Online technical help can save the day -- and they are free<\/p>\n
By Zatni Arbi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): What would happen if your car broke down on a
\ndeserted Jakarta street in the middle of the night? Chances are,
\nyou would suddenly become very religious.<\/p>\n
You will pray and pray for a miracle to happen. And that
\nmiracle is for your engine to jump to life -- after you have
\nturned the ignition key for the thirty-sixth time. But if your
\nbattery dies before the twenty-ninth attempt, you will know that
\nit is really a hopeless situation.<\/p>\n
And, what would happen if your computer suddenly acts up in
\nthe middle of the night?<\/p>\n
Your teenage son, who you have proudly admitted is far more
\ncomputer savvy that yourself, is already snoring in his bed.<\/p>\n
You do not think it is acceptable to call and wake up one of
\nyour colleagues, whom you usually turn to for computer advice, as
\nit is already past bedtime for most people.<\/p>\n
But you need to complete the report you are working on and
\nsave it on a diskette to take to the office the next day. What
\ncan you do?<\/p>\n
Much as you would still have some hope if your car's battery
\nhad not released its last spark, you would have some hope as long
\nas you could access the Internet.<\/p>\n
That is the beauty of online technical help, which is
\navailable all over the Web.<\/p>\n
If you have problem with Microsoft Office, the first place you
\nshould check is naturally Microsoft's own website,
\nhttp:\/\/office.microsoft.com\/assistance\/default.aspx.<\/p>\n
Here, at Microsoft Office's Assistance Center, you can read
\ntips and tricks based on the task that you have to accomplish.<\/p>\n
For example, you can learn how to protect your confidential
\ndocuments from prying eyes. To some people, it may be a very
\nmundane task, but to others it may seem to be as complicated as a
\nrocket scientist's job.<\/p>\n
If you choose, you can also read tips and tutorials based on
\nthe Office product that you use, such as Word, PowerPoint and
\nOutlook.<\/p>\n
In fact, the Assistance Center is a rich source for Office
\nusers who want to solve their problems or upgrade their Office
\nskills. One major problem is that, currently, all the available
\nmaterials are intended for Office XP users, and not all of us
\nhave migrated to the new Office version.<\/p>\n
Another good place to seek advice is PC Pitstop
\n(www.pcpitstop.com).<\/p>\n
In addition to browsing its Q&A pages to find the answers to
\nyour problems, you can even post your questions in the bulletin
\nboard.<\/p>\n
There are also useful tips and how-tos, such as tips shared by
\nthe CEO himself on how to keep your hard disk healthy.<\/p>\n
Other services available from PC Pitstop include a remote
\ndiagnostics that will check the health of your PC, as well as an
\nAntivirus Center that will check your PC using Panda Software's
\ntechnology and virus list. If you are not sure what a particular
\nterm means, you can consult PC Pitstop's glossary.<\/p>\n
HelpOnThe.Net (www.helponthe.net) is another website that you
\nshould visit in times of frustration or when you have the
\neagerness to learn more about a lot of computer tactics and
\nstrategies.<\/p>\n
Check out http:\/\/forums.techguy.org\/index.php if you want to
\nlearn more about Microsoft Office or Windows.<\/p>\n
Another website that you should try out is About's Business
\nSoftware (http:\/\/businesssoft.about.com\/mbody.htm) if you want to
\ncontinue working with WordPerfect, for instance. This site also
\nprovides tutorials and a library of tips that you can use to
\nimpress your coworkers.<\/p>\n
Even hard-core IT professionals can find very useful
\ninformation on the Internet that will help them in their work.<\/p>\n
One of the best websites for professionals is TechRepublic
\n(www.techrepublic.com).<\/p>\n
CNet's Help.com (www.help.com) is another must-visit website
\nif you are searching for useful tips and tricks on hardware,
\nsoftware, games, etc.<\/p>\n
What about online help in Bahasa Indonesia?<\/p>\n
Two of the sources you can try are InfoKomputer
\n(www.infokomputer.com) and Komputeraktif
\n(www.komputeraktif.com\/tiptrik.asp).<\/p>\n
All these websites are just a small sample of online sources
\nfor technical help that may save your day.<\/p>\n
The best thing about them is that most of them are free --
\nreally free. But, if you like, you can pay US$9.95 for a 24 x 7
\nLive Support session from HelpOnThe.Net, which promises a four-
\nhour turnaround time.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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