Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page Puritas Springs Software Law Office Computing
VOLUME 2012 NO. 1 $ 7 . 9 9 PURITAS SPRINGS SOFTWARE Big On Being Small Puritas Springs Software is a never enters into the equation. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: small, family owned company We care about what we’re Office Money Savers 1-3 that has been in business doing, we try to do our best, since about 1986. At any given and our goal is to make you New CLE Offering 1 time we have less than six happy; after all it’s our busi- Computer Quiz 4 people working ness. If you’re a Digital Inklings 6 here and they’re firm handling com- Child Support 8 usually members of plicated medical Spousal Support 10 our immediate or malpractice cases, Uniform DR Forms 12 extended family. you probably need From the stand- a large staff of spe- Family Law Documents 13 point of our law cialists and being Probate Forms 14 office customers, small may not be a Ohio Estate Tax 16 that’s a good thing! good thing. But U.S. Estate Tax/GST Tax 17 The nine-to-five when it comes to U.S. Income Tax (1041) 18 employee mentality program develop- (Continued on page 2) Ohio Fiduciary Tax 19 Ohio Adoption Forms 20 OH Guardianship Forms 21 OH Wrongful Death 22 Smartphone Apps That Save $ Loan Amortizer 23 OH Worker’s Comp 24 Deed & Document Pro 25 A smartphone is part phone navigation unit, and Internet Bankruptcy Forms 26 and part com- browser. Two Law Office Management 28 puter. Most popular exam- attorneys ples are the OH Business Forms 30 probably own Apple iPhone Business Dissolutions 31 one already. and Mo- Living Trust/Estate Plan 32 Today's mod- torola’s An- HUD—Settlement Stmts 33 els combine droid. Security Alerts 34 the functions of a cell Here are a In Good Humor 36 phone, port- number of Technical Support 38 able media applications Inbox 44 player, digital that you can Order Form 47 camera, GPS (Continued on page 3) Page 2 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Smart Phone Ratings Big on Being Small Verizon (Continued from page 1) compatible software using a well 1. HTC Thunderbolt ($250) ment (at the least the kind we known, and long established 2. LG Revolution ($200) do) and customer support (the development system. kind our customers need), being 3. Samsung Droid Charge small is our biggest asset. One thing that we learned from ($300) this experience is that Mac’s 4. Motorola Droid 3 ($200) Here’s an example. We called technical support seemed to Apple Computers to ask for a suffer from many of the same 5. Motorola Droid X2 ($200) recommendation on a computer shortcomings that affect most to be used for development pur- big businesses. Instead of one poses. After a 5 minute wait we person being able to “get the job Sprint spoke with a customer service done,” so to speak, we were representative who didn’t seem passed along the chain of com- 1. Motorola Photon 4G to understand the gist of what mand until we got tired and de- ($200) we were asking, Naturally, he cided to try another tack. So 2. Samsung Epic 4G ($100) referred our call to a support much for the Mac illusion of su- technician. After another five perior support service. Attention 3. HTD Evo 3D ($200) minute wait, we explained our Mac Zealots. Please, no emails 4. HTD Evo 4G ($100) question for the second time. We or telephone calls. We love the were placed on hold for another Mac, we learned programming 5. Samsung Nexus S 4G brief period and when the sup- on one years ago, we recognize ($30) port technician returned he said it as a great computer. Don’t he felt our call should be referred waste your time and ours by to a sales specialist. Another five contacting us in this regard like T-Mobile minute wait on hold. high schoolers boosting their 1. Samsung Galaxy S 4G football team. Yeah, yeah, yeah, ($100) Now the first two reps were a bit you’re number one. Our gripe is hard to hear and remotely for- with bigness, not Mac-ness. 2. T-Mobile G2x ($150) eign sounding (not that that’s a 3. HTC Sensation 4G bad thing), so we were pleased What’s different at Puritas ($100) that the third person was clear to Springs Software is that one hear and clearly English- person handles your call. And 4. Samsung Vibrant ($100) speaking. (Again, foreign techni- that person has extensive knowl- 5. T-Mobile Sidekick 4G cal support is not inherently a edge of both the law and the ($100) bad thing, but it’s got to be un- program you’re calling about. derstandable to be effective). You’re never placed on hold while one person refers your AT&T The sales specialist—was not problem to the next who refers it familiar with the subject matter of to the next in the knowledgebase 1. Samsung Infuse 4G our question and instead of tak- hierarchy. Our average solution ($100) ing the time to understand our time is less than 15 minutes. 2. Motorola Atrix 4G ($100) needs better, referred us to the How do we do it? Take a look at developer department indicating the brief article on page 5 of this 3. HTC Inspire 4G ($100) that to become a developer we’d issue for the details. That’s our 4. Samsung Captivate ($50) need to pony up a $100 enroll- guarantee. So long as your soft- ment fee. Remember now, all we ware is current, all of this is done 5. Apple iPhone 3G S ($ - ) wanted was a recommendation at no cost to you. That’s part of on which Mac computer to buy what being a small business is for purposes of developing Mac- all about! Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 3
Beyond Smartphone Apps That Save $ Maximizing
(Continued from page 1) real time. For iPhone. On occasion, you may be view- you to save money when gro- ing a picture or a video in Win- cery shopping , attending the dows Explorer or Windows Me- theater, eating out and more. All Foursquare dia Player and would like to of these applications are free to make it as large as possible. download on your smartphone. Uses GPS technology to see Instead of simply clicking on the Note that not all these applica- where you are and then alert you maximize button, try pressing tions work on every smartphone. to deals at nearby stores, restau- the
Several years ago we started really unsubscribe without any A few years ago, Microsoft was sending out a monthly email to strings attached. using what they called the multi- our email list subscribers. The document interface (MDI). You monthly email contains news Another nice thing is that sub- may recall the MDI allowed you about new and pending software scribing involves simply entering to have several documents open releases, important information your email address. We do not in your word processor at the about free and pay upgrades, require your name, address or same time. You could click on legal and computer news, tech- other personal information. It the Window menu and ar- nical support materials, and law- only takes a minute. You can range documents side by side office-useful Windows tips. subscribe by visiting (tiling) or stacked and offset, like www.puritas-springs.com and playing cards (cascading). Each Out email list is what we refer to clicking on the Join Email link arrangement had its advantages; as an ethical list in that you have near the top of our Home page. tiling was great for side by side complete control over subscrib- It can be aggravating to get daily comparison and cascading was ing and unsubscribing. And or weekly emails—be assured handy for allowing you to move when you unsubscribe, you our emails go out monthly. easily among documents. For whatever reason, Microsoft abandoned the MDI in favor of using multiple instances of a program and placing each in- 11 Minutes stance on a separate button on the task bar. By the time Win- dows 7 came along, the task bar We’ve been using remote assis- that call technical support, and buttons of multiple instances of tance for several years now and software development compa- the same program were cas- we immediately recognized it as nies have better things to do caded so that an additional a phenomenal support tool. Un- than give technical support. mouse click was necessary to fortunately, the first provider we unstack the cascaded buttons tried had problems with the ser- And that’s how the 11 minutes allowing access to the individual vice and after a year or so of came into play. Over the last documents. repeatedly broken connections year, we evolved a policy that we decided to try can be stated as Irrespective of whether this was another provider— follows: if, after a change for the sake of change, LogMeIn Rescue. brief telephone it’s still possible to get a similar Note that Rescue conversation we’re effect. Press and hold the
Free downloadable up- grades. Revised Ohio Child Support Guidelines A familiar look and feel—no learning curve. Works in all versions of Win- 200+ the cost of health-related expen- dows including Windows 7 & ditures that a family incurs. Vista. You're in good company when These estimates are homoge- you purchase Revised Ohio nized by the Ohio Department of Abbreviated worksheets— Child Support Guidelines— Job & Family Services into a everything on one screen/ Version 6 (WROCSG). Our table that permits the preparer to page—get your answers in customer scrolls boast more calculate a “cash medical sup- seconds! than 200 courts, and govern- port obligation.” Along the way, mental, educational and non- Detailed error checking and reference is also made to the profit agencies. Included in the U.S. Department of Health & alerts. list are domestic relations courts, Human Services Poverty Shared Parenting Devia- juvenile courts, probate courts, Guidelines to establish a limit tion—supports every imagin- child support enforcement agen- on the amount that can be as- able adjustment algorithm. cies, Department of Human Ser- sessed as “cash medical sup- vices, Department of Job & Fam- port.” Again, WROCSG does it Three statutory table lookup ily Services, prosecutor's offices, all automatically. You need not methods. appellate courts, law libraries be concerned with either of Annotated, statutory and and universities throughout these agencies’ statistics—it’s all abbreviated worksheets. Ohio. built into WROCSG.
No annual subscription or The sidebar to the left doesn’t Leave The Driving To Us update fees. cover everything, nor does it Companion CLE Course— provide all the details. For exam- Anyone completing the work- this course has been ap- ple, in order to give you the best sheet might justifiably think this proved by the Supreme Court estimations of the child care is all more than a bit confusing. of Ohio Commission on Con- credit, the complete federal Don't worry about it. WROCSG tinuing Legal Education for and state income tax calcula- will save you hours of re- 1.75 total CLE hours instruc- tions are built in. That’s right, search by doing all the collat- tion. Must be purchased sepa- complete federal and state in- eral calculations for you— rately. come tax calculations are built even the income tax calcula- in. A program without this ability tions related to the child care Automatically calculates or- can make errors amounting to credit. ders for incomes over over $1,000! WROCSG does it $150,000. all and does it better. That’s why The Bottom Line it’s the number 1 best-selling Income Annualizer—from child support software in Ohio paystub to annual income. We should mention that regardless of the claims of oth- WROCSG6 costs only a fraction Local Tax Calculator. ers. at $99! You can purchase li- censes for two computers for Support Scheduler—track Cash Medical Support less than what other software and calculate payments, ar- costs for one. Better, easier to rearages, and interest. The current worksheets were use and less than half the price Performs Line 8 and the 5.6% designed to respond to Ohio’s of competing software. How can self-employment adjust- increasing number of families you go wrong? ments automatically. that can’t afford to maintain health insurance on their chil- Sends forms to your word dren. As a result, the USDA’s processor for review, format- Expenditures on Children by ting, printing, emailing, faxing, Families are used to estimate making PDFs, etc. Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 9 Revised Ohio Child Support Guidelines—Cont.
Sample Abbreviated/Short Form Child Support Worksheet
All-In-One. Not only does the abbreviated short form worksheet have all the information contained on six or seven pages of the statutory worksheets, it also permits you to enter information directly on the screen. That means that you can literally complete worksheets in seconds without tabbing or scrolling repeatedly through pages of fields. Put in the names of the parties, the number of children, and the parties’ respective income and you’re done! Page 10 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Ohio Spousal Support
Think of it as a pretrial/trial different spousal support 4. Set Spousal Support preparation tool because it does amounts! We call it the Lifestyle so much more than simply calcu- form because it provides an This screen lets you deviate lation spousal support. instructive comparison of each from any formulas or computer party’s ability to meet essential algorithms and set your own Spousal Support/Alimony and nonessential living spousal support amount to be expenses at different levels of used in the tax calculations and Following the guidelines set forth spousal support. Apart from the expense comparisons. Just see in ORC § 3105.18(B), Ohio ITSE form, you’ll find this report what happens! You’re in con- Spousal Support Calculator to be one of the most reveal- trol of the calculation, not the (OSSC) provides a range of ing . A sample is on the Demos/ other way around. recommended spousal Downloads page of our web site. support figures that is not 5. Child Support & Taxes simply the result of a tax 3. Statutory Considerations analysis or income equaliza- Included in OSSC is a child sup- tion formula. You can review In a form that is more like a brief port calculator that is similar to the results and rationale by view- than an accounting spreadsheet, the one in Revised Ohio Child ing its 40 forms and reports. this report finds the difference Support Guidelines. What’s Here are some highlights. between the parties’ total unique about it is that it is fully incomes, then adjusts for integrated into the spousal sup- 1. Income, Taxes, Support & payment of federal, state and port calculation. Of course at the Expenses (ITSE) local income taxes, and finally same time it’s doing all this, it is evaluates a range of spousal also considering the income tax A side-by-side summary of the support awards in light of each consequences of the exchange parties’ taxable and nontaxable party’s ability to meet their per- and incorporating the results into income along with personal and sonal and living expenses (i.e., the many available reports, i.e., living expenses (essential and maintain their lifestyle). the Lifestyle form. The Tax Is- nonessential). Both before-tax sues section has a breakdown of and after-tax information is In cases where spendable tax information related to who provided. Note that in addition to income doesn’t meet living should take the dependency producing support recommenda- expenses, the analysis can be exemptions and how it affects tions, OSSC lets you preset a extended to distinguish between both parties. When it’s best to support amount of your own essential and nonessential split the dependency exemp- choosing in order to obtain a expenses. Because the broken tions, you are notified and re- complete tax analysis at that family unit necessarily imposes ferred to the Child Dependency prescribed level of support. the financial hardship related to Exemptions vs. Taxes report. There is a sample printout on supporting two households on page 11 of this catalog. Note the income that previously Companion CLE that OSSC is now able to per- supported one, you may find that form an income equalization categorizing expenses as OSSC has a companion CLE calculation that is accurate to essential or nonessential as- course. This course has been within hundredths of a per- sumes increased importance in approved by the Supreme Court cent. an analysis of the marital estate. of Ohio Commission on Continu- A sample of this report is avail- ing Legal Education for 3.00 total 2. Support v. Lifestyle able at our web site as a CLE hours instruction. Note also downloadable PDF file on the that more than 2 hours of pro- This report summarizes the Demos/Downloads page. gram instruction is built in to information contained in the OSSC, however CLE must be ITSE form across a range of 28 purchased separately. Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 11 Ohio Spousal Support—Cont.
