In our final look under the hood of Windows 7, Chapter 9 in our text discusses how to use Windows Digital Movie Maker. It is more powerful that the version that shipped with Windows XP, and seems much easier to use.
Using Windows Movie Maker, users can create complete movies from the components of digital video, audio and still images. You can use audio that was recorded along with the raw video, or use other audio that may be available from other sources.
You can split or trim video sequences to fit the movie, as well as add photos where you might wish.
It's easy to add titles and captions to the movie and its scenes. Also, you can change the size and aspect ratio of videos and still photos, and mix and fade audio inputs during the movie.
When you are ready to produce the movie, you can choose to publish it to YouTube, create a DVD to play in standard DVD players, or publish a video file to the computer.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
December 9, 2013 - Chapter 8: Mastering Digital Pictures and Music
Chapter 8 deals with how Windows 7 can produce and use files contained on the digital media of CD's and DVD's. Windows 7 accomplishes some of these tasks from within the Windows Media Player, but also depends on the downloadable Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live DVD Maker to get everything done.
Windows Live Photo Gallery can categorize and edit photos moved from digital cameras as well as photos downloaded online, from flash drives or other sources. The user can employ tags to store more information about a particular image as well as sort it into categories.
It is important to be able to edit imperfection out of images, and Windows Live Photo Gallery can do this with several tools. One tool that I found interesting was the Red Eye Removal tool that can be used.
Another useful feature is the ability to rename a series of files to a common name with an ascending number.
Windows Media Player can rip audio CD's and store them in digital format. While it is important for the user to obey all copyright laws, under certain circumstances the owner does have the legal right to make a copy of the audio CD media. Once the files have been digitized, then the user can change the file attributes to store data about the file such as title, artist, album information, and other pertinent information.
Windows 7 also uses Windows Media Player to play DVD's, and can add them to the user's media library if desired.
Windows Live DVD Maker can be used to produce "slideshow" DVD's of digital photos. The software is able to play one or more audio tracks during the photo slideshow.
Along with Windows Live DVD Maker's ability to produce DVD movies which is covered in the next chapter, this information makes a compelling argument for use of Microsoft's suite of CD and DVD editing tools. I just wish I didn't have to sign into Windows Live to get them.
Windows Live Photo Gallery can categorize and edit photos moved from digital cameras as well as photos downloaded online, from flash drives or other sources. The user can employ tags to store more information about a particular image as well as sort it into categories.
It is important to be able to edit imperfection out of images, and Windows Live Photo Gallery can do this with several tools. One tool that I found interesting was the Red Eye Removal tool that can be used.
Another useful feature is the ability to rename a series of files to a common name with an ascending number.
Windows Media Player can rip audio CD's and store them in digital format. While it is important for the user to obey all copyright laws, under certain circumstances the owner does have the legal right to make a copy of the audio CD media. Once the files have been digitized, then the user can change the file attributes to store data about the file such as title, artist, album information, and other pertinent information.
Windows 7 also uses Windows Media Player to play DVD's, and can add them to the user's media library if desired.
Windows Live DVD Maker can be used to produce "slideshow" DVD's of digital photos. The software is able to play one or more audio tracks during the photo slideshow.
Along with Windows Live DVD Maker's ability to produce DVD movies which is covered in the next chapter, this information makes a compelling argument for use of Microsoft's suite of CD and DVD editing tools. I just wish I didn't have to sign into Windows Live to get them.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Chapter 7 - Advanced file searching
Once again up against a deadline, so let me summarize the chapter quickly.
Windows 7 provides several ways to search information, and some of the most powerful ways to do so use advanced techniques.
These include using boolean expressions to increase or reduce the data set.
It is also possible to save and reuse searches, and to search for media files using specialized file properties, or "tags". Windows offers the ability to add and remove indexed location to reduce or expand the scope of the seach location.
Much more here, its a powerful search tool!
Windows 7 provides several ways to search information, and some of the most powerful ways to do so use advanced techniques.
These include using boolean expressions to increase or reduce the data set.
It is also possible to save and reuse searches, and to search for media files using specialized file properties, or "tags". Windows offers the ability to add and remove indexed location to reduce or expand the scope of the seach location.
Much more here, its a powerful search tool!
Sunday, November 24, 2013
November 24, 2013 - Chapter 6 - Customizing your Computer Using the Control Panel
I've been using Windows Control Panel since about 1990 or so. Each successive iteration of Windows brings new features dreamed up by the brains in Redmond, and also includes applets that are installed by other applications not part of the operating system.
One neat applet that comes with Windows 7 is the Windows Experience Index. This checks the hardware that makes up the PC and scores it to provide the user with a benchmark to rate the PC's relative performance. Since I bought a new PC with Windows 7 as part of gearing up to go back to school, I have wasted entirely too much time in trying to raise my hardware scores.
Another useful part of the management tools that come with Win 7 is the Resource Monitor "snap-in" that gives information about how the computer's resources are being used. While this was present in Windows XP, much of the information given as to how system memory calls were being made was not very useful. This has been changed in Win 7, now memory hooks are clearly labeled as to the system service that is using them. This should make troubleshooting the presence of viruses and malware on a machine easier and less time consuming.
Yay for Microsoft!
