While the contemplation is still on whether it's a major re-work (as Microsoft wants us to believe) or an incremental "Vista service pack" (as critics insist), the fact remains that Windows 7 is a necessary upgrade for dwellers of the Windows world. Pedigree polished by perseverance now ensures that the OS doesn't take forever to power up and shut down, notifications don't nag you every now and then, it doesn't hog up precious PC resources and it's compatible with a vast array of peripherals and programmes. Yes, some even insist on calling itVista, done right...

With its 100 new features, Windows 7 comes in four flavors, including Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate.
Seven good reasons to upgrade Windows 7 offers

1. Definite and measurable performance gains over Vista and XP. While the stress is on simplification, Windows 7 also promises speed, simplification, stability, security while improvements in productivity.
2. It is much faster than any Windows you have known so far - faster startups, faster operations, faster resumes (from sleep mode), and faster shutdowns.
3. Win7 betters battery life on laptops - almost a 15 to 25 per cent gain. However, netbooks users upgrading to Win7, though experiencing other benefits, can expect decreased battery performance.
4. Win7 boasts features like an improved Taskbar (the strip at the bottom of the screen where you can spy all the applications that are running), larger icons for easier viewing and click-ability, the ability to preset the order of preference or reorder, the preview thumbnails of all the various applications and browserwindows that are open so you can simply go directly to the one you want.
5. Networking your PC is much easier.
   Right from setting up a local area network - wired or wireless - to sharing documents and files, Win7 is much friendlier than previous versions. Media sharing across devices enables you to play audio/video right off any PC on the network without copying files to yours.
6. The growing use of touchscreen computing has prompted Microsoft to go for enhanced finger-usability. Larger, more responsive touch-sensitive areas in the Start menu and taskbar aside, scrolling, resizing, media playing, panning, shrinking and zooming is now far easier onscreen. Better handwriting recognition and pen input improvements assure greater accuracy and faster speeds. Added now is the ability to create personalized custom dictionaries for handwriting recognition as well as the acceptance of mathematical expressions.
7. If you never upgraded from XP to Vista - due to hardware compulsions or have a lack of faith in the OS, go for Win7 as it runs everything from low-end 1GB RAM netbooks and beyond. Migrating from XP to Win7 takes 15 to 20 minutes but you'll have to reinstall your applications. Upgrading from Vista doesn't require the reinstallation of apps. Here's a step-by-step guide for both XP and Vista users.
   
   
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Ever wonder just how fast that “high speed” broadband Internet connection you pay for each month really is? High speed Internet connection providers throw around a wide range of numbers when describing how “fast” their service is. How do you know if you are getting the connection speed that you are paying for? Luckily, there are some very helpful, free Internet connection speed test web site tools that can answer that question for you.

Internet Connection Speed Test Results

As a general rule most broadband Internet connections will show test results close to what the Internet Service Provider (ISP) stated. There are some situations where the test results may not match the ISP’s statedInternet connection speed including:

1. If your DSL account is several years old you may have signed up for your service when rates were much higher and connection speeds were slower. DSL providers generally don’t proactively adjust your cost or the speed of your connection. You could be are paying more that you should for the connection speed you are receiving. So run some speed tests to determine your connection speed. Then check your DSL bill and check the stated speed for your connection. If it is not on the bill then call your ISP to ascertain what connection speed you are paying for and how it compares to your test results.
2. The speed of your connection could be affected by a cabling or connection problems that can be easily fixed by your service provider. Once you test and document a speed that is slower than what you are paying for you can report the problem to your provider.
3. Older cable modems and DSL modems cannot always deliver the higher speeds that ISP’s now offer. If you your modem is over three years old it may be causing your actual Internet connection speed to be slower than what your ISP is capable of providing.
4. On occasion an ISP can erroneously deliver the wrong level of service through a simple account error when the account was set up. This would be more likely an issue with a DSL account as many DSL providers will have three to five different service levels. Most broadband cable providers have only one or two levels of service.

Having test results from a solid Internet connection speed test site are the only way to tell if your connection is performing at the level it should be. If you are paying for a given connection speed why not check it and make sure you are getting what you pay for?

Free Internet Connection Speed Test Web Sites

There is no Internet connection speed testing functionality built into computer operating systems or provided by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). However, there are a number of Internet connection speed test web sites scattered around the Internet. The two I like the best are DSLReports.com and Speakeasy.net. DSLReports is also known as Broadband Reports and both web addresses take you to the same location.