Sample Income, Taxes, Support & Expense Form
These figures are based on yearly spousal support of $10,740; however, you can analyze any level of sup- port by manually setting the support amount. Instantly, you’ll see the tax consequences to the obligor and recipient. In addition, you’ll see if the support recipient is able to meet necessary living expenses at that level of spousal support. Just as important, you can also see whether the obligor is able to meet his or her necessary living expenses. Other potentially vital information is the comparison of the relative ability of the parties to meet not only necessary expenses, but also ordinary but nonessential expenses. Page 12 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Buying A Computer? Uniform Domestic Relations Forms Here’s a list of ratings of retailers from whom you may purchase In July 2010, the Supreme Court an end in itself, but producing computers. Note that even the of Ohio adopted new domestic better forms more quickly and lowest rated retailers pleased relations forms enabling judges efficiently allows you time for the most their customers according and attorneys to enjoy state- pursuit of additional billable to a recently published national wide uniformity in the mainte- hours, or simply more time to survey . Ratings reflect survey nance and presentation of finan- yourself. Either way, you win. respondent satisfaction with their cial information, health insur- purchase experience which in- ance, and other child-related Features cluded selection, price and ser- information in family law pro- vice. Check out page 16 of this ceedings. Developed by a sub- •Works in All Windows. Devel- issue for our experience with committee of the Advisory Com- oped in and optimized for Win- TigerDirect. mittee on Children, Families, and dows 7 and Vista, UDRF runs in the Courts, the forms were pro- all 64- or 32-bit versions of Win- Retail Web Sites posed as a solution to the prob- dows. 1. Amazon.com lems engendered in a system where 88 counties had devel- •Open & Save Files To Disk. 2. Newegg.com oped 88 different sets of forms in Unlike many pdf web forms, 3. Costco.com family law cases. As a result, the UDRF lets you open and save uniform affidavits were drafted. your client information on your 4. TigerDirect.com hard drive -- an indispensable 5. QVC.com Better Looking Forms Faster feature for making revisions.
Would you prepare a brief on •General Information Work- Manufacturer Web Sites your typewriter? Of course not. sheet for assembling and auto- All law offices use word proces- matically completing the com- 1. Apple.com sors instead. One of the primary mon, repetitive fields. 2. Toshiba advantages is the ease with which revisions can be made. If •Continuation Pages. For all 3. HP/Compaq clients were perfect and brought the instances where you'll need 4. Lenova all the information you needed in them (and you will need them). the first appointment, and never 5. Sony exaggerated or omitted any in- •Auto-Math. UDRF takes care of formation, you could probably calculating and updating all your muck through with a typewriter. totals; if you make a change, the Walk-In Stores But the real world isn’t like that. totals are updated instantane- 1. Apple Uniform Domestic Relations ously and automatically. Forms (UDRF) allows you to 2. Micro Center make changes, corrections and •Auto-Text-Fit. If you've got a bit 3. Costco additions quickly and easily with- more information than will fit on out messy white-out, or mis- a line, UDRF will automatically 4. Staples matched or misaligned type- shrink the font size until it fits. 5. Sam’s Club writer fonts. With UDRF you just type ´n go—from zero to printed •Exports all forms (blank or document in record time. completed) to your word proc- essor for printing, faxing, Saving Time Means Saving $ emailing or making PDFs (PDF- making functionality dependent The creation of professional on your word processor or own- looking forms can be considered ing Adobe Acrobat). Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 13 Document Index Answer Family Law Practitioner’s Apprentice Arrearages, Agreed Motion to Correct Arrearages, Judgment Entry Mrs. Jones, you’ve got a In other words, once you enter on Motion to Correct lovely son, - er, daughter the parties’ names and case number in the worksheet, the Bond, Judgment Entry - If you’ve taken the first step to- information populates all the Order to Post wards automating your family forms automatically. Formatting Child Support, Motion to law practice, you may have word and typing captions is a thing of Modify processing templates that you the past. You enter repetitive Continuance, Judgment use to generate Separation information once! When it’s Entry on Motion for Agreements or Judgment En- correct the first time, you save Continuance, Motion for time. No more brainless gram- tries. Templates are good, but Counterclaim they have several drawbacks. matical errors in an otherwise perfect document. Dissolution of Marriage, Judgment Entry on Petition One is that changes related to gender and number can be diffi- Going Global Dissolution of Marriage, cult to track. For instance, have Petition for you ever reviewed a document The faster you can generate Divorce, Complaint for at court and noticed an embar- perfect documents, the more you Divorce, Judgment Entry on rassing, typographical error, like save in case preparation time Complaint for referring to the husband as and staff time. That’s why we General Information give you the added ability to (1) “she?” Or making a reference to Health Insurance set global defaults via our De- “children” when the parties have Investigation Form only one child? Over the years, fault.flp file and (2) modify the Motion for Specific Acts familiarity with these documents program templates to customize makes errors increasingly diffi- documents for your specific Parental Rights and cult to spot. uses. So, if you have certain, Responsibilities, Motion to customized provisions in a par- Modify Allocation of Another drawback relates to ticular document, you could alter Pretrial Statement global variables—that is, infor- the corresponding document Relocate, Notice of Intent to mation that remains constant template to include your specific Residential Parent, Affidavit language—permanently. from one document to the next in Restraining Order, Motion & the same case (for example, the Affidavit for Temporary case number, the parties’ names Better Documents Faster Restraining Order, and addresses, and a host of Temporary other items). With FLPA, from The whole point of FLPA is to the initial complaint to the produce better documents Separation Agreement final judgment entry, you’re faster and present them to you Shared Parenting Agreement never required to re-enter that in your word processor. That Show Cause, Motion to type of information from one makes it especially user-friendly Standard Visitation document to the next. to law offices. Why law offices? Guidelines Because regardless of computer Support Pendente Lite, skills, they are expert word proc- FLPA handles these issues by Answer to Motion for having you make one-time se- essors! After all, documents are Support Pendente Lite, lections as to the gender of the a law office’s stock-in-trade. Financial Disclosure Affidavit parties and then FLPA consis- tently changes all the nouns, For more details visit the FLPA Support Pendente Lite, pronouns, verbs and adjectives page of our web site. Click on Motion for, with Notice to agree with your selections. the Family Law button. Temporary Custody, Motion Other basic information is han- Withholding, Judgment Entry dled similarly and globally. - Order to Terminate Page 14 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Antivirus Or Virus? Basic Ohio We’re always testing software and hardware that we think may Web Forms and all relevant subtotals and be of use to our users and read- totals update automatically and ers. One of those products is the We’re sometimes asked what instantaneously. In seconds. personal version of Avira anti- the difference is between our virus software. While the soft- probate program and the court’s 3. Using web forms is slow ware worked well enough and web forms. It’s a legitimate ques- and mistake-prone. It goes has been recommended by Con- tion and the answer is—speed without saying that if you can sumer Reports more than once, and efficiency. That means pre- make one change instead of a the nag screen prompting you to paring probate forms quickly and dozen, you can work faster. buy the commercial version ren- professionally. All successful Also, when you’re not re-typing, dered the software as annoying probate practices, large and you don’t risk making a mistake. as a virus. Here’s the fix. small, use software to prepare Get it right once and that data their forms. Here’s why: automatically transfers to all the Windows 2000/XP: (Pro ver- necessary forms. sions do not require you to boot 1. With the court’s web forms, into Safe Mode) changes made after a form is 4. The Court’s PDF forms can- completed are time- not be saved when completed. 1. Boot into Safe Mode (tap F8 consuming and difficult to Unless you own Adobe Acrobat repeatedly after you restart make. Perfect clients are few ($500) you can’t save completed the computer). and far between. The informa- web forms, you can only print 2. Log in using the Administrator tion clients bring in is sometimes them. Even with Adobe, only account. inaccurate and needs to be cor- individual forms can be saved 3. Go to C:\Program rected, or trails in late and needs easily. So at the end of the pro- Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalE- to be added. With the court’s bate case, you have your client dition Classic\avnotify.exe. web forms, if you need to make information scattered in 40 differ- 4. Right-click avnotify.exe-> changes after you’re done, you ent files! With WBOPF, all your properties-> security-> ad- have two choices: either do it probate data is in one file. It can vanced. over or paint over it with white be saved, copied, and trans- 5. Under the Permissions tab out and correct it on a typewriter. ported easily. click on SYSTEM under Per- With WBOPF, it’s like typing in a mission entries: word processor. Make the 6. Edit-> locate Traverse Folder / change and hit the print button. Execute File-> deny-> ok - In addition, changes and cor- Main Window. WBOPF has a >apply-> yes -> ok-> ok. rections are global. That convenient Main Window that 7. Reboot the computer into means that you can make one combines an on-line tutorial with Normal Mode. correction and the dozen or so the freedom of the Windows forms where that information menu system. You won’t need reappears are also corrected. training or instructional videos. Just start at the top and work to Windows XP Pro & Vista Busi- 2. Web forms don’t update the bottom. Help is right there. ness/Ultimate/Enterprise dynamically. Change a figure in an inventory or accounting and Next of Kin & Legatees. Over 1. Start-> Control Panel. you’ll be recalculating all the half the standard probate forms 2. Administrative tools-> Local dependent subtotals and totals. involve the spouse, kin and lega- security policy. Once you made the necessary tees, so your probate program recalculations, you’ll need to should complete all the neces- retype the pdf form or usewhite sary notices, consents and out. With WBOPF, you correct waivers. WBOPF does exactly (Continued on page 15) the property value (or whatever) (Continued on page 15) Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 15 Antivirus Probate Forms Or Virus?
