Picnics, parades, and fireworks!
Don’t miss local fireworks displays!
- Friday, July 3 - Canadohta Lake, Waldameer
- Saturday, July 4 - Waldameer, Jamestown Pymatunimg Dam
- Sunday, July 5 - Movies at Meadville, Conneaut Lake
~ Happy Birthday! Why our nation celebrates
~ Vexillology! What do you know about the US flag?
~ Independence! “The want, will, and hope of the people” National Archives
~ 3:33 video! Watch the history of the 4th of July.
~ Virtual tour! National Constitution Center
~ Fireworks! State regulations from the American Pyrotechnics Association 
~ Kaboose! Quiz yourself about the 4th of July.
~ Picnics! What’s cooking in America?
~ Decorate! with bunting, bows, pull downs, pleated fans
~ WQLN - Watch A Capital Fourth 2007
Grants…$$ for the classroom!
The list is endless - sponsored by Lego, Toshiba, Kellogg’s, IBM, Microsoft, Dell, Toyota, SMARTer Kids, Golden Apple, US Dept of Education, and a host of other organizations, grants provide funding to purchase materials that enhance your classroom and your curriculum.
Check out these sites for resources about applying for education grants.
Teachers Count
Teacher Network
Teacher Tap
TeAchnology
Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Technology - Surf into some $$$ for your classroom today!
Ouch…burned.
By Microsoft Office 2003. By Gateway. By OEM licensing.
- The year, 2004 - computer purchased on-line from Gateway; purchased Microsoft Office 2003 from Gateway. (Office CD shipped with computer.)
- The year, 2009 - computer purchased from Gateway died. Bought new computer. Office 2003 CD absolutely will not install.
The license for Microsoft Office 2003 was “married” to the Gateway computer purchased in 2004 - til death do they both part. It’s called an OEM license, good only for installation on the computer it’s attached to. Manufacturers or System Builders, like Gateway, are sold licenses from Microsoft at a discount, which is supposed to be passed on to the consumer when you buy their computer; it’s considered a cheap, disposable license.
Arrghhhh! You mean I have to purchase Microsoft Office again?
Yes, you have to purchase the software again.
So, if you’re in the market for a new computer, be careful with the software offered. Ask. Is the software an OEM or a Retail license? Can it be installed on subsequent computers? And consider, is this OEM license cheap enough that you won’t mind when the machine dies and the software goes with it? Or would you rather pay retail price for a Retail license on the software so you can install it on subsequent computers?
A few links about software licensing…
Get a Clue (careful, a lot of pup-ups)
Microsoft Small Business Community
Netbook or Notebook?
“EEW, Mommy! It’s so CUTE! Can I get one? Can I, can I, huh? I’ve got MOST of the money saved up…” My 15-year old daughter isn’t really into clothes or shopping, but when she spotted an Acer Netbook at Wal-Mart the other day, she started jumping up and down and got really excited. She’s a typical kid, uses computers for specific tasks - MySpace, iTunes, YouTube, music videos, and e-mail.
But she’s also taken on an even greater challenge - authoring short stories (bless you, 9th grade English teacher at MASH, Mr. Koznak!) So when she saw this “cute” little netbook for under $300, it took less than 4 hours to convince me that this was a good purchase for her, using up all of her baby-sitting, birthday, and confirmation money. (This short-story goal of hers alone was the clincher; I couldn’t condone a netbook purchase purely for web social-networking. Move over, Nora Roberts?!)
- Before the purchase, I did the research on Netbooks - RAM, hard drive, processor, ports, Bluetooth, etc. What kind of bang do you get for the buck on these mini-laptops? (Hey, the economy being what it is…)
- More importantly, I took a hard look at her computer needs compared to, say, my own computer needs. The ultimate question…
Was a Netbook right for her? Yes. Would it suit me? No.
- the 15-year old daughter: Internet surfing, social-networking, e-mail, chatting, YouTube - the Netbook handles that nicely. We installed iTunes (she’s happier now) and Word for her short stories. This netbook is perfect for her needs.
- the ahem-year old Mom: Firefox, Paint, Outlook, Access, Excel, Picasa, Notebook, Garage Band - depending on my challenge-of-the-day, I could have 4-5 applications open at once and 8-10 tabs open on the Internet. A netbook couldn’t handle my multi-tasking style.
So…if you’re in the market for a second PC or a PC for the kids, the netbook may be a good choice. Lightweight and portable, netbooks are basically an Internet surfing communications tool, perfect for users whose habits are “single-tasking” as opposed to “multi-tasking.”
***In the market? Try these sites to comparison-shop: Dell, HP, Acer, Verizon
***Read more? Visit these sites for reviews on the netbook trend:
“Netbooks…the fastest-growing segment of the PC market.” Tech Web
“…a $400-$700 Netbook or a $1800-$2500 Notebook?” cnet news
“..netbooks are purpose-built for a limited role…notebooks are a multi-purpose tool…” Bright Hub
“…hybrid netbooks..fun, cool to use, and you won’t go broke…” Digital Trends
“…Consumers don’t understand the difference…netbook…notebook.” ZDnet
***A visual learner? From Computer TV, a great video that explains the differences…netbook or notebook.
