Most computer users use spreadsheets software such as Microsoft Excel in their daily home and office. However very few are aware of the potential of spreadsheets in helping them in financial accounting and statistical analysis.

There are many uses of spreadsheets beyond the simple arithmetical and data analysis we are used to. Spreadsheets can assist us in many tasks with accuracy and speed.

Before we look at some of the uses we can put Spreadsheet software to let’s look at a few of its features, which make it unique and useful.

The most important features of any spreadsheet are the calculation of figures using arithmetic signs or functions. While not completely unique to spreadsheets, this feature is particularly more visible and word processing software.

For example in Microsoft Excel, there is a formula bar for typing or displaying typed formulas. The formula can be inserted in this bar or in a specific cell preceded by an = (equal) sign.

You need not insert actual figures, as that would be cumbersome. You simply specify a function such as SUM, AVERAGE, e.t.c and enclose into brackets the beginning column and row numbers and the ending column and row numbers.

The use of functions helps to easily perform calculations. Not only would the computation be accurate but it helps to simplify an otherwise complicated calculations process.

As we have seen, Spreadsheets have many useful features, which make calculation of figures simpler. Now let’s look at some of the uses you can put spreadsheets to:

Whether at the office or at home, drawing and maintaining budgets is important. Not only will you be focused and be able to pursue your financial objects clearly with a budget, but you can compare your actual versus planned performance. You can easily prepare a detailed budget with spreadsheets. The calculations can easily be done by entering appropriate formulas and getting the totals and differences.

So you can prepare a cash flow analysis for Monitoring and predicting likely income and expenditure to keep in track with financial affairs of your office or home.

Similarly you may easily predict changes in values such as effects of a price change on costs, discounts and profit. A fixed table can be prepared to show these changes but more significantly the figures could be changed from time to time to reflect new situations with same formulas in place.

Perhaps the most frequent use of spreadsheets is in financial and cost accounting. Many businesses use spreadsheets to calculate balance sheets, profit and loss accounts and cash books.

You can perform bank reconciliation, calculate jobs costs, taxes, schedule payments, forecast profits and control stocks. In all these tasks the spreadsheet proves a very important tool in simplifying the computation process and production of the results.

In data collection and analysis, spreadsheets can be used to record, present and analyses the results of polls, surveys and research. With new gadgets such as handheld, laptops and computerized. Mobile phones, you can do all that while on the road and getting the results instantly.

For teachers and students, in addition to the foregoing, spreadsheets can be used in class work and research activities.

In mathematics and the sciences, spreadsheets could be used to convert temperature figures whether in Celsius or far hermetic, metric to imperial measurements, pounds to kilos, exchange rates among a host of other measurements.

You can also calculate trigonometric and logarithmic functions, standard deviations and critical path analysis.

In addition, the computations may be presented in table on graphic form. There are buttons you can click to make your data appear in table format or in the form of graphs and charts. These enhance the presentability and understanding of the data.

I could give you a hundred or so uses of spreadsheets. However, the few I have mentioned are the more important. Suffice it to say that spreadsheets software is some of the most important application software used at the office and home.

About The Author

Abdallah Khamis Abdallah is a freelance copywriter and ghost writer. To find out how you can enhance your business’s sales and profits through credibility and viral marketing solutions visit his website at: http://www.qualitywritingsolutions.com/

quantumpro@lycos.com

How many steps does it take you to locate and open your Word documents? Try these tricks to streamline how you find and open the files you use most often:

Opening Documents

With a variety of choices, how do you open a file? Here are the standards plus several keyboard shortcuts:

• File > Open

• Open toolbar button (usually 2nd from the left on the Standard toolbar)

• [Ctrl] + O

• [Ctrl] + F12

• [Ctrl] + [Alt] + F2

Selecting More Than One File

Once you are in the Open dialog box, select more than one file to open:

• To select nonadjacent files in the Open dialog box, click one file, and then hold down [Ctrl] and click each additional file.

