasonable price but also does so in a very stylish manner – both in silver and red. Unlike some other contenders to the ultraportable throne, the Q35 not only offers decent battery life (over 5hrs), a high performance processor (1.8 Ghz Intel Core2 Duo), bags of memory (1.25 GB RAM, 100GB Hard Disk), but also packs in an internal supermultidrive and a 6-in-1 memory card reader whilst still staying ultralight at only 1.89 KG and still at a very reasonable price point. It even includes a splash/water proof keyboard, which anyone who has experienced the dread of desperately wiping up a spilled beverage before their laptop dies, will apreciate. The Samsung Q35 is the successor to the Q30; an older and slightly lighter model that was lacking some vital features such as an integrated optical drive and whose memory lay at a now-meagre 512 MB and 40GB respectively. Available in both red and silver, the Q35 is a very stylish laptop indeed; especially when compared to the rather chunky and uninspired design of the Dell XPS M1210, also sporting the now defacto standard of wireless communications protocols: 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR. Pros: Stylish in silver and red models Decent battery life Integrated supermulti-drive Reasonable price point 6-in-1 media card reader Wireless 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR Cons: Hard to find replacement or increased capacity battery Windows XP (free upgrade to Vista Home Premium) Score: 5/5 Comments? Discuss it here Sean Nicholls has been working with computers for over 6yrs. An undergraduate of Software Systems at the National College of Ireland, Sean has an extensive knowlege of computer systems and computer programming. For further reading, please visit http://www.seannicholls.com/

What Are Registry Cleaners?

What Are Registry Cleaners? Do you know what a Registry is? Well if you run Microsoft Windows on your computer, then the Registry keeps track of most of the important information on your computer. The Windows registry acts as a storage center. It keeps track of your hardware and software settings. When upgrading, obsolete files will be carried over so doing a registry clean will help to speed up the system. Also, over time, with general use, the registry can become corrupted. The signs of a corrupt registry include Windows errors, freezing, and system crashes. If one or more of these are occurring, it is important to scan your computer for errors and repair them. In both these situations, this is where a registry cleaner comes in. Registry cleaners look for errors on your registry, and then give you the option to remove or repair them. What this does is delete them from your computer system, freeing up room to help make the computer run at a faster rate. To begin using, you first need to install a registry cleaner. You can achieve this by downloading a free trial version off the internet or buy a registry cleaner. In general, while the free versions will work fine, a commercial program will be able to detect more errors, and handle them in a better way. Over the long term, this is a much better solution. Before installing the software, it is important to do a back-up of the system, in the event that using the registry cleaner causes problems with any of the programs or software you are currently using. Most registry cleaners are capable of creating a backup file for you in the event that something does go wrong. Once installed, run a scan on your computer. A good registry cleaner will give you a total number of errors found, for example, 302 errors, along with a safe to remove total, perhaps 112. If the registry cleaner states that all the errors can be removed, chances are you ll find you have problems with current programs, as it will delete files required for them to run. The high-end, commercial registry cleaners will not delete important files. Some registry cleaners give you the option of choosing whether to do a regular or aggressive search, which will influence the amount of errors that are found on the system. The registry cleaners that you buy have many more features and benefits than the free cleaners. However, there are some free registry cleaners that work fairly well. Which one you choose will vary on the types of options you want. Do you want to be able to go through manually and choose which files to delete? Do you want descriptions of the errors? Are you looking for a registry cleaner that will automatically delete the registry errors with a click of your mouse? Whether you choose a free or paid registry cleaner, do remember to back-up your registry before you delete any errors. Some of the cleaners automatically run a back-up before deleting files, but for your own peace of mind, it is best to do a manual back-up yourself to save any grief later on. If you re tired of the headaches registry errors are causing you, then it s time to download the best registry cleaner on the web. Find out which one we think is best and get a free scan of your computer s registry from http://www.cureyourregistry.com

