Keyboard stickers can make an old keyboard easier to use

For the last decade or so, a typical computer keyboard will usually last me only about two years before I've worn the letters completely off of six or eight keys. That's not a big problem for a touch typist, but when you've worn away the letters, punctuation marks and symbols off three or four keys on the same row, it starts to get a little more serious. Or it could be that the eyes behind my trifocals aren't as sharp as they used to be. You may notice your own eyes bouncing up and down from the keyboard to the screen and back looking for specific keys. Maybe it's a little of both.

Standard replacement keyboards are not that expensive and almost always included when a new computer is purchased. On the other hand, what do you do if your expensive wireless or ergonomic keyboard is missing a few critical letters or the characters and punctuation symbols on your standard keyboard are getting harder to read? Remembering that a couple of companies make sets of sticky key labels for foreign languages and a number of office or graphics software packages, I looked for "keyboard stickers" on Google. Once I got past the designer keyboard stickers with flowers or flames and the glow-in-the-dark keyboard stickers for those red-eye flights across the continent, I settled on what looked to be a no-nonsense website and checked out www.4keyboard.com.

You can pick from a wide variety of languages, colors, and special applications. They even have stickers for the smaller keys found on netbooks. Compared to the cost of a new keyboard - particularly the $50 or $60 for a new ergonomic keyboard, less than $6 plus shipping for a set of keyboard stickers didn't sound like too much to spend if it would help.

I actually ordered a set of "English US LARGE LETTERING Keyboard Stickers (Upper case)" on sale at $2.66 plus shipping. These particular stickers are available in black, grey and white to match your keyboard. The stick-on key labels arrived in about a week. The "F" and "J" key stickers were even notched to clear the small bumps that help a touch typist find the home row on the set I ordered. I read the online directions and gave myself a couple of hours to work on applying the stickers to the keyboard. You can check out the vendor's online instructions at http://www.4keyboard.com/page_2.html.

After disconnecting the keyboard, I used a little alcohol on a soft paper towel to clean the top of each key. The stickers are fairly stiff but do use tweezers to hold the sticker so that you can more easily rotate and align each sticker individually. Take your time and plan ahead. Sometimes it is easier to rotate the keyboard to help find a steady spot to hold the tweezers and sticker while your other hand aligns the sticker and presses it down when properly aligned. My Microsoft ergonomic keyboard also has several keys that are slightly different sizes than the standard keyboard. In a couple of cases, I used a small razor knife to trim any surplus sticker after the sticker was applied to the key.

NOTE: If you click on the picture, check out the original size of the characters on the Backspace and function keys. You can also see the right-hand shift key sticker was trimmed to fit the slightly smaller key on the ergonomic keyboard.  The very dark black areas seen on the space bar, "N" key and several other keys now covered were worn perfectly smooth by heavy use.

I now have a keyboard that I can read out of the corner of my glasses, and the much larger, high-contrast letters are certainly easy to see. In the unlikely event that the keyboard lasts longer than the current sticker set, I can easily afford to replace any stickers again. In any event, I'll consider the keyboard and stickers a "long-term test."

The next PC Questions session scheduled for May 5th

The May open session of PC Questions and Answers will be held in the new Carnegie Room of the Fort Smith Public Library on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. Go past the elevator through the large print section and turn left. I'll try to post a reminder or two near the elevator and on the computer lab door.

Remember, this is a "walk-in clinic" so no "appointment" or registration is required to participate. Just walk in the door with your computer questions or problems and I'll see if I can help you find a workable solution.

Microsoft builds a Fix it Center application to guide fix common computer problems

You can link to Microsoft Fix it Center Online BETA to download the latest offering from Microsoft that promises to make troubleshooting a computer a little easier for beginners. After downloading the executable file, double-click on the FixitCenter_Run.exe file to start the installation process which only takes two or three minutes.

The installation asks the user to create an online account for additional help and support in the event that the Fix it Center cannot resolve a problem automatically using the software installed on the computer. The online account is free and it normally takes only a few more minutes to set up a new Microsoft Online account, if you don't already have one.

