Answering questions About my Easy Computer Lesson CDs

As you probably know if you've been reading my recent emails, my dad is turning 80 in a few weeks, and I am running a huge sale on my easy video computer training CDs to raise money so I am able to take time off work and make the 5,000 mile trip to see him.

It'll be the first time Dad and I have been able to see each other in over two years, and it's been over 3 years since I've seen my brother, and about four and a half years since the whole family has been able to be together. So as you can imagine, I miss them and am really looking forward to being able to go.

I got a lot of responses to the news about the sale, and quite a few people had questions. I thought I'd take a break from putting the finishing touches on this month's Gold Club
video lesson CD to answer a couple of the questions here before I go to bed, since others may be wondering the same things.

And while I'm answering questions about my CDs, I won't be able to help myself but throw in a couple little lessons about computers while I'm at it, so read on...

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Did you miss the link to the page where you can sign up
for a priority notification for my sale so you can get in
right as the doors open? Remember the price goes up
each day of the sale so you'll save the most if you beat
the rush. You can sign up to get first notification by
clicking the link...
http://www.worthgodwin.com/dadsale/
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The first question is from Marshal Jackson, who wrote:

> i am interested in your product, but i use a webtv,
> msn tv 2 type system, and can't download cd's.
>are they available to purchased and mailed to me?
> thank you, marshall jackson.

Hi Marshall. Yes, my CDs are available to be purchased and mailed. The sale on my Ultimate Beginners Bundle of 21 CDs starts early Friday, and continues to be available at full price on my site, alongside of the two lower priced bundles.

Now the issue for you though, is that you're using an MSN TV (formerly Web TV), which for those who don't know is basically a really stripped down computer that lets you browse most websites and read email, but which doesn't let you do a lot of the other things you can do with a regular computer.

I don't personally have much direct experience with them compared to regular computers, but I'm pretty sure they don't have a CD drive in them, and I'm not sure if they can play the type of video I use for my lessons, which is something called Flash video. This works for 98+ percent of people without any extra steps, which is why I chose to use it.

If you're able to watch the sample video lesson on using a search engine which I emailed you a link to yesterday, then I use the same type on my CDs and on my paid Gold Club member website.

So while you may not be able to play the video lesson CDs since you're missing a CD drive, another option that would let you learn more from me would be my basic "Starter Plus" package on my website.

This includes 3 audio CDs (in other words regular CDs you can play in a CD player, not just a computer) plus a month free membership to my Gold Club.

If you can watch any of the videos on my website, or on sites like YouTube, then my Gold Club videos will work for you.

Everything I mentioned above is included in the bundle of CDs that go on sale this weekend, but again you need an actual computer (not a Web TV or MSN TV) that has a CD drive to play *most* of the 21 CDs (again, some are regular audio CDs that play in a regular player)

I hope that answers your questions.

You can see my 3 bundles of CDs by going to the home page of my site and for an MSN TV you would want to click the Windows PC option since MSN TV 2 runs a special version of Windows.

The other question I'll be answering in this email comes from Lois Lancaster, who wrote:

> Dear Worth: I am interested in your offer. Please
> tell me what I need to do to make use of your lessons.
> I dont have high speed but I assume that I need to sign
> up for it, get speakers attached, know how to put in a CD,
> get sound. I am starting with almost zero knowledge.
> I can turn on the computer and get Email. I can click on
> Google. That is about all. Let me know what is involved
>and I will get back to you. Lois L.

Hi Lois. First off, it's OK if it seems like you have zero knowledge about the computer right now. Everyone has to start somewhere; believe me, I was no expert when I started! FAR from it.

So as for what you need to do. Well, you do not need to have high speed Internet access to play the CDs. You don't really even need to have an Internet connection at all to use them since all of the videos and other information is stored on the CDs themselves.

Now if you're using dialup, you might not be able to watch the videos on my site, or at least not without pausing the video right when it starts and waiting a few minutes for your computer
to receive (or "buffer") enough of the video so you can play it back smoothly. The audio on my site on the other hand probably would play OK.

On a side note, I really do recommend using a fast "broadband" Internet connection whenever possible, both because it gives you the most options, but also because it can make your computer
safer by letting your computer receive critical security updates in a timely manner.

