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Raw Bytes Computer News KPBX FM 91.1 Radio National Public Radio Network Frank Delaney Producer Broadcast on Wednesday Morning 7:35 AM During Morning Edition Support Public Radio ! The Theater Of the Mind |
In computer news this week 01/06/2010 What's your mentality for 2010 - paper
or digital? Do you
have a paper memory, or do you have a digital computer memory? If you have a paper memory, this is a
very busy time of the year for you. If you have a digital computer memory,
meaning you use a computer program for certain tasks, things are a lot
easier. I’ve done this same show at this time of year for over a
decade, and one thing that has changed is that you can also have a digital
memory with your cell phone or PDA. But anything’s better than paper. I'm not
being judgmental; I'm just pointing out that if you have a personal computer
or a cell phone or a PDA, which most people do, you can really save yourself
a lot of time - at this time of the year particularly - by using them instead
of the traditional paper way. One of
the most common computer programs used is Microsoft Outlook, which is a good
selection of tools to do everyday tasks for business and personal items
– email, an address book or contact manager, a calendar, and a To - Do
list, so I'll use it in our paper/computer memory comparison. If you're
of the paper mentality, you've been busy putting up paper calendars, marking
key days like birthdays and special events, and transferring information from
your old calendars to your new 2010 ones. Let’s mark Friday January 8th for
that weekly department meeting – OK only 51 one more to go ......
sharpen that pencil ... If you
use Outlook, probably most of those birthdays and special events and meetings
are already in your computer and will just repeat themselves for 2010. For
example, once you enter someone’s birthday it will keep showing up each
year. For meetings and events you just set up the recurrence of the event and
they will appear automatically, weekly, monthly or whatever. With your
paper calendar, you have to look at it and flip the pages to see what's
coming up. With Outlook, it shows you your calendar all the time in a variety
of views which you can choose. You can even print out a paper calendar for any period
of time in a variety of formats,
if you want a paper copy. If you're
of the paper mentality, you've probably spent considerable time copying names
and addresses over to your new 2010 address book. If you use Outlook, there's
no work to do - it's all there - same as last year. In fact, you can even
print out your address book on paper - in several small address book formats
- if you so desire. If you
use a paper address book - does it have a line for email addresses, Facebook
addresses, cell phone numbers? Some still don't. If you're
of the paper mentality, how do you handle your "Things to do or tasks
list". Still using that string around your finger, or do you have those
more modern yellow sticky notepads? With
Outlook you have a Tasks list, assign priorities to
tasks, have due dates, and have it remind you about tasks; even show you the
percentage you've completed. With
paper, you write upcoming appointments down on your paper calendar and maybe
on slips of paper. If you need to change it - you scribble out the old date
and write in the new one somewhere. With
Outlook all your appointments are in your calendar. Your computer will remind
you in advance when an appointment is coming up. If you have to reschedule it
- you can just drag and drop it to the new day and time, without scribbling
or rewriting. So maybe
next year when you face all that paper pushing again, maybe you might
consider switching mentalities. From “We must preserve the old ways
...” to using that computer or cell phone which can do a much better job
for you. |
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For Raw Bytes This is Frank Delaney (C) 2009 MTA Micro
Technology Associates http://www.mtamicro.com/kpbx.html PO Box 31522 Spokane, Wa 99223-1522 (509)624-7230 |
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