PC Made EZ: Put the fun back into using a computer

There is an old joke about a man who visits his doctor and says, "Doc, it hurts when I do this," and the doctor replies, "Then don't do that."

It amazes me how many people complain of neck aches and shoulder pain and never consider their office or workspace setup as a factor.

You need to be comfortable when operating the computer. Select a chair that preferably has armrests and is adjustable so your forearms are on the same level as the keyboard and mouse. This reduces neck and shoulder stress and the accompanying soreness. Position the monitor so you are looking directly at it and not down or up. Use a phone book or spacer to get the right height. This will reduce neck and shoulder problems. Have the mouse and mouse pad in a position that is comfortable to use and easy to move around. I have used a Trackball for many years and strongly recommend them. The cursor is moved by rolling the ball on the Trackball with the thumb as opposed to moving the whole mouse. It may take a few minutes to learn the Trackball but it's well worth the time and effort. These are also very nice to have instead of using a laptop touch pad.

Many people have a difficult time double-clicking the mouse buttons so Windows can be setup as a single click, Web-style operation. To do this, click on "Start," "Settings Control Panel," click on "Folder Options." Near the bottom of the window is an option to use "Single Click to Open an Item." Place a mark in this box and click on "OK." A window may pop up asking if you are sure you want to use "Single Click" so say yes to this or "OK." All desktop items and many other items may now be selected by using a single click.

Larger icons on the desktop are helpful to those with vision impairments. Right click on an open area on the desktop and click on "Properties." Select "Effects" and place a check mark in the box that says "Use Large Icons," then click "Apply" and "OK."

If there is a Web site you visit often you may want to place an icon on your desktop that will enable you to click the icon and go immediately to the page. Open Internet Explorer and type in the Web site address. Click on "Favorites" at the top of the page and click on "Add to Favorites," then "OK." Click again on "Favorites" and find the new shortcut you created and right click on it, move down to "Send To" and click on "Desktop" (create shortcut). This will place an icon on the desktop for easy access.

Making your computer easier and more comfortable to use will take out a lot of the drudgery and put the fun back into using a computer.

Mike Smothers is president of Smothers Computer Services and lives in Ahwatukee Foothills. Send questions to mike@smotherscomputers.com or call (480) 753-7667.