(Continued from page 14) (Continued from page 14) Capable of sending forms that! If you have 40 beneficiar- to your word processor for 3. Click on Software Restriction ies, WBOPF completes all the final review, formatting and print- Policy-> Action (at the top)-> appropriate notices, consents ing, or spell-checking, create new restriction policies and waivers, etc. with a mouse grammar-checking, emailing, 4. Right-click additional rules-> click. faxing, making PDFs, etc. The new path rule. functionality of your word proc- 5. Click Browse and navigate to Quality Not Quantity. Instead of essor is the only limitation. C:\Program Files\(Avira) paying for hundreds of forms \AntiVir PersonalEdition Clas- that you don’t use or that are Inventory and Accounting sic\ and double-click avno- incorrect, we give you the com- form entries are automatically tify.exe. plete set of “Standard Probate sorted by category. 6. Set the security level to Disal- Forms” as defined and prom- lowed-> apply-> ok. ulgated under Rules 51 and 52 Modifiable templates for of the Supreme Court’s Rules for case-specific customization. the Superintendence of Ohio Courts. That’s every standard Visit our web site and try our Vista Home Premium decedent’s probate form. And all free, fully functioning demo. screens and printouts are de- The site also has screen illustra- 1. Go to C:\Program signed to comply with the typo- tions together with some sample Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalE- graphical specifications set forth forms. dition Classic\avnotify.exe. in Rules 51 and 52, supra. 2. Right-click avnotify.exe- >properties->security tab. Features 3. Under the group or username County Specific Modules— SYSTEM click edit. The Next Generation pro- Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton 4. Put a checkmark under the gram designed in Windows 7 DENY column for "read and and Vista, WBOPF runs in the The last time we checked, about execute". following Windows 64- and 32- 22,000 of Ohio’s 38,000 active bit environments, XP/2000/ME & attorneys were practicing in the If the above method causes you 98. big three counties. For that rea- to reboot after each update: son we developed special pro- Handles calculations bate programs devoted to those 1. Go to C:\Program automatically; most forms counties. Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalE- complete themselves! This dition Classic\avnotify.exe. includes not just the mathemati- Each county-specific program 2. Right-click avnotify.exe-> cally-oriented forms like the in- works like WBOPF, the main properties-> security tab-> ventory and accounting forms, difference being the addition of advanced. but also all consents, waivers many more forms. Included are 3. Under the permissions tab and notices will contain the forms that are not necessarily highlight SYSTEM-> edit-> beneficiary name and address probate forms, but are often locate Traverse Folder / Exe- information automatically. used in conjunction with probate cute File-> deny-> ok -> ok-> forms, i.e., enclosure letters, yes-> ok-> ok. Exports probate files to the transfer documents, and more. If Ohio Estate Tax program that you’d like a complete list of the Note: Avira changed the path in can, in turn, export client data to included forms, visit our web Version 9 to C:\Program the U.S. Estate Tax program—a site, go to the WBOPF page, Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop true single entry system. and then the desired county (hyperlinks are near the top). Page 16 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Tiger– Direct Ohio Estate Tax The hard drive in our old Gate- way computer (Model E-4500) Ohio Estate Tax for Windows probate forms and tax returns died recently. We were intend- (WOET) is one of our best sell- quickly, efficiently, and profes- ing to simply replace the old ers. Together with Basic Ohio sionally. Once you use WOET, hard drive. Our online research Probate Forms, it is an unbeat- you’ll never do returns any other disclosed that a new 120GB able combination for completing way. internal OCZ Vertex 3 was $188; and a new Crucial 128 GB internal hard drive was $165. Those weren't bad prices Included Forms & Schedules for replacement drives, but what really got our attention was that Form 2 Ohio Estate Tax—Page 1 Form 3G Resident GST Tax TigerDirect.com had a HP com- Recapitulation—Page 2 Form 3N Nonresident Additional Tax puter for $299! Wow! Information—Page 3 Form 4 Nonresident Estate Tax Schedule A Real Property Form 5 Estate & Additional Tax … The computer we received was Schedule B Stocks and Bonds Form 12 Application for Consent no underpowered wimp. The Schedule C Mortgages, Notes and Cash Form 12-A Nonresident Appl for Consent new HP was a Model 100B with Schedule D Insurance Form 13 Appl for Consent to Transfer a 1.6GHz AMD processor, 2 GB Schedule E Part I—Joint & Survivorship Form 14 Tax Release of RAM, a 250 GB hard drive, a Part II—Joint & Survivorship Form 14-A Nonresident Tax Release read/write DVD, an AMD Schedule F Other Miscellaneous Property Form 17 Estate & Additional Tax … Radeon graphics accelerator, Schedule G Transfers During Lifetime Form 18 Close Corporation Valuation 20" wide screen display and 32- Schedule H Powers of Appointment Form 21 Application for Certificate … bit Windows 7. By the way, it's an all-in-one unit. That means Schedule I Annuities, Pensions, Retirement Form 22 Certificate of Estate Tax … no wires all over the place and Schedule J Debts & Administrative Exps Form 24 Certificate of Subordination … no clunky box under the desk. Schedule K Charitable Bequests Form 34 Qualified Farm Property ... It’s performed admirably for Schedule M Part I—Bequests to Spouse Form 35 Worksheet for Developing … about 6 months now and if it Part II—Bequests to Spouse Form 36 Qualified Farm Property ... lasts a few years it will prove to Form 2X Amended Ohio Estate Tax Form 41 Application for Extension have been a super deal. If we Form 3 Ohio Resident Additional Tax were using the computer for AV media (which we’re not) we’d have preferred a larger hard drive. Also, note that this com- The Solution—Version 8 puter does not come with Micro- soft Office. Fortunately, we were able to transfer the Office li- Print shop quality printed valuations (your own ISP is cense to the new computer. forms. Approved by the Ohio required). Department of Taxation. Imports Probate (WBOPF) As it turns out, to find a deal like Main Window. Combines the file information. this you’ve got to be on your features of a tutorial with the Auto-fit Text. WOET shrinks toes with a little luck thrown in freedom of the Windows your answers to fit in the allot- for good measure. We were menu. ted space. unable to find a similar deal Vista compatible. WOET Compatible with W706. Easy anywhere (including TigerDi- runs in all versions of Win- transfer to U.S. Estate Tax. rect) and months later we noted dows including 7 and Vista. the same computer was avail- Sends forms to your word able at that price only as a refur- One-click access to on-line processor for further editing, bished model. stock and mutual fund spell-checking or formatting. Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 17 Computer U.S. Estate Tax Ratings These desktop computer ratings With U.S. Estate Tax (W706), your printed forms look print- were published by Consumer we followed the Puritas Springs shop-perfect on any printer. Reports in December 2011 Software philosophy—create an based on laboratory testing that All calculations are per- easy-to-use, reasonably priced considered performance, ergo- formed dynamically and program for small- and medium- nomics, and versatility. For automatically. sized law offices. The rest will whatever reason, the computers take care of itself. W706 is the Includes Schedules A tested came without monitors or last component of our Probate through R-1, worksheets speakers and you should con- Triple Pack. The Triple Pack is (Ln 9 & TG), and 20 custom sider that when you look at the designed to let you take probate continuation pages for better prices quoted below. The information, export it to Ohio organization and more profes- model numbers on computers Estate Tax, and finally to sional looking printouts. change reasonably quickly and W706—all from a single set of therefore, you might consider entries! If there was ever a pro- Worksheets for beneficiaries, the ratings in terms of a particu- bate time saver, the triple pack is assets and debts. Each allows lar model rather than a specific it. See the products and prices you to work with centrally model number. Finally, you may listed on the inside back cover located information that you want to consider the all in one for the discounted Triple Pack can effortlessly change, de- models that are rated on page price. lete, insert, append, etc. 20. Windows 7 & Check Return 1. Dell Studio XPS X8300- Vista compati- function reviews 3576NBK ($900) ble, but runs in nearly 100 rules 2. HP Pavilion Elite h8-1020 all versions of and reminders for ($900) Windows. testing a tax return prior to printing. 3. Asus Essentio CM6850-07 IRS-approved— ($830) 4. Acer AG3610-UR20P ($800) 5. Dell Inspiron I620-3748NBK Murder In Hollywood ($700) 6. HP Pavilion Elite h8-1010 ($730) Mother—what is the phrase— I don’t like violence, Tom. I’m a 7. Dell Studio XPS X8300- she isn’t quite herself today. businessman. Murder’s a big 1225NBK ($750) Anthony Perkins expense. Psycho 1960 Al Lettieri 8. HP Pavilion HPE h8xt ($900) The Godfather 1972 9. Lenovo IdeaCentre K330B My boyfriend stabbed himself on a knife I was holding. Was it murder … or something 77471GU ($980) Iris Adrian serious? 10.HP Pavilion Elite HPE-410y Flamingo Road 1949 Dick Powell ($930) Murder, My Sweet 1944 Very stupid to kill the only ser- vant in the house. Now we don’t Golly, Mr. Wabbit, I hope I didn’t even know where to find the hurt ya too much when I killed marmalade. ya. Judith Anderson Elmer Fudd And Then There Were None 1945 Duck! Rabbit, Duck! 1953 Page 18 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 The Best Printers U.S. Income Tax for Estates & Trusts Here are some printer ratings that are based on test results How can we sell a Form 1041 commonly-filed returns, our conducted by a nationally known program for $49.99? W1041 program is perfect! consumer reporting laboratory Because we designed it specifi- Mandatory Electronic Filing from December 2011. cally for non-professionals and A return is considered filed by a Before we get into the ratings, small- to medium-sized law of- tax return preparer if the pre- we’d like to give you a few things fices doing simple returns for parer submits the return to the to think about if you’re thinking small- to medium-sized estates IRS on the taxpayer's behalf. For about buying a new printer for and trusts. That means U.S. example, the act of submission your law office. First, we’ve Income Tax for Estates & includes the preparer dropping placed laser printers before ink- Trusts (W1041) is meant to the return in the mailbox for the jet printers, because for profes- handle the returns that law of- taxpayer. Acts such as providing sional legal work we don’t think fices typically prepare. W1041 filing or delivery instructions, an inkjet printers are appropriate. gives you the ability to prepare addressed envelope, postage For one thing, the least little professional-looking, simple estimates, stamps, or similar moisture or pressure and the ink returns at a low cost, making it acts designed to assist the tax- usually smears. Second, it worth your while to do the easy payer in the taxpayer's efforts to seems counterintuitive (at least returns yourself without out- correctly mail or otherwise de- to us) but the upkeep costs for a sourcing them. liver an individual income tax laser printer (essentially that is The reality for most law offices is return to the IRS do not consti- toner) are cheaper than that of that complicated returns are tute filing by the tax return an inkjet. This may be due in typically referred to specialist/ preparer or specified tax return part to the fact that there is not preparers anyway, so why spend preparer as long as the taxpayer much a market in black and big bucks for a program that’s actually mails or otherwise deliv- white inkjets and therefore the designed to handle those types ers the paper individual income normal color inkjet requires mul- of returns? For the other 99% of tax return to the IRS. tiple ink cartridges. When you compare color lasers to color inkjets (more or an apples to apples comparison), inkjet costs are considerably cheaper. How- Included Forms & Schedules ever, our take on this is—when was the last time you filed a Forms & Schedules Worksheets complaint or brief in color? Form 1041 U.S. Estate & Trust—Page 1 Form 1041-ES Estimated Tax U.S. Estate & Trust—Page 2 Schedule D Unrecaptured Sec 1250 Gain Multi-Function (Printer/ Schedule A Charitable Deduction Schedule D Tax Worksheet Scanner/Copier) Black and Schedule B Income Distribution Deduction Schedule D Qualified 5-Year Gain White Lasers Schedule G Tax Computation Schedule D Capital Loss Carryover 1. Dell 2355dn ($370) Schedule I Alternative Minimum Tax Schedule D 28% Rate Gain Schedule J Accumulation Distribution ... 2. Brother MFC-7360N ($170) Schedule K-1 Beneficiary’s Share Continuation Schedules 3. HP LaserJet Pro M1212nf Form 1041-A Informational Return Form 1041 Line 1 Interest Income MFP ($170) Form 1041-ES Estimated Tax Vouchers Form 1041 Line 2a Dividend Income Form 1041-QFT Qualified Funeral Trusts Form 1041 Line 15a Other Deductions 4. Brother MFC-7460DN ($200) Form 1041-T Allocation of Estimated Payments Form 1041 Line 15b Subject to 2% 5. Brother DCP-7060D ($160) Schedule D Short-Term Capital Gains Schedule D Long-Term Capital Gains 6. Brother MFC-7860DW ($250) Miscellaneous
(Continued on page 19) Complete published IRS Instructions for Form 1041 & associated schedules. Complete IRS Publication 950-Introduction to Estate & Gift Taxes Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 19
Ohio Fiduciary Tax (Continued from page 18) Black & White Lasers 1. HP LaserJet Pro P1606dm Who Must File? As a practitioner, you can per- $160) form an analysis as to whether a In general, all Ohio estates tax return is required, or be safe 2. Brother HL-5370DW ($170) having any taxable income and protect your client by filing a 3. Lexmark E260dn ($250) must file an Ohio Fiduciary return. What would you do? For Income Tax Return. trusts and estates with no or little 4. HP LaserJet P2055dn ($300) income, it makes sense to avoid Trusts. All trusts meeting ANY 5. Brother HL-2270DW ($90) ONE or more of the following the consequences of guessing requirements must file: wrong by filing a return. 6. HP LaserJet P2035n ($250) The trust resides in Ohio, or Do A Return In Seconds 7. Dell 1130n ($100) If you have U.S. Income Tax for The trust earns or receives 8. OKI B411dn ($250) Estates & Trusts (W1041), income in Ohio, or preparing a print-shop-perfect, Color Lasers The trust earns/receives lot- professional Ohio return takes tery winnings paid by the Ohio only seconds because you can 1. Dell 1250c ($160) Lottery Commission, or import the tax information from 2. HP LaserJet CP1215 ($200) the federal program (W1041) The trust otherwise has a directly into Ohio Fiduciary Tax 3. Lexmark C540n ($250) nexus with or in Ohio under (WIT1041)! the Constitution of the United 4. HP Color LaserJet CP2025n States. There’s no learning curve. Ohio ($350) Fiduciary Tax (WIT1041) re- Note that certain trusts are ex- sembles our ever-popular Multi-Function Inkjets cluded from the filing require- United States Income Tax for (Printer/Scanner/Copier) ments: grantor, charitable re- Estates and Trusts. It's perfect mainder, retirement, funeral, and 1. Canon Pixma MG8120 for completing the kinds of re- ($200) a few other trusts. turns that law offices typically A good rule of thumb is that if a handle. Budget-priced at $49.99, 2. HP Photosmart Premium trust “resides” in Ohio, has in- it pays for itself with the first C309n ($250) return you prepare. It prints the come, and is not on the exclu- 3. Canon Pixma MG6120 sion list in the preceding para- entire basic form set and per- ($150) graph, it must file a return. forms all calculations automati- cally. 4. HP Photosmart Premium Fax C410a ($180) 5. Dell P713w ($150) Advice To Lawyers 6. Canon Pixma MX7600 ($350) Color Inkjets Never, never, never, on cross When you have no basis for an examination ask a witness a argument, abuse the plaintiff. 1. HP Officejet Pro 8000 Wire- questions you don’t already Cicero less ($130) know the answer to. Do it, and Roman Orator and Writer 2. HP Officejet 6000 Wireless you’ll often get an answer you ($80) don’t want. In university they don’t tell you Atticus Finch that the greater part of the law if 3. Canon Pixma iP4820 ($80) To Kill A Mockingbird learning to tolerate fools. 4. Canon Pixma Pro 9000 Mark Doris Lessing II $450) There is always room at the top. English Writer Daniel Webster 5. Canon Pixma iX6520 ($150) American Statesman Page 20 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 All-In-One Ratings Ohio Adoption Forms Like those on page 17, these ratings were also based on tests Here’s a short list of handy fea- fit on a given line, WAdopt3 conducted by a national con- tures that make Ohio Adoption will automatically shrink the sumer reporting laboratory pub- Forms—Version 3 (WAdopt3) font size until the text fits the lished in December 2011. In a good choice for you. designated field to give your case you’re not familiar, the all-in forms a clean, professional FEATURES -one computer is just that—the look. monitor and computer box are Developed in and optimized Exports all forms (blank or contained in the same physical for Windows 7 and Vista, completed) to your word box. There’s less mess espe- WAdopt3 runs in all 64- and processor for printing, faxing, cially if you’ve got a wireless 32-bit versions of Windows. emailing, spell-checking, mouse and keyboard. These grammar-checking, or mak- computers are inclined to cost a Adult Adoption Forms In- ing PDFs (PDF-making func- bit more, but consider too that cluded – Forms 19.0, 19.01 tionality dependent on owning we were able to located a HP and 19.1 are included in addi- Touchsmart 100B for only $299! tion to the standard probate Adobe Acrobat). See page 16. Remember also, adoption forms. See the com- Future upgrades can be that although Apple claims 5 of plete list of included forms in downloaded automatically the top seven positions in this the table below. (Internet required; applies to category, much or most legal New General Infor- Version 3 only). software is designed to run on mation Worksheet the Windows operating system- for managing, assem- not Mac OS. While this is usually bling and automati- not a problem, one might ask cally completing the why buy a computer that re- adoption forms. quires emulation software at all. Why not just buy the hardware New Accounting that it’s trying to emulate? This Worksheet. The new eliminates any compatibility is- accounting worksheet sues. Law offices typically have is easier to use than enough to deal with without wor- ever before. rying about these types of Auto-Text-Fit. If things. Not to mention the cost you've got a bit more factor—you’ll find deals in PCs, information than will but not typically on Macs. 1. HP TouchSmart 610-1190f ($1,380) 2. Apple iMac MC813LL/A Included Forms & Schedules ($1,700) General Information Worksheet Form 18.9 Petitioner’s Account 3. Apple iMac MC510LL/A Form 18.0 Petition for Adoption of Minor Form 18.9 Petitioner’s Account Con’t Pg ($1,350) Form 18.1 Judgment Entry Setting Hearing Form 19.0 Petition for Adoption of Adult 4. Apple iMac MC509LL/A Form 18.2 Notice of Hearing Form 19.01 Judgment Entry ... ($1,050) Form 18.3 Consent to Adoption Form 19.1 Final Order of Adult Adoption 5. Apple iMac MC309LL/A Form 18.4 Judgment Entry Finding ... Petition of Foreign Adoption ($1,200) Form 18.5 Interlocutory Order of Adoption Consent to Name Change Form 18.6 Final Decree of Adoption … Affidavit of Adopted Person 6. Apple iMac MC508LL/A Form 18.7 Final Decree of Adoption … HEA 2757 Certificate of Adoption ($1,000) Form 18.8 Adoption Certificate for Parents Adoption Expense Worksheet Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 21 Problem Ohio Guardianship Forms Fixers
Six Years of Free Upgrades? FRIENDLY than ever before.
