Online Spreadsheets vs. Microsoft Excel and How a Combination of Both Works

By: Reto Laemmler

There has been lots of rumor about Google's plan competing with Microsoft's most profitable office product suite. The acquisition of Writely (online web processor) followed by the release of Google Spreadsheets made it pretty obvious that the leader of search engines is also interested in getting a piece of the office cake. When Google announced the launch of their spreadsheet people had very high expectations from it. These high expectations turned into disappointments and people started to realize that a powerful desktop application just cannot be replaced so easily by a web application. But what is the motivation for companies like Google, iRows, NumSum and many more to build online versions of Excel?

It's a known fact that file based documents like Word and Excel have serious limitations when it comes to collaboration. Although Microsoft offers complex solutions like SharePoint, people still end up emailing documents around which turn into different copies and versions of the same file. The chaos is just about to begin. An online spreadsheet on the other hand is stored on a server and can only be opened with a web browser. People can edit simultaneously without locking each other out. Changes are always propagated in real-time. The downside of an online spreadsheet is that a user needs to learn a new tool. Microsoft Excel is a de facto standard and a web application will never be able to provide the same rich functionality as Excel does.

Article Source: http://www.articles.fixedlinks.com

As a final option let's look at a combination of both. A service called Xcellery (www.xcellery.com) combines Excel with all the features of an online spreadsheet. Xcellery let's you share and edit spreadsheets online using Microsoft Excel itself.

How To Remove Spyware And Adware

By: Raiel Schwartz

Spyware and Adware can slow down your computer, give you nasty popup’s and a lot of times have companies spy directly on your computer and steal your personal information. You do not have to deal with this anymore, you can actually remove spyware and adware, and you can remove it for free.

The best way to remove spyware and adware are to download spyware removal tools. There are some spyware removal tools that are free, but the best ones you have to pay for. Since I am providing you with a free way to remove your virus, I am going to give you the top 3 free resources that will remove most of your spyware and adware from your computer.

1) Adaware 6.0
Adaware 6.0 is a free spyware and adware removal tool. It is definitely one of the best (if not the best) free spyware/adware removal tools. You get daily updates, easy to use interface, and fast scanning to delete the most common spyware and adware on your computer. One scanner will not do it all by itself though, which is why it is recommended to have up to 5 scanners protecting you sometimes. Overkill? Maybe. But is it worth protecting all your valuable information like Credit Cards? Yes!

2) Spybot Search and Destroy
Although not as good as Adaware it comes in a close second. This program has an immuneizer built in that will automatically work with your internet browser to not allow you to go to known bad sites that give you viruses. This also enables you for free daily updates so you can be protected against the most common spyware/adware.

3) Spyware Blaster
Spyware Blaster is not really a spyware/adware scanner, however it is a free tool that will keep your computer safe from disabling spyware/adware from downloading itself into your computer. With Spyware Blaster you eliminate spyware before it even comes on your computer, and you also receive free updates.

Article Source: http://www.articles.fixedlinks.com

Still have spyware and adware on your computer? Get the best program that is guaranteed to remove all spyware and adware no matter what type it is visit truemonitors.com/noadware

What Software Should I Use to Create My CD or DVD Artwork?

By: Jason Cole

After recording your album, having it mastered and pressed, you head over to your disc duplication facility’s website to place your order. Reading up on the ordering process you notice that you have the option to have artwork printed on the disc face, and can also have tray card and insert artwork printed. This is a great idea, as it allows you to give your project a more professional look and feel. You can either hire a print designer, who will hopefully already know all of the proceeding information. Or you can have a go at it yourself, utilizing one of the many different graphics creation programs available. If you are choosing to create your own artwork, read on.

There are many different programs out there that can be used to create print artwork. One of the more popular programs is Adobe Illustrator. Adobe Illustrator is a vector based drawing program, available for both PC and Macintosh computers. You could also use, CorelDRAW, Paint Shop Pro, or even Adobe Photoshop. I will go into a little bit more detail about what the differences are between some of these programs later on in this article, and why some of them are better suited for print design. Here is a list of 3 terms you should be familiar with before starting your artwork project.

