Just a quick post with a link to a super article about building an online business.
The author, Derek Gehl, is a guy whose newsletter I've subscribed to. There are lots of ersatz "Internet pros" out there, but Mr. Gehl packs so much valuable insight it's pretty clear that he's a the real deal. Check out his official site at: http://www.marketingtips.com/.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Tech Tip: Default Office 2007 to Save in Office 2003 Format
Office 2003 had a great run (a very valuable upgrade from XP), but Microsoft is forcing all new purchasers to buy Office 2007.
Not everyone has Office 2007 yet, so for some people saving back into older versions of Office makes most sense. There's also the option of having the 2003 users download the Compatibility Pack. To default your Office 2007 app to save back to 2003 format by default (on every document, without prompting):
1) Click the Office Icon (upper-left corner of screen) and click on the box where it says Word Options (or Excel Options, or whatever app your're in).
2) When the new box opens, select Save on the left-hand side.
3) Once that box opens, the first option is Save Files in This Format. Click the dropdown, and select whichever format you want to default to (Office 2003, etc.).
4) Make sure to click OK to save your changes. When the rest your colleagues catch up and you want to save in 2007 format, simple do the same steps and select Office 2007 format (the first option in the dropdown).
People are always wondering what's in each version of Office, how much they cost, etc. I put up a page with a matrix of applications included in the various Office suites, and the prices for the versions that we sell the most of.
Not everyone has Office 2007 yet, so for some people saving back into older versions of Office makes most sense. There's also the option of having the 2003 users download the Compatibility Pack. To default your Office 2007 app to save back to 2003 format by default (on every document, without prompting):
1) Click the Office Icon (upper-left corner of screen) and click on the box where it says Word Options (or Excel Options, or whatever app your're in).
2) When the new box opens, select Save on the left-hand side.
3) Once that box opens, the first option is Save Files in This Format. Click the dropdown, and select whichever format you want to default to (Office 2003, etc.).
4) Make sure to click OK to save your changes. When the rest your colleagues catch up and you want to save in 2007 format, simple do the same steps and select Office 2007 format (the first option in the dropdown).
People are always wondering what's in each version of Office, how much they cost, etc. I put up a page with a matrix of applications included in the various Office suites, and the prices for the versions that we sell the most of.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Time for a RAM Upgrade? Probably
"My computer is really slow lately." This is probably the one issue I hear more often than anything else. Computer slowness is attributable to many factors, of course, but the first piece of info I collect is always: "How much RAM does the system have?" It's for sure the easiest hardware upgrade that users can do to noticeably improve the performance of any computer.
Lately, a few forces have come together to make this a very good time for adding RAM:
Lately, a few forces have come together to make this a very good time for adding RAM:
- Most RAM is dirt-cheap right now. We're upgrading a bunch of Sony laptops (1-2 years old) from 512MB to 2GB of RAM for a customer, and it's costing them less than $85 per system for the parts (the labor's free for them, since they're a Managed IT customer). These same sticks of RAM would have cost $200-$250 just a year or so ago.
- Are you on Vista yet? We're not really recommending "the leap" due to lingering compatibility issues (which is another blog post in itself), but that said I have it running on a laptop of mine. I just upgraded the RA M from 1GB to 2GB, and my experience with the thing has gone from about a 5-out-of-10, to an 8 or 9. I seriously think it's the fastest web-surfing computer I have, including desktops and even a Linux workstation.
- Even if you're not yet running Vista, you might have Office 2007. With its highly-interactive interface (full top-of-screen toolbar changeouts instead of dropdown menu-driven functions), Office 2007 is an app that will benefit from more RAM. Same with the newer versions of any Adobe product. If you're using Illustrator, Photoshop or even Acrobat Standard/Pro without having at least 1GB of RAM, you're probably wasting valuable time waiting for your computer.
Strike while the iron is hot right now, because it won't stay that way. As your computer ages and the RAM spec goes out of date, less of that RAM is manufactured and it becomes more expensive to make, and for distribution to stock. For example, RAM for computers from 2005 (usually single-DDR) or earlier is a bit more expensive than newer computers' RAM. That's the bad news; the even worse news is that it'll only get more expensive as less and less of that RAM is produced.
Not sure what RAM to get? E-mail pete@foxtrotsystems.com with your computer make and model (with full computer part number, if possible) and we will get you the guaranteed-compatible RAM for your system.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
