This is our 12th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

Most computer users have, and when it happens you could lose all of your saved Data!

Apple has come up with a solution and it’s called Time Machine.

Backing up your computer is vital in today’s digital age. It’s also easier than ever before!

To use Time Machine you must have and external hard drive (sold separately).

Time Machine will back up

• System files,
• Applications
• Accounts,
• Preferences,
• Music,
• Photos,
• Movies, and
• Documents.

Time machine backs up your files hourly so that you have the most up-to-date back up of your system.

You won’t have to worry about a thing as, even while your working, Time Machine can back up your system.

If at any point you lose data on your Mac you can go “back in time” and retrieve any file that has been on your computer that was lost.

So save yourself from major frustration and pain by using Time Machine for Mac!

If you are experiencing any problems with Time Machine or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 6th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

But really need to check an email or access a file?

Well Apple has a solution for you, and it’s called Mobile Me.

Mobile me allows you to access some of the more important things on your computer, such as

• Email,
• Contacts,
• Calendars,
• Photos (in an online Gallery),
• Important files (with iDisk).

You can even locate your iPhone or iPad and protect what’s on it with a remote wipe.

This means that if your iPhone gets stolen you can track it via GPS and get it back!

The benefits of “cloud computing” are astounding. Accessing data anywhere you can access the Internet, which is almost anywhere nowadays!

If you are interested in Mobile Me then go ahead and buy it.

If you are experiencing any problems with your Mobile Me or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 4th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

Well Apple has just the thing you need to get all of these done!

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll be able to do with iWork ’09.

Pages –

• Creating brochures, flyers, reports, resume or eBooks.
• Choose from over 180 templates,
• New full-screen view,
• Dynamic outlines,
• Use mail merge with Numbers, and
• Edit Microsoft Word files.

Keynote –

• Easily create complex animations with Magic Move,
• New visual effects,
• New styles and animations for 3D charts,
• Reduced file size without compromising quality,
• Create dynamic flowcharts and diagrams using connection lines,
• 44 Apple-designed themes, and
• Edit Microsoft PowerPoint files.

Numbers –

• Easily create formulas, using visual placeholders with plain language text,
• Perform calculations (over 250 functions),
• Organize your data using Table Categories,
• Check your calculations with Formula List view,
• Create two-axis charts and mixed charts,
• 30 Apple-designed templates,
• Edit Microsoft Excel files.

As you may have noticed, these programs are roughly equivalent to Microsoft’s Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

These programs are Apple’s solution to your day-to-day needs whether they are for work or for your own personal use.

iWork does not come standard on your Mac, so if you are in need of it go ahead and buy iWork ’09.

If you just want to stick with what you’re used to, Microsoft Office 2008 Home and Student Edition or Business Edition are available for purchase for any Mac.

If you are experiencing any problems with iWork ‘09 or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 3rd tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

iLife is a suite of programs that will help you organize your photos, watch and create movies, create a website or create music.

Here is a basic overview of what you will get in each program.

iPhoto –

• Easily organize and search your photos,
• Use Faces to find pictures of specific people,
• Search your pictures based on location using Places,
• Create slideshows, and
• Publish photos directly to Facebook and Flickr™ with a click.

iMovie –

• Create or edit a movie in minutes,
• Use drag-and-drop to easily edit your projects,
• Smooth out shaky clips with auto video stabilization,
• Use themes so you can have matching titles and transitions, and
• Add animated maps to travel videos.

GarageBand –

• Learn to play and record your own songs,
• Interactive lessons combine video instruction with animated notation and instrument views,
• Play and record with new amps and effects, and
• Use virtual instruments in Magic GarageBand.

iWeb –

• Design, publish, and update your own websites – without having to learn HTML code,
• Easily add dynamic content to your web pages (YouTube videos and RSS feeds),
• Link your iWeb site to your Facebook account,
• Built in FTP service, and
• Easily manage multiple websites.

iDVD –

• Turn home movies into gorgeous Hollywood-style DVDs,
• Use Apple-designed themes with animated menus, and
• Combine video and photos to create slideshows.

iLife ’09 is very simple to use and will make managing your memories easier than ever! If you are using an older version of iLife upgrade to iLife ’09 and gain many new features!

If you are experiencing any problems with iLife ‘09 or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 2nd tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

get to work with your new computer.

So lets go through a few Mac OS X features that you are definitely going to want to enable.

Set your keyboard’s tab button to scroll through all boxes and buttons when filling out online forms by going to:

• System Preferences → Keyboard Shortcuts.
• Down at the bottom check the “All controls” button.

Setting up your Track Pad

• System Preferences → Trackpad.
• Under One Finger ensure that “Tap to Click” is enabled.
• Under 2 Fingers ensure that “Secondary Tap” is enabled.
  • If you don’t want to enable the 2-finger “secondary tap” you can still “secondary click” by holding command and clicking.

Turning on your Firewall – this will help protect your computer from viruses and hackers!

• System Preferences → Security → Firewall
• Click the start button.

