Note: This article was based on OpenOffice 3. Since this article was written, OpenOffice version 4 has been released. Click here to read the newer OpenOffice 4 article.

A client recently asked me if I knew of any alternative to Microsoft Office. As a firm believer in open-source software, I told him about OpenOffice.org 3 from Oracle. It is a complete office software suite with a word processor, spreadsheet, multimedia presentation, graphics, and database programs.

OpenOffice.org is Java-based and requires it to be installed. It is compatible with other commercial office software and can read/write various file formats. XSLT and StarOffice formats are supported, but you will need to choose the custom installation to enable these filters. You can also expand the functionality of OpenOffice.org by using third party extensions. And you can also export to PDF in all of the applications. And best of all, it's free.

OpenOffice.org 3's main screen

Programs included in OpenOffice.org

Writer
Writer lets you design and produce text documents that can include graphics, tables, or charts. You can then save the documents in a variety of formats, including the standardized OpenDocument format (ODF), Microsoft Word .doc format, or HTML. And you can easily export your document to the Portable Document Format (PDF).

Calc
Calc is a spreadsheet application that you can use to calculate, analyze, and manage your data. You can also import and modify Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

Impress
Impress lets you create professional slide shows that can include charts, drawing objects, text, multimedia, and a variety of other items. If you want, you can even import and modify Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.

Draw
Draw lets you create simple and complex drawings and export them in a number of common image formats. You can also insert tables, charts, formulas, and other items created in OpenOffice.org programs into your drawings.

Base
With Base, you can access data that is stored in a wide variety of database file formats. Base natively supports some flat file database formats, such as the dBASE format. You can also use Base to connect to external relational databases, such as databases from MySQL or Oracle.

Math
Math provides numerous operators, functions, and formatting assistants to help you create formulas.

OpenOffice.org 3 is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems. For more information on OpenOffice.org 3, please visit their website OpenOffice.org.

When it comes to computer repair, you have to be a detective of sorts. And once in a while, I come across a really good mystery. I recently got an HP M7360N in the shop that would randomly freeze-up in Windows XP when you moved the mouse. It would run perfectly fine in Safe Mode. Maybe a bad driver?

A check of the event logs yields absolutely nothing, not a single error. I check Device Manager and find the hard drive controller listed under the Unknown category, even though it is correctly identified as an Intel controller. I uninstall it inside Device Manager and then scan for hardware changes. The hard drive controller reinstalls back into the Unknown category.

The system is still freezing up randomly when the mouse is moved. I tried a PS2 and USB mouse and got the same results with both. I disable all non-essential drivers and reboot with no change. I download the original and latest drivers for the system, trying all with no luck. Maybe a corrupt installation?

I create an image of the hard drive and then wipe it clean. Using the supplied recovery disks, I proceed to re-install the operating system and recovery partition. The system froze-up three times during reinstallation. But this time, the hard drive controller is under the correct category, IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. It's starting to look like a hardware issue.

I run a few DOS-based utilities to test the memory, hard drive, etc. with no luck. I even try the HP recovery diagnostics. Every test I run tells me that there is nothing wrong with the hardware. Using the keyboard only in Windows, I can install another utility to test all of the motherboard components. I allow it to run for six hours, and the system passes every test.

The BIOS is the next place I look and find it's a few versions older than what is currently available for download. I download and install the latest BIOS version, and it still keeps freezing up randomly when the mouse is moved. I start searching the internet for clues.

After a few different search queries, I come across an article at Badcaps.net discussing symptoms of capacitor failure on motherboards, one being 'system randomly and frequently freezes'. I check the motherboard thoroughly and find no capacitors that look bad. I start checking the expansion (add-in) cards, and all at once, the mystery was solved.

There on the graphics card was a bank of capacitors that the tops were swollen.

Top view of the graphics card showing the difference between good and bad capacitors.

Side view of the graphics card showing the difference between a good and a bad capacitor.

The movement of the mouse on the screen was causing the graphics card to freeze-up. I re-assembled the system with a new graphics card, and the issue was gone. Another computer repair mystery was solved.

I am always looking for different ways to improve the performance of Windows. One of the methods is to use ReadyBoost that is built into Windows 7 and Windows Vista. ReadyBoost can speed up your computer by caching files that the system frequently accesses on USB flash drives and SD / CF memory cards.

