Technology Break

A break from technology is good for the soul

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED June 25, 2010 11:32 p.m.

This column is usually written from home on my laptop. Most times there’s a TV on somewhere in the house; my cell phone is nearby and there is the ever-ringing land line. All of these potential distractions could keep me from writing.

This column’s first draft comes to you in longhand, written on a pad in front of a campfire from the woods north of Blood Mountain. I am here, camping with my daughter for a few days.

You surely realize that I enjoy technology as much as, if not more than, most everyone else. But on this occasion, I left my laptop at home, my phone in the car and have used electricity only to blow up my air mattress.

I’ve traded in my cell phone and computer for s’mores and a sleeping bag.

Why give up a perfectly good bed and all the conveniences of home, you ask? I believe that leaving technology behind every once in a while is healthy. As much as I like my computer and the Internet, a break is good and actually writing with a pen won’t kill me.

There are no emails, calls or text messages to reply to. There is no television or radio and the only sounds I hear are the wind in trees and the crackle of the fire. The only thing I have to connect with is nature, and it is a nice change. It’s like fasting; it’s good for your soul to give up what you like, at least temporarily. You may appreciate it that much more when you get back to it; at least I do.

Nothing is worse while in the woods when you are forced to endure the electronic noise of a fellow camper. I choose not have a TV, yet may still hear one from two sites down. Some folks just don’t understand camping etiquette.

I can’t understand why someone would go to the woods in a camper with a satellite dish strapped to a tree and a microwave bolted to the counter. Part of my enjoyment out there is being away from those devices. I especially enjoy making a fire and cooking with it and sitting by it.

iPods are great, but there are so many other things to listen to in the woods. You can always hear the Top Ten later. Give nature a chance for a change. Watching a stream or a waterfall and not hearing it is like walking through a flower bed without being able to smell it.

I used to know when the sun set, what phase the moon was in and the names and places of various constellations. I think technology helped to take that away from me.

Instead of trying to find Cassiopeia or Orion’s belt in the night sky while pondering The Big Bang Theory, I now tend to answer emails and send text messages while watching CBS’s Big Bang Theory on TV instead.

I used to listen to the wind and the birds, now all I hear is voice mail and my hard drive rebooting.

Sure, technology is great. Don’t get me wrong. I make a living using technology. I often stay up late researching various aspects of computing with my laptop. There is always a late night movie on TV, classic rock on the radio, catching up on Facebook and more that I couldn’t do without my techno-toys.

All I’m trying to say is taking a break is healthy. Your toys will be there after the break, for however long it may be.

Taking a vacation doesn’t have to be a trip to the Bahamas. Often all it takes is a change of your daily routine for a short while. That includes giving up your electronic devices. Like the old jingle went: “No phones, no lights, no motor cars; not a single luxury. Like Robinson Crusoe, it’s primitive as can be.”

Do it in the woods, the beach or in your own back yard. Just try it without TV, email or texting. You will find other, more basic things to do.

Primitive can be fun. Go for a walk; gather firewood or your thoughts; take a swim or take a nap. There is so much you could do.

Live dangerously: take off your watch, turn off the phone, ditch the to-do lists, the schedules and write a letter to a friend – a real letter. Surely you’ve got a pen and paper somewhere underneath all those CDs and cables.

There will be plenty of time when you get back for catching up on voice and e-mail, responding to texts and for reformatting your hard drive.

Email your friends when you get back and tell them how nice it was being incommunicado – what a nice change it was. Or wait and see how they respond to your letter that the mailman delivered to them.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly.

Computer Care: Work to make your digital photos look even better

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED June 11, 2010 11:32 p.m.

If you’ve ever posted photos on the Internet, whether on Facebook, eBay or attached one in an e-mail, then here are some ways to make the next ones better.

Even the simplest camera can yield good results. The trick to quality pictures is with the photographer, not the camera.

Those little cameras don’t have great optics, but you can still get a good image from them, especially if you’re only viewing it online.

When printing, you need more pixels — a better resolution. You want at least a couple of megabytes. For online viewing though, an image as small as 100kb is sufficient.

Also, you want to avoid making those who view your photos online having to endure a long download or having to scroll and scroll because you made it too large.

Whether you’re shooting a person or an object, consider the light.

Generally, you want the light source over your shoulder when taking photos. If it is behind the subject, your subject will be in the dark.

