The Desert Computer Tutor

Blog

  • Pre-purchase Consultation Questions

    One of my services is consulting with people to help them choose the best computer or gadget for their individual needs.  So much frustration can be avoided by buying the right product in the first place, and I have already test-driven quite a few of them in order to pave the way for others to have a more pleasant experience.  See my previous posts for the gruesome details.  LOL

    Here are the questions I use for my consultations.  Please forward this to your friends and relatives so they will have it when they are considering a computer or gadget purchase.   They will thank you for it.

    1. What is your budget?

    2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?

    3. What screen resolution do you want?

    4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?

    5. How much battery life do you need?

    6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low, Medium or High)?

    7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, etc.)

    8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?

    9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.

    10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?

    11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer, Blue Ray ROM/Writer, etc ?

    12. Please tell me about the brands that you prefer and the brands that you don’t like and explain the reasons.

    13. What country do you live in?

    14. Please tell me any additional information if needed.

    Additionally… you should consider available support options in your area. If you buy something abroad, will you be able to have it fixed near where you live? Does the warranty apply? How quickly do local accredited technicians fix laptops?

  • Presentations for Service Groups and Clubs

    I love to share about my work, so I’ve started doing speaking engagements for groups.  I will be speaking at two Rotary Club luncheons in May.

    If you are a member of a group that would like me to do a presentation, please let me know.  Some topics that might be of interest:  “An overview of the latest computers or Gadgets,” “What is The Cloud and Why Should I Care?”,  “Do I Really Want or Need a Tablet?”

    Tell me your suggestions for topics in the comments below.

    Thanks,

    Mardi

  • New Play Shops/Gadget Clinics Soon

    Last year’s Play Shops were very fun and people asked for more of them.  Please let me know the times, days and topics that appeal to you.  We can do almost any topic that is of interest to a group of 12 to 20 people.  I do home parties too!

    You can post your suggestions and comments here.

    Thanks!

    Mardi

  • Strike Three and They’re Out

    I am without a new computer!  After trying out three machines, I gave up! (For the time-being at least…if you know me, you know it probably won’t last long.  LOL)

    I dumped some applications on my trusty, very old, souped up, bionic Dell Inspiron E1505 and it’s stopped whining about it’s memory.  My world is peaceful once again.

    The Yog2 Pro 2 was unwieldy.  Darn, double darn!….I wanted to like it so much, but I was just tense all the time, struggling with teeny tiny tabs on the web browser,  my fingers missing the keys on the chicklet keyboard, and the touch screen not working with various programs.  I took it back to Best Buy and they were very gracious.

    I took home a Lenovo Idea pad and after much tweaking, customizing, disabling of features and dealing with it dropping my WiFi connection repeatedly….I called it quits.  I took it back and decided to just lay low, let the dust settle and wait for the manufacturers and developers to get their sh**t together.

    No one should have to go through all this to get comfortable with a new machine.  And it’s not just me…in my research to find solutions, I discovered that other consumers are having the same issues.  I won’t bore you with all the gory details here, but suffice it to say that “the boys” are going to have to get on the same page and play together nice before I jump into the game again.  If it’s this frustrating for me (the lover of almost all things techie), imagine what it’s like for the average person!

    On the positive side, most people are not trying to do all the things I do on the computer, so if you absolutely must get a new machine, talk to me first and let me advice you about the best solution for your particular needs.  I do consultations and shopping trips and I can tweak and disable things to make the transition more comfortable for you.

    It’s been a hectic three weeks, but I’ve learned a lot that I can share and that makes me a happy girl.  I took the hits so you don’t have to and it’s my greatest pleasure to be able to help.

    In Joy…no matter what,

    Mardi

     

  • Hilarious Commercial

    Thanks to Henry Brousssard, my tax guy and colleaugue at Desert Networking Professionals (DNP) for sending me this funny commercial. I have seen these pained expressions on my clients faces when I’ve suggested that they do things differently.  It really cracked me up.