• To select adjacent files in the Open dialog box, click the first file in the sequence, and then hold down [Shift] and click the last file.

• To unselect a highlighted file you don’t want, hold down [Ctrl] and click the file again.

Stop Hunting For Files

Are you frequently switching to a different folder or drive when you want to open a file? Change the default folder for your documents:

1. Tools > Options.

2. Click the File Locations tab.

3. With Documents selected for File Types, choose Modify and move to the folder/drive that you use most often.

4. Finish by clicking OK twice.

Each time you start Microsoft Word, this will be the default file location but Word remembers your most recent file location each time you return to the Open dialog box during your current Word session.

Find Your Last Work

Click once on the File menu and a list of the last 4 most recently used files displays at the bottom. Save time opening up your most recent work by increasing the list to a maximum of 9 files:

1. Tools > Options.

2. Choose the General tab.

3. Look for the option, Recently used file list and increase the value to 9 files.

4. Choose OK to finish.

As you continue to open additional files, the list of recent files will expand up to the last 9 files.

Add the Work Menu

The recently used file list is great for your current documents but how do you quickly open other frequently used files? Add the Work menu to your main menu bar which makes it easy to locate important files:

1. Tools > Customize.

2. Click the Commands tab.

3. Scroll down the left column, Categories, to locate Built-in Menus near the bottom of the list.

4. On the right side column, find the Work menu choice and drag it up to the main menu. (I have mine between Window and Help).

5. Choose Close to finish.

Now, when you have an important file open, just click Work > Add to Work Menu and your document is added to the list. Your top files will then be stored as links on the Work menu regardless of their location or the last time it was opened. To open a file, choose Work to display the list.

With these tips, your files should be easier to find and open. To insure that Microsoft Word remembers the customized changes, exit out of Word, re-start and test each of these time-saving techniques.

© 2004 by Dawn Bjork Buzbee

Dawn Bjork Buzbee is The Software Pro™ and a certified Microsoft Office Expert and Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor. Dawn shares smart and easy ways to effectively use software and technology through her work as a speaker, trainer, and consultant. Visit http://www.SoftwarePro.com for great Microsoft Office software tips and tricks or to contact Dawn.

Whether you have used Microsoft Word for years, have just switched from WordPerfect or are new to word processing, try these easy steps to save time and simplify your work in Word:

Turn off Personalized Menus and Toolbars

Although it is a default, Personalized Menus and Toolbars is a terrible "feature" which limits your initial view to select toolbar buttons and menu commands. Do you only have one row of toolbars at the top of the screen? When you click on a menu, does it expand only after a few seconds? If so, you will save yourself a lot of frustration by turning off this personalized display:

1. Choose Tools > Customize, and click on the Options tab.

2. For the section, Personalized Menus and Toolbars, check/select the options "Show Formatting and Standard toolbars on two rows" and "Always show full menus." Note: in Microsoft Word 2000, you will need to UNcheck each of these options (the descriptions are a bit different too).

3. Pick Close to see a full display of your main toolbars and your menus.

Stop Automatic Text Changes

Does it seem like Word randomly changes the capitalization or spelling of text in a document? AutoCorrect is to blame. As the name indicates, AutoCorrect automatically corrects the spelling of common misspelled words but also makes other changes including capitalizing the first letter in a sentence, table cell, or line of text. To review your choices, pick Tools > AutoCorrect Options, choose the AutoCorrect tab and uncheck any option that gets in the way of typing your text.

Stop Automatic Numbered Lists (and More)

Have you ever tried to create your own numbered list or outline and watched the numbering or formatting change once you press [Enter] for the next line? This is a huge annoyance for anyone that wants to build their own custom layout for an outline rather than working with the choices in Word. Do you type your e-mail address or website into a document and then watch as it suddenly changes to blue underlined text (a hyperlink)? Do you ever enter fractions or quotes that automatically re-format? You are a victim of AutoFormat As You Type. To customize Word so that it works for you and not against you:

1. Choose Tools > AutoCorrect Options

2. Select the AutoFormat As You Type tab. I recommend that you uncheck all of the options in the last 2 sections including Automatic numbered lists. Turn off choices in the 1st section as desired.