If you wish to have a login screen (for security purposes)

• System Preferences → Security → General
• Check the box that says “disable automatic login”

If you are having trouble modifying any of the settings mentioned above, it’s possible that they are locked so that not just anyone can change them!

This is an added security measure apple has in place for your protection.

Don’t worry it’s really simple to unlock them, you may have noticed the small lock in the bottom left corner of the screens, if it’s locked simply

• Click it,
• Enter your password, and

You should be able to modify any setting you want!

If you want to lock it back simply click the lock again and it will lock.

There are many other cool and useful features located in System Preferences, and we encourage you to modify them, as you like, so that you can have the fastest and most efficient use of Mac OS X Snow Leopard possible.

If you are experiencing any problems or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 1st tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

So it’s important that you know how to use one when you come into contact with one.

You will run into one sooner rather than later, and that’s a guarantee!

So here’s what the newest Mac OS X Snow Leopard promises to deliver, if you decide to upgrade to it.

• Simple and easy to use.
• Exposé easier to use.
• Stacks are now scrollable.
• Quicker Time Machine backup (up to 80% faster in comparison to OS X Leopard).
• Faster to wake up and shut down
• Faster, more reliable installation (up to 50% faster than OS X Leopard).
• Smaller footprint, 7GB freed space from previous installations.
• QuickTime X.
• Higher-resolution iChat.
• Automatic updates for printer drivers.
• Automatic time zone setup.
• Easy PDF text selection.
• Faster safari (Web Browser).
• More reliable disk eject
• More efficient file sharing.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard is a very easy to learn if you are converting from any Windows system.

You are going to notice a lot of differences but you will probably end up finding them to be far easier and faster than what you were used to using Windows.

Once you get past the learning curve, you’re going to love Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

Don’t forget that Entech offers Authorized Apple Sales & Services!

If you are experiencing any problems with Snow Leopard or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

…there is nothing that you can do about it.

Never be put in that position, because when you work with us, you’ll be enControl® of your network!

As you probably know, computers & technology have a nasty habit of giving out when you need them most.

Most of the time, problems can be avoided by proactively monitoring, and updating technology.

Our Managed IT Services & Support is our service that provides that proactive solution, and we call it enControl®.

Who knew that it could be so easy to get out of that “break and fix” relationship that the vast majority have with technology today?

If you are looking for fast results, that get you back up and running faster than you thought was possible, then are looking in the correct place.

Learn more about our Managed IT Services & Support services or if you need help with your computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 15th tip in our series “Windows 7 – 15 Tips You Need To Know”. This information is also available in our “Windows 7: 15 Tips You Need To Know” eBook.

…you don’t have to be!

Windows 7 comes with the ability to run Windows XP!

With Windows 7, you will have the option to run your PC in Windows XP mode.

This option is perfect for new users, who are used to the Windows XP interface and want to ease into a complete change to Windows 7.

This feature is also great in the odd case where you need to run a program that isn’t yet compatible with your newer operating system, Windows 7.

In case you didn’t know, Windows 7 doesn’t include an email client or an address book. This is one possible solution to to your email and address book woes!

This version of Windows XP is a full-fledged operating system, which includes Microsoft Outlook and Windows Address Book.

In case you did not know, the Home version of Windows 7 does not include this feature. You must have Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate Edition to run Windows XP Mode. To upgrade, visit Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade.

If you are experiencing any problems or you need any help with your computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 14th tip in our series “Windows 7 – 15 Tips You Need to Know”. This information is also available in our “Windows 7: 15 Tips You Need To Know” eBook.

…music, pictures and documents within your computer network?

Windows 7 HomeGroup makes it easier than ever!

HomeGroup make it easy to share music, pictures, and documents with computers on your network.

HomeGoup also allow you to share your USB connected printers throughout your home or business. If you have a printer in one room that is shared by HomeGroup, it will be automatically installed onto your other HomeGroup computers.

According to Microsoft, “HomeGroup takes the headache out of sharing files and printers on a home network. Connect two or more PCs running Windows 7, and HomeGroup makes it easy to automatically start sharing your music, picture, video, and document libraries with other people in your home.”

HomeGroup also includes privacy control and is password-protected so you don’t have to worry about sharing files with unknown users. You can also make your files “read only,” so that people can look but not touch your files.

If you need any help sharing and viewing shared files or you need any help with your computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

…it’s very important to us that you know how important it is to update your computer(s)!

Microsoft has rated this as a Critical Security Update, which means that if you don’t have the update installed, you are at considerable risk!

The update fixes reported vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer that could allow “remote code execution” on your computer.

This means that a virus could be installed on your computer, simply by you navigating to a page on the Internet!

We know the pain and frustration that comes with getting a computer virus and we want to make sure that you don’t have to worry about it!

If you’re looking to assure you’re taken care of the moment new viruses are found, you may want to consider one of our following services:

• Managed Anti-Virus Protection

• Managed IT Services & Support

and our other related services:

• Managed Anti-Spam Protection

• Managed Backup & Disaster Recovery

If you are experiencing any problems updating your computer or you need any help with your computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.