6 Ways The Internet Can Save You Money

Communication 

Postage is high, phone bills are higher…but we want to keep in touch. Sending emails means not having to shell out on stamps, using Skype means no more exorbitant phone bills for calls and of course, using social networking sites such as Facebook means we can keep in touch and share photos, music and videos. All for free.

Entertainment

The Internet offers a world of free entertainment. Watch movies, catch up on a TV show you missed (or miss) and listen to radio shows from all over the world. Download music (some music is free) and create your own playlists. And if you’d rather just have a quiet night reading, there are hundreds of online books, both classic and modern for you to choose from. 

Transportation

Booking online is a great way to save money. For example, train tickets booked three months in advance of travelling can be more than 50% cheaper than what you would pay on the day at the station. And, of course, flights on the cheaper airlines such as Easyjet and Ryanair can generally only be purchased online. 






Education

Of course, just because something is written on the Internet does not guarantee that it is true. However, there is a wealth of useful information to be found there. It is certainly a good starting point for research, through online library services, specialist websites or encyclopaedias.

Equally, there are many free online courses and tutorials teaching skills as varied as patchwork, cooking or carpentry. Demonstrations of skills can also be watched on Youtube.
 
Research                              
 One way to save money is to research what it is you intend to buy. Online reviews cover virtually anything. This means you can find out about goods and services before buying. If there are several companies offering similar services or supplying the same goods, there are comparison websites which can help you make a considered choice. These are particularly useful for comparing supermarkets, insurance companies and banks. 

Swaps

The Internet lends itself perfectly to swaps of all kinds....

Read It Swap It is a great source of new reading material….whilst not overcrowding your bookshelves. 

Streetbank is a community project where you can swap items or services with your neighbours. 

Through UK Holiday Swapshop you can swap your home with like-minded house-owners for a holiday of a lifetime. 

And if you just want to spruce up your wardrobe, you can find out about the latest clothes swap event at Swishing. 

NB

As with anything related to money, be on your guard against scams. While many things on the Internet are legitimate, there are a fair number of things that are not. Make certain you only deal with secure websites when entering personal information.

Despite the need for caution, it’s well worth taking the time to learn the applications, websites, and computer skills that help you save money.

Ten Reasons to study at The Potten Computer School

1 Starting from Scratch 

When students first come to The Potten Computer School, they often ask us to help them buy their first computer…so Lesson 1 consists of internet research on which computer best suits their needs. Computer chosen and bought, we advise them on how to get their internet connection and help them set the computer up at home.

2 Keeping in touch 

With family and friends scattered all around, keeping in touch by email is essential. An email address is also used for online shopping, booking holidays, organizing theatre visits…the list is endless. Thus, one of our most popular first courses combines Internet & Email, including Skype, for free internet calls.

3 Getting confident 

Even when students have had a computer for a while, they still have questions about how to use them effectively. Our Using the Computer courses teach students what to do with updates, how to manage their files and folders, how to create a personalized desktop, how to make the computer secure…in other words, how to take control and feel confident.

4 Making the most of digital photos

Digital cameras have made photography more accessible to all. Our Digital Photography course teaches students how to download photos, sort them into albums, edit, create collages, make web albums and share photos with friends and family. At an advanced level, students use Photoshop Elements for creative, exciting photo projects.

5 Running a small business   

Being able to use a computer effectively can make a world of difference to small business owners: setting up a website, using social media, creating publicity such as flyers and posters, book-keeping…the list can be quite daunting. Students tell us what their priorities are so we can design a course to help them learn all the skills they need to make their business easier to run.

6 Finding a new job 

Obviously, not everyone wants to be self-employed. Some people want to return to previous jobs after a break, or are looking for a new job altogether. When updating skills, it is a great idea to get a qualification to prove it. Our most popular qualification course is for the widely-accepted ECDL (European Computer Driving License) with an option to continue onto the Advanced ECDL.

7 Starting Young 

 
Our youngest students love computers, and are always full of creative ideas. Our Art packages, Photography and PowerPoint courses, to name just a few, are always popular. Having said that, a great way to give children a head start at school is for them to learn how to Touch Type…..not a bad idea for adults either.