3. Pick OK to finish.

Each of the formatting options that you turn off can still be added when you want them. For instance, automatic numbered lists can be created via a toolbar button or under the Format menu.

Modifying Your Default Font

Are you frequently changing the font in your documents? Take a few minutes to change the default font used for new documents:

1. Create a new, blank document.

2. Choose Format > Font. Change the font from the standard Times New Roman 12 point to the style and size you want such as Arial 12 point.

3. Next, don’t pick OK which only changes the current document. Instead, choose Default.

4. You will see a prompt asking if you want to change the default font. This change will modify the normal template also known as the normal.dot file which stores many of the Microsoft Word settings. Select Yes to confirm the changes.

Customizing Page Layout and Margins

Ever since the days of Word 1.0, the default margins for a document have been 1” for the top and bottom and 1.25” for the left and right margins even though most people prefer 1” margins for each side. It’s also easy to change the settings for margins regardless of what you like to work with:

1. Continue with a new, blank document.

2. File > Page Setup, and pick the Margins tab.

3. Change the margins to 1” all around or your most frequently used choices.

4. Make other changes in these dialog tabs. For instance, you might want to set a custom footer or make changes to the Paper source.

5. To set your custom defaults for all new, blank documents, pick the Default button.

6. As before, you will be prompted to confirm the change to the normal template. Choose Yes to continue.

Once your preferences are in place, you won’t have to repeat these steps but you do have the flexibility to customize individual documents.

© 2004 by Dawn Bjork Buzbee

Dawn Bjork Buzbee is The Software Pro™ and a certified Microsoft Office Expert and Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor. Dawn shares smart and easy ways to effectively use software and technology through her work as a speaker, trainer, and consultant. Visit http://www.SoftwarePro.com for great Microsoft Office software tips and tricks or to contact Dawn.

Currently many industries are developing artificial intelligence software and decision matrix protocols to evaluate and determine the best choice of action for a given scenario. In the future probability and complexity will be no match for such tools. One will be able to ask a question and get a relevant and best possible answer within extremely short amount of times. Even NASA scientists are now developing such software, which will be able to evaluate options for mining materials for life support, colony building materials and refueling in lunar factories.

The most advanced of these artificial intelligent decision-making computer software systems can now rate and compare more than five different types of lunar or Martian Base station manufacturing systems and compare components of each for the best possible choices. In the future more and more criteria will be added to insure the best possible decision for the situation. For instance using the Moon as our platform to manufacture in Space to service needs of Manned Mars Exploration.

Indeed, such systems will be good templates for future decision matrix artificial intelligent systems, which NASA can use to determine how to best use the materials, elements and compounds on other planets too, as mankind expands their horizons. With NASA using such AI decision programs to determine the best systems, which by the way they are now designing these things to make Business Decisions too; NASA should be able to evaluate the choices without the human politics of choosing systems.

Often when you mix politics, science and business you are asking for problematic situations in the bidding and design contracts, which are inherently corrupt; IE people, humans involved. Those who design such AI decision systems will need to consider the manipulation of criteria and how even those who exhibit the greatest level of integrity might justify it as the human mind of an individual is looking for financial gain or scientific status among peers.

These decision making matrix systems can take the “human element” out of such decisions and thus allow the negative innate characteristics of the species to screw up lesser important decisions, yet still feel in control for piece of mind. Undoubtedly those who program such systems will need to consider in advance the human animosity as they question the decision process and the AI systems decision?

