Computer "Basics"

David Pogue's blog in the New York Times recently had a great "compendium of the essential tech bits that you just assume everyone knows–but you’re wrong." That's why I put "basics" in quotes; as basic as some of these tips may seem, there are many who don't know them.

Since David invited readers to "Clip, save and pass along," I'm doing just that. In the next couple days, I'll extract from the column and the over 1100 comments (at this writing) my favorites and link to them in three categories: General Tips, Internet Tips, and Microsoft Office Tips. Here's a sample:

• You can open the Start menu by tapping the key with the Windows logo on it.

• You can tap the Space bar to scroll down a page one screenful. Add the Shift key to scroll back up.