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Raw Bytes Computer News KPBX FM 91.1 Radio National Public Radio Network Frank Delaney Producer Broadcast on Thursday Morning 7:35 AM During Morning Edition Support Public Radio ! The Theater Of the Mind |
In computer news this week 01/13/2005 |
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What’s
your computer plan
for the new year ? Some of
the ideas in the rigid old computer mainframe world were pretty good,
including the concept of having an annual computer plan and goals . I worked for the Univac corporation many years ago
before the pc revolution, and an annual plan was extremely important. Unfortunately,
today's PC world lacks organization, and usually there is no computing plan
at all. If the mainframe world
represents civilization, then anthropologists would describe the pc world as
a slash and burn society.- Here are
some goals I think every company and individual should set for the year 2005. Do a
complete system backup on a regular basis. Probably the easiest way is to
burn a cd rom of your
important data. You should
have 2 complete current system backups of your data at all times, and one of
these should be stored offsite.
You can also use the new USB Flash drives http://www.mtamicro.com/rb/rb093004.html
for backup and for moving data from one computer to another. Replace
any older windows programs you may still be using. If you get more than 2
versions behind in software, chances are your vendor no longer provides support
for these programs, and upgrading can be difficult. Your operating system
should be at least windows 2000 or XP, and you should do the updates either
via the internet or by cdrom. Microsoft has already announced a
totally new operating system coming down the pike. One of
the biggest mistakes made today is using the wrong software tool for the job.
It seems like more people are using computers, but the literacy rate has
dropped as the computer has become an entertainment device. As word processing
is the simplest pc task to learn, many people do things in word processing
that could be done much better in a database or in a spreadsheet. Or they use
another wrong program for the job. You
should do an evaluation of your office; what programs are you using, how long
have you used them, and might there be better ways today of getting the task
done? Have you actually learned a new program or procedure in the past few
years? Or do you feel comfortable doing things the same old way, but you do worry
about keeping up with the Joneses. Are your competitors using better software
tools, and are you actually still computer literate in today’s fast
changing marketplace? Every business should have an email
address and a web page. Some businesses can expect to have a profitable web
page for ecommerce, but many others should just realistically view a web page
as a required current technology for telling current and potential clients
who you are and what services you provide. Microsoft Word and other word
processors can be used to do very nice web pages today, and it looks good and
is easy to learn. Most ISP
provide space for a web page, called web hosting, in differing forms. The current monthly cost for hosting a
commercial web page can run from $ 5 a month and up. Probably
still the biggest misconception related to web pages is that a lot of people
really think that if they get a web page the entire world will be contacting
them and wanting to buy their services. When you
first got a phone, did that happen? No, and it won't happen on the web
either, and you have to do a lot of constant work to promote your site. And
related to the internet, you need to own, use, and update an internet
security program – not just an anti-virus program, as most computers
accessing the internet today are literally riddled with spyware and adware http://www.mtamicro.com/rb/rb102104.html . Happy and
safe planned computing for 2005 !! For Raw Bytes This is Frank Delaney (C) 2004 MTA Micro
Technology Associates http://www.mtamicro.com/kpbx.html (509)624-7230 |
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