This new version has everything Balloon Payments Computer Books you could want or need in loan amortizing software. Amortizer2 handles balloon As you might expect, when Win- payments better than most am- dows 7 was released by Micro- Previewing/Printing ortization programs. Instead of soft, Vista books (the previous scanning page upon page of Windows OS) took a nose dive If you’re preparing real estate hard copy, Amortizer2 has the in value. Regardless of their documents and need to amortize balloon amount up front. See the worth to vendors, their value to a loan to obtain the monthly screen illustration below. Vista users remains the same. If payment amount, Puritas like to pick up computer books Springs Software’s Loan Am- Consumer Friendliness on the cheap, try one of these ortizer—Version 2 Internet bargain book vendors: (Amortizer2) will take care of all Here’s a neat feature. Click the your needs. You won’t just get Impact of making extra mort- edwardrhamilton.com, the bottom line numbers like gage payments button and half.com, or some calculators provide. Amor- you’ll see a dialog like the one booksprice.com tizer2 gives you an itemized below. Enter the amount of extra spreadsheet view of each and payment and Amortizer2 will tell When we’re scouting for books, every payment in the entire you how much you save over the we usually check Amazon first to schedule. It’s compatible with all life of the loan. see what the going price is. In Windows word processors. many instances the customer reviews are A Lifetime of Service enlightening, especially if a book is universally This is a program that lasts a disliked. Once we’ve lifetime. Owners of Version 1 established that a book enjoyed 7 years of free up- is worth getting, we grades with no annual mainte- check these three sites. nance fees or other charges. There’s no formula for Cost of Ownership—hardly finding a bargain, over $5 per year. you’ve always got to do a bit of detective work. Page 24 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Ohio Workers’ Compensation
This release of Ohio Workers’ standing WComp2’s time- If you have a client, assistant or Compensation Forms saving features. Think of how boss who never makes mis- (WComp2), benefitted greatly many times you re-enter the takes, you can skip this next from the seven-year experience same information during the life point. However, those of us in of its predecessor and the feed- of a claim. What about situations the real world who need to make back of our valued customers. where you discover an error corrections, changes or addi- after completion. What do you tions will love WComp2’s ability WComp2 saves time and money do? Save each form separately to reload a form, make adjust- by putting the full complement and end up with 40 separate ments and then Print. Try that a of injured worker forms at files as the claim progresses? day later with the web forms. Oh your fingertips without requiring Yikes! If you like to see an over- wait. Sorry. You can’t do that; Internet connectivity. You’ll view of the shortcomings of web you’re going to need to do some never be forced to stop work- pdf forms, take a look at pages retyping. With WComp2 there’s ing on a case file because 14 and 15 of this issue. What no re-entry, no re-typing, no your connection is down. we’re saying there about web- white out, no recalculations, no based probate forms applies to slop. If you’re doing forms on a One of the biggest timesavers, most government-published pdf typewriter, WComp2 will be like however, is that the forms forms including the injured dying and going to heaven. complete themselves. What’s worker forms in WComp2. better than that for office effi- WComp2 doesn’t just complete ciency and error-free forms. The Get ready to enjoy a higher de- and print forms, it also sends General Information Work- gree of organization in your form forms to your word processor sheet accumulates almost 100 handling chores. All the BWC where you can do interlineation pieces of basic, repetitive infor- forms are in a single file, allow- and other editing. Once in your mation and instantaneously ing you to move quickly from word processor, your completed transfers it to all the other forms form to form for archiving, re- forms can be easily spell- automatically. That means you viewing or editing. Forms are checked, grammar-checked, won’t need to enter names, arranged numerically. All your emailed, faxed, printed, made claim numbers and dates, etc. clients are readily accessible. into PDFs, or whatever other over and over again. functionality your word processor WComp2 takes you one step possesses. Just as significant is the fact that closer to the ideal paperless you won’t worry about embar- office. Less typing, less paper, Still not convinced? Try the free, rassing typos in your forms and easier access (can you keep fully functioning demo avail- because if you get it right once years of hard copies from all able on the Demo Download (on the General Information your files with you at all times?). page at our web site. You can Worksheet), that information will With a $10 USB RAM drive you create files, complete forms, populate all the other forms with- can. If you have remote capabili- save files, print forms and do out potential retyping errors. ties, you’re literally never without everything else the normal pro- a file. Not just the file you’re gram does. The demo is new If you’re using BWC’s web working on, but every file and contains additional features forms, you’re just not under- you’ve ever worked on! as requested by our users. Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 25 PC Deed & Document Pro Secrets Here’s why this little program defaults you can now set cer- Hidden Wallpaper for Win7 was one of our best sellers. tain defaults, i.e., county name, year, preparer information, etc., If you’ve even changed your Wizards — One click and Deed for all 80 documents at the desktop wallpaper, you probably & Document Pro’s (WDeed) same time. noticed that Windows comes Document Wizard takes you with quite a collection to choose through your document step-by- Twice the Documents — We from. What we didn’t know is step, asking simple questions doubled the number of docu- that there are other collections and providing examples of the ments from the previous version. hidden within your Windows information requested. In order to add useful docu- installation. Here’s how you can ments, we took a survey of our find them. Click on the Start Live Document Window. WDeed users and received ex- button and type the following in WDeed doesn’t just pop out a cellent suggestions concerning the Search box: complete deed or document. It the documents that law offices C:\Windows\Globalization\MCT has a “live” window where you use most. As a result, there are Then press Enter. You’ll find can see your document come now almost 80 deeds and additional collections of back- together as you proceed. What’s documents. Visit our web site grounds from Canada, South more, it permits you to edit the for a complete list. Africa, United Kingdom, Austra- document in that window and lia and many more countries. gives you a history button allow- Saving Your Wizard ing you to back through each Answers— WDeed gives you Breaking Up Is Easy To Do step of the document building the option of saving your Wizard process. Very, very cool! answers. This is useful when When you run multiple instances you want to redo a document of the same application, Win- Word Processor Compatibility without answering the Wizard dows groups the taskbar icons — Another click of the mouse questions a second time. This is into one cascaded group. To and you’re in your word proces- also useful when you have simi- activate any one of these sor looking at a completed docu- lar but different documents. groups, you must click on the ment. Old English fonts, charac- When using this feature, you icon group and then make your ter and paragraph formatting, preload your prior answers and selection from the expanded spell-checking and grammar- change only those that require it. group of individual icons. There’s checking; anything is possible. Think reciprocal wills with one a cure for this behavior. You can The only limit is your word proc- mouse click. right-click on any vacant area of essor, and today’s word proces- the task bar and select Proper- sors can do a lot. Network Friendly — No, this is ties from the context or pop-up not a network program, but it’s menu. Go to the Taskbar tab Customizable Documents and easy to set up for network cen- of the dialog that appears and— Defaults — Not only can you tralization of documents and preset unchanging information templates. The two advantages In XP: uncheck the box the like the preparer’s name, ad- of this method are document Group taskbar icons dress, telephone number, etc., sharing and simplification of the checkbox; you can also edit the document backup process. Please give us templates themselves to add the a call for multi-user licensing. In Vista: uncheck the Group customized language that your similar taskbar buttons office uses. Quick-Create Buttons — A checkbox; and range of buttons exist for starting Global Defaults — We took the the Document Wizard and creat- In Windows 7: pull down the concept of the default answers ing your documents with one Taskbar buttons list and select to the next level. With global click of the mouse. Never combine. Page 26 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Official Bank
In our previous issue we men- where you enter all your tioned a telephone connection Just One Look creditor information (name called magicJack. We thought and address, etc.) together that it could be of particular inter- The Main Window is your with related claim informa- est to law offices that wanted to MapQuest roadmap for process- tion (date of claim, amount add a phone line to their existing ing a bankruptcy filing. From top of claim, etc.). Forget about line for next to nothing, or for to bottom, from beginning to the various schedules and young offices that wanted to end, the outline or tree view continuation pages. All your minimize their expenses. logically organizes the data en- creditor/claim information is try. Think of it as having the in one place—on the Credi- magicJack is a phone line con- manual and tutorial built right tor Worksheet. nection that plugs into the USB into the program. port of your computer. Once the 5. Statement of Affairs—this jack is plugged in, it provides a Main Window Tour is the third and last work- standard RJ45 phone plug. sheet where you enter an- Start by clicking on the [+] to the swers to the questions in We’ve used magicJack daily for left of the Start Here item to the Statement of Affairs. almost a year now and here are begin. You'll see: our findings: 6. Current Income— 1. General Information—this Schedule I—the sched- Pros is nothing more than a help ule appears on your screen, like the Getting screen and you enter Cost—The magicJack was $39 Started screen. It outlines your answers line by line. for the first year (because the the data entry process and cost of the jack was included) provides information about 7. 7. Current Ex- and $20 a year after that. Yeah, the importance of complet- penses—Schedule J— you’re reading that correctly— ing the Voluntary Petition same as Schedule I, but $20 a year not a month! In fact, first. for we were satisfied enough with its expenses. performance that we signed up 2. Voluntary Petition & Ex- for an additional 5 years for $69. hibits—this step involves You will have a pretty good feel Who can complain about phone completing the multi-page for using the program simply by service for about $1 a month? Voluntary Petition along with looking at the steps outlined in any applicable exhibits. the Main Window. Setup—was a no-brainer and only took a few minutes. Thank 3. Property & Exemptions— Bankruptcy Processing God for that. Remember, we’re a this is where you list the Send to Word Processor software company and hardware debtor’s property. Regard- issues are not within the scope less of whether the property WBank’s ability to send your of our special expertise. is real estate or personal bankruptcy petition, including property, all property is all forms and schedules, to Long Distance—is free any- listed in one place—the your word processor as a sin- where in the U.S. or Canada. Property Worksheet. You gle, editable document opens Contrast that with the local cable will also select your exemp- a lot of doors. Reviewing, for- company’s Internet phone ser- tion information here. The matting, spell-checking, gram- vice that assesses an extra statutory exemption infor- mar-checking, printing, emailing, charge for long distance. mation is modifiable. faxing, making PDF files—it’s all possible from your word proces- (Continued on page 27) 4. Creditors & Debts—this is sor. You’re in control at this Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 27
(Continued from page 26) Voicemail—is stored on the ruptcy Forms magicJack servers and is con- veniently delivered as an email point. You can make decisions maintenance fees. with attached wav file that can about where answers are placed be played back by Windows and how they are formatted. If Print-Shop-Perfect Forms Media Player. something needs to be changed, you don’t think about it, you sim- WBank's printed output is un- Free Services—directory assis- ply do it. This useful feature lets paralleled thanks to new design tance, call waiting, voicemail and you make changes that are not and layout techniques for ren- caller ID, call forwarding. possible in WBank itself. Using dering the various forms and Send to Word Processor, not schedules. WBank also uses a Cons only can you modify and format “shrink to fit” feature so that if your answers, but once the de- you type more than will fit in a Noisy Connection—we may sired form is in your word proc- particular area of the form, need to look into this more care- essor, you can change the forms WBank will reduce the font size fully in case the noise is peculiar themselves! You can also use of the text until it fits. to our particular setup, and this exotic printing functions like may not be a problem for other printing non-sequential pages, Chapters 7, 11, 12 & 13 users, but our connection can be duplex printing, etc. noisy to the point of annoyance. All chapters use the same basic Not unacceptably noisy, just Means Test Forms set of “Official Bankruptcy annoying. Forms” and WBank prepares Of course, WBank includes the them all. Some software compa- Always On—Your computer means test calculation forms, but nies make you buy each bank- must be on, therefore if you it also includes and integrates all ruptcy chapter separately! wanted to use magicJack as the extraneous IRS and Census your sole or primary phone line Bureau data that is required to Forms Included you’d need to leave your com- complete the forms. Don’t for- puter on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For us that was no get that this information All of the “Official Bankruptcy problem because our computers changes every six months and Forms” are included from Form 1 are on 24/7 anyway, but for oth- those upgrades are free until through Form 23. WBank also ers that could be a problem and the release of a new major includes other various commonly an added cost. We now under- version. There are no annual used forms. See the product stand that this is not a require- ment if you purchase a $70 de- vice in lieu of the $19 one.
