| Are you considering a transition to Vista or the new | | | | to contract negotiations and other business |
| Microsoft Office suite and wondering if your current | | | | applications. To take full advantage of this application |
| computer can handle it? Are you thinking about making | | | | you need a pen enabled (Tablet) PC with microphone, |
| the investment into a new computer and want to | | | | speakers and OneNote. Once you experience |
| make sure that it can support the Vista and Office in | | | | OneNote, you will become more versatile than you |
| six months? Are you wondering how long you can | | | | never imagined, and it is as easy as using a pen on |
| wait to make the change, and what you will have to | | | | paper. |
| deal with if you stay with the current operation system | | | | 7. Ribbons Replace Toolbars |
| and applications? These top ten tips are designed to | | | | Get ready for a learning curve with the new Office |
| give you an informed perspective of the current step | | | | applications. The familiar Toolbars are replaced with |
| in the transition of technology. | | | | intelligent Ribbons. The good news is that the intelligent |
| 1. Vista Minimum System Requirements | | | | ribbons only show icons and options that apply for the |
| The minimum system requirements to be classified as | | | | application and embedded objects. For example, if you |
| Vista compatible is an 800 Megahertz processor and | | | | insert a chart, then the chart functions will be visible. If |
| 512 megabytes of system memory. However, you will | | | | you do not have a chart, the chart options will not be |
| probably want to use your computer for more than | | | | visible. While this eliminates clutter, it will also initially |
| running an operating system. If you plan on running | | | | create some confusion while learning the new buttons. |
| multiple applications, and do not want time to run out | | | | Sometimes icons will appear and sometimes they will |
| for coffee while your computer opens email, your | | | | not, based on the objects in your document or file. This |
| minimum requirements should meet the Vista Premium | | | | can create a "where did that go?" syndrome while you |
| Ready designation requirements of a minimum 1 | | | | learn the new Office suite of applications. The best |
| Gigahertz processor and 1 Gigabyte of system | | | | advice is that "you like what you are used to", so get |
| memory. To put is simply, if you are shopping for | | | | used to the new Office Ribbons and you will like them |
| computer hardware in 2007, think "1 Giga x 1 Giga" | | | | just fine. |
| Minimum. "More really is better." | | | | 8. Excel |
| 2. The difference between Vista Capable and Vista | | | | The new version of Excel is just what you would |
| Premium Ready | | | | expect for bean counters, it is bigger and prettier. The |
| Vista capable computers have the absolute minimum | | | | revamped spreadsheet can now support more the |
| system requirements. Unfortunately, 800 Megahertz | | | | one million rows and 16,000 columns, as if preparing the |
| and 512 megabytes will not support the "Aero" | | | | budget and forecast was not long enough already. |
| interface with glass tabs and see-through windows. | | | | Three dimensional, shadowed and transparent effects |
| You might not think that these slick features are | | | | make charts fancier. "Conditional formatting" makes it |
| important right now, but after six months you will | | | | easy to apply icons or colors to cells based on the |
| experience computer envy as the person sitting next | | | | content or value, so it is much easier to spot trends. |
| to you on the plane, train or coffee shop is using the | | | | These are important features to the people who need |
| new features to browse the web or layered | | | | to review and approve your budget for new |
| applications. Vista Premium Ready requires the "1 Giga | | | | hardware! |
| x 1 Giga" processor and system memory. Don't be | | | | 9. Word |
| lured by slightly lower cost systems that have inferior | | | | If you were not yet convinced about making the |
| processor power or memory. It would be like putting | | | | transition to the new Office Suite, consider this, the file |
| bicycle tires on your new Mercedes, it might look good | | | | extensions have changed again. You may remember |
| from the right angle but you aren't going to get | | | | the last significant transition of Office when you had to |
| anywhere very fast. Look for the Premium logo and fill | | | | save your Word documents in a format that your |
| your tank with a double dose of Giga power. | | | | friends, colleagues and customers could read with their |
| 3. Vista Security | | | | old versions of office. Well, happy days are here again. |
| Microsoft Vista is the most secure operating system | | | | The new version of Word saves files as compressed, |
| from Microsoft to date. It includes restrictive firewalls, | | | | efficient and secure XML files with a ".docx" extension. |
| tools to block spyware and phishing, and blocks some | | | | If you want to share your new ".docx" file with one of |
| email scams intended to steal personal data. Internet | | | | the magnitude of users who have the current version |
| Explorer 7 has three levels of warnings about potential | | | | of office, you will need to "Save As" a ".doc" file by |
| phishing sites. The IE7 browser also quarantines | | | | selecting "Word 97-2003 Document" for each file that |
