Useful Accessories in Windows Vista

with Don Schechter

Transcript: Useful Accessories in Windows Vista

Hi, I'm Don Schechter for About.com Computing. Today, I'm going to show you some useful accessories in Vista. Accessories are tools that allow you to do basic activities on your computer such as making calculations, painting, and creating sticky notes.

Open the Vista Accessories Folder

• CLICK Start menu / All Programs / Accessories Folder
• CHOOSE accessory to use (i.e. calculator, paint, sticky note)

Windows Vista Calculator Accessory

You can type in numbers by using your keyboard or clicking on the numbers with your mouse. Click on the backspace key on the computer or keyboard if you make a mistake. Click on the function you want to use on the computer. Press the equal button to get your result.

Complex Calculations
To make complex calculations, click 'Scientific' from the view button in the tool bar of the calculator. You can choose to use a different numbering system by clicking on degrees, radians, or grads. Enter your numbers and click on the function you want to use to calculate.

Statistical Calculations
You can do statistical calculations by clicking on the 'Sta' button. A window will appear. Type your number into the calculator then click the Dat button to add it to the statistic box. To delete an entry from the box, click 'CD.' To get the average of the numbers, click 'Ave.' To get the sum, click on 'sum,' and click on 's' for the standard deviation. Close the box when you're finished.

Windows Vista Paint Accessory

You can paint in this window by using the pen or airbrush tool. You can type by clicking on the 'A.' Create a textbox by clicking and dragging your mouse to form a rectangle. Then start typing. To change the size or font of your text, click on the text box and a tool bar will appear that will allow you to adjust the text settings. You can color the background by clicking the bucket tool. Then choose a color to paint your background by clicking here. Then click on the palate with your bucket tool.

Windows Vista Sticky Notes

To write a sticky note, go back to your accessories menu and click on the Tablet PC foldersticky notes. You can use this application to write a quick note. For example, I will write pick up milk. You can keep the sticky note up on your desktop to view at all times. To write a new note, click 'New Note.' You can also drag and drop your note into a Word document like this.

Thanks for watching. For more information, please visit us online at computing.about.com.

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