MICROSOFT WORD

To get to the clipboard in the task pane in Word XP, first make the task pane appear using View > Task Pane. Then, on the little ‘down’ arrow, select ‘Clipboard’. Click ‘Options’, then check ‘Collect Without Showing Office Clipboard’.

Now copy up to 12 blocks of text (24 blocks in Word XP), then, when you’re ready to paste, use the ‘Clipboard’ toolbar in Word 2000, or the task pane on the right side of the screen in Word XP. Now, you can paste everything at once, or individual items in different locations. Hover the mouse over the icons on the Clipboard toolbar or on the task pane to get a preview of the content.

Add A Button To A Toolbar
You’ve probably never bothered to do this, but it’s very easy to add your own buttons to the toolbars. You can add a button for any of a variety of commands. For example, if you often change the font of selected text to Verdana, you can place a convenient button on the toolbar to make the change with one click. To make a new button, go to View > Toolbars. Select ‘Customize’. Click on the ‘Commands’ tab, and select an item under ‘Categories’. Then select an item from the list of ‘Commands’. Drag the command to a toolbar. A beam that looks like an ‘I’ will appear to help you install the button. By default, the new button has only a text label. Right-click on the new toolbar item, and select Default Style-the button will become a plain square. Right click on the new toolbar item again. Choose ‘Change Button Image’, then select a button image. Finally, close the ‘Customize’ dialog box.

To remove a button from a toolbar, go to View > Toolbars, select ‘Customize’, and drag the button you want to remove off the toolbar.

Print Out All Of Word’s Shortcut Keys
Word has an inbuilt macro that generates a list of all the keyboard shortcuts available. To generate the document, go to Tools > Macro. Choose ‘Macros’. Select ‘Word commands’ from the list in the ‘Macros in’ box. Now from the list in the ‘Macro name’ box, choose ‘ListCommands’. Click Run. In the ‘List Commands’ dialog box, click ‘Current menu and keyboard settings’. Click OK. The macro will run, generating a document in table form that you can print.

Using Styles
A style is a set of formatting characteristics that you can quickly apply to text in your document. The Style list is the pull-down list on the ‘Formatting’ toolbar, where it usually says ‘Normal’ in a white box. You can apply styles by selecting text, then choosing a style from the list. There will be a few there by default. To create your own styles, select the text that contains the formatting you want to use for your style. On the Formatting toolbar, click inside the ‘Style’ box. Type over the existing style name to create the name for the new style, then press Enter. You can set additional formatting characteristics for paragraph styles, such as the style for the next paragraph. To do this, go to Format > Style. Click the style that has the settings you want to change. Click ‘Modify’, and then select the options you want.

Create Your Own AutoText
AutoText is a way to store and quickly insert text, graphics, fields, tables, bookmarks, and other items that you use frequently. Word comes with a library of AutoText entries. To see there, look at the items listed under AutoText in the ‘Insert’ menu, or turn on the AutoText toolbar, and then click on ‘All Entries’. You can create your own AutoText entries with either of the following methods.

 Choose AutoCorrect or AutoCorrect Options from the Tools menu, then click on the AutoText tab. Type in the text of your new AutoText entry in the ‘Enter AutoText entries here’ box, then click Add. Make sure the ‘Show AutoComplete tip’ checkbox is checked. Click OK. Word will show a tip on the screen after you type the first four or five letters that match the AutoText entry. Press [Enter] to accept the entry, or keep typing to ignore it. If ‘AutoComplete’ is turned off, you can insert AutoText entries with the AutoText toolbar (see the next method).

Turn on the AutoText toolbar by choosing Toolbars from the View menu, then selecting AutoText. Select the text you want for an AutoText entry, then click on the ‘New’ button on the AutoText toolbar. Make up a shortcut name for this entry. To use the shortcut, type the shortcut, then immediately press [F3].

To get to the clipboard in the task pane in Word XP, first make the task pane appear using View > Task Pane. Then, on the little ‘down’ arrow, select ‘Clipboard’. Click ‘Options’, then check ‘Collect Without Showing Office Clipboard’.

