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Hi Mac

This year life took an interesting turn. My son got me a Mac Mini for Christmas and it arrived after the first of the year. He'd been going on about Macs for years and I'd always resisted - until now. Now that Apple is using Intel Processors, the Mac machines can run Windows - but now I don't want to put Windows on my Mac!

I found that the dual processor made it much faster than my ancient Pentium with Win XP. Unfortunately, some of the software I need to use - Microsoft Access and Timeslips - do not have Mac versions. Other software (like QuickBooks) with Mac versions  do not have all the features of the Windows version. Other software I own, like Framemaker, has equivalent Mac versions - but I have to buy them, so I am waiting until it is time for a new version, which won't be for a while. I expect to get a Mac version of QuickBooks the next time I renew my CC membership. The one thing I really miss on this machine is Photoshop. If things progress as they have been, I will get a new version before the end of the year.

The day I discovered that my Macromedia (Adobe) Studio 8 had BOTH Windows and Mac versions I was just floating! It made all the difference to my use of this new machine.

Part of my transition has been deciding how to use the Mac to best advantage. In the beginning I just used it for web browsing and burning audio CDs from business MP3s. Since my life has undergone a drastic shift since the publishing and public speaking ends of the business have taken off,
I have really struggled to figure out a schedule and a way to juggle all the things that I am juggling. I have finally gotten a plan. I have decided to use the Mac as a marketing and web media machine. I have (almost) everything I need. I am going to set it up to do podcasts and video, websites , and blogs.

The other thing is that I need a new laptop. Now I want a Mac... and will also run WIndows on the same machine. I think this is the way of the future.

I always thought of Macs as being "less than" Windows machines. They have progressed since the last time I used them and there are many reasons to own one.

QuickBooks 2006

dwI am REALLY excited about the new QuickBooks. The interface is much more user-friendly, with a flow chart navigator so you can easily access all the actions that are frequently done. Another thing I am very excited about is the new importing and exporting functions. Now the user can import/export transactions as well as lists using Excel files or the traditional text-based IIF files. This gives us MUCH more flexibility when wanting to start a new file for a business based on data from an old database. It also allows us to interface more easily from Point of Sales terminals that are not compatible with the QuickBooks POS. A simple Microsoft Access program can restructure the data automatically without the need for an expensive conversion program.

What I am the MOST excited about is the fact that as a QuickBooks Premier Accountants Version user, I can open the program so it shows any version of 2006, so that if a client calls, I can see the menus the way they see the menus. That is a really big deal to me because I find it very difficult to remember what is missing from the simpler versions.

My only complaint is that it takes a lot longer to load, but perhaps I ought to defrag! Let me know if you would like to receive more information or look for yourself at www.quickbooks.com

Cleaning Up - Part II

Computers are like closets. You can't keep throwing things in there without taking some time once in a while to clean things out.

In Internet Explorer, Under the Tools menu, Internet Options, on the General tab there is a place where you can delete files. This gets rid of the temporary internet files that build up on the hard drive as you surf the net. If the space the system  set aside for these things gets full, it can slow things down considerably. You can also remove cookies, but this will get rid of settings that customize pages where you go frequently, so you may not want to do this.

Another thing to do is check the right side of your Windows Task Bar. Chances are there are a number of icons there, which indicate various things that are running in the background. Some items need to be there, but many can be closed and this will speed you up. Find out what they are by right-clicking on them. Not only will you see what the icon is for, often there will be a way to close the program down. There is a way to stop these programs from loading every time you start your computer, but that is beyond the scope of this article since you need to use different methods for different programs. The thing to do is get someone qualified to help you with this if you don't know how to do this.

There are three programs that I want to single out as being large resource users: Real Player, Weather Bug, and custom screensavers like After Dark. They are real resource hogs. Weatherbug should be uninstalled. If you want Weather, go to www.weather.com. Real Player should be configured so it does not automatically load on startup. If you have a fancy screensaver, you probably got it on purpose because you loved it. People tend to be very protective of their resource-hog screensavers. If you want to keep this one, know that it comes with a price!

In your e-mail program, be sure to delete any unwanted messages. Empty your deleted items folder every once in a while by right clicking on the folder and choose the option to empty the folder. Be sure only things that should be removed are in this folder before you do this.

There are probably files that you no longer need in your My Documents folder. You can get rid of these too. However, DON'T go searching through your C drive, deleting everythig you don't understand. That is a recipe for disaster. Only delete files that you created or saved personally.