| malicious viruses. You can count on Microsoft to | | | | you want to share. If you think that this is inconvenient, |
| release updates and patches to continually maximize | | | | just imagine being one of the "Word 97-2003 . doc" |
| security and protection against new worms and | | | | users when everyone else has started to migrate to |
| viruses. | | | | the new XML "docx" file format. If you do not upgrade, |
| 4. Vista Ease of Use | | | | you will need to download a compatibility pack just to |
| We have more access to data, images, music and | | | | view and edit the new docx files. However, if you |
| files than ever before. As technology continues to | | | | upgrade to the new version of Word, you can open |
| advance, the access to information expands | | | | and edit old and new file formats seamlessly. This is |
| exponentially. This creates new challenges in finding | | | | rather important. |
| the data, images, music and files that you have stored, | | | | 10. Outlook |
| and this is one of the benefits of Vista. Use your | | | | Outlook also has a facelift and more security under |
| mouse to scroll through folders like flipping cards in a | | | | the hood, The new version includes revamped junk |
| poker game, searching your hard drive, network and | | | | email controls and anti-phishing technology. It also |
| the Internet quickly and efficiently. Vista is a very | | | | includes enhanced search functions that search your |
| visually stimulating environment, and as such it has | | | | files and emails. Improved tools for calendar functions, |
| special features for digital camera aficionados as well. | | | | flagging tasks and highlighting messages with assigned |
| 5. Vista Mobility | | | | colors make Outlook a more effective integrated tool |
| When Windows XP was released five years ago, | | | | for consolidating management of schedules and |
| most businesses used desktop computers. Now nearly | | | | communications. For example, use an email message |
| two-thirds of US business workers use laptops, and | | | | to create a task, associate a level of priority and |
| nearly 750,000 laptops were lost or stolen last year. | | | | assign the task to resources. Then you can associate |
| Mobility increases productivity and convenience, but it | | | | the task with a calendar reminder for automated email |
| also requires greater security. Vista includes Windows | | | | alert reminders, meeting notices, and track timeliness or |
| Bit-Locker, which encrypts data on the hard drive in a | | | | delinquency if applicable. Spending ten minutes to tour |
| manner that makes it extremely difficult for someone | | | | Outlook tools can improve hours of collaborative |
| to access your valuable data if the laptop is lost or | | | | performance, communication and schedules in the long |
| stolen. If you have customer contact data, sales | | | | run. |
| forecasts, budget information, passwords, personnel | | | | With these top ten tips you can be the 1 Giga Guru. It |
| files or even your personal banking information stored | | | | is always a personal challenge to determine when to |
| on your laptop, you can imagine how valuable this | | | | make the next technology investment in hardware or |
| encryption could be for you. | | | | software. Being aware of trends and prepared for |
| 6.OneNote | | | | transitions can help you to gain additional satisfaction |
| This is the best least used application from Microsoft. | | | | from your hardware or software purchases. For more |
| This is the digital version of the notebooks and binders | | | | information on Vista and Office products, please visit |
| that most of us used to take notes throughout school. | | | | the Microsoft web site. |
| The program is organized into tabbed notebook | | | | __________________ |
| sections and pages. Like other Office applications, you | | | | Words of Wisdom |
| can type text, copy and paste from other applications, | | | | "Change your thoughts and you change your world." |
| do calculations and use Outlook contacts. What | | | | - Norman Vincent Peale |
| makes this more versatile if the option to take written | | | | "Participate, communicate, collaborate and change the |
| notes and drawings from a pen enabled device (tablet | | | | course of the world around you, or simply wait and |
| PC), treating your handwritten notes like regular files. | | | | your life will be assigned to you." |
| You can even use the microphone on your computer | | | | - John Mehrmann |
| to capture audio, and the notes you take are | | | | "If you want your life to be more rewarding, you have |
| associated with the specific section of recorded audio | | | | to change the way you think." |
| at the time the note was made. Imagine being in a | | | | - Oprah Winfrey |
| lecture and making short notes like, "this will be on the | | | | __________________ |
| final exam", then searching the audio and text files for | | | | You may distribute this article freely, print it, sell it, or |
| all instances of that notation (wow!). Playback on your | | | | include it as part of a package as long as it is intact, |
| computer speakers, share files with friends who | | | | unchanged and delivered in the original format with |
| skipped the class, and refer to your notes at the end | | | | acknowledgement to Executive Blueprints Inc. |
| of the semester. This same concept could easily apply | | | | |