Databranch Newsletter

May 2009
In this issue

> Laptop or Desktop
> Value of Social Media
> Cool Computer Tools
> Success Comes in Cans
> Just for Laughs

Success comes
in cans!
Used with permission of Joel H. Weldon & Associates, Inc.
http://www.SuccessComesInCans.com

Some said, "It can't be done!" But "Success comes in CANS, not in cannots!"

The first successful cast iron plow invented in the United States in 1797 was rejected by New Jersey farmers under the theory that cast iron poisoned the land and stimulated growth of weeds.

In Germany, it was "proven" by experts that if trains went at the frightful speed of 15 miles per hour, blood would spurt from the travelers' noses, and that the passengers would suffocate going through tunnels.

Commodore Vanderbilt dismissed Westinghouse and his new air brakes for trains with the remark that he had no time to waste on fools.

Those who loaned Robert Fulton money for his steamboat project stipulated that their names be withheld for fear of ridicule were it known that they supported anything so "foolhardy."

In 1881, when the New York YWCA announced typing lessons for women, vigorous protests were made on the grounds that the female constitution would break down under the strain.

Men insisted that iron ships would not float, that they would damage more easily than wooden ships when grounding, that it would be difficult to preserve the iron bottoms from rust, and that iron would deflect the compass.

Please forward this newsletter to anyone else in your organization who might be interested!

Laptop or Desktop: Which One is Right For You?
reprinted with permission from HP

In the not-so-distant past, the choice between a desktop and a laptop computer was simple: do you want portability, or not? There were a few other clear-cut differences, too. Desktop models offered more power and features and were less expensive, while laptops were portable, but also more costly, and less ergonomic.

While some of these differences remain, advances in technology make many of them insignificant. Laptop prices have fallen, and the machines now offer even more power and features. Desktop models are less bulky than they used to be, and with the proliferation of devices like USBs, portability of data is not such a big issue. So how do you choose?

Here are a few points to consider.

Business value of Social Media part 1: online networking
reprinted with permission from the HP Small Business Center

If you could connect to the world's business professionals, in the time it takes to check your email, wouldn't you? Welcome to the world of online networking, where valuable business connections are made every day on social and professional networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

Social and professional networking simply refers to the interaction between a community of people who share a common interest. Through these personal connections you make with an otherwise impersonal medium, you can give your business a personality, build brand awareness, and equally importantly, tune in to what people are saying about you.

The ability to create your own online networks through sites like Ning, has made it difficult to distinguish which online communities will help you reach your business goals. We did the leg work for you, by exploring the difference between social and professional networking and the business value of both, analyzing which sites work best, and providing tips to help you make the most of the free networking resources that already exist.

Social or Professional: What's the difference?

Cool Computer Tools to Make Your Life a Little Easier
reprinted with permission from Applied Tech, Madison, WI

Here's a cool computer tool we'd like you to know about because it can save you time and money: PDF995 is simple to use FREE software that converts documents to PDF (Portable Document File) format.

What is PDF format? "PDF is a file format that captures all the elements of a printed document as an electronic image that you can view, navigate, print. . . or forward to someone else regardless, of the computer. . . program it was first created in." (Source: UCL Learning Technology, London, England).

Why is it important? Suppose you're sending an e-mail and you want to share a certain file or document. Your recipient might not be able to open your attachment unless they're using the same version of the program you used to create it in.

PDF format allows them to open it. It also prevents other people from making changes to your original document.

Just for Laughs

Quote of the Month

"Buy land.
They've stopped making it."

~ Mark Twain

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		132 North Union Street, Suite 108 Olean, New York 14760 (716) 373-4467	213 Prescott Avenue, Suite B Elmira Heights, NY 14903 (607) 733-8550 * (800) 488-4877
		[email protected]	http://www.databranch.com/

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