Hardware Introduction

8/3/2019 Hardware Introduction

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Hardware Introduction

The pages following this one describe the main components and what you need to know about them. What theydo, and how it affects you and your particular computing requirements.

The main components that you need to be aware of when deciding your requirements are listed below inapproximate order of importance to the average user.

Don't worry if you don't entirely understand, each component is described in more detail if you follow the linksat the bottom of this and subsequent pages.

The display, otherwise known as a monitor or screen.

CRT screens are history except for a few digital graphics folk who swear by CRT colour rendering. You wantan LCD screen and you want at least 19" See it before you buy it or at least find a reliable review! More here.

RAM (random access memory).

The more the better. 512MB is good, 1GB is better, 2GB is best. But it depends upon your usage. In the early'90s I paid $1000 for 16MB of RAM, now you could buy 1000 times as much for far less. Don't skimp on it.

For Vista 1GB is good, 2GB is better, 3GB is best. If you have 64-bit Vista go for 4GB or more.

Hard disk drive (HDD)

The bigger the better. 120GB or more. On new machines 250GB should be a minimum.

CD drive or combination CD/DVD drive.

You need a drive which can read andwrite Rewritable CDs and DVDs. If you're planning to install or upgradeto Windows Vista you musthave DVD capability.

CPU (central processing unit).

The brains of your computer. The latest and fastest carry a very heavy price premium. You could buy a goodcomplete computer for the price of the latest speed demon CPU. Absolutely not necessary. Go with last year'smodel. Or even the year before's. Anything 2GHz or better will do the job for most people.

Graphics card (Video Display Adaptor).


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Good to have, but you don't need an expensive card unless you have a particularly demanding graphicsrequirement: graphic design, CAD, high demand games or digital video. Any card from a reputablemanufacturer with 128MB of video RAM will do the job for normal mortals.

Keyboard and mouse.

Don't buy junk good stuff isn't expensive. The keyboard keys should have good "feedback" and not be toonoisy. The mouse should feel comfortable in your hand and slide freely on most surfaces. Wireless mice and

keyboards are not a necessity and in fact have some disadvantages. I still use wired devices.

Printer and scanner.

You want a 4 or 5 cartridge inkjet printer. Steer clear of 3 cartridge printers they give bad black reproduction.The price and capacity of refills is important. The manufacturers make little, if any, profit from cheap printersbut they do very nicely thank you from the huge profit on cartridges.

What about all these sockets and cables? It's a Los Angeles spaghetti junction!

That's all explained further along, starting here.

Should I buy a notebook PC?

It depends upon your budget, your space, and your mobility. More later.

These matters are all covered in detail on the following pages.

If you are about to buy a computer, or upgrade your existing computer, and you're not sure what you need, oreven what you need to know, click on the button below:

CPU

(Central Processing Unit)

The Engine RoomThe Processor is the brain of the computer. Information is collected from your disks, stored temporarily inRAM, and the CPU uses it to do the calculations required to run your programs and to read your data. Allmodern processors will do this adequately for most general computing purposes.

In the picture on the right the pale blue part is the CPU. Most of what you can see, the dark blue part, is the

cooling fan. The fan is vital. Lose cooling for an instant and your CPU is cooked dog tucker.

CPU Speed


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Current newer PC CPUs range from 2500MHz processor speed up to 4200MHz and they're increasing as wespeak. Just to confuse matters, using standard scientific notation, theyre starting to be referred to in GHzinstead of MHz. 1000MHz = 1GHz. The bigger the number, the faster the processing, and the more quickly itwill do the sums.

Until fairly recently, processor speed was easy to understand. the bigger the number, the better the CPU. Nowthe situation is less clear cut. Complications in CPU architecture mean that processor speed is no longer areliable method of comparing CPUs. You must take into consideration 32 vs 64 bits, dual cores, and cache sizesand levels.

The Good News

For most people using this site, any currently available new CPU will do the job. You only need to splash outfor an expensive, top of the range CPU if you have very demanding video or 3D graphics programs or games.Or if you need to have a "server" hosting websites or to work with very large databases. Extra RAM is far moreimportant for users who are doing what most of us do.

The range of processor types and speeds is confusing. My rule of thumb for those using their PC to carry outordinary tasks is to buy a PC with the best processor available one to two years ago. Prices of those CPUs tend

to fall dramatically.

It's not easy to keep the subject of CPUs under control. It's complicated. The aim of this website is to presenteasily understood information for non-geeks, so I'm just going to explain the basics. If you wish to study thesubject in more depth, have a look here: PC World: CPUs Buying Guide.

AMD/Intel

AMD processors generally have been a little cheaper than their Intel equivalents, mainlybecause AMD are the number 2 manufacturer. Theres nothing wrong with the product.

Intel and AMD use different ways of numbering their processors, so that (for instance) a 2000MHz (2GHz)AMD is about the same as a 1600Mz (1.6GHz) Intel. This nomenclature may change in the near future.

All else being equal.

Celeron, Sempron & Duron

The Intel Celeron processor and the AMD Sempron, are the budget equivalent of the Intel Pentium and theAMD Athlon respectively. They have less cache. That's a small amount of super fast memory built into theprocessor. Without going into detail, that means that your programs are slower to respond than they would be


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with the fully featured CPU. The difference would be negligible in normal tasks but very significant in somemore demanding work - for instance, working with very large databases.

If you come across an AMD Duron, that's an older equivalent of the Sempron.

If you are only going to be writing letters and surfing the Internet it probably wouldn't make a noticeabledifference. But you don't know what you might be demanding of your PC a year from now. A year ago Ididn'tenvisage publishing a web site.

64 bit Processors

Until mid 2006 the top end AMD X64 CPUs were the best performing chips available.

Top of that range is the 2.8GHz Athlon 64 FX-62.

A 64 bit processor has twice the number of "pathways" to channel data through as a 32 bit. This does nottranslate to a mere doubling of data capacity. The way computers process digital data using binary notation,we're comparing 264 with 232. So there is a (so far largely unrealised) potential for an enormous increase in datatraffic.

If you're a standard (32 bit) Windows user, be aware that, at the moment, a 64 bit version of Windows XP is notreleased in final form and that you may not be able to obtain drivers for your particular hardware: your printerfor instance, or your graphics display card.

Until such time as 64 bit versions of Windows and the programs you use are published, some of the potential of64bit CPUs remains unrealised.

I have an Asus laptop with an AMD Turion 64 bit CPU. I have a pre-release copy of Windows XP 64 but can'tuse it because the video drivers are not available. Frustrating.

However, if you do have the software you can still use all 32 bit programs with 64 bit chips, including WindowsXP.

An exception, which won't affect very many readers, is the Linux operating system. I run both Windows XP and

Ubuntu Linux 64 bit on my laptop. Linux unpaid programmers have produced drivers for my hardware that themakers can't or won't provide for Windows.

Dual Core CPUs

These are two processors built into one microchip.