Top 10 Benefits of Using Business Solution Software

There are many reasons for a company to outsource their business solutions software, to improve efficiency, streamline processes and to help improve operations within the scope of the business. Here are some of the top 10 benefits of implementing an innovative solution such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM. 1) Turns Microsoft Office Outlook into the ONE place where you can manage both customer data and communications. Microsoft Dynamics CRM extends the reach of Microsoft Outlook by turning it into a tool to manage customer information. 2) Microsoft Dynamics CRM extends the reach of Microsoft Outlook by turning it into a tool to manage customer information. Microsoft Dynamics CRM features an always-on connection to Excel that enables you to quickly turn customer information into dynamic snapshots or PivotChart dynamic views. These views can help you understand in seconds how a sales increase or company expansion can benefit the business. 3) Improves operational efficiency through the standardization and streamlining of processes. Business solutions software can relieve your staff of mundane but vital work. It can automate time-consuming repetitive tasks, warn staff of open customer issues, and automatically send important e-mail messages to customers and partners. So customer requests and orders don t fall through the cracks. 4) Works the way your business works with point-and-click system customization. Business solutions can be tailored to work the way your business already works. Microsoft Dynamics CRM forms, relationship links, and customer views can be designed and modified without complicated programming. 5) Gives the right information to the right people. Certain employees need certain information. System administrators will have the tools to make sure the right information is delivered to the right people- whether they are using Outlook or the Web. 6) Targets your marketing campaigns so you re always in touch with the right customers. 7) Simplifies service scheduling to keep customers satisfied. One of the most challenging aspects of delivering great customer service is ensuring you never let customers down by missing a service call or appointment. Dispatchers can quickly and easily match the right service personnel to a particular customer or type of service call. 8) Integrates with your existing systems to help break down information silos. 9) Enhances offline communications so everyone can be productive regardless of location. It is designed so your staff can be productive both in the office and on the road-even if they aren t connected to a network. Information can be filtered so that people receive only the information they need such as meeting updates and sales figures. 10) Builds on the power of SQL Server Reporting Services to create insightful business reports. These are just a handful of the many benefits that implementing a software solution can provide to a company regardless of the size and the scope of the business. There are many different types of applications that can be integrated into current businesses, whether it is a CRM model, retail management system, non profit solution or one of several Microsoft Dynamics solutions. Audra Clair is part of the marketing team at Interdyn BMI a business software solutions company working with some of the leading software producers in the industry. To find out more about Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Interdyn BMI visit them on the web: http://www.interdynbmi.com

How To Determine And What To Do If A Computer Virus Is Found?

How To Determine And What To Do If A Computer Virus Is Found? The Virus And Its Description. Just as a human virus is passed from person to person, a computer virus is passed between computers. It s a program that can copy itself and infect your machine without permission or knowledge of the user. This is an executable program and designed to spread itself by first infecting executable files or the system areas of hard and floppy disks and then making copies of itself. Strange as it may sound, the computer virus is something of an Information Age marvel. Viruses can spread quickly through today s intricate cyber world. Viruses and the people who write them are intriguing subjects. Their code which has been published but not actually found spreading out of control is not usually regarded as being in-the-wild. Viruses usually operate without the knowledge or desire of the computer user and can be divided into two types, on the basis of their behavior when they are executed. Viruses are sometimes confused with worms and Trojan horses, in fact viruses have targeted various types of transmission media or hosts. Moreover viruses are software programs, and they can do the same things as any other programs running on a computer. They have the potential to infect any type of executable code, not just the files that are commonly called program files . Distribution Of Infected Files. A virus can only spread from one machine to another when its host is taken to the uninfected machine, for instance by a user sending it over a network or the Internet, or by carrying it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, or USB drive. Nonresident viruses immediately search for other hosts that can be infected, infect these targets, and finally transfer control to the application program they infected. If a user tries to start an infected program, the virus code may be executed first. Antivirus And How It Works. Antivirus software is important not only for the protection of your computer, but also the protection of the computers that you are linked to. Once installed, it can be set to work in the background. Bait files (or goat files) are files that are specially created by antivirus software, or by antivirus professionals themselves, to be infected by a virus. The infected files can be used to test whether scanner detects all versions of the virus. Antivirus programs scan disk and memory looking for telltale signs of viruses called signatures. Some viruses try to avoid detection by killing the tasks associated with antivirus software before it can detect them. Most modern programs try to find virus-patterns inside ordinary programs by scanning them for so-called signatures. If a virus scanner finds such a pattern in a file, it notifies the user that the file is infected. The user can then delete, or (in some cases) "clean" or "heal" the infected file. Update And Scan Regularly. In order to take advantage of new antivirus databases, you must update your antivirus program on a regular basis. The database is maintained and updated around the clock. Usually database is updated automatically every time a user connects to the Internet. Preferably, the software itself and its database is updated manually or by downloading new software virus information from a website via Internet. Scan your computer on a regular basis and any new programs or other files that may contain executable code before you run or open them, no matter where they come from. MacroVirus - Free Scan Any SpyWare Or Hiding Viruses In Your System Now.