DSLReports.com Speed Test

Speakeasy.net Speed Test

One of the reasons these two speed test web sites are at the top of the list is that they allow you to choose the city to run your speed test from. Choosing the testing point closest to you provides the most accurate measurement of your Internet connection speed. Both of these sites also test the Download speed and the Upload speed separately.

Download Speed and Upload Speed Differ

Download speed is the rate data is transferred from the test server on the Internet “down” to your computer. Upload speed is the rate data is transferred from your computer “up” to the test server on the Internet.

These two speeds normally vary significantly, by design, so having specific speed test results for each instead of an average of the two provides much better insight into your connection speed. This is especially important as most people download much more data than they upload.

DSLReports also has a wealth of additional information on the finer details of the many factors that impact the speed of your Internet connection. They also provide some tools and suggestion for things you can do to improve the performance.

Run Internet connection speed tests from both web sites and compare the results. Also test your Internet connection at different times of the day or different days of the week. The Internet is dynamic and periodic testing will show how this affects your connection speed. Running periodic test will give you a better sense of your real connection speed.


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Here are 20 easy steps that will help people using computers running Microsoft Windows keep their system running smoothly. Some relate to maintaining a computer, others to computer security, others to online activity, and some to keeping data safe. While not the last word in computer maintenance, following these suggestions will help in keeping your computer running well on a day to day basis.

20 Easy Steps – Keep Your Computer Running Its Best

1. Security Software — Use Anti Virus and Internet Firewall software. Using an Internet Security Suite is the most effective solution.

2. Expiration of Security Software – Do not let your security software get out of date or let your subscription lapse. Most security software is based on an annual subscription basis. If your subscription runs out you are not protected against new viruses, spyware, Trojans, etc.

3. Multiple Antivirus Programs — Never run more than one antivirus program, firewall program, or internet security suite. They will conflict and cause a number of problems and effect system stability.

4. Regular Virus Scans — Run a full system scan for viruses and spyware every week. Most software can be configured to do this automatically. If you are experiencing unusual pop ups or browser windows opening, or believe that activities are running on your computer even when you do not have any programs open, it might be good to run a full manual scan.

5. Windows Updates – Install updates for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office as they become available from Microsoft.

6. Defragmenting – For optimum performance your hard disk drive should be defragmented every month or two. Not as necessary with computers running Windows Vista as this is done automatically in the background.

7. Cleaning — Desktop computer vents should be checked for dust periodically. If the vents are clogged with dust or pet hair the computer may run significantly hotter which can damage the system. Check both front and back vents. Clean with a vacuum if dusty, but turn the computer off first.

8. Recycle Bin – Empty the recylce bin on a weekly basis, if not more frequently. Deleted files are not permanently erased until the Recyle Bin is emptied.

9. Spam Filtering — Use a Spam filter for all incoming email and check periodically to make sure that the filtering is set to the correct level – not too low.

10. Attached Files in Spam — Do not open email or email attachments unless you know who they are from. Not all spam filters are perfect and some junk will get through. Never download an attached file from an email that you weren’t expecting to receive.

11. “Unsubscribe” in Spam — Never click on “Unsubscribe” on an email that you suspect to be spam or junk mail. This will just tell spammers that your email address is active and you will likely end up getting more junk mail.

12. Exe Attachments – Never click on an email attachment with an .exe file extension such as “myfile.exe”. These are program files and clicking on them will begin running a program that could be nasty.

13. Browser Toolbars — If you add a toolbar to your browser only use one. Multiple Toolbars can slow your browsing and add duplicate functionality.

14. Pop Ups – Never respond to an unwanted pop-up by clicking “OK.” If you don’t know where it came from, you don’t know where it will take you or what “OK” actually means.

15. Spam Links — Never click on a link within a suspected spam email – just delete the message immediately.

16. Pop Up Blockers — Do not download, or install Pop-Up blocker programs. Both Internet Explorer and Firefox provide this capability so additional software is unnecessary.

17. “Free” Programs – This can get a bit tricky in defining what is “safe” and not. Try to only download and install “free” programs from well-known publishers and manufacturers and trusted sites such a www.download.com and www.tucows.com.

18. Be Diligent — Keep all components (software programs, browsers, security software, Windows, hardware drivers) up to date.

19. Data Backup – Be sure to back up your data regularly & make sure you are backing up all of your important files.

20. Verify Your Backup – Check your backed up files periodically to make sure all data is actually getting backed up.


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A free Adobe Acrobat Reader has been available for years for reading documents in PDF format. However if you owned a version of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) prior to Office 2007 and wanted to convert your MS Office documents into PDF format you needed to purchase a full copy of Adobe Acrobat for ~ $299. Another option is to purchase one of the lower cost software packages that allows you to create PDF format documents and provides a subset of the full Adobe Acrobat functionality.

