Safe But Stingy: Free Firewall, Virus, and Spam Protection - 1/26/2004 You know you need antivirus, firewall, and anti-spam software to keep your PC from becoming a ticking time bomb of data loss and system failure. But did you know you can get online protection without spending a penny? We've found almost a dozen worthy security programs that are free for the download, from Zone Labs' popular ZoneAlarm to unsung but superb virus, worm, and junk e-mail filters.
Who Goes There? Configuring Applications and Win XP's Internet Connection Firewall - 1/20/2004 There's no denying the extra sense of security you get from activating the Internet Connection Firewall built into Windows XP, but it can be a surprise when ICF starts denying access to programs you've grown used to using. PracticallyNetworked.com's Ron Pacchiano explains a few of ICF's strengths and weaknesses and tells how to customize the firewall's Services List for your favorite applications.
2003's Top 10 - 12/8/2003 Not even WinPlanet can ignore the shadow of Sobig and Blaster or the advances made by Linux in the last 12 months, but our annual tally finds it was also the best year in some time for Windows software. Here are the winners, from new versions of the operating system and Office to big productivity boosts from little-known utilities.
Using Windows XP's Automatic Network Configuration - 12/1/2003 Wired to wireless? Static to dynamic IP addresses? No problem: Notebook users who need to stay connected when moving from office to home or hotel can take advantage of a little-known Windows XP feature to change network settings on the fly. PracticallyNetworked.com's Ron Pacchiano has the how-to.
Accounting Gets Business-Specific with QuickBooks 2004 - 11/17/2003 No two companies are alike, so why should their accounting software be? SmallBusinessComputing.com's Patricia Fusco reports that the big news in this year's version of Intuit's best-selling bookkeeping suite is the arrival of a half-dozen editions optimized for contractors, retailers, nonprofits, professional service providers, and other types of enterprises.
No New Windows Till 2006? - 10/13/2003 Microsoft's much-anticipated "Longhorn" successor to Windows XP is going to stay anticipated much longer -- latest word is that it's still three years away. Here's our take on the three initiatives the software giant will use to keep customers loyal till then (hint: Office rules and security is Job 1).
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 Heads Home - 10/6/2003 Microsoft launches an all-out drive to make the PC the center of home entertainment, including TiVo-style TV viewing and recording as well as DVD movie and digital-camera slide-show-watching. Vendors including Dell, HP, Sony, Gateway, and Toshiba offer a variety of shapes and sizes -- and WinBook slips a Windows/Linux joker into the deck.
Solution Accelerators: The 'Fourth Pillar' of the New Office System - 9/22/2003 Microsoft asks: Why start from scratch -- or, worse, buy some other brand of software -- to tackle a project such as HR recruiting or bringing your company in line with Sarbanes-Oxley or Six Sigma standards? The new Office Solution Accelerator program helps businesses streamline tasks by working within Office System 2003 applications.
Symantec and McAfee Offer New Versions of Virus Protection - 9/1/2003 The Internet's had more worms than a bait shop lately, so there's never been a better time to upgrade to the latest antivirus software. Here's the scoop on the brand-new announcements of Norton AntiVirus 2004 and McAfee AntiVirus, each updated with stronger protection against spyware, script kiddies, and e-mail and instant-messaging contamination.
What's New in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2003? - 8/10/2003 Image isn't everything, but easier reading and comparison viewing are just two of the on-screen improvements in this fall's new edition of Microsoft Office. Patricia Fusco fills you in on the new features coming to the world's most popular word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation package.
Refresh or Refurb? - 7/21/2003 Though the economy's still slow, many companies are taking their first hard look since Y2K at whether to buy new systems or upgrade the ones they already own. And the deciding factor, according to this SmallBusinessComputing.com analysis, is often Microsoft -- which ended support for Windows NT 4.0 a few weeks ago, and will do the same for Win 98 early next year.
First Look: Microsoft Office 2003 Small Business Edition - 7/14/2003 Most of the new features in this fall's Microsoft Office 2003 -- excuse us, the Microsoft Office System -- are unabashedly aimed at the enterprise, from back-end database integration to corporate workgroup collaboration and document distribution. But the software giant says it's committed to satisfying 1- to 49-employee businesses, too. Here's our first impression of the latest beta-version bundle.
Office 2003 Update: 'Reinvented' FrontPage, Beta 2 Part 2, and More - 6/16/2003 Here's your latest briefing on the much-anticipated new version of Microsoft Office, now promising everything from integrated, enterprise e-mail and instant messaging to dynamic, database-query-based Web-site building -- and, to no one's surprise, a sliding ship date. But will small businesses balk at Office's evolution into a front end for Fortune 500 servers?
