Click here to see the index of Craig's columns.

QUESTION:

I have heard the terms "shortcut" and "alias" used but have no idea what they are. I understand their use makes life on a computer a little easier and I'm for anything that fits that description. Please explain what they are and how to use them.

ANSWER:

For the most part, Shortcuts and Aliases are synonymous. They refer to a mechanism built into the computer's operating system that allows you to more easily manage, control and access desktop files and folders. The only distinction between the two terms is that Windows refers to it as a "Shortcut" and the Macintosh OS calls it an "Alias."

Windows and Mac OS are both filled with redundancies. For example, there are several ways to run a program. Mac OS lets you run a file by double clicking on it, highlighting it and selecting "Open" from the File menu or dragging a document onto the application's icon. Windows also lets you run a file by double clicking on it but you can also select "Run..." from the start menu, click on a small icon representing the file in the System Tray or right click the mouse and select "Open." Similarities such as these contribute to an easy transition and yet can be the source of profound confusion to those who are comfortable using one operating system and trying to learn the other.

An alias or shortcut is yet another way to run or directly access a file or program. If you find yourself opening folder after folder just to access a file, you might want to create an alias or shortcut to it. Shortcut and alias icons appear to be almost identical to the original icon making them easy to associate to the file with which they are linked. Their only difference is that they have a small curved arrow overlapping the lower left corner of the icon. In addition, Mac alias names appear in italics. Once created, you can drag and locate the alias or shortcut anywhere you can place an icon be it in another folder or even sitting on the main desktop. Once created, most any action applied to the alias or shortcut is directed to the original file. So in our running a file example, double clicking on the alias or shortcut will launch the original file no matter where it is actually located or how deeply it's buried on your hard drive. There are some exceptions to the action rule. Deleting an alias or shortcut for example, does not delete the file it represents.

Aliases and shortcuts can also let you more easily manage files by organizing them into other folders. For example, you might make aliases and shortcuts of all your most frequently used telecommunication programs such as a browser and America Online and put them all inside one correspondingly labeled desktop folder. Experiment with them and you'll find that they can truly make your files more quickly accessible and manageable.

QUESTION:

How can I determine the speed of my cable or ADSL modem?

ANSWER:

There are several web sites you can access that will automatically report back how fast your modem is performing. One of the newer and more accurate sites I've found can be located at MSN's Computing Central. The Web address is:

http://computingcentral.msn.com/topics/bandwidth/speedtest.asp

Using a two page test to verify speeds, I found the site to be very accurate when reporting my ADSL connection speed. The site gives speed results in thousands of bits per second, thousands of bytes per second as well as with a graphical thermometer display. It also goes into detail on the methods used to determine your modem's speed. This is one address you'll want to bookmark.