Now copy up to 12 blocks of text (24 blocks in Word XP), then, when you’re ready to paste, use the ‘Clipboard’ toolbar in Word 2000, or the task pane on the right side of the screen in Word XP. Now, you can paste everything at once, or individual items in different locations. Hover the mouse over the icons on the Clipboard toolbar or on the task pane to get a preview of the content.

Add A Button To A Toolbar
You’ve probably never bothered to do this, but it’s very easy to add your own buttons to the toolbars. You can add a button for any of a variety of commands. For example, if you often change the font of selected text to Verdana, you can place a convenient button on the toolbar to make the change with one click. To make a new button, go to View > Toolbars. Select ‘Customize’. Click on the ‘Commands’ tab, and select an item under ‘Categories’. Then select an item from the list of ‘Commands’. Drag the command to a toolbar. A beam that looks like an ‘I’ will appear to help you install the button. By default, the new button has only a text label. Right-click on the new toolbar item, and select Default Style-the button will become a plain square. Right click on the new toolbar item again. Choose ‘Change Button Image’, then select a button image. Finally, close the ‘Customize’ dialog box.

To remove a button from a toolbar, go to View > Toolbars, select ‘Customize’, and drag the button you want to remove off the toolbar.

Print Out All Of Word’s Shortcut Keys
Word has an inbuilt macro that generates a list of all the keyboard shortcuts available. To generate the document, go to Tools > Macro. Choose ‘Macros’. Select ‘Word commands’ from the list in the ‘Macros in’ box. Now from the list in the ‘Macro name’ box, choose ‘ListCommands’. Click Run. In the ‘List Commands’ dialog box, click ‘Current menu and keyboard settings’. Click OK. The macro will run, generating a document in table form that you can print.

Using Styles
A style is a set of formatting characteristics that you can quickly apply to text in your document. The Style list is the pull-down list on the ‘Formatting’ toolbar, where it usually says ‘Normal’ in a white box. You can apply styles by selecting text, then choosing a style from the list. There will be a few there by default. To create your own styles, select the text that contains the formatting you want to use for your style. On the Formatting toolbar, click inside the ‘Style’ box. Type over the existing style name to create the name for the new style, then press Enter. You can set additional formatting characteristics for paragraph styles, such as the style for the next paragraph. To do this, go to Format > Style. Click the style that has the settings you want to change. Click ‘Modify’, and then select the options you want.

Create Your Own AutoText
AutoText is a way to store and quickly insert text, graphics, fields, tables, bookmarks, and other items that you use frequently. Word comes with a library of AutoText entries. To see there, look at the items listed under AutoText in the ‘Insert’ menu, or turn on the AutoText toolbar, and then click on ‘All Entries’. You can create your own AutoText entries with either of the following methods.

 Choose AutoCorrect or AutoCorrect Options from the Tools menu, then click on the AutoText tab. Type in the text of your new AutoText entry in the ‘Enter AutoText entries here’ box, then click Add. Make sure the ‘Show AutoComplete tip’ checkbox is checked. Click OK. Word will show a tip on the screen after you type the first four or five letters that match the AutoText entry. Press [Enter] to accept the entry, or keep typing to ignore it. If ‘AutoComplete’ is turned off, you can insert AutoText entries with the AutoText toolbar (see the next method).

Turn on the AutoText toolbar by choosing Toolbars from the View menu, then selecting AutoText. Select the text you want for an AutoText entry, then click on the ‘New’ button on the AutoText toolbar. Make up a shortcut name for this entry. To use the shortcut, type the shortcut, then immediately press [F3].

To stop Excel from doing this or any other similar change, follow these steps: go to Tools > AutoCorrect Options. On the first tab (‘AutoCorrect’), in the ‘Replace text as you type’ section, there is a long list with a scrollbar. Use the scrollbar to go down to through the alphabetical list to ‘e’. Find the entry for ‘ehr’. Click that entry to select it. Now click ‘Delete’.

