Windows 8 and Touch Screen Technology

The next generation of Windows for the personal computer is not due for a little while yet, and while developers are still working on it, they have released a teaser video that shows how the new desktop interface will look and work. You can see this video from the Microsoft Corporation's YouTube Channel available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p92QfWOw88I

What this video shows is a beautiful looking creation that is wonderfully adaptable for the tablet pc and smaller screens. The touch screen interface is intuitive and will be easy to navigate by the appearance of apps instead of the old START menu that has been around almost since Windows began.
By using apps, you can quickly and easily flick between installed programs using a flick of the finger, or just by swiping the screen to move the menu. The layout is clean and neat, with applications installed in a grid – so you're not searching through lists of items trying to find one line of text and sometimes not sure which folder it could be in.
Using this arrangement, some people have said that the days of input using a keyboard and mouse are finally dead. With a touch screen keyboard, and even the functionality of a "thumb layout" for those who type with their thumbs, this may be true. Although Microsoft's Corporate Vice President for the Windows User Experience team has said recently that "Although the new user interface is designed and optimized for touch, it works equally well with a mouse and keyboard. Our approach means no compromises — you get to use whatever kind of device you prefer, with peripherals you choose, to run the apps you love." - http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2011/jun11/06-01corporatenews.aspx%20retrieved%204/6/2011.

Choosing a platform for your website

Now that you have decided to get your own website, there are some things you need to work out. If you haven’t already purchased a domain name, that should be your first step. A domain name is the name of your company or business location on the Internet. It is the address for your website. If you have not read our previous post on webjargon and terminology, I recommend that you read it and that you are familiar with the terms
• Domain Name
• Web Host

When it comes to actually designing your website, it is a good idea to shop around for a designer and some ideas on what you want your site to look like. Do you have some favourite colours, or do you need to include a business logo? When choosing a designer, ask if you can see a portfolio of some of their work.

Web Platform types

There are many types of websites a designer may come up with. These could include

HTML

A HTML website is the simplest and easiest form of website. This is usually just a combination of text and images such as

HTML with Flash

This type of website uses Flash animation only in small amounts, such as an introductory header or as part of the navigation system.

All Flash

This type of website is based entirely on Flash animation such as a photo gallery. The navigational buttons and text are all flash scripts.

Content Management Systems

Alternatively, you may wish to use a CMS for your website. A Content Management System is simple to use once it is in place. This may include using Joomla, Word Press, Moodle, among others.

With a content management system, any user given the correct priviledges can create articles just by using a form that looks very similar to a word processor. This makes it easy for those who don’t know anything about websites and how to update them able to add content and update their site on their own without having to pay someone to do it for them.
You can use templates to quickly and easily update the look of your site and use extensions to add shopping carts, discussion forums, quick chat software and many more.

What you choose will be dependant on your requirements, and what you can afford. Have a talk with your designer, and take advantage of their experience and guidance.

So, you want a website?

These days, it seems nearly everyone and his dog has a website. If you are in business, it is becoming more and more important that you enter the digital age and get your name on the Internet. But if it all sounds too confusing for you, or you don’t know where to begin, read on to learn more about some of the jargon and hype to do with websites. What IS a website anyway?

Websites

A WEBSITE is a collection of information that is stored together on a server. This includes the web pages themselves, any images and other documents that you might have available such as tools and forms that you might have available as downloads.

Web pages

A WEB PAGE is a single page of information that is written in a language that the browser can understand. The most simplest of web pages is written in HTML which stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. There are other languages available, but these can be more complex.

Domain Name

The DOMAIN NAME is the name of your place on the Internet. Say you had a website on the Internet at http://www.mywebsite.com. The mywebsite part of it would be your domain name. You have to pay a registration fee to the International Registrar for your domain name to actually appear on the Internet. The .com part at the end tells your visitors what type of business it is and where it is located. Each country in the world has its own extension. A website with a .com at the end is typically a commercial business in the United States. A website with .co.uk is typically a company in the United Kingdom. What you choose as your extension such as .biz or .com or even .net will depend on the type of company you run. The extension .org is usually used for non-profit organisations, while .edu is reserved for registered educational institutions like a school or university.

Web Hosting

A WEB HOST is the company you pay to keep your website on a server. Web servers are special computers that are always on the Internet and have special programs that allow a browser to search the files and find the website or the information required.
There are many types of web hosting – you can even get your site hosted for free. Usually this would mean though that you would not have your own domain name, you may be restricted to the types of files and the size of files you can have on your site, and you may be forced to have advertisements on your website.

Important stuff to know

Before you get on-line consider especially your domain name and the hosting package. If you are in business, you should always own your own domain name and pay for web hosting. Web hosting packages can be cheap, sometimes as low as under $5 per month. Domain registrations can vary, depending on the extension you choose – the .biz, .org, .com. Some registrations are cheaper if you pay for more than one year at a time. Be prepared to pay around $15-20 per year for the registration. Remember, both registration and hosting are tax deductable. Some companies will allow you to pay for your hosting each month, or will provide a discount if you pay for the entire year at once.

Before you sign any contracts, you should always look around and see what you can get for the money. Does the hosting company provide any special benefits such as FTP access, or Control Panel, what kind of support do they offer?

Ask friends or family if they have websites as to what company they use and would recommend. Do they have any horror stories or advice of companies to stay away from?

Do your research thoroughly and know what you are getting.