These days with cheap memory prices and multi core processors, it's becoming increasingly useful to install virtual machine software on your computer. VMware is an excellent piece software, that provides great compatibility and useful features. Here are some effective ways to use it.
I'm a firm believer that everything you do on a computer should be accessible through the keyboard. I guess this comes from working on computers back in the days of MS-DOS where the mouse was an afterthought. Actually, at the time, a mouse wasn't even available on most computers. So, I got used to doing everything with the keyboard. I'd argue that remembering keyboard shortcuts makes you a more productive user. Over the years, I've probably accumulated hundreds or even thousands of keyboard shortcuts stored in my head.
One easy "trick" that I like to do is utilize the start menu to run commonly used applications. If you go to the Start menu in Windows XP and right click on an application in "All Programs", you'll get a context menu that'll let you "Pin to Start Menu". So, what you can do is pin a bunch of frequently used icons onto your Start Menu, for easy access. Continue reading »
tags: keyboard shortcuts, tips, tricks, windows xpWhat's an easy and effective way to protect yourself from viruses? Connecting your cable modem or DSL modem to a router instead of directly to your computer. The reason is simple, when you connect your computer directly to your modem, attackers have access to and can interface directly with your computer. By default, unless you are running a good firewall, all ports are exposed. Theoretically this shouldn't be a problem since the operating system should be secure and won't allow unauthorized access. Unfortunately, virus writers are quite good at circumventing security.
Over the years, one of my biggest complaints about Microsoft operating systems since Windows 3.1 is that every time I install a new piece of software, I'm putting my entire system in jeopardy. Most of the times things work fine, but every so often, I install something and from that point on, the computer just starts doing something weird. It might be something minor like increasing startup times (although after a while this becomes a major problem as the system becomes slower and slower), or it might completely render the system inoperable. The truth of the matter is that every time you run a new installer for some software that looks promising, you run the risk of doing some damage to your computer - at least on a software level. You're not going to physically damage the computer but it's a problem nonetheless. How can you avoid these hassles?
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