November 2006 - BigBearCC.org

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Volume 6
November 2006
Bytes
Award Winning Newsletter of Big Bear Computer Club
www.bigbearcc.org
Meeting: Tuesday, November 14th, 5:30 PM
In This Issue
Meeting
BBCC Key Leaders
President’s Message
BBCC Calendar
BBCC HelpLine
Getting Ready for Vista
Logitech NXT mm28
Eric Meyer On CSS,
BBCC GENERAL MEETING
BOARD MEETING
Letters To the Editor
FREE Review Products
Membership Report
APCUG Annual Conference
BBCC Election 2007
$PECIAL DI$COUNT$
Software with Computers
Announcements
WORD Tip
EXCEL Tip
Windows Tip
BBCC Cash Flow Report
Membership Benefits
Membership Application
MEETING MAP
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3
3
4
6
7
8
9
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10
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11
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16
Our Speaker this month is BBCC member Alex Soliz.
Some of you may remember Alex and his informative
presentation of Intel’s “hyperthreading technology” a couple
of years ago.
Since then, Alex has bought a home in Erwin Lake
area and he is also the new owner of Soliz Army Surplus at
Knickerbocker and Big Bear Blvd.
Alex’s background as an IT Specialist and trainer allows
him to present advanced concepts in a way that computer
newbies as well as advanced users can understand.
Alex will be giving us some insight into the new
Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, including new
features and security improvements.
A leading Windows
analyst, Paul Thurott,
says, “There’s no doubt
about it: Windows Vista
has taken too long
to ship, and the first
major milestone that
Microsoft shipped to the
public, Beta 2, was a
disappointment. Since then, the company has shipped three promising interim builds
to testers. The latest one, build 5536, an RC1 escrow build, is simply wonderful.”
Some other analysts agree, and some don’t.
Join us to hear all about Windows Vista,
then decide if Vista is for you.
Everyone is Welcome!!! -- Bring your friends!
There will be refreshments and socializing where you will meet new friends who
share your computer interests, followed by Our ever-popular Question and Answer
segment; bring your computer questions, too!
Microsoft is generously donating a fully functional licensed
Windows Vista software package to our member’s drawing!!!
At our 50-50 Drawing — You could be a BIG WINNER!!!
For more information call Yomar Cleary, President, at 878-5622
BBCC Club Information
BBCC Key Leaders
President............................................Yomar Cleary
[email protected]
878-5622
Vice President....................................Elaine Tennity
584-7158
[email protected]
Secretary.......................................Rosemary Lloyd
584-9358
[email protected]
Treasurer.........................................Barbara Moore
585-7981
[email protected]
Director-at-large (Reviews)............Kare nTangeman
585-7413
[email protected]
Director-at-large
YOUR
NAME
COULD BE HERE
Publicity.............................................Yomar Cleary
878-5622
[email protected]
Equipment Director.............................Don Odekirk
[email protected]
585-6728
Technical Director......................................Jim Lloyd
584-9358
[email protected]
Webmaster...............................................Alex Soliz
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor....................................Sue Crane
(818) 609-0500
[email protected]
Membership Director............................Carole Allen
866-7677
[email protected]
Parliamentarian...............................David Philipson
585-9389
[email protected]
NameTags.........................................Phyllis Jaeger
866-3895
[email protected]
Sunshine Director...........................Landi Branham
[email protected]
Greeter...................................................Kent Gale
[email protected]
Refreshments...............................Doea Lancaster.
878-6122.................................................................
InkCartridges..........................RaejeanDanielson
[email protected]
Librarian/Historian............................YOUR NAME
COULD BE HERE
BBCC members are encouraged to
attend Board Meetings and share
ideas about
member benefits,
events, services, etc.
President’s
Message
Wow, it’s November already! How time flies by when you are having
fun. !!! Cheryl Wester was a delight having her as our Guest Speaker
last month; she brings so much information that it’s sometimes hard to
keep up with her. It was great to see members of the (Big Bear) Mac
User Group attend our meeting, too; we hope to see more of them.
November’s presentation will be on VISTA……..Have you heard that
Microsoft is introducing their new Windows operating system “VISTA”?
It is scheduled to come out in January on all new computers. If you
have XP on your computer, you will be able to upgrade to VISTA. Alex
Soliz, our Webmaster and CEO of Paradigm Dynamics, will do the
presentation at this month’s meeting. He will explain the features of
VISTA and then you can decide whether you want to upgrade or not. An
excellent comparison between XP and Vista at the following site: http://
www.bentuser.com/article.aspx?ID=332&page=1.
Karen Tangeman, our Vendor Liaison, sent a request to Microsoft for
a full version copy of VISTA and much to our delight, they will provide
the door prize winner at the November meeting a fully-licensed, full
version of VISTA as soon as it comes out the first of the year!! There
are several versions of VISTA, we don’t know which one we will get but
the value is between $200 and $300.
The Board is working diligently in preparing for our December Holiday
Party which will be Tuesday, December 12, 2006 so mark your calendar
to come and enjoy a delightful evening with many surprises.
For information and directions
phone Yomar: 866-5622
Happy Thanksgiving Day!!
Yomar
~~ IMPORTANT NOTICE! ~~
The legal implications of unauthorized software use should be clear to everyone who owns or uses a computer.
According to the U.S. Copyright Act, illegal reproduction of software is subject to civil damages of as much as
$100,000 per title infringed plus criminal penalties, including fines of as much as $250,000 per title infringed and
imprisonment of up to five years. Given these high stakes, the consequences are certainly not worth the risks.
Please note that The Big Bear Computer Club does not support the pirating of software programs.
Yomar Cleary, President
Page 2
November. 2006
BBCC Calendar
BBCC Events Calendar -- November, 2006
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
8
9
10
11
Veteran’s Day
5
6
7
National
Election Day
12
13
14
15
BBCC Meeting Newsletter
Submissions
Deadline
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Thanksgiving
Day
24
25
26
27
28
29
Board Meeting
30
BBCC HelpLine
The following members have generously offered to help you with your PC problems by phone or by e-mail.