Don’t be afraid to use a flash outside during the day. You can easily override the camera’s automatic setting. Keep in mind that a flash will become ineffective after about 8 to 10 feet. Too close though, and you’ll wash out the subject and get hot spots.

When shooting at or through glass, remember what we learned in school.

The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. Stand at about a 45-degree angle to the subject to reduce glare.

If you shoot straight at it, the flash will bounce right back into the lens, ruining the picture.

Before you press the shutter release, scrutinize the picture you are about to take.

If it is a person, is there a tree or telephone pole coming out of their head? Either change your angle or move the person if there is.

Is it in focus? I’ve seen more good pictures that were blurry.

With most of today’s cameras, if you press the shutter release button halfway down while on the subject, it will focus it for you.

You should also get as close as possible to your subject. Sure, you can always crop it later, but still get close. Their faces will have a better exposure if you do.

Take more than one shot; lots more. It’s not like it costs anything. Try different angles; try it with and without a flash. It’s good practice to take lots more than you need.

This way you’re guaranteed at least one good one. Exposures might be off or eyes may be shut. There are also funny faces or out of focus shots to consider.

If you are shooting something small and your camera lacks a macro mode, try shooting through a magnifying glass.

This could come in handy if for example you’re putting a ring for sale on eBay or Craig’s List. Just beware of the glare on both the object and the glass itself. Auctions are always better with a few pictures.

If possible, use a tripod. Alternatively, put the camera on a table, rock, tree stump or whatever. Even digging your elbows into your ribcage will help steady the shot somewhat.

After the picture-taking process is finished and you’re back at your computer, use your software to do some real editing.

Whether with Photoshop or the free application that came with the camera, you can tweak the image to make it better.

Don’t just crop it — and most images do require cropping. Consider adjusting the brightness, contrast or gamma settings.

Many photo apps will have an “instant fix” button to click on. This way you don’t have to mess with all the tools manually.

Get rid of red-eye while you’re at it. Some cameras have a dedicated flash setting for it. By eliminating red-eye, it is one less thing to worry about in the editing phase.

Now’s the time to reduce the photo’s size, unless you plan to print it.

You can add finishing touches like a box or a frame around your image. Give it a 3-D effect by placing a shadow behind it.

Remember – and this is a big one — never make changes to the original photo.

Use the “Save as ...” option and create a secondary image. This way if you mess up a photo while experimenting, you can always start all over again from the original.

If after all is said and done, and you’re not happy with the final results, don’t settle for garbage.

Take another series of shots. It’s not like you have to pay to get them processed.

Take the time to compose and set up quality shots. Spend a little more time in your “darkroom” tweaking the photos.

It’s a creation of yours; take pride in it, whether your camera is a high-end digital SLR or just your cell phone.

You’ll feel good when that online item sells because of the photos you included or your friends leave you positive comments on the Facebook album that you posted.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly.

Rid Your System of Malware

Computer Care: Keep an eye out for malware, spyware

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

UPDATED May 28, 2010 11:29 p.m.

Have you ever tried to check your e-mail and found you couldn’t connect? Or maybe you clicked on an icon and nothing happened?

Perhaps your browser’s home page suddenly changed. Ever had your e-mail recipients tell you they got 20 of the same e-mail you sent once?

It’s malware. I have taken out more forms of malware infections from clients’ computers lately than viruses. The problem is, most computer users either ignore the warning signs or don’t know what they are.

Just like with a car, a PC requires regular maintenance, and checking for malware is part of it. There are free programs that will eradicate it; some suites incorporate a malware remover or you can buy dedicated utilities that will do the job.

As I’ve previously mentioned, I’m an advocate of download.com. It’s a good place to start when looking for a program, free or otherwise. All the programs I mention here are available there for download.

Some of the anti-virus suites on the market now that also have malware tools are AVG, Avira, Avast and Kaspersky. All of these have trail versions so you can test-drive them.

Some good free tools to have on your system are Super AntiSpyware, Malwarebytes, AdAware and Spybot. Keep in mind that many of the companies that sell utilities also have free versions of their product. The biggest difference is they lack any live support. They may also lack some bells and whistles the paid versions have. But they are better than not having anything installed.