How To Remove Micro Bill Systems Critical Object

I accept no responsibility for any damage monetary or otherwise from using the following information. You can do all of this off line from the internet, in fact it is best if you disconnect before you follow these instructions. Go to the Tools menu in your web browser and select Manage Add ons, this will open up an window, in here you will see a control that starts with mbs, mbs... Select it and then at the bottom click on the disable radio button. Click on OK. (note you may or may not see these add ons - if not just move to next step) If you can not see the windows folder in the following part, you will have to go into the Tools menu and then Folder Options, in the window that opens you need to go to the view tab. Here you need to go down and click the radio button for "show hidden files and folders" you will find this under Hidden files and folders. You will also need to un select the tick box for "Hide extensions for know file types". This will allow you see the extension .exe and .dll etc for what we will be looking for. We need to go to into the c drive, then into the windows folder, from here we go into the system32 folder(XP). That being: C:WINDOWSsystem32 so you can also click on Start, Run and type in C:WINDOWSsystem32 then hit ok In system32 we are looking for these two files: mbsmon32.exe mbsreg.exe On the toolbar on top click on View and select details to display the information as details instead of thumbs. This is important. Note the date that these two files were installed on the computer and click on the header bar to sort all of the files into date order when they were last modified. Now look down the date column and find that date you took note of, you will see about 6 files approximately, you will see the icons used by the two files above plus some others, one or two may be dll files! NOTE It is important to find the files on that date BUT ensure that the files you select all have the same TIME STAMP as mbsmon32.exe and mbsreg.exe, this will ensure you only pick the files that were installed with these two files. Note the two files and the other files that have same TIME STAMP down and log off the computer. Boot XP up and start pressing F8! This will bring up a menu to boot XP in safe mode and into the all seeing administrator! Choose to use safe mode! At the log on choose the Administrator even if your user id (logon) has Admin rights. A warning window will display on the screen, ok this and allow it fully load. Now go to the files we found earlier. Those being in: C:WINDOWSsystem32 So click on Start, then Click Run and type in: C:WINDOWSsystem32 Remember the TIME STAMP Select the files and delete them! Start up msconfig by going to the start button on the desktop ( bottom left) and go to run, in the box that appears, type msconfig and click ok. A window will open, go to the startup tab and un tick the program identified as mbs. ok that and allow the computer to reboot. You can now delete the icon of the desktop and from the startup menu from the start button. That helps remove this potential dangerous object from your computer. More tips and tricks on NoAdware Blog How To Start Computer In Safe Mode

Smart Alternative to Adobe

PDF Creator (Capsoft Inc.) is a nice tool to convert any file to the PDF format. Often, I need to quickly convert a word or power point document into PDF. This becomes an issue when I do not have access to my office computer on which I have the Adobe PDF Pro installed. I ve come across a tool that works fine converting literally any file format to PDF. The tool also allows you to encrypt the PDF file. The installation is no-brainier and runs through in seconds. It asks you to reboot your computer though. Upon completion the installation, it creates a printer named "PDF creator". When you need to convert a file to PDF, you just send the file to the "PDF creator" printer and pick a location to save the file. I tried a few different file formats such as word, bmp, ppt - it worked nice and quick. You can also restrict access to the converted PDF file by encrypting the file with 128 bit encryption. The encryption feature may come handy if the file has to be sent over the Internet but it contains private or confidential info. The recipient opens the encrypted file in the PDF reader and type in the password (given that the password was exchanged before hand). Another useful feature is the ability to combine multiple files into a single PDF. You simply convert the first file into PDF and save it, and then you convert another file and save it with the same name and location as the first file. The tool will ask you whether to add the second file to the beginning or the end of the existing PDF document. You can combine together as many files as you need. There are videos provided by vendor that show step by step how to work with the tool even though I would say that the tool is pretty intuitive. The vendor also allows you to evaluate the tool with all features enabled for a couple of days for free. If you need a quick and easy to use PDF converter you should definitely consider the PDF Creator by Capsoft Inc. http://www.converttoapdf.com/

