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Articles Tagged With computer

Ten Advantages to Using a Desktop for Attending an Online University

November 15th, 2010 by michaelm

One of the greatest benefits to attending college online is the possibility to study and work from anywhere. However, you may find more convenience by working from home using a desktop computer. Here are ten advantages to using a desktop for attending an online university.

1. Greater storage space
Desktop computers come with more memory and storage than laptop computers or net-books do, which allows you to retain important files for reference later.

2. Work with ease using a full screen and mouse
Many people enjoy the ease of having a full screen and mouse available. Though you can always purchase an additional mouse with USB cable, desktop computers are all-inclusive.

3. Higher processing power speeds up your work
As desktop computers come with higher-power processors, you can spend your time working rather than waiting for files to load or the internet to connect.

4. Larger monitor allows multiple windows and detailed work
When you work with a full-size monitor, you can open multiple windows to work in. For those working on detailed material such as graphic design, you also eliminate eye-strain.

5. Create a routine for yourself
A desktop computer encourages you to create a routine, as you will be more apt to plan time to work.

6. Keep all files in one space
With additional storage space, you’ll be able to keep all of your work in the same place instead of transferring files.

7. Better video card and graphics
Many desktop computers come equipped with better video cards and graphic displays, which improves your experience.

8. Have an organized workplace
By having a desktop computer with printer, speakers, and other attachments organized together in your workspace, you’ll create a system for yourself that can keep you focused.

9. Draw on references from previous courses
Desktop computers make it easy for you to reference past assignments and tutorials, whereas laptops can get cluttered and run slowly with extra files.

10. Use extra accessories with your computer
Many additional accessories, such as tablets or webcams, are easier to use with desktop computers that remain in a stationary work environment.

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Top Ten Advantages to Using a Laptop With Your Online University

November 12th, 2010 by michaelm

Taking an online course or working on an online degree is a flexible and convenient way to gain a valuable education experience. Many students choose this option every year, and more brick and mortar colleges are offering online education in addition to the traditional classroom. Should you use your home desktop or a laptop to take online classes? Here are ten advantages to using a laptop for attending an online university.

1. Flexibility. No longer do you have to be tied to one location when taking your online course or completing your degree. Work on your calculus at a cafe or your linguistics at the laundromat. The possibilities are endless.

2. Join a Community. Some students who take courses online complain about the lack of social interaction that students in traditional courses enjoy. By using your laptop, you can travel to study groups and co-working groups that allow for social interaction.

3. Get Help. There are many resources for students who take courses online and need extra help. By using your laptop, you can take your class to your tutor. Bring your laptop along during your tutoring session and give your tutor a better picture of your classwork.

4. Enjoy Free Internet Access. Take your laptop along to WiFi hot-spots and avoid paying high internet fees at home.

5. Take a Vacation. When you use your laptop to complete your classes, you can go on vacation without worrying about not completing your work assignments.

6. Freedom. When you use your laptop, you don’t have to worry about your work being interrupted if you move to a new location. Your laptop is as portable as you are.

7. Added Options. You can use your laptop in conjunction with your home desktop computer. Start your work at home on your computer, and finish up on the road with your laptop.

8. Affordability. With so many students depending on laptop computers to complete their coursework, the laptop is quickly becoming the more affordable option for student use.

9. Work on the Way to Work. Take your laptop along and complete your classes on the train or bus during your daily work commute.

10. Multimedia access. Many laptops offer multimedia options such as video, photo editing and sound editing. This can go a long way in assisting students in the graphic arts.

There are many ways that your laptop can assist you with your online classes. Just like your online education, the options are endless.

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Ten Things To Keep Your Computer Operating At Peak Efficiency While Attending An Online College

November 8th, 2010 by michaelm

The personal computer has become an essential item today. We depend on them for everything. That is why is essential for a student attending an online college to keep their computer operating at peak efficiency. Below are ten things to keep your computer operating at peak efficiency while attending an online college.

Anti Virus Program. Running a computer today without an anti virus program is suicide. There are dozens of high quality anti virus programs that can be downloaded. All of them will require a subscription fee. However, there are some very high-powered anti virus programs that are free. Avir and AVG are two of the best anti virus programs and their free.

Registry Cleaner. Be careful which registry cleaner you choose because the wrong one can make your machine toast. A good all-purpose cleaner will also clean out temporary Internet files and cookies. The best application for this is called ‘CCleaner’ with double C’s.

Defrag. Fragmentation slows a computer down. A high quality defrag can speed up your computer by rearranging files backed into their proper order and condensing them back into their original locations.

Check Disk. A check disk program written in assembly language can go through the surface of your entire hard drive and check for errors. When it finds an error, it will fix it for you. When it finds a bad block, it relocates the data and marks the block as bad.