The biggest mistake I see people do on their computers is to click on a button or link that suddenly appears out of nowhere. When you get an e-mail from someone you don’t know and it has a link, leave it alone. Just because it may say, “About the money I owe you,” in the subject line doesn’t mean you should click on it. It’s a scam. Delete that message.

Likewise, if you get a pop-up saying your system has 682 registry errors and you don’t have a registry utility installed, do not click on it. Windows will never advise you about these errors. Often, once you get those pop-ups, it’s too late. You are already infected.

If no matter what you click on, you get more pop-ups, then it’s time to buy a “real” program or call a technician to fix it.

In itself, having a lot of pop-ups is a way of knowing you have malware in the form of spy- or adware on your system.

One reason I like Firefox over Internet Explorer, is because it blocks pop-ups.

Aside from malware, what I call POJ can clog your system. That Plain Old Junk is the garbage files in your Recycle Bin, the temp files created by Windows, the history cache left by your browsers, the installers you once downloaded and more. If you get enough of these junk files, it will bring your system to its knees, causing it to slow down.

A good free utility to assist with that task is Advanced System Care. It will keep your registry tidy, optimizing your settings while keeping your system junk-free.

Another good source for free programs and utilities is giveawayoftheday.com. Sign up for their e-mails and wait for something that you can use. You have 24 hours to download and install each program. It will automatically be activated if you install it on time.

About programs like anti-virus and — malware: go to the scheduler and the update parts of the programs to make sure they are set properly. Set the update to automatic and schedule scans at a time when the computer is on, but not being used. Like with defrag, it is hard to use your computer when a scan is running.

Let your programs update as often as they want to and run scans on a regular basis. Check for viruses at least three times a week; the same for malware. Run a program like AVS weekly and defrag your hard drive once a month. Set up your system to put itself to sleep after a certain period of inactivity. Your hard drive will last longer if it’s not on 24/7 needlessly.

Use System Restore to create restore points that you could revert to, should something go wrong.

If you get an error message, especially on a blue screen (BSOD, the “Blue Screen of Death”), Google the exact message to find out what the problem is and take it from there. Use your computer to fix your computer. It’s a wonderful tool.

When you download programs, stay away from version 1.0 or 1.03. Let them work out the kinks and wait for at least Version 2.0.

Whatever you do, don’t ignore the problems. They will not go away. They will not fix themselves. They may go dormant for a while, but they’ll be back.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Primer in Computer Terminology

Computer Care: RAM from ROM — Some basic PC terminology

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED May 15, 2010 1 a.m.

Writing is a family tradition. Both of my daughters write and my wife has a biweekly column here in The Times. When I meet people around town, I often hear that they read our columns - and enjoy hers. It's just that mine is too technical for them to understand.

I try not to use much techno jargon, but I can't stop using the necessary terminology. I can try to help you understand it, yet I need to refer to components like the processor as such. I can't call it "the thingy that makes the computer run."

So let's have a brief primer in computing technology. There won't be a test at the end, but take notes anyway.

Since you use computers, there are certain terms you should be familiar with. It will help you when you need to troubleshoot your system. If you don't know your RAM from your ROM, F Keys from F-Stops or drag and drop from cut and paste (I could go on), then keep reading.

RAM is your system memory. The acronym means Random Access Memory. It is your computer's temporary storage in that when you power down, what is in RAM is lost.

Your hard drive is your permanent memory or storage device. When you save a document, that's where it goes. In today's PCs, you might have 2 gigabyte of RAM with a 300 GB hard drive.

ROM is Read Only Memory. That's what a DVD has when you get one with a movie on it. Your optical drive, the CD/DVD reader/writer, may say DVD ROM if it only reads DVDs.

Drag and drop is what you do with Windows files when you want to move them from one place to another. Let's say you have some photos on your desktop. Open your My Documents folder and find the My Pictures folder. Click and drag each photo on your desktop (holding the left mouse button down) on top of the Pictures icon and then let go. You just moved the photos there. If you use the right mouse button, you'll have the option of move or copy.

Cut and paste is when you highlight some text or an address to place somewhere else. Position your mouse at the beginning of the text and holding the left button down, go to the end of the text desired. Then right-click, choose Copy, or go to Edit from the top menus and choose Edit -> Copy.

Put your curser where you want to move or copy the text and then right-click again and choose Paste or go to Edit -> Paste. Alternatively you can use keyboard shortcuts Control + C for copy and Control+ V for paste.