  • My New Computer

    My old computer was running out of memory and my web browser was crashing.  I needed “bigger, faster, stronger” badly.  After much research on line and some field trips to Best Buy, I ordered a Dell Inspiron 15″ 7000 Series that was similar to my very, very old Inspiron 1500e.  It was a lot of power for the money ($649 on special) but it turned out to be too big and bulky.  Many companies are making the laptop screens wide for movies and adding number key pads to the keyboard, which I don’t need or want.  It was a little bit lighter than my old one, but it felt heavier because of the size.

    The tracking pad was very squirrely and frustrating too.  I have since learned that track pads have been re-designed to allow finger gestures like the motions one uses on touch screens.  So this is partly a Windows 8 issue.  Maybe one can get used to it, but I’ve observed that most of my clients use a mouse.  Now I understand why I have so much trouble with my clients laptop track pads!  So….I’m sending the Dell back…too big, too heavy, disappointing web browsing speed, and a miserable squirrely touch pad.

    A part of me wanted a Lenovo Yoga Pro 2.  It converts to a tablet, is small and lightweight, and has all the power (and price, $899 ) of a higher-end laptop.  It also can be put in stand mode or tent mode.  Here is a link if you want to see it.   http://vimeo.com/73485706    I wasn’t sure if I could live with a 13″ inch screen so I went to Best Buy to look at it again (third time’s a charm) and I decided to try it.  I think I can get used to the 13 inch screen…if not, I can get a 20 TV with DVD player for $189 or internet TV for $199 and use it as a monitor.

    The touch pad doesn’t have all the gesture features and feels more like my old computer’s but it’s a little sensitive and I keep making mistakes.  Apparently this is partly a function of applications not being re-designed properly for touch screen use.  That will be changing in the near future.  Thanks again Microsoft for rocking our world with Windows 8. I’m telling the “honest to gosh” truth when I tell frantic clients, “I’ve been there and I feel your pain.”  My life has been upside down this past week with all the research, set up, customizing, downloading, and getting used to all the changes.  Playing with new gadgets makes me a happy girl…except when I’m in a hurry and need to get some work done.

    So far, I like it…very fast, only 3 lbs., and small enough to fit in a large purse. I plan to take it everywhere, so you’ll be able to see it next time we get together.   “Stay tuned folks, we’ll have film at 11:00” LOL

    I”m praying for the patience and strength to get through the return process with Dell.  May it be better than the ordering process which was a freaking nightmare.  I do not recommend doing business with Dell.  Their call centers  have no integration of departments and apparently there are no customer files for reps to access.   I feel sorry for the customer service reps who try their best to please, but are handicapped by the primitive call center infrastructure.  Be kind, it’s not their fault and I’ll bet they take a lot of abuse from irate customers.  If you ever want a Dell computer, buy it from Best Buy in Palm Desert.  I always get great service there.

    Don’t assume that you have to spend this much money on a computer or tablet.  As I always say, it depends on what you plan to do with it.  I do a lot of research and web based work and need considerable power .  There are many less expensive gadgets available for the less intense user.  You might want to make an appointment with me for a consultation and/or field trip to Best Buy.  I can usually help people save a lot of money.

    If you still use Windows XP you will need to upgrade before May.  Microsoft will not be doing anymore updates after that and your computer will be a big security risk.  So start planning and budgeting for a new machine now.

    Your computing life will be much more enjoyable when you have up-to-date equipment that can handle the demands of modern applications.  So go for it.  You’re worth it!

  • “So Easy Even an Adult Can Figure It Out”

    We can always use a little humor to lighten things up. Here’s a Vizio TV commercial that just cracked me up. I guess because, I sing and dance like a fool in my house when nobody is watching too. And I love the attitude on the little girl and the slogan, “So easy even an adult can figure it out.” Enjoy!  

  • Do You Need A Tablet?

    Image

    There are so many people using tablets now that it’s hard to believe that it’s only been four years since the first iPad came on the scene.  Some analysts think tablets will outsell laptops soon.  So the question is, do you want one and if so, do you want an Apple or an Android model?

    Having just done considerable research before purchasing my new laptop, I have reached a few conclusions.

    Tablets are good for consuming information on the go.  The screens are bigger than smart phones and they have more processing power and storage capacity than smart phones.  (My iPhone ran out of storage space the minute I synced my iTunes music library and I had to delete a bunch of files.)   My Android phone runs a little slow at times.  I think it’s straining under the load of all those apps multi-tasking.  The teeny tiny keyboards on both products drive me nuts and neither Siri nor Google voice seem to understand me.