Norton Utilities. A utility’s program will have a suit of essential tools to keep your computer at peak efficiency while attending an online college. There are some free ones available but this one is the best.

CPUID. Every computer should have an application like CPUID to identify the name brand and type of components and peripherals that in the PC. Should there be a catastrophic failure of one of the components the CPUID can identify it and help you locate the right part.

Advanced System Care Free. Whatever version of Windows you have, this will give it that “good as new” feel again.

Nero Back It Up. Every computer should have a good backup program with a regular schedule for backs ups. Why? Because one disaster can shut you down, while attending your online college.

Ghost. Every computer should have a disk imaging program to make a mirror copy of their hard drive should it fail and need to be replaced.

TPC/IP Utility. This is for advanced users only. Use it to tweak the Internet settings to keep your computer operating at peak efficiency while attending an online college.

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Ten Free Software Programs You Need To Download Before Beginning An Online Class

November 8th, 2010 by michaelm

Going to school has been made a bit easier! The open source community has developed free software programs that can be downloaded before beginning an online class. These make can make life much easier.

1.) Open Office. This suite of office utilities is just as good as its counterpart from Microsoft. A full featured text editor comes with a spell checker and the ability to make Web pages. It also comes with a spreadsheet program and can convert Adobe acrobat to flash.

2) Inkscape. This feature rich vector-art graphics program competes with its counterpart from Adobe. It makes high-quality images that can be used in a wide range of applications. Because vector-art is a mathematical representation of the image, it can be scaled to incredible sizes. This is definitely one of the best free software programs around.

3) gIMP. For photo retouching and manipulation there is none better than the GIMP. It also has a feature to “Photoshop” an image. This software is massively supported by the open source community and many of the Adobe plug ins work with the gIMP.

4) Free OCR. From time to time, a student may run into a situation where they need to convert the text in an image into something that can be used with a text editor. This free software is actually used by Google because it is so good.

5) 7Zip. Because it is much easier to send and receive files when they are compressed, every student should have a compression-decompression utility. This one is adaptable and can handle compress files from a variety of platforms. For instance, if a TAR file was made on Linux it can be opened up on in Windows machine using 7ZIP.

6) Client for Google Translate. During your exciting career as a student will be occasions where information will need to be translated. This is just the free application needed to do that.

7) Smart Scientific Calculator. Even art students will appreciate this free, full featured calculator.

Read Plus. Why bother to read your homework when you can have your computer read it to you! This free software uses a natural voice to read text.

9) Notalon. Taking notes just got easier. When you are done, export as a PDF and print.

10) Student Dog Organizer. Made by students for students this free software will become an essential part of your life.

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Computer Peripherals: Ten Things To Keep In Mind While Preparing Your Computer For Online College

November 8th, 2010 by michaelm

When enrolling in an online degree problem, the question invariably comes up of whether or not one’s computer is up to the task. Everyone knows the little quirks that personal computers have. There may be a constant issue with seeing videos on certain sites or never being able to read that file that is in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF). Many minor issues can be corrected easily by simply updating software already on the computer or downloading the latest versions of programs such as the free Adobe Acrobat Reader that will properly open and display PDF files.

To have the computer ready to go for online college courses, go through these tasks one by one:

1. Update the operating system (OS) to the latest drivers, service packs, security updates and other files by turning on the Auto Update function. Computers using a Microsoft OS should go to Control Panel/Automatic Updates.

2. Download and install the latest version of Java for the computer.

3. Download and install the latest Adobe Flash Player version.

4. Check with the online university’s guidelines for the type of system requirements for the computer needed to do the work.

5. If owning Microsoft Office for word processing and spreadsheets is too expensive right now, consider using the excellent free alternative called Open Office.

6. Be sure to do a thorough system scan for malicious software and viruses. Malwarebytes and AVG are two excellent programs that have paid versions, but their free counterparts work very well to rid a computer of viruses and malware.

7. Consider upgrading an older printer that uses expensive ink cartridges to a newer printer that has ink available at a much lower cost.

8. If not much time has been previously spent in front of a computer screen, it is a good idea to see an eye doctor first and tell him of the plan to attend an online college. Many people suffer from trying to focus on a computer screen and can get headaches. An inexpensive pair of glasses to use only at the computer can mitigate the issue in most cases entirely.

9. If the computer to be used for college is in a high traffic area of the home, move it to a room set aside for collegiate study purposes.

10. If there is no choice but to buy a new computer, consider a laptop only if portability will be a benefit now or at some time in the future. Most find that long hours working at a computer are more comfortable at a desktop computer.

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Ten Ways to Make Working on Assignments for Online Colleges More Efficient

November 7th, 2010 by michaelm

You may have already prepared for your online courses by creating a workspace and schedule for yourself, but it’s also important to be ready for productivity. Here are ten ways to make working on assignments for online colleges more efficient.

