Administrative Assistant's Update - sample

7 Administrative Assistant's UPDATE Clackety clack: '80s keyboard is back By Staff The old standby keyboard of the '80s and early '90s, exemplified by the IBM Model M, is making a comeback. Fed up with the space-saving flat keyboards that have come with computers since the early '90s, an increasing number of computer users, especially gamers but also writers and others, are returning to the keyboard that gives them a more satisfying tactile response as well as the familiar "clack" as the switches under the keys engage. Keyboards supplied with today's computers utilize silicone "domes" that are inexpensive to manufacture but require a relatively large amount of force, "which can result in a heavy, mushy feel to the fingers and a lack of either tactile or auditory feedback when you type," say keyboard experts John Burek and Gabe Carey in a re - cent article in PC Magazine. Pressing a key on a mechanical keyboard activates an actual switch, a switch that can be provided in a range of sensitivities: the amount of pressure required to activate it. Mechanical keyboards cost more, say Burek and Carey, "but they are far more rugged than a run-of-the-mill model. And keyboard makers now make them in lots of flavors to serve most major subclasses of buyers: productivity-minded users (with plain models), gamers (with keyboards re - plete with LED bling), ergonomically minded folks, and more." A company called Unicomp con- tinues the lineage of the IBM Model M keyboard, the patent for which has now elapsed. "Own the original tactile keyboard. Anything else is just an imitation" says its website: pckeyboard. com. Unicomp sells through Amazon. Many other companies also manufac- ture or sell mechanical keyboards. Lingulab Wordcount will analyze the document and create a word cloud based on its content. You can then click on the Insert button to insert the word cloud into your document! Very cool. If anything it will help you assess what concepts you are expressing or that are expressed in the document you are reviewing. The tool can make you a more productive author because it will analyze your documents and help ensure you are getting the major concepts across that you want to communicate. Go forward and be productive That is just one of many productivity add-ins for Micro - soft Word that can help you accomplish your day-to-day objectives. There are so many to chose from. And if your organization is using online services like Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics check to see if there is an add-in that you can leverage with them. Now that you know how to install an add-in to Micro- soft Word try searching for other add-ins that will help you be more be more productive both at work and at home! Add-ins for Word – Continued from page 6 Credit: Ismetcvk (Shutterstock) Arnold Villeneuve has over 25 years in the computer technology and services industry working with standalone and networked microcomputers, minicomputers, and mainframe systems. He has been an author and instructor with Learning Tree International since 1993, where he has developed seven courses for instructor-led, computer-based training, and e-learning initiatives. Learning Tree offers practical, real-world training in today's most in-demand skills, including Microsoft Office, SharePoint, project management, leadership and professional development. Visit www.LearningTree.ca for more information.

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