Windows Beginners.....................CaroleAllen
866-7677
[email protected].
MSPublisher........................Yomar Cleary
[email protected]
878-5622
Windows 95,98,ME,XP..............Bob Kopolow
584-7747
[email protected]
Digital Photos....................Barbara Moore
585-7981
[email protected]
Outlook Express.......................Joan Kiehl
585-7894
[email protected]
MS Outlook.......................Bob Kopolow
584-7747
[email protected]
MS Word........................Karen Tangeman
585-7413
[email protected]
MS Excel.............................Yomar Cleary
[email protected]
878-5622
www.bigbearcc.org
Join our HelpLine
Volunteers!
You don’t have to be an
expert; just help others find
the answers.
Contact any BBCC Board
Member to join.
PhotoShop.......................Carole Hottman
585-1178
[email protected]
CD Burning.............................Larry Smith
584-1284
[email protected]
Quicken...........................Michael Homan
584-2277
[email protected]
Hardware..............................Bob Kopolow
[email protected]
584-7747
Page 3
Getting Ready for
Windows Vista
By Gene Barlow, User Group Relations
The next few months promise to be an exciting time for PC users as Microsoft rolls out their new Windows Vista operating system.
While some business systems may be released late this year, most of the action will take place shortly after the beginning of the new
year. Now is the time to start planning how you are going to take advantage of this new technology.
This is the first new version of Windows in over five years and is a major change in how PC user will interact with their computers.
Lots of new function has been added to Vista to make it the most exciting new Windows since Windows 95 was first introduced. You will
want to be a part of this major step forward in technology.
Some of the new features added to Windows Vista include:
A complete redesign of the graphical user interface that you see and interact with. Windows Vista has a fresh new look and is a lot
easier to use.
Finding things on your Vista computer is going to be much
easier. Files can be stored in one location, but retrieved in many
different ways.
New multimedia tools will now be part of Vista . This will
help you to better work with your images, music, and videos
files.
Communications between computer systems has also
been greatly enhanced. Connecting with other computers can
now be done quickly and easily.
System security has also been enhanced. Vista will
provide you with more security features than older Windows
systems did.
These are just a few of the hundreds of new features
you will find in Vista. To read about more of them download the
Windows Vista Product Guide found on the Microsoft’s web site
at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview/.
Interested and excited about Windows Vista? You
should be. This is a very important change in how we use our
computers. So, what do you need to do to get your computer
ready for Windows Vista?
Microsoft suggests two ways to move to Windows Vista.
They are as follows:
Do a Clean Install of Vista on top of your old WinXP operating system. This replaces your WinXP system with a new Windows
Vista system. You will have to save all of your data files and settings from your old system before installing Vista and then put them
back on your hard drive after Vista is installed. You will also need to reinstall all of your application programs from their original CDs. This
is a lot of work, but it should give you a cleaner Vista system. Unfortunately, in the process you will destroy your old WinXP system. I
consider this approach too risky for my use.
Do an in-place upgrade of your old WinXP operating system with Windows Vista. This will install Windows Vista on top of your old
operating system, but will keep all of your application programs and data files from your old system in the Windows Vista replacement.
This is an easier way to go, but if things don’t work, you have just destroyed your old working WinXP system in the process. Again, too
risky for my liking.
So, how can you get to Windows Vista and still have the protection of your working WinXP system while you are getting use to
Windows Vista? The secret is that you setup your computer’s hard drive to run multiple operating systems. That will give you the ability
to run both your current WinXP operating system and the new Windows Vista operating system on the same computer. This is easy to
do with the right software tools.
First, you need to set up a logical Data partition on your main hard drive to hold all of the data files. Then you can access those
data files from either of the two operating systems you are using. To do this, you need a partitioning utility like Acronis Disk Director Suite
Page 4
November. 2006
10.0 . More about this excellent utility later.
Once you have moved all of your data files from your WinXP partition to this new Data partition you will be ready to install Vista .
You can do this in the following ways:
Multiple Operating Systems with a Clean Install of Windows Vista. Using the top rated partitioning utility, Acronis Disk Director Suite
10.0, you set up a second primary partition on your main computer. Then you install a Clean version of Windows Vista in this second
primary partition on your main hard drive. When you are done, you can switch back and forth between your WinXP operating system
and your new Windows Vista operating system using the OS Selector utility that comes with Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0 . This lets
you keep your working WinXP system while you are building your new Windows Vista system. You will need to install any application
programs in the Windows Vista partition that you want to run under Vista. This will give you the cleanest installation of Vista possible.
Multiple Operating Systems with an Upgrade Install of Windows Vista. Also using the partitioning utility, Acronis Disk Director Suite
10.0, you set up an empty space on your main computer where your Vista primary partition will reside. Then you copy your WinXP
operating system partition into this empty space on your hard drive. This gives you two primary partitions, each with WinXP installed in
it and running. Next, you do a Windows Vista upgrade install into the partition with the copy of WinXP. This will replace WinXP in that
one partition with Windows Vista, but still keep your application programs and settings. You can switch back and forth between the
two operating systems using the OS Selector utility that comes with Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0 . This is the easiest way to get to
Windows Vista from WinXP.
By using multiple operating systems on your computer to run both WinXP and Windows Vista, you do not risk having to burn your
WinXP bridges before you are comfortable with Windows Vista. This gives you the time to test out your application programs and get
everything working on your new Windows Vista system before you commit to using it exclusively. Once you are satisfied that Windows
Vista works perfectly for you, then you can discard the old WinXP system and only use Windows Vista. It may be several months before
you finally get rid of WinXP. You do not need to get rid of it the day you first install Windows Vista like the two Microsoft options suggest.
To help you move to Window Vista, we are putting several things in place. First, you will need a copy of the excellent partitioning
utility, Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0. This product normally sells for $50, but we offer it to user group members and their friends for a
discounted price of $29 in our Fall Special bundle. You will also get a copy of our tutorial, Getting Ready for Windows Vista in the Fall
Special bundle. Both of these for only $29 is an outstanding bargain and one that you won’t want to miss. Order yours today from our
web site at www.usergroupstore.com. Look for the Fall Special and use the order code of UGFAL06 to complete your order.