With the release of Office 2007 Microsoft is now providing a free downloadable add-in for Office 2007 that allows users to save files in the PDF format. Although this add-in does not provide all of the rich functionality of the full Adobe Acrobat application (filling in forms, combining multiple PDF files, etc.), it does a fine job of taking a single document and converting it to PDF format.

Microsoft Web Site for Office 2007 Free PDF Add-in States:

“This download allows you to export and save to the PDF format in eight Microsoft Office 2007 programs. It also allows you to send files as e-mail attachments in the PDF format in a subset of these programs. Specific features vary by program.”

You can download this free PDF creator Add-in from here >> Microsoft web site<<. You should use Internet Explorer for this download as Microsoft may require you to run the Genuine Software Validation module to verify that you have a valid copy of Microsoft Office 2007.

UPDATE: With the release of Service Pack 2 for Microsoft Office 2007 the PDF add-in is automatically installed as part of the Service Pack. So if you are using MS Office 2007 and have not installed Service Pack 2 I would encourage you to do so as there are also a number of other benefits, including some performance enhancements for Microsoft Outlook.


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In a world geared towards dragging-and-dropping and using a mouse to control most computer functions, it is easy to forget some basic Windows keyboard shortcuts. These small combinations of keystrokes when used at the right time can significantly simplify several tasks. Here we look at 8 easy, often forgotten Windows Keyboard shortcuts to boost your productivity.

Recently I was modifying a number of items in an online database for an email list and was not able to use drag-and-drop to move data around. Then I remembered CTRL-X, CRTL-C, and CTRL-V and it dramatically simplified the task. If you are relatively new to computing you may not even be aware of these controls. But if you lived through the Late Triassic Period of Computing when beasts like MS-DOS, CP/M and WordStar roamed the world you remember how necessary keyboard controls once were.

Three Simple Cut and Paste Shortcuts:

Start by using your mouse to highlight the selection or text you want to copy or delete.

• Copying: Hold down the CTRL (control) key and press the letter “C” — this will Copy the highlighted selection to the clipboard.

• Deleting: Hold down the CTRL key and press the letter “X” — this will Delete the highlighted selection and move it to the clipboard

• Pasting: Place your cursor in the appropriate place, hold down the CTRL key and press the letter “V” – this will paste the copied or deleted selection where your cursor is located.

– C – Copy the highlighted Selection to the clipboard
– X – Delete the highlighted Selection and move it to the clipboard
– V – Paste the cut or copied Selection

Five Other Keyboard Shortcuts Worth Remembering:

– A – select the entire current document or web page
– Home – Move the cursor to the end of the document
– End – Move the Cursor to the beginning of the document
– Tab – Switch between open Windows
– D – Show the Windows Desktop

Windows Logo Key

Most Windows keyboards have a Windows Logo key normally located to the left of the Space Bar. To quickly show the Windows Desktop simply hold down the Windows Logo key and press “D”. Pressing this combination a second time brings back all the open windows. This can be a real time saver if you regularly have several windows open. More about the Windows Logo key in a future blog post.


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Keyboard shortcuts are a great way to increase your computing performance. These small combinations of keystrokes can be a real productivity booster and help you avoid having to move your hand from keyboard to mouse as frequently.

Here are 45 timesaving Gmail keyboard shortcuts to help increase your efficiency when using the Google mail environment.

Google Mail Keyboard Shortcut – Some Differences

Gmail keyboard shortcuts are somewhat different than browser keyboard shortcuts for two main reasons:

1. Limits on Keystroke Choices: when using Gmail you are working within a web browser so Gmail cannot duplicate any of the standard shortcut key combinations used by Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, Opera web browsers;
2. Functions Vary by Location: Gmail shortcut functionality is based on your location within Gmail. Some shortcuts function only when reading a message or conversation, some work only when viewing conversation lists such as Inbox or All Mail, or viewing Contacts or Tasks.

Turning on Gmail’s Keyboard Shortcuts
Before these shortcuts can be used you have to make sure that the Keyboard Shortcuts Setting for Gmail is set to “on” in Gmail Settings as shown here:

To help clarify how Google Gmail keyboard shortcuts are used they have been grouped below by functionality, such as Navigation, Selection, Management or General.

