January 13, 2010

Encourage your friends to attend our computer club meetings! I really enjoy the commraderie of people who share the same enthusiasm for computers...not just computers themselves, but the joy, reward, and self-satisfaction of learning something new. Regardless of our experience level in the cyberworld, there is ALWAYS something new to learn and share at these meetings.

This week we had a fun introduction to the bells and whistles that are included in the new Windows 7 operating system. We demonstrated and discussed:

• Pinning programs to the task bar
• Pinning programs to the start menu
• Opening a new tab vs opening a new window
• Using sticky notes on the desk top
• Using the snipping tool to capture sections from any document or webpage
• Desktop gadgets...like setting up an additional clock to show the time in another time zone. (A nice feature when you have family living across the country or around the world. You can always tell what time it is at their location.)
• Using the calendar gadget on the desk top

We have quite a few members who "Skype" with distant family and friends so we tried to set up a demonstration to introduce the fun of Skype with others who were interested. It is fun to hear the stories of how we keep in touch with "the kids back home". Skype, by the way, is a free video program which allows you can see your caller as well as maintain audio.

Since the meeting, I received two comments/suggestions from attendees that I'd like to share here.

Steve Allen shared another tip about opening a link in either a new tab or a new window. At the meeting, we demonstrated the "right mouse click" technique for choosing a tab vs a window. Steve has another method that works even easier. If you want to open a link in a new tab, press "Control" while you click on the link. If you want to open into a new window, press "shift" while you click on the link. This system seems to work great no matter which operating system you're using. Thank you, Steve, for sharing the tip!

Another new member suggested that we email our questions to the computer club so some quick answers could be researched and presented at the next meeting. Or...members could request topics to be discussed at upcoming meetings. By all means.....YES. Send your questions or suggestions...or tips to the club email address:

• palmcreekcomputerclub@gmail.com

A reminder that this Sunday, January 17, is another Welcome Back party sponsored by the park. All the clubs and activities will have booths set up so you can stop by to inquire about their activities, meeting times, etc. Our computer club will have a table present also, so stop by and say howdy to whoever is working at the table.

Topic for January 20 meeting:

• Intro to Photo Story 3 or similar photo to movie programs
• Intro to "hidden object" games
• View tutorials by Geeks on Tour

Be sure to attend.

P.S. Take a moment and scroll down the page to the March 2008 posting. The club holds a session where members can create a photo story. Click on the link just below the photos for Bill Murr's winning entry called "My Winter Home". It's awesome! Congratulations again, Bill.