CompuClever Blog

Office 365 Versus Office 2016: What’s the Difference?

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It can be confusing when trying tell the difference between Office 365 and Office 2016. In this informative blog post, we explain how they’re different so you can determine which one is best for you.

If you have purchased a new Windows computer over the past year or so, you have likely been puzzled when trying to decide which version of Microsoft Office is right for you.

A quick search online for Microsoft Office shows at least three choices: Office 2016, Office 365 and Office Online (sometimes called OneDrive).

What’s the difference, and which version should you get?

Office 365 Versus Office 2016: What's the Difference?

First, let’s untangle the differences between these three choices by taking a look at Office Online, the free, basic version of Microsoft’s Office suite.

Office Online is a great place to start since it offers so many of the features that make the current version of Microsoft Office so powerful, including mobile apps, online storage and online editing from any device.

What is Office Online?

Office Online is the completely free, and completely web-based version of Microsoft Office (and, just to confuse things, Microsoft sometimes calls this free service OneDrive—also the name of its cloud storage service).

Just by signing in with your free Microsoft account you can access basic, stripped-down versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and several other productivity apps from any Internet browser on any computer.

Continue reading...

Keep’n It Cool

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Things are heating up – which means PC temperatures are rising. Just how important is it to make certain that your PC does not overheat? We’ll introduce a story from one of our expert support technicians and then get into potential issues that can result. We’ll conclude with ways of addressing overheating PC systems and laptops.

With our previous article (ReadyBoost) we received some email responses that were very positive. One email responder stated that he and a group of friends got some real benefit from the free technology we presented. One of the members of the group stated that their PC was “…working much more smoothly after implementing your USB know how.” The email went on to suggest we cover the topic of making sure that the “computers processor runs as cool as possible and what to do if it is running to hot.” That’s a great suggestion and we had already begun to write about this subject.

We’ll get started with a story from one of our Tech Support specialists.

Fan or Wireless Connection?

You can find all sorts of odd occurrences with your PC system and sometimes the oddest issue can arise with what appears to be no solution in sight. Continue reading...

The Key – USB

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“Can I get off at the next stop?”  It’s easy when you are on a bus, but not so simple when using computers.  The problem is the information highway is getting faster and trying to navigate can be frustrating.  We hope to make it easier with our upcoming series on USB technology and the functionality that is available.  We’ll get started on a description of USB in general, highlight differences between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, speak about USB hubs, and then discuss the USB flash drive.

The Connection

Speaking of buses… in case you didn’t know, USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. USB has been around for a long time and it serves to standardize the connection, communication, and in some cases the power supply between a device and your PC.  USB is used for printers, cameras, keyboards, media players, as well as hard drive disks and flash drives.

In general, there are three basic kinds or sizes related to the USB connectors and types of established connection: the older “standard” size, in its USB 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0 variants (for example, on USB flash drives). [1]

USB Comparison

You are most likely dealing with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 (as well as 3.1).  Continue reading...

My New PC Arrival

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What can compare to the feeling of getting a new PC? It’s like watching Tom Hanks in the movie “Big” when he spends a day in the toy department! While reasons for purchasing a new computer will differ from person to person, what remains constant is a level of excitement and anticipation that comes with getting it set up and putting it to use. With any level of excitement comes taking a few moments to take care of certain little necessities before rushing headlong into the fun. Ahhh adulthood!

Stages

We have come up with a list of items that we feel constitute the “necessities” of first running you brand new PC. In an attempt to make it easier for you we have broken these items into stages – that way it doesn’t seem overwhelming and tedious. We have also included an approximate time of completion. These may vary based on many factors but it is intended to give you an idea of what to expect. By having this information available you can determine how many items you can take on based on your schedule. If you want to bite the bullet and complete the tasks on the same day… go for it! Continue reading...

Windows 10 – How Many Stars Out of 10?

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We’re certain many PC users have been giving some thought to the tempting offer of upgrading to the new Windows 10 operating system while it is still free.  The question is: what are you getting with the latest – and possibly last – Windows operating system?  In our previous article on Windows 10 we covered an overview / introduction to the new system.  Here we are going to be as systematic as possible in assisting you to decide on whether it is right for you.  We want you to decide how good it is for you based on your present system.  And, we will be doing this using a Tech Support point of view.

Free for Now

So, for some PC users the Windows 10 upgrade is free at this time.  Microsoft is making…

…Windows 10 available as a free upgrade for compatible devices that are running genuine Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1 Update.

The free upgrade is a full version of Windows (not a trial or introductory version) and is available until July 29, 2016. Once you upgrade, you’ll have Windows 10 for free on that device. [1]

If your computer is set to automatically download and install updates, there is likely a 3 GB file already stored on your computer to start the upgrade process. Continue reading...