Announcements

Protect Yourself!

We just received an awesome deal (wait till you see the price) on a fantastic surge protector! I don't know about your area, but we've been getting hammered by one thunderstorm after another around here lately. Watching lightening explode to the ground can really make you think about good surge protection (and taking cover :-)

We hear horror stories all the time from people who didn't have proper surge protection and paid dearly for it. Sometimes it's a big repair bill, other times it comes down to a new machine.

The worst is when you get a surge that *almost* kills the various parts of the computer. They just go out, one by one- kind of a cascading failure. I had a friend who had personal experience with this and after spending hundreds on new parts finally ended up getting a new computer. It just isn't worth taking a chance.

In any event, check out this surge protector - it's the best we've ever offered!

	$50,000 connected equipment warranty (that's enough for me to know it's good!)
	Phone line pass through (unprotected phone lines can really mess up a computer)
	8 plugs - 3 of which are designed to accommodate those bulky AC adapters.
	Rotating wall plug makes it easy to get this surge protector into an awkward socket location.
	Surge protection warning light and audible alarm tells you if the unit's surge protection circuit is blown (that way if you can't see it, you'll hear it)
	EMI/RFI filter for cleaner power

As soon as you start using this surge protector, you can tell it was specifically designed for computers. It offers plenty of protection for your computer and connected equipment, plus it's easy to work with (especially with those extra large AC adapter outlets - it's about time!)

How much for all this protection? Just $14.97 after $10 mail in rebate (Free US shipping)! You can hardly get a low end protector for that kind of money, let alone a higher end one like this! It's crazy not to have some form of reliable surge protection, and for this price you just can't go wrong. Check it out:

http://www.worldstart.com/store/spike-mster.htm

PS - Remember, this has a $50,000 connected equipment warranty. If their willing to bet $50,000, I'm willing to bet it keeps my equipment safe (my computer is already hooked up to one).

MS Office 101

Help Is On The Way

Are you new to MS Word? Did you recently switch from WordPerfect to Word?

Do you find yourself confused sometimes? Can't quite find what you need?

Would you like Word to provide a little assistance with your transition?

Well, if you're answering "Yes!" then here's the way to get Word to give you a helping hand.

First you'll need to go to the Tools menu, Options choice.

Then on the General Tab you need to check Help for WordPerfect users and Navigation keys for WordPerfect users.

The help for WordPerfect users will displays instructions or demonstrate a Word equivalent when you press a WordPerfect for DOS key combination.

The navigation keys will change the functions of the Esc, Home, End, Page Up and Page Down keys to their WordPerfect equivalents.

When you've made your choice click OK.

You should find some differences as you're working - maybe just the thing you need to make Word more "user friendly" for you.

Office Tip of the Day

It's Cooler In The Shade

In the vein of the last two issues dealing with ways to dress up your documents, worksheets, presentation, etc., let's take just one more moment to explore another way to create unique and eye-catching elements. (Just one last "fun" thing before we get back to all that productive stuff.)

What I'm talking about today is the Shadow button from your Drawing Toolbar.

It's another simple way to change a basic object into something that really adds to the overall look of your information.

Things start exactly the same way as they do for 3D effects. First select your object. Now click on the Shading button.

A palette will open allowing you to pick the type and direction of your shading.

Once again you need to take a good look at the bottom of the palette.

See it?

Yep, it says Shadow Settings. Once you've chosen a shadow type from the palette go back and click it.

A little toolbar will open allowing you to modify your shading beyond the basic choices on the palette.

The first button will turn the shading on and off.

The next section—containing four buttons—will nudge the shadow, in very small increments, in the direction of the arrow. Repeatedly clicking a button will allow you to move the shadow farther than you would probably ever want to.

Then the last button opens the usual color palette where you can choose the color of the shadow—no more boring gray!

Whew—it's July and hot out there. Now that you know where it is—come out of the heat and into the shade.

~ April