Top Level View Navigation Shortcuts

These combinations of keystrokes speed up navigating among top level views such as Inbox, Sent Mail, All Mail, Spam, Trash, Drafts, Contacts and Tasks. All letters in the keystrokecombinations are shown in lower case but are not case sensitive. An example: “g then I” means press the “g” key then the “I” key, one right after the other.

• g then i – Open the Inbox.
• g then s – Open Starred.
• g then t – Open Sent Mail.
• g then d – Open Drafts.
• g then a – Open All Mail.
• g then c – Open Contacts.
• g then k – Open Tasks.

Mail Selection and Management Shortcuts

These combinations of keystrokes are used within a specific view such as Inbox or All Mail to assist with quickly managing messages and conversations.

• * then a – Select all conversations.
• * then n – Deselect all conversations.
• * then r – Select only read conversations.
• * then u – Select only unread conversations.
• * then s – Select only starred conversations.
• * then t – Select only unstarred conversations.
• x — Select a specific conversation; puts a check in checkbox; works as a toggle.
• s – Stars a specific conversation; works as a toggle.
• . – Open the More Actions dropdown list; works as a toggle.
• e — Archive a conversation from current View into the All Mail View.
• l – Open the Labels dropdown list to allow you to apply a label to a conversation.
• # — Move the selected conversation to the Trash.
• + i — Mark selected conversations as read.
• + u – Mark selected conversations as unread.

Message Navigation Shortcuts

These shortcuts are used for navigating within conversations lists or views. The small black arrow at the left of the conversation list indicates the current conversation focus.

• u – Return to conversation list (View) from current conversation.
• k – Move to newer conversation; location indicated by black arrow on left.
• j – Move to older conversation; location indicated by black arrow on left.
• or o – Open selected conversation; black arrow indicates selection.
• + or + o — Open a conversation in a new window; black arrow indicates selection.
• p — Read previous message within a conversation.
• n — Read next message within a conversation.
• r – Reply to sender when a conversation is open.
• + r — Open the reply in a new window.
• a — Reply to all when a conversation is open.
• + a — Open the reply to all in a new window.
• f — Forward current conversation when a conversation is open.
• + f — Open the forward current conversation in a new window.
• + s — Save a new or edited conversation as a draft. Cursor must be in a text field.
• [ -- Archive the current conversation and move to the previous one.
• ] – Archive the current conversation and move to the next one.

General Top Level Shortcuts

• c – Open a new message.
• + c – Open a new message in a new window.
• / — Move cursor to the entry box for Search Mail.
• z – Undo previous action. Mainly used when typing and works as an “undelete”.
• Esc – Remove the cursor from a search box or any input field.

Standard Windows shortcuts such as + c, + x and + v are also useable within Gmail when editing text. Most browser shortcuts such as and Shift + for scrolling up or down a page are also usable.

Hope these help you when using Google Gmail. I’ve provided some context for using the different shortcuts instead of just a standard “laundry list.” If you have a favorite Gmail email shortcut that is not listed here leave a Comment and share it with the other readers.


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Internet Explorer remains the most popular web browser in use today. Since Internet Explorer comes installed on all Windows computers by default, many users are not aware of the wide range of IE keyboard shortcuts35 Internet Explorer keyboard shortcuts to help speed up and simplify your web browsing. available. Though they seem simple these small combinations of keystrokes can be real productivity boosters. Here are

Many of the shortcuts will be a combination of keystrokes. For example Ctrl + C means that you should hold down the Ctrl (control) key and press the letter “C”. The Alt and Shift keys will also be used. Use the lowercase letters, if using the shift key is need it will be indicated as “Shift”.

Page Navigation Shortcuts

These shortcuts allow you to quickly navigate around a web page, most with only a single keystroke in IE7 and IE8. Pretty basic actually, but once they become second nature they can save you time without having to reach for the mouse.

• Spacebar – Page down one full screen at a time
• Shift + Spacebar – Page up one full screen at a time
• Down Arrow – Scroll down
• Page Down — Page down one full screen at a time
• Up Arrow — Scroll Up
• Page Up – Page up one full screen at a time
• End — Go to the Bottom (end) of the page
• Home — Go to the Top of page
• Alt + Right Arrow – Go to the Next Page
• Alt + Left Arrow – Go to the previous page

Pages, Tabs and Favorites

These keystroke combination shortcuts help you quickly perform different common tasks within Internet Explorer, manage Tabs and access Favorites and History items. My favorite is Ctrl + Q to open the Quick Tab View.

