Improving Home Office Technology: How to Become a Tech-savvy Person's Guide

From software shortcuts to office design brainstorms, here's how to do more--often without spending more. In today's age of technology, there are many who are often left clueless in the jargon of computer programmers. However, following these special tips will help make sense out of all that and be on your way to a healthy and knowledgeable computer relationship.

To make finding the solutions you need even easier--time is money, after all--we've focused the spotlight on 10 home office technology categories: data protection and storage; Internet use; Web browsing; hardware and peripherals; communications tools; presentations; core applications; tech support; office design; and business travel.

Along with tips and tricks, you'll find some suggestions for tools to add to your home office utility belt. Whatever your business, we guarantee these insider's shortcuts and undocumented secrets will help you do everything better, smarter, and faster than before.

Disaster-Proof Your Data

Dangers to your critical files lurk around every corner, but there's no need to suffer a data loss if you follow our advice for safeguarding your files and tightening your PC security. These following tips are must-do's to ensure protection for your PC.

1 Build a backup plan. The first rule of thumb for backup is "just do it." But to make things simpler, separate items that don't change (like last year's tax documents) from folders of dynamic data such as client invoices, contact management files, and open projects. Now you can back up static files just once, and schedule weekly (or even daily) backups for folders in constant use.

2 Zip and fly. Before backing up, use a compression utility like WinZip (800-242-4775, www.winzip.com; $29) or ZipMagic (800-645-3649, www.mijenix.com; $39) to combine related items and reduce the number of floppies, Zip disks, or tapes you need to store your data.

3 Double up and double-check. Always make a second copy of critical files on a separate tape or disk. This way, if your first attempt is corrupt or incomplete, you won't be left in the lurch. Then attempt to restore at least one particular file before you put away the backup media. If you can restore it without errors, your backup is probably reliable.

4 Tune up often. Installing bug fixes, software patches, and updated drivers is essential to keep your system running smoothly. Save yourself the time and hassle of searching through multiple Web or FTP sites by automatically updating these items once a month using CyberMedia's Oil Change (310-581-4700, www.cybermedia.com; $39.95 for a one-year subscription).

5 Store files offsite. If storing critical files in a safety deposit box seems inconvenient, garage key data with an Internet storage company like @Backup (800-344-2000, www.atbackup.com) or Atrieva (888-287-4382, www. atrieva.com). Some online backup services will even send you a CD-ROM copy of your data for an additional fee.

6 Snoop-proof your passwords. Tired of racking your brain for hackerproofpasswords, only to have to write them down so you don't forget? Install a shareware utility like Password Manager from Celebrity Consulting (available at www.shareware.com; free to try, $14.95 to keep) which will generate random passwords and keep them safe from snoops.

7 Foil prying eyes. Eudora Pro 4.0 (Qualcomm, 800-238-3672, www.eudora.com; $59) users can take advantage of a plug-in version of PGP Keys to scramble important e-mail documents for safe sending. RSA SecurPC (800-732-8743, www. securid.com; $59) lets you password-protect and encrypt selected files, or even your entire hard disk.

8 Delete files for good. Dumping items from the Recycle Bin doesn't mean they're gone forever. A file shredding utility like Karmadrome's Without a Trace (available at www.hotfiles.com; freeware) permanently wipes sensitive files from disk so they won't fall into the wrong hands.

9 Inoculate against disease. If you spend time on the Internet or swap files with clients or coworkers, install an antivirus program now, and use it to scan both your hard disk and foreign disks. Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 4.0 Deluxe (800-441-7234, www.symantec.com; $70) offers weekly virus definition updates--a great feature.

10 Beware of attachments. Because macro viruses can lurk in Microsoft Word and Excel documents, and all sorts of other nastiness may be concealed within executable files, you should automatically screen attachments with an antivirus program before saving them to your hard disk. Better yet, delete any from senders you don't recognize.

11 Chat and hide. The IP address of your PC can be a give away to hackers. If you chat or send instant messages over the Web, hide your IP address from others by turning off file sharing Via TCP/IP. Under the Network control panel in Windows 95/98, Click the File and Print Sharing button, then turn off access To your files.

12 Size it up. When shopping for backup hardware, the best option is a device that can store your entire hard disk on one tape or cartridge with a bit of wiggle room left. Alternatively, partition your hard disk into multiple drives or organize data into chunks that will comfortably fit onto your favorite removable media.

Harness the Internet

The Web offers an overwhelming wealth of information for home-based workers--sometimes too much. Here are some suggestions to make your future Internet experiences more streamlined and successful.