    Tablets offer a more portable and comfortable way to check email, view web pages, watch movies, listen to music, play games or view maps and reports for work.  However, if you spend a considerable amount of time creating information, like blogging, writing reports and longer emails, you won’t be happy with a touch screen keyboard.  Of course you can add keyboards to tablets, but that increases the weight and makes it into a mini laptop which sort of defeats the purpose, if you ask me.  I find the small screens restrictive and I had a hard time getting used to the small the keyboard on my Asus tablet.

    Therefore, I use my smart phone for navigation, and to check emails, texts and voice mails to see who needs immediate attention.  I leave everything I can, until I get back to my laptop with it’s nice crunchy full-size keyboard and 15 inch screen.

    So, consider what you are going to want to do with a tablet.  You probably don’t need one.

    However, you may want one.  If you decide to jump in, you will have to choose a camp…LOL…Apple, Android, or Microsoft.  I won’t go into the myriad of choices here…there are so many and they change all the time.  Suffice it to say, that if you use a Mac computer, your life will be simpler if you get an iPad; and if you use a PC, you will be happier with an Android or Microsoft product.  Some people like the simple look of the apple product and find them very easy to learn and it is possible to sync iPads (and iPhones) with PCs.  I do it with clients all the time.   But just be aware that “the boys” are very competitive and don’t like to play together nicely, so you may need my help.

    I’m always happy to do pre-purchase consultations and/or shopping trips.  It makes me so happy to be able to save clients tons of money by preventing them from buying expensive gadgets and bells and whistles that they don’t need.

    I’m always grateful for the opportunity to see you and help in any way I can.

    If you have found this information helpful, please feel free to forward this to others.  Your referrals are the heart of my business and I really appreciate you.

    In Joy,
    Mardi

    “Restoring peace and joy to the world through computer and gadget education.”

  • Heads Up – Sudden Changes

    Have you been experiencing sudden changes to your computer, or seeing new applications and services showing up out of nowhere?  If you have, know that I feel your pain and I’m here to help.

    Even I get frustrated and disappointed when companies add features and applications  without asking permission first.  It used to be that they offered new services and endeavored to pitch them in a way that would be appealing.  Now, they just foist them on us with instructions on how to undo it.  Not only are the sudden changes very confusing, but many people don’t have the vocabulary to understand the instructions on how to undo the changes!

    Here are some solutions for you:

    1.  When you authorize updates or download applications, read each screen before you hit “next.”  There may be other apps being offered and they may have boxes checked that mean they will be included and installed.  You need to uncheck the boxes! 

    Here are just a few examples of what I’m encountering:

    • Current anti-virus program uninstalled and replaced by MacAfee
    • The Ask Tool Bar installed on web browser
    • Default search engine changed from Google to Conduit or Bing

    2.  Did you notice that Google added tabs to the inbox so mail is sorted into categories?  The “Social” Tab is for social networking, “Promotions,” for business offers and promotions, “Updates,” for confirmations, receipts and bills, “Forums,” for online groups, and mailing lists.  (I had many calls from clients who thought some of their emails were missing and I walked them through the process to undo the tabs.)  Google did include instructions for undoing the changes but again…we have to take the time to read the screens and the instructions.

     

    3.  Google will soon allow people to send an email, even if they do not have the person’s email address, as long as both people have a Gmail and a Google Plus account.

    This change was announced Thursday and will be introduced over the next few days.  Some people are concerned that this will open the door to spam and unwanted solicitations.  Google says that the new capability will be useful for people who know one another but have not yet exchanged email addresses.

    Senders can email anyone as long as they follow them on Google Plus, which they are able to do without permission.  Recipients can receive email from anyone on Google Plus but the recipient’s email address only shows up if the recipient replies to the email.

    The ability for anyone on Google Plus to email a Gmail user will be automatically turned on, requiring people to opt out if they do not want to be reachable.

    If this affects you, you can turn it off by visiting the General tab on the Gmail Settings page, where you can choose to receive email from “anyone on Google Plus”, “people in my circles” or “extended circles” or “no one”.
    Google plans to send emails to Gmail users explaining the change before turning it on.  Emails received from people outside Google Plus users circles will be filtered into the social tab in Gmail.  So be aware that you may be getting these requests.  Try to follow the instructions from Google and let me know if you get stuck.

