File extensions are important and useful. These are the characters that follow the final period in the file name. They are usually 3 or 4 characters long. They tell an operating system whether or not a file is an application, like Excel.exe, or the file’s associated application. The EXE extension tells Windows that the file [...]
What does the Apply button do?
On 2010/03/21
Sometimes a Windows dialog shows the Apply button next to the OK and Cancel buttons. Some people are confused by what the Apply button does. I see them click the Apply button before clicking the OK button. They think that if they only click the OK button their changes will be lost.
When you [...]
Windows 7 Calculator, more than meets the eye
On 2010/01/19
The Windows 7 Calculator looks meek and unassuming when first opened. But it has some super abilities hidden behind its Clark Kent surface.
A quick trip to the View menu shows that can be changed into a scientific, programming, or statistical calculator. “Okay.” You say. “That is not so exciting.”
But it [...]
Windows 7 Explorer features
On 2009/11/30
This is about Windows Explorer not Internet Explorer.
The new Windows Explorer in Windows 7 is one of my favorite things about Windows 7. Microsoft added some nice enhancements over the Vista version. And Vista’s Windows Explorer was quite different, and better, than Windows Explorer in XP.
The two most obvious [...]
Do you use the Windows or Mac special keys?
On 2009/11/19
The Windows key is a special key that appears on a Windows keyboard. It has the Microsoft flag logo on it and may also have the word Start. A variation of it exists for the Mac keyboard. Here it is known as the Command key or the Apple key and sports a Saint [...]
What a difference a driver makes
On 2009/10/13
I just got an NVIDIA update for a Windows 7 64-bit computer’s video card, via Windows Update. My computer’s video card performance went from a rating of 1.0 to 6.9. And the computer’s Base score, its overall rating, went from 1.0 to 5.9.
A system’s Base score is the lowest rating for any of [...]
Windows Genuine Advantage still sucks
On 2009/10/05
I just sent the following comment to the Microsoft employee, Alex Kochis, Director, Genuine Windows, responsible for the Windows Genuine Advantage program. (It should be named Windows Genuine Pain-in-the-ass Program.)
I am a TechNet member and a Microsoft Partner. I am running Windows 7 Ultimate RTM (64bit). Windows 7 reports that "Windows has been [...]
The User Experience, Windows 7 vs. Snow Leopard
On 2009/10/04
versus
x
The User Interface (UI) is the point at which we interact with all sorts of devices. System designers control the UI. They [...]
Windows 7 Magnifier
On 2009/09/29
The Magnifier is one of Windows 7’s great accessibility features. Most of us never need them: the Magnifier, the Narrator, the On-Screen Keyboard and High Contrast. But they are useful for those with impairments and for others in special situations. For example, if you have a problem with your [...]
Considering new computers
On 2009/09/09
I received the following questions in an email this morning:
I need to buy two new computers – a desktop and a portable. I’m considering a netbook for the portable.
Do you recommend waiting until new computers ship with Windows 7? Does it make sense to buy a netbook with Windows XP? The Asus [...]
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