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Longmont Computer Physicians Learning Series – Windows 10 apps

As part of our series of helping customers with their small business needs Longmont Computer Physicians, LLC is offering these free classes on how to use and install Apps in Windows 10.

Starting with Windows 8, Microsoft decided that it wanted to have a common interface for the version of Windows running on tablets and the version running on desktop PCs. Unfortunately for them, this idea didn’t work out too well. Windows 8 was kind of a flop, and didn’t last too long. Even though Windows 10 is a huge improvement over Windows 8, Microsoft still tried to sneak in some of that tablet interface aspect into Windows 10, but this time it works, for the most part. Apps vs. Programs Even though most of us are used to running programs like Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop, that doesn’t mean that they are the only types of software we can run. Windows 10 comes with apps that are preinstalled on your computer and also allows you to install more apps for things like games, photo editing programs, and so on. There is a difference between a program and an app, even though they may function in a similar way. A Program (also called Desktop App) is a traditional Windows software package that you install on your computer, and it can be from any number of software manufacturers. Programs will have a specific type of interface designed to be used with a mouse and keyboard and will only run on PCs, not smartphones or tablets. Windows Apps on the other hand look and feel more like an app you would use on your smartphone or tablet, and run on all types of devices.

Windows 10 comes with a bunch of apps preinstalled, and you can find these apps on the start menu. They will be listed alongside your desktop apps. Some examples of common default Windows 10 apps include Facebook, Calendar, News, Mail, Maps, and Paint 3D. Microsoft Store Apps If you have a smartphone, you have most likely used the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Android) to get more apps for your phone or tablet. Windows 10 comes with the Microsoft Store that lets you search and download new apps that can be used on your computer. There are many free applications to choose from as well as more advanced apps that you can purchase. To get to the Microsoft Store simply find it on your Start Menu, or do a search for it using Cortana. After you find and open the app, you will see a window similar to figure 5.3. As you can see, the Microsoft Store is categorized by types of apps on the top and then has a search function underneath that.

Once you find an app you want to try out, simply click on the Get button to have Windows download and install the app for you. If you scroll down past the Get button you will see the system requirements for the app as well as additional information such as the developer name, release date, and size of the app itself. Just like with your smartphone, there are many apps that you can download and try out for free and many that you can purchase, but just remember that when you install these apps on your computer they will take up disk space, just like regular programs will. Uninstalling Apps If you are the type that likes to try new things, then there is a chance you might go overboard at the Microsoft Store and download one too many apps while checking things out. If this is the case there is no need to worry, because it’s easy to uninstall these apps once you have installed them.

Longmont Computer Physicians, LLC can help you with any computer problem you may have. Please call us to set up an appointment. In Longmont, Boulder, Denver Colorado

By computerpy, ago

How to use the IF function with relational operators with Excel in Microsoft and Office 365

As part of our series of helping customers with their small business needs Longmont Computer Physicians, LLC is offering these free classes on how to use different software programs. Here is our instructional video on using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

Microsoft 365 Beginner class – Excel
Microsoft 365 Intermediate class – Excel
Microsoft 365 Advanced class – Excel

 

The IF function in Excel is one of its logical functions, which evaluate to either a “TRUE” or “FALSE” value. The IF function in Excel lets you perform a logical test on a cell’s value and then return a result based on whether or not the cell’s value passes or fails the test. The IF function is similar to an “If…then…else” coding statement. You must know at least three different arguments to write a logical function. The first argument is the “logical test” to apply to the cell. The second is the cell value or formula to return if the test returns a “TRUE” value or “passes” the logical test. The third is the cell value or formula to return if the test returns a “FALSE” value or “fails” the logical test. The syntax of the IF function is: =IF(logical_test,true_response,false_response) If you want the formula to display a text value for the true response or false response, then you must place the text value inside double quotation marks (“ ”). If you want the function to display a date, it must be enclosed within pound signs (##). The only time you wouldn’t mark the data type of the value to return is if you want the function to display a numerical result or calculate a formula. Often, you may want to know if a cell passes or fails multiple logical tests.

One way to apply multiple logical tests to a cell is to use nested logical functions. A “nested” logical function in Excel is one that places the cell through a second logical test if it “fails” the first. These functions are useful for determining the value of a cell by placing it through several different tests, displaying different results based on which test it passes. You can nest up to 127 additional IF statements behind your original, if needed. The syntax for these are: =IF(logical_test _1,true_response,IF(logical_test_2,true_response,false_response)) You must remember to close all open parentheses for every IF statement you nest within the logical function at the end of the formula. In this case since there are two IF statements, there are two closing parentheses at the end of the formula. Alternatively, if using Excel 2019 or later or using Excel as part of Office 365, you can use the new IFS function to pass a cell though multiple logical tests and return a value for the test it passes. The IFS function replicates the features provided by nested IF functions, but uses a simpler, streamlined syntax. We’ll examine the IFS function in a later lesson.