Intel Core Duo

In the latter half of 2006 Intel took back the performance lead with the Core 2 Duo - formerly called the Conroe


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These CPUs range from moderately expensive 1.86GHz E6300, right up to the astronomically expensive2.93GHz X6800.

AMD Athlon 64 X2

Until very recently, these were the dual core performance champions.

Watch this space.

CPUs and Motherboards

If you are going to be adventurous and build your own PC or upgrade to a faster CPU. Please note that differentCPUs require different socket types and motherboard chipsets. You need to do your homework to ensure thatthe new CPU is compatible with the motherboard it's going into.

Main Memory and Video Memory

RAM (Random Access Memory)RAM is your computer's memory. It works just like your own short-term memory: you look a number up in thephone book; you store it temporarily in the cerebral equivalent of RAM. Windows needs the same kind ofworking memory to store the data its currently dealing with. Data are copied from the disks to RAM as needed.

RAM comes in the form of modules (rows) of silicon chips which plug into slots in your computer'smotherboard.

RAM also handles your input from the keyboard and mouse.

If you dont have enough of it, your computing will be sloooooowed down no matter how fast the otherindividual components are. See Insufficient RAM further down this page to find out why.

Memory, like disk storage, is measured in Megabytes (MB) or Gigabytes (GB). The Windows XP packagingclaims that 128MB of RAM is sufficient. What Microsoft really mean is that it will run. Barely. OK if you have

time to spare to brew the coffee between mouse clicks.

The absolute minimum recommended by most techies is 256MB. If you dont have a graphics card, 256MB isnot just preferable, its vital. Don't pike on this; get at least 512MB.

If youre likely to be video editing, playing demanding games, using 3D graphics, or running several bigprograms at once, you should have a minimum of 1MB - preferably 2MB. If you're likely to upgrade toWindows Vista, go for 2GB or more.

RAM is very easily upgraded and no longer expensive, so it's no biggie if you don't get it right initially. Seebelow for more on RAM installation.


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RAM Purchase

There are usually only two or three slots in your motherboard for RAM modules. It follows that if you allow theseller to palm you off with two 256MB modules instead of one 512MB module, when you want to upgrade youhave to replace them both instead of adding to them. To save your hard earned shekels, ensure that if you buyless than 1MB, you get it in one module, thereby leaving a slot or two free for upgrading.

Insufficient RAM (Random Access Memory)

Why Does Insufficient RAM Slow Everything Down?

The CPU processes information. The information it is likely to need at any particular moment is copied intoRAM to enable it to be accessed quickly. If the RAM in your system is full, any extra information required inmemory is copied to a file on your hard disk called the PAGING FILE or VIRTUAL MEMORY.

Accessing this file is a very much slower process than accessing physical RAM. If it happens too frequently youwill notice your hard disk drive indicator lamp flashing on and off as data are swapped back and forth. This iscalled disk CHURNING and causes a bottleneck in your computers operation.

The Solution.

Install more RAM. This is easy if youre the sort of person who can change a 3-pin plug. If youre not, its a 10-minute job for a computer technician.

The Graphics Card and Video RAM

Properly called the Video Display Adaptor. Your monitor has a tough job. It must display a lot of informationand its better for your comfort and pleasure if it displays that information in the finest detail your display iscapable of, and without screen flicker.

To accomplish this your computer needs some RAM dedicated to video preferably very fast RAM. Basiccomputer systems slipstream some of your main RAM for video. This has two disadvantages:

1. Up to 128MB of your system RAM is no longer available for the purposes discussed previously.

2. Normal system RAM is not fast enough for the demands of good graphics, particularly on large monitors andfor demanding applications like graphic design, games and playing videos or movies.

To overcome these failings, most systems have a dedicated graphics card. This carries its own (faster and moreexpensive) SDRAM or SGRAM. For most purposes a 64MB STANDARD AGP GRAPHICS CARD isadequate, but as for system RAM, if you run very demanding programs you will benefit from more. The skysthe limit here for games freaks with deep pockets.


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A 64MB graphics card is not expensive. If you run Windows XP without one, you'll lose out on performance.Windows Vista will require a minimum of 256MB.

It's worth noting that not all VGA cards are created equal. Some 256MB cards will outperform some 512MBcards. It's worth doing some homework to ensure that you're getting the best value for money. Ask aknowledgeable person (probably not a PC salesperson!) or do a search on the internet for a review of the cardyou're considering.

Storage

Discs aka disks

The hard disc drive, floppy drive, CD and DVD drives are like your own brains long-term memory. Just as wethought we were on top of it all now we have Blu-ray discs to add to the mix.

They all store digital information in the form of program files, which allow the computer to do your bidding,and data files, which store your letters, photos, music, emails and so on.

Theyre the digital equivalent of filing cabinets, audiotapes, books and libraries.

Many new computer users confuse hard disc storage with computer memory (RAM). Probably because they aremeasured in the same units. RAM is more analogous to your own short-term memory and you can read about ithere.

Bytes

The amount of storage is measured in kilobytes (kB), Megabytes (MB) or Gigabytes (GB):

1000kB = approximately 1MB.

1000MB = approximately 1GB.

1000GB = approximately 1TB

In the decimal system kilo is the standard scientific prefix for 1,000 (103), Mega is 1,000,000 (106), Giga is isquite a lot: 1000,000,000 (109) and Tera is a stupendous amount: 1000,000,000,000 (1012).

Because digital information is stored using binary (as opposed to decimal) notation, the actual numbers areslightly different. a kilobyte is actually 1024 bytes (2

10). So the numbers given are approximations.

This is the reason why your 500GB hard drive shows up in your computer as 465GB. The disc manufacturersuse the decimal notation because a bigger number is more impressive to the consumer, but your operatingsystem knows the real binary truth of the matter.

Usually, disc capacity is measured by manufacturers using the decimal system, but memory is measured usingbinary.

It's all a bit of a mess. There are at least three standards and a Megabyte should really be called a MebiByte(MiB) - don't worry about it.


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Well, if you really mustworry about it, it's all explained if you clickhere.

HDD (Hard Disc Drive)

This is where most of the programs and data are permanently stored. If youre into digital photography ordigital video; if you download heaps of music; or if you follow other pursuits involving very large data files,then you should buy the biggest hard disc drive that you can afford.

Better still, buy two.

250GB to 500GB are the best value for money at the time of writing, but even larger drives are very reasonable.Dont fret though; adding an extra and/or a bigger drive later is an easy upgrade for most computers.

Because data must be transferred from one disc to another, replacing a hard drive (as opposed to adding one) isa little more involved, but still no big deal.

Never forget: all hard drives fail eventually. They're highly stressed mechanical devices rotating at 7200 rpm ormore. Most last for years, none will last forever.

If youre replacing an old PC it might be worthwhile removing its hard drive and installing it in the newmachine or in an external enclosure (see below) as an extra backup drive for storing copies of your importantdata.