Round Off Times
Here’s a formula that can round off a time to the nearest quarter hour: if someone clocks in at 7:07, it counts as 7 AM. If he clocks in at 7:08, then it should be 7:15 AM. To do this, use this formula:
=ROUND(A1*96,0)/96

If your times are in column A, you would enter a formula like this in column B. You will have to use Format> Cells and then format the cells in column B with a time format.

Easily Convert Numbers To Text
If you have a column of numbers and you need to convert them all to text, you would select the column, then go to Format > Cells, and on the ‘Number’ tab, change the formatting to ‘Text’. That doesn’t quite do it though-the formatted cells will still work as numbers, which you can verify by using them in formulas. To convert them to real text, you need to press [F2] and then hit [Enter], for each and every cell. Here’s a simpler way to convert a whole bunch of numbers to text. Let’s assume you have numbers in cells A2:A1000. Insert a temporary blank column B. In cell B2, enter this formula:
=TEXT(A2,”0″)

Copy the formula in B2 down to B3:B1000. We need to change these formula to values in order to have them become text. Highlight cells B2:B1000. Use [Ctrl] [C] to Copy, then Edit > Paste Special > Values > OK. The entries in column B will now be text versions of the numbers in column A. Now, copy column B back to Column A. Delete the temporary Column A.

The key to this technique is the =TEXT() function. The second parameter describes how the number should be formatted before being converted to text. You may need to adjust this based on your numbers. The result of =TEXT(123.25,”0″)will be 123.
The result of =TEXT(123.25,”0.0″)will be 123.3.
The result of =TEXT(123.25,”0.00″)will be 123.25.
To always keep only the decimals as entered, use=TEXT(A2,”General”).

This function is also useful for converting dates to formatted dates. Assuming you’ve set Windows to use the Indian system for dates, if you have ’10/05/2005′ in cell A2, then using =TEXT(A2,”d mmmm, yyyy”)
will give you ’10 May 2005′.

To stop Excel from doing this or any other similar change, follow these steps: go to Tools > AutoCorrect Options. On the first tab (‘AutoCorrect’), in the ‘Replace text as you type’ section, there is a long list with a scrollbar. Use the scrollbar to go down to through the alphabetical list to ‘e’. Find the entry for ‘ehr’. Click that entry to select it. Now click ‘Delete’.

Round Off Times
Here’s a formula that can round off a time to the nearest quarter hour: if someone clocks in at 7:07, it counts as 7 AM. If he clocks in at 7:08, then it should be 7:15 AM. To do this, use this formula:
=ROUND(A1*96,0)/96

If your times are in column A, you would enter a formula like this in column B. You will have to use Format> Cells and then format the cells in column B with a time format.

Easily Convert Numbers To Text
If you have a column of numbers and you need to convert them all to text, you would select the column, then go to Format > Cells, and on the ‘Number’ tab, change the formatting to ‘Text’. That doesn’t quite do it though-the formatted cells will still work as numbers, which you can verify by using them in formulas. To convert them to real text, you need to press [F2] and then hit [Enter], for each and every cell. Here’s a simpler way to convert a whole bunch of numbers to text. Let’s assume you have numbers in cells A2:A1000. Insert a temporary blank column B. In cell B2, enter this formula:
=TEXT(A2,”0″)

Copy the formula in B2 down to B3:B1000. We need to change these formula to values in order to have them become text. Highlight cells B2:B1000. Use [Ctrl] [C] to Copy, then Edit > Paste Special > Values > OK. The entries in column B will now be text versions of the numbers in column A. Now, copy column B back to Column A. Delete the temporary Column A.

The key to this technique is the =TEXT() function. The second parameter describes how the number should be formatted before being converted to text. You may need to adjust this based on your numbers. The result of =TEXT(123.25,”0″)will be 123.
The result of =TEXT(123.25,”0.0″)will be 123.3.
The result of =TEXT(123.25,”0.00″)will be 123.25.
To always keep only the decimals as entered, use=TEXT(A2,”General”).

This function is also useful for converting dates to formatted dates. Assuming you’ve set Windows to use the Indian system for dates, if you have ’10/05/2005′ in cell A2, then using =TEXT(A2,”d mmmm, yyyy”)
will give you ’10 May 2005′.

