2011-11-06 | Computer Tutorials, Tips and Tricks

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Sunday 6 November 2011

Microsoft Office 2010

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Despite it being the second most used application on my work computer (behind the Mozilla Firefox browser),it’s still impossible for me to get excited about a new edition of the Microsoft Office suite.
With the final release due in a couple of months,Microsoft have provided a beta test version of Office 2010 that’s free for members of the public to download.  The beta test version will run unhindered until October 2010 at which point users must decide whether they wish to purchase the final release or have it removed from their hard drive.
For the costs involved the majority of home users may still be better off with the free OpenOffice Suite (www.openoffice.org) as it should provide all the features you are likely to need at no cost.  This having been said,the Office Suite has remained a popular flagship product over the years due to business users often requiring a specific function or application only present in the Microsoft offering.  I,for example,use Outlook on a regular basis and haven’t yet found an alternative that suits my needs.
Having not been the biggest fan of Office 2007 (especially the ‘ribbon’ interface discussed in the past) I wasted no time downloading the 64-bit professional version of the beta to put it through its paces.  I have now been using it for a couple of days it does appear notably faster than Office 2007 and certainty incredibly stable.  The speed increase could easily be attributed to the fact that a 64-bit version of the application is now available to run on modern 64-bit computers.
Office Professional 2010 includes Word,Excel,PowerPoint,InfoPath,OneNote,Outlook,Access and Publisher.  The home edition (also currently available in beta) includes Word,Excel,PowerPoint,Outlook and OneNote.  After the official release,computer manufacturers may choose to bundle new machines with a starter edition of Office which includes just Excel and Word;this version of Office will replace the aging Microsoft Works Suite.
Although the ribbon interface remains,it is certainly a lot clearer than that provided with Office 2007;the confusing Office orb has been replaced with the familiar file menu,there are fewer distracting borders,a neutral colour scheme and most importantly it is customisable to the users individual tastes.  The applications look and behave like a ‘family’ now and have become more intuitive to use as a result of the more refined user interface.
An important new feature due for release in the final version but missing from the beta is the ‘Web Apps’ which will extend the Office functionality to a compatible web browser.  Very similar in form to Google Docs,Office Web Apps allows users to collaborate,edit and share Office documents online.  This is an incredibly important new feature that has no doubt come about due to the success of Google Docs and one that I would like to field test when complete.
This article isn’t long enough to go in to details about minor new features so I will summarise by observing that the changes made from Office 2007 to Office 2010 are evolutionary rather than revolutionary;very much in the same way that Windows 7 was an evolutionary change compared with Vista.  Excluding the Web Apps there is nothing substantially new however the minor improvements are certainly welcome as is the chance to road test a new piece of software completely free of charge for a year.
Users interested in downloading the beta version of Office 2010 should visit www.microsoft.com/office/2010 to get their hands on a copy.

Reference : http://www.computerarticles.co.uk

Windows 7 Hidden Gems –Additional functionality

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I’ve been living with Windows 7 for a good few months now and in that time have discovered a couple of little ‘hidden gems’ which I wanted to share with you:
Aero Shake
In Windows 7,when you click on the title bar of any window and shake it every other open window gets minimized straight back in to your task bar,reducing clutter on your screen.  This allows you to focus on the one window and then when ready shake it again and the other windows will reappear.
There are additional Aero user interface related features which make a welcome debut.  These include Aero Peek which allows you to immediately see what’s going on in an application just by hovering over the icon in the task bar and Aero Snap which quickly allows you to rearrange your desktop by slamming any open window against the left,right or top side of your screen;try it!
Sticky Notes
Proof,if needed,that some of the simplest applications make the largest differences to the end user experience.  One of the most commonly used applications on my PC used to be the incredibly simple ‘notepad’ as I find that my working life works a lot better if I simplify everything down in to lists.
Rather than jotting notes on random pieces of paper that will almost certainly get lost throughout the day I used to dump everything in notepad and ensure that every line was eventually cleared so I was left with a blank page before I went home.
Sticky notes have a similar application.  To get started click on the start menu and type in ‘sticky’ and begin typing tasks for the day or things to remember in to little post it notes that stick to your screen.  When complete either close or minimize the application to get back to the job in hand,safe in the knowledge that once Sticky Notes are reopened,these tasks will reappear exactly as you left them.  When a task has been completed or the note simply isn’t needed,it can be deleted with one click of the mouse.
Improved Calculator
Windows 7 calculator has improved considerably;now rather than being an arithmetic only affair,it can be operated in four modes –Standard,Scientific,Programmer and Statistical.  It can also perform unit conversion,for example grams to ounces,metres to feet and Celsius to Fahrenheit along with a couple of unexpected features such as the ability to calculate the number of days between two dates or the value of your mortgage repayment.   Surely in the next version of Windows the calculator application will finally gain graphical capabilities.
Windows Disk Image Burner
For some time now the preferred method of copying and storing CD’s and DVD’s has been by using an ISO file;a single image which includes the contents of an entire disk.  Reading these files used to require a specific application (the likes of which I’ve covered previously in Click) but every version of Windows 7 now includes support for these straight out the box;simply double click on the ISO file that you wish to burn,insert a blank CD or DVD and you’re done.