To help you understand and use Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0 to get ready for Windows Vista, we have just completed a new
tutorial titled, Getting Ready for Windows Vista. You can view it on our web site at www.ugr.com/tutorials.html. This will help you to
better understand the steps needed to set up multiple operating systems on your computer. Those ordering our Fall Special on a CD
will receive the tutorial CD with their order. Finally, we are working on a detailed step-by-step technical paper titled, Using Acronis Disk
Director Suite 10.0 to Install Windows Vista. This paper should be available around the end of October on our web site. We want your
move to Windows Vista to be successful, so we are offering you all of these tutorials and papers to help you get there as planned.
Be one of the first to use the exciting new Windows Vista operating system on your computer and share this information with your
friends. We will help you get to that point safely and easily with our excellent products, tutorials, and prices. If you have any questions
about this article or Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0, please send them to [email protected]. I look forward to helping you if I can
Gene Barlow
User Group Relations [email protected]
PO Box 911600
www.ugr.com
St. George, UT 84791-1600
This is one of a series of monthly technical articles that I distribute to those that have subscribed to this newsletter. You can
subscribe at www.ugr.com/newsletters.html. Watch for them and learn more about your computer and its hard drive. If you do not
want to receive these newsletters, simply reply and ask to have your name removed from the list and I will do so immediately. User
group newsletter editors may print this article in their monthly newsletter
as long as the article is printed in its entirety and not cut or edited. Please send me a copy of the newsletter containing the article
so that I can see what groups are running the articles.
www.bigbearcc.org
Page 5
Product Review
Logitech NXT mm28 Flat-Speaker
Portable & Amplified Stereo Flat Speaker System
By Jim Lloyd, [email protected]
Introduction:Portable and personal music players have become unbelievably
popular, these last few years. Sometimes, it is desirable to share all that musical
enjoyment with others. That’s when those little earphones show their limitations. Sure,
connecting that player to a big stereo would be wonderful. But, what if you are not near
one, or electricity? That is where this little jewel comes in handy. Likewise, laptop users
who need to deliver a presentation to a small group will find these speakers a good
boost to the built-in mini speakers that come with them.The Basic Review: Pros: Overall,
this little device will satisfy a person just looking for a way to play their tunes without the
ear buds. It is a very rugged unit that can be toted around with minimal concern for
damage to the unit. The clear cover not only protects the speaker element from possible
damage, but it also becomes the stand. The speaker element is a flat piece of fairly thick
plastic. There are no cones to be crushed by those with deviate fingers. It has enough
power to partially fill 300 square foot room. And, it will turn itself off if nothing is played
through it for several minutes, which saves battery life.Cons: The audio cable is fairly
short. Placing these speakers in a decent place may prove difficult without an extender.
The frequency response enhances the voice range, which can become fatiguing to the
ears. Since the speaker element is one piece, stereo imaging is not that pronounced.
Using these as permanent computer speakers is probably not a good idea. If there is
silence for more than a few minutes
silence, they turn off. Plugging into AC power doesn’t change this. There is no way
to affix a portable player of any brand/model to this device. I would not want my $200
player to be prone to being knocked off of where ever I have to place it to connect to
the NXT.The Audiophle Review: With audio enthusiasts, critical reproduction is more
important. If that includes you, these speakers will most likely not be for you. The hard
plastic element restricts the bottom end heavily below 250Hz. It really drives from about
400Hz to just under 17kHz, although I was able to reproduce 20kHz some 12dB down.
There
a nearly 6dB push from 3kHz to 7kHz, which heavily pronounces voices. But,
it will detract from a true music listening experience. The inherent directionality of flat
element speakers means that these things need to be pointed directly at you to take
advantage of the full frequency spectrum they provide.Conclusion: I don’t expect any
speaker system of this size to even pretend to substitute for
larger system. But, these speakers run on 4 penlight (AA) batteries. One could
supply hours of continuous audio playback from just about anywhere. Both it and a
portable player can be mated and enjoyed. And, it will enhance the sound quality and
volume of most laptops, for those presenters who need a small and effective sound
system.
Logitech Inc.
6505 Kaiser Drive
Fremont, CA 94555 USA
+1 510-795-8500 Main
+1 800-231-7717 Consumer Sales
Page 6
Technical Specifications
• Up to 45 hour battery life (on 4 AA
batteries) • 1.24” (2.5cm) thick
•Integrated 3.5mm stereo input
MSRP $59.99
Reviewed by
Jim Lloyd ,
BBCC Director
BBCC Members earn FREE Software,
Books and other products by sharing their
opinionsandexperienceswithnewproducts.
This is a benefit of BBCC Membership.
For information about how you can earn
free products contact Karen Tangeman,
Reviews Editor at [email protected].
Jim Lloyd is a network administrator
for a local bank. His background is in
both analog and digital electronics.
His first major job was as a computer
technician for Tektronix, back in 1981.
His first personal computer was a
Commodore 64. After spending the
last half of the 1980s in aerospace
electronics, he began the 1990s
working with both Apple Macintosh and
IBM PCs. Jim spent the late 1990s and
the first few years of the 21st century
working in various Microsoft based
environments supporting software
developers, progressing from technician
to systems analyst. Tiring of the fast
paced Orange County life style in 2004,
Jim and his wife, Rosemary, moved to
Sugarloaf for a change of pace. There
they started “SugarloafPC.com”. In
early 2006, Jim was offered a network
administrator position at a local Big
Bear bank. Rosemary continues to run
“SugarloafPC.com” in a training and
general support capacity.
November. 2006
Book Review
Eric Meyer On CSS,
Mastering the Language
of Web Design
Reviewed by
Rosemary Lloyd,
BBCC Secreteary
BBCC Members earn FREE Software,
Books and other products by sharing their
opinionsandexperienceswithnewproducts.
This is a benefit of BBCC Membership.
For information about how you can earn
free products contact Karen Tangeman,
ReviewsEditorat [email protected].