The ‘Custom Animation’ dialog box will open and your sound file should be listed. Click the arrow directly to the right of the sound icon to pull down various options. Select ‘Effect Options’, and on the ‘Effects’ tab, select the radio button beside Stop Playing > After, and select the number of slides that you would like the music to continue to play through.

If you want the sound to continue through the end of the presentation, enter a very large number, such as 999. Now select the ‘Timing’ tab. To play automatically, the timing should be set to ‘After Previous’ with a 0-second delay. Click OK to close the dialog box. Your music track will now continue after you leave the slide on which you placed it, and play until it reaches the slide number which you entered to ‘Stop Playing’.

Change The Colour Of Your Hyperlinks
To change the colour of your hyperlinks in PowerPoint 2002 and 2003 to match the colour scheme of your presentation, choose ‘Slide Design’ from the Format menu. Click ‘Color Schemes’ in the ‘Slide Design’ window. ‘Apply a color scheme:’ appears beside the thumbnail images at the top of the window. Click ‘Edit Color Schemes’ at the bottom of the window, and the ‘Edit Color Scheme’ dialog box appears. Click the Custom tab. Eight coloured squares will now be visible. The bottom two squares, ‘Accent and hyperlink’ and ‘Accent and followed hyperlink’ are the colours used in your presentation for your text hyperlinks, and visited text hyperlinks. Double-click the ‘Accent and hyperlink’ colour square; this sets the colour of your hyperlinked text. Choose a new ‘Standard’ or ‘Custom’ colour in the colour selection dialog box that appears, and click ‘OK’. Now double-click the ‘Accent and followed hyperlink’ colour square; this sets the colour of your visited hyperlinked text. Choose a new ‘Standard’ or ‘Custom’ colour in the colour selection dialog box that appears,and click OK.

Click ‘Apply’ if you wish to apply these colours to the current slide only, or click ‘Apply to All’ to apply the change to all text hyperlinks throughout your entire presentation.

Dual Displays
You can use PowerPoint to display your presentation on one screen, or projector, to an audience, while you read notes, and control your presentation, from another screen without your audience seeing what you are reading. In order to achieve this, your system hardware must support dual monitors.

The ‘Custom Animation’ dialog box will open and your sound file should be listed. Click the arrow directly to the right of the sound icon to pull down various options. Select ‘Effect Options’, and on the ‘Effects’ tab, select the radio button beside Stop Playing > After, and select the number of slides that you would like the music to continue to play through.

If you want the sound to continue through the end of the presentation, enter a very large number, such as 999. Now select the ‘Timing’ tab. To play automatically, the timing should be set to ‘After Previous’ with a 0-second delay. Click OK to close the dialog box. Your music track will now continue after you leave the slide on which you placed it, and play until it reaches the slide number which you entered to ‘Stop Playing’.

Change The Colour Of Your Hyperlinks
To change the colour of your hyperlinks in PowerPoint 2002 and 2003 to match the colour scheme of your presentation, choose ‘Slide Design’ from the Format menu. Click ‘Color Schemes’ in the ‘Slide Design’ window. ‘Apply a color scheme:’ appears beside the thumbnail images at the top of the window. Click ‘Edit Color Schemes’ at the bottom of the window, and the ‘Edit Color Scheme’ dialog box appears. Click the Custom tab. Eight coloured squares will now be visible. The bottom two squares, ‘Accent and hyperlink’ and ‘Accent and followed hyperlink’ are the colours used in your presentation for your text hyperlinks, and visited text hyperlinks. Double-click the ‘Accent and hyperlink’ colour square; this sets the colour of your hyperlinked text. Choose a new ‘Standard’ or ‘Custom’ colour in the colour selection dialog box that appears, and click ‘OK’. Now double-click the ‘Accent and followed hyperlink’ colour square; this sets the colour of your visited hyperlinked text. Choose a new ‘Standard’ or ‘Custom’ colour in the colour selection dialog box that appears,and click OK.

Click ‘Apply’ if you wish to apply these colours to the current slide only, or click ‘Apply to All’ to apply the change to all text hyperlinks throughout your entire presentation.