Another part of the setup process gathers information about your computer to preload up to 27 small troubleshooting applets or wizards to guide the process. In my case, with my smaller than normal "travel-sized" installation of Windows Vista, the program installed 11 "troubleshooters." The automated troubleshooters have simple descriptions, and the Fix it Center user interface has a large help button. The directions were easy to understand and include sample screens.

To learn for myself how the process worked, I ran the first item listed, "Common system maintenance tasks" The wizard ran through a short list of common maintenance issues from broken shortcuts and disk errors to setting the clock. If a problem is found the user has the option of allowing the program to fix the problem or not. No problems were found (thank goodness). Other items I could have checked included computer slowdowns, networking and printing.

Administrators have added troubleshooting options available - more than ordinary users. (See the Fix it Center Help - Learning the Fix it Center interface for more details.) One of the help options presents a feedback screen that asks what can be done to improve the application. Overall, everything looks simple and easy to install and use. It's something that might be useful for new and even a few intermediate users. At least it's something to try before calling for tech support or your family technical guru. ...Well, at least it's a start.

Thanks to Lifehacker for the information and links. The site is one of the online places I regularly check.

A copy of this entry is also posted on BRsWebWorkshop.

"The State of the Internet" in 5 minutes, 21 seconds

I found the video (embedded below) while looking for information on the new features found in Ubuntu 10.04 on Tech Drive-In.  I've been exploring the Beta versions of the new release and wanted to see what I might be missing or haven't learned about yet. Ubuntu 10.04 is scheduled for release by the end of April.

The video, prepared by Jesse Thomas for a conference presentation in February, highlights how fast the Internet has grown, particularly during the last year. Using multimedia to present a number of facts very quickly, who knows, this video may go viral. By the way, this video has the "full size" button in the lower right corner. Some of the slides are easier to read using the full screen.

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from JESS3 on Vimeo.

The copy of this entry is also posted on BRsWebworkshop.

Facebook and PC Questions and Answers next week

The first week of April will end the winter schedule of computer classes.

Facebook for Seniors is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6 at 1:30 - 3:30 P.M. Students for this class have already preregistered or been assigned to a waiting list. Please call or email to let P.J. know if you cannot attend.

The second workshop, PC Questions and Answers, which some of us call, "The Dr. is IN," will open the door to the computer lab by 1:30 P.M. on Wednesday, April 7 and we'll try to answer your questions about computing for seniors and any other library patrons. This is an open session, no pre-registration required. We'll try to demonstrate how to find answers to as many questions as we can and share the Q&A with others via this website.

Email and Photo Classes Completed

Picture: Don Ditlevson, one of several volunteer instructors, helping three students in the March 2010 basic classes.

Spring has arrived. Two more winter computer classes for seniors finished this week. Email instructor, David Scherrey pressed the send button and his email students returned to their regular computers to practice sending emails and following good email etiquette. It's been fun to visit some of the classes and watching people learn new skills. That's always been one of the rewards of teaching, at any age level.

This writer may have overexposed the entire digital photography group, but talking with several students after the final class, they felt they knew more about uploading digital pictures to computers and more about working with photographs than they knew when the class started. I also felt I had overreached and tried to cover too much material this term. Thanks to the suggestions and ideas in conversations and on the evaluation forms, we'll now have a few months to mull over possible changes to go slower on the content and try to add more hands-on practice -- particularly for students who have just completed some of the basic classes.

While writing this blog post, I became aware that both of the above paragraphs mentioned the importance of practice.

When we were in high school, years ago for many of us, we were constantly going to "practice" after school. There was football practice, basketball practice, baseball practice, band practice, cheerleader practice. Some of us had to go to work and we practiced becoming good workers and later good managers. We had to practice to be better at anything we did.

Computer skills are learned and eventually mastered in a similar fashion. The instructors can "point the way" and show you where to find the help files, but sooner or later each student gets to go practice -- to check their emails daily and reply to emails they receive. Other students will hopefully move their digital pictures into their computer and use software on their computer to make their quick snapshots even better.