8 Preparing for school exams 

Older school children can also benefit from lessons at The Potten Computer School as we offer tuition in Computer Studies, Administration and Maths at Intermediate 1 &2 and Standard Grade.

9 Creating a Bespoke Course 

Unlike most computer training schools, we design each student’s course to suit. Rather than having to fit into a pre-defined course, our students can tell us what their priorities are and what they want to concentrate on.

10 Choosing lesson times

The Potten Computer School is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10.00am to 6.30pm (8.00pm Wednesdays). Students choose how often to attend and when. Whatever time they choose, they are never with more than 2 other students…making sure that the hour is profitable.



This article was originally written for publication in the Portobello Local, a free monthly magazine created by Rosalind Evans.

For inclusion in her magazine, contact: rosalind@evansindependent.co.uk

Five tips for buying a new computer

Here are my thoughts on buying a new computer which, as you know, can be a tricky business. 

Do your research

Find out about the computers on offer, by reading:

• Editors’ reviews - based on short-term lab trials
• User opinions - based on longer use revealing the plus and minus points
• Manufacturer’s information – how they intend the product to be used and what makes it stand out

With these three perspectives you should feel equipped to work out if the computer is right for you.

Memory is a must 

The most important thing to consider for any new computer is the amount of memory or RAM (random access memory) it has.  When your computer is running slow, it might not tell you that it doesn’t have enough memory. It will keep things going (as best as it can) by using part of its hard drive space as a kind of additional memory known as swap space or virtual memory.  

So, to avoid problems, make sure you give a computer the RAM it needs – for most users, between 2GB and 4GB is enough. However, for serious gamers, you might consider going up to 6GB.

Shopping online v. in store 

When buying a PC, you can always change the monitor, keyboard and mouse in order to get the right fit...so you can just about get away with ordering them on line. 


However, as laptops have an integrated keyboard, mouse and monitor you really need to go into a shop to give it a test run.  Check the keyboard for good key action, make sure you like the kind of mouse pointing devices the laptop uses (or buy a wireless mouse) and check the brightness and size of the monitor.  Finally, if mobility is an issue, test the weight (including the battery).

Take advantage of special offers

Although there are new models of computers coming on the market every few weeks, they often differ very little from month to month. So don’t be afraid to buy "old stock". 

Equally, there are often very good offers from online retailers such as Amazon. And just to be confusing, many retailers with a high-street and online presence (such as PCWorld) are often cheaper online than in the shop.

Shop for a price somewhere in the range of £380 - £550 (for either a PC or a laptop) and you are unlikely to go wrong.

Find out about customer support 

Computers are largely made from the same components, with slightly different packaging.  So, don’t worry too much about looks…instead, shop for a brand that will have good customer support.   

Once you have a fair idea which computer you’d like to buy, ask friends and other users online what kind of product support experience they have had with that brand.  Check the warranty, support section of the web site, and even call their free support number with a test question to see what the people are like on the other end.

This article can also be found in the Portobello Local, a new free magazine circulating in the EH15 and surrounding area.

Kids Photography Competition - the Prizegiving

It seems quite a long time ago now, but in September we took a stand at the Portobello Village show on a glorious sunny day. There we launched our Kids Photography competition with the theme Pictures of Porty. The two age groups were 11 and under and 12 - 16.

The entries we received showed us our favourite place, Portobello, through the eyes of children. What a treat! It was very difficult to judge who should win the top 2 prizes - a digital camera and digital photo frame in each age group. To help us we asked three local artists: Lindsay McCrea, of the McCrea Gallery, Allan Pendreigh, the architect and artist, and his wife the textile artist, Morag Pendreigh. Eventually we came to a decision.

So, here is a collage telling the story of our Prizewinning.

The school filled with kids and proud mums (and one dad!) who made a beeline for the handmade PCS-colours cupcakes. Once everyone had had their fill, we all trooped upstairs and Jonathan made his speech to congratulate Jacob and Mia's highly commended photos, Katriona and Amy for winning the second prizes and, finally, Emma and Amelie for coming first in the two age groups.