Dual Displays
You can use PowerPoint to display your presentation on one screen, or projector, to an audience, while you read notes, and control your presentation, from another screen without your audience seeing what you are reading. In order to achieve this, your system hardware must support dual monitors.

These will give you better graphics as compared to commonly-used platforms.

Go Wirefree
Most notebooks today offer Wi-Fi capabilities. Check the Wi-Fi standard supported by the model you are considering for purchase. An 802.11 b/g device will give you higher data throughput as compared to 802.11b.

Upgrade
Check if the notebook is upgradeable at a later stage. Some options to look for when upgrading your laptop are the RAM, the CPU, and the hard drive. Are the upgrades something you can do yourself, or do they require visits to a service centre?

Build Quality Is Important
Since laptops are meant to be carried around, good build quality is essential. Opt for a notebook that has a rugged build quality that can withstand jerks and shocks. The optical drive tray, the screen hinges and latch, the panel on top of the keyboard, and the overall casing are good indicators of build quality.

Warranty Issues
Warranty is also an important consideration. Make sure you get a global warranty if you travel abroad frequently. Even if you don’t, make sure the service centre is easily accessible in terms of location and distance so you can get any problems rectified quickly.

Optical Drives
Most notebooks these days come with a DVD/CD-RW combo drive by default. Make sure the notebook you plan to buy has a combo drive if not a DVD- Writer. A combo drive will enable you to read DVDs as well as write CDs.

Optical Drive Location
Check for the location of the optical drive. An optical drive placed in the front may be a hindrance while working in cramped spaces, or when the notebook is placed on your lap.

Wider Is Better
Notebooks that come with wide screens offer a  better movie-viewing experience. They are also useful while working with large spreadsheets. Also, look for decent quality integrated speakers if you want to enjoy movies and music on the move.

Hot Laps
Make sure the notebook you plan to buy does not get too hot after a while. A hot laptop on your lap may pose a serious health risk!

Storage
Most notebooks come with 40 GB hard drives. If this does not seem enough, see if you can get an upgrade to a larger capacity hard drive. The drive’s rotational speed also impacts performance. While 4200 rpm drives are the most common, look for higher rpm hard drives for better performance.

Go Legal
When purchasing a laptop, make sure it comes with legal software. Some vendors may not provide you with legal copies of the software. Verify that the software that comes with your laptop is on an original CD, and has a software license or registration number.

Laptop Drivers
Check and make sure you get all the required drivers on a disk along with the laptop. A recovery disk is also preferable, and will come in handy in case of a system crash.

Connectivity Options
The available ports on a notebook will define the types and number of peripheral devices you can connect. Most notebooks come with 56K modems and at least 10/100 Ethernet integrated, so the notebook will have RJ11 and RJ45 ports for connecting a telephone cord and a network cord respectively.

Typically, you should look for at least two USB ports, a parallel port to connect a printer, a VGA port for connecting a projector or an external monitor, and Audio Out and Mic In ports to connect speakers and a microphone respectively.

PC card slots are also essential, and you should check the types of PC cards that are supported. An infrared port, if available, will let you connect compatible devices such as cell phones to your notebook, while a FireWire port lets you connect digital such devices as video cameras. Look for these ports if you feel you will require them even at a later stage. Additional ports such as S-video out are also welcome!

One-handed Operation
Some notebook models, especially those with larger screens, come with two latches that will require you to use both your hands to open the device. This may be inconvenient in some situations, for instance, when you are speaking on the phone. Look for a laptop that has a single latch.

Touch The Pad
Most notebooks these days feature touchpads. Make sure the laptop you plan to buy has one that is large and offers smooth and jerk-free control of the pointer. Some notebooks also provide pointing sticks as the pointing device. Go for one with which you are most comfortable.

Memory Card Reader
If you own a digital camera or any other device that uses a memory card (such as SD, MMC, CF or Memory Stick), it makes sense to purchase a notebook that has an inbuilt memory card reader. This way, you can transfer data to and from the card without the need to buy a separate memory card reader. Check whether the card reader in the notebook is compatible with the type of memory card you use.