One neat applet that comes with Windows 7 is the Windows Experience Index. This checks the hardware that makes up the PC and scores it to provide the user with a benchmark to rate the PC's relative performance. Since I bought a new PC with Windows 7 as part of gearing up to go back to school, I have wasted entirely too much time in trying to raise my hardware scores.
Another useful part of the management tools that come with Win 7 is the Resource Monitor "snap-in" that gives information about how the computer's resources are being used. While this was present in Windows XP, much of the information given as to how system memory calls were being made was not very useful. This has been changed in Win 7, now memory hooks are clearly labeled as to the system service that is using them. This should make troubleshooting the presence of viruses and malware on a machine easier and less time consuming.
Yay for Microsoft!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
November 17, 2013 - Chapter 5 - Personalizing Your Work Experience
Another week too full of other things means that once again I am skirting a deadline to get this entry in. This was another interesting chapter, full of new takes on old ways.
I have to say, the more I delve into Windows 7 using this textbook, the more impressed I am. For instance, it has been possible to change colors and themes in the desktop since Windows 3.1, but I had no idea that Win 7 allows you to change the color by altering hue, saturation and brightness.
Other personalization ideas, like desktop photo screen savers have been around awhile and still work well.
I read somewhere recently that the difference between Vista and Win 7 is that Vista was produced by teams working independently with no communication , and that 7 was produced by teams with a great deal of intercommunication. I believe it.
Color me impressed - in hue, saturation and brightness!
I have to say, the more I delve into Windows 7 using this textbook, the more impressed I am. For instance, it has been possible to change colors and themes in the desktop since Windows 3.1, but I had no idea that Win 7 allows you to change the color by altering hue, saturation and brightness.
Other personalization ideas, like desktop photo screen savers have been around awhile and still work well.
I read somewhere recently that the difference between Vista and Win 7 is that Vista was produced by teams working independently with no communication , and that 7 was produced by teams with a great deal of intercommunication. I believe it.
Color me impressed - in hue, saturation and brightness!
Sunday, November 10, 2013
November 10, 2013 - Chapter 4 - Personal Information Management and Communication
This chapter was a good, basic overview of using Microsoft's suite of tools for communications purposes including e-mail, calendaring, newsgroups and instant messaging.
I'm not sure that I would ever be in the position to use their somewhat kludgy tools like Windows Live mail and Windows Live Messenger, but the calendaring tool is pretty useful. Now that my life runs on Android and GMail, I think Microsoft has missed the boat. I literally don't know anyone who still uses their email suite; using Windows Live Mail to read newsgroups, forsooth!
Having said all that, it is possible that I will be stuck in a corporate environment someday where an incredibly short-sighted or cheap (or both!) management mandate the use of these very basic tools, so it was helpful to get to know them.
Other nuggets of knowledge in this chapter including subscribing to, viewing and deleting RSS feeds and Web Slices using Internet Explorer. Again, I will continue to use the other browsers out there like Chrome and Firefox (99% Chrome, really) to view RSS feeds, and as I had never heard of the Web Slice technology until I read through this chapter it doesn't seem to be taking the world by storm or anything.
The chapter also gives a brief brushing by the concepts behind chat rooms, blogs, wikis and social networking. As Microsoft doesn't have any purposed software for those platforms it does not go into any great deal, however.
Have a great week -- until my next installment in the wild, wacky, wonderful world of Windows 7!
I'm not sure that I would ever be in the position to use their somewhat kludgy tools like Windows Live mail and Windows Live Messenger, but the calendaring tool is pretty useful. Now that my life runs on Android and GMail, I think Microsoft has missed the boat. I literally don't know anyone who still uses their email suite; using Windows Live Mail to read newsgroups, forsooth!
Having said all that, it is possible that I will be stuck in a corporate environment someday where an incredibly short-sighted or cheap (or both!) management mandate the use of these very basic tools, so it was helpful to get to know them.
Other nuggets of knowledge in this chapter including subscribing to, viewing and deleting RSS feeds and Web Slices using Internet Explorer. Again, I will continue to use the other browsers out there like Chrome and Firefox (99% Chrome, really) to view RSS feeds, and as I had never heard of the Web Slice technology until I read through this chapter it doesn't seem to be taking the world by storm or anything.
The chapter also gives a brief brushing by the concepts behind chat rooms, blogs, wikis and social networking. As Microsoft doesn't have any purposed software for those platforms it does not go into any great deal, however.
Have a great week -- until my next installment in the wild, wacky, wonderful world of Windows 7!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Chapter 3 - File and Folder Managment
Well, this week poor time management practices have me hard up against a midnight deadline. This chapter covers the basics of working with files and folders in the Windows 7 graphical environment.
It's much the same as earlier versions of Windows, but tweaked to keep things fresh. I liked the 'Aero Shake' feature, which allows a user to minimize all the windows except the active window by shaking the title bar of the active window. Neat-O.
See you next week!
Well, this week poor time management practices have me hard up against a midnight deadline. This chapter covers the basics of working with files and folders in the Windows 7 graphical environment.
It's much the same as earlier versions of Windows, but tweaked to keep things fresh. I liked the 'Aero Shake' feature, which allows a user to minimize all the windows except the active window by shaking the title bar of the active window. Neat-O.
See you next week!
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