SATA and IDE

The latest PCs have SATA hard drives. These have a more efficient data transfer rate and smaller data transfercables than the previous IDE (sometimes called ATA) drives. Some new motherboards can accommodate eitheror both types but most recent ones are pure SATA.

The smaller data cables are a plus: they have less effect on ventilation air flow inside than case than the much

larger IDE cables. For the average user the performance differences are not significant but if the pricedifferential isn't too great, choose SATA. This will give you better future-proofing.

Floppy disc Drive

A dying breed. They can be useful, but not to most people with newer PCs. Vendors often throw one in anyway,but if you have a CD rewriter, the floppys no longer necessary unless you need to swap files to or from anold PC, some of which don't have CD drives or have CD drives which won't read writeable or rewriteable CDs.

At 1.44MB the floppy doesnt have sufficient capacity (you couldn't fit an average photo file on one) to hold thesize of data files used in todays programs or to save your valuable data effectively. The medium is similar tothat used in audio tapes and is not 100% reliable over time.

External floppy drives which connect to your computer via a USB cable are readily available at computerstores.


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CD, CD/DVD or CD/DVD/Blu-ray Drive

Because laser light is used to read from them and to write to them, these are often referred to as Optical Drives.

You need one of these: most programs come on a CD and some on a DVD. You usually install the programfrom the CD onto the HDD then put the CD away for safekeeping.

There are several types of optical drive:

CD

This will read CDs.

CD-R

This will read CDs and write to CD-Rs. The CD-R cannot be reused.

CD-RW

This drive will read CDs and write to CD-Rs or CD-RWs. The CD-RW can be wiped and reused many times.

DVD-R

This drive will read CDs and DVDs and write to CD-Rs or DVD-Rs.

DVD-RW

This is the one you want. It reads CDs & DVDs and writes to CD-Rs or RWs & DVD-Rs and RWs.

A rewriteable drive only costs a few dollars more than a read-only drive, but is much more useful. The CD-RWor DVD-RW enables you to use re-writeable discs over and over again.

You can back up all your important stuff with this drive: store music and photos and copy your program discsfor back-up purposes.

Blu-ray

The latest optical drives will read and write Blu-ray discs. These have a capacity of 25GB for single layer

rewriteable discs and 50GB for read only discs. If you hook your PC up to a high definition screen or TV youcan watch HD movies.

The cost of Blu-ray discs is prohibitively high compared with other media for data storage. Time may changethat.

Don't buy an HD-DVD drive. They lost the High Definition race and are now obsolescent. I wouldn't buy a Blu-ray drive yet either unless you're offered a spectacular deal or you have deep pockets and you need it for yourhome theatre system wait for the prices of drives and media to come down.

Extra Hard disc Drives


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If you decide that an extra hard drive is required, there are a number of choices:

y install the drive inside your computer case;y use an external drive;y or do both.

An Internal Drive

This option is the cheapest, a 250GB or 500GB HDD can be purchased quite cheaply and if you're moderatelytechnically inclined you can install it yourself. A supplier or local computer technician could install it for you in30 minutes. As with most hardware you may save a significant amount by shopping at a reputable on-linecomputer hardware supplier.

You need to establish whether you need a SATA drive, or an IDE drive as discussed above. If this is still "geek-speak" to you, better to pay a technician! New PCs use SATA, some can use both, most older ones only IDE.

The internal option doesn't give you any flexibility if you need to use the data when you're away from your PCor to keep copies of data at a site remote from your PC for security reasons. This is easily done with DVD-RWsbut if you have data storage requirements in the 10s of Gigabytes a HDD can be easier to manage.

Some very small PC cases don't have room inside for an extra drive.

An External Drive

For this option you need a USB 2.0 connection on your PC or a FireWire connection. If your PC is post 2000you should have at least the first.

Some recent PCs, particularly notebooks, have eSATA connectors. eSATA is significantly faster than USB.Data transfer speeds are comparable with internal drives, so if you have an eSATA connection ensure that anyexternal drive that you buy comes with an eSATA socket.

You can use these drives with USB 1.0 but as it's 40 times slower than USB 2.0 it can be a long wait to transferlarge amounts of data.

There are three ways to go:

2.5" Pocket Size USB Hard disc Drive.

They come in up to 500GB capacity. They aren't cheap. About 4 times the cost of an internal drive. They can fitin your pocket (but don't neglect to put the cable in the other pocket!) and, unlike the following alternatives,they don't need a separate power supply. They take their power from the USB connection.

I have one - that's it on the right, it's shirt pocket size. I find it particularly useful when helping others sort outtheir computer problems. My wife doesn't know how much it cost.


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Unless you're really stuck for space, you need the portability, or you're flushwith cash, the following cheaper options are just as effective.

3.5" USB Portable Hard disc Drive

That's one on the left. Not as expensive as the pocket size 2.5". These drives have their own separate powersupply as well as the data cable.

Newer models are available with the new, faster eSATA connections. Make sure you have an eSATA inputsocket on your PC if you wish to use one of these.

In recent times the price of drives of 1.5TB drives and below have fallen somewhat and they're comparable inprice to an internal drive. If you hunt around you may get one priced competitively with the followingalternative.

Standard3.5" HDD in a Separate Enclosure

This is the least expensive external option if you already have a spare internal drive to use with it. It's basicallythe same as option two, but involves a modicum of DIY effort on your part. You buy the enclosure and the harddisc drive separately and you install the drive (an IDE or a SATA drive) into the enclosure.

It's just a matter of plugging two cables into the sockets provided and inserting a few screws.

Make sure you purchase an enclosure with connections which match the hard drive you're intending to use. i.e.SATA or IDE or both. SATA is best if you're buying new, but if you have a spare IDE drive it'll do a good job.

They are available with a USB connection to hook up to your computer and, in some cases (not a pun), with aFireWire connection as well. Make sure the cables are supplied.

These enclosures are also available in 5.25" size. These will take a 3.5" hard disc drive or a 5.25" CD/DVDdrive or older HDD. Also has its own separate power cord as well as the data cable (or cables).

The one shown on the right has a small attachment which allows it to sit upright on your desk if required.


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Monitors

(Often Called Displays or Screens)

When you have only two pennies left in the world,

buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.

Chinese Proverb

Intro

There are two things you must not scrimp on for your computer: the amount of RAM and the quality of thedisplay. In the case of the latter, your eyes, your work and your aesthetic sensibilities will reward you.

This subject could rate a publication of its own. You need to:

y view the screen in action before buying if you can;y or at least read reviews on the Internet (more about this in Searching);y or ask someone to do that for you.y or all of the above.

The key areas are refresh rate (for CRTs), pixel size, and colour quality.

Refresh Rate

CRT screens aren't common on new PCs now, but if you acquire one for some reason you need to know aboutrefresh rate.