13 Find the perfect provider. Internet service providers (ISPs) are a dime a dozen, but they aren't created equally. The List (www.thelist.com) is the perfect way to see all your local providers, compare their offerings (do they have a sufficient number of modems? do they have toll-free support?), and decide which one offers you the best value.

14 Increase your speed. The current high-speed modem standard is V. 90, which is compatible with both K56Flex and X2. Depending on your modem and your ISP, you may get a performance boost if you update your 56Kbps modem to V. 90. The information-laden 56k.com site (www.56k.com) will point you in the direction of nearly every V. 90 upgrade available.

15 Turbocharge your searches. Single-engine search sites such as www.altavista.digital.com or www.lycos.com used to be the best way to find information on the Web. Not any more. Your best bet these days is a meta-search tool like Copernic 98 (www.copernic.com; $29.95), which takes information from all the top search engines and feeds you the best results, or MetaCrawler (www.metacrawler. com), which does it for free.

16 Focus your queries. Regardless of the search engine you use, your results are only as good as the query you make. Most engines let you conduct an advanced search by stringing together phrases using AND, OR, and NOT (often referred to as Boolean operators). Check your search engine's help area to see if it supports these, and learn how to use them.

17 Speed in the FastLane. Waiting for graphics to load is a huge waste of time. Spectrum's new FastLane proxy service (www.Spectruminfo.com; $4.95/month) lets you set up your browser to receive all graphics from the Web compressed to one-third of their original size, resulting in significantly faster page loading.

18 Stay connected. Hate getting tossed offline by your ISP for being idle? Don't let your provider think you've stepped away--keep your Internet connection running by playing audio over the Internet via Real-Audio (www.real.com; free) or music via Imagine Radio (www.Imagineradio.com; free).

19 Track a package. An AWOL FedEx shipment can damage any working relationship. But the carrier's home page (www.fedex.com) can help you find it in a flash. Better yet, sign up for FedEx interNetShip service so you can ship online to more than 160 countries without having to hand write airbills, call for a pickup, or install additional software.

20 Promote your Web site. The Submit It! Resource Center (www.submit-it.com) offers dozens of free tips for marketing your home page. If you want to skip the do-it-yourself route, send two URLs to more than 400 search engines, directories, what's new sites, and award sites using the Submit It! service ($60 one-time fee).

Brush Up Your Browser Skills

Whether you prefer browsing the Web with Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) or Netscape Communicator, we've found ways to make them work harder for you.

21 Keep up-to-date. Stave off security problems and performance issues by keeping your browser current. To see if you have the latest version, visit www.browsercheck.com. If not, in IE 4.x, go to Help/Product Updates (or visit windowsupdate.microsoft.com); in Netscape Communicator or Navigator, click on Help/Software Updates to visit Smart Update at www.Netcenter.com.

22 View multimedia. Not everything online is made up of HTML. To see and hear online extras, you need plugins like Shockwave (www.macromedia.com) and Real-Audio. Want to check which ones you've already got installed in Netscape Communicator? Choose Help and then select About Plug-ins.

23 Connect quickly. Save yourself a step by setting up your Windows 95/98 system to automatically dial your ISP whenever you try to access Web pages with Internet Explorer 4.x or Netscape Communicator. Run the Internet Connection Wizard to set up a brand-new connection, or if you have an existing dial-up configuration, input your ISP's settings on the Connections tab in Windows 95's Internet Control Panel.

24 Beat browser bloat. Netscape Communicator Suite and IE 4.x are hard-disk hogs, but they don't need to be. If all you do is browse, download only Netscape Navigator instead of the full Communicator suite to save disk space. With IE, delete the folder on your hard disk called Internet Explorer 4.0 Setup, which contains 12MB of files you don't need.

25 Cache in on repeat visits. Browsers store recently viewed Web pages and graphics in a disk area called cache. If you visit the same sites repeatedly, increasing your cache to 5MB allows more saved pages to load from your hard disk, instead of downloading from the Web. Change your cache size in Netscape Communicator by Selecting Preferences under the Edit menu. Double-click Advanced and select Cache. In IE 4.x, go to View, then Internet Options. On the General tab, select Temporary Internet File Settings. Adjust the slider bar at the bottom to the desired cache level.

26 Nix hostile applets. If you're concerned about rogue Java or ActiveX applets wreaking havoc on your PC, adjust your browser's security settings to disable these features. In Netscape Communicator, select Edit/Preferences, click the word Advanced, and disable Java and JavaScript. In the latest versions of IE, select View/Internet Options, then click the Advanced tab. Under Java VM, deselect "Java JIT compiler enabled."