The F Keys are the top row of keys, usually in blue. They are accessed in combination with the FN (Function) Key on the bottom left of your keyboard. They change things like screen contrast, toggle the wireless on and off or allow an external monitor. Just look at the icon on each key. Computers differ as to the function of each key.

F-stops are the aperture sizes on your camera's lens. That's another column altogether, but I did mention it.
Let's continue. You've heard about modems and routers. Some Internet service providers combine these two devices into one unit, but let's say you have two boxes. The modem, which means modulate, demodulate, gets the signal from your wall and your provider. The router spreads it around your home to various computers.

A flash drive, thumb drive, USB drive or whatever you decide to call it is that tiny storage device on your keychain. It usually holds anywhere from 1 to 16 GB. It is cheap, has no moving parts and will be the type of hard drive in computers in the very near future.

The processor is the actual chip that does most of the work. It is the CPU or Central Processing Unit. It could be Intel or AMD, single, dual or quad core. It is currently measured in gigahertz GHz (1-3) noting the speed of the processor.

Hardware is a tangible component in or on a computer. Software is a program it uses.

An e-mail client is Outlook, Outlook Express Windows Mail or Incredimail. Web Mail uses the Internet and online programs like Gmail, Hotmail and AOL Mail.

An attachment is something you send with an e-mail, whether it is a document or a photo.

Photos are often referred to as jpgs or jpegs, as that is a common file extension for a photo image (myphoto.jpg). Movies on the other hand are often called mpgs or mpegs as that is their extension. There are others for both.

If you take even this little bit of PC knowledge with you next time you computer shop, you'll know what the sales guy is talking about.

There will be a test next time.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on Saturdays. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Safe Mode for Self-Support

Computer Care: Safe Mode helps you track down system problems

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED May 1, 2010 4:28 p.m.

Before you call a technician to fix your computer, there are a couple of things you could try on your own. System Restore is one option, but we covered that in a previous column. Safe Mode is another option. The former loads an alternative version of the registry, one when everything was working the way it should.

When you can’t boot normally into Windows, the latter lets you into a version of the OS with only the absolute necessities running, allowing you to attempt repairs. You will not have sound, Internet or printing capabilities and the display will look different. It will load with only 16 colors and a resolution of 640 x 480, making everything look larger. Although limited, you will have enough functionality to troubleshoot your problem.

Once there, you’ll be able to destroy malware, eradicate viruses, address system conflicts and repair your registry, if it warrants it.
So how do you get there? Reboot your computer and tap the F8 key immediately after the initial messages appear on screen. If you get to the Windows logo, you missed your window of opportunity. Reboot and try again.

You’ll see a window entitled “Advanced Options Menu” if you did it correctly. The top option is Safe Mode, but there’s another one you should try first.

Halfway down the list, find “Last Known Good Configuration” and click on it. It is a form of System Restore that will take you back to better times. It may or may not work for you, but it’s worth a try.

After booting into Windows with that option, if nothing has changed reboot and try again. This time hit the top Safe Mode option. You’ll get a confirmation pop-up advising you that you’re about to enter Safe Mode. Click “Yes” to continue.

If you get a password window and don’t have one, just hit enter and continue. You’ll see a black screen with scrolling text. This is normal. When it settles down and you are in Windows, you’ll see the words “Safe Mode” in all four corners of the screen.

If this didn’t work for you, there is another way to get there. From inside Windows, click “Start,” and then “Run” in XP or use the Search box in Vista or 7. Type “msconfig” to bring up the System Configuration Utility. Under the Boot.ini tab, check the box next to “Safeboot” and make sure the “minimal” option is also checked. When you reboot, you’ll be where you need to be.

Now it’s time to get to work. You’ll need to play detective and try to figure out what changes to your system stopped it from working properly. Determine if the culprit was newly added hardware, software or an updated driver.

When you add these things, it’s important to be certain they are compatible with your particular operating system. Windows is not Windows. If you have Win 7, make sure the box or Web site you got it from says, “Compatible with Windows 7.”

Use the proper delete method for whatever you are getting rid of. Control Panel has Add/Remove Hardware and Software utilities or you could use third-party applications.

Uninstall that new program, reboot and see if it helped. Then try uninstalling the printer or mouse you just added, reboot and see if that helped. Then try the drivers. Do it in steps.