If a CRT display renews the screen too slowly (like the old silent movies), there will be noticeable flicker in the(cathode ray tube) screen. Even if the flicker isnt readily detectable you can be unconsciously affected,resulting in fatigue and tired eyes. You need a refresh rate of at least 75Hz (Hz = cycles per second), 85Hz to becertain. If you have a graphics card this will be easily attained.

Flicker is detected more easily in peripheral vision. So even if you don't see it, the person at the next desk maybe distracted by it. Check by focussing your eyes off to one side of your monitor so that you can see the screenout of the corner of your eye.

Don't force the screen to a higher refresh rate than it is designed for. Some folk are more sensitive to this thanothers, but few will detect flicker at 85Hz, so any higher is usually unnecessary.

LCD (liquid crystal display) screens dont noticeably flicker and are usually set to 60Hz.

Pixel Size

Just as newspaper pictures were once composed of round dots, the displayed image is composed of many smallpicture elements or pixels. Just like the old newspaper, the smaller they are, the better the picture.


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LCD Monitors

These are much less bulky and obtrusive than CRTs. Until recently they were also quite a bit dearer and thecontrast and colour richness were not usually as good. This technology has improved and as a result CRTmonitors are on the way out.

LCDs use about 70% less power than CRTs of equivalent size.

A 17" LCD screen has almost the same viewing area as a 19" CRT screen. With a 17" LCD display you want ascreen resolution of at least 1024 768 pixels. A pixel on a screen is the rectangular equivalent of a newspaperpicture dot.

I recommend that you go for a 22" screen if your budget isn't too tight. It should display 1680 x 1050 px. I havea 24" Dell 2407 (1920 x 1200 px) and I love it, but 22" is adequate for most people's needs.

Poorer quality LCD monitors, which often accompany bargain PCs, usually betray themselves with poor displayof text. Black text on a white document should be sharp no blurring.

If you're buying a complete PC, ask the retailer to ensure that Clear Type is being used by Windows to smoothscreen fonts. If they don't know how to do this, go somewhere else to spend your hard-earned cash.

There are several things to take into account:

y Response time. 8ms or less.y Native resolution. There's not much point in paying extra for a 19"

monitor if it has the same resolution as a 17" (usually 1280 x 1024).

You just need to sit further away. Unlike CRTs, most LCDs only display one resolution properly.

If you go for 19" you want 1440 x 900; 22" 1680x1050; 24" 1920 x 1200.

y Screen size. Unless you're on a tight budget I wouldn't settle forless than 22" at today's prices.

y Aspect ratio. Wide screen 16:9 or standard 4:3. Anything over 19"will probably be 16:9.

y Contrast. No less than 700:1.y Brightness. No less than 280 cd/m2.y

Screen reflection. Highly reflective screens are alleged to give a crisper picture than matt finish screens. Thatmay be so, but if you're in an environment where reflection of bright lights and windows is likely to be a

problem you need to take this into account.

Unlike CRTs, with LCDs refresh rate is not an issue. Most are fixed at 60Hz.

Dell, Samsung, HP, Philips, La Cie, Sony and Viewsonic are good brands.

If it's practicable see the screen in action at a retailer and in suitable lighting. Otherwise search for reviews onthe monitor you're considering. Google is your friend. PC Magazine and CNet do very good reviews.


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Some monitors have screens which may be swivelled 90 to give a portrait view. Windows automaticallyadjusts the view to suit. Great for people who wish to see full-sized A3 documents in portrait mode.

Maximum screen size

Many people find that 24" is the largest practical size for a desktop screen. If it's any bigger you need to scanfrom side to side to an uncomfortable degree.

CRT Flat Screen Monitors

CRT displays are big and bulky, but they have good colour and contrast - andthey're relatively cheap.

Dont for one moment consider a CRT monitor that doesnt have a true flat screen. Otherwise youll be plaguedwith reflection problems from lights, doors and windows.

You can purchase an excellent 17" CRT flat screen monitor, adequate for most peoples purposes very cheaply.A dot pitch of 0.25mm should give good resolution. A 17" screen is adequate, 19" is better.

But! Having said that...

If you're going to be doing professional computer graphics work, including photo editing, and you wanttop results when your output is printed, then you need to do extra homework on monitors. I believe that goodLCD monitors are now up to the task but some graphics professionals still swear by CRTs. If you share thisview:

y You will need a 19" or 21" CRT display of top quality. It will weigh a ton, and it will be every bit as expensive asthe equivalent LCD.

y You will need a graphics card of good quality and with at least 256MB of video graphics memory.y LCD displays are OK for creating and editing graphics intended for use on the Internet. Most viewers of your

work will be looking at the result on LCD screens.

And What's More...

This matter is subject to constant change (like everything else in computing) you can buy an LCD monitor withequivalent picture quality to a top CRT, but the colour ranges for the two types are different.

Screen Burn-In, It's History!

Now and then you'll hear about the dreaded "screen burn in". In the bad old days of DOS, green or amber screenmonitors displayed only text, and it was in fixed position lines. Eventually permanent lines were burnt into thephosphor on the inside of the screen.


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Modern monitors don't have this problem to any noticeable degree: firstly, they're less susceptible and secondly,they're displaying continually changing vistas over the whole screen. LCD screens don't have permanent burn inat all and CRT screens barely.

Nevertheless, your screen, like your TV and yourself, has a limited lifetime. Colours will fade eventually. It'sprobably in tens of 1000s of hours, but save power, prolong its life and do the planet a favour by setting it up toswitch off after a few minutes of inactivity. See how to do that here: Display Properties.

Your fancy screensaver is consuming valuable power unnecessarily, have your display switch to sleep mode

instead.

Do the planet a favour think finite resources, exponential demand.

The Other Stuff

Modem

An adequate Modem should be part of the package. This is for sending faxes, using your PC as a phone and for

accessing the Internet over your phone line if you use a dial-up internet connection.

If you're on a dial-up connection (the type that stops you using the phone when you're on line) the modemshould be built into your PC. This modem is also used for sending faxes.

If you're on a broadband connection you probably have a modem or a modem/router supplied by your ISP.You'll need a modem with an incorporated router (a modem/router) if you intend to use more than one PC withyour internet connection.

If you wish to use a laptop wirelessly for connecting to the internet or to a home network the modem should bewireless capable.

Sound

New PCs come with a sound card to drive your speakers built in as an integral part of themotherboard. (And a built-in network connection for broadband internet connection and in case you wish tohook up to another computer).

If youll be using your PC for listening to, playing, or creating high fidelity music or for audio editing, you maywant to spend a little extra:


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y for better speakers than the standard cheap and nasties. Or, with an adaptor, you can plug your PC's soundcard

into the AUX connection on your stereo.

y for professional sound quality buy a dedicated sound card with connections for a sophisticated speaker setup.If your PC is in a part of the house where other people are likely to be disturbed you might consider a goodquality set of lightweight headphones or a headset: a combination earphones and microphone instead ofspeakers.