By Rosemary Lloyd, Secretary
[email protected]
This is a book published in 2002. It is probably best suited for people who
are at the intermediate level (or higher) in web design.
Eric Meyer On CSS shows how to use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to
modify and create web pages. It gives step by step instructions demonstrating
how to use CSS code to make the design of web sites look exactly the way that
you want them to. CSS is all about design. It doesn’t affect content. Each chapter
in the book covers a unique topic. These include: how to convert a web site from
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) to HTML + CSS, create an online greeting
card, a press release, an events calendar, unique looking hyperlinks, multiple
columns and printer friendly pages.
It is easy to read and follow. One of the neatest things is that the author put
files on his web site. The reader can download either all or some of the chapter
files, then, follow along in a hands on way. The author assumes that the reader
has basic knowledge of HTML and CSS.
I was especially interested in the first chapter – how to convert an existing
page from HTML to HTML + CSS. This was the one that I downloaded the files
for and made the changes as I read. Also, I did some of the work on a personal
project of my own.
Eric’s writing style is straightforward. It is easy to understand. The follow
along files are great. Seeing the changes to the web page as I applied the CSS
code on my computer was really cool.
I would like to see even more examples of ways to use CSS. One would
be to include how to remove XML code from web pages originally created with
Microsoft Front Page. This would be an excellent enhancement for the chapter
on converting an HTML page to HTML + CSS.
As a whole, Eric Meyer On CSS is well written, with very good graphics that
show how the code changes look on a web page. The examples are easy to
follow, even for someone like me. I have a lot of experience with HTML and none
with CSS. Still, the book helped me as I worked on my project to convert a web
site to CSS.
I would recommend the book to people who are familiar with HTML code and
have worked on web sites previously. It would be especially helpful if you have
created web pages manually using HTML
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP): $40
Street Price: $30
Manufacturer: New Riders Press
Address: 1249 Eighth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
Web site address: www.newriders.com
www.bigbearcc.org
My name is Rosemary Lloyd. My
husband of 14 years, Jim, and I moved
to Sugarloaf in October 2004 from
Mission Viejo. We love living in the forest
and enjoy walking on the trails, as well as
cruising the lake with our two doggies.
I started learning about computers over
16 years ago when my environmental
lab job required it. Jim has taught me a
lot, including much about computers.
My experience includes software training
– from developing written materials to
designing and teaching classes on many
programs. This year, I have been one
of the people working on the Big Bear
Community Computer Lab project.
Jim and I started SugarloafPC.com
at the beginning of 2005. I do training,
web design and help people with sick
computers, as well as other hardware
installations and troubleshooting.
I enjoy interacting with people, whether
the topic is technical or not.
Page 7
BBCC GENERAL MEETING
October 10, 2006
President
Yomar
Cleary welcomed everyone;
visiting guests introduced
themselves.
Elaine announced new
class dates pending for the
Community Computer Lab
Karen announced new
review books and software
(see “Free Review Products
in your October newsletter for details}. Barbara gave a brief
treasurers report.
Cheryl Wester was our speaker. She showed us a lot of
cool techie gadgets, particularly phones, PDA’s and other wireless
devices, with the focus on Windows
Mobile gadgets. With her Bluetooth
wireless headset, Cheryl is able to
make calls with her phone in the
trunk. Some phones also have
built-in GPS. Broadband access
allows you to read and send e-mail
and surf the Internet. Some Pocket
PC devices can replace full PC’s -they play music, are book readers,
access VPN, GPS and accept voice commands. Microsoft Outlook,
Word, Excel and PowerPoint Mobile are included with Microsoft’s
Pocket PC. And “persistent storage” protects loss of your information,
with rehargeable
batteries.
The
ActiveSync
programtransfers
data between the
pocket
device
and your PC.
Pocket
PCs
with
Windows
Media
Player
and multi-media
capabilities are now called Windows Mobile devices. Smart phones
are primarily a phone and a PDA second. Cheryl covered many other
mobile device features A
lively Q&A session about
Mobile devices followed
the presentation.
Jim & Rosemary
Lloyd led the RAM
session:
How
can
you open an e-mail
attachment when the
icon is a box with a red
Page 8
“X”? When you forward e-mail, how
do you remove the original address
and edit the message? What are
cookies and what do they do?
Submitted by
Rosemary Lloyd, Secretary
Drawing Winners
WebBuild Express by NFTI
Albert Neall
Panda Antivirus 2006 by Panda
Don Meline
Snagit/Camtasia Studio by TechSmith Adrienne Dawn
Shadow 2.0 by NTI
Rosemary Lloyd
Painter Essentials 3 by Corel
Phyllis Jaeger
CorelDRAW by Corel
Helene Leonard
Inside the Adobe Video Collection by Adobe
Yomar Cleary
PC Club Tee Shirt by PC Club
Karen Tangeman
RoboForm by RoboForm
LaVera Tyler
Word Perfect Office 12 by Corel
Joel Hall
Rainbow Web by SugarGames
Gordon
West
DVD Copy 3 by InterVideo
Emory Druary
50/50 Winner
Sharon Jasperson

FOR ALL YOUR COMPUTER NEEDS






November. 2006
BOARD MEETING
August 30, 2006
Present: Yomar Cleary, Barbara Moore, Karen Tangeman, Carole Allen,
Landi Branham, Kent Gale, Phyllis Yeager, Alex Soliz, Gordon West,
Rosemary Lloyd
Absent: Sue Crane, Jim Lloyd, Don Odekirk, Dave Philipson, Jean Yonkers,
Doea Lancaster, Elaine Tennity, Raejean Danielson, Quorum present? Yes
Meeting called to order by President, Yomar Cleary at 3:15 PM
Barbara motioned to approve the Aug. 2, 2006 minutes as amended;
approved unanimously.
Kent moved to approve the Aug. 30, 2006 minutes; approved unanimously.
Treasurer’s report: Money is available to purchase a color printer. The cost
is less than $600. It is due to arrive Sept. 29, 2006.
