Tech Tips with Michael

March 18, 2011

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I prefer to use Windows based computers whenever possible for many reasons. However, several of Thomas Jefferson High School’s computers are Macs, which means they have fairly uncomfortable keyboards and mice. I’ve used Windows computers for many years, and I think right-clicking is a necessity (unlike some other users). I’ve found a way to be able to right-click on a Mac. The following steps show how to make most Apple Macs right-click.

First, open the system preferences. This can be opened from the icons at the bottom or the Apple button on the menu bar.

Then go to Keyboard and Mouse in the settings window.

Then select the mouse from the bar at the top

Then in the drop-down box for the right upper side of the mouse, click on Secondary button.

And Voila! Now this user profile is able to to right-click on anything! The unnecessary hassle of holding the control key when users need to access a menu is gone! However, if users still want to control-click, they can.

December 7, 2010

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Now that the holiday season has begun, many retailers are slashing prices on electronic items. An often-requested item of students is a personal computer. There are a few different types of computers on the market, each excelling in different areas.

A new breed of small laptops have emerged in recent years, adopting the name ‘netbook.’ For the student on the go, a netbook is a practical solution. These laptops typically have a smaller keyboard and run Windows XP or Windows 7. They can’t handle heavy processor work such as video editing or high resolution gaming, but they function well for browsing the Internet and word processing. Most of them sport a hard drive with reasonable storage or an up-and-coming type of memory, solid-state drives. These new drives are made of large chips of memory, and don’t spin or require a moving arm to read the data. This makes solid-state memory devices incredibly faster and more reliable because a shake will not cause it to malfunction, a major flaw of hard disk drives. The true advantage of a netbook is portability; most of them have 12” or smaller screens and are very lightweight. However, the major trade-off is the CD drive. There isn’t enough room in the netbook body to accommodate one. This may limit some users, but to remedy this problem, there are external CD drives that can plug in to the computer. The major advantage of owning a netbook is that it is the most portable type of computer.

Another kind of computer is the desktop computer. These are not portable, but they can be relocated when turned off and disconnected from everything. They are capable of graphics intensive work and can be easily modified or upgraded (some enthusiasts build their own). The advantage to this kind of computer is speed. These models can hold a lot of RAM (Random Access Memory), which allows them to work faster. Compared to the amount of processing power and storage space, these computers are often cheaper than laptops or netbooks.

Then there is the original portable computer: the laptop. Most models have a DVD Drive, a decent amount of RAM, Wifi compatibility with the latest and fastest frequency (Wireless N) and a keyboard that is comfortable to type on. Most of the current laptops bear screens that are wider than they are tall, changing the shape of the body to allow for a keyboard and number pad. It is an addition some people may prefer over not having the number pad. Where the laptop shines is that it is more portable than the desktop, but has more features than a netbook. The cost of a laptop is typically in the same price range as a desktop.

October 16, 2010

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I am known to many people as ‘the tech guy.’ Whether it was setting up a wireless network to finding top-notch free software, I’ve been the person people go to with computer problems.

It’s surprising how many free pieces of software exist that do the same job as their pricey competitors.

For people looking for Microsoft office but are turned off by the price tag, Openoffice.org has created and refined a free suite of programs that are a reasonable substitute. Word processing (that opens and saves .doc word files), spreadsheets (that open Excel files), slide presentations, a graphics program, and a database manager.OpenOffice.org’s programs run on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

When it comes to audio editing, Audacity is one of the best free programs. It allows users to record sound, edit many types of sound files, change the speed or pitch of a sound, and edit and mix several tracks at once. For first-time users, it can be a little confusing, however when someone has the hang of it, sound editing becomes a snap. Audacity will run on Windows, Mac, and Linux machines.

Creating and editing pictures is a nice tool to have, but Adobe’s Photoshop program is costly. It’s very good at what it does, but for the penny-pinchers there is GNU Image Manipulation Program, or GIMP for short (and for free). This program is very customizable, and has many tricks of the trade when it comes to picture editing, including its ability to read photoshop files and many other image files. GIMP is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.

Whether you’re running out of time or money, these downloads get the job done for free.