Porting Phone Numbers— retaining our same telephone number was not an option when we signed up in May or June of 2011, however, starting on Sep- tember 1, 2011 you should be able to keep your same local number by paying a nominal fee.
Technical Support—although we’ve never needed it, we un- derstand that magicJack’s tech- nical support leaves a lot to be desired. If you don’t need it, we guess it doesn’t matter. Page 28 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Management
Law Office Management etc. Finally, BillB5 prepares 6. Subtotals any “attached” Pack—Version 5 (LOM5) is monthly/periodic billing. itemized time/service state- made up of three components: ments; 1. ClientBase5 (CBase5) 1. Prints your personal letter- 2. BookBase5 (BBase5) head at the top of each bill; 7. Calculates a balance due; 3. BillBase5 (BillB5) no pre-printed stationery; 8. Posts a new balance for- Component Overview 2. Balance forward is automati- ward for next month’s bill; cally transferred from the and CBase5 is a name and address prior month’s bill; database that stores client 9. Prints the entire bill and item- names, addresses, telephone 3. Prints client’s full name and ized time/service statements. numbers and mroe. BBase5 is address positioned for stan- an income and expense data- dard window envelope; If you’d like to see what a simple base that manages law office printed bill looks like, visit our receipts and disbursements 4. Lists client payments and web site where we’ve included (client-related payments and expenses since the last bill; several downloadable PDF files expenses), and also expenses containing screen views and unrelated to clients such as pay- 5. Includes up to 10 optional, sample printed reports. ment of the office rent or utilities, user-defined fields; ClientBase
CBase5 is the foundation of the Here are some highlights, visit Sorting. Standard Windows Law Office Management tril- our web site for more info. behavior allows you to alphabet- ogy. Of the many name and ize or reverse-alphabetize by address programs, what sets List View/Table View. Use one clicking a column header. CBase5 apart is its relation to or both windows for viewing BBase5 and BillB5. clients in customizable ways. Hiding Columns. Too much information? Any of the 16 fields can be hidden.
Copy/Paste. A special copy/ paste function works with any other Windows program—except that CBase5 formats as a com- plete mailing address for inser- tion in a letter, etc.
Labels. Addresses in two stan- dard Avery label compatible formats.
Fast Find. Zero in on a record in just a few keystrokes. No compli- cated searches or filters. Just hit
Sorting. Both the Income and Expense Window allow you to arrange your transactions on any field by clicking the column title.
Hiding Columns. Screen too busy? Hide any columns you don’t want to see.
Intelliguessing. BBase5 has Quicken-style incremental searching that speeds up data entry considerably. BillBase
BillB5 is a billing module that creates next month’s file auto- statements can be attached to a integrates with CBase5 and matically. After that, you only client’s monthly statement. BBase5 to form an automated add new bills to the monthly set. billing utility. From now on, the Calendar. BillB5 has an en- monthly billing will take only Printing/Previewing. One at a hanced calendar. You can as- seconds. BillB5 also includes an time or in monthly/periodic sets. sign any calendar item a client itemized statement function that number and the itemized state- lets you prepare and add item- ment can import that item. ized statements to your monthly billing statements. It also has a Personalized Billing. Brief calendar and produces daily/ memos remind your clients weekly/monthly printouts. about upcoming events or pay- ment reminders. Client Histories. Change one Itemized Statements. Not all field in the billing record and you clients are charged flat fees. For Interest. Charging interest on can create precise histories. hourly basis clients, there’s an overdue balances adds an in- itemized statement function. centive to timely payment. You Autopilot Billing. Once you set Items automatically arrange can do it with one click of your up your monthly billing, BillB5 chronologically. These itemized mouse. Page 30 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Customizing Windows Ohio Business Forms
Ohio Business Forms (OBF) Professional Corporation: Create Icons From Photos can be thought of as the Secre- tary of State’s business forms on 532 Initial Articles of Incorpora- One of the younger members of steroids. This set of super-forms tion our Puritas Springs Software have two substantial advan- 541 Certificate of Amendment family had a small picture of tages: by Shareholders herself and a friend as her user 540 Certificate of Amendment icon, the one you see when you 1. They eliminate redundant by Directors enter your password and log in typing like retyping the name 521 Statutory Agent Update to Windows. The rest of us had of the corporation a dozen 522 Continued Existence Cer- either the default icon or one times per form; and tificate from the supplied collection, all 560 Certificate of Dissolution of which are kind of boring and 2. They allow for easy changes by Members generic. i.e., race car, guitar, etc. and corrections; then press 525 Application for Reinstate- the print button. There’s no ment Here’s one way to do that. Visit messy whiteout or retyping. http://icofx.ro and download and Limited Liability Company: install the application IcoFX. OBF includes the following Assuming you’ve already de- forms: 533 Organization/ cided on which picture you wish Reorganization to import, find out what it’s pixel For Profit Corporation: 543 Certificate of Amendment dimensions are. You can do this 521 Statutory Agent Update by loading the picture into Win- 532 Initial Articles of 525 Reinstatement dows Paint application, click on Incorporation 562 Certificate of Dissolution the Image menu and select 521 Statutory Agent Update Attributes. Windows icons 540 Certificate of Amendment Limited Partnerships: come in three sizes: 32 pixels by Directors square for a medium icon, 48 541 Certificate of Amendment 531 Application for Registra- pixels square for a larger icon, by Shareholders tion and 256 pixels square for the 561 Certificate of Dissolution 542 Certificate of Amendment largest icon. If your picture is 525 Application for Reinstate- 521 Statutory Agent Update larger than 256 x 256 pixels, you ment 525 Reinstatement may want to crop or shrink it 563 Certificate of Cancellation using Paint. Not For Profit Corporation: Partnerships Having Limited Once IcoFX is installed and run- 532 Initial Articles of Incorpora- Liability: ning, click on the File menu and tion select Import Image. From 521 Statutory Agent Update See our web site for a listing of the resulting Open File dia- 541 Certificate of Amendment included forms. log, browse to and select the by Shareholders photo you wish to convert into an 522 Continued Existence Cer- Miscellaneous Name Registra- icon. At this point, if your picture tificate tion/Trade Mark: is larger than 256 pixels, you’ll 560 Certificate of Dissolution be asked for the size. With the by Members See our web site for a listing of picture imported, click on the 525 Application for Reinstate- included forms. Icon menu and select Create ment Icon from Image. Now sup- (Continued on page 31) Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 31 Customizing Ohio Business Dissolution Kit Windows
Years ago it was said that forms or your own word process- (Continued from page 30) roughly six out of ten new busi- ing templates, OBDK will be a ply the resolution and color nesses fail in the first five years. tremendous time-saver. depth of the icon you wish to Recent information from the create and click Ok. You can University of Michigan estimates Word Processor now go you your User Account that "more than 80 percent of Compatibility — One click of from Control Panel. In Control new firms in the United States the mouse and you're in your Panel’s Classic View that would end up failing and about 10 per- word processor looking at a involve double-clicking on the cent of all U.S. companies fold completed document. Not only User Accounts icon. From each year." The University Re- can you edit your answers, but the Home view click User Ac- cord. also the forms themselves can counts and Family Safety. be modified! Font, character and If there are more than one ac- When a business fails, certain paragraph formatting—the only count set up on your computer, procedures must be followed. limit is your own word process- click on the one that’s yours. Small businesses, in particular, ing skills. Regardless of how you get to are notorious for ignoring the your User Account window, you dissolution/cancellation proce- Customizable Documents and should see a link labeled dures and most law offices are Defaults — Like all our other Change your picture. Click familiar with the way the Secre- programs, there's a Default file on that link, then click on the tary of State and the Ohio De- through which you can preset Browse for more pictures partment of Taxation increas- unchanging information like the link. Find your converted pic- ingly follow up on businesses preparer's name, address, tele- ture—it’ll have the name you that stop filing periodically re- phone number, etc. This feature gave it when you created it— quired forms and returns. helps you avoid typing your of- select it and click the Change fice/preparer information over Picture button. Ohio Business Dissolution Kit and over again. (OBDK) is designed to organize Roll Your Own and streamline the process of Network Friendly — OBDK is dissolving an Ohio business. easy to set up for network cen- Speaking of icons, you can also The goal is to maximize your tralization of documents and create your own icons from efficiency by helping you to com- templates. The two advantages scratch using Windows Paint plete and file the necessary of this method are document application that’s in Windows 7. forms and notices in a minimum sharing and simplification of the To start Paint, click the Start amount of time. OBDK does this backup process. button, then All Programs by assembling all the necessary and choose Accessories from forms and guiding you through Context-Sensitive Help — the menu, then Paint. Click on the dissolution process. Press
Hiding the Taskbar For no particular reason Living Trust & Estate Planner we’re not overly fond of this one, but we can see the sense in it. Word for Windows and Word- pensive, complicated packages Today’s computer Perfect – Compatibility designed to plan the estates of screens (especially the multimillionaires. If you’re look- wide ones) have plenty WTrust lets you do all your for- ing for trust software for your of horizontal space; it’s matting, previewing and printing small- to medium-sized law of- vertical space that’s in your word processor. Charac- fice that serves ordinary people, lacking, so it’s handy to ter formatting (i.e., Old English you’ll need to look long and make the taskbar disap- fonts), special paragraph format- hard, and you won’t find much! pear and gain the ting, page breaks, spell checking added room. It’s easy to and grammar checking, are all a Living Trust and Estate Plan- do, right-click your piece of cake when you’re in ner for Windows (WTrust) was mouse in a vacant area your word processor. created to fill the chasm between of the taskbar and se- these two extremes. We think it’s lect Properties. Then Breaking the Code an extraordinary program de- check the box labeled signed for ordinary estates. Auto-hide. Now, your WTrust permits users to go into taskbar will disappear, the program to customize docu- Document Wizards reappearing when you ments. If, for example, you al- move your mouse to ways use special language in You won’t struggle with WTrust. the screen bottom. your revocable living trusts, The Document Wizard takes WTrust gives you access to the you through each document, and Note that another way program templates. By modifying provides examples of the infor- to save vertical space is the templates, you can insert mation required. It can also sug- to click on a vacant your handcrafted clauses. Then, gest answers based on your area of the taskbar and every new document includes worksheet entries. WTrust ana- drag it to either side of your language automatically. lyzes hundreds of places in the the screen. When you documents where there are let do of your mouse, Setting the Defaults nouns, verbs, adverbs, etc., and the taskbar will dock to makes sure that every insertion the side. After years of Templates are one thing, but is grammatically correct. One of having the taskbar there’s also the matter of “filling the most common problems with along the bottom of the in the blanks.” Much information lengthy documents like trusts is screen, it takes a bit does not change from document that law offices have worked with getting use to but if to document. A typical example them for so long and so often, you’ve got plenty of may be an attorney’s name, the documents are nearly im- horizontal space and address and telephone number. mune to proofreading. Further- want more vertical, this To expedite this process, more, spell-checkers don’t know may be a solution. In WTrust lets you to set default when the word “of” is misspelled Windows 7 this can abe information as part of the docu- as the word “or.” Consequently, done by right-clicking ment fields but not part of the it’s easy for grammatical errors on a vacant area of the template. That way you needn’t to be overlooked when preparing task bar and selecting re-enter unchanging information. these documents. WTrust Properties. In the solves that problem by giving Properties dialog, The Problem & Solution you a complete document you pull down the Task- can — well, trust. That saves bar location on Most living trust software falls you from embarrassment when a screen and choose into two categories: (1) bargain client actually reads the docu- the desired location basement stuff that’s largely ment at home and finds mis- from: top, bottom, left or useless, and (2) extremely ex- takes, however incongruous. Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 33 Folder HUD Forms Icons