    This change, is directed at more tightly integrating Gmail with Google Plus, and is the latest move by Google to weave its social network into all of its products.
    Technology is all about change and expansion.  It can be a challenge to keep up and takes a certain sense of adventure and passion for the gadgets and apps.  That’s why I do what I do.  I enjoy the game and can bring you the play-by-plays that you need.   My goal is to enhance people’s experience and help to maintain peace and joy in the world.

    So, no worries…I’m here to give you a heads up when I can.  Just read the instructions and let me know if you need help.

    You can do your friends a favor and help me with my mission, by sharing these tips with your friends.   Thanks!

    In Joy,
    Mardi

    “Restoring peace and joy to the world through computer education.”

  • Your Holiday Photos

    How are you going to organize, share and protect your holiday photos this year?

    Here are my recommendations:

    First, and most important, is backups….

    Android can back up photos to Google+ automatically.  I was surprised and amazed when my new Android phone did it.  Really great!

    iPhone owners can get Dropbox and enable Camera Upload to do it automatically.  I just set this up for a client last week.  Really slick because you don’t have to plug your phone into your computer and you can share Dropbox files with others.

    You might also want to occasionally make full backups onto an external drive and store it somewhere in your home or off-site.  One of my clients had spend a gazillion hours scanning 100’s of heirloom family photos after her parents died, and I showed her how to save them on flash drives for each of her siblings.  What a special Christmas gift!!!

    If you just want to order prints, you can upload your photos to Walgreens’ or CVS’s website and pick them up in one hour.  You just go to their website, set up an account, upload your photos and select sizes.  It’s very clear and easy to use.  I’ve taught several clients to do this and they love it.

    If you want to share your photos and order prints or other products like calendars, photo books, coffee mugs, etc., here are some other options.

    2. Photobucket is a well-organized and easy-to-use photo sharing web site. You can customize and display albums, including adding music for slide shows. A scrapbook builder allows easy drag and drop organizing. You can post to most of the popular social networking and blogging sites.  There is a huge variety of cards, mugs, posters and other gift items available.  Your friends and family don’t need an account to view the photos and there are multiple privacy options available.   Web site: http://www.photobucket.com  Cost: Basic: Free; Pro: $24.95/year

    6. Snapfish is a photo sharing site but with the emphasis on ordering prints and personalized gifts.  It’s well designed and easy-to-use and has online editing features to enhance photos and fix problems like red eye. It works with any device that can run a web browser. There is downloadable software available to help transfer photos from your camera.  However, there is no upload application for gadgets, so photos on phones and other mobile devices have to be e-mailed to your account.  You can set up private “group rooms” for family and friends and they can add their photos too.  I taught a client how to create a room for a trip to Hawaii with her old college friends.  She uploaded hers and then emailed and invite to the gals to do the same.  This is a great feature for group events like weddings and anniversary parties too.  Everyone can share their photos in one place and choose which ones to print.   Web site: http://www.snapfish.com  Cost: Basic: Free, plus 20 free prints when you sign-up

    7. Shutterfly is another popular site for uploading photos and turning them into greeting cards, posters or calendars.  It has easy routines for uploading and sharing and free, unlimited storage space. You can create a customized web site to display and share your photos and allow others to add comments. It includes downloadable software to organize and edit your photo collection. There is a video sharing version of Shutterfly also.  You get 50 free 4×6 prints when you sign-up!   Web site: http://www.shutterfly.com  Cost: Free, and you get the 50 free prints

    8. Flickr is owned by Yahoo and is one of the most popular sites for posting and sharing photos.  Now it’s offering 1 terabyte of online storage for your photos. That makes Flickr the cheapest and largest option for storing all your digital photos on “the Cloud.”  However, you will have to upload the photos manually from your hard drive.  No big deal, but it’s not automatic like with Google+ and Dropbox.

    Once your photos are in, you have Flickr’s photo organizer to manage them.  If you have hundreds and hundreds of photos, and they’re roughly organized into events, you can do some sorting, searching, and set-making to get your stuff together.  You are the one who will need to name the folders, set them into the online filing cabinet, and decide which photos are worth saving, and which are just extras.

