Computers

I love working with computers and showing people how to use them, which has brought me to write my Beginners help files on Paint Shop Pro 7 & version 8 and Adobe Photoshop CS2.

My first computer was an  Apple //C a fabulous small concise portable desktop model that had a black 8 inch screen and no hard disk: text in green and I had to keep inserting floppies. I then progressed to a Mac Classic, also with an 8 inch screen, but at the time far more advanced in features than 486 computers, and finally joined the herd and moved over to PC. Well nothing like dealing with computer problems is there? - It makes life so interesting!

Linux

I am at present experimenting with Linux and am using Ultimate Gamers 2.8

(Link to see pictures)  which is a derivative of Ubuntu 10.10, which I find to be quite interesting indeed. There are lots of forums on the Internet that do give excellent free advice.  Ultimate Gamers 2.8 is nice to use and user friendly! It is stacked out with ready to use programmes. A new 3.2 version built from scratch has just been released and can be downloaded in either 32 bit or 64 bit editions. Reports say that this is a really fast version of Ultimate Edition. You can see pictures on their web page: http://ultimateedition.info/ultimate-edition/ultimate-edition-3-2/.

The latest Gamers version is 3.0 and is built in a new format which according to reviews speeds up installation and use. It comes with LibreOffice installed. LibreOffice is an open source free at no cost alternative to Microsoft Office^TM. There are versions for Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac.

The advancement of Linux with its free open source software means that you can easily find free programmes to help you.

You can find a Linux distribution that will work on an old computer. I have one that works nicely on an old Pentium 2 laptop that only has a 4.2 Gigabyte Hard Disk! So don't be in a rush to throw out that old computer, it will give good use using a Linux Distribution. You can even connect it through your Modem Router as a Network computer!

Click on this link and you will be taken to Tux Magazine. Tux has ceased to issue new magazines. It was an excellent magazine full of information for the newbie. There archive lets you download all the editions, they are all in PDF Acrobat and easy to read and understand!

The advancement of Linux with its free open source software means that you can easily find free programmes to help you.

There are several free bootable live CD's available based on Ubuntu and Knoppix formats for downloading. See this link http://www.knoppix.net/, that you can download.

Because these live CD's boot up and operate in a virtual Ramdrive, they do not alter in any way your standard computer settings. You can try the Live disk, decide whether you like it or not. When you shut down your computer nothing is altered in any way, as RAM dies when the computer switches off.

Linux can open and read Windows partitions, whereas Microsoft Windows^TM does not! You can use a live CD to dispose of viruses in Windows partitions.

At the time of upgrading this webpage April 2012, http://distrowatch.com list of Linux distribution downloads shows that the new Linux Mint (based on Debian) is the most popular download - pushing Ubuntu into 2nd place.

Most Ubuntu The Ubuntu On Line Tour Web Page - Mint Picture of New Linux Mint 12 Lite - Knoppix Pictures of Knoppix by Google - Mandriva Mandriva Pictures which is an easy to use distribution along with others come packed with a variety of programmes ready to use. You will find on these Live CD/DVD's the new LibreOffice based on Open Office. While it's not as comprehensive as Microsoft Office there are excellent extra add - ons which make it a very versatile: It can open 99% of Microsoft Word documents even the new Office 2007/2010 DOCX and Microsoft Powerpoint PPSX and PPTX type files. LibreOffice can save as a .doc/docx to be opened by Microsoft Word in a My Computer partition.

 LibreOffice is an excellent FREE office suite. It is available for Microsoft Windows^TM/Macintosh^TM/Linux.

Most CD's/DVD's come with Acrobat reader, mp3, besides graphic and diagnostic programmes; on the 700 MB bootable disk in the ISO download there is an astounding 2 Gigabyte of compressed programmes that automatically expand and open when you click on them for installing and use. On a 4 Gigabyte DVD there could be over 6 Gigabyte of compressed programmes.

Don't let the term "ISO" scare you! Once you have downloaded the "ISO" file Linux application programme of your choice, Nero Express can easily burn the boot up disk for you.

To burn a downloaded disk image to CD or DVD disk do the following:

1. Download and save to a folder of your choice the .iso file if you haven't downloaded it already.

2. Select the option "Disk image or Saved Project" - Left click on it and select Files of type: Image Files (*nrg, *iso, *cue) select the file in the download folder.

3. Left Click on Open and then Next choose the burn speed do it, select X8 for quality!

4. Left click on Burn; Nero will burn the disk for you.

Linux distros (nickname for distributions) give you the chance to share files between sections of your hard disk, you can save a file to a Microsoft Windows Computer partition. Linux can do what Microsoft Windows does not do, it can recognise and open items on all parts of the computer. You can even diagnose your computer find and delete a virus on it.

To help you configure Linux there are free tutorials and stacks of help available along with forums. People are standing in line to help you solve problems.

www.linuxquestions.org

I have found that people who use Linux installed on their hard disk as a second or major option love the freedom it gives them to experiment and obtain an abundance of quality Freeware programmes that easily rival those made for PC.

Various Software producers openly supply their products as Freeware without cost to Linux users, and often they are compatible with PC.

You can use Wine Emulator, Codeweavers Crossover and Playonlinux to install Microsoft Windows^TM based programmes to run in your Linux distribution.

Chazanut Cantorial Music

I love to listen and sing the Cantorial Chazanut Music of the great Cantors. I am often asked voluntarily to lead the local Synagogue service on the Shabbat (Sabbath) and festivals as I have a Tenor voice.

I enjoy learning the Daf Yomi via the Internet; the daily Talmud study.

http://ouradio.org/daf

www.e-daf.com

www.hadafhayomi.co.il

Click on here to see more interesting links.

Jewish - Hebrew - English calendar page. The calendar is full of features, times for Shabbat, Festivals, and Daf Yomi – The daily Talmud study page. You can download free this excellent calendar either as a zip or .exe file: It is only 388 Kbs.

A comprehensive updated daily Talmud - Gomorrah Audio - Visual Page Lectures.

Languages: English, French, Yiddish and Hebrew.

There are lecture archives available for streaming,

and there's a question answer service.

A variety of Torah lectures and Jewish Interests.

English Hebrew Torah Databases: Excellent Mishneh Torah Rambam Dos database, for all Windows applications, and is easy to use as long as in Full Screen setup, English/Hebrew Help included.

Jewish world subjects, interesting articles.

See the Ipix page views of Israel through the camera lens 360 degrees.

Got a computer, hardware, software, Windows, Macintosh or Office Problem – ask here, volunteers will try to help you solve the problem.

Give your computer a free test and find out how to improve it – Go to the Pit-stop.

The English page of the Yad Sarah Organization.

Manchester England based weekly Jewish newspaper full of interesting articles on community life.

Talk to your friends computer to computer PC, Pocket Pc, Linux or Mac for free. They also have a computer to telephone setup.