Can humans design a system to make decisions that they will trust and that they will believe? Will these decision matrix systems stand the test of human being scrutiny? Human psychology predicts that if a human does not have a way out and has something to prove to save face or needs to be duly respected to fulfill personal desire that there will be issues with AI decision-making? Perhaps the biggest question maybe the interaction aspects as humans learn to trust such systems, without attempting to manipulate them to serve their will at the expense of the mission. Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Since its release in 1987, QuarkXpress had made an immediate impact to computer enthusiasts. QuarkXPress introduced precision typography, layout and color control to the desktop computer, and delivered those features to designers at a fraction of the cost of proprietary typesetting systems. Quark software programs had been widely utilized to create, design and manage their documents such as books, catalogs, brochures, packaging, newspapers, magazines and online materials.

At present, Quark maintains its industry leadership with a product line that ties together traditional print publishing with enterprise content management, personalization and tools for creating collaborative, cross-media workflows. Regarding enterprise content management, I have here a brief description about moving or copying content between print and web layouts. Here are the ways to achieve this.

First, change the layout medium type in the Layout Properties dialog box (Layout > Layout Properties). Next, drag items between projects. Then, copy items from one layout and paste them into the other. Drag items into a library, and then from the library into a layout. It is important to note that if you convert a box from one type of layout to another, some of that box’s attributes may no longer apply. However, they are saved with the box. Say, a text box in a web layout is set to export in JPEG format. If you convert the layout to a print layout, the "export as JPEG" setting is ignored. But if you drag that box into a different web layout, it will still remember the “export as JPEG” setting.

When you transfer content from a print to a web layout, several cganges occur. The Convert to Graphic on Export check box is checked for all text boxes. This ensures that text in the print layout is displayed, whether or not the text styles can be formatted in an HTML text box. Linked text boxes on facing pages are displayed as separate text boxes on the same page in a Web layout. The first box of a spread of linked text boxes can be moved to a Web layout and it will contain the content from all the linked boxes in the spread. Tabs are displayed as spaces in a Web layout. Remember also that style sheet attributes that are not supported in HTML text boxes are marked with an asterisk in the Edit Style Sheets dialog box (Edit > Style Sheets).

There you have it, folks! You can now apply this simple tutorial in your next project using Quark Xpress. Enjoy what you’re doing.

For Comments and Questions about the article and for additional info’s about creative designs log - on to http://www.ucreative.com

After almost two decades of existence, Quark has become the basic building block of any print designer’s toolkit. It has deservedly gained a reputation for reliable printing, offering consistent and dependable output that prevents costly mistakes. Now you can confidently add that tool to your Mac OS X workflow, because QuarkXPress 6.0 is available now and runs beautifully under Mac OS X.

In this latest version, QuarkXPress 6.0 gains a new appearance and a new window menu that lets you quickly navigate between open files. But you’ll love being able to launch as many programs as you want, knowing that if one of them misbehaves, it won’t interfere with your QuarkXPress document. And with the advanced virtual memory in Mac OS X, other programs won’t impede your work by hogging valuable memory. Connecting it to scriptable applications such as FileMaker Pro gives you an automation workflow simply not available on Windows. But it doesn’t merely run on Mac OS X, it also offers significant benefits over previous versions of the software.

The new concept of layout spaces with synchronized text is awesome! Its documents let you manage your projects in one file, making it easier to generate collateral for different formats. So, you can design a billboard and a print ad and keep them in the same document. What makes this easier is the addition of synchronized text that lets you share a single pool of content across multiple boxes. No need to fret about making sure you’ve updated an incorrect phone number, or even worse, a price, multiple times across several documents. Once you’ve fixed it once, you’ve fixed it all over the place. You’ll surely appreciate the gains in speed, accuracy and efficiency synchronized text brings.

Other productivity enhancements are multiple levels of undo, and table and layer improvements. QuarkXPress 6.0 lets you undo actions that were previously irreversible, including text and picture import, text linking, and style sheet edits. You can now also do anything with a text or picture table cell, including using the synchronized text of a layout space. For the web, it offers more control over designing cascading menus, specifying font families for style sheets and creating rollovers. You’ll also welcome how it speeds through creating PDF documents complete with indexes and hyperlinks. Since the program doesn’t need to workaround the limitations of computers with little memory, you can now choose to view images at full resolution while working on a layout that lets you create more accurate clipping paths and magnify the image with minimal pixelation.