1. Raster Graphics
Raster graphics are also known as bitmap graphics. This form of graphics image is a data file or structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or blocks of color, on a computer monitor, or other display device. Think of a raster images as a checkers board, with each square (pixel) on the board displaying a different color. This collection of colored dots (pixels), in turn form the full picture. The quality of a raster image is determined by the total number of pixels (resolution), and the amount of information in each pixel. Raster graphics are practical for photographs and photo-realistic images because of the way that they display images. Pretty much all photos you will find on the internet, and all photos you take with your digital camera will be raster images. You may want to use photographs for your CD or DVD’s artwork, but you must mind a few certain things:

A. DPI –
I will go into this a bit further in the “DPI” section of this article. In a nutshell, any photograph that you would like to use for print must be 300 DPI (dots per inch) or higher. DPI refers to the density of pixel information in a photograph.

B. Color Mode –
There are two basic modes of color: RGB and CMYK. All you need to know really is that all print artwork must be created as a CMYK document, as this refers to the colors of ink that a printer uses to recreate your artwork. If you create your artwork as an RGB document, the printed document will most likely shift in color. For more info on this, please refer to my last article. What do you need to start a CD duplication project?

2. Vector Graphics
Also known as geometric modeling, this form of graphic uses geometrical primitives such as points, curves, and lines to represent images. Instead of displaying blocks of color to represent a photo vector images rely on set points to determine the outline of an object, using mathematical formulas to determine the curve of the lines between said set points. Vector graphics are ideal for simple or composite drawings that do not need to achieve photo-realism. I suggest that you used vector objects for all of your artwork’s areas that are not photos.

3. DPI
Dots per inch, (DPI) is the number of individual dots of ink a printer can produce within a one-inch space. This translates as, the higher the DPI, the sharper the image. Although, most commercial printers will tell you that anything over 300DPI would be considered “print-quality”. I recommend that you make sure that your artwork is at least 300DPI, with 600DPI being the optimal setting for your artwork.

After all this technical mumbo-jumbo, you’re probably scratching your head, still unsure of what program to use to create your artwork. The truth is you can use pretty much any graphics program to create your artwork, providing that you correctly set the DPI and color mode of your document. Personally, I usually use a combination of Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator to do all of my print artwork. I edit all bitmap images in Photoshop and create all of my vector content in Illustrator, combining the two in Illustrator. My advice is now that you have the basic background knowledge, experiment to figure out what works best for you!

Article Source: http://www.articles.fixedlinks.com

Jason Cole and DiskFaktory offer great tips and information regarding CD Duplication. Get info about DVD Duplication as well by visiting Our Tips & Tutorials page

The Importance Of Protecting Your PC From Viruses And Spam

By Ken Katz

Today the internet is a mine field of malicious code looking to harm your computer. Hackers want to have access to your PC for both fun and profit. You must be diligent in your ability to detect and then protect your important computer data.

Understanding what hackers are looking for, what doors they use to gain entry into your computer and which programs are available to help you protect your PC against any illegal entry will give you greater peace of mind and protect your valuable data.

There are three types of threats to your computer that you need to be concerned about. The first are viruses. The definition of a computer virus is a piece of code or a program that is that is loaded onto and run on your computer without your knowledge. They can attach themselves to other programs on your computer. Some Virus’ can reproduce at a great rate and in turn use up a lot of your computer memory. This eventually can cause your computer to crash. You get Viruses most commonly via email or downloading programs and files. One way is in form of .exe files. If you receive an .exe file you should never open it unless it has been checked and approved as safe by your virus protection program.

Viruses can come into your computer in many other forms. You have to be careful with flash files, movies, mp3 and even .jpeg files. This is a good reason to have virus protection software installed on your computer. Companies like Norton, McAfee (McAfee.com), Trend Micro who makes PC-cilliin (trendmicro.com) and Grisoft (grisoft.com) among others make excellent virus protection products. Grisoft makes AVG Pro which is competent virus protection software. They have a personal edition which is free to use and is very good.

The next piece of software that is needed to protect your PC computer is a firewall. A firewall is used to block illegal access to your computer or network. It will block suspicious data from flowing into your PC and block unapproved programs outside your computer from taking data from your PC.

Think of a firewall as a doorman whose job it is to open a large locked door. When the doorman knows who is knocking at the door either by an announcement or because he recognizes the person he will let them in. With your firewall the firewall is unlocked only on your authorization allowing data to be passed on or received. It learns after awhile who is trusted and who is not.

A firewall comes standard with Microsoft Windows XP (Microsoft.com). But in order for it to protect, you must turn it on. Other solutions are Symantec’s Norton Personal Firewall which you can buy by itself or bundled in the Norton Security Suite (symantec.com). McAfee (McAfee.com) also has a good firewall as well as the free version of Zone Labs firewall called Zone Alarm (zonelabs.com).