Page Shortcuts:

• F5 — Reload the current page
• Alt + Home — Go to home page
• Alt + L — Go to the Address bar
• Ctrl + E – Go to the search box
• Ctrl + Plus Sign — Increase the text size, zoom in
• Ctrl + Minus Sign — Decrease the text size, zoom out
• Crtl + 0 — Switch to original size (100%)
• Ctrl + P — Print the current page
• Ctrl + H – Opens the Browsing History in a column on the left
• Ctrl + N — Open a new window

Tab Shortcuts:

• Ctrl + T — Open a new tab
• Ctrl + W — Close current tab
• Ctrl + Tab — rotate forward to the next tab
• Ctrl + Shift + Tab — rotate back to the previous tab
• Ctrl + Q — Open Quick Tab View which displays thumbnails of all open tabs
• Ctrl + 1-9 — Choose a number to jump to that specific tab
• Ctrl + K — Open a duplicate tab

Favorites & History Shortcuts:

• Ctrl + D – Add current page to your Favorites
• Alt + Z — Add current page to Favorites Bar (open favorites menu)
• Ctrl + I — Open Favorites Center on left side of screen and display Favorites
• Ctrl + Shift + I — Open Favorites Center in pinned (fixed) mode
• Ctrl + B — Organize Favorites, opens window
• Alt + A – Open the Favorites Menu on the menubar
• Ctrl + H — Open Favorites Center on left side of screen and display History
• Ctrl + Shift + H — Open History in pinned (fixed) mode

Keystroke shortcuts have been around for many years and IE7 and IE8 continue to utilize them very effectively. While it can take a little getting used to using them once you do they’ll become a real productivity boost. Also remember to use the three cut-and-paste shortcuts: Ctrl + C – copy, Ctrl + X – cut, and Ctrl + V — paste. Enjoy!


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Firefox is the second most popular web browser in the world and it continues to gain popularity and market share. With this rapid growth many users, especially new users, are not aware of the wide range of useful Firefox keyboard shortcuts available. These small combinations of keystrokes when used at the right time can be real productivity boosters. Here are 30 Firefox keyboard shortcuts to help simplify and speed up your daily browsing. Even Firefox veterans may find these useful.

Many of the shortcuts will be a combination of keystrokes. For example “Ctrl + C” means that you should hold down the Ctrl (control) key and press the letter “C”. Use the lowercase letters not uppercase, if using the shift key is need it will be indicated as “Shift”.

Page Navigation Shortcuts

These shortcuts allow you to navigate quickly around a web page, most with only a single keystroke.

• Spacebar — Page down one full screen at a time
• Shift – Spacebar — Page up one full screen at a time
• Down Arrow – Scroll down
• Page Down — Page down one full screen at a time
• Up Arrow – Scroll Up
• Page Up — Page up one full screen at a time
• End – Go to the Bottom (end) of the page
• Home – Go to the Top of page

Pages, Tabs and Bookmarks

These useful shortcuts help you quickly perform different common tasks within Firefox, manage Tabs and access bookmarks.

• F5 — Reload the current page
• Alt + Home — Go to home page
• Ctrl + L — Go to the Address bar
• Ctrl + K — Go to the search box
• Ctrl + = — Increase the text size, zoom in
• Ctrl + - — Decrease the text size, zoom out
• Ctrl + P — Print the current page
• Ctrl + H — Opens the Browsing History in a column on the left
• Ctrl + T — Open a new tab
• Ctrl + W — Close current tab
• Ctrl + Tab — rotate forward to the next tab
• Ctrl + Shft + Tab — rotate back to the previous tab
• Ctrl + 1-9 — Choose a number to jump to that specific tab
• Ctrl + B — Open Bookmarks Column on Left
• Ctrl + I — Close Bookmarks Column
• Ctrl + D – Create a bookmark for the current page

Mouse Shortcuts

Here are six mouse-related shortcuts for when you already have your hand on the mouse. These shortcuts include the scroll wheel and utilize the clicking function (middle click) of the scroll wheel.

• Shift – scroll down – Go to the previous page
• Shift – scroll up – Go to the next page
• Ctrl – scroll up — Decrease the text size, zoom out
• Ctrl – scroll down — Increase text size, zoom in
• Middle click on link — Open the link in a new tab
• Middle click on a tab — Close the tab

Keystroke shortcuts have been around for many years and Firefox takes useful browser shortcuts to a new level. It may take a little adjusting to get used to using shortcuts but once you do they’ll become second nature for speeding up your web browsing.


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