In recent years the U.S. Depart- Prints a tax proration sum- On pages 30 and 31 of this issue ment of Housing and Urban mary table. we describe a method for mak- Development implemented ing icons and using them as your updated Settlement Statement Performs all calculations User Account icon. What we forms. These forms were prom- automatically and instantly. didn’t mention is that you can ulgated in response to wide- use the same technique to cre- spread abuses in lending prac- In response to customer ate an icon that you can then tices by banks and other finan- demands, we added more associate with a folder to take cial institutions. The gist of these blank lines to key sections of the place of the generic icon. forms is to add a page that re- the forms. lates to describing differences Although the procedure is between the institution’s good Includes and automates IRS roughly the same for XP and faith estimates (GFE) of closing Form 1099-S. Vista, in Win 7 it’s done like this. costs versus the actual closing Right-click the folder icon and costs. In addition to underscor- Prints settlement check(s). select Properties from the ing these differences, the new context or pop-up menu. Go to GFE form also contains a sec- Versatile printing capabilities the Shortcut tab and click the tion that notifies the consumer that automatically adjust to Change Icon button. This about how the monthly payment legal or letter size. brings up a browser that allows can change (if applicable), what you to pick from the icons that the maximum monthly payment Expert tech support. Not come with Windows or browse to may become (again, if applica- people who’ve had a week- a specific ICO file. ble), and other information pre- end training course. All Eng- sumably important to the con- lish-speaking. Good sumer/borrower. Have It Your Way Housekeeping Program Features In addition to simply printing the If you’ve got too many icons on In the process of updating forms, WHUD lets you send your your Windows desktop and WHUD, we developed new forms to your word processor many of those icons are ones methods for achieving printed where you can review, edit, you hardly ever use, try this. output that’s “print-shop-perfect” spell-check, grammar-check, Create a folder by right-clicking and a program interface that's print, email, make PDFs, fax, on a vacant area of the desktop intuitive and scaled for any com- etc. You don’t need any special and select New|Folder. Give puter screen. We’ve also added supplies to generate print-shop- your new folder a name and then a couple of key documents such perfect forms because WHUD is drag any of your unused icons as IRS Form 1099-S and settle- designed to use any printer and onto the folder. You can also use ment checks in order to make ordinary, letter or legal-size pa- this trick to organize groups of WHUD more productive at clos- per. You can do more than just similar icons, like music files for ings rather than simply filling out modify forms; you can also open example. In Windows XP, you the Settlement Statement. the modifiable form templates can right-click a vacant area of to make permanent program the desktop and select Proper- Fully interactive and auto- form changes. In addition, ties. Click Customize Desk- matic HUD Forms 1 & 1A. WHUD lets you enter text where top and under Desktop amounts are expected. This is Cleanup click Clean Desk- New set of fields for “paid handy when you want to make top Now. Follow the instruc- outside closing” costs. notes or comments in the form’s tions in the Desktop money fields. Cleanup Wizard. Performs tax prorations. Page 34 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1
F.Lux Bright Clouds
Much experimentation has been Mac’s answer to storage space public storage device) and mak- done related to light and its issues on portable devices like ing data available to multiple effect on us. Blue light for exam- the iPad that have comparatively computers without resorting a ple (like from your television or little or none is the iCloud. The network hardware or remote computer monitor) has been concept is not a new one and connection software (i.e., Log- found to interfere with peaceful we’ve written about Internet MeIn). sleeping if you’re exposed to it storage in past issues. Basically during the two hour period be- its storage on the Internet that The amount of free online stor- fore you retire. acts as a drive on your com- age is 5GB which is reasonably puter. The difference is that the hefty if you’re not storing audio Enter F.lux, a software product drive is a bit slower and it’s not a or video. By the way, our under- that makes the color of your physical part of your machine standing is that if you purchase computer's display adapt to the like a hard drive. Instead, it’ the audio or video from Amazon time of day, warm at night and space on some company’s, in it doesn’t count against your like sunlight during the day. this case Amazon’s, Internet 5GB. Also, pay plans are avail- F.Lux can also make your com- server. able for 20 to 1,000GB of stor- puter screen look like the room age space. Here are the steps you're in all the time. When the The advantages of portable de- involved: sun sets, it makes your com- vices are puter look like your indoor lights. that it costs 1. Browse In the morning, it makes things less to to look like sunlight again. manufac- ture the Tell f.lux what kind of lighting device you have, and where you live. without the Then forget about it. F.lux will physical do the rest, automatically. hard drive. Also, the Here are the details: space saved by excluding physi- www.amazon.com/clouddrive/ cal memory allows the portable learnmore and click on the 1. Download the software by computing device to be more Get Started button. One visiting http://stereopsis.com/ compact. Another advantage is thing we noted in relation to flux and click the big blue the ability to make information this step is that because we button in the middle of the available to multiple devices, for already had an Amazon ac- screen labeled Download example, your portable device count or because we had a f.lux. Click Run, then I Agree (which you might carry to court) Kindle account, we already (to the terms and conditions and your desktop and home had a Cloud account. Curi- that we all pay such close computers which you use as ously, our Kindle purchases attention to) and that’s it as your “main” machines. were not visible on the Cloud far as installation goes. drive. Amazon has now made that 2. Once f.lux is installed, it is technology free for users of all 2. Signing In. Again, if you al- already working, but in order types of computers—it’s called ready have an Amazon ac- to configure it properly, you the Amazon Cloud Drive. Law count, you can sign in using need to access it and access- offices could use the Cloud Drive your existing user name and ing it is not very straightfor- for purposes of backing up their password. If you new to Ama- ward. The only way to fire it data (let’s not at this point con- zon (if that’s even possible), sider the ethical issues involved you’ll use the normal initial (Continued on page 35) in storing confidential data on a signup procedure of picking a Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 35 On The Horizon F.Lux (Continued from page 34) user name and password. 6. Now you see a Windows Ex- Once that’s done you’re nearly plorer type screen—left side up is to click on the arrow in finished. folders, right side files. There’s the system tray (the lower also an Upload Files but- right icon area of your 3. At this point you’ll see the ton to add your first file. screen—where the time and welcome screen—several date is) and click on the blue default folders to the left, and 7. Clicking on the Upload and yellow circle. That brings to the right some explanation Files button brings up a typi- up the f.lux Settings win- as well as a big Upload cal Open File Dialog for dow. Files button. you to browse and select the file or files you wish to upload. 3. In the Settings window, 4. Clicking on the Upload We uploaded a 3 MB file in a click on the arrow where your Files button brings up a li- matter of seconds. location is described, enter censing your ZIP code and click Lo- screen 8. When cate. If f.lux got your latitude that asks the upload and longitude correct, leave you to is complete the values alone otherwise accept you are enter the correct values and the terms returned to click Ok. and con- the Ex- ditions of plorer-style 4. Click on the Change Set- Cloud screen and tings button and use the two use. Of that’s it. sliders to adjust the tempera- course, no one reads those The standard file management ture of your lighting during things so we just clicked on commands are available from the day and night, i.e., day- the box that said we read it this screen, i.e., download, light, fluorescent, halogen. carefully and then clicked the delete, move copy, and re- It’s recommended that you Continue button like you’ll name. It’s no big deal, but it’s select the Slow transition end up doing. worth noting that our Kindle speed. Click Done when files were not present on the you think you’ve got it right. 5. Doing so brings up a security Cloud drive. screen that asks you to copy a If you do have it right, your randomly generated 6-digit All in all, we think the Amazon screen will look like the pages password in order to initiate Cloud drive is pretty nifty and of a book under the current an upload. Enter the pass- can be quite useful. We think lighting conditions. If you’ve word, click Continue. you will too. Check it out. ever seen the screen on a e- book reader (like Kindle), that’s what you’re shooting for. If you don’t like what you’re seeing, it’s easy to go back and make adjustments by repeating the steps described above. Now sleep easy. Page 36 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 iLladvised Gifting Our son celebrated his seven- teenth birthday in March, and my In Good wife and I bought him an iPhone. He just loved it. Who would- n't? Just look at the cool illustra- tion below.
It was then that I made my mistake. When my wife celebrated her birthday in September, I got her an iRon (pictured below).
I celebrated my birthday four months later in July, and my wife made me very happy when she bought me an iPad. It’s practi- cally a fully-functioning computer in the size of a tablet of paper.
For whatever reason, she was super miffed in spite of the fact that I explained the iRon can be integrated into the home network with the iWash, iCook and iClean. (This inevitably activates the iNag re- minder service.) I should be out of the hospital next month!
Our daughter's birthday was the very next month so we got her an iPod Touch. It’s like a mini- iPad and it can do quite a bit. All her friends had one and you can see for yourself how cool it is at the top of the next column. Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 37 tests your memory. Even if you did not answer the first three Humor questions correctly, you still have one more chance to shine.
4. There is a river you must cross but it is populated by crocodiles, and you do not have a boat. How can you cross it?
Answer: You jump into the river and swim across. If you’ve been paying attention you would know that all the crocodiles are attend- ing the meeting that was called to order by the Lion King. This question tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.
