T
22 • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TECHNOLOGY
WEDNESDAY,JULY9,2003
Relieve computer woes through Web, help manuals
Computer problems often make you want to chuck your computer out the nearest window, run down to the local computer store and buy a brand new trouble-free computer.
GEEK SPEAK
Don't despair. These days, many computer problems can quickly and easily be fixed without picking up the phone or a 500-page manual. In no time, you'll be back on the Net, surfing for cheap airfares and e-mailing grandma in Florida.
Staci Wolfe & Tim Sears
geekspeak@kansan.com
If you own a brand-name computer such as Dell, Micron, Apple, IBM, Compaq/Hewlett Packard or Gateway, your first stop should be the manufacturer's Web site. These days, manufacturers are generous about publishing frequently asked technical questions and specifications, driver updates, searchable knowledge bases and even chat-based live support. You can find this all for free.
We decided to peruse four manufacturer's Web sites to give you a quick lowdown on some of their more handsome features.
Gateway
http://support.gateway.com/
Here, you can enter a serial number and get all the specifications on a desktop or
server. There is also a tool you can use to query your computer for information about the hardware and operating system — whether it's a Gateway computer or not.
Gateway also offers some unique tools for managing multiple computers. "My Other Systems," http://support.gateway.com/support/srt/othersystems.asp, allows you to store and personalize support for up to 10 Gateway systems. From here, you can view the "as-shipped" configurations as well as detailed system information.
Apple
http://www.info.apple.com/
Apple has gone the way of the Acrobat PDF. It's tolerable because you can find manuals for not only current hardware and software but also some of the old-
school Apple products such as the Newton and the Apple StyleWriter printer. The PDFs we viewed were quick to load with broadband — and offered excellent visual references as well as step-by-step directions. It doesn't get any easier than this.
However, when it comes to troubleshooting, the Apple support site is sadly, lacking. It's easy to get frustrated when searching its knowledge base because including too much detail in the search results in finding nothing. But you can get some good instructions on how to eject a CD-ROM. (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=43010) Dell
http://support.dell.com/
Dell's online support is a lot like Gateway's. You can find out a lot about your computer if you know the customer number and model. Filling out online forms can sometimes seem sketchy, but Dell's was painless and short.
Dell also provides sections on its support site for downloads, system documentation, software reinstall guides and a Dell Community where you can get answers to your computer problems from fellow Dell
Hewlett Packard
customers.
http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/eng/support.html
HP is the company that saved a lot of computertechs and system administrators many hours of headaches by placing all of their printer drivers online and making them available for download. The HP/Compaq merger has not changed the HP Web site. In fact, it is just as easy to locate information about Compaq computers and servers.
If you choose to search for support and troubleshooting information on a specific printer and click on "solve a problem," you can browse through a list of known compatibility issues. How cool is that?
Sears is a graduate student in the integrated marketing communications journalism program. He is the Kansan systems technician and an assistive technology trainer for the disabled.
Wolfe is a graduate student in journalism with an emphasis in business and technology. She has worked for more than six years as a support analyst, computer trainer and project manager. She is also the Kansan Web editor.
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free
computing
workshops
All workshops are FREE for KU students, staff and faculty, but REQUIRE registration for everyone.
Workshop descriptions
and schedule:
www.ku.edu/courses/workshop
www.ku.edu/acs/calendar
Register at
www.ku.edu/acs/train or
864-0410.
Directions & map:
www.ku.edu/acs/directions
Questions?
Questions?
Get help at
question@ku.edu or call
the ACS Help Desk at
864-0200.
Microsoft Office Specialist Certification Exam Prerequisite: For KU faculty, staff and students only. Requires registration for all and a $65 fee. Mon., July 14, 3-5 p.m., Computer Center Training Lab Word: Long Documents Prerequisite: Word: Introduction. Requires registration for all and a $75 fee for non-KU. Thurs., July 16, 2-5 p.m., Computer Center Training Lab EndNote: Overview Prerequisite: For KU faculty, staff and students only. Requires registration for all. Mon., July 21, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Computer Center Training Lab Web Authoring: Forms Prerequisites: Web Authoring: Foundations, Web Authoring: Introduction and Web Authoring: Intermediate. Requires registration for all. Tues., July 22, 10:30 a.m.-Noon, Computer Center Training Lab
Access: Reports Prerequisites: Access: Introduction,
Access: Intermediate, Access: Forms and Database Design.
Requires registration for all and a $75 fee for non-KU.
Tues., July 22, 1-4 p.m., Computer Center Training Lab
Flash: Introduction Prerequisites: Graphics: Foundations
and Photoshop: Introduction. Requires registration for all
and a $75 fee for non-KU. Tues., July 22, 1-4 p.m., Budig
PC Lab
EndNote: Introduction Prerequisite: For KU faculty, staff and students only. Requires registration for all. Wed.
July 23, 1:30-4:30 p.m., Computer Center Training Lab