Ease Of Use
Some notebooks feature scroll keys along with the touchpad keys to enable vertical and/or horizontal scrolling in large documents. Some also feature hotkeys for launching your favourite applications.

Additional Features
Additional features, including integrated Bluetooth, biometric security, keyboard light and integrated Web cams, are offered in some models. Since these extra features also affect the pricing of the laptop, opt for one that has the features you need.

USING A LAPTOP

Shortcuts To Success
Create shortcuts to your most commonly used applications, folders and files on the desktop. This way, you can access them quickly. If you like your desktop clutter-free, you can also create custom toolbars in Windows XP.

To do this, right click on the Windows taskbar, go to ‘Toolbars’ and click on ‘New Toolbar’. Next, choose the drive or folder you want to access using the toolbar. You can create different toolbars for different drives and folders. To remove a toolbar you added, right click on the Windows taskbar, go to ‘Toolbars’, and uncheck the toolbar. This is useful for sales executives who want easy access to presentations, proposals and other information on a day-to-
day basis.

Boot Faster
To make your notebook boot faster, remove unwanted programs from startup. To do this, go to Start > Run, type “msconfig” and press [Enter]. Go to the Startup tab and uncheck any programs you do not need. Click on ‘OK’ and then click on ‘Exit’ without restarting. The unchecked programs will not run the next time you boot.

Clean Up The Junk
Uninstall any applications you do not use. Apart from saving on disk space, you will also prevent your notebook from slowing down.

Be Resourceful
Keep backups of the operating system, drivers and commonly used applications on a secondary partition so that you can do some re-installing on your own if you face some issues while travelling. Carry driver CDs and recovery disks with you.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Since a notebook may be connected to different networks, such as at a client’s office, for example, it is essential you use a good anti-virus and firewall software. Update your virus definitions frequently. An anti-spyware program is recommended.

These will give you better graphics as compared to commonly-used platforms.

Go Wirefree
Most notebooks today offer Wi-Fi capabilities. Check the Wi-Fi standard supported by the model you are considering for purchase. An 802.11 b/g device will give you higher data throughput as compared to 802.11b.

Upgrade
Check if the notebook is upgradeable at a later stage. Some options to look for when upgrading your laptop are the RAM, the CPU, and the hard drive. Are the upgrades something you can do yourself, or do they require visits to a service centre?

Build Quality Is Important
Since laptops are meant to be carried around, good build quality is essential. Opt for a notebook that has a rugged build quality that can withstand jerks and shocks. The optical drive tray, the screen hinges and latch, the panel on top of the keyboard, and the overall casing are good indicators of build quality.

Warranty Issues
Warranty is also an important consideration. Make sure you get a global warranty if you travel abroad frequently. Even if you don’t, make sure the service centre is easily accessible in terms of location and distance so you can get any problems rectified quickly.

Optical Drives
Most notebooks these days come with a DVD/CD-RW combo drive by default. Make sure the notebook you plan to buy has a combo drive if not a DVD- Writer. A combo drive will enable you to read DVDs as well as write CDs.

Optical Drive Location
Check for the location of the optical drive. An optical drive placed in the front may be a hindrance while working in cramped spaces, or when the notebook is placed on your lap.

Wider Is Better
Notebooks that come with wide screens offer a  better movie-viewing experience. They are also useful while working with large spreadsheets. Also, look for decent quality integrated speakers if you want to enjoy movies and music on the move.

Hot Laps
Make sure the notebook you plan to buy does not get too hot after a while. A hot laptop on your lap may pose a serious health risk!

Storage
Most notebooks come with 40 GB hard drives. If this does not seem enough, see if you can get an upgrade to a larger capacity hard drive. The drive’s rotational speed also impacts performance. While 4200 rpm drives are the most common, look for higher rpm hard drives for better performance.

Go Legal
When purchasing a laptop, make sure it comes with legal software. Some vendors may not provide you with legal copies of the software. Verify that the software that comes with your laptop is on an original CD, and has a software license or registration number.