Unfinished Business: Rosemary labeled and recorded the A/V equipment
and gave the book to Barbara. We still need to add the banner and tarp. We
need to remove old equipment from the active list.
Barbara will call a locksmith to re-key the club cabinet at the lab.
- Alex and Sue will attend the next Chamber Power Breakfast. This is an
opportunity to network with community leaders; board members may attend.
Chamber dues need to be paid in January. .
Committee reports:
Receipts from the Silent Auction was $102.
The board discussed other fundraisers and status of the Rec and Parks
computer lab.
The club Credit/Debit cards arrived and were distributed to Barbara, Yomar
and Rosemary.
Our new laser 4-in-1 is on it’s way.
The Guest packets are prepared. Barbara will give them to Kent.
The Eastside Book Café will host our board meetings.
At the next meeting, Karen will announce the Photos Forever and Bar
Charts offers again.
Advanced Windows OneCare and the Great Age Guides also need to be put
in the handouts.
Yomar has bags from the Discovery Center to give to members for
Christmas. We need a work party to fill the bags. It will be December 6,
2006 from 2 PM – 4 PM at Karen’s house.
A color newsletter is very expensive, and would require a substantial
increase in member dues.
BBCC has 95 regular members and 10 associates.
Kent will announce a car pool sign up sheet at the meeting.
Alex has the credentials for FTP access to the web site; he will work with
Sue to update the site.
We need a long network cable to access the Internet.
Doea Lancaster and Cathy West will help set up refreshments.
New Business:
Important club documents need to be located and organized.
Alex and Rosemary will check Internet access at the Discovery Center.
The meeting adjourned at 5:15 PM.
Submitted by Rosemary Lloyd
Secretary
The above is a summary of the BBCC Board Minutes, highlighting information about current and
future Board actions.
To read the actual minutes from BBCC Board Meetings, contact Rosemary Lloyd, BBCC Secretary
at: [email protected].
www.bigbearcc.org
Letters To the
Editor
October 19, 2006
Logitech mm28 Flat-Speaker
In September’s newsletter a review
was written by Jim Lloyd on Logitech’s
NXT portable & amplified stereo flat
speaker system. The model number
to this little speaker was accidentally
left out of the article. As Review Editor
I would like to rectify the error and
apologize to Logitech. The review
by Jim is being republished again in
this newsletter. The model number to
this speaker is mm28 in case anyone
goes out to purchase this little but
mighty speaker. Again, I apologize for
the error and I hope if anyone needs
a little speaker for their personal and
portable music players, CD & DVD
players, or laptops they will seriously
consider Logitech’s mm28 FlatSpeaker.
Karen
Tangeman
October 31, 2006
Bearly Bytes Newsletter
The Computer Club Bearly Bytes
newsletter has received both Regional
and National awards, thanks to Sue
Crane, our Editor. We all enjoy reading
the Bearly Bytes and perhaps you
don’t know but it costs the Computer
Club $150.00 every month to get it out
to the membership. Your $25 a year
in dues helps defray part of the cost
but not all of it. We need businesses
to advertise; it’s not expensive for a
business card ad; it only costs $10.00
a month. If you know of a business
who might be interested in advertising
or perhaps yourself, please let me
know.
Yomar Cleary
President
Page 9
FREE Review Products
forBBCCMembers
Membership
Report
October 2006
By Karen Tangeman, Reviews Editot
NTI Backup NOW! 4 Deluxe Suite delivers a total solution for all your data
backup needs. It is the first and only software title to provide full image backup
and specific file backup for a wide range of storage media. Two Products
in One- 1. File and Folder Backup - Backup selected files and folders from
local and mapped drives. 2. Full Image Backup - Backup your entire hard
drive or hard drive partition, allowing you to save all your data and Windows
settings! This program has a user-friendly EasyStep® interface! Software
Requirements: Microsoft Windows® 98/ME, 2000 Professional or XP. MSRP
$79.99 For more information and to download a trial version please go to our
website at www.ntius.com
Shadow 3 enables automatic, continuous back up of photo, music, data,
and video files to virtually any attached storage device. NTI Shadow 3 is an
award-winning easy-to-use backup application that automatically protects
your photo, music, video, and various data files. It makes data restoration as
easy as dragging and dropping files from one place to another. For real-time,
continuous data backup, set Shadow 3 to save your files/folders every time
they change. You can also specify your backup schedule by the minute, hour,
day, week and start time(s) and also choose a specific or even a customized
file type with Shadow 3’s new advanced file filtering. It supports Windows®
2000/XP, Mac® OS X (10.2.8 and up), and U3™ The MSRP is $29.99 Please
visit our website at www.ntius.com for a free trial or for more information on
this great program.
NTI Ripper The Ultimate utility for ripping your Music and CD audio collection!
Archive your entire CD Audio Collection to your hard drive! All at the touch of
a button! NTI brings you the ultimate in ripping technology with NTI Ripper?
Archive your entire CD audio collection to your hard drive at the touch of a
button. NTI Ripper has everything you need for fast and efficient CD ripping
of your music collection. With the built in auto-naming of artist, album, song,
and track number feature, organizing and managing your music collection is
a snap. Convert your entire audio collection from one file format to another
in a quick and easy, one-button process. Easy and fun to use, NTI Ripper is
the perfect solution for both novice and experienced music enthusiasts. For
Windows 98 / ME / 2000 / XP. MSRP for the full version is $39.99. Visit us at
www.ntius.com for more information or trial download.
Agelong Tree 3.0 by Genery Software Agelong Tree is a handy genealogy
software application that can do the most difficult part - organizing data and
building genealogy trees - for you. There are several features in Agelong Tree
that stand out. First, it’s simple interface that is intuitive and easy to navigate.
Second, a capability to attach any file types, including multimedia, which is
great for building biographies of the family members. Most importantly, the
genealogy tree itself is built automatically. Persons’ relation degrees are
automatically calculated and displayed in the family tree. It is possible to print
the tree; printing on multiple pages is available for large family trees. The
program works under Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP platforms. The price of a
single copy is 39.95 US Dollars. For more information or to download a trial
copy please visit us at http://www.genery.com/altree.
