Improving Home Technology ( Part II)

Have you read part 1 of "Improving Home Technology" and completed all the tips? This is Part 2, a continuation of the first article to complete the 97 tips to completely arm yourself for the best home technology experience you can have!

54 Open exotic attachments easily. If you frequently receive e-mail attachments, consider installing a tool like e-ttachment Opener (DataViz, 800-733-0030, www. dataviz.com; $49), which makes it a snap to open files created in applications you don't own.

Pump Up Your Presentations

Overhead transparencies and slides aren't enough to captivate an audience in the digital age. So prepare yourself with these tips to make your next presentation a real showstopper.

55 Rent it-don't lug it. If you frequently speak before large audiences at hotels or other conference centers, build your presentation around tools you can rent onsite such as LCD and overhead projectors, flip charts, televisions, VCRs, and so on. Just don't forget to call ahead to reserve them.

56 Bring backups. Always keep extra copies of your presentation on disk and on paper just in case your files get corrupted or lost. Other emergency must-haves are an extension cord, phone line, and remote control software like Artisoft's CoSession Remote 52 (www.artisoft.com; $119 for the two-PC version) so you can call back to the office for crucial files you may have forgotten.

57 Animate it. Add oomph to your next client meeting with four free animated PowerPoint 97 templates. Download copies of these and other PowerPoint enhancements from the Microsoft Web site at www. microsoft.com/office/enhpowerpoint.asp.

58 Share your slide show. Microsoft's PowerPoint Viewer 97 lets PowerPoint users share documents with anyone, even those who don't have the software. This downloadable utility is available at www.microsoft.com /office/office/viewers.asp. To make your Freelance Graphics (www. lotus.com) slide shows portable for electronic mailing or sending to someone who doesn't have Freelance installed, use the Save and Go option, which compresses your PRZ file together with a Mobile Screen Show Player.

59 Post your presentation on the Web. PowerPoint's Internet Assistant will create HTML documents from your presentation in a flash. Open the PowerPoint 97 presentation you want to save in HTML format. Then, on the File menu, click Save as HTML. The Internet Assistant wizard will then walk you through the steps of converting your presentation to HTML. Corel's Show It utility makes your Corel Presentations (www. corel.com) slide show Web-ready by creating an HTML page and embedding the slides in it along with animations, transitions, videos, and sound. Visitors to your Web site can then view your presentation using the Show It plug-in.

60 Get it right. Creating presentations in PowerPoint takes long enough as is, so avoid constantly clicking on dropdown menus. A right-click on any screen object will pop up context-sensitive menus to manipulate or enhance objects on the fly.

More From Your Core Applications

Every home office has them--programs you simply can't do without. To use your tools more efficiently, take these helpful tips to heart.

61 Try templates. Do you have a favorite word processing document that you continually alter with new information such as a contract, fax cover sheet, or a form letter? If so, save it as a template so you can repeatedly open it and add new information. When you're done with each new version, remember to save it as a word processing file.

62 Think retro, er, but in a good way! Stay compatible with clients and colleagues by utilizing the Save As option. Not everyone has made the switch to Word 97, and thanks to Microsoft's annoying file-format switch, people with older versions of Word can't open and view Word 97 files. To make things more equal, go to the Tools menu, select Options, and choose Save. In the drop-down menu next to "Save Word files as," choose Word 6.0/95.

63 Miss these links. Eliminate time-consuming formatting problems in Office 97 by deactivating the active Web link feature that turns URLs into hotlinks. To do so, go to the Tools Menu, choose AutoCorrect, click "Autoformat as you type," and deselect "Internet and Network Paths with Hyperlinks." Then, click the Auto Format tab and deselect the same menu item. Now, when you type a Web address, the program will leave it as a normal string of text. (A similar AutoCorrect headache for high-tech typists: "Correct two initial capitals" for PCs and MHz.)

64 Icon have it my way. Not a fan of the floating Office 97 toolbar but still want to launch Word or Excel quickly? Place the icons for Word or Excel on your Windows 95/98 desktop for faster launching.

65 Find the right fit. Save hard-disk space without scrapping Microsoft Office 97 by choosing "Custom install" to load only the features and programs you want. For example, you probably don't need the Help files for WordPerfect users, the high-end database Access if you already use a PIM or contact manager, or the mapping feature in Excel. If you find you need these features later, just insert the Office 97 CD-ROM and hit Install.

66 Launch already! Place the executable icon for your contact manager in your Windows 95/98 StartUp folder. This will automatically launch your contact manager each time you turn on your PC. With the program launched or minimized, you can work on other programs. (Note: More full-featured contact managers will require more memory--strongly consider this tip only if you have at least 24MB of RAM).