27 Get double vision. Opening two browser windows lets you read one page while waiting for the second to load. In either Navigator or Internet Explorer, open a second browser window (or more) by typing Ctrl-N. If you want to follow a link, but don't care to leave the page you're looking at, right-click the link in question and select "Open in new window."

28 Save surf time. Both Communicator and IE 4.x allow you to surf Web sites offline via your much faster hard disk. In IE, right-click the page and select Add To Favorites. Under "Would you also like to subscribe to this page?" select "Yes, notify me of updates and download the page for offline viewing."

29 Explore from anywhere. Why go to a search site to scan the Web when you can conduct searches directly from the Net-site box in Communicator's toolbar? Simply type in a phrase of two words or more and press Enter. Navigator automatically executes a search with Magellan, Yahoo, Lycos, Infoseek, or Excite. If you want to search on just one word, type a plus sign and a space before the word.

30 Right-click shortcuts. In older versions of Navigator, right-clicking a link brings up a menu where you can add the link to your bookmarks, open the link in a new window, save the linked page as an HTML file on your hard disk, or create a Windows 95 shortcut. With Communicator, you can also right-click anywhere on a page to set it as your wallpaper, view its HTML source, or see document info for that page. The functions are similar in Internet Explorer 4.0.

31 Button up bookmarks. In just a few steps, you can turn favorite bookmarks into handy toolbar buttons. In Communicator, click the Bookmarks button and choose Edit Bookmarks, then drag individual bookmarks or an entire folder of bookmarks into the Personal Toolbar Folder. In IE 4.x, choose Favorites, then Organize Favorites. Select a folder or individual link, click Move, and place it in the Links folder.

32 Fast forward. Forget double-, triple-, or quadruple-clicking the Back button to return to a particular Web page. One click of the down arrows on IE's Back and Forward buttons reveals a list of recently visited pages. Simply scroll down and select the one you want to revisit. In Netscape Communicator, click and hold the Forward or Back button to see a similar list.

Shift Your Hardware Into Maximum Overdrive

You paid a pretty penny for the hardware that runs your business, so make the most of it. These tips and tricks will help get you more for your money.

33 Utilize OSB. Save space and cabling hassles by using peripherals that connect to your PC's USB ports. USB devices can be daisy-chained together and many don't require separate power connections. For a list of USB peripherals, visit Intel's USB support site (www.intel.com/ design/usb).

34 Customize clicks. Mice are powerful peripherals if you take, the time to set them up properly. Depending on the type of mouse you have, you can use its many buttons to enhance viewing, slow the speed of the cursor, and more. To see what options are available, go to the Mouse control panel in Windows 95/98. For more comfortable mousing, consider a pointer with a wheel like the Microsoft IntelliMouse (www.microsoft.com; $59.95) or Logitech's Cordless Wheel Mouse (www.logitech.com; $59.95).

35 Maximize multitasking. Save precious desk space (and a bit of cash) by using a multifunction unit, such as the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 3100 (800-527-3753, www.hp. com; $699), which rolls faxing, scanning, copying, and printing into one.

36 Tune into PCTV. Stay on top of industry trends and business news with your PC by installing a TV tuner card. One good choice: ATI's All-in-Wonder Pro (905-882-2600, www.atitech.ca; $299 for 8MB version), which combines a TV tuner with a high-performance 3D graphics accelerator and capture functions for video editing. Warning: "General Hospital" can be habit-forming.

37 Dock it. If you're out of the office more than you're in, a laptop with a docking station makes a lot of sense. One to consider: Micron's TransPort Trek2 266 (800-209-9686, www. micronpc.com; $3,500 with docking station and Executive Desktop package).

38 Recycle that doorstop. Don't throw out that 486 or older Pentium system-turn it into a dedicated device. Some options: Build a fax server, set it up as an e-mail autoresponder, or convert it into a server for your home network.

39 Trim the FAT. Hard drives running Windows 3.1 and 95 use a file system called FAT, which wastes lots of disk space. If you don't use Windows 95 version OSR2, the best way to get that space back is to partition giant drives down to 1GB increments using a product like PartitionMagic (800-379-2566, www.powerquest.com; $70).

40 Spiff up printouts. Smudged, streaked ink-jet printouts are net to be tolerated. You can clean any Hewlett-Packard or other ink-jet cartridge using a cotton swab and distilled water (Evian will do in a pinch). Just remove the ink cartridge and wipe off the area around the nozzle plate.

