Computer Times
Having Fun With Your Computer
Having fun with your computer is easy to do no matter what your area of interest. If you haven't discovered how to have fun with your computer yet, or you would like to find more ways to have fun, this article is for you.
There are zillions of things you can do to have fun with your computer. Over the past year in Computer Times, we reviewed all sorts of fun software packages that do everything from play games with you to help you release your creative spirit.
There is design software that lets you create your own greeting cards, invitations, announcements, calendars, address books, signs, certificates, bookmarks, labels, business cards, and much more. Art software lets you create professional quality art for more sophisticated projects. Using Canon's T-Shirt Transfer paper with an ink jet printer, you can even display your art on your clothes. Even if you're not an artist, you can use Hanes Premier T-Shirt Maker to make some cool T-shirts and mouse pads.
To enhance your creative artwork, you can use photos of yourself and loved ones. Both color scanners and digital cameras are within the price range of most computer users. A scanner lets you scan your photographs into your computer, while a digital camera lets you take an unlimited number of snapshots to load directly into your computer (no processing required). If you cannot afford a scanner or camera, there are several copy shops that will scan your photos for you, or your photo processor can deliver digital images to you from standard film. If you already own a video camera, you can use a variety of video cards that let you use your video camera to input still images or movie images into your computer. You can then use the videos with a low-cost video e-mail software package for fun over the phone lines.
If you are interested in your family genealogy, digital snapshots can greatly enhance a family tree database. Using software like Personal Font, you can even have your own handwriting turned into a custom font for your computer so all your notes about the family are printed in your handwriting. This can add a nice personal touch to a computerized printout. You probably won't find this product in stores, so go to their Web site at
http://www.signaturesoftware.com .
For the closet architect who loves to design things, there is low-cost software to help you design like the experts. Software like Landscapes will even let you see your trees and bushes grow as your house ages. You can view your landscape in any simulated season you choose (spring, summer, fall, winter) to see how it will look during the year.
If music is more your interest, you can turn your computer into a karaoke machine with Vorton Technologies' Soft Karaoke and sing along to your heart's content. You can have your PC make music like a professional synthesizer using software like Super Jam and AudioTracks Professional. You can even have fun learning how to be a musician with software like Play Piano and Music Lessons.
If traveling is your hobby, you can have fun planning your vacations with software like Virtual Visits to the Cities of Europe, Exploring America's National Parks, and Delorme's Map'n'Go. If you want to go out of this world, don't miss UFO and Explore: UFO Phenomenon. For food and drink connoisseurs, you will find lots of fun in products like the Cooking For Today series and Wines of the World.
For couch potatoes who are movie buffs, you can have great fun on your computer with products like Cinemania, Mega Movie Guide, and Blockbuster Video Guide to Movies and Videos. If you have a newer multimedia computer with a DVD-capable CD-ROM drive, be sure to try out one of the popular DVD movies. We recently watched the DVD 007 movie Tomorrow Never Dies and loved the ultra clear picture our new Compaq Presario 7000 produced from the DVD movie disc. [Executive Editor Charlene Jones says Pierce Brosnan never looked so good!] Most DVD movies include much more than just the movie itself. Often, you will get the full movie preview like the ones you see at the cinema. You may also get interviews with the stars and clips that were not included in the actual movie. Almost all DVD movies we've seen let you go directly to the scene you wish to see in the movie, and some are multi-lingual. If you are a movie buff and haven't experienced a DVD movie yet, you will be pleasantly surprised by the superior picture and wrap around sound. A DVD player will give a home theater new life.
So far, we haven't even mentioned games. No matter what your interest, there are games to suit you. There are card games for the computer (many of the best ones come from Expert Software); board games like Monopoly, Jeopardy, and Ultimate Backgammon; crossword puzzles, logic and strategy games; and even a SimCity game to help train the future mayors of the world. The list of games is endless. If you are a Star Wars buff, don't miss Star Wars X-Wing Alliance in our Editors' Choice reviews.
We haven't even scratched the surface of having fun with your computer. All you need to do is read Computer Times each month or browse through a large computer software store to open up all sorts of fun possibilities.
If you connect with other computers via online services, the Internet, or local BBS's, you open the door to an unending world of fun. A great game playing Web site, that lets you play games with people from all over the world, is http://www.zone.com. At this site, you will find everything from bridge to chess, and it's all free. A few other fun World Wide Web sites are:
JOB HUMOR
http:// www.donsbosspage.com
COMPUTER HUMOR
http://extlab1.entnem.ufl.edu/IH8PCs/index.html
QUOTATIONS
Let's not forget the fun of entering and winning contests!
CONTESTS
http://www.computermart.com/contest/main-1.htm
The fun and companionship a computer can bring has given new life to the homebound, elderly, and shut-ins. Computers can give new confidence to the very young and offer hours of mindless enjoyment to everyone. Remember; the memory of a computer is a terrible thing to waste. Take a break every once in awhile and have some fun with your computer. All work and no (computer) play can make you darn right grouchy!
Till next month . . .
Happy Computing! J