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Most Windows PCs arrive from the factory with maladjusted displays.
 technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

T e c h n o f i l e
Got a new PC or Mac? Here's how to set it up right


Jan. 4, 2003


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2004, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2004, The Post-Standard

   Did you get a new computer over the holidays? If you did, set aside a few minutes to finish the job the manufacturer started.
   I'll show you how to set up your computer so its right for you. Manufacturers always leave the final configuration to their customers, but many computer users don't take advantage of the many configuration options on new Windows PCs and new Apple Macintoshes.
   Three options are especially important. They're the mouse setup, the keyboard rate and the display adjustment. We'll start with them, then cover a few minor options.
   MOUSE: Don't accept the default tracking speed. Most of us need a fairly slow mouse; otherwise, we waste time (and can cause repetitive injury) jerking the mouse pointer back and forth to get it to stop at the right spot. Use the Control Panel in Windows or the System Preferences on a modern Mac to set the mouse tracking speed to the rate that seems best for you. Tip: If your kids keep adjusting the mouse rate too fast for you, create separate logon accounts for them (Windows XP and Mac OS X only). That will keep them from messing up your settings.
   KEYBOARD: Typing should be a pleasant experience. If your new computer seems to have molasses stuck between the keys, your keyboard rate is too slow. It's the speed at which characters appear after you press a key. (There's often a related setting for how fast characters appear if you hold down a key.) Change how the keyboard responds in the Control Panel in Windows or the System Preferences on a Mac.
   DISPLAY: Most Windows PCs arrive from the factory with maladjusted displays. Most Apple computers come with properly adjusted displays. (Yes, Apple does this better, but the reason has less to do with altruism and more to do with the fact that Apple makes both hardware and software.)
   The problem of badly adjusted Windows displays is a favorite topic in these pages. I explained the problem and showed how to fix it in a previous article, available here. If you want to skip the explanation and do a quick adjustment, take these steps:
   1. Adjust the contrast all the way up, then back off a small amount.
   2. Adjust the brightness about half way down. Play with the control until you can sense that black areas (use a good image) are truly black.
   When you get the time, read the detailed explanation at the Web address listed above and do a complete adjustment. You'll also find links to programs for Windows and Mac OS X that help you get the right settings.
   OTHER:
   Tidy up: Take a vow to keep your Windows or Mac desktop clean and neat. Don't put folders there unless they are for short-term items such as pictures you are going to mail. Put folders inside your main folders (such as in "My Documents" in Windows or in "Documents" in Mac OS X) and then make shortcuts (or aliases) to them on your desktop. Make a shortcut to a folder in Windows by dragging with the right mouse button and choosing the shortcut option; make a shortcut (or alias) in Mac OS X by dragging with Option and Cmd held down.
   Cut to the chase: Programs get in the way when you need to see your desktop. Expose the desktop in Windows by holding down the Windows key and pressing M. (Reverse the action with Win-Shift-M.) Use a function appropriately called "Expose" in the current Mac OS X to uncover the desktop; just press F11. In older versions of Mac OS X, you can hide windows by pressing Cmd-H.