Laptop Drivers
Check and make sure you get all the required drivers on a disk along with the laptop. A recovery disk is also preferable, and will come in handy in case of a system crash.

Connectivity Options
The available ports on a notebook will define the types and number of peripheral devices you can connect. Most notebooks come with 56K modems and at least 10/100 Ethernet integrated, so the notebook will have RJ11 and RJ45 ports for connecting a telephone cord and a network cord respectively.

Typically, you should look for at least two USB ports, a parallel port to connect a printer, a VGA port for connecting a projector or an external monitor, and Audio Out and Mic In ports to connect speakers and a microphone respectively.

PC card slots are also essential, and you should check the types of PC cards that are supported. An infrared port, if available, will let you connect compatible devices such as cell phones to your notebook, while a FireWire port lets you connect digital such devices as video cameras. Look for these ports if you feel you will require them even at a later stage. Additional ports such as S-video out are also welcome!

One-handed Operation
Some notebook models, especially those with larger screens, come with two latches that will require you to use both your hands to open the device. This may be inconvenient in some situations, for instance, when you are speaking on the phone. Look for a laptop that has a single latch.

Touch The Pad
Most notebooks these days feature touchpads. Make sure the laptop you plan to buy has one that is large and offers smooth and jerk-free control of the pointer. Some notebooks also provide pointing sticks as the pointing device. Go for one with which you are most comfortable.

Memory Card Reader
If you own a digital camera or any other device that uses a memory card (such as SD, MMC, CF or Memory Stick), it makes sense to purchase a notebook that has an inbuilt memory card reader. This way, you can transfer data to and from the card without the need to buy a separate memory card reader. Check whether the card reader in the notebook is compatible with the type of memory card you use.

Ease Of Use
Some notebooks feature scroll keys along with the touchpad keys to enable vertical and/or horizontal scrolling in large documents. Some also feature hotkeys for launching your favourite applications.

Additional Features
Additional features, including integrated Bluetooth, biometric security, keyboard light and integrated Web cams, are offered in some models. Since these extra features also affect the pricing of the laptop, opt for one that has the features you need.

USING A LAPTOP

Shortcuts To Success
Create shortcuts to your most commonly used applications, folders and files on the desktop. This way, you can access them quickly. If you like your desktop clutter-free, you can also create custom toolbars in Windows XP.

To do this, right click on the Windows taskbar, go to ‘Toolbars’ and click on ‘New Toolbar’. Next, choose the drive or folder you want to access using the toolbar. You can create different toolbars for different drives and folders. To remove a toolbar you added, right click on the Windows taskbar, go to ‘Toolbars’, and uncheck the toolbar. This is useful for sales executives who want easy access to presentations, proposals and other information on a day-to-
day basis.

Boot Faster
To make your notebook boot faster, remove unwanted programs from startup. To do this, go to Start > Run, type “msconfig” and press [Enter]. Go to the Startup tab and uncheck any programs you do not need. Click on ‘OK’ and then click on ‘Exit’ without restarting. The unchecked programs will not run the next time you boot.

Clean Up The Junk
Uninstall any applications you do not use. Apart from saving on disk space, you will also prevent your notebook from slowing down.

Be Resourceful
Keep backups of the operating system, drivers and commonly used applications on a secondary partition so that you can do some re-installing on your own if you face some issues while travelling. Carry driver CDs and recovery disks with you.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Since a notebook may be connected to different networks, such as at a client’s office, for example, it is essential you use a good anti-virus and firewall software. Update your virus definitions frequently. An anti-spyware program is recommended.

POWER-SAVING TIPS

Condition Your Battery
A new battery needs to be conditioned-it must be fully charged and discharged a few times before it can use its full capacity.

Leave Power Management To The Pros
Use the notebook’s power management features to improve battery life. You can set the device to switch off the LCD screen and hard drive after set intervals of time.

Screen Scream
The screen hogs a lot of battery power. To prolong battery life, dim the screen brightness when you are not connected to a power source.

Close Applications
Close any applications you are not using when on battery power. Running applications increase CPU utilisation, thus reducing battery lif