According to Anderson Consult- A programmer with a sense of answer and proceeding. ing Worldwide, around 90% of humor. We don’t know where the the professionals they tested got dialog shown above came from, 1. How do you put a giraffe into all questions wrong. The future but it’s supposedly legitimate. a refrigerator? looks promising, however be- cause many preschoolers got Answer: Open the refrigerator, several correct answers. put in the giraffe, and close the As They Said On Family door. This question tests Feud—Good Answer! whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated Lodi v. Lodi (1985) 173 Cal An elderly man was stopped at way. App 3d 628. 2am and asked by the investi- gating police office where he 2. How do you put an elephant A man sued himself for trying to was going at this time of night. into a refrigerator? raid his own trust fund. Oreste The man replied, “I am on my Lodi filed suit against himself in way to a lecture about alcohol Answer: If you said open the the Shasta County Superior abuse and the effects it has on refrigerator, put in the elephant, Court. When the judge threw his the human body, as well as and close the refrigerator, you’re case out, Lodi appealed to the problems related to smoking and wrong. The correct answer is 3rd Appellate District which af- staying out late. The officer ask open the refrigerator, take out firmed the ruling of the lower skeptically, “Oh, really? And who the giraffe, put in the elephant court. The Appellate Court held: would be giving that lecture at and close the door. This tests “This result cannot be unfair to this time of night?” your ability to think through the Mr. Lodi. Although it is true that consequences of your previous as plaintiff and appellant, he “My wife,” the man answered. actions. loses, it equally true that, as defendant and respondent, he Giraffe Test 3. The Lion King is hosting an wins! It is hard to imagine a animal conference. All the ani- more even handed application of More in the continual flow of mals attend except one. Which justice. Truly it would appear that silliness that visits our email animal does not attend? Oreste Lodi is that rare litigant Inbox. who is assured of both victory Answer: The Elephant. The and defeat regardless of which Stop and think about each ques- elephant is in the refrigerator. side triumphs.” tion before deciding on your You just put him in there. This Page 38 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Notebook Ratings To: Technical Here are some ratings and best buys based on laboratory tests Bad Disk? No. about 10 seconds while you’re performed on laptop computers Bad Timing? Yes inserting the CD in your drive; or that evaluated the following by right-clicking on the CD/DVD characteristics: performance, I just purchased a new com- drive in Computer (referred to ergonomics, versatility and dis- puter because my old one as My Computer in previous play. Notebooks found to be the died. When I attempted to in- versions of Windows) and se- best bang for the buck are in stall my child support pro- lecting the Explore command. bold. gram, it wouldn’t install. I think I have a bad disk, what Installing in this manner will of- should I do? ten permit installation. Curiously, this is true even if you were 11” Display—best for mobility We get this question with some logged on as an Administrator 1. Apple MacBook Air regularity because the child sup- (and we’re not going to get into MC968LL/A ($1,000) port program has been around the reasons for that right now). for so long. In all likelihood, your 2. Apple MacBook Air problem is not a “bad” disk. Bar- The second problem that can be MC505LL/A ($890) ring physical damage to the disk, encountered when installing CDs don’t really “go” bad like from an old disk is that the instal- magnetic floppies did in olden lation goes fine, but when you 13” Display—mobility without times. attempt to update to the current the performance sacrifices of version of the program, you re- an 11” What you’re running into is a ceive an error message. This compatibility issue due to the almost always occurs because 1. Samsung 900X3A-A03 fact that your 2008 child support older versions of our programs ($1,530) disk was manufactured a year or downloaded the updated instal- 2. Apple MacBook Air so before the release of Win- lation executable in the Pro- MC965LL/A ($1,300) dows 7 in October of 2009. Two gram Files folder. What would problems can be encountered in be more natural, no? Well 3. Sony Vaio VPCZ2190X this context. First, Windows 7 thanks to the pervasiveness of ($1,970) enhanced security may be re- viruses, this is not allowed by the 4. Apple MacBook Air quiring elevated installation privi- default installation parameters of MC503LL/A ($1,130) leges which were unnecessary Windows 7. in connection with installation of 5. Toshiba Portege R835-P70 programs on prior versions of So, what do you do? You have ($730) Windows. This problem can two choices: call us and we’ll sometimes be circumvented by 6. Apple MacBook Pro assign you a password for “exploring” the child support CD, MC700LL/A ($1,200) downloading the most current right-clicking the setup.exe file, version from our web site which 7. Asus U36JC-B1 ($750) and selecting Run as administra- you can then install without en- tor from the context or pop-up 8. Acer Aspire Timeline X countering the problems we’ve menu. AS3830T-6417 ($620) been discussing above. Or, if you’re like us and you prefer to 9. Asus U33JC-A1 ($660) A couple points are worth men- archive a hard copy of the pro- tioning. We suggested 10.Toshiba Satellite L735- gram, send your original disk to “exploring” the CD because in S3210 us with a check made payable to order to even see the setup.exe “Puritas Springs Software” in the file, you must defeat the amount of $10, and we’ll send autostart feature of your CD or you a replacement disk with the DVD player. You can do this by most recent version of the pro- holding the
Ignore Our Instructions From: Technical
If you're performing a manual Working With RTF Templates \RTF (using the child support update of your Puritas Springs program as an example). Also, program, you can probably We occasionally receive inquir- don’t forget that if you have a 64 ignore the instruction to uninstall ies about making changes to the bit computer, the Program the "current" version before RTF templates that are part of Files folder is named Pro- installing the new, downloaded most our programs. What are gram Files (x86). By double- version. Years of experience the templates? Well, in most of clicking on a file you can view it with the free update process our current programs, the RTF in Word and see whether it’s the taught us that law offices are templates are files that are used one you want. For programs with busy places. Busy practicing to build the screens upon which hundreds of pages of forms (like law. Attorneys and staff don’t you enter information and the Basic Ohio Probate Forms or typically sit around with nothing forms and reports that you print. Official Bankruptcy Forms), it’s to do except sharpening their RTF stands for “rich text format” not so easy. Be guided by the computer skills. In many in- and was Microsoft’s answer to fact that the templates and stances, law office personnel Adobe’s PDF format. Of course, named “page0.rtf”, “page1.rtf”, are expert word processors, but that battle is long over and “page2.rtf”, etc., and they’re take them out of their word Adobe won, but the RTF format usually in the order that they processor and they’re lost. is still supported by Microsoft appear on the Display menu. If and still provides a means for necessary, give us a call and we Another thing we noticed is that exchanging information between can provide you with an index a substantial portion of our tech- third party programs (like ours) that identifies each page. nical support calls were related and Microsoft Office. to performing the free update. Step 2. Make Your Changes. Our response was to design all In fact, that’s exactly how our Knowing two Word secrets will new programs to be auto- programs send output to the make like easier when it comes updating. New programs are word processor. They create a to editing. First, enable the func- now just like iTunes or Turbo RTF file that is opened by Micro- tion that shows special charac- Tax. When you start them up, if soft Word. Note that most word ters. This function is enabled by you’re connected to the Internet, processors (including Word- clicking the ¶ button or using the the program will check with our Pad—if you want to include it) Ctrl+Shift+Y key combination. web site to determine if there’s can open RTF files, but Micro- Doing so lets you see all the a newer version. If there is, the soft Word probably works the special characters such as line program alerts you to that fact best at preserving the some- breaks, paragraph marks, and and gives you the choice of times complicated formatting other hidden formatting charac- deciding whether you wish to that is involved in designing and ters. Second, because most download the upgrade. If you laying out tax and legal forms. pages are formatted as tables answer affirmatively, the pro- (like many web pages) you gram downloads and installs the Step 1. Identify the RTF file should locate the table com- new version automatically. If you wish to modify. For pro- mand that shows gridlines. That you decide not, the program grams with just a few pages of allows you to see the lines that opens normally. In terms of forms, this is no big deal. The divide the table cells which are earlier versions that may not template files are always in a normally invisible. Now that you have that functionality, your folder named “RTF.” The RTF can see everything, you can go manually downloaded file no folder is always located by de- ahead and carefully make your longer requires you to uninstall. fault in one of two places: either changes. The key word here is When in doubt go ahead and try C:\Puritas\WBOPF6 carefully. As you’ll quickly learn, the install. If it's not meant to be, \RTF (using Basic Ohio Pro- it’s easy to ruin a page mostly do you'll get an error message bate Forms as an example) or to unwanted word wrapping saying so and you can go C:\Program within individual cells in the ta- Files\Puritas\WROCSG6 Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 41 E-book Support Readers E-book readers have won their ble. While it’s easy to ruin a Even programmers hate this way into our hearts. Irrespective page, thankfully, it’s also easy to kind of tedium. The solution is of the love affair we have with restore a page thanks to the opening the RTF file in NotePad paper, where else can you get undo command (Ctrl+Z). Keep in (after all, the file is a text file), classics like Treasure Island or mind that many forms, like tax cutting away the first three or Pride and Prejudice for free? Or returns, are format/content- four lines of text (the WordPad the complete works of G.K. approved by the governing au- header), and replacing it with the Chesterton (about 36 books) for thority (i.e., the IRS or Ohio De- pre-packaged header we place $4.99? How about 15 of H.Rider partment of Taxation), so you in RTF folder. The header file Haggard’s Allan Quatermain won’t want to be making any bears the name header.txt or African adventure novels for massive changes. header.rtf. $1.99? Here’s how Consumer Reports Step 3. Save Your Changes. In the text gibberish that is the recently rated these nifty de- This is an easy one. Click the RTF file, where does the header vices. Save button or use the Ctrl+S end? It ends just before— key combination. 1. Barnes & Noble Nook Sim- {\*\generator Msftedit ple Touch Reader ($140) Step 4. Compress the File. 5.41.21.2508;} … 2. Amazon Kindle Keyboard Unfortunately, resaving the RTF file in Word places an unexpect- So, delete everything ahead of 3G ($190) edly large header on the file. that line and paste the header 3. Amazon Kindle Keyboard How large? Well a relatively we provide which usually ends 3G with Special Offers small 17KB file will become a with a line like: ($140) whopping 107KB! As a result, it 4. Amazon Kindle Keyboard absolutely necessary that you \margl864\margr864\margt720 ($140) reduce the size of the RTF file \margb360 and restore the original header. 5. Amazon Kindle Keyboard This is very easy to do. Simple Note that Msftedit version num- with Special Offers ($100) re-save the file using WordPad. bers may be different than the If you perform this function very one we show above, but the 6. Barnes & Noble Nook often, you’ll find it convenient to “generator Msftedit” part should Color ($250) keep a WordPad icon on your be easy enough to find. It’s usu- 7. Amazon Kindle ($110) Desktop so you can simply drag ally the fourth or fifth line in the and drop files onto it. file depending on your screen 8. Amazon Kindle with Spe- resolution and whether word cial Offers ($80) Step 5. Restore the Header. In wrapping is on. Like WordPad, 9. Kobo eReader Touch Edi- a perfect computing world you’d we keep a NotePad icon on our tion ($130) be done, but in the real world desktop for purposes of dragging this is not so. That’s because the and dropping files on to it. It’s 10. Sony Reader Wi-Fi PRS- WordPad save function has a remarkable how many times the T1 ($150) considerable flaw in that it does NotePad icon comes in handy. When you consider the ability to not save the margins as part of search text, highlight excerpts the file. Like Step 2 above, this is If you want to check your work, or review excerpts that others another process that can get double-click the RTF file and see have highlighted, E-book read- ugly fast. That’s because restor- if opens and looks okay in Word. ers have a lot to offer and you ing the header with margins Just make sure you don’t acci- probably can’t go wrong with would typically involve knowing dentally resave it Word because any of the above. Our pleasing the RTF codes and implanting you’ll remove the header you so experience has been with the them in the appropriate place. carefully prepended in Step 5. Amazon Kindle ($110). Page 42 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Tuning Up Windows Seeing
IMPORTANT NOTE: Following www.healthcarebluebook.com used as a means to detect false that wise old maxim that if it's not positives, i.e. innocuous files broke, don't fix it. Only use these This site is a free resource that detected as malicious by one or utilities on systems with obvious provides information on health- more scanners. problems. care costs and advice to con- sumers. It’s a good starting point VirusTotal’s mission is to help in for checking out costs. When we improving the antivirus and se- pressed The Cleveland Clinic for curity industry and make the 1. Revo Uninstaller (Freeware the cost of umbilical hernia re- internet a safer place through Version). Use it to scan for left- pair surgery they quoted us the development of free tools overs after performing a stan- roughly $12,000. We guess you and services. Watching it per- dard uninstall of an unwanted gotta pay extra for the best. The form its scan using 25 or more of program. By leftovers we mean blue book listed that surgery in the leading virus scanners is that it removes any files and our geographic area as costing impressive. Remember, how- Windows registry entries left an average of $8,058. ever, that this site is for scanning behind by an individual pro- individually submitted files. It gram's uninstaller. There are 8 can’t scan your computer or additional cleaning tools in- substitute for antivirus software. cluded with the download. You might even try using the fully http://virusscan.jotti.org/en functional 30-day trial version, do your cleanup, and then de- Jotti's malware scan web site is cide whether you want to make a free online service that en- www.safeproducts.gov your purchase. At the very least ables you to scan suspicious you’ll have begun cleaning up files with several anti-virus pro- This site is a publicly available your system. grams. There is a 25MB limit per consumer product safety infor- file. Files uploaded to this site mation database website of the URL: http://www.revouninstaller.com/ are shared with anti-virus com- revo_uninstaller_free_download.html U.S. Consumer Product Safety panies so the detection accuracy Commission (CPSC). Through it, of their anti-virus products can consumers, child service provid- be improved. If you do not want ers, health care professionals, 2. CCleaner. Formerly Crap a file to be distributed, it is rec- government officials and public Cleaner (wonder why they ommended that you do not sub- safety entities can submit reports changed the name), it sounds mit it. For a bit more information of harm involving consumer familiar and we may have men- about the Jotti site, see the arti- products. Manufacturers tioned this free utility in the past, cle on pages 44 and 45. (including importers) and private but there's been a major up- labelers so identified receive a grade that makes it worth look- copy of the report, and have the ing at again. CCleaner finds opportunity to comment on them. redundant files and removes www.virustotal.com Reports and manufacturer com- them. It also has a disk cleaner ments are published at this site that truly cleans your hard drive for anyone to search. (we mean compliant with the Like Jotti site, VirusTotal is a Department of Defense/National free online service that analyzes Security Administration stan- files and URLs