People tell me their computer problems … just call me Dear Abby of the computer world! This week, I’ve had several people tell me that they’ve lost their favorites because they have a new computer, or have switched browsers. There are several ways to backup your favorites for safekeeping and transferring, but I think the best solution is not to keep them on your computer in the first place.
Keep your list of favorite websites, on a website! I use iGoogle and Delicious.com, but there are many such systems. If you have a Google Mail (gmail) account, then you can make an iGoogle Home Page for yourself. First, go to google.com. In the upper right corner, you should see the ability to ‘Sign In’ as well as a link to iGoogle. First, sign in with your Google account – usually your gmail username and password. Then, click on iGoogle, and you’ll be prompted for the things you’d like to see on your personal ‘Home Page.’
One of the options for your home page is a list of Bookmarks. This is where you can add names and addresses of the websites you visit most often. If you do that on your iGoogle home page, they will be available to you on any computer. If you can get to the web, you can go to Google.com, log in, and view your iGoogle home page. There are several different styles of ‘gadgets’ that can hold your favorite links. There are also gadgets for news items, weather, email, and much more.
Do you use a personalized home page? If so, is it iGoogle, or something else?
Chris Guld, www.geeksontour.com
Computer Education for Travelers