Adobe Acrobat Learns New Tricks - 4/7/2003 PDF? Oh, sure, that's the document format that zillions of Web pages and online software manuals use for browsing with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader ... but with today's introduction of the Acrobat 6.0 platform, Adobe aims to put PDF alongside XML as the backbone of business data distribution, for everything from workgroup collaboration to enterprise database queries.
What's Up with Windows Upgrades? - 3/31/2003 Microsoft has just sent its biggest operating-system release since Windows XP to manufacturing. But does Windows Server 2003 have what it takes to pry open IT managers' recession-pinched and upgrade-conservative wallets? And what's up with the desktop Win XP service packs and next-generation "Longhorn" builds buzzing around some geek Web sites? We sort out your present and future Windows choices.
Windows Media Player 9 Inspires Plug-Ins and Add-Ons - 2/3/2003 Have you switched to Microsoft's latest CD-listening and -burning, video-viewing, and streaming and digital audio player yet? We tell you what's good about Media Player 9 (new audio and playlist options and a nifty toolbar); what's not so good (it can't be uninstalled); and what you'll find on the company's new site devoted to Media Player plug-ins.
2002's Top 10 - 12/9/2002 Sure, there was an upgrade to Mac OS X and some stellar new Linux distributions, but the year wasn't a total yawner in the Windows software world, either. From a landmark new version of Windows XP (no, we don't mean SP1) to radically original Web-site and office-suite tools, WinPlanet overstuffs its Top 10 list with almost 20 noteworthy programs.
Coming Attraction: Microsoft OneNote - 11/18/2002 Gotta get organized? Microsoft says that easy-to-lose, hard-to-search, retype-into-your-PC paper notes are too little -- and, yes, admits that sometimes Word and Excel are too much. So a new free-form note-taking program -- ideal for Tablet PC handwriting, but equally handy with desktop or laptop typing -- will join the Office family in mid-2003. Here's your first look.
Are You Ready for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition? - 11/11/2002 There's a new version of Windows XP in town -- and it's brought a whole new crop of portable PCs, as well as third-party writing, sketching, and organizing applications, with it. We give you a preview of what's exciting -- and what may prove disappointing -- about Microsoft's blank-slate software/hardware combo.
10 Freeware Favorites - 11/4/2002 With the holidays approaching, we're in the mood for software stocking stuffers — and the mood for saving money. You may already be enjoying a few of these totally free productivity and utility downloads, but you're likely to discover a new treat or two as well — from world-class antivirus and firewall protection to a complete office suite and the quintessential sticky notes.
T 'n' T: Got SP1? - 9/23/2002 Windows XP Service Pack 1 has arrived, bringing over 300 bug fixes and security patches to Microsoft's flagship operating system. Here's what you need to know about the quick and not-so-quick (134MB download) ways to install SP1, its controversial antitrust-suit "Set Program Access and Defaults" option, and how to uninstall the upgrade safely.
Get Help From a Master: PowerPoint Slide Formatting - 9/18/2002 Reinventing the wheel is one thing, but recreating your favorite PowerPoint slide layouts is something else. Office expert Helen Bradley tells you how to get the most from PowerPoint's header, footer, Slide and Title Master, and format-applying and -exporting shortcuts -- as well as making emergency font substitutions and firing blanks in the middle of bullet points.
T 'n' T: Card Tricks and Game Cheats - 9/16/2002 Admit it: Not only do you play Solitaire, Minesweeper, and Windows' other time-wasters, you're tempted to cheat at them -- lifting one card in the middle of a three-card draw, or winning every game of FreeCell without even trying. This week, bad boy Gregg Keizer devotes his tips to the games installed with Windows (and installing the ones Windows 98 leaves out). We dare you not to read.
Tops and Tails: Dress Up Word's Headers and Footers - 9/11/2002 Professional art directors and page designers don't overlook an inch of their workspace, and you shouldn't overlook the header and footer areas when working with Word -- they offer desktop publishing possibilities that go far beyond page numbers (although you can do more than you think with page numbers, too).
T 'n' T: A Font of Knowledge - 9/9/2002 There's more to life than Arial and Times New Roman, and there should be more to your documents than a few default fonts. Gregg's tips 'n' tricks this week help you install, preview, and manage Windows fonts, including a nifty trick for using a font occasionally without waiting for it to be loaded at startup every morning.
Photoshop: Peeling Back the Layers - 9/4/2002 You say you've mastered Adobe Photoshop's editing tools and brushes, but complex images are still giving you fits? Slice and stack your images into layers for the most precise control possible. Here's how to manipulate and navigate backgrounds, foregrounds, and everything in between -- including using layers to perk up a photo with muddy colors.