If we all get lucky, some of our students will combine what they learned in email and photo classes and practice sharing their pictures with others. If you keep practicing, you'll keep learning and getting better. That's one of the rewards students of any age can achieve and enjoy.

We're never too old that all of us can't learn even more....

BBC Photo Masterclass lesson series released

I won't promise you that these easy to download nature photography lessons will qualify your photos for Audubon magazine, but BBC's Wildlife magazine has just released its entire Photo Masterclass lesson series in PDF format. Click on the image of each lesson to read them online. You can also right-click on each lesson image and use "Save link as" to download a copy to your computer as a reference. Be sure to bookmark the Photo Masterclass page so you can quickly find your way back. There's more there than you can absorb and learn in one sitting.

Thanks to the Lifehacker website for the news and link the lessons.

That's dedication!!

The instructors who volunteer to teach the computer classes for seniors at the Fort Smith Public Library have always been a dedicated group. This past week, David Scherrey, who teaches the Introduction to the Internet classes for seniors demonstrated just how dedicated when he managed to teach his classes with one hand. His right arm was in a sling! The classroom was packed, every computer occupied, and there was a screen full of useful links to visit and explore and it seemed like everyone was having fun and enjoying learning.

Photo: David Scherrey, (L) talks students through the next step during the Introduction to the Internet class on March 18th. Star Locklear, registrar, is coaching a student. 

We appreciate all the instructors, assistant instructors, coaches and especially the participants who help their neighbor at the next computer accomplish something new that they've never done before. We always hope that students will advance into coaching and on up the chain. All it takes is a willingness to help and a little dedication.

Word Processing class had 18 students!

The Beginning Word Processing class looked like every seat was filled when I stuck my head in the door last week for a quick visit. P. J. Williams, a librarian at the Fort Smith Public Library, who teaches the class, had just started talking about the keyboard as I arrived. P.J. also coordinates the class schedule and the senior's use of the computer lab for classes. Be sure to thank her when you're next in the library. None of our classes would happen without the library's help with staff, facilities and other resources.

Star Locklear, the registrar, has already shared the evaluation results. We all like to read the comments about "Teacher and coaches would take time to answer questions." or "Great learning experience." We read every comment, particularly those with suggestions how classes could be improved. Each class is evaluated and we do try to use your feedback to improve all our classes.

One of the things all of the evaluations have pointed out over the years has been how the classes are like building blocks - each additional class builds on something you learned in a previous class or somewhere else. We want all our senior classes to contain practical, useful information so each student can return home and incorporate the new skills they've just learned into doing the things they want to do every day. You can be a writer if you don't write. You can't learn email without writing and sending messages. Like my piano teacher tried to explain: practice, practice, practice. Just make sure you have fun while you're practicing and learning.

The first PC Questions and Answer session results

The first trial "PC Questions and Answers" workshop, quickly nicknamed "The Doctor is IN," provided a free walk-in computer Q&A clinic Wednesday afternoon, March 3rd. I was joined by the very knowledgeable P.J. Williams, a librarian who deals with technology at the Fort Smith Public Library. Most of the questions were throughly aired. The spontaneous and unrehearsed session was considered a success with seven participants attending. Some of the major discussion topics included:

I don't have a computer. Should I purchase a laptop or desktop?
That question has filled entire chapters in several books! Google lists 22,000,000 articles, blogs and entries for the search term "laptop or desktop."One of the most comprehensive easy-to-read guides can be reached at Consumer Reports online "Computer Guide". A subscription is required to get to specific ratings (well worth the annual subscription fee) or you can visit your local Fort Smith Public Library - in person or online - and use your library card to reach their online subscription. Bottom line: it depends on what you want to do with your computer. Let Consumer Reports help you work through that decision.

What brand of computer is more reliable?
Reliability ratings based on input from thousands of consumers just like you are included in the Consumer Reports ratings mentioned in the above question. Almost every computer magazine writes hardware and software reviews. In addition to Consumer Reports, I use CNET, PC Magazine, PC World Online among many others. Keep in mind that quality and reliability can vary between different models of the same brand and even individual machines. Make sure your machine comes with a strong warranty backed by a reliable company. I'll save the question you're just about to ask concerning extended warranties for another Q&A session. 