Speakers or a pair of headphones (both of which have the same type of connector) are a good idea. Either will plug into a small round hole (again, just like a headphone socket on a CD player
Walkman, iPod, etc.) which usually is marked with either a green ring around it or a small picture of headphones next to it.

As for how to put in a CD, it's a funny coincidence, one of the video lessons on this month's Gold Club CDs is of me demonstrating how to open a CD drive and also what to do if the drive won't open.

It's really easy to do though, so I can tell you here.

CD drives come in two basic types. Most desktop and laptop computers have a "tray loading" CD drive (where the CD sits on a small tray that slides out of the computer). Some computers,
especially a lot of Apple's Macs, use a "slot loading" CD drive instead where you just slide the CD in label side up.

Opening the tray or spitting out the CD on a Mac is just a matter of pressing the eject key in the upper right corner of the keyboard.

On a Windows PC (which I think you have Lois), you do the following:

On most computers you just look on the front of the computer (not on the screen, but the big "box" that a lot of people incorrectly call the hard drive). On the front of the computer should be a rectangular panel that most likely either says "CD", "CD-R", "Compact Disk", or "DVD" (depending on the make and model).

On the right side of this panel should be a small button for ejecting the tray you put the CD on. The button may have the eject symbol under it (the eject symbol looks like a triangle with a line under it, just like on a DVD player, a CD player, a VCR, etc.)

Push the eject button and the tray should come out that has a circular depression in it that you put the CD into, label side up. Then press the eject button again to close the drive.

On a Windows computer the main menu with the list of lessons on the CD will open up automatically after 20-30 seconds or so.

On a Mac an icon that looks like a CD will appear on the desktop and you would double-click that icon, then double-click the file inside named "Double-click-me" and you'll get the list of lessons.

Again, I'm guessing you have a Windows PC from your question, but I figured I'd turn this into a useful lesson for everybody, and include the Mac users.

Anyway, I hope that answers your questions. It's rounding 1:45AM right now where I am and I was up until 4AM last night trying to get caught up so this whole event goes off smoothly this weekend.

So I'm going to hit the hay.

sometime later on Thursday I'll be sharing an email I got from one of my Gold Club members named Ian who had a story to tell me about his experience with the computer that I suspect a lot of you will be able to relate to.

until then, take care, and enjoy,

Worth Godwin
Plain English Simplicity For a Complex Modern World

P.S. The link again to registering for the priority notification list is

http://www.worthgodwin.com/dadsale/

sign up to join the very first people to get in when the doors open early Friday. Remember the biggest savings on my CDs will be for the first people.

Help Worth Wish His Dad a Happy 80th Birthday In Person

I don't know if you heard my special announcement at the end of
Monday's live computer question & answer event, but if you did,
you know I'm about to run a *huge* sale to help me get enough
money together to be able to take a proper vacation for the first
time in three years, and so I can surprise my dad on his 80th birthday
by flying home to visit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
In a hurry? Click the link to go and register for priority
notification so you can be one of the first in the door and
save the most.
http://www.worthgodwin.com/dadsale/
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You see, three years ago in early 2006 I started this business to
create the very best, easiest and most effective computer lessons
around.

I had no idea what I was getting into.

Don't get me wrong; making my simple, Plain English computer
lessons was actually the easy part.

The hard part was learning how to run a business by myself without
any help and with just a little bit of money in savings, and how to
advertise the business and reach the people who needed me. But I
worked hard at it (often 12 or more hours a day, day after day) to
make it work and to follow my dream.

As a result, I've reached people around the world with my lessons,
and helped empower my students with their computers in over a
dozen countries. From the feedback I get from my students, I'm
really making a difference for them, and it makes me really proud
of the work I'm doing.

But it all had a downside for me -- I've sunk every spare cent and
every spare moment of my time into this work, and as a result I
haven't had a real vacation in over three years, and while I was
lucky enough to be able to see my mom a couple of months ago
when she flew out to see me for a few days, I haven't seen my dad
in over two years, and I haven't seen my brother in over three.

I really miss my family, but haven't been able to get things moving
well enough that I could afford (in terms of time or money) to
fly the 5,000 miles to go home and see my folks.

As I mentioned, my dad is about to turn 80 years old in about
a month. Nothing would make him (or me) happier than for all
of us to be together again to celebrate his birthday.

