Finding a Photo-Organizing Program
There's no other major item most of us own that is as confusing, unpredictable and unreliable as our personal computers. Everybody has questions about them, and we aim to help.
Here are a few questions about computers I've received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about switching between software provided by camera companies, Web-based tax-preparation software and scheduling antispyware sweeps.
If you have a question, send it to me at
mossberg@wsj.com, and I may select it to be answered here in Mossberg's Mailbox.
Q: I have been using Olympus digital cameras for years, so I have a library of Olympus digital photos using Olympus software. If I were to switch to a Canon camera, how easy is it to also switch software? Is there an easy way to transfer the Olympus photos into the Canon software?
A: Unless you are doing something unusual, all your photos from both cameras should be in the standard format called "jpg" and I assume either company's software can handle all of them. However, I don't recommend using the software supplied by camera makers. They may be fine at making cameras, but, with the exception of Kodak, they usually create lousy software. Instead, I suggest getting a good, general photo-organizing program, and making that the center for managing your pictures -- whatever camera you use.
Every Macintosh computer comes with a superb program called iPhoto for organizing, sharing and editing photos. Windows computers don't come with anything as good, but you can download a free program called Picasa from Google, at picasa.com. Or, you can download Kodak's very nice EasyShare software, at Kodak.com. It's free, comes in versions for both Windows and Mac, and doesn't require a Kodak camera or printer to use. Paid software that also does the trick on Windows includes ACDSee, at acdsystems.com; and Corel Photo Album, at corel.com.
Q: In 2002, you advised against using Web-based tax-preparation software, writing, "Your tax data are highly sensitive and confidential, and I think the Web is just too susceptible to hackers and crooks to make it a fitting repository for such information." Do you continue to have these concerns?
A: Yes. If anything, the incidence of identity theft and other security problems on the Web have grown worse since 2002. I am not criticizing the tax-preparation companies, which I assume have good security. And I am not advising people against normal e-commerce, or the use of credit cards online. But I would be personally loath to put the broad and deep financial information required for a tax filing on a server controlled by someone else and connected to the Internet. I would instead download or buy traditional tax-preparation software, which keeps your data on your own hard disk.
Q: I have the Spy Sweeper antispyware software that you recommend, and am wondering how often you suggest scheduling it to automatically scan my computer for software. I was thinking once a month.
A: Once a month isn't good enough if you are an active Internet user, or your computer is on a broadband connection and stays on, and connected, all the time. I run both spyware and virus scans nightly on my Windows computers, and I advise all Windows broadband users to do so. There's no downside, if your computer is on all the time anyway. I also advise setting the software to run in the background, guarding your PC against new intrusions.
数码照片管理程序
在我们大多数人拥有的大件电器中，再没有什么比个人电脑更令人费解、更变幻莫测的了。每个人或许都有些关于电脑的问题，而《莫博士信箱》将为您提供帮助。
本周我将回答读者有关如何管理不同数码相机的照片、网络报税软件是否安全及反间谍软件应多久运行一次等问题。
问：多年来我一直在使用奥林巴斯(Olympus)的数码相机，因此我的一个奥林巴斯数码照片库就是用奥林巴斯的软件来管理的。如果我要改用佳能(Canon)相机 ，改用软件是不是也很容易呢？有没有什么简单的方法可以让我将奥林巴斯的照片导入佳能的软件中？
答：除非有特殊情况，否则你两个相机的照片都应当是一种被称为“JPG”的标准格式，我认为这两个公司的软件都能够处理这种格式的照片。不过，我并不建议你使用相机制造商提供的软件。它们可能在生产相机方面很专业，但除了柯达(Kodak)，这些相机制造商的软件都做得很糟糕。我倒是建议你可以使用一个功能良好的普通照片整理程序，让它成为照片管理的中心－－无论你使用哪种相机。
所有的Macintosh电脑都配置有一流的照片整理、共享和编辑程序iPhoto。Windows电脑就没有同样好的配置了，但你可以从picasa.com上免费下载Google开发的一个名为Picasa的程序。或者，你也可以登录Kodak.com下载柯达功能出众的EasyShare软件。它是免费的，有多个版本，对Windows和Mac都适用，而且无需柯达相机或打印机就可使用。还有一些适用于电脑的付费软件，如ACDSee（acdsystems.com）和Corel Photo Album（corel.com）。
问：2002年的时候，你曾建议大家不要使用基于互联网的报税软件，你当时这样写道，“你的税收数据具有高度的敏感性和保密性，我认为互联网太容易受到黑客和骗子的攻击，因此它不适合存储此类资料。”现在，你还有这些顾虑吗？
答：是的。其实，自2002年以来，身份盗用和互联网其他安全问题变得更加严重。我并非在批评报税公司，我认为它们应当有良好的安全措施。我也并非在建议大家不要使用正常的电子商务或在线使用信用卡。但我个人讨厌将提交税单所需的广泛而深入的财务信息放在一个由别人控制并连接到互联网的服务器上。我宁可下载或购买传统的报税软件，将资料保留在自己的硬盘上。
问：我有你推荐的Spy Sweeper反间谍软件，我想知道你建议多长时间安排它自动扫描电脑一次，以发现间谍软件？我原想一个月一次。
答：如果你经常上网，或者你的电脑是宽带接入、一直开著机并总是挂在网上，那一个月一次还不够。我每晚都运行间谍软件和病毒扫描程序，我建议所有的Windows宽频用户也这么做，这一点儿坏处也没有，如果你的电脑整天处于开机状态的话。我还建议将软件设置为后台运行，保护你的电脑免受新的病毒侵入。