In addition, you may also want to know if a cell meets multiple criteria at the same time. You can use the AND and OR functions to find this out. The AND function returns a “TRUE” value if the evaluated cell passes all the logical tests listed after the AND function. The OR function returns a true value if the evaluated cell passes any of the logical tests that follow the OR function. Note that you can evaluate up to 255 different logical tests after the AND and OR statements. When you look at how you can combine these tests with the IF function or nested IF functions, you can see how you can start to become a very powerful formula creator. Combining these Excel functions lets you place cells through a battery of tests, and then decide what function to perform or value to display, based on the results from the tests. The general syntax when combining the IF function with the AND and OR functions is as follows: =IF(AND(logical_test_1,logical_test_2,logical_test_3,etc.),true_response,false_response) =IF(OR(logical_test_1,logical_test_2,logical_test_3,etc.),true_response,false_response) The IFS function is only available in Excel 2019 or later or Excel as part of an Office 365 subscription. The IFS function in Excel lets you pass a cell through a series of logical tests and then return a value based on which logical test the cell passes. This provides a very similar functionality to using multiple, nested IF statements. When using Microsoft Office Excel 365.

By computerpy, ago

How to create charts and graphs with Excel in Microsoft Office 365

As part of our series of helping customers with their small business needs Longmont Computer Physicians, LLC is offering these free classes on how to use different software programs. Here is our instructional video on using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. 

Microsoft 365 Beginner class – Excel
Microsoft 365 Intermediate class – Excel
Microsoft 365 Advanced class – Excel

Excel lets you easily create charts from the data in a worksheet. Charts are useful for times when you want to create visual representations of the worksheet data for meetings, presentations, or reports. To insert a chart, select the cell range that contains the data for the chart. Be sure to also select the data’s adjacent row and column labels to automatically apply them to the chart, saving you the step of selecting them later. You can adjust your data selection later, if needed, but selecting the data first lets you see chart previews more clearly. Next, click the “Insert” tab in the Ribbon. In the “Charts” button group are the types of charts you can insert. Starting in Excel 2019, two new chart types appear in this button group. You can access the new “Funnel” and “Map” chart types by clicking them within their respective chart type drop-down buttons in the “Charts” button group on the “Insert” tab of the Ribbon. Alternatively, you can select them after clicking the “Recommended Charts” button in the “Charts” button group on the “Insert” tab of the Ribbon.

One way to insert a chart is to click the “Recommended Charts” button in the “Charts” button group on the “Insert” tab of the Ribbon to open the “Insert Chart” dialog box and display the “Recommended Charts” tab. This tab shows the types of charts Excel thinks would best illustrate your selected data. You can click the choices at the left side of the tab to see a preview of the chart appear to the right. To insert one of the chart choices into the worksheet, click it to select it in the listing at the left side of the tab. Then click the “OK” button at the bottom of the “Insert Chart” dialog box. Another way to insert a chart based on your currently-selected data is to click the button that represents the general chart type to insert within the “Charts” button group on the “Insert” tab of the Ribbon. Then click the specific chart subtype to insert in the button’s drop-down menu. To view all the chart type choices and then insert a selected chart type, click the “See All Charts” button in the lower-right corner of the “Charts” button group to open the “Insert Chart” dialog box. To show all the available chart choices, click the “All Charts” tab. On this tab, you can select a major chart type from the listing at the left side of the dialog box. You can then select the specific subtype to insert by clicking the desired subtype in the list at the right side of the dialog box. To then insert the chart of the selected subtype, click the “OK” button at the bottom of the dialog box. Using any of these chart insertion methods inserts a chart of the selected subtype as an embedded chart object in the current worksheet. The next thing to note is that when a chart object is selected, a new contextual tab then appears in the Ribbon.

This is the “Chart Tools” contextual tab and it consists of two tabs, “Design” and “Format.” You use the buttons in the various button groups on these two tabs within the “Chart Tools” contextual tab to change the selected chart objects. When a chart is selected in Excel, a two-button or three-button grouping of chart options appears at the right side of the selected chart, depending on the chart type you inserted. The buttons are, from top to bottom, “Chart Elements,” “Chart Styles,” and, optionally, “Chart Filters.” You can also use these buttons to change your selected chart. When you insert a new chart into a worksheet, the entire chart is initially selected. The “Chart Tools” contextual tabs then appear in the Ribbon. Two or three drop-down buttons then also appear at the right side of the chart. When editing charts, the first task with which to familiarize yourself is selecting chart elements. Note that a chart is not a single object, but rather, is a complex object comprised of many smaller, selectable objects. You must know exactly which chart element is selected before starting any procedure, like formatting or editing the chart. One way to select chart objects is by using your mouse. You can click the individual chart elements to select them. To select the entire chart, click into the “Chart Area.” The Chart Area is the blank area surrounding most of the actual chart elements. For Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Using Excel.

By computerpy, ago