41 Enter the flicker-free zone. If your monitor is giving you eyestrain, it might be due to a too-low refresh rate. To reduce flicker, go to the Settings tab in the Display control panel, click Advanced, then use the Adapter tab to reset the refresh rate. Refer to your monitor's manual for the appropriate refresh rate for the resolution you most often use. If this doesn't do the trick, it may be time for a more powerful (4MB) graphics card.

42 Conserve consumables. Taking time out to replace printer ink or toner is a necessary home office hassle. But you can cut down on consumables by reducing the printer's DPI setting to draft or toner-saver mode. Check your printer's control panel to see if this is an option.

43 Find the features. You might not have to make that next trip to the local print shop. Your laser printer probably can perform a variety of different tasks you never ask it to do, such as printing on transparencies, labels, envelopes, and lightweight card stock. And color ink-jets can often create T-shirt iron-ons and other specialty items.

Increase Your Communications Savvy

Using your land line is still the best way to order pizza, but e-mail, faxes, PDAs, and cell phones are better suited for many tasks--especially when you have our insider tips to guide you.

44 Jump from AOL to POP3 e-mail. For the ultimate electronic messaging flexibility, ditch America Online and sign up for a POP3 e-mail account through a local or national ISP. You'll be able to take advantage of more powerful e-mail management utilities with POP3 mail, including Eudora Pro 4.0, and your new ISP will probably give more reliable Internet access to boot.

45 Send mail from the Web your way. To default to Eudora e-mail instead of Internet Explorer's mail client when using mail to Web links, select View/Options, click the Programs tab, and select Eudora Pro in the Mail field. Navigator users should download the Mailto Watcher add-on utility (available at www.eudora.com) that allows you to intercept Navigator mailtos even when Eudora is not running simultaneously.

46 File it quickly. At a minimum, most e-mail clients allow you to build custom folders for sorting messages into categories as they arrive. But to harness the full potential of Eudora, you need to develop filters that will transfer messages into specific folders automatically. The easiest way to do this is to select any Eudora 4.0 message and choose Special/Make Filter. By default, this will create a filter guiding future messages into a folder with the sender's name. When you're through fine-tuning the action, click the Create Filter button to finish the job.

47 Hotlink your hot news. In Eudora, you can quickly turn important text or an embedded graphic into a hotlink to a related Web site. Select the desired element in your message and click Make Hyperlink button on the formatting toolbar. Then type in the complete URL and click OK.

48 Redirect-don't forward. Got an e-mail from a client that's better addressed by your partner? In Eudora, select the message and pick Message/Redirect from the toolbar. A copy of the message appears with the original sender's address in the From field, including any attachments. Complete the recipient's address and click Send.

49 Get the fax, ma'am. Eudora Pro 4.0 also accepts a plug-in version of JFAX Personal Telecom (888-GET-JFAX, www.jfax.com). For $12.50 per month you receive a local, private phone number in the Jfax.com city of your choice where people can send faxes and voice messages that are then forwarded to your e-mail inbox. If you don't want to go the plug-in route, try Symantec's standalone WinFax Pro 8.0 (800-441-7234, www.symantec.com; $99.95).

50 Instantly communicate. To stay in touch even when you're online, get connected instantly via Internet messaging systems. Consider America Online's Instant Messenger (www.aol.com; free), which is built in to Netscape Communicator, or Activerse's Ding! (www.activerse.com; free).

51 Smile for the camera. You work at home and your colleagues work in an office, so you see each other only when you travel, right? Wrong--if you start using a Net conferencing program. Just attach a small video camera to your monitor, load the software, and you'll be able to meet with clients all over the world. One to try: Connectix QuickCam VC (800-9505880, www.connectix.com; $129).

52 Collaborate in cyberspace. If video conferencing seems too involved and instant messaging not powerful enough, try an Internet collaboration tool instead. Microsoft NetMeeting arrives preinstalled on many Windows 98 systems, or can be downloaded as part of or in addition to IE 4. With Net-Meeting, you can gather together groups of people to chat, share files and applications, draw on a digital whiteboard, and even transmit audio and video.

53 Speed up file exchanqes. Mac users should try a compression utility like Stuffit Deluxe 4.5 (800-656-5443, www.aladdinsys.com; $80) to shrink large files down to size before sending them in an e-mail, and combine groups of small files for easy transmission.

These 53 tips will hopefully help you turn into a tech savvy person with knowledge!