Page 10
Mary Ann Boone - #125
Emory Drury - #358
Joan Drury - #359 Assoc.
Jane Foley - #360
Bob Kopolow - #291
Charles Langdon - #256
Gordon West - #356
Kathy West - #357 Assoc.
Attention New Members:
Be sure to get your Welcome Kit at
BBCC Meetings from Carole Allen.
Sumitted by Carole Allen,
Membership Director
BBCC Needs YOU!!
We are in need of an Advertising
Coordinator; someone with sales
background would be ideal but
just about anyone can do the job.
It’s a matter of sending out 4-5
Invoices every three months, or six
months or even a year depending
on the advertiser. The form letters,
the Invoices, the brochure with
all the information have all been
developed. I have set up the
Advertising program for the Big
Bear Computer Club and will be
glad to work with you until you feel
confident in doing it yourself.
Please give me a call Yomar Cleary
at (909) 878-5622 or email me at
[email protected].
November. 2006
APCUG Annual
Conference
Key Dates:
10/15 – Deadline for Early Bird Special - $75 – (checks must be
received by 10/25)
10/25 – Deadline for guaranteed shirt size
11/30 – Deadline for Regular price - $100 – (checks must be
received by 12/7)
After 11/30 – Late pricing - $150
12/14 – Deadline for conference hotel room rates
Some of the planned Roundtables are: Member Recruitment
and Retention, SIGs to Go – on a USB Drive, Vendor Relations,
User Groups and News Media, Program Chairs – When Things
Go Wrong, UG Elections Made Easy, Developing Professional /
Technical SIGs, Fundraising, Public Speaking Tips for Presenters,
Finding and Retaining Volunteers, Newsletter Issues for NonEditors, Editors RT For and By Editors, Educating UG Members
About Computer Threats, Online Communities: the New User
Groups, and more….
This conference is open to all of your members. Please make sure
you forward the information to them -- the weekend’s activities
may lead to a whole new group of enthusiastic volunteers for
your club. Please spread the word! You will find registration
information at www.apcug.net.
BBCC Election of Officers 2007
Remember that it takes everyone
in the club to keep the Big Bear
Computer Club active and
exciting. There are six positions
that the membership vote on plus
a dozen more positions that can
use your help. Call Dorothy Sirk
at 585-3449 if you are interested
in running for President, Vice
President, Secretary, Treasurer or one of the two Director at large
positions. For other volunteer positions available, look in your
Member Booklet and call Yomar Cleary (909) 878-5622 to get
involved.
$PECIAL DI$COUNT$
FOR BBCC MEMBERS
By Sue Crane, Editor
UG Discount from Total Training. Total Training is pleased to
offer 15% savings on our products to Adobe User Groups. Our
full product line offers comprehensive video tutorials on creative
design, web design, digital video, and digital photography. Use
coupon code “save15ug” to order any of our point products. Offer
is not valid on closeout or bundle products. http://www.totaltraining.
com/home.asp?c=usergroup&n=100506
40% Discount for Peachpit Press newsletter subscribers!
(Sign-up at http://www.peachpit.com/newsletters/index.asp?rl=1).
We’re offering special savings to all of our newsletter subscribers.
Just type in coupon code PPT-NEWS-SPCL when you check out at
Peachpit.com and save 40 PERCENT on any Peachpit title. http://
www.peachpit.com/newsletters/whatsnew.asp?ni=196&st=49754
Blue Squirrel has a very generous 50% discount for user group
folks that applies to all their products. Here’s where you go to order:
http://www.bluesquirrel.com/index.html?ASCID=633 Check the
website to see all the interesting and affordably priced products
which have gotten very good reviews. Keep in mind that future
discounts may be based on the responses they receive.
Acoustica is offering a 20% discount for all Computer Club
members who purchase Acoustica “Spin It Again” on Acoustica’s
Website
www.acoustica.com.
(http://www.acoustica.com/
spinitagain/) Remember all those ‘oldies but goodies’? Well, dust off
your old 33’s, 45’s & 78’s, because Acoustica’s new software, Spin It
Again™, can easily record any vinyl LP to CD or cassette to CD. Not
only will our software make the whole recording and track dividing
process child’s play, but it will also dramatically clean your recordings
by getting rid of click and pop record noise, or by removing hiss and
hum off old cassettes. You can also record your LP collection and
cassettes to your iPod or portable MP3 player! So let your music
come to life and Spin-It-Again™! If you have a Windows computer
with a soundcard you’re ready to use our software! To receive the 20%
discount, the member needs to enter the word COMPUTERCLUB
in capital letters in the coupon code box.
Ballots available at the December meeting and will be included
in December newsletter.
CURRENT NOMINEES
President
Yomar Cleary
Vice President
Karen Tangeman
Secretary
Rosemary Lloyd
Treasurer
Barbara Moore
2 Directors at Large
Elaine Tennity, Kent Gale
www.bigbearcc.org
Page 11
Software with
New Computers
by Hilton Kaufman, member of the Chicago Computer Society, Illinois
www.ccs.org
[email protected]
When a typical consumer buys a computer, some software or programs normally comes with it. Just what is included will vary with
price and brand, but usually includes an operating system as a minimum. It is possible to get a custom built machine without any software
if this is actually wanted.
I recently bought an HP Media Computer, that I consider an overkill machine, for home use. A lot of software comes with it. There are
several separate programs for working with audio-visual files and DVDs, two money management programs, several games, two internet
browsers, two office suites plus an extra word processor, a security program, and probably a few other small programs.
In the vast majority of computers delivered today, the operating system that is included is some version of Windows XP. This includes
a number of possibly useful programs in a folder or directory called Accessories. For many people, this will be all that is needed to get good
use out of a computer.
The manufacturer of the machine very likely included some additional programs. Maybe this brings you up to your required level of
software. If you do need more, the included programs may provide deals or better prices on the others that you need.
Check out what you have before rushing out to buy more.
Microsoft Windows Media Player should be adequate for playing most music and video files and comes with the operating system.
