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Page 2 Diablo Blue December, 2001 |
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In preparation for the fun, I bought a memory module for my Handspring. This unit plugs into the Springport and takes a Smart Media card (Compact Flash modules are also available). The unit comes with several programs including a backup program — which as it turns out I needed — my modem did something goofy when its batteries died and I had to do a complete restore. I can also move software onto the card as well. Check out www.memplug.com. Another Installment from the Front, Sent on Wednesday! Comdex is certainly different this year. The Sands Convention Center is empty. Bomb sniffing dogs greet you as you enter the Convention Center. Only 150,000 people bothered to come. Parties are down, splashy booths are less prevalent. Booth Babes look just as bored. On the plus side, parking is easier, food is good (and plentiful — I'll diet next week), people are friendly, and the weather is perfect. I haven't seen many blow-away new toys. Mainly refinements, mostly in the area of convergence —like PDAs+cellphones+2way pagers. Some truly interesting (curious) devices — like a massager that fits in a Visor Handspring port. Flat screens are everywhere, wireless is in — even Bluetooth is showing shipping devices — I want an IPAQ! See you at the December meeting, with lots more to tell and some neat stuff to show! |
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I was sitting on the back deck, a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in hand, and leafing through Microsoft's Windows XP Reviewer's Guide. I was describing to my wife how XP made better use of the Start button than Win 98, when she casually said she hated it. “I never use the thing,” she went on, not realizing I was under a moral obligation to make sure she was using the Start Button correctly. “I can get to all the programs I regularly use,” she continued, “by clicking an icon on my desktop.” Oy vey, I thought, the 293 icons-on-the-desktop syndrome. I had my work cut out for me. (Needless to say, she’s never seen my collection of 70 Desktop icons, but that’s another story altogether.) “I'm a computing professional,” I said empathically, hoping she wouldn't challenge me, “so tell me all about it.” “Besides,” she was on a roll and there was no stopping her, “when I open the menu and click Programs, another menu slides out, then another, and half of them aren't even programs I have anymore. To get to the program I want takes, I dunno, 20 minutes.” Was that in real or computer time, I wondered, grabbing my beer, trying to decide if I should start the barbecue or plunge deeper into the abyss. “The Start Menu,” I said, easing back into the conversation, “is fully customizable. Give me ten minutes and I can show you how to make it look, feel, and act just the way you want it to.” Step into my wife's office and I'll show you what I did to her PC. I'm basing my tips on Windows 98 so while some will work in Win95 (and certainly in Win ME), you'll need to do some fiddling on your own. STARTing to Understand The first thing to be aware of is that the Start Menu is built upon directories (folders, if you're new to this sport) and shortcuts. If you'd like to make a sub-menu, just add a new folder. Don't forget, a shortcut simply points to the program and can be safely renamed, moved, or even deleted. You might also think of your old program groups (hello? Win 3.1?) as the folders on the Programs menu. The Structure of Start When you click on the Start Button and the menu pops open, you'll see three sections. Depending on your PC, the lowermost part has Shut Down and Log Off. The middle section includes Run, Help, Find, Programs, and other entries. |