Well done to everyone and thanks for all your hard work. Looking forward to the next competition. Watch this space!

We are now a Branded Learning Centre...but what does it mean?

As we approach the three-year mark at The Potten Computer School, we are delighted to have been awarded the status of Branded Learning Centre by learndirect scotland.





This accreditation recognises the quality of our learning centre. It is not easy to win the approval of learndirect scotland, but in the words of their website, this means that...

...if it’s a learndirect scotland learning centre, you can rely on the centre and its staff to help you learn at a time, place and pace that suits you.

Being a Branded Learning Centre means that we offer different ways of learning that are often more informal and flexible than traditional settings. Support for learners is crucial to our success, the heart of which is the Pledge to Learners.

Success can be measured in so many ways, whether it be learning how to shop on-line for the first time, create a personal letterhead or design a T-shirt. In this way, all our students have achieved what they set out to do...and in most cases, considerably more.

We would like to extend particular congratulations to our ECDL exam candidates who have done us proud this year with excellent results....including the elusive 100%, achieved by Sylvia (pictured above with Jonathan).

Well done, everyone.

Silver Surfers

To coincide with Silvers Surfers' Day on May 20th, I thought it would be interesting to have a look at just who Silver Surfers are and what is available to them to improve their skills.

 

According to Netlingo.com...

...a silver surfer is "An adult, generally 50 years of age or older, who frequently surfs the Web and spends time online ("silver" refers to the color of their hair)."

So, there are plenty of us around. With a huge range of ages, skills and interests. One thing that is true for most of us is that we didn't learn about computers at school, or while engaged in further studies or for perhaps the first ten years of our working lives.

What is not true though, is that we are therefore at a disadvantage when it comes to computers. Younger people may feel no fear (although I'm not even convinced of that) but their knowledge of computers and what they are capable of can still be quite narrow.

But fear is a key word. In order to overcome this, there is no doubt that some form of hands-on computer training is invaluable. Having someone to talk to and help explain what is happening helps instill confidence. And, as with any other skill, going to class is just the beginning of the learning process. You need practice.

Luckily, there is a plethora of useful websites which provide just that. 

Digital Unite is a site designed to help older people realise the potential of computers. The best place to start is their Learning Zone. By browsing the guides (see the left-hand panel), you can start right from the beginning and progress to skills such as Shopping, Listening to Music, Working with Photos and so on.

Age UK have an excellent A to Z of Computing with loads of relevant links to click on and save as favourites.

Once you've got the idea of how to use the internet, the question of how to find relevant websites to surf still remains. One of the best sources for websites I've come across is Silver Surfers Net. They have a huge directory, covering every possible interest and taking you directly to pertinent websites. 

So really, the best way to become a proficient Silver Surfer is to put a toe in the water and make use of all the resources out there to help you.

A word of warning though....before you start surfing, make sure you've got no pressing engagements coming up. You could be busy for a while! 

Word Processing for Pleasure

There seems to be something about the phrase "creating a document" that makes people think of something serious, difficult and most likely boring....which is why there is often resistance to the idea of learning about word processing.

Typically, word processing is used in business for creating all things official: legal and reference documents, letters and memos. In education, it is used (amongst other things) to present essays, papers and work for publication.

As such, it may appear that word processing has few practical applications for the average leisure user of computers. However, Microsoft Office Word (2007/10) is one of the most versatile and creative packages available to PC users.

Our Word Courses combine text with graphics in imaginative ways. Students of all ages learn how to create a variety of stationery and publicity material:

• customised recipe cards

• greetings cards
• posters using their own photos
• scrap-books
• personalised invitations
• leaflets
• tickets and labels
• calendars

In this way, they tap into their creative side...even those who are convinced they don't have one! By learning elements of design through working with colour, graphics, fonts and shapes, they express their individuality and make something unique to them. 

  

 

And, of course, if goes without saying, that using a computer to give a professional sheen to any creative work will not only prove to be satisfying, exciting and fun but will also save money. And that has to be a good thing!