How do I make sure personal data files are removed from the hard drive prior to recycling the old computer?
I thought a former governor's staff used the best solution when they allegedly smashed the hard drives taken from their computers in the Arkansas Governor's office and buried them in a land fill. That certainly tends to derail any future Freedom of Information Act requests.

Computer technicians usually have software that can erase and write over hard drives a number of times making it very difficult for crooks to recover information about your bank accounts and investments. You'd be surprised at what computer techs have tripped over (and some have shared with others) while they were working on someone's personal computer. It's OK to be a little paranoid about where your financial, medical and other personal data files end up.

Jason Fitzpatrick, weekend editor for Lifehacker, posted a comprehensive article, "Properly Erase Your Physical Media," in February 2009 which goes into more detail than you may want to know about erasing a hard drive and includes links to software programs that offer ways to properly erase your hard drive, and yet leave it so that it can be reformatted and reused. If you're aware that your data can be stolen from a computer or hard drive you recycle or give to a charity, you're smarter than 40 percent of the people who sell hard drives on eBay.

All in all, the small size of the group meant that the discussions were lively, informal and people could ask several follow-up questions. There is still one question about a glitch in Internet Explorer that we're still working on. I think I've found a possible answer to test on the errant machine. I'll post an update later if it works. Not a perfect score, but nobody knows everything. I'm sure there will be more we can learn from your questions.

The next PC Questions and Answers is scheduled for April 7, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. in the Fort Smith Library Computer Lab.

A copy of this entry was posted on BR's Web Workshop.

Winter classes are underway!

Evelyn Morgan who is the lead instructor for the Meet Your Mouse, Fun and Games and Intro to Personal Computers has already reported having full classrooms with every computer and seat taken. A special thanks not only to Evelyn, but to Don Ditlevson and Star Locklear who have been helping as assistant instructors. Several of the registered students, realizing they knew more than some of their classmates, even started helping coach some of the really new students. The point is that we had an excellent response so far this term. If we had more volunteer instructors, we could possibly offer more courses or more sections of the classes on the schedule.

If you're registered, don't forget that P.J. Williams will start the next class, Beginning Word Processing, on Tuesday and Thursday, March 9th and 11th at 9:30 A.M.

The "experimental" PC Questions workshop, which we've nicknamed, "The Dr. is IN," has its first session on March 3rd at 1:30 P.M. in the computer lab. No registration is required and we really have no idea what to expect in the way of attendance or what type of questions will be asked. One way to get your feet wet is to take a flying leap into the water. At least we hope to give some spontaneous answers to spontaneous questions. So rain or shine, three students or 30, we expect to have fun and maybe we'll learn more about what types of computer problems are being experienced by our senior students.

Thanks again to all our volunteer instructors, assistant instructors, coaches and the Fort Smith Public Library who make these classes possible.

Feb. 9th Registration (rained)(snowed)(iced) out! [pick one]

 Due to inclement weather - any of the above that may be happening in your area - and a good chance of ice on the roads on Tuesday morning, the registration for the RVS/FSS Winter Classes has been rescheduled. The official announcement is below:

        What crazy weather! Hope you are enjoying the beautiful snow...even if it is wreaking havoc with our plans.

        We had to make a decision about what to do about tomorrow's signup and here it is:  We are going to postpone Computer Class Signup until NEXT Tuesday (February 16th) at the SAME TIME (11:00 - 1:30) AND combine the Meet Your Mouse and Fun 'n' Games class on Thursday (February 18th); then all the other class times will remain the same.

        Hope that meets with everyone's approval. BTW, you will all be glad to know that David has signed on to teach the Intro to the Internet and the Email classes.[We are!]

        So, relax and enjoy the beautiful but messy weather from the warmth of your homes...and hope that next week will be an improvement, weather-wise!