1. Create a folder system on your computer
Before your classes begin, you should create a folder for all of your schoolwork with sub-folders for each class, as well as different types of assignments.

2. Use the same accounts for all of your courses
Cut down on the time you spend checking e-mail by using the same account for all of your courses.

3. Do all of your work in the same programs
If you’re using a text editor or a graphics program for some of your courses, use the same program for every assignment you do. This will make files more search-able in the future.

4. Have shortcuts on your desktop
For the programs you’ll be using often, create a shortcut on the desktop for easy access.

5. Name your files consistently
Create a consistent naming system for your files, and name each new file in the same format. This improves your organization and saves time when you’re searching.

6. Bookmark important pages and resources
Have a bookmarking system to keep track of pages and resources you’ll need to come back to.

7. Keep records of your coursework
Maintain records of assignments, projects, and other interactions you have with your instructor, so that everything is on file if you need to refer back to it.

8. Label and archive e-mails in folders as they come in
Avoid becoming overwhelmed by e-mail, by processing each message when you receive it.

9. Maintain separate files and folders for different courses
Though your coursework should be together in a school folder, make sure to keep folders for each individual course separate, so that your business assignments aren’t mixed in with graphic design projects.

10. Keep an online calendar or desktop program to track your assignments
Stay on top of your schedule and your work by utilizing an online calendar or planning system.

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Ten Things You Shouldn’t Do To Your Computer Before Assignments are Due for an Online Course

November 7th, 2010 by michaelm

With the inception of online technology, it is possible for people to finally start or complete that college degree that was only a dream just a few years before. However, great emphasizes is placed upon technology, especially the computer itself. The typical online class convenes about four times per week with Sunday or Monday being the last day for all assignments to be turned in. Depending on the professor and the geographical location of the school, the due times varies; however, assignments are usually turned in before midnight on the due date. At times it seems to be a challenge because students on the west coast have more time than the students on the east- and vice-versa.

Numerous rules exist in online schooling and the number one rule that is never tolerated is late assignments. Some professors understand the pressures of turning in assignments especially, if the computer malfunctions at no fault of the student. Other professors are less lenient and are quickly to fail a student if the assignments are not turned in at the appropriate times. The best case scenario is to have a reserve computer and great time management skills- nevertheless; Murphy’s Law does exist in the world of online schooling. Murphy’s Law is the teasing suggestion that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. In lieu of listing things you should do- the list will reveal ten things you shouldn’t do to your computer before your assignments are due; no matter what online course is taken.

1.You Shouldn’t let your family, especially kids anywhere close to your computer- Murphy’s Law.

2.You Shouldn’t drink or eat anywhere next to your computer; once a student in Florida spilled a cup of coffee inside the monitor-a few hours before her team assignment was due! No credit was given and professor did not care.

3.You Shouldn’t defrag or attempt to clean out your computer before due date- accidental deletion of assignments can occur.

4.You Shouldn’t use more than one external memory drive (like a flash drive) at a time-during stressful times, you may lose the one that has the final assignment.

5.You shouldn’t leave the assignment only in the computer’s hard drive; the computer might get stolen, locked, or crash- and professor will not care.

6.You Shouldn’t synchronize any computer with another because a flaw in the system might wipe out all programs especially your assignment. Murphy’s Law- a student’s assignment was wiped clean when he synchronized his new iPad with his desktop.

7.You Shouldn’t mix operating systems (Mac and windows) between assignments and only use one operating system per assignment because the assignment may change the template especially accounting programs.

8.You Shouldn’t use you school computer for social or entertainment. A hacker may compromise your security and your assignment may become a victim.

9.You Shouldn’t buy a new router a day before the assignment is due because some router systems will take hours to work- Murphy’s Law- router will not be compatible.

10.You Shouldn’t stop your subscription of an off-site backing application or any equivalent method because the off-site location is where you easily locate and download your assignment after accidental deletion. Every year 43% of students and people lose their assignments and valuable files.

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Ten Ways To Customize Safari For Attending Online College Classes

November 4th, 2010 by michaelm

Safari is a great web browser to use while you obtain your education online to enhance your opportunities for the future. However, it is a good idea to customize it a bit so that your education will be much easier. Let’s take a look at the top ten ways to customize Safari for you online college classes.

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1. Set the Home Page

One of the first things you’ll want to do is to set Safari’s home page to your online college’s Web site. Every time you open Safari, you’ll be ready to start learning.

2. Bookmarks

You might want to bookmark a few learning sources, like online encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses.

3. Set Safari as Default

This is necessary in case you a open document from another program that needs to use a web browser. It can be frustrating if it uses another browser besides the one you want.

4. Specify Download Folder

The default download folder is buried somewhere on your hard drive, which makes it difficult to find course materials that you have downloaded.

5. Enable Tabbed Browsing

Tabbed browsing will allow you to open more than one window at a time. This is a must for when you are writing essays, and you need to consult a reference in another tab.