Windows 7 and Windows Vista use an algorithm named Windows SuperFetch to determine which files should be stored in the cache. SuperFetch monitors files that users access (including system files, application files, and documents) and pre-loads those files into the ReadyBoost cache. Because the ReadyBoost cache stores a copy of the files, the flash drive can be removed at any point without affecting the computer; Windows will read the original files from the disk.

When to use ReadyBoost to improve performance

• The computer has a slow hard disk drive. Computers with a primary hard disk Windows Experience Index (WEI) subscore lower than 4.0 will see the most significant improvements.
• The flash storage provides fast, random, non-sequential reads. Sequential read speed is less critical.
• The flash storage is connected by a fast bus. Typically, USB memory card readers are not sufficiently fast. However, connecting flash memory to an internal memory card reader might provide acceptable performance.

Requirements for USB flash drives, SD / CF memory cards

• Capacity of at least 256 MB, with at least 64 kilobytes (KB) of free space.
• At least a 2.5 MB/sec throughput for 4-KB random reads
• At least a 1.75 MB/sec throughput for 1-MB random writes

You must reserve at least 256 MB. Larger caches can improve performance, but the ReadyBoost cache in Windows 7 cannot be greater than 4 GB on a FAT32 file system or greater than 32 GB on an NTFS file system. Windows Vista has a 4 GB limit on both file systems. So, if your USB flash drive or SD / CF memory card is larger than 4 GB, it will need to be formatted in NTFS to create a ReadyBoost cache larger than 4 GB.

How to turn ReadyBoost on or off

1. Plug a USB flash drive or SD / CF memory card into your computer.


2. In the Autoplay dialog box, under General options, click Speed up my system.


3. In the Properties dialog box, click the ReadyBoost tab, and then do one of the following:
• To turn ReadyBoost off, click Do not use this device.
• To use the maximum available space on the flash drive or memory card for ReadyBoost, click Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost. Windows will leave any files already stored on the device, but it'll use the rest to boost your system speed.
4. To use less than the maximum available space on the device for ReadyBoost, click Use this device, and then move the slider to choose the amount of available space on the device you want to use.
5. Click OK.

Living in the desert, the one thing we have a lot of is dust. Dust is a problem since it can block up air vents, heat sinks, and cooling fans inside your computer. Not to mention that dust is a conductor of electricity. It would be best if you cleaned the inside and outside of your computer at least every three months, more often when you live in dusty areas (like Phoenix). I do it monthly, as my primary system is in an open case (Antec Skeleton).

Let's start by turning off the computer and unplugging the power supply. Now, with the system de-energized, we can begin cleaning it. Since this can be messy, I recommend that you do this outdoors. This does mean disconnecting all attached devices/peripherals, but you won't be blowing the dust back into the surrounding area.

*** Note: It is recommended to use a non-metallic utensil, like a wooden skewer, to hold any fan in place as you clean it with compressed air. You want to avoid damaging the fan motor by spinning it too fast. As you clean your computer, check for cooling fans that spin freely with your finger. If you find a fan that is hard to spin, it may have failed and needs to be replaced. ***

First, let's open up the case. If the front panel of your case can be removed safely, go ahead and remove it too. Using a can of compressed air or air compressor and a non-metallic utensil, let's start inside and work our way out.

Typical case with front and side panels removed

Clean the CPU fan and heat sink fins

Clean the vents and cooling fan on the power supply

If your system has a graphics card, clean the fan and heat sink

Clean all heat sinks and open slots

Clean all case fans

Clean all openings in the case and connection points

Once the dust has settled, reassemble the case, re-attach all devices, and you are all done.

The one thing I love about my Android-based smartphone is the availability of applications for it. And finding and installing Android applications just got easier. Google has recently opened a web-based version of the Android Market.

The Google Android Market website homepage

The website is clean and easy to navigate, with clearly marked tabs. I found the amount of applications to be the most available for Android based hardware anywhere. I found quite a few that I had never seen on the Verizon version of the Android Market application.

A typical application category list

I browsed through a few categories and found an application to download. Remember that you have to be signed in to your g-mail account associated with your phone to install any applications. I clicked on install and got the following prompt asking for the installation location. I selected my phone and clicked install.

Android Market application installation screen

I got a confirmation that the app would be downloaded to my Android.

Android Market download confirmation screen

I checked my phone and sure enough, on the status bar on top was an icon indicating an app had been installed. A quick check confirmed the installation of the application.

This is, by far, the easiest way to find and install Android applications I have found to date. Hands down the best! If you have an Android powered device, I highly recommend you go over to Google Play and take a look around.