Truly, QuarkXpress has already become a part of the lives of computer professionals. It’s good to know that continuous innovation is being conducted for its constant enhancement in efficiency and effectiveness. I just hope that this people will continue to do such things for the future of our computer world, too.

For Comments and Questions about the article and for additional info’s about creative designs log - on to http://www.ucreative.com

In a previous article, I wrote about OpenOffice which an excellent suite of Free Office software which is in the Public Domain.

What I did not know is that the Writer (word processing) program creates PDF files too.

I have uninstalled MS Word because OpenOffice opens all my old Word Documents and I like OpenOffice better than MS Word.

How To Create a PDF File for Free

After OpenOffice is installed, open any Word document or create a new document with the OpenOffice Word processor.

Now simply click the PDf creator button located on the Function Bar.

Another way to do this is to select Export As pdf from the File Menu.

That’s all there is to it.

Generate PDF for Free or pay $95

The created PDF document is a regular PDF file except it has no bells and whistles. This is a bare bones PDF Creator.

For example, hyperlinks do not work within the PDF file and I have not figured out how to create the handy navigation menu. For this you will need to buy the full version PDF Writer from Adobe.

But what the hell, I have seen DOC to PDF converters selling for as much as $95 and they too have the same limitations as OpenOffice.

In my opinion, OpenOffice has the best Office software and now with this latest version, the best Free PDF creation software too.

Ed Zivkovic operates Home Business Webmaster Tips and loves to visit http://www.gold-coast-beaches.com

If you are concerned with financial calculation, then this will no doubt involve the use of Microsoft’s excellent Excel spreadsheet. Excel allows of both manual one-off calculation and of automated calculation.

The main problems of manual financial calculation.

Manual calculations that can involve large numbers of variables and tricky formulae will be more prone to human error. They will also involve more labour, and so take more time and in any business they will also cost more. This increases further when errors require work to be repeated.

Excel automated calculation.

Microsoft’s Excel is well suited to automating complex calculation. Hence complex financial formulae can now be built into an Excel spreadsheet designed to make things easier, quicker and less error prone. Hence it is possible today to produce an excellent Excel custom automated Mortgage Calculator to suit specialist needs, or many other types of automated financial calculators. These can be especially useful to any business in saving labour, time and money !

Specialist automated financial calculators.

Some types of financial calculation may be of particular use to a specialist area of business. Hence property developers of housing for sale or for rent, will want to calculate the likely profit of a particular housing scheme before they consider building it. Nobody wants to go to a great expense to make a loss. A specialist automated Excel calculator that helps to easily calculate likely profit or loss can hence be a very useful tool. Some businesses will do those types of calculation manually with much labour, while others may produce their own specialist Excel calculators themselves in-house. But often today it makes much more financial sense to buy such a calculator, as even custom calculators may be available inexpensively.

Do be the wise financial planner.

If you are concerned with financial calculation of any kind then do look at what good automatic Excel calculators you can buy today.

Vincent Wilmot currently lives in Grimsby UK and has several interesting websites http://www.vincentwilmot.com

The final version of Office 12 is slated for release in mid 2006. Although Microsoft is yet to confirm what the final version of Office 12 will include, the broad areas that have been the focus of change are productivity, handling of business information, managing of documents, and enhanced user friendliness.

1. All programs like Word, Excel, and Power Point have a new look. The new user interface has a ribbon of frequently used commands and operations which will enhance usability instead of drop down menus.

2. The server based capabilities include document rights and work flow management.

3. In the case of the revamped Excel, it will support SQL Server 2005, and have much awaited features like greater spreadsheet capacity, tools for sorting and filtering, as well as extensive data visualization capabilities. The user will be able to access, analyze, and share information securely and easily not just within the system but between databases and enterprise applications.

4. The new system will support sharing of workspaces and exchange of information across corporate boundaries. Incorporating P2P capabilities, the system it all set to take a giant leap forward.