The Mouse & Keyboard

A few dollars more for an optical mouse is a worthwhile investment. You dont have to worry about dustbuilding up inside the rolling ball in a standard rodent and its far less fussy about its operating surface.

Keyboards now usually have a few extra buttons for special jobs like instant Internet connection, music playingand checking your email.

Wireless Mouse and Keyboard

Another alternative is the wireless mouse and keyboard combo. These help to reduce the cable clutter inherentin PC setups.

The downside of the wireless setup is regular battery replacement or charging and, with some motherboards,possible difficulty with accessing your keyboard at boot time, for instance if you wish to use your function keys

to access special boot routines, or your CMOS setup.

Computer Desk and Chair

A few things to watch out for when buying computer furniture:

y The keyboard tray or shelf must be at the correct height for your comfort. When you're seated, your forearmsshould be parallel to the floor. Either the seat, the keyboard tray, or both must be adjustable to attain this.

y The seat must be a typist's chair. i.e. it should be armless. Otherwise you'll have difficulty typing.


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y The keyboard tray should be deep enough to suit the keyboard with room to spare. Many (mine for a start!) areso shallow that you can't even see the function keys, let alone have space enough in front of the keyboard to

rest your wrists.

y The keyboard tray should be wide enough to accommodate your keyboard when it's centred in front of yourscreen and still allow sufficient mousing area on whichever side you use left or right.

If you're forced to use your mouse on the level above and forward of the tray, you'll get neck and shoulder pain.

Nothing surer. Trust me.

Setting up Your Computer

Sockets

The back panel

The following images show two versions of the "back panel" the section of the main internal electronic board the motherboard which is accessible at the back of your computer. This is where most of the cables for your

various devices are plugged in.

The white numbers on these images match those in the left column of the following table. The colours in thatcolumn indicate the standard colours of each type of connection.

Manufacturers of the ports (or sockets) and their matching plugs usually follow this standard but notinvariably.

It's best that your PC is switched off before connecting or removing any plugs. USB connections are theexception to this rule, although even they require special precautions if the associated USB device is an externaldisk or a flash drive.

This is the back panel of a computer designed for a separate graphics card.

It has two network connections but no display connection.


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This has two display connections one analogue and one digital and a FireWire connection.

It has no parallel port and no serial port, neither of which are likely to be needed unless

you have an old printer or a veryold external modem or mouse.

Standard

ColourConnection Functions Connection Type

1 PS/2 mouse connection. 6 pin mini-DIN

2 PS/2 keyboard connection. 6 pin mini-DIN

3

USB ports. These are used for printers and scanners, USB keyboard and mouse, digital camera, external hard

drives and flash drives, wireless transmitters and many other devices.

Older PCs will have USB 1.0 ports, which look the same as USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is 40 times faster. This is of little

consequence for the keyboard, mouse and home printer, but makes a huge difference when transferring

data such as photo, video and sound files.

USB Type A

4

FireWire or IEEE 1394. Used mainly for external drives and camcorders. Some FireWire devices can be

"daisy-chained" in series so that more than one may be used with one socket. The second device plugs into

the first and so on.

IEEE 1394

5 Parallel port for older printers. 25 pin D

6 Serial port. Rarely used in modern PCs. 9 pin D

7 Analogue VGA. For connecting your standard monitor (screen). 15 pin VGA

8 DVI - digital video input. Use this for monitors with a digital connection. DVI

9 S-Video for connecting to a TV. 4 pin mini-DIN

10 Composite video. RCA jack

11 Audio input. Not good quality audio. 3.5 mm jack

12 Audio stereo output for main speakers or headphones. 3.5 mm jack

13 Microphone audio input. 3.5 mm jack

14 Audio output for rear speakers. 3.5 mm jack

15 Audio output for right-to-left speaker. 3.5 mm jack

16 S/PDIF digital audio output. 3.5 mm jack


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17 Game port / MIDI for a joystick. 15 pin D

18 Ethernet connection. Connects to your network router and/or high speed modem. RJ-45

19 Centre / sub-woofer 3.5 mm jack

The front panel

Most newer computers have extra sockets on the front of the case, often hidden behind a hinged or slidingcover. These are useful for plugging in headphones, cameras, video cameras, external discs and other deviceswhich are to be used temporarily.

This one of mine has a microphone jack, a headphone jack, 2 USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire port.

The power supply

These vary in appearance, but the image below is typical.

At the back of your computer, beside a fan intake, you'll see something similar to this:


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Power plug, isolating switch and voltage selector

Power connection

The female connector of your main power cable fits into the 3 pin socket shown above at top right. The otherend of the cable plugs into your wall socket, surge protector or uninterruptible power supply.

On/Off switch

The isolating switch (a "rocker" switch) shown at top left is in the "ON" position, with the "1" pressed down.Keep it OFF ("0" pressed down) until all your other cables are plugged in and the PC is ready to go.

Voltage selector

The voltage selector (bottom right above) should be already set to your local power supply voltage. NorthAmerica and mainland Europe are usually 115V. The U.K., Australia and New Zealand usually 230V.

The switch is usually red like this one, but not always black and grey are common colours.

This setting is very important! If it's incorrectly set, the switch can be slid to the correct position using yourfingernail or a screwdriver tip.

On some computer power supplies the voltage is detected automatically. In that event, you won't have one ofthese slider switches.

Setting up Your Computer Plugs

Now that we know what each socket on our computer is for, we'll have a look at the plugs which fit into them.

Here's the chart again:

StandardColour

Connection FunctionsConnection

Type

1 PS/2 mouse connection. 6 pin mini-DIN

2 PS/2 keyboard connection. 6 pin mini-DIN

3 USB ports. USB Type A

4 FireWire or IEEE 1394. IEEE 1394

5 Parallel port for older printers. 25 pin D

6 Serial port. Rarely used in modern PCs. 9 pin D

7 Analogue VGA. For connecting your standard monitor (screen). 15 pin VGA

8 DVI - digital video input. Use this for monitors with a digital connection. DVI

9 S-Video for connecting to a TV. 4 pin mini-DIN

10 Composite video. RCA jack

11 Audio input. Not good quality audio. 3.5 mm jack

12 Audio stereo output for main speakers or headphones. 3.5 mm jack


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13 Microphone audio input. 3.5 mm jack

14 Audio output for rear speakers. 3.5 mm jack

15 Audio output for right-to-left speaker. 3.5 mm jack

16 S/PDIF digital audio output. 3.5 mm jack

17 Game port / MIDI for a joystick. 15 pin D

18 Ethernet connection. Connects to your network or high speed modem. RJ-45

19 Centre / sub-woofer 3.5 mm jack

PS2 mouse and keyboard plugs

y The first image is an older mouse plug which is not the standard green, newer mouse plugs are the samecolour as the centre image.

y The centre image is an adaptor which you can use to plug a USB mouse into a PS2 socket. You maywish to do this if you don't have enough USB ports for all your devices.

y The image on the right is a standard mauve PS2 keyboard plug.USB plugs

Although the standard colour for USB connectors is black, most cables and connectors come in grey,transparent, cream or beige.

y The first image above is a standard USB plug - this one happens to be on a mouse, but all USB plugs forplugging into the socket (usually called a port) on your computer are exactly the same shape.

y The centre image shows the two ends of a USB extension cable.y The image on the right is a USB camera cable. This has a device plug smaller than the standard type B

shown below.