        Take care all,

    pjw

I've updated the class schedule below to reflect those changes. Sorry for the inconvenience if you had planned to four-wheel into town to show off your studded snow tires, but we'd rather our class participants stay safe. - BR

River Valley Seniors' Computer Class Registration

UPDATED: River Valley Seniors, formerly known as SeniorNet, will hold their Winter Computer Class Signup on Tuesday, February 16th from 11:00a.m. - 1:30p.m. in the Computer Lab at the Fort Smith Public Library (3201 Rogers Ave). These classes will concentrate on computer skills for beginner adults, with an emphasis on instruction for students over 50.

The classes are FREE but space is limited, so advanced registration is required at the times listed above. These classes are co-sponsored by the Fort Smith Public Library.

Classes this winter will include:

Beginning Classes:

UPDATED:

    * Meet Your Mouse & Fun and Games
      Thursday, February 18 (9:30-11:30a.m.)

These two classes were combined when signup was postponed due to weather. Learn how to operate a computer mouse in a VERY informal and fun class with lots of hands-on practice using computer games. Take this class if you are NOT comfortable with using a mouse. The skills you learn in playing the games already on your computer will be very useful in other introductory computer classes.

    * Intro to Personal Computers
      Tu/Th, February 23, 25, March 2, 4 (9:30-11:30a.m.)

 Intended for students who have little or no knowledge of computers; emphasis will be on learning to interact with the computer using keyboard and mouse. We will cover Windows XP not Vista.

    * Beginning Word Processing
      Tu/Th, March 9, 11 (9:30-11:30a.m.)

Learn how to use your mouse and keyboard to type, change, and enhance documents (letters, poems, the great American novel, even recipes!). This class is intended to continue our intro to Input devices started the previous week and as prelude to Intro to PCs.

    * Introduction to the Internet
      Tu/Th, March 16, 18, 23, 25 (9:30-11:30a.m.)

A beginning course in using the Internet intended for those students who have completed Intro to PCs with knowledge of the keyboard and mouse. Learn how to "surf" the web and use Search Engines to find information; learn to download programs, pictures, etc.

    * Basic Email
      Tu/Th, March 30, April 1 (9:30-11:30a.m.)

Intended for students who have completed Intro to PCs and Intro to the Internet. Learn general techniques of using email using Yahoo! Email.

Intermediate Classes:

    * From Digital Camera to PC
      Tuesday, March 16 (1:30-3:30p.m.)

Learn how to get your pictures out of your digital camera and into your PC.

    * Edit and Enhance Your Digital Photos
      Tuesday, March 23 (1:30-3:30p.m.)

Learn how to make corrections and other changes to your digital photos with Google's free software program, Picasa.


    * Share, Print, and Save Your Digital Photos
      Tuesday, March 30 (1:30-3:30p.m.)

Learn how to print photos, copy your digital photos to CDs, and share photos with your friends via email and/or a photo-sharing website using Google's free software program, Picasa.

    * Facebook for Seniors
      Tuesday, April 6 (1:30-3:30p.m.)

Facebook is a social networking website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Users will learn how to add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends. Additionally, users can join networks organized by city, workplace, and organizations.

UPDATED: Remember: you MUST sign up for Beginning and Intermediate classes on Tuesday, February 16th from 11:00a.m. - 1:30p.m. in the Computer Lab at the Fort Smith Public Library (3201 Rogers Ave).

Special Interest Workshops:

    *  PC Questions and Answers: "The Doctor is IN"
       Wednesday, March 3 (1:30-3:30p.m.)

     * PC Questions and Answers: "The Doctor is IN"
       Wednesday, April 7 (1:30-3:30p.m.)

Students in current or former senior classes, library patrons and others who are encountering difficulties with their computers are invited to either of these "First Wednesday" walk-in computer clinic sessions and ask computer-related questions. Depending on the size of the group, we may have time for one-to-one help or may need to write down questions if the group is large. Either way, the emphasis will be on demonstrating how to use online resources that help us solve our own tech problems. We'll try to show you how and where to start looking. The answer is probably out there somewhere.

For more information, please call the Main Library at (479)783-0229.