Microsoft Update - 5 Reasons to Update Service Pack 2

Microsoft released Service Pack 2 (SP2) for the Windows XP operating system back in August (2004), representing significant improvements in many areas, especially system security. For those people that are still unsure whether they should update to it, the following five reasons may help make the decision easier. 1. Protects Against Unsafe Attachments / Downloads Service Pack 2 provides Windows XP with a “Windows Security Center”, and other key tools, to help protect the user’s system from unsafe attachments and downloads. This type of protection is one step to prevent viruses and Trojans from slipping onto a user’s system and wreaking the type of havoc that has become an increasing problem in recent years. One way it does this is through warnings in Internet Explorer’s “Information Bar”, which alert a user to potentially unsafe downloads. The suspect content is blocked automatically, and no action is taken until the user manually addresses the warning. Unsafe file attachments are now also blocked in a similar manner via Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, thus protecting not only web based content, but also items received via e-mail. Another way it protects from unsafe files is by monitoring the system’s anti-virus software and alerting the user if the system is at risk due to the software being out of date. Although Microsoft does not offer any virus protection themselves, this feature makes sure that whatever program the user has decided to use stays current and as effective as possible. 2. Windows Firewall A software based firewall is included with Service Pack 2, intended to protect the system from access by unauthorized individuals on the internet or local network. The firewall is activated automatically by Windows, but users have the option to disable it, as well as to create exceptions to bypass the security in certain situations. When utilized, the protection is active from startup to shutdown, providing a simple firewall solution to any computer with SP2 installed. Small pop up style windows are generated to alert the user of possible attempts to access the system from the outside, as well as when programs try to go out onto the internet. These pop ups are approved/denied by the user before anything is allowed to happen, and can be done so that a pop up will appear again next time this event occurs, or so that the pop up will never appear again for that particular event. Many users with broadband internet connections have a hardware firewall in their router, but a software firewall such as this is still a good idea. It can protect where the hardware firewall can not, and is particular useful in preventing the system from launching any attacks from Trojans that may have slipped in. 3. Internet Pop Up Blocker With Service Pack 2, Internet Explorer now features an integrated pop up blocker to help reduce, if not fully eliminate, the presence of those nuisance ads. Configurable from Internet Explorer’s “Tools” tab, users can customize their preferences and even turn the pop up blocker off. Considering most pop up blockers require a special toolbar or other application be installed, this one is extremely convenient and easy to use. 4. Increased Privacy Protection Your privacy is protected more so than ever with Service Pack 2 in a few different ways. If items 1, 2, and 3 above weren’t enough, there is more… For example, Windows XP with SP2 now applies security settings to further guard your PC and your private information from exploit via Internet Explorer. Another way your privacy is protected is by Outlook Express blocking images within e-mails that allow spammers to validate your address. Spammers use images that are tagged with unique bits of code, and once the URL of the image sent to you is viewed, the spammers know that they have a valid address, which makes that address more susceptible to future spam. 5. Simplifed Wireless Networking The popularity of wireless networking has exploded as the hardware has becoming increasingly simpler to operate and relatively inexpensive. Now the way a user connects their system to a wireless network has been greatly simplified via enhancements found in SP2. The “Wireless Network Setup Wizard” will lead a user of any expertise through the installation process, and the “Microsoft Broadband Network Utility” will help them monitor and maintain the network just as easily. Application of security settings is obviously a main component of these improvements, insuring that the user’s system is protected from this angle of attack as well. Final Words The release of Service Pack 2 for Windows XP brought about many more changes to the operating system than the five listed above, all of which have to be seen as welcome improvements. With a focus on protecting the end user’s computer system and data, there are enough good reasons to persuade a user to take the plunge and let Windows Update install SP2 Computer Geeks tech tips and computer advice