enabling the dards). What's that? You thought identification of viruses, worms, all you had to do was delete a trojans and other kinds of mali- www.naic.org file to get rid of it? Not so! We cious content detected by anti- virus engines and website scan- The National Association of In- (Continued on page 43) ners. At the same time, it may be surance Commissioners (NAIC) Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 43 More Tun- The Sites ing Up is the U.S. standard-setting and simply googling a problem and were particularly impressed by regulatory support organization then needing sort through tens the list of programs that it cleans created and governed by the of thousand of idiotic hits. up after: Internet Explorer, Fire- chief insurance regulators from fox, Google Chrome, Opera, the 50 states, the District of Co- Of course you can search the Safari, Windows Media Player, lumbia and five U.S. territories. database of questions and an- eMule, Google Toolbar, Net- Through the NAIC, state insur- swers, but you'll probably want scape, Microsoft Office, Nero, ance regulators establish stan- to pose your own questions Adobe Acrobat, McAfee, Adobe dards and best practices, con- eventually. To do that you need Flash Player, Sun Java, Win- duct peer review, and coordinate to sign in, and to do that you RAR, WinAce, WinZip, GIMP their regulatory oversight. NAIC need to have or start a Microsoft and other applications. It also staff supports these efforts and Live account. cleans up your browsing history, represents the collective views cookies, Recycle bin, memory of state regulators domestically As a test, we signed in (as it dumps, file fragments, log files, and internationally. NAIC mem- turns out we already has a Mi- system caches, application data, bers, together with the central crosoft Live account that we autocomplete form history, and resources of the NAIC, form the never used) and posed the various other data. national system of state-based question about scrolling that we URL: http://www.filehippo.com/ insurance regulation in the U.S. referred to the in the Digital Ink- download_ccleaner/ If you’re interested in auto insur- lings article on pages 6 and 7 of ance rate comparisons, the fol- this issue. lowing page of their site contains that information, just append the This site reminded us a lot of 3. Soluto. In CNET's own words: following to the site address Expert’s Exchange except that it Soluto is a program. that ana- above: was free and the content was lyzes your system and compares related exclusively to Microsoft its findings with an online knowl- /state_web_map.htm. products like Windows and Of- edge base that proposes solu- fice. We did receive a response tions to various performance within six or so hours, but unfor- bottlenecks. It focuses on three tunately, the responses didn’t fist areas: Chop Boot, which re- the problem. duces your startup time; Lighten http://answers.microsoft.com/ Web Browser, which shows you en-us how to speed up your surfing by optimizing your Web browser; When software stopped includ- and Heal Crashes, which tries to ing hardcopy manuals http://msdn.microsoft.com/en- fix any problems causing pro- us/windows/apps/br229516 (sometimes the pdf manuals grams to crash. aren’t that helpful either), sites like this one became more valu- Curious about the new version of URL: http://soluto.en.softonic.com/ able to users. It’s a site that is Windows (Version 8) expected maintained by Microsoft for the mid to late 2012? You can purpose of providing a forum for download a preview copy from 4. SMART. Instead of using user contributed computer ques- the developer’s website. Be- Windows 7's tool for analyzing tions that are answered by Mi- cause it’s a very early version, startup programs, use SMART crosoft employees as well as it’s only for the adventurous and instead. It can free up resources other presumably knowledge- probably has a considerable way that are typically consumed at able users. The best answers to go before it’s ready for prime startup without the perils poten- get voted up so the ideas and time. None the less, if you go in tially inherent in using msconfig. fixes you find on the site are for being the first on your block, significantly more reliable that this site’s where you can get it. Page 44 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1 Infected or Not Infected Inbox We receive a communication from a user whose identity is To The Rescue Methinks I Smell A Rodent irrelevant informing us that his ESET antivirus software had I just tried to upgrade the FLPA2 Urgent Respond Needed detected a virus in our Living program. I checked to see if an Trust and Estate Planner— upgrade was available. There Good day to you, Version 2. Our first thoughts was. I downloaded it. I was were—how can that be? We’re then instructed to deleted from I am sincerely Sorry for bugging running, not one, but multiple my Control Panel the current into your privacy, it's due to a virus protection packages and program. I did. I then checked business deal in my bank valued never heard a peep. Regard- in my downloads folder and at some millions of dollars, as a less, you’ve absolutely got to there was no Puritas download foreigner l want you to partner- follow up on stuff like this so the there. Where would program ship with me to invest. l am Mr. better part of two days was have put the download? Now I James C. Morrow, Chief Risk spent isolating each of our com- don't have the program I paid for Officer with my firm here in Hong puters and running virus scans, at all. Kong, this opportunity will be of adware scans and malware mutual benefit to the two of us. I scans. David E. Beitzel, Esq. would provide you with all the necessary documents to lay After you start a scan, you Answer: We can't have that! claims and also I would avail you quickly realize that in light of the We'll figure something out. The with the modalities we shall fol- size of today’s typical hard downloaded file (setupflpa2.exe) low once I hear from you Be- drive, a single scan can take up usually goes wherever you save cause of my position in office, to three hours. If you’re talking your FL2 files. By default that please endeavour to keep to about running three or four location is C:\Puritas\FLPA2 yourself These issue concerning scans, you’re essentially shut- \Files. By the way, you no longer this proposal. If you are inter- ting things down for the day. need to remove the program ested, kindly get back to me with At the time we didn’t remember before installing the new version. your full contact information's ever hearing of ESET (which we Please accept our sincere and phone number via my per- have now come to respect as a thanks for your inquiry. sonal email great company) and we won- ( [email protected]) dered at the conclusion of our Reply: Thank you. Found it. Upon your response l will give testing whether ESET was gen- Got it installed. Glad to hear you you more details about this erating what is known in the took out the "uninstall" step to transaction, if you are not inter- business as a false positive. upgrade. ested, you can delete this mail. Our testing, by the way, dis- closed no virus or other type of To All: By the way, this advice Thanks malevolent infection—keeping applies to just about all our pro- in mind that these days there’s grams. The download, whether Mr. James C. Morrow. viruses, spamware, adware, manual or automatic, goes wher- spyware all of which can be ever you store your client files. Answer: Gosh, millions of dol- scanned for separately but are That could be your C: drive or lars! We’d love to partner with known collectively as malware. the server. Mr. Beitzel also you, but there’s something about rightly noted that although our seeing fifteen (probably more) Based on our clean bill of instructions tell you to go to Con- typographical, grammar and health, we visited the ESET web trol Panel and manually uninstall usage errors in your brief email site and followed the instruc- the program before installing the of four or five sentences that tions for reporting or investigat- new version, this step is no undermines our faith in you. longer necessary unless your re- Anyone stupid enough to fall for (Continued on page 45) installing the same version due this gag probably doesn’t have to corruption, etc. an email account anyway. Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office Computing Page 45
(Continued from page 44) Inbox ing a false positive. This is the email we sent to ESET:
Open Office worked. He went to the Set Our company develops software Word Processor dialog, for private law offices. The at- Nice talking to you. The full path selected other and placed the tached file was developed in to the Open Office word proces- path noted above in the text house and the file is presumed sor is C:\Program input dialog. to be triggering a false positive Files\OpenOffice.org 3 for the following reasons: \program\swriter.exe. Also, as Getting A Plug The Hard Way 1. The program was developed discussed, it will open and save on a virus-free machine. RTF documents. I was signing up to be on your email list and there were two 2. When the file was submitted Chuck Zeisler checkboxes. One for Puritas to 18 other leading virus scan- Technology Consultant Springs Software and one for ners, it was concluded to be The Mel Peters Project. Natu- virus free. Answer: Thanks a million, rally, I checked the first box, but 3. An ESET scan performed on Chuck. I think your information what’s the second one for? August 8, 2011 agreed with a will be valuable to many of our previous Jotti scan that the sub- other users. Dennis McClelland ject file was not infected. Please accept our sincere To All: Chuck’s email was the Answer: Very observant of you. thanks for your assistance. If any answer to a question I had The second checkbox is for a additional information if required, asked him about the free word separate mailing list maintained please feel free to contact us at processor called Open Office. As as a subsite of the Puritas many users are aware, all of our Springs Software site. It is main- your convenience. Puritas Springs Software pro- tained by our technical guru grams are capable of sending Ernie and some musician friends their output to a word processor including Mel Peters, one of the The above email was submitted as well as a printer. As ex- original members of the 1950s to ESET on a Saturday around pected, in our experience, the vocal group The Marcels. The 9am EST. The following re- process works best with Micro- Marcels (as you might recall if sponse was received that same soft Word because Microsoft you’re old enough) had the 1961 day at about 2pm: developed the RTF format. How- national hit Blue Moon. The Thank you for your submission. ever, most other word proces- Marcels were elected into the It is a false positive of our scan- sors also hand RTF files. The Vocal Hall of Fame in 2002. You ner and this issue will be fixed in method for connecting a word can take a listen to Mel and our next signature update. processor with our programs is Ernie by searching “Mel Peters to go to the Options menu of Déjà Vu” at YouTube. You might Regards, our program and select the Set also find one or more produc- Sukenik Pavol Word Processor item. In the tions hidden discretely at the ESET Malware Researcher dialog box that appears, there Puritas Springs website at: are three choices: Word, WordPad and Other. If you www.puritas-springs.com/music/ That’s how false positives are select Other, a text input box music.aspx investigated and a 5-hour re- appears wherein you must enter sponse time was both unex- the path to your word processor. We thought you’d never ask. pected and greatly appreciated. In talking over some point with Chuck I asked him to let me know what the path to the Open Office word processor was and that was his answer. Evidently it Page 46 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1
Win8 Product Upgrades You’ve probably heard about the new version of Windows already, We no longer print version infor- comparing the current version to Version 8. It’s scheduled for mation here because, by the end the version number of your soft- release for June 2012 but Micro- of the mailing cycle, most of it is ware, you can see if you’re out soft has been known to run a no longer current. It’s better to of date and what you’re missing. little late in this regard so per- simply refer you to the page of Another way is to click on your haps we might expect it in about our web site containing that in- program’s Help menu and select October about 3 years after Win- formation. First, it’s updated Download Upgrade and then dows 7 became available. almost daily. Second, web pages Check Availability. If a newer don’t have the physical size version is available, it will give What’ll be new about it? Micro- limitations of paper, so we can you the option of downloading it. soft says it will support USB 3.0, include much more information. Live ID integration, the Windows UPGRADING FOR DUMMIES Store, the ability to run from a AUTOMATIC UPGRADES USB Flash drive, and easier If you must manually perform the restore options. Personally these Most all our programs now have upgrade and you need specific, additions don’t mean much to the ability to download upgrades step-by-step upgrading instruc- us. Not they’re not good things, automatically. When you start a tions, we’ve got just the thing. but nothing that would prompt us program, it determines whether Click on the Upgrade Instruc- to update to it unless we bought you are connected to the Inter- tions link near the top of every a new computer that came with net and checks for an available page of our web site and you’ll it. In fact, isn’t that the way it upgrade. If one is available, you find everything you need to get always is. We go through our fair are asked whether you wish to the latest and greatest. share of computers here at Puri- download it. If you select Yes, tas Springs and we can’t remem- the new version is downloaded JOINING OUR EMAIL LIST ber ever upgrading an operating and installed automatically. system. For one thing, the ma- We cannot emphasize enough chines we’ve bought over the In almost all cases this avoids the importance and benefits of years have been power-matched the necessity of needing to getting on our email list. Here to the current operating system; manually install upgrades; how- are two: because newer operating sys- ever, if your system does not tems always demand more pow- permit automatic upgrading, the Special discounts and deals erful hardware, it usually doesn’t manual upgrade instructions can are available via our email- make sense to keep your com- be found in your pdf manual on only sales. puter and update the operating each program’s Help menu. system. Other new things about Subscribers get advance no- Win8 are the Metro style inter- CHECKING THE CURRENT tice of updates and new re- face partly modeled after a VERSION leases. graphic/typography system used at public transportation systems By “current version” we mean You can join by visiting our (no kidding). If that doesn’t whet the latest available version of a Home page and clicking on the your appetite (and frankly it program. One way to determine Join Email link near the top. No doesn’t do much for us), you can the current version is to visit our registration or personal informa- get a free copy by downloading web site (www.puritas- tion is required, simply enter the developer preview version springs.com), and click on the your email address in the text that is available as explained on Version Info link that appears input field and click the Submit page 43 of this issue. near the top of every page. All button. Don’t forget that if you the programs are listed in alpha- have security or spam preven- betical order along with brief tion software, you may need to summaries of the changes. By add us to your white list. Volume 2012, No. 1 Law Office ComputingPurchaser Information Page 47 Order Form Name: Address: City, State ZIP: Puritas Springs Software Telephone: The Cleveland Trust Bldg. Card No. & Exp Date: 645 McKee Trail Card Security Code: Hinckley, Ohio 44233-9202 Email Address: 330-989-3165 / 330-278-3252
For up-to-date prices, prod- uct information and techni- cal support issues, please view the most recent issue of Law Office Computing.
Page 48 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2012, No. 1
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645McKee Trail
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TheCleveland Trust Building Puritas Springs Software Springs Puritas In This Issue Good Things Come In Small Packages— Expounding on what makes Puritas Springs Software special as a small company; no telephone menus to navigate, and knowledgeable, English-speaking technical support. Electronics Ratings— From smart phones to desktop computers to all-in-one computers to printers to notebooks, we’ve got the ratings—quick and easy to understand listings with including the best and the best prices, all in this issue. If you’re thinking of buying, look here first. Competency Quiz— The third installment of our law office computer competency quiz. Learn a little something, then brag about your score, or …. Digital Inklings— Our usual rants and raves about what can and does go wrong with computing in the law office. And More— News about product development, Windows tips, hints of special interest to law offices, and some laughs thrown in for good measure.