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y The images below show two ends of a USB cable for connecting a peripheral device such as a printer ora scanner.

The Internet

The Internet, the Web, the World Wide Web, WWW, the Net, Mail, Hyperlinks, HTML... Makes your headhurt. What's what?

The Internet?

The Internet is the enormous interconnected network of computers around the world which you become a partof when you "log on to the Net". The Net is shorthand for the Internet.

An analogy for the Internet is the world's network of roads.

The World Wide Web?

The World Wide Web is the billions of documents in the form of websites, their web pages and other datawhich you access on the Internet. It's also known as the Web. Abbreviated as WWW.

It consists of site written in a special script which can be read by a browser like the one you're using right now.

If the Internet is the highway, the Web is the cars, trucks and buses. Email is the motor bikes.

These web pages are all written in HTML, a relatively easily learned scripting language. The language enablesus to create web documents displaying text, graphics, animations and most importantly, Hyperlinks.

Email may be written in HTML or in plain text.


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Don't worry, you don't need to learn to program, your browser and email programs do it for you. If you everwish to create your own web pages, there are programs available which you can use to create a website withoutever laying eyes on the HTML. That said, to create efficient pages and to use many of the advanced functions, aknowledge of "hand coding" is necessary.

The Information Highway

For most people, the Internet is about information. So we'll have a preliminary look at how to find the

knowledge you're after. We'll look at how to add to, and set up, your toolbars in Internet Explorer. Most of

this information also applies to Firefox, Opera, and other Internetbrowsers, but the process is likely to be a little different.

Hyperlinks

These are links from a hotspot on a Web page which enable the user to jump to another page or to a bookmarkon any page. The linked page or bookmark may well be 10,000 miles away, it could be in the office next door,on your own computer or even on the page you're looking at.

The hotspot can be text or an area on a graphic.

Hotspots and their hyperlinks are the secret of the Web's power. If you could tap a reference word or phrase in a

book and have the relevant reference book materialise in your lap opened at the right page, you w

ould have emulated what occurs when you activate a hyperlink by clicking it with yourmouse button.

Internet Information Reliability

The Internet is a massive resource. You'll hear a lot of criticism of its content. Anyone with easily acquiredskills and a spare couple of dollars a week can publish good information on the Internet - or total hogwash.

Don't worry about it. Anyone with an ounce of common sense can sort out the good, the bad, and the totallydreadful. The vast majority of it is good. Some of it is fact, some of it is opinion, some of it is rubbish. You can

make up your own mind.


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When you go to websites like The New York Times, The Economist, National Geographic, or EncyclopaediaBritannica you can be fairly certain that you're getting worthwhile information. If you go to sites enabling youto obtain illegal copies of music or sites peddling pornography don't expect high standards of fidelity but doexpect plenty of viruses, spyware and spam.

It's worth noting that even the best of the traditional media are not lily-white when it comes to verisimilitude.The worst? Well...

Internet Basic Tips

Navigation

Go to the Previous Page

You can click on the leftward facing arrow on your toolbar but it's easier to just press the Backspace key. To goto the next page, press Shift+ Backspace.

Easy Entry for .com Websites

When visiting a .com site, just type the root domain name (e.g. MistyWindow oryahoo) into the address box,press ctrl - enter. This will automatically add the rest of the address http://www. and .com. Only works for.com sites.

Searching Basics

Narrow your searches

To reduce the number of irrelevant results when searching the internet, place quotation marks around phrases.This restricts the search to the specific phrase, rather than to the individual words. e.g. glasgow opera housebrought up 1,760,000 results. "glasgow opera house"brought up only 10.

Upper case (capital) letters are not required in search engines. Upper and lower case are treated identically.

Restrict your searches

If you know the URL (website address) suffix include it at the end of your query. For example: .net, .com.au,.co.nz, .org.uk. or restrict it to a country: .ca, .za. You still get some rogues, but it helps.

This works even more efficiently if you insert the search restriction instruction - site:

Here's an example of the site: restriction in use: cambridge site:edu - this would search for references toCambridge within educational institutes. You would get a predominance of references to Educational bodiescalled Cambridge and/or such bodies in places called Cambridge.

Other examples of this usage:

y olympics site:orgy antivirus site:cz


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y "income tax" site:govt.nzy "mercedes-benz" site:de

Finding definitions

In the Google search bar type define: followed by the word you want defined or "a specific phrase" betweenquotation marks.

Examples

y define:"whale shark"y define:html

Very useful for that computer term which I haven't entered in http://www.MistyWindow.com/glossary.htm yet!

Favicons

You'll have noticed that some websites that you save to yourFavorites have their own distinctive little iconsinstead of the standard little Internet Explorer icon.

These are called favicons, they're useful in helping to pick sites out from a list and brighten up your display.windows doesn't handle them very well and they often disappear. Internet Explorer is patchy with support forthese icons another good reason to follow the lead of most computer professionals and use Firefox as yourinternet browser.

If you don't wish to switch to Firefox, there's a great little PC Magazine Utility called FavOrg available here:http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Bookmark-Managers/favorg.shtml. It zips through your Favorites in acouple of minutes, restores all favicons from the original sites and it tags lost, moved and invalid links.

Backing up Email

What's on the Page

Most email programs don't save mail messages as individual files. It's not usually necessary. You can createindividual files yourself if you have a particular need. See how to at the bottom of this page - Methods ofSaving Separate Emails.

To back up all emails you must copy the omnibusfileor files which contain them. Following are the backing upmethods for Microsoft Outlook Express and Microsoft Outlook.

At the end of the page we deal with other methods of copying individual emails.

Backup Microsoft Outlook Express


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Save the Hassle

There are programs available which can do this for you for you automatically. A good one is DBXtractwhich

used to be free, but now costs $7. But it's useful to know how to do it yourself then you know it's done

properly,and if you're not familiar with searching your PC, it's a good exercise.

Using the *.dbx Files

These email folders are deeply buried in an impossibly named subfolder.

y Click on the Start Buttony Click on Search or Find.y Click on All Files and Folders in the left pane of the window.y In the Search for files of folders named: box type: *.dbx (* is a "wildcard" representing any name or part name

in a search).

y Ensure that the Include Subfolders check box is ticked. Click on it if it isnt.y Click on Search. You'll see something similar to this:


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y The files listed when the search is complete are where each of your email folders contents are stored. Copythose files as you would for any other backup. You can find out how to do that here: Backing Up.

y They will have names like Inbox.dbx and DeletedItems.dbx as you can see in the image above.y If you right click on one of those files you can select Open Containing Folder from the top of the dialogue box,

then you'll see the path to the files in Windows Explorer.

y Record the path so that you can find it again if you need to replace the files with your backups. On my laptopit'sC:\Documents and Settings\Alan\Local Settings\Application

Data\Identities\{6F3D4321-7392-4153-A6D7-4284960E9168}\Microsoft\Outlook Express, so

you can see that Microsoft didn't intend for you to find it easily.