67 File an extension. When you back up your contact manager file, save the same file in either Excel (.XLS) or dbase database (.DBF) format as well. In case your PC goes south, you can open the contact file on a colleague's PC, even if she doesn't use the same program.

68 Open for business. If you're in the market for a new contact manager, look for one that lets you search for a record without launching the entire program, like Multiactive Software Inc.'s Maximizer 5.0 (www.maximizer, com; $179). If a client calls you, you don't have to make awkward small talk while waiting for his record to appear on your screen.

69 Search smarter. When typing business card information into your contact manager, if the company name begins with the word "The," put the word "The" after the name of the person's business, such as "Hamilton Egg Company, Inc." This may sound like a boneheaded piece of advice, but this common mistake can mire so-called simple searches.

70 Back into it. If your contact manager ships with a scheduler that reminds you to back up your records or performs the backup by itself, use this feature. After all, your contacts are your home office oxygen and your connection to the outside world.

71 Plow those fields. In this fast-paced, ultra-connected world we live in, many people have multiple physical addresses, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers. To prevent a frantic search with a deadline approaching, list all of the contact numbers--even Mr. Biggley's doorman's backup cell phone.

72 Become a better bean-counter. Intuit's Quicken may be fine for balancing your checkbook, but small businesses will be better off with QuickBooks (800-446-8848, www.quickbooks.com; $119), which offers one-stop invoicing, bill payment, inventory management, and income and expense tracking.

73, 74, 75 Organize for access. This step is so crucial that I've combined it into three. It's ridiculously easy to fix your data lists for even quicker data lookups. Manually sort items by selecting a list entry then dragging and dropping it to a new location. You also can sort customer, vendor, and account lists alphabetically by using the Resort List command.

76 Start Windows faster. Why wait to load programs you never use? Go into the Windows folder, click on the Start menu, select Programs, and select StartUp. Once there, either delete the files you don't want to launch when Windows opens or cut and paste them into a temporary directory.

77 Gain easy access. A quick way to get to your most frequently used programs is to take advantage of Internet Explorer 4.0 & Windows 98's new desktop interface. First, make a shortcut of the program and start Windows Explorer. Next, click on the Windows folder, then Application Data, Internet Explorer, and Quick Launch. Paste the shortcut folder in the Quick Launch folder, and now you should see the Program icon next to the start button.

78 Back up to the future. Upgrades can complicate your life and lock up your computer. But if you use Windows 98's new Update Manager, it keeps an online log of system changes--so you'll be able to restore your computer to a previous state quickly and remotely if it crashes.

79 Picture this. When you installed Windows 95/98's Plus Pack, did you load the desktop themes? If your computer is suddenly crawling along at a snail's pace, it's no coincidence. All the funky colors, patterns, designs, fonts, and screen savers hog up system resources. Our advice: disable it.

Home Sweet Office

Face the truth: You spend far more time in your office than in any other room in your house. So make sure you're comfortable with these ergonomic tips.

80 Find a suitable surface. The ideal surface for working with a computer is a matte finish of a medium color. A black or white finish can cause glare, as can any shiny satin finishes. Wood finishes, on the other hand, absorb light coming from your monitor, desk, and overhead lamps. These will help with the overall aura of the place.

81 Light up. To minimize eyestrain, have two types of lighting in your home office: overhead and task. If you do most of your work in front of a computer monitor, you don't actually need strong overhead lighting. If possible, place an upward facing lamp in a corner, which will bounce light off the ceiling, instead of using overhead track lights, which can cause glare on your monitor. If you do use track lighting, point the bulbs away from your monitor.

82 Check your chair. Working in the same chair all day can wreak havoc on your body if you're not seated correctly. So make sure your chair is at a height where your thighs are horizontal with the floor and your feet rest flat. If your chair is too high for you to rest your feet while sitting, adjust the height or use a footrest. Your chair's backrest is designed to support your lower back and fit the curvature of your spine. If you can't adjust it to fit your lower back, try a pillow.

83 Key in comfortably. When you type, be sure that your wrists lie almost straight, bending no more than 15 or 20 degrees. Check to see that your forearms are parallel or a little upward to the floor, with your elbows, not your shoulders or upper arms, bearing your weight. When you use your mouse, hold it so that your wrist is straight above your desk, and check that your wrist doesn't graze the desk as you move it.

Fix It Fast

When your hardware has the hiccups and your software begins spewing error messages, follow our tech support hints for surviving your next crisis.

84 Keep your hard-disk image current. To ensure you'll never have a saved hard-disk image older then your last boot, open Symantec's Norton Utilities, launch Image, and click on Options. In Options, select "Start automatically with Windows" and choose your hard drives below.