If you want to roll back a device driver, go to Device Manager and double-click on the mouse, for example. Then choose to roll it back to a previous version.

To get out of Safe Mode, you only need to reboot normally, unless you had to use the System Configuration Utility. In that case, go back and uncheck the box you initially checked for Safe Mode.

If all of this troubleshooting fails to remedy your problem, it’s time to get out the big guns. Find your Windows CD.

If you boot to it, you can choose to initiate a Windows repair. If you’re not careful, you’ll be reinstalling Windows, which you may have to end up doing anyway, but not yet.

The second time you’re asked, hit “R” to run the repair module. It will appear as if Windows is reinstalling, bit in fact it is just copying and replacing files. When all is done, you’ll still have your programs and documents.

Don’t abort this process. You’ll only be asking for more trouble if you do and will have to finish it later anyway.

If the repair didn’t take, the last thing to try is a complete and full reinstallation of Windows. That WILL delete your files and you’ll be starting from scratch. But at least everything will work as it should.

Don’t jump to conclusions so fast though. That’s why there is Safe Mode. It will let you in to fix the system when you couldn’t normally. Try using it first. It could save you both time and money.

We techs are always here if you need us.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

File sharing instaed of file attaching

Computer Care: File sharing now made easier thanks to free upload sites

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

UPDATED April 17, 2010 1 a.m.

Have you ever tried to send someone an e-mail with an attachment that you wanted to share, something you were passionate about, only to discover it has been rejected by the server?

Even if you don't know what a server is or why it rejects attachments, it happens.

Servers are the computers that filter, store and forward communications at both your ISP and the recipients'. Some will reject files larger than 5 MB, while others allow up to 20 MB. Even if yours will allow a large file to be sent, it may be blocked at the other end. There is though, a way around this obstacle.

Short of attaching your video, song or string of images to an e-mail, you can upload it to a file-sharing Web site. Each works somewhat differently, but is basically the same. Most have free plans that allow you to share your files with your buddies. File size may be limited, but is still 10 times or more than what your ISP would allow.

Your files are viewed by invitation, encrypted for security and optionally password protected should you want a heightened defense.

Some allow only one file at a time, some have time limits; how long the file could stay at the site. Others limit the amount of times the file may be accessed, still usually at least 100 times though.

Let's begin with dropbox.com. After you download and install a small applet, you have a program that will sync the files on all of your computers and will also let you share files with others.

At sendthisfile.com, it's all done from their site. After registration, you can send any size file, but it will only remain available for three days and with the free plan, you can send to only three recipients.

With ofile.com, you have 3GB of free storage space with their provisional plan. It's good for two months.

Wetransfer.com offers 2GB of free storage and there is no registration required, making it extremely easy to use. From their site, enter the files to share, your e-mail address and those of your recipients along with an optional message. Hit transfer and that's it. Your files can be shared with up to 20 others and will be there for two weeks.

Filedropper.com, also easy to use, allows 5 GB of free storage and as long as the file is being downloaded, it is kept on their servers. After you upload a file, you copy a link and send to your friends to download it.
At yousendit.com, their Lite account is free for a gigabyte of storage and transfer. You can only send one file at a time, but it can be up to 100 MB.

None of these file-sharing sites slam you with ads or banners promoting some other cause. At wetransfer, the background is an ad, but more like a screensaver and is more pleasant than annoying.

These sites offer free plans with the hopes you'll want you to buy into one of their pay plans. There is no waiting while you watch an advertisement. You get a link to a file and that's it.

Obviously, the paid plans on all of the sites are enhanced. They have faster speeds; allow larger files, more recipients and options such as tracking, express delivery and resumable uploads or downloads should a connection be interrupted.

You'll also have the option of keeping a file private, so only you can see it (for backup purposes).

Yousendit for example, installs a plug-in that becomes integrated to Outlook. When you attempt to send a file, it asks if you want to attach it to an e-mail or use their service instead.

Keep in mind there is more to these services than simple file sharing with others. It is also a good way use the cloud to back up your important files. Duplicate the ones you don't want to chance losing. Send up copies of best photos, your tax documents and your resume.

The primary purpose of these sites and of this column though, is to stress the ease at which one can share files with others. To give you an idea how easy this can be, I'll share a file with you. Go to this link: http://www.filedropper.com/arthur-image and get my byline photo. It may not be a keepsake, but you'll get an idea how easy the process is.