You also need to empty your recycle bin every once in a while. Right-click on it and choose "Empty Recycle Bin."  Again, be sure only things that should be removed are in this folder before you do this.

People disagree about the need to Defrag your hard drive. I believe in it. Over time, the files on a computer get spread all over. They are in pieces and it takes programs a longer time to load themselves or to read files. You can find the Defrag program under Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools. Don't run other programs while you defrag.

There is something very tempting that I do NOT believe in running. There is a tool called Disk Cleanup, which supposedly removes things that are no longer used. DON'T USE IT. Chances are very good that it will also remove things that are being used that it is unaware are being used. These are often parts of seldom-used programs. You will only find out that this has been done when you are on a deadline and need the program. Then it is too late.

Cleaning up your computer doesn't take all that long, but has big rewards in terms of performance.

Cleaning up - Part I

Computers are like cars. If you don't change the oil once in a while, they are going to stop going.

When your machine starts slowing down, that is the time for action!

First, it is important that you have all the proper safeguards in place.

In today's world of deadly viruses, spyware and malware, you need an UP-TO-DATE antivirus program. If you have McAfee and have it set up to automatically update or tell you when it is time to update, you are safe. If you have Norton, even if you have it set to download automatically, it will not download program updates - and sometimes won't even tell you they are available. You have to take the initiative to run Live Update yourself periodically. There are other anti-virus programs out there with their own nuances, but the point is, you need to keep yours updated and run complete system scans periodically. If your Antivirus can check for Spyware, make sure that feature is turned on.

There are nasty viruses out there that will wipe out an antivirus program without your being aware of it. Periodically you should download the Stinger program from http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/ and check to see if your system has been affected. There are complete instructions there on how to download and use the program.

Another thing that can really slow you down is Spyware/Malware/Adware. When you download software from the Internet or respond to pop-ups, or visit certain sites online, these kinds of files and programs can be loaded on your computer and programs run in the background. In my experience, you need to run at least two anti-spyware programs periodically to wipe these out beause no program checks for everything. I run Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy.

Nick Francesco, the Rochester computer guru, has a website devoted to "Dancing the Security Tango." He gives a very detailed account of how to use the tools mentioned in this article in a way that will be most effective.

Another thing that you need to do is make sure your Windows program is updated with all the security releases available. You can run Windows Update right from the Start menu in the task bar under Programs. It is also available from Internet Exporer under the Tools menu. You may have to run this several times to get the updates to the updates.

Keeping up-to-date and removing the nasty things in the background that slow you down will help.

Firewall Madness

Nothing stays static in this world, software least of all. Sometimes programs play well together and sometimes they don't. Most of my clients know that I have never been a fan of Norton Antivirus and its related suite. My computers all have McAfee products and I have never had trouble with Windows interaction.

Recently several of my clients have turned up with problems with Norton Firewall conflicting with Windows Firewall. They do not recognize each other. Norton uses a different technology than other firewall manufacturers, so Window's algorithm does not recognize them if you choose to go with the Norton Firewall. You get messages from the Windows firewall, begging you to turn it on.

As a side note, some people have trouble configuring their Norton Firewall so their legitimate e-mails are sent and received. I personally found the documentation on how to configure the firewall  abyssmal.

If you turn off the Norton Firewall, then IT is unhappy and gives you messages that it is better than the Windows Firewall and you should be using IT!

No matter what you do, if you are running Norton Security Suite, you will get firewall messages. It never used to be this way and I'm not sure whether it was a change to Norton or a change to Windows, but if it is happening to you, know you are not alone.

Firewall Madness

Nothing stays static in this world, software least of all. Sometimes programs play well together and sometimes they don't. Most of my clients know that I have never been a fan of Norton Antivirus and its related suite. My computers all have McAfee products and I have never had trouble with Windows interaction.

Recently several of my clients have turned up with problems with Norton Firewall conflicting with Windows Firewall. They do not recognize each other. Norton uses a different technology than other firewall manufacturers, so Window's algorithm does not recognize them if you choose to go with the Norton Firewall. You get messages from the Windows firewall, begging you to turn it on.

As a side note, some people have trouble configuring their Norton Firewall so their legitimate e-mails are sent and received. I personally found the documentation on how to configure the firewall  abyssmal.

If you turn off the Norton Firewall, then IT is unhappy and gives you messages that it is better than the Windows Firewall and you should be using IT!