6. Enable AutoFill

It can be quite inconvenient to have to log in to your online courses every single time. AutoFill will fill in your username and password for you.

7. Make it Secure

You might want to adjust the security settings in Safari so that you don’t download any viruses or other malicious software. This could cause your computer to freeze right when you’re working on an important assignment.

8. Change Font Size

This makes reading course materials much easier on your eyes.

9. Automatic Updates

With automatic updates turned on, Safari will automatically update your browser from time to time to make your educational experience even better.

10. Parental Controls

If your children see you using the computer all the time, then it is inevitable that they will be curious and want to use it too. Keep them safe with this customization.

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Ten Ways To Customize Internet Explorer For Attending Online College Classes

November 4th, 2010 by michaelm

When starting online classes it is beneficial to set up your home computer so that when you are taking your online classes it is easier to navigate around without confusion. Online classes offer flexibility for any individual that works, has a family, or just simply doesn’t have the time to go to classes in person. This allows an individual to work on classes at his or her own pace. Below is a step by step guide in how to set up Internet Explorer for your online classes.

Step 1. Check and see which version of Internet Explorer you have. To check click help after you have opened Internet Explorer. Then click about. If your Internet Explorer is not 7.0 or higher, you need to upgrade it.

Step 2. Upgrade now if you need to. If you have the 7.0 or higher, skip this step. To update, click tools after you have opened Internet Explorer. Then click Windows update. Follow the instructions as prompted. When the update is completed restart the computer.

Step 3. Open Internet Explorer and click tools. Then click internet options. The dialog box will open at this time.

Step 4. Find the security tab and click it. Click on the green check mark labeled trusted sites. The words trusted sites will be highlighted in gray, now move the slider to medium security level and then click apply.

Step 5. Find the Enabled Protected Mode check box and then un-check it. If you are prompted to reboot your computer at this time, select no.

Step 6. Locate the Custom Level button and then click it. Scroll down in the scripting area and activate the following by using the radio buttons provided. Active Scripting, Allow Status Bar Updates Via Scripts, Allow Websites To Prompt For Information Using Scripted Windows, and Scripting of Java Applets. Click OK and then yes.

Step 7. Click the sites button on the internet options. Un-check if checked Require Server Verification. Add in the your schools website in the text box labeled “Add this website to the zone”. Click Add and then close.

Step 8. On the privacy tab uncheck “Turn On Popup Blocker” and then click apply.

Step 9. Click the sites button. Type in your online classes website url and then click Allow and then click OK twice.

Step 10. Add your schools online website URL to the trusted sites list to any other tool-bars you may have installed. Then exit and restart the PC for all changes to take effect.

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Ten Ways to Customize Google Chrome for Online Colleges

November 4th, 2010 by michaelm

Google Chrome is the web browser that is notable for its security and speed. Developed by Google in 2008, students have made Google Chrome a staple for all desktops. This list compiles the top ten Google Chrome customizations for students attending online college courses.

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1.) AutoPagerize is a Chrome browser extension that automatically loads up multiple pages on a website. For instance, college students read newspaper articles in the New York Times that have multiple pages to a single article. AutoPagerize automatically loads the other pages eliminating the need to click “next page”

2.) Note Anywhere allows the student to create sticky notes on a website. The sticky notes load automatically when the student revisits this website. Note Anywhere is a great customization for students performing research related web work.

3.) StayFocusd is a productivity customization for Chrome browser that limits the amount of time spent on time-wasting websites. The program is configurable by the student and monitors time spent. Perfect for the student with a knack for staying off topic.

4.) Wikipedia Companion is a function that allows the student to look up the meaning to any word on a webpage. A popup is displayed when a text is highlighted and a definition is given.

5.) Clip to Evernote is a productivity tool that allows students to make notes about a particular website and then retrieve later form the Evernote desktop app.

6.) Lazarus is function that resurrects crashed windows within Google Chrome. When a window is closed due to any reason at all, Lazarus revives Chrome tabs and saves data temporarily. It will even store previously entered data back in. This is perfect for students that have a web browser shut down while trying to respond to an essay question.

7.) IE Tab is a customization for Chrome that displays a page in an Internet Explorer mode. Some websites requires the use of Internet Explorer. Google Chrome is the only web browser a student will need with IE Tab.

8.) DayHiker is a Google Calendar that allows students to keep their schedule in order. Pop-ups will come up when a certain deadline is in place and will ask to block websites around this deadline.

9.) FastestChrome is a customization that adds to the efficiency of Google Chrome by auto paginating websites as well as other useful enhancements for college students.

10.) After the Deadline is a built-in spellchecker that also proofreads documents. The program will check for grammar and content mistakes and works with a majority of websites. When posting on an online discussion board, students can use this function to ensure proper grammar usage.

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