Cost Control Software - Keeping Track Of Customers and Suppliers

The way industry works today has changed dramatically over the years. Almost everything, from material inventory, to payrolls, to the actual manufacturing process is automated and it relies heavily on computer programs. Using software tools instead of relying solely on human intervention has many advantages, the period of time necessary to perform many actions and calculations has shorten considerably. It is very hard to imagine a industrial manufacturing process without the aid of inventory and cost control software. These tools monitor the flux of materials, the existing stock levels and supplier details throughout all the company s departments and to and from every segment of the assembly line. Without the proper software to control and manage all the elements concerning material inventory it would be very hard to have a constant working flux and the appropriate inventory levels. What matters for a cost control software is to be easy to use, powerful and fast in calculating and keeping track of all sorts of activities and items: parts serial numbers, both currently existing and past stock levels, produced, supplied and sold products, material costs and other such values. More powerful cost control software also keep track of customers and suppliers, purchases, obtained discounts, sales levels, generating custom, detailed reports for all activities and items. Managers use software to be aware of materials, which are in and out of stock, customer balance, detailed sales, prices and taxes, finished products that are in stock or have been supplied to customers. There are many such inventory and cost control software packages available on the market and they differ from one another by the functions offered. But even the most basic cost control tools offers barcode and label printing, barcode scanning abilities, printing customer mailing labels, generating automatic purchase orders. Also they can be used to calculate all sorts of manufacturing costs and taxes, discounts, to track items from the inventory according to their weight, serial number or label. Very detailed statistics and all sorts of graphs can be generated, giving managers a thorough insight of all the costs, materials and sales involved in product manufacturing. Such statistics are generated and printed very fast and very accurate, simplifying the managerial decision taking regarding the manufacturing process. Read more at http://www.configurationcontrolmanager.com You can also use and personalize customizable cost control software packages. Many inventory packages offer you the ability to connect to the database from anywhere through a secured Internet connection. There are very expensive cost control tools, offering a series of very complex capabilities, but you may not require all those expensive feature. In order to choose the inventory and cost control software that suits perfectly your requirements you should check for the product s price, available facilities, the maintenance costs and the possibility of integration. Some of the most used inventory and cost control software solutions are iRenaissance SCM, Track-It!, TRAX, CoreIMS, NetSuite, and Integrated Inventory Management. Learn more about improving performance and efficiency using Project Control Software at http://www.configurationcontrolmanager.com

Variance Calculations With Microsoft Excel

Excel provides useful statistical functions for finding the variance of a data set. In general, these variance functions retrieve a set of values stored in a worksheet range and then make the expected calculation. A variance, just to remind readers, is a common measure of describing the spread of observations in a distribution. A variance is related to another statistical measure, the standard deviation. A variance is equal to the square of the standard deviation. Variance of a Sample with the VAR Function If the data set you re working with is a sample and you do not want to include logical values or text from the set in the calculation, you use the VAR function. For example, if you re using a new production process that is supposed to increase productivity and have a series of data for the numbers of parts produced each day, you can find the sample variance. The VAR function uses the following syntax: =VAR (data set range) Variance of a Sample with the VARA Function If the data set is a sample but you want to include logical values or text in the calculation, you use the VARA function. Excel counts cells containing the logical value TRUE as 1 and cells containing text or FALSE 0. The VARA function uses the following syntax: =VARA (data set range) Variance of a Population Sample with the VARP Function If the data set you re working with is a population and you do not want to include logical values or text from the set in the calculation, you use the VARP function. The VARP function uses the following syntax: =VARP (data set range) Variance of a Population with the VARPA Function If the data set is a population but you want to include logical values or text in the calculation, you use the VARPA function. The VARPA function uses the following syntax: =VARPA (data set range) A Final Note About the Data Set Range Argument One other note: You can include multiple worksheet ranges as your data set range argument when using the variance functions. For example, if you were calculating the variance of a sample using the VAR function and had your data stored in several different worksheet ranges, your VAR function might look like this: =VAR(B1:B:10,B101:B110,B200) Small business incorporation and limited liability corporation CPA Stephen L. Nelson has written do-it-yourself limited liability kits for all fifty states. He holds an MBA and MS in tax.