The major competing program, RealPlayer, also seems to have come with the operating system. (I believe there is some sort of legal
requirement that it be included.) In addition to playing music, you can also do things like listen to the hourly online BBC news headlines.
I personally do not use either of the money management programs, Microsoft Money and Quicken. I may be a bit paranoid but I do
not put personal financial data on a computer that is regularly connected to the Internet. Spyware gets on computers too easily, even with
good defenses.
I find several of the games to be fun to play, as well as good to kill time when I don’t want to do anything serious. The virtual pinball
machine comes complete with arcade noises and has the same motif as the last real one that I had a chance to play some years ago. Free
Cell is a thinker’s card game with most deals possible to win. There is also a straight solitaire game that is quite popular among long-time
computer users.
Both Internet Explorer and Netscape are included. My Internet service provider seems to prefer to work with Internet Explorer. The
default setting that came with my machine was Netscape. Other browsers can be downloaded if wanted.
There is a minimal level word processor, called WordPad, that comes with Windows operating systems. For many computer users, it
is perfectly adequate. It will do letters and small plain text documents, such as an article for publication in a computer club newsletter, quite
well. There is a choice of font styles and colors. A common starting document, such as a letterhead, can be saved and renamed when
used for another document.
Microsoft Works and Office are collections of related software or suites of programs for office purposes, with Office being the one for
professional users and large offices. Both have word processors that are more powerful than WordPad. Most home and small business
users have no reason to use anything more powerful than Works.
Without getting into a lot of details, I can say that Microsoft Office is a very powerful and versatile office suite. There are increasingly
expensive versions available with programs of interest to limited numbers of users. I received a 60-day free demo of the bottom of the line
version of Office with my computer. If I upgrade during the trial period, I need only to pay the upgrade price for even the most expensive
version.
Continued on page 13
Page 12
November. 2006
Some sort of security program came with the program that would be good for a limited
time unless I paid a subscription fee. Windows XP also has an adequate firewall for most
users. I removed the security program since I am subscribing to an excellent one through
my Internet service provider.
Announcements
While the included programs you get can vary greatly with the brand and price of the
machine, those that come with Windows XP remain constant. You can have a machine
built to order with hardly anything in it or fully loaded. The default word processing suite from
Dell seems to be a Corel WordPerfect one, but you can order a Microsoft suite for a slightly
higher price. An off-the-shelf Media Center machine will routinely come with a lot of stuff.
While each machine is different, you should learn what you already have before
adding more programs. You may already have something that will do what you want or will
enable you to get a discount on what you want to add. ■
Hilton Kaufman serves as the technical support person in the procedures writing unit
of the Illinois Department of Employment Security. As such, he uses the software provided
to him to create forms, convert documents into PDFs, advise members of his unit as to how
to use the available software, and similar tasks.
For his home computer, he can go all out and get a powerful machine that allows him
to do things like playing games and surf the web without getting in trouble. He has prepared
a number of articles aimed at novice users on the basics of standard computer programs.
There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as long as it is kept
in context with proper credit given the author. The Editorial Committee of the Association
of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this
group is a member, brings this article to you.
Important Notice
The Big Bear Computer Club Board meetings have moved to the Big
Bear Discovery Center. They are held the last Wednesday of the
month. The next meeting is scheduled for November 29th at 2:30 pm.
Members are welcome to attend.
~
Yomar Cleary
By Sue Crane, Editor
Windows Media Player 11 is here - Download it for FREE! Get the new
version of Windows Media Player to
find great new ways to store and enjoy
all your music, video, pictures, and
recorded TV. http://www.microsoft.com/
windows/windowsmedia/player/11/
default.aspx.
Get a free PC safety scan -- Remove
viruses and improve your computer’s
performance with the free scan
available from Windows Live OneCare.
http://safety.live.com/site/en-us/
default.htm?s_cid=mscom_hp.
Microsoft Office Live $10,000
Sweepstakes -- Enter the Microsoft
Office Live Sweepstakes for a
chance to jump-start your small
business with up to $10,000 in cash
or
prizes.
http://microsoft.eprize.
net/msofficelivesmallbusiness/
index.tbapp?page=intro&session_i
d=hexo3wgg8emdqqb2&affiliate_
id=&noflash=flash
Philipson & Erdmier
ATTORNEYS
~
~
~
Criminal Defense
Personal Injury
Family Law
719 Pine Knot Ave, Big Bear Lake
www.bigbearcc.org
~ Workers Compensation
~ Civil Litigation
~ Probate Law
909.866.4140 or 909.878.2118
Page 13
WORD TIP
By Karen Tangeman
Sometimes it is to your benefit to print
documents in reverse order—starting
with the last page and proceeding to
the first. This is especially true if your
printer doesn’t collate its output very
well. Word allows you to specify the
order in which pages should be printed
by making a single change on the Print
tab of the Options dialog box. (This tip
works with Microsoft Word 97, Word
2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003.)
When printing your document, Word
allows you to print it either forwards or
backwards. This is helpful if you have
a printer that deposits printed pages
one on top of the other, right side up,
as they are printed. This is typical
with certain models of inkjet and laser
printers. When the printing order is
reversed, then the final document will
be collated properly. To control the
printing order, follow these steps:
• Choose Options from the Tools
menu. You will see the Options dialog
box.
• Make sure the Print tab is selected.
• In the Printing Options box, click on
the Reverse Print Order check box.
An X in the check box indicates the
printing order is reversed.
• Click on OK.
EXCEL TIP
By Yomar Cleary
UNDERSTANDING LISTS
(DATABASE) Excel 97, 2000, 2002,
and 2003
In Excel, a database is most often
referred to as a list. A list is nothing
more than a data table that contains
organized information. For instance,
a list can contain information
about your receivables, your coin
collection, or the test results for
students in your class.
Lists, or databases, are comprised
of records (for instance, each row
could be the record for one student)
and fields (here, each column is the
data from one category). Normally
you place labels at the top of the list
to indicate the field names, therefore
each column represents a field. Each
row in the list is a database record.