T 'n' T: Desperately Seeking Security - 9/3/2002 Feeling insecure? There's no denying Windows is vulnerable to hackers and snoops -- so is your desktop PC, if anyone shares your home or office with you. This week's tips help you manage Microsoft's security updates, control dial-out access, apply Win XP Pro's deluxe folder- and file-level security even if you're running Win XP Home Edition, and more.
T 'n' T: Mo' Dem Secrets - 8/26/2002 Windows ace Gregg Keizer is glad you're taking the time to read his tips 'n' tricks; he just wants you to spend less time loading them. This week, he offers five ways that dial-up modem users (still the majority of surfers, despite cable and DSL chic) can get online quicker and more conveniently.
Excel Views and Reports - 8/21/2002 Your boss wants the big-picture view, but her boss is a micromanager? Give each of them a personally tailored printout by taking advantage of Excel's Custom Views feature and Report Manager add-in. Here's how to find them (the latter was left out of Excel 2002, but you can fix that) and start setting up, saving, and summoning different perspectives on workbook data.
T 'n' T: For More Friendly Files - 8/19/2002 Whether you're double-clicking or right-clicking, knowing your way around Windows Explorer's file associations can mean the difference between a screenful of icons and quick, at-a-glance access to file contents. This week's tips 'n' tricks help make perusing files a pleasure.
Organize Outlook, Organize Your Life - 8/14/2002 Famous for forgetting your spouse's birthday or calling a distant branch office after office hours have ended? Microsoft Outlook's calendar can help you track not only appointments but anniversaries, time zones, and at-a-glance summaries of your next three Thursdays. Here are some nifty navigation shortcuts and timekeeping tips.
T 'n' T: What's New? - 8/12/2002 Right-click the Windows desktop, and you'll see one of the operating system's handiest -- and least used -- features, the New menu. This week's tips 'n' tricks let you decide which document types and templates get this quick-start treatment, eliminating unwanted entries and making sure your favorite files are only a click away.
Writing With Style(s) - 8/7/2002 Have you put Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 to work for you? Office expert Helen Bradley brings you up to speed on Microsoft Word's greatest timesavers -- using Styles and the Document Map for navigation shortcuts, instant table of contents creation, and more, in addition to fast formatting and layout changes.
T 'n' T: Win 95/98/Me's Achilles Heel - 8/5/2002 Remember buying a pretty helium balloon at the fair, only to see it shrivel and sag over the next few days at home? Well, Windows 95/98/Me can do the same thing after a few hours' computing. If you haven't switched to Win 2000 or XP, here's how to monitor the crucial -- and, alas, leak-prone -- system resources that keep your PC up and running.
T 'n' T: Tray Cool - 7/29/2002 The system tray at the end of Windows' taskbar is a neat place to check the time or monitor a few essential utilities, but too many programs flood the tray with too many icons. This week's tips 'n' tricks help you clean up the system tray -- hiding icons from view, or perking up performance by getting rid of them altogether -- and keep those binary barnacles from coming back.
Inline Skating with FrontPage - 7/25/2002 Need a tidy way to organize information online? First seen in Internet Explorer 3.0, scrollable inline frames have become popular ways to add lists of product information, legal disclaimers, or photo albums to Web sites. Here's how to use Microsoft FrontPage to create and control pages within pages.
T 'n' T: Time Trials - 7/22/2002 What time is it? If you glanced at the bottom right of your screen instead of your wristwatch, you're a real Windows pro. So is tips 'n' tricks guru Gregg Keizer, who's collected five ideas for optimizing, updating, or replacing the familiar system-tray clock (did you know you needn't switch to Outlook to check a monthly calendar)?
Starting Office Applications Your Way - 7/17/2002 Want to launch Word or Excel without opening a blank document or workbook by default? Did you know you can create a new Outlook contact, appointment, or sticky note without actually opening Outlook? The secret's in the switch -- startup switches you add to custom desktop shortcuts or Start menu items. Here's how.
T 'n' T: Fave On - 7/15/2002 There's lots worth seeing on the Web, but Internet Explorer's handling of favorite sites or bookmarks leaves room for improvement. This week's tips 'n' tricks let you manage, sort, and shortcut all the Favorites and home pages you can collect, get your Favorites list out of the Start menu and onto your second PC, and more.
Excel's Best-Kept Secret - 7/10/2002 Calculating a dozen variables by picking one choice from a menu? Testing what-if values by lazily clicking up-and-down arrows instead of typing each number? Microsoft Excel's Forms toolbar has some of the slickest point-and-click time-savers in the whole Office suite. Helen Bradley reveals this little-known resource.