And, finally you should have good spyware software to protect against hackers or companies from snooping to find information about you through your internet connection. It is commonly used by companies for marketing purposes. Free spyware software that is widely used is Spybot`s Search & Destroy (safer-networking.org) or Lavasoft’s (lavasoft.com) free version of their Ad-aware spyware application. Spy Sweeper from Webroot (webroot.com) is an excellent choice and does not cost very much. Spy Sweeper has received many top reviews from the computer magazines.

If you install a virus protection software, Firewall and spyware software your computer will be well protected and you will have peace of mind. And, you needn`t spend a lot. In each category you can find a free version that is very good and will help keep your computer problem free.

Finding Cheap Ink Jet Cartridges

By: Oliver Turner

Printer users will know how expensive it is to buy new printer cartridges for your ink jet printer. The best way to save money is to buy cheap ink jet cartridges. Finding cheap ink jet cartridges can be easy if you know where to look for. There are mainly two ways of buying printer cartridges – shop online or from the retail store.

The internet is the best place to buy cheap ink jet cartridges. Due to increase in demand for printer cartridges many printer suppliers find it profitable to sell their products online. The online dealers have their websites, which offer information on the various types of ink jet cartridges available for purchase. Most online sellers offer discounts, especially on bulk purchases. These are really useful for office set-ups. Shopping online gives you the option of comparing the prices offered by the different sellers and choose the cheapest discounted price. Visit three to four websites before placing your order.

But care has to be taken when you are buying online. Make sure that you buy from reputed online printer suppliers. Reputed dealers give guarantee on their products and service. Some even have replace faulty cartridges without any extra charge. Buying cheap ink jet cartridges online doesn’t mean that you save only on the product. You can save on shipping and traveling expenses as well. Online dealers may have free shipping facilities, if you spend over a certain amount.

The other option of finding cheap ink jet cartridges may be your local retail computer supplies store. Though prices of ink jet cartridges at retail stores are considerably higher than those offered by the online stores, sometimes the retail stores may also offer discounted prices on their printer supplies. So you have to watch out for such deals and discounts offered by the retail store.

Article Source: http://www.articles.fixedlinks.com

We have tested all printer ink online sources and found the best one. Find the results only on the Cheap ink jet cartridges test. All about printer inks on www.leandernet.com

The Importance Of Protecting Your PC From Viruses And Spam

By : Ken Katz

Today the internet is a mine field of malicious code looking to harm your computer. Hackers want to have access to your PC for both fun and profit. You must be diligent in your ability to detect and then protect your important computer data.

Understanding what hackers are looking for, what doors they use to gain entry into your computer and which programs are available to help you protect your PC against any illegal entry will give you greater peace of mind and protect your valuable data.

There are three types of threats to your computer that you need to be concerned about. The first are viruses. The definition of a computer virus is a piece of code or a program that is that is loaded onto and run on your computer without your knowledge. They can attach themselves to other programs on your computer. Some Virus’ can reproduce at a great rate and in turn use up a lot of your computer memory. This eventually can cause your computer to crash. You get Viruses most commonly via email or downloading programs and files. One way is in form of .exe files. If you receive an .exe file you should never open it unless it has been checked and approved as safe by your virus protection program.

Viruses can come into your computer in many other forms. You have to be careful with flash files, movies, mp3 and even .jpeg files. This is a good reason to have virus protection software installed on your computer. Companies like Norton, McAfee (McAfee.com), Trend Micro who makes PC-cilliin (trendmicro.com) and Grisoft (grisoft.com) among others make excellent virus protection products. Grisoft makes AVG Pro which is competent virus protection software. They have a personal edition which is free to use and is very good.

The next piece of software that is needed to protect your PC computer is a firewall. A firewall is used to block illegal access to your computer or network. It will block suspicious data from flowing into your PC and block unapproved programs outside your computer from taking data from your PC.

Think of a firewall as a doorman whose job it is to open a large locked door. When the doorman knows who is knocking at the door either by an announcement or because he recognizes the person he will let them in. With your firewall the firewall is unlocked only on your authorization allowing data to be passed on or received. It learns after awhile who is trusted and who is not.

A firewall comes standard with Microsoft Windows XP (Microsoft.com). But in order for it to protect, you must turn it on. Other solutions are Symantec’s Norton Personal Firewall which you can buy by itself or bundled in the Norton Security Suite (symantec.com). McAfee (McAfee.com) also has a good firewall as well as the free version of Zone Labs firewall called Zone Alarm (zonelabs.com).