There are a few guidelines you might
find helpful as you are developing
lists. Re- member that these
guidelines only apply if you will be
using the database-related functions
built into Excel.
•Use only one list per worksheet.
•If at all possible, make the list the
only thing on the worksheet. If you
must include other data besides the
list on a worksheet, separate the
data from the list on a worksheet,
separate the data from the list by
at least one blank row or one blank
column.
By Larry Smith
1. To get to the Address bar quickly, press
F6. Not only does this move the cursor
there, it also highlights the current address
so it is deleted with the first key you press
2. Locate your iPod drive letter and type
the following in the Windows Explorer
address bar:
Note: My iPod drive is the letter “E” replace
it with your actual iPod drive letter.E:\\iPod_
Control\\Music\\F07. I assume F07 means
folder 7. Replacing the folder numbers with
01, 02, 03 ...10, 11, 12 ...20, 21, 22 and so
on will open the rest of the folders on the
iPod. Go ahead and drag and drop files into
your chosen PC music folder.
3. HOW TO EDIT THE REGISTRY: To
run regedit just click on the start button
and then select run. Then type “regedit”
(Without the quotes) in to the box and click
ok. Once this is done - you are in RegEdit
- the program which can be used to edit the
Registry in Windows XP.
BIG BEAR
COMPUTER CLUB
BOARD MEETINGS
•Make sure that the field labels look
different from the rest of your list.
They should be formatted differently
so that Excel can determine they
are, indeed, field labels.
The Big Bear Computer
Club Board meetings
have moved to the Big
Bear Discovery Center.
They are held the last
Wednesday of the month.
The next meeting is
scheduled for November
29th at 2:30 pm.
•Make sure the row containing the
field labels is immediately followed
by the first row of the list.
BBCC Members are
encouraged to attend.
•Always put field labels (sometimes
called column labels) in the first row
of your list. Use only one row.
•Don’t put any data in any of the rows
following your list. Doing so makes it
harder to use data forms.
Page 14
WINDOWSTIP
~Yomar Cleary,
President
November. 2006
BBCC Cash Flow Report
 Bearly Bytes
October 2006
CASH IN BANK
INCOME
Membership Dues
Fundraising Equipment
Donation 50/.50
Donations
Advertising
Bank Discount Earned
Other Income
Total Income
EXPENSES
Bank Charge
Dues & Fees
Fundraising
Newsletter
Equipment
Promotion
Meeting Expense
Advertising
Supplies
Other
Total Expenses
Bearly Bytes is the official publication of
Big Bear Computer Club.
$3,648.95
Winner SWUGC & APCUG newsletter contests.
110 .00
28.50
17.50
180.00
______
336.00
Views expressed in Bearly Bytes are those of the
authors and do not reflect the opinions of Big Bear
Computer Club.
3,984.95
Editorial Staff: Sue Crane, Editor. Columnists:
Larry Smith, Barbara Moore, Carole Allen, Karen
Tangeman, Yomar Cleary & Rosemary Lloyd.
11.60
135.89
592.61
50.00
Submissions: All BBCC members are encouraged
to send letters, articles, questions and comments
to Bearly Bytes for inclusion in future issues.
Submit plain text via e-mail and graphics or photos
on disk in TIFF or JPEG format.
8.06
______
798.16
BANK BALANCE
Other computer user groups are welcome to
reprint our articles as long as they acknowledge
the author and the source as Bearly Bytes, Big
Bear Computer Club.
$3,186.79
Bearly Bytes Editor, Sue Crane [email protected] Box
645, Big Bear City, CA 92314 (818) 609-0500
Submitted byBarbara Moore, Treasurer
Membership Benefits
Monthly Meeting with:
Presentation and demonstration
of
popular hardware and
software.
RAM (Question & Answer)
Session
Tech news and Virus Alerts
Member Software Raffle
50/50 Drawing
Bearly Bytes -- BBCC’s awardwinning monthly newsletter
mailed to you first class.
Club Website: www.bigbearcc.org
Free software review program
Members HelpLine
Members E-mail Notifications
Members only Discounts
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
All this for only $25 per year!!
Mail your application and dues to:
BBCC Treasurer
PO Box 645
Big Bear City, CA 92314
or bring your application to a meeting
For information and directions phone
Yomar Cleary, President
878-5622
www.bigbearcc.org
BIG BEAR COMPUTER CLUB, INC. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
□N
EW
□R
□U
ENEWAL
Full Name__________________________________
Mailing Address_____________________________
City, State, Zip_______________________________
Phone_____________ Message________________
E-mail address______________________________
Area you live in ______________________________
PDATE INFORMATION
□ Student
□ Working Adult
□ BusinessOwner
□ Retired
DEMOGRAPHICS
FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WANT TO JOIN AS ASSOCIATES ($5/YEAR):
Name__________________________
_______________________________
Operating System(s)
□
WINDOWS
Beginner
□
E-mail______________________
______________________
Apple/MAC
□
Intermediate
LINUX
□
OTHER _____
Advanced
Instructor
MS Office
□
□
□
□
Digital Imaging
□
□
□
□
Desktop Publishing
□
□
□
□
Web Design
□
□
□
□
Other Interests:________________________________________________
□ YES! CALL ME, I WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED & MEET NEW
FRIENDS.
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT US?__________________________________
Page 15
Big Bear Computer Club Meetings are held at
Big Bear Discovery Center - 2nd Tuesday, 530PM
MEETING MAP
BIG BEAR COMPUTER CLUB, INC.
PO Box 645
Big Bear City, CA 92314
Where computer enthusiasts meet
to share knowledge and experiences
and have a lot of fun! BBCC is a
non-profit educational community
organization open to everyone
interested in computers and how to
make them more useful and friendly.
To learn more about
BBCC:
Come to a meeting:
2nd Tuesday of the month, 530
pm, Public welcome.
Visit our website:
www.bigbearcc.org
Contact our President:
Yomar Cleary
878-5622
[email protected]
Page 16
BBCC IS A PROUD MEMBER OF APCUG AND
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL USER GROUPS
November. 2006