So I've decided to do something a little crazy and slash the price
of my biggest, best bundle of 21 of my easy computer lesson CDs
to a ridiculously low price starting this Friday, May 1st.

I figured this way I could help people who needed my lessons
but who had been hesitating because of the price. Personally, I think
my normal price for the bundle is more than fair for the staggering
number of quick, easy lessons you get (and the people who have
ordered it seem to agree). But I figured if I drastically lower my prices
for a few days, I could help bring my lessons to more people who need
them, and to hopefully get enough money together to be able to take
time off and fly across the country and spend time with my family.

You'll want to get in on the first day, because I need to get things
moving to be able to get all my ducks in a row with the business
to allow me to actually take time off. To give people a real reason
to move fast, and because I really can't afford to give *too* many
away for so little, the price will be going up each day of the sale.

The best thing you can do to empower yourself today with your
computer is to get over to

http://www.worthgodwin.com/dadsale/

right away.

You'll get a chance to register for my priority notification which
will guarantee you are notified and can get the best price.

So get over to http://www.worthgodwin.com/dadsale/ now,
and if you can think of anyone else who would want to know
about this, let them know right away by forwarding this message
to them.

And keep your eyes open and watch your inbox. In the next couple
of days I will be sharing a few sample lessons to give you a taste
of what you'll get when you order my easy video computer training CDs.

until then, take care, and enjoy,

Worth Godwin
Plain English Simplicity for a Complex Modern World

P.S. That special website address one last time is:

http://www.worthgodwin.com/dadsale/

Answering Computer Question About Mac & Windows Computer Security

In my last newsletter, I answered a question sent in by Jenna E.,who was asking questions about computer security and viruses.

I answered the first part of her questions, but had so much to share, I had to answer the last part of question in a separate email.

What she wrote was:

>Also, why is it that the Macs are less prone to viruses?
>
>Jenna Eichberger

In this newsletter, I'm going to continue answering Jenna's question, and give you a few lessons that will improve your understanding of computer security whether you have a Mac or a Windows PC.

I'll also explain why it is that just because you don't see any signs of a virus or similar program infecting your computer, you still could be at risk.

Let's take a look at why...

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Worried about computer security? Want to become more
confident & skilled, while dodging dangerous mistakes?
My easy video computer training CDs are the answer.
Click here now to protect and empower yourself today...
--------------------------------------------------------------------

As I mentioned last time, there are a few reasons why Macs have fewer viruses (currently there are no viruses circulating for modern Macs made in the last several years, as opposed to the
many thousand out there for Windows).

Let's talk a little about why this is.

One of the reasons -- and some people will argue that this is the *only* reason, but I disagree -- is what is called "security through obscurity". That is, since there are fewer people using Macs, they are safer since they are less of an interesting target to criminals.

This is true, but not the complete story.

Now you may have heard on the news recently about how several thousand Macs have been infected by something called a "trojan", which has made them part of something called a "botnet". You may have also seen people crowing triumphantly about how this proved that Apple's Macs are no more secure than PCs running Microsoft Windows, but this is simply not the case as I'll explain.

Just in case you don't know what a trojan is or a botnet, let me define the terms for you.

First, a trojan: remember the story of the Trojan Horse? In ancient times, the Greeks won the Battle of Troy with the use of the Trojan Horse.

The Greeks attacked the city of Troy without success for ten long years, and it wasn't until they hit upon the idea of the Trojan Horse that they were able to get past the secure battlements of the city.

As you may know, they built the horse and hid inside it. The Trojans thought their enemy had given up, and they took the "gift" inside the walls that had kept the Greeks out for 10 years, and that night the Greeks won.

Did the Greeks win because the walls of the city of Troy were weak and didn't protect the city?

No, they won because they were able to get past all of the security because the Trojans invited them in without knowing it. And that's exactly how a trojan computer program works -- it is disguised as something the user wants, and they bring it in past the security.

You can have the most secure computer in the world and it doesn't matter if you do this.

Now in this particular case, the trojan infected Mac owners who had installed pirated (stolen) copies of two different programs: iWork '09 and Photoshop CS4, which they had gotten from a file trading network which is mainly used to illegally share movies, music, computer programs, etc. and these file trading networks are very common was to infect a computer.