To Backup Microsoft Outlook

The outlook.pstfile contains allof your Outlook data, not just emails, so the file is usually quite large.

Several Megabytes. Youll need to back it up to a CD, zip drive, second hard disk, flash drive or over a networkif you cant fit it on a floppy.


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If you rely on Outlook it pays to back up this file regularly. In this case you might want to drag a shortcut to therelevant folder onto your desktop or into My Documents.

Windows 98

In Windows 98 the outlook.pst file is probably in C:\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook or the

C:\Windows folder.

Windows XP

In Windows XP the file is probably in:

C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook.

Where UserName is your logon name.

If you cant find it:

y Click on the Start Button.y Click on Find or Search.y Click on Files and Folders.y A dialogue box pops up. In the name box type: outlook.psty Ensure that the Include Subfolders check box is ticked. Click on it if it isnt.y Click on Search.

If you really must copy outlook.pst to a floppy disk you can compress the copy first. If it's still not less than

1.5 MB then you'll need to further reduce the size of it by deleting any obsolete or unnecessary data or archivesfrom the Outlook email folders, address book, calendar, tasks and notes.

As you can see from the screenshot of the containing folder there are also one or more archive folderscontaining old data from Outlook. It's a matter of personal choice whether or not you backup or copy these as

well as outlook.pst.


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Outlook Export

Using Outlook's Export feature from the Menu bar: File/Import and Export, you can export the entireoutlook.pst file to My Documents or any other location. You can then copy it to another backup medium if

you wish.

I find this method more involved than the straight copy described above.

Outlook Add-in: Personal Folders Backup

Microsoft provide a tool for backing up Outlook to a user defined location at specified intervals. You can find ithere: Outlook 2003 Add-in: Personal Folders Backup. Despite the name, it works with Outlook 2000 and laterversions.

Synchronising Two PCs

If, as I do, you move between two computers regularly, you'll find it easier to automate the email backupprocess using methods described in the Backing Up Data page here.

Other Methods

The following methods apply to individual emails in Outlook Express or Outlook.

The .dbxfiles in Outlook Express are a bit of a hassle. If you prefer you can either:

y save your individual emails by dragging their icons from Outlook Express (or Outlook) to a folder in MyDocuments or anywhere else you choose,

y or you can save all or parts of them by cutting and pasting the required text or graphics from the message into aword processing document.


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y or, when you have an email selected or open, go to the File Menu, click on Save as type, and select either *.eml(Outlook Express) *.msg (Outlook) or *.html (either program), accept or change the Save in: location and File

name. Click Save.

Junkmail or Spam

What Is Spam?

Any email that you don't want to receive. Just as a weed is a plant which has the misfortune to be growing in thewrong place. Unsolicited email, usually trying to sell you something or maybe just after your address to pass on

to their mates for cash.

It snowballs. Eventually you receive so much that you have to jettison your precious email address. If it's comeas a result of someone visiting dodgy sites from your PC (I know you wouldn't) it could contain the nasty stuffwe deal with in Protecting your PC from Virus & Spyware attack.

Why do I Get Spam?

Because someone has found your address: from a stab in the dark; a random name generator; or from those third

party cookies which you haven't blocked. Find out about the implications of that and how to fix it here. Fix it assoon as you've finished this page - for peace of mind.

With Friends Like These......

Another problem is that your friends, relations and work colleagues send out mass emails with the latest jokeand with all the recipients' addresses listed in the To... box. Those addresses all appear in the text of the email.

As a result, when that email becomes a "chain mail" and successive generations of recipients aren't savvyenough to "snip" the existing superfluous text full of previous addressees, many thousands, even millions, ofpeople can have access to your address. Some of those people will be up to no good.

Blind copies are a must

If you send an email to more than one person, you should put the second and subsequent addressees in the Bcc..box Blind Carbon Copy unless there's a specific reason for the other people to know who received a copy,in which case put them in the Cc... (Carbon Copy) box. This would normally only be for business reasons andcertainly not if it were to be sent as a mass mailer.

Remove the Garbage


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If anyone sends you emails where others' email addresses appear in the text, or as a Cc... or additional To...addressee, ask them to desist. Send them links to these pages if it'll help make your protest less offensive.http://www.MistyWindow.com/email/junkmail.htm and http://www.MistyWindow.com/security/virus-protection.htm.

When you forwardan email you've received from someone else, "snip" it. After you've clicked the forwardbutton, the message appears in another window. You can then edit out all the extra stuff which doesn't need tobe forwarded.

There's an excellent article by Dian Chapman about this important subject:

Are You an Inconsiderate Emailer?

by Dian Chapman, MVP, MOS

You've just gotten a brand new email address. No spammers have found you. How great! You promise yourselfnot to sign up at any sites that don't promise to keep your email address confidential, so you don't start gettinghit with piles of spam. Good move! You've only given out this email address to a few, special people...maybe afew friends and family members. You want to protect at least this one email address from getting piled up withjunk mail. Yes, you're on the right track.

And then...there it is...

Clickhere for the full article, and it's worth spreading the message.

Reprinted by permission of Dian Chapman - mousetrax.com

Dealing with Spam

Don't Reply

Never, ever reply to junk mail. They've stumbled upon your address and if you reply to their garbage they've hitthe jackpot. They know there's someone home. Now they'll hock your precious address off to a whole

scavenging pack of other spamming bludgers.

Don't Click Anything

Don't fall for the trap by clicking on the link which offers to unsubscribe you or remove you from their mailinglist. That's not what the link is for. Again, they want to know if your email address is active. It might alsorelease a nasty piece of malware into your PC.

Don't Even Open it!


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Best of all, don't even open the email. You can usually tell from the source address and subject line if it's spam.Delete it whilst holding down the Shift key. This bypasses the deleted items folder and sends it straight to emailpurgatory.

That Shift key trick works when deleting any file or folder, but use it with care! Once it's gone it's dog tucker.Which reminds me, when did you lastback up your emails and other data?

Filter it Before They send any More

Most email programs have a mail filter which you can set up to send email from any address straight to a junkmail folder. You need to go to the Help Menu if you can't sort it out intuitively.