Reference : http://www.computerarticles.co.uk

What is Operating System?

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Operating System:-  Operating System is an interface between user and hardware.
  It is used to manage the resources of a system and to create an environment where a user can work.
Operating System

Write down the task of an  Operating System:
Task of an Operating System:-
  • I/O Management
  • Power Management
  • Resources Management
  • File Management
  • Process Management
  
 

What is the difference between Software and Hardware?

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Software: Software is the collection of a programs that when executed gives a proper output.
  OR
   Software is a set of logically related programs which is used to carry out a task.
Example:- MS-Paint, Notepad, MS-Word. 

Hardware: Hardware are electrical, Mechanical and Magnetical parts of computer which we can see or touch. 
Example:- Monitor, keyboard, Mouse.  
 
 

Describe the memory units for memory measurement?

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Memory Unit:- The smallest element of data is called binary digit. Its also called BITS.
The BIT can have a value of 0 (OFF) and 1 (ON).
 
Memory Unit
1 Byte  8 Bits
1 Kilo Byte  1024 Bytes
1 Mega Byte  1024  KB
1 Gega Byte  1024 MB
1 Tera Byte  1024 GB
1 Peta Byte  1024 TB
 

What is Memory? How many types of memory we use in a computer? Describe.

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Memory: Memory is something which a computer need for data processing as well as future references.
Computer Memory - RAM
There are two types of memory:
1. Primary Memory
2. Secondary Memory
Primary Memory
Its stores all the data temporarily. If computer gets shutdown, all the data get lost.
It is also called volatile memory.
Example: RAM, ROM.
RAM :- Random Access Memory.
ROM :- Read Only Memory.
 

 Secondary Memory  

Its stores all the data permanently. It is also called versatile memory.
Example: Hard Disk, Floppy Disk, CD, DVD.


What is processing and storage devices? Describe with examples.

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Processing Devices: Processing devices are those devices which is used by computer for processing the instructions and other data.
Example: C.P.U, Mother Board, System Unit
 
Processing & Storage Devices
Storage Devices: Storage devices are those devices which is used to store data for processing as well as future references.
Example: Hard Disk, Floppy Disk, CD (Compact Disk), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

Write down the generations of computer.

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There are five generations of computers:-
  • First Generation (1940-1956)- Vacuum Tubes.
  • Second Generation (1956-1963)- Transistors.
  • Third Generation (1964-1971)- Integrated Circuits (IC).
  • Fourth Generation (1971-Present)- Micro Processors (VLSI).
  • Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond)- Artificial Intelligence (AI).

 

How many types of computer? Describe.

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There are four types of computers:-
Super Computer
  • Micro computer or Personal Computer (PC).
  • Mini computer.
  • Mainframe computer.
  • Super computer.
 
   

List out some fields where you can use computers?

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Use of computers in different fields:-
  1. Education
  2. Banking
  3. Offices
  4. Ticket Reservations
  5. Airports/Railway Stations
  6. Voting
  7. Weather forecast
  8. Hospitals

What are the limitations of computer?

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Limitations of computer:-
  1. They are less flexible than human.
  2. They have to told what to do.
  3. They cannot perform anything outside the defined scope.

What are the benefits of using a computer?

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Benefits of using a computer:-
  1. Speed - Computer work at very high speed than human.
  2. Accuracy - Computers rarely makes mistakes.
  3. Diligence - Unlike humans, Computers simply do not get bored or tired.
  4. Storage - A computer can store a large amount of data.

How does a computer work?

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A computer works in a cycle which is called I-P-O cycle.
 
 I-P-O means:-
Input-Process-Output
A computer first takes input from the user then process it into C.P.U after that its display the result on the monitor.