    One terabyte gives you a lot of space, and your photos are away from your house and your techie mistakes.  You can store full-size, original-resolution photos.  It is the most long-term means of backing up your photos — depending on Yahoo’s long-term prospects, but Yahoo is likely to give everyone a notice to transfer their stuff if the worst comes to pass.

    In Other Words, Use Flickr as the destination photo keeper–after you’ve sorted them out in iPhoto, Picasa, or other photo-sorting software.

    Google+ and Picasa
    Google now offers 15 GB of space for full-size photos uploaded to Google+ (shared with your Gmail and Google Drive space. That’s the middle range of free options. The tiers for upgrading are not very costly.

    How do you get your photos into Google?  If you have an Android phone, you can activate “Auto Backup” (formerly dubbed “Instant Upload”) in the Google+ app. You can also tap a button to upload everything on your phone, and choose whether you’re uploading full-size or otherwise. On the computer, your best bet is to install Picasa for Mac or Windows and use it to find and upload all your photos.  You can have it search your computer, external drives, DVDs, or whatever.

    As for organizing, Google does some of it for you. Photos in Google+, are broken up into broad date and location categories, so that the 50 photos you took at one beach outing are together, as are the slow trickle of personal shots snapped over a 5 or 10-day period. Each photo is auto-enhanced, and the effect is generally positive, especially for low-light and off-color smartphone shots (You can turn off the auto-enhancement). Perhaps most importantly, all the photos you “Auto Backup” to Google are stored privately by default, and you don’t have to use Google+ in any fashion to store, view, or download your images.

    So use Google+ For: auto-organizing huge sets of vacation photos and Android backup.

    Use iCloud and Dropbox: for just backing it all up (and for apple die-hards)

    iCloud gives you 5 gigabytes of storage for all your iCloud things: documents, non-iTunes-purchased music, tiny calendar/contact things, and photos. It’s $20 per year for another 10 GB, and up to $100 per year for 50 GB.  The best part of iCloud is the seamless synchronization between your MacBook, your iPad, your iPhone, your Apple TV.  When you shoot a photo on your phone, it’s visible in the Photo Stream on all your devices, and backed up from your Camera Roll.  The best tool for organizing all those photos is iPhoto.

    If you’d rather separate your photos from Apple’s cloud, or save your free 5 GB for your device backups, you can back up your photos to Dropbox. The iPhone and iPad app offers an automatic Camera Upload option that’s remarkably simple and easy to use, and it’s even polite–it scales itself back when you’re getting close to your data limit.

    There isn’t any photo managing software with iCloud’s Photo Stream or Dropbox.  You have to manage it yourself, using iPhoto, Picasa, Aperture, or whatever you like best, but you can use these as a secondary backups since they give you the space for free.

    In Other Words, Use iCloud/Dropbox For: Sheer peace of mind about photo storage, and easy iPhone backup.

    Your own photo software and hard drives are the option you don’t appreciate enough.

    Whatever huge online space you use for free, always keep a local copy–that is, something on an external hard drive at your house. Computers get coffee in them, big companies occasionally close services and discontinue features, and your memory of where everything is can be faulty. Online and auto-organized photo collections are convenient, but will your grandchildren have easy access to your Google account?

    In Other Words: Always back up your own stuff at your own house. You will certainly outlast a few of these big data companies.

    If you use any services or products not named here, please let me know.  I’m always eager to learn new things and share them with my clients

    If this is newsletter seems like it’s written in a foreign language or you have no idea where to begin, let’s get together for some instruction.

    We can do my usual private sessions or you can invite up to 7 friends to a “Play Shop” at your home or office.  (8 gadgets is the maximum for home Wi-Fi routers).  The host is free and the other participants only pay $20 for the 2 hr. play shop. (The minimum requirement is $80)  I will also be happy to do more Play Shops at the Mastermind Seminars’ office on Date Palm.  Just let me know the best days and times for you.

    May you have a very, very happy holiday and take lots of amazing photos to share.

    In Joy,
    Mardi

    “Restoring peace and joy to the world through computer education.”