Most of what's on these pages is not new, by any means. We all learn from someone or something else. So this page will list some of the most useful newsletters I've found on the web over the last three years for computer-related advice for beginners or moderately-competent users. These are listed in the order of greatest usefulness... an entirely personal opinion.
| The LangaList |
Fred Langa, former editor of Byte magazine, freelances one of the best weekly newsletters for beginners-to-intermediates on the web. If you subscribe to the Plus version ($12 a year), he donates a percentage to the support of children in developing countries. |
| Brian's Buzz |
Brian Livingston provides a free newsletter (which can also be upgraded by subscription) about issues that are current and hot concerning Windows. There's a lot more at BrianLivingston.com. This is probably beyond absolute newbies, but it doesn't take a lot of experience to appreciate the quality. |
| Woody's Watch |
Woody Leonhard and a few of his friends take on Microsoft on a weekly basis. All of these free newsletters deal with issues that are not generally known, and can save you a lot of trouble if you read about them. For example, did you know that the new version of EXCEL 2003 has a random number generator error that renders it practically useless? Woody does, and explains it in terms you can understand. |
| The Office Letter |
Some very interesting and detailed help with all of the major components of office is available here weekly. However, you have to subscribe if you want to be able to read back issues. A measly $12 a year. Seems to be a magic number: $1.00 a month. |
| Search Engine Report |
This newsletter keeps you up to date on the latest happenings in the wacky world of search engines. Of interest primarily to those who might want to start an Internet-related business, SER explains the right and wrong ways to go about increasing ranking on Google and the others. So for laypeople, the value is that it helps you to understand why you get the results you do when you search any of these engines. |
| The Naked PC |
Three guys with an altruistic attitude will help you learn how to avoid trouble, run faster, and generally enjoy your computer a lot more. Why naked? I dunno. I think it's because they strip away all the things that make computing difficult for the rest of us. |