Welcome
my Articles
site.
See my Oak Park Computer Club
page for
other currently-available content
and our Yahoo!
Group site for links.
The short
URL to access this site is http://LearnPC.VZE.com.
These
articles
are all works-in-progress; most were written as
presentations for the OPCC,
which consists of some of the nicest senior citizens you are ever
likely to meet. Over time, I will add new articles, as well
as
new material to the articles presently available, including more links
in the body of text (now mostly done). I want them to be as
interactive as possible.
I
am very
interested in
comments on this material, including corrections
of errors of fact, clarifications,
and suggestions
for future articles. Thank you for your
interest in my articles; I hope that you find them useful. --
Michael Rudas
Here's
a list of the
articles
available (more are being added all the time):
Operating-systems-related XP Out-of-the-Box (updated11/12/04:
unfinished,
but useful--based on installs with Service Pack 1 installed) discusses important
issues regarding
how to deal with a fresh install of Windows
XP, including new systems, before
you get on the Internet to download the patches!
Corrupt
98 (updated4/23/05) is
an article on my
discovery of a particular type of extremely common problem on Windows
98 SE--both how to reveal and fix it--with some additional tips for all 98 SE users.
Alternative OS is
a
brief
overview of non-Microsoft
operating systems, primarilyLinux.
Linux
1(updated9/19/04)
contains
a bit more
context and detail
concerning the operating system Linux
in its various
flavors.
Best-of-Breed Free
Software Links for
Windows
(updated05/23/05)
lists what are, in my
opinion, some of the best free software programs out there. Some are
open
source, as well as some donation-requested. Includes tutorials and other secondary links.
System security Dealing
with Malware (updated05/24/05)
is an
introduction
to
Trojans, viruses, spyware, adware, and other
nasties, with information on how to actually deal with malware on
the Windows platform. More links here,
as well (on our Yahoo! OPCC
Group
page).
Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age (new04/09/05; article outline, with links)
Tips for thwarting identity theft and reducing spam.A companion piece to E-mail Basics. A more-detailed article is coming.
The
basics--a
series The
Beginners' Page
provides some basic
pointers on getting started.
Internet
Basics
Contents: what is
the Internet?
What is
a portal?
What is a search
engine?
How can a user get
the most out of them?
E-mail
Basics(updated5/23/05)Contents: what is Web mail?
What
is
POP mail?
What are the
differences? Free-email-account
information and suggestions. Security
issues,
including: How does a user deal with attachments?
How does a user
deal
with spam?
How does a
user
reduce the chances of being infected with viruses?
Just
Beyond the Basics(updated1/30/05)is
an overview
of the Windows
Clipboard, copy/cut/paste,
and keyboard
shortcuts.
Screen shots will be added shortly to enhance the presentation.
Hardware-related Painting
With Light is
a discussion of cathode-ray
tube
(CRT) and liquid-crystal
display
(LCD) monitors, including pros-and-cons
of each and technical
comparisons
between the
two (by the way, I don't think LCDs are right for most users).
Connecting
to the Internet Avoiding
DSL Hell is
an (unfinished)
article that discusses optimizing an SBC
DSL
connection, though it may have useful information for other broadband
users as well.
