Site Seeing

By JULES ALLEN

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 30, 2001

Feel free to browse...

Free tips; training extra

www.ComputerTim.com

Here's a nice collection of tips, hints and general how-to articles on the Windows operating system or the Palm handheld organizer if you're just getting started with it. The real reason for highlighting this site is the live, free technical support. It's hidden away in the "Ask a Question" link under the Computer Help section. I asked a couple of dumb questions and got some rather good answers. Of course, the main point of this site is to hawk its training services, so govern yourself accordingly.

In step with humor

www.DancingPaul.com

Some so-called humor sites require a serious amount of medication before tickling one's funny bone. It's sort of like Cheech and Chong movies, which fail to raise the tiniest of titters in my house. Dancing Paul, however, is a howler. Very simply, you make Paul dance to music with the aid of your Shockwave-enabled browser and mouse.

Cartoon fun

www.JoyOfTech.com/joyoftech/

This is a good way to move from the animated world and into the static. If you've ever owned a computer and are sick of Dilbert, make this your home page for a few days. There's a new cartoon every morning. The art is good and the jokes may make you snicker.

Control-Alt-Right-Click-Shift-Drag-Left

OperaSoftware.com/windows/mouse.html

In an unscientific poll of anybody who would listen, I couldn't find a soul that was thrilled by the thought of added complexity to a browser. The newest versions of the Opera Web browser allow you to hold down the second rodent button and do things such as open a new window. Just wiggle the mouse in a certain order and things happen. It's great in concept, but having seen many people with a mouse, moving it while clicking could make bad things happen. You be the judge on this one.

More books, less dough

Safari.OReilly.com

Book publisher O'Reilly consistently cranks out top-notch computer books. They're accurate, well-written and not bloated with fluff. So here's a good way to try before you buy the dead tree version or keep a virtual library of your own. For $10 a month, you can have any five at one time. The only thing that depreciates faster than computer books are bananas, so it could be a bargain for some people.

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