So it is not something Mac users need to worry about unless they're pirating software, which hopefully you're not doing whether you use a Windows or a Mac computer.

So what is a botnet?

A botnet is a group of computers which have been infected with some kind of malicious program like a virus, worm, or trojan. The infected computers connect to each other to form a network and pool their resources while being controlled from afar by someone (often by organized crime).

The botnet is used to launch attacks on websites or for whatever criminal activity the person or people controlling the botnet have in mind.

And this is the key point: most "malware", including viruses, worms, trojans, etc. these days are being designed to help criminals break the law and take advantage of people.

This didn't used to be the case; back in the day, virus writers (for the moment assume that when I say viruses here I am talking about all types of malicious software) wrote the viruses to show off, for the most part.

As a result, you could usually tell pretty easily when your computer got infected because the virus writers often went out of their way to let you know, or at least didn't bother hiding the fact from you.

Nowadays, however, the virus writers have a vested interest in staying under the radar. They want to use the resources of your computer to stage these attacks, to send spam to your friends and family (often making you look like the bad guy), etc.

So it's pretty common for computer users to be blissfully unaware as their computers are infected and working for someone else!

There are literally *millions* of infected Windows computers out there right now, owned by people who have no idea what's going on. And now thanks to this recent trojan, there are a few thousand Macs infected (although as I'll explain in the next installment of this article, it's *far* easier to clean up on a Mac than a similar program is on a Windows PC).

This does point to the "security through obscurity" era coming to an end for Apple's Macs, but as I mentioned before, that's not the only reason there's a difference between Microsoft Windows computers and Apple's Macs when it comes to security.

But as usual, I have so much to teach you, I can't come close to fitting it all in one newsletter, so I'll have to continue this later.

Before the final article in this series, I will be sharing an audio lesson with you, and I have another of my monthly computer question & answer live events coming up soon too, so keep your eye on your email inbox for those messages.

Until next time, take care, stay safe, and enjoy,

Worth Godwin
Plain English Simplicity For a Complex Modern World

P.S. If you're concerned about avoiding common mistakes, being safe & protected from security threats, and wish you could learn with simple explanations you actually understand, combined
with easy, step-by-step instructions where you actually get to see how it's done right on your screen, then take a look at my easy computer lesson CDs.

My Ultimate Beginner's bundle of 21 easy, Plain English lesson CDs includes 7 CDs that specifically help you avoid mistakes and feel more secure using your computer.

And many of the other CDs in the bundle may not be specifically about security, but still include many valuable lessons that relate to safety & more,plus answer many of the common questions people have, and show you how it's all done in a way that really is easy, even for a so-called "computer dummy".

Click here to grab yourself a copy today.

You'll be glad you did.

Answering Computer Question About Mac Virus Protection

I've been a little behind in posting my newsletter articles to the blog. This one is from last week, the follow-up to this article will be posted very soon.

---------------

I'm writing this in Borders right now where I'm sitting with my laptop, trying to get caught up on some work.

In this issue of my computer newsletter I'm going to answer a question from Jenna, who writes in with a question about
viruses:

>Dear Worth,

>I am a newly admitted grad student and decided to look at
>notebooks so I could be a little more mobile this fall.
>After working on a custom-built desktop PC for 6 years,
>I was thinking of getting an HP notebook. However, after
> watching your tutorials, I thought better of it and bought a Mac.
>So far, so good.
>
>Most of the new laptops operate with Windows Vista, which I
> didn't really want to deal with, after hearing all the negative
>reviews. I'd used both Macs and PCs as an undergrad, so the
>Mac is already like second nature. Thanks for the good advice!
>
>My question for you is, do Macs need antivirus software, and
>if so, what kind? The sales guy at Best Buy didn't seem to think
>it was a necessity, but I'm always wondering if it wouldn't hurt
>to have some kind of virus/spyware protection.
>
>Also, why is it that the Macs are less prone to viruses?
>
>Jenna Eichberger

Well Jenna, first off, thanks for writing in with your question, and I'm glad you found my tutorials to be of help!

At this point in time there are basically *zero* viruses for Apple's Mac computers. On the Windows side (i.e. any computer not made by Apple) there are thousands of them.

