Mac’s and PC’s are more similar than we all think.

-Until next time…

So I have been using the web browser, “Flock,” for five days now, and I’m pretty impressed. Really think it is a great web browser. It is built off of Firefox so you get mozilla’s security with some really cool networking features. If you want to check it, here are some links…

The actual Flock website

An article on some of Flock’s features

CNET’s download page, also useful for some quick reviews by editors and people who have used it

-until next time…

Today’s tip:

Those of you who have used a pc for any length of time knows that the key combination of ctrl-alt-del can be a huge help in a jam. It brings up the ability to close out any program that is not responding, and perhaps save you from having to shut down the computer manually, possibly losing any unsaved work. But what if your mac suddenly isn’t responding? You quickly look at your buttons and see an apple button where the alt key should be or some weird squiggly square. Don’t worry about it! Macs have a similar key combination to “force quit” any programs not responding. The “ctrl-alt-del” combination on a mac is “command-option-escape”. The “Command” button is the one with the apple picture or a the weird squiggly square.

-until next time…

Now, my goal here is to give some simple computer answers and some opinions I have about tech stuff. I have seen a countless number of websites review the different browsers with all sorts of tests run on them, and I could go find all this information and do some scientific research about the angle of the web browser and the sun, but I honestly don’t care too much about all that. What I care about is which browser is easy to use, has some cool features, and is supported regularly. So I am going to hit on the big three web browsers I use – Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.

First, Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer, or IE, is probably the most used web browser out there, mainly because it is the default that comes with windows. My personal opinion of IE is I hate it. I would not use IE if someone paid me too. I actually think it has gotten progressively worse over the years. Now there probably is some good in there, but I just don’t see it. It constantly crashes, doesn’t display web pages correctly, and gets filled up with toolbars so fast it brings me to tears, literally. I have seen people who have more toolbars in IE than they have the actual webpages they are trying to visit. So if you use IE and don’t agree with me, or have never had any problems, then I am very happy for you. I hope and pray it continues to do well for you. I have had just too many bad experiences with it to even use it and I avoid companies that make you use it for their sites.

Second, Safari. Safari is mac’s default web browser. It is pretty decent, unless you are on a PC. It has some nice features and is constantly improving, but I wouldn’t use it on a PC just yet. Give it a few more years and it could make a decent push. On the mac, Safari is decent, but doesn’t have as many of the features as some of the other browsers have.

Third, Firefox. I love Firefox. It is available for both PC and Mac. This is great just in itself for those who switch between the two operating systems. It is easy to use, is constantly updated, and has some great features. It has a great community that constantly add some really useful plugins too! Every time I stray away from Firefox and try to use something else, I always come back. I love the option to save my session when I exit, or if the program does crash it will restore what I was looking at. This saved me so many times while in college doing a research paper. If the power went off and my computer suddenly went down, I knew I would be able to start firefox back up and have the sites I needed still there to finish my work. Firefox is great.

There are some other browsers out there that are popular, but I haven’t used them enough to really have an opinion on them. Opera is one that comes to mind, and the new Google Chrome is really cool. I am interested to see how Google Chrome will do once it is out of Beta testing.

If you use something, that you think is the best thing since sliced bread, leave a comment so I can check it out!

Any Questions you have leave as a comment and I will comment back if I have any ideas!

-Until next time…

Turning on the Computer.

Now you may be sitting there and saying… “Ok, this is too easy, I know how to at least turn on the computer!” But what do you do if you hit the power button and nothing happens? Before you bring it into the store and pay outrageous fixing fees, let’s check a few things.

So first let’s go through some steps to check before you hit the all powerful power button.


#1 Is your computer plugged in? I would suggest getting a nice surge protector for the computer. Some of you have spent a lot of money on this modern piece of machinery and it would be horrible to see it all gone with one zap from a thunder storm. If you live in Florida, you especially know what I mean!

#2 Push the power button on your computer. It will usually be on the front of the computer. Sometimes, and I mean sometimes, you have to lift something in order to get to your power button. If you do it should be just a small plastic flap. If you have a laptop, more than likely the power button will be near the screen above the keyboard. If not it may be on the side.

#3 Something else you may want to check is whether or not your monitor is turned on. This may seem like a no-brainer but I have caught myself sometimes wondering why the machine won’t power up when all I needed to do was turn on the monitor. Now each monitor can be completely different. I have seen the power switch on the front (like what is shown on the picture to the right); I have also seen the power switch on the side, bottom, and top. So you may have to search it out.

Troubleshooting:

If you have your computer plugged in, pushed the power button on the computer and made sure the monitor was on, and the computer still doesn’t power up here are some quick things to check.

#1 Does the surge protector work or outlet you are using work? Is there a switch on the wall (like a light switch) that controls that particular outlet?

#2 If you are using a surge protector, does it need to be reset? Sometimes if there is a surge of electricity the surge protector will turn off, this is a good thing and it is how it protects your equipment. Some surge protectors need to be reset after this though. It could be as easy as flipping it on and off. Other surge protectors have another little reset button.

#3 Is your monitor plugged into your computer by the cord with two blue ends?

There can be a variety of simple things as to why your computer isn’t turning on or you are getting a blank screen on your monitor. Usually it is a simple answer! So before you pay tons of money to replace a power supply or buy a whole new computer… look for the simple answer…

-until next time…

Have a question? Leave it as a comment, and I will try to help you to the best I can.