In Outlook Express you must:

y open the mail item.y double click on the text after From:y select the email address in the summary tab of the dialogue box.y copy it (Ctrl + C) then go to Tools/Message Rules/Blocked Senders List.y paste the email address into the Message Rules dialogue box and click Add.y This is complicated because Microsoft would prefer you to stump up for Microsoft Office with Outlook. that's

fine if you need the Office suite, I use it faithfully. Otherwise go with Thunderbird.

y In Outlook you right click on the email entry, left click Junk E-mail, and select the appropriate action.Unfortunately this doesn't work with most email spammers. They use dynamic, constantly changing addressesor they hide the real address behind somebody else's. They can even make the email appear to come fromyourself.

Don't Encourage Them

If you can possibly avoid it, don't deal with spammers. It's out of control: many people in business have to dealwith thousands of spam items a day. It's costing all of us through lost productivity and increased costs.

The Old Throwaway Email Address Trick

If they've got you in their clutches you have to dump your email address, get a new one from your ISP and thentell all your contacts. If it's a desirable address that can be very irksome. It's not easy to replace an easy addresslike [email protected]. You end up as [email protected]

Your email address is safe with mistwindow.com should you use my feedback page oremail me. Nevertheless,as a normal policy, you should only provide your premier email address to friends, relations, and organizations

which you know are trustworthy. Arrange at least one disposable email address with Hotmail, Yahoo,Incredimail or Gmail. If the spammers get hold of your disposable address you can dump it and get another.

Also helps to avoid your boss finding out that you're using company resources for unproductive activities.

Be careful when you sign up for one of these email addresses: check the fine print and make sure you haven'tleft checked a box which allows, say, Hotmail to "list you in the directory". Sheesh, that's the last thing youwant. Think paranoia and privacy with anything to do with the Internet.

Coming Soon


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Phishing

In the meantime, remember that banks, Microsoft, and other reputable organisations don't send unsolicitedemails. if you haven't signed up for that newsletter which has appeared in your mailbox, it's probably out to doyou mischief.

It's a con job! No matter how real it looks.

Now I know, gentle reader, that you're not one of those stupid trusting souls who send their bank accountnumbers, PINs and credit card details when asked, but don't anyway!!! OK?

Real Nigerian princesses who've fallen on hard times live in Manchester and work for a living.

Look for the secure padlock at the bottom of your screen and a URL which starts with https:// rather thanplain old http:// before giving your credit card number. Don't give it to anyone you're not absolutely confidentin.

The Onscreen Keyboard extra protection

When entering my online banking details or my credit card data I always use the Onscreen Keyboard as anadditional layer of protection against "key-loggers". See the entry here on my web log @ my wits' end for howto use the Onscreen Keyboard and a description of the dreaded key logger.

And update and run your antispyware every day.

Email Tips

"The single biggest problem in communication

is the illusion that it has taken place."

George Bernard Shaw

Deal with email as soon as possible

Many of us receive a lot of email: quite apart from the work deluge,there's Internet Groups, friends and relations, newsletters, and on it goes. Deal with it right away or it will

become a millstone.


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If it requires action on your part, do it now. If you can't do it now, flag it for attention later.

If you can answer it in one of two lines, so much the better.

If you don'tabsolutelyneed to keep the message...

...delete it! Don't keep any email (or other document for that matter) that you don't need. Even if you need theinformation it contains, if it's easily retrievable from another source - dump the email. Otherwise your emailmountain becomes unmanageable.

Don't forget you can copy and paste important bits into a word processor document or other type of text file to

save in My Documents.

Put your email in folders...

...and sub folders. Create a logical tree system, just like your My Documents has (it has, hasn't it?) In mostemail programs the distribution can be automated on arrival by creating Rules.

This is really easy to do in Outlook; a little more involved in Outlook Express, but worth the effort.

If you do have a lot of email to keep, this can make your life a lot easier.

That's a partially expanded Outlook Inbox tree on the right: most of my mail drops straight into one of thosefolders.

You don't need to go to the individual folder to read it, you can see it all in the Unread Mail folder.


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"President Bush said for security reasons, he's sworn off all email communication.

He will not be using email at the White House at all. Is that a good idea? I mean, it's not like that speaking thing

was working out so good.

Jay Leno

Keep your email address to yourself

and your trusted friends, relatives and associates. Whenever you download something, or sign up for somethingon the Net, you'll be asked for an email address. Give them the throwaway address you get from Yahoo,Hotmail or Gmail. More about the whys and wherefores of this on thejunkmail page.

Forward this to everyone you know...

.....don't!

If you receive an email which contains a message similar to that heading, ignore it.

If it's a virus warning or a tip about stopping spam, it's probably a hoax. Check here: http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/before you send anything on. If in doubt, delete it.

If you receive mail from anyone you don't know or weren't expecting mail from, especially if it contains anattachment, it's wise to delete it without opening it.

Snipping

When you reply to an email by clicking any of the Reply orForward buttons on the toolbar of either theprogram or a message you've received, you should do some trimming. Most people are blissfully unaware ofthis etiquette.

At the bottom of many of the messages you receive you'll often find a trail of other peoples messages andpersonal data back to when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Once you've clicked Reply orForward the message now appears in an editing window. You can add your text,but you can also edit the existing stuff.

Only leave what's necessary for the recipient to understand your message and to what it refers . Delete

everything else. In particular you should remove any reference to other people's email addresses. More aboutthis on thejunkmail page too.

If a person feels he can't communicate, the least he can do is shut up about it.Tom Lehrer

Netiquette

y Remember that there's a real live person at the end of your message. You're not talking to a screen. Would yousay it to the person's face?


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y Don't SHOUT. Upper case in email-speak is shouting. It's considered rude and offensive under mostcircumstances.

y Always enter something relevant to your message in the subject box. Otherwise it's impossible for the recipientto identify the message later and he or she may choose to ignore it.

y You don't have to spend long in many discussion groups to realise that spelling andgrammar still count.

y Use a basic smiley :o) to take the sting out of something which may be misinterpretedor just to show that you're kidding, but don't go overboard with them. Fancy animated

"emoticons" are distracting and unnecessary timewasters. ]:o(

y Keep it as short and to the point as you can under the circumstances. Your recipient maywell deal with hundreds of messages a day.

Attachments

In Outlook and Outlook Express and other email programs you can add attachments easily via the toolbar or the menu.

There's an easier and quicker way to add attachments: drag-and-drop.

y Open Windows Explorer (Windows Key + E) and navigate to the folder containing the file you want to send.y Click on the file with the left mouse button.y Keep the mouse button pressed down and drag the file over to the message window.y Drop the file anywhere over the message window by releasing the mouse button.

The file will automatically be added as an attachment.

Repeat for other files if necessary.

Send email to undisclosed recipients

Create a new message in your email program.

y Insert "Undisclosed Recipients" in the To: field, followed by your email address in < > braces.y The To: field will look like this: Undisclosed Recipients ".y Add the recipients' email addresses in the Bcc: field.y The Bcc: field will look like this: "[email protected], [email protected], them@somewhere_else.com".

For more on the subject of Bcc, see Blind copies a must on the Junkmail page. This has very important securityimplications.