Make your notebook comfortable to use

Make your notebook comfortable to use

Question: I've just bought myself a new notebook. It's a thin and
light model, and the screen is 13.3 inches. My eyes are not as
sharp as they used to be. What can I do to make it more
comfortable to work on this computer? -- B. R. Pontianak, West
Kalimantan.

Answer: Well, let's start with the screen resolution. Usually,
the factory setting for a 13.3-inch screen is XVGA, or 1024 by
768 pixels. While this will display more cells in an Excel
worksheet, for instance, it will also give finer lines and text
display. We do not always need it.

Besides, the higher the resolution, the smaller the items will
appear on the screen. If we work mostly with Microsoft Office, we
may prefer a more readable document and menu text. If I were you,
I would just reduce the screen resolution to SVGA (800 by 600
pixels).

To do this, just close or minimize all applications that are
running. Click anywhere on the Desktop (but not on any of the
icons) with the right mouse button, and then click on Properties.
Click on the Settings tab, and then drag the slide button to 800
by 600 pixels.

By the way, if you have activated the Quick Launch pad on the
Toolbar, you will automatically have the Show Desktop icon in it.

This will help you minimize all open windows and display the
Desktop in just one click. Or, you can click the Toolbar with the
right mouse button, and in the menu list that appears you will
also see Show Desktop.

Why do you have to know this? Because sometimes you need to
change the resolution as required by the application that you
run. Microsoft Video Maker, for example, recommends -- though
does not absolutely require -- that you set the screen resolution
to at least 1024 by 768. The ability to quickly access the
Desktop will allow you to change the resolution with only a
couple of clicks.

In most new notebooks, you can set a high resolution and pan
the display. You can set a very high resolution -- 1600 by 1200,
for example -- and then you can pan around this "virtual screen"
using the mouse. Personally, I never use panning, as it is
sometimes confusing.

Another thing you can do is change the mouse pointer. In its
default shape, the pointer is small and not easy for people with
limited vision to locate on the screen. I would use the largest
mouse pointer that is available on the system. Click on Start and
then choose Control Panel. If you use the Classic view, you will
find the Mouse icon. Double-click on it, and then on the Pointers
tab.

Click the arrow of the Scheme, and find Windows Inverted
(Extra Large) (System Scheme). This should be available on
Windows XP computer. If you cannot find it, you can install it
from the XP installation CD. Or, you can download it from
Logitech's web site.

While you are at it, try out some of the features in the
Pointer Options. My favorite is 'Automatically move pointer to
the default button" in a dialog box. This will help you avoid
having to chase around looking for the mouse pointer every time
you open a new dialog box.

Finally, find the key combination or tools to adjust the
brightness of your screen. Sometimes the factory setting is too
bright, because the notebook is intended for people with normal
vision and they usually place the screen at a distance from their
eyes.

The Accessibility Options in Control Panel is another feature
of Windows that you could experiment with as well. Among others,
it provides a Magnifying Glass utility.

Depending on your eyesight some of these options may be of
help to you to improve your comfort. In general, changing the
screen resolution and the shape of the mouse pointer will already
help a lot.

If you have questions related to the use of information and
communications technology, send an e-mail to zatni@cbn.net.id.