And, finally you should have good spyware software to protect against hackers or companies from snooping to find information about you through your internet connection. It is commonly used by companies for marketing purposes. Free spyware software that is widely used is Spybot`s Search & Destroy (safer-networking.org) or Lavasoft’s (lavasoft.com) free version of their Ad-aware spyware application. Spy Sweeper from Webroot (webroot.com) is an excellent choice and does not cost very much. Spy Sweeper has received many top reviews from the computer magazines.

If you install a virus protection software, Firewall and spyware software your computer will be well protected and you will have peace of mind. And, you needn`t spend a lot. In each category you can find a free version that is very good and will help keep your computer problem free.

Keeping Your Computer Happy

By: Mae Paulino

Does your computer last for only a year or so, hangs every so often, and gets struck by virus most of the time? Are you giving it enough hours of rest? Is it cool enough most of the times? Can its memory handle all the applications that you use?

If you still don't know it by now, computers are like people too! Yep, you read it right, computers may not feel like we do but it also suffers from stress that is brought by overworking and can break down if without proper care - computers, like people, also needs to be looked after to get the right productivity that you expect from it. This article aims to shed some light on how to make your computer happy and efficient that will last for a long time.

* Invest on quality hardware, repairs or upgrades as well as up-to-date and original software programs.

One of the mistakes that people make is that whenever they encounter a problem with their computer like hanging and viruses is that they would usually leave it and would not perform any diagnostic tests at all. If you are one of these people, stop the habit for remember, prevention is always better than cure. We have to remember to treat our computers like we would to ourselves whenever we're sick. We would not just let ourselves be consumed by stress... right?

Investing does not mean keeping up with what's "the latest", the "hippest" and the most expensive gadget the market has to offer. It's basically just giving your computer what it needs for it to function as fast as you want it to be. One thing though, you have to make sure it's one of the best (but still budget-friendly) so you're not putting money down the drain.

Same goes with software programs, pirated software programs may be cheap when you bought it some where, however, the end result will make you wish you had just settled with the real thing. One of the downsides of having pirated programs is that because it's pirated you are not given the opportunity for support as well as the freebies that is available to legal users. Another downside of using illegal programs is that because you are not given the right support, more viruses and other harmful scripts may be left unfiltered by your computer thus, causing more harm and making you shed more money for the cost of the repairs. So for me, it is better to put money out on one go rather than having to shed it one at a time due to screw ups.

* Don't forget to run tests every week.

If your computer seems as if it takes years to boot and respond even to your simplest queries, then maybe you're not doing diagnostic tests frequently enough. Files need to be sorted accordingly to make some space for new files that you are about to create and to be able to increase the access speed; that is what Disk Defragmenter is for. It is usually bundled with several operating systems like Microsoft, utility systems like Norton Antivirus and several standalone defragmenter programs. It had to be run as often as once a week to achieve an optimum speed for your computer.

Running utility tests every week will be of big help to keep your computer virus and worm-free. Remember to keep your anti-virus programs updated to ensure that they will be able to protect your computer from the latest virus program on the web. In addition, sometimes, anti-virus programs are just not enough, and that means you have to have other software that will shield your computer from any malicious scripts and programs. Adding some pop-up blocker and spyware products won't hurt your budget since there are several applications in the web that are free for download.

* Cool it.

If you go from one task to the next without the luxury of rest, the end result would be you would be overly strain and then just breakdown. Computers are not different; you have to let it rest for a couple of hours before resuming work especially if you do not have air conditioners within your workplace. In addition to this, you must also make sure that your computer has the necessary cooling solutions to keep your computer from overheating when you have to work overtime.

* Do not collect dusts.

Make sure that you clean your computer at least once in three months so that it is not only free from those pesky viruses and worms but also dust-free. The keyboard is got to be the dirtiest in all the set so I suggest that you take special notice of it. I found a very helpful article on how to clean your keyboard thoroughly and you can see it by clicking here.

Your computer is not the only thing that must be cleaned; you also have to be sure to clean your workspace everyday and your environment free from pests since they will also be responsible in destroying your computer hardware.

These are but simple tips, but if followed correctly, will provide you with a harmonious and long relationship with your computer.

Article Source: http://www.articles.fixedlinks.com

Mae Paulino is a web designer for 2 years. She is currently working for Wicked Innovations - Your Quality Offshore Web Development Partner. Get the internet presence you have been dreaming for with Wicked Innovations.

Choosing a Video Card: PCI-Express or AGP?