85 Limit long hold times. If your tech problem isn't an emergency, try email or discussion group support. Or search through product-related frequently asked question (FAQ) files at the manufacturer's Web site. If you can't wait, pay extra for a straight-to-the-front-of-the-line service like IBM's Service-Pac End User Support (800-426-4968, www.ibm.com; prices vary) or go to the Geek Squad, which stations itself in most Best Buys' and offers great service at a higher price.

86 Know thy warranty. Many retail PCs are under warranty for only one year, while resellers and direct mail vendors cover systems for three years. Find out if your warranty covers just parts, or parts and labor, and for how long. Also ask if you're entitled to phone support and onsite service for the entire length of the warranty.

87 Have an emergency plan. If you can't afford downtime, buy from vendors who provide 72-hour parts replacement policies or next-business-day service options. Micron (www.micronpc.com) offers this service, and NEC (www.nec.com) will replace certain SuperScript printers in 24 hours or less. If the vendor won't guarantee a fast turn-around, ask if an authorized local service company can send someone to fix your system in case of an emergency.

88 Rescue me. Without a Windows 98 recovery disk, restarting an ailing PC is often impossible. To make one, start Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs utility, then click on the Startup Disk tab. Don't forget to copy your CD-ROM drivers as well.

89 Bolster your defense. Windows 95 and 98 offer basic ScanDisk and Disk Defragmenter utilities (found under Programs/Accessories/System Tools). However, if you're looking for advanced maintenance and scheduling features, grab a copy of Nuts & Bolts 98 from Network Associates (800-338-8754, www.nai.com; $50) instead.

90 Be prepared before you call. Service technicians will need a variety of data to ferret out even the most minor hardware or software problem you have. For fastest tech support, make sure to be sitting at your PC with product serial numbers, error codes, and other relevant information at hand, and be ready to repeat the error if possible.

91 Take out the trash. If you find yourself frequently deleting certain files or folders, simplify your cleanup by configuring Norton Utilities's Space Wizard to include them. Select Comprehensive and proceed to the Commonly Discardable Files/Folders screen. Right-click and select Configure Files or Configure Folders. Add the files or folders you want to clean up and complete the Space Wizard operation, which will automatically do what you usually manually do.

92 Unerase your error. Ever edit a document, then inadvertently select Save when you meant to use Save As? In Norton Utilities, launch Unerase Wizard, then search for text in the overwritten document to see if a temporary file was stored.

Learn These Road Rules

If you spend more time out of the office than in it, our mobile office tricks and techniques will help make your next client call or business trip stress-free.

93 Pack your PC. Preflight-check your notebook with Norton Mobile Essentials (800-441-7214, www.symantec.com; $90). This handy utility creates pre-departure checklists, keeps track of dial-up and other settings for your destination, synchronizes files when you return, and troubleshoots PC problems while you're away from the office.

94 Power down. Windows 98's built-in power-consumption control lets you specify how long before your monitor and hard disks power down, with separate settings available for laptop and desktop systems. Tweak the settings to lit your needs in the Power Management control panel.

95 Conserve battery power. If you don't mind living dangerously, you can save precious battery power by turning off the AutoRecover option in Microsoft Word altogether or by increasing the number of minutes between saves to 30 or 75. To do this, go to the Tools menu, select Options, and click the Save tab.

96 Be your own agent. Book your next business trip yourself at Biztravel.com (www.biztravel.com), which offers one-stop shopping for the best airfare, hotel rates, and important news updates for frequent business travelers. Just make sure you've got all the times and dates correct before you hit enter.

97 Handle your luggage. Notebook computers are stolen with alarming frequency. Stay safe by using a laptop bag that doesn't look like a laptop bag, such as a small, hard-sided suitcase or a duffel bag with an extra protective case around the portable PC inside.

98 Lighten the load. Do you really need your CD-ROM drive or removable floppy drive while you're away? Swap out any extraneous hardware devices from your notebook and go without. Some notebooks offer weight-saving dummy modules or panels to cover empty swappable bays.

99 Skip the power brick. Save your muscles and create extra space in your luggage by leaving your notebook's heavy AC adapter and connecting cables at home. Instead, carry an extra battery.

100 Make a perfect couple. PC Card modems don't always take kindly to being plugged into digital phone jacks. Get a card with digital line protection, or avoid frying your unprotected card with a handset coupler like the Konexx Koupler (800-275-6354, www. konexx.com; $149), which lets you plug into the handset jack instead of the RJ-11 jack on the wall.

101 Stay in control. Before you go, make sure you leave your desktop PC turned on and ready to be accessed remotely by your portable PC. Using a remote access product like CrossTec's NetOp (800-675-0729, www.4ctc.com; $135), you'll be able to access files using any protocol, print, and more...all while on the road.

Good luck in becoming the tech-savvy person you've always wanted, and, more importantly, a better home technologies systems!