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XP Advice

Well, the questions continue to fly in about XP- Is a good upgrade or not?

So, I thought I'd give you my opinion of it.

It's been on my laptop (my main computer) for just over 3 months now. So far, I love it. It's stable, it's flexible, easier to use, and the thing just plain works. I think it's what Win 95 should have been. I have my computer running for 8-10 hours a day, 5 days a week and always turn it on a time or two over the weekend. I think it's been a month since it has locked up and I was forced to power off to recover (a daily problem with win 9.x versions).

In my opinion, it's a good upgrade for anyone running win 98 or ME (Win 95 computers typically aren't powerful enough to run it). I look at it like this - it only takes a $100.00 upgrade (a small amount compared to what you probably paid for your computer) to make your computer run the way it should. Granted, it's not right. Windows should have been like this in the first place, but that's the way it is. If it makes you feel better, you can curse Microsoft while you make your purchase :-)

I can't imagine putting up with losing what I'm working on or constant reboots anymore. I get people asking me every day about how to avoid lockups, illegal operations, BSDs (Blue Screens of Death), and the like. Well, the single best way is to get XP. It's not that problems go away, but they are very few and very far between.

Also, as I mentioned when I first started this section, it's easier to use. The layouts make more sense, the help file is more helpful, and the overall operating system is easier to work with. Wizards help guide you through just about anything you would need to do, so there's not as much guessing.

That said, it's still very tweakable - maybe more so than any previous version of Windows. There are tons of options I haven't even started messing up (oops, I mean "with") yet.

So, yes, I like it. Again, this is only my opinion, you may not agree. That's OK too (well, no it's not, but I guess I'll have to live with it - LOL :-)

OK, that's the good stuff about XP

Tomorrow - The reasons why upgrading may not be such a hot idea.

On to the regular tips!

Computers 101

Q:
Folders - part 2

Making Folders

Yesterday, we looked at what a folder was. Today, we'll actually make some!

Let's say you would like to have some sub-folders (a sub-folder is a folder within a folder) in your "My Documents" folder. For example, you could set one up for each member of your family, so everyone's stuff stays separate.

Here's how:

Right-click the Start button, select Explore from the little menu that pops up. Windows Explorer will open. You'll see the My Documents folder on the list to the left. Double-click it. From the RIGHT hand pane, right-click your mouse and select, New, Folder.

A new folder will pop up. Type in a name for it and you're all set.

If you happen to click your mouse before the folder is named, you can right-click it and select Rename from the little menu that pops up.

Tip of the Day

Web Shortcuts

Web Link - http://www.worldstart.com/tips/webshortcuts.htm

Do you have a web site you visit often? Wouldn't it be cool to have a shortcut on your desktop for it? Here's a quick way to do it:

First, head to the web page with either Explorer or Netscape.

-- With Internet Explorer:

You'll see next to the site's URL (address) a small icon with a blue "e" on it. Drag that to your desktop. Instant shortcut!

-- With Netscape:

Next to the URL (address) box, you'll see the word "location". Next to "location" there's a small icon. If you drag it onto your desktop, you'll make an instant shortcut to the page.

When you click on the shortcut(s), they will open your default browser and take you to the web site. Cool huh?

Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

Space Weather

Find all kinds of information about space and the weather. Curious as to how the Aurora Borealis shows up in our sky? Did you know that the comet Linear is heading for the sun? See pictures of the Leonid meteor storm from August over Australia. All this and more at Space Weather.

http://www.spaceweather.com/

Do you have a cool site that you want to share? Send it to Amanda! Here's her address:

amanda@worldstart.com

Oh, and we're looking for non-commercial sites. We generally don't run sites that are strictly for shopping.