Podcast Show Notes - Kickstartnews Revue

. . . continued from October 2 , 2005 Show Notes

FlashPaste Problems

It's a handy utility, but there are still a few small bugs which SoftVoile programmer Nikolay Tyushkov is working on. The latest version of the software is v3.2. If you're thinking of trying FlashPaste because you regularly find yourself typing the same sorts of text over and over (addreses, greetings, salutations, introductions, etc., etc.), check out the FlashPaste forums for any bugs or other issues which might affect you. It's a good idea to check out any new software this way.

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Who said you can't run two monitors with a 9800 Pro? Of course you can! What on earth do think those two outputs on the back of the card are for? Here's a great support site which will help get your dual monitor setup going on just about any dual output ATI video card. Although the 9800's printed manual is useless, there are full dual display setup instructions on the CD which came with the card.

Microsoft has published a good FAQ about its proofing tools. Read it, decide whether or not you need to use Microsoft's proofing tools, then spend some time trying the different settings and configurations in order to familiarize yourself with their functionality. The only way to get used to proofing tools is to employ them at every opportunity in your work. Remember one thing though—after proofing a document (any document) using the Word or Office 2003 Proofing Tools, review every single word and line, keeping in mind that any proofing tool is only an adjunct to manual proofing and copyediting.

Respecting the foregoing, there is one book which writers working in English should read before all others:

The following three books should grace the shelves of your writing library. Each book is highly regarded reference work which will support your efforts:

Proofreading is challenging and rewarding work. Here's an excellent article on the subject.

It's not really a tough question. Windows XP, Mac OS X and Xandros Linux (among other Linux distributions) all function equally well. Networking works well, interaction among mixed networks also works well, printing works well, and all the software tools you can possibly imagine exist in droves for each platform. The only problems are related to proprietary software and to drivers for a few common hardware peripherals. Of the two issues, certainly proprietary software is the biggest bump. If you need a specific program that is proprietary to your business, and if that program only runs on Windows PCs, well, you're using Windows and you have to forget about Mac and Linux until such time as the developer of your proprietary software comes up with a version for another operating system. Aside from that, buy, install and use whichever operating system and computer tickles your fancy.

Always keep in mind that when it comes to file exchange, it's only the file format that matters. The operating system is irrelvant. A JPEG is a JPEG. A Word document is a Word document. An Excel or Excel-compatible spreadsheet is an Excel or Excel-compatible spreadsheet. Some minor differences exist between platforms when it comes to generating AVI files and other multimedia formats, but any minor import and export issues are dealt with almost automatically by the various free CODECs available for download.

When speaking with long-time Mac and Linux users, don't be surprised if they refer to Windows as the alternative to Mac and Linux. Keep in mind that Apple has been around just as long as Microsoft. Keep in mind that Linux was a viable alternative to Windows as much as five years ago. There are lots of choices out there. You may end up sticking with Windows, but I guarantee that you'll have a good time checking out the alternatives.

Here are some links to excellent web site design and construction books by Gerry McGovern, Jennifer Fleming and Jakob Nielsen, some web site design resources at WebMonkey, WebForumz and HTMLSource, a great article on recognizing bad web design advice, and the front door to Boogie Jack's Web Depot which is a great content and advice resource site. Of course these show notes wouldn't be complete without a link to Paul Rochford's Techspertise site.