Spyware Definitions List

The adware and spyware definitions list is very long. But the definitions listed below are the most common ones. This is a glossary of spyware facts and terms so you ll know what these malicious programs are and what they can do to your computer. Adware Adware components are generally installed along with a shareware or freeware programs you download. The adware developer creates pop up windows that generate advertisement revenue for them. Most adware components are actually installed with consent from the user. This happens because most people never read the end-user license agreement that comes with software. Spyware Spyware is most often installed bundled with freeware or shareware, much like adware. Spyware programs gather and transmit sensitive and personal information about your online behavior to an unknown party. The data is collected without you even knowing it happened. By the time you discover it, the damage is done and the hacker is long gone. Browser Hijackers Browser hijackers are innocently installed as helpful browser toolbars. They can alter your browser settings and can change your default home page to point to a site that generates revenue for the hijacker. Trojan Horse Programs Trojan horse programs sneak into your system and run without you realizing it similar to spyware. Programmers use these programs for any number of malicious uses and not one of them you would approve of. The good thing is Trojan horse programs do not duplicate themselves. Tracking cookies Tracking cookies are files with small amounts of data like passwords and settings. Tracking cookies can provide a benefit to you especially if you revisit the same web sites. But in the wrong hands, cookies are used to track your Internet behavior without your knowledge or consent and provides marketers with private information about you. Keyloggers Keyloggers are programs that run in the background silently recording all your keystrokes. Once the keystrokes are logged, the hacker uses a remote keyloggers program to retrieve the data later. The hacker can get your passwords, credit card numbers and any personal information on your computer. Malware The definition of malware is any malicious software or program that will harm your computer. Computer viruses, worms and Trojans are all considered malware, but several other types of programs may also be included under the term. Password Cracker A password cracker is simply a program used to decrypt a password or password file. Security administrators use password crackers for legitimate use by using them to improve system security. But the dangers when a hacker gets a program like this is unimaginable. There are many other spyware definitions including scumware, annoyanceware, parasites and the list continues to grow daily. Copyright © 2005 Spyware Information.com All Rights Reserved. This article is provided by http://www.spyware-information.com where you will find free spyware cleaners, downloads, removal software, valuable tips and updated articles about adware and spyware that show you how protect yourself from identity theft. For other informative spyware and identity protection articles go to http://spyware-information.com/articles_1.html

Learning Photoshop through Video Tutorials

If the thought of learning Photoshop through textual tutorials make you snore, you might find tutorial videos more interesting. There are lots of tutorials available on CD-ROM and DVD formats and thousands of single-lesson video clips you can view online or download to watch later. Many of these videos are taught by a human trainer and while the videos are designed to guide you step-by-step, you can always skip lessons and jump from one clip to the next. Here are a few you might want to take home: PhotoshopSecrets for Wacom Tablets & Photoshop This is a great Photoshop video tutorial if you are a tablet user. Currently, this is probably the most comprehensive, allowing you to learn how to use all the tools and features available with Adobe Photoshop. This tutorial video is authored and taught by Colin Smith and Weston Maggio of Photoshopcafe and Wacom Technology, respectively. Both are experienced trainers so you ll find the lessons well-paced and relevant. This DVD ROM tutorial has more than 120 minutes of 800x600 video. It s easy to navigate and you can click on any lesson you like without any trouble while still controlling the playback. If you prefer to learn on your own, just click on the lesson files and play the video clip of your choice on your own free time. PhotoshopSecrets Special FX This tutorial video contains 19 lessons packed in approximately 2 hours of fast-loading CD-ROM. If cool! is the one word that you want to hear to feel validated for your Photoshop efforts, this video tutorial will teach you exactly how to use special effects like the pros. Learn about 3D lathing, liquid splashes, CS branding, pixel stretching, thermal vision, toxic waste and lots more. These are cutting-edge effects, the kind you find in more advanced Photoshop users works so you might want to try it out for yourself. Photoshopsupport.com This site features some of the best and latest Photoshop tutorials, including those in video. Use Photoshop confidently in no time with the free video tutorials. You can even click on the links provided to find out about Photoshop products for more detailed tutorials. If you re using Photoshop to come up with a cooler, meaner website, you ll like the short tutorials on SiteGrinder 2, an Adobe Photoshop Plugin. Graphicsoft.about.com If you like free online tutorials, check out this site. All tutorial video clips are taught by Deke McClelland, who is also the trainer for several Adobe Photoshop CS2 training CDs. He s offering a free sample of his lessons on this site – you won t have everything you need, but the tutorials are enough to teach you some very important things and get you started. Included in the tutorial video clips are: learning about Vanishing Point, Camera Raw, Image Warp, Smart Sharpen Filter, Smart Objects, Adobe Bridge, Match Color and Shadow Highlight Filter. If you want to buy his tutorial videos, you ll get an exclusive 20% discount if you use the promotion code. PhotoshopSecrets – CS2 for Digital Photographers If you want to learn how to maximize your digital photos with the use of CS2, this video tutorial is for you. Learn how professional photographers produce better-looking photographs and use their tricks to turn your photos from blah to blast. This tutorial video is a CD-ROM format, has 43 lessons and runs approximately 3.5 hours. Lessons include: using Camera Raw, image adjustment, red eye removal, grain and color noise reduction, changing perspective, using image sharpening techniques, using vanishing point, image extraction and many more. If those lessons aren’t enough to get you interested, here are two of the most popular tools you absolutely must learn: face swapping and image retouching. Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For a free photo shop tutorial and or to purchase a video photo shop tutorial checkout his website.