There is one trojan (which is a malicious program that's sort of like a virus) written for Macs, but it has never spread because of some of the security built into the Mac software (more on that later).

Because of this, I think it is OK to go without running antivirus software on your Mac for the time being, as long as you're not also running Windows -- for those who don't know, Macs have been able to not just run all of the Mac software, but any Windows program as well since 2006.

Viruses attack flaws or vulnerabilities in specific programs, or in the operating system (i.e. Windows XP or Vista, Mac OS X -- see my video explaining operating systems for more details). All of the existing viruses, worms, etc. (with the exception of the one I mentioned above) are written specifically for Windows.

So if you run Windows, whether it's on a Mac or a computer made by HP, Dell, etc. it is critical to protect yourself with a good antivirus program.

Unfortunately, the most popular antivirus programs for Windows are not necessarily the best ones.

In my opinion, McAfee and Norton antivirus, for example, are pretty poor at protecting you. I've cleaned up viruses and other infections from computers running those programs before, and studies have found them to have up to an 80% *failure* rate at detecting the latest threats. Beyond that, Antivirus programs can at the best of times bog your computer down, but Norton is especially bad about this in my experience.

The program I recommend to Windows users is the one I use on my PCs (including my Macs when they run Windows) is called Kaspersky Internet Security. I cover how to download, install, setup and use Kaspersky in my Ultimate Beginners Bundle of Easy Lessons for Windows, as well as a lot of other important security steps that will help protect you if you use Windows.

My lessons for Mac do cover security issues too, but I don't have to focus on it to anywhere close to the same degree as I do with Windows.

As for *why* Macs have so few viruses? Well, there's a couple of reasons for this, which I'll cover in my next newsletter. And along the way we'll cover a few things that will help you better understand computer security and how to protect yourself and the important personal or business data on your Mac or Windows PC.

And we'll do it all in Plain English.

Until next time, take care, and enjoy

Worth Godwin
Plain English Simplicity for a Complex Modern World

P.S. In the next article I'll be talking about how the newly discovered botnet-spawning trojan affects the question of Mac computer security.

Define Operating System: Plain English Answer to What is an Operating System or OS

Watch this easy video lesson and understand what an "OS" or "Operating System" is.

I've added another of my plain English, easy video lessons to my site. In this one, I'm going to help you finally make sense of what for most people is one of the most confusing and least understood computer terms around: "operating system", or "OS".

It's actually a pretty easy idea to get when it's explained right. Take a look at the following video to find out how...

Note: you might want to watch this lesson a few times to get all of the interrelated things I cover in it.

While helping you understand the main computer term OS (or operating system), I actually explain a several closely related topics since each idea helps reinforce the understanding of the others.

You'll see what I mean in a moment.

Take a look here, and make sure your speakers are turned on:



I think you'll find this really makes a lot of sense.

until next time, take care, and enjoy,

Worth Godwin

P.S. If you like this easy explanation of this computer term, use the form below to get free access to more Plain English computer terminology, tips, advice and more.

Wet Computer? Avoid the Big Mistake People Make When Their Computer or Cell Phone Gets Wet

In this article I want to talk about what to do about a wet computer
or wet cell phone, and also what not to do if you get your electronics wet.

I was called recently by a client who'd had coffee spilled on their
laptop, and since I was thinking about it, I figured I'd share some advice
with you about what to do if this sort of thing happens that may just
save the life of the laptop, cell phone, or other electronic device that
gets wet.

First off, let me correct a common misconception: a lot of people think
that electronics are instantly ruined by water, or any liquid, but this
isn't necessarily the case. Technically, water by itself isn't always going
directly hurt electronic devices if they get a little wet; the real damage is
often actually done by electricity, rather than by the water itself.

As you probably know, computers and most electronics are in large part
made up of circuits, which are built on circuit boards. If you don't really
understand what a circuit board is, that's OK. Here's one way to think
about it: a circuit board is like an irrigated field.

In a field that's been irrigated, you have channels that allow water
to flow in a specific pattern throughout the field, designed to supply
the crops with neither too much, nor too little water.

This is much like a circuit board, which has been designed to allow
electricity to flow in a specific, regulated pattern throughout the board
so it can perform whatever function the board has been designed for.

