Donnie Jenkins, Tech Talk
Today, I’ll try to answer some questions from the e-mail bag.
Q: I love my digital camera, but there are times I really miss the old Polaroid cameras that would print a picture instantly. Will there ever be anything like that again now that digital technology has taken over?
A: You’re in luck. Fujifilm has announced such a camera will be released in late December, according to zdnet.com. It’s called the Instax 200 and will sell for about $70, while a 20-print roll of film should cost about $29. The film reportedly is the type that develops before your eyes, rather than the peel-apart type of old.
Q: I run a business with hundreds of customers and need to find a way to keep track of emails, contact information and so on. I am computer literate but don’t want to spend a lot of time setting up a piece of software for my needs. Any suggestions?
A: Well, yes, but a bit of advice first. Don’t even try to find a contact manager that won’t require some time to set up. The programs that can best meet your needs will demand your attention and quite a bit of time at first, but will become much easier after you get used to them.
Some Windows programs that come to mind are Goldmine, Act and Microsoft Outlook 2007 with the Business Contact Manager add on. Outlook is probably the most used, and the newest edition is greatly improved from past versions. I still read a lot of complaints about Outlook online, usually pointing to its new interface, which is greatly changed from past releases.
I actually like the new interface. Goldmine and Act also have their share of devotees and detractors as well.
Many Act users in particular seem to prefer the older Act 6.0 to the newest offering, saying that the current version is buggy and problematic. You can check reviews on sites such as cnet. com to get a feel for how users feel about any given product. You can usually download a trial version of these programs to see if they will work for you.
If you are using a Mac running the Leopard OS there is an inexpensive program called Bento that looks very promising. It is put out by the makers of FileMaker Pro, an outstanding database program. The beauty of Bento is that it will automatically sync up with the iLife suite of programs that come with a new Mac, allowing your calendar and address book to contribute easily to the program.
Any of these can suit your needs with some work and planning.
Q: What is the easiest way to produce a Web site?
A: Homestead.com offers the simplest way to create a beautiful Web site quickly, and its Sitebuilder software is excellent. You can put up a basic five page site for $4.95 monthly not including a domain name, but bear in mind that as with all things, you get only what you pay for. Homestead offers the simplest way to do Web sites, but it is expensive compared to many other providers when you need more space or want to service hundreds of customers.
Q: My friend gave me a CD with some songs on it in Midi file format, but they won’t play on my computer, why not?
A: MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It’s a language used by synthesizers, computers, and so on.
Midi is not sound, but actually a description of sound. To play a Midi file on a computer you need a program that supports it such as Sonar or Audition and a sound card or external device that provides the sounds for it. Apple Quicktime and a few other programs have a built in sound generator that will natively play Midi files.
E-mail Donnie Jenkins at donniejenkins@yahoo.com
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