It took 20 seconds to upload it and should take just as long to download. Normally, someone would have e-mailed the link to you.

Go to the Web sites listed above and give them a try. You'll see the differences between them, and with all, how easy file-sharing can be. Perhaps initially, send yourself a file to test the process. Use the file I sent you if you want.

Forget about worrying whether your file is too large an attachment for you to e-mail. Try sharing instead of attaching.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Free Alternative Operating Systems

Linux offers a free Windows alternative

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED April 2, 2010 6:56 p.m.

Free is good, especially when it refers to computing. I think just about everyone would agree to that statement.

In computing there is trialware, which is software that is free to try; freeware, which is no-cost software to keep, and open source software, which is somewhat different still.

The open source programs follow the rules of FOSS, Free Open Source Software, and the GNU Project, a free software, mass collaboration project that began in 1983 at MIT. They state the programs are to be free of cost but also free to implement change.

The source code that was used to write the software is to be included with the program.

The philosophy leans more toward the concept of free speech, rather than free beer.

If you download Program 2.0 from the Internet and know of a way to improve on it, you do. Then you send it back from where you got it, making note of the changes and rename it version 2.1.

We’ll get to software in a minute, but on a grander scale, there are free operating systems. Early in the last decade of the last century, Linus Torvalds, a then 21-year-old University of Helsinki computer programmer, wrote some Unix-like code that was to be a free operating system, one he didn’t think would catch on.

Today, Linux, as it has come to be known, is available in dozens of languages as well as in dozens of “distros,” or distributions, in both 32- and 64-bit. The most well known is perhaps Red Hat, but there is also Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, Knoppix, Xandros, Mandriva and many more.

Linux began in the DOS age as a command prompt operating system, eventually morphing into a GUI, or Graphical User Interface, as Windows is now. It still helps if you know some of the old commands, but you don’t have to.

Some distros you don’t even have to install. These are called “live” versions and are generally a bit smaller in content than their big brothers.

Look at zenwalk.org for a good one. They run at boot from the system memory. You put the CD in, boot your computer and in three minutes you are running a version of Linux, a turn-key, free operating system. When you reboot, you’re back in Windows. It is that easy. I’m not making this up.

If you have a large enough hard drive, you can install Linux next to Windows. Have a dual-boot computer. When you turn it on, you’ll have the option of booting into the OS of your choice.

All versions come loaded with applications, utilities and games. You can write a document or scan one, use a calculator, send e-mail, connect to the Internet, chat online, edit photos, listen to music, watch videos or create one, create a Web site, burn CDs, play solitaire or Sudoku and more — all for free.

The equivalent of Office, Visio, Ghost, Paint, Roxio and Movie Maker are respectively: Open Office, Dia, Cineluna, Clonezilla, Gimp and Infra Recorder.

Go to www.openoffice.org for the free version of that nice Office-like suite.

Just as with the distros, there are many more free apps available for download. A couple of good places to start are at www.linux.org and www.linuxfreedom.com/distros. You’ll find links to the distros, applications from anti-spam programs to MP3 players and fun things like Alien Arena and Astro Menace.

You may find fees at some of the sites. That is only if you want an actual CD with Linux on it. It also covers support. But if you find the download button, there will be no charge. Download the iso file, burn it to a CD or DVD and you’re good to go. There are also many good tutorials on the sites if you need help. Linux users also have lots of online forums you can join or browse for answers.

It needs saying that Linux computers don’t catch viruses or get infected with malware. Not like Windows PCs do, anyway. I don’t believe it’s because the system is immune though. I think it’s more due to the fact there are simply not enough Linux users that warrant the writing of nuisance viruses by the netcompoops that do. As Linux systems become more mainstream, they, too, will most likely also succumb to viruses.

Even though you are a Windows user, whether XP, Vista or Win 7, you should still consider trying Linux. Install it to a large hard drive or just run it from RAM. Either way, you’ll be impressed with its versatility and stability.

Not only will you have a new OS to explore with new apps and games to try, but Linux proves to be a valuable tool as well. Should you experience trouble with your Windows installation as many of us do, Linux gives you a back door to your files.

From the Linux file manager you can access Windows files and either invoke a repair or save them to an alternative destination.

So although there may be no such thing as free beer, an investment in Linux is worthwhile and won’t cost a dime.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.