So if a circuit board (like one in a computer, or a cell phone, etc.) gets
wet, it's not necessarily a problem; it's when it gets wet *and* it's
plugged in or is connected to some source of electricity (like a
battery in a laptop) is where the damage gets done.

Again, if we think of a circuit board as being like an irrigated field,
having the circuit board get wet while it's turned on and connected
to electricity is like going to a dam uphill from that field and blowing
up the dam so a torrent of water blasts into the field.

It washes out the irrigation channels so the water flows in the wrong
places, damaging the field and the plants growing in it. This is kind
of like what happens when wet electronics are connected to a power
source -- the electricity flows in the wrong amounts to the wrong
places, damaging the electronics.

Now all that is assuming it's just water. Plain water isn't too
damaging by itself, as I explained, but salt water (like ocean water)
is highly corrosive by itself, and other liquids, like soda for example,
also can damage electronics directly even without electricity.

I once saw a cell phone that had gotten soaked in the ocean
accidentally by the owner. He showed it to me hoping I could fix
it, but I popped off the back cover, and as I had suspected, the
entire inside was blue with corrosion, even though it hadn't even
been 24 hours yet!

But as for regular spills, what do you do?

If something gets spilled on your electronics, the very first
thing you should do is to immediately unplug it, and then after
you've done that, unplug the battery if it's a laptop, cell phone, etc.

You should be very careful when you do this if there is a lot of water
and the computer is plugged in, because you really don't want to get
a shock. I've had a few nasty electrical shocks in my life, and believe
me, they're no fun.

Once the device is unplugged and the battery is removed, if it
was just water that got into it, it *may* be fine as long as you do
your best to let it completely dry before plugging it in and trying to
turn it on.

I just this weekend accidentally left my cell phone's wireless headset
in the pocket of my shorts when I ran them through the washer, and
didn't realize it until I'd emptied the washing machine and found the
headset lying forlornly on the bottom!

Instead of plugging it in or trying to turn it on right away like a lot of
people try to do, what I did was place it on top of my TV set, which
gets pretty warm while it's on. I then left the headset there overnight
to let it dry.

If the headset had been dripping wet I would have wrapped it in a
towel first to let it get at least dry on the outside since I obviously
don't want to be dripping water into my TV.

The idea is to get it as dry as possible with a towel or something
similar, then put it somewhere warm and dry (but not hot) so it can
completely dry out before you do anything else.

A hairdryer set on a low temperature setting can work pretty well,
too, but usually to be sure something is completely dry, you should
let it sit *at least* overnight.

Again, do NOT try to turn it on right after it gets wet -- this is the
worst thing you can do!

Once it's fully dry, you can try turning it on and cross your fingers.
If it was just water, you may be in luck. Chances are, some damage
was done, but it may work OK, at least for a while.

Again, if the liquid was something other than plain water, it may
damage the electronics even if you follow these steps, and you may
be better off taking it to a technician.

Either way, you still have the best bet of at least getting important
files off the computer if you follow the steps:

1) unplug everything including the battery
2) let it completely dry, leaving it for a day or more if needed
3) cross your fingers and try plugging it back in and turning it on

Of course, it always pays to back your files up regularly as I often
like to mention. There are so many ways things can go wrong,
you really don't want to take the risk of losing anything important.

My Computer Basics lesson CDs show you step-by-step how to
back your files up to protect yourself and keep important information
safe, as well as lessons ranging from mouse basics, to copying and
pasting, using the Web & email, and a lot more.

All in Plain English, designed to make computers easy.

The Computer Basics CDs are included in both the Platinum Bundle of
easy lessons, and in the Ultimate Beginner's Bundle of easy video
lessons.

Join my newsletter with the form below and get more tips like this,
and learn more about my easy video computer training CDs for Windows PC or
Apple Mac computers.

In my next email I'll be answering a question from Jenna about
viruses and Macs.

until then, take care, and enjoy,

Worth Godwin
Plain English Simplicity in a Complex Modern World

P.S. When I drink something near a computer, my own or
when working on a client's, I always make sure I'm drinking
out of a covered container like a water bottle, or a no-spill
coffee mug. In either case, I always close the lid when I put
it down.

Accidents happen sometimes, so it's best to be prepared
and you can often avoid the worst with a little forethought and
foreknowledge.