No matter what you do, if you are running Norton Security Suite, you will get firewall messages. It never used to be this way and I'm not sure whether it was a change to Norton or a change to Windows, but if it is happening to you, know you are not alone.

Bye Bye Timeslips CC

I have been a Timeslips Certified Consultant since 1988. Version 3.3 for DOS. It has been a long and rewarding haul. Unfortunately the product has matured. There have been very few great new features lately and most people don't care about the few features that have been added lately.

The company that started in Mitch Russo's garage has been sold and resold and renamed and renamed. I started when it was NorthEdge, before it even became Timeslips Corporation. It hasn't been TImeslips Corporation for a long time.

Every time it got swallowed up by a larger company they raised the rates that they charged the consultants and cut back on services to the consultants. My clients run stable systems. The only time they need a CC is when they get new staff or have a problem. It hasn't been economically rewarding for some time now, but I stuck with it to support my clients.

I will still support my clients, but I will not be doing it as a Certified Consultant. There are a number of other reasons for that aside from the financial one.

Best Software (Sage) is pulling the rug out from clients, saying  that they have to upgrade after 2 years to get technical support services. I don't agree with that policy. It isn't that the software changes so much - it has barely changed for years! They have gotten greedy and I won't support that.

Besides, I have gone back to my roots - writing - and have gotten more into writing and publishing. Thanks to Toastmasters, I have overcome my fear of public speaking and have been giving workshops. I have been busy developing the ideas and the support materials. There will be a lot to announce on the creative side very soon.

In the meantime, I will not abandon Timeslips. I still use the program and I still keep my own tech support license. It will all work out. Eventually there will come a time when I can't support what is out there in the TImeslips software world and at that point I will hang it up. You will hear about it here first.

June 1st at 12:01 AM, bye bye CC.

Ergonomics Disaster

I gave myself a wonderful Christmas present last year - a new flatscreen monitor. It was wonderful to have the extra space on my desk, but the height was different. I really didn't notice a difference until I worked one very long weekend on manually tweaking a data conversion project and woke up in excruciating pain. Pinched nerve and overuse. It took almost 2 months and a lot of tests and therapy to be able to use my left arm again.

Not only did it put me behind on projects, but it put me in a different frame of mind.

No job is worth that much pain.

The thing is, I knew better! I pushed myself too long and too hard. Lately I have been doing it again, but this time I am being careful to move around a lot. I watch my posture. Most importantly, I now have my monitor at the correct height!

On the bright side, not only am I feeling better now, but I have a CD of my MRI. I made a flashy cover for it and had some fun, but the truth is, I should never have had to have that MRI. It gives new meaning to that sign in my office that says, "STUPIDITY should be painful."

Face it; I am a person who has a zillion projects going at a time. What are the chances that I will slow down any time soon? Nil. But this time I will be more careful.

Tax Season

Tax season is a great time to take a look at your business and decide what you can do to make this year more profitable than next year.

Questions you might ask yourself are:

• Do you know how to get the right kind of reports out of your software - ones that let you know how profitable you are?
• Are you entering data in the right way so that your reports will have enough detail? Or are you taking shortcuts? Or not entering everything?
• Are you making the best use of your resources?
• What are you putting up with just to keep from spending money? Is it really worth the aggravation?
• What are the things that are slowing you down in your office? Is there some way to use technology, training, or a better paper flow/filing system to improve productivity?
• Where are you investing time, effort, and money where it isn't paying off? Where is your time best spent?
• How can the government help you? Are you taking advantage of all the deductions and tax-savings available to you?

If you have any questions about how you can use existing programs more effectively, be sure to contact me.

If you haven't upgraded your financial programs in a while, you might consider doing so. Timeslips 2005 has many nice new reports that help you track profitability. More on that later this week!

Spyware, beware

If you go online, particularly if you tend to download things, you are in danger of having unwanted programs bundled in with your downloads install themselves on your computer. These programs run in the background, degrading system performance. Some of them can even cause serious damage to your system.

Microsoft has recently come out with its own entry in the anti-spyware arena. I have been using Lavasoft's AdAware, McAfee antivirus with antispyware features, and SpyBot Search and Destroy, but Microsoft AntiSpyware found something that slipped by all of those programs. If you are interested in this for yourself, you can check it out at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en

This is a beta version. It is free for now, but at some point Microsoft will start charging for it.