By: Julien David

What is PCI-Express and AGP?

There are two ways to connect a graphics card to a motherboard, either via an AGP or PCI Express slot located on your motherboard. A motherboard only supports one of these slots, so if you’re looking for a new video card make sure you’re aware of whether your motherboard supports AGP, or PCI-Express.

AGP has been the standard for a long time now, but it is old technology. Its days are almost over, and it’s only a matter of time until PCI-Express completely takes over and AGP is left for dead.

Advantages of PCI-Express

The benefit of PCI Express is that it can handle a greater data throughput than an AGP slot. PCI Express offers performance of up to 4 times faster than the fastest AGP slot. It’s relatively new technology, and it isn’t being used to its full potential yet. Although, we predict that games released in the next 1-2 years will make full use of PCI Express technology.

Another advantage of PCI Express is you can connect more than one video card to your computer for extra performance. This is impossible with AGP, since a motherboard can only ever have one AGP slot.

Should I Buy a PCI-Express or AGP Video Card?

If you’re simply upgrading your gaming computer with a new video card, you should check whether your motherboard supports AGP or PCI Express, and then choose a card accordingly. Don’t worry if your motherboard has an AGP slot. Even though it’s not the latest technology, AGP is going to stay around for a long time. You can still find a great video card with AGP.

On the other hand, if you’re building a new system from scratch, you have the choice. We recommend choosing a gaming video card with PCI Express, and a motherboard that supports it. As we said before, the games of the future will soon harness the power of this new technology, leaving AGP in the dark. So by choosing PCI Express now, it will save you the upgrade later when AGP becomes obsolete.

Another thing to keep in mind is not to confuse PCI-Express with its older cousin PCI. A long time ago you would connect your graphics card through a PCI slot on your motherboard. This is very slow compared to today’s standards, and is never used anymore.

Hopefully this article has enlightened you about the issues regarding AGP and PCI-Express. If you want to know more about video cards and how to choose a good one for gaming, check out the gaming video card guide.

Article Source: http://www.articles.fixedlinks.com

Check out Julien's website at Build-Gaming-Computers.com to learn about building a high-performance gaming computer. It includes modern information on choosing the best components for your gaming pc, and suggestions on which parts to buy.

Selecting a New Motherboard: A Beginner's Guide

By: Michael Quarles

Are you looking for a new motherboard? With so many models available, deciding which to buy can be difficult. However, if you use this checklist, considering each motherboard feature, you should be able to find one that’s right for you.

1. Socket type: What socket type does your CPU require? A 775 for Intel Pentiums? Perhaps a 939 AMD. Start to narrow your selection with this most basic criteria, matching motherboard socket to CPU.

2. Form factor: The board has to fit your case. The size of the board is its “form factor”. An ATX form factor case will accept 12x9.6 inch boards. But a microATX requires boards no larger than 9.6x9.6. Please note that any of the smaller boards can be mounted in an ATX case.

3. RAM: You’ll probably buy a board that uses PC3200 RAM. But be aware that some older boards still on the market call themselves “PC3200 capable” but can only use it in up to two banks. Also, some boards only have two slots, rather than the more common number of three. If you need to run 3 GB of RAM, for extreme game play, you’ll need a three-slot board.

4. Front Speed Bus: It’s an oversimplification to say this number is the speed information passes through your motherboard, but it’s a good enough definition for our purposes. Faster is better, but keep in mind that speed is money, if you’re on a budget. The tops on AMD based systems is a whopping 2000MHz.

5. Video and sound on the motherboard: Do you want these two items built into the board, or would you rather buy cards and plug them in? Video on the motherboard is usually adequate, unless you’re a gamer. In that case you’ll want to forgo it in favor of the next feature.

6. AGP port: Gamers, video editors, 3-D animators, all want the best graphics card they can get, so they require an Accelerated Graphics Port. Most all boards have them, but make sure they will handle 8X or better speed, if you’ve got your heart set on a really fast card.

7. PCI slots: How many slots will you need for things like modems, capture cards, and the like? Some of the microATX boards come with only two, which may be inadequate. I favor boards with 4 or more slots, giving plenty of expansion capability.

8. Firewire: If you shoot and edit video, 1394 IEEE, otherwise known as firewire, is a necessity. If a board you’re considering doesn’t have it, figure on using one of your PCI slots for a card.

After you’ve gone through these eight items, you should be well on the way to making your selection.

Article Source: http://www.articles.fixedlinks.com

Michael Quarles is the author of Building a PC for Beginners.