5. One aspect under consideration is “out-of –the-box secure enterprise instant messaging.”

6. Deeper incorporation of XML will make the system a development platform. Developers will be able to create software that interoperates with the system without hitches.

7. Specially designed Contextual Command Tabs. These will only appear when a user is all set to modify a document or Excel sheet. Just clicking on the page will call up the Command Tab with relevant tools for making changes.

8. Galleries is an innovation that is promoted as the ‘heart’ of the redesigned applications. In this the user will be able to see how his document will shape up. This will simplify the process of creating professionally layed out documents.

9. A system known as Live Preview is a brand new technology that will enable the user to view in a gallery the editing or changed formatting executed on a document.

10. Faster document authoring will be possible with incorporation of custom built layouts and slide libraries. Through SharePoint the user will also be able to store their personal slides and layouts in this function. The system is designed so that it can be accessed offline.

11. Rapid email and document searching will become feasible through the Fast Search technology in Vista (Longhorn).

12. Using new innovations in integrated technologies the system will support multiparty audio, video, as well as data collaboration.

The system is designed to run on Windows XP Service Pack 2, or Longhorn client, or updated versions of windows with at least an SQL server 2000. Office 12 will support x64 platforms but it is not certain whether the support will be shipped with Office 12 or separately.

The very purpose of Office 12 according to Microsoft is to make life easy for users with better presentation, organization, and capabilities.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com, the premier website to find Free Software Downloads including free anti-virus software, free spyware detection software, free toolbars, free chat software and more. He also freelances for http://www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com

Sticky Notes

http://www.deprice.com/stickynote.htm

With StickyNote 9.0, you can create beautiful 3D notes on your desktop or send them instantly over the Internet.

StickyNote also enables you to adhere notes to documents or windows AND to attach documents to your note.

StickyNote eliminates the clutter and confusion of keeping up with the reminders and phone numbers that never seem to be where you left them. Forget jotting down messages and let StickyNote deliver them for you. You can even customize a note’s texture, color and priority with a few simple clicks, and you can set an alarm to have notes appear at a certain time or at regular intervals.

Cute Reminder

http://www.deprice.com/cutereminder.htm

With the help of Cute Reminder software you can easily create desktop sticky notes and make reminders for an appointment, birthday, phone call, bill payment, meeting, oil change, TV show and other events or tasks. Take a pill reminder, break reminder, gift reminder, etc., and you will never miss anything important. The program automatically tracks the history of related events and stores the information into archive. Individually colored skins, support for audio files in various formats, schedule, linking files and Web pages to reminders and printing. The user-friendly interface provides comfort at your workplace whether at the office or at home.

Ideal Calendar

http://www.deprice.com/idealcalendar.htm

The IDEAL Calendar allows the user to insert an unlimited amount of occasions. The program displays a dialog and plays a sound on the selected occasions. The program runs in the system tray and contains enough options to satisfy any user. The excellent options and user-interface make this program truly ideal.

Features:

* Print calendar exactly as you see it (WYSIWYG)

* Select any image for your background (JPG/GIF/BMP)

* Share occasions over the network (Private and Public entries)

* Create multiple calendars

* Backup/Restore capabilities

* Various types of recurring events

* Plug-ins to add more features. (PDA Export/Import, HTML Calendar, etc…)

SpeedUpMyPC

http://www.deprice.com/speedupmypc.htm

SpeedUpMyPC makes it easier than ever before to optimize your settings, free up resources, and remove resource hogs. With simple explanations and real-time graphs for all vital system resources, SpeedUpMyPC identifies performance bottlenecks in minutes. With a heavy-duty arsenal of optimization tools, such as RAM recovery, CPU optimization, startup management, and automatic crash recovery, SpeedUpMyPC is THE must-have utility for both beginner and power users.

John loves discovering software "jewels" - computer applications that actually make